Biba & Babies

Eight or nine years ago, my mom was a bone marrow donor for a complete stranger. She had put her name on a registry in the late 80's and was called to duty. It was a painful procedure (she says it wasn't bad but I cry at paper cuts) but I'll spare you the details since this isn't a medical blog! Anyway, she had the procedure done at Sutter Medical Center and once she was released my father took her, my grandmother and me to Biba for a celebratory dinner. To me it was a huge deal because I'd loved Biba Caggiano's cooking show and Biba herself is a cancer survivor. I remember the meal being delicious but mostly I remember Biba coming to our table to tell my mom she was proud of what she had done.

Almost a decade later, I recently went back to Biba. This time, instead of dinner it was six friends, a baby and lots of wine! It may come as a surprise to some, but Biba has a fabulous happy hour. You won't find shot specials and the decor is a bit... mature! But the specials are perfect for anyone's happy hour budget. The drink menu consists of $5 classy cocktails like Manhattans and half price wines. I had a Matchbook Temperanillo for $5 which was wonderful. We shared a bunch of $5 appetizers, including calamari, gnocchi with Gorgonzola cream sauce and bruschetta topped with seared tuna and pesto. Yum!

The bartender was really friendly and made delicious drinks. Our server was really accommodating even when the dining room got busy she was still back-and-forth to the lounge attending to our every need. There's a lot to be said for amazing service!

I think Baby Blake enjoyed happy hour too! While the girls were sipping red while, he had his own bottle of "house white!"

So, if dinner at Biba seems a little extravagant, head over for happy hour. You'll get a taste of the incredible food and service the restaurant is known for without breaking the bank!

Back After A Long Hiatus

Here's your new and improved Happy Hour List:

http://sachappyhour.blogspot.com/2007/10/cheers.html

Cin Cin!

Biba has started a weekday happy hour that looks like it's not to be missed!

Monday through Friday
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

$5 cocktails: Absolut Vodka Martini, Lemon Drop, Ruby Slipper, Makers Mark Manhattan
1/2 price glasses of Sauvignon Blanc,Pinot Grigio, Tempranillo, Merlot
$5 small plates: Calamari Fritti, Housemade Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce, Grilled Caggiano Italian Sausage on Soft Polenta, Bruschetta, Seafood Cakes

It's time to start thinking about New Year's Eve. If you're like me, it's one of those holidays you'd rather avoid. But you can't. So why not drink and dance the night away--perhaps with some new friends (especially some new friends that might provide that ever-so-important midnight kiss?) Meetup.com has great activies (although I'll admit I've never been to one), and the Downtown group just sent the email below (I cut and paste for you!). Sounds like fun. If I wasn't already going to Mother Hips at Marilyns, I might look into it.

From Marsh's email:

Announcing a new Meetup for Downtown/Midtown!

What: New Decade New Year's Eve Party!

When: December 31, 2009 9:00 PM

Price: $59.00 per person

Where:
Masonic Temple
1123 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

The Downtown/Midtown Meetup & Friends cordially requests the pleasure of your company at our
2010 New Year's Eve Gala!
A Celebration of Wine, Music, and Dance

MUST BE 21 TO ATTEND!

Sacramento's premiere New Year's Eve Gala will be held at the Elegant Masonic Temple located in downtown Sacramento. Join us for an unforgettable night as you ring in the New Year! Don't miss this incredible value as we close out the first decade of the 21st Century in style!

Upscale or Cocktail Attire Requested
Thursday, December 31st at 9:00PM

Please reserve your tickets soon. Ticket prices go up on December 26th!
ADMISSION INCLUDES OPEN BAR & UPSCALE APPETIZERS!
Tickets are only $59 | $69 after 12/26 l $79 at the door

You do not need a date to attend: Both singles and couples will attend the gala. Whether you come by yourself or with friends, you will have a wonderful time!

