Downtown Sacramento has so many popular sushi destinations — Mikuni, Nishiki, Sakura, Zen.  Each Japanese restaurant has its own creative dishes, but most also offer only standard boiler plate menus of sushi rolls, teriyaki plates, and soup-based udon and sukiyaki.   John Voong, owner of Shabu Japanese Fondue, believes Sacramentans are hungry for change. "I see it this way.  It's a new concept here in Midtown," Voong said.  "Sacramento is ready for something like this." Shabu did a soft opening Nov. 30 to gauge diners' interest and it will continue until Thursday.  According to Shabu's Twitter page, the first night was a "great success" and boasted a "packed house the entire night."  

Get into the holiday spirit by listening to musical productions at the State Capitol running until Dec. 23. "This has been an annual tradition at the Capitol since 1996," said Erin Renfree, California State Capital museum supervisor. "We will have musical presentations everyday of the week, except on the Governor's Christmas Tree lighting day on Dec. 10." Holiday floral arrangements of chrysanthemums and holly, provided by the California State Capital Museum Volunteer Association, will fill the Capital's Rotunda area, Renfree said.  Lighted decorations and vintage floral set the stage to create a holiday atmosphere for the musical performances. All performances will be held in the Rotund

Treat yourself to a tasteful helping of holiday humor with the wickedly truthful "The Santaland Diaries."  Presented by Capital Stage in Old Sacramento, "Diaries" focuses on the crazy, "insane things" the holiday season tends to bring out in just about everyone - parents and hired elves alike.  "This is an adult take on how adults act around Christmas," said Peter Mohrmann, Capital Stage manager. "We've told every Christmas story over the last few years, we really wanted to show something different." Unlike cheery Christmas classics such as "It's a Wonderful Life," "White Christmas" and "Christmas Carol," "Diaries" has more of a "witty, sardonic and unpredictable" aftertaste, according

The late John Denver once said, "Music does bring people together. People everywhere are the same in heart and spirit."  The Hope in Harmony benefit concert embodies the same spirit for one challenging goal — how to raise money and awareness for children.  Both Emmy award winning comedian Louie Anderson, and Grammy award winning singer Natalie Cole will be performing Nov. 20 at the Memorial Auditorium.  Anderson will be performing his comedy act before Cole takes the stage. Cole will also be performing with local Sacramento musicians.  "Natalie Cole will be performing with Sacramento trumpeter Larry Lunetta and other members of the local musical theatre scene," said Jolanie Collins, mark

Car enthusiasts and gear heads unite! The Sacramento International Automotive Show is coming this Friday through Sunday at Cal Expo. The auto show has been held in Sacramento for more than 25 years, according to Stacey Castle, president of Castle Communications and producer for the international show. The show this year will be larger than ever before, she said.  "The Auto Show is the largest show that takes place in Sacramento, other than the State Fair," Castle said. "It takes all 13 buildings at Cal Expo, plus the three on-site 'Ride N Drive' test tracks."  The European-spec 2010 Ford Fiesta and redesigned 2010 Mustang will be two of many cars available. Attendees can visit the "Ford

If these walls could talk, Old Ironsides would have a lot to say after seven decades and lots of intrigue.  Papa Bill Bordisso opened the building downtown in 1934, just after Prohibition ended.  "My father said you could at one time see all the way down to the river. It was just completely open space," said owner Billee Jean Bordisso Kanelos, Papa's daughter. A celebration marking 75 years for Old Ironsides happens all this month.  Each week, Ironsides will feature drink and lunch specials from a particular decade, Kanelos said. "Back in the '40s, there was a popular special called the half and half," Kanelos said. "That is basically half spaghetti and half ravioli.  We can't keep the

Slow Food Sacramento presents its third annual Fall Harvest Dinner on Monday.  Chef Patrick Mulvaney, of Mulvaney's B&L restaurant, has created a special fall foods menu.  All of the food is grown and cultivated locally. About 120 people are expected to attend, and the previous two years sold out, said Melinda Beer, Slow Food event coordinator. "It will be held in a brick building next to Mulvaney's restaurant," she said. "The space is urban looking, with concrete floors, long tables and brick.  The front also opens up, which is European-style." The event is hosted by Slow Food Sacramento.  Slow Food, a nonprofit that was created in 1989, has members all over the world.  It was founded

