Oooookay. There are a couple of angles from which I could begin this review and I don’t know where to start so let me puss out and just lay the my main points out right here. First, the Boardwalk is a less than desirable venue that’s far-the-fuck-away from downtown with security that doesn’t let you go back to your car to get the cell phone that you’ve forgotten unless you want to skip the show that you’ve already paid for, wristband and hand stamp notwithstanding. I have no idea why that is, but I will float the idea that the Boardwalk, being the 18 and over venue that it is, is afraid that the teenyboppers, mall punks, newly-pierced and tatted future hipsters that I’ll want to punch who can’t currently drink will be sneaking out to their cars to take shots of ten dollar vodka and come back to the show and cause a ruckus that security will not want to deal with. It was just my phone dammit. I can understand that dealing with the young’uns can an amazing pain in the ass, but I mean, c’mon.
Month: September 2007
Infant murder makes national news
Sorry for the downer post on your Monday morning, but I think we need to talk about how the most despiccable crime ever happened over the weekend. It is now being reported on by Fox News, so we’re going to be in the national news for the wrong reasons yet again. I think I speak for many when I say I hope anybody who could assist the sheriff in finding these monsters will speak up.
My heart goes out to the family of Sean and his baby, and also to the detectives who are investigating this, who must be in hell right now. The witnesses, who were apparently the victims of a home invasion robbery, are reportedly coming off as sketchy and that is disturbing.
Tower Bridge To Be Changed To “Tower Roadblock” Today
The Tower Bridge is scheduled to be closed to all forms of traffic from 9/17/07 – 11/20/07. This shutdown will allow a widening of the pedestrian and bicycle sidewalks that, according to the Bee, are like skinny calves on a body builder. (Let’s all absorb that for a moment)  Alternatives to crossing the river are the Pioneer Bridge and the I Street Bridge. To stay up-to-date on all things bridge related, click here. Or, if you have questions about the status of the bridge, please call the Tower Bridge Pedestrian and Bikeway Improvements Project information line at (916) 492-6454. I’m quite sure that they’d like to hear from you about your not using the bridge for two months. By the way, this whole issue prompted the following conversation in the office today:
Person 1: Man, they’re closing the bridge for two months? How am I going to get to West Sac?
Person 2: West Sac? Where’s that?
Tastes from across Mexico
I had the good fortune to catch the last night of Presenting Mexico, a three-day tasting from Chef Ramiro Alarcon at El Patron Bar and Grill.
For $20, we had a brief culinary discussion and a hearty sampling of dishes from 8 different Mexican states. My favorite was the Michoacan Pescado Blanco de Pasquero, a white fish baked in egg, served with a smoky red pepper sauce with Sopa de Melon, cold melon soup. Everything that I tried, from the Guerrero inspired Chiles Campanos, marinated green chiles stuffed with queso fresco, to the Sinaloa Sopa Verde, a traditional green soup with fish and clam, was a reminder that Sacramento is sorely lacking for high quality, adventurous Mexican dining that offers atypical dishes and new flavors.
Tequila tastings were also provided by Trago tequila. Unfortunately, they ran out of the Reposado, but their Plata has a fruity aftertaste with little raw alcohol burn. Their Anejo is aged a year in bourbon barrels, imparting a deep, sweet carmel flavor on top of the fruit. Both were excellent and presented in tall rectangular bottles with great angles, sure to stand out at a bar and scream “Taste me and look classy, I’m expensive but worth it!.” The bar featured at least 30 other 100% agave tequilas, including great brands such as Chinaco, Don Julio (including the 1942 reserve!) and Centenario.
El Patron Bar and Grill
6601 Folsom Blvd
(916) 455-8945
“McClatchy Red” banned at… McClatchy
This photo provides an ironic
touchpoint to the article.
The Bee reported yesterday on a new rule at McClatchy High School banning students from wearing the color red. Problem is, the school’s colors are red and white.