Enjoy an evening of great music and dancing

Listen to the Upbeat sounds of Sacramento's favorite jazz band - Midtown Jazz while you mix and mingle from 9:00 to 10:30pm. At 10:30 pm DJ Greg of A Special Request will spin the classics from the 70's and 80's. He'll also play a medley of slow jams for the romantics in the crowd.

About the Venue
The Sacramento Masonic Temple has been the location of choice for hundreds of weddings, holiday parties and banquets, the stunning 8,000 square foot room accommodates up to 600 for cocktails and hor d'oeuvres. It is the largest venue in Sacramento and is conveniently located near the State Capitol.
The Sacramento Masonic Temple offers convenient parking and easy access to Interstate 5

Please note that all online ticket sales are final. No refunds.
We are unable to offer refunds or cancellations once a ticket has been purchased.
Tickets will be released at the entrance only to the person who purchased the tickets upon presenting photo ID.
This gala will sell out! Please note that all attendees must be 21 or over to attend.

Our open bar includes wines from the following local wineries:
Vino Con Brio Winery
Perry Creek Winery
Nine Gables Winery
Terre D'oro
It will also include a selection of upscale beer from one of Sacramento's better Breweries.

Appetizers!

Experience the taste of the Mediterranean.
In addition to our open bar and midnight champagne toast, Chef Elias owner of Tony's Deli will prepare delectable appetizers representing the flavors and culinary traditions of the Mediterranean for you to experience and enjoy.
Menu
Jumbo Prawns on Ice with Cocktail Sauce/Lemon Wedges
Oysters in the Half Shell on Ice
Smoked Salmon (Lox) with all the trimmings
Mediterranean stuffed Grape leaves
Mediterranean Ravioli Salad
Assorted Imported & Domestic Cheese with Assorted Crackers & Baguettes
Deluxe Vegetable Platter (In season Vegetables)
Cajun Sausage
Mild or Spicy Italian Sausage
Italian or Swedish Meatballs

Please note that all hosted service, both appetizers and wine & beer will stop at Midnight.

No Host cocktails will continue to be served after that.

OPTIONAL SERVICES
Can't find someone to watch your children?
Use our nanny service. Your child will celebrate new years in a separate area on the premises which will only be accessible by parents who use the service. We'll have a play area set-up for your children's enjoyment.
$20 first child, $10.00 for each additional child. Ages 3 to 14.

NEED A RIDE HOME?

To insure you arrive home safely we'll provide end of night shuttle service, with next day pickup to retrieve your car- $20 roundtrip (15 minute radius of the Masonic Temple)

Valet Service $10
Coat Check $2

To book your limousine ride call 916-922-5466

We'll offer special hotel rates-TBA

We're partnering with the following meetup groups to make this event a success:
Single in Sacramento
Addicted to Adventure

MUST BE 21 TO ATTEND!

Learn more here:
http://www.meetup.com/downtown/calendar/11996962/

Hashi Specials

Hashi has some great specials for these "tough economic times." Aside from their very filling $7.50 lunch bento box (miso, steamed rice, 2 gyoza, salad and your choice of two other items), they have $1 handroll night on Monday and $1 nigiri night on Tuesday. The nigiri is limited to about 12 fish choices and there are about eight handroll options. On Wednesdays they have half-off selected rolls. Their regular happy hour isn't too shabby either: $3 well and drafts and $3 - $6 food specials. I can't find their website, but they're located at 2110 L Street in Sacramento, formerly Stonegrill.

Dine Downtown for $30

Been wanting to try a new Sacramento restaurant, but don't want to spend a fortune? Dine Downtown week starts on January 8th. For 10 days you can try a three-course meal for $30 a person. Restaurants include Biba, Ella, Cosmo Cafe, the Grange and Mulvaney's. A full list - some with menus - is at this link.

Paragary's Starts Happy Hour

Paragary's is kicking off a new happy hour from 4:30 to 7:30 weeknights! 7:30!! That's awesome! There aren't a lot of details other than food and drinks start at $3! Check it out here.

Fresh from Facebook

I'm a fan of a lot of midtown restaurants and bars on Facebook, and occasionally I get wind of some great specials. Here's a few from the past couple of days.

