Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "bar"

De Vere's in Davis nears completion

2011-10-21T02:44:45Z

Construction on de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis is about two weeks from being finished, and as the bar, which was custom-built in Ireland and then shipped to California, nears completion, Davis residents said they are excited to see a business fill a long-troubled space.

The pub is a new location spawned off the successful de Vere’s Irish Pub at 1521 L St. in Sacramento.

“It seems like it’s going to be a pretty good business,” said Matt Johnson, a 25-year-old bartender from Davis. “I’m excited, and I hope they’re successful.”

Johnson said the space at 217 E St. in Davis has long been something of a revolving door for businesses, which have had trouble staying open much longer than a year.

The space previously housed several restaurants, including Soga’s, Chaat Cafe and Agave.

“I did some research on the company, and I think it totally fits down here,” Johnson said. “It’s always crowded in the other bars, so a new one is always exciting.”

Pub co-owner Henry de Vere White said Wednesday that he wants the pub to be a community gathering place.

“There’s a saying in Ireland that when you’re born, everyone goes to the pub; when you have your first communion, everyone goes to the pub; when you get married, everyone goes to the pub; and when you die, everyone else goes to the pub,” de Vere White said.

He added that the pub concept is more about sharing life experiences than going to a club.

Johnson said he thinks a pub with that atmosphere will be a good fit for Davis.

“We need a place you can sit down and have a drink and not have your ears blown out by loud music,” he said.

Another Davis resident, 25-year-old Marc Meadows, a scientist, said he is happy to see another bar where people can relax, and that has a good beer selection.

“As long as there’s not too many bros, I’ll go there,” he said.

Danielle Orosco, a 22-year-old Davis resident who attends Sacramento City College, said the downtown Davis location is perfect, as it’s walking distance from the UC Davis campus and many homes and workplaces.

“They picked a good town, because Davis is so small that everyone goes out in groups,” she said. “I’m excited. I’ve been living here for two years, and having a new bar to go to will be nice. It looks bigger than some of the other bars, where you just feel squished.”

De Vere White said he looks forward to having the space – which will offer a large selection of food in addition to drinks – be filled with all types of people, from families having lunch and dinner to students coming by in the afternoon to study or dropping by for happy hour.

The building that houses the pub was gutted at the start of construction to allow for the parts constructed in Ireland to be fitted, said Shawn Eldredge of Capitol Painting and Construction, the firm handling the build.

“De Vere’s is a very intense buildout,” Eldredge said. “It’s a lot of material not only from Ireland, but locally.”

He added that the construction has gone well, but many parts needed to be custom-fitted. In the end, he said, he thinks the finished project will be more than worth the effort.

“I believe it’s going to be prettier than the one in Sacramento,” he said, adding that he was involved in construction of the Sacramento location as well.

De Vere White said that 65 employees have been hired, and most have already completed training.

Pre-opening parties will be held, and those interested can sign up by clicking here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Le Butcherettes

2011-09-23T19:01:38Z

Scanning the Harlow’s crowd an hour or so before Le Butcherettes were slated for the stage, you would have found lead singer Terri Gender Bender leaning against a large pillar, her small foot tapping in rhythm with the hard drumming coming from Diciembre Gris, the second opener.

This small metronome action would have been the only outgoing behavior exhibited by Terri, who, off stage, seems quiet, docile and introverted. When approached by fans or curious bystanders, Terri offered the same genuine smile and sweet responses, a reaction surprisingly different from what you would expect to come from a bawdy woman known for her bloody apron uniform.

That is until Ms. Gender Bender got on stage. Quite quickly, drummer Gabe Serbian, bass player Jonathan Hischke and frontwoman Terri Gender Bender transformed what was a quiet, table-seated night at Harlow’s into a frantic mosh pit and interactive musical rock-out.

"Performing lets me get all the demons out,” Terri said.

Her theatrical, but authentic performance included aggressive thrashing about, numerous acrobatic attempts and playing the “trust fall” game where Terri without hesitation, lunged forward, backward, and upside down onto the crowd multiple times.

This dual persona is exactly what Terri tries to express through her artistic project.

“I want to show this shift — the change from domestic housewife who is silent and sweet and who spends her time cleaning the kitchen to this breaking of all feminine duties, to this raging animal release!” Terri said, breaking into Spanish to better express herself.

Jumping off stage wasn’t Terri’s only public interaction. After running through the crowd, singing and shouting, Terri ran out the front door, straight into oncoming traffic on busy J Street, hailing cars and drawing the crowd out behind her. The first car to stop was the Sacramento Police.

A few dance moves and a mad dash back inside, Terri was back on stage with the crowd short on her heels.Soon enough, Terri’s singing was interrupted as she was asked to come outside.

“Umm, sorry, but the police force wants to have a few words with me. Please hold on,” Terri heavily breathed into the microphone.

Minutes passed, and still Terri remained outside, time enough that concerned band members Serbian and Hischke alarmingly shuffled outside too. Onlookers gawked, traffic stopped, and fans shared their frustration.

“C’mon, its artistic expression!” one female yelled.

Eventually Terri was allowed to return to her guitar. Without any sign of anger, she convinced patrons that we should thank the police.

“They look after us and our health,” she said. And then led a screaming frenzy which morphed into possessed rag-doll dancing and spit spraying, scenes only a little short from “The Exorcist.”

But Le Butcherette’s offered a variety of musical compositions. A few, select pieces started slow, with seductive, stand-alone, eerie vocals. But they didnt last long, blasted unexpectedly by fast drums and loud guitars. The energetic ups and downs only added to the musical intensity put on by the trio.

Long-time admirer, Adrienne Beatty shared, “She’s just so nice and sweet. But up there [on stage], its surprising how empowering she is! You get a sense that this is a strong woman-led band.”

Le Butcherettes strong talent has put them on tour with extremely well-know musicians, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Deftones, Iggy and the Stooges, and currently, The Flaming Lips.

“They all are really, really great people. Its been amazing to tour with them. But maybe my favorite has been Deftones. They were just so nice, offering us coffee and joints,” Terri shared bashfully.

Applause goes out to I’m Dirty Too and Diciembre Gris who played alongside Le Butcherettes evening performance.

Catch Le Butcherettes again when they come back to northern Californian this December. In the meantime, head over to Harlow's to see the next fine bands in line.

The Joy Formidable at Harlow's

2011-09-08T01:50:01Z

If you're looking for an example of a band in the middle of making it big, look no further than The Joy Formidable.

Formed in North Wales, the now London-based power trio has been riding a monster wave of success this year, touring and playing major U.K. and U.S. festivals – Reading, Coachella, Lollapalooza – and garnering praise from critics and their musical peers alike.

They made such an impression on Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters earlier this year that he took to Twitter to sing their praises: "I would like to personally thank The Joy Formidable for writing the song of the year "Whirring". xxx Dave". The band will open several dates with Foo Fighters in November.

The band has a massive, noisy sound: chunky guitar riffs, overdriven bass, and pounding drums, all laced with the sweet vocals of firecracker front woman Ritzy Bryan. A chance to catch them up close and personal should not be passed.

The Joy Formidable will perform at Harlow's this Saturday at 10 p.m. Tim Reynolds, the ridiculously talented guitarist of the Dave Matthews Band, plays an earlier show the same day at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are a steal at $13.50.

Planning Commission to decide on tap room liquor permit

2011-09-07T23:06:08Z

The city’s planning commission will decide whether to OK a permit for alcohol to a proposed bottle shop and tap room planned for a shopping center near the intersection of Howe Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard Thursday night.

Capitol Beer and Tap Room is a potential business set to take an empty space at 2222 Fair Oaks Blvd. put together by business partners Ken Hotchkiss and Patti Aguierre.

“It’s going to be kind of a high-end craft beer tasting room and bottle shop,” Hotchkiss said Wednesday.

If given the go-ahead by the Planning Commission, the business could open as early as December, and Aguierre said she plans to participate in Beer Week, in late February.

About 20 beers will be on tap at all times, though the beer selections will rotate, and a website will let customers know which brews are currently being poured. In addition, hundreds of different beers will be available in the bottle shop, according to Hotchkiss.

Hotchkiss said he’d like to carry a large selection of local brews as well as other craft beers.

Some of the breweries whose beers he said he hopes to include are Rubicon, Allagash, Chimay, Sierra Nevada and Russian River.

Food won’t be prepared on-site, but Aguierre said they plan to carry snacks that go with beer as well as some premade deli sandwiches.

According to a city staff report, the state’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control noted that the area is overconcentrated with liquor licenses based on population statistics.

The ABC required the owners to get a letter of convenience or necessity from the Sacramento Police Department, which they did.

Nearby business owners said they are happy to see the proposed business and hope it gets approval from the Planning Commission.

“I want it, because it creates synergy,” said Jeff Davis, also known as “Fro,” who owns adjacent Tokyo Fro’s. “If you put a McDonald’s next to a Burger King, both get busy.”

Davis said the only drawback he can see is with parking in the shopping center, which is already busy, but he characterized it as a minor hurdle that is the result of having businesses that draw lots of people.

“I’m rooting for them,” Davis said. “I want to help them, maybe cook food for them. This is a great spot for them, with Ruth’s Chris, Roxy and Banderas all nearby.”

Tony Galuzzo, who owns nearby Atlantic Bay Insurance, agreed with Davis.

“I think anytime in this economy that a new business is opening, it’s good for everyone,” he said. “Being a merchant in the neighborhood, anytime something can go into a space that’s uninhabited, that’s a good thing.”

Hotchkiss and Aguierre said the toughest part of the yearlong quest to open the business was choosing the location.

“We originally looked in downtown and Midtown, but we decided on this,” Hotchkiss said.

Being a mile and a half from Sacramento State wasn’t one of the reasons, but he said it might prove beneficial.

If approved, the 1,500-square-foot space will be composed of two rooms: a tasting room with a bar, and a bottle shop. About 40 people will be able to be seated in the area, including 12 to 14 on a patio.

Live music and entertainment are not planned to be included in the business, but TVs might be added. Details haven’t been decided, pending the outcome of Thursday’s Planning Commission meeting.

Hours are planned to be 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Law enforcement, firefighters box for charity

2011-08-22T05:31:59Z

Law enforcement and correctional officers, military personnel and a firefighter went toe to toe in the boxing ring Saturday night, raising money for charity in the Battle of the Badges Fight Series: Road to the Championship.

Held in the intimate courtyard setting of Liquid Nightclub in Citrus Heights, the well-attended event benefitted charities including the Armed Forces Foundation, Firefighters Burn Institute and Sacramento Sheriff's Toy Project.

Battle of the Badges Fight Series events are a lead-up to the title fight at Battle of the Badges VIII. Last year's Battle of the Badges VII was held in August at Memorial Auditorium.

All bouts had a three-round limit, and on the card Saturday were 10 preliminary matches and one main event, featuring heavyweights Bryan Williams (Fresno PD) vs. Mike Gomez (CDC-CSP Sac).

Highlights of the evening for the crowd included a lights-out KO of David Richardson (CDC Solano) by Chris McElroy (CDC CSP Sac) and a brutal pummeling of Mike Hernandez (El Cerrito PD) by Noel Montes (CDC-CCPOA) that went the full three rounds and left Hernandez's face covered in blood.

All boxers were ranked by the United Combat Association and the matches were officiated by the California State Athletic Commission. Visit the Battle of the Badges website for information on upcoming bouts.

Fight results:

1. Brent Burkhart (CDC-DVI) defeated Gary Mungia (Army)

2. Jed McNamara (Dept of ABC) defeated Jose Hermosillo (Williams PD)

3. Dru McDonald (Sac Fire) defeated Craig Hamblin (CDC Solano)

4. Fracnsico Flores (Stanislaus County Sheriff) defeated Neil Tremethick (Army)

5. Brenden Reavis (CPS) defeated Javier Banuelos (CDC CSP-Sac)

6. Ruben Jones (CHP) defeated Eduardo Barajas (Williams PD)

7. James Davis (CDC-Folsom) defeated Craig Colosimo (CDC - Mule Creek)

8. Chris McElroy (CDC CSP Sac) defeated David Richardson (CDC Solano)

9. Chris Martinez (Avenal PD) defeated Orlando Rivera (Border Patrol)

10. Noel Montes (CDC CCPOA) defeated Mike Hernandez (El Cerrito PD)

11. Bryan Williams (Fresno PD) defeated Mike Gomez (CDC CSP Sac)

All images copyright: Steven Chea

Old Ironsides has sound system, continues live music

2011-08-12T00:56:53Z

Quashing persistent rumors that Old Ironsides would stop playing live music, staff told The Sacramento Press Thursday that the bar now has its own sound system, and concerts are booked into November.

“For the record, we were never without a sound system,” said Mark “Gonzo” Gonzales, a manager for the establishment and also the man handling most of the booking for shows.

In late June, there were rumors that the iconic establishment at 10th and S streets would no longer be hosting live music, which has been a mainstay of the business for 21 years.

Gonzales said the old sound system, which had been leased, was taken out June 19, and a new sound system was being looked at, but in the meantime, a different sound system was being rented.

The new sound system went on line June 29, Gonzales said.

Bartender Art Rodriguez said having the sound system is an important aspect of the business.

“It means a lot to me to have a new one, because the owners don’t have to pay the rent on the old one,” he said. “When I found out how much money they were paying for the lease (on the old sound system), it was incredible.”

Rodriguez declined to give an exact amount, but characterized the lease as “quite a bit.”

He said the sound system, which consists of a Yamaha sound board, two bass speakers and several powered speakers, is smaller than the one that was leased, but anything more in the small space would be overkill.

“All the people who have come into the venue really like it,” he said.

Only one live band show had been held with the new sound system by Thursday afternoon, Gonzales said, though there had been a few open mic nights as well.

Local alternative/R&B/rock band Red Velvet Kiss played at the venue with the new sound system in place, playing on July 22.

“It was decent,” said Vincent Scola, lead guitarist for Red Velvet Kiss. “It’s not as good as the last sound system, but it still did the job. I was happy with it.”

Scola added that he would play at Old Ironsides again, and he said it’s valuable to have as a live music venue.

“You cant have too many live venues,” he said.

Mick Stevenson, owner of Dad’s Sandwiches at 13th and S streets, said he is glad Old Ironsides has a new sound system and will continue to provide live music.

“It’s crucial in this town,” he said. “It’s not always my neighborhood watering hole, but all three of my bands have played there a lot.”

Stevenson has played in the bands Nevada Backwards, Sam Sobriety and BLVD Park.

“(Old Ironsides is) definitely our competition as far as restaurants go,” he added. “But I know everyone in there, and having them here is a benefit to everyone. The Old Ironsides guys talk about us, and we let people know about them.”

Stevenson added that he thinks having Gonzales book bands for the venue is a good move as well.

“Bartenders know what bands bring in the money,” he said. “It should be good. I’m glad they’re up and running.”

Rodriguez said the live music has helped the restaurant and bar succeed in the current economy.

“It’s very important,” he said. “I’ve been here for 28 years, and I’ve seen Old Ironsides grow from not having any entertainment ... As far as nightlife, (the music) has really helped.”

Gonzales said that no one should worry about Old Ironsides going anywhere.

“We’ve been around a long time,” he said. “Come in and hear the new sound system and support the local bands.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Entrepreneurs drop 'fight bar,' look to expand restaurant

2011-07-30T00:11:40Z

The owners of a contested bar with a mixed martial arts fighting concept withdrew their application earlier this month, but neighboring residents are still concerned that new plans for the Midtown space will be the same operation by another name.

The MMA Fight Bar concept was planned by the owners of Luck’s BBQ, which at 2502 J St. is next door to the vacant space the fight bar would have taken.

The application for an alcohol license for Fight Bar was withdrawn by owners in mid-July, and the Alcoholic Beverage Control office confirmed Friday that no new application has been filed yet.

“They’ve decided to change their format there,” said Midtown Business Association Executive Director Rob Kerth. “They’ve decided to expand Luck’s BBQ.”

Kerth said trying to shoehorn another restaurant into the space is difficult, and the new idea should allow the space to be put into use much sooner.

As a restaurant, Kerth said he thinks it’s great to see new investment and improvement in the Midtown area.

“The more we have to offer, the more we expect people will enjoy coming here and living here,” he said.

Kerth added that the fight bar theme wasn’t likely to appeal to nearby residents.

“If something shows up with the name ‘Fight Bar,’ it’s not starting out setting a great impression with neighborhood leaders,” he said. “They’ve decided to rethink that concept.”

City Councilman Steve Cohn said the owners did some outreach efforts in the community that weren’t well-received.

“It seemed this concept was going to be pretty problematic right across from a senior housing complex, so they decided to hold back on that idea,” he said.

A manager at Luck’s BBQ confirmed Wednesday that the owners would be expanding Luck’s BBQ in lieu of building the fight bar, but he did not return phone calls later in the week.

Nearby residents said Friday that they are still waiting to see what the expansion will bring.

In the past, the same group of neighbors has been influential with other nearby establishements, including G.V. Hurley’s and BarWest Burgers & Wings.

Dale Kooyman, a local resident, said that he is waiting to see which type of liquor license – if any – the business applies for.

Restaurant alcohol licenses are easier to get, but bar/nightclub licenses are more expensive and must be justified, he said, adding that he doesn’t want to see the owners apply for a restaurant license only to stay open until 1:30 or 2 a.m. and operate as a bar.

“We’ll see if it’s a better outcome,” he said. “We’ll see if they’re just changing the name or changing the operation. If you’ve got 15 or 20 screens showing fights, then it’s still a fight bar, even if you call it a restaurant.”

Kooyman added that the name is immaterial.

“We don’t want a business operation that fosters MMA/martial arts,” he said. “They’re in Chicago and various places, and the bouncers can’t control the fights.”

Karen Jacques, another area resident, said she is concerned that alcohol mixed with a fight-themed bar will cause spillover troubles in the nearby residential areas, where many patrons would likely park their vehicles.

“It seems like the more we become a regional destination that is known primarily for bars, the more there is spillover,” she said.

She added that bouncers and security at bars cannot control problems that might occur on nearby streets, and with reduced police and code enforcement staff, she is concerned.

“I’m still concerned about what may go in there,” she said.

Cohn acknowledged that there may still be concerns among local residents as the restaurant expansion goes forward, but he expects they can be worked through.

“I think certainly if all parties are willing to talk to each other, there’ll be ways to work out the restaurant expansion,” he said.

He added that he doesn’t know any timeline for the expansion permit to be filed, but he expects it to be sooner than later.

“I did get the impression it was not going to be a long time,” he said. “Probably in the next couple of weeks.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Uh Huh Her sweats it out at Harlow's

2011-07-26T23:40:50Z

In a rare all ages show at Harlow's last night, L.A.'s Uh Huh Her performed for a packed room of excited fans ready to make the most of a typically low-key Monday night.

Taking their name from the 2004 PJ Harvey album of the same title, Uh Huh Her is a sultry electro-pop duo made up of ex-Mellodrone bassist and keyboardist Camila Grey (who has collaborated with Busta Rhymes, Kelly Osbourne and Dr. Dre) and musician and actress, Leisha Hailey, formerly of The Murmurs and most well known from her role as bisexual journalist, Alice Pieszecki, on Showtime's, “The L Word.”

While Hailey's resume could suggest the band is an actor's passing fancy, the pair are seasoned performers and multi-instrumentalists to boot, even swapping their bass and guitar at one point.

The flirty stage banter was effortless as they forged a connection with the enrapt, overwhelmingly female crowd.

"We just came from Vegas," said Hailey with a smile, explaining a brief technical difficulty with her synth, "so you can imagine what my keyboard has been through!"

The music Uh Huh Her has put out so far – their 2010 debut, “Common Reaction,” and 2011's, “Black and Blue” EP – could be described as synth-driven pop with electronic rhythm, made all the more dreamy with Grey's and Hailey's melodic vocals.

Seeing the songs performed Monday with a second guitar and live drums gave them a rawness, turning the performance into more of a rock ‘n' roll show than you might have expected from listening to their recorded material.

The only issue seemed to be that the precision of the keys and vocals were overpowered by the accompanying muscle, not that it mattered to the dancing and now sweaty crowd. If anything, the organic live show enhanced the experience of seeing the twosome play, and they weren't the only ones generating body heat.

"I'm sweating balls up here. Balls, I tell you," said a soaked Grey, wiping the top of her chest with a towel to deafening squeals of delight from the crowd. "I don't know what that means, but it's happening."

Songs from their yet-to-be-released second LP, “Nocturnes,” were also being honed on the road. Originally planned for a 2011 summer release, Hailey said she thinks the new album will be out in October.

After a quick show and encore that lasted a little over an hour, the ladies of UHH sent their fans home exhausted and happy, as they stuck around to sign autographs and take pictures for a long line of fans that snaked along the inside of the club.

"They're hot," said new fan Lisa Burns, who found out about the show – and band – through meetup.com. "I've never heard of them but I'm very impressed!"

Photos by Steven Chea

Uh Huh Her to perform at Harlow's

2011-07-25T01:59:20Z

Taking their name from the 2004 PJ Harvey album of the same title, L.A.-based Uh Huh Her is a sultry electro-pop duo made up of ex-Mellodrone bassist and keyboardist Camila Grey (who has collaborated with Busta Rhymes, Kelly Osbourne and Dr. Dre) and musician and actress Leisha Hailey, formerly of the Murmurs (and who you might recognize from her role as bisexual journalist Alice Pieszecki on Showtime's “The L Word”).

The pair creates lush, layered synth-driven pop, complemented by soothing, ethereal vocals and driven by up-tempo electronic beats.

The band most recently released their dark and moody "Black and Blue" EP in May and is currently preparing to release their second album, "Nocturnes."

Uh Huh Her will perform at Harlow’s on Monday at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.

California Pizza Kitchen to leave, be replaced by pub

2011-07-12T01:12:04Z

Two Sacramento families with downtown businesses will take over the space in the Firestone Building that houses California Pizza Kitchen. The restaurant, which opened in May 2009, will close this month, making way for the Firestone Public House in about six months.

The de Vere Whites, who own de Vere’s Irish Pub, and the Wong family, which owns Ma Jong’s, The Park Ultralounge, The Mix and Cafeteria 15L, are still working out the details of what the approximately 5,700-square-foot space at 1132 16th St. will hold, according to Henry de Vere White.

“The best way to say it is that a sports bar will probably be one aspect of it, and through the buildout, it is going to develop,” he said. “The Wong family has always done new and vibrant ideas.”

De Vere White said the details have yet to be worked out, and upcoming meetings will help hash it out. A sports bar will be one aspect of it, but it will likely be a place where people who aren’t avid sports fans can go for a conversation and a drink as well.

He said he does not think having another bar-centric business on the corner of 16th and L streets next door to his family’s pub will hurt his business.

“I think people who want to go to an Irish pub are going to go to an Irish pub for the experience,” he said. “I really think that (Firestone Public House) will be different enough, and it’ll complement the corner.”

Mason Wong of the Wong family was unavailable for comment.

