Construction on de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis is about two weeks from being finished, and as the bar, which was custom-built in Ireland and then shipped to California, nears completion, Davis residents said they are excited to see a business fill a long-troubled space. The pub is a new location spawned off the successful de Vere’s Irish Pub at 1521 L St. in Sacramento. “It seems like it’s going to be a pretty good business,” said Matt Johnson, a 25-year-old bartender from Davis. “I’m excited, and I hope they’re successful.” Johnson said the space at 217 E St. in Davis has long been something of a revolving door for businesses, which have had trouble staying open much longer than a year.

The owners of a contested bar with a mixed martial arts fighting concept withdrew their application earlier this month, but neighboring residents are still concerned that new plans for the Midtown space will be the same operation by another name. The MMA Fight Bar concept was planned by the owners of Luck’s BBQ, which at 2502 J St. is next door to the vacant space the fight bar would have taken. The application for an alcohol license for Fight Bar was withdrawn by owners in mid-July, and the Alcoholic Beverage Control office confirmed Friday that no new application has been filed yet. “They’ve decided to change their format there,” said Midtown Business Association Executive Director Ro

Looking for a way to impress your friends or date with your intelligence? Take them out to a trivia night or pub quiz in Sacramento. The Sacramento Press has your guide to local bars and pubs that will test your knowledge on trivia in a friendly, yet competitive environment. The Depot 2001 K St., Ste. A Wednesdays, 9 p.m. Free De Vere’s Irish Pub 1521 L St. Mondays, 7 - 8 p.m. Free Christopher Scott, the director of Cardio Pulmonary Services at Methodist Hospital, has hosted trivia for eight years. Currently, Scott hosts trivia nights at The Depot and de Vere’s Irish Pub. “The presenting is the most fun – the experience with the people that are playing,” Scott said. “It’s getting tha

Friday, the wedding of the century, between Prince William and Kate Middleton, will be occurring across the pond. If you can’t afford the airfare and are looking to take part in the celebration a little closer to home, you’re in luck. Local family-owned pub the Fox and Goose Pub, located on 10th and R streets, will be staying open late for the occasion. The royal wedding is scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey at 11 a.m. in London, which means it will be happening here on the West Coast at about 3 a.m. With that said, Fox and Goose is currently scheduled to make itself open and available at 2:30 a.m. to serve all interested partygoers. Fox and Goose will be doing a viewing of the

What do you get when you mix drink specials and poker chips? Tipsy Tokens, founded in Sacramento in 2011, is similar to the concept of Groupon, but focuses its promotions on local bars and nightclubs. What sets Tipsy Tokens apart from the other coupon sites is its social focus, co-founder Robert Cima said. “Though you’re purchasing something online, there’s a social aspect involved. There are reps on-site at the event checking people in and making sure everyone is having a good time. Also, you’re provided something physical: Tipsy Tokens. These tokens are colorful poker chips with the company logo on them used for buying drinks and playing games.” According to Cima, the project began ab

De Vere’s Irish Pub, a locally owned downtown business founded in the midst of the recession, will open its second location at the end of the summer in the space that was formerly the home of Soga’s in Davis. “We’re excited,” said co-owner Simon de Vere White. “We’ve been eying Davis for a long time.” The new space, at 217 E St. in downtown Davis, is 4,800 square feet, about 1,000 square feet bigger than the Sacramento pub. His brother, co-owner Henry de Vere White, said the expansion is a risk, but one he hopes will prove as successful as the current location on 15th and L streets in Sacramento. “I think we filled a niche here in Sacramento," Simon de Vere White said, adding that the

Sacramento Beer Week culminated with The Capital Beerfest, held at Cal Expo on Saturday. Upon entering the exposition hall, there were professional brewers, organizations of home brewers and several distributing companies present, with volunteers buzzing around with a camaraderie that can only develop while working a beer festival. Beer drinkers and enthusiasts of all ages were there enjoying the event to the fullest. The only downfall was the weather. It was so nice outside that everyone was wishing they could be sipping outside rather than inside a hall. The VIP session began at noon and was terrific in the fact that the brewers pulled out all the stops and brought out their best from

Alley Katz, a Midtown bar that opened a month ago, currently has 100 beers, but owner Geronimo Avelar said by Beer Week (Feb. 26. - March 5), it will carry 200. Avelar, a former bartender himself, said the neighborhood surrounding 20th and O streets needed a bar that specializes in craft beers. Avelar said he believes microbrews are catching up with wine when it comes to popularity and the complexities involved in their production. “Many of these beers are very complex,” he said. “They’re aged in wine barrels, and they get better over time – and they’re beers.” The bar also carries a selection of about 15 wines, which he said he will be expanding. But Alley Katz isn’t meant to be a sn

Kupros Bistro will hold a soft opening this weekend. The restaurant and tavern will open with a limited menu Friday and Saturday in a 100-year-old Midtown house at 1217 21st St. On Thursday, owner Stephen Tokuhama, General Manager Hugo Herreros and chef John Gurnee led new employees through wine and food tastings. Kupros will be open from 5 p.m. - 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The kitchen will be serving a limited snack menu from 5-10 p.m. "Tomorrow, we'll have a little soft opening to test the kitchen and fire up everything," Herreros said Thursday. "It's just an introduction of what's coming. It's not the whole menu." The establishment will close Sunday and Monday, then reopen Tuesda