• Magpie Caterers has happy hour from 3:00 to 6:00 with $5 Pliny the Elder pints and $4 bites.
• You really can't beat Selland's weekly dinner and wine special. From today through Saturday, get Enchiladas for Two with Ground Beef, Cheddar Cheese and Green Chiles with a Bottle of Spanish Tempranillo for $25.
• And finally, deVere's Irish Pub is having Firestone Fridays - $3 Firestone pints in addition to their regular happy hour specials, from 1:30 to 6:30.

Let's Talk about Parlare

I first went to Parlare on 10th Street a couple of years ago. I wasn't overly impressed, nor did I walk out unhappy. It just didn't do much for me.

Now there is a definite reason to go on Tuesday nights! It's $2 Tuesday till 7:00 and they aren't skimping on the $2 items. For just two bucks you can get house wine, beer, margaritas, mojitos, sangria and I think some sort of bubbly. The food options are equally impressive, including: hummus, artichoke/jalapeno dip, coconut shrimp, a couple of different bruschettas and the crowd favorite last Tuesday - BBQ pork sliders. Five girlfriends and I went and the bill didn't exceed $40! That's about $7 each for more than one drink each and a buffet of appetizers.

There is a catch, of course. In my previous post I wrote about the balance of service and cost. This past Tuesday the service was very slow BUT it was a full house with one bartender working upstairs and one guy running food from the kitchen. They didn't pretend the service wasn't slacking - they were appropriately apologetic and you could tell they were working really hard to keep up with the guests. I guess I'm a little more understanding when there's an acknowledgement of the problem.

What are your thoughts on $2 Tuesday?

Deals vs. Service

When it comes to happy hour, or any visit to a bar or restaurant, what is more important? Great value for the product or great service? Last night I went to Lounge on 20's happy hour with a couple of friends.

First the good news, the place was pretty empty - though it was 5:30 on a Wednesday. Their happy hour special consists of $3 - $6 appetizers (price is progressive depending on the time of the order) and $5 martinis, wine, champagne and their cocktail of the day and $4 selected beers. Last night's cocktail was a yummy tequila concoction with pomegranate and lime complements. It was strong enough where you could taste the alcohol, but it wasn't overwhelming, blending perfectly with the tartness of the fruit flavors. It was definitely worth the $5. The cheese plate, with two minuscule slices of cheese and a dollop or two of what I thought was canned cranberry sauce, wasn't so pleasing. However, the $5 fried macaroni and cheese appetizer was yummy! The cheese and noodle-filled balls were served with a creamy cheese sauce and the portion was enough for more than one person to enjoy. We ordered two servings and basically had a full serving to take home in a doggy bag!

Now the bad news, the service was awful. Our server appeared at the table without any knowledge of what the beer or cocktail of the day was. She said they hadn't printed the new menus yet so she couldn't give us one, yet she didn't have any information memorized in order to share it. I never got the water I ordered until another server came over and asked if I wanted one (remember this lady for later). When our server came back with the beer info, it ended up being the wrong info. When our check came (which we had to ask the second server to get for us), we had been overcharged for three of the appetizers. I explained this to our server, who cheerily agreed to fix it, only to come back with a revised check that only corrected one of the three pricing errors. Oh, and server #2 was the only person to refill our water at any time during the evening.

I spent about $16 for a share of three appetizers, a cocktail and a beer. Not too shabby. But I couldn't get past how inadequate the service was - especially at a place that aims to be on the classier side (they don't allow flip flops, for example). I spent six years as a server and bartender so I get that it's not as easy as some people may think, but because of that experience I think I expect more. What about you?

Have you had good experiences at Lounge on 20? Is it your feeling that "you get what you pay for" and at happy hour service isn't as important? Have you ever refused to return somewhere after having bad service? Let's hear about it!

Prix Fixe

Everyone's getting into the prix fixe dinners these days! I was alerted to two more dinner specials today.