The Grammy-award winning Latin fusion band Ozomatli will be performing at the Sacramento State campus, in the University Union Ballroom, on Oct 29.  Ozomatli's music is known as an urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian raga, according to the band's website.  More than a decade ago, 14 years to be exact, Ozomatli formed in Los Angeles to play at a labor protest. Since then they have been involved with "community activist events, protests, and city fundraisers," their website states.  Ozomatli's indigenous LA music has been played by The Los Ang

Monday evening transported me back to high school Spanish class. At La Raza Galeria Posada, I watched a non-subtitled, and non-dubbed Mexican film for the first time in years. The plot and dialogue were easy enough to follow so I didn't feel completely lost, and the 1970s outfits the women wore also kept me thoroughly entertained (leopard bell bottom pants while walking through the desert, really?) "Anónimo Mortal," features El Santo, or "the Saint," played by Rodolfo Huerta, who wears his emblematic silver mask in the wrestling ring and as he goes about life, or in this film, as he helps to solve a murder mystery.  El Santo is one of Mexico's iconic figures that many Mexican citizens i

Wine and eclectic beats never sounded so good. Design Within Reach, a trendy art furniture studio Downtown, came alive Wednesday evening, providing a popular hot spot for the first ever Wine and Beats event, created and hosted by Rai-Mon Nemar. Nemar, founder of LEGENDmag and budding sommelier, has a contagious passion for both wine and music. Nemar said he noticed subtle changes to the characteristics of wine while listening to albums. "I was writing an article one day reviewing an album, sipping on wine," he said. "By the time I completed the article I thought, 'All I need in life is wine and beats.' So I started comparing bottles of wine to certain albums and was amazed at some of the

The name sounds misleading, eliciting imagery of "Little Orphan Annie," or playful puns from Charles Dickens' novel "Oliver Twist". But the food served at Orphan is absolutely no joke.  Chris Pendarvis, owner of Naked Lounge and Naked Coffee in Sacramento, opened his new restaurant on Sept 28.  "Coffee is very competitive," Pendarvis said. "I wanted to move forward on a different level, and round out the Naked Coffee business. We certainly now have all morning needs covered." Orphan is located across the Cannery Business Park in East Sacramento. The space has already been used as a restaurant over the years, Moxie Jr. initially, then the more recent Sapor and Soprattutto Salumeria & Ris

Approximately 40 Sacramentans attended the Charter Review Committee meeting held at Sam Pannell Meadowview Community Center on Wednesday.  The committee drafted a report that recommends changes to the City Charter Committee. Committee members William Edgar, JoAnn Fuller, and Chester Newland presented an overview of the committee's purpose and tentative decisions reached, and took turns answering questions from the audience.  Handouts were distributed, delineating Charter Review Committee procedures, focus areas for review, and a time line for their work plan.   "The City Charter Committee was appointed by City Council in response to the 'strong mayor initiative,' Edgar said. "We were not

Bill Taylor knows a thing or two about quality meat. Taylor, owner of the iconic Willie's Burgers, recently opened Iron Steaks located in Land Park Sacramento neighborhood.  "We wanted good quality that you can find at the best steakhouses, but price it reasonably," said Taylor.  Meals are served in family-style portions to share.  A sample dinner can include crab cakes, seared Ahi crusted with toasted almonds for appetizers, a 48 oz. porterhouse (which serves up to 6) served on a cast iron platter for an entrée, and green beans and sautéed mushrooms with demi-glaze for sides.  Each entrée is served with coleslaw and beignets, a type of fried dough.  "A typical evening meal with three

Once the sun set in West Sacramento, the stage lights flickered on and the red boxing gloves came up.  Saturday's Raley Field Rumble pitted firefighters, corrections officers and law enforcement officers from all over Northern California against one another, all in the name of Sacramento charities. "We like to support different charities each year," said Isreal Montes Jr., creator of the event. "We keep it local in Sacramento.  This year we're supporting the Firefighters Burn Institute, Sheriff Toy Project and Sacramento Fallen Officers Resource Fund." Correction officers Montes and Yvonne Vasquez, from California State Prison Sacramento, started the city's "Battle of the Badges" in 200

