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Sacramento’S newS & entertainment weekly

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Volume 31, iSSue 24

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thurSday, September 26, 2019

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contents

september 26, 2019 | Vol. 31, Issue 24

20 editor’s note letters essay + streetalk 15 minutes news feature

06 07 08 10 12 20

place calendar capital cannabis guide ask joey

74 76 81 90

cover design by maria ratinova photo by serene lusano Greg Meyers,Jenny Plummer, Lloyd Rongley, Lolu Sholotan, Carlton Singleton, Viv Tiqui

N&R Publications Editor Debbie Arrington Associate Publications Editors Derek McDow, Our Mission: To publish great newspapers that are successful and enduring. To create a quality work environment that encourages employees to grow professionally while respecting personal welfare. To have a positive impact on our communities and make them better places to live.

Thea Rood

Editor Foon Rhee News Editor Raheem F. Hosseini Managing Editor Mozes Zarate Staff Reporter Scott Thomas Anderson Copy Editor Steph Rodriguez Calendar Editor Maxfield Morris Contributing Editor Rachel Leibrock Editorial Assistant Rachel Mayfield Contributors Ngaio Bealum, Amy Bee, Rob Brezsny,

Steve Caruso, Joseph Engle, Sherri Heller, Rod Malloy, Celeste Worden

Aaron Carnes, Jim Carnes, Joey Garcia, Kate Gonzales, Howard Hardee, Ashley Hayes-Stone, Jim Lane, Chris Macias, Ken Magri, Illyanna Maisonet, Tessa Marguerite Outland, James Raia, Patti Roberts, Dylan Svoboda, Bev Sykes, Jeremy Winslow, Graham Womack Creative Services Manager Elisabeth Bayard-Arthur Art Directors Sarah Hansel, Maria Ratinova Publications Art Director Serene Lusano Publications Designer Katelynn Mitrano Publications and Advertising Designer Nikki Exerjian Ad Designer Naisi Thomas, Cathy Arnold

Advertising Manager Michael Gelbman Sales & Production Coordinator Skyler Morris Senior Advertising Consultants Rosemarie Messina, Kelsi White

Advertising Consultants Michael Nero, Vincent Marchese

Distribution Director Greg Erwin Distribution Assistant Lob Dunnica Distribution Drivers Mansour Aghdam, Beatriz Aguirre, Rosemarie Beseler, Kimberly Bordenkircher, Mike Cleary, Tom Downing, Marty Fetterley, Chris Fong, Ron Forsberg, Michael Jackson, Calvin Maxwell,

N&R Publications Staff Writer/Photographer Anne Stokes

N&R Publications Editorial Coordinator Nisa Smith Marketing & Publications Lead Consultant Elizabeth Morabito

Development Consultant Greta Beekhuis Marketing & Publications Consultants

President/CEO Jeff vonKaenel Director of Nuts & Bolts Deborah Redmond Director of People & Culture David Stogner Nuts & Bolts Ninja Norma Huerta Director of Dollars & Sense Debbie Mantoan Account Jedi Jessica Kislanka Payroll/AP Wizard Miranda Hansen Developer John Bisignano System Support Specialist Kalin Jenkins 1124 Del Paso Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95815 Phone (916) 498-1234 Fax (916) 498-7910 Website newsreview.com Got a News Tip? sactonewstips@newsreview.com Calendar Events newsreview.com/calendar Want to Advertise? Fax (916) 498-7910 or snradinfo@newsreview.com Classifieds (916) 498-1234, ext. 5 or classifieds@newsreview.com Job Opportunities jobs@newsreview.com Want to Subscribe to SN&R? sactosubs@newsreview.com Editorial Policies: Opinions expressed in SN&R are those of the authors and not of Chico Community Publishing, Inc. Contact the editor for permissions to reprint articles, cartoons or other portions of the paper. SN&R is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or review materials. Email letters to snrletters@newsreview.com. All letters received become the property of the publisher. We reserve the right to print letters in condensed form and to edit them for libel.

Advertising Policies: All advertising is subject to the newspaper’s Standards of Acceptance. The advertiser and not the newspaper assumes the responsibility for the truthful content of their advertising message.

SN&R is printed at PressWorks Ink on recycled newsprint.

Circulation of SN&R is verified by the Circulation Verification Council.

SN&R is a member of Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, CNPA, AAN and AWN.

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Jim Wood, vice president at McGee & Thielen, credits his firm’s longevity to responsiveness to clients.

“There’s nothing magical at all,” he says.

That’s particularly Burnett & Sons, one important for an insurance of Sacramento’s broker, which collects oldest businesses, is premiums in advance celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. and then has to help clients when they file claims. About two-thirds of the firm’s clients are small to medium-sized businesses, including Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op, and the other third are individuals.

Wood, who has been with the firm since 1983, said it had to tighten its belt during the Great Recession, when it was also embroiled in a shareholder lawsuit. Now, he said, the 17-employee firm is on solid ground.

Jim Burnett, the sixth generation in charge at Burnett & Sons, says he’s proud of his company’s long history, which he says helps attract new business. It has done work at the state Capitol, City Hall and the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, he says.

At the same time, “you’ve got to change with the times,” which for Burnett meant learning to use computers for accounting.

The firm now has nearly 30 employees as it celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.

Edwin Grebitus Sr., the founder of Grebitus & Sons, was a founding member of the American Gem Society. On its website, it promotes its reputation for fine jewelry and watch appraisal and repair.

The staying power of these homegrown companies is even more impressive given how many small businesses fail in their first few years and the who’s who of national brand names disappearing in the retail apocalypse.

Elsewhere in this issue, we’re recognizing businesses that our readers picked as the Best of Sacramento. Instead of lamenting businesses that go under, we should also celebrate those that have stayed afloat. Ω

When a longtime local business closes its doors, there’s a lot of attention and some sadness. It happened again in June when Dimple Records announced it was shutting down after nearly 45 years.

But what about those that have survived big-box stores and Amazon, not to mention the occasional recession? How have they stayed open so long?

I asked the Sacramento Metro Chamber for a list of its oldest members and contacted four small businesses: Burnett & Sons, which specializes in architectural millwork and started in 1869; Grebitus & Sons Jewelers, founded in 1926; Hefner, Stark & Marois, a law firm founded in 1896; and McGee & Thielen insurance brokers, started in 1920.

Asked for secrets to their survival, there are some common themes: keeping loyal clients, building trust and providing stellar customer service. Plus, they offer services that can’t be easily outsourced to China or Texas.

Hefner, Stark & Marois, Sacramento’s oldest law firm, now has about 25 attorneys and staff.

Partner Tim Cronan says that besides being responsive to clients and providing good counsel, the firm takes pride in its charitable contributions and civic involvement.

“We’ve made a strong investment in giving back to the community,” he told me. “That’s helped us.”

It also helps that the firm can ride out the business cycle because its real estate caseload picks up with economic growth, and its bankruptcy work increases during harder times.

letters

Email to sactolEttErs@nEwsrEviEw.com @SacNewsReview

@SacNewsReview

Facebook.com/SacNewsReview

The unseen disabled Re: “How to stop disabled parking cheats”

by Peter Rodman (Essay, Sept. 12): Seventy percent of all disabled people have disabilities that cannot be seen. Also, most disabled people live on very little income, and so this parking benefit is really helpful. Lastly, it is excruciatingly hard to get disability benefits. It sounds like you need a purpose, but please don’t let it be picking on anyone weak or vulnerable.

Kristen Bye s acr am en t o / v i a F a c e b o o k

What does disabled look like?

Re: “How to stop disabled parking cheats” by Peter Rodman (Essay, Sept. 12): This is a terrible idea. I use a placard, and my disability is none of your concern. I have had people tell me, “You don’t look disabled.”

My answer is: What does disabled actually look like, and why do you think I owe you my diagnosis? So now I have to hire a notary public? Nah.

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It will happen again in 2020 if the trend of 2018 continues when only 49% of the voting-eligible population went to the polls.

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david HoBBs s acr am en t o / v i a e m a i l

ICE is inhumane Every year, many immigrants come to the U.S seeking asylum and a better life. The issue lately has been the opposition and hatred we have toward immigrants, including the cages and detention centers. This is the most inhumane policy America can have. We should not be putting people in centers where they can’t get access to clean water, toothbrushes, beds and other daily necessities. A wall to keep immigrants out won’t fix anything.

ICE needs to be abolished because it makes the situation worse by mistreating innocent human beings because of their citizenship status. To help, go to act.credoaction.com/sign/ families_belong_together to sign a petition.

Zara aFridi sac rame n to / v i a em ai l

Supermarket tabloid returns!

Thanks to Serene Lusano for the great cover. It reminds me of all the time I spent in checkout lines, browsing the tabloids, especially Weekly World News (The best of them!). The only thing missing is bat boy.

JoHn KwasniK s acr am en t o / v i a e m a i l

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essay

By Bill knoWlton

streetalk

By Graham Womack

Asked At CesAr ChAvez PArk:

Sac’s best secret spot?

An advance for peace City should renew program that is reducing gun violence In Sacramento we have seen first-hand the challenges and pain caused by gun violence. As in most urban areas, it is experienced mostly by young people of color and their families. Gun violence has taken countless lives, changing the character of many of our neighborhoods, driving people to move elsewhere and affecting the image of the city.

To end this cycle of violence, civic and Bill Knowlton is executive director of the Mack Road community leaders banded together to identify Partnership. solutions toward making our city and neighborhoods a better place to live. National research has demonstrated that community-driven intervention partnerships have been successful in to receive mentorships, internships and other preventing gun violence. In the summer of 2017, social services. The fellowship program has Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the City Council served 67 adult fellows and 35 junior fellows. unanimously voted for Sacramento to become the Advance Peace has spent more than 3,600 first city in the country to partner with Advance hours on the streets, providing service referrals, Peace. intervention services and conflict mediation.

Advance Peace is a nonprofit that started Advance Peace has made inroads in in Richmond with a proven track the community through strategic record of success, with its mission partnerships with nonprofits We ask the to end retaliatory gun violence and business groups. in urban neighborhoods and mayor and the Advance Peace has to invest in the development, been building a moveCity Council to renew health and well-being of ment to eradicate gun Advance Peace for two those at the center of this violence. This work starts crisis. more years so we can by changing hearts, but Advance Peace began the tangible impact of continue our work and build its work in Sacramento in this work can be seen on the progress that has January 2018 with a goal to by everyone with fewer reduce gun-related violence by been made in such a homicides by gun violence.

50% over four years. A critical A root cause of gun short time. victory to note is that in 2018, violence is the lack of qualthis collective effort has resulted in ity education and employment zero youth homicides for the first time in opportunities. Parallel to the anti-gun more than 35 years. violence efforts, Steinberg has championed A two-year extension clause was incorporated inclusive economic development, including more at the midpoint of its contract with the city, to support and opportunities for our underserved measure its performance on various indicators, communities. including a 20% to 25% reduction.

Advance Peace has demonstrated results that We ask the mayor and the City Council to reduce violence in affected communities and keep renew Advance Peace for two more years so we our young people alive. The last 24 months are steps can continue our work and build on the progress in the right direction. We cannot stop now. Ω that has been made in such a short time.

As part of the four-year program, two groups of 50 young men have been identified and are enrolled in the Peacemaker Fellowship Program 8

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denise PAgAneLLi executive secretary

The Delta. Because there’s various places throughout the Delta that have wonderful boating and restaurants.

PAmeL A eLLiot t criminal defense attorney

Tank House … I’ve been surprised how many people don’t know about Tank House.

Best barbecue ever.

diAnA Chinn attorney

The Sacramento Ballet Company … I do think that it’s one of the things that not as many Sacramentans know about.

BArret t Benson state worker

I took a tour of the underground, under the very first level of Sacramento, down through Old Sac … The treasure that’s down there, the history.

tAmAr dyson environmental attorney

The Dive Bar. That was, like, one of the coolest things. ... I stumbled on it coming out of the theater one day and I saw the merlady and mermen. It really is a dive because it’s a double entendre.

sCot t LigAre engineer

The river reaches and the swimming holes and finding a new one where there might not be other people there, just exploring the Foothills.

Please join us!

Sunday Sept. 29, 2019 • 11am to 3pm AT ThE STATE CApiTol NorTh STEpS

…to form Sacramento’s Largest Human Chain united we stand

arM in arM

We are Showing Solidarity in our Country that is now divided by the Current Administration.

We Welcome All immigrants…pEriod

around the We Welcome All religions …pEriod CaPitol Grounds We Believe in equality for All… pEriod

1.1 Miles

We need leaders and speakers who care!

We will be reading the victims’ names from the last 4 mass shootings.

Gilroy, CA • El Paso, TX • Dayton, OH • Midland & Odessa, TX

We will have tables set up to rEgiSTEr To voTE and a petition to sign to

STop SAlES oF SEmi-AuTomATiC riFlES ANd AuTomATiC riFlES. My Name is Richard Alcala, my Father was a Mexican Immigrant and came here for a better life and by that our family had the chance for a better life in America. I’m just someone who gives a DAMN about what’s happening to our country.

This is a peaceful if you give a dAmN, please join demonstration. us and stand with us uNiTEd. Everyone is welcome.

This is a peaceful demonstration. Everyone is welcome.

For more information please call

For more information please call RichaRd alcala • 916.202.8613 RichaRd alcala • 916.202.8613 09.26.19

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15 minutes

by Maxfield Morris

ma x fie ld m@ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

Want to learn to bake Portuguese delicacies?

Jeremiah Duarte Bills has you covered.

The baking life Earlier this month, Jeremiah Duarte Bills was visiting family in Portugal and picking up some old family recipes as research for an upcoming book on the country’s desserts.

The Loomis-raised Pocket resident has always been an avid baker, but it had been largely sidelined for a musical career—Bills graduated Juilliard in 2008. In 2016, though, he auditioned for The Great American Baking Show, a spin-off of the British amateur baking television show. In it, hopefuls compete to wow judges and to avoid being voted off the show—and Bills made it to the semi-final round before getting cut. Since the appearance, Bills hosts baking classes out of his home, and he co-hosts a cooking podcast called Flour Hour with fellow contestant Amanda Faber. We chatted with Bills about his baking, his musical career and a whole lot more.

Is your life different since being on the show?

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Yeah, very, very different. So before the show, my life was mostly about music and then baking for fun. I mean, it’s still all a ton of fun—but my life was definitely focused on music … Now baking has become one of my careers. I still teach music, I’m still involved in music, but the balance has shifted to do more things with food.

What do you attribute that shift to?

I think the bottom line for me is about being creative. Both of my grandmothers are visual artists, so the first thing I was up to was doing visual art with them, then I was interested in dance, then I was interested in music … baking obviously can be very creative, and that desire to be creative leads me to different pursuits and different forms of expression.

Are you still playing the flute?

Yeah, I’m teaching, and I still play; I play with some Sacramento groups from time to time, and I do a lot of compositions, writing my own music.

What do you do with that, mostly?

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At this point I’m just hoarding it—but some day I definitely plan to release it, have a presence showcasing my own musical creativity.

How did you start hosting baking classes, and how has that been?

It’s been amazing—how did I get into it? It just felt sort of natural, since I had a teaching background, then being on The Great American Baking Show, I had a little bit of a following built up. And because I specialize in Portuguese baking, which is pretty niche; however, there’s a really big Portuguese population in Sacramento.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLETTE LOVELL

connect with that community. I knew that could be a way I could stand out. Other than that, I was just myself.

I mean, my experiences of performing for most of my life definitely kicked in, and I was definitely the guy who didn’t show weakness; if things weren’t going well, I wouldn’t let on to it.

That’s what you do as a musician, right, you’re not going to stop and tell the audience you made a mistake.

Do you still stay in touch with any of the other contestants?

Yeah! So the winner—I made it to the quarterfinals with the winner, Amanda Faber—her and I have a baking podcast called Flour Hour. We’re about to start our third season, and we interview bakers from all over the world. The rest of [the contestants], we’re all in a group chat, we chat regularly. We’re all really good buddies, really good friends.

That seems like a pretty unique way to get a group of friends.

Yeah. Yeah, it’s really special, because with that show, there’s no prize beyond the cake plate.

There’s no cash prize, there is no motivation for us ever to try to be anything other than ourselves.

The competition is against yourself, in the sense that you have to bake the best you can.

Do you have, locally, any favorite food spots in Sacramento?

Let’s see … of course, Ginger Elizabeth, she’s a huge inspiration. We interviewed her on our podcast. And restaurant-wise, I love going to Hawk’s Public House and Provisions. There’s so many new places, it’s a great, amazing time to be in Sacramento. Ω

Did you do anything to develop a persona for the show, to stand out?

I chose not to, other than that I chose to bake a lot of Portuguese things, because I wanted to

Visit Jeremiah Duarte Bills’ website to sign up for baking classes and learn more at jeremiahbakes.com.

building a

HealtHy

Sacramento

Hmong Activists Set Their Sights on 2020 Census and Elections

by E D g a r S a n C H E Z

W

on the candidates and issues and getting residents out to vote for every election.

But, according to Vang, those gains will only be possible if local residents—especially those of color—do three things in 2020:

In 2020 HIP will intensify its efforts to raise awareness about the importance of voting, while encouraging people to be counted in the census. Besides hitting the streets to knock on household doors, HIP will hire 10 “outreach specialists” who, starting in midOctober, will phone local residents to talk about the election and the census.

ith 2020 fast approaching, community organizer Cha Vang is preoccupied with the golden opportunities the new year will bring for Sacramento communities to advance politically and economically.

First, vote in the March 3 California primary.

Second, vote again eight months later in the Nov. 3 presidential election. And, third, participate in the decennial census on April 1.

“We need to make sure our voices are heard in both elections,” said Vang, the executive director of Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), which is supported by The California Endowment. “And all of us have to be counted in the census. If we aren’t counted, technically we don’t exist.”

Vang, 35, was born in a Thai refugee camp to parents who fled war-torn Laos. Now, as a naturalized U.S. citizen, Vang understands the value in political participation. She votes in every election and urges others to as well through her work at HIP. HIP, a nonprofit grassroots organization, focuses on strengthening the political power of Hmong and other communities— Sacramento County alone has between 37,000 to 40,000 Hmong-American residents who can make a big difference in local elections. HIP also has a seven-year history of educating voters on democratic values,

“IF wE’rE Not CouNtEd (IN tHE CENSuS), tECHNICallY wE doN’t ExISt.”

“It’s important that our communities actively participate” in the 2020 elections and the census, said Cha Vang, executive director of Hmong Innovating Politics.

Photo by Edgar Sanchez

Cha Vang Executive Director, Hmong Innovating Politics

The census results will help determine the flow of federal monies into states and communities, not to mention the number of seats in Congress for each state.

HIP will work on these endeavors despite having no contract with either the U.S. Census Bureau or the Sacramento County Department of Voter Registration and Elections.

By casting informed ballots and having robust turnouts, she said, underserved communities will have a better chance to elect candidates—from the City Council to the White House—who will truly help struggling communities with, for example, more local investments and more jobs.

“We understand how important these things are,” Vang said, explaining why HIP is taking on those tasks.

Your ZIP code shouldn’t predict how long you’ll live – but it does. Staying healthy requires much more than doctors and diets. Every day, our surroundings and activities affect how long – and how well – we’ll live.

Health Happens in Neighborhoods. Health Happens in Schools.

Health Happens with Prevention.

paid with a grant from the california endowment

BuIldINg HEaltHY CommuNItIES In 2010, the California Endowment launched a 10-year, $1 billion plan to improve the health of 14 challenged communities across the state. over the 10 years, residents, communitybased organizations and public institutions will work together to address the socioeconomic and environmental challenges contributing to the poor health of their communities.

For more information on Hmong Innovating Politics, visit hipcalifornia.com www.SacBHC.org 09.26.19

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Berry Accius stands behind the counter of his South Sacramento thrift store Hidden Gems.

Photo by Kris hooKs

The audacity of black capitalism Inside a forgotten South Sacramento strip mall, black entrepreneurs hope to generate—and spread—the wealth

by Kris HooKs

Berry Accius was running more than an hour late when he pulled up to his south Sacramento thrift store Hidden Gems, located on the back side of a strip mall on one of the city’s busiest streets.

“Peace, king,” Accius said in greeting as he ticked off the obstacles he had to maneuver to get to his tiny shop—another business venture just had its lease 12

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terminated, his business partner had a death in the family, an interview with a local TV station earlier in the day, a podcast to finish recording and one of his mentees from his nonprofit Voices of the Youth to pick up.

This is a typical day for Accius, a longtime community activist and youth mentor who recently added a third title: black entrepreneur.

“I have been one of the most unapologetic black men in Sacramento,” Accius said.

If there’s anyone in Sacramento who can boldly claim that he doesn’t apologize, it is Accius, a brash and charismatic street philosopher who has been traveling in more refined circles as of late, but without losing the caustic

edge that makes him a go-to sound bite for local media.

“I’ve gone from [addressing] police brutality, to black oppression, to racism, to black empowerment, to build black businesses, to let’s get all our kids out of the education system,” he said. “I’m all over the spectrum.”

His most recent endeavor is the thrift store he opened in April. And while it may seem like a non sequitur for a guy who honed his ability to command a crowd by presiding over countless candlelight vigils for killed black youth, the business venture is an extension of his political philosophy. Located inside the Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum building, the thrift shop is part of a larger effort to create a hub for black businesses in Sacramento. It is a grassroots enterprise with Accius as a player, coach and No. 1 fan.

