Author: sac-eats

Hello Heyamoto

If you’ve missed the Herb Caen-like musings of “Aloha Bob” Graswich in the Bee, you can now rejoice.  The folks over at 21st and Q have given the job over to Lisa Heyamoto, Sacramento’s most laid-back columnist.   Heyamoto has casually catalogued the eccentricities of the city for a week now, and seems to already have the feel for the ironic, charming, and trivial content necessary for a successful three-dot column.  When you think about it, the three-dotter is really the true precursor to the blog.  Sure, some people say that the diary format truly fathered the modern blog, but unless you’re Samuel Pepys, odds are you didn’t intend your daily musings to be public content.  The three-dot column is just a blog…on paper.

I, for one, am happy that Heyamoto got the job.  She’s been on my “someone-to-root-for” list ever since she wrote an odd piece last year about “Google doppelgangers” for which she was lambasted by Bee online commenters.  They poo-poo’d the piece’s triviality and newsworthiness, going on to personally insult Heyamoto in a most unprofessional manner.  I sometimes wonder what types of pieces these people want to see in the “Scene” section–severed heads, Afghan poppy fields, racial injustice–lighten the eff up here people, it’s the “Scene” section for chrissakes.  After that, Heyamoto went on an extended bender, but, in her defense, that was her job as the Bee’s “Nightlife” writer.

Anyway, bully to the Bee for giving Heyamoto the job.  I wish her luck as the region’s most prominent non-online blogger and hope that she doesn’t need to hit the “Nightlife” beat too hard anymore. 

Your Unofficial Apple Hill Guide: New, Updated, Now With More Apple Flavor

It’s that time of year again when the leaves start turning, the kids go back to school and the Eats household celebrates anotherNo, the other kind of apple. birthday.  In what is becoming an annual tradition, the Mrs. and I played hooky and headed up the hill midweek to sup full of apple flavored delights.  In the process, we found some new delights, and wound up finding out a few new things about our old favorites.  Follow me, won’t you, as we trip the apple fantastic to find the best of the ‘Hill for 2007.

Rainbow Orchards– There are few reason to hang around Rainbow Orchards other than to consume the finest doughnuts you will ever have, apple cider doughnuts, that is.  Freshly made, piping hot, covered with sugar, and crisp yet chewy, these doughriffic bites of heaven are the main attraction in the cavernous barn that makes up the whole of Rainbow Orchards commercial enterprise.  They sometimes have bluegrass music in the orchard, which is a nice offering, and the Mrs. and I found a beautiful selection of decorative pumpkins in a kaleidoscope of shades (including blue) but really, we’re all just going there for the doughnuts.  Did I mention the doughnuts?  And yes, I still refuse to spell it “donuts.”  Caution:  Mill View Farms produces and sells a similar apple cider doughnut, but be warned, this is an inferior product and not worth your doughnut calories.  The proprietor is very sweet though, bless her heart.    Continue reading “Your Unofficial Apple Hill Guide: New, Updated, Now With More Apple Flavor”

New Arena, New Traffic Problems

Poppy is on board!In today’s Bee, writer Tony Bizjak reports on a number of traffic concerns from folks in-the-know concerning the new Cal Expo arena plans.  The piece pretty fairly andd succinctly addresses the concerns of a number of agencies, groups, and individuals, as well as putting forth a fledgling solution, even at this early stage:

Bartosik and other area business officials, in fact, already have been studying a potential traffic reducer — a streetcar that would run on tracks on or off the street.  It could bring people into the area from a nearby light-rail station, looping them to the Cal Expo gates and the Arden Fair front entrance.

