Can you belive 2011 is practically over? New Year's Eve is this Saturday and if you're still searching for plans, we here at Sacramento365.com have gathered up some activities for you. If you're looking for a great, family friendly New Year's Eve experience, complete with fireworks, be sure to head to Old Sac for the New Year's Eve Sky Spectacular. But, for those of you who are looking for some adult celebrations--no kids allowed--here're a few options to greet 2012 (see even more in our Top 10 & Holiday Event Section). Sacramento nightlife is kickin'! 1. New Year's 2012 Bash with Mickey Avalon: Ace of Spades, 7pm Hailing from Hollywood, Mickey Avalon is known to the world as one of the

Dive Bar owner George Karpaty is expanding his business territory. Two months after opening the mermaid bar and two other businesses on Sacramento's K Street Mall, Karpaty is in the final stages of negotiating a lease for a fourth concept in El Dorado Hills. The San Francisco nightclub owner previously said the bars and gourmet pizza restaurant he opened in Sacramento early this year were pioneer concepts he would like to take elsewhere. Karpaty is now talking with folks in Santa Monica, Hollywood, Las Vegas and Oakland about opening versions of the K Street businesses there, depending on space available. He and Pizza Rock partner Tony Gemignani are also working on plans to open Pizza R

“Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.” ~W.C. Fields     The 18th Amendment, which banned the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol in the United States, was ratified on Jan. 16, 1919. As a result, drinking in the United States stopped almost completely. Drunk and disorderly behavior went the way of the dodo, crime rates sunk like a turd in a jug and America became an idyllic utopia full of stolid, sober, upright men and women who had finally been saved from that liquid Mephistopheles which had held them captive for so long. "Is this Heaven?" people were known to ask one another. "No, it's just government-mandated Prohibition" s

Café Americain is celebrating summer with three bashes next month. The Old Sacramento restaurant is throwing parties for Bastille Day on July 10, the grand opening of Sacramento's first "speakeasy" on July 16 and a Summer Bohemian Ball on July 17. Owners Mike and Natalya Wahba said they want to turn their champagne and caviar house at 1023 Front St. into the place for Sacramentans to revel in fine food, decadent drink and all things passionate. "It's all about passion for life, for arts, for food, for entertainment," Mike Wahba said. "That's the standard we want to set." Fire dancers, the Sacramento Opera, Corti Brothers' owner Darrell Corti and the owners of Sterling Caviar will join

Tonight, the Shady Lady Saloon will have two guest bartenders, Erick Castro and Owen Westfield of San Francisco's Bourbon & Branch. Bourbon & Branch has a set of house rules that coincide with the simplicity and no-funny-business attitude of the Shady Lady: No use of cell phones No photography No standing at the bar Please speak easy (or quietly)   Don't even think of asking for a Cosmo Please be patient as the drinks are labor-intensive Bourbon & Branch used to be the location of the JJ Russell Cigar Shop which operated as a speakeasy from 1923-1935, complete with a password that needed to be uttered to gain admittance, a trap door that opened and led down to the bar and five s

In the alphabet soup of bars and restaurants to choose from in Midtown, a lot more R's will be popping up. Or at least there will be a lot more to choose from on R Street. Magpie Catering, which is owned by Ed Roehr and Janelle Inouye, had its grand opening last Thursday, April 2. Swing in for a sandwich or salad. The daily menu for Friday, April 3 (pictured above), featured Niman ham and camembert cheese on ciabatta, a Petaluma chicken salad sandwich on a baguette with roasted peppers and paprika, black rice and grilled asparagus – among many other choices. Magpie is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The time has finally come for the opening of The Shady Lady saloon