Paula Deen – best known for her traditional southern cooking on the Food Network – is coming to Sacramento for a live show on Feb. 3. While Deen will cook at the Community Center Theater that evening, she’ll focus on what she said she cherishes most about fame – meeting people she never would have met in her life as a bank teller. “I’ll just visit with people,” Deen said. “It’s kinda like coming into my living room, us getting to know each other. People come in and forget everything that irks them.” Deen will appear on stage with her husband, Michael Groover, whom she describes as shy, funny and a great cook. “He has got the keenest sense of humor,” Deen said. “He’s one of the funnies

The original Squeeze Inn on Power Inn Road was made famous by Food Network’s Guy Fieri, who raved about their infamous cheese “skirt,” the restaurant’s twist on the classic cheeseburger.  Since then it has opened up restaurants in Roseville and Galt. Tuesday morning, the Squeeze Inn’s fourth location – at 1350 Harbor Blvd. in West Sacramento – officially opened its doors at 10 a.m. The newest addition to the Squeeze Inn line is the biggest location so far, seating up to 80 people, according to West Sacramento Squeeze Inn’s publicist, Heather Atherton. The Squeeze Inn has been a regular on the burger scene in Sacramento for at least 30 years according to co-owner Dave Chambers. “We’ve a

HGTV's home remodeling show "Bang For Your Buck" is coming to Sacramento for the first time. And if you're a homeowner who's recently renovated your master suite or an outgoing Realtor who'd like to appear on the show, a TV production company wants to talk to you. High Noon Entertainment is searching for three homeowners who've had their master bedrooms and bathrooms overhauled within the last three years. Applicants must send photos, renovation costs and applications by March 11. Executives with HGTV and High Noon Entertainment decided to take the show to Sacramento after all the attention the city and the region have been getting lately. Some of that attention has come from local effo

A Sacramento neighborhood favorite, The Golden Bear, makes its TV debut on the Food Network early next month. The gastropub featuring chef Billy Zoellin, a friendly staff and sloping front porch is scheduled to be one of three restaurants starring on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" at 7 p.m. Jan. 3. Owners Kimio Bazett and Jon Modrow are bracing for a huge spike in customers once the show airs. "I don't know if it's more of an expectation or a hope. But from talking to other people who've been on the show ... Everyone said to expect anywhere from a tripling to a quadrupling of business in the year following the show," Bazett said. Food Network promoters told them new episodes of the show

Despite nationally known speakers Sarah Palin and Howard Dean headlining the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Perspectives 2010 forum, it was the lesser-known speakers who had a greater effect on the audience. Terrence McNamara, a Sacramentan in the construction industry, said he found management consultant and author Marcus Buckingham to be the most interesting. “I’ve been coming to this for seven years, and it’s always the speaker you’re not interested in seeing who has the biggest impact,” he said. Buckingham offered his views on dealing with strengths and weaknesses. Traditionally, Buckingham said, people tend to think that weaknesses need to be worked on. According to Buckingham, howeve

 Celebrity chef Nikki Shaw, a finalist on “The Next Food Network Star,” will give a demonstration on healthy cooking and talk about obesity in African Americans at the Sacramento Food Bank Tuesday. “We’re getting hit the hardest with overweight and obesity issues,” Shaw said. “I think the best way to get the message across is to talk directly to the public. We are in the middle of a crisis, and the crisis is that 76 percent of African American adults in California are overweight.” She travels between Sacramento and San Diego giving demonstrations and spreading awareness about the importance of healthy eating habits. Tuesday’s demonstration is a collaboration with the Network for a Healt

Sacramentans will be forgiven for not expecting to find fried green tomato sandwiches, house-made kettle chips and prosciutto and peach paninis at The Golden Bear. Those who haven't yet discovered the neighborhood bar's new kitchen and chef, Billy Zoellin, may get their first "taste" on the Food Network's national television show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" this fall. Earlier this month, a camera crew spent a day capturing footage of Zoellin in action at The Golden Bear, located in a converted old house at 2326 K St. A camera crew will soon return with the show's host, Guy Fieri, for the second day of filming. The place will be closed for production. Zoellin joined The Golden Bear in

I adore food, I love to travel, and it is my dream to write for a living. As you might imagine, writer, chef, Travel Channel star and bon vivant Anthony Bourdain is an idol of mine. When I saw the erstwhile chef of Les Halles Brasserie and current host of "No Reservations" would be making an appearance at the Memorial Auditorium in September, I called up my liaison at The Sacramento Press and begged her to let me cover the event. A couple days later I got a note in my inbox: "Lindol, they're happy to have you cover the event on the condition that you don't mind doing a preview, and interviewing Mr. Bourdain." I've never said "yes" with more enthusiasm. A few days after that, I got a

Chef Ryan Rose, the 28-year-old chef at the Zócalo restaurant in Sacramento, is one of the top 15 finalists in the “Next Food Network Star YouTube Challenge.” His in-it-to-win-it dish: paella. Originally on a search to apply for the Food Network’s casting call for the “Next Food Network Star,” Rose came across the YouTube challenge. Viewers can vote daily on their favorite video of national chefs demonstrating their favorite dishes in three minutes or less. The winner will fly out to New York for an audition with executive producers of the show. But Rose didn’t always want to be a chef. It wasn’t till a two-year visit to Spain where he watched his Italian roommate cook every day, that he