Ken Fahn, one of the co-developers of the Firestone building where de Vere’s Irish Pub and the new business will be housed, said business never quite worked out for California Pizza Kitchen at that spot.

“We thought (California Pizza Kitchen) would be a nice addition to the downtown, and they have a strong kids’ menu and all that,” he said.

But over the past two years, the crowds never really materialized for the chain pizza restaurant, which also has a location at Arden Fair and opened a new space in Roseville last year.

“We’re going to assume that the Midtown and downtown crowd doesn’t go for chain restaurants,” Fahn said. “Local operators have a better handle on the idiosyncrasies of the market. They understand Sacramento better.”

He added that opening at the start of government furloughs also undoubtedly affected the level of business.

Mark Cordano, the other co-developer working with the Wurster family, which has owned the building since the 1940s, said he originally expected California Pizza Kitchen to be successful.

“We thought we’d get more kids downtown, but the families we expected to come from Land Park and East Sac tend to stay in their neighborhoods,” Cordano said.

He added that numerous other pizza restaurants opened as well, including Chicago Fire, Pizza Rock and Hot Italian, along with established pizza restaurants such as Paesanos, which presented a lot of competition.

Representatives from California Pizza Kitchen did not return calls Friday or Monday.

Fahn said he expects the new business to do well, adding that the other tenants in the building, including Mediterranean restaurant Petra Greek and Japanese steakhouse Sapporo Grill, are doing well.

“I think everybody that’s involved in this project are true Sacramentans,” Fahn said. “They have roots here. From a landlord’s perspective, we believe in operators who put their soul into the business.”

De Vere White said that “keeping it local” is going to be one of the keys for success.

“I think we’re going to put our own unique stance on it and create something everyone will really enjoy,” he said. “The overall sentiment is that we’re all just really excited to work together on this.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

ABC liaison officers: know the rules, follow the rules

2011-07-02T04:51:11Z

Despite losing 42 sworn police officers this week due to budget cuts, the Sacramento Police Department was able to keep one officer whose job is enforcing liquor license regulations and making sure licensees know the rules and follow them.

A $75,000 grant was awarded to the city of Sacramento from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), allowing the city to fill the second of only two ABC liaison officer positions in the Police Department.

ABC liaison officers play a vital role in keeping bars and restaurants in compliance with liquor laws, said Lt. Gina Haynes of the Sacramento Police Department’s Metro Division.

According to city staff, Sacramento has more than 1,000 ABC-licensed establishments, with an average of 25 per square mile in the downtown area.

“We’re a capital city, so we really have a responsibility to make sure that we have a nice, orderly city, with venues that people are going to want to frequent in their social time,” Haynes said.

Having so many places to socialize and drink has caused some challenges for the city, however.

Haynes said alcohol-related problems, including underage drinking, are a big concern to city police because of the number of young adults and minors attracted to the many entertainment venues in the city.

In March 2010, Sacramento was ranked 20th of the Top 100 Drunkest Cities in America by Men’s Health Magazine.

Also in 2010, police statistics reported a total of 32 traffic fatalities in Sacramento, 13 of which were alcohol-related, and six of which were hit-and-run, which may have been alcohol-related.

“We would be in a whole world of hurt if we didn’t have (ABC liaison officers),” Haynes said.

Haynes said ABC liaison officers provide law enforcement and education and prevention programs for liquor license holders throughout the city.

“I would consider preventing or reducing the number of alcohol-related fatalities to be vital in the way of public safety,” Haynes said.

There are only two ABC liaison officers employed by the city of Sacramento, according to police spokesman Sgt. Norm Leong.

At the same time, the city processed 900 applications for liquor licenses last year alone.

ABC liaison officers answer complaints of every color: from alcohol being watered down to people selling alcohol out of their homes to retailers operating without valid licenses.

“It goes on and on and on,” Haynes said. “Anywhere there is the possibility of making money, there is the potential for breaking the law. Liquor laws are no different.”

The officers also perform compliance inspections, decoy operations, conduct DUI checkpoints and maintain ABC compliance at special entertainment events.

“They are really the go-to resource when it comes to ABC license regulations,” Leong said. “We’re trying to change the negative numbers in relation to alcohol-related crime.”

The one-year grant award for the liaison officer position extends to June 30, 2012.

After that, the city will have to apply for another grant in order to continue the liaison officer position.

“We absolutely cannot afford to let those positions go away.” Haynes said. “They do a good job, and we need them.”

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Ace of Spades gets "Jane Fonda" lesson

2011-06-20T04:33:02Z

Hollywood sleaze-rapper Mickey Avalon performed for a huge crowd of die-hard fans at Ace of Spades Friday night, whipping the young crowd into a lustful frenzy with his provocative sing-along raps.

Folsom rap duo Ill Effect kicked the show off with some tight rhymes and beats, sounding the best as they flowed over B.o.B's well-known hit "Airplanes," featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore.

After a 30-minute delay that had everyone wondering what exactly was going on, rapper Ty$ (Ty Dolla Sign) took the stage. Unfortunately there was nothing spectacular in his short set that made up for the long wait. Highlights included some call-and-response about which side of the crowd was louder and boasting about how one of his songs was "everywhere" (it's not).

Next up was L.A. hip-hop/pop group The Divine, who put forward the effort but didn't quite hit the mark for the Sac crowd, getting booed and inciting chants of "Mickey! Mickey!" in between songs.

"His voice was too high,” Folsom resident Andrea Wilson said of vocalist Shane Gelinas. “It sounded like Backstreet Boys behind a beat.”

With a seedy backstory straight off an “E! True Hollywood Story” episode – former male prostitute, ex-junkie and teen pot dealer – Avalon has a lot of interesting experiences to draw from for his rhymes.

He ran through several of his super catchy party raps: "So Rich, So Pretty," "Jane Fonda,” "Mr. Right" and "My Dick," accompanied on stage by his scantily clad dancer, Jillian, who turned out to be extremely flexible.

In addition to his filthy sex appeal, Avalon's strong points are his unique flow, hooky beats and sing-along lyrics: "One, two, three, four/ Get your booty on the dance floor/ Work it out, shake it, little mama/ Let me see you do the Jane Fonda."

Drugs, booze, sex – it's all there. Shirtless and sometimes chugging a bottle of wine, Avalon oozed sexuality as he slinked his way across the stage, using his salacious glances and pelvic gyrations to start a bra collection on stage.

"I like his raw style,” said Frank Cornwall, who traveled to the show from Grass Valley with some family and friends. “He's one of those guys who sings what he wants to sing and doesn't care who he pisses off. He's like a combination of Eminem and Snoop Dogg: smooth and rude."

And for all his bawdy raps, Avalon is actually a soft-spoken, friendly guy and loves his fans. After the show, he stayed until every last person could get a picture taken with him or get their breasts signed.

It's no wonder why they love him back.

Photos by Steven Chea

Lounge on 20's remodel

2011-06-18T08:15:08Z

Midtown’s Lounge on 20, known for its all-white décor and dim lighting and as a place to grab a drink and relax, transformed last month to include dining and incorporate a warmer color scheme.

“We added almost 100 seats for dining, a new menu and (Executive Chef Pajo Bruich),” said owner Ali Mackani. “There are color changes, new lighting, a freestanding sculpture that’s also a fireplace, and we still have areas for lounging.”

He added that a dessert chef, Elaine Baker, formerly of Grange Restaurant and Bar, is also working at the remodeled space.

Also included is an elevated stage for live performances Thursday through Saturday nights.

Careful preparation enabled the transformation to take place over four nights, Mackani said, adding that it reopened to the public on May 20.

The successful lounge concept is still evident, but Mackani said the goal was to bring in dining, and he added that from the outset he wanted it to be unique.

Bruich uses sous vide cooking methods, which allow meats to be slow-cooked for hours at a low temperature to retain their juiciness and flavor.

Mackani said Bruich will also be incorporating “molecular gastronomy,” which is paying close attention to the way foods interact with each other at the smallest level of detail to deliver the exact taste the chef is looking to create.

In about a month, the bar menu will be updated to include demonstrations – such as one where liquids will be turned to gels – and specialty drinks, some of which will be served in glasses made entirely of ice.

The overall effect of the remodeled space, Mackani said, gives a softer touch to the colors and makes the area feel more intimate. Curtains allow some areas to be shielded from the rest of the space for a more private feel.

Mackani said customer response has been very positive.

Customer Desmond Williams of East Sacramento told The Sacramento Press Friday that he loves the addition of food.

“I hope the community really embraces it,” he said. “Chef Pajo’s making really great stuff.”

He said he also likes the space, adding that it does a good job of providing both openness and an intimate feel. When it comes to live music performances, he said the acts start late enough that diners can still have conversations over dinner, then stick around for the music.

Customer Mary Daffin of Sacramento raved about the food selections as well, calling the whole menu a “When Harry Met Sally” experience.

Mackani said he is happy with the renovation of the restaurant and lounge, which originally opened in 2008.

“We just think it’s a great place to come and dine and stay later at night for drinks,” he said. “We want to really be a place you can pick for a lot of different occasions.”

To view the menu and prices, click here.

To stay up to date on events and musical acts, check Lounge on 20’s Facebook page.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Party at Harlow's with Foster the People

2011-06-04T06:24:23Z

You know that song with the can't-get-it-out-of-your-head whistling called "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John that people seem to either love or hate?

Los Angeles band Foster the People has a comparable track called "Pumped Up Kicks" – a sing-along with a cheery melody and dark lyrics about youth gun violence – that has the same effect.

Polarizing song? For sure.

One-hit wonder band? It doesn't look like it.

Without seeming like they had anything to prove, the young group with more buzz than a beehive let its music speak for itself for a sold-out crowd at Harlow's Thursday night.

Support act The Chain Gang of 1974 (aka Kamtin Mohager) from Denver came ready to warm up the crowd with solid post-punk and new wave stylings. Imagine The Bravery writing an album after watching a 24-hour John Hughes marathon.

The Chain Gang had played Sacramento before, and things were a little different this time around.

"The last time we played here was at a pizza place in front of two people," Mohager told the packed house, referencing a November 2010 show at Luigi's Slice Fungarden.

Foster the People is vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mark Foster, bassist and backing vocalist Cubbie Fink and drummer Mark Pontius. Originally called Foster & the People, the new name stuck after the original was misheard enough times and the band warmed to the image it invoked of "taking care" of the people.

The synth-enhanced dance-rock music and Foster's falsetto draw comparisons to Passion Pit and MGMT, but they still find a way to project an identity and make their broad pop sound unique. It took about an hour for the band to run through all 11 songs on their recently released debut album, “Torches”.

Although you would have no problem throwing on “Torches” as the soundtrack to your summer pool party, the songs come alive and breathe when performed live. A track like "Broken Jaw" really shines when performed live, allowing Foster to demonstrate his vocal range and making at least one person in the crowd turn to his friend with his own jaw dropped in amazement as soon as it was over.

The band members had fun as they rotated on instruments throughout the show, taking turns on the various synths and energetically banging on the stand-up bass drum. Can't go wrong with a tastefully used Apache war drum.

Throw in some yellow maracas and a drunk blonde in a black dress from the audience dancing on stage, and you have yourself a very satisfying, high-energy soiree.

With sold-out shows as they tour through October, upcoming performances at huge music festivals (Lollapalooza, ACL Music Festival) and iTunes love ("Helena Beat" was the Free Single last week), expect Foster the People to keep the party going for a while.

Photos by Steven Chea

Sacramento's trivia night and pub quiz guide

2011-05-20T06:07:34Z

Looking for a way to impress your friends or date with your intelligence? Take them out to a trivia night or pub quiz in Sacramento. The Sacramento Press has your guide to local bars and pubs that will test your knowledge on trivia in a friendly, yet competitive environment.

The Depot
2001 K St., Ste. A
Wednesdays, 9 p.m.
Free

De Vere’s Irish Pub
1521 L St.
Mondays, 7 - 8 p.m.
Free

Christopher Scott, the director of Cardio Pulmonary Services at Methodist Hospital, has hosted trivia for eight years. Currently, Scott hosts trivia nights at The Depot and de Vere’s Irish Pub.

“The presenting is the most fun – the experience with the people that are playing,” Scott said. “It’s getting that reaction where people have it on the tip of their tongue.”

At The Depot, Scott said that the team limit is six participants and that there are six rounds with different categories, including geography, entertainment and other categories. A packet of answer sheets are handed out for five rounds. There is an interactive recall round, where participants have to listen to audio from a song or a comedy sketch and figure out who it is.

Answer sheets for the additional round is handed out halfway through the night, sometimes with word puzzles.

The group with the highest amount of points total wins.

Trivia at de Vere’s includes 30 straightforward questions.

“I write the questions,” Scott said. “I have notes everywhere.”

Scott said that one of his techniques for writing questions is to choose a category first and write the question backwards by starting with the answer first.

“I like to write my clues, too,” Scott said.

Scott said he likes to create anagrams for participants to solve. Once, he said he created an anagram that was impossible for people to answer.

“I wanted people to figure out a person famous in the world of music,” Scott said. After giving clues of who the person was, he said that no one could guess Ahmet Ertegun, founder and president of Atlantic Records.

Prizes at The Depot include a round of cocktails and gift certificates for different restaurants, such as Scott’s Seafood, Sandra Dee’s Bar-B-Que and Seafood and Red Lotus each week. At de Vere’s, prizes include gift cards to the pub: $25 for first place, $15 for second and $10 for third.

Fox & Goose
1001 R St.
Tuesdays, 7 p.m.
Free

Student Morgan McCullough is a waitress at Fox & Goose Pub and Restaurant and hosts their pub quiz. McCullough said that the maximum amount of people in a group is four.

“The more dynamic the group, the more successful the trivia night and the team will be,” McCullough said.

Participants at the pub quiz in past include engineering groups, Sacramento State students, and people who work at The Sacramento Zoo.

According to McCullough, they have started to do some theme nights and said that they once had a politics-themed pub night.

“Having (State Senate President Pro Tem) Darrell Steinberg attend the politics pub quiz was the most memorable moment,” McCullough said.

At Fox and Goose, there are four rounds of questions. McCullough said that her questions come from a variety of places – from medical subjects she studies at school, literature, pop culture, current events, engineering and “this day in history” type of questions.

“I try to ask something about each general category,” McCullough said. “No matter who comes, there’s something that everyone can contribute.”

The pub quiz can be tricky, though.

“It’s really hard,” McCullough said. “I want to provide a challenge.”

The winning group receives four drink tickets and gets to pick from a box of goodies, such as a Fox and Goose flag or Guinness paraphernalia.

The Shack
5201 Folsom Blvd.
Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
Free

Dan Scott, founder and executive director of Sacramento Beer Week, hosts trivia night at The Shack restaurant. Scott has been a trivia host for almost two years.

Scott said that they sometimes do themes for holidays, and one week they did a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame theme.

“(It is) as fun and laid-back as possible,” Scott said. “We have a good mix (of) people wandering in...(We get) a new crowd of people every week.”

There are a maximum of six people per team and the trivia night consists of two rounds, with one winning group for each round. Round one consists of 10 questions, and round two is 15 questions.

Scott said he makes up his own questions, varying from the previous week’s news, science, music and movies, and he also tries to make the questions apply to different generations.

“(There is an) even balance, so there’s a great variety,” Scott said.

He also said that the 20th question is always something about “The Simpsons.”

“Quite a few teams enjoy that question,” Scott said.

According to Scott, trivia night at The Shack gets competitive.

"We sometimes have double or triple tie-breakers," Scott said. In the event of a tie, Scott said he determines the winner by asking a question with a number answer. For example, "What year was Elvis born?" or "How many answers are there in a magic eight ball?" The group who answers closest to the correct answer wins.

If you were wondering, Elvis was born in 1985 and there are 20 answers in a magic eight ball.

Scott said that during Sacramento Beer Week, it gets “pretty crazy,” and they have had questions all about beer.

“We have a lot of fun,” Scott said. “(It is) a regular party to look forward to. I get to be viewed as God once a week.”

The prize for each winning team is a round of drinks.

There are several other trivia nights to choose from in Sacramento.

Streets of London
1804 J St.
Sundays, 9 p.m.

Bonn Lair
3651 J St.
Sundays, 8:30 p.m.

Clubhouse 56
723 56th St.
Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m.

Photos: Pepper performs at Ace of Spades

2011-05-19T04:44:02Z

Hawaii/SoCal-based bands Iration and Pepper made a stop in Sacramento on May 12, 2011, with each group performing their fusion of reggae, dub and rock for a very receptive audience at music venue Ace of Spades.

The well-attended show was another in a streak of many at AOS, which is quickly becoming the go-to venue for mid-sized artists. Take a look at their site for some upcoming shows, which include performances by Fitz and The Tantrums, Deftones, and Mickey Avalon.

Here are some shots from the Pepper show:

Business community helps Shady Lady staff

2011-05-14T00:40:31Z

As downtown’s Shady Lady Saloon undergoes a voluntary 10-day suspension of its alcohol license, owners are helping their 32 employees find work until the bar can reopen May 20.

When the establishment opened two years ago, a liquor license was obtained under the names of the three owners, Jason Boggs, Garrett Van Vleck and Alex Origoni. When the business was renamed Shady Lady Inc., the owners didn’t clear it with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Boggs said.

“Unbeknownst to us, you can’t do that,” he said Friday, three days after the bar’s closure for the license suspension.

Lori Ajax, district administrator for ABC’s Sacramento and Yuba district offices, said the violation is twofold – one for operating under a business name without notifying ABC and also for changing license ownership within a two-year period (a violation of a condition of its issuance).

“We thought it was a fair penalty,” Ajax said, adding that it is less than the normal penalty of a 10-day indefinite suspension until the paperwork clears and ownership is transferred, which can take a long time. “Basically, what we’re looking for is compliance, and they are complying.”

But for the 10-day period the 1409 R St. business is closed, the 32 employees can’t go to their jobs at the saloon.

That’s when, according to bartender Travis Kavanaugh, the owners did what they could to help the staff find work at other establishments.

Kavanaugh said multiple other restaurants have opened their doors to Shady Lady employees, a fact he attributed to Shady Lady owners’ efforts.

From 2-7 p.m. Sunday, Shady Lady bartenders will guest bartend at Tequila Museo Mayahuel, 1200 K St., for an event with Tequila Fortaleza.

“The owners will help bartend, and all that money and proceeds are being distributed to the staff,” Kavanaugh said, adding that he is thankful for it. “What company does that?”

At 8 p.m. Sunday, Shady Lady bartenders, including Kavanaugh, will be guest-bartending at Dive Bar, 1022 K St.

On Monday, Boggs will bartend at The Golden Bear in Midtown, 2326 K St., starting at 3 p.m. and give his tips to the Shady Lady Saloon staff.

Boggs said the whole central city restaurant community has opened up with support.

“Randy Paragary called me and gave me a pep talk,” he said with a smile.

Mulvaney’s B&L, 1215 19th St., is using Shady Lady Saloon’s kitchen and employing Shady Lady cooks to cater a wedding on Saturday, said Mulvaney’s Catering Chef and Kitchen Manager Robb Venditti.

“We’re trying to make use of a perfectly good kitchen and throw a few dollars in their cooks’ pockets,” he said.

According to Kavanaugh, the staff had time to plan ahead, since they were told 10 days before the suspension period what was coming.

“I’m good with my money, so I’ll be OK,” he said, adding that he plans to go camping.

Boggs said the business will be OK as well, but it’s still a big deal.

“It’s not going to be easy,” he said. “Contrary to what a lot of people think, there’s not a lot of profit in the restaurant business. We’ll definitely be running on fumes when we reopen, but we’re not going to close down or anything.”

In the two years the business has been open, it has seen its share of wear and tear, so Boggs said some minor renovations will be done before May 20.

“I’m refinishing the bar myself,” he said, adding that there will also be some repainting and a couple more benches installed in the front.

“It’s only two years old, but it’s seen some use,” he said.

Boggs, Kavanaugh and Ajax all confirmed that there was nothing happening at the bar in violation of ABC regulations other than the name it was operating under.

No alcohol was sold to minors, and no drugs were being dealt on the premises, Boggs and Kavanaugh said, referring to an incorrect sign that originally went up and was later removed.

The ABC did put the restaurant on a form of probation a year and a half ago, Ajax said, when one of the owners was caught with a controlled substance – but not at the business.

“One of the partners got pulled over and had a little bit of illegal substance on him,” Boggs said. “It’s got nothing to do with (the 10-day suspension) at all.”

Shady Lady Saloon owners are currently working on a restaurant in Galt called Brewster’s, which will be a dinner house, Boggs said. It is scheduled to open in two weeks.

Check The Sacramento Press next week for more information on Brewster’s.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Lounge on 20: Cosmetic and Culinary Changes

2011-04-27T04:05:27Z

Lounge on 20, going on 3 years old, is making a few big changes to its menu and its interior, including two new chefs, an indoor fireplace and the addition of a banquet-style dining room.

Owner Ali Mackani said the official reopening is scheduled for May 1.

“Many of our customers kept asking for a dining room, and we had the room, so we utilized it,” Mackani said.

The largest overhaul of the renovation is the dining room, which will feature several banquet-style tables and chandelier lighting.

Mackani said there will be no true separation between the lounge area, which will feature couches and an indoor fireplace, and the dining area. Furniture will be the only barrier, he said.

The bar will have a charcoal grey backdrop with an olive green ceiling to create a more “warm and friendly” atmosphere, he said.

“Before, every wall in the restaurant was white,” he added.

The fireplace will be installed in front of the bar, with four flat-screen TVs (two in the lounge area and two in the back dining room) featuring graphic art.

Pajo Bruich is Lounge on 20’s new executive chef. The 31-year-old self-taught chef owns “The Private Table,” which specializes in high-end private dinners, and “Pajo’s Boutique Catering,” which serves high-end functions. The Lincoln resident called the new menu he has created “very progressive.”

Bruich will bring many aspects of molecular gastronomy to Lounge on 20. Molecular gastronomy is a style of cooking that replicates classic dishes with modern, scientific styles of cooking to create smaller, but still filling and fantastic foods, Bruich said.

“The experience will be brand-new, and it is not necessarily about getting dressed up; we want customers to leave thinking that was an amazing meal in a unique space,” Bruich said.

Dinner entrees will be somewhere between $18 and $24, while appetizers will run around $6 to $10, depending on specials.

All the dinner items are à la carte, and future menu items will feature wine and dinner specials, Mackani said.

He also said that there will be a separate lounge and dinner menu.

Elaine Baker, a local pastry chef, will also be joining Lounge on 20, and she will tackle the desserts.

Baker said that some of the dessert menu ideas took her beyond her comfort zone, with a focus on stylish presentation and taste.

But she added, “Customers should expect a sense of adventure with the menu while still expecting good taste.”

Mackani said, “The addition of Baker gives the Lounge on 20 something unique and different,” adding that he is excited to pair beautiful desserts with beautiful food.

The grand reopening will be May 1. The lounge and bar will not be open during renovation.

