When it comes to the most romantic day of the year, traditional gifts of roses and heart shaped boxes of candy still dominate the market, but for those ladies and gentlemen looking for a more unique way to show their affection, consider the gift of food and fun by giving your special someone tickets to the Sacramento Chef Challenge. Tickets are only $25 each and include: • Chef Challenge competition • Gourmet food sampling • Wine and Beer tasting • Cake War presented by Cakegrrl.com • Live Music • Raffle and Silent Auction Prizes “When you’ve celebrated 30 Valentine’s Days together it can be difficult to find a really special gift,” says Rancho Cordova resident Linda Allen, “I was truly

For football fans still suffering from the San Francisco 49ers’ devastating loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game, the Super Bowl may have lost some of its sparkle. But with Sacramento’s great bar scene, one can’t help but be drawn to the festivities. The Giants face the New England Patriots in Sunday’s game, a rematch of the Super Bowl game four years ago in which the Giants ended the Patriots’ perfect season. The Sacramento Press found these spots to celebrate – or drown your sorrows. BarWest Burgers & Wings 2724 J St. 476-4550 19 flatscreen televisions, one 10-foot projection screen At BarWest, the festivities start at 9 a.m. with an eating contest. The brave can t

In search of a place to watch some of the last championship NFL games, the wife and I set out to Bisla’s Sports Lounge. It was incredible that I wanted to leave the house at all knowing The Steeler’s weren’t in the championships but I suppose life goes on. We have frequented Bisla’s on days when the bar has been less busy which seems to be the case when there is not a professional sporting event taking place. Bisla’s was empty when we arrived for the first game but as we suspected, the crowd poured in as the day went on.  Sports bars are generally known for having rowdy crowds, mediocre food and nonexistent service. I am happy to say this does not describe Bisla’s. This is a conclusion re

Verge Center for the Arts has remained a consistent hub of creativity for Sacramento since they first opened their doors as a private art gallery in 2009. In 2010 they expanded into their current space—a 22,000 square foot warehouse in Downtown Sacramento—and organized as a nonprofit. Now home to 30 resident studio artists, plus extensive gallery and event space, Verge continues their mission of exposing Sacramento to the contemporary art and artists of the region. 2011 was a particularly big year for Verge. Among many other achievements, they had a more-than-successful Kickstarter campaign ($9,165 raised on a $7,500 goal!), won the First Place award of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Co

2012 marks the tenth anniversary of our region’s premier culinary competition the Sacramento Chef Challenge, and organizers are inviting local restaurants, wineries, breweries and specialty shops to showcase their fare at the June 23rd event. The Sacramento Chef Challenge is a culinary extravaganza featuring two live cooking competitions, lavish food, wine and beer sampling, live music, raffle prizes and more. The event is expected to draw a crowd of over 1000 guests in celebration of INALLIANCE, a local nonprofit that has provided support to people with developmental disabilities for 60 years. “Our vendors draw a huge crowd each year by providing a variety of samples to our guests,” say

Coyote Tap House, a new bar and restaurant serving Asian cuisine complemented by 50-60 beers on tap, is in the works to take the spot at 14th and H streets vacated by Brew it Up! last year. “It’s going to have a full bar and live entertainment,” said Valerie Mamone-Werder, business recruitment manager for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. The owners, brothers Ken and Ming Le, own and have run Oshima Sushi and Fugu Lounge in Natomas since 2004, Mamone-Werder said. “They’re really good operators,” she added. “We met with them when the news came out that Brew it Up! was leaving the space. It didn’t take long to have a lot of interest. They’re going to be a fantastic addition for that ar

As of Jan. 1, laws affecting child booster seats, LGBT rights, handgun open-carry and liquor sales will be among many going into effect in California. Here are some of the highlights of what Californians – and Sacramentans – have in store for them in 2012. BOOSTER SEATS: Previously, children had to ride in approved child restraint devices – booster seats – until they turned 6 years old or weighed 60 pounds. As of Jan. 1, children must ride in booster seats until they are 8 years old or at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Kids under 8 years who are taller than 4 feet 9 inches are allowed to use a safety belt instead of a booster seat. HANDGUN OPEN CARRY: Bans citizens from openly carrying hand

A couple hundred people wanting to get an early start on 2012 partying headed down to Ace of Spades on Friday, where Oakland musician and frequent Sacramento visitor, Wallpaper., headlined an eclectic bill. Starting the show was Chaotic Fusion, a drummer and DJ duo. DJ Oasis spun radio hits – "Teach Me How To Dougie," "Ghosts 'n' Stuff," "Last Resort" – while Radio 94.7 on-air personality Casey Lewis drummed along to the beat. Performing next was Oakland-by-way-of-Panama Latin rap duo Los Rakas. Rhyming in Spanish over dancehall and hip-hop beats, the up and coming young pair were well-received by the slowly growing crowd. Headliner Wallpaper. took the stage next, with the men of the gr

For anyone who is still looking for unique holiday gift ideas, the Northern California nonprofit INALLIANCE may have just the solution- tickets to the "Sacramento Chef Challenge" at 4:00 p.m. Saturday Friday , June 23, 2012. The well known culinary extravaganza features two live culinary competitions, food sampling, wine and beer tasting, live music, raffle prizes and more! But, the best part is-100% of proceeds go to programs that support people with developmental disabilities! "2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the Sacramento Chef Challenge, which means we will be pulling out all the stops and slashing ticket prices,” says INALLIANCE Executive Director Diana DeRodeff. INALLIANCE prov