“We as black people no longer can think service can get us out of poverty or think a church entity can get us out of poverty,” Accius said. “We have to create and build in businesses as well as in ownership.”

Bidding wars for cheaper homes see news

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these are your favorite things see cover

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beats

meth in common

It’s not a new idea. While previous efforts haven’t succeeded, Accius and the other tenants are betting on themselves and against centuries of systemic racism.

Black-owned establishments are relatively rare in Sacramento. It’s the capital of a state that boasts a progressive reputation, yet it reflects the country’s economic disparities along racial lines.

Only 30% of black households owned their homes in 2017, while 64% of white occupants owned theirs, according to Census estimates.

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact number of black-owned businesses in Sacramento, however. According to 2012 Census data, African Americans owned only 8% of businesses in Sacramento County, while whites owned 66%.

That survey found 8,882 black-owned businesses in the county, but that figure included more than just brick-and-mortar locations, meaning those businesses can also include side hustles such as someone selling their baked goods.

Those 7-year-old numbers likely don’t represent the current landscape in Sacramento. One local effort to both identify and support black-run businesses in Sacramento is an anonymous online map that plots storefronts, including restaurants, beauty supply stores and clothing boutiques. It’s unclear how accurate the map is, or how often it’s updated. Sandra Dee’s Bar-B-Que and Seafood was still listed on Sept. 22 despite closing July 20 after two decades. Accius’ thrift shop hasn’t been added.

Earlier this year, the Build.Black.

Coalition awarded his thrift shop $5,000 for placing third in its 2019 Awards and Innovation Competition. Build.Black is one of the initiatives launched last year in response to the fatal police shooting of an unarmed Stephon Clark in the backyard of his grandmother’s Meadowview home, and one of the coalition’s main goals is investing in black neighborhoods and businesses.

One reason why many black businesses fail is because their owners don’t have the same access to support services such as loans and health care, or to startup capital.

Numbers from the Federal Reserve show the median wealth for black families in 2017 was about $17,600, while white families had a median wealth of $171,000.

According to the Institute for Policy Studies, it would take 228 years for black

programs including a nutrition program wealth to catch up to white wealth, but for women, infants and children and the only if white wealth ceased to grow. The Meadowview Family Resource Center, institute’s project showed the average which primarily served black residents in black household’s wealth grew from South Sacramento. $67,000 to $85,000 between 1983 and Since then, the building has remained 2013, while the average white household’s wealth ballooned from $355,000 to home to some of those same services, while adding the Sojourner Truth African $656,000 during the same 30 years.

American Museum, the African Market Angie Wiggins is trying to combat Place and offices for small black-owned that trend. She runs Maximum Reach 4 businesses and nonprofits.

Economic Equity, which hosts network“I’m looking for a long-term ing meet-ups and workshops for way of turning this place into black business owners in a destination,” Donaldson Sacramento to “fortify said. “So if you’re sitting economic power and self “We have to in San Francisco, and sufficiency within the create and build you’re just going black community.” in businesses as well through the internet, Her organization you look at this place in focuses on educating as in ownership.”

Sacramento, and it’s got black business owners Berry Accius a museum and it’s got on how to access co-owner, Hidden Gems this and that, and you services such as brandwant to take a ride up to ing and marketing to help go look at it. That’s what I sustain their businesses. want people to do.”

“Even if [progress is] slow, To achieve that, Donaldson is lookwe need to move forward,” Wiggins ing toward Measure U, the half-cent said. “Self sufficiency means that we sales tax increase that voters approved teach our youngsters … not that somelast November and that is projected body came in—not that the Great White to generate $50 million a year. Mayor Hope came in and changed it for us, but Darrell Steinberg and the City Council that we changed it for ourselves.” say they want to use some of the money for “inclusive economic development” during an early evening in september, that could boost destitute business the Hidden Gems side of the Sojourner corridors like the one where Sojourner strip mall was slow, save for the drivethru of the McDonald’s across the parking is located.

“Without Measure U, we could do it in lot. It’s an area of Florin Road that sees five years,” Donaldson predicted. “With more commuter traffic than foot traffic.

Measure U, it would take two years.”

Twice a month, the hallways of the The area has already seen some 75,000-square-foot building fill with growth. In September, the African patrons of the African Market Place, Market Place took over much of the which features small vendors, food and building on the first and third Saturday live entertainment. But on this day, the and on the second Saturday, the parking front side of the building—which is much lot was packed with food vendors for the larger on the inside than it appears from inaugural Black Food Festival. the parking lot—is slow, too.

It’s events like these that Accius sees Accius and his business partner turning the strip mall into an epicenter Passion Bailey are hoping to change that. for community building and, eventually, “It’s a work in progress,” Accius generational change. explained. “This wasn’t a hub. This “When someone’s talking to me wasn’t a place that really had a lot of about why it’s important to build black,” businesses, but had a lot of service Accius said, “I’m speaking it, living it providers and programming. and really orchestrating it in such a way “So now, we’ve definitely leveled that you can’t deny it. … I’m here at a up, and you have a lot more businesses black establishment, helping grow the that have really sprouted out within the grassroots idea of spending black and last two or three years. All of this stuff is building black right here in a place fairly new.” where folks left it for dead.”

In 2003, Tom Donaldson, a retired That idea, more than recycled clothing, manufacturing engineer, bought the is what Accius is hoping to sell. Ω building for $3.5 million. At the time, it housed health and human services

Sacramento County’s new methamphetamine coalition has its work cut out if recent Sheriff’s Department arrests are any indication.

Three men are currently behind bars and ineligible for bail due to charges that include possession of methamphetamine, sometimes in small quantities. In each case, the fact that the men were on probation allowed sheriff’s deputies to stop and search them, though two of the arrested individuals didn’t give up the contraband easily.

On Sept. 15, a deputy trained his gun on Dontae Jerome Dixon during a call at a house on Marconi Avenue in Carmichael, according to a summary of the incident. Dixon showed his hands then ran, discarding an object from his left pocket into a bush as he fled.

The deputy, shouting at Dixon to stop, caught up and detained the 29-year-old Sacramento man. A plastic bottle containing a substance that tested positive as methamphetamine was recovered from the bush.

Authorities were already watching a 28-year-old Carmichael man with active arrest warrants before the car he entered made an illegal U-turn near Orange Grove Avenue and College Oak Drive on Sept.

16, a sheriff’s summary states. Once the car was stopped, Fernando Marcelo Carranza was detained without incident and found to be holding more than $1,500 in cash.

Deputies then conducted a probation search of a room that Carranza occupied in Carmichael. Authorities say they seized multiple bags containing small amounts of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as scales and a credit card belonging to someone else.

The local Methamphetamine Coalition has said it is approaching the problem as a public health crisis affecting the most vulnerable.

Of the 132 homeless deaths in Sacramento County last year, methamphetamine played a role in nearly 26% of them, the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness determined.

(Raheem F. Hosseini)

the trees are alright After more than three years of public debate, a changing of the political guard led the Folsom City Council to narrowly abandon its plan to remove 80 mature trees from the Hinkle Creek Nature Area this month.

Since 2015, the city’s Environmental & Water Resources Department has been looking for a way to address maintenance issues with a sewer pipeline in the Lower American River Canyon, issues that caused two sewage overflows near Hinkle Creek, folsom’s only designated nature preserve. But the solution that director Marcus Yasutake developed with outside consultants called for a road to be cut through a pristine riparian hideaway.

A group of concerned residents recommended alternatives that included more regular cleaning, maintenance with spider tractors instead of construction trucks and monitoring devices on all sewer manholes. The City Council in 2017 directed Yasutake to find a compromise with the volunteer working group. On Sept. 10, Yasutake presented options that would destroy fewer trees than originally planned.

But with another energized crowd in the chambers, first-term council members Mike Kozlowski and Roger Gaylord told Yasutake to save all the trees. At first, Councilman Ernie Sheldon was reluctant to back that directive since the city spent some $700,000 on contracts and consultants.

Mayor Kerri Howell vehemently opposed killing the road project.

Kozlowski, Gaylord and Sheldon voted to spare Hinkle Creek’s trees, with Howell and Councilwoman Sarah Aquino dissenting.

(Scott Thomas Anderson)

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Outbid on the side Loophole in Davis affordable housing program allows for shadow bidding wars

Davis resident Michael Zwahlen and wife Jasmine hoped the fourth bid would be the charm when they placed an offer to buy a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 3675 Nido Terrace through the city of Davis’ affordable ownership housing program.

The Zwahlens’ bid wasn’t accepted.

While the Nido Terrace house had an asking price of $360,446, the Zwahlens would also have had to cover closing costs, moving costs and a month’s rent—a total of about $27,000, none of which would go to the actual sales price.

Over the last year and a half, the couple has attempted—and failed—to purchase four different homes through the program, which offers homes at below-market prices in a city where the median house value is $662,400, according to Zillow.

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Each time, they learned a little more about the side cash offers from their fellow qualified buyers that have left them still searching.

“In vague terms, it’s never in writing,” Michael said. “You can offer to pay for closing costs, which can be a myriad of things. You can offer to pay for moving costs. What would moving costs be? ‘Oh, whatever you feel is comfortable.’”

He questions whether the program is running as intended. “This is one of those programs that feels good—it’s a feel-good,” he said, “I’ve been through the grinder four times now, especially when I get my wife’s hopes up because, man, we’re throwing a lot of money at this.”

But the Zwahlens’ experience of being outbid through side deals is not actually against the affordable housing program’s rules.

occupying an affordable housing unit for at least 24 months, the owner may choose to sell. Prospective buyers must get on a list to be notified of available houses, and after getting qualified for a mortgage, can make an offer to the private seller and/or realtor.

There is no lottery, however, and the 3.75% a year cap on home price increases (5.5% in the Southfield Park development) doesn’t cover any concessions made in escrow as part of an enhanced offer.

“We haven’t gotten involved in those,” Stachowicz acknowledged, “and I think that’s where we are having some of our conflict right now.”

She said the city is looking at how they can better educate homebuyers about the process and may consider giving priority to interested resale buyers who have been waiting longer.

Now, she said, “somebody who just Michael Zwahlen, 45, sits at a patio in downtown signed up has an equal shot to somebody Davis. He has struggled for more than a year to purchase a home for his family within Davis’ who’s been on the list for six months.” affordable housing program.

Rick Jacobus, principal at Street Level Advisors who works with inclusionary and below market rate housing programs Photo by ben IrwIn nationwide, said these side payments are not a common problem.

“Many cities explicitly prohibit these side payments in their program rules or legal documents, and they monitor for compliance by reviewing a copy of the closing settlement statement from the title company,” Jacobs said. “Those steps may not eliminate all risk of side payments, but we don’t see many examples of this problem in other cities.”

by Ben IrwIn The 2011-12 Yolo County Grand Jury investigated complaints about the fairness of Davis’ affordable housing program and Kelly Stachowicz, assistant city found that all but 90 of the approximately manager for Davis, said the program 700 affordable housing ownership units operates on two levels: new builds and had been sold at market value with resales. To be considered for either, significant profit to the sellers. a household cannot earn more “It’s not like we than 120% of area median have an epidemic,” income.

“I’ve been Stachowicz said of New homes are the complaints. through the purchased through the “We definitely grinder four times now, developer, which, have had people “to ensure fairness,” especially when I get my over the years conducts a lottery who have wife’s hopes up because to determine which been frustrated man, we’re throwing a lot of eligible applicants because, in my get the first chance, money at this.” opinion, there’s a the city says on its very small supply Michael Zwahlen website. That means of these homes.

Davis resident competing buyers cannot So it’s a very tight sweeten the pot on the side. market for anything, But for resales, the rules whether it’s market rate are different, Stachowicz said. After units or subsidized ones.” Ω

Affordable housing key to ending poverty Renters’ rights important part of this fight By yvOnnE R. WALkER

S

acramento used to be a bargain. People moved here from all over because our city was considered an affordable place to live and work. We were known as the most diverse and the most integrated city in the country.

People still want to move here, but that affordability factor has disappeared.

Rents have been going up faster here than almost anywhere in the country. And most Sacramento residents are renters; less than half own their own home – far below the national average.

Dream of owning a home? In 2018, Sacramento ranked among the top 10 worst cities for first-time home-buyers.

Sacramento needs to build at least 60,000 more affordable homes just for the people who currently live here.

Housing is a human right. It definitely affects how we live, not just where we live. Affordable housing is key to ending poverty for all Californians. We need to keep the affordable housing we have, and find ways to build a lot more.

Why should a union worry about the cost of housing?

People have to be able to afford to live where they work. Our members are concerned about the environment and being able to live close to work. They care about rising homelessness, and their neighbors’ suffering that comes with it. And their own suffering, as state workers have been priced out of their apartments and forced to live in their cars.

Renting should not mean living in deplorable conditions because advocating for something better means losing your home.

Unfortunately, that is all too often the case, as it was with a worker named Mari. Pregnant, she was concerned about the living conditions in her two-bedroom apartment. She complained to the landlord about rats gnawing the wood and leaving droppings under the kitchen sink. She complained about mold on the walls and the ceiling. She complained about an infestation of cockroaches. She complained about no heat in the winter, and no air in the summer.

And all this for the low price of $1,255. In the 18 months Mari lived there, her landlord raised the rent $200, a 20% increase.

What did she get for her extra money and complaints? At seven months pregnant, Mari got evicted.

Fear of eviction keeps many tenants from speaking

up. But if we’re going to solve California’s housing crisis, homelessness and poverty, we can’t keep quiet.

Just because you are a renter, you should not have to face being displaced from your home, your neighborhood, or your kids from their school. You should not be stuck with an abuser because you can’t afford to move out or afford a place of your own. You should not suffer severe sunburn or die of dehydration and thirst because you don’t have a place to live.

For all of these reasons, SEIU Local 1000 is part of a local coalition, Housing 4 Sacramento, and we advocate for statewide housing solutions as well.

This year, we fought for – and won – rent stabilization policies to keep landlords from jacking up rents more than 5% plus inflation. We fought for – and won – just cause eviction protections so a landlord can only evict you under very limited circumstances. And we fought for – and won – a rent registry where all landlord actions including rent increases and evictions must be logged and reported, so we can track the trends and challenges as well as insure the law is enforced.

In Sacramento, the City Council adopted the Tenant Protection and Relief Act, which we supported. Our Housing 4 Sacramento coalition had worked on getting rent control and just cause eviction passed for three years. This act, which went into effect Sept. 12, is a step towards helping tenants like Mari and countless other residents who are squeezed by rising rents and landlords who ignore residents’ concerns.

Stay tuned here for many more policy fights and volunteer opportunities to partner with us on ways to redistribute housing wealth and insure housing affordability for all.

Yvonne R. Walker President SEIU Local 1000

SPONSORED by SERvicE EmPlOyEES iNtERNatiONal uNiON lOcal 1000

Sacramento’s housing gap 48.6%

Sacramento homeownership rate

63.9%

National homeownership rate

63,118

Additional affordable rental homes Sacramento County needs to meet current demand

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and California Housing Partnership Corporation

SEIU LOCAL 1000 1808 14th Street Sacramento, CA 95811 (866) 471-7348

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Fresh & Tasty Peruvian

Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CAlMAtters

Cuisine & CAteRing

Ceviche Clasico

Jimmy’s Ceviche is the national dish of Peru, seafood or fish (raw swai fillet diced, marinated and “cooked” in fresh lime juice), topped with red onions and cilantro, served with sweet potatoes and Peruvian cancha corn. Rocoto spicy salsa on the side (GLUTEN FREE).

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Mixed bag on plastics State lawmakers stall on landmark legislation on plastic waste

Lomo Saltado

Jimmy’s signature Lomo Saltado is Peruvian pan fried steak, red onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, red wine vinegar and garnished with fresh cilantro.

3032 Auburn Blvd @ Watt Avenue FB @JimmysPeruvianRestaurant

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by Rachel BeckeR

C a l Ma tte r s

An ambitious push to make California the first state to stem the flow of plastic trash by phasing out single-use packaging and foodware failed Sept. 14 amid dogged industry opposition, as state lawmakers adjourned without acting on two far-reaching recycling bills.

However, a third measure calling for more recycled plastic in beverage bottles did manage to get to a vote and pass—one for three in a complex but urgent fight to address California’s recycling woes.

The mixed result represented one step forward, two steps back for the lawmakers who aimed to tackle California’s waste crisis as fragments of plastic drift through the depths of Monterey Bay and recycling centers close across the state.

The Legislature sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill requiring manufacturers to increase the amount of recycled plastic in beverage bottles to 50% over the next 10 years. But they never voted on two other bills that called for a 75% reduction in waste from disposable packaging and foodware such as forks, stirrers and cups. The Legislature could revive the bills in January —but for now, the state will have to wait.

Julia Stein, supervising attorney at UCLA’s Frank G. Wells Environmental Law Clinic, called it “a missed opportunity for California to take a leadership role in regulating plastic producers.”

Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California, saw less of a setback. “It’s always disappointing when things don’t go the ideal way,” she said. “But I actually think this is not a defeat, it’s just a delay.”

The decisions came as California’s recyclers are struggling to cope with markets in turmoil after China’s 2017 announcement that it would tighten contamination standards and ban imports of certain types of waste. California once exported about a third of its recycling, much of it to China, according to estimates from CalRecycle.

The bills call for a 75% reduction in waste from singleuse packaging and foodware such as disposable forks, stirrers and cups.

Now, California’s recyclers are stockpiling or landfilling bales of plastic films, clamshell-style containers and even paper that they struggle to sell. rePlanet, a major collector of beverage containers, shuttered its 284 centers in California despite receiving $25 million from the state.

“We really have a crisis on our hands here,” said Sen. Ben Allen, the Santa Monica Democrat who, with Democratic Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, authored the two bills that didn’t receive a vote as the legislative year ended.

Their two bills, collectively called the California Circular Economy and Pollution Reduction Act, would have set a statewide goal of cutting three quarters of the waste from disposable packaging and products like straws and stirrers by Jan. 1, 2030. That would also have been the deadline for manufacturers to start making such goods out of completely recyclable or compostable materials.

The act faced early opposition by the plastics and beverage industries who argued the bills were too punitive and that California should fix its recycling infrastructure before taking aim at manufacturers. Objections from many plastics and beverage businesses ultimately fell away, however.

Still, the measures also picked up opposition.

The Glass Packaging Institute, for instance, objected to having 100% recyclable glass lumped in with the rest of the packaging the legislation covered.

Allen said negotiations will continue. “We make a few changes and we make it happen in the new year.” Ω

CalMatters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics. An unabridged version of this story is available at newsreview.com/sacramento.

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Food & Drink Photo by mary huynh

Best bartender Baron Stelling, Shady Lady Saloon/ Fizz Champagne & Bubbles Bar

Baron Stelling behind the bar at Shady Lady Saloon.

B

aron Stelling says his first gin martini was life ste phr@ ne wsreview . com changing. During his six years behind some of Sacramento’s most popular bars including Paragary’s, the Shady Lady Saloon and now Fizz Champagne & Bubbles Bar, Stelling won a national title at 2016’s Star of the Bar Competition and continues to fuel his passion for “For a the industry by delving into the history and science behind the cocktail, when vast world of craft cocktails. you’re drinking it, “It’s really fun to see and you hear about the when drinks were created or popularized and see what history, you can connect else was going on in the that cocktail to the place it area around them in that was created.” time and space,” Stelling says. “For a cocktail, when Baron Stelling you’re drinking it, and you award-winning bartender hear about the history, you can connect that cocktail to the place it was created.”

Stelling’s award-winning cocktail is known as the $5,000 Cocktail at Paragary’s, where he worked while competing in the Star of the Bar Competition in Chicago. His original creation had to include Jägermeister, a German digestif known for its black licorice flavor.

by Steph RodRiguez

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“I called it The Stag Savior based on the history behind Jägermeister and the brand,” he says. “It was really nice, sweet and sour. I tried to really play up the flavors that were already in Jägermeister. I wanted to make people see that it tastes good on its own merits.”

Stelling competed against bartenders from all over the country and took home first place and a $5,000 check. Nowadays, he’s behind the bar at Fizz Champagne & Bubbles Bar and the Shady Lady Saloon, the place he says “taught him how to drink.”

“I had my first martini there. I didn’t know what a martini was. They made me my first Old Fashioned. They made me my first whiskey sour,” Stelling says. “So many of these iconic, historically-drenched drinks, I had there. They really showed me what cocktails could be and really helped fuel my interest in cocktails as a craft and an art.”

Stelling’s thirst for knowledge has also sent him to Kentucky, where he toured Wild Turkey’s distillery as a part of its Behind the Barrel program where bartenders go behind

the scenes of one of America’s oldest bourbon distillers.

“It was a really amazing educational opportunity. You get to visit a cooperage where they make the barrels, you get to go into the rickhouses where they’re aging all their whiskey,” Stelling says. “It’s a full tour of the distillery where you see all the stills and components of it.”

So what’s next on the horizon for one of Sacramento’s best bartenders? He’s headed back to school to learn all about food science by taking organic chemistry to further his understanding of how aging spirits work, how distillation works and all of the “fun, science-y stuff” that he finds purely fascinating.

