MARCH 17
S A C R A M E N T O ' S P R E M I E R F R E E C I T Y M O N T H LY
THE GRID
By Bryan Valenzuela
THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE, PLACES & CULTURE IN AMERICA'S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL
In the “Happily Ever After” Business. You’ve been dreaming about it and working really hard for it. And just maybe you’ll have a chance to go for it. Our job, as we see it, is to be there to help make it happen.
Proudly welcoming Kendra Knauer to our team. Helping buyers and sellers in Midtown Sacramento.
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Marybeth Bizjak mbbizjak@aol.com M.J. McFarland Cindy Fuller Linda Smolek, Aniko Kiezel Michele Mazzera, Julie Foster ads@insidepublications.com Lauren Hastings lauren@insidepublications.com Jim Hastings, Daniel Nardinelli, Adrienne Kerins accounts@insidepublications.com 916-443-5087 Commentary reflects the views of the writers and does not necessarily reflect those of Inside Publications. Inside Publications is delivered for free to more than 75,000 households in Sacramento. Printing and distribution costs are paid entirely by advertising revenue. We spotlight selected advertisers, but all other stories are determined solely by our editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising. No portion may be reproduced mechanically or electronically without written permission of the publisher. All ad designs & editorial—©
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Cecily Hastings
Valenzuela’s creations—whether mixed-media visual art or songs for his rock ’n’ roll band, Exquisite Corps—reflect his love of the written word. Shown here is "Full of the Feels in the Nebulous Deep," where he layered several drawn elements with a collage of words in the black details. Visit bryanvalenzuela.com.
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MARCH 17 EVERY DAY IS YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE THIS CITY A LITTLE BETTER
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TO DO THIS MONTH'S CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS
I Gotta Crow! “Peter Pan” and “Viva Vivaldi” presented by the Sacramento Ballet March 24-26 Community Center Theater, 1301 L St. 808-5181, sacballet.org Let your imagination soar on a nonstop flight past the second star to the right and straight on to Neverland with the boy who won’t grow up, courtesy of Ron Cunningham’s stunning, high-flying choreography. Join Peter, Wendy, Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily and the Lost Boys, as they outwit the nefarious Captain Hook in this family-friendly classic. Sharing the performance program is the high-energy, tour-de-force “Viva Vivaldi,” the seminal work of Gerald Arpino (resident choreographer and co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet) that was part of the dance revolution that catapulted the Joffrey Ballet to international acclaim.
International Men Of Music World Music Series Concert featuring GYANI Tuesday, March 28 at 8 p.m. Capistrano Hall at Sacramento State, 6000 J St. 278-4323, csus.edu/music/worldmusic, gyaniindojazz.com This masterful music group combines Indian raga, jazz, Arabic melodies and global rhythms to make a unique brand of music that blends classic Hindustani (North Indian) forms and cutting-edge improvisation. The group is composed of internationally recognized musicians who are each masters of their own instrument: GYANI founder Pt. Binay Pathak (a classical Hindustani musician and composer whose lineage dates back centuries) on vocals and harmonium; Abbos Kosimov on doira (frame drum); Osam Ezzeldin on piano and keyboards; and Vishal Nagar on tabla. The California-based ensemble brings together world-class musicians who share a passion for exploring and expanding the possibilities of merging Indian music with other genres.
jL Sacramento Ballet is presenting "Peter Pan" at the end of March. Photo courtesy of Alexander Biber
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By Jessica Laskey
Luck o’ the Irish Three performances by the McKeever School of Irish Dance: “Irish Social” Saturday, March 11 from 1-5 p.m. Christian Brothers High School, 4315 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. thelasalleclub.com, mckeeverdance.com
21st annual Sacramento St. Patrick’s Day Parade Saturday, March 18 (performances before the parade starts at 1 p.m.) Old Sacramento (Neesham and Front streets) oldsacramento.com/specialevents, mckeeverdance.com
“An Irish Hooley” Sunday, March 19 at 7 p.m. Harris Center for the Arts, 10 College Parkway, Folsom harriscenter.net, mckeeverdance.com The McKeever School of Irish Dance (housed in CLARA Midtown) offers students the opportunity to learn, master and preserve the art of Irish Dancing with founder and owner Nicole McKeever, who toured the world for seven years with shows such as “Riverdance,” before settling in Sacramento. The studio offers classes for children and adults in both solo and team choreography, from beginners through the professional level. Check out performances around town this month to see what that stunning high-stepping is all about!
Picture This “Images in Sound,” a Sacramento Symphonic Winds concert Sunday, March 19 at 2:30 pm. Crowne Plaza Sacramento Northeast, 5321 Date Ave. 489-2576, sacwinds.org The 60-piece adult symphonic band conducted by Music and Artistic Director Timothy M. Smith, will delight your ears and your mind’s eye, with this concert featuring “Three London Miniatures” by Mark Camphouse, “George Washington Bridge” by William Schuman, “The Othello Suite” by Alfred Reed, and more.
Photos by Indian photographer Pranlal K. Patel will be on display at City Hall during March. “Carrying Goods. Kalupur Railway Station, Ahmedabad, 1937” Copyright Pranlal K. Patel.
McKeever School of Irish Dance will be performing in March.
Refocusing the Lens “Refocusing the Lens: An Exhibit of Pranlal Patel’s Photographs of Women at Work in Ahmedabad” On display through March 31 Sacramento City Hall, 915 I St. dhi.ucdavis.edu The UC Davis Middle East and South Asia Studies Program’s “South Asia Without Borders” initiative, is pleased to announce its 2017 public event with a special focus on Gujarat, India, in partnership with the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. “Refocusing the Lens” features images documenting lives of women who were part of India’s labor force in the early 20th century, taken by celebrated Indian photographer Pranlal K. Patel. Commissioned for Jyoti Sangh, a women’s social reform organization dedicated to improving the lives of Indian women, these photographs provide insight into the everyday lives of working-class women engaged in a range of tasks in their homes, neighborhoods, markets or on the streets of Ahmedabad. “These photos show working women very active in the public sphere at a time when it was assumed that women were not permitted outside the confines of the house,” explains Mridula Udayagiri, a member of the UCD Middle East and South Asia Studies Program advisory board. “It breaks down stereotypes and helps us gain a deeper appreciation of why cross-cultural understandings of gender are important.” The exhibition is curated by Dr. Lisa Trivedi, a professor of history at Hamilton College in New York and a cultural and social historian of modern South Asia, who received her doctorate from UC Davis. Trivedi discovered Patel’s series during a sabbatical in Gujarat in 2011 and worked closely with the photographer for two years before his death to create this exhibition for the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College, from which it is currently on loan.
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Into the Wood(winds) “Musical Scenery,” a Crocker Classical Concert featuring Trois Bois Sunday, March 12 at 3 p.m. Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St. 808-1182, crockerart.org Enter a pastoral soundscape with the woodwind trio Trois Bois, comprised of oboe, clarinet and bassoon. Drawing inspiration from bucolic artwork in the Crocker’s permanent collection, which includes August Renoir’s “Danseuse au Tambourin” and E. Charlton Fortune’s “Feeding Time,” Trois Bois has created an idyllic concert that is sure to delight the ears with music by Joseph Canteloube and Henri Sauguet, among others. Space is limited and advance registration is recommended. Trois Bois will perform at Crocker Art Museum.
Soothing Sounds
Posies For Your Nosey
“Love Heals: Songs of Hope in Trying Times,” a Sacramento Master Singers concert Saturday, March 18 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 19 at 3 p.m.
DIY Hand-Tied Bouquet Class at Relles Florist Saturday, March 25 from 10-11:30 a.m.
First United Methodist Church, 2100 J St. 788-7464, mastersingers.org Recent tragedies, violence and loss of lives, have spurred the Sacramento Master Singers to offer a choral program to help us mourn together, comfort one another and unite in love as a community. Audiences will be bathed in soothing favorites from John Rutter and Maurice Duruflé; Sacramento writer and spoken word artist Laura “immoBme as.i.be.we” Cook; favorites from Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Eric Whitacre and Pentatonix; fresh settings of “Kyrie Eleison” and “Pie Jesu” by Ken Medema; as well as Jake Runestad’s new work, “Let My Love Be Heard.”
Relles Florist, 2400 J St. 441-1478, rellesflorist.com Calling all budding floral designers, flower enthusiasts and admirers of European hand-tied bouquet design! Join the experts at Relles Florist for a class that explores the principals of hand-tied design techniques with a focus on seasonal spring flowers, including tips and tricks to help you make bouquets that are on-trend and vase-ready. You can even use what you learn to construct a wedding bouquet! Take home your handiwork and impress a loved one. Who says romance has to end in February?
Forbidden Fruit “Forbidden Fruit: Chris Antemann at Meissen” March 19 through June 25 Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St. 808-1182, crockerart.org In 2012, the renowned Meissen Porcelain Manufactory in Germany, invited Oregon-based sculptor Chris Antemann, to collaborate with Meissen’s master artisans on a series of contemporary sculptures. The results are this grand installation at the Crocker, that reinvents and invigorates the porcelain figurative tradition. Using the Garden of Eden as a metaphor, Antemann has created a contemporary celebration of an 18th-century banquet of “forbidden fruit”— including a 5-foot version of Meissen’s historical model of Johann Joachim Kändler’s monumental “Love Temple” from 1750—attended by a host of semiclothed revelers in a style that evokes the decadence of Boucher and Watteau. The exhibition also includes a pleasure garden, a massive porcelain chandelier and a collection of smaller sculptures.
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The late Darrell Forney is exhibiting at Beatnik Studios.
Going Downton “The Music of Downton Abbey,” a Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra concert Saturday, March 18 at 8 p.m.
Gyani will be at Sacramento State on Tuesday, March 28.
Community Center Theater, 1301 L St. 808-5181, sacchoral.com Enjoy music from the popular TV Series by Emmy Award-winning composer John Lunn, as well as British chorus and orchestra gems from the era by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Charles Villiers Stanford, Hubert Parry, Edward Elgar and Gustav Holst, alongside narrations about memorable events from the show. The song stylings of Carrie Hennessey and baritone Kevin Doherty, are sure to delight, as is the pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. by Conductor Donald Kendrick, and post-concert lobby reception with a full English tea service. Don’t forget to attend in your best post-Edwardian England dress. Photo opportunities abound!
Artists In “Repose”
Swanky Sacramento
“Playing Around: An Appreciation,” artwork by the late Darrell Forney Exhibition continues through March 23 Films will be shown on Tuesday, March 14 beginning at 7 p.m.
ArtMix | Vintage Swank at the Crocker Art Museum with TUBE. Magazine Thursday, March 9 from 5-9 p.m.
“Repose,” artwork by Marc Foster and Micah Crandall-Bear March 3 through April 20 Reception on Friday, March 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Beatnik Studios, 723 S St. 400-4281, beatnik-studios.com Mother Nature’s trash is local artists Marc Foster and Micah Crandall-Bear’s treasure. As this two-dimensional artist and three-dimensional artist come together, totally distinctive approaches to how materials convey “abstract simplicity” merge. Crandall-Bear’s technique for layered painting applied to the normally monochromatic surfaces of Foster’s steel and wood work, delivers qualities of simple, elegant, industrial coalescence. Beatnik also continues its celebration of the late Darrell Forney. In addition to the exhibition “Playing Around: An Appreciation,” Beatnik will screen several of his films along with those of his friend and fellow filmmaker Horst Leissl, courtesy of the Center for Sacramento History. The films will be shown on Tuesday, March 14 beginning at 7 p.m.
Crocker Art Museum, 216 O St. 808-1182, crockerart.org The Crocker is partnering with TUBE.Magazine, to bring you a wild night of whimsical art, cirque performances, theatre, vintage fashion and lots of surprises. Enjoy magical music by Unwoman and bawdy dramatics by the Green Valley Cabaret Troop, food and drink discounts during happy hour from 5 to 6 p.m. and $5 drink specials all night. The event is free for museum members and only $10 for nonmembers. Just make sure you’re over 21 years old! Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n
The Light of Day “An Evening of Inspiration and Celebration,” a concert benefitting Shriners Hospitals for Children—Northern California Saturday, March 18 at 6 p.m. Elks Tower Historic Ballroom, 921 11th St. shrinerschildrens.org Grammy Award-nominated singer Andra Day, will share her virtuoso voice, at this memorable performance for the benefit of Shriners’ specialized pediatric health-care programs. The tone and flavor of this exclusive evening will be made all the more delectable thanks to the culinary gifts of guest chef Rick Mahan, owner of The Waterboy and OneSpeed Pizza.
Sacramento Master Singers perform “Love Heals: Songs of Hope in Trying Times.”
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A Remarkable Woman MAKING A NEW AND MEANINGFUL FRIENDSHIP
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recently heard a brief summary of three things you can do to help people take a liking to you. First, display an upbeat, positive attitude. Second, take an interest in other people by asking gentle questions and carefully listening to the answers. At the same time, be candid about yourself. In other words, engage in conversational give and take. Finally, be confident. My mother did all of these things and had many meaningful friendships throughout her long life. I recall her saying that making, deep friendships later in life could be tough. Hence, it is important to nurture the older connections that give you joy. I am very grateful for mother’s positive influence in my life. And when I meet someone who is like her, I happily reflect back on my mom’s lovely personality. A few years ago, I met someone whose life has roughly paralleled mine in many ways, and who clearly possesses these likable characteristics. Jane Einhorn is a legend in our city, mostly for her PR acumen. Her former partner (and husband of a friend of mine) introduced us at lunch several years ago, and we hit it off immediately. For 37 years, she was a partner in the venerable
CH By Cecily Hastings Publisher’s Desk
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Jane Einhorn and Cecily Hastings enjoy time together. Inset: Jane Einhorn. Photo courtesy of Kent Lacin.
Runyon Saltzman & Einhorn agency (now called RS-E). In 2016, she left the partnership to lighten her workload and strike out on her own. Her departure was in the works for more than a year as she transitioned out of the firm.
I had heard lots of interesting stories about her over the years. I play tennis in the park across from her former home in Arden and first saw her out on her porch in her pink peignoir, letting her dog out in the early morning. The thought of that sight still makes me laugh! And her husband, Jeffrey, played with my mixed-doubles tennis group many years ago.
On the surface, we have many differences: She’s short and I’m fairly tall. (I tower over her when we hug!) She’s a fair-skinned blonde with perky short hair. I’m a sunloving brunette who’s always favored longer hair. She dresses seriously well, favoring designer dresses and separates, complemented by glamorous jewelry. I’m more likely to wear tennis and yoga outfits or rolled-up jeans, and I can count my simple jewelry pieces on one hand. She’s Jewish and I’m Christian. She
“ ground and both parties When there is common
are willing to put care and energy into each other, good things can grow in any season of our lives.
has a New York accent, while I have a bit of a Midwestern twang. She marvels that I am so domestically hands-on in cooking, gardening and design. I admire that she has sat through thousands of board meetings and helped run a company much, much larger than ours. But far more important is what we have in common. We are roughly the same age, in our early 60s, both with long marriages. Our youngest sons are close in age. We both graduated from University of Michigan and were on the Ann Arbor campus at the same time. We are both voracious readers and exchange book recommendations every week. And that is just our life histories. It is our similar personalities that have sparked our deepest connection. Both of us really like people. We like
meeting them, connecting with them and sharing those connections with others, trying to help others in the process. When Jane left her firm and went out on her own, I admired her ability to reinvent herself. Her confidence stemmed in part from the fact that she often befriends those she does business with, and those friendships continue. She did seem a bit concerned about the transition in terms of practical matters—the things she took for granted at a large agency. When I asked her about business cards, she wondered if she needed them. I said absolutely and designed her one, taking into consideration her colorful, bubbly personality. Underneath her name, I put the words “Extraordinary Connections
in Public Relations & Marketing.” I sent her a proof of the design, and she loved it. I ordered them and had them sent to her. I also had our IT manager help her set up her home office. Jane clearly loves her new freedom and is thriving in her new role, working directly with her business and nonprofit clients. Jane has been an excellent source of suggestions for interesting people and projects for us to cover at Inside Publications. Given her early background as a writer and journalist, she is usually spot-on. When our book “Inside Sacramento: The Most Interesting Neighborhood Places in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital” was being planned and released, Jane was very helpful. She connected me with
”
potential sponsors, bucked me up when I hit obstacles and wrote an early recommendation that is printed inside the cover. A few months ago, I chatted over coffee with Ed Goldman, a mutual friend. When I mentioned hitting it off with Jane, he was not the least bit surprised. “You both still have the hustle to make things happen. And that is a powerful asset to have in common,” he said. Jane and I are a good example that one can make new and meaningful friendships at any age. When there is common ground and both parties are willing to put care and energy into each other, good things can grow in any season of our lives. Cecily Hastings can be reached at publisher@insidepublications.com. n
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Experiencing Art ARTSTREET CAPTURED THE IMAGINATION OF LOCAL CREATIVES
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here’s something enticing about the raw, organic creativity of aspiring artists bringing enthusiasm, excitement and new thinking to a city’s arts scene. While Sacramento has always had a bubbling visual, performing and literary arts scene, it was recently showcased in a meaningful way through ArtStreet. In case you missed it, ArtStreet was a large-scale art experience that took place for three weeks in February. The exhibit, sponsored by the art collective M5 Arts, occupied the interior and exterior of a warehouse at 3rd Street and First Avenue, on the expansive property once occupied by the Setzer family’s lumber and wood products business. The land is now being redeveloped into a mixed-use community of homes and businesses known as The Mill at Broadway. Like ArtHotel (a smaller installation held last year in an apartment building scheduled for demolition), ArtStreet was temporary. Now that the show is over, some artists will remove their works; other works will be demolished along with the warehouse to make room for new development. But the memory of ArtStreet won’t go away. The labyrinth of individual art exhibits circulated through more than 65,000 square feet of interior and
SC By Scot Crocker Inside Downtown
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ArtStreet took place last month. exterior space. Around every corner was something different and unique— something to think about. For the artists, it was an opportunity to showcase their talents and explore concepts that might not otherwise have been seen outside their own apartments, converted garages and cramped studios. The artists came from all walks of life and ranged across the spectrum of age, gender, ethnicity, income and discipline. “The ArtStreet philosophy was all about flâneur,” says William Ishmael, a member of M5 Arts and a longtime Sacramento artist. “Flâneur is French for taking one’s time and
strolling along. That’s the experience we wanted. People could walk slowly enough through the exhibit to take in the sights and sounds.” Ishmael is excited about the success of M5’s ArtHotel and ArtStreet and their impact on Sacramento. He credits that success to a renewed interest in art and community awareness, driven by art at the new arena and the energy of millennials in the Grid. “It’s amazing to see this all happen,” says Ishmael, who had his own exhibit at ArtStreet. “These artists were pulling all-nighter after all-nighter on shoestring budgets to get their work up before
opening night. There’s lots of talent.” ArtStreet attracted national attention, he says, and was featured in two top national arts publications. Jacob Pluckbaum is a 13-year-old Sacramento artist whose works were showcased at ArtHotel and ArtStreet. A student at Sutter Middle School, he had to apply and get accepted to show at ArtStreet. He then spent seven days creating his piece: a 6-by-9-foot abstract self-portrait made from 1,110 spray paint cans all painted in shades of gray. The spray cans were donated by local artists. “I had a whole weekend and was able to get out of school for three days. But since I couldn’t miss any
Construction Coming Soon The City of Sacramento, Department of Utilities and its construction contractors will soon begin construction on water meters, water mains, and water service lines in the area. Visit www.MetersMatter.org to learn more about the project and to find out what may be happening in and around your neighborhood. This work may result in: • Traffic delays • Sidewalk closures • Construction-related dust and noise This work addresses the State’s mandate for water meters to be installed on all water services.