Lounge on 20 is located at 1050 20th St.

Tipping off Tipsy Tokens

2011-04-26T04:06:08Z

What do you get when you mix drink specials and poker chips? Tipsy Tokens, founded in Sacramento in 2011, is similar to the concept of Groupon, but focuses its promotions on local bars and nightclubs.

What sets Tipsy Tokens apart from the other coupon sites is its social focus, co-founder Robert Cima said.

“Though you’re purchasing something online, there’s a social aspect involved. There are reps on-site at the event checking people in and making sure everyone is having a good time. Also, you’re provided something physical: Tipsy Tokens. These tokens are colorful poker chips with the company logo on them used for buying drinks and playing games.”

According to Cima, the project began about six months ago when Kory Lanzel (another co-founder) was working for the Major League Soccer team Real Salt Lake in Utah.

The team was in the process of doing a deal with Groupon, which gave Lanzel the idea of applying that concept to his social life.

Lanzel called his friends Cima, Steve Gunsch and Nick Baldi, who all agreed that there was a great market for a social buying site that focused on nightlife.

Monkey Bar, at Capitol Ave. and 28th St., is the first bar to feature Tipsy Tokens regularly.

For $10, Tipsy Tokens’ users can get two Wiki Waki Woo's or four draft beers at Monkey Bar on Thursday nights.

Jamie Marcus, the general manager at Monkey Bar and Cafe Bernardo Midtown, noted the Tipsy Tokens program has had a positive impact on business.

“People who normally wouldn’t come here get an opportunity to see what it’s like at a discounted rate,” Marcus said.

“With Tipsy Tokens, Thursday nights weren’t just busy, but very busy, and eventually we started seeing people from Thursdays on the weekends,” added Marcus.

Sacramentan Cole Valadez, 26, works in sales for eye care insurance technology and heard about Tipsy Tokens through a friend who came across the viral campaign on Facebook.

He said he has used the Monkey Bar deal about three or four times.

“I like that they are selling a very specific product and that the deal is available every week,” Valadez said. “The reason I keep coming back is their consistency. And of course, it’s just fun. You can share your tokens, too, and it really brings people together.”

Another difference between the social buying or group buying sites (where companies offer a special deal on products or services if a minimum number of deals are sold) and Tipsy Tokens is that Tipsy Tokens must be used that same night.

Cima said this benefits the business because if the customers don’t use the token that night, the customers lose out on the purchase. It also benefits the buyer, Cima added, because you can see how many other people bought the deal and there is a good chance those people will be out at that particular bar or club that night.

Overall though, the niche nature of the company is a valued point reiterated by several users and potential buyers, as well as the creators themselves.

The consistency was part of the appeal to Blue Cue owner Dominic Vella. Vella came across Tipsy Tokens on Facebook and then noticed that they were doing something over at Monkey Bar.

“I try to be cognizant of what everyone else is doing, and after popping in and checking out the crowd for about five minutes during their Monkey Bar night, I contacted them about setting up a deal for Blue Cue.”

Blue Cue, located at 28th and J, will offer Tipsy Tokens specials on Pineapple Delights, Shocker Deuces and pint draft beers Friday night during the live-band karaoke.

Vella said he is looking forward to not only bringing in new faces, but hopefully turning those newbies into regular customers.

Baldi spoke about taking up the endeavor with his three friends.

“Right now, it’s on the side, just kind of something we thought up and decided it seemed like a great idea for us to all go out and have a great time,” he said.

“Honestly, there’s just us four handling everything from the website to social media to marketing, but our friends have been instrumental in supporting and promoting the idea.”

They said they are currently working on a smartphone application that can help users search for places to go in their area and purchase associated deals.

Lanzel, Cima, Baldi and Gunsch are not only partners, but longtime friends, as well as born-and-raised Sacramentans.

Now back in their hometown, they said they hope to turn this part-time startup into a full-time company.

“We don’t have any investors, but it’s our own thing, and every dollar earned is really exciting,” Baldi said.

For current deals or more information, check out their site.

Capitol Bowl to undergo renovation

2011-04-22T00:30:45Z

West Sacramento’s Capitol Bowl is getting a makeover this summer, adding a patio, upgrading the restaurant and knocking down walls in the 55-year-old business.

“We want to help our customers by improving our facility to give them better service,” said Capitol Bowl owner Ross Amin, adding that the business will be open during the remodel, which starts Monday.

The $600,000 project – which is scheduled for completion in July – is being well-received by customers interviewed by The Sacramento Press Thursday afternoon, including one longtime bowler, West Sacramento resident Rita Dodson.

“We’ve been coming here since 1968,” Dodson said, adding that her children played in leagues, and now she takes her grandchildren to the arcade and to toss a few balls down the lanes.

“I’m excited they’re doing this,” she said. “This place had been getting kind of run-down, but when Ross took it over (12 years ago), he started doing some really good things. The bathrooms are much nicer now, and I’m looking forward to the restaurant.”

The back half of the alley, with the lanes and seating areas, has all been redone: New scoreboards, pin-setters and other equipment were installed over the past few years, Amin said. The bathrooms were also renovated, and he said he is looking to bring the same type of renovation to the rest of the space.

The biggest feature in the renovated bowling alley will be the improvement of the snack bar into a full-service restaurant.

“We’re bringing in a kitchen manager over the summer for the first time, and we’re really making this place serve two purposes – a bowling alley and a restaurant,” Manager Chris White said. “We want to make this a destination for downtown.”

West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said he is excited about the project as well.

“This project is a focal point of our Renaissance in downtown,” he said Thursday at the bowling alley. “It’s one of the most important places in the city, where people come together. This is also downtown Sacramento’s bowling alley.”

Situated two blocks from Raley Field and near the new community center and community college campus that opened over the past year, Cabaldon said the outdoor patio and restaurant – which are planned to be open until 11 p.m. on weekdays and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights – will be a much-needed dining destination downtown.

White said that burgers and pizza will feature prominently in the restaurant, since that’s what bowling alley patrons tend to want.

“I’m trying to add more healthy choices, but who knows?” she said.

Prices aren’t set yet, but White said they will be reasonable, as she wants to keep the family-owned business a place where families can afford to bowl and eat.

“Right now, a family of four can bowl for about $30,” she said.

Another major change will be in the bar area, which was originally a dark place with the same navy blue color everywhere except the floor – which was a dark red color.

“We’re going to have a U-shaped bar in the lobby, and we’ll be able to seat more people for live music shows,” White said.

Currently, the bar can only seat 46 people, and when live music is brought in on weekends, it doesn’t give bands much of an audience. Once the space is opened up, about 80 people will be able to see the musicians, with another 80 outside on the patio.

Ceilings will also be raised 2 feet, making the height between 12 and 14 feet throughout for a bigger feel inside, and they will be renovated as well to replace water-damaged panels from when the roof leaked years ago.

President and CEO of the West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce Denice Seals said businesses like Capitol Bowl have a positive regional impact by drawing people to them and strengthening the other nearby businesses.

“All the pieces come together in projects like this,” she said. “Capitol Bowl has made a commitment to stay here and grow.”

White said starting the renovation during the recession was not an easy choice, and it was delayed from a planned start time of last year.

“We stepped back and took a breath, and I’m glad we did,” she said, “but we’re confident going forward.”

A party is being held Friday night to kick off the renovation and raise money for the Special Olympics, which has a bowling league at Capitol Bowl.

From 7 - 10 p.m., bowlers can get an hour of bowling and a pair of shoes ($10 for kids, $15 for adults) in the fundraiser, while a live DJ spins music for dancing in the bar area. A raffle will also be held with prizes donated by West Sacramento businesses.

Everyone at the party will be able to write on one of the interior walls, which will be destroyed on Monday.

“We’re saving a part of it, and we’ll take lots of pictures,” White said.

Capitol Bowl is open weekdays from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. - 1 a.m.

For updates during the construction, visit the construction blog here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

After Italy tour, Secretions host "Suck-Fest"

2011-04-13T22:50:04Z

From a press release issued by the band:

Sacramento stalwart punks The Secretions are celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band by hitting the road for northern Italy on an eight day tour, from April 15 to 22. The tour wraps up with a show featuring CJ Ramone's new band with Daniel Rey on guitar, and Italy’s own legends The Manges.

For the stateside celebration in Sacramento, CA, The Secretions have planned a three-night festival show for Memorial Day Weekend dubbed "Suck-Fes t", a nod to the band’s motto “We Secrete, You Suck.” The Suck-Fest will be held at Citrus Heights bar The Fire Escape, and the Saturday and Sunday shows of the weekend will be all-ages. The Secretions will share the stage with some of Sacramento and the Bay Area’s best local punk acts at the event, with a special rare performance by The Mr. T Experience kicking off the first night.

Since their inception in 1991, the Secretions have put out 5 studio albums, one split CD, and 5 7’’ records. Their most recent CD was 2009’s Greasyhotmeatcheezy.

Bold move by Zen Sushi pays off with A-List clientele.

2011-04-12T10:13:59Z

Zen Sushi, located at the corner of 15th and I streets, has re-opened after weeks of construction and renovations.

Days following it's grand re-launch, I ventured in and sat down to talk with my favorite sushi chefs: Michael Kwong and Lou Valente, and to meet the owner and Master Chef, Jason ~~Von~~ Hom.

Gone was everything. All the orange and brown lacquered wood and Formica had vanished. Short, white leather chairs standing neatly at attention alongside uber-thick marble counters replaced the old, rickety, high-seated counter stools. Large flatscreens behind the new glass sushi cases made the room look bigger and drew more attention to the ceiling.

Now affixed to the ceiling of each room in the restaurant are custom-made sculpted glass panels. The use of LED lighting, often used in nightclubs and on performance stages, is a bold move for any restaurant wishing to maintain an intimate feel.

~~Von~~ Hom enlisted the help of his longtime friend, San Jose Architect Vinh Haba, of ARDESE. Haba tastefully appointed different kinds of lighting throughout the front 'lounge', allowing the glass wall containing the bar to become a focal point without taking over the room.

Lounging is what they are counting on, as the new sushi bar is not just a bar, but also a place for people to meet, to socialize with small groups and to do what we all do best...soak it in at Happy Hour.

Happy Hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. with drink specials. Choose from $1.99 Sake Bombs, $2.99 Drafts, $4 Well Drinks or peruse the food menu of light appetizers from $3 to $9.

Once the warmer weather comes around, they will be open weekdays until midnight and weekends until 1:30 a.m. For now, the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. and they try to get out the door by 10:30. Lunch is currently available 11:30 to 2:30 p.m., seven days a week.

As I turned my attention to Michael Kwong, responsible for creating the popular "Crab on Steroids" I regularly sing praises about, it was sad news that greeted me from behind the counter. They were out of crab. No crab. None. So, Mike worked his magic and unveiled something new - Tuna on Steroids!!

Spicy and crunchy, full of all of those flavors that mysteriously seem to come together like a carnival going on in your mouth, it was insanely delicious.

Two bites in, I asked him to discuss what he liked best about the renovation project. He said he has no favorite aspect about the new interior design. He loves it all. When I continued to poke him for his story about how he got his start as a Sushi Chef, he smiled and modestly said:

"I'm a man who doesn't like to fuss. I saw an ad for selling fish and I took it. Before long, I was delivering to Jason and he hired me, so I switched. That was seven years ago and Jason also had the forethought to hire us both at the same time. That relationship developed and now... here we are."

Kwong cut fish for years before he got into the art of Sushi making. Now, he is the buyer for the establishment. He purchases and oversees all the fish that is served.

"I don't have a specialty,... whatever's clever. I'll make whatever the customer wants."

He did admit to the success of "Crab on Steroids".

"Yes, the Crab on Steroids is mine."

The 'us' and 'we' he was referring to is his other half, friend and co-chef, Lou Valente.

Lou Valente has been a Sushi chef for 16 years. Born and raised in Philadelphia, he moved to Los Angeles in 1991 and then to Sacramento in 2000 with a brief stopover for five years in San Francisco.

"I got into the food industry when I was 14, washing dishes in Philly at a banquet hall. In L.A., I was part of a catering crew, then got a spot at a Japanese restaurant in Malibu. It was then that I found a love for creating what I do now."

Valente studied at the California Culinary Academy and did his apprenticeship there with Kiyoshi Hiyakawa (Koo). When he moved to Sacramento in 2000, he opend Sushi on the River. He was a partner there for two years, sold his investment and did some travelling.

When he came back to Sacramento he met up with Kwong for the first time.

"Zen hired me to take over the sushi bar and Jason hired Mike at the same time. It's been a team effort ever since. "

"It's a completely different atmosphere now. You can just come here and hang out for hours. We have the big screen TVs , a lounge section with couches. If you're looking for more privacy, we have the adjoining dining room.

"When a restaurant gets full, you have to have a comfortable place to wait before your table is ready and not feel like you're in the way as people come in and out of the front door. We are optimistic that our regulars will appreciate the consideration we put into the comfort aspect of the place and we're hoping to get busy enough so that the transition flows well and its a fun situation for everyone-but especially our customers."

Having finished my meal, I took a seat at the bar and waited for ~~Von~~ Hom who was being flagged down by every table in the dining room, as customers congratulated him and chatted excitedly.

Jason Von arrived in the US in 1993 and made Sacramento his home. His brother used to be a partner in a local sushi restaurant which was where Jason picked up the art of making specialty rolls and more popular items. He opened Zen Sushi in 2006. At that time, with a booming economy, things were going strong. Now, he faces a lesser economic turn and has taken a bold stand with the remodel.

"I'm very pleased with how this came together. Strangely enough, the few things that went wrong, or went differently, actually worked out to be a better choice."

The lowered counter of the sushi bar wasn't an accident. ~~Von~~ Hom had them specially designed so that sitting and eating at that level is actually comfortable. The proper ergonomic way to sit is when you can place your feet flat on the floor. So, the low-back white leather chairs and short sofas were all custom-made to meet those standards. It's no wonder you feel you could sit in them for hours.

The dining room was gutted and space was allocated for general seating in the center. Additional seating within the newly recessed walls is accessorized by tinted sliding doors that partition the areas off from the activity of the central area, creating private dining niches for corporate lunches, parties or VIPs.

"Jerry Brown has been here. Last Friday night, Kevin Johnson brought his guests here."

As we discussed ~~Von's~~ Hom's personal life and his business interests, he asked that it not be part of this article.

"This is not about me," he stated.

"It's about the customer. I'm always here, every day, so you can always find me if you need anything. My customers mean everything to me. This... it's all for them."

He did want me to mention one thing: He has now added valet parking Thursday thru Saturday.

Valet parking???

What are you waiting for....get your Sake on!
______

From Trump Roast to Punch Line: Anthony Jeselnik

2011-04-09T06:35:43Z

You know that comedian, Anthony Jeselnik?

Yeah, me neither.

At least, I didn't until I saw him steal the show during the recent broadcast of the “Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump,” where he created some buzz for himself by deftly skewering the guest of honor and the other roasters on the dais, like Larry King, Snoop Dogg and Jersey Shore's "The Situation.”

I had a chance to see him in action myself Thursday night at the Punch Line.

Fremont's Sammy Obeid was the emcee and first act, mining his Lebanese ethnicity for some killer jokes about being mistaken as Mexican and Indian, as well as plenty of great sex-related material, which appeals to everyone and is always a crowd-pleaser.

Second act Andy Haynes, who has appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” took the stage and gave it up for Obeid:

"Give it up for Sammy, he's better than me!" Haynes said. "I'm used to the emcee sucking!"

Haynes touched on subjects like moving to New York from Seattle and the differences between the two cities, bringing your girlfriend to New York with you ("It's like bringing a warm beer with you to a bar, when all they are serving inside are free, cold beers"), and how he was jealous of people in disaster areas getting free health care from the Red Cross, because as a broke comedian he hasn't had medical insurance in six years.

Great material. I was so entertained by his bits, I almost forgot to take a photo of him.

Equally impressive was his witty, off-the-cuff banter with those in the audience, including a group of guys who drove from Reno to see the show ("Are you guys in a frat at UNR?"), and a 27-year-old loud, drunken woman who was accompanied by her 51-year-old boyfriend, who she said was "still married," slurring her explanation.

Headliner Jeselnik strolled out soon after, looking sharp in a black hoodie and jeans, and started out with a funny jab at the home crowd: "I'm such a big star from the roast, that I'm — in Sacramento."

Some background on Jeselnik: he's done stand-up on a plethora of late-night talk shows, he was a staff writer on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and he's written for Sarah Silverman.
Jeselnik speaks with a deadpan, clipped cadence, peppering his delivery with timed pauses for effect, with the dark punchline coming after the last pause.

After telling a joke about a dilemma he encountered with a date who passed out when they got home (which the audience loved), Jeselnik said, "It's important to open with a rape joke, to see where the crowd's at. Looks like you guys are with me."

The merciless comedian made quick work of disruptive drunks in the audience, who weren't exactly heckling but tried to finish his jokes occasionally.

During one joke, one woman yelled out what she thought the punchline was before Jeselnik finished the joke. He finished (with a different punchline) and berated the woman: "Like (your punchline), except my punchline was better, because one of us is a professional comedian and the other one is just a drunk chick in a bar." Huge laughs from the crowd.

He ended the show by telling a couple of jokes about Marlee Matlin and Snoop Dogg that were cut from the broadcast of the roast, and he also fielded requests for specific jokes of his from the audience, before letting us know he would be out front after the show:

"I released this comedy album, “Shakespeare,” and if you want, you can come up and buy one and I'll sign it, $10," Jeselnik deadpanned. "Or, if you just want to come up and take a picture, shake my hand, $10."

Anthony Jeselnik performs at Punch Line Comedy Club tonight and Saturday. There are two shows both nights, 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $16.

De Vere's expanding to Davis

2011-04-05T00:09:14Z

De Vere’s Irish Pub, a locally owned downtown business founded in the midst of the recession, will open its second location at the end of the summer in the space that was formerly the home of Soga’s in Davis.

“We’re excited,” said co-owner Simon de Vere White. “We’ve been eying Davis for a long time.”

The new space, at 217 E St. in downtown Davis, is 4,800 square feet, about 1,000 square feet bigger than the Sacramento pub.

His brother, co-owner Henry de Vere White, said the expansion is a risk, but one he hopes will prove as successful as the current location on 15th and L streets in Sacramento.

“I think we filled a niche here in Sacramento," Simon de Vere White said, adding that the brothers hope to do the same in Davis.

The basic concept will be the same, as they said community involvement at all levels is important to success.

“We are a neighborhood Irish pub,” Henry de Vere White said. “We do lunch and dinner, and you see the little ones coming in, and then at night it gets a little bit (of an older crowd).”

According to Christi Skibbins, executive director of the Davis Chamber of Commerce, E Street is often referred to as “Eat Street.”

“E Street is a street a lot of people call Eat Street because there are so many restaurants and bars,” she said. “It will be a good spot for them. They’re right across from E Street Plaza, so there is plenty of parking, and it has easy access from all of Davis.”

The Davis pub will have the same menu as de Vere’s in Sacramento when it comes to drinks and food, but possibly with more emphasis on hamburgers with the large student population, Simon de Vere White said.

“It’s too early to tell, but that’s something we will work out when we get closer to opening,” he added.

Activities like the popular Monday night trivia challenge will be carried over to the Davis location as well.

The décor will be similar, as family friends in Ireland will once again be designing the interior space.

“This whole pub was built in Ireland then broken down and shipped over here,” Henry de Vere White said Monday in the Sacramento pub. “All the decorations on the walls are replicas of family items from Ireland.”

Authenticity is important to the brothers, with Simon being born in Ireland and Henry being born in Boston – the first one born in America from a family that traces its Irish heritage back to the year 1140.

The brothers have been living in Sacramento since 1985.

“In here, we have high ceilings, but in Davis, the ceilings are much lower,” Henry de Vere White said. “This is typical of a Victorian pub in downtown Dublin, but the Davis one will have more of a neighborhood feel.”

Philippe Masoud is the owner of two restaurants with locations in both Sacramento and Davis – Crepeville and Burgers and Brew. He said he expects the pub to be successful as well, since the same types of places appeal to both cities.

“Davis is a really good town for us. Sacramento took us longer to be discovered,” he said, adding that he opened his businesses in Davis first.

One challenge to doing business in Davis that Sacramento doesn’t face, however, is that business slows down considerably in summer, when the college students are on break, he said.

But that can be overcome, he said, adding, “I think they will do really good.”

For more information on de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis, check the pub’s Facebook page or follow it on Twitter.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Popular local eatery closes its doors

2011-03-29T03:01:35Z

Hangar 17, a local bar and restaurant that started with valet service and famously huge hamburgers, closed its doors for the final time last Monday, due in part to unresolved tax issues and a floundering economy.

Joey Madrid, 40, co-owner of Hangar 17, spoke with The Sacramento Press about the events leading up to the restaurant’s closing.

“Everyone thinks we’re terrible people, that we did everyone wrong, but that’s not true,” Madrid said. “We did the best we could, but things got the better of us.”

Madrid and co-owner James Lombardi became acquainted when Madrid and Lombardi’s younger brother, Chris, worked together at Chops Steakhouse in Sacramento.

Madrid and the older Lombardi brother came up with the idea for a “hangout” where they could spend time with friends, eat good food and have a few drinks in a relaxed atmosphere. When younger brother Chris, who was a chef at the time, came up with some menu ideas, the men decided to take the plunge and open shop.

Lombardi found an old military-style Quonset building at the corner of 17th and S streets and ran it by Madrid as a potential site for the new business. Madrid had coincidentally found the same location in his own search for a business site.

“We took that as a sign that it was meant to be,” Madrid said.

The restaurant started with a temporary liquor license that allowed them to sell alcohol until 2 a.m., and Madrid and Lombardi included valet service at the front door to alleviate the notoriously inconvenient parking in the area.

“It was a piece of the neighborhood,” said Nelda Mackey, school guidance counselor and resident near the restaurant’s location. “Everyone over there was like family. We were on a first-name basis with Tracy and Dayla, the bartenders. We’re so sad that it closed.”

As much as the bar grew in popularity with the locals and enjoyed predominantly good reviews when it opened in late 2004, Hangar 17 suffered a setback in mid-2006.

Some residents and property owners had protested the issuance of the liquor license when Hangar 17 first applied for it and, by the time the appeal and hearing process came to a conclusion nearly 18 months later, the license was finally issued with operating restrictions that included a requirement that the front door remain closed during business hours, and alcohol could only be sold until 10 p.m.

“That was what started things going bad,” Madrid said. “We weren’t going to have the late-night customers that we had at first. Once the liquor license was changed, we had to start changing other things to make up for it.”

The first thing to change was a shifted focus from late evening drink sales to food sales, particularly for a lunchtime crowd that was largely composed of state workers with offices nearby.

Robert du Plaine, 52, a former chef and current state engineer, was a frequent diner at Hangar 17 who took note of the quality of the food.

“It wasn’t just a plain burger,” du Plaine said. “The food was always creative and properly prepared. It’s very sad to see it go – it was a wonderful place to eat.”

