I Went Somewhere New!
You know that spot next to the Torch Club that has housed a bunch of disappointing bars over the years? Well, now it’s called Republic and I think this one might actually have a shot at succeeding.
Let me tell you why.
First off, it doesn’t have an awful name. Remember when “Dream” was there? What a dumb name that was. At no point could I ever picture myself saying “Hey, let’s meet at Dream.” Also, they’ve avoided falling in the pitfall of naming themselves after their address. So, even though I’m not sure to which republic they are referring (Czech? Banana?), I’m happy with the name. Plus, it gives me the chance to call myself a “republican” and my grandparents will like that.
Secondly, the place is big. They’ve knocked out a few more walls than the previous tenants and made room for a huge bar, pool tables and a bunch of arcade games…including skee-ball. Here I am celebrating a victory over lowly Glass Joe at Punch Out!
Also, they’ve teamed up with Drewski’s Hot Rod Kitchen. So if you like fried bacon mac & cheese balls and chicken & waffle sammiches dipped in maple syrup – and who doesn’t – this is an added bonus.
Oh and they have a bunch of tvs and that’s always a good thing..
There are some downsides though….
When I was playing skee-ball there the other day, there were only 3 skee-balls. Two skee-ball machines, and only 3 balls between them! So someone is swiping balls already. Or is that how it’s supposed to be? Also, in order to play, instead of hitting a button or inserting a quarter, you kinda just have to “hot wire” it by touching two bare wires together.
Oh and the machine I was playing on did not keep proper score.
Still, it’s just some free skee-ball, so it’s hard to get too upset over that.
What is upsetting is that my cocktail came in a plastic cup. Not like a disposable party cup, but like a thick plastic cup that looks like glass until you bring it to your disappointed lips. The beers come in real pint glasses, but the cocktails come in these awful things. Just doesn’t feel right.
Outside of that, the service was good, the food was sufficiently greasy and the atmosphere was surprisingly non-douchey. Of course, that could all change at any time, but I’ve got high hopes for this place right now…especially since it’s two blocks from the office!
Beer Week Barrels Forward
Well, we’ve reached the halfway point of Sacramento Beer Week 2012 and I’m still hanging in there. I had a bit of a rough start over the weekend when a ticket snafu kept me from the Capital Beer Fest, but I’m looking to make up for that this week. Here are just a few Beer Week observations I’ve made so far:
- I’ve never had Pliny the Younger, but people sure get excited about it. People track it down like treasure hunters. I’ve never even seen it though. It’s the Bigfoot of beer (not counting Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Ale). When I was at Alley Katz on Friday, every other person who came in asked if they had Pliny the Younger on tap. They didn’t. Rumors swirled about it being available at Pangaea for $70 a glass. Could that be true? Maybe they said $17 and I just misheard them since I wasn’t really part of the conversation, but was just eavesdropping. But even at $17, how good can this beer possibly be? I’m not buying into the hype. Anyone with $70 (or possibly $17) want to prove me wrong?
- I had my first Ruhstaller. This Sacramento beer is back from the dead (Mr. Ruhstaller himself, however, remains buried at the Old City Cemetery). I had a little number called the Captain and – hooboy – it’s a sippin’ beer. I think it took me over half an hour to drink a pint of it and I was a little sleepy afterwards, but I have no regrets. Tasty stuff.
- My main gripe with Beer Week still remains: Too many participating establishments don’t put in the effort. When I walk into a Beer Week establishment, I shouldn’t have to ask “So….what are you guys doing for Beer Week?” Put up a sign or something! Make it clear that there’s a special event going on and don’t just rebreand your regular ol’ happy hour as being a special Beer Week happy hour. You’re not fooling anyone.
- Coloma Brown from the new American River Brewing Company sure is one fine brew. Maybe it’s time to have a website or a functional facebook page, so I can see what your deal is, ARBC. I want to be friends!