Now I am not very educated when it comes to current gang problems, names of gangs, ways to identify bangers, which gangs are the coolest, etc. I’m sure that banning the color red is a great way to go, since I assume gangs usually wear solid color outfits to maximize their display of the gang-affiliated color. For example, gang members who are fans of the Yankees baseball club must have a tough time, since their team colors are blue and white. If their gang color is red, they are screwed. Likewise, a gang member itching to wear red is going to shy away from anything with something else on it like an M or a picture of a lion, right?
Natomas Flooded in Media Controversy
This controversy over free publications makes me think of ripping down someone else’s “Vote for me!” student council campaign sign and replacing it with your own:
A Natomas media rivalry has turned ugly, with owners of two local publications each claiming the other has stolen stacks of the competitor’s periodicals from the rack.
In one case, Natomas Journal publisher Will Craig was caught on surveillance tape in August picking up a stack of N Magazines from the South Natomas Community Center, replacing them with his own newspaper and dumping the rival publication in an outside recycling bin…
Craig said he simply was sending a message to the people connected with N Magazine because he believes they have been stripping his racks for 21 months.
I understand, only remotely, that it’s important to the publishers to tell advertisers what their circulation is and where their publication is offered; however, doesn’t getting rid of the rival’s rag artificially increase the number of publications being taken?
At least he’s recycling them.
Happy Birthday, Light Rail!
Sacramento’s starter line opened 20 years ago, and Regional Transit is celebrating by offering free rides all day on Friday, September 14th.
Sure, our light rail system doesn’t get you EVERYWHERE you want to go, but think of it as an actual 20 year old:
– It thinks it can do everything
– It still mooches off others for funding
– It still hasn’t quite decided where it wants to go in life, but definitely has big aspirations
Like many modern 20 year olds, it is also bilingual. “Empuje para abrir las puertas.”
So, get on out there and ride those rails — you never know what you’ll hear!
Cats continue postseason success
Who’s got River Cats championship fever? I know I do, and the rash is killing me. Hooray for Jorge (call him George) Piedra and AA callup Brant Colamarino, and for the great pitching by Michael Madsen, Jeremy Blevins and Brad Ziegler. Madsen really cut the ears off the Zephyrs hitters for 6 strong innings! (Sorry.)
The Cats are now up 2 games over the Zephyrs in this PCL championship series. Stay tuned to River Chat for all your River Cats blogging needs.
Three Brewfests, brew news and a brew rumor
Mark your calendars, the fall brewfests have arrived. Remember to plan ahead, as all three festivals offer a discount for advance ticket purchases. All three events benefit local children’s charities.
Continue reading “Three Brewfests, brew news and a brew rumor”
The Favorites List: Proceed at Your Own Risk
In writing about restaurants, one tends to put himself in the work. It’s inevitable, really. Food, restaurants, people, likes, dislikes, cannot be written about with the cold, impartial pen that so many professional journalists carry. There are certain things I like, certain things I love, others I can’t stand, and some I simply tolerate. This makes me human, makes you human, makes all of us human (except for that Chris Matthews guy, who I swear is a muppet). So, this means, every now and then, you may disagree with a review. I’m totally cool with that.
I’ve come to conclusion that there is no way that my expectations, prejudices, leanings, and passions can be superimposed on some faceless recommendee. My opinion is not universal, but I think it’s a good divining rod for a large portion of the eating public. Nevertheless, there will be those that have an entirely different idea as to what the average dining experience should be and to them, I wish nothing but good tidings. In order to be a mature and thoughtful writer, one needs to not only acknowledge that others are entitled to their opinions (a premise on which we can all probably agree), but to understand how those others can actually form opinions different from one’s own. So, to help you figure out where I (and subsequently you) stand, I offer you this list of my favorite places in the Sacramento area. If you’ve gone to these spots and totally disagree with me, then odds are you’re not going to do well by following any advice I dish out. But, far be it from me to stop you from trying: Continue reading “The Favorites List: Proceed at Your Own Risk”
The Sac Rag 