Despite a good lunch crowd and many “regulars” in the evenings, Hangar 17 felt another squeeze in 2009 when the economy suffered further downturns and furloughs were instituted for state workers. The lunch crowd started to dwindle, and so did the restaurant’s profits.

“People just couldn’t keep going out like they used to,” Madrid said. “Pretty quick, we weren’t making as much in food sales anymore.”

As business slumped and profits disappeared, Madrid and Lombardi found themselves unable to make regular payments to unemployment insurance, the Board of Equalization, and the Internal Revenue Service.

“I called all of them (EDD, Board of Equalization, IRS) to make payment arrangements,” Madrid said, “But every time I paid one, the other two would fall behind, and I’d have to make up for it. Then, another would be caught up, but the first two would fall behind. It just never ended.”

The more they tried to dig the business out of the deepening hole, the worse things got. Payroll checks were bouncing, and unpaid taxes ballooned to more than $500,000 with interest and penalties. Madrid said there came a point where they just couldn’t keep it afloat any longer.

“We got together and just said, ‘Look, we’re drowning here,’ ” he said.

The decision was made, and Lombardi notified employees via text that Hangar 17 was no longer in business.

“We’re so upset that it closed,” Mackey said. “Lots of neighbors went there.”

Mackey wasn’t the only neighbor surprised by the closing of the popular neighborhood hangout.

“It came as a surprise to everyone,” said Stan Barton, 53, controller for Paragary restaurants and a longtime resident near Hangar 17. “We had no idea it was closing.”

According to Madrid, the landlord took possession of the building as of Friday, March 25, and the IRS has a lien on all of the equipment and furniture inside. Madrid and Lombardi will sell some assets to offset their tax liability and then, “We’ll do what we can to resolve it,” Madrid said.

“It’s going to take some time,” he said.

Dive Bar, Pizza Rock owner hopes to build more elsewhere

2011-03-25T02:17:01Z

Dive Bar owner George Karpaty is expanding his business territory.

Two months after opening the mermaid bar and two other businesses on Sacramento's K Street Mall, Karpaty is in the final stages of negotiating a lease for a fourth concept in El Dorado Hills.

The San Francisco nightclub owner previously said the bars and gourmet pizza restaurant he opened in Sacramento early this year were pioneer concept s he would like to take elsewhere.

Karpaty is now talking with folks in Santa Monica, Hollywood, Las Vegas and Oakland about opening versions of the K Street businesses there, depending on space available. He and Pizza Rock partner Tony Gemignani are also working on plans to open Pizza Rock restaurants throughout the United States, Karpaty said this week.

"Pizza Rock is the one we're looking for a big roll-out and having a lot of them in the next 10 years all over the country," Karpaty said.

Pizza Rock, Dive Bar and the District 30 dance club, located in a renovated building at 1016 - 1022 K St., are all drawing more crowds and making more money than expected for this stage of the business plan, he said.

Current discussions involve opening Dive Bar and Pizza Rock in Las Vegas and opening just Pizza Rocks in the other three cities. Karpaty is looking into opening the entire trio in additional cities because they complement each other well, he said.

Dive Bar's giant aquarium, where "mermaids" and "mermen" can sometimes be spotted, is believed to be the biggest aquarium in a nightlife venue in the world – second only to tanks at professional aquarium museums. The tank at the next Dive Bar will be 40 percent bigger than the 7,500-gallon tank at 1016 K St., Karpaty said.

"We've never opened anything like Dive Bar" anywhere else, he said.

Karpaty already owned popular San Francisco establishments – Ruby Skye nightclub and a "speakeasy" called Slide – when he developed ideas for a vacant K Street building owned by Sacramento developer David Taylor and Los Angeles-based CIM Group.

Karpaty said it's too early to talk about the new concept he has in the works for El Dorado Hills Town Center 30 miles from Sacramento. But he's very close to signing a lease with The Mansour Co., which owns the retail and office complex.

The company's owner, Tony Mansour, said they're about 30 days away from finalizing a lease agreement for 6,000 square feet.

"We're almost there," Mansour said. "You never know until the ink gets dry and the money's in the bank."

Mansour, who lives in both Los Angeles and El Dorado Hills, experienced Karpaty's K Street businesses during their grand openings.

"I never do a deal with anybody unless I know what they serve and how they deal," he said. "We love the pizza and the mermaids."

The El Dorado Hills operation could open within six to nine months if all goes as planned, Karpaty said.

"It's up to him how fast he can open," Mansour added. "We'd love to have him open as soon as possible. We're excited to have him in the area because we think it will draw from the region."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives to perform at Harlow’s

2011-03-24T01:45:29Z

ABBA they are not.

Stop by Harlow’s this Friday to see Swedish psych-rockers The Soundtrack of Our Lives as they make a quick run up the West Coast before heading back to tour Europe.

Influenced by ’70s psychedelia, prog and classic rock, the six-piece from the land of IKEA and Absolut found critical success in the United States with their 2002 release “Behind the Music,” which was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards.

At the time of its release Noel Gallagher of Oasis proclaimed “Behind the Music” to be “the best album to come out in the last six years.”

TSOOL followed up that success with 2004’s “Origin Vol. 1,” which peaked at No. 1 on the Swedish charts, and 2009’s “Communion,” a double album that some say is their strongest effort to date.

The Soundtrack of Our Lives perform at Harlow’s this Friday at 9 p.m. Tickets are $17.50 plus a $2 surcharge. 21+.

'Welcome to Hell' tour at Ace of Spades

2011-03-14T07:03:32Z

Music venue Ace of Spades hosted another sold-out show on Friday, the "Welcome to Hell Tour" featuring performances by metal/hardcore bands Whitechapel, Chelsea Grin, I Declare War, The Acacia Strain and Veil of Maya.

I Declare War and Chelsea Grin started things off with lots of growling, screaming and calls for the crowd to get violent.

The circle pits were large and constant the entire night, with sweaty, aggressive men running around in the open space formed in the middle of the crowd, using their flailing body parts to punch and kick whatever happened to be in front of them as hard as they could.

It's the norm at these types of shows, but if you're there to enjoy the music it's annoying having to worry about being punched in the back of the head or side-kicked in the back.

Veil of Maya was third on the bill and continued the heavy guitar assault. There were more melodic flourishes in the guitar playing than in the first two bands, which was nice (although the guitarists from the first two bands were very talented). In this genre of music a sound that sets you apart is a breath of fresh air.

The band really got things going when vocalist Brandon Butler announced, "Our bass player says the first person to get on stage gets a free T-shirt!"

Almost immediately people started lunging over the crowd barricade in an attempt to get on stage, putting the security personnel to work defending the stage.

Eventually a young man made it up and put one of the guitars momentarily out of commission by stepping on and disconnecting a guitar pedal.

"Don't step on the pedals and it's all good!" Butler said.

It happened again a few minutes later, stopping the show while techs came on stage to get things back to working order. A quick test of "Für Elise" by guitarist Marc Okubo, and Veil was back in business.

Taking the stage next was the heaviest band of the night, Massachusetts-based The Acacia Strain. The lights came up for the first song just as vocalist Vincent Bennett spit bursts of water into the air -- a great bit of theatrics.

The Acacia Strain band members had an impressive presence, stalking the stage liked caged animals and glaring at the audience.

The captivating performance progressed and the circle pits continued to be filled with a mindless fervor as those in the audience found a way to release their aggression.

Headliners Whitechapel closed out the show, and while their show was impressive and the crowd loved it, The Acacia Strain set the bar very high with their previous performance.

"Bang your head and do something illegal!" Acacia Strain vocalist Bennett commanded earlier. "I want you to remember this show for the rest...of...your...fucking life!"

Escape the Fate tops Dead Masquerade bill at Ace of Spades

2011-03-08T02:03:07Z

"Escape the Fate! Escape the Fate!"

With appetites violently whetted by the three-guitar screamo attack of the final opening band Alesana, the loud chanting of hundreds of eager fans filled Ace of Spades Sunday night, beckoning Escape the Fate, the headliners of the Dead Masquerade tour.

The sensory onslaught began with appropriately named opener "Massacre," as the Vegas post-hardcore band pounced on the young crowd like a rabid pack of hyenas on defenseless baby gazelles.

The response to ETF's latest Facebook wall posting before the show ("Sacramento Ace of Spades tonight it's on! You guys ready?" – 1,429 Likes and 539 comments at the time of this writing) indicated a large and dedicated fan base, and it was reflected in the enthusiastic packed house.

The young audience was kept rapt throughout the show, obeying readily when vocalist Craig Mabbitt split the crowd like the Red Sea and instructed the opposite sides to run toward each other at the beginning of the next song and collide in what's known in as a "Wall of Death."

When they weren't running into each other, those in the crowd were enthusiastically shouting out lyrics and crowd-surfing, clearly enjoying the ride.

Escape the Fate members are good at what they do – putting on an energetic show with music that combines melody and pop sensibilities with their hardcore/metal foundation, with a little screamo mixed in to round things out. (They worked on their latest LP with Linkin Park producer Don Gilmore, to give you an idea).

The setlist drew almost exclusively on ETF's last two albums, 2008's "This War Is Ours" ("Something," "The Flood" and "10 Miles Wide) and 2010's eponymous release ("Issues," "Zombie Dance," "Gorgeous Nightmare" and "Day of Wreckoning"), with "Situations" being the lone song played from 2006's debut album "Dying Is Your Latest Fashion."

Guitarist TJ Bell from supporting act Motionless In White did double duty on the bass for ETF, filling in for regular bassist Max Green, who is at home recovering (he entered rehab for drug and alcohol addiction late last year), Mabbitt said.

Mabbitt made it a point to connect to the audience not only on a visceral level as a hyperactive frontman, but on a personal one as well, at one point encouraging those in the crowd to ignore the naysayers and follow their dreams – "How many people in here are artists? You write, you sing, you draw? You work at Subway, you're a sandwich artist?" – before leading everyone in a middle finger salute directed at those who might have issues with artistic expression, in the food industry or otherwise.

And later: "We want to dedicate this next one to the brave men and women who serve this country," declared Mabbitt, before launching into the first song of the encore, "This War Is Ours (The Guillotine II)." "And also to the greatest video game in the world in my opinion, and that's Halo!"

Escape the Fate top Dead Masquerade bill at Ace

2011-03-03T06:19:08Z

DGC/Interscope band Escape the Fate will headline the Dead Masquerade tour at Ace of Spades this weekend, joined by support acts Alesana, Motionless In White, Get Scared and Drive A.

Las Vegas-based hard-rockers Escape the Fate are touring in support of their self-titled third album and recently released “Issues Remix” EP, featuring remixes of their first single "Issues" done by Jakwob (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lily Allen), LA Riots (Tiesto, The Ting Tings), Wolves At The Gate (The Cure) and Does It Offend You, Yeah? (Muse, The Raconteurs, Bloc Party).

The band currently graces the cover of Outburn magazine, which declares, “the band’s new album is a compelling modern day masterpiece.”

Bassist Max Green will be returning to the band after entering rehab for drug and alcohol addiction last November.

See all the bands on the Dead Masquerade tour perform this Sunday at Ace of Spades. General admission tickets are $21.95, all fees included. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. The show is all ages.

Welcome back, Papa Roach

2011-02-28T06:01:35Z

Vacaville natives Papa Roach certainly know how to make an entrance.

Friday night at Ace of Spades opening bands Track Fighter and Will Haven had just finished their sets. As Queens of the Stone Age's "No One Knows" played on the PA during the set change before Papa Roach came out, something on stage (a light?) blew with a loud pop, giving off small plumes of smoke and triggering the fire alarm. Cue the firefighters walking through the sold-out crowd a few minutes later, but there was no indication that it was anything more than a precaution.

Thankfully it turned out to be a non-issue. The show went on as planned, and guy-linered frontman Jacoby Shaddix and company came out to much love from the international crowd (Shaddix said he recognized people from New York, London and Texas) and kicked things off with "Kick in the Teeth" from their latest album, "Time for Annihilation: On the Record & On the Road."

Years of touring and performing have not slowed down Shaddix. Whether he was revitalized by Sacramento or not, he made his presence felt — fingers pointing, wild eyes, jumping on speakers — as the band tore through energetic versions of "Lifeline," "Blood Brothers" and "Burn."

"Is Sacramento in this motherfucker?" he shouted, egging on the crowd. "Is Vacaville in this motherfucker?”

They were, and they were loving it.

Up next was radio-friendly "Hollywood Whore," and then banger "Broken Home," with its nasty, catchy guitar riffs. Shaddix's voice sounded a little hoarse, but the guys were still setting them up and knocking them down.

"It's great to be here in Sac! NorCal!" Shaddix said. "I've been tripping around the world for the last 10 years, and it's been a long time — a few years — since we've played a club show in Sac. I want to say thanks to Bret Bair and Eric Rushing for buying this venue so there's a proper place to see rock ‘n’ roll here. It's up to you to keep this place open by coming to see shows here!"

The alt-rock onslaught continued with "The Enemy," "Scars," "Getting Away with Murder," "Forever" and "Between Angels and Insects," a well-rounded set with radio singles balanced evenly with those cuts lesser known to the casual fan (who were probably few and far between at this show).

It's always interesting to see a successful band play a homecoming show. There was definitely a heavy sense of electric connection between band and audience in the air, and based on conversation I overheard, the VIP section was filled with family and friends. (I understand Shaddix lives in El Dorado Hills with his family, and guitarist Jerry Horton and family live in the Sacramento area as well.)

The cash-cow of the Papa Roach catalog, "Last Resort," was saved for the last song of the encore, ending a fun night and bringing it all back full circle, as Shaddix announced:

"We're gonna take it back to the fucker that started it all!"

Papa Roach: Two-night stand at Ace of Spades this weekend

2011-02-25T01:01:56Z

No discussion on alternative rock circa 2000 would be complete without mention of Papa Roach and their radio-ready hit single “Last Resort,” especially if you were in high school or college during that time.

The Vacaville band (also known for singles “Scars,” “Forever” and “Lifeline”) broke out of Sacramento and went on to sell more than 10 million albums worldwide. They return this weekend for a two-night stand at the recently opened venue Ace of Spades, touring behind their seventh album, "Time for Annihilation."

More alternative rock than nu-metal now, the band can probably still be counted on to deliver a high-energy rock show filled with heavy guitars, sharp hooks and “guy liner.”

Papa Roach performs at Ace of Spades this Friday (with special guests Will Haven and Track Fighter) and Saturday (with special guests Middle Class Rut and Lonely Kings). General admission tickets are $29.95, all fees included. 7 p.m. doors and 7:30 p.m. start. All ages.

Note: Saturday's show appears to be sold out, but tickets are available for Friday.

Growls, screams at Soundcheck showcase at Ace of Spades

2011-02-21T05:31:52Z

Ace of Spades hosted its second event Saturday night, an "all locals" show called "SacShows Presents: Soundcheck", featuring performances by Oneira, Above The City, Carcerys Vale, Batten Down Your Heart, City of Kings, The Winter Formal and Ten After Two.

The theme for the night seemed to be "screamo," and it was delivered in spades (pun intended) with the exception of maybe The Winter Formal, which leans more toward sung vocals.

The tattooed and skintight jeans-wearing band members whipped their hair through quick 20- to 30-minute sets, cheered on by pierced and gauged teenage boys and girls, while overly aggressive males swung their fists around and ran into each other hard in the circle pit. Heavy, metal guitar riffs and machine-gun kick drums were the standard on stage, and by all accounts it was mission accomplished for Soundcheck.

The new venue Ace of Spades looks like a winner. It's a large, open space that fits nicely between Harlow's and Memorial Auditorium, size-wise. There are lots of places to sit, and the audio sounds good. The venue boasts an busy upcoming slate of Boardwalk-type medium-sized acts, including As I Lay Dying, Travie McCoy, and (hed) p.e.

A pending liquor license prevented alcohol sales Saturday night, but it didn't seem to be a large issue due to the largely underage crowd (and band members). A bartender said they expect to have a license "hopefully next week."

Monsters of Bass tour brings bass, dub to Town House Lounge

2011-02-20T00:58:06Z

It's dirty, it's grimy, it's nasty.

The two musical genres of bass and dubstep continue to spread through the underground and infiltrate the mainstream. See some of dub and bass music's finest purveyors -- FreQ Nasty, MartyParty and Opiuo -- this Tuesday when the Monsters of Bass North American tour makes a stop at Town House Lounge.

Here's some background on the performers from the Monsters of Bass press release:

A major player in London’s mid-nineties dance music revolution, the enigmatic FreQ Nasty is one of the most influential names on the bass music scene. From his earliest work on seminal UK labels Botchit & Scarper and SKINT, FreQ Nasty has since gone on to release a slew of cutting-edge records while collaborating and remixing a diverse range of artists including Fatboy Slim, Kelis, KRS One, Roots Manuva, Rodney P, and Reggae legend Junior Delgado. Recent years have seen the release of “Creator,” his crossover hit collaboration with MIA producer Switch and Santogold, and the ground breaking, genre-defying FABRICLIVE 42 mix CD which was picked as DJ Magazine’s compilation of the month. He is a regular at the Burning Man festival, where he brings his signature Bass-heavy mix of genres: from Breakbeat to DubStep, GlitchHop to DrumStep. The new FreQ Nasty EP, Dred At The Controls, will be released internationally through California’s Muti Records in January; The A Side is a fusion of lush Detroit strings, skittery 2-step beats, wobble bass with a stupendous glitched-out dub-step breakdown, while the AA Side is a drum-step roller fusing the hyper speed of drum and bass and the half-time swagger of dance-hall.

Born and raised in South Africa, MartyParty (also one half of PANTyRAID) has been coined the Iggy Pop of electronic music both for his energetic live spectacle coined the “Purple Opera” and his own “Purple Music” concept – a hybrid of electronic music, dubstep and hip hop that together forms a totally new flavor of urban beat with the pretty, hypnotic elements of electronic music and the story telling of traditional song writing. MartyParty is releasing several EP’s in late 2010, namely, “Blueberry Kush” (Out Feb. 15), “Skukuza,” “Sour Diesel” and a full length Purple album to support the Monster’s of Bass Tour on April 1.

Imagine a precisely blended concoction of tight irresistible grooves, chunk fueled bouncy beats, luscious brooding soundscapes, dollops of stomach morphing bass, and a bowl of scrumptious glitch. Welcome to the musical world of Opiuo. The highly sought after Opiuo sound is being included in DJ sets from some of the biggest names in the business and features on high profile radio stations including BBC Radio One. His latest full length release “Slurp And Giggle” was nominated for Best Dance / Electronic Release at the Australian Independent Music Awards and reached number 10 on iTunes.

FreQ Nasty, MartyParty and Opiuo perform at Town House Lounge on Tuesday, Feb 22nd. Tickets are $20. 21+. Doors at 9 p.m., show at 9:30 p.m.

Interview with Above The City guitarist Simon Pesely

2011-02-19T01:49:16Z

On the heels of an inaugural show last week featuring Rob Zombie, the first "all locals" show at new music venue Ace of Spades goes down Saturday. SacShows Presents: Soundcheck will feature performances by local bands Ten After Two, Carcerys Vale, Batten Down Your Heart, Above The City, The Winter Formal, City of Kings, and Oneira.

Above The City is a relatively young, currently unsigned band made up of members Davey Sparks (vocals), Simon Pesely (guitar), Taylor Whitehurst (guitar), Zack Lee (drums) and Toby Hart (bass).

The Sacramento Press recently spoke with Pesely, 21, about being in an up-and-coming band in Sacramento.

How did Above The City get started?

We started about nine months ago. I believe it was March of 2010. Taylor and I initially got together and started jamming, and then Davey came into the picture, and and we played with Zach, and then we had another guy on the bass. Things got more serious, so we brought our friend Toby in, and he's been with us virtually from the start as well.

Where does the name Above The City come from?

The name was Taylor's idea. It doesn't have any real particular meaning aside from the fact that it was just a name we really dug, and it was rare and unique and we liked it for that fact, and it just caught on. And it's a simple nickname, and the abbreviation is ATC.

ATC flows well.

Yeah, exactly. It's easy to remember.

How long have you been playing guitar?

I've been playing guitar for about two years now. I initially started out playing the drums and then switched over, and Taylor and I got together and started playing and it just really worked out.

What kind of gear do you use?

Peavey 5150 heads, Schecter guitars, a few different Boss effect pedals. For the most part it's pretty straightforward.

I'm pretty new to the "screamo" genre. How would you describe ATC's sound for someone who wasn't familiar with it?

It's an alternative, poppy sound with the higher vocals and more in-depth melodies, and really heavy, crunching breakdowns. Hardcore, screamo, a little bit of everything in there.

What sets apart a good screamo song from the rest?

I think it's really just being unique and being able to combine all styles — a lot of smooth transitions and just showing your talent and that you can all work as one. Being prolific, you know?

What do you think about the current music scene in Sacramento?

I'd say the scene right now is really strong. There's a good driving force of young teens to mid-20s and older. Everyone's being really supportive. There's so much family for all the bands out there. The scene is this connected web of musical allegiance, I guess is a good way of putting it.

It's great to see the Sac music scene coming about. Eric Rushing is a guy who's doing a great thing by opening this venue, and everyone is working really hard to make the Sacramento music scene better. I couldn't even say it lacks really. There's a lot of great shows coming through here. Ace of Spades is going to open up huge doors.

I'm looking forward to checking out Ace of Spades. It looks like it's going to be pretty cool.

It's definitely going to be, I think, one of the biggest assets to Sacramento's music scene in the history of the music scene, hands down. Large capacity, better sound, better quality, everything.

What local bands are you into?

Ten After Two. They're great guys. They're really young and they got a lot of talent, a lot of good stuff going for them. Carcerys Vale is another really good one. They're great friends of ours, good musicians. They're coming up really big in the world.

What's your favorite venue to perform at?

It's always fun to play at the Boardwalk. There are always a lot of great shows out there. Now, everyone is really, truly looking forward to Ace of Spades. This one coming up is the big shebang for us. We're all really excited and really proud to be playing it.

What can people expect when they go to see ATC perform?

We're really into the music. We have a great light show. A guy named Aaron Muir does lights for us, and he does a really good job at it. We're really solid playing live, and energetic. We're out here doing what we love: trying to spread the word and be as unique as possible, bring the fans out and play good music.

Any plans for a tour in the near future?

We're hoping to by the middle of this year. We're planning on going out and hitting a few dates in Southern California and hopefully a lot more than that. In the next month or so we should have a lot more things set in stone.

What's your ultimate goal as you continue to pursue music?

Our ultimate goal is to hopefully get signed to a record label, and to get out there and tour and spread the word, enjoy the scene and meet new people, and to travel and see the world.

What's next for ATC?

We actually just went and recorded some stuff, and we have some really good news we'll be dropping here in the next month or so. We're really excited we're with Outerloop Management. They're doing a lot of good stuff for us. As of right now, we're just marketing and trying to get ourselves out there more and more. We just released a brand new studio update, our first one ever today, actually — our very first video blog.

