It’s time to eat Sacramento - Dine Downtown. As the picture above says, it’s Restaurant Week, January 13-19. H/T to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.
And you can win a free gift certificate!
Local chefs are preparing three course prix fixe menus for only $30 per person at some of the top restaurants in town. (Participating restaurants after the jump)
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If you thought your options for independent films, documentaries and other cinematic wonders ended at the Crest and the Tower, think again. A local film group is sponsoring weekly screenings of films you can’t see anywhere else in town for the low-low price of $5! Each Friday night, at 19th & K (quite literally underground–they’re in the basement), you can see excellent films that otherwise wouldn’t make there way to Sacramento. A schedule and more information can be found here.
Seven days into 2007, I’ve yet to eat out, which means I’ve missed out on the long-awaited color-coded food inspection system. According to the Bee, only two restaurants have gotten red-carded so far, which forces restaurants to close until they fix the violation. Has anyone noticed the sign? If so, any yellow cards out there? Did they stop you?
I think this new system is great, even though you could always look up the latest inspection on the county’s website. Now only if someone could implement a simple restaurant rating system. Safety and cleanliness are key, but what you do with the ingredients means the difference between fast food and The Firehouse.
Just maybe if we wish hard enough. Long-time TV meteorologist Tom Loffman is going out on a snowy limb and predicting snow in our sleepy town for next Thursday. 
Apparently there’s an Arctic cold front that will be descending on us next Wednesday and there’s a chance for precipitation next Thursday. Other meteorologists aren’t so sure. And the Weather Channel is predicting some cold overnight temperatures next week, with a slight chance of precipitation, but shows clear skies that night.
It doesn’t snow very often - hardly ever - in Sacramento. I seem to recall a few flakes one Christmas in the 1980s, 1988 according to the Bee graphic. The Bee dug up a picture from 1976. And I found this picture, from Elverta in 2002. (H/t Weather Underground).
On the other hand, maybe snow wouldn’t be such a good idea. People around here nearly forget how to drive when it rains, so perhaps snow on the Sacramento roadways wouldn’t be the best thing, but it should would be nice to look at.
It’s a little bit late to be a Christmas list, and a few days late to be a New Years list exactly, but here’s some things I’d like to see in Sacramento in 2007:
1. A privately financed arena for the Kings (at no cost to taxpayers)
2. A wider Tower Bridge for pedestrians
3. A better waterfront
4. A Rivercats return to glory
5. A livelier K Street
6. A safe, refurbished Tower Theatre (possibly one that sells beer)
7. A less kitschy Old Sacramento
8. A championship for the Kings (now I’m really dreaming, aren’t I?)
9. Expanded light rail service (maybe out to the airport?)
10. A suitable and reasonable replacement for Tower Records on Broadway (h/t to LA Metblog)
That’s all I got for now. There are probably lots more things I’d like to see for Sacramento in 2007, but I can’t think of them. Please feel free to add more of your own or take issue with my list.
It is with a heay heart that I report that Simon’s Resturant and Bar has replaced their beloved jukebox with one of those fancy shmancy touch screen, soulless music machines. NO GOOD!!! I was there a couple of weeks ago and have been in mourning ever since. I finally mustered up the strength to write about the experience this evening. I heard Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” SIX times in one night. I loved the Simon’s jukebox-I can’t count how much money I’ve wasted on the same set of 20 songs. I spend more on songs than I do on drinks there! I lioved the fact that you were limited and had to make tough choices. There are no such choices to be made in the insta-gratification we now know as the “jukebox.”
Does anyone know a bar in this town with a cool, old fashioned
Glad to report there were no problems with my airport travel over the holidays. The number of liquids I had in my purse (I was diligent to remove the lip glass to my cheked luggage beforehand) was adequate and I was at the airport with plenty of time to spare…sure, the plane was delayed a bit, but there really wasn’t a problem. However, I’m not really one to write posts that don’t have some kind of consumer complaint, so I’m going to let it out on Super Shuttle this time.
I live fifteen minutes from the airport-it took me OVER TWO HOURS to get home. I dont know when it went so bad but it was likely when we were still in the Arden area and the other woman left in the car said “just take Jackson Highway all the way down to Rancho Murrietta.” For fear of recounting the whole tale and stresing myself out again, let’s just say getting in the door at 1:30 after a two-hour ride with a strange guy who had to stop for gas twice (and once for snacks) was not my prefect ride home.
This story ends with redemption-I called Super Shuttle the next day and received a FULL REFUND after talking to two very accomodating customer service representatives.
To BLUE VAN or not to BLUEVAN? That is the question.
I was a bit surprised when I walked into the Sac Natural Foods Coop yesterday and the sign proclaimed: Elk Grove Coop closing. They’ll be closed by January 31. How’s that for a short lived adventure? Certainly it hasn’t been all over the news like the poor sad (ridiculously melodramatized) closing of Tower last month. Easy come, easy go, in this case. Oh yeah, 1240AM also reported on it last night–they’re going to “liquidate” stock per the radio report starting January 15th for you bargain hunters.
Meanwhile, there’s a January owner drive at the Sac store, and they’re giving away free stuff. Also, if you made a resolution to eat healthier this year…free class coming up…Monday January 8 from 630 to 730 PM at the Sacramento store, Dionisio Esperas will be giving you a “teaser” of how to cook International Vegetarian. Call to pre-register (916) 455-2667.
I’m a regular customer of the aforesaid Costco. Usually we get good service, usually we go home happy. Not this weekend. Seems like most of the cashiers were short-tempered, and we got Mister Nasty-A*s himself, in person. Here are a few tips and comments for Mister NA:
