Category: Food

Meet the Master: Peet’s Tea Master Visiting Sacramento

Peets_Bottled_Iced_Tea_LineupIf you’re a loyal reader of this here ‘Rag, you know that we love Peet’s, and not just the coffee.  We love the stores, the employees, the posters, the immaculately clean restrooms, the not so subtle Bette Davis eyes that the fat guy at the Lyon’s Village store keeps giving me every time I go in – hell, we even love Peet’s teas, which is why we were excited to hear that Peet’s is launching a bottled tea line for retail sale and test marketing it in our fair city.  To help celebrate the launch, Peet’s “Tea Master” Eliot Jordan will be holding court at several Sacramento area locations over the next week, sharing his views, opinions, and — I’m quite sure — secrets about tea farming, harvesting, brewing, recycling, composting, and scrap-booking.  Here’s a schedule of Peet’s locations where you can find him in the next few weeks:

Wednesday, June 24- 9 to 10:30, 2oth & J, 1 to 2:30, Fountains at Roseville

Wednesday, July 1- 9 to 10:30 Alhambra and Folsom, 1 to 2:30, Pleasant Hill in Roseville

Wednesday, July 8- 9 to 11am, 20th & J

England to the Rescue

england_morrison…Judge Morrison England that is.

In a court ruling today, Judge England of Sacramento, dismissed a charge from a plaintiff that Quaker Cereals had blatantly misled consumers by labeling one of its products as “Crunch Berries” when in fact the product contained no real fruit. First of all, how dare someone try to impugn the character of retired naval hero Capt. Horatio Magellan Crunch. Second this person is obviously an attention seeking moron, who will now probably try to sue Kellogg’s for including no real smacks in its Sugar Smacks cereal. Third, and lastly, Judge England is awesome!

I was fortunate enough to sit in a jury in a trial adjudicated by Judge England, and it was truly impressive. First of all, he’s straight out of central casting: a barrel-chested, deep-voiced, African-American man with graying hair and a stern-but-fair disposition that some judges work their whole careers at creating. Besides that, he’s a fair, even-handed judge that runs his courtroom efficiently. But most of all, he seems to take no personal pleasure in the power that he wields as a judge. If there’s one mark against judges, it’s their somewhat transparent love of their own power. Not with Judge England. He seems to be everything the public looks for in a judge: fairness, toughness, and humility. Don’t be surprised to see him on the short-list of Supreme Court nominees one day.

Overheard Hotel Chatter

Mrs. Eats and I ran into the head chef of the Sheraton Grand last night and he couldn’t have been a nicer fellow. (Ok, he could have been nicer but it would have involved full release.) He chatted with us about a number of things, but most importantly all the changes he’s bringing about at the Sheraton. The Mrs. has to go to the Sheraton a lot for banquets and other civic events, so she’s a good barometer in this regard. Apparently, the changes have definitely been for the good.

Everything is being made from scratch (no crappy prebattered frozen nuggets of reconstituted animal chunks), the chef is putting a limit on group size when more complicated dishes are ordered (like souffles and eggs Benedict), and the menu at Morgan’s, the oft-overlooked restaurant at the Sheraton, is slowly adapting to the local/fresh bandwagon that everyone else headed into town on a few years ago. If you haven’t checked out the Sheraton Grand recently, maybe it’s worth a stop. If you’re planning an event, it’s definitely worth a stop.

Also, I’ve discovered a little bar that feels like it’s in Philadelphia or Chicago but happens to be on J Street. It’s Scandal, the bar at Citizen Hotel. No, not the bar at Grange, the overhyped flagship restaurant, but a separate bar on the second story of the hotel. Walk in the front door of the hotel, take a right at the registration desk, walk up the stairs, and find yourself in a relaxed, sophisticated, adult drinking space. They’ve got a great cocktail menu and a neat lineup of California micros. The walls are paneled in dark walnut, the leather chairs look like came out of a East Coast men’s club, and the bookshelves (yes, that’s right, bookshelves) are lined with leather-bound legal tomes. You’ll feel like you’re having a drink with Adam Schiff. Give it a try if you find yourself by CC park; you’ll be surprised.

Tre-gic, just Tre-gic

A few months ago I ate crow over Haines brother’s newest offering, Tre. It had a fantastic menu, filled with inventive, whimsical, and, most importantly, delicious dishes. So it was with a heavy heart that I read Chris Macias’s post over on the Bee’s Appetizers Blog about Tre overhauling its menu.

It appears that the same crowd who was showing up for the food wasn’t showing up enough to keep the kitchen humming, and the late-night crowd wasn’t much in the mood for risotto balls and ribeye steaks. So, the new menu will be filled with “American comfort food,” (basically upscale Chili’s fare) and gone will be the Cajun shrimp and cioppino. It’s really a shame, but I’d hope that the Haines bros take the successful menu and transplant it to a place that will work. No matter what though, you can count on the menu having french fries. Mmmmmm, Haines fries.