Thank you for your cooperation on this very important project.
Contact us for more information: www.MetersMatter.org Meter Information Line: 916-808-5870
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FOR THE ARTISTS, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOWCASE THEIR TALENTS AND EXPLORE CONCEPTS THAT MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN SEEN OUTSIDE THEIR OWN APARTMENTS, CONVERTED GARAGES AND CRAMPED STUDIOS.
more, I finished it after school for two days,” says Pluckbaum. “I had my grandpa, Pat Barrett, help me. He did the heavy lifting.” Participating in ArtStreet, says Pluckbaum, is “really awesome. It’s interesting to see people looking at it. At first they don’t see the face, but as they step back, there’s a cool moment of discovery.” He also had some collaborative pieces at ArtStreet. At school, he is in a weekly art club and a photo class, which created some group projects. Pluckbaum started taking art seriously three years ago, with encouragement from his parents,
local artists and mentors like Danny Scheible, Shaun Burner, Franceska Gamez and René Steinke. “I expect art will be a part of my life forever,” he says. Another artist who showed at ArtStreet is Bryan Valenzuela, the winner of the Leff-Davis Fund for Visual Artists and Best in Show prize at the 2015 California State Fair. He was also one of two local artists chosen for a large-scale public-art piece at Golden 1 Center. “Shaun Burner pitched me the idea of participating in ArtStreet, and that sold me,” Valenzuela says. “Overall, it’s turned out amazing. I worked on
13-year-old Jacob Pluckbaum was one of the artists on display. Photo courtesy of Steve Harriman.
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the ArtStreet concept of flâneur to create a contemporary connection of the lineage of Arthur Rimbaud and David Wojnarowicz, two artist-poets embodying the concept in life and work in 19th-century Paris and 20thcentury New York, respectively.” Valenzuela’s piece was a striking re-creation of Rimbaud’s famous portrait from the photo series “Rimbaud in New York.” “The installation image is an homage to that figure,” says Valenzuela, “an altar to that idea through a largescale portrait of Rimbaud made with handwritten text drawing, boot prints of paint, lips physically sewn shut and hundreds of gold-painted leaves strewn along a boot-print reflection on the floor.” Valenzuela sees the art scene in Sacramento as a nexus, with up-and-coming artists connecting with those willing to commission and fund them. “We’ve had a lot of great art coming out of our city for a long time,” he says. “It’s been a really cool thing.”
While first attracted to music, Valenzuela was pulled toward art. He loves all types of art and has worked in two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms. Now, he is attracted to what he calls “big, amazing public art projects” like the ones at Golden 1 Center. Somewhat new to the local art scene is John Horton, who works as an art director at a local marketing and public outreach firm. Horton was called in at the last minute to create a work for ArtStreet. “A handful of us were called a week before. They said they have some empty space for murals,” Horton says. “I said yes immediately, but since I was traveling for part of that week, I completed the piece in three evenings after work.” The large-scale mural is 15 feet tall. Entitled “Stranded on Earth,” it’s a colorful, abstract portrait of a largerthan-life woman. Horton has murals at Warehouse Artist Lofts, VSP in Rancho Cordova and other local businesses, including LowBrau Bierhall, FVT Bootcamp and Hacker Lab. He’s done murals in Seattle and Denver as well. M5 Arts plans to continue creating new attractions that elevate art appreciation and give local artists a chance to shine. Is ArtCity just around the corner? Scot Crocker can be reached at scot@crockercrocker.com. n
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Bring on the Cheese THE RIND DOES DAIRY IN MIDTOWN
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ome studies show that cheese is more addictive than drugs or booze. While I find those claims a bit hard to believe, I will say that a leisurely evening spent with friends, indulgently sampling fine chesses and sipping wines, is an unparalleled pleasure. The Rind, one of the finer cheese outposts in Northern California, is a place where you can spend many a night going through an international sampling of cheeses in an unstuffy environment. This isn’t an intimidating room. This is a space where the casual diner and practiced connoisseur can rub shoulders easily and without pretense. The small Midtown eatery is a cozy delight that brings together a mixed bag of folks looking for a quick bite as well as those ready for an evening-long tour of dairyland. The Rind isn’t a cheese counter at which you can grab a few slices of things only fit for a picnic. It’s a proper restaurant with an insanely cheese-focused menu: cheese boards, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, salads (with cheese) and soup (you guessed it, with cheese). Oh, and meats. I forgot meats. You know, to go with the cheese. A cold Sunday night found my wife and me, joined by our friends, Pizza Pat and Carrie. We worked our way through a
GS The Rind's take on classic mac-and-cheese.
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By Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider
THIS IS A SPACE WHERE THE CASUAL DINER AND PRACTICED CONNOISSEUR CAN RUB SHOULDERS EASILY AND WITHOUT PRETENSE.
Your Twisted Classic is served! board of cheeses—two sheep’s milk and a creamy number from Vermont—before deciding that the aged sheep’s milk cheese was our favorite. However, the creamy item from Vermont stood out, not only because it had a rind made of birch bark, but because it had the look and texture of brie, but a completely different flavor profile. It was light and tangy without the distinct notes
that make a brie a brie—what I typically think of as the flavors of an old utility drawer. Speaking of that birch bark rind, I asked our server what is standard etiquette when it comes to eating cheese rinds: eat or discard? He told us, very confidently, that unless otherwise instructed, a cheese rind is part of the cheese and imparts flavor
and therefore should be eaten. After a brief pause, he then listed about 25 exceptions to this rule: Don’t eat wax rinds, lattice rinds, linen wrappers, wood rinds, plastic rinds, tinfoil wrappings, cling film, Tupperware containers, balsa wood, birch wood, or really any kind of wood, et cetera, et cetera, which left me wondering if it was really all that much of a rule or just a guideline. But still, it’s good information for dinner parties. We therefore stayed away from eating the birch wood rind. A board of charcuterie came next: a trio of chorizo sausage, saucisson and Calabrese salami. The cheese and meat boards cost $15 each and came with small toasts and accouterments: mustards, honeys, olives. The rest of the menu, still cheese focused, is a little less choose-yourown-adventure than the boards. The grilled cheese sandwich options are impressive: well-thought-out combinations of cheeses, or meats and cheeses, or cheeses and pickled vegetables that convey skillful craft in sourcing fine foods and definite agility in putting them together.
The mac-and-cheese dishes lean, as expected, heavily on the cheese but are crafted with care and executed with skill. They are gooey and stretchy and molten and altogether indulgent. One version is made with Brussels sprouts and pancetta jam, another with mushrooms and lobster meat. Each is a dense plate of food, best for sharing. Wines and beers are robust and well sourced, about half from California, with a decidedly international bent to the remaining 50 percent. Wines from New Zealand to Argentina and beers from Belgium to Japan are carefully chosen to pair well with the dairy-heavy menu. The servers are well informed on both the producers and the products. Ask for a story of a Vermont dairy or a Belgian Abbey and the knowledgeable staff will fill you in. The Rind is at 1801 L St.; 4417463; therindsacramento.com. Greg Sabin can be reached at gregsabin@hotmail.com. n
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A New Front Door REMODELED DOWNTOWN DEPOT IS ANOTHER NOTCH IN CITY’S BELT
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he 90-year-old train station at 4th and I streets has gotten a much-needed face-lift, and finally, an official name. Informally known as “the depot” or the Southern Pacific depot, it had no formal name when the city bought the building in 2006. While doing research, the city’s senior architect, Greg Taylor, discovered that Southern Pacific had once referred to it as Sacramento Valley Station. The city liked the name enough to put it on the building’s façade. The station’s renovation and remodel is the second phase of a three-phase plan that included a firstphase, $70 million project, to relocate the tracks. In the third phase, the city will develop a master plan to assess the station’s future over the next 20 years. “We’re starting that process now in terms of alternatives that will help tease out the function of what the station will be,” says Taylor, who is overseeing the project. The city will consider a bus component and the possibility of building another station for its current tenant, Amtrak, that would be nearer to the tracks. The completion of the $30 million second phase, marked by the station’s rededication on Feb. 23, couldn’t have come at a better time. The remodel not only falls within the building’s 90th year but also precedes renovation of the neighboring Railyards and follows construction of Golden 1 Center. A station once on the periphery of the Grid now finds itself in the middle of new development and traffic. Taylor calls the station Sacramento’s civic front door. “When you look on the map and you encompass the Railyards, the River District, the Broadway Triangle and Downtown, we’re right in the center,” he says.
JV By Jordan Venema Building Our Future
Sacramento city's senior architect, Greg Taylor.
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Years of grit and grime had taken their toll inside and outside the station. “Decades of black soot from the engines had to be cleaned,” says Taylor. “I joke that my biggest regret was not thinking about doing a promotion for the American Lung Association. Everything was cleaned with distilled water.” After the cleaning, all the swabs, he says, were black. “We peeled away the paint that was probably done in the ’70s or ’80s, an eggshell white with an eggplant purple trim, and found the original color,” says Taylor, who also referred to historic photos to duplicate the original color and tone of the interior’s stone. The renovation retained the building’s historic features, from ornate wall sconces to original benches, whose unique radiator vents doubled as the station’s original heat source. Now, however, the building’s temperature is maintained by radiant floor heating. The 53-foot ceiling’s medallions were recast, and the
chandeliers were shipped to Ukiah, where they were cleaned and rewired for LED bulbs. A mural by artist John MacQuarrie, depicting the groundbreaking for the first transcontinental railroad, was cleaned, retouched and reinforced where the painting was breaking away from the wall. The most practical renovation was moving Amtrak from the western to eastern wing of the building and remodeling the eastern wing into three floors of retail and office space, with about 12,000 square feet each available on the first and second floors and 1,500 on the third. Taylor says the retail space will be similar to WAL Public Market and the MARRS building. It will include patio seating and smaller vendors on the first floor and office space on the second. The northern exterior of the building will be retrofitted with 100 bike racks—40 outside and 30 enclosed double-height racks.