As a fairly young band, you guys have made a lot of progress.

Yeah, we work really hard. We dedicated our lives to it. We spend every day practicing, nonstop. Davey lives in Yuba City and Taylor lives in Stockton, so we have long commutes. We put in a lot of miles to come and play every day and make sure we're solid.

This takes 100 percent dedication.You're going to have your ups and downs regardless, and it's about being able to prosper through that, and keep the right mindset and stay on the right track.

Support local live music and see Above The City perform Saturday at Ace of Spades. General admission tickets are $13.95 and include service fees. All ages. 5 p.m. doors, 6 p.m. show.

Sugar & Gold with Yip Deceiver at Blue Lamp

2011-02-14T02:48:52Z

There was a surprisingly small turnout for Sugar & Gold and Yip Deceiver, two quality indie acts, at Blue Lamp Saturday night. Maybe the numerous free options of Second Saturday kept folks away, but, despite the numbers, both groups turned out solid performances.

Yip Deceiver — featuring Of Montreal members Davey Pierce and Nicolas Dobbratz — took the stage late and kicked things off with their take on experimental electro pop, performing songs including "Sadie Hawkins Day" and "For All the Haters."

Pierce bantered with the crowd constantly — "People who know me, who truly know me, know I like two things: karaoke and meth. We're going to do some karaoke, because that's fun for us." — and engaged by coming down off stage to sing and dance.

Sugar & Gold continued the disco-funk assault, again with Dobbratz on keys and Pierce (this time on drums) who were joined by Philipp Minnig on vocals and guitar. Minnig shone in his sparkly houndstooth jacket, white Ray-Ban frames and Wham!-era George Michael dance stylings. The group's ‘80s synth riffs, sleazy beats and R&B crooning had pretty much every single person on the floor dancing and having a great time.

"Let's work off those beers," Minnig said. "C'mon, it's sexy time!"

It was a great workout, and a shame more people didn't come sweat it out.

Alt-country rockers Murder by Death to perform at Harlow's Sunday

2011-02-12T00:00:39Z

No, Murder by Death is not a screamo or metalcore band.

But the band does explore some dark themes, like revenge, the devil and drinking away your troubles with whiskey. Taking their name from the 1976 Robert Moore/Neil Simon film of the same name, the four-piece rock band from Bloomington, Ind., takes their listeners on a ride through a "country gothic" soundscape, led by the powerful Johnny Cash-meets-Nick Cave baritone of frontman Adam Turla.

Armed with galloping punk-country, somber themes and interesting concepts — their 2003 "Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them?" is an album about the devil being shot in a small, Western town and the aftermath that follows — this show has the potential to be an honest-to-goodness barn burner.

To get a taste of MBD, check out their song "Comin' Home," which you may have seen on the FX show “Sons of Anarchy” or a trailer for the Quentin Tarantino film “Inglorious Basterds”.

Murder by Death performs at Harlow's at 8 p.m. on Sunday, with support from The Builders & The Butchers and Damion Suomi & The Minor Prophets. Tickets are $12.

Preview: Dance party with Sugar & Gold and Yip Deceiver at Blue Lamp

2011-02-11T04:19:00Z

Attention hipsters and indie dance music fans! Head on over to Blue Lamp this Saturday to catch indie dance duo Sugar & Gold with special guest Yip Deceiver.

Shaking off comparisons to MGMT and Hot Chip, the San Francisco-based S&G weave together elements of funky disco, melodic electro and smooth R&B to create dance-heavy pop grooves with their unique signature.

Rated "Best Local Dance Band" in 2007 by SF Magazine and "Best Party Band 2008" by SF Weekly, S&G are known for their energetic, outrageous live shows that will have you sweating in your skinny jeans.

Davey Pierce (Of Montreal) side-project Yip Deceiver opens.

Sugar & Gold and Yip Deceiver perform at Blue Lamp this Saturday at 9p.m. Tickets are $10 and the show is 21+.

House music at District 30, Donald Glaude spins

2011-02-05T02:05:33Z

By now you've probably heard a few things about the three venues that opened on K Street recently: Dive Bar, Pizza Rock and District 30. I've experienced the novelty of Dive Bar and tasted the rocking pizza, and Thursday night I visited District 30 for the first time to see house music legend Donald Glaude in Sacramento's newest boutique dance lounge.

Access into the club was painless. I arrived early and there was no line at 9:30 p.m. Stepping in, you'll find the club's lone bar is on the right, and VIP booths line the left side. Keep going and you'll hit the dance floor and DJ booth, with some larger VIP booths tucked in the back. The smaller VIP booths toward the front run about $300 and seat six comfortably, and the price includes a bottle of your choice and gratuity. The larger booths closer to the DJ booth are $400 and seat eight to 10.

The sound in the club was noticeably excellent right away, as you would expect from a club of this newness and ilk (the owner is George Karpaty of San Francisco's Ruby Skye). District 30 resident DJ David Carvalho was spinning a funky club mix as the suit jackets and miniskirts trickled in, and it was a super clean mix with deep, rich bass, spread evenly throughout the club.

The decor inside is modern and trendy without being tacky. There are some very cool large mixed-media collages on the wall above the smaller VIP booths, and I was told they were created by artist Matthew Byrd, who also bartends at Dive Bar. If you've been to Dive Bar, you would recognize Byrd as the one with the Sideshow Bob-ish hairdo, and he's also created pieces for Ink and House Restaurant & Bar.

Huge disco ball over the dance floor? Check. Hard-bodied go-go dancers in Flintstones-meets-Burning Man outfits? Check.

It's not a large club — hence the "boutique" adjective — and with all the patrons, cocktail waitresses and security staff walking around, it gets congested. Better than having a big empty club, though. There's no place in the club to sit down (unless you're with a table.) Sure, you should probably be at the bar getting drinks, mingling with beautiful people, or out on the dance floor, but sometimes you just want to sit down.

Main attraction Donald Glaude took command of the DJ booth around 11 p.m., and it was a full house assault straight off. No slow-building trance here, just energy and more energy. Glaude, who has been ranked as high as No. 48 on DJ Mag's Top 100 List, is known for his energy and engagement with his audience, and he worked D30: stepping out of the booth and onto the floor at one point, taking shots with people when they came up to the booth, and always ready to scream "Make some fucking noise!" to squeeze out every last drop of energy from the packed house.

It's great to see the name DJs finally coming through Sac. There's definitely a market for house music here, and District 30 is a sleek and shiny addition.

One hundred bottles of beer on the wall at Alley Katz

2011-02-01T04:42:45Z

Alley Katz, a Midtown bar that opened a month ago, currently has 100 beers, but owner Geronimo Avelar said by Beer Week (Feb. 26. - March 5), it will carry 200.

Avelar, a former bartender himself, said the neighborhood surrounding 20th and O streets needed a bar that specializes in craft beers.

Avelar said he believes microbrews are catching up with wine when it comes to popularity and the complexities involved in their production.

“Many of these beers are very complex,” he said. “They’re aged in wine barrels, and they get better over time – and they’re beers.”

The bar also carries a selection of about 15 wines, which he said he will be expanding.

But Alley Katz isn’t meant to be a snooty, top-dollar joint.

“We have something for everyone,” Avelar said. “During happy hour, we have beers from $2 to $40.”

A self-proclaimed beer geek, Avelar said he enjoys researching and reading up on various beers. He said he wants to have a selection that isn’t centered on any one geographic region or type of brew.

While bartending at the now-closed Hashi, once located at 2110 L St., Avelar said he was able to attend numerous events and try different beers, which helped him develop his palate beyond what he had previously been exposed to.

In addition to microbrews, Alley Katz carries the familiar beers as well, including Budweiser, Shock Top and, at the request of customers, Miller High Life.

“It’s not all stuff I like, but everyone has different tastes,” he said. “I like to help people find other beers that I think they will like. They can come in and ask for a Budweiser, and I can give it to them and recommend they try a (Kronenbourg) 1664, which is a really great beer from France.”

The bar holds 150 patrons in about 2,000 square feet, with a mix of barstools and booths, and a couple of pool tables in the rear.

The unassuming exterior is set back from O Street behind a pair of palm trees, the new burgundy color letting locals know that what had most recently been a disused storage building is back in business.

“Some people told me they think of this like kind of a speakeasy,” Avelar said. “You don’t expect it to be like this when you look at it from the outside.”

The worst time to open a bar is in January and February, Avelar said, because people typically don’t go out as much, but he said he has been busy since opening Jan. 1.

For now, the alcohol license only allows the bar to stay open until midnight, but Avelar said he hopes to stay open later when the probationary period is up in seven months to a year.

In addition to beer and wine, Alley Katz serves sandwiches and salads, and Avelar said he is happy to recommend beers that go with certain sandwiches in the same way wineries pair their goods with food.

Roseville resident Paul Valdez stopped by for a sandwich recently.

“Based on the menu, I didn’t expect this,” he said. “The sandwich was great. I want to expose people, my friends, to (the bar). It’s ideal for something like a birthday party.”

He said his first impression on the bar was positive.

“It’s cool,” he said. “The whole interior feel is nice. It’s disguised from the outside. It seems like it will be a success.”

The bar is open from 11 a.m. - midnight every day, and happy hour is from 3 - 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 4 - 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sundays. On Thursdays, happy hour is all day for women.

The bar is located at 2019 O St. Click here to see the Facebook page.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Photos: Sacramento Electronic Music Festival - Day 2

2011-01-31T04:53:22Z

Day 2 of the second annual Sacramento Electronic Music Festival continued at the Townhouse Lounge on Friday, featuring performances by Little Foxes, Boss Magic, Melee Beats and FAVORS, among others.

The three-night festival showcases local and international electronic-centric artists, and the SEMF vision is "to continue to foster a supportive music community while attracting world-class talent to Sacramento, not just at the annual festival, but throughout the year."

Friday night Roger Carpio and Shaun Slaughter were among the DJs who held court nonstop on the first floor with a wide range of music (New Order, The xx, Crystal Castles) and kept the sexy people of Townhouse sweaty all night.

After a literally in-your-face performance by FAVORS on the dance floor, the beats continued upstairs where artists like Boss Magic, Little Foxes (my favorite of the night) and Melee Beats killed it in a haze of fog and lasers.

SEMF covers all the bases in the electronic genre, from “straightforward” DJs with laptops to groups that incorporate organic instruments with their synths, and does a fantastic job of showcasing quality acts in a well-organized and centralized environment. SEMF is a blast for old and new fans of the genre (and good music in general), and Sacramento is lucky to have it.

Coverage of Day 1 of the festival can be found here.

FAVORS

Brian Camera of Boss Magic

Brian Camera (left) and Michael Calero (right) of Boss Magic

Jacob Golden of Little Foxes

Dusty Brown of Little Foxes

Jacob Golden of Little Foxes

Melee Beats

Crowd

DAY 3

Jessica Brown of Dusty Brown

Dusty Brown

Zac Brown of Dusty Brown

Cole Cuchna (left) and Scott Simpson (right) of The New Humans

Scott Simpson (left) and Mike Steez (right) of The New Humans

Photos by Steven Chea

Preview: Deerhoof performs at Harlow's Thursday

2011-01-26T06:50:29Z

San Francisco art-pop band Deerhoof kicks off a new tour at Harlow's Thursday in support of the hot-off-the-presses LP release "Deerhoof vs. Evil."

The quartet is recognized by many as pioneers of improv-style experimental pop, with its distinctive sound influencing many others: Sleigh Bells, Of Montreal, Xiu Xiu and more.

Count on a striking sonic mix of poppy melodies, waves of noise, and chaotic fun from these former Radiohead tourmates. Potentially challenging, but sure to be fresh and different.

Deerhoof performs at Harlow's at 9 p.m. Thursday, and tickets are $12. Nervous Cop opens.

Ra Ra Riot performing at Harlow's this Saturday

2011-01-19T02:34:24Z

New York-based band Ra Ra Riot performs at Harlow's Saturday, fresh off an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday.

The eclectic indie pop band combines Arcade Fire's orchestral maneuvers ('Riot instruments include a cello and violin) with Vampire Weekend's pop sensibilities, and the efforts of the young group have resulted in two well-received albums on Barsuk Records: 2008's "The Rhumb Line" and 2010's "The Orchard;" the latter being mixed by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla.

Taking over drumming duties in Sacramento will be Kenny Bernard, who replaces current drummer Gabriel Duquette. Duquette says on the Ra Ra Riot website he is "off to prepare for the collapse of industrial civilization!", and the Kimmel show will be his last with the band.

Supporting Ra Ra Riot Saturday will be Givers and Pepper Rabbit. Tickets are $15, and the show starts at 9 p.m.

Weezer tribute band 'In the Garage' at The Refuge

2011-01-10T04:05:45Z

I'm an old-school Weezer fan: The pop geniuses' classic self-titled debut, more commonly known as "The Blue Album," was the second CD I ever bought, and their follow-up, coming-in-under-the-radar release "Pinkterton" was the soundtrack for part of my freshman year in college.

So I was very excited to see Weezer tribute band In the Garage perform at all-ages venue The Refuge downtown Friday night. Also on the bill were Rat-O-Matic, Drastic Actions and Green Day tribute band Totally Green Day.

Punk bands Rat-O-Matic and Drastic Actions warmed up the young crowd at the start of the night, and Totally Green Day tore through a respectable set of some of Green Day's older material, which whet the crowds' appetite for the upcoming Weezer tunes.

A tribute band differs from a cover band in that they strive for a near-perfect imitation of the original artist's songs and appearance, whereas a cover band simply plays the artist's songs. In the Garage was right on the money, down to the nerdy glasses, matching cardigans and large Weezer "=W=" sign that hangs behind the band.

The four core members were joined by a synth player, and the melodic pop assault began with "Tired of Sex." The set was heavy on songs from the first two albums of the Weezer catalog ("Undone (The Sweater Song)," "El Scorcho," "Buddy Holly," "In the Garage"), which was a smart direction to take.

Weezer has released nine full-length albums to date, but I find the first two seem to have the most depth, as is the case with a lot of bands. Not that the later albums are bad, but the most recent material is lightweight in comparison (i.e. they're past their prime) and I think for the most part ignored by older Weezer fans.

But they still put out pop gems, and In the Garage also knocked out honorable versions of "Island in the Sun" from 2001's "The Green Album," "Pork & Beans" from 2008's "The Red Album," and "You Gave Your Love to Me Softly", a B-side to the single "El Scorcho," which was a welcome surprise for the hardcore fans.

No telling when the real Weezer tours through Sacramento next. In the meantime, if you're a Weezer fan, or like excellent pop/rock songs, In the Garage is definitely worth checking out for your fix.

In the Garage

Ryan Garcia of In the Garage

Crowd watching In the Garage

Ben Steinert of In the Garage

In the Garage

Andy Dibben of In the Garage

Mike Woodall of In the Garage

Joe McKinney of Totally Green Day

Joe McKinney (left) and David Hayden (right) of Totally Green Day

Ryan Garcia of Totally Green Day

Crowd watching Totally Green Day

Joe McKinney of Totally Green Day

Drastic Actions

Jasson Drastic of Drastic Actions

Rat-O-Matic

Photos by Steven Chea

Photos: First Naked Lounge show of 2011

2011-01-04T03:55:48Z

The first show of 2011 at Naked Lounge Downtown took place Saturday and featured performances by Sacramento artists Adrian Bourgeois, Ricky Berger, One Eyed Rhyno, Brian Rogers of Izabella, and Autumn Sky.

The musicians celebrated the new year by performing a selection of songs written in 2010.

Naked Lounge Downtown is a live music venue located at Naked Coffee on 11th and H Street. Click here for upcoming events.

Adrian Bourgeois

Adrian Bourgeois (foreground) and Ricky Berger

Ricky Berger

One Eyed Rhyno

Brian Rogers

Autumn Sky

Photos by Steven Chea

Pinback at Harlow's on Dec 30

2010-12-26T15:43:46Z

This Thursday you'll have a chance to end 2010 on a good note by catching indie-rock fave Pinback at Harlow's.

The heart of the San Diego band has always been Zach Smith and Rob Crow, and with an upcoming album on the horizon and to stay fresh creatively, the duo is taking a different approach to performing on their current outing. As Smith explains:

"We've decided to have some fun and present our songs in a new light. Instead of playing our songs the traditional way by having a backup band play all of our extra parts we thought it would be entertaining and fresh for just the two of us to play live. The idea is to present our music at times in a more broken down manner very similar sounding to how it might be for Rob and I when we're coming up with a song for the very first time. Hopefully, this way we can create a new atmosphere for a familiar song."

Sounds like the makings of an interesting show for old and new fans alike.

Pinback performs at Harlow's on Thursday, Dec. 30, with support from Los Angeles' JP Inc. The show starts at 8pm and tickets are $15. To purchase tickets click here.

Photo: www.pinback.com

Good Signs on K St.

2010-12-13T05:19:05Z

The Dive Bar is the last of three new businesses on K St. to have its sign completed. The sign maker put the finishing touches on it early this evening. Pizza Rock and District 30 signs are up and the trio are on track to open on or before Jan. 1, 2011. Crest Theatre's marque is reflected in the glass. For more info on these businesses, CLICK HERE>>> .

SacPress Photo | Kati Garner

The Flower With Flair

2010-12-11T19:27:49Z

It seems there are new restaurants popping up all over Sacramento. Many of these restaurants fall victim to the economy and fail within a year and a half, some only last several months. Fairly new to the scene is Red Lotus Kitchen and Bar where we decided to stop in last night.

The decor is eclectic and modern and aromas of dim sum and dipping sauces creep up the nose when you enter the dining room. As we sat ourselves and looked over the menu we were approached by our server Isabel. As Isabel began going over some of the menu with us I noticed we were the only table in the restaurant in the middle of Happy Hour, as a matter of fact the only other people in the room besides the staff were four or five patrons sitting at the bar. Normally an empty room at a Midtown restaurant on a Friday night in the middle of Happy Hour is a sign from above to run as fast as I can but too many people had mentioned Red Lotus to me so we stayed.

Being the Happy Hour hunter that I am, we started with some of the HH menu items. HH food items are all $5 from 3-7PM, Monday though Saturday. We went with Chicken potstickers, Spicy Orange Chicken Wings, Vegetable Egg Rolls and a side of white rice. We then ordered some Margaritas which were a force to be reckoned with, both tall and powerful. If I didn’t know any better I would say the bartender was trying to get on my good side but that was not the case.

Our food arrived in a family style manner. The Chicken Potstickers were my son’s favorite but you should know he could put away at least 10 pounds of potstickers in one sitting; it’s actually quite horrifying to watch. I enjoyed the overall presentation. The flavor and authenticity was there and the potstickers sat on a rectangular dish in a shallow pool of dipping sauce adequately garnished which made it very attractive to me. The Spicy Orange Chicken wings teetered on the sweet side and really lacked the “Spicy” but they were still good, perhaps a tad inaccurately described but tasty nonetheless. The Vegetable Egg Rolls were my wife’s pick. The Egg Rolls were steamy and delicate with an incredibly flaky texture. Once partnered with the pink peppercorn gastrique the Egg Rolls almost immediately became a dish I would return to have. Our side of white rice was light, fluffy and airy which to me equals perfection as far as rice goes. Rice is a simple dish to most, it is also a simple dish to get wrong but they got it right. The last plate we ordered was the Scallop and Shrimp Dumplings served in a mushroom broth. Folks I have to say as I took my first bite the dumpling dissolved and melted away as it hit the roof of my mouth, a subtle champion.

Isabel was engaging and attentive and a pleasure to have as a server. The staff at Red Lotus were all smiles and enjoyed what they were doing which is a key factor missing from many of our area restaurants. I will without a doubt bring friends and colleagues to what I am certain will be a long time Sacramento success story.

Had I gone with my initial reaction to walk out of the quiet room I would have missed out on an enjoyable dining experience. Sure enough as we were leaving more people started to filter in from the cold. I realize what I am describing here is a near perfect evening at a restaurant but that is exactly how things played out. Will it be the same for other people when they go in? I have no idea but I hope so.

Red Lotus Kitchen and Bar is located at 2718 J Street. 916.231.0961. Dinner is served Monday-Thursday from 3-10PM and 3-12AM on Friday and Saturday. Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from 10AM-3PM. The bar is open Wednesday and Thursday until 12AM and Friday and Saturday until 1:30AM. All major credit cards are accepted and parking is available on the street or at one of the garages within a few blocks of the restaurant. As always, please know I am in no way affiliated with this or any restaurant I review. My goal is to go out and slowly experience different aspects of the Sacramento dining scene then share those experiences with you. Welcome to the neighborhood Red Lotus, I am certainly rooting for you.

Andy Soto

The Gracious Few to play Harlow's

2010-12-06T01:37:12Z

Making a stop in Sacramento this Monday is a fresh, new band called The Gracious Few, featuring members of '90s alternative rock veterans Live and Candlebox.

After Live effectively disbanded in 2009 due to the departure of singer Ed Kowalczyk, the remaining members sought to continue making music and recruited longtime friend and Candlebox frontman Kevin Martin for their new venture. Martin in turn brought aboard Candlebox guitarist Sean Hennesy to round out the sound and complete the lineup.

TGF describes their sound as being influenced by '70s rock bands such as Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath and the Rolling Stones. The band’s eponymous debut album was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads. Expect the rock.

See The Gracious Few perform at Harlow’s on J Street at 8 p.m. on Monday. Danielle Barbe opens, and tickets can be purchased here.

Photo: http://www.thegraciousfew.com

Downtown bar to host local music Thursday nights

2010-12-01T01:20:00Z

A new downtown bar and grill is catering to a lunch and dinner crowd while still providing a venue to showcase local music and sports talent.

Shenanigans – located at 705 J St. in the building that used to house Image – opened Oct. 28, and local band Tesla was there for the grand opening, according to co-owner Max Archuleta.

Shenanigans is the first joint venture by Sacramento natives Archuleta and Eric Schaefer.

“Our concept is a sports bar and live music venue, but we kind of want to celebrate what Sacramento has to offer those areas of entertainment,” Archuleta said.

The name is intended to make the concept somewhat vague.

“We sat down and thought, hey, you know, we want to do something fun and have something that has some ambiguity to it,” Archuleta said.

That “something fun” is to provide a comfortable venue for local musicians.

Archuleta said they plan to work with new talent and provide a performance venue for live music with the bar’s stage.

To do that, Archuleta said he is working with radio station 98 Rock to host local talent on Thursday nights, including Breva, Green Audio and A Single Second. For a list of upcoming performers, see the bottom of this article.

Both Schaefer and Archuleta have backgrounds in the bar and night club business, with Archuleta managing bar/night clubs in San Francisco and Schaefer managing Bobby McGee’s, which was at 5623 Sunrise Blvd. in Citrus Heights.

In order to appeal to the lunch and happy-hour crowds, Archuleta said they will provide good-quality food a notch above traditional sports bar fare, but stick with the traditional favorites.