Time to paint your body, don your wigs and honk that old plastic noisemaker. The World Cup is just around the corner. The month-long tournament begins Friday, and there are a variety of options for those willing to set their alarms to see the 4:30, 7 and 11:30 a.m. games. Below is a detailed list of different bars and restaurants hosting World Cup viewing events, as well as food and drink specials. Local soccer fans can double their soccer fix for a few hours Saturday with the inaugural Sacramento Cup. For the first time ever, Major League Soccer teams will come to Raley Field and compete in an exhibition game: Chivas USA and the San Jose Earthquakes. Scheduling the game became feasible

deVere's Irish Pub has become a local favorite, a place to unwind after work and grab a pint! Well did you know that owners, Mark, Simon and Henry are son's of UC Davis Cancer Center Director, Ralph deVere White?  The quest to find a cure is not a new cause for the boys who grew up watching their dad fight this disease on the front lines as a cancer surgeon.  So what does a popular pub and childhood cancer have in common? deVere's will host a St. Baldrick's head-shaving celebration on Monday, March 15 from 5-8pm! The challenge is to BE Brave and GO Bald! Pledges are raised and in exchange those brave souls will shorn! All to raise life-saving research dollars for Childhood Cancer. Keaton

It is with excitement that I am here to announce that the biggest St. Patrick's Day celebration in Sacramento is going to happen again. That's right folks, last year we did the undoable. We closed L Street between 16th & 15th for a St. Patrick's day block party like no other. Nearly 7000 people showed up, but it remained a festive and safe community event. We had no incidents, thanks to great security and great people who came to have a good time. This year, we're projecting attendance at 8,000 and I want to get everyone involved. We are working with The Sacramento Press to get the community involved and I'm going to keep everyone posted on the event as it develops right here. So join the

The Jewish Federation is celebrating their move to Midtown Sacramento by throwing a big party for a cause! The Big Nosh is a gourmet food and pub crawl benefiting 5 local charities where participants will get a chance to eat and drink their way across the grid sampling appetizers and cocktails at 30 restaurants and coffee shops. Tickets are $36/person and Crawl Captains may register at www.thebignosh.com and earn their ticket for free by recruiting 10 or more people to their team. Teams will start at different locations at the same time in a "round robin" format and experience Midtown as it's meant to be experienced: walking! Calling all Crawl Captains...register now at www.thebignosh.com

Traversing the Sacramento County area for a great burger at a great price can be a hard thing to do. Where Classic Burger formerly stood, owner, Steve of the Granite's family, has owned, operated and served up a huge menu of great eats, with "an east coast touch", going on one year now. This isn't your ordinary hamburger stand, Steve serves up a full diverse menu of Charbroiled Burgers, Italian Meatball Subs, Steak and Mushroom Cheesesteak Hoagies, Hot Pastrami on french roll, Grilled Chicago Dogs, Charbroiled Chicken Sandwiches, B.L.T, Chef Salads, Cold Cut Combo, Ham, Turkey, Italian Salami, Pepperoni and NY Buffalo Chicken Wings 10-50pc to name a few, including 92 other menu items to s

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

Last night was an amazing meandering ride from Downtown through Midtown for the 1st Annual Bikeramento Crawl. Set the scene of a moving banner from sanctuary to sanctuary in the light rain. It all begins with the religious experience of a cup of mojo at Temple Fine Coffee & Tea. The loose Bikeramentans gather and awkwardly introduce themselves to the team. It’s to be expected. Who are these bike-crazy folks, these Spokes People, who believe that they can influence city planning and have fun doing it? Ah….soak up that caffeine. A fine whiff of a single origin espresso parting the perfect foam of that cappuccino. David Barton shows up with the sharp photographer for Sacramento Press. And

 de Veres Irish Pub, located on 15th and L has recently opened up. Yesterday there was an event where locals sold hip new clothing, anywhere from hats to snowboarding gear, out on the patio. While visiting the clothing event, I was able to experience the pub for my first time. Inside the building is incredible. It is lined with dark wood, giving it the Irish feel, while maintaining a totally classy look. The beer selection is great and tasty. I managed to try the BLT sandwich, potato leek soup, and the lamb sliders. All were delectable. I carried my refreshment to the patio with me, while I browsed some of the great deals. Jay Gatlin of Hell-Bent Sales, was selling snow boards and gear,

The speed with which development in the downtown/midtown grid takes place can be snail’s pace slow, or lightning fast. Here’s an example of the latter. One week ago, I drove past the corner of 15th and L and checked out the progress on that corner, where the old Firestone tires store used to be. There is going to be a California Pizza Kitchen on the corner, and upstairs, Mason Wong has already quietly opened his gorgeous new lounge, Mix. But downstairs, one week ago, the commercial space to the left of those two businesses was bare bones, construction workers doing all that behind the scenes work that civilians can’t really fathom. Electrical, plumbing, etc. But last night, on my way to