“We’re improving the bikes at the station because there’s a big demand in the Capitol Corridor for people to bike to work from the train,” says Taylor. “The 30 double-height racks will be on the other side of a glass wall for security to allow for a vendortype bike station.” Adjacent to the bike station is an open, industrial glass-paned space that Taylor believes would be great “for a bikes-and-brew-type restaurant. We’re also exploring creating a market area,” he adds, pointing to the historic canopies that line the tracks outside the station’s northern entrance. “We want to activate the space to get more events out here, more people.” On the second floor, historic features have been preserved, right down to the flooring. “It’s the original type of linoleum, true linoleum,” Taylor explains, “made of linseed oil from flax. We had some of the original flooring and matched it, then had it made in the Netherlands. I was determined to get it.”
The third floor, which includes a 1,300-square-foot patio deck, is connected via elevator to a retail space on the first floor. The hope, says Taylor, would be for a restaurant to rent both spaces, creating a single unit with dining on the first floor and a rooftop bar on the third. From that patio deck, guests could take in views of the Sacramento skyline, highlighting both where we’ve been and where we’re going, from the warehouses of the Railyards to the geometric angles of Golden1 Center. Taylor expects the retail and office spaces will be leased soon and that tenants will begin moving into Sacramento Valley Station this summer. Jordan Venema can be reached at jordan.venema@gmail.com. n
THE RENOVATION RETAINED THE BUILDING’S HISTORIC FEATURES, FROM ORNATE WALL SCONCES TO ORIGINAL BENCHES, WHOSE UNIQUE RADIATOR VENTS DOUBLED AS THE STATION’S ORIGINAL HEAT SOURCE.
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The Hunter-Publisher HANK SHAW EATS WHAT HE KILLS, THEN WRITES ABOUT IT
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hen I talked with local author Hank Shaw by phone, he was on tour promoting his latest cookbook, “Buck, Buck, Moose,” a guide to butchering and cooking large animals with antlers. Think deer, elk, antelope and moose. Shaw had just finished eating lunch at a “hole-in-the-wall” restaurant in Oklahoma. His readings often turn into cooking events with local chefs to promote the farm-to-table food or, more accurately in Shaw’s case, noseto-tail food that he champions. It’s not a new concept, yet in the last decade or so there’s been renewed interest in eating all parts of an animal. Shaw practices what he preaches. “If you’re going to shoot something, use all you can,” he said. We spoke before he had to track down a couple of boxes of books that had gone AWOL; he needed them for an event that night. The DIY approach—with its crisis of the day— is a way of life for authors like Shaw who self-publish and go out on tour to promote their books. At readings, Shaw’s audience is filled with young men wearing camouflage, he said, which doesn’t fit the image I had of the typical cookbook-buying demographic. “It’s like being a rock star, but there’s
AK By Angela Knight Farm-to-Fork
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Hunter, chef and author Hank Shaw. Photos courtesy of Holly A. Heyser.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR R.E. Graswich criticized me for asking Eye on Sacramento to disclose the source of its funding and size of membership (“Eying the Watchdog,” January). I made the request to know on whose behalf a representative is speaking. The relative size of an organization does not alter the validity or value of their comment. However, as policy makers, it is helpful to understand how broadly a belief or opinion is held. Eye on Sacramento is an advocacy organization with 501(c) (3) status. They regularly express opinions and take public positions on city and council action. My interest into where they received money and the size of their membership was simply to better understand who their group is and who they are arguing for. I personally believe EOS overreacted to a request that no chicks, no booze and no money,” Shaw joked when I asked him how the tour was going. “I’m working every available moment.” He estimated he’d visit 41 states before he would head back home. There are lots of ways to “work your way through” a deer, according to Shaw, and traditional ways of cooking it, but you can’t run to the store and pick up another one. “Buck, Buck, Moose” came out of a need to create “bulletproof” methods for cooking venison (and other antlered animals). The whole world eats deer, or its equivalent (he mentioned gazelle and kangaroo, which he called “hopping deer”), in some form or another. “This is something we all share as humans,” he said. “It makes us us.” Shaw’s cookbook trajectory started with “Hunt, Gather, Cook,” which was published in 2011 by Rodale Press, followed by “Duck, Duck, Goose” (Ten Speed Press) a couple of years later. For his latest book, he formed his own publishing company rather than sign with a traditional publishing house. Even though he had to learn an enormous amount about
publishing in a short amount of time, Shaw said he will self-publish his next one. “I’ve already had a baby. I know it’s going to hurt,” he said. His next cookbook will cover small game, like rabbits.
When his bureau in Sacramento closed, he went back to what he knew: cooking and writing. He’s a former restaurant cook and he worked as a political reporter for 19 years. When his bureau in Sacramento closed, he went back to what he knew: cooking and writing. “Cooking is like journalism; you learn by doing it,” he said. Shaw started writing his blog “Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook” while he was still working as a newspaper reporter. It won Best Food
Blog by the James Beard Foundation in 2013. He has another compelling reason for writing, which addresses the question he posed to me: “If all the markets closed down, how many of us would be able to feed ourselves?” He writes in an approachable, often self-deprecating and humorous style that makes the subject of hunting palatable. His writing skills are top-notch, and his essays have the right amount of sensory details to appeal to nonhunters like me. One of my favorites is titled “The White Coyote.” It has nothing to do with cooking a coyote, or a deer for that matter; it has everything to do with his appreciation for the natural world. Another essay, “On Killing,” eloquently explores the relationship between the animals Shaw hunts and himself. “Even if you’re a vegetarian, other things die that you might live,” he said. Shaw credits his mom with fostering his early interest in gathering and foraging. It was an
was in the spirit of transparency. Watchdog organizations are important in our city, and EOS certainly plays a role. However, I find it hypocritical that an organization that is all about transparency is unwilling to disclose where its funds come from and who it actually represents. I am surprised that as a journalist, Mr. Graswich doesn’t understand this. I would think that their source of funding and the size of their membership would be one of his first questions. Bottom line: The city is working hard to be open and transparent. At a minimum, organizations that are pushing those ideals should do the same. Jay Schenirer Sacramento City Council District 5
important part of an otherwise normal childhood. They picked berries, fished and dug for clams. She taught him the names of things in the natural world. “A tree was never just a tree,” he said. “It had a name.” Here’s some stuff you may not know about Shaw. He has two cats, both sisters, named Harlequin and Giblet, which were back home with his partner, Holly Heyser. Heyser is the photographer behind the tantalizing and sometimes stark photographs in Shaw’s cookbooks. He assured me he doesn’t eat cats, not the tame variety or wild ones. He’s also not a fan of eggs, but he will eat them. Pasta with red sauce has been his go-to comfort food since he was 13 years old. He also enjoys eating tacos. Like the description of his audience, it is not what I expected. Hank Shaw’s blog can be found at honest-food.net. Angela Knight can be reached at knight@mcn.org. n
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Biggest Deadbeat
THE STATE SHOULD PAY FOR CITY SERVICES IT USES
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or several political seasons, there has been much talk that all should pay their “fair share” of taxes to support vital and necessary public services. In Sacramento, a huge entity consumes copious quantities of city services but does not pay property taxes, sales taxes or all utility taxes, which are the primary sources of this city’s funding. This deadbeat rapacious consumer of city services is not a greedy corporation or a taxdodging rich person. The culprit is the state of California.
RS By Rick Stevenson
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The resulting systemic chronic fiscal problem is unique to this city, due to the huge amount of prime real estate that is off the tax rolls due to ownership or lease by the state. The result is that Sacramento residents subsidize state government use of city services. School districts, county facilities, federal offices, courthouses, SMUD and joint powers authorities are in similar situations but have a minor impact on city finances when compared to the state. Some state government entities do render a few crumbs of financial compensation to the city, such as the possessory interest tax paid by the Capitol Area Development Authority, some types of utility taxes, and assessments for entities such as property and business improvement districts and business improvement areas.
A cursory look at state-owned and leased properties in Sacramento makes it appear likely that the property tax impact factor alone exceeds $10 million dollars per year and may be far higher. Sacramento should undertake a detailed study to determine the full extent of the financial hole this situation creates. The city must fully understand the impact of this monetary deficit and adjust city expenditures to reality, including city employee pay, pensions and postemployment health care. Current city budget practices in those areas are unsustainable, and the constant resort to raising taxes and fees only succeeds in punishing city residents, rather than solving this underlying problem. Sacramento property taxpayers have been long victimized by the fact that there is no way to legally force the state to pay more. Withholding
selected city services might be one way to get the state’s attention. This issue has never been brought to public attention as far as can be recalled in the decades that I have followed the machinations of Sacramento city government. Mayor Darrell Steinberg spoke of his ability to get greater state government cooperation and participation with Sacramento when he ran for the office last year. He and the city council should put forth ideas and effort to get the state of California, as a good Sacramento resident, to volunteer greater compensation for services received. Can the city finesse the governor and legislature to get the state to pay its fair share? Rick Stevenson is a member of Eye on Sacramento, a civic watchdog and policy group. n
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INSIDE
OUT ArtStreet
CONTRIBUTED BY ANIKO KIEZEL
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Only Temporary
THIS FAMILY WILL STAY A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE MOVING ON
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S
ome people build a home and stay put. Others, like Erica and Nate Cunningham, build a home, settle in for a few years, then move again. In 2016, the Cunninghams relocated to their latest home, a family-friendly 3,000-squarefoot home in East Sacramento. “We’re builders. That’s what we do,” Erica Cunningham says. “We’re always scouting around for a new home.” Initially, the couple began restoring Craftsman bungalows in 2001. They were old-house people through and
JF By Julie Foster Home Insight
through. But in 2007, they altered course. “We got on this modern kick after spending every single summer staining the shingles on our 100-year-old bungalow,” Cunningham explains. “We started thinking about other stuff.” Today, she’s a broker with the couple’s company, Indie Capital Real Estate. On the development side of the business, Indie Capital LLC, she works with architects and engineers on design. Nate, a licensed general contractor, oversees construction. Most years, the couple manages a handful of projects. This year, they’ve got 24 in the works. “We’ve had a lot of experience, have made mistakes along the way and figured out things as well,” Cunningham explains.
