The opening of Cafe Bernardo and KBar on K Street in the past two weeks by local restaurateur Randy Paragary are the latest steps in what many see as the street's return to its former status as a vibrant shopping and entertainment district. “What we’re seeing is a return of the nightlife centers to K Street, and that’s historically something it traditionally was,” said local historian William Burg. “A lot of it was forcibly done away with during the redevelopment era, but from the Gold Rush to the 1960s, K Street was where it was at.” Burg said the street was, until the latter part of the 20th century, a hub of activity – from retail to restaurants and nightlife spots. In later years, bu

Starting Feb. 20 and running through Sunday, community members can turn their dinners out on the town into a battle against hunger in the Sacramento region. The Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services and the Sacramento Press joined forces to host the inaugural Eat to Feed the Hungry, which features 15 Sacramento restaurants, cafes and bars. Using social media, community members can “check in” at one of the sponsoring businesses using Facebook of Foursquare, and then order food and drinks. For every participant who checks in, the business will donate $1 to the SFBFS. If people check in with a photo, the businesses will double their donation, with a cap of $500 per business. Sacramento

Recently there have been many restaurants closing in Sacramento for different reasons, most due to the down economy. Somewhat new to the scene is Blue Prynt Restaurant and Bar located at 815 11th street in the downtown area of Sacramento. Blue Prynt occupies the space formerly known as Sofia, one of the culinary casualties of our area. While this restaurant has its own entrance it is unfortunately connected to a Best Western Motel. Upon entering I was excited to see the grand transformation that had taken place. I noticed new paint, furniture and light fixtures. The carpets seemed the same but I could be mistaken. I don’t judge restaurants by how beautiful or tacky they look (not 100% any

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

The new vegetarian food blog, “Eat Well, Live Free,” launched earlier this month in Sacramento. Since it went online, the site has garnered more than 400 unique visitors, said co-creator Marcos Hernández. Jillena and Marcos Hernández, the married duo that created the blog, said the idea behind the blog is to provide local vegetarians with information about recipes and restaurants that cater to vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. “We’re just trying to spread awareness and make it easier for vegetarians,” Marcos Hernández said. Jillena Hernández is a vegetarian, while Marcos Hernández is a meat-eater. While the two differ in that respect, they work well together in combining their skills for

Garlic Shack, a Midtown restaurant that opened in in early July on the corner of 19th and J streets, appeared closed Wednesday afternoon and evening, with chairs stacked on tables and the vinyl “We’re Open” sign removed. Owner Ken Powers did not return phone calls left by The Sacramento Press Wednesday, and workers at nearby businesses were not able to confirm whether the restaurant was closed for good or just on hiatus. Gluten-free brown rice was the basis for the restaurant’s signature rice bowls, and most menu items featured garlic, with garlic fries being a favorite, as previously reported by The Sacramento Press. Before Garlic Shack, the space housed Plum Blossom, an Asian-food re

Let’s face it; those of us that use social networking sites are pretty much addicted. Whether you are connected through Facebook or Twitter—or both—you have a pretty good idea of what’s going on around town. Businesses that have been paying attention for the past two plus years are aware of this phenomenon and have leveraged social media to broaden their reach to potential customers. Restaurateurs are no different. On Tuesday, the Social Media Club, Sacramento (@SMCSac) hosted the “Dining Social: Restaurants & Social Media” at The Urban Hive in midtown to discuss how local restaurants are using social media and the impact it has had on their business. Ashlee Gadd (@AshleeGadd), PR Manager

Hungry for tango? Whether you are a tango dancer who loves to eat, connoisseur of South American cuisine or perhaps just a couple feeling romantic, this new Ten 22 and Tango by the River collaboration had something for you. A visit to Argentina without the airfare Chef Jay Verregge prepared a three-course meal while dance studio owner Donna Williams, lined up the entertainment as Argentine tango singer Ernesto Rassi set the mood for couples on a night out this week. Chef Jay Verregge’s authentic Argentine meal began with Chorizo empanadas, followed by plates of green salad drizzled in red wine vinaigrette. The main entrée was the highlight, Barbacoa with Salsa Criolla - - slices of stea

Several days ago I gave in to my curiosity about the restaurant I always drive by, Espanol Italian Dinners. I have always wondered why a restaurant with a name like Espanol would serve Italian food but, tis not mine to judge. When you walk into Espanol which has been at its current location for over 40 years you can quite literally feel the transformation from modern day to yesteryear. The furniture, artwork and cash register which oddly resembles a slot machine appear as they would in an old gangster film. As we looked around the crowd was mature and tame. It seemed clear that this concept was brought to life in an era when dining out meant something very different. While we at no point

Tonight, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership (DSP) is adding a new twist to the Friday Night Concerts in the Park. Concertgoers can now compete for prizes in a series of challenges and receive special Concert Deals at local businesses on their mobile phones via the SCVNGR app. Participants start by downloading the free SCVNGR app for iPhone or Android. To play, look for the “Friday Night Concerts” trek and complete a series of quick concert-themed challenges to earn points. Challenges consist of snapping pictures, answering trivia questions, and social check-ins by bumping phones with friends. Challenges will rotate each week throughout the concert series giving players more chances to wi

Imagine the perfect french fry. For me, it’s medium-crispy on the outside, hot and creamy inside, generously salted and with a distinctive freshly-fried aroma. Sacramento is blessed with many such perfect fries and my Potato Posse and I set out on a mission to find them. We limited our search to casual eateries that are local to Sacramento. We focused exclusively on basic fries – no blue cheese topping, pungent garlic or dipping sauces to mask their essence. Just the potato and maybe a little seasoning. Size and shape didn’t matter in our survey– the fries could be regular, thick-cut, shoestring, curly (senseless mutations of perfectly good fries) or crinkled. After much arduous research