He also has a new cocktail out on Shady Lady’s current menu, the Pretty in Pink.

“It’s a combination of hibiscus-infused gin, cognac, with a little bit of grenadine, lemon juice and bitters,” he says. “It’s really, really nice. Really bright. Really seasonal. I think the combination of the hibiscus-fruity gin with the cognac ties it really well together.” Ω

try a Pretty in Pink cocktail by baron Stelling at the Shady Lady Saloon, 1409 r St.; (916) 231-9121, shadyladybar.com. he’s also behind the bar at Fizz Champagne & bubbles bar, 615 David J Stern Walk, Suite105; (916) 573-3909, fizzinsac.com.

Photo by Reid FowleR

Our ramen is healthy and delicious and always made from scratch. Our broth, tare, and toppings are prepared fresh at Shoki using Chef Yasushi’s original recipe.

1201 R StReet • 916.441.0011 • ShokiRamenhouSe.com

Mon - Thu 11aM - 3pM / 5pM - 10pM • Fri - SaT 11aM - 3pM / 5pM - MiDniGhT! • Sun 11aM - 10pM

The quail egg fried rice at Kru is as delicious as it is beautifully plated.

Best restaurant that didn’t receive a Michelin star Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine The Michelin Guide California made its debut in June, with the mother-of-all restaurant ratings finally including Sacramento in its listings. But, one particular omission resulted in all-caps outrage across social media: “HOW COULD MICHELIN OVERLOOK KRU???”

Accolades for Kru seemed like a slam dunk for any Michelin guide to Sacramento. Sitting in front of chef/owner Billy Ngo at Kru’s sushi bar is the go-to move for Sacramento chefs, culinary professionals and high-maintenance local foodies. His presentations of

nigiri and Japanese-inspired dishes are as artful as they are delicious, produced with the highest caliber of knife skills and culinary knowhow. But somehow, some way, Michelin wasn’t feeling Kru for any of its awards—not a Michelin star (reserved for only the world’s most elite restaurants) or a Bib Gourmand nod (Kru is too expensive for this budget-friendly category). Kru didn’t even qualify for a Plate, a new category that celebrates restaurants that are worthy of a Michelin mention but still have work to do. Who knows why Kru got ghosted. Maybe Kru

is too big and boisterous. When it comes to Japanese cuisine, Michelin tends to favor minimalist, more precious kinds of spots.

Maybe the timing was wrong as Kru underwent some kitchen turnover. Whatever the excuse, the food couldn’t have been more on point during a recent Saturday night. We’re talking quail fried rice surrounded by a bed of frisée, sumptuous examples of kanpachi and kama toro over impeccably formed and seasoned sushi rice, mushroom dashi as a digestif and so much more. Michelin, you definitely missed out.

3135 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 551-1559; krurestaurant.com. Chris Macias

Food & Drink Continued on page 24

“feature story” continued on page XX

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Best place to gorge on cheese; Best wine list The Rind

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Serving the Community since 1973

For more information: 916.344.6259 • www.beanstalk.ws

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Food & Drink continued from page 23

Chances are if you’re a local cheese devotee you already know about this Midtown gem. The Rind doesn’t just specialize in cheese, it also excels in all things cheese-adjacent. That means, not surprisingly, a stellar wine list, too, with expert servers who can help you make the best pairing. In addition to this eatery’s extensive array of cheese boards and sandwiches (the latter category includes delectable options such as the Peaches & Chevre, which features chevre paired with peaches, tomato and basil, all served on a hearty brioche bread), you can choose from soups, salads and, of course, mac’n’cheese.

There are also tasty side options, including dried fruits and nuts.

The wine list is impressive with plenty of acidic whites and deeply robust reds. The selections are categorized under headings such as “Substantial and Decadent Wines” and “Flirtatious Reds,” but if you’re not sure which blend best compliments that plate of deliciously stinky blue cheese or mellow triple cream brie, just ask.

1801 L St., Unit 40; (916) 441-7463; therindsacramento.com. rachel Leibrock

Best Thai Best baked goods

2. Karina Martinez, The Snug

2966 Freeport Blvd.; (916) 442-4256; freeportbakery.com

1800 15th St.; snugca.com

1. Freeport Bakery

10 BEERS ON TAP HAPPY HOUR EVERYDAY: 4:30 - 6PM $4 BEERS, WINE & APPETIZERS 1110 T St. Sacramento, CA 95811 | 916-822-4665

for daily $2 Beer Specials

Check

2. Ettore’s European Bakery And Restaurant 2376 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 482-0708; ettores.com

3. Pushkin’s Bakery 1820 29th St.; (916) 376-7752; pushkinsbakery.com

Best barbecue

drunken noodle •Midtown•

Powered by The Coconut

1. Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse 1322 V St.; (916) 706-3741; urbanrootsbrewing.com

Thai Food & Gluten Free Options

2. Tank House Bbq And Bar 1925 J St.; (916) 431-7199; tankhousebbq.com

3. South

$2 BEEr Daily 2502 J St. Sacramento, CA | 916-447-1855 24

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2005 11th St.; (916) 382-9722; weheartfriedchicken.com

Best bartender

1. Baron Stelling, Shady Lady Saloon 1409 R St.; (916) 231-9121; shadyladybar.com

3. Art Rodriguez, Old Ironsides 1901 10th St.; (916) 443-9751; theoldironsides.com

Best brain freeze

1. Gunther’s Ice Cream 2801 Franklin Blvd.; (916) 457-6646; gunthersicecream.com

2. Leatherby’s Family Creamery 2333 Arden Way; (916) 920-8382; leatherbys.net

3. Vic’s Ice Cream 3199 Riverside Blvd.; (916) 448-0892; vicsicecream.com

Best breakfast Elk Grove

1. The Waffle Experience 4391 Gateway Park Blvd., Suite 650; (916) 285-0562; thewaffleexperience.com

3. Sarom’s Southern Kitchen 1901 El Camino Ave.; (916) 571-5355; saromssouthernkitchen.com

Best breakfast Placer County 1. Four Sisters Cafe

9050 Fairway Drive, Suite 165, Roseville; (916) 797-0770; foursisterscafe.com

2. Zocalo 1801 Capitol Ave.; (916) 441-0303; zocalosacramento.com

3. Peg’s Glorified Ham And Eggs 1950 Douglas Blvd., Roseville; (916) 782-2400; eatatpegs.com

Best breakfast Sac

1. Bacon & Butter 5913 Broadway; (916) 346-4445; baconandbuttersac.com

2. Tower Cafe 1518 Broadway; (916) 441-0222; towercafe.com

3. Orphan Breakfast House 3440 C St.; (916) 442-7370; orphanbreakfast.com

Best breakfast Yolo County 1. Putah Creek Cafe

1 Main St., Winters; (530) 795-2682; putahcreekcafe.com

2. Serrano’s Cafe 3021 W. Capitol Ave., West Sacramento; (916) 376-0860

3. The Elephant Shack 39492 Kentucky Ave., Wooland; (530) 666-2266; facebook.com/ TheElephantShack

2. Stagecoach Restaurant 8713 Elk Grove Blvd.; (916) 685-7803;

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by MaxField MoRRiS ma x fie ld m@ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

Photo

by Ma x F ie lD Mo R R iS

Thank you for VoTing!

Two sides of meat, a plate of corned beef hash and a biscuit with gravy await their destiny at Four Sisters Cafe in Roseville.

Best breakfast, brunch Placer County Four Sisters Cafe

7419 Laguna BLvd. #180 916.509.9556

JourneyToTheDumpling.com 26 | SN&R | 09.26.19

Out front, the store’s facade reads: “Four Sisters” and below that “It’s a Cafe.” From that alone, you can tell this is not a laundromat or a bistro.

It’s a cafe—an idea the sisters have committed to with abandon.

But before we go any further, it’s necessary to mention the bacon. House cured and smoked a few doors down from Four Sisters Cafe’s corner location in Roseville, you’d be hard pressed to find a better slice of pork belly.

With succulent, savory sweetness, the bacon tastes like a slice of

apple pie. A side or a dish prominently featuring it is a must.

The Dutch crunch tabletops direct your gaze to center stage where you’ll get to eat hearty portions of impressive food.

Craft-roasted mugs of coffee are constantly refilled, and the ceramic’s warm primary colors match the plates.

Rory the waiter directed SN&R and company to try the corned beef hash, plus his own personal addendum of jalapenos, on top of the gravy smothering the biscuit.

These are welcome additions to

the flavorful dish, and a waitstaff that knows the menu inside and out is a good sign.

Speaking of good signs, there’s also the one under the TV that reads “Life is short. Eat the bacon.”

Obey the sign. And notice another sign that you’re about to get a larger-than-life bellyful of satisfying food: the yard-long, novelty forks and spoons hanging on the wall.

Four Sisters Cafe, 9050 Fairway Drive, Suite 165, Roseville; (916) 797-0770, foursisterscafe.com.

Best brewery Elk Grove

1. Dreaming Dog Brewery 2501 W. Taron Court; (916) 714-2735; dreamingdogbrewery.com

3. Raley Field Brewfest

Best burger Elk Grove

2. Flatland Brewing Co.

1. Flaming Grill Cafe

9183 Survey Road, Suite 104; flatlandbrewingco.com

2513 W. Taron Court, Suite 180, Elk Grove; (916) 359-0840; flaminggrill cafe.com/elk-grove-location

3. Tilted Mash Brewing 9175 Union Park Way; (916) 714-6274; tiltedmash.com

Best brewery Placer County 1. Knee Deep Brewing Company

13395 New Airport Road H, Auburn; (530) 797-4677; kneedeepbrewing.com

2. Moonraker Brewing 12970 Earhart Ave., Suite 100, Auburn; (530) 745-6816; moonrakerbrewing.com

3. Moksa Brewing Co. 5860 Pacific St., Rocklin; (916) 824-1366; moksabrewing.com

Best brewery Sac

1. Track 7 Brewing Company 3747 W. Pacific Ave., Suite F; (916) 520-4677; track7brewing.com

2. Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse 1322 V St.; (916) 706-3741; urbanrootsbrewing.com

3. New Glory Brewery 8251 Alpine Ave.; (916) 451-9355; newglorybeer.com

Best brewery Yolo County 1. Bike Dog Brewing Company

2534 Industrial Blvd., Suite 110, West Sacramento; (916) 572-0788; bikedogbrewing.com

2. Jackrabbit Brewing Co. 1323 Terminal St., West Sacramento; (916) 873-8659; jackrabbitbrewing company.com

3. Sudwerk Brewing Co. 2001 2nd St., Davis; (530) 302-3222; sudwerkbrew.com

Best brewfest

Can’t get enough of our coverage?

raleyfield.com

2. Boulevard Bistro CheCk out our new blog

8941 Elk Grove Blvd.; (916) 685-2220; blvdbistro.com

www.sacblog.newsreview.com

3. Local Burger 3443 Laguna Blvd., Suite 150; (916) 226-2900; localburgereg.com

Best burger Placer County 1. Squeeze Burger

106 N. Sunrise Ave., Suite C1, Roseville; (916) 783-2874; squeezeburger.roseville.com

2. Broderick Roadhouse In Roseville 1516 Eureka Road, Roseville; (916) 771-2722; broderickroseville.com

3. Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar 238 Gibson Drive, Roseville; (916) 727-6321; lazydogrestaurants.com

Best burger Sac

1. Burgers And Brew 1409 R St., Suite 105; (916) 442-0900; burgersbrew.com

2. Broderick Roadhouse

Join us for Live Music friday and saturday nights 6pM to 8pM

319 6th St., West Sacramento; (916) 372-2436; broderickroadhouse. com/west-sacramento

3. Willie’s Burgers 110 K St.; (916) 573-3897; williesburgers.com

Best burger Yolo County

1. Burgers And Brew 403 3rd St., Davis; (530) 750-3600; burgersbrew.com

2. Redrum Burger (Closed on Aug. 4).

3. The Burger Saloon

$5 off

with $40 Purchase Expires 11/30/19

Truly AuThenTic ThAi • The FreshesT & FinesT ingredienTs

601 Main St., Woodland; (530) 668-2747; theburgersaloon.com

4701 h st. east sac t h a i at s a c . c o M

1. Capitol Beer Fest

sun-thu: 12pM-9.30pM f r i - s at: 1 2 p M - 1 1 p M 9 1 6 - 9 4 2 - 9 0 0 8

capitolbeerfest.com

2. California Brewers Festival calbrewfest.com

Food & Drink continued on page 28

Follow us

@thaiatsac

09.26.19 | SN&R | 27

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y r e w e r b t s e B y t n u o C r e c Pla Knee Deep Brewing Company In about nine years, this family-run microbrewery went from a modest operation to serving their beer in more than 30 states and around the globe. You can find their bottles in Australia, China, Japan and South Korea, to name a few countries. Or you can just head to Auburn. The taproom, in its 37,000-square-foot home base, has a clear view of the brewing facility, so you can see how its quirkily named ales—Breaking Bud, Man Juice and Blackberry is My Cologne—are born. Bottles are also sold in Sac, so look out for the brewery’s bushy-browed, crazy green hops mascot.

13395 New Airport Road, Auburn; (530) 797-4677; kneedeepbrewing.com. Mozes Zarate

2. Dim Sum House

2. Baker’s Donuts

2. The Pour Choice

2631 Broadway; (916) 456-6688; facebook.com/dimsumhouse

5880 Florin Road; (916) 392-8466

177 Sacramento St., Auburn; (530) 820-3451; thepourchoice.com

3. Hong Kong Islander 5675 Freeport Blvd.; (916) 392-3388; hongkongislander.com

Best dive bar Elk Grove 1. Elk Grove Sports Bar & Grill

9661 Elk Grove Florin Road, Suite C; (916) 685-6103; facebook. com/egsporty

2. Bob’s Club 9039 Elk Grove Blvd.; (916) 685-2064; bobsclubeg.com

3. The Wrangler Bar 8945 Grant Line Road; (916) 714-9911; thewranglerbar.com

Best dive bar Placer County 1. The Glass Turtle

901 Sunrise Ave., Roseville; (916) 782-5000

2. Boneshaker Public House 2168 Sunset Blvd., Suite 140, Rocklin; (916) 259-2337; boneshakerpub.com

Best chocolatier Best cheap eats

1. Chando’s Tacos Various locations; chandostacos.com

2. Jimboy’s Tacos Various locations; jimboystacos.com

3. The Coconut On T 1110 T St.; (916) 822-4665; thecoconutthai.com

Best chef

1. Billy Ngo, Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine 3135 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 551-1559; krurestaurant.com

2. Billy Zoellin, Bacon & Butter 3839 J St.; (916) 475-1801; baconandbuttersac.com

3. Kelly McCown, The Kitchen 2225 Hurley Way; (916) 568-7171; thekitchenrestaurant.com

1. Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates 1801 L St.; (916) 706-1738; gingerelizabeth.com

2. Le Grand Confectionary 2580 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 485-8000; legrandconfectionary.com

3. Ramon Perez, Puur Chocolat 4366 Pinell St.; (530) 277-0139; puurchocolat.com

Best cocktails

1. Shady Lady Saloon 1409 R St.; (916) 231-9121; shadyladybar.com

3. Sully’s Bar & Grill 4451 Pacific St., Rocklin; (916) 630-5516; sullysbarngrill.com

Best dive bar Sac

1. Mercantile Saloon 1928 L St.; (916) 447-0792; facebook. com/themercantilesaloon

2. Zebra Club 1900 P St.; (916) 442-3972; zebraclubbarsacramento.com

3. B-Side 1430 S St.; (916) 706-1830; b-sidesacramento.com

Best dive bar Yolo County

3. Sweet Dozen 5207 Madison Ave., Suite E; (916) 344-2000; sweetdozen.com

Best established restaurant that should stay open forever 1. Tower Cafe

1518 Broadway; (916) 441-0222; towercafe.com

2. Mikuni various locations; mikunisushi.com

3. Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza 1415 21st St.; (916) 447-1400; zeldasgourmetpizza.com

Best food & drink social media influencer 1. Sac Food And Booze IG: @Sacfoodandbooze

2. Beers In Sac IG: @Beersinsac

3. Mandy H. IG: @Eatswithmandy

Best fried chicken 1. South

2005 11th St.; (916) 382-9722; weheartfriedchicken.com

2. Nash & Proper 3621 Broadway; (916) 426-6712; nashandproper.com

3. Kiki’s Chicken Place various locations; kikischicken.com

Best friendly cup of coffee Elk Grove

1. 18 Grams Coffee & Tea

1. Froggy’s

9677 E. Stockton Blvd.; (916) 895-2672; facebook.com/18GRAMS.EG

2. Jungle Bird

726 2nd St., Davis.; (530) 758-7550; facebook.com/froggysbarandgrill

2. Coffee Spot Co.

2516 J St.; (916) 476-3280; thejunglebird.com

2. The Stag

8896 Elk Grove Blvd.; (916) 385-6722; facebook.com/coffeespotco

3. The Snug

506 Main St., Woodland; (530) 668-8373

3. Savvy House Coffee Bar

1800 15th St.; snugca.com

3. G St. Wunderbar

9630 Bruceville Road, Suite 104; (916) 667-3846

Best dim sum

228 G St., Davis; (530) 756-9227; gstreetwunderbar.com

1. Journey To The Dumpling 7419 Laguna Blvd., Suite 180, Elk Grove; (916) 509-9556; journeytothedumpling.com

Best doughnut shop

1. Marie’s Donuts 2950 Freeport Blvd.; (916) 444-5245

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3. Fourscore Coffee House 327 Lincoln St., Roseville; (916) 390-0367; fourscorecoffee.com

Best friendly cup of coffee Sac 1. Temple Coffee Roasters

various locations; templecoffee.com

2. Old Soul Co. Rear Alley, 1716 L St.; (916) 443-7685; oldsoulco.com

3. Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters various locations; chocolatefishcoffee.com

Best friendly cup of coffee Yolo County 1. Temple Coffee Roasters

various locations; templecoffee.com

2. Mishka’s Café 610 2nd St., Davis; (530) 759-0811; mishkascafe.com

3. Common Grounds Coffee 2171 Cowell Blvd., Davis; (530) 792-1781; commongroundsdavis.com

Best happy hour

1. Iron Horse Tavern 1800 15th St.; (916) 448-4488; ironhorsetavern.net

2. Ella Dining Room & Bar 1131 K St.; (916) 443-3772; elladiningroomandbar.com

3. Coin-Op Game Room 908 K St.; (916) 661-6983; coinopsac.com

Best vegan burger 1. Burger Patch

2301 K St.; (916) 750-4200; theburgerpatch.com

2. Burgers And Brew various locations; burgersbrew.com

3. Dad’s Kitchen various locations; ilovedadskitchen.com

Best friendly cup of coffee Placer County 1. Shady Coffee & Tea

325 Douglas Blvd., Roseville; (916) 742-4117; shadycoffeeandtea.com

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Safe and caring environment

Internships for 11th and 12th grade

State of the art hospital simulation lab

College classes on campUS

Best local beer name that makes you chuckle

1. Nukin’ Futz, Track 7 Brewing Company various locations; track7brewing.com

2. Wake Me Up Before You Cocoa, New Glory Craft Brewery 8251 Alpine Ave.; (916) 451-9355; newglorybeer.com

86% 97% graduation college rate 2018

acceptance rate 2018

8

Educators of the Year on staff

Marla Clayton Johnson | Principal | marla-johnson@scusd.edu Arthur A Benjamin Health Professions High School (HPHS) (916) 395-5010 ext 501011 | hphsjaguars.com College, Career, Civic and Life Ready Students

get more, spend less.

Uc a-g college preparatory curriculum

snrsweetdeals.newsreview.com

We are a small college and career themed high school preparing students for life! Students will graduate ready for a four year college and an entry level career in the health field.

