Sacramento Restaurants, Nightlife and Entertainment

[econgrad]

Originally Posted by jsf8278

I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for a good happy hour place in midtown...looking for cheap drinks and food. Any suggestions?

Unless your into losers that think they are cool because they have tattoos, avoid Q Street (Benny's) and Zebra and Press club, Limelight is a great place to find big frat dudes from CSUS who want to brawl. Brew it up is a good place but it is not cheap. Kasbah on Jay street is really good, as well as INK. If your looking for something cheap and still has class (which can be rare downtown and midtown in many areas) go to Fox and Goose. Some of the bars on K street maybe "Gay Friendly", but you will find more professional service and cleaner atmospshere and some really good food at those places. Other places worth checking: The Uppper Level (I think thats the name, its on a 2nd floor on Jay Street), and some places in East Sac. Pine Cove is nicer than it used to be.

[Cynikal]

For an upscale happy hour you should try Mason's. Great (and cheap) appetizers and the drinks are fair.

[jsf8278]

Originally Posted by econgrad

Unless your into losers that think they are cool because they have tattoos, avoid Q Street (Benny's) and Zebra and Press club, Limelight is a great place to find big frat dudes from CSUS who want to brawl. Brew it up is a good place but it is not cheap. Kasbah on Jay street is really good, as well as INK. If your looking for something cheap and still has class (which can be rare downtown and midtown in many areas) go to Fox and Goose. Some of the bars on K street maybe "Gay Friendly", but you will find more professional service and cleaner atmospshere and some really good food at those places. Other places worth checking: The Uppper Level (I think thats the name, its on a 2nd floor on Jay Street), and some places in East Sac. Pine Cove is nicer than it used to be.

I've been meaning to check out Upper Level, it looks pretty cool.
Thanks for the heads up on the places frequented by frat guys and losers with tattoos. Not really my crowd.
I think I'll check out Fox and Goose.

[otnemarcaS]

The name is Level Up not Upper Level if you are referring to the food and lounge above Thai Basil on J street.

[jsf8278]

oh yeah I meant Level UP...bad proof read on my part!

[econgrad]

Originally Posted by otnemarcaS

The name is Level Up not Upper Level if you are referring to the food and lounge above Thai Basil on J street.

Thanks for the correction.

[Pistola916]

Hip, artsy heart beats in Sacramento's midtown
'Grid' turning into the place to hang out
Spud Hilton, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, May 17, 2008

It used to be the most you could say about Sacramento's midtown was that it has pleasant, tree-canopied streets and row after row of Victorian-era homes, most remarkably well-preserved.

Yawn.

What used to be a cultural dead zone and excitement black hole between downtown and the burbs, however, quite suddenly has a hot, hip, walkable neighborhood at its heart, with dozens of stylish white-linen restaurants, of-the-moment boutique shops and galleries, and a sophisticated bohemian vibe not typically associated with, well, Sacramento.

It still has the trees and Victorians, but hardly anyone notices those anymore.

The midtown - officially called "the Grid" by locals and some savvy marketing firm - is still a work in progress, but it easily offers enough new diversions for a Sacramento weekend that have nothing to do with Gold Rush history or gargantuan shopping malls. The whole of the Grid is about 2 square miles, but at its center are about 24 square blocks (from 16th to 24th and from J Street to Capitol Avenue) that offer an accessible concentration of hip bistros and shops, including one intersection from which a well-thrown baseball could hit two funky coffeehouses, a wine-tasting shop and adjacent bar, three eclectic boutiques and four restaurants that would rate well by San Francisco standards.

Among the newer businesses is Newsbeat, a magazine, candy and smoke shop on 20th Street that carries a mind-boggling array of titles (usually a positive sign about neighborhood sophistication). Owners Janis and Terence Lott had a downtown store, but closed it to move into the MARRS (Midtown Art Retail Restaurant Scene) building, a bunkerlike retail development built into a 1940s warehouse. Now it has umbrellas and a wooden deck that provides bistro dining and sipping for Peet's Coffee, Luigi's Pizza Parlor, Mexican restaurant Azul and, eventually, a chic lounge and restaurant to anchor it.

