We just hit the half-way point of Sacramento’s 10th annual Dine Downtown and I suspect there are some of you who still haven’t taken advantage of 10 days of specialty dining at some of Sacramento’s best restaurants. For those who need some prodding, here are 5 reasons why you should Dine Downtown this week (before you miss out!):
1. 3 Courses, $31, 28 Restaurants
Need I say more? Really, this is the best deal of the year. When else can you get a 3-course meal from the likes of Ten22, Il Fornaio, The Porch, Hook & Ladder, or any of the many other Sacramento favorites on the list? Dine Downtown is a chance to do just that—dine on the town while enjoying a selection of stellar prix fixe meals for a great price.
2. You get to try some of Sacramento’s Higher End Restaurants
Biba, Grange, Ella, and The Firehouse. Yep, they’re all participating. Or how about a steak at Chops or a fondue experience at The Melting Pot? Now is your chance to dine at some of Sacramento’s bests or to try those restaurants you don’t always have the budget to Yelp-filter by $$$ at other times in the year.
3. You learn why foodies are foodies
Blue Prynt’s pan seared Skuna Bay Salmon, Foundation’s brown butter gnocchi, Grange’s coffee braised zabuton, Hock Farm’s Lost Coast Downtown Brown ice cream sandwich. That’s just a taste of some of the items you’ll see on Dine Downtown’s menus—and just some of the reasons why foodies get so excited about food made to show off how good food can be. Vegetarian and gluten-free items that are equally high in quality and taste are also growing more abundantly available on Dine Downtown’s menus. And, of course, as most Sacramentans—foodie or not—will appreciate, restaurants pride themselves on having farm-to-fork ingredients, both during Dine Downtown and year ‘round. So don’t be surprised if your inner foodie is awakened by these menus!
4. You support the Food Literacy Center
For the second year, $1 of every meal supports the Food Literacy Center, a nonprofit that educates kids and families about the food they eat and inspires them to make healthy choices. The Food Literacy Center started in 2011 and has been met by the Sacramento community with enthusiasm. Dine Downtown is a great way to keep the enthusiasm going. And if you’re wondering how far a dollar of each meal will go: last year over 13,000 Sacramentans participated in Dine Downtown. That’s over $13,000 towards giving our kids a healthy future.
5. You support Sacramento
Not only do you get a great night out for yourself, but the increase of people in on the grid boosts dollars put into Sacramento’s dining scene as well as the other businesses in the area such as theaters, bars, and shopping, not to mention the extra parking. Every year, Dine Downtown pumps thousands of dollars into Sacramento’s city core, and in the past 5 years it’s estimated that it has produced $3.5 million in dining sales alone.
So, go ahead, get out on the town while you still can.
Dine Downtown ends this Saturday, January 24. Reservations are recommended but not required. To see a full list of participating restaurants and their special Dine Downtown menus, visit downtownsac.org.
Food photos courtesy of Downtown Sacramento Partnership