3. Monkey Knife Fight, Tower Brewing Company 1210 66th St., Suite B; (916) 272-4472; towerbrewingcompany.com

Best midnight snack

2. Ink Eats & Drinks 2730 N St.; (916) 456-2800; inkeats.com

3. Burgers And Brew various locations; burgersbrew.com

2. Alaro Craft Brewery 2004 Capitol Ave.; (916) 436-7711; alarobrewing.com

3. La Crosta Pizza Bar 330 3rd St., West Sacramento; (916) 389-0372; lacrostapizzabar.com

1. Tower Cafe

1518 Broadway; (916) 441-0222; towercafe.com

2. Lowbrau 1050 20th St.; (916) 706-2636; lowbrausacramento.com

3. Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse 1322 V St.; (916) 706-3741; urbanrootsbrewing.com

Best pastry chef

1. Kira O’Donnell Babich, Real Pie Company 2425 A 24th St.; (916) 838-4007; realpiecompany.com

30 | SN&R | 09.26.19

@koshiramenbar

Best place for Chinese food 1. Frank Fat’s

806 L St.; (916) 442-7092; frankfats.com

2. Journey To The Dumpling 7419 Laguna Blvd., Suite 180, Elk Grove; (916) 509-9556; journeytothedumpling.com

8470 Elk Grove Blvd., Suite 130, Elk Grove; (916) 683-9828; goldendragon.info

Best outdoor patio to kick it

3581 truxEl rd, sacramEnto | 916.692.8985 | koshiramEn.com

2000 Capitol Ave.; (916) 498-9891; waterboyrestaurant.com

3. Golden Dragon

1701 R St.; (916) 244-4016; eatbeastandbounty.com

Enjoy our dElicious ramEn bowls, appEtizErs & drinks

3. Lisa DeBernardi, The Waterboy

various locations; unclevito.com

1. Beast & Bounty

…we got you

1815 K St.; (916) 444-2423; theporchrestaurantandbar.com

1. Uncle Vito’s Slice Of N.Y.

Best new restaurant

Noodle lovers

2. Tristine McKee, The Porch Restaurant & Bar

Best place for Indian food

1. Bombay Bar And Grill 1315 21st St.; (916) 441-7100; bombaybarngrill.com

2. Kathmandu Kitchen various locations; kathmandukitchensacramento.net

2. India Oven 7423 Laguna Blvd., Suite 100, Elk Grove; (916) 249-0440; indiaoven.com

3. Pooja Indian Grill 1225 Merkley Ave., West Sacramento; (916) 375-8906; poojaindiangrill.com

Best place for Italian food 1. Paesanos

various locations; paesanos.biz

2. Biba Ristorante Italiano 2801 Capitol Ave.; (916) 455-2422; biba-restaurant.com

3. Il Fornaio various locations; ilfornaio.com

Best place for Japanese food 1. Raijin Ramen House 1901 S St.; (916) 498-9968; ramenhouseraijin.com

2. Binchoyaki Izakaya Dining 2226 10th St.; (916) 469-9448; binchoyaki.com

3. Osaka-Ya 2215 10th St.; (916) 446-6857; osakaya-wagashi.com

Food & Drink continued on page 32

Biba’s restaurant family is deeply humbled by the outpouring of love and support from our community.

We love that people are sharing their stories and dedications of how Biba touched their lives as it presents an illustration of her true character of viewing everyone as family. We are honored to have worked with so many, and have had so many as guests, in this vibrant food culture.

Make a Reservation Today! sutterstreetsteakhouse.com

Voted best Steakhouse & Happy Hour

Sacramento has been part of the Biba family over the last 33 years. It is difficult for us to transition from her engaging presence to her eternal legacy, but thank you for your kindness through our process. Biba Restaurant will be at your service and pleasure for as long as our community will have us. Rest assured we will make every effort to honor Biba’s warmth, gracious hospitality, and treasured recipes for years to come.

USDA Prime Steaks ’16

Banquet Rooms Available

604 Sutter Street • Downtown Historic Folsom • (916) 351–9100 Parking garage available • www.sutterstreetsteakhouse.com

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ac S r a b e v i d t s Be Mercantile Saloon The Mercantile Saloon's patrons and bar staff are full of Midtown charm.

Photo by Karlos rene ayala

Best place for Korean food 1. Oz Korean BBQ

various locations; ozkoreanbbq.com

2. Blue House Korean Restaurant 1030 Howe Ave.; (916) 646-2004; bluehousesacramento.com

3. YD Tofu House various locations; ydtofu.com

Best place for Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern food 1. Petra Greek

various locations; petragreek.com

2. Opa! Opa! 5644 J St., Suite A; (916) 451-4000; eatatopa.com

3. Kasbah 2115 J St.; (916) 442-4388; kasbahlounge.com

Best place for Mexican food 1. Tres Hermanas

Best place for organic food/ produce 1. Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op

Best place for Vietnamese food

2. Track 7 Brewing Company

W St. &, 8th St.

various locations; hoavietstockton.com

1050 20th St.; (916) 442-1500; explore midtown.org/midtown-farmers -market

32 | SN&R | 09.26.19

1. SacYard Community Tap House

2. Sunday Farmer’s Market under the freeway

2820 R St.; (916) 455-2667; sac.coop

2. Zocalo

2320 Jazz Alley; (833) 232-0639; cantinaalley.com

3. Thai Canteen

Best place to get a beer

1725 33rd St.; (916) 400-4708; sacyard.beer

3. Midtown Farmer’s Market

3. Midtown’s Cantina Alley

2431 J St.; (916) 442-7690; thaibasilrestaurant.com

1928 L St.; (916) 447-0792; facebook.com/ themercantilesaloon. Raheem F. Hosseini

various locations; thaicanteensac.com

2416 K St.; (916) 443-6919; treshermanasonk.com

various locations; zocalosacramento.com

2. Thai Basil

Inside the sun-frosted Victorian where the Mercantile’s ski lodge vibe is strongest, a regular known as “Strawberry” is posted up on a corner bar stool zoning out to MTV’s Ridiculousness played on mute. How do I know the rawboned silent type nursing a tall iced tea, possibly from Long Island, is nicknamed “Strawberry?” Because this other regular keeps calling him that. When Strawberry finally unhooks his cane from the bar and eases into a motorized scooter to escape the teasing, the loud guy says, “Hey Strawberry, can I get a lift?”

Strawberry grunts “no” and rumbles out the door as the guy cackles like this is the funniest thing he’s said all day.

I avert eye contact until the comedian leaves and then ask the bartender for Strawberry’s back story. A pleasant beanpole who looks barely old enough to sling suds, the bartender says Strawberry got his handle because of his delicious homemade strawberry jam.

But Strawberry also has another rep, the barkeep dishes: “The dude at The Depot who probably said you look cute.” The bartender smiles.

“If you’re a day drinker in the gayborhood, you probably know about him,” he says. The same could probably be said about the “Merc.”

Best place for Thai food

1. The Coconut On T 1110 T St.; (916) 822-4665; thecoconutthai.com

1. Pho Bac Hoa Viet

2. Star Ginger Asian Grill & Noodle Bar 3101 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 231-8888; stargingerrestaurant.com

various locations; track7brewing.com

3. Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse 1322 V St.; (916) 706-3741; urbanrootsbrewing.com

3. Pho Saigon Bay various locations; phosaigonbay.com

Food & Drink continued on page 34

Mac and Cheese • Smothered Fries

culinerdykitchen.com

Brussels Sprouts • Burgers • Grilled Cheeses

Open for Lunch, Snacks, Dinner Monday-Friday 11am to 9pm Saturday 9am to 4pm

916.594.7911 • 524 12th Street Sacramento

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Work & Style For you & yourS

Food & Drink continued from page 32

e v o r G lk E r e g r u b Best Flaming Grill Cafe

Featuring classic, rugged, and respected brand name clothing and accessories

And more!

923 K Street Sacramento 916.228.4036 FB•IG @theblueox

A huge, juicy burger dripping with a creamy sauce and ridiculous toppings smashed between a buttery brioche bun. You’re not dreaming; you’re at Elk Grove’s Flaming Grill Cafe.

These mouth-watering, enormous burgers are made with 10 oz. ground chuck mixed with either bacon or a half-pound of top sirloin. They can be substituted for those sporting untamed tastes, including with elk, wagyu,

Best place to get juice/ smoothies 1. Pressed Juicery

various locations; pressedjuicery.com

2. Sun & Soil Juice Company various locations; (916) 341-0327; sunandsoiljuice.com

3. Nekter Juice Bar

wild boar, gator and more. Specialty burgers such as the Exotic Sourdough Melt, Chorizo Burger or Carnitas Burger ($14.99) all come with crispy, battered fries or salad or brown rice.

With its impossibly large menu, there is something for everyone at this family-friendly restaurant—including extreme tots that make all other tots look like small fries. 2513 W. Taron Court; (916) 226-9918; flaminggrillcafe.com. tessa marguerite outland

Best poke

1. Fish Face Poke Bar

2. Brick House Restaurant & Lounge

1104 R St., Suite 100; (916) 706-0605; fishfacepokebar.com

9027 Elk Grove Blvd., Suite 100; (916) 714-0840; brickhouse-eg.com

2. Poke Fix

3. Boulevard Bistro

3880 Truxel Road, Suite 20; (916) 333-4366; thepokefix.com

8941 Elk Grove Blvd.; (916) 685-2220; blvdbistro.com

3. Poke Noke 2254 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 568-9811; pokenoke.com

various locations; nekterjuicebar.com

Best place to gorge on cheese 1. The Rind

roseville

1801 L St., Suite 40; (916) 441-7463; therindsacramento.com

2. The Melting Pot various locations; meltingpot.com

3. Squeeze Burger

various locations; squeezeburger.com

Best place to sip wine 1. Old Sugar Mill

35265 Willow Ave., Clarksburg; (916) 744-1615; oldsugarmill.com

2. The Rind 1801 L St., Suite 40; (916) 441-7463; therindsacramento.com

3. Revolution Wines

’18

Ask for the keto tAcos!

Squeeze Burger Roseville at the corner of Douglas & N. Sunrise 916-783-2874 • cheeseskirt.com 34 | SN&R | 09.26.19

2831 S St.; (916) 444-7711; rev.wine

Best pub

1. De Vere’s Irish Pub various locations; deverespub.com

2. Fox & Goose 1001 R St.; (916) 443-8825; foxandgoose.com

3. Bonn Lair 3651 J St.; (916) 455-7155; bonnlair.com

Best ramen

1. Raijin Ramen House 1901 S St.; (916) 498-9968; ramenhouseraijin.com

2. Shoki Ramen House 1201 R St.; (916) 441-0011; shokiramenhouse.com

3. Shoku Ramen Bar 1221 Alhambra Blvd., Suite 107; (916) 882-6888; shokuramenbar.com

Best restaurant Placer County 1. Hawks RestaurantGranite Bay

5530 Douglas Blvd., Granite Bay; (916) 791-6200; hawksrestaurant.com

2. Nixtaco 1805 Cirby Way, Suite 12 Roseville; (916) 771-4165; nixta.co

3. Farmhaus Fresh 8230 Auburn Folsom Road, Granite Bay; (916) 772-3276; farmhausfresh.com

Best restaurant Sac

1. The Kitchen Restaurant 2225 Hurley Way; (916) 568-7171; thekitchenrestaurant.com

2. Mulvaney’s B&L 1215 19th St.; (916) 441-6022; mulvaneysbl.com

3. The Waterboy 2000 Capitol Ave.; (916) 498-9891; waterboyrestaurant.com

Best restaurant Elk Grove

1. Journey To The Dumpling 7419 Laguna Blvd., Suite 180; (916) 5099556; journeytothedumpling.com

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My Thai Kitchen Customize your curry | Wok your way Curry and Blue Rice

Fried Rice

Mango Rice

1465 Eureka Rd. | Roseville | 916-781-7811 | eatatmythaikitchen.com 09.26.19

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Bring this ad in for $5 toward an entrée*

Food & Drink continued FRom page 34

Best restaurant that didn’t receive a Michelin star 1. Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine

*1 per table, only valid Monday – Friday

3135 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 551-1559; krurestaurant.com

2. Mulvaney’s B&L

e m a n r e e b l a c o l t s le e k B c u h c u o y s e k a m that 1111 21st Street | Sacramento www.themorningfork.com

BUY 1 GET 1 1/2 OFF Buy any dinner entree at regular price, get the second for HALF OFF! Must present coupon, cannot combine with other discounts. One per table. Valid Mon-Thu only.

Expires 10/9/19.

Happy Hour

Monday–Friday 3–6pm Voted “Best of Sacramento” 3 years in a row!

36 | SN&R | 09.26.19

1315 21st St • Sacramento 916.441.7100

Nukin’ Futz, Track 7 Brewing Company In honor of Track 7’s cheeky approach to naming its creamy, chocolate-and-peanut-butterhinted porter, we thought we’d pitch the local brewer three more beers with coded names and distinct flavor profiles— and prove why this a job better left to the professionals. Can you guess the schoolyard swears they’re based on?

BunofaWitch (7% ABV): Let this fermenting amber ale breathe before trying. In fact, just go ahead and give it a good, wide berth until the barrel stops shaking of its own demonic volition.

Buckin’ Falls (9.4% ABV): An ox-strong and opaquely brown brew, this one lingers on the palate thanks to a dank, sweat-sock aftertaste that can wilt house plants.

The Sit Heel (37% ABV!!!): A collision of paradoxes— tastes like a warm Bud Light, demolishes you like a bathtub’s worth of moonshine. One pint will have you singing “Don’t Stop Believing” at the top of your lungs.

(916) 520-HOPS (4677); track7brewing.com/ RFH

1215 19th St.; (916) 441-6022; mulvaneysbl.com

3. Localis 2031 S St.; (916) 737-7699; localissacramento.com

Best restaurant Yolo County 1. Cafe Bernardo

234 D St., Davis; (530) 750-5101; davis.cafebernardo.com

2. Seasons 102 F St., Davis; (530) 746-5500; seasonsdavis.com

3. The Mustard Seed 222 D St., Suite 11, Davis; (530) 758-5750; mustardseeddavis.com

Best slice of pizza Elk Grove

1. Old Town Pizza & Tap House 9677 Elk Grove Florin Road; (916) 686-6655; otpmenu.com

2. Chicago Fire 7101 Laguna Blvd.; (916) 667-8370; chicagofire.com/elkgrove

3. Lamppost Pizza 5109 Laguna Blvd.; (916) 691-3456

Best slice of pizza Placer County 1. Old Town Pizza

various locations; otpizza.net

2. Cool River Pizza 1805 Cirby Way, Suite 3, Roseville; (916) 786-9000; mycoolriverpizza.com

3. Campelli’s Pizza 7480 Foothills Blvd., Roseville; (916) 784-8440; campellispizza.com

Food & Drink continued on page 38

open late every night Sun.-Tues. until 1am | Wed. & Thurs. until 2am | Fri. & Sat. until 4am

open weekdays at 11am open weekends at 9am

happy hour monday - friday | 4pm - 7pm thursday - saturday | 10pm - 12am

weekend brunch saturday - sunday 9am - 2:30pm

2730 N Street, Sacramento, CA | 916.456.2800 09.26.19

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Best slice of pizza Sac

1. Uncle Vito’s Slice Of N.Y. various locations; unclevito.com

2. Zelda’s Original Gourmet Pizza 1415 21st St.; (916) 447-1400; zeldasgourmetpizza.com

Best slice of pizza Yolo County

908 K St.; (916) 661-6983; coinopsac.com

(916) 961-2691

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1. Corti Brothers

403 G St., Davis; (530) 750-0100; villagepizzagrill.biz

2. The Sandwich Spot various locations; thesandwichspot.com

3. Beach Hut Deli various locations; beachhutdeli.com

Best sommelier

Best steakhouse

1. Corti Brothers

1. Ruth’s Chris Steak House

5810 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 736-3800; cortibrothers.com

various locations; ruthschris.com

2. Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou, Allora 5215 Folsom Blvd., Suite 4536; (916) 538-6434; allorasacramento.com

3. Mario Ortiz, The Firehouse Restaurant 1112 2nd St.; (916) 442-4772; firehouseoldsac.com

2005 11th St.; (916) 382-9722; weheartfriedchicken.com

Call at or visit www.clean-and-sober-living.com

Best spot for sandwiches 5810 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 736-3800; cortibrothers.com

1. South

Take The nexT sTep Today.

3. Coin-Op Game Room

2. Village Pizza & Grill

Best soul food

And a community designed to support you in achieving long-term sobriety

1132 16th St.; (916) 446-0888; phdowntown.com

various locations; theuob.com

1495 East St., Woodland; (530) 650-8313; newyorkpizzapiewoodland.com

We offer a safe, affordable and powerful recovery housing

1. Public House Downtown 2. University Of Beer

3. New York Pizza Pie

6500 residents with resilient recoveries, 30 years of leadership in recovery housing...What are YOU waiting for?

Best sports bar to yell at the screen

1020 K St.; (916) 737-5777; pizzarocksacramento.com

330 3rd St., West Sacramento; (916) 389-0372; lacrostapizzabar.com

?

6640 Valley Hi Drive, Suite B; (916) 689-9109

3. Pizza Rock

1. La Crosta Pizza Bar

Can’t stay sober

3. Spice Of Life Cuisine

2. Sarom’s Southern Kitchen various locations; saromssouthernkitchen.com

3. Cora Lorraine’s Soul Food 4147 23rd Ave.; (916) 476-3466; facebook.com/coralorrainesoul

Best spiciest bite

1. Nash & Proper 3621 Broadway; (916) 426-6712; nashandproper.com

2. Szechuan Spicy House 6914 65th St.; (916) 392-9888; szechuanspicy.com

2. Mulvaney’s B&L 1215 19th St.; (916) 441-6022; mulvaneysbl.com

3. The Firehouse Restaurant 1112 2nd St.; (916) 442-4772; firehouseoldsac.com

Best sushi 1. Mikuni

various locations; mikunisushi.com

2. Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine 3135 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 551-1559; krurestaurant.com

3. Midtown Sushi 2801 P St.; (916) 451-4700; midtownsushi.net

Best sweet shop

1. Rick’s Dessert Diner 2401 J St.; (916) 444-0969; ricksdessertdiner.com

2. Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates 1801 L St., Suite 60; (916) 706-1738; gingerelizabeth.com

3. Freeport Bakery 2966 Freeport Blvd.; (916) 442-4256; freeportbakery.com

Best taco Elk Grove

1. Super Taco Mexican Restaurant various locations; supertacomex.com

2. Netillo’s Takos 8451 Elk Grove Blvd., Suite 10; (916) 627-1339

3. La Favorita Taqueria various locations; lafavoritataqueria.com

Best taco Placer County 1. Nixtaco

1805 Cirby Way, Suite 12 Roseville; (916) 771-4165; nixta.co

2. Carmelita’s various locations; carmelitasgroup.com

3. Taco Tree various locations

Best taco Sac

1. Chando’s Tacos various locations; chandostacos.com

2. Jimboy’s Tacos various locations; jimboystacos.com

3. Midtown’s Cantina Alley 2320 Jazz Alley; (833) 232-0639; cantinaalley.com

Best taco Yolo County

1. Taqueria Guadalajara various locations; tgtacos.com

2. Taqueria Davis 505 1/2 L St., Davis; (530) 758-8453; taqueriadavis.com

3. Street Cravings facebook.com/StreetCravings

Best taproom/ bottle shop 1. Pangaea Bier Cafe

2743 Franklin Blvd.; (916) 454-4942; pangaeabiercafe.com

2. Capitol Beer & Tap Room 2222 Fair Oaks Blvd.; (916) 922-1745; capitolbeer.com

3. Sacyard Community Tap House 1725 33rd St.; (916) 400-4708; sacyard.beer

Best brunch Elk Grove

Best vegan fine dining

8351 Elk Grove Blvd.; (916) 647-3877; thewaffleexperience.com

1813 Capitol Ave.; (916) 823-5520; pushkinskitchen.com

2. Stagecoach Restaurant

2. Andy Nguyen’s Vegetarian Restaurant

1. The Waffle Experience

8713 Elk Grove Blvd.; (916) 685-7803

3. Mel Dog’s Cafe 9766 Waterman Road, Suite B; (916) 686-4615; mel-dogs-cafe. local-cafes.com

Best brunch Placer County 1. Four Sisters Cafe

9050 Fairway Drive, Suite 165, Roseville; (916) 797-0770; foursisterscafe.com

2. Zocalo 1182 Roseville Parkway, Roseville; (916) 788-0303; zocalosacramento. com/fountains

3. Nancy’s Cafe

1. Pushkin’s Restaurant

2007 Broadway; (916) 736-1157

3. Veg Cafe & Bar 2431 J St.; (916) 448-8768; vegmidtown.com

Best wine list 1. The Rind

1801 L St.; (916) 441-7463; therindsacramento.com

2. Grange Restaurant & Bar 926 J St.; (916) 492-4450; thecitizenhotel.com

356 Elm Ave., Auburn; (530) 878-5099; nancyscafeauburn.com

3. Hawks Provisions And Public House

Best brunch Sac

1525 Alhambra Blvd.; (916) 588-4440; hawkspublichouse.com

1. Bacon & Butter 5913 Broadway; (916) 346-4445; baconandbuttersac.com

2. Tower Cafe 1518 Broadway; (916) 441-0222; towercafe.com

3. Fox & Goose 1001 R St.; (916) 443-8825; foxandgoose.com

Best wine-tasting day trip 1. Amador County amadorwine.com

2. Napa napavintners.com

3. Clarksburg clarksburgwinecountry.com

Best brunch Yolo County

Best worldly treats

234 D St., Davis; (530) 750-5101; davis.cafebernardo.com

10971 Olson Drive, Rancho Cordova; (916) 853-8000; sac.kpinternational market.com

1. Cafe Bernardo

2. Putah Creek Cafe 1 Main St., Winters; (530) 795-2682; putahcreekcafe.com

3. La Crosta Pizza Bar 330 3rd St., West Sacramento; (916) 389-0372; lacrostapizzabar.com

1. KP International Market 2. La Esperanza Bakery & Store 5044 Franklin Blvd.; (916) 455-0215

3. 85°C Bakery Café various locations; 85cbakerycafe.com

Best vegan bargain dining 1. Mother

1023 K St.; (916) 594-9812; mothersacramento.com

2. The Coconut On T 1110 T St.; (916) 822-4665; thecoconutthai.com

3. Anna’s Vegan Cafe 3500 Stockton Blvd.; (916) 451-6842; annavegancafe.com

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People & Places

by Rachel leibRock

r achel l @ n ew s re v i e w . c o m

Best comedian Melissa McGillicuddy

T

Photo by cam evans

here’s an adage in comedy: “Don’t punch down.”

Simply put, it means don’t make jokes at the expense of those who are marginalized or vulnerable.