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“Now we know what we like. It’s all about having the time to do the things you want.” For their East Sac home, the pair worked with local architect Stephen Henry of Henry + Associates. The modern exterior is a combination of stucco, fiber cement siding and weathered steel panels. The interior, while refreshingly free of doodads, still evokes a warm family environment. The decorating scheme is simple and spotless. “I don’t like cleaning, so the less stuff we have around, the better,” Cunningham says. She kept the design scheme neutral, using mainly whites, grays and beiges. She uses the same fixtures and porcelain tiles in all the bathrooms. “When I do the color boards for a house, I like to keep it to four or five materials,” she says. “I think it gets too distracting with more.”
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The home’s most prominent feature is the abundance of natural light. Every room benefits from expanses of large aluminum-clad wood windows. The front door is essentially a large glass panel. A skylight over the staircase drenches the interior with natural light. Both bathrooms have skylights as well. “When we build a home, we put money where it will matter most,” says Cunningham. “And that is usually in the windows and doors.” The kitchen’s exposed structural beam, made of parallel strand lumber, adds visual appeal. The quartz countertops are 2 centimeters thick, rather than the standard 3 centimeters, for a more modern look. The custom-made powdercoated steel wall unit, by local artist Thomas Ramey, stores dishes and utensils within easy reach. A built-in microwave drawer reduces counter clutter. The digitally controlled Electrolux induction range offers more temperature precision that gas. In the living room, the piano, which both daughters play, sits against the wall, ready for family concerts. Suspended from the ceiling is an eye-catching, eco-friendly Fireorb fireplace. “You pop it open and pour in some denatured alcohol, which burns clean so we can burn every night,” she says. Sanded and sealed on-site so there are no seams, engineered white oak flooring, brightens the upstairs hallway. The stair railing (also by Thomas Ramey) is metal topped with a wood cap for a touch of warmth. Storage space is vital to Cunningham’s uncluttered style. The master bedroom’s walk-in closet is enviable for its size and organization. Cunningham dislikes tiny closets where she can’t see everything at a glance. Both daughters’ rooms are impeccably neat. Cunningham noted that since prospective clients often stop by to tour their home, the girls know keeping their rooms tidy is the rule. And since the family moves regularly, possessions are kept to a minimum. Initially the girls were a bit unsettled by the moves, but staying in the same general area allows them to attend the same schools.
“Now they wonder where their next home will be,” Cunningham says. “My girls are nomads.” Outside, an ipe wood deck expands the family living space. The koi pond is a tank painted black. The swimming pool’s deep shelf is a bonus for young swimmers. Native California plants dot the space. Veggies thrive in raised beds. A dining table allows for alfresco meals.
Behind the house is a two-story, 600-square-foot garage. Tucked off to one side is a chicken coop. The garage floor’s epoxy coating resists stains. The second story is a separately metered rental unit. The roof is home to several beehives. The family plans on staying put until next spring. Cunningham doesn’t mind leaving a house as long
as it’s in good hands. But often it’s hard to say goodbye. “We go back and visit neighbors,” she says. We make the rounds and stay in touch.” If you know of a home you think should be featured in Inside Publications, contact Julie Foster at foster.julie91@yahoo.com. n
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Architect Daniel Tran uses irrigation tubing to create art.
Artful Reuse HE TAKES PLASTIC TUBING AND MAKES IT BEAUTIFUL
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s a student in architecture school, Daniel Tran was told to think of himself not as an artist, but as a problem solver. If Tran’s career is any indication, he’s found a way to reconcile these two sides of himself. Tran is an architect and geographic information systems specialist for MidPen, one of the country’s leading nonprofit developers of high-quality affordable housing. He’s also the brain behind Growetry, a line of geometric artwork he creates with plastic tubing used in greywater irrigation systems.
jL By Jessica Laskey
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“What I really like about art is the same reason I’m really reluctant to call myself an artist,” the Midtown resident says. “There are great traditions of art being an important part of social change. I’m able to do things in my artwork that don’t work in architecture or engineering or public policy. Art allows me to have a different kind of conversation.” The conversation Tran is most interested in having these days is about protecting our valuable natural resources and reconnecting to the land. Growing up in San Diego, Tran was the son of Vietnamese orchardists who came to the United States during the postwar diaspora and started one of the first Asian grocery stores in San Diego. “Produce is a huge part of the grocery business,” Tran explains. “You also learn the importance of space and efficiency, circulation,
placement and how to make the most of space and materials. You have to be very parsimonious, which is part of what sparked my interest in architecture. When you’re building a community, food is a big part of it. It’s the main attraction to bring different cultures together.”
Toussaint, France, opened his eyes to the many facets of his future career. “I was attending a landscape architecture school in this small Roman town,” Tran recalls, “and the one thing tying the school to the town was the allotment (or community) garden. There’s a tremendous pride in
HE FOUND A BEAUTY WITHIN THE MATERIALS THAT HE COULDN’T IGNORE. Inspired by his upbringing and spurred by a high school interest in AutoCAD (computer-aided design and drafting software), Tran studied at Pratt Institute in New York and at USC, where he earned his bachelor’s in architecture. Studying abroad in
the soil of your hometown in French culture, and we had to learn how to address urban and rural design issues at the same time. You have to celebrate and respect the soil while introducing new buildings to a city with so much history.”
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This mindset informs Tran’s current work on affordable housing. “When you look at disadvantaged communities, access to fresh food always comes up,” Tran says. “I know from my childhood how a really good grocery store can be a major community building block. That’s why MidPen focuses on addressing the housing shortage by providing both housing and ancillary services like community gardens, cooking classes and community kitchens.” His awareness of the literal roots of a community also made Tran take a long, hard look at water policy, especially after studying at UC Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems and landing an internship in the governor’s office in Sacramento. Tran started designing greywater irrigation systems, which recycle gently used water from bathroom sinks, showers, tubs and washing machines to irrigate gardens, greenhouses, yards and more. He found a beauty within the materials that he couldn’t ignore. “I had so much scrap irrigation tubing, I thought, ‘How can I
repurpose it to decrease my ecological footprint?’” Tran says. Tran’s Growetry pieces are stunningly simple geometric designs that he makes with a philosophy a friend dubbed “create and release”: Tran hangs finished models from street lamps and trees to delight passers-by or sell them at local makers markets. “I use the models to highlight a beautiful tree, or cast a moving pattern under a floodlight, or to activate a neighborhood that needs a bit more love,” Tran says. “In my day job, change may be moving slowly, but making one 30-by-30-inch piece takes a lot less time and can get people excited and aware. It’s like a bridge— something I can do in the meantime that has immediate results while I’m working on solving bigger issues.” To see Daniel Tran’s work, go to m5arts.com/product/growetry. His work is also on display and for sale in the lobby of Clunie Community Center in McKinley Park. n
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When the
World’s a Stage ESTABLISHING GUIDELINES FOR STREET PERFORMERS
Street performer Carter Sobon in Old Sacramento.
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he street corner violinist, the sidewalk saxophone player and the mime who teases plaza audiences aren’t exactly a Sacramento fixture. But that could soon change. The Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, whose mandate involves injecting diverse forms of art into the urban environment, has established a busking committee—the
RG By R.E. Graswich City Beat
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first step toward legitimizing street performances in the Grid. Appropriate for a town with no significant history of sidewalk artisans, the committee is starting with the most basic definition. “Do you even know what a busker is? Most people around here don’t,” says David Sobon, a professional auctioneer and volunteer arts commission member who was enlisted to study street performance possibilities. Yes, I tell him, I’m acquainted with the ancient art of busking. I’ve been delighted, annoyed, entertained and harassed by street buskers in many cities. An early encounter created a negative impression decades ago, when I saw “No Busking” signs in the London Underground being
aggressively ignored by people screeching opera and impersonating Elvis. “The Tube is the only place in London where it’s illegal without a permit,” Sobon says. “Busking is one of the coolest things that happen in public places. And let’s face it, that’s what we’re trying to do here: make Sacramento a cool place.” Sobon has traveled the world. He knows busking can be a mixed bag when it comes to talent. But his overall experiences have been positive. He’s seen some terrific street artists working for handouts. He believes the spontaneity of stumbling upon a sidewalk virtuoso can create joy. Some of Sobon’s best vacation memories involve buskers. He discovered a wonderful student
performer in a Mexican plaza near a college campus. Sobon returned for the student’s evening show, which took place after class. “I had the time of my life,” he says. Another discovery took place in Whistler Blackcomb, Canada, where stages created for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics became permanent locations for street performers. “They even have amps for street musicians to plug into,” Sobon says. As he began to research busking and to review how cities regulate street performers, Sobon soon realized he had wandered into a universe of possibilities. There’s no limit to how buskers have historically tried to seduce a nickel or franc or yen from street audiences.
Your image is everything to us BUSKING IS ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN PUBLIC PLACES.
