Big News in Bay Area Baseball!

That’s right, the nation as a whole reached a new milestone last night.  It was months, nay years, in the making, but it’s about time that I admit what I’ve known for while:  The A’s aren’t making the playoffs this year.

Yes, that’s right, I, the biggest Oakland Athletics stooge in the Sacramento area, have given up hope.  After last night’s dismal loss to the Texas Rangers, I hold out no hope that the A’s will pull their late season heroics and push their way into the the post-season via the wild card.  Hopefully, this isn’t a trend and things can get back on track next year, and maybe every player won’t get injured, but we’ll just have to wait and see.  My tears are real and salty at this moment.

…Oh yeah, and some giant-headed dude in San Francisco  launched a home run for like the 40 zillionth time or something, but I don’t follow the National League so I’m a little fuzzy on the details.

J Street Sidewalk Pizza gone

UPDATE: 7:12 pm – My wife informs me that I misinterpreted her IM earlier, and that the change is official at the location formerly known as Sidewalk Pizza. It’s a taqueria. Sniff. Mmmm, tacos…

I had recently seen what I assumed was a facelift in process at Sidewalk Pizza on Jay street. My wife passed by the spot earlier today and reports that actually what’s going on is that the location is changing over to a Mexican restaurant. Pizza is one of those things — like burgers — that one person can be in love with, and the next guy absolutely hates. Sidewalk on Jay was one of my absolute favorite pies. I’m sad to see it go.

Interesting discussion about this at Yelp… speculation that it was going to be part of the La Fiesta/La Favorita enterprise, accusations of blindsiding the staff. It never seemed like business was very good at Sidewalk but it always seemed like a good location for eats. Plus as my wife just pointed out, it’s hard to complain about another Mexican joint.

Hey winners!

You’ll each be glad to know that The Sac Rag was represented well at this past Sunday’s Streets of London Pub Quiz.

With the mental power of sac-eats, Stickie, and RunnerGirl — plus two of Stickie’s most attractive and charming friends — we answered the most questions correctly and brought home the top prize (and the ever-important bragging rights.) We scored 28 out of 30.

Continue reading “Hey winners!”

The Beauty of Puns

Let’s put this one in the “unintentionally funny” category.  On the corner of Fulton and Alta Arden, a small massage parlor called VIP Spa used to serve its clients well into the night, seven nights a week.  Anecdotal evidence (and the fact that their blinds were always closed) points to VIP Spa as a house of ill repute or at least a shady pseudo-sexual massage parlor.  Well, move to the present day.  VIP Spa has been shut down for almost a year and the new tenant of the building is a smoke shop called–wait for it– “Blow & Tell.” 

Maybe I don’t give the stoners at B&T enough credit.  If this is an intentionally funny renaming of the property, then my hats off to them for their snarktitude.

Restaurant Openings in the ‘Cade

Two openings to report in the Arden/Arcade area;

1) At the corner of Arden & Eastern, a storefront previously inhabited by a tax preparer, an electronics repair shop, and an online gaming center will soon be the home of “Cheffrey’s An American Bistro.”  This restaurant, opened by the founders of the “Refer-a-Chef” catering company will be the first new restaurant in the area for quite some time.  Drop on by for the grand opening, August 9. 

2)  Boudin Bakery, long-awaited and much anticipated, shows signs of an imminent opening.  Work seems to have reached a peak at the Fair Oaks and Munroe location formerly a Java City.  Signage is up and the contractors’ dumpsters are full, so don’t be surprised to start chowing down on chowder in a bread bowl within the next 45 days–just in time for fall.

Now if only the Food Circus would reopen in the Watt Avenue Tower Records & Books location, all would be right in the world.

Watcha Doin’ This Weekend?

Sorry for the lapse in entertainment recommendations last weekend.  We hope to make it up to you with a prime time, Sacramento-sized deep fried bucket of weekend entertainment:

FRIDAY– Perhaps the greatest musician to come out of Berkeley High School, and a former Sacramento resident, Charlie Hunter and his ultra funky 8-string guitar (that’s 3 strings of bass and 5 strings of guitar for those keeping score at home) will be performing with his trio tonight at Marilyn’s on K St.  I’ve personally seen Charlie dozens of times, from his formative gigs in Bay Area clubs to his more polished later group outings.  He is one of the most popular figures on the jazz scene and only comes to Sacramento once every two or three years.  Check him out.  Buy tix here.

SATURDAY– (from Runnergirl) If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to run up what people ski down, here’s your chance this Saturday.  It’s the Squaw Mountain Run and it’s a 3.6 mile jaunt up from the valley floor to the Escarpment. At the top, participants will enjoy music, food, beer, and raffles.  The less energetic can take the cable car to the top of the mountain and take part in a three mile “flower walk.” This is also the first few miles of the Western States course, and the views of Lake Tahoe are amazing. Continue reading “Watcha Doin’ This Weekend?”

Shakey Jake’s: A Cheerful Earful

There are times in life when all you want is to be left alone, to simply enter an establishment, purchase your foodstuffs and be on yourArrrrgh…where's me bee-day? way without fuss, without conversation and without complications that might interrupt your terribly important inner thoughts about what Dee from “What’s Happening” might be up to these days.  If that’s the kind of mood you’re in, then, by all means, stay away from Shakey Jake’s. Continue reading “Shakey Jake’s: A Cheerful Earful”

Don’t “Call Curtis”!

Ouch indeed… Sam McManis blogs today about Curtis Carroll, a West Sac resident whose number is one digit away from the main line at CBS13/CW31.

he has recorded the following outgoing message on his home-answering machine:

If you thought you reached Channel 13 or Channel 31, home of adolescent anchoring, juvenile journalism and the worst newscast in the state, you didn’t. You got that number wrong. If you got the right number, leave a message. Thanks.

Why don’t you just tell me the name of the reporter you’d like to scream obscenities at…

Sacramento gets Real (again)

I am not sure how I missed this one (oh, that’s right, I had no idea the show was still on television), but the 38th installment of MTV’s “The Real World” will feature a local gal by the name of Shauvon. Fans of the show might put together that this marks the second consecutive season of the show featuring a Sacramento native. Not to mention the 29th cycle of American’s Next Top Model which included yet another River City product.

So, rather than go on and on about how lame The Real World is or how they simply cast the same “characters” each season, I want to know what you think about Sacramento’s knack for producing reality show contestants. Are we just so diverse and cultured that we can’t help but kick out well rounded, dynamic individuals? Or perhaps our town is just now moving into the mainstream of hip?

How says you, Sacramento?