Author: sac-eats

A Tale of Two Sushis: Miso and Ju Hachi

Two new sushi outlets are now open in the greater Tower District/Midtown area, and, despite their differences, each one is in the hands of a seasoned restaurateur.

Miso Sushi– Taking over the digs at 16th and Broadway wasn’t easy. What was supposed to be a quick renovation instead became a half-million dollar overhaul, says owner Roger Lee. As part owner of Silver Sake in Carmichael, Lee knows what it takes to get a restaurant off the ground. What he didn’t count on was the poor shape of the digs he was trying to move into. The previous occupant, Eddie Fong, lovingly ran a small breakfast operation out of the spot for years, but his rather cavalier attitude towards all things health code related didn’t exactly help arrest the decaying process in the already shaky building. Continue reading “A Tale of Two Sushis: Miso and Ju Hachi”

Big Joe’s BBQ

Dipping your mop into the world of barbecue can be a precarious business. Other than pizza and burgers, there is no other food that Americans are more opinionated about. Some folks insist that your cooking vessel makes all the difference, whether it’s a kettle smoker, a barrel smoker, an egg shaped smoker, a flux-capacitor based meat vaporizer or just the back of an ’84 Celica. Other barbecue Einsteins insist that it’s all about the sauce, whether it’s a mustard sauce, or a tomato sauce, or a molasses sauce, or a vinegar sauce, or a tears-of-a-dolphin sauce. Don’t even start me on dry rubs.

So, suffice it to say, interjecting an opinion about anything barbecue is dangerous. That being said, I’m going to stick my neck out here. Are you ready for it? Can you take it?

Big Joe’s BBQ is the best barbecue in Sacramento. Continue reading “Big Joe’s BBQ”

Mark S. Allen ON IDOL?!?

According to the AP, local personality and second horseman of the apocalypse Mark S. Allen may be filling in for Ryan Seacrest on American Idol. From the AP:

Ryan Seacrest will be taking an immediate leave of absence from hit Fox Television show American Idol. According to his publicist, Seacrest is dealing with a “medical issue” but should be back on Idol within two months. Seacrest will also be taking a break from his popular Los Angeles radio show on KIIS-FM. Filling in for Seacrest at KIIS will be Los Angeles DJ Dave Styles. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Seacrest’s spot on Idol will be filled by Mark S. Allen, a popular entertainment reporter from Northern California.

If this goes through, they might have to widen the doorways at Good Day Sacramento to allow MSA’s inflated head to fit.

***UPDATE*** Local well-known media blogger “Radio Matthew”, when not contacted about this story, was unable to confirm or deny the veracity of the claims. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more about this as the day goes on.

KSAC has Found Jesus

According to the Democratic Underground and the SNR Blog, local progressive talk radio station KSAC 1240 is changing formats on Monday. Gone will be the left leaning talk radio hosts to whom apparently no one listens, and taking its place will be a whole station dedicated to gospel music. That’s right, we’re going to get some good old time religion on the AM dial.

Since the changeover is going to happen on March 31st, we assume that this isn’t an April Fool’s gaffe. Also, in in the irony column, March 31st will be observed as Cesar Chavez day. No better way to pay tribute to a noted labor leader than to dump the progressive station in favor of heavenly tunes.

The reason for the switch? Apparently KSAC was losing money and having difficulty finding advertisers. I’m not sure if this says something about the viability of liberal talk radio, or if it says something about the intelligence of liberal listeners in regard to their lack of interest in the crap that is normally hawked on talk radio (e.g. male enhancement, gold coins, balding remedies, and vegas timeshares pimped by that crazy broad from “That ’70s Show”). I’ll let you, the people, decide.

Cover-Up

Sorry to harp on this, but the entertainment editors over at the Bee really need to chat with Carla Meyer before they choose their cover art for the Ticket section. In today’s edition, the entire front page is taken up with the likable presence of Owen Wilson fronting for his new movie, “Drillbit Taylor.” Open up the Ticket, however, and you may or may not be surprised to find that Meyer gives the film a tepid, two-star review filled with ringing non-endorsements like:

Though it contains funny moments, “Drillbit” is derivative, disjointed and sometimes tasteless (and not in a good way).

Other options for the front page? Th’ Losing Streaks, a favorite local band featured positively in the Ticket, “Hammer” the new Adam Carolla movie given a three star review, or heck, maybe something about Easter.

Yes, yes, we all like Owen Wilson and his bent-nose charm, but really, if the Bee is going to give up valuable real estate to pimp a new movie, they might want to make sure that it’s good first.

Buy California Bistro

Calling this place a bistro is like calling Britney Spears a mom. It might be true, but it’s not really accurate.

Strip away the name and you have, on the surface at least, a somewhat standard state building cafeteria. Upon closer inspection though, you’ll notice that the produce all seems a little fresher than the usual fare, that the hair-netted counter man brags that the rather delicious vegetable soup is freshly made this morning.

Hmmm, you say to yourself, what’s going on here? This isn’t quite like other state cafeterias I’ve been to. And then you realize where you are–the statewide headquarters of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. And then it makes sense. Continue reading “Buy California Bistro”

SMEP and Other Transportation News

In today’s Bee, intrepid transportation reporter Tony Bizjak interviews new RT manager Mike Wiley. In the interview, Tony asks Mr. Wiley about his dreams for RT–including the Monorail!

A: My wild thought is I want to make sure transit is a core service that everybody can depend on, whether they choose to or not. I know that’s not sexy, like running a monorail.

Q: What, no monorail?

A: I don’t care about the mode. I just want everybody to be able to use the system. To me, we need a backbone of frequent service within reasonable walking distance.

Now, as a member of the media, Tony can’t come out and say that he’s 100% for the Sacramento Monorail! Expansion Project (SMEP), but I’m sure, as a right-thinking Sacramentan, he’s on board. Now, if we can just get Mike Wiley on the same page, we’d be set. And once that Monorail! is up and running, we can start on our new campaign, Fan Boats! Continue reading “SMEP and Other Transportation News”

The Hidden Kitchen

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from my first experience at an “underground” restaurant. Ok, I’m lying, I’ll tell you exactly what I was expecting: passwords, dead-drops, eye patches, a husky voiced madam with arm garters and fake moles, a guy playing ragtime on the upright piano, veiled threats on my life, legally dubious foods, and more eye patches (I was expecting a lot of eye patches). The Hidden Kitchen is not really a restaurant, you see, but rather one of a number of subterranean eating spots popping up all over the country. Existing just below the surface of every day commerce, it’s a different kind of dining experience. Continue reading “The Hidden Kitchen”