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

When Darrel Ng moved to Sacramento from San Francisco in 2003, he made it a point to learn where the best happy hour deals were, and as he took more and more interest in the local restaurant scene, he decided to share his findings, launching the blog Cowtown Eats in 2009. “I used to work at the Capitol, and we were always asking each other who had the best happy hours,” Ng said. “Most of us were from out of town, and it was frustrating trying to find the best value.” Now a public relations professional for the health industry, Ng said his blog isn’t so much a source of income as a passion for the local dining scene, but he did say it helps fund his happy hour research trips. Cowtown Eat

Sacramento chef Jason Lockard is drawing up plans to entice customers to his new restaurant and bar, Blue Prynt, expected to open this month. The 30-year-old will use social media marketing, drink specials and tie-ins to popular community events to attract clientele to a somewhat hidden spot where several restaurants have failed. Lockard, who has been the chef at Brew It Up! for seven years, is opening his first business inside the Best Western Sutter House at 11th and H streets. After Sofia restaurant closed in that location last September, Lockard is developing plans for events and specials to coincide with the Second Saturday Art Walk and Friday Night Concerts in the Park at nearby C

There are many kinds of beer drinkers in this world, and Sacramento Beer Week caters to each and every one of them. Starting Friday, restaurants, bars, cafes and brewpubs all around Sacramento will be stocked with great beers for great prices. Beer Week will continue through Sunday, March 6. Until then, the citizens of Sacramento and the surrounding areas will be able to satisfy their liquid palate with regional and local brews, world brews and even a few rare and vintage brews. While their website is a wonderful place to browse for the perfect SBW event, it can be difficult to orient yourself among the 300 or more events. In hopes of eliminating any stress the plethora of drinking event

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

As the 2010 holiday season goes into full swing, the Sierra 2 Center offers the Curtis Park and Sacramento community at large a truly unique way to combine its indulgence in merriment with its interest in sharing with those in need. On Friday, December 3rd, the Sierra 2 Center for the Arts & Community presents Best Friend Friday, an ongoing social gathering at which attendees get to meet new people, enjoy terrific food and drinks, and learn something they didn’t know about their own community. This Friday attendees will get the chance to meet Harvest Sacramento, an amalgamation of area residents, non-profits, community groups and businesses who work together to gather uneaten fruit and ve

Costume Crawl III The Costume Crawl is Back!!! Get your All-Hallows-Eve Pre-Party on Tuesday, October 26th, 2010. Come enjoy a FREE menu of Monster Munchies and Ghoulish Grubs, as well as discounted Spooky Spirits. Wear or bring your costume to work/school or change in our private dressing room at our first GrubCrawl venue...this is the (not so dry run) chance for you to see how good you look as a sexy (or scary) firefighter/pirate/character from GLEE (or Dispicable Me!?) You'll have a spook-tacular time with the freakiest fun crowd on the planet, as we haunt for the hottest place to party…all for great price per person! We'll start our Monster March at VIVE Cocina Mexicana & Ultra Loun

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

Brighten up your day & have some fun at Happy Hour today (Tuesday 4-20). Kate Gaffney who has been creating smiles for the Torch Club Happy Hour for some time now will have a very special guest sitting in today. Bob Woods is probably the regions best kept secrets when it comes to incredible guitarmanship (may not be a real word, but it sure fits the bill). Bob has been playin' the juke joints of the Sacramento Valley and beyond for decades now. While possible stardom lurked in the future some time ago (Bob became a brief member of the Surfaris, one of his early bands was a regular opener for Commander Cody & other great bands of the time), Bob listened to common sense or perhaps it was his

In the two and a half weeks that I've been a Sacramentan, I've discovered many things that I like.  Some of these things I have included in my series of "Discovering Sacramento" articles.  I really like taco trucks. I like sports bars in general, and Sneakers in particular.  I like the Garden Highway, and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to like the Virgin Sturgeon.  But there are a lot more things that I like, which haven't made it into my articles.  With this fact in mind, I have decided to begin a new storyline.  I'm calling it "Stuff I Like".  I'm going to try and keep these posts brief and to the point.  This is what I like, heres why, badda bing, badda boom. Short attention span readin

I was looking for a place to enjoy Monday night football and a decent Happy Hour and stumbled upon La Casa Restaurante. Usually a good Happy Hour for me consists of great drink specials but I was really hungry and decided I wanted to get my grub on. La Casa offers Happy Hour all day on game days which is absolutely unheard of. Glasses of wine range from $3 - $4, well cocktails are $3, domestic draft beers are $2 and all others are $3. House Margaritas are $3 as well. Appetizers are half price and differ in price between $3 and $6. This place is somewhat unassuming and honestly I have driven by it many times since it does not face the street. The family owned business has only been in tow

I visited one of my favorite brew pubs on Thursday evening with my wife and son. Brew It Up which is located on the corner of 14th and H Street in downtown Sacramento. While wine is my first love, I am an absolute freak for hops. If you are not familiar with Brew It Up, let me bring you up to speed. Owner Michael Costello opened the original location in Davis 13 years ago. The first spot was more of a place for locals to do some home brewing. Along the way Mr. Costello decided to go the route of a full service restaurant and move the operation to Sacramento. This establishment is truly one of a kind in the area as it covers all of the bases. You can come in for a beer, glass of wine or a

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

Jeff Pooler and Matthew Jones have just about done it all in the restaurant industry. They have a combined experience of over 35 years in the business and have held positions as everything from chefs to managers and owners. With enough experience to go at it alone, Pooler and Jones decided to combine their dining expertise and take it to the next level. In late April, the talented duo opened Sacramento’s newest waterfront dining locale, Pearl on the River. “I’ve always wanted to open my own restaurant and [experience] helps tremendously," Pooler said. "I love coming to work, and every day is fun for me." The pair met through the Paragary Restaurant Group several years back, but that doe