Sacramento Film & Music Festival

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:22:07 +0000

It’s the 11th year of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival and it’s probably about time you attended. The ten day festival starts on July 23rd at the Crest Theatre and features all kinds of great performances in both film, music and art. Check out the schedule, buy some tickets and take in a little local [...] See more

Hang at the Crocker

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:30:43 +0000

This cow I drew and named “Dottie” will soon make an appearance the the new Crocker Art Museum. You have one day left to become a member and get your art displayed as part of Hang at the Crocker so hurry up! Sorry for the late notice. The hugely expanding museum reopens on 10/10/10. See more

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Sacramento Wine & Dine!

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:31:19 +0100

Calling all foodies, wine connoisseurs, fortune-hunters, nomads, and fiscal conservatives. From July 2-11, Sacramento’s premier restaurants will be offering 3 to 4-course menus with wine pairings starting as low as $25 per person during our annual Wine & Dine!

This is the time to experience Sacramento dining and actually try the restaurants you drive by on your way to work but only window shop and sigh because it doesn’t seem like the responsible choice of spending. Like the red tag sales at Macy’s we eagerly await, this is the foodie/wine sale for all of Sacramento locals and visitors to enjoy.

Restaurants from Old Sacramento to downtown, Midtown to Roseville, El Dorado Hills, Granite Bay, Folsom, Woodland and Plymouth are participating in this years Wine & Dine.

Pan Seared Salmon (Cafeteria 15L), Grilled 8oz Prime Angus Sirloin (Chops), Roasted Chicken Breast stuffed with Parmesan risotto and asparagus (Ten 22), Blueberry Pistachio Encrusted Lamb Rack (Enotria)…are you salivating!? Map out your dining conquest at www.sacramentowineanddine.com where you can check out all the restaurants, menus, wine offerings, and make reservations.

Whether it's a girl's night out, a date night, or simply an addition to your Sacramento nightlife, everyone should take advantage of Wine & Dine week:

Girl’s Night!
Girlfriends, wine, food, and chocolate desserts: the unconditional love of every woman’s life. Take advantage of this opportunity and plan a girl’s night (or a few for that matter) that embrace all of our favorites. Make sure to check out the dark chocolate smores at Sienna Restaurant!

Single? Now’s the Time to Mingle
Looking to impress that special someone you’ve had your eye on? Take her to a four-star restaurant such as Ella or Grange for half the price! Engage in good conversation over a few glasses of great wine from various wineries in California and don’t go broke doing it.

Date Night with the Wife
Getting a babysitter and deciding where and what you want to do is often overwhelming for the average family goer. The mere thought of getting out the door to go on a date exhausts you in itself. But every couple needs a little alone time, so, don’t make excuses. www.sacramentowineanddine.com  makes it easy: find a restaurant nearby, look at the menus, the wines, the price points, choose your favorite and make reservations all through the click of your mouse.

Baby Booming Venture
You love your food and wine, you know your food and wine, and you’re always looking for new culinary experiences. Use this time to explore Sacramento’s dining scene and viticulture stemming from Napa Valley and Gold Country wineries. Ten days of Wine & Dine equals 10 opportunities for you to cash in on. Map out your dining destinations and explore the city you live in (or if you're not from here) plan the perfect Sacramento culinary vacation!

Whatever your situation may be, check out www.sacramentowineanddine.com, and make sure to post comments about your experience(s).

Keeping it Real in Sacramento

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 20:00:00 +0100

If you’re like me, you are always in search of the real deal. It’s what makes me choose locally owned over mass-produced, independent stores over chains, an actual walk instead of a spin on the treadmill and so on. Of course, it’s clearly impossible to avoid the fake stuff.

We have created a fake world around us. From lip-synched concerts to jeans with factory-manufactured holes in them, authenticity is harder to find than ever.

In Joel Achenbach’s essay of the same name, he coined the term “Creeping Surrealism.” He was moved to create the term after contemplating some store-bought cookies that were designed to look homemade. Somewhere along the way, Pepperridge Farm actually had to design a machine that purposely would make uneven edges to mimic a handmade product. How weird is that? Don’t you still know that you’re eating a factory-produced cookie.


“Creeping surrealism” has crept well in to the world of tourism.

This was never more obvious to me than on a recent trip I just took.  It was theme park after theme park and chain restaurant after chain restaurant.

The week I spent away made me appreciate Sacramento more than ever.

Sure, we don’t have major theme parks, but we have something better: A soul.

There’s a real city with real people in Sacramento.  When you walk into a bar that looks like an Old West saloon, there’s a good chance that, at some point, it really was an Old West saloon. If you want to pan for gold, take a short drive to Coloma and experience the real Gold Country and actual gold panning. I’m not saying everything is authentic in Sacramento – we have our fair share of standards – but there is more than enough “real” city to give you a true sense of being somewhere.

Our restaurants have real chefs who control their own menus based on the real and actual produce grown just miles down the road. Our best water park is the real and actual river. Our big hotel that looks like a boat actually is a boat. Our biggest tour attraction, the Capitol building, is filled with real and actual politicians doing real and actual political work – more or less.

When you visit Sacramento, you’ll get a real experience in a real city that wants to show you a good time. There’s a lot to be said for that.

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The Serenity of Trees

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:38:02 +0000

Photos of Greater Sacramento & Northern California Trees See more

These are a Few of My Favorite Things…

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:21:24 +0000

If I could write a song about wine, this would be my first line. But it’s taken already, isn’t it? More reason to get back to the tasting of wine, rather than the singing about it. And ’tis the right time, for the golden state wine competition has just revealed its winners! The California State [...] See more

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