You may have seen the phrase “gluten-free” on products in your local supermarket, but do you know what it means? If not, prepare for a quick refresher course on nutrition and biology. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and malts. It’s that special something that gives the ingredients in foods like bread, crackers and cake their ability to stick together. It is commonly referred to as a “binder,” and it can be found in a wide variety of food items. For most people, consuming gluten is no problem. However, for the estimated 10 percent of people in the United States who have a sensitivity to gluten, avoidance becomes a full-time task. This is especially true for people with cel

A longtime Sacramento area restaurant chain is taking its first shot at a downtown location in a spot – and it’s taking a shot at a location that has seen several businesses fail recently. Strings Restaurant Group is focusing on quick, affordable meals at its new restaurant – Strings Express – at 431 I St. near the Amtrak station, which will open the first week of February, according to Al DeCaprio, president of the organization. The space has not seen its doors open for business since May, 2010. It was most recently home to the 5th and H Cafe, which was open for less than a year. After 5th and H Cafe closed, there were plans to open a Depot Bikes & Cafe, but that business never opened.

The Dine Downtown Restaurant Week event opens on Friday for its sixth year and the participating restaurants strive to provide their best each year. The newly opened Kupros Bistro has joined the line-up and offers a fresh option to the event. My wife, Laura, and I are not trained food critics, but we enjoy dining out frequently in the downtown/midtown area. We had not been to Kupros yet, so we jumped at the chance to preview their Dine Downtown menu. Housed in a recently remodeled 100-year-old craftsman structure that is both stunning and comfy, Kupros Bistro is a dining and architectural experience. It is located at 1217 21st Street, between Capitol Avenue and L Street at the previous lo

If you are looking for a healthy alternative, try The Green Boheme, a raw cafe located on Del Paso Boulevard. Just look for the lime green umbrella located on the streetside patio. Chef and owner Brooke Preston took over Richard Hensley’s restaurant after he moved on to new things, and changed it to The Green Boheme five months ago. The raw cafe offers organic, artisan vegan cuisine that has zero gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and pesticides. It is the only completely raw restaurant in the area. The menu changes often, sometimes daily and sometimes weekly. Some components take up to three days to make, and since each dish takes several days to prepare, once it runs out it comes off the me

Sacramento’s “hospitality zones” became classrooms Thursday night. Nearly two dozen people visiting Sacramento for the California Downtown Association’s 2010 annual conference took a walking “Nighttime Economy Tour” through parts of Old Sacramento, downtown and Midtown. Most in the group help manage downtown business districts. Stopping in bars from Vega’s at Old Sacramento’s historic waterfront to de Vere’s Irish Pub near 15th and L streets, people learned best practices, as well as what to avoid, to successfully set up and manage hospitality districts – concentrations of bars, restaurants, café-lounges and other entertainment businesses. Officials with cities and business improvement

Sitting on the edge of wonder, it is time to build the sukkah and dine under the stars with the region's young Jewish professionals, leaders, community, family, and friends. It’s harvest time. In Sacramento, perhaps more than many cities or regions around the world, we can very much identify with the spirit of Sukkot. Tomorrow evening, Friday, Sept. 24, join NextDor and PJ Library in Sacramento for a Shabbat Sukkot dinner together! We'll dine outside in the sukkah, learn about Sukkot traditions, shake a few lulavs, and read stories. PJ Library is even providing the food! This event is the evening before NextDor's own big Sukkot dinner, so take advantage of both chances to make friends and

I got the chance to visit a place I have been curious about for some time now. Celestin’s Island Eats & Cajun Cuisine. This place is everything Caribbean and touches on just about every type of cuisine in those waters. It was nice to see Tostones on the menu which was a childhood favorite growing up in Brooklyn, Tostones are fried and pressed plantains which if made correctly are to die for. As you walk into the restaurant there is a very comfortable feeling as you are surrounded by lots of tropical colors on the walls and Reggae music on the sound system. It was Friday night and the patio was completely packed while the inside was moderately seated. Our server Jack appeared to have tabl

After hearing from PETA that scientific studies show that prawns feel pain, Nishiki Sushi restaurant in Sacramento has informed PETA that it will no longer serve a cruel dish that's often called "dancing prawns." The dish's name is a reference to the writhing that the animals engage in when their protective shells are ripped off and acidic lemon juice is squeezed onto their raw flesh before they are eaten alive. PETA contacted the restaurant after receiving complaints from several patrons. "We [were] not aware that prawn[s] can feel pain," wrote Danny Leung, president of Nishiki Sushi Inc. "[W]e will no longer serve … prawn[s] alive. … Thank you for bringing this to our attention." "By ag

After 20 years in business, the owners of Midtown’s Cafe Marika said they are living their dream – but getting there was no easy task. Lubomir (Louie) and Eva Chruma were living in Karlovy Vary – a spa and resort town in then-Czechoslovakia, but they dreamed of escaping the communist regime and moving to the United States. “We escaped in 1982,” Eva said. “We bought a vacation to Yugoslavia and crossed into Austria.” After seven months in a NATO refugee camp in Austria with others who had fled the Eastern Bloc countries, the Chrumas were able to travel to the United States with permission from the American consulate. Without knowing where they would be living, the two professional chefs