At one point in her career, comedian Melissa McGillicuddy realized she’d been punching down at a particularly sensitive target: herself.

The revelation came as she read Jen Sincero’s self-help tome You’re a Badass and saw herself in its pages, reluctantly at first.

“She talks about being self-deprecating and I was like, ‘That’s silly, I’m just making jokes,’” McGillicuddy says.

A regular in therapy, though, she learned the subconscious doesn’t really have a sense of humor.

“You, on the surface, can differentiate, but your subconscious can’t,” McGillicuddy says. “It’s easy to make fun of yourself, [but] what if I was depressed because I was saying self-deprecating things? Was I helping or hurting myself?”

Now, she says, it’s not so much that she doesn’t joke about herself, but rather, “I really try not to say anything that I wouldn’t want to be true.”

These days, McGillicuddy has a bit that encapsulates that mindset.

“I do a joke about going camping for the first time as an adult. It’s like, ‘Hey, I know I look like a butch lesbian,’ so I’m kind of poking fun at myself, but really I have a look and I’m just acknowledging that,” she says. “I’m not really putting myself down because I don’t want to bring that on stage.”

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McGillicuddy’s interest in comedy sparked as a child, watching comedy specials with her family; at that point she thought she might become an actress or a comedian.

By college, however, she’d settled on a career in accounting.

When she reached her 30s, however, McGillicuddy experienced a slow change of heart. She signed up for

one comedy class and then another. She enjoyed it but didn’t take it further for a while.

Then, a year or so after that first class, she was at a party when someone asked her to tell some jokes.

“I had some notes on my phone and I ended up doing a set,” McGillicuddy says. “It made me realize, this was something I wanted to do.”

For a while, a fear of being on stage still kept her back. Eventually, the fear of something worse made her press forward.

“I was genuinely afraid of getting on stage and for a while I let the fear own me,” she says. “I didn’t want to look back on [comedy] my whole life as something I had wanted to do.”

Since she committed to comedy, her career has fast-tracked. In 2015 she won the Sacramento Comedy Festival’s Wildcard Competition. She co-produces the Moving Van Show, a monthly comedy pop-up and recently co-produced the Sacramento FemmeFest, an all-female comedy festival. This fall she’ll head out on the road to take on the college campus comedy circuit.

McGillicuddysays she may move to Los Angeles eventually, but for now just wants to help shape Sacramento’s scene.

Part of that, she says, is recognizing and addressing some of the same fears that initially held her back.

“I want to create a culture of bringing people together to be less competitive,” McGillicuddy says. “I’ll try to do more as as new comedians come onto the scene to make them feel welcome.” Ω

People & Places continued on page 42

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People & Places cOntinued fROM page 40

Who dragged it best?

Can Mercury Rising sprinkle some glitter wisdom on an awkward cis writer?

ing Mercury Ris ic glitter rocker ct la a rg as inte )

will: <$2 mpsuit (Good Hottt pink ju cents) Wig cap (50 $4) r (Walmart:

Tub of glitte e “doused” cury says sh er M t:

ar r ve he g adhesi Suffering for odge craftin ad in Mod P ed it in er th la her bald he , s ap c d on the wig le ea called it a s d y, an ra “ sp ’ed her eyes an Sw k ac Mercury Bl glitter, ze-13 shoes, luding the si nc ould say, t i I w No l, ” y. ta da a to ct cost me je ro p is Th says, “ 50.” Damn.

of about $9. me from is a world we co you he “T so : ’, m in do th Royal wis on’t have no d ou . Y ty si ay es ry s s world of nec hin’,” Mercu from somet it e ak nd m t a took have to mb ass wen d also my du An dio that I . “ tu ily s ss sa sive eally expen r a on e as money has out a le w all of my d, and so no or ff a e spending ot b ’t nn an ca g rent. So I c fin ef

at th to go to outfits!” money on no

by Raheem F. hosseini r aheem h@ n ew s r ev i ew . com

Best drag performer Mercury Rising

C

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Raheem F. Hosse as David Bowie’s ini aunt

Hot pink cardiga n (

Target: $30) Lavender dress ( borrowed) Sheer pantyhose (uncomfortable )

Ma

keup (not bad!): “Y ou get 20 points for perfect eyeliner. Because I could never get mine to look like that,” Mercu ry says charita bly. “I would say, do you have acc ess to some Wet ’n’ Wild lip gloss perhaps? I wou ld love to see so me gloss.”

Overall rating: “It ’s definitely not t he worst. I’ve seen some craz y shit, I won’t lie ,” Mercury laughs. “My que stion to the new queens, I’m always like, ‘Litt le gay boy in dr ag, why you so maaad?’”

People & Places cOntinued On page 44

Photos courtesy of Mercury rising and raheeM f. hosseini

an you believe the cosmic linchpin of Sacramento’s diva cosmology didn’t always want to fab it up?

“I was anti-drag,” explains Mercury Rising (neé Zackery Bolin, 26). “I didn’t do drag, I didn’t want to be a drag queen. I thought it was the best thing ever, but I remember swearing on everything that I would never do it.”

It all changed roughly 10 years ago at the no-longer Club 21, where a newly out Bolin fell under the shimmery wings of Kimora Blac and Taryn Thru-U, Sacramento’s grand dame of the scene. They and other downtown drag royals steered the reedy aspirant away from market-rate retail temptresses such as Forever 21 to discount stores and vintage shops. Lovely Mohair, a seamstress, and Kima Shay Laru, a hairstylist, offered DIY tips. Bolin paid his dues as “a bag boy,” literally shlepping the divas’ regalia to club shows, and his doe eyes opened.

It all clicked on an All Hallows’ Eve. “I mean, when you try it out on a Halloween and it’s really fun, you can’t deny it,” Mercury says, laughing.

So she’s telling me there’s a chance.

Around the same time that Mercury Rising rose (the name is a portmanteau curtsy to her astrological sign and 420 friendliness), I was fumbling together a last-minute outfit for a Halloween house party. How does my 2010 ensemble compare with the “Dinner and a Drag Show” host’s Barbarella-in-space-prison masterwork? Is that even a question?

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Best person to follow on Twitter Best place for a secret meeting 3. Ella Dining Room & Bar

Best place for an anniversary dinner

1. The Arnie States Show

1. Back Door Lounge

Twitter: @Arnieshow

1112 Firehouse Alley; (916) 442-5751

2. William Burg

2. The Jungle Bird

Twitter: @Oldcityguardian

2516 J St.; (916) 476-3280; thejunglebird.com

3. Robert Berry Twitter: @Retrocrush

Best place for a first date

The Firehouse Restaurant Sometimes you just have take the time to commemorate that important date in your life with a little lamb loin and a bottle of fine wine. Maybe it’s been 15 years since you said “never again” to polyester fabrics. Maybe it’s been 20 years since you and your dog switched bodies. Maybe it’s been 157 years since the Great Flood of 1862, without which we would never know how much water the Sacramento Valley could actually hold. (It’s a lot.) Or maybe you’ve been married for 50 years. Whatever the anniversary, the Firehouse Restaurant offers a beautiful, elegant dining space perfect for those looking to celebrate their special day. As long as you’re not bothered by the close proximity to the river, settle in and raise your glass to life, love and the looming threat of another flood that could irreparably damage the greater Sacramento area.

1. Temple Coffee Roasters various locations: templecoffee.com

2. Sacramento Comedy Spot 1050 20th St., Suite 130; (916) 444-3137; saccomedyspot.com

3. Shady Lady Saloon 1409 R St.; (916) 231-9121; shadyladybar.com

1131 K St.; (916) 443-3772; elladiningroomandbar.com

Best place to people-watch 1. Old Sacramento Waterfront

3. Empress Tavern

1014 2nd St., Suite 200; (916) 970-5226; oldsacramento.com

1013 K St.; (916) 662-7694; empresstavern.com

2. LowBrau

Best place for an anniversary dinner

1050 20th St.; (916) 706-2636; lowbrausacramento.com

3. Sacramento International Airport

1. The Firehouse Restaurant

6900 Airport Blvd.; (916) 929-5411; sacramento.aero/smf

1112 Second St.; (916) 442-4772; firehouseoldsac.com

3. Downtown Commons

2. The Kitchen Restaurant

660 J St.; (916) 273-8124; docosacramento.com

2225 Hurley Way; (916) 568-7171; thekitchenrestaurant.com

1112 Second St.; (916) 442-4772; firehouseoldsac.com. Rachel Mayfield

Best #Sacramento social media influencer

Best historic cemetery

IG: @Visitsacramento

1000 Broadway; (916) 264-5621; historicoldcitycemetery.org

1. Visit Sacramento

2. S A C • A F T E R • D A R K IG: @Sacafterdark

1. Sacramento Historic City Cemetery 2. East Lawn

3. Home Is Sacramento

4300 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 732-2000; eastlawn.com

IG: @Thepeopleofsacramento

3. Old Auburn Cemetery

Best comedian

172 Fulweiler Ave., Auburn; (530) 885-5922; auburncemetery. specialdistrict.org

1. Melissa McGillicuddy Twitter: @MelMcGillicuddy

2. Arnie States

Best nonprofit

Twitter: @ArnieShow

1. My Sister’s House

3. Wendy Lewis

3053 Freeport Blvd., Suite 120; (916) 428-3271; my-sisters-house.org

Twitter: @awkwardcougar

2. Mustard Seed School

Best drag performer

1321 N C St.; (916) 447-3626; sacloaves. org/programs/mustardseedschool

1. Mercury Rising

3. Wellspring Women’s Center

IG: @rise_merc

2. Apple Adams 3. A La Mode IG: @aaalamode |

SN&R

Pat Martin If the heavy metal band Tesla hadn’t had Pat Martin in its corner, ready to jump in and facilitate their reunion, who knows what would have happened? Maybe Tesla wouldn’t have continued on its path to continued success, but we don’t have to worry about that, because Martin, the longtime radio host of 98 Rock, did get the band back together.

Martin’s voice and playlists direct listeners through the sounds of their workday. The radio host and prolific local personality is also a musician in his own right, informed by his interviews and countless encounters with some of the biggest names, most rocking performers and iconic characters in the rock ’n’ roll world.

As if that weren’t enough, now he’s got a second Best of Sacramento title. In 2014, SN&R readers voted him the Best Radio Voice, ahead of Capital Public Radio’s Beth Ruyak.

After three decades of dedication to the audio broadcasting, Martin’s reaping the much-deserved rewards of serving Sacramentans for years.

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays, KRXQ, 98.5 FM. Maxfield Morris

3414 4th Ave.; (916) 454-9688; wellspringwomen.org

IG: @missappleadams

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R C E E A R TION E D U N

People & Places continued froM page 44

Right Down The Street!

Experience the premier destination for clothing-optional fun and relaxation in Northern California.

Enjoy a spectacular range of accommodations in 200+ acres of unspoiled nature.

Best person to follow on Twitter Arnie States If you miss the Rob, Arnie and Dawn the way it was, you have to catch them elsewhere. The trio from KRXQ’s former morning show split in 2015, with Rob Williams and Dawn Rossi continuing on radradio.com through Rob, Anybody and Dawn. Fans of Arnie States’ candid, funny and sometimes downright offensive reflections have followed him to his web podcast, The Arnie States Show, live weekdays from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. States is also invading Twitter, where you can catch his NFL conspiracy theories and rants about George Strait getting snubbed at the Academy Awards.

Twitter: @ArnieShow; arnieradio.com. Mozes Zarate

Best place to take an out-of-town guest

1. Old Sacramento Waterfront • Seven pools and spas • Lounge/nightclub • Full-service lakefront restaurant • Basic to luxury rooms & cottages • RV and tent camping • Lake and river with sandy beach • Deluxe fitness center • Game room • Archery Range • 2 Tennis & 6 Pickleball courts • Volleyball - water & hard court • Theme events & entertainment • Day visits & annual memberships

1014 2nd St., Suite 200; (916) 970-5226; oldsacramento.com

2. Crocker Art Museum 216 O St.; (916) 808-7000; crockerartmuseum.org

3. American River Bike Trail

1. Edie Lambert

Anchor, KCRA 3; Twitter: @KCRAEdieLambert

2. Mark S. Allen Anchor, ABC 10; Twitter: @tvmarksallen

Best public servant

Rob On The Road, KVIE; Twitter: @KVIERob

gov.ca.gov

Best rebel with a cause

1. Gov. Gavin Newsom

3. Mayor Darrell Steinberg cityofsacramento.org/Mayor-Council/ Districts/Mayor

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Best reason to watch local TV

3. Rob Stewart

matsui.house.gov

www.lagunadelsol.com • 916.687.6550 8683 Rawhide Lane • Wilton, CA 95693

Newsradio (93.1 FM KFBK); cristinamendonsa.com

regionalparks.saccounty.net

2. U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui

For inFormation on Free orientation tours:

3. Cristina Mendonsa

1. Tanya Faison

Founder, Black Lives Matter Sacramento; facebook.com/ BlackLivesMatterSac

2. Maya Wallace

Best radio host

Vice chairperson, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission; sacmetroarts.org

1. Pat Martin

3. Art Luna

98 Rock (98.5 FM KRXQ); krxq.radio. com/hosts/pat-martin

Owner, Luna’s Cafe & Juice Bar; lunascafe.com

2. Beth Ruyak Insight With Beth Ruyak (90.9 FM KXJZ); capradio.org/about/bios/ beth-ruyak

Best reporter

Best Sacramento website

ABC 10; Twitter: @tvmarksallen

godowntownsac.com

2. Cody Stark

2. Sac Food And Booze

Good Day Sacramento; Twitter: @TVcody

sacfoodandbooze.com

1. Mark S. Allen

3. Ben Adler Capitol Public Radio; Twitter: @adlerben

Best Sacramento landmark that should be around forever 1. Tower Bridge

Capitol Mall & Front St.

2. Tower Theatre 2508 Land Park Drive; (916) 442-0985; readingcinemasus.com/tower

1. Downtown Sacramento

3. Undietacos undietacos.org

Best TV weather person 1. Mark Finan

KCRA 3; Twitter: @KCRAFinan

2. Tamara Berg KCRA 3; Twitter: @KCRAtberg

3. Cody Stark Good Day Sacramento; Twitter: @TVcody

3. Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park 2701 L St.; (916) 445-4422

Best place for a secret meeting The Back Door Lounge Old Sacramento is changing, but one place no one wants to change is The Back Door Lounge.

With its half-concealed alley entrance invoking the speakeasys of yesteryear, this cool, dim drinking cave has the feel of a joint the Rat Pack would have picked for their hardest partying.

Its old Edwardian mirrors are laced in magenta lights casting a hellish haze on crimson wallpaper from another era.

The Back Door Lounge has been owned for more than 40 years

by Gail Dick, whose father was also a working-class bar-runner for decades. She has stubbornly kept her old town hideaway casual,

quirky and unapologetically geared toward neighborhood characters. In the afternoons, young individualists drink alongside the tough, timehardened faces of a Sacramento fading from memory. At night, the lounge is soaked in raucous nostalgia, with singers hitting Frank Sinatra numbers and the occasional group of friends drunkenly bellowing Billy Joel hits at the top of their lungs.

The lounge is unmarred by “branding” efforts and trends, and many who love it just keep its existence to themselves. So it’s no surprise it was voted the best place for a secret meeting.

1112 Firehouse Alley; (916) 442-5751; oldsacramento.com.

Scott Thomas Anderson

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Shopping & Services

t a h t e r sto d e h s i l b a t s e er v t e s r o Be f n pe o y a t s should Evangeline’s Costume Mansion

by Mozes zarate

m o z e s z @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

H

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Photo by Karlos rene ayala

ave you met Frank at Evangeline’s? He likes to dress up as a Gold Rush cowboy, but his dusty trench coat doesn’t seem to come from the costume racks.

“Frank” is one of the Old Sacramento costume shop’s ghosts. More than one longtime employee claims to have spotted the gunslinger walking through the building’s storefront and storage halls, sometimes after hours.

“I’ll be working at my desk and get the sense that someone’s watching me,” said Denise Gonzales, who manages the receiving department below ground.

“There’s been a couple times when I’ll turn around, and I’ll get a silhouette of a tall man wearing a cowboy hat, longish hair.”

There are also ghost stories of giggling children and sweet pups turning into defensive growlers at brick walls and empty staircases. In April, the shop was featured on the Travel Channel series Ghost Bait.

The haunt seems appropriate. Evangeline’s thrives during the Halloween season, its maze-like basement inventory emptying out by Oct. 31.

The staff begin their costume search each January, since it’s difficult to predict which will be popular.

Movie releases such as Wonder Woman or Maleficent, or big news stories provide some hints on what will sell, says Teri Burge, the store’s merchandise buyer.

“I’m hoping we see a lot of Area 51 sales this year,” she says.

Costumes related to Red Riding Hood is a safe bet.

“I think it’s still unusual, it’s not overdone,” said Deborah Chaussé, the store’s owner. “It’s sweet, and not necessarily all that sexy. … and it’s great for couples, too. It’s easy for a man to be a wolf or a grandma.”

In 1974, Dorothea Evangeline Chaussé opened an antique gift store by the same name and building, the Howard House on K Street. Deborah, her daughter, took the reins in 1985. In 1992, Evangeline’s expanded into the Lady Adams next door, supposedly the oldest

teri and scott Burge invite the living (and the paranormal) to join them at evangeline’s Costume Mansion.

standing building in Sacramento. The full costume mansion opened upstairs in 2000.

“It was really a gamble,” Chaussé said. “Upstairs businesses tend to be poorly visited.”

These days, the masquerade runs year-round: German-themed costumes for Oktoberfest, and multicolored wigs for ’80s parties. Recently, a group of friends purchased pirate outfits for a kayaking trip.

The vast selection of props and garments across three floors separate it from other Halloween stores.

The ever-changing inventory means longtime

customers are bound to stumble upon something new—even if that something is Frank.

“It’s an adventure,” Chaussé said. “People are still discovering.” Ω

Visit evangeline’s Costume Mansion at 113 K st., old sacramento; (916) 448-2594; open daily 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; evangelinescostumenansion.com.

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on’t blend in. Stand out.

That’s one piece of advice Ashley Newell lives by.

She’s what some would call a blogger or an Instagrammer, but the more popular term is influencer. Newell’s Instagram account @ashleynewell.me has more than 13,000 followers, loyal fans who visit her page to see photos of the vivacious and sunny mother-of-three doing everyday things such as playing with her kids and taking selfies in golden fields of sunflowers—and, of course, to see many mouth-watering shots of food.

For Newell, it’s a digital window into her world. “It’s so weird because ‘lifestyle’ is an interesting niche,” Newell says.

“Some people do all thrifting, all vegan, all whatever. I just took it really broad—this is my life.”

Since 2017, Newell has worked with mom-and-pop businesses throughout Sacramento, giving away gift cards to her favorite eateries and also helping raise money for local charities.

Photos posted daily show her across the region—the Music Circus downtown, at a park near her Elk Grove home, in the middle of a lush vineyard—and she does it all wearing the cutest floral-print dresses imaginable.

Newell admits she’s “We don’t not the “typical Instagram model,” but understand how much she also says that she representation matters to wants women of all people. it’s hard, too, even as silhouettes to feel comfortable and we’re embracing more plus-size confident living bodies in advertising, but even then, their best life. i don’t see plus-size asian women “I’ve tried to lean into that a little and i certainly don’t see women bit more, and that’s with my shape.” been the most fulfilling is getting emails or ashley newell messages from people who lifestyle influencer say, ‘I thought I was alone in this,’ or ‘I have a body like yours and now I feel like I can wear a In the end, she says it’s dress too.’” all about being yourself and “It’s tremendously hard to be embracing who you are. a woman, especially a woman on “I’ve heard so many women Instagram, to scroll through everysay, ‘I wish I could do that.’ one that looks like a model and You can! It’s OK,” she says. “It wonder, ‘What do I wear?’ ‘What breaks my heart how often I hear, do I do?’ ‘I don’t look like that.’”

‘I wish I could wear a dress.’ ‘I Even at her most glamorous, wish I could wear a jumpsuit.’ ‘I she too, has had her struggles. wish I could show my arms.’ All “We don’t understand how of these things. You can—and much representation matters to you should.” Ω people,” Newell says. “It’s hard, too, even as we’re embracing more plus-size bodies in adverfollow ashley newell on instagram: @ashleynewell.me. tising, but even then, I don’t see plus-size Asian women and I certainly don’t see women Shopping & Services continued on page 54 with my shape.”

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n e d r a g d an e m o h t r e Bes c n e u l f in a i d e m l socia

Shavonda Gardner

by Debbie Arrington d e b b i e a @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

H

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Photo by Serene LuSano

ome design maven Shavonda Gardner took an unusual route to social media influencer. Growing up in a military family, she learned design by doing, one room at a time. Through making a drab space come to life, she could make it her own.

“My parents were both in the Army; we moved a lot!” Gardner said. “We lived in military housing, just temporary. We never put down roots. We lived in Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Germany, all over. Wherever we were, I always loved to make my room as much mine as I could.”

Filling spaces with familiar things, she used color, pattern and texture to make each place distinctly hers—the bolder, the better.

Before getting serious about design, Gardner served in the military herself, as an Air Force MP, “the least creative job you can do,” she said.

But she continued her habit of room makeovers.