"We're very excited about it all," said Janis Lott. "We feel like we're right at the heartbeat of everything."

Why go now: This latest incarnation of this neighborhood is barely old enough for preschool, which means it's growing - in size and sophistication - without yet succumbing to the pretentious crowds and the insufferable trendiness typically associated with an "arts district."

Backstory: Much of the renaissance can be attributed to new mixed-use loft housing that has sprouted in the past year or two (including two projects that filled what had been longtime vacant lots), as well as to savvy retail developers making sure that the young professionals who move in have a sophisticated selection of restaurants and shops.

Checking in: Lodging is relatively sparse, save for the cookie-cutter chains nearby that cater to conventioneers. Amber House Bed and Breakfast was highly recommended, but was booked for my weekend. I stayed instead at the Residence Inn Capitol Park (Marriott) near the east end of the park. A little pricy, but includes full breakfast, free wireless access and a full kitchen - which comes in handy with refrigerating and reheating leftovers from the previous night's bistro-hopping.

Spend your day: Start off at Plum Blossom Chinese Stir-Fried and Bakery Express (slogan: "Authentic yet progressive") for coffee and all manner of buns, from cheese to spicy beef to pineapple. Stroll over to Capitol Avenue and turn toward the state Capitol, making sure to notice the wealth of vintage homes - Queen Anns, California-style bungalows, Arts and Crafts cottages - including an impressive number converted to businesses, including law firms, yoga studios, salons and tattoo parlors. After spending a little time in Capitol Park (technically not in the Grid, but worth the brief detour), head to Capitol and 18th Street for outdoor lunch at Crepeville or Paesanos, taking time to admire outdoor seating at five restaurants at the intersection. Survey the snacking and shopping options at the MARRS building over at 20th and J streets, but return to get an afternoon java at the funky Old Soul Co. coffeehouse, a former warehouse where the baking is a spectator event (no walls separating kitchen from lounge). Browse the shelves at Zanzibar Trading Company (Buddhas and candles) and the French-themed Le Petit Paris (French stuff), and do a little wine-tasting at 58 Degrees on 18th Street before dinner at Zócalo.

Dining: Zócalo is a gorgeous, upscale eating place built into a 1930s car dealership that prides itself on its decor (all artwork and design by Guadalajara, Mexico, artist Ernesto Cruz), its authentic and modern dishes and a truly impressive margarita menu. During the day and on warm nights, the staff opens the giant windows, making even the interior feel like outdoor seating. (Guides labeled Eat the Grid and Shop the Grid are available at most businesses, although quite a few good restaurants are not listed in Eat the Grid, so don't rely solely on its recommendations.)

Don't miss: The Second Saturday Art Walk, a rollicking gallery and boutique event that started small but now requires closed-off streets and crowd control.

Don't bother: Skip Old Town Sacramento on this trip. Relax, stroll and dine with the locals instead.

Word to the wise: Parking is strictly monitored and can be a mess around lunchtime. Leave the car at the hotel (if possible) and walk everywhere

[Pistola916]

I also wrote a story earlier in the semester for the San Francisco State magazine on Midtown. Good to see my hometown growing up.

[Majin]

Uh, "The Grid" refers to DT and MT, not just MT.

[wburg]

Nice story, but yeah, the "grid" is the entire old city: from the train tracks to Broadway, from the river to Alhambra.

I'd beg to differ about the idea that Sacramento was a cultural wasteland up until a couple of years ago: there was plenty of stuff going on, but most people just didn't hear about it. Most of the people behind Sacramento's current bounce into the public eye are folks who have done things here for decades--like Newsbeat, which has always had that mind-boggling array of magazines, they were just downtown rather than midtown.

[otnemarcaS]

Skip Old Town Sacramento? Looks like Old Sac needs to step it up else lose their spot as Sac's top tourist attraction. Nah, like SF's Fisherman's wharf and Pier 39, there'd always be tourists mingling around stores selling cheap t-shirts and the like. I watched a play last weekend at Delta King at about 2pm and Old Sac was absolutely crowded with folks walking around everywhere.