- So far I’ve visited Ten22, Dive Bar, DeVere’s, Alley Katz, Hoppy Brewing Co, Socal’s and Ink. Not quite as many as I would have liked to have checked off my list, so I’ll be making up for lost time the rest of week.
- I’m on board for the Devere’s to Devere’s bike ride on Saturday. With the Handmade Bicycle Show at the convention center this weekend, this is really the perfect event to tie everything together. And the exercise will give me a chance to annoyingly say “Well, I earned this one!” every time I order a beer that day.
I’m not sure where I’ll hit tonight, but I’m sure I’ll be posting some dumb comments on twitter about it.
Enjoy the week!
Beer Fest Ticket Winners!
I gave you my malt,
my hops, my yeast and my love,
you gave me a gut
That’s the winning beerku from our little contest. It was written by Paul Domich and his whole family must be very proud. Congrats, Paul!
Four runners-up: Justin, Molly, Chris and Robert will be joining Paul at the Capital Beer Fest tomorrow. Have fun!
Sacramento Beer Week 2012
Everybody’s favorite 10-day week is back! Sacramento Beer Week runs from Feb. 24 to March 4 and it’s chock full of frosty goodness.
If ten days of beer-fueled fun isn’t enough, I’ve got a chance for you to earn a couple free tickets to the Capital BeerFest, Feb. 25th at Cal Expo. More on that later.
First, we here at Nick on the Town take Beer Week pretty seriously and the entire staff is dedicated to taking in at least one Beer Week event each day. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Wait, that came out wrong: It’s way easy.
My week will include the kickoff party at Ten22, sausage and beer pairings at Rubicon Brewing, Beer Trivia at River City Brewing, Bluegrass and Beer at Hoppy, Dive for Beer at the Dive Bar, Pint Night at Pyramid, 3-3-3-3-3 (whatever the heck that is) at The Porch, Farmers Market Dinner with beer pairings at Lucca, like 20 trips to Devere’s and whole bunch more. At least, that’s the plan for now.
The Beer Week event calendar is a bit daunting and if you need help navigating your way through it, I recommend checking back here or following me on the twitters. I’ll let you know who just running out their regular beer specials and trying to sell them as Beer Week events, and who’s actually putting the effort in to make Beer Week awesome.
Now, about those free tickets to the Capital BeerFest which is one of the area’s biggest and best beerfests of the whole year. We’re not just going to hand them to you because you like beer, we’re going to make you earn them by professing your love of beer through the ancient art of haiku. Please leave your finest beer-ku in the comment section of this post.
We’ll pick some winners first thing Friday morning, so let’s get those beer-kus in by 11:59pm on Thursday.
Oh, and if you’ve forgotten, a haiku has a 5-7-5 syllable pattern. And I don’t need some poetry specialist coming in and lecturing me about kireji, kigo and the difference between syllables and the Japanese on. We’re just going with the 5-7-5 thing. It’s Beer Week, let’s not ruin it by getting all intellectual.
I Finally Saw Wilco
What is it that makes a person stand up in a room full of seated people and do the patented “I’m spinning an invisible globe” hippie dance? I’d like to say that we may never know, but I think we all know the answer is “drugs.”
That answer can most likely also be applied to the question “Why – when an introspective acoustic number is being played – does someone always feel the need to give out a loud hoot and/or holler like they’re in a strip club”?
Both these things were going on last night at the Mondavi Center where I took in my first Wilco show. And that’s fine.
Mondavi is an odd choice for a rock and roll show because (more…)
Favorites from 2011
Trying to remember a whole year is super-difficult so I’m sure I’m leaving some great stuff off this list. Here’s my best shot at remembering the places and events that I liked most in 2011.
Favorite Restaurants
Magpie Café – I just love everything about this place and I’ve heard rumors about a new peanut butter cookie. It just keeps getting better.
Azul – I eat lunch here like three times a week.
Café Rolle – Finally ate here for the first time this year. I’ll be back.
Old Ironsides – Maybe the best lunch in town. Get the soup of the day – you won’t regret it.