“We’ve got a really good burger,” Archuleta said. “Everyone likes a good burger, so we had to have one.”

Chef Sean MacDonald said he is looking forward to the revised menu’s rollout on Monday.

“We want to tap into the local lunch business downtown,” MacDonald said. “We’ll have signature burgers, sandwiches and salads.”

The menu includes a selection of salads, hot wings, burgers and sandwiches as well as appetizers in an update to the current menu.

Happy hour – 4 - 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays – is designed to pull in the professional and state worker crowds for after-work beers, well drinks and appetizers, all being served for $3.

The venue is split-level, with a downstairs basement area reminiscent of a lounge or night club, but Archuleta said he isn’t focusing on that at the moment, preferring to get the top portion going first. But he did say the lower level can be rented to private parties.

The eight TVs in the establishment will show sporting events. Archuleta said the Sacramento Kings will take priority, along with football games on Sundays, but he also wants to show a sizable amount of boxing and mixed martial arts matches he said typically aren’t shown as much in the area.

In opening downtown at the corner of Seventh and J streets, Archuleta said he is working to help revitalize downtown and propel it in a positive direction.

Lisa Martinez, director of marketing and outreach for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, said having a business like Shenanigans open downtown is a positive move.

“I think everyone’s excited about having a new business in the district,” Martinez said. “We’re excited to see new entrepreneurs looking downtown for new business.”

She added that bringing more retail and dining to the mix is “always a good thing.”

Needles, Calif., resident Jeff Ritchley stopped by the bar Monday afternoon while in town for a meeting.

“It’s a quaint place like you’d find in cities all over,” he said. “It would draw me in (if I lived here). I like local talent.”

No local talent was playing Monday afternoon when Ritchley was in the bar, but he said it reminded him of an Irish pub, which drew him in.

Shenanigans is open from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 a.m. Sundays.

Local musicians playing on Thursday nights are listed below. The shows begin at 9 p.m., and the cover charge is $5.

Dec. 9:
Breva
Green Audio
A Single Second
+ Hot Pot Presents – Fusion Bellydance

Dec. 23:
Terra Ferno
Prevail
Prylosis

Dec. 30:
Early States
Aliciya Angel
1 TBA

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

K Street nightlife trio nearing completion

2010-11-25T00:16:22Z

After having their opening date pushed back, the three establishments on the 1000 block of K Street are on track to open by New Year’s, if not before then.

“We think we can have them open before Christmas,” said Russ Conley, superintendent for Terra Nova industries.

Conley said power has been supplied to the three businesses and that working with SMUD was a breeze.

Construction was delayed due to an unstable electrical vault under the property.

The three business concepts include a "mermaid bar," a gourmet pizza restaurant with acrobatic pizza tossers and a high-end, over-30 dance club to further develop K Street Mall into an entertainment district and to bring people from as far away as the Sierra Nevada foothills.

The project is the work of San Francisco nightclub operator George Karpaty.

Inside Pizza Rock, the big rig has been installed above the bar area.

Art on the ceiling recalls Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel piece, but with a guitar being handed over in lieu of the moment of creation.

Another view of Pizza Rock.

The pizza oven at Pizza Rock.

The pizza oven’s exterior portion fronting K Street.

Dive Bar has had its fish tank installed.

Dive Bar’s bar area under construction.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Hot-blooded soul from Cold War Kids

2010-11-13T02:08:54Z

If the long line snaking in front of Harlow’s on a chilly Thursday night was any indication, this city was ready to play with Cold War Kids.

Indeed it was, easily selling out the popular venue and providing a packed, electric atmosphere for the Long Beach-based band to feed its ravenous fans.

Anchored by the pounding kick of drummer Matt Aveiro and the soulful vocals of Willett, the ’Kids soldiered through a setlist that included several cuts from their first two albums, ’06’s “Robbers & Cowards” (“Red Wine, Success!” and “Hospital Beds”) and ’08’s “Loyalty to Loyalty” (“Mexican Dogs” and “Dreams Old Men Dream”), as well as ’09’s “Behave Yourself EP” (“Audience” and "Santa Ana Winds”).

The band is also using this tour to showcase tracks from upcoming album “Mine Is Yours,” due to be released in January 2011.

The new material doesn’t stray from the formula that got the ’Kids where they are now, and the new tracks sounded very strong. Songs like “Royal Blue” and “Louder than Ever” are a cocktail of the blues-inflected verses and hooky, sing-out-loud choruses the band has used to great success on songs like “Hang Me Up to Dry,” its most well-known song, which drew the biggest cheers of the night.

There lies the 'Kids strength: They strike the delicate balance between playing music that has indie-rock credibility and is also accessible for a larger mainstream audience. It seems inevitable that they'll lose some of that cred as they become more successful, but for now, all parties involved reap the rewards.

They inspire their fans too. Toward the end of the show, one overzealous female fan crawled up on the edge of the stage where Willett had just taken a seat at his piano. She engaged Willett and was apparently trying to request her favorite song. When her friends realized she was becoming a bit too comfortable clinging to the side of the piano up there and holding up the show, they had to gently pull her away.

After experiencing a raw, honest Cold War Kids live performance, it's easy to understand her fervor.

Photos: Steven Chea

For info on upcoming shows from Abstract Entertainment, please click here.

A highbrow evening with Stew and The Negro Problem

2010-10-28T00:14:09Z

Would a group called Stew and the Negro Problem be at home playing a venue like the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts in Davis?

Absolutely.

The intimate, lounge-like 250-person Vanderhoef Studio Theatre was the perfect setting for musician Stew and his provocatively-titled band, The Negro Problem, on Tuesday evening. The name is meant to challenge perceptions be in-your-face and humorous, which also describes the band’s music quite accurately.

Announcing that his band was probably mad at him because he had no setlist, Stew guided the seated older crowd on a musical journey that was insightful, comical and just plain sounded great.

The lyrically driven songs were the stars, with each being a slice-of-life anecdote coupled with simple but sophisticated accompaniment provided by collaborator and bassist Heidi Rodewald and the rest of The Negro Problem.

They fused styles seamlessly – including Baroque pop with jazz sensibilities and a tendency to rock. There were even opportunities for synth riffs and a flute solo.

At times juvenile, Stew’s lyrical content was elevated by the underlying wit and social commentary and the cohesive Negro Problem instrumentation.

Two songs into the set the audience was presented with the song “Ken,” about a Ken doll in a Mattel factory who realizes he’s gay: "My name's Ken, and I like men/But the people at Mattel … are somewhat bothered by my queer proclivities."

Complete with ski-pole charades from Stew, “Black Men Ski” dealt with stereotypical perceptions of what black men do and don’t do, including Stew's experiences visiting Aspen. The act drew fits of giggling from the amused crowd.

And after proclaiming “I love marijuana, I just don’t have the time to score it” and extolling the joys of getting high, Stew and band played “Bong Song,” with its addictive “Bong! Song!” doorbell-like repetitive chorus. Puerile perhaps, but relevant here as California’s upcoming elections feature Proposition 19, which among other things seeks to legalize personal marijuana-related activities.

It seemed to be the theme for the night: music and melodies so sweet it was easy to lose sight of the deeper themes being discussed. And, yes, they would rank high on a list of bands with generally offensive names. But if you get the joke and see them perform, you’re in for a very enlightening evening.

Stew and the Negro Problem play a second show on Wednesday at the Vanderhoef Studio Theatre in Davis. Tickets are $49 general, $24.50 for students.

Photos by Steven Chea

New restaurant to offer local flavor

2010-10-19T05:16:37Z

Julia Hadley has never owned a restaurant before, but she said she looks forward to opening Hads Steak and Seafood at 19th and J streets and molding it to her image of what a neighborhood favorite should be.

Hadley said she has fond memories of growing up with the Fireside Restaurant & Lounge, which was operated by a good family friend. She remembers going in with her father, and the staff affectionately greeting him with, “Hey, Hads.”

“I want people leaving full, satisfied and taking half of their meal home with them,” she said. “It’s going to be good food for a really good price,” Hadley said.

The restaurant is set to open the first week of November.

Local flavor is what she wants to be known for, and she’s bringing in former Fireside Restaurant and Lounge chef Ed Hull to work with her staff to recreate some of her favorite menu items.

Most notable among those is the Fireside steak sandwich. In addition to that, the menu will include rib steak, French dip sandwiches, halibut, scallops, prawns, lobster and vegetarian options.

But menu options won’t be limited, and Hadley said she wants the community to play a role in shaping the establishment’s offerings.

“If we don’t have something they want, we’d like to hear from the community,” she said. “I want to be a comfortable bar and neighborhood restaurant.”

Hads will carry a full selection of beer, wine and liquor, with a focus on local wines.

“We’ll have a lot of wine,” Hadley said. “I like to do local things, so we’ll carry wine from local wineries and will be able to do private tastings and artists’ showings and that sort of thing.”

Regular business hours have not been set, but Hadley said the restaurant will be open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, with Sunday and Monday being anticipated as slow days.

“I’m thinking of doing a buffet-style meal on those days,” Hadley said. “People can get a plate, and I’ll be cooking scallops or chicken cordon bleu, and they can get some food and watch a game.

“It’ll be nice to have a time when we can all relax and get ready for the next week and just be low-key,” she said.

The space can hold 55 people, and the food prices at lunch range from about $8 to about $13. Dinners are more expensive, but they all come with soup and salad. Dinner items will be in the $15 - $20 range.

Hadley, worked as a caterer before spending 11 years working for the University of California, Davis, health system.

Hads will employ eight or nine people, and she said the restaurant is ready to open, but is just waiting on the final permits and inspections and artwork.

“We’re ready to rock and roll,” Hadley said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Handful of citizens address Second Saturday issues at council meeting

2010-09-15T03:37:55Z

A handful of people attended Tuesday’s City Council meeting to comment on Second Saturday Art Walk issues in light of the shooting death of a 24-year-old after last weekend’s event.

While the death of Victor Hugo Perez Zavala outside of a J Street bar has attracted extensive media attention in the past few days, only four people commented on Second Saturday issues at the City Council meeting.

Local artist Susan Rabinovitz said the art walk has become “a tragedy.” She suggested that the city hold the art walk from 4-7 p.m.

Midtown resident Vivian Gerlach said the art walk should continue, but the “after-party” should be better controlled.

Photo by Suzanne Hurt. Local media outlets have covered the Second Saturday story extensively.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

"New" start for The New Humans

2010-08-23T23:55:32Z

Sacramento band The New Humans celebrated the release of its debut EP, “Avalanche,” with a high-energy show at Townhouse on Saturday.

“Avalanche” comes out later than expected, after the band experienced a futile lead singer search (synth man Scott Simpson eventually took on vocal duties) and scrapped six months’ worth of recording, but these past hurdles were not apparent at the show.

After a quick warmup set by Favors downstairs and a rare performance by Dusty Brown side project Little Foxes upstairs, Simpson wasted no time going crazy onstage and setting the tone for the rest of the night.

The New Humans also includes Robbie LaCasse (bass), Mike Steez (drums) and Cole Cuchna (keys). The four bandmates played tightly together. The set was long on catchy, electro-pop tracks, and several sound single-worthy.

There were no lulls – deep bass, hooky synth riffs and soaring vocals kept the full house whipped into a frenzy for the entire show.

Simpson takes on his frontman persona with gusto, screaming into the mike and running around on stage while his bandmates hold down the pounding beat. Standout tracks were "All the Kids," "Fever" and the Muse-y "Avalanche."

The New Humans are planning a fall mini-tour in support of their EP to continue getting their music out. If the packed house and sweaty crowd at the end of the night at Townhouse meant anything, they should have no problem getting a few more people dancing.

Photos:

1-3: FAVORS

4-8: Little Foxes

9-15: The New Humans

Kupros opens Friday

2010-08-13T02:10:41Z

Kupros Bistro will hold a soft opening this weekend.

The restaurant and tavern will open with a limited menu Friday and Saturday in a 100-year-old Midtown house at 1217 21st St.

On Thursday, owner Stephen Tokuhama, General Manager Hugo Herreros and chef John Gurnee led new employees through wine and food tastings.

Kupros will be open from 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The kitchen will be serving a limited snack menu from 5-10 p.m.

"Tomorrow, we'll have a little soft opening to test the kitchen and fire up everything," Herreros said Thursday. "It's just an introduction of what's coming. It's not the whole menu."

The establishment will close Sunday and Monday, then reopen Tuesday with a slightly expanded menu. Hours next week will be 5-10 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, and 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Kupros will start offering the full menu the following week. Regular hours will start at the same time, with the restaurant opening at 11 a.m. every day and closing at 10 p.m. or 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

A renovation costing more than $750,000 turned a two-story, 1910 Craftsman house into a space with a pub and kitchen on the first floor and an upstairs dining room.

"I was amazed at the transformation," said Elizabeth Kelley, a nearby business owner who once lived in upstairs backrooms when the house contained Cheap Thrills costume shop.

The restaurant is opening in time for August's Second Saturday Art Walk.

"This weekend is going to be crazy," Herreros said. "There are going to be a lot of people in town."

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Tequila museum, restaurant and bar to open by end of year

2010-08-13T00:38:20Z

Tequila is to Mexico what wine is to France, and restaurateur Ernesto Delgado said he will use tequila to showcase Mexico’s rich culture when he opens Tequila Museo Mayahuel later this year.

The “tequila museum” will include a restaurant serving traditional Mexican dishes and a wide array of between 50 and 100 types of tequila with a museum and gift shop reminiscent of Napa Valley wineries.

“The concept is to showcase Mexican culture through tequila, its history and the process of making it,” Delgado said.

With so many Mexican restaurants and tacquerias in Sacramento already, Delgado said he knew he had to come up with something unique.

“My whole idea here is to create a new spin,” Delgado said. “What’s the next Mexican restaurant? A full tequila experience.”

Pete Andrew of Collier’s International, property manager of 1200 K St. the location, said Delgado’s concept will “kick-start this whole revitalization of K Street.”

Dave Herrera, vice president of the Sacramento branch of Collier’s International, agreed.

“It’s definitely going to bring another amenity with a tremendous amount of culture into the downtown area,” Herrera said. “I think it’s going to be an entirely new concept.”

When finished, the restaurant will feature a statue out front that serves to draw visitors and is the beginning of the story Delgado said he wants to tell through the experience.

The statue will be of a jimador – the name of the farmers who harvest the agave plant from which tequila is made.

Even the name evokes the spirit of tequila – Mayahuel is the Aztec goddess for the agave plant.

Once inside, visitors will see the restaurant portion of the establishment – Maya’s Kitchen – as well as the Coa Room, which can be rented out for private events and parties and is used to celebrate the tequila culture.

In order to cater to his customers, Delgado said that in addition to the traditional restaurant, he will have a “chef’s bar” area where customers can order their food directly from the kitchen and watch it made, an idea inspired by the way his mother takes care of him when he goes to visit her.

In ordering from the kitchen, local workers can get their lunch and quickly make it back to the office.

Chef Ramiro Alarcón, who was trained in Mexico City, will be cooking traditional Mexican dishes such as mole, of which Maya’s Kitchen will feature three types. Delgado said the focus is on fresh ingredients.

Javier Valdez and Mario Favila are also working with Delgado and Alarcón to open and run the establishment.

The price range is in the middle, Delgado said, with mole dishes running about $16 for a dinner-size portion and salads in the $7-$8 range.

But the tequila is where the establishment will truly shine, Delgado said.

Three of the featured brands will be Don Julio, Herradura and, yes, José Cuervo.

“José Cuervo is one of the oldest tequila makers,” Delgado said. “Most people think of it as the cheap stuff, but there is more to it.”

Delgado said that in addition to the standard Cuervo, he will carry José Cuervo’s family reserve, which runs about $100 per bottle and is a far cry from the cheaper products.

The establishment is set to open in three phases, with the restaurant opening first, followed by the museum and bar, then finishing up with the Coa Room.

“I want to make this a destination,” Delgado said. “K Street should be the heart of Sacramento.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Kupros to open in Midtown

2010-07-21T03:33:57Z

A gastropub called Kupros Bistro is expected to open next month in a 100-year-old Midtown house that underwent a costly renovation.

Owners Stephen and Sharon Tokuhama are opening a restaurant and bar after nearly rebuilding the formerly purple house that held a costume shop, Cheap Thrills, for 40 years at 1217 21st St. The remodel cost more than $750,000 because the building went through a structural retrofit, restoration and a restaurant buildout.

The business got its liquor license from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Tuesday. Building inspections are complete. The couple hopes to open Saturday, Aug. 14, once final health and fire inspections are held, which may be as soon as this week, Stephen Tokuhama said.

According to some, Kupros is the ancient Greek name for the isle of Cyprus, where copper was discovered. The idea behind Kupros Bistro is sort of an old-world tavern meets American television's "Cheers."

"I always wanted to make it a real welcoming place. As soon as you walk in the door, everyone knows your name," said Tokuhama, a former San Diego real estate acquisitions specialist who also owns G Street Pub in Davis. "That's always been in the back of my mind."

The renovation has turned a two-story 1910 Craftsman house into a space with an upscale pub and kitchen on the first floor and an upstairs dining room — the same physical layout used for the TV bar known as "Cheers." Kupros also has plenty of outdoor seating on a balcony and front porch.

A 25-foot by 19-foot African mahogany bar with an Arts and Crafts-style stained glass dome ceiling dominates the center of the tavern's first floor. Six wooden booths flank the U-shaped, wood-paneled bar.

"We call it a social bar, because you can see the person who's right across the bar from you," said Kupros General Manager Hugo Herreros. "It's going to be happening."

The intent was to create a place that’s casual and easy to socialize in, with better food than most pubs. The establishment will be similar to popular McMenamins pubs operated in former houses in Eugene, Salem and other Pacific Northwest cities, Tokuhama said.

The house had originally been located on K Street but was moved decades ago. The Tokuhamas bought the house, once divided up into a fourplex apartment building, in 2002. They continued to lease space to Cheap Thrills into 2006.

The building's renovation began with the second floor in 2004 and was completed in 2006. Tokuhama applied for a building permit in 2005 and finally got it in 2008. Part of the delay came from opposition from two residents who live on 22nd Street. They were concerned about the renovation of the old house and using the building as a restaurant and bar.

The house is flanked by a hair salon and a locksmith's shop. However, the building was zoned residential until Tokuhama got it repermitted to commercial, he said.

Tokuhama went through the city's design review and planning processes and assured neighbors and city officials that the renovation would respect the house's integrity, especially for the exterior and second floor.

"I wanted the structure to match the Midtown area," he said. "There are a lot of beautiful Craftsmans in the area. Really, what I wanted to do was build a place that epitomized all the Midtown charm and character."

Structural engineer Matt Parisek designed a structural retrofit for the house, which was sagging in the middle. New plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems were installed.

The entire house, down to its 2-x-4 studs, was made of redwood, Tokuhama said. Fiberglass siding was removed from the exterior, which was completely restored. Layers of paint were removed from interior woodwork. The front porch was rebuilt and expanded to twice its original size. A second-floor balcony that overlooks 21st Street also was rebuilt and enlarged.

The upstairs retains the character of the original house. Dining areas are split into several rooms painted sunny yellow or pale blue. Features recognizable from other Midtown houses include decorative room entryways set off by wood columns, white coved ceilings, leaded glass windows and doors, and picture-frame molding. An original bathroom and a kitchen to be used for food service also remain on the second floor.

The first floor includes two new bathrooms and a small kitchen, which helped determine the menu's simplicity, Herreros said.

The menu is Mediterranean-influenced California cuisine, focusing heavily on bistro-style small plates alongside artisan cocktails, eclectic wines and craft beer, according to Tokuhama and chef John Gurnee, who cooked at Mason's for five years.

The menu also pulls from French, Italian, American and Asian cooking — a fusion of styles Gurnee is using to create comforting yet exciting "locavore" dishes using fresh, local ingredients.

Describing the fare as an "updated version of pub food," Gurnee plans to offer such fare as crispy hominy with chile and lime, greens with shaved vegetables and goat cheese, green bean and potato salad with deviled egg dressing, a Sonoma duck confit Reuben, and spaghetti with prosciutto, figs and hazelnuts.

Another old-world tavern feature: The bar won't have a single TV. Gurnee believes the absence of television sets will make the place more social — like ancient times, when taverns were places where travelers would gather for nourishment and to socialize, he said.

"I think that's what's been lost in dining in America. It's not really an experience anymore; people are on their PDAs or watching TV," he said. "It's about sitting around in person and enjoying your company."

Hours will be 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. A grand opening is expected to be held in September.

Cheap Thrills photo provided by the Tokuhamas. Other photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Jerry Perry Presents The White Buffalo this Friday

2010-07-13T05:51:12Z

The White Buffalo, also known as versatile singer/songwriter/guitarist Jake Smith, brings his self-described "darker side of folk" to Sacramento this Friday.

With fan favorites The White Buffalo EP and full-length Hogtied Revisited under his belt, TWB continues to garner buzz by word of mouth and by touring constantly, performing solo and backed by a band (he'll be with a band this Friday).

TWB has previously toured with Donavon Frankenreiter, Xavier Rudd, State Radio and Ziggy Marley, and his songs have been featured on the soundtrack to surfing movie Shelter and on FX series Sons of Anarchy.

The White Buffalo will play Old Ironsides with Prieta and The Kelps on Friday, July 16th, at 9pm. Tickets are $7. For details please contact Old Ironsides.

Photos from www.thewhitebuffalo.com

Fairytale Town Launches Adults Only Costume Ball

2010-07-10T09:10:16Z

Fairytale Town opened its gates on Thursday for a special After Hours event, the Once Upon a Night: Moonlight Costume Ball, just for adults. The event was open to adults 18 years of age and older and featured live music, a DJ, dancing, two themed bars, food and beverage, a henna artist, and more.

Fairytale Town continues to promote the imagination, creativity and education of children as their core mission. However, its After Hours programming will help develop an avenue to reach new audiences, and raise funds to support the park's programs for children and families. "So many Sacramentans remember coming to Fairytale Town as children, and hold fond memories of the park. We want to give those who don't have children the opportunity to return to Fairytale Town and continue having magical experiences, even without the kids," said Kathy Fleming the Executive Director. -Fairytale Town Media Release

Welcome to Fairytale Town.

The event kicked off with a performance by Fairytale Town's favorite belly dancers, UNMATA.

Live music was provided by The Enlows.

A fire performer with UNMATA.

President Obama gets down on the dancefloor.

A taco tries to drum up support in the Fairest of the All costume contest.

A partygoer enjoys one of the slides.

A Good Fairy gets some help with her wings.

One of the many excellent costumes at the Ball.

Tweedledee gets some henna work.

Owl's House, one of many attractions in Fairytale Town.

DJ Matt Brys (not pictured) from Extreme Productions Entertainment kept things moving on the dancefloor.

Evil Fairy, the winner of the female Most Wicked costume contest. All costume contest winners received a gift bag filled with goodies.

The runner-up of the female Most Wicked costume contest.

