Month: July 2009

The Best Food Week in Sacramento

143-PoppyWine_highlight_prod_affiliate_148Two of my favorite events are coming together in the same week. Life is good.

All week, Sacramento Wine & Dine is taking place at restaurants throughout the region. From Andaloussia to Zocalo, restaurants are offering three and four course meals (usually with wine) at severely reduced prices. Check out their website for participating restaurants, menus, and reservations. Check out ‘Rag favorites Tuli Bistro, 58 Degrees, Enotria, Esquire Grill, Il Forno Classico, L, Slocum House, and The Firehouse. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still not cheap dining by any means, but if you’re holding out for a fine meal at a screaming price, it’s hard to beat.

The highlight of the week, however, is the Grape and Gourmet. An extension of the State Fair and the Sac Convention and Visitors Bureau, the G&G is the tits. Every wine there is a State Fair medal winner, every restaurant there brings out its best quick bites, every person there is beautiful and smells like an alpine meadow. This year marks the first year that the event moves off the grounds of Cal Expo and is to be held downtown at the Convention Center.

The event is on Thursday, July 9, starting at 5:30pm. Tix are $50 or less with a $5 coupon through this link. Come on down, look for me, or better yet, look for Poppy!

Kids art studio ArtBeast opens today

ArtBeastToday is the grand opening of a new venture called ArtBeast:

ArtBeast Studio provides open studio space, arts exploration rooms, and loads of classes so that children can dig into the arts.

It benefits the awesomely named Tubman House. For parents of little kids this is a godsend — both because of the budget and because of the lack of things to do in Sac when it is hot or raining. And I can’t say enough about the fact that they have a “pledge to the shy.” In addition to arts & crafts they have puppets and costume stuff and a music room, and in addition to free range play ArtBeast will also offer a number of organized classes. Perfect for preschool age kids or homeschooling families. This might be the coolest thing to ever hit the 916, family fun-wise. Not to mention the pretty slick Web design!

ArtBeast Studio
2226 K St.
(916) 441-1233

Pearl on the River Not Exactly a Gem

As a Sacramento resident, you can count on many things in the summer: at least one week of unbearable heat, a ridiculous amount of news reporting on that obvious heat, a budget impasse, and fairly weak riverside dining.

When you travel to any of the riverside joints that promise great views, relaxed atmospheres, and top-notch food, you usually leave about two-thirds satisfied. Whether it’s Chevy’s, Crawdad’s, Joe’s Crab Shack, Delta King, or any of the other dozen or so eateries on the city’s riverbanks, the food is not what you’re going for.

Unfortunately, Pearl on the River lives up to the standard set by its neighbors. Continue reading “Pearl on the River Not Exactly a Gem”

I want to buy a gun today

The sale of firearms locally is on the rise because of the budget.

“People are coming in and saying, ‘I want to buy a gun today,'” Barrett said. “We’re specifically seeing people say, ‘I want it because I’m not going to be able to get the protection that I need from the sheriff’s department.'”

This can’t miss. Luckily, folks will not be able to conceal these weapons …

Faced with the potential loss of more than 200 deputies due to budget cuts, McGinness said earlier this month that he may consider issuing more concealed weapons permits.

So, we have this going for us. From the comments area:

People have to be able to protect themselves and their families!!! Yes, case studies are proven about when honest, law abiding citizens are armed and ready that crime does go down.

I wonder if case studies would also prove that if folks installed a soft serve ice cream machine in their kitchen obesity would go down.