The Porch – I know it just opened and southern food isn’t supposed to have a lot of avocados in it, but man, that po’ boy was delicious.
Pizza Rock – Amazing pizza makes up for the unfortunate Ed Hardy-esque theme.
Eastern Empire – By far my favorite Chinese restaurant in town. Go get yourself some Peking duck and flaming Polynesian cocktail.
Juno’s – This place is great on its own, but it’s even better when you consider that it took over the spot where the worst hot dog restaurant in the history of the world once stood (Urban Dog).
Thirteen – Another place that named itself after its address. We’re not bored with that yet? I’m gonna let it slide this time because the food is really good.
Capital Dawg – Stuff it with cheese, wrap it with bacon and deep fry it.
Café Marika – One of my worst fears is that someday the couple that runs Café Marika will retire. I hope they have a plan of succession.
Ella, Grange, Waterboy, etc. – Yeah, yeah, you’re all good too.
Restaurant Let-downs
Kupros Bistro – These guys started strong last year, but after a couple rotten meals and some weird service I’m done with them.
Hamburger Patties – The bar here has some good things going for it, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a sadder burger.
The Garlic Shack – We hardly knew ye.
Favorite Breakfast Spots
Lucky Café – I eat breakfast here every Wednesday. For reals.
Eggie’s – Almost worth the trip out to Fulton Ave.
Market Club – Hidden in an old produce shipping yard, this place comes through every time…except on Saturdays when they’re closed.
Alonzo’s – The best Mexican breakfast around.
Favorite Bars
Socal’s – I’ve been going here for over a decade now, but for some reason I went more frequently in 2011.
Clubhouse 56 – Even though they dropped the ball with my Movember Team, Club 56 still gets credit for being one of the best places that has tvs, drinks and decent food. Also, I totally dominate trivia night here…sometimes.
Cheaters – A change in my bike ride home meant a decrease in my time spent at Cheaters. Still a favorite though.
Espanol – The lounge at this old Italian restaurant is one of my favorite places in town.
De Vere’s – I just think this place is doing everything right. Not only is it a great bar, but the community involvement and charity of the owners makes you proud to pound Guinness and Jameson there.
R15- The perfect middle-of-the road meeting spot for friends, co-workers, whatever.
Zelda’s – the bar here is so great you almost forget about the pizza. Of course, that’s a lie, but the bar is actually really cool too.
Favorite Places I would go if I were Younger, Cooler and Better Looking
Mix – It’s on a rooftop fer crissakes!
Lounge on 20 – Looks fancy from outside.
District 30 – What goes on in there???
Miscellaneous Favorites
Ginger Elizabeth – If anything in Sacramento is “world class” it’s this chocolate shop.
The Beat – Someday soon The Beat won’t be there and Sacramento will be less cool for it.
The New Terminal B – I’m totally on board with new terminal at Sacramento International. I’m glad they put some local Sacramento restaurants in there. And I like the big, red bunny.
The Golden Cadillacs – I like this band every time I see them.
Jimmer Fredette- I know he’s looked pretty mediocre so far, but I’ve got a bad case of Jimmer Fever.
Sutter’s Fort – It’s a dang fort right in the middle of town! How cool is that?
The Crest Theater – Get out to the Crest more and you won’t be disappointed. There’s always something cool like a French Film Festival or a David Sedaris appearance going on.
The Whole Food Truck Thing: Drive some of that stuff to my office!
Miscellaneous Let Downs
Parking Lots – Safeway on 19th, East Sac Trader Joe’s, that awful mess in Natomas where the movie theater is, I’m looking at you.
Non-existent Arena – Why can’t you exist?
Potential New Favorites for 2012
The Firestone Public House – I like beer, sports and good times so I can’t wait to see how this turns out.
Blackbird Kitchen & Bar – Rooting for something cool to fill in those eyesores on K St? This could be it.
The Squeeze Inn – The midtown location should open soon. Look out arteries!
I Went to Vegas…
…and I came back with this.
Needless to say, I’m glad to be home.