[TowerDistrict]

Yeah, all comments and articles about Sacramento by an outside source have to begin with a backhanded compliment. It's a big brother type of mentality. The article was cute. It's nice to see Midtown get some deserving attention.

The "grid" mistake is an understandable one too - It sounds like the author was paying attention to a lot of the promotional material that the Midtown Grid puts out. And they primarily cover Midtown, with a few Downtown exceptions. They really do a good job at it too, obviously.

[Majin]

Originally Posted by TowerDistrict

Yeah, all comments and articles about Sacramento by an outside source have to begin with a backhanded compliment. It's a big brother type of mentality.

I agree.

Stop sending SF money damn it, you're just feeding their mentality. Stop visiting SF, in fact don't cross Solano/Yolo county line. Don't buy their news papers, don't support anything that comes out of that place. Keep it in the family. Keep it Sactown.

Don't even mention them on this forum again.

[wburg]

San Francisco have to justify the ungodly rents they pay somehow--thus their assumption of the basic uninhabitability of any city outside their 7x7.

As much as Econgrad will razz me for saying it, I will give the influx of urban transplants (and suburban visitors) credit for something: they provide customers! Sacramento has always had its interesting creative outlets, but growing beyond a certain size or attracting people to those outlets was always a challenge. It was simply assumed that there was no way Sacramento could have any sort of cutting-edge entertainment, even when we did, because, well, because it was in Sacramento.

Folks washing out from the Bay Area and Los Angeles come in expecting to spend money being entertained, and once local creative folks realized the market was expanding, they started working to take advantage of it. There's a trope called the "creative class," basically the new "yuppie," consisting of professionals who like to spend money being entertained. In many ways, perhaps the name "consumive class" is more appropriate, in that they consider themselves to be creative by the quantity and hipness of creative entertainment that they consume (in the form of clothing, food, music, etcetera.) Now, in some ways, appealing to this class of customer requires a certain amount of 'selling out' in that you are sometimes marketing to an audience instead of creating for your own muse. But for the artist a bit sick of playing to empty rooms, it provides an opportunity to make more of a living off of one's art.

So, for the real creative class, looking at the incoming waves of manscaped urban hepcats can produce both a certain angst at the increase in rents, crappy parking, and the sense of invasion, and also the opportunity to harvest the mighty crop of cash that these newcomers bring to town.

[TowerDistrict]

Heh... you always sound so apologetic for Sacramento's more recent success.

Not that I don't get what you're saying. Most of these types of articles are willfully ignorant of the past but how else can they claim they discovered "it" first, if "it" was always happening?

[econgrad]

No razzing from me wburg. I will just sit back and be happy for our inner City! It's good to read a positive article....

[SactownRob]

Boy, when it rains it pours...

Sacramento heats up
Lively arts, restaurant, nightlife scene make it a trendy destination
By Linda Zavoral / San Jose Mercury News
May 18, 2008

Suddenly, Sacramento is a Destination. Some may credit movie star-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for raising the profile of California's capital, but the renaissance actually started long before that. Thousands of young professionals, artists and chefs have been moving there over the past decade - and they've shunned the suburbs in favor of an urban existence.
Now, the town that used to snooze at 5 p.m. when state employees streamed out of the parking garages has one of the state's hottest restaurant scenes, half a dozen wine bars (including one at the airport), new boutique hotels, a thriving arts and theater community, and not one but two slick city magazines (Sacramento and Sactown).

Here are the hot spots to hit on a summer getaway:

THE TRENDY TABLES

Upscale dining
Fabulous restaurants near the Capitol may soon outnumber the lobbyists. At the new and wildly popular Ella Dining Room and Bar (11th and K streets), buzz is the operative word: From the open kitchen to the party-of-12 tables to the speed-walking staff, this is one chic hive of culinary activity. Try the wood-grilled specialties and the designer cocktails. Other culinary and architectural standouts: Mason's at the Park Downtown (1116 15th St.); Restaurant 55 Degrees (555 Capitol Mall); Spataro (1415 L St.); Bistro 33 Midtown (1020 16th St.).
For high-end steaks and chops: The Broiler (1201 K St.); Chops (1117 11th St.); Esquire Grill (1213 K St.); Morton's (521 LSt.).