The busker fraternity stretches far beyond musicians and mimes and includes sword swallowers, fire eaters, dancers, jugglers, acrobats, magicians, snake charmers, balloon sculptors and organ grinders who deploy monkeys to collect money. Regulations are equally diverse. Some cities try to keep buskers away from captive audiences in subway stations. Others make buskers reserve and rent the most lucrative, touristfavored sites. A few even require background checks and identity cards. The Sacramento municipal code is essentially silent on busking. Street performers can be chased away by police under rules regulating noise and social nuisance, but such enforcement is rare, driven by complaints from residents or merchants. “San Francisco charges them to play in certain locations,” Sobon says. “There’s a reason why you always see those same Peruvian guys playing out by Ghirardelli Square. They pay the city to be there. That’s their job.” Most buskers aren’t full-time professionals, Sobon says, but younger artists trying to improve their craftsmanship and make enough money to explore the world. “My son has been a busker, and he says it’s a great way for a young person to travel,” Sobon says. “They tend to be independent artists who don’t want to be told when, where and how to play.” Sacramento has a modest busking tradition. Several musicians make regular appearances in Old Sacramento. K Street was enlivened
by the late bluesman Johnny “Guitar” Knox, and K Street still attracts entertainers who perform for Kings fans. At Christmas, the city pays singers to appear at public locations. One trick Sobon and the arts commission committee will perform involves identifying the difference between busking and begging. Holding up a cardboard sign and asking for money may be an art, but it’s not what civic authorities have in mind when they establish busking ordinances. Another twist will involve the severity and flexibility of busking rules. Sobon doesn’t think the city would benefit from rigid ordinances. Busking zones marked by paint might be sufficient. “There are literally hundreds of ways to regulate busking,” he says. “Do we have tryouts? Do we have a way of telling performers they aren’t any good? What about background checks? Whatever we come up with, it’s got to be what works for Sacramento. We want it to be an organic process.” Ultimately, the wisdom of crowds will decide. An open guitar case, an upturned hat. Donate or not. There’s no tougher audition.
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David Sobon will moderate a community meeting on busking on Wednesday, March 1, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Warehouse Artist Lofts, at 1108 R St. R.E. Graswich can be reached at reg@graswich.com. n
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35
Molly Greene
R
Molly Greene crossing the finish line at America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride (left) and the California International Marathon.
SHE JUST KEEPS RUNNING AND CYCLING
36
THE GRID MAR n 17
iver Park resident Molly Greene has had her fair share of challenges. Close friends and family members have been diagnosed with cancer. Some have died. Greene herself suffered a severe foot injury that required her to have a bone removed, so now she uses a wheelchair when covering long distances. But that hasn’t stopped the medical malpractice and business litigation attorney from doing what she loves: volunteering for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “What I’ve seen my dollars do to help find a cure (for blood cancers) and come up with amazing research and advancements over the past 16 or so years is just amazing,” says Greene, who has participated in more than 20 events for LLS’s Team in Training, which raises money for blood-cancer research through running, cycling, triathlon and hiking events. “It’s necessary for me to keep going, to raise a little bit of money every year. I’ll never stop doing what I’m doing.” Greene has worn many hats during her years of involvement with TNT: marathoner, cyclist (on a bicycle and, after her injury, a hand cycle), running mentor and assistant cycling coach. But she admits she first started participating “to impress a boy.” “In the year 2000, I had just joined a Bay Area-based band, and the best friend of the guy I liked had a 5-year-old son who was fighting leukemia,” Greene recalls. “Everybody in the band decided to help him out, which is how I first heard about TNT. So I—who had never done anything athletic in my life—decided to join TNT and run the California International Marathon, which happened to fall on my birthday that year. My
JL By Jessica Laskey Giving Back
training had not gone well and it was not a good marathon, but it was my first and I raised $2,500. I cried when I crossed the finish line.” After that race, Greene decided that running was not her favorite form of exercise, so she got involved with TNT’s cycling branch. By this point, the boy Greene had been trying to impress had become her husband. (They wed in 2005.) He, too, was interested in cycling for TNT—for even more personal reasons.
participate in mainstream running events. “It really opens your eyes. When I got injured, I had to adapt a lot, but I found a way to keep going. I have pain every day, but I have to remind myself that it could be a lot worse. That’s kind of the point of TNT. People don’t want to run 26 miles or ride 100 miles. It hurts! But when you think about doing it for the people who can’t, it’s all about perspective.” Greene also serves as vice
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“IF EVERYBODY GAVE A LITTLE BIT, IMAGINE WHERE WE WOULD BE.” “Three days after our wedding, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with leukemia,” says Greene, whose own mother died of cancer in 1994. “He died in 2006, the same year my husband’s mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My best friend was also diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma around that same time. I wanted to help my new family, so in 2007, my husband and I got new bikes and joined the cycling team. It had a whole lot of meaning riding around Lake Tahoe that year.” While tragedy has hit Greene and her family hard, she maintains a positive outlook. “I’ve met so many determined people who’ve worked through setbacks and still succeed,” says Greene, who hopes to hand cycle in the New York City Marathon this fall with Achilles International, a group that helps people with disabilities
president of River Park Neighborhood Association. “I have a good life,” she says. “I’ve worked really hard to get where I am, but I believe we’re here to do good. If I can spend a little bit of my time and commit to fundraising, getting the word out on new research or making my neighborhood a safer place to live, I’m going to. If everybody gave a little bit, imagine where we would be.”
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For more information on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training, go to teamintraining.org. For more information on Achilles International, go to achillesinternational.org. For more information on River Park Neighborhood Association, go to riverparksacramento.net/rpna. Jessica Laskey can be reached at jessrlaskey@gmail.com. n
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Healing Waters
THIS MASSAGE THERAPIST HAS A UNIQUE TOOL: THE POOL Massage therapist Jillian Van Ness
I
JL By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor
38
THE GRID MAR n 17
magine yourself suspended in a warm-water
our planet is made of water. On every level, water
pool while certified massage therapist Jillian
has a healing, nourishing benefit, not to mention
Van Ness guides your muscles to relax. That
that it’s such a playful modality.”
freeing, floating sensation is just one unique
When her clients experience an aquatic massage
element of Van Ness’ East Sacramento-based
for the first time, they describe the feeling as
healing massage practice that caters to people of all
primal and nostalgic. Being suspended in the water
ages, including infants, children, pregnant women
takes them back to a fond childhood memory of
and older adults suffering from illness or chronic
carefree play in a pool or ocean, often with family
pain.
members or friends.
“Generations have gone to the water for
“The aquatic element brings a more three-
spiritual, emotional and physical support,” says
dimensional aspect to massage,” says Van Ness,
Van Ness, a Southern California native who settled
who became a Watsu aquatic massage practitioner
in Sacramento with her husband four years ago.
in 2011. “Because you’re floating, the massage
“It’s part of our rituals. It offers cleansing. So
therapist can work on all sides of your body at the
much of our bodies are made of water; so much of
same time. The temperature of the water—we
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keep it as close to body temperature
10-year health journey once she got
as possible—is incredibly soothing
back to the United States. After her
to the nervous system, and being
first session of aquatic massage at
gently rocked back and forth through
Washington State, she was hooked
the water creates gentle releases in
on its amazing effects and trained to
muscles and joints that can come
add it to her repertoire as a massage
much faster than in traditional
therapist. This past year, she did
massage on land. The warm water is
the same with the GroovaRoo dance
doing the majority of the work for me.
classes—this time, at the behest of
And because your brain can’t predict
her family and friends.
what motion is coming next, you’re not as keyed in to what’s happening.”
“I’ve always loved dancing and movement practices,” says Van Ness,
Van Ness herself is very keyed
who’s expecting her first child. “And
in, which is what makes her aquatic
I have a shameless, silly side—I don’t
massage, pre- and postpartum
get embarrassed busting out a move
support and GroovaRoo prenatal and
in public. When the video of a group
babywearing dance classes so sought
of dads wearing their babies to a
after.
dance class went viral online, tons of
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“I’VE ALWAYS HAD A HUGE LOVE FOR BOTH THE ARTS AND HELPING PEOPLE.”
916-443-1967 “I’ve always had a huge love for
people kept sending it to me, telling
both the arts and helping people,”
me I should bring something like
says Van Ness, who started off
that to Sacramento. When my own
studying piano and songwriting at
mother sent it to me a few months
Berklee College of Music. “I grew up
later, the timing of it just clicked. I
doing dance, music and photography,
realized that it wasn’t such a side
but I was never sure how I was
step for my practice. A big part of
going to channel it professionally.
my mission is to support growing
When I was studying in Boston, I got
families. That means a woman can
tendinitis, so I had to take time off
come get a Watsu massage during her
from playing piano, which is when I
second trimester of pregnancy, then
discovered music therapy. I eventually bring her 3-week-old to a massage transferred out of Berklee to a school theories class with her partner, in northern Arizona where I could
then do a dance class when the kid
create my own major and tie in all the
is older. All of these modalities can
different aspects of art, therapy and
seem like such luxuries—and they
psychology that I loved. Music is still
are in terms of financial resources.
a piece of healing for me, but this way
But when you break them down into
I can incorporate it into my practice
the fundamentals of touch, health,
to care for the whole person.”
connection and bonding, they’re so
Years after college, Van Ness added the aquatic element to her practice
important in creating a strong, happy, healthy family and community.”