First up, Zocalo! The popular Mexican spot is offering "2 for $20 Tuesdays." That's one appetizer, two entrees and one dessert for $20. Not too shabby, considering the menu has many options including ceviche, nachos, tacos, enchiladas and, of course, flan. I don't understand how people enjoy that, but I like boxed macaroni and cheese. Moving on...

Biba is also offering a new $12 prix pixe lunch (Tuesday through Friday) and $28 prix fixe dinner menu (Monday through Thursday), which changes every day. There are a lot of delicious options on the menu, from seafood risotto to filet mignon, and may be my best chance of dining at Biba anytime soon!

Quick Bites

Esquire Grill has unrolled a new Happy Hour special, "5 for $6 till 7:00." Five cocktails, five wines by the glass and five appetizers are only $6 until... well, I think you get it. Cocktails include Key Lime and Basil Sapphire martinis and the appetizers look pretty yummy.

More details here.

Also, Tuli Bistro has added an "Afternoon Delight" menu. From 2:30 to 5:00 on weekdays, there will be selected beer ($2) and wine ($5) specials as well as Chef's Tasting Boards, which include your choice of tasty bites ranging from risotto balls to a variety of cheeses and meat selections.

You can check out those details here.

World Class Travel?

Sunday's New York Times Travel page will have a great article about spending 36 hours in Sacramento. I thought their assessment of our fair city was pretty fair -- although they seemed to only hit the hot spot eateries (ie expensive) with the exception of Tower Cafe.

You can find the article here.

What do you think? If you had a friend coming from out of town for only 36 hours where would you take them?

Eating Through Asia

I had an unbelievably delicious slice of Zachary's pizza today for my first meal back in the States. The crust was flaky, the cheese was gooey and the tomatoes were chunky and just sweet enough. I'm really looking forward to a good Mexican meal in the next day or two.

However, the Asian food I've been eating the last two weeks has been out of this world! Unfortunately, I started taking photos a little too late in my journey to get pictures of everything. I started and ended (and spent a little time in between) in Singapore, where you can basically get any Asian cuisine you want - Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern - it's all there and it's all good! The best place to get inexpensive and yummy food was on the street. Hawker stands are everywhere and the selection is a little mind-boggling. One of my favorites was this noodle dish with a side of soup dumplings (there's soup inside!). The noodle guy makes the noodles by hand while you're standing there. It's amazing to watch. I've seen in twice and I still can't figure it out. The noodles are cooked with bok choy and topped with a savory pork sauce. The dumpling contains a hot soup and some meat. It's like inside out wanton soup!

I've had a lot of Chinese food in my day, but this roasted chicken from a restaurant in Singapore's Chinatown had me wanting seconds and thirds - and it even has bones in it! The duck noodles on the side weren't half bad either.

Next stop, Cambodia! The signature dish is anok, which is white fish baked with coconut milk, chili and lemongrass inside a banana leaf. It was served with steamed rice and an icy cold beer. Yum!

Unsurprisingly, the Thai food was amazing in Thailand. I had more fried rice, pineapple rice, pad thai, pad see ew and other delightful noodle dishes that I probably shouldn't have starch again for the rest of my life. There were many chances to take photos of these dishes but I only remembered when I was halfway done with my chili cashew chicken noodles.

In Kuala Lumpur, I had my first taste of beef rendang. It's a dish traditionally prepared for Malaysian celebrations lowly cooked in coconut milk and spices - like ginger, lemongrass and chilies - for several hours. As most everything else, it's served with a side of steamed rice.

In KL's Chinatown, we had a delicious order of sizzling beef. It comes to the table, literally sizzling. Delish!

I had some other great dishes that I didn't have photos of - many of which included noodles. I love noodles. I don't have a photo, but satay is one of Malaysia's signature dishes as well. The peanut sauce is just a touch spicier than most places here in the US. I am also hoping to replicate a chili oil-based condiment that I fell in love with in Asia.

Bueller?