The Naked Lounge is ready to turn it up a notch. On Oct. 15 at their Downtown location on the corner of H and 11th streets, the coffee shop will roll-up their garage doors for an all ages music venue.   "We opened this coffee house in February," said Jenn Fox, General Manager.  "We never wanted music inside the coffeehouse, we focus just on coffee. But then we got to thinking ... it's already next door, it's a great space, let's do a venue."  Over the next few months, the Naked Lounge music venue quickly started to form. The rented space, known as "Retrolodge," is aptly named after the Astro and Elroy motels. The style for both motels was modeled after the 1950s and 60s Palm Springs loo

A large wooden cask, with kanji characters written in heavy black ink brush strokes, sat alone in the middle of the stage — but not for very long. "On the count of three," said the announcer, "these men will break the top of the cask, symbolizing happiness and good luck. Ready? Ichi ... ni ... san!"  Right on cue Jimmy Yee, County Supervisor, Ryan Garner, Community Outreach Coordinator at the Office of Mayor Kevin Johnson, and Dr. Gary Raff, UC Davis Medical Center Pediatrics, shattered the top of the casket with their wooden mallets.  Several watchers exclaimed "Kanpai!" officially kicking off the Fifth Annual Northern California Premium Sake Fest on Wednesday.  Harley and Judy Inaba c

"Kanpai!" You may hear a few attendees joyously exclaim this Japanese phrase, equivalent to the English "Cheers!" at the fifth annual Northern California Premium Sake Fest. The event kicks off Wednesday at The Sheraton Grand. North American Food Distributions — importer and wholesale distributor for Asian food retailers — hand-selected over 100 of the finest sake, shochu and Japanese beers to be presented and tasted for this event. "Shochu is a distilled spirit," said Judy Inaba, event manager for North American Food Distributions Inc. "It is an old-style beverage, very popular in Japan." The drink can be mixed with different juices, much like vodka, for a desired taste, Inaba said. Ea

High energy and fun brought Old Sacramento to life at the Second Annual Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival.  The two-day festival kicked off Saturday at the Benvenuti Performing Arts Center, which featured Angentine tango champions Miriam and Leonardo.  Festivities continued Sunday in Old Sacramento. Both days were a celebration of international cultures through ethnic dancing, musical performances, historical storytelling and traditional reenactments of stories and folktales from all over the world. Despite the sweltering Sacramento heat, close to 5,000 attendees managed to stay cool under the shade of large tents and trees, and with the aid of popsicles and cold drinks sold by s

Creepy, crawly, slithery critters abound!  The reptiles at the 12th Annual Sacramento Reptile Show were the stars at the Sacramento Convention Center.  The show, which began Saturday, will continue through Sunday and should average about 10,000 reptilian enthusiasts and animal fans alike over the weekend. With strollers packing in the 15,000 square-foot Exhibit Hall, people of all ages appeared amazed at the wide selection of chameleons, bearded dragons, pythons, and poison dart frogs.  Vendors with colorful signs were selling everything from reptilian food, assorted enclosures and incubators.  Many of the vendors were offering promotional discounts for this special show. Jeremy and Ange

 "Block the leg!  Kick the inside!  Knee, knee!" The fervor of audience commentary, at times simultaneously, made it difficult to hear individual commentary, unless it quieted down for a moment.   On Saturday, Sept. 19, male and female warriors sparred in front of an energetic audience at the first amateur "Muay Thai Origins: Battle at the Wat" tournament in South Sacramento.  Promoted and sponsored by Andy Kensamphaph, founder of Sacramento's Muay Thai Lao Kickboxing Academy, the event took place at Wat Lao Saoputh Buddhist Temple in South Sacramento.  As a non-profit fundraiser, all proceeds went to the temple. South Sacramento resident Tommy Prongfah brought his children to show the