This is not your fourth grade spelling bee. The Sacred City Derby Girls, Sacramento’s women’s roller derby league, along with Bows & Arrows, are bringing a grown-up spelling bee to Sacramento. The event will benefit the Gender Health Center, an organization that provides mental health counseling to the LGBT community with a focus on Sacramento’s transgender population. Participants may sign up to spell at the event, beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Bows & Arrows store, located at 1815 19th St. The grown-up spelling bee will kick off at 8 p.m. Alice White, whose derby name is “Standard” and skates for the Sacred City Derby Girls, said she got the idea from her home state of Minneso

A slice of life in pre-Prohibition Sacramento was on display at the Sacramento County Historical Society’s monthly meeting Tuesday night as saloon ware collector Steve Abbott gave a presentation on artifacts from the 1860s through the 1920s. The Sacramento Press caught up with Abbott Wednesday for a more in-depth look at his collection. “I come from a family of collectors,” the 73-year-old retired English teacher from Rancho Cordova said. “One day I was in Old Sacramento in an antique store, and I saw an old whiskey bottle for $7. That was when I got into it – about 30 years ago.” While whiskey was made back east, in states such as Kentucky, Ohio, New York and Indiana, it was shipped to

A Sacramento entrepreneur is looking to bridge past and present with the resurrection of one of Sacramento’s most-recognized names in beer: Ruhstaller. J-E Paino, a native San Franciscan who grew up in Houston before moving to Davis for college, settled on the idea of marketing new, California-grown and brewed beer under the classic Ruhstaller name about two years ago, and he officially launched the product Tuesday night at Mulvaney’s B&L, 1215 19th St. “As I researched Sacramento’s brewing history, the guy that kept coming up over and over again was Ruhstaller,” Paino said Monday. Frank Ruhstaller left Switzerland for the United States in the mid-1800s, and he made his way to Sacrament

Burgers & Brew more than doubled its draft beer selection with the addition of 16 new taps Wednesday, and the R Street restaurant will be debuting its own beer recipes brewed by Sudwerk Brewing in Davis as early as next month. “It’s a very exciting time to be in the beer industry,” said co-owner Philippe Masoud. “Beer has become the main thing people are drinking, and it is getting as popular as wine has been.” He said that when he emigrated from Jordan in the early 1980s, the only beers that were widely available in California were the traditional American brews such as Coors and Budweiser, and he has gradually seen the selection grow over the past decades to the current explosion of mi

Dirndls and lederhosen on men, women and children of all ages were abundant this Friday and Saturday at the Sacramento Turn Verein (STV). Friday evening and all day Saturday the organization, founded in 1854 as a gymnastics club, hosted its 44th annual Oktoberfest. The Turn Verein is a place “where folks with German ancestry and people with an interest in German culture congregate.” From the atmosphere this weekend, the STV has made it easy for families in the Sacramento area to keep their German heritage alive and thriving. Surrounded by Bavarian blue and white, nearly every moment was filled with great German food, entertainment and company. Differing from typical Oktoberfest celebrati

Following the hot summer months of pilsners, pale ales, IPAs and golden ales, beer lovers are now preparing their palates for the tastes of fall and winter ales. This weekend, local beer enthusiasts will come together for a late summer afternoon of drinking great beer, fundraising for charity and enjoying Sacramento’s picturesque river views. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 17, Discovery Park will host the 17th Annual California Brewers Festival. The Saturday afternoon event is the perfect way to prepare for Oktoberfest and the beautiful canopy of trees at Discovery Park will surely be the perfect setting. The day’s activities, besides beer tasting, will include food venders, l

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

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 Saturd

This October, returning as reliably as the falling leaves, is one of the most popular events in the area--Sierra Curtis Neighborhood Association’s 21st Annual Wine Tasting & Silent Auction presented by Cook Realty, benefitting Sierra 2 Center for the Arts & Community, Sacramento Children’s Home, and Bret Harte Elementary School.   Last year we celebrated the 20th year milestone of the Curtis Park Wine Tasting & Silent Auction, bringing in the beer garden, a new raffle program, a focus on experience packages in the silent auction, and a broader offering of private dinners hosted by neighbors. This year, we’ve taken all of that to an even higher level! This annual event is always the talk

Local watering hole Pangaea Two Brews Cafe recently expanded its operations to include a bottle shop with about 200 beer selections. The bottle shop opened earlier this month, and owner Rob Archie said he has plans to add a delivery service in the Curtis Park neighborhood in September. “We had our grand opening Aug. 6, and it was full in here all day,” Archie said. “The response has been really positive.” Pangaea, located at 2743 Franklin Blvd., is marked by its selection of Belgian beers on tap, and Archie told The Sacramento Press in a previous article that he has long wanted to bring a bottle shop to offer those beers at to-go prices. Beers are stored in a refrigerator spanning much

Sacramento’s brewing history will be spotlighted in a new microbrewery set to open in a historic building on Broadway early next year. Dave Gull, 37, said he saw the building at 1730 Broadway and thought it would be the perfect place for his New Helvetia Brewing Company idea with its proximity to Land Park in an area that’s a diverse mix of ethnic restaurants. Though his professional experience is as a real estate broker and developer, the Sacramento native said his exposure to craft brews when he went to college at the University of Oregon planted the seed to open his own brewery. “I think that a craft beer brewery is a great use for the space,” Gull said Friday. “It’s a need that is l