OK, this is kind of random post. (I know what you're thinking. "Carmen? Random? No....") Has anyone been to Morgan's Bar and Grill? That place in the really funky spot on 33rd and S? Anyway, was just looking at the Yelp post and I can't decide if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

Anyway, I'm hoping my readers will know (although you're probably hoping that I know). If you're interested in the randomness, let me know and we can meet for a $5 PBR pitcher on Sunday Funday. Or just tell me how it is.

If not, I suppose I can wait until Jennifer returns from Singapore and we'll give you an update.

Sunday Funday

Sunday Funday has become a ubiquitous term in Midtown this summer. I'm not sure who started it, but it is everywhere. While the days of meandering through Midtown neighborhoods on your cruiser may be over (due to the impending Northern California monsoon), there are still plenty of great deals and fun activities in Sacramento on Sundays. If you've survived your Saturday night, head out drinking on Sunday. Or fight that hangover with bottomless Mimosas.

This was my day yesterday (and I'm really glad I had today off for Columbus Day):

Brunch at Tuli Bistro. Ok, certainly not budget friendly, but holy cow was it good! Bottomless mimosas were a good deal at $8 per person. Their version of Eggs Benedict was so good I could have licked my plate. Jen's spicy goat cheese scramble looked delicious. The people at the table over had the breakfast pizza and the biscuits and gravy. I'm not sure Tuli can make anything that's not spectacular, and with brunch they really seem to have hit their stride. Super laid back, friendly service, and a beautiful day on the patio. I couldn't have asked for a better start to my day.

Jen and were on our bikes and headed over to Taylor's Kitchen for their weekly "Dick's Picks" wine tasting. I love this wine tasting. For $10 Richard Ebert, wine guy of Taylor's Market and Taylor's Kitchen, pours 6-8 of his current favorites. There's no real method to his madness, he just wants people to try something new. He's great--funny, friendly, loves to tell you about wine and quote Shakespeare. His wife is always there and she's super adorable. They have a great cheese and snack selection to munch on, and they are always willing to pour a little more if you haven't quite decided on a wine. Dick also picks wines that are super economical--I don't recall ever seeing anything over $20 on his list. Now, you may be asking why I would promote a $10 tasting when there are plenty of wineries around where you can taste for free (and I protest when they charge). I know Dick is going to pour something worthwhile. The wine is always good, the company is always fantastic, and they are always generous with the pours. It's totally worth the $10.

And more wine at 58 Degrees... Ok, it's no secret that my girlfriends and I love 58 on Sundays. Their no-corkage fee Sundays are a fabulous idea. Post not-so-great-Sac Bee review and perhaps in response to these tough economic times, 58 has reworked their food and wine menus. The result is more economical food choices (instead of the full cheese plate you can pick one or two, etc) and even cheaper wines. They have a few reds under $30 a bottle, which is a great deal normally, and on Sundays when you take $15 off the price it's a fantastic deal. Our service last night was still a little on the sketchy side, but there are some servers who really know their wine. Sit at the bar for the best service.

So, dear readers, what's your favorite Sunday spot?

When did it leave?

According to today's Sacramento Bee, happy hour is back in Sacramento. I didn't realize it had ever left! Check out the story for some specials.

New Happy Hour!

I love La Trattoria. I have to say, I haven't tried the Czech food yet, but the pizza is awesome. If I lived in East Sac I would be there daily. Ok, maybe weekly. Anyway, good news! La Trattoria now has happy hour Tuesday thru Friday, 3:30-5:30. In addition to beer specials all pizza is 25% off. That's reason enough to go for me!

Tough Economic Times

Since I can't afford to eat out, I'll just keep updating the Happy Hour list...

http://sachappyhour.blogspot.com/2007/10/cheers.html

Happy Hour in Singapore

Our good friend Katie is working in Singapore for a few months and she has a great blog chronicling her time in Southeast Asia. She spends a lot of time on the food... for good reason! Since her latest post was about happy hour, I'm linking to it here:

http://nealnewshere.blogspot.com/2009/08/longans-and-lychee-martinis.html

If you check it out, I'd be sure to find her post about chicken foot soup!