Budget-friendly
Three of the newer Midtown eateries appeal to families: At 2416 J St., Chicago Fire, owned by an Illinois expatriate, serves up deep dish and thin crust nightly from 4 p.m. on. Fins Market & Grill (1901 S St.) specializes in fresh seafood; at $7.95, the calamari and salmon sandwiches are a deal. Suzie Burger, in a restored service station at 29th and P streets, aims to re-create the '50s drive-in experience with hamburgers, hot dogs and fresh-squeezed lemonade.

Wine bars
Pair small dishes or entrees with any number of wines by the glass at the L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen (1801 L St.) and 58 Degrees and Holding Co. (1217 18th St.). In Old Sacramento, the Discover California! Wine Bar (114 J St.) showcases small, boutique wineries from throughout the state. Even Sacramento International Airport passengers can swirl and sip: Vino Volo pours wine flights daily in Terminal A.

Capital classics
Biba (the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna); Ernesto's (order the carnitas); the Firehouse (elegance in Old Sac); Frank Fat's (Chinese with a side of politics); Paragary's (introduced the capital to California cuisine).

THE ARTS AND FESTIVAL SCENE

Sacramento Jazz Jubilee
What started 35 years ago as a traditional jazz festival has evolved into a celebration of many genres: blues, Latin, zydeco, big band, swing, Western swing, gospel and ragtime. This year's Jubilee will present 110 bands over the long Memorial Day Weekend (May 23-26) at 32 venues throughout Old Sacramento and downtown. Headlining is New Orleans jazz-funk trumpeter Kermit Ruffins and his Barbecue Swingers. Daily tickets, $20-$40. Details: www.sacjazz.com.

Second Saturday Art Walk
Sacramento's pleasant summer evenings lend themselves to strolling - and the city's art galleries are happy to oblige by throwing open their doors on the second Saturday night of each month. Most of the action is in Midtown. Upcoming dates: June 14, July 12, Aug. 9. Find a map, guide and parking tips at http://2nd-sat.com.

Sacramento French Film Festival
Francophiles can view new French film releases as well as showings of French classics in the renovated Crest Theatre downtown. All films are shown with English subtitles. This year's event runs July 18-27. Details: sacramentofrenchfilmfestival.org.

Gold Rush Days
It takes 200 tons of dirt to bring the Gold Rush to life. Yep, those were dusty days, so they cover the paved streets of Old Sacramento, then bring in an array of "living history" characters - gold miners, gunslingers, musicians, soldiers, card sharps, saloon girls, temperance union scolds - to help turn back the hands of time. Kids can pan for gold, play games. Details: Aug. 29-Sept. 1. Free admission. www.discovergold.org.

Capital classics
Music Circus (theater in the round) and the B Street Theatre; California State Fair (Aug. 15-Sept. 1); California State Railroad Museum (don't miss the Pullman sleeping car); Crocker Art Museum (on until July 27: four centuries of nudes); and Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A baseball).

A PRIMER ON VISITING SACRAMENTO

If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, Amtrak's Capitol Corridor travels from San Jose to Sacramento - and stops right next to Old Sacramento, making it convenient for Jazz Jubilee fans and others. Schedules, rates: www.capitolcorridor.org.
Downtown vs. Midtown
Both areas are just north of Interstate 80. Downtown runs from the Sacramento River/Old Sacramento to 16th Street. The area known as Midtown - or "the grid" to the hip crowd - consists of the blocks from 16th Street east to the Capital City Freeway (Business Interstate 80).
Where to eat
Many of the restaurants listed on Page 1TR are participating in the second annual Sacramento Wine & Dine, June 7-14. This event allows diners to sample three- to four-course dinners at a discount. For a full list, check www.sacramentowineanddine.com.
Need more options? We enjoy (and trust) the reviews by the Sacramento Bee's team of Mike Dunne (fine dining) and Allen Pierleoni (casual dining). Find them at www.sacbee.com. under Entertainment, then Dining.