West Coast Brew Fest 2009

This is American Craft Brew Week, so wrap it up with the biggest brewfest in the Sac area all year. This Saturday is the 10th Annual West Coast Brew Fest. Several changes will happen this year to make it, are you ready? —-> The Best West Coast Brew Fest yet!!!! (You weren’t ready for that, were you?)

First, the nitty gritty. 60 breweries pouring more than 120 beers from 1-5pm. No tokens, just a glass, you, and beer ’till they run out or you are cut off, baby. $25 for advance tickets, $30 at the gate. Food, music, sun and fun at Miller Park, which will help to fight the hot forecast with heritage oaks and the cool breeze that cuts up the Sacramento River. Of course, carpooling, walking, biking, public transport, taxis or designated driving is highly encouraged.

Next, the improvements and specials for this year:

Continue reading “West Coast Brew Fest 2009”

Two Milestones in One Weekend, Both Meat-Related

Sacramento will see not one but two milestones achieved this weekend.

Jim Denny’s 75th Anniversary- Saturday May 16- 816 12th Street, Sacramento

Festivities start from 8 to 10 am there will a recession-proof $3.00 buffet style breakfast with a pancake eating contest at 11 am. At noon, there will be another hard-times priced $3.00 buffet style lunch. Come and enjoy local treats and suds. The afternoon will rock with live music provided by The Regulars, Ol’ Cotton Dreary, and Who & The What Now! Stay for the burger eating contest, activities for the kids, and a raffle with great prizes from area businesses. Proceeds from the raffle will go towards expanding the restaurant which is both desirable (if you’re hungry) or a bit of a bummer (if you’re a preservationist).

Sam’s Hof Brau 50th Anniversary- Monday May 18th– Watt and El Camino, Sacramento

Two things will make the 50th anniversary party at Sam’s exceptional. First, 50 cent pastrami sandwiches. Second, the recapturing of the “Sam’s” name. For too many years, the venerable Hof Brau has been languishing under the bland moniker of “Plaza Hof Brau.” But not anymore. With a little scratch and some fierce negotiations the wise new owners of the ‘Brau (same folks that own Mikuni, dontcha know) have reacquired the Sam’s name. From now on, saying “Sam’s Hof Brau” will not only conjure a sense of history, but speak of great things to come. Come on by, raisea pint to the new improved sign, eat some meat, and revel in a piece of Sacramento’s history and future.

Grab Your Bike and Grab a Fork

May is Bike Month in Sacramento. In honor of the two-wheeled festivities, some restaurants are offering great deals if you ride your bike there and walk in wearing bike shorts that show off your package. (This part might be optional, I can’t really tell by the literature.) So grease up your Schwinn (not a euphemism) and sharpen your chopsticks, May is a great month for eating if you’re on two wheels. Check out these deals:

  • Lucca Restaurant & Bar, Complimentary dessert with purchase of an entree for anyone who rides their bike to the restaurant in May (but whatever you do, don’t sit in the back room)
  • Riverside Clubhouse, Bike Night, Every Wednesday, 5-8pm, if you ride your bike to Riverside Clubhouse, $1.00 tacos & $2.00 beers
  • Chipotle (Midtown), free burrito for everyone on a bike on Sunday, May 17, from noon to 4 p.m. They’ll also have “best of” contests, raffle prizes, and more.
  • Hot Italian, a free pizza to anyone who rides in on an Italian-made bike on May 14, Bike to Work Day for lunch and dinner (Huffy’s are Italian, aren’t they?)
  • Morgan’s Bar & Grill, Bike Night, Sundays 6-11 pm, $1 PBR/$5 PBR Pitchers if you ride your bicycle (Try the pulled pork sandwich, it’s spec-tac)
  • Nolan’s Hilltop Tavern, $1 off every draft beer for everyone on a bicycle in May

Beermann’s, Greenhouse closing

Two more area breweries have closed their doors, both in Roseville.

The Greenhouse Restaurant and Brewery shut down earlier this month. They were open for less than a year and had an uphill battle with the high cost of organic beer and sustainable food. Unfortunate, as both the food and the beer were excellent.

This Friday, Beermann’s Beerwerks Brewery will also close. Beermann’s just celebrated their 10th Anniversary and have been operating solely out of their Roseville warehouse after closing their brewpub at the beautiful and historic Empire Ballroom in Lincoln in 2006.

Beermann’s fans should visit this Thursday or Friday between 3 and 8pm for a final brew-ha-ha. Come lift a glass and offer a toast of thanks for 10 years in our community. If you would like to join other beer lovers, the Hop Heads of Sacramento Beer Lovers Union will meet at Beermann’s Thursday at 6pm.