Amazingly enough, not one of the so-called experts mentioned the futuristically fantastic solution staring them right in the face.  It’s a solution so singular it only needs one track, so simple it’s already been built, so elegant it only takes one word to express it: Monorail!  (From now on, any mention of the Monorail! will use a capitalized “M” and an exclamation point.) Continue reading “New Arena, New Traffic Problems”

A Tale of Two News Shows

We’ve taken our shots over the years at the two ring circus that is “Good Day Sacramento,” but we’ve not told the other side of the story, the side that compares Good Day against the other morning shows in the area to see where each stands in this fence-sitter of a media market. (Are we a small big market or a big small market, who can tell?) This week, a dear friend relayed to me his experiences with a two morning shows, and I’d like to share those with you. Hopefully, this will give you a chance to judge for yourself as to who really rules the airwaves from dawn to coffee break.

First of all, let me set the scene for you. My friend had two appearances lined up last month to promote an event, one appearance on the KCRA morning news on channel 58, and one appearance on Good Day Sacramento. The KCRA news appearance was (as if you couldn’t already see this coming) a bad scene.  Rushed for time, fighting technical difficulties and trying to get out his message points despite the woodenness of the broadcast team, my friend did his best to fill the thirty seconds that they wound up giving him. According to him, the crew was a bit scattered, everything was thrown together last minute and the everyone seemed a little stressed. Continue reading “A Tale of Two News Shows”

Updates for the Hungry

Flush with success and proud of a job well done, we turn the page on another award winning year here at the ‘Rag, and what better way to start anew than to revisit some old mentions that never quite got their full due.  In the spirit of “everything old is new again” here are a few updates on restaurants, events, chefs, coffee shops, etc. that got brief mentions previously and really need some more ink.  Continue reading “Updates for the Hungry”

Sacramento Dining: Would you like a side of harmony with your tolerance?

In Sunday’s Bee, Mike Dunne wrote a piece summing up some contentious items that food bloggers around the country had carped about recently.  However, Dunne also noted that, “On the local restaurant scene, no issues seem to be stirring up diners much these days.”  Au contraire, Mr. Dunne.  As Mrs. Eats can attest to, there is no manner of things that I won’t complain about given the slightest opening.  So, not being one to turn down as obvious an invitation as that of the Bee’s esteemed food maven, I’ll discuss one of them now: Music. Continue reading “Sacramento Dining: Would you like a side of harmony with your tolerance?”

Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que

When you think barbecue, you typically think, “Hey, how do you actually spell ‘barbecue’?”  Good question.   Traditionalists, including myself, (and really who would you listen to otherwise?  I mean c’mon, if a white kid from California doesn’t know BBQ, who does?) prefer to refer to the culinary art form as “barbecue”.  Why, you ask?  Because, it’s a real word, that’s why.  Not some abbreviation (BBQ), not some syntactical abbreviationary hybrid (Bar-B-Que), and not some cutesy shortening with punctiationary flair (‘cue).  (God, I hate people who shorten words and put apostrophes before them.  It’s so cliché.)  Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, a newish establishment in Rocklin, insists on spelling it “Bar-B-Que” on all of their literature and signage, so one strike against them already. Continue reading “Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-B-Que”

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?

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”

Happy Admission Day Weekend

157 years ago, on Sep 9, 1850, California was admitted to the Union as the 31st state.  In order to celebrate this great day, there was a somewhat understated presentation at the Capitol including a barbershop quartet and a color guard.  Maybe it’s just my Calicentric viewpoint, but I think is a day that we should celebrate with a little more oomph.  There should be fireworks and parades and lots and lots of drinking.  In fact, this is a day that we, as Californians, should reflect on the greatness that is our state, and how fortunate the other 49 states are to have us.

I mean, think about it.  California provides 60% of the fresh produce, 35% of the commercial lumber, 68% of the wine, 90% of the movies, 80% of the attractive people, and 100% of the “California Cuisine” in America.  (all of these stats are made up, and therefore, totally true)  We need to celebrate all that is California this weekend.  Fly your Bear Flag in front of your house.  Shout “Eureka” a lot.  And don’t ever forget that you live in the greatest state in the greatest country in the world.