Hundreds of spectators gathered Thursday night to watch waiters and waitresses from Sacramento restaurants as they gave their best definition of speedy service in the second annual Bastille Day Waiters’ Race in the courtyard behind 1801 L Wine Lounge. Waiters and waitresses from 25 central city restaurants made two laps around the block bounded by 18th and 19th streets and L Street and Capitol Avenue. With one hand, participants were required to balance a tray with a bottle of Perrier mineral water and two champagne glasses filled with water. The race began at 7 p.m. “From my perspective as the French consul, it’s great, that in a town like Sacramento, we have young waiters and waitresse

At 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening a champagne cork popped that sent more than 40 waiters and waitresses on a footrace in the inaugural Sacramento Bastille Day Waiters' Race. Each of the runners had to carry a server tray holding two glasses and a bottle of wine from the alley between Le Petit Paris and Mulvaney's B&L, around the 1800 block between L Street and Capitol Avenue, and into the courtyard behind the L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen. "They celebrate the fall of the Bastille in Paris by running through the streets with wine, and wouldn't that be fun to do in Sacramento?" said Patrick Mulvaney, owner of Mulvaney's B&L. Mulvaney decided to organize the race per the suggestion of Sacto

Café Americain is celebrating summer with three bashes next month. The Old Sacramento restaurant is throwing parties for Bastille Day on July 10, the grand opening of Sacramento's first "speakeasy" on July 16 and a Summer Bohemian Ball on July 17. Owners Mike and Natalya Wahba said they want to turn their champagne and caviar house at 1023 Front St. into the place for Sacramentans to revel in fine food, decadent drink and all things passionate. "It's all about passion for life, for arts, for food, for entertainment," Mike Wahba said. "That's the standard we want to set." Fire dancers, the Sacramento Opera, Corti Brothers' owner Darrell Corti and the owners of Sterling Caviar will join