Let the Year End Lists Begin, Extra Spicy

Here we are, almost at the end of another year, when Christmas songs and sleigh bells fill the air, kindness to strangers and love for our families fills our hearts and year-end best-of lists fill every medium you see. Well, we at the Rag would like to get a jumpstart on the trend and start putting out a few lists of our own. Today’s list: Best Spicy Meals in Sacramento. Get the water ready and your gringo mouth warmed up, here’s some of the best ways to obliterate your taste buds any time of year:

5. Chicken Larb (Thai Cottage, Howe Ave)- Oh larb, how you taunt us, sounding so funny but tasting so good. This traditional Thai salad of ground chicken, ground chilies, soy sauce, mint, cilantro, lettuce and lime juice is one of the best scorching salty dishes around. Almost every Thai restaurant has larb on the menu, but few are better than the Thai Cottage.
Continue reading “Let the Year End Lists Begin, Extra Spicy”

Stay Current on Your Vermin

From my good friends at the Sacramento Food Forum, a current listing of all recent restaurant closures in the county due to health code violations. I’m a little worried about Eastern Empire which is right around the corner from me, and Mana Japanese restaurant, which might be more familiar to you as New Eddokko near the corner of 17th and Broadway. I’ve eaten at New Eddokko many times and am shocked to hear that they are not as vigilant in the vermin control area as we would wish. Maybe if they just treated the vermin like crap like they do at True Love Coffee House, they wouldn’t have a problem.

True Love Never Dies

…it just moves a few blocks.

The SacRag is pleased to announce the return of The True Love Coffeehouse! Earlier this month, owners Kevin and Allyson Seconds had the “soft” opening and are open for business at 2315 K Street.

In no time at all, the True Love will be reclaiming the title as the coolest place in town to catch live, local music. Will we also see the return of the Waffle King? Will movie night return? Can we still get the invigorating quadruple-shot Dark Lord?

The Grand Opening is still coming at an undisclosed date in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled as this will be a great party.Welcome back!

Fun with slideshows

(Yes, we’re having a slow day at the Sac Rag offices, so sue us!)

Ever notice how KCRA.com offers up slideshows on their site?  While they are usually your standard “Caught on Tape” wackiness, from time to time I find a few that are funny.  Mainly because they are not really explained or introduced.  They just jump right into their topic.  For example, I noticed two “Most Annoying” slideshows today.  The first was “The Most Annoying Songs of All Time” and the second was “The Most Annoying Celebrities of All Time“.

While we can all agree on Carrot Top, I’m not sure Don Johnson really fits.  And Nathan Lane?

But, be careful.  I still can’t get that darned “Mmmm Bop” song out of my head now…

Sactown Mag comes out punchin’

So Sactown magazine, the new lifestyle magazine, hits newsstands this week. Based on Sam McManis’ review in today’s Bee, I can’t wait to see it. (RonTopofIt says he got a free copy in the mail, lucky!)

“Opening Shots,” an eight-page spread of dazzling photos. Magazines from Newsweek to Sports Illustrated do this, and it’s nice to see a local publication make a commitment to photojournalism, not just product shots.

Sounds great. I can’t tell whether or not I agree with McManis that the cover is too busy; that might just be too nitpicky for my taste. Seems about average for a glossy magazine like that. McManis also takes a jab at Sactown for using “premier” as in “premier issue” on the cover. That’s where this gets a little funny.

Continue reading “Sactown Mag comes out punchin’”

The Big A

If you find yourself in Grass Valley and with dangerously clean arteries, there is only one place to go: Big A Root Beer Drive-In. A perennial favorite, Big A is one of those places with a menu that you need to take home and study, or get on tape and play on headphones while you sleep, if you don’t want to take an hour and a half to order. Dozens of burger choices, fried fare, great big salads and other specialties, all prepared magically from a pretty small kitchen. I went simple on my last visit and ordered a Deluxe Steak-lover’s Burger–1/2 lb. Angus on French roll with classic “works” toppings. Our party was undecided on the fries–I think they are pretty good, but they are definitely nothing unique. I’ve never had a salad there (go figure) but I hear great things about all the selections on that quadrant of the menu.

And that’s not even the best part: They make their own root beer. It is nice and sweet, with (to me, anyway) a hint of maple syrup (I know, you’re out the door already!). CoolDMZ sez check it out.

Big-A Rootbeer Drive-in
810 E. Main St
Grass Valley
530-273-3243

(Go up Hwy 49, take the Central Grass Valley exit, take a right on East Main and go up the hill until you see the sign.)

More fun from Craigslist

Folks trying to sell their PS3s on Craigslist better take note. Cbs13.com reports that a seller was beaten and robbed while trying to meet the buyer of his Playstation at a local gas station Tuesday.

And to think, I was worried about handing out my email address.

The news station recommends meeting buyers of goods sold on the popular online classifieds site at your local police station parking lot. That’s right. The next time you sell a good for a few thousand dollars online and need to meet the buyer to make the under the table, most likely unreported cash transaction, be sure to do it somewhere where your tax dollars will ensure your safety.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkeys teeing it upKnocked off early at the widget factory yesterday and took the family (or they took me) to Ancil Hoffman for some non-lethal turkey hunting (using our minds). The deers are so thick there that you start to wonder if they aren’t over populated. Also you start to wonder if maybe they aren’t supposed to be more standoffish toward us humans. We saw two young bucks banging heads and had to hightail it. Turkeys were out in force as well, as were giant salmon in the river. We saw a massive salmon head/skull on the riverbank that had teeth the size of a dog’s. As usual the only wildlife thankfully not present were rattlers and mountain lions.

Maybe it was the company, or the early widget dismissal, but if you’ll permit a timely hiatus from the snark, this was one of those days where I counted myself among the luckiest people on earth to be living in Northern California.

Age ain’t nuthin but a number

Well it’s certainly been a while, hasn’t it?

Sacramento police are looking for a 14-year-old boy who they say slammed his car into a home in south Sacramento and then took off.

Oh, but that’s not the best part:

A woman who was in the car stayed at the scene and, according to officers, said alcohol may have played a role in the crash.

The owner of the house that was hit said she believes the woman in the car is her neighbor and the boy’s mother.

So, boy’s mother is a passenger in a car driven by her drunk minor son, who crashes said mother-containing-car into a house in Sacramento and then flees.

What’s that saying again? Oh yeah.  Stay classy, Sacramento.