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almost by accident. While studying dance in Ghana, she contracted typhoid fever, which set her on
For more information, visit jillianvanness.com. n
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39
Telling Stories SHE FINDS POWER IN CREATIVE NONFICTION
T
he philosophy behind Under the Gum Tree—the literary-arts micro magazine that writer and editor Janna Marlies Maron started in 2011—is “Tell stories without shame.” This philosophy not only informs the creative nonfiction and visual artwork featured in Maron’s beautiful quarterly publication, but also her own life and career. “When I was in grad school at Sac State for creative writing, I was introduced to the genre of creative nonfiction,” says Maron, who moved to Sacramento in 2001 and gradually fell in love with Midtown after growing up in the Bay Area. “Everybody goes to grad school and writes fiction and poetry. I was writing
JL By Jessica Laskey Meet Your Neighbor
Writer and editor Janna Marlies Maron
40
THE GRID MAR n 17
I THOUGHT, ‘I CAN WRITE TRUE STORIES IN THE MANNER OF FICTION AND CALL IT NONFICTION? THAT’S A THING?’ IT UNLOCKED MY VOICE AS A WRITER.
really bad biographical fiction. When I write fiction, it feels contrived. It’s not who I am as a person or a writer. When I was introduced to creative nonfiction, I was blown away by the concept. I thought, ‘I can write true stories in the manner of fiction and call it nonfiction? That’s a thing?’ It unlocked my voice as a writer. The freedom to write nonfiction in a literary form was really liberating.” This creative liberation was a long time coming for Maron, who wrote for a newspaper in El Dorado Hills after college, then worked in magazine publishing and eventually got involved in the coworking movement in town with a space called ThinkHouse Collective that she co-owned with her husband for four years. After earning her master’s degree, Maron also ran a Meetup group called Shut Up and Write for fellow artists. She teaches at Sacramento City College and in private writing workshops and acts as the adviser for the literary journal at William Jessup University. But something was still missing for the dedicated wordsmith. “By the time I graduated from Sac State, I’d become obsessed with the creative nonfiction genre,” Maron recalls. “But aside from reading memoirs, I was desperately searching
for where to read more of this kind of writing and wondering where I could publish my own.” So she started Under the Gum Tree in 2011. “What I loved about magazine publishing was the design and layout and the glossy, full-color treatment of the content,” Maron says. “There aren’t a lot of publications focusing on creative nonfiction and certainly no other publications that are doing a glossy, full-color product. I realized that I could bring my background in magazine publishing to the literary space and converge both of my interests.” The response to Maron’s magazine has been wonderful. But she didn’t realize how important that support would be until she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis eight months after the first edition of Under the Gum Tree was published. “The diagnosis was a huge shock and surprise,” says Maron, who started experiencing mysterious symptoms in 2012. “My biggest symptom was fatigue. I could barely make it up the stairs of our building. I would go to bed at 6 p.m. and sleep till 9 or 10 the next day and not realize I was sleeping that long. I thought, ‘What’s wrong with me? I’m young, relatively healthy, I jog and practice
yoga.’ My official diagnosis of MS came when I was only 33.” Maron refused to be beaten by extreme fatigue. She pared back on what she could, and she and her husband closed the coworking space in 2015. But she says it wasn’t even a question whether or not she would continue the literary magazine. “I wanted desperately to see how far I could take it, and I had only just started,” says Maron, who manages her condition holistically (without drugs) and has been symptom free for two years. “Having my own magazine is the culmination of everything I’ve ever done. I’m really proud of it. My amazing staff—all of whom are volunteers—remind me that what I’m
doing is much bigger than I am. If it had been just me all these five years, it wouldn’t have lasted this long.” Under the Gum Tree also serves as a constant reminder of the power of storytelling, even in the face of debilitating illness. “I feel passionately about the healing process,” Maron explains. “When a writer writes a story and shares it with an audience, there’s a powerful synergy that comes from sharing and owning the experience. It’s a way of saying, ‘This is my truth. This is what has happened to me in my life.’ It’s empowering.” To subscribe to Under the Gum Tree, go to underthegumtree.com. n
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41
The Pity of the Parkway A PROBLEM WE CAN’T RUN AWAY FROM
S
acramento has two crown jewels for sporting people. There’s Golden 1 Center, which delights sedentary folks who prefer to watch other humans run, jump and sweat. And there’s the American River Parkway, which was designed to thrill the DIY crowd by providing runners, walkers, cyclists and equestrians with hearty, adventurous treks from Old Sacramento to Folsom. The new Downtown arena has exceeded its promise despite inept performances by its master tenant, the Kings. But the American River Parkway is in trouble, weighed down by a perennial problem that devours endless political oxygen while avoiding remedy. The trouble comes from the collision between active, athletic residents and an expanded population of homeless people who build camps in the parkway. For many citizens who love the parkway and its 26 miles of trails, the homeless presence has turned stretches of the American River into a no-go zone, especially near Downtown. None of this is new. And the problem will not find a cure anytime soon. Debates about cleaning up the American River Parkway swallowed significant time and energy during the eight years Kevin Johnson
RG By R.E. Graswich Sports Authority
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THE GRID MAR n 17
Homeless camps are a common sight along the American River Parkway. spent in the mayor’s office. Newly installed Mayor Darrell Steinberg has made homeless solutions a priority. Meantime, parts of the parkway remain frightening and dangerous. What’s an athlete to do? For some parkway perspective, I visited Bob Slobe, whose family firm, North Sacramento Land Company, donated acreage for the crown jewel and helped move the American River Parkway from dream to reality. “It’s getting worse,” he says. “It’s like an army.” Slobe has the advantage of generational perspective. He loves the parkway and has passion for the communities that link to his family’s
real estate legacy near the American River’s northern shore, places that include North Sacramento and Del Paso Heights. “My grandmother donated 10 percent of the parkway, 2.6 miles worth of land,” he says. “All she asked was for the county to pick up the taxes and maintain the gates.” Watching his grandmother’s beloved parkway become unsafe for walkers, cyclists and joggers has not been easy for Slobe. He long ago abandoned any pretense of political correctness when discussing the problem. He avoids the word “homeless” as a noun or identifier. For him, people
who build illegal camps, start fires and leave garbage strewn across his grandmother’s former property are “bums.” “Back in the years 1986 to 1989, I began to ask the authorities in the city and county, ‘Why are all these people camping in the park?’ My point then and now was this isn’t a homeless issue; it’s a law enforcement issue. It’s against the law to camp in the parkway.” Slobe has served on various committees and task forces formed to resolve the problem. They always fail. “They inevitably come back and say, ‘We need more permanent
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Old Soul Co. 1716 L St. housing,’ which is fine. But it won’t fix this,� he says. “The bums who camp in the parkway and burned down the railroad trestle and burned down the ancient black walnut grove and who knock people off bicycles with two-by-fours, they get kicked out of housing. They are the worst of the worst.� As for solutions, Slobe has one, but it’s not something most people want to hear. He says, “The problem is probably intractable, but we should share the burden of responsibility.� By this, Slobe means dividing up the homeless population and sharing it equally, across the community. “When somebody says, ‘We need a camping ordinance,’ I ask them where they live and what’s the nearest park. Then I say, ‘OK, let’s put that camping ordinance in Land Park, Curtis Park, McKinley Park, whatever park. I want the homeless to have what you have.’ But people aren’t open to taking their fair share. Somehow, I’ve been assigned to keep them here in my neighborhood. You know what? It’s someone else’s turn.�
fatsrestaurants.com Not long ago, when local authorities talked about establishing a homeless campground at a former Boy Scout lodge on the riverfront, Slobe jumped in and helped a nature conservancy buy the property. “They wanted to keep the problem right here,� he says. With his real estate office only a few hundred feet from the American River levee, Slobe has made frequent tours of his grandmother’s old land to monitor the homeless situation. He has served as tour guide for politicians and journalists. His guests have been disgusted by discarded needles and trash, human waste, pornographic materials. They’ve been chased by dogs. Often, they end the tour early. Slobe doesn’t tour the parkway like he once did. The centerpiece of Sacramento’s recreational jewel has become too dangerous, even for him. He no longer has the speed to run away.