Poison Ivy?

Victory for The Steampunks in the Best Group costume contest.

The Submarines @ Blue Lamp

2010-07-02T07:25:41Z

The Submarines are an indie-pop group comprised of married couple Jack Dragonetti and Blake Hazard. Touring with drummer Jason Stare and new bass player "Scott," they passed through Sacramento on Wednesday night, playing a small show at Blue Lamp.

If you don't recognize the band name, you would certainly recognize the music. Their songs have been featured in Nip/Tuck, Weeds, Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl, and in maybe the most well-known placement, the songs "You, Me and the Bourgeoisie" and "Submarine Symphonika" were used in Apple commercials for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

Originally working as solo artists in Boston, Dragonetti and Hazard played in each other's bands and were romantically involved for four years. The relationship ended, but because Hazard still recorded her music in Dragonetti's home studio, the pair quickly discovered the songs they were writing were about each other and their sadness in having broken up. They starting working together again and eventually married. They have released two full-length albums, Declare a New State! and Honeysuckle Weeks, and a third release is upcoming.

Fun fact: Hazard is the great-granddaughter of The Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Dum Dum Girls @ Blue Lamp

2010-07-01T03:43:20Z

There was a lot of fishnet at Blue Lamp on Wednesday night, which could mean a few things, but in this case it was lo-fi pop quartet Dum Dum Girls visiting Sacramento in support of their debut album I Will Be.

Dum Dum Girls is led by Dee Dee (real name: Kristen Gundred), the creative force behind the all girl group, á la Trent Reznor. The name of the group is a nod to both The Vaselines' album Dum-Dum, and the Iggy Pop song "Dum Dum Boys". The 27-year-old singer/songwriter started recording songs in her bedroom and eventually looked to her friends to take the show on the road. The debut album I Will Be was produced by Richard Gottehrer, who is responsible for writing 60's classics "My Boyfriend's Back" and "I Want Candy", and who has also worked with artists like Blondie and The Go-Go's.

The 'Girls were all dressed in some variation of a tiny black vintage dress and black fishnet stockings; a nod to their 60's girl group sound, but maintaining the edginess of a modern punk band. Dee Dee has a very pleasant voice; the sweet pop harmonies and fuzzy vocals and guitars played well together, putting them somewhere between The Shangri-Las and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Dee Dee stared straight ahead most of the time and there was minimal banter with the intimate crowd, and the group tore through almost all the short songs on their album (the average length of the songs are about two and a half minutes). The 'Girls don't move around on stage much, but overall it was a fulfilling live show filled with a great pop-punk sound and delicious, ethereal harmonies. I would recommend checking out their single "Jail La La" to get an introduction.

For more info:

Dum Dum Girls

Blue Lamp

Abstract Entertainment

Rooney @ The Boardwalk

2010-06-25T02:25:23Z

There is Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus pop, and there is Rooney pop. It was nice to see the Rooney kind on Wednesday night at the Boardwalk in Orangevale. Both Rooney and one of their support bands on this tour, The Young Veins, have a throwback pop sound that isn't so common these days. As someone who grew up with Weezer, I was definitely looking forward to seeing Rooney for the first time.

The Young Veins were a great opener (the other support bands were local band Flatlin, and Black Gold, from Brooklyn). The 'Veins are compromised of two former members of Panic! at the Disco and are touring in support of their first release Take a Vacation! If The Byrds and The Beatles had a baby, their love child would be named The Young Veins. The upbeat and catchy tunes, like "Take a Vacation!" and "Cape Town" had the young crowd (and some parents) primed for the main attraction.

Rooney took the stage next and dove right into songs from two of their albums, Rooney and Calling the World, and their recently released Eureka, which they are touring in support of. They played classics like "Blueside" and "When Did Your Heart Go Missing," as well as new songs like "Stars and Stripes" and "I Can't Get Enough." Rooney songs are insanely catchy and infectious, and the young crowd lapped it up. Imagine driving down the PCH in your convertible on a hot California summer, and you'll have a good idea of the vibe of a live Rooney show. They were also playing with a new bassist, Brandon Schwartzel, and it was neat to see him occasionally looking around to stay with the changes of his bandmates and then slide in perfectly on his bass into the beat.

For their encore, the band played two songs: “Not In My House,” from their new album, and “I'm Shakin',” from their first. It was an intimate show for a decent sized crowd, and based on the dancing and the screams of teenage girls in the crowd, I'd say the show was a crowd pleaser for everyone.

Flatlin

Black Gold

The Young Veins

Rooney

Rooney

Rooney

For more info:

Photos by Steven Chea

MVP sports bar moves

2010-06-15T03:57:38Z

A longtime restaurateur who once served the likes of Sonny Bono, Meat Loaf and Tim Allen has moved MVP Sports Grill to a new Midtown location.

The sports bar opened last week in the St. Anton Building, 2110 L St. Ron Long, the sports bar's legally blind proprietor, had operated MVP at the corner of 17th Street and Capitol Avenue in the state of California's East End Complex for four years.

The move was not prompted by the impending sale of the complex, one of 11 state-owned office properties up for sale by the state Department of General Services. The state plans to lease the properties back, and MVP would have been able to stay at 1629 Capitol Ave., Long said.

Instead, Long felt the time was right to leave the state building. State furloughs caused a huge loss of revenue as all four state buildings in the complex have been closed so many Fridays.

"The business was doing great (before the furloughs). But with the furloughs — it kills us," he said.

At the same time, competition has been equally hard on his business, Long said. Establishments such as California Pizza Kitchen, Mix Downtown and de Vere's Irish Pub have opened in the renovated Firestone Building at 16th and L streets.

"That makes it tough," he added.

Long's eyesight was impaired when he served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. After discharge, he first went into landscaping, then got into the restaurant business near Bakersfield. In 1995, he started a wilderness and special events catering service for the U.S. Forest Service, rafting companies and the movie industry.

His catering business had him rubbing elbows with forest fire crews, the rock star Meat Loaf and actors Sonny Bono, then mayor of Palm Springs, and Tim Allen, the star of the TV show "Home Improvement." Long met Bono as he catered a bike ride for SCOR Cardiac Cyclists, a Southern California bike club. He served food to Meat Loaf and Allen while they enjoyed rafting trips on the Kern River.

He gave up catering as his eyesight continued to fail. Rather than stay at home watching TV, he moved to Sacramento in 2002, where he enrolled in the state Department of Rehabilitation's Business Enterprise Program for the legally blind. Long can still see some things, but he can't [cannot] read or drive a car. With his restaurant background and the program's training and support, he was able to open MVP.

"This program here gives you an incentive in life," he said. "You know how some people feel they are disabled and they can't do anything? This has taught me I can do anything I want to do."

The program allowed him to pay rent for the sports bar's space based on how much money he took in each month. Program staff regularly checked in with him. State employees provided a built-in base of customers.

Long agreed to relocate a few blocks away to a more busy corner at 21st and L streets after the owner of St. Anton, an affordable housing apartment building, gave him a sweet deal on rent. The new location has two levels, but overall, it's about the same size as the old and still has 20 TVs. The decor is the same, with memorabilia from the River Cats, Sacramento Kings, NASCAR and college sports teams, he said.

The sports bar will be open daily from 10 a.m. to about midnight. A coffee cart will operate from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. His only concern is being able to attract enough customers to a spot where Stonegrill & Bar and later Hashi, both operated by the owners of Nishiki Sushi, did not remain in operation.

"Down here, if we can just get into the mix, it will be a better move for us," Long said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Come Ride the Bull at Bulls Restaurant and Bar

2010-05-04T06:04:42Z

If you've never had the chance to try riding a mechanical bull, get ready to hold on tight. Downtown Sacramento will welcome a new Western-themed restaurant and bar called Bulls this summer featuring such an attraction.

"The theme will be Western meets rock and roll," said owner Andrea Martin. "There's nothing like this in Sacramento."

Construction continues at 1330 H St., where Bulls will be located.

Martin pointed out an 18-foot-wide space where a mechanical bull will be installed, and the skeleton of the "horseshoe bar" being built. The indoor space and outdoor patio can hold 60 people.

"(The mechanical bull) provides entertainment long after you have dinner or lunch," Martin said. "Right now, it's a hard time for a lot of people, and they need something fun and entertaining. I think (businesses) need to add in some entertainment because you're already spending money on food and drinks, so instead of going to a movie you can have entertainment right there."

Bulls will be open all week for lunch and dinner. Breakfast will only be available on the weekends. It will feature a full bar, 22-26-foot-tall ceilings and Western memorabilia decor. Bull riding competitions will be held in the future, Martin said.

Among other comfort food, the menu includes buffalo wings, barbecue pulled pork sandwiches, Cajun spicy link sausages, rib tips, barbecue chicken sliders and old-fashioned chili cheese bowls. There is even a "Buckaroos" kid's menu that includes Buckaroo chicken tenders, mini meatball sandwiches and mini beef and bean burritos.

The building has been undergoing renovations by General Contractor Shawn Eldredge for the past month. It was built in the 1960s, according to David Herrera, vice president of Colliers International Sacramento. He added that the outer shell was renovated in 2007, and Martin is completing the inner renovations this year. It is located across the street from Brew it Up! Bulls has leased half the building that once held racquetball courts for Spare Time Clubs, and the other half has yet to be leased. Martin plans to open in early June.

"It's a tall task to have it done in 60 days, let alone 90 days," Eldredge said. "But I'm really happy it's going as well as it is."

Originally from Redondo Beach, Martin moved to Sacramento six years ago with a career in mortgage banking. When the market burst, she followed her love of entertaining into the bar business. Four years ago she bought the Office Lounge at 1148 Fulton Ave.

"I've pretty much learned the bar business with the bar I own now, so I wanted to do something new," she said. "I bought the Office Lounge -- it was already there. This one is from the ground up, and it's exciting. I wanted to have a mechanical bull because I used to ride one myself when I lived in Los Angeles. I thought it would definitely be a hit in Sacramento."

Tentative opening hours are 11 a.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. on weekends. Closing hours have yet to be set.

Photos:

1) The mechanical bull to be installed in Bulls. Courtesy of Andrea Martin.

2) The patio of Bulls.

3) Interior renovations at Bulls.

4) Interior renovations at Bulls. The mechanical bull will be installed on the left side.

5) Bulls' logo. Courtesy of Andrea Martin.

Agnus-Dei Farrant is an intern for The Sacramento Press.

House Kitchen & Bar

2010-04-29T00:27:49Z

The newest best kept secret in Sacramento cocktails and cuisine is House Kitchen & Bar. Located at 555 Capitol Mall, slightly inset on the corner of 5th and Capitol, the pleasantly open environment exists where 55 Degrees once was. 55 Degrees was owned by Ali Mackani, the owner of Midtown Sacramento's Lounge ON20.

House opened earlier this month and transformed the once urban kitchen into a city dweller's culinary masterpiece. The service is top-notch, the staff is friendly and articulate, and the management redefines professionalism. In fact, the only thing that overshadows the food and service inside is the fantastic bar service. Jennifer Dunmore, an area native and stylist at Image Salon in Rocklin said without hesitation upon her first sip, "This is the best Manhattan ever." Indeed, an old bar owner once said with a slur, "If he can make a good drink, then count me in." To that, all of Sacramento should raise a glass because House Kitchen and Bar makes the best specialty cocktails downtown has to offer.

Amber Schmaeling, Manager of Membership and Development for Sacramento's Midtown Business Association, and formerly of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, says that "establishments like House provide great service to the Capitol crowd by day, and also create a whole new reason for people to come downtown in the evening." While House is perhaps too new for accurate metrics, this past weekend's 20/30 Club event certainly drew a large crowd.

While the 20/30 crowd focused on liquid libations, the kitchen side of House produces numerous dishes to die for. The "5 cheese" elbow mac and cheese is better than anything home made. The Dungeness crab creamy spinach dip with garlic toast is a highly addictive guilty pleasure. The Cajun shrimp with garlic bred for dipping was so incredible that a single bite seemed to cause the sort of endorphin rush generally associated with long distance running. To call that euphoric state bliss would be an understatement.

The drunken chicken salad with spring greens, dates, bacon, pecans, and avocado seduces the palate with a delicate balance of heartiness and healthiness. Leave the point counters behind, however, because with incredible double dipped fried chicken with mashed potatoes, even the most disciplined dieters are likely to break down and suffer the delightful consequences of gastronomic glee. Never mind the skirt steak tacos with avocado salsa and cilantro rice, just looking at the plate invokes overwhelming desire to order another one, to go! No doubt, if you do, incredibly gracious and lovely servers like Aja Uranga-Foster (pictured above) will take excellent care of you.

With complimentary parking after 5pm in the Plaza 555 structure, visitors can rest assured that they can safely and comfortably visit House under just about any weather condition. Street parking on 5th is convenient and available as well. Meagan Svendsen, House's General Manager, says "[Downtown Sacramento] is a sophisticated area." In fact, the ultimate concept is to forward an intention where people feel an appreciation for their sophistication, while simultaneously being free from the serious confines of the office. Indeed, House demonstrates an appreciation for the close community. Meagan herself has an MS in pharmacy and experience in pharmaceutical sales. Her intelligence and sophistication creates a tone and sensation inside that makes House the perfect place for any conversation. As Meagan points out, the colors at House reflect the atmosphere: light, bright, and comfortable. She says that House is a place where people "Loosen the tie, and take off the jacket." Moreover, she says that "this is Chris' vision," referring to Chris Nestor, the Owner and Executive Chef.

Chris' unique culinary style, described as being "re-imagined American comfort food," is all that and more. He has an impressive background. Trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York, Chris has every reason to stand out. A philosopher once said, "Humility is the key to success." Chris Nestor is quiet and understated, but also very well-connected and highly regarded. The art of making comfort food, or perhaps making both food and the dining experience comfortable, is a unique attribute that is not easily learned. It requires patience, balance, and experience. Chris Nestor is also the creator of Ink Eats and Drinks, Midtown Sacramento's incredible late night diner located at 2730 N Street. Ink can be explored online here.

The House dining experience is not only new and exciting, it's a must. The images below provide an unedited view of House at night.

House Kitchen & Bar is open for lunch and dinner, from 11:30am to 9pm, Monday to Wednesday; and from 11:30am to 10pm Thursday and Friday. House is currently closed on both Saturday and Sunday. For reservations, call 916-498-9924. In addition, you can find House online by clicking here.

Vive Cocina open on K Street

2010-03-25T04:25:28Z

Vive Cocina Mexicana and Ultra Lounge has replaced Three Monkeys on K Street.

Vive Cocina opened last month at 723 K St., next to St. Rose of Lima Park, according to a restaurant manager. The opening had been scheduled for December, then January, said Felipe Olvera, one of the owners.

Juan Ayalagarcia, who operated Playa Azul Night Club on Auburn Blvd., is partnering with Olvera and four or five others in the venture, according to Olvera and records from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

A Franchise Tax Hold was issued against the liquor license March 8. However, Vive Cocina has had an active license since Nov. 23, said Lori Ajax, administrator of the Sacramento ABC office.

Golden Bear remodel underway

2009-12-30T02:12:25Z

Kimio Bazett doesn't remember exactly when he and buddy Jon Modrow came up with the idea to open a bar.

It might have been while Modrow was sharing his misery over the lack of human interaction he found in his job as a genetics researcher working on fruit flies.

Or it might have been one of those golden afternoons spent bombing down sugared white slopes at a Tahoe ski resort. Modrow on skis, Bazett carving turns with his snowboard.

Whenever it happened, the result was one of Midtown's most popular and laid-back watering holes -- The Golden Bear.

"We were two people who made a huge effort to make a dream become a reality," Modrow said last week. "The idea came from the kinds of places I liked to hang out in in college: a mellow spot where everybody's invited and welcome."

Five years ago, the two opened their establishment on the first floor of a converted house long used as a neighborhood bar, at 2326 K St. Back then, they relied on free help from friends who pitched in on everything from interior design to legal services.

The bar with the big front porch became popular. The crowd grew from the official capacity of 49 to 150. Clients loved the place. But not everyone liked how popular the bar became.

Authorities cracked down on The Golden Bear for fire code violations and other problems. So now, the bar is halfway through a renovation designed to address the problems and allow for 150-person capacity, as well as make the place more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, said Bazett.

The back half of the bar, which contains the kitchen, bathrooms and an enclosed, covered back patio, is undergoing a complete remodel. The place had two exits -- the front door and a back gate. A fire exit and sprinklers have been added.

The kitchen and bathrooms are doubling in size. Bathrooms will have Italian glass sinks and glass tiles, and offer more room for customers in wheelchairs, Bazett said. A wheelchair-accessible ramp was added in front. A pizza oven that lacked mechanical ventilation was replaced with a pannini flat-press.

"The finish will be night and day," Bazett said.

The remodel is expected to be completed by the end of January. The gray walls and lime-green accents in the front main room will be repainted in earth tones. The bubble lights over the 20-foot white Corian bar will be replaced.

In back, the metal roof will be replaced with a real roof featuring skylights and fire-rated walls, which can help slow a fire from spreading outside the building, will replace the fence enclosure. The roof and walls are designed to be more fire-safe and to muffle sound. Custom benches will be added.

The remodel — and the entire business — are the work of two owners with almost opposite personalities. Modrow, 30, is a six-foot-tall, self-described "Euromutt" with a reddish beard. He makes friends easily and is an extremely organized bookkeeper who fills the office with vast amounts of paper.

"One of our bartenders saw it (the office) and likened it to a nest. He said Jon was building a nest because there was so much paper," Bazett said. "But that's part of being thorough. I don't worry about his calculations being off or getting audited because I know he has such a thorough paper trail."

Bazett, 31, is Japanese-American with Hawaiian roots on his mother's side. He had extensive experience working at restaurants and bars before opening The Golden Bear. Modrow called Bazett the "face" of the business, a "stand-up individual who volunteers as a court advocate for foster children."

Bazett describes himself as reserved and "fly-by-night," but getting more organized with help from his Blackberry phone.

"I definitely have to warm up to people," Bazett said. "He's more a warm, open book. He's friends with you in less than five minutes."

Even their snow sport choices — skis versus snowboard — speak to their opposite personalities, Bazett said.

"It's like a cat person and a dog person," he added.

Laughing, Modrow agreed the two are opposites.

"I can grow a lot of facial hair. He has a hard time growing facial hair," Modrow joked. "I value that about him a lot. When summertime hits, I get really hot. Maybe I'm more adaptive to the winter, but you can't say one is better than the other."

Their complementary personalities help make The Golden Bear a success, Bazett said.

He is concerned with hospitality: making sure the bar is stocked with amenities such as a wide range of liquor, a "palatable selection of wine at good value," nice hand soap, kosher salt. He keeps the temperature comfortable and the Bloody Mary hot sauce hot, he said.

Modrow's "personal mission" is to make people feel welcome, Bazett said.

The bar's name is a "California pride" thing, because California is the Golden State and the bear is the state animal, said Modrow, citing the golden bear statues outside the state fairgrounds at Cal Expo.

"We've tried to steal those a number of times, but we've always been unsuccessful," he said.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

How Sweet Is It?

2009-12-29T19:41:45Z

I was out and about the day before Christmas Eve and as usual looking for something to eat when I came across Sweetwater Restaurant and Bar. The restaurant stands on a decent piece of midtown real estate with a good amount of foot traffic through the neighborhood.

Upon walking in you are immediately facing the bar. Since there is no podium or hostess we sat ourselves and our server Jo Beth promptly came by with menus. One of the first things I noticed was the extremely bright lights which took so much away from what would have otherwise been a very welcoming room. I’ve been in emergency rooms more dimly lit.

The crowd was quiet and average at the bar most likely due to the fact it was so close to Christmas. As Jo Beth asked for our drink order she explained Happy Hour consisted of $3 draft beers, wines and well drinks. There was also a small list of appetizers available for $5. The dinner menu was modestly priced with the most inexpensive entree starting at $11.95 for the Roasted Pumpkin Lasagna. The most expensive entrée you will find is a Flat Iron Steak priced at $17.95.

We ordered the Spinach Artichoke Dip, Big Easy Shrimp and Pesto and Bleu Cheese topped shoestring fries. The spinach dip was overly rich and lacked flavor other than the thick layers of butter. I actually sent it back which I almost never do. I just had no desire to continue chewing after the first bite violated my tongue. The pesto and bleu cheese fries had a wonderful combination of flavors and I could absolutely see how they all come together, I just think it could have used more of both the bleu cheese and the pesto. The Big Easy Shrimp appetizer was delicious! Large shrimp made with a dark bourbon sauce (bourbon, chili oil, garlic and worcestershire) served alongside ciabatta slices.

Overall my experience at Sweetwater didn’t wow me nearly enough to warrant a return visit, but this is only my humble opinion. Keep in mind however there is something to be said about entering a building with no real expectations and still leaving somewhat dissatisfied.

Sweetwater is located at 1901 S Street downtown Sacramento. Happy Hour is 2pm – closing Sunday – Wednesday and 2-6pm Thursday and Friday. The wine list is fairly inexpensive ranging from $6-$11 per glass. Kids menus are available and all major credit cards are accepted. Parking is available on the street out front or on the side streets.
As always, please know I am in no way affiliated with this or any restaurant I review. My goal is to go out and slowly experience different aspects of the Sacramento dining scene then share those experiences with you.

Andy Soto

Wild rumors surround Whiskey Wild closure

2009-10-19T00:08:27Z

Some people are still scratching their heads over Whiskey Wild Saloon.

As recently as two weeks ago, regulars posting on yelp.com wrote to ask what had happened to the tavern, where for two years, people danced on the bar and drank $2 "train shots" whenever trains rolled by.

"Did this place officially close?" wrote someone who stopped by, only to find the place dark and the front doors chained and bolted.

The bar at 1910 Q St. closed over the summer for reasons that aren't clear. The owners surrendered the bar's liquor license to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control on Sept. 9.

The bar closed at least a month earlier, according to its MySpace page, where someone posted only "So Sad we closed" on Aug. 14. The bar's owners could not be reached for comment.

The license had been issued to the Iron Horse Saloon, doing business as Whiskey Wild Saloon. Owners Jon and Christina Glover, and company president Larry Wycoff were listed on the liquor license.

ABC's online License Query System shows the California State Board of Equalization put a hold on the liquor license on July 13 — which means they Whiskey Wild couldn't sell liquor.

The Board of Equalization can work with ABC to pull a liquor license if an establishment becomes delinquent in paying taxes, said Anita Gore, the board's spokesperson. The seller's permit, issued by the board to anyone who sells tangible property, closed out on July 30, she said.

Whiskey Wild was said to be one of the hottest bars in town during its first year, with bartenders juggling bottles, singing and doing magic tricks and cocktail waitresses dancing on the bar. Customers played beer pong and paid 25 cents for drinks with a lucky coin toss. The departure of some managers, including the person who introduced the successful entertainment concept, and layoffs of too many talented staff members contributed to the bar's decline, said people close to the business who asked not to be identified.