“I could get orders to move the next day, but I still wanted to reflect my style,” she said.

The military brought her to the greater Sacramento area, where she decided to stay. “It was the first place I ever felt in my entire life that I could make a home,” she said. “Sacramento has a small-town feel, but it’s still a big city. People are so nice here! I love the sense of community and the weather is amazing.”

Gardner, 37, started blogging seven years ago, just after finishing her studies at the Art Institute of California.

It wasn’t the best time to launch a career in home design; the economy was still recovering from the Great Recession. She worked in property management while honing her design, photography and writing skills online.

“I knew I had the flair for interior design, but I also knew at that time people were not ready to make over their home; people were losing their house,” she recalled.

“Blogging was a way to stay connected to design and keep that creative outlet while putting food on the table.”

Now, Gardner is a full-time blogger and social media influencer. Her popular blog, SG Style (sgstyleblog.com), has earned her an audience far

beyond Sacramento. Her Instagram page (@SGardnerStyle) boasts 56,000 followers.

Gardner lives in Sacramento’s Arden Arcade neighborhood with her wife and two children.

Providing plenty of fodder for her blog: Her family downsized from a 2,400-square-foot tract home to a 1,200-square-foot bungalow. “We have less house now, and way more life,” she said.

That 1940s cottage became her current canvas.

“I love old houses,” she said. “I wanted to have this relationship with this home and let it come back to life again.”

Her motto: “Creating a home is a marathon not a sprint.” To that she adds this corollary: “Just because you live small, it doesn’t mean you can’t have big, bold style.” Ω

Shavonda Gardner is on Instagram (@sgardnerstyle) and has a blog at sgstyleblog.com.

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Best place to get a piercing Exotic Body There are an abundance of fleshy appendages that hang off your body.

The question is: What should you do with them?

If you’re going to put some holes in them, you might want to consult the professionals at Exotic Body. We’re talkin’ nipple rings, ear piercings, dermal anchors, tongue webbing piercings and much more.

Open since 1990, Exotic Body’s got you covered—in holes, tattoos or a combination of both. If your body’s got it, they can probably pierce it.

Want to get your baby’s ears pierced? The team can do that. Want to pierce your belly button so you can hang a hummingbird feeder from it?

The piercing tools await your body.

There’s only one thing Exotic Body says it won’t pierce: its high standards of excellence and obligation to uphold state health and safety codes.

807 30th St.; (916) 447-6824; exoticbody.com. Maxfield Morris

Best barbershop

1. Anthony’s Barber Shop 2408 21st St.; (916) 457-1120; sacramentobarbershop.com

2. Jimmy’s Barber Garage 1017 24th St.; (916) 662-7695; jimmysbarbergarage.com

3. Revelry Barber Shop 2739 Riverside Blvd.; revelrybarber.com

Best boutique

1. Strapping 3405 Broadway; (916) 476-3376; strappingsacramento.com

2. Sugar Shack Boutique 2425 J St.; (916) 447-4435; facebook.com/sugarshackbtq

3. Krazy Mary’s Boutique

2. KP International Market

2820 R St.; (916) 455-2667; sac.coop

10971 Olson Drive; (916) 853-8000; sac.kpinternationalmarket.com

3. Beers Books 915 S St.; (916) 442-9475; beersbooks.com

Best home & garden social media influencer

1. Shavonda Gardner IG: @Sgardnerstyle

3. Oto’s Marketplace 4990 Freeport Blvd.; (916) 424-2398; otosmarketplace.com

Best lifestyle & fashion social media influencer 1. Ashley Newell

2. Kyle Hagerty

IG: @Ashleynewell.Me

IG: @Urbanfarmstead

2. Kachét JacksonHenderson

3. Morgan Daily IG: @Dailyflourish

IG: @Thekachetlife

Best home furnishings

3. Zayn 916

1. Pottery World

IG: @Zaynsilmi

4419 Granite Drive, Rocklin; (916) 624-8080; potteryworld.com

Best music boutique

2. Scout Living

1. Kline Music

2200 Sutterville Road; (916) 456-8742; klinemusic.com

3230 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 442-6279; facebook.com/ krazymarysboutique

1215 18th St.; (916) 594-7971; scoutliving.com

3. Lumens

2. Stone Vintage Music Boutique

Best established store that should stay open forever

2028 K St.; (916) 444-5585; lumens.com

324 3rd St., West Sacramento; (916) 382-9435; stonevmb.com

1. Evangeline’s

113 K St.; (916) 443-2181; evangelinescostumemansion.com

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2. Natural Foods Co-op

Best international grocer 1. Corti Brothers 5810 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 736-3800; cortibrothers.com

3. Music Exchange 2245 Arden Way; (916) 641-5855; muex.com

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Best nursery/garden

1. Green Acres Nursery & Supply various locations; idiggreenacres.com

(6284)

2. The Plant Foundry Nursery & Store 3500 Broadway; (916) 917-5787; plantfoundry.com

3. Talin’’s Nursery sup california

Sacramento’S Stand Up paddle Board Store

3. Big Brother Comics 920 20th St., Suite 150; (916) 441-6461; bigbrothercomics.com

Best place to get a bike 1. Mike’s Bikes

1411 I St.; (916) 446-2453; mikesbikes.com

2. East Sac Bike Shop 5520 H St.; (916) 254-2453; eastsacbikeshop.com

5601 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 451-8150; talinisnursery.com

3. Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen

Best place to buy sexy-time stuff

1915 I St.; (916) 538-6697; sacbikekitchen.org

1. G-Spot

2007 J St.; (916) 441-3200

2. Kiss N Tell various locations; kissntellstore.com

3. Suzies various locations; suzies.com

Best place to get a piercing 1. The Exotic Body

807 30th St.; (916) 447-6824; exoticbody.com

2. Emerald Tattoo & Piercing various locations; emeraldtattoo.com

(916) 294-0048 • supcalifornia.com • 13385 folsom Blvd. #400. folsom, ca.

is in Sacramento E V O L best laundry Check out these locations for the

Midtown Sacto

daviS

howe – el caMino

2431 K St. (916) 469-9840

1776 East 8th St. (530) 231-7044

2410 Howe Ave. (916) 292-5730

South Sacto

weSt Sacto

north highlandS

2907 West Capitol Ave. (916) 372-1432

4661 Watt Ave. (916) 295-6002

7272 Franklin Blvd.

(916) 246-9011

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experience.

Open Everyday • Debit, Credit, Coin Accepted

Best place to buy supplies for your animal friends 1. Western Feed & Pet Supply various locations; westernfeedonline.com

2. Incredible Pets various locations; incredpets.com

3. Bradshaw Feed & Pet Supply 7285 Bradshaw Road; (916) 369-8225

Best place to buy vintage 1. Thrift Town

various locations; thrifttown.com

2. Freestyle Clothing Exchange various locations; freestyleclothing.com

3. Sacramento Antique Faire 2100 X St.; (916) 600-9770; sacantiquefaire.com

Best place to geek out

1. Oblivion Comics & Coffee 1020 11th St.; (916) 329-8839; oblivioncomics.com

2. A-1 Comics various locations; a-1comics.com

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3. American Graffiti Tattoo & Piercing 608 12th St.; (916) 443-7778; facebook.com/americangraffititattoo sacramento

Best place to get pampered 1. The Colour Bar

various locations; thecolourbar.me

2. Arden Hills Club & Spa 1220 Arden Hills Lane; (916) 482-6111; ardenhills.club

3. Happy Day Spa 6911 Stockton Blvd., Suite 500; (916) 428-8880

Best place to get your hair done 1. The Colour Bar

various locations; thecolourbar.me

2. Jimmy’s Barber Garage 1017 24th St.; (916) 662-7695; jimmysbarbergarage.com

3. Spanish Fly Hair Garage 1723 J St.; (916) 444-1359; flygarage.com

Best place to put a ring on it 1. Shane Co.

various locations; shaneco.com

Best streetwear bouti

que

Getta Clue

offer: fresh has plenty to e lu C ts ta et G digs, , cool little ha on your feet on t w pu ro to th s to ck ki tees ur head, sick of pants you to put on yo s ir d several pa ll your back an to form a rope that you’ er th in w do in w can tie toge ur imb out of yo later use to cl e night to meet up with th the middle of tery of the solve the Mys thusiast’s en the gang and n l. It’s a fashio Long Tunne dream! ) 446-4700.

reetwear es to local st When it com those Clue is one of ts up the shops, Getta gh li at staples th to en m ra ac S been around ion hub has grid. The fash o decades and seen tw for more than After moving from . ge an ring the a lot of ch Midtown du to l al M t ee , the shop K Str on ti uc ter constr en C 1 n de ol G e newly last year to th d in its new moved back le tt oCo. Now se rebranded D

2. Sharif Jewelers various locations; sharifjewelers.com

3. Grebitus Jewelers 2580 Fair Oaks Blvd., Suite 30; (916) 487-7853; grebitusjewelers.com

Best record store

1. MediumRare/ Kicksville: A Vinyl & Vintage Collective 1104 R St.; (916) 706-0536; kicksvilleshop.com

2. Delta Breeze Records 1715 10th St.; (916) 822-4096; facebook.com/ deltabreezerecords

3. Phono Select Records 2475 Fruitridge Road; (916) 400-3164; phonoselect.com

Best store for kitchen gadgets

ite 120, (916 405 K St., Su ld Rachel Mayfie

Best streetwear boutique 1. Getta Clue

405 K St., Suite 120; (916) 446-4700; facebook.com/ GettaClueStore

2. Timeless Thrills 3714 J St.; (916) 228-4597; timelessthrills.com

3. The Stylish Stoner Boutique 6512 Franklin Blvd.; (916) 476-6726; thestylishstonerboutique. business.site

Best strip club

1. Gold Club Centerfolds 11363 Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova; (916) 858-0444; goldclubcenterfolds.com

2. Déjà Vu Showgirls 11252 Trade Center Drive, Rancho Cordova; (916) 853-2202; dejavu.com/ showgirls-sacramento

1. The Kitchen Table

3. City Limits Showgirls

1462 33rd St.; (916) 588-9866; kitchentablesac.com

1672 B Hammonton Smartsville Road, Linda; (530) 443-2089

2. Cresco-Resco Restaurant Equipment & Supply Co. 951 Richards Blvd.; (916) 446-3300; restaurantequipment.com

Best sustainable business 1. Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op 1900 Alhambra Blvd.; (916) 455-2667; sacfoodcoop.com

2. Refill Madness 1828 29th St.; (916) 382-4832; refillmadnesssacramento.com

3. Freestyle Clothing Exchange various locations; freestyleclothing.com

Best tattoo shop

1. Emerald Tattoo & Piercing 9410 Elk Grove-Florin Road, Elk Grove; (916) 897-8781; emeraldtattoo.com

2. Royal Peacock Tattoo Parlor 2101 P St.; (916) 448-1979; royalpeacocktattooparlor.com

3. Victory Ink Tattoo 1001 Jefferson Blvd., West Sacramento; (916) 873-8034; facebook.com/ victoryinktattoo

Best thrift store

1. Thrift Town various locations; thrifttown.com

2. Eco Thrift various locations; ecothrift.com

3. Freestyle Clothing Exchange various locations; freestyleclothing.com

3. Ikea various locations; ikea.com

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& s t r A tainment r e t En

by MOzeS zaraTe

mo z es z @ n ew s r ev i ew . com

p u o r g r e t a e h t y it Best commun e

ur Te sy Ph oT o co

r t a e h T a e d I g Bi

Ia oF ya rc en Ga rc Ia

Big Idea Theatre’s 2019 “Legacy” Season continues with Skeleton Crew, Sept. 27-Oct. 4 and The Clean House, Nov. 15-Dec. 14.

O

n Sept. 22, 16-year-old Big Idea Theatre company nabbed three honors at the 2019 Ellys, the region’s local theater awards. Best supporting male and female actors went to Bootycandy, a play centered on growing up gay and African American and featuring an all-black cast. Jasper, Sacramento playwright J.P. Malin’s tripped-out comedy-drama about a luckless bachelor with an imaginary friend, won best script.

Both plays happened to be Sacramento premieres, and it’s one of the ways Big Idea Theatre separates itself from other community theater groups. Booty Candy opened at the company’s Del Paso Boulevard space in August 2018, and Jasper was performed for the first time ever in June this year.

This season’s seven full-length plays, with 105 performances total, were all works that hadn’t been shown in town before.

“Obviously, there’s a business aspect: Will this sell?” said Karen Bombadier, Big Idea’s

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eighth artistic director. “But we’re more driven by: What do we want to produce creatively? What do we think would be fun to work on? What do we think our audiences would enjoy and be able to sink their teeth into?”

But Bombadier says her company’s biggest distinction from its peers—Green Valley Theatre Company, Fair Oaks Theatre Festival and others—is that the creative process, start to finish, is entirely democratic. Each season, play selections are voted on by the company’s 15 or so members, then everyone works to make the stage magic happen.

“We figure out where our holes are,” she said. “I’m not really great at painting, but I’ll jump in and do it.”

Now, Big Idea is seeking new donors and fresh blood. Bombadier hopes that the

theater can become a training ground for young college actors who may not be ready for regional theater. Next season, beginning in January, it plans to host industry nights when local actors can network and see a Big Idea show.

“There’s kind of a gap between educational theater and regional theater, and we really want to fill that gap for people,” she said. “Or people who have gone off and done things, and now they’re back in Sacramento trying to make a home and a family, but they still want to drive that creative side. They have a home with us.” Ω

Follow Big Idea Theatre: facebook.com/bigideatheatre.

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Best casino/cardroom 1. Red Hawk Casino

1 Red Hawk Pkwy, Placerville; (530) 677-7000; redhawkcasino.com

2. Limelight Bar & Cafe

of T s BE s! l D A l E o nD ETD A E nEw on sw rs nnE

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1014 Alhambra Blvd.; (916) 446-2236; limelightsac.com

3. Cache Creek Casino Resort 14455 Highway 16, Brooks; (800) 992-8686; cachecreek.com

Best all-ages music venue

Best cinema experience

1. Ace Of Spades

1. Century Arden 14 And XD

1417 R St.; (916) 930-0220; aceofspadessac.com

1590 Ethan Way; (916) 922-4241; cinemark.com/theatre-1137

2. Sol Collective

2. The Tower Theatre

2574 21st St.; (916) 585-3136; solcollective.org

2508 Land Park Drive; (916) 442-0985; readingcinemasus.com/tower

3. Cafe Colonial/The Colony 3. Studio Movie Grill 3520 Stockton Blvd.; (916) 475-1600; facebook.com/CafeColonial916

Best artist social media influencer

5140 Commons Drive, Rocklin; (279) 999-7632; studiomoviegrill.com/ quicktickets/california/rocklin

Best community theater group 1. Big Idea Theatre

1. Artists Of Sac

1616 Del Paso Blvd., Suite 1; (916) 390-3036; bigideatheatre.org

IG: @Artistsofsacramento

2. Haley Titus

2. Green Valley Theatre Company

IG: @Colourmeclassic

3. EMilio IG: @Themilsedition

3823 V St.; (916) 736-2664; greenvalleytheatre.com

Best arts advocate

3. Fair Oaks Theatre Festival

Vice chairperson, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission

7991 California Ave., Fair Oaks; (916) 966-3683; fairoakstheatre festival.com

1. Maya Wallace 2. Gabriell Garcia Co-owner, Cafe Colonial/The Colony, Blue Lamp

3. Estella Sanchez Founder, Sol Collective

Best awesome free art show 1. Wide Open Walls wideopenwalls.com

2. Concerts In The Park godowntownsac.com

Best creative hub

1. Sacramento Comedy Spot 1050 20th St., Suite 130; (916) 444-3137; saccomedyspot.com

2. Sol Collective 2574 21st St.; (916) 585-3136; solcollective.org

3. Warehouse Artist Lofts 1108 R St.; (916) 498-9033; rstreetwal. com

3. Chalk It Up! chalkitup.org

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Best dance spot

Best independent music venue

2000 K St.; (916) 448-7798; faces.net

1901 10th St.; (916) 443-9751; theoldironsides.com

1. Faces

2. Badlands

1. Old Ironsides

2003 K St.; (916) 448-8790; badlandssac.com

2. Blue Lamp

3. The Press Club

1400 Alhambra Blvd.; (916) 455-3400; bluelampsacramento.com

2030 P St.; (916) 444-7914; facebook.com/ thepressclub

3. Torch Club 904 15th St.; (916) 443-2797; torchclub.net

Best established arts venue that should stay open forever 1. Crest Theatre

1013 K St.; (916) 476-3356; crestsacramento.com

2. Old Ironsides 1901 10th St.; (916) 443-9751; theoldironsides.com

3. Luna’s Cafe & Juice Bar 1414 16th St.; (916) 441-3931; lunascafe.com

Best independent gallery 1. Sol Collective

2574 21st St.; (916) 585-3136; solcollective.org

2. Beatnik Studios 723 S St.; (916) 400-4281; beatnikstudios.com

Best karaoke

1. Pine Cove Tavern 502 29th St.; (916) 446-3624; pinecovetavern.com

2. Oishii Sushi and Heartbeat KTV Lounge 1000 K St.; (916) 557-8088; oishiisushikaraoke.com

3. Old Ironsides 1901 10th St.; (916) 443-9751; theoldironsides.com

Best LGBTQ club 1. Faces

2000 K St.; (916) 448-7798; faces.net

2. Badlands 2003 K St.; (916) 448-8790; badlandssac.com

3. Verge Center For The Arts

3. Mercantile Saloon

625 S St.; (916) 448-2985; vergeart.com

1928 L St.; (916) 447-0792; facebook.com/ themercantilesaloon

Best arts venue that should stay open forever Crest Theatre The area of K Street between 10th and 12th streets has undergone plenty of change over the past century. It closed to vehicular traffic for more than 40 years, until 2012.

Live music spots such as Club Can’t Tell and Metropolis Club are long gone. But one venue remains mighty through the decades. It opened in 1912 as the Empress Theatre, then became the Hippodrome and was christened as the Crest Theatre in 1949. It has endured as a favorite spot for film festivals and a beloved performing arts venue. From the modern mastery of Tony Williams to pivotal performances 66 | SN&R | 09.26.19

from a young Nirvana, the 975-seat theater and its range of music is nothing short of historic around here. Heck, Kurt Cobain’s paint-splattered footprints are still on a wall in the basement. While venues come and go, the Crest is taking on a new chapter. With music promoter Scott Brill-Lehn of SBL Entertainment coming on as manager in November, you can bet its concert calendar will remain full while also drawing folks for movies and popcorn. And that’s the way it should stay.

1013 K St.; (916) 476-3356; crestsacramento. com. Chris Macias

Best live music venue

Best performing arts center

1417 R St.; (916) 930-0220; aceofspadessac.com

500 David J Stern Walk; (888) 915-4647; golden1center.com

1. Ace Of Spades

2. Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub 2708 J St.; (916) 441-4693; harlows.com

3. Crest Theatre 1013 K St.; (916) 476-3356; crestsacramento.com

Best morning radio show 1. The Wake Up Call

106.5 FM The End; endonline.radio.com /shows/wake-call

2. Insight With Beth Ruyak Capitol Public Radio, 90.9 FM KXJZ; capradio.org/news/insight

3. The Rob, Anybody & Dawn Show radradio.com

Best museum

1. Crocker Art Museum 216 O St.; (916) 808-7000; crockerart.org

2. California State Railroad Museum 125 I St.; (916) 445-6645; californiarailroad. museum

3. Sacramento Zoo 3930 W. Land Park Drive; (916) 808-5888; saczoo.org

Best nerd battleground

1. Oblivion Comics & Coffee 1020 11th St.; (916) 329-8839; oblivioncomics.com

2. Big Brother Comics

1. Golden 1 Center 2. Mondavi Center

523 Mrak Hall Drive, Davis; (530) 754-2787; mondaviarts.org

3. Crest Theatre 1013 K St.; (916) 476-3356; crestsacramento.com

Best place for an author reading

1. Sacramento Public Library, Central 828 I St.; (916) 264-2700; saclibrary.org; saclibrary.org/Locations/Central

2. Time Tested Books 1114 21st St.; (916) 447-5696; timetestedbooks.blogspot.com

3. Underground Books 2814 35th St.; (916) 737-3333; sthope.org/ underground-books-home

Best place to get caught in a mosh 1. Ace Of Spades

1417 R St.; (916) 930-0220; aceofspadessac.com

2. Holy Diver 1517 21st St.; holydiversac.com

3. Cafe Colonial/The Colony 3520 Stockton Blvd.; (916) 475-1600; facebook.com/CafeColonial916

Best place to hear poetry

1. Poetry Unplugged At Luna’s Cafe & Juice Bar 1414 16th St.; (916) 441-3931; lunascafe.com

920 20th St., Suite 150; (916) 441-6461; bigbrothercomics.com

2. Shine

3. Comics & Collectibles

1400 E St.; (916) 551-1400; shinesacramento.com

1904 Fruitridge Road; (916)392-2467; comicsandcollectible.com

3. The Sacramento Poetry Center

Best open-mic night

1. Luna’s Cafe & Juice Bar 1414 16th St.; (916) 441-3931; lunascafe.com

2. Old Ironsides 1901 10th St.; (916) 443-9751; theoldironsides.com

3. Shine 1400 E St.; (916) 551-1400; shinesacramento.com

25th and R Complex, 1719 25th St.; (916) 240-1897; sacramentopoetrycenter.com

Best place to knock down pins 1. Capitol Bowl

900 West Capitol Ave., West Sacramento; (916) 371-4200; capitol-bowl.com

2. Country Club Lanes 2600 Watt Ave.; (916) 483-5105; countryclublanes.com

3. Strikes Unlimited 5681 Lonetree Blvd., Rocklin; (916) 626-3600; strikesrocklin.com

Arts & Entertainment

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Arts & Entertainment

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t n e d n e p e d Best in e u n e v c i s u m

Old Ironsides

Old I has long been a home for Sacramento’s underground music scene. In the ’90s, bands such as Sex66 and The Knockoffs brought an energy to the 10th Street restaurant-bar that’s mythologized by veteran scenesters. Now, it remains a nightly platform for rising musicians with its Wednesday open-mic and Sunday jams with Heath Williamson.