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43
Art Preview
GALLERY ART SHOWS IN MARCH
Tim Collom Gallery is showing works by painter Whitney Lofrano that explore her first year of sobriety, through the end of March. Shown above: “The Deep End #1,” watercolor. 915 20th St.; timcollomgallery.com
ARTHOUSE on R presents “Winter’s Dawn: October in Iceland” by Victoria Veedell, through April 4. Shown right: “Iceland Dawn,” oil. 1021 R St.; arthouseonr.com
At Ella K. McClatchy Library, “Mixed Messages: Art Quilts” features the work of Jan Soules and The Pixeladies, through April 26. Shown above: “Blue Morningfull,” a quilt by Soules. 2122 22nd St.; saclibrary.org
New watercolor works by longtime graphic designer Michael Dunlavey is shown through March 31 at Sparrow Gallery. Shown above: “Black Pearl.” 2418 K St.; sparrowgallerysacramento.com
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THE GRID MAR n 17
Smith Gallery presents an exhibition of new “Costa Rica and Jungle” scenes, original mixed-media works on canvas by Steve Memering, through April 30. Shown above: “At the River’s Edge,” oil. 1011 K St.; smithgallery.com
INSIDE’S
THE HANDLE
Paragary’s Bar & Oven 1401 28th St. 457-5737
The Rind
L D $$ Full Bar Fabulous Outdoor Patio, California cuisine with a French touch • Paragarys.com
1801 L Street #40 441-7463 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Cheese-centric menu paired with select wine and beer • therindsacramento.com
2831 S Street
Zocolo
L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Urban winery and tasting room with a creative menu using local sources • rwwinery. com
1801 Capitol Ave. 441-0303
DOWNTOWN Cafeteria 15L 116 15th Street 551-1559 L D $$ Classic American lunch counter with a millennial vibe • cafeteria15l.com
DeVere’s Pub 1521 L Street L D Full Bar $$ Family-run authentic Irish pub with a classic menu to match • deverespub.com
Downtown & Vine 1200 K Street #8 228-4518 Educational tasting experience of wines by the taste, flight or glass • downtownandvine.com
Ella Dining Room & Bar
Rio City Cafe
Café Bernardo
Ten 22 1022 Second St. 441-2211 L D Wine/Beer $$ American bistro favorites with a modern twist in a casual, Old Sac setting • ten22oldsac.com
R STREET
L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Upscale American fare served in an elegant setting • Paragarys.com
1431 R St. 930-9191 B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service
Firestone Public House
Ma Jong’s
Grange
Centro Cocina Mexicana 2730 J St. 442-2552 L D $$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cooking served in a casual atmosphere • Paragarys.com
Federalist Public House
Hock Farm Craft & Provision
29th and P. Sts. 455-3300 L D $ Classic burgers, cheesesteaks, shakes, chili dogs, and other tasty treats • suzieburger.com
Tapa The World 2115 J St. 442-4353 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer/Sangria Spanish/world cuisine in a casual authentic atmosphere, live flamenco music - tapathewworld.com
Thai Basil Café 2431 J St. 442-7690 L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Patio Housemade curries among their authentic Thai specialties Thaibasilrestaurant.com
2009 N Street L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Wood-fired pizzas in an inventive urban alley setting • federalistpublichouse.com
Hot Italian
Fish Face Poke Bar 1104 R Street Suite 100 L D $$ Humble Hawaiian poke breaks free • fishfacepokebar.com
L D Full Bar $$ Authentic hand-crafted pizzas with inventive ingredients, Gelato• hotitalian.net
Mulvaney’s Building & Loan 1215 19th St. 441-6022
Iron Horse Tavern 1116 15th Street L D $-$$ Full Bar Gastro-pub cuisine in a stylish industrial setting • ironhorsetavern.net
L D Full Bar $$$ Modern American cuisine in an upscale historic setting
The Waterboy 2000 Capitol Ave. 498-9891 L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Fine South of France and northern Italian cuisine in a chic neighborhood setting • waterboyrestaurant.com
12th & R Streets
La Venadita 3501 Thurd Ave. 4000-4676 L D $$ Full Bar Authentic Mexican cuisine with simple tasty menu in a colorful historic setting • lavenaditasac.com
3514 Broadway
2718 J Street
Old Soul & Pullman Bar
OAK PARK
Oak Park Brewing Company
Red Rabbit L D $$ Full Bar All things local contribute to a
L D $$ Full Bar Award-winning beers and a creative pub-style menu in an historic setting • opbrewco.com
sophisticated urban menu • theredrabbit.net
Vibe Health Bar
B L D $ Full-service cafe with artisan coffee roasts, bakery goods and sandwiches • oldsoulco.com
3515 Broadway B L D $-$$ Clean, lean & healthy snacks. Acai bowls are speciality. Kombucha on tap • vibehealthbar.com n
926 J Street • 492-4450 B L D Full Bar $$$ Simple, seasonal, soulful • grangerestaurant.com
Suzie Burger
1627 16th Street 444-3000
1431 L Street L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Cuisine from Japan, Thailand, China ad Vietnam. • majongs.com
B L D $-$$ Wine/Beer Casual California cuisine with counter service
110 K Street
Café Bernardo
L D Full Bar $$-$$$ Chinese favorites in an elegant setting • Fatsrestaurants.com
served a la carte • Biba-restaurant.com
2726 Capitol Ave. 443-1180
1213 K St. 448-8900
806 L St. 442-7092
MIDTOWN
L D $$$ Full Bar Global and California cuisine in an upscale historic Old Sac setting • Firehouseoldsac.com
L D $ Great burgers and more. • williesburgers.com
Frank Fat’s
D $$ Inventive Japansese-inspired seafood dishes • skoolonkstreet.com
1112 Second St. 442-4772
L D $$$ Full Bar Modern American cuisine served family-style in a chic, upscale space Elladiningroomandbar.com
L D $$ Full Bar Sports bar with a classical american menu• firestonepublichouse.com
2315 K Street
2801 Capitol Ave. 455-2422 L D $$$ Full Bar Upscale Northern Italian cuisine
1131 K St. 443-3772
1132 16th Street
Skool
Biba Ristorante The Firehouse Restaurant
Willie’s Burgers
Esquire Grill
L D $$-$$$ Full Bar Patio Regional Mexican cuisine served in an authentic artistic setting • zocolosacramento.com
1110 Front Street 442-8226 L D Wine/Beer $$ Bistro favorites with a distinctively Sacramento feeling in a riverfront setting • riocitycafe.com
Revolution Wines
Magpie Cafe 1601 16th Street L D $$-$$$ Wine/Beer Seasonal menu using the best local ingredients • magpiecafe.com
1415 L St. 440-8888 L D $$-$$ Full Bar Celebration of the region’s rich history and bountiful terrain • Paragarys.com
Nido Bakery
South
L D $ Bakery treats and seasonal specialities • hellonido.com
1409 R Street Suite 102
2005 11th Street 382-9722 L D $-$$ Beer/Wine Timeless traditional Southern cuisine, counter service • weheartfriedchicken.com
OLD SAC Fat City Bar & Cafe 1001 Front St. 446-6768 D $$-$$$ Full Bar American cuisine served in a casual historic Old Sac location • Fatsrestaurants.com
Shoki Ramen House 1201 R Street L D $$ Japanese fine dining using the best local ingredients • sshokiramenhouse.com
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2400 J Street
441-1478
Making memories beautiful since 1946
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This Month @ the Market
A LOOK AT WHAT’S IN SEASON AT LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS IN MARCH
ASPARAGUS
BROCCOLI
NANTES CARROTS
Asparagus plants are perennial; the edible spears are the new shoots that appear in spring. To eat: Steam, grill or roast them and serve with hollandaise or lemon vinaigrette.
California grows 80 percent of the nation’s crop. Broccoli is packed with vitamin C and dietary fiber. To eat: Boil, sauté, steam or stir-fry.
This French heirloom variety has an almost perfectly cylindrical shape, smooth skin, crisp texture and sweet taste. To eat: Use in stocks, soups, braises and salads.
FAVA GREENS
LEEKS
The leaves of the fava bean plant are mildly sweet and buttery. Early in the season, they are tender and can be eaten raw. Later in the season, it’s best to sauté or wilt them. To eat: Mix them into a salad or add to pasta or risotto.
This sweet, delicately flavored vegetable is from the onion family and is related to garlic, chives and scallions. Clean them well before using to remove grit between the leaves. To eat: Braise them whole or slice and sauté for a soup or stew.
CARNIVAL CAULIFLOWER
These multicolored cauliflowers come in vivid orange, green or purple. They are a great source of vitamins C and B6 and are high in folate and potassium. To eat: Boil the whole head briefly in salted water, then drizzle with olive oil and roast at high temp.
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THE GRID MAR n 17
Fabulous COUTURE for you
#PANACHE & vintage for your home Voted Best Vintage Couture by Sacramento Magazine
• CEREC one-visit crowns • Implant dentistry • Invisalign • General and cosmetic dentistry • Eco-friendly practice • Children and adults welcome • Sedation available
Dr. Paul Phillips & Dr. Barry Dunn Serving East Sacramento since 1991 1273 32 Street 452-7874
5379 H Street #B • 813-5758 • instagram/panache_on_hst
Expect MORE from your Realtor Character. Competence. Commitment. Community.
““Steffan handled the sale of my home in a very professional and courteous way. I was very pleased to have him represent me with the sale of my property.” -Michael Neumann
Steffan Brown ł 717-7217 ł SteffanBrown.com
CaBRE #01882787
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Coldwell Banker STATELY GOLDMANOR! Unique hm w/open-feel liv rm/ entertaining space & galley-style kitch. 5bd/3.5ba. Finished bsmnt w/1000sf bonus rm. $1,010,000 POLLY SANDERS & ELISE BROWN 715-0213 CaBRE#: 01158787, 01781942
#1 IN CALIFORNIA
FEELS GOOD TO BE HOME! Stunning 3bed/1bath Land Park Bungalow with and abundance of natural light and charm! $455,000 WENDY KAY 717-1013 CaBRE#: 01335180
PENDING
L STREET LOFTS PENTHOUSE CORNER PENTHOUSE, most prestigious in city, 3600sf, 3+bds/3ba, sauna, deck. Doorman. 4 car prking. $3,000,000 MICHAEL ONSTEAD 916-601-5699 CaBRE#: 01222608
SOLD
SWEET CRAFTSMAN IN CURTIS PARK! With your rocking chair on its spacious porch, this hm will delight its new owner. Updtd kitch, glamorous bathrm, & party-worthy bckyrd. STEPH BAKER 775-3447 CaBRE#: 01402254
CHARMING & PRIVATE LAND PARK! What a show place! Rebuilt in 2007. Top of the line decorator touches. Open flrpln & tons of windows w/views of Land Park. $1,150,000 SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986
LAND PARK TUDOR! Quaint 3 bedroom, Land park Tudor on a deep lot. Hardwood floors throughout. Updated HVAC & dual pane windows. SUE OLSON 601-8834 CaBRE#: 00784986
HEART OF OLD LAND PARK! 4BD/2.5BA, front court-yard, open flr plan w/designer kitch, & master suite has elegant bath. Lovely backyard w/pool. $899,950 KARIN LIBBEE 230-6521 CaBRE#: 00862357
A DANDY ON DUNBARTON COMING SOON. Prized free-standing one-level w/1800+ sqft, 2-car attached garage, Lg living w/frplc & master +2 other bds and 2 baths. SABRA SANCHEZ 508-5313 CaBRE#: 01820635
TIMELESS WHITE BRICK TUDOR! Built in 1932 in prime location. Beautifully restored w/today’s modern highend finishes. 3BD/2.5BA & finished bsemnt. $899,000 TOM LEONARD 834-1681 CaBRE#: 01714895
LAND PARK CLASSIC! Enjoy the European flair of this Land Park classic, located on a leafy stretch in one of the greenest cities in the world! MARK PETERS 600-2039 CaBRE#: 01424396
LOVELY SARATOGA TOWNHOME! Remodeled in 2013 from top to bottom. Enchanting back patio. Close proximity to the R Street Corridor. $365,000 DEBBIE TOWNE 532-2652 CaBRE#: 01305405
L STREET LOFTS West Penthouse: City skyline view, 18’ ceilings, Gourmet kitchen, fireplace, loft bdrm, 2BA, soaking tub & deck. $994,000 MICHAEL ONSTEAD 601-5699 CaBRE#: 01222608
SACRAMENTO METRO OFFICE 730 Alhambra Boulevard #150 • 916.447.5900
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©2017 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each ColdwellBanker Residential Brokerage Office is Owned by a Subsidiary of NRT LLC. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage or NRT LLC. CalBRE License #01908304.