Free beverage offer at Peet’s

From their Facebook page,

Enjoy a FREE beverage when you buy one for a friend. To celebrate the New Year come in to Peet’s for any hand-crafted beverage of your choice and receive a second beverage free. View coupon for details. (If you don’t want to print the coupon, you can show it to your barista on your mobile device.) Offer good through Tuesday, January 18, 2011.

I will test the “show it to your barista on your mobile device” option, but it has worked before with these offers.

Now finding a friend to enjoy a beverage with me is a different task.

Second thoughts on K Street

I know I had my fun with the Karpaty venues recently, but I was down there today at lunchtime with The Game Guy, and he helped me to see another side of the coin: at least it’s something. When you get a look at K Street from the Crest to the Community Center, you realize that there is a lot going on and a lot already there. Granted, it is almost exclusively for the nightclub set, and it will have a restaurant with a mermaid tank, but when the establishments open there will be a lot going on. Which for downtown is saying very much indeed.

I’m no planning expert, but the K Street I remember had much more for everybody, from nightclubs and nice restaurants to janky shops and the Crest (which is still looking awesome). Maybe a few good months of nightclubbing will help retail around that area, but it seems like even if lots more Four Loko is getting bought in the mini marts, there still won’t be too much to do if you’re not having some ‘za or stepping out with your 30-something lady friends. GG and I had both spent time in LA’s West side so we have Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade to compare to–and K Street probably never be that. But at least it will have something.

Weird structure on Amer. River Parkway (PHOTOS)

I took the family a-walking on the American River Parkway in the Sunrise Blvd/Jim’s Bridge area on Christmas Eve and noticed this weird structure on the north side of the river. It looked like it would be pretty tricky to get there from any of the houses on the cliff. My photos don’t have geotagging but AFAICR it was midway between Sunrise and Jim’s Bridge on the north bank. I’m assuming it is either a duck blind or some sort of ecological outpost? Does anybody know what this would be?

Continue reading “Weird structure on Amer. River Parkway (PHOTOS)”

Stuck in a-Lodi again

Spent some time in Lodi over the holidays with a family member who just moved there. My family on my father’s side is from Merced, so the Central Valley always feels very homey to me. We were close to downtown Lodi so on Boxing Day we took a nice walk down to visit the shops, since there was no rain. It seems like a pretty neat little downtown, with some nice local restaurants and lots of quirky shops. Tom’s Used Books in particular could just open up my wallet and take everything I’ve got, plus they have cats. Pictures after the jump.
Continue reading “Stuck in a-Lodi again”

DUI Checkpoint on Thursday

Attention Sacramento Kings players and personnel, according to Sacto 9-1-1…

The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint beginning at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, at 21st Street and Capital Avenue.

A commenter did call the Bee out on the misspelling of “Capitol Avenue.”

It’s what happens when you cut & paste directly from the PD press release, no actual journalists get hurt doing that.

If you’re asking yourself why cops announce DUI checkpoints in advance, you’re not alone. Luckily, the Bee offered up this link to “Why cops announce DUI checkpoints in advance.”

There some snark to be had about this article. I’m sure the two of you Sacramentans that aren’t off this week will enjoy it.

Sit and Spin: The Haines Brothers’ Newest Offering

I can’t figure out the Haines brothers. Matt and Fred continue to confound. Simultaneously they put out some of the best and worst food in the city, have some of the coziest and ugliest dining rooms, make me smile like a dolphin on E and feel like punching a baby seal.

Their new venture, Spin Burger Bar, is a perfect microcosm of the Haines Conundrum.: the food is good, the service lovely, the atmosphere ridiculous, and the vibe out of a cringeworthy junior high dance. The space, on 16th and K, formerly housed Bistro 33. And with a sagging economy and the whole 33 franchise a little long in the tooth, the thought must have been “Hey, Mahan is doing gangbusters with his bike themed pizza joint in East Sac, let’s do the same in Midtown…with BURGERS!” Continue reading “Sit and Spin: The Haines Brothers’ Newest Offering”

Lockdown television series features Sacramento

I was skipping through the channels last night when I came across an airing of National Geographic’s Lockdown series.

This episode featured Sacramento, and not in a fun, “hey, we have a lot of trees are close to San Francisco“, way.

Filled with nearly 2,500 inmates accused of everything from drugs to kidnapping to torture, Sacramento County Jail faces a huge problem: maintaining order and control in a highly overcrowded space with a dwindling number of officers.

It was powerful stuff. Using toilets to communicate with other inmates, applying martial arts moves to subdue unruly inmates, it was all there. Shows like this remind me that we are very fortunate to have people in this world who are willing to take on jobs so others don’t have to. For now, of course, as budget cuts continue to dominate the plot lines.

Hitting the reset button

We at the Sac Rag realize none of you care about the Sacramento Kings professional basketball team, but you can’t help but be depressed moved bummed out by this post-game press conference after another ugly loss.

The sad state of the Kings is making national news and while a coaching change seems to make sense, owner Joe Maloof is denying anyone is on their way out.

When pressed, Maloof said definitively that Petrie and Westphal will be in their positions for the remainder of the 2010-11 season regardless of how many games the team loses. “Yes,” Maloof said. “We’re not making any moves. The answer is yes.” A person with direct knowledge of recent statements by a high-ranking member of the organization painted a different picture, telling CBSSports.com that frustration with the Kings’ 5-22 record had reached a breaking point. At one point after the Kings’ 84-79 home loss to the Bucks Thursday night, owner Gavin Maloof was overheard in the tunnel saying that the culture of the organization had to change. “It’s time to hit the reset button,” Gavin Maloof said, according to the source.

Maybe the NBA could take over this team, too?

Local Chocolatier Ginger Elizabeth Earns Top Honors

Midtown just got a little more European. The deliciously talented twenty-something chocolatier Ginger Elizabeth, oft famed locally for her gourmet ice cream sandwich treasures and decadent mochas, now ranks among the nations top chocolate makers. The honor was bestowed upon her by Dessert Professional, a magazine for um, dessert professionals. They listed Ginger Elizabeth among the top ten chocolatiers in North America (take that, Canada!).

In her profile for the magazine, Ginger Elizabeth gives a shout out to Sacramento when asked about her personal favorite chocolate: the Meyer Lemon, which she says, “give this chocolate a great local touch.” Indeed!