If you want a chance at the stage but can’t play an instrument, it’s free Tuesday KAROAK “I” is one of the best in town. The Kanelos family, the owners since 1934, recently announced that they were selling the venue. Let’s hope the new owners will keep the music going.

1901 10th St.; (916) 443-9751; theoldironsides.com. M.Z.

Best place to make you LOL

1. Punch Line Sacramento 2100 Arden Way, Suite 225; (916) 925-8500; punchlinesac.com

2. Sacramento Comedy Spot 1050 20th St., Suite 130; (916) 444-3137; saccomedyspot.com

3. Laughs Unlimited 1207 Front St.; (916) 446-8128; laughsunlimited.com

Best place to stock your bookshelves 1. Beers Books

915 S St.; (916) 442-9475;

2. Time Tested Books 1114 21st St.; (916) 447-5696; beersbooks.com

3. Capital Books 1011 K St.; (916) 492-6657; capitalbooksonk.com

Best professional theater company 1. B Street Theatre

2700 Capitol Ave; (916) 443-5300; bstreettheatre.org

2. Broadway At Music Circus 1419 H St.; (916) 557-1999; broadway sacramento.com/broadway-at-music-circus

3. Sacramento Theatre Company 1419 H St.; (916) 443-6722; sactheatre.org

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Best spot for pool

1. Hard Times Billiards Of Sacramento 5536 Garfield Ave.; (916) 332-8793; hardtimesbilliards.net

2. Blue Cue 1004 28th St.; (916) 441-6810; bluecue.com

3. R15 1431 R St.; (916) 930-9191; rstreet.cafebernardo.com/r15

Best trivia night

1. Pizza Rock Sacramento 1020 K St.; (916) 737-5777; pizzarocksacramento.com

2. Track 7 Brewing Company 3747 W. Pacific Ave., Suite F; 826 Professor Lane, Suite 100; (916) 520-4677; track7brewing.com

3. The Golden Bear 2326 K St.; (916) 441-2242; goldenbear916.com

Best YouTube channel 1. Odin Makes 2. Smosh 3. MissTiffanyMa

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M ay fi el

d

Quarry Trail

y R ac h el Ph o to b

Best local hike

& s t r o Sp ecreaion R

As you walk along the path leading up the middle fork of the American River, a few things might catch your eye. The flutter of a bird. The rush of swirling rapids down below.

The judgmental stares of enormous rocky cliffsides, scarred by zealous miners ages ago.

Once a prime spot for digging up gold and limestone, the area surrounding Quarry Trail in Auburn has since become a hybrid environment where nature has slowly reclaimed human history. Remnants of quarry architecture jut out of hills and peek through foliage. A trail by some picnic tables leads off towards a climbing area, where jagged walls of stone greet you solemnly.

Whispers echo in your head, and a chill runs down your spine. You slowly approach the bluffs, then stop suddenly. Unable to move, you stand still for all eternity, transfixed by the harsh beauty of those strong, commanding cliffs.

Between Roads 126 and 127 off I-80; wild life.ca.gov/Lands/ Places-to-Visit/ SacramentoBypass-WA

There’s plenty of nature to enjoy and experience along Quarry Trail.

Quarry Trail, 150 CA-193, Auburn; (530) 885-4527; Rachel Mayfield

Best local hike

1. Quarry Trail (Auburn) 2. Feather Falls (Pollock Pines) 3. Stevens Trail (Colfax)

Best local sports team

1. Sacramento River Cats Raley Field, 400 Ballpark Drive, West Sacramento; milb.com/sacramento

Best athletic club, health club or gym

1. Sacramento Pipeworks 116 N 16th St.; (916) 341-0100; touchstoneclimbing.com/ pipeworks

2. Capital Athletic Club 1515 8th St.; (916) 442-3927; capitalac.com

3. Bodytribe Fitness 1106 N. D St., Suite 7; (916) 743-6974; bodytribe.com

Best fight-based workout 1. Urijah Faber’s Ultimate Fitness

2. 9Round Fitness various locations; 9round.com

3. Prime Time Boxing 1931 Del Paso Blvd.; (916) 927-2697; primetimeboxing.com/ sacramento-location

Best local athlete

1. Urijah Faber, UFC ufultimatefitness.com

2. Alex Honnold, free solo climber alexhonnold.com

3. Arik Armstead, NFL San Francisco 49ers instagram.com/sacnina91

6700 Folsom Blvd.; (916) 444-3357; ufultimatefitness.com

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3. Sacramento Bypass Wildlife Area

2. Sacramento Republic FC Papa Murphy’s Park, 1600 Exposition Blvd.; sacrepublicfc.com

3. Sacramento Roller Derby Sacramento Roller Derby, 1501 N C St.; sacramentorollerderby.com

Best nature walk to clear your head

1. American River Parkway 161 Iron Point Road, Folsom; (916) 557-1100; regionalparks.saccounty. net/Parks/Pages/AmericanRiver Parkway

2. UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden 920 Garrod Drive, Davis; (530) 752-4880; arboretum.ucdavis.edu

Best outdoor gear store 1. All Good

1715 R St., Suite 150; (916) 706-2057; allgxxd.com/pages/sacramento

2. PLA Skateboarding

Best place for tennis and racquet sports 1. McKinley Park 601 Alhambra Blvd.

2. Natomas Sports Club 2450 Natomas Park Drive; (916) 649-0909; sparetimeclubs.com/natomas

3. Johnson Ranch Sports Club 2600 Eureka Road, Roseville; (916) 782-2600; sparetimeclubs.com/ johnsonranch

Best place to play golf

various locations; plaskateboarding.com

1. Haggin Oaks Golf Complex

3. Courtside Tennis & Apparel

3645 Fulton Ave.; (916) 481-6531; hagginoaksgolfexpo.com

805 Howe Ave.; (916) 482-6104; courtsidetennis.com

2. Topgolf Roseville 1700 Freedom Way, Roseville; (916) 200-1002

Best park

1. William Land Regional Park 3800 S. Land Park Drive

2. McKinley Park 601 Alhambra Blvd.

3. Folsom Lake State Recreation Area 7755 Folsom-Auburn Road, Folsom

Best place for a pick-up game of hoops 1. Roosevelt Park 1615 9th St.

2. Southside Park 2115 6th St.

3. McKinley Park 601 Alhambra Blvd.

3. William Land Golf Course 1701 Sutterville Road; (916) 277-1207; williamlandgc.com

Best yoga studio

1. Solfire Yoga 2613 J St.; (916) 330-1825; solfirejstreet.com

2. The Yoga Seed Collective 1400 E St.; (916) 668-0949; theyogaseed.org

3. Zuda Yoga 1515 19th St.; (916) 441-1267

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s i b a n n a C e p a &V

e c i v r e s y r e v li e d Best

(916) 741-7339; silverstreaksolution.com

1150 N 1st St., Dixon; (707) 640-1147; dixonwellnesscollective.com

2015 Q St.; (916) 793-5182; humbleroot.com

Silverstreak Solutions

3. Crystal Nugs 3545 El Camino Ave., Suite 112; (916) 701-9777; crystalnugs.com

indoor grower from Oakland, as a favorite brand.

So what sells the most?

“By far, flowers,” Harlan said.

“Our biggest sellers are ‘value flowers,’ which are half- or full-ounces.

They are at a better price point, and still good quality, but you are going to get more bang for your buck.”

Silverstreak also encourages preorders, which guarantee customers can purchase products that typically sell out. Also, the company’s “goody bags” allow customers to buy products that are being closed out or are in limited supply at a low price. What might be inside a goody bag?

“You’re going to get some flower, some vape, some concentrate and maybe an edible for 30 to 40% off,” Harlan said.

“Convenience and value is our motto.”

Guild added that Silverstreak’s drivers are also kept up-to-date with training about new products. Harlan said that they are also given sick time, vacation and, soon, a health care plan.

Asked if any strange or funny things ever happen during deliveries, Guild said that drivers often receive plates of food as tips.

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Photo by Ken Magri

S

1. Silverstreak Solutions

3. Dixon Wellness Collective

2. Humble Root

by Ken Magri

ilverstreak Solutions won three Best of Sacramento awards in the Cannabis & Vape category: Best Selection, Most Knowledgeable Staff and Best Overall Experience. The medical delivery service, based in Citrus Heights, began three years ago in the Proposition 215 medical marijuana era and recently upgraded to include recreational cannabis. Its 30 drivers will go as far as 75 miles in any direction to fulfill a delivery.

Co-owners Matt Guild and Sterling Harlan have been friends for a decade. Before entering the cannabis business, they worked at Home Depot, gaining valuable experience in retailing and customer satisfaction.

“It starts with our people,” Harlan said. “We try to act as leaders, to make sure we are there to provide a support system.”

“Transparency from us, I think that’s a lot of it,” Guild added. “The customer deserves to know everything there is about what they’re buying, and we want to make sure they have all that information.”

For that reason, potency percentages are listed on all products.

Silverstreak’s offerings include an impressive mix for both medical and recreational customers.

“We really pride ourselves on making sure we have a great selection,” Harlan said, mentioning Grizzly Peak Farms, a premium

Best overall experience—delivery

Sterling Harlan (left) and Matt guild of Silverstreak Solutions cannabis delivery service.

For those who have never ordered from a cannabis delivery service, Silverstreak smoothed out the process so that drivers don’t need to come inside the home. All processing is done online with a dispatcher. Then, like food delivery, the rest happens at the front door.

Once the order arrives, customers check to see that it’s correct and pay in cash.

For now, the partners said they don’t want to expand into a brickand-mortar storefront.

“Our outreach has no end, whereas with a storefront you can only serve so many customers,” Harlan explained.

“We’re happy doing what we’re doing,” Guild added. “It’s what we’re good at.” Ω

Best overall experience— dispensary

1. Silverstreak Solutions (916) 741-7339; silverstreaksolution.com

2. Humble Root 2015 Q St.; (916) 793-5182; humbleroot.com

1. All About Wellness

3. Crystal Nugs

1900 19th St.; (916) 454-4327; sactown420.wpengine.com

3545 El Camino Ave., Suite 112; (916) 701-9777; crystalnugs.com

2. Alpine Alternative 8112 Alpine Ave.; (916) 234-0111; weedmaps.com/dispensaries/ alpine-alternative

3. A Therapeutic Alternative 3015 H St.; (916) 822-4717; atherapeuticalternative.com

Most knowledgeable staff— dispensary

1. All About Wellness 1900 19th St.; (916) 454-4327; sactown420.wpengine.com

2. A Therapeutic Alternative

Best selection—delivery

3015 H St.; (916) 822-4717; atherapeuticalternative.com

(916) 741-7339; silverstreaksolution.com

3. Dixon Wellness Collective

2. Humble Root

1918 16th St.; (916) 706-2089; weedmaps.com/dispensaries/nug

1. Silverstreak Solutions

2015 Q St.; (916) 793-5182; humbleroot.com

3. Crystal Nugs 3545 El Camino Ave., Suite 112; (916) 701-9777; crystalnugs.com

Best selection—dispensary

1. All About Wellness 1900 19th St.; (916) 454-4327; sactown420.wpengine.com

2. A Therapeutic Alternative 3015 H St.; (916) 822-4717; atherapeuticalternative.com

Visit silverstreaksolution.com for the latest cannabis deals delivered throughout Sacramento.

Most knowledgeable staff— delivery

2. Nug 1918 16th St.; (916) 706-2089; weedmaps.com/dispensaries/nug

Best vape shop

1. Yo Mommas Favorite Vape Shop (formerly Planet of the Vapes) 1730 J St., Suite A2; (916) 476-5817; yomommasfavoritevapeshop.com

2. NXNW Vapor 1809 S St., Suite 99; (916) 917-5332; facebook.com/NXNWVAPOR

3. CultiVapors 2624 Fulton Ave.; (916) 514-9519; facebook.com/Cultivapors

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P

garden

place

Sad tomato It’s a mixed bag for growers of heirloom varieties

by Debbie Arrington

Tuesday October 8, 2019

Photo courtesy of fred hoffman

ever got going. A farmer friend “attributed this to a storm that occurred early on in the plants’ life that fooled them into thinking that it was already winter,” Frichette said.

“It’s been a weird year,” said Michelle Jackson, who battled bugs and wilt all summer. Her Brandy Boy yielded just two tomatoes, although her Sun Gold and Sweet 100 produced several quarts of cherry tomatoes.

Kitty Bolte planted a dozen varieties and got a wide range of results. “I had good luck with Amish Paste and the cherries,” she said. “Brandywines did terribly, [they] rotted before they ripened. San Marzanos were OK, but seemed more prone to blossom Farmer Fred Hoffman is end rot than the Amish Paste. All the others harvesting plenty of tomatoes were fun and flavorful, but not especially this fall, but some gardeners aren’t as fortunate. prolific.”

The difference between a bad and a decent crop seemed to come down to variety. Plants in the same garden bore vastly This was a tough summer in the Big Tomato. For different harvests. many growers, Sacramento’s favorite crop “Persimmon [an orange heirloom tomato] struggled. had absolutely zero tomatoes,” said South Land This lack of tomatoes left gardeners scratching Park’s Ken Wing, who pulled the plant on Labor their heads and farmers recalculating their yields.

Day. “My other varieties—Juliet, Jetsetter F1 and A combination of weather conditions—too cold Yellow Pear—did great.” and wet early, too hot late—seemed to confuse By contrast, Colene Rauh of Orangevale plants. Instead of setting a steady supply of fruit, had a great tomato year. “By far, our favorite some tomato vines just sulked. tomato—and it grew better than ever this year—is As of Aug. 24, tomato shipments were running 21.1% behind the 2018 pace, reports the Processing the Bull’s Heart,” she said. “Great for sauces, sandwiches, salads; you name it. As far as the Tomato Advisory Board. Although farmers expect cherry-type tomatoes, our other favorite is Sun to pick up some slack in September, the total Sugar; very prolific. One year, when we didn’t get California processing tomato crop is forecast to be a freeze, they grew into January!” down 4.1% from last year.

With our current mild fall weather, healthy Processing tomatoes—used for canned tomato plants may keep going through the tomatoes and tomato paste—are supposed to be holidays. the easy ones to grow. If they’re having difficulty, “This will be a long tomato season,” noted what about heirlooms? radio host Farmer Fred Hoffman, who still has This season elicited more groans than big many green tomatoes in his Folsom garden. “I smiles. predict tomato salads at every Thanksgiving “This was not a good year for me,” said Peter dinner table.” Ω Frichette, Sacramento’s homegrown tomato king.

“Only one person that I have spoken with said that he had a good year. Most others just said that it seemed below average.”

Frichette, whose Greenhaven garden usually debbie arrington, an award-winning garden writer and lifelong gardener, is co-creator of the sacramento digs Gardening blog produces bushels of tomatoes, saw two of his usually reliable Early Girls shut down before they and website.

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home

Seniors account for more than half of spending on home remodeling.

Remodel and stay in place Seniors driving makeover trend Looking for a new home? You may

already be living in it.

According to research by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, we’re in the midst of a remodeling boom.

Since 2010, residential remodeling has grown more than 50 percent and now tops $424 billion a year, the report said. California homeowners were particularly big spenders; in 2017, an estimated $8.64 billion was spent on remodeling in Los Angeles alone and another $4.79 billion spent in San Francisco.

That’s a lot of new kitchens and baths. But that spending total actually reflects a deeper trend: Americans are keeping the home they have instead of buying a different house.

The big driver in all this renovation are seniors.

Households with residents age 55 or older accounted for more than half of remodeling spending. A major motivation is the desire to “age in place.” That includes making over bathrooms with roll-in showers or creating first-floor master suites.

Older homeowners making accessibility improvements tend to spend more, too; on average, 40 percent more than remodelers not motivated by accessibility issues.

Of the nation’s total remodeling dollars, nearly half go towards replacements or fixing things as our houses get older, too. That renovation often is with an eye on future savings. According to the study, homeowners spent $68 billion on new roofing, siding, windows, doors, HVAC systems and insulation; all improvements that could offer huge home energy savings in years to come.

“With new construction slowly recovering from historic lows, 40 percent of the country’s 137 million homes are at least 50 years old,” said Abbe Will, associate project director in the center’s Remodeling Futures Program. “The aging of the housing stock has been a boon to the remodeling industry, with spending surpassing investment in home building every year for over a decade.”

Another trend: Due to the shortage of affordable new homes, former rentals are being remodeled and sold as single family residences for owner occupancy.

“Years of rising costs of new construction mean a growing number of vacant and rental units are now filling demand for homeownership, and these converted units often require substantial investments in renovation and repair,” the report said.

More than 6.6 million units (including townhouses and condos) switched from being rentals or vacant to owner occupancy in 2016 and 2017, the two years covered by the report. Investment by owners of these newly converted homes topped $50 billion.

By DeBBie Arrington

This column is produced by N&R Publications, a division of News & Review separate from SN&R Editorial.

For more information, visit www.nrpubs.com

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for the week of september 26

by maxfield morris

POST EVENTS ONLINE FOR FREE AT newsreview.com/sacramento

open house to put smiles on your face.

There’s prizes and music, baked goods and tours—plus the River Cats’ Dinger as one final lure. Noon, no cover. Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary, 6001 Folsom Blvd.

OKTOBERFEST MIDTOWN SACRAMENTO 2019: Though October still rests on the ’rizon, its beer fest is closer, which may be surprisin’.

Join Der Biergarten for block party mayhem, with beer, meat and songs (plus people who play them). 3pm, no cover. Der Biergarten Street Corner 24th & K Street, 2332 K St.

Thu

Sacramento’s drawers Elks TowEr, 5pm, $30-$35 Folks around town have been donating doodles: drawings of radishes, pink squids and poodles. Night of ART 1000 Drawings is the reason, and there, artwork is in open season. You’ll show up, consume food, perhaps grab a quick stretch and at the end of the night you’ll be paired with a slick sketch. You’ll

MUSIC

take home a picture and be expected to house it, as long as your fellow housemate allows it. As all definitions of “artwork” are hairy, your level of love for the paintings may vary. To come see the etchings just snag a ticket stub, plus the event benefits the Boys and Girls Club.

921 11th St., nightof1000drawings.com.

FESTIVALS FRIDAY, 9/27

SACRAMENTO BLuES SOCIETY hALL OF FAME AWARDS: Want to see who’s best at the

FARM-TO-FORK STREET FESTIVAL: The farm-tofork fest has almost begun, so check out the Cap’ Mall for two days of fun. With farmers and produce and their post-market linkage, expect food, cooks and music, along with plenty of drinkage. Don’t miss excitement as the farms descend streetward, just line up with appetite and no expectation of meat curd. 4:30pm, no cover. Capitol Mall.

blues? Folks and fans, I’ve got good news: The hall of fame is growing wider, so come hear music and meet new insiders. 1pm, $15-$20. Harlow’s, 2708 J St.

SACRAMENTO TAIKO DAN 30Th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT: The beat is all you’ve got to hear, join this dan with special gear. The largest Odaiko drum is round, so join this show to hear it pound. 5pm, $30. Memorial Auditorium, 1515 J St.

QuILT AND FABRIC ART FESTIVAL: Quilts are calling and want your return—it’s their festival, so show up and learn. With three days of fabric to gawk and peruse, you’re invited to see the blankets sans use. There are activities, lectures, workshops and prizes, so catch more than 400 quilts of varying sizes. 10am, $10. McClellan Conference Center, 5411 Luce Ave.

WEDNESDAY, 10/2 1,2,3 ANDRES: Kids and families can watch for free, so come see Andrés, 123. Bilingual fun awaits in this place, so enjoy their songs at the count of tres. 10:30am, no cover. Colonial Heights Library, 4799 Stockton Blvd.

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THURSDAY, 9/26 AN EVENING AT OAK PARK BREWERY: Leadership Sacto is having a bash: a two-hour shindig with raffles and mash. There’s beer in the offing and apps in the distance, so stop by to support charity and foodie subsistence. 5pm, $40-$180. Oak Park Brewery, 3514 Broadway.

NIChIREN BuDDhIST ChuRCh FALL JAPANESE FOOD SALE: Want to buy food two weeks in advance? Don’t worry, you’re covered, and this is your chance. This Buddhist church will take orders of Japanese food, all kinds of noodles and stuff to be chewed. Noon, no cover. Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church, 5191 24th St.