Business also suffered after a city fire marshal fined the bar for being over capacity. The marshal found 217 people in a bar approved for about 100 people, according to one person.

The bar was cited for being over capacity, but figures on the size of the crowd were not available, said Jim Doucette, spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department.

A nearby resident said the bar became more violent after Ultimate Fighting Championship matches began to be televised there.

Jon Glover served with the Sacramento Police Department before resigning. He reportedly joined the military and turned the business over to his wife, who decided to close the bar. Attempts to reach the Glovers by phone and e-mail were unsuccessful.

Potential buyers are looking at the building and business.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Good times to be had at 'The Corner'

2009-10-15T04:58:51Z

East Sacramento has a new hangout: The Corner Restaurant & Bar, which opened its doors for business last Friday.

"I want this to be a place people want to come and hang out at," said owner Joel Thompson. "As cliche as it sounds, I hope The Corner will be a place like the 'Cheers' bar 'where everyone knows your name.'"

The Corner is located down the street from Sacramento State University at the corner of 57th and J streets in the historic building that was home to the original Shakey's Pizza until the mid-1990s. The Thompson family opened the restaurant with the goal of creating a family-friendly place where students, parents and kids alike could enjoy reasonably priced food and drink in a social atmosphere.

"This is something East Sac has been looking for for a long time," Thompson said. "We wanted to incorporate both Sac State and the East '40s into one restaurant."

As the building was redesigned to accommodate The Corner, efforts were made to keep the original aesthetics and facade intact in order to maintain the historic charm. Much of the decor features historical photographs of East Sacramento, including several images of past Sacramento State sports teams.

Executive chefs Evan Elsberry, of Evan's Kitchen and Catering, and Michael Steele have designed and executed a menu based on quintessential favorites of American cuisine like hamburgers and pizza which gives this hometown restaurant a relaxed and casual feel.

"The menu consists of really solid club fare, a sort of eclectic cuisine," Elsberry said. "I envision this restaurant as a place where a guy can order a hamburger and watch a game."

All of the classic bar appetizers can be found in the starters section of the menu, including onion rings, jalapeno poppers, potato skins, calamari and party wings. A popular item has been the carnitas lollipops, which is carnitas on a stick.

The majority of the menu consists of lighter fare with a lengthy list of sandwich, burger and pizza options, all with witty names reflective of college life and Sacramento sights, such as the Dean (a classic Reuben sandwich), the Colonel (a quarter-pound fried chicken style burger) or the Alhambra (a spinach, tomato, mushroom, onion and avocado pizza). For those looking for a heavier meal, the entree portion features items such as a New York steak, salmon with a sambucca sauce and fish and chips.

According to Elsberry, "The salmon is really tasty."

Vegetarians have plenty of options with four salads, two sandwiches, a veggie burger and Gorgonzola-stuffed spinach ravioli represented on the menu. There is also a "kiddie corner" on the menu, for the young or young at heart, with a choice of a burger, chicken strips, macaroni and cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich or a corn dog. And save room for the "Half Baked" (an ice cream-topped chocolate chip cookie), "Strawberry Shorts" (strawberry shortcake) or "Monkey's Uncle" (an all-time American favorite: the banana split) -- all sure to satisfy a sweet-tooth. The Corner also has a full bar, a selection of red, white and sparkling wines, and many draft and bottled beers including Newcastle, Wyder's Cider and Young's Double Chocolate Stout.

The double-meat, double-cheese pizza, known as the JohnJohn, holds a special place in the hearts of the Thompson family. The JohnJohn is named after the youngest son of Jerry and Joyce Thompson and brother of Jerry Jr. and Joel. John Robert Thompson passed away from cancer in 2005 at the young age of 24. Every time the JohnJohn is ordered from the menu a part of the proceeds is donated to a local charity dedicated to expanding cancer research. Four charities will be sponsored each year and a charity can be nominated by emailing The Corner at causes@thecornerbaronline.com.

"I want to open the eyes of every person who comes in here," said Joel Thompson. "I want to honor John."

Every weekend The Corner will host a brunch buffet from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with endless mimosas, for a cost of $18.95; with the option of buffet-only for $11.95 or mimosas-only for $9.00. Thompson also has plans to have nightly events at The Corner with featured food and drink specials. Currently planned events include Sunday Funday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday Night Foodball from 5 to 10 p.m., both of which feature the weekly football games.

The Corner Restaurant & Bar is located at 5641 J St. The restaurant and bar are open Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The kitchen closes at 10:00 p.m.

Thursday happy hour thriving Downtown

2009-07-29T17:40:31Z

Happy hour is alive and well in the Downtown Sacramento area on Thursday nights.

While there are countless restaurants offering discounts on food and drinks for varying days and times, eight of the grid's Thursday happy hours stood out from the pack.

Heading off the list is the Dragonfly Japanese restaurant. Located at 1809 Capitol Ave. and voted "Best New Restaurant" by SN&R, the Dragonfly offers some impressive deals during happy hour. Running from 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 to 10 p.m., the restaurant offers half-off sushi rolls, $2 sake bombs, $3 drafts and half-off well drinks.

Another good place to kick back and enjoy some good deals on food and drinks is Level Up Lounge at 2431 J St. Their happy hour runs from 5 to 8 p.m.

"Everything is $2 off," said manager Suleka Lindley. "A beer is $2 domestic, $3 premium and well is $4.50. Appetizers are $4 to $6, which include hot wings, sweet rice, lettuce wraps and the sweet rolls, which people like to get a lot."

Another laid-back spot with a great happy hour is the Fat City Bar and Cafe, which offers half-off on any appetizer on the menu. Patrons can enjoy discounted tomato basil crostini, chicken pot stickers, sweet chili chicken wings, garlic fries and crab and artichoke dip, to name a few.

One of the best happy hours in town goes to Il Fornaio Restaurant and Bakery at 400 Capitol Mall. While the $1 off drafts and well drinks and $6 glass of wine may draw people on its own, Il Fornaio's biggest appeal is its free table of appetizers from 5 to 7 p.m. These complimentary samples include pizza, Italian rolls and deviled eggs, among other finger foods.

For those interested in a little more exotic flavor for their happy hour, the Kasbah Lounge at 2115 J St. offers just that. There's a long list of discounted food and drinks, including $3 Armenian beer, $3.50 sangria and $12 pitchers, $4 white wine and $4.50 red, $5 mojito, $6 habibi, $2 hummus and pita, $2 marinated olives, $3 french fries and $3 chicken wings. Deals run from 5 to 7 p.m.

Another spot with some foreign appeal is de Vere's Irish Pub at 1521 L St. Their happy hour runs from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. and offers food and drink specials, including $3 to $5 appetizers on chips and dip and sausage rolls, $3 house drafts, $4 well drinks and $4 cider. The pub offers a wide selection of Irish beers on tap, which is their biggest draw during happy hour. This includes Guiness, Smithwicks, Harp, Murphy's Irish Stout, Stella Artois and de Vere's own Irish Lager and Red Ale, among many other beers.

For people wanting more of a variety of foods, McCormick and Schmick's restaurant on 1111 J St. is a good place to be from 4 to 6 p.m. Although they do offer good deals like the $1.95 California roll among other sushi entrees, a $1.95 pan-fried mozzarella and a $3.95 quesadilla, their best offer on the menu is an old American favorite.

"We're famous for our $2.95 cheeseburger with fries, which is something that's been in the company for a long time," said manager Richard Kyle. "We've also got sushi, and we're adding more. We got egg rolls, we got chicken wings, quesadillas and other things."

And for the lovers of microbreweries who enjoy trying the local ale, Brew It Up! Brewery & Grill on 801 14th st. brews many of their own ales and lagers, all at a discount during happy hour. Drafts, ciders, house wines, cocktails and well drinks are $1 off from 4 to 6 p.m and 10 p.m. to midnight. Also, all appetizers, including fries, onion rings and taquitos, are $3, with $5 burgers and $10 pitchers offered during the late happy hour.

Other happy hours for Thursdays, as well as any day of the week Downtown can be found at sacmix.com

Bourbon & Branch to guest bartend tonight at Shady Lady

2009-06-16T20:00:38Z

Tonight, the Shady Lady Saloon will have two guest bartenders, Erick Castro and Owen Westfield of San Francisco's Bourbon & Branch.

Bourbon & Branch has a set of house rules that coincide with the simplicity and no-funny-business attitude of the Shady Lady:

No use of cell phones
No photography
No standing at the bar
Please speak easy (or quietly)
Don't even think of asking for a Cosmo
Please be patient as the drinks are labor-intensive

Bourbon & Branch used to be the location of the JJ Russell Cigar Shop which operated as a speakeasy from 1923-1935, complete with a password that needed to be uttered to gain admittance, a trap door that opened and led down to the bar and five secret exit tunnels for easy escape.

Erick Castro is one of the instructors for the Beverage Academy, a school of mixology that Bourbon & Branch offers to interested alcohol enthusiasts. The Beverage Academy teaches its students the history and intricacies of absinthe, Tiki cocktails, tequila, scotch and, of course, bourbon. Future classes will touch on gin and rum.

Castro and Westfield will be creating a slew of cocktails especially for Shady Lady patrons. Here's a list of the mouth-watering drinks available for tonight only:

Kentucky Buck
A thirst-quenching strawberry and ginger refreshment for those seeking refuge from the mundane and ordinary. Bulleit Bourbon infused with organic strawberries from Monterrey Bay Farms, fresh lemon juice, ginger beer, and Angostura Bitters.

The Laphroaig Project
A tropical and light cocktail featuring a peaty single-malt. Delightfully intellectual, yet wickedly visceral. Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Green & Yellow Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino, fresh lemon juice, and peach bitters.

Blame It On Rio
The Brazilians are well-known for many hedonistic traits and qualities and now with this drink, you can add one more indulgence to that list. Sagatiba Cachaca, Rothman & Winter’s Apricot Liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and bitters.

Casino Royale
Although, this drink is named after the famous novel written by Ian Fleming in 1953, the flavor is anything but fiction. Plymouth Gin, sloe gin, Luxardo Maraschino, fresh lemon juice, and orange bitters.

Rye Maple Fizz
Like the initial stages of an autumn courtship, this beverage is frothy and slightly spicy, yet balanced with just a touch of sweetness. Rye whiskey, fresh lemon juice, organic maple syrup, free-range egg white, Angostura Bitters, and soda.

Ambajador
Sexy, sinful and Latin. Allow this wayward cocktail to take you south of the border for a little passion-tinged journey to the heart of Jalisco. Keylime infused tequila, passionfruit, fresh lime juice, free-range egg white, agave nectar, and Indonesian cinnamon.

Wild Honey Punch
A punch that is both spiced and refreshing, yet sweet and complex, much like the kiss of an ex-lover … except without the early morning awkwardness and wayward feelings. Sagatiba Cachaca, Appleton 12-year Rum, Velvet Falernum, fresh lemon juice, organic wildflower honey, Indonesian cinnamon, seasonal fruit, and sparkling water.

Talk to Strangers

2009-05-22T17:37:17Z

I see you all the time at Tupelo Coffee House, but you don’t know me. We both like it that way. Neither of us will exchange a word, but I have created your brief back-story for my own entertainment. It is fiction, but this is the nature of our relationship. I have 900 Facebook friends, and I frequent all the same spots, but I do not know anyone.

We work here, meet here, and play here. When home is where the couch is, we spend most of our waking hours out and about; returning home only to crash for the night. Time is calculated in semesters, leases, and rental agreements instead of years or friendships.

Neighbors have come to represent mysteries rather than faces or lives. Forgotten are the times of a quick chat on the lawn or a longer conversation on the porch. We no longer live in neighborhoods; we exist in networks.

Once I became a ‘regular’, I began recognizing other regulars. This is where I first recognized you. When I saw you at Second Saturday, I wanted to walk up excitedly and ask what you were doing there. I wanted to catch up. Then I faced the disappointment in knowing…

I don’t know you.

People are more and more ‘connected’ while becoming more and more lonely. When the neighborhood is quickly forgotten, my goal is to engage in my networks. If we are always here, there is no reason we should not know each other.

What if there we were no strangers?

Introduce yourself to someone you see all the time but still have not met. If you see me at Tupelo or my bar, restaurant, or club, you may soon be startled by my endeavor to meet you.

What if you and I started a revolution where people were less lonely?

Don’t be a stranger!

Cocktail Contest has bartenders ginning

2009-03-19T09:20:46Z

A mouthful of gin spews into an open flame sending a ball of fire several feet into the air and the heat from the blast can be felt from the audience. With the fireball's deafening sound, Kris Laidlaw, bartender from GV Hurley's, draws the whole room's attention as well as a round of applause.

Earlier, this article previewed Wednesday night's cocktail competition, which took place from 6-8 p.m. at Lounge on 20. To add to a base of Broker's London Dry Gin, the competitors used ingredients as diverse as frozen papaya to Peruvian chili peppers to edible flowers.

Ali Mackani, owner of the Lounge on 20 MC’d the event and interviewed the 10 competitors for the nearly 100 people who showed up. After finishing their drink creations, Laidlaw pleased the gatherers by breathing fire, and later Chris Tucker of L Wine Lounge made a handful of extra drinks for audience members to sample (coincidentally, they both placed in the top three).

Here are the winners:

Third place went to Kris Laidlaw, who prepared a "London Dragon," a combination of starfruit, blood orange, gin and "a little love."

Second place went to Tripp Harrison from Biba Restaurant who created a unique twist to the traditional Gin and Tonic by adding lemongrass, hibiscus flower and kiwi.

First place went to Chris Tucker's "Paint it Black," which included a combination of blackberries, ginger and star anise in addition to the Broker's gin.

Cocktail competition in Sacramento

2009-03-18T17:12:44Z

Anything goes Wednesday night when eleven area mixologists will mix drinks in a cocktail competition with only one rule: the drink must include Broker's London Dry Gin. But aside from that, contestants will be putting in anything and everything else to express their creativity and win a cash prize.

The event host, Lounge On 20, will open doors at 5 p.m. and the competition will begin at 6 p.m., with a specially priced cocktail menu being served all night. It is sponsored by Broker's London Dry Gin and company Director Andrew Dawson will be one of the four celebrity judges along with Joe Anthony Savala of Z´calo, Darryl Corti of Corti Brothers, and Mike Heller of the Heller Company.

Alma Martinez, Beverage Manager of Pueblo Chico Cantina in El Dorado hills is excited to bring her fresh, "oddball ingredients that nobody has ever heard of" but she did not provide any details on what those ingredients were.

Martinez participated in her first bar tending competition at Zócalo last summer which was sponsored by Partida Tequila, and this one will be her second. "Mixing with gin is not everyone's favorite cocktail, so it's kind of challenging to create a cocktail that showcases the gin, in away that people want to drink more of it," she said.

Two other bartenders in Wednesday's competition actually won second and third place in last summer's mixing competition at Zócalo: Russ Eastman of Lounge on 20 took third place, and Chris Tucker of L Wine Lounge took second place. A woman named Victoria D'amato-Moran of San Francisco bar and restaurant La Mar Cebiche won the competition.

Eastman and Tucker have more in common than being award winning bartenders. They also both spoke of the importance of making a balanced drink with a little sweetness, sour, and even something special leaving a lasting impression on the palate long after the drink is gone.

They also both admired a number of bartenders from the San Francisco area, which is according to Eastman is "an epicenter of the cocktail world."

Eastman credits some of his fascination with bartending to meeting award winning bartender David Nepove [aka Mr. Mojito] at a bartending convention. "[Nepove] got me into the idea of improving the craft," he said.

As for the competition itself, look for Eastman's drink to hold a special combination of honey and grapefruit. Tucker on the other hand, is "playing right now with blackberries, making a little something special with star anise and some ginger."

"I'm excited because I'm hoping this will be the first of many [local competitions] since we're trying to open up Sacramento to the art of cocktails. It's basically the lead bartenders from a number of restaurants in this town and it shows what we're made up of to the public," Eastman added.

For more information please see the attached flyer.

The Shady Lady Saloon

2009-02-04T05:36:34Z

While many local businesses are shutting their doors, three ambitious Sacramentans are putting their heads and money together to open a new saloon in Sacramento, The Shady Lady.

Garrett Van Vleck, Jason Boggs and Alex Origoni first met working at various Paragary restaurants.

After months of searching for the right place, the three took to the old Wonderbread factory and named it after the nickname for the first bar that Origoni went to when he was in school.

"That's one of the things that hasn't changed through our entire two year process of doing this," Van Vleck said.

The trio has gone through countless menus and concepts, but the name Shady Lady has been one constant.

None of the owners of the Shady Lady have opened their own business, but that wasn't any reason to hesitate on going through with the idea.

"We don't have a lot of money," Boggs said. "We threw everything we owned into it."

"I sold my house to get money to do this. We're going for it," Origoni said.

The Shady Lady will be going back to the basics.

"The last thing Sacramento needs is another ultra lounge," Boggs said. "This isn't going to be a place to get your Tokyo Tea and your Black Superman or your Adios."

Instead, the new bar will focus on tried and true cocktails that for some reason have fallen out of favor." They may be forgotten classics, but they became classics because they're so good," Origoni said.

The drinks will often be made from scratch, featuring housemade syrups, aromatic bitters, ginger ale and tonic.

The menu won't be fancy either - soul food, according to Boggs. Think stew, pork shoulder and other cuts of meat and bar fare.

You can find soul food in every culture," he said. "It's what the poor people eat."

"We're not trying to wow people with expensive cuts of meat that cost $30 a plate," he continued. "We're going to wow the customer with the way that we handle the food that we can afford to use."

Lunch will concentrate on soups, salads, and sandwiches, with items priced to meet the realities of the recession affecting the state workers and other professionals in the area.

The recession has also been a factor in planning the restaurant decor. "We're not spending any excess money," said Boggs.

Whitney Johnson, of Monighan Design and the designer of the Shady Lady, explained, "I want it to look like it's been there for a while, that it's lived in, that nothing is new, and that things have collected over time."

She used flocked wall paper, dark and distressed wood, a tin ceiling, blown glass lighting with a Victorian feel, plus black and white hexagon tiles to create the ambience.

The U-shaped bar has a low center island, while the booths are horseshoe-shaped and face the center of the room, making it easy for old friends to bump into each other.

"From every seat in the house you can see every other seat in the house," Origoni explained.

A stage in the corner of the saloon will feature live jazz, reggae and down beat music, according to Boggs, himself a saxophonist who plans to play at the restaurant occasionally.

And, don't expect flat screen TVs in the Shady Lady, warned the saxophonist. The entertainment will be found in good conversation and live music.

"This is not a place to be seen, so we're going to be very nondescript, not flashy or anything," he said. "It's gonna be a place to come and relax."

The Shady Lady Saloon is located at 1409 R Street and is set to open in late March of 2009.

de Veres

2009-02-01T22:50:54Z

de Veres Irish Pub, located on 15th and L has recently opened up. Yesterday there was an event where locals sold hip new clothing, anywhere from hats to snowboarding gear, out on the patio.

While visiting the clothing event, I was able to experience the pub for my first time. Inside the building is incredible. It is lined with dark wood, giving it the Irish feel, while maintaining a totally classy look.

The beer selection is great and tasty. I managed to try the BLT sandwich, potato leek soup, and the lamb sliders. All were delectable.

I carried my refreshment to the patio with me, while I browsed some of the great deals. Jay Gatlin of Hell-Bent Sales, was selling snow boards and gear, at cost. Most items of clothing were 75% off.

I had the pleasure of meeting one of the brothers of the pub, Simon de Vere White. He and his two brothers, Henry and Mark, own the pub. They are all very kind gentlemen that moved from Dublin many years ago and have established one of the coolest new hangouts in town.

To learn more about the new Irish Pub in town, you can visit their web site at www.deverespub.com

de Vere's Irish Pub - a sneak preview

2009-01-18T21:36:21Z

The speed with which development in the downtown/midtown grid takes place can be snail’s pace slow, or lightning fast. Here’s an example of the latter.

One week ago, I drove past the corner of 15th and L and checked out the progress on that corner, where the old Firestone tires store used to be. There is going to be a California Pizza Kitchen on the corner, and upstairs, Mason Wong has already quietly opened his gorgeous new lounge, Mix.

But downstairs, one week ago, the commercial space to the left of those two businesses was bare bones, construction workers doing all that behind the scenes work that civilians can’t really fathom. Electrical, plumbing, etc.

But last night, on my way to a party downtown, I drove past 16th and L, and in that just-recently empty space was…a party! Lights, people…the new de Vere’s Irish Pub was open. Just like that.

So, I stopped in and met several members of the de Vere White family, whose first venture into bar-owning this is. And what a venture – and what a family – this is.

I met the three brothers, Simon, Henry and Mark de Vere White, who are behind this place, along with their parents and other family members. Affable, smart and obviously ambitious, the three de Vere White siblings (and “adopted sister” Josie) gave me an overview of what is going to become the new must-patronize place in Sacramento’s booming nightlife nexus (nearby: Mikuni, Bistro 33, PF Chang, Lucca, Spataro, Dream Ultra Lounge, The Park (Mason’s), Capitol Garage, Zocalo, 58 Degrees and Holding, Old Soul…this downtown is on FIRE).

Saturday night’s event was a private friends and family party – they don’t officially open to the public until Jan. 30 - but after a very short time, I felt like a friend. And that made it that much more fun to peruse the family art work – including a painting done by a way-back relative of a navy ship he painted from the deck of the ship HE captained – that fills the walls. This is one interesting family. They’re local, but I’d never heard of them. But with the opening of de Vere’s, they are set to become much more public. And they are apparently ready for that.

I won’t go on and on about the family itself, though I may in the future. Let me just say that this place is gorgeous, and with good reason: The de Vere White family contracted with a pub builder in Ireland to construct an entire pub to their specifications – gorgeous dark wood bars (two), a hundred-year-old cast iron mantle, dozens of chandeliers and heavy wooden chairs and tables, book shelves and leather-upholstered banquettes – and then had the whole thing shipped to Sacramento.

Then they brought the craftsmen who built the pub in Ireland over as well, and had them assemble the whole thing in their new space at 16th and L - in a week!

They also laid an amazing cement floor, which looks very faux wood – wood planks are pressed into the concrete to mimmick actual wood - but feels very much like…a wood floor! Covered in a slick lacquered surface, of course, it looks and feels wonderful. It is also off-gassing like crazy, so if you’re environmentally-sensitive or even just have a very acute schnozz like me, you might want to give it a few weeks.

But with all the little nooks and snugs the family has built into the place – just inside the front door, there’s a hutch with a small counter built into it and two stools, the better to watch the gathered crowd discretely through the glass hutch – this place already feels like it’s been there for many years.

And they have about 50 different Scotches and Irish whiskeys, and will start serving food on Tuesday. This is instantly one of my favorite places in town, and I plan to go back as soon as possible.

The Fox and Goose and Streets of London suddenly have some very high-class competition – or let’s just think of it as company – a place that’ll is making a big contribution to the almost weekly raising-of-the-bar of Sacramento’s nightlife.