Where to stay
In the downtown/Midtown areas
Amber House Bed and Breakfast Inn, 1315 22nd St., two historic mansions. (800) 755-6526, www.amberhouse.com.
Embassy Suites, 100 Capitol Mall, is on the Sacramento River, next to Old Sacramento. (916) 326-5000, www.sacramento.embassysuites.com.
Holiday Inn Capitol Plaza, 300 J St., near Old Sacramento. (916) 446-0100, www.holidayinnsacramento.com.
Hyatt Regency, 1209 L St., across from the state Capitol. (916) 443-1234, www.sacramento.hyatt.com.
The Inn & Spa at Parkside, 2116 Sixth St., in a 1936 mansion. (800) 995-7275, www.innatparkside.com.
Marriott Residence Inn at Capitol Park, 1501 L St. (916) 443-0500, www.marriott.com/sacdt.
Sheraton Grand Sacramento, 1230 J St., located next to the convention center. (916) 447-1700, www.sheraton.com/sacramento.
Coming soon: A boutique property by Joie de Vivre, the Citizen Hotel, will open this fall at 926 J St. Details: www.jdvhotels.com.
New hotels in other areas
Le Rivage, 4350 Riverside Blvd., is a new luxury hotel along the riverfront, a couple of miles south of Old Sacramento. (916) 443-8400, www.lerivagehotel.com.
Lion's Gate Hotel & Cottage Suites, 3410 Westover St., Bldg. 150, is on the grounds of the former McClellan Air Force Base. (916) 643-6222, www.lionsgatehotel.com.

Deals, discounts
The Sacramento Gold Card, available free to all guests of participating hotels, offers an assortment of savings. Among them:
• Two-for-one admissions: Aerospace Museum of California, California Museum for History, Women and the Arts, California State Indian Museum, California State Railroad Museum, Crocker Art Museum, Discovery Museum Gold Rush History Center, Esquire Imax Theatre, Fairytale Town, Governor's Mansion State Historic Park, Sacramento Theatre Company, Sacramento Zoo, Sutter's Fort State Historic Park, Towe Auto Museum.
• Discounts: Escape Sacramento Tours, Hysterical Walks & Rides, River Cats baseball, Sacramento River Train.
• Restaurant discounts: Fourth Street Grille, Brew It Up! Brewery and Grill, Brookfields, Chops Steak Seafood, Esquire Grill, Hard Rock Cafe, Paragary's, Pyramid Ale House, Rio City Cafe, Spataro.
Tourism info
The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau maintains a calendar of events and lots of other helpful information on its Web site, www.discovergold.org. Phone (800) 292-2334.
- Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, (408) 920-5960, [email protected]

[wburg]

TD: Perhaps because I consider it a qualified, limited sort of success, one that came with certain costs. And perhaps because I don't rule out that some of the folks moving here are creative in their own right (nothing draws artists like cheap rent.) Articles like this often suggest that the influx of Bay Areans brought the gift of culture to us unwashed dirt merchants in Sacramento, which naturally gets on my nerves.

That, and the bit about people hardly noticing the trees and Victorians kinda sticks in my craw. The trees and the Victorians are, in my profoundly subjective opinion, two of the main reasons why Midtown works and downtown doesn't.

[wburg]

Okay, I posted the above post before the new article went up...I should note that I'm referring to the one posted on Saturday the 17th in the above post. Although the "Bay Areans moving to Sacramento in the past decade" is featured prominently in this article too...the only real incongruity is that the author doesn't realize that downtown Sacramento is *south* of I-80, it is Highway 50 that runs south of downtown and the freeway that connects 50 back to 80 is Business Loop 80 and not the interstate...and he's apparently also buying into the "midtown, not downtown, equals 'the grid'" nonsense.

[TowerDistrict]

When I'm out and about, it seems less like Bay Areans clammoring to grab a piece of Sacramento, and more like Sacramentans who just discovered their own city again. And I like that.

If Downtown/Midtown attracted just 5% of the City's population to come out each weekend - we would have first, second, third and fourth Saturdays. Maybe even businesses open on Sundays too!