FRIDAY, 9/27

SUNDAY, 9/29

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PHOTO COURTESY OF MIYAMOTO INTERNATIONAL

26

1,000 drawings are headed to the Elks Tower, then into your possession.

FOOD & DRINK

Coins are the entree, you’re the buffet, come honor coins and their metallic

bouquet. 10am, no cover-$3. The Four Points

by Sheraton, 4900 Duckhorn Drive.

SATURDAY, 9/28 2019 SACRAMENTO REPTILE ShOW: Cold-blooded lizards all come to this show, as do warm humans with nowhere else to go. Spy 3,000 reptiles all in one place, with 45 types of venom sharing a space. Learn and meet gators, get a reptile pet—at this two-day affair of breeders and no sweat. 10am, $10$21. Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd.

27Th FOLSOM RENAISSANCE FAIRE & INTERNATIONAL JOuSTING TOuRNAMENT: Jousting is risky, don’t try it at home—but Folsom Ren Faire can’t leave well ’nough alone. Watch the lance-horse fight from bleachers away, and take in the history for two entire days. It’s historical theater for your amusement, with merchants and actors all playing a ruse, gent. 10am, $5$38. Folsom City Lions Park, 403 Stafford St., Folsom.

hAPPY TAILS OPEN hOuSE: Adoptions get started at the Happy Tails place; join their

FARM-TO-FORK WINE TRAIN DINNER: Of all the train functions that come in the year, this one’s an outlier for its farm-to-fork gear.

Taste some cheese and some wines while you’re en route, then visit a farm in West Sac, to boot. 6:30pm, $110. Sacramento RiverTrain, 400 N. Harbor Blvd., West Sacramento.

TUESDAY, 10/1

snr c a le nd a r @ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m

Online listings will be considered for print. Print listings are edited for space and accuracy. Deadline for print listings is 5 p.m. Wednesday. Deadline for NightLife listings is midnight Sunday.

Send photos and reference materials to Calendar editor Maxfield Morris at snrcalendar@newsreview.com.

CALIFORNIA STAGE: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Actor’s Workshop wants you to gander at the classic Bard-story of Herm’ and Lysander. They and the rest are feeling out romance—but the magic of fairies intrudes and explodes, man. Through 10/13. $20. 2509 R St.

hARRIS CENTER: RENT. It’s all about rent and the outbreak of AIDS; this New York-set musical only grows, never fades. Through 9/29. $43.20-$82. 10 College Parkway, Folsom.

ThE WILKERSON ThEATER: As Is. The New York AIDS crisis is the crux of this play, which broke onto Broadway and decided to stay. Through 10/12. $18-$20. 2509 R St.

AuDITORIuM AT CLARA: Stories on Stage Sacramento. Do you like writers from community colleges? These are some local ones Los Rios acknowledges. Hear stories read by actors on stage—from the four junior colleges’ literary page. Friday 9/27, 7:30pm.

Through 9/27. $5-$10. 1425 24th St.

ART ELK’S TOWER: Night of 1000 Drawings. Look no further to give your Thursday night heft than this nifty gala, featured at left. Thursday 9/26, 5pm. $35. 921 11th St.

KVIE STuDIOS: KVIE Art Auction Preview Gala, 2019. An exclusive sneak peak into this KVIE sale, you’ll get to see artwork before it’s avail’. It’s an art auction preview, complete with a gala, so dress like you want to and be a PBS pal, yeah! Thursday 9/26, 6pm. $50. 2030 W. El Camino Ave.

ThE uNIVERSITY uNION AT SAC STATE: If Color Was Language Art Exhibit and Reception.

Have you ever wondered about color and street art? Drew Ochwat has, and here comes the neat part: You can catch Ochwat’s artistic reception plus see the exhibit and learn its inception. Thursday 9/26, 6pm. No cover. 6000 J St.

VEGAN ChEF ChALLENGE: Interested in finding the best chef in town? These vegans are grinding and want to be crowned. Catch chefs at battle without animal products while curious critters can avoid our jaw ducts. Various prices. Various locations.

COMEDY ThE uNIVERSITY uNION AT SAC STATE: San Francisco International Stand Up Comedy Competition. Get comedy from the Bay Area zone, as people tell jokes to make you laugh or moan. It’s got a host and a goal, a crown and a poll; catch the comedy showdown and get on a roll. Thursday 9/26, 7:30pm. No cover. 6000 J St.

MUSEUMS POWERhOuSE SCIENCE CENTER: Create and Take Fall Leaf Crowns. There’s not too much science behind making a leaf crown, but there’s plenty in plants and their autumnal brown.

Learn about that and crown yourself king at this admission-included session that will make your head sing. Saturday 9/28, 10am. $7-$8. 3615 Auburn Blvd.

TAKE ACTION SATURDAY, 9/28 SACRAMENTO GREEN NEW DEAL TOWN hALL:

ON STAGE BIG IDEA ThEATRE: Skeleton Crew. Detroiters in auto plants struggle with tension of losing their jobs and, not to mention, what they’ll do after and how they’ll move on if their town’s economy is suddenly gone. 8pm.

Through 10/26. $12-$18. 1616 Del Paso Blvd.

This town hall meeting’s about the Green New Deal, about taking its goals and then making them real. Sacramentans interested in helping the Earth thrive should attend this event to keep us all alive. 2pm, no cover. Fruitridge Community Collaborative, 4625 44th St.

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THURSDAY 9/26

FRIDAY 9/27

SATURDAY 9/28

John Thompson, 7pm, no cover

The Enlows, 7pm, no cover

Fierce Fridays, 7pm, call for cover

Spectacular Saturdays, 6pm, call for cover

Eazy Dub, 9:30pm, no cover

Live Music, 9:30pm, no cover

Charitte & Friends starring J Diggs, 9pm, $20

5th Annual Celebration of Virgos, 7pm, call for cover

The BoArdwAlk

Zen Arcadia, Roswell and Race to the Bottom, 8:30pm, $10-$12

James Durbin, Ariana Brooke, Brianna Carmel and more, 7pm, $10

cApiTol GArAGe

Capitol Fridays, 10pm, no cover before 10:30pm

Dinner and a Drag Show, 7:30pm, $5$25; Karaoke, 9:30pm, call for cover

Boot Scootin Sundays, 8pm, $5

The Beatles’ Music Live Again, 8pm, $28-$52

Benise, 7pm, $29-$95

Absolut Fridays, 9pm, call for cover

Sequin Saturdays, 9:30pm, call for cover

Funday Frolic, 3pm, no cover

Hat Trick, 8pm, call for cover

Retrospecs, 8pm, call for cover

1001 R ST., (916) 443-8825

Eboni Esra, Finley, Scorpio Moon and Temple K. Kirk, 9pm, $5

The Rip and Stomp Rock Show with Saturn V, 9pm, $5

hAlFTime BAr & Grill

Jennifer Belle Unplugged, 6pm, no cover

ArmAdillo music

207 F ST., DAvIS, (530) 758-8058

BAdlAnds

Poprockz 90s Night, 9pm, no cover

2003 k ST., (916) 448-8790

BAr 101

101 MAIN ST., ROSEvIllE, (916) 774-0505

Blue lAmp

Dads Under Where, Bad Barnacles, Stepdad Passport and TX3, 8pm, $10

1400 AlHAMbRA blvD., (916) 455-3400 9426 GREENbAck lN., ORANGEvAlE, (916) 358-9116

PHOTO cOURTESY OF JAYSON cARPENTER

Tommy Castro and the Painkillers

1500 k ST., (916) 444-3633

cresT TheATre

1013 k ST., (916) 476-3356

FAces

2000 k ST., (916) 448-7798

8:30pm Friday, $40 The Sofia Blues

FATher pAddY’s irish puBlic house 435 MAIN ST., WOODlAND, (530) 668-1044

Ralph Gordon, 6pm, call for cover

Fox & Goose

5681 lONETREE blvD., ROcklIN, (916) 626-3600

hArlow’s

Kid Quill and Moonlander, 7:30pm, $13-$50

2708 J ST., (916) 441-4693

!!! (Chk Chk Chk) and Sheastie Boys, 9pm, $20-$22

SUNDAY 9/29

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 9/30-10/2

B.P.M. & Sunday Funday Remixed, 4pm, call for cover

Trapicana, 10pm, W, no cover Open-Mic, 7:30pm, W, no cover; Trivia, 6:30pm, M, no cover

Daddy Long Legs, 8pm, call for cover Venom Prison, Homewrecker, Great American Ghost and more, 7pm, T, $10

Let’s Get Quizzical, 7pm, T, no cover; Cornhole, 6pm, W, $10 Tainted Love, 10pm, $18-$20

Sacramento Blues Society Hall of Fame, 1pm, $20

hiGhwATer

1910 Q ST., (916) 706-2465

holY diVer

Mystery Skulls, Phangs, Snowblood and Saint Juniper, 7pm, $15-$35

Kid Quill

kupros

with Moonlander 7:30pm Thursday, $13-$50 Harlow’s Hip-hop

Live music with Jenn Rogar, 7pm, no cover

lunA’s cAFe & Juice BAr

1217 21ST ST., (916) 440-0401 1414 16TH ST., (916) 441-3931

The sTArleT room

The Americans and Laura Jean Anderson, 8pm, $10-$14

2708 J ST., (916) 441-4693

LAUGHS UNLIMITED PRESENTS

Cory & CHAD

“THE SMASH BroTHErS”

Moday Moday, 10pm, call for cover

Rhythm section w/ Chad Ross and Sooshie, 10pm, call for cover

Despised Icon, Kublai Khan, Ingested, Shadow of Intent and more, 6pm, $20

Jack Russell’s Great White and Cardboard Ringo, 6:30pm, $28

Deux Coasts, Mona V and Jasmine Bailey, 8pm, $8

David Houston & String Theory and more, 8pm, $10

Cugino, Mediocre Cafe and the Black Suns, 7pm, $10-$13

Blind Tiger Revue’s Club Decadence, 7pm, $15-$20

The hideaway Bar & Grill Weekly Fun

live MuSic 9/27 9/28

10/5

part robot & cole thompson

10/12 bongo furys

garage openers

101 Main Street, roSeville 916-774-0505 · lunch/dinner 7 days a week fri & sat 9:30pm - close 21+

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live band before the early saT and sun shows

SEPTEMBER 27-29

unleashed

10/11 todd morgan

10/19

…feaTuring armando Placencia!

eazy dub

09.26.19

Sinkane and Liquid Lights, 8pm, W, $15-$18

Shitshow Karaoke, 8pm, M, no cover; Record Roundup, 8pm, T, no cover

2565 FRANklIN blvD., (916) 455-1331

1517 21ST ST.

Every Damn Monday, 8pm, M, no cover

Open-Mic Night, 7:30pm, M, no cover

hideAwAY BAr & Grill

PHOTO cOURTESY OF REvERbNATION

Geeks Who Drink, 8:30pm, W, no cover

friday & saTurday aT 8:00Pm and 10:30Pm $20 Per Person 1 show on sunday 7:00Pm $10 Per Person

Promo Code “New Laughs” available for 50% off on September shows 1207 Front St, Old Sacramento TickeTs are available on our websiTe www.laughsunlimiTed.com or reservaTions can be made by calling (916) 446-8128

monday Shitshow karaoke/ Free Pool! tueSday Cactus Pete’s 78 rPm record roundup WedneSday twisted trivia 1St & 3rd thurSday Vinyl night 4th thurSday Bill mylar & Friends Saturday happy hour 12pm - 4pm Free Jukebox!

Free nachos!

Sunday happy hour 5pm - 9pm Free Jukebox!

Free nachos!

2565 F ranklin B lvd

916.455.1331

Trivia Factory, 7pm, M, call for cover; Geeks Who Drink, 7pm, T, call for cover Beama, Chey’n, Leviticus Kain and Chris Kash, 7pm, $5

Lil Pete, 7pm, T, $20-$50

Triviology 101, 7:30pm, no cover

Live music, 5pm, T, no cover

voted sacramento’s

best dance club 2017/2018

WeDnesDays

college night dance party $3-$5 drink specials 18 & over

thursDays

salsa or west coast swing lessons and dance

FriDays

free country dance lessons at 7pm • $3 Jack 8-9

saturDays

free dance lessons at 7pm $3 tullamore dew 8-9

sunDays

trivia at 7:30, dance lessons at 9 18 & over (prizes)

Karaoke nightly Wed- sunday 9pm

$10 ribeye thursdays 6pm $10 prime rib dinner fridays 6pm $10 filet mignon dinner saturdays 6pm Until they rUn oUt…

1320 Del paso blvD in olD north sac

2 steps from downtown | 916.402.2407 stoneyinn.com for nightly drink specials & events

Nebraska Mondays, 7:30pm, M, $10; Jazz Jam w/ Byron Colburn, 8pm, W, $5

SuBmit your Calendar liStingS for free at newSreview.Com/SaCramento/Calendar Old IrOnsIdes

1901 10TH sT., (916) 442-3504

THursdAy 9/26

fridAy 9/27

sATurdAy 9/28

Remedy 7, 6:30pm, $5

The Moe Better Mann Reunion Show, 8pm, $5

Dads Under Where and the Roa Brothers Band, 9pm, $8

On THe Y

13 MAin sT., WinTers, (530) 795-1825

Andrew Duhon, 8pm, $12-$21

FulaMuse, 8pm, $12-$22

Heather Evans, 8pm, call for cover

The Fabulous Liars, 8pm, call for cover

Pop Fiction, 10pm, call for cover

Take Out, 10pm, call for cover

Daniel Castro, 3pm, call for cover

Karaoke, 8:30pm, T, call for cover; 98 Rock Local Licks, 9pm, W, call for cover

Pop 40 Dance with DJ Larry, 9pm, $5

DJ Larry’s Sunday Night Dance Party, 9pm, no cover

Jail Weddings, Celestions and Gamma People, 8pm, M, call for cover

The Golden Cadillacs, 9pm, no cover

Dyanna & Cherry Kings, 9pm, no cover

Peter Petty, 9pm, no cover

Hawaiian Beach Party, 10pm, no cover before 11pm

DJ Romeo, 10pm, no cover before 10:30pm

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, 7pm, $35

Tommy Castro & the Painkillers, 8:30pm, $40

Leyla McCalla, 7pm, $30

Hot Club of Cowtown, 7pm, $35

West Coast Swing Dancing, 7pm, no cover

Hot Country Fridays, 7:30pm, $5-$10

Stoney’s Saturdays with Free Line Dance Lessons, 7pm, $5

Sunday Funday, 9pm, no cover 21+

414 MAin sT., PlAcerville, (530) 303-3792

POwerHOuse Pub

Jessica Rose, 9:30pm, call for cover

THe Press club

Throwback Thursday, 9pm, call for cover

sHadY ladY

Jessica Malone, 9pm, no cover

2030 P sT., (916) 444-7914 1409 r sT., (916) 231-9121

sOcIal nIgHTclub

1000 K sT., (916) 947-0434

THe sOfIa

2700 cAPiTOl Ave., (916) 443-5300

sTOneY’s rOckIn rOdeO

1320 del PAsO Blvd., (916) 927-6023

Live Music with Heath Williamson, 5:30pm, M, no cover

Chris Thomas King, 8pm, $12-$22

PlacervIlle PublIc HOuse

614 suTTer sT., fOlsOM, (916) 355-8586

MOndAy-WednesdAy 9/30-10/2

Hartyga from Republic of Tuva with Arrington de Dionyso, 8pm, $15

670 fulTOn Ave., (916) 487-3731

Palms PlaYHOuse

sundAy 9/29

swabbIes On THe rIver

PHOTO cOurTesy Of ATlAnTic recOrds

Sabrina Claudio 7:30pm Saturday, $29.50 Ace of Spades R&B College Night Wednesdays, 9pm, W, $5-$10

Rash, 6pm, $9-$11.50

Caravanserai, 3pm, $9-$11.50

Thunder Cover, 12:30pm, $7-$8

904 15TH sT., (916) 443-2797

Farrow & the Peach Leaves and Bradley Palermo, 9pm, $7

Tropicali Flames, 9pm, $8

Bill Mylar Birthday Celebration, 5:30pm, call for cover

You Front the Band, 8pm, call for cover

Joe Lev & Friends, 8:30pm, T, call for cover

wIldwOOd kITcHen & bar

Ryan Hernandez, 7pm, call for cover

Devin Wright, 7pm, call for cover Free Yoga at Yolo, 11am, no cover

Ttodd Trivia, 7pm, T, no cover

5871 GArden HiGHWAy, (916) 920-8088

THe TOrcH club

904 15TH sT., (916) 922-2858

YOlO brewIng cO.

Make Time2Tabletop Game Night, 6pm, no cover

ace Of sPades

Durand Jones & the Indications, 7pm, $18

1520 TerMinAl sT., (916) 379-7585

all ages, all the time 1417 r sT., (916) 930-0220

cafe cOlOnIal

3520 sTOcKTOn Blvd.

sHIne

1400 e sT., (916) 551-1400

The Shine Jazz Jam, 8pm, no cover

Electric Feels, 7:30pm, $10-$15

Sabrina Claudio, 7:30pm, $29.50

Knockoffs, Jesus & the Dinosaurs and more, 8pm, call for cover

Plague, Seizure, Divine Annihilation and more, 7:30pm, $10

Stereo RV and Lindsey Wall, 8pm, $10

Hard Luck Daddies and the Hey Nows, 8pm, $8

PHOTO cOurTesy Of MiTcH scHneider Pr

Jidenna, 7pm, W, $25

Benise 7pm Sunday, $29-$95 Crest Theatre New flamenco

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Ever see a real mountain of potatoes? Me neither, but Potato Boy Hendrickson down the road tells a story about one.

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For more cannabis news, deals & updates visit capitalcannabisguide.com.

A 2017 reader survey

by Marijuana Business Daily found that only 17% of minorities held executive positions in the cannabis industry.

IllustratIon by Mark stIvers

Who benefits from a green rush?

As the cannabis industry booms, African Americans and Latinos are underrepresented

by Olivia MOnahan

When gt goins was the purchasing manager for the local dispensary Two Rivers, he worked directly with vendors to create a more affordable market for a wider range of customers.

He championed safe access for the collective’s patients and often discussed the benefits of terpenes or the difference between THC and CBD at educational workshops and compassion programs. And at an August panel discussion, Goins, spoke on diversifying the cannabis industry

by ensuring a more inclusive hiring process.

He was one of the faces representing the company. Still, as the only black man behind the counter, he said his face wasn’t always the one vendors expected to see when they walked into Two Rivers to show their latest strains and products.

Goins recalled one incident when a man walked up to the counter. “He looked directly at me—not anyone else, just me, specific as f--k—and in a

supremely rude tone said, ‘Go get me your purchasing manager. I’m here to see him.’”

“You’re looking at him,” Goins said he replied.

the changing face of cannabis Even as the perception of cannabis continues to shift, incidents like the one Goins described are common for

people of color as more states legalize recreational and medicinal use.

Last year, California made about $300 million in cannabis sales and excise taxes, according to the state. Although that figure was projected to be much higher, it’s still the most of any state that legalized cannabis in 2016.

Within the last decade, cannabis has become the living, growing version of a modern-day gold rush with states and governments reaping the monetary benefits.

But the face of cannabis, and its social status, is beginning to shift once more. There are dispensaries that resemble posh coffee shops, plus cannabis delivery and customizable monthly subscription services.

Yet this rapid growth seems to be isolating the people who helped build the foundation—many times at the cost “Who benefits ...” continued on page 83

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“Every day, we’d rise at dawn to make it to Potato Pass before the sun began to beat down in earnest.”

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Sign up for our newsletter! Can’t remember if you already did? Do it again: capitalcannabisguide.com.

group of 14 people started their 18-week program in August 2018. The next group begins in January. of their freedom or their lives. According While the CORE program is a start, to the nonprofit organization, NORML, Davis said that funding from the city there are 14 times as many prisoners asso“covers just enough to not really do ciated with marijuana-related offenses in anything.”

California as there were in 1980 and 59% Davis said the program covers are either Latino or African American. mentoring, classes and classroom space, But a 2017 reader survey by Marijuana but funding does not directly go to any Business Daily found that only 17% of participants. minorities held executive positions in Those interested in starting a cannabis the cannabis industry. With legalization, business still have to find enough there remain barriers to those who are funding. But she said being able to attract now attempting to enter the cannabis business investors and partners is an green rush—the legal way. important step.

Tiffani Sharp, a local attorney and activist, The CORE on recently founded drugs WOC Canna, an “It is important for independent To assist those business more people of color, who are incubator that facing these women specifically, to be provides obstacles, opportunities represented and prevalent in the city of for women of Sacramento’s the cannabis industry for the color.

Cannabis “I’ve Opportunity same reasons I believe women witnessed Reinvestment need better representation in white-owned and Equity cannabis program every industry of business.” companies started in 2017.

Tiffani Sharp who think that Managed founder, WOC Canna women and people by the Greater of color need to Sacramento Urban be ‘mentored’ in the League and the industry, when women Sacramento Asian Chamber and people of color have been of Commerce, CORE is intended to running profitable cannabis businesses offer access to resources such as business long before the legalization came development, fee waivers and one-on-one around,” Sharp said. guidance.

This falls into a familiar pattern in which To qualify, applicants must meet white business owners new to the industry several requirements depending on suddenly become “experts,”she said. whether they are applying as an individ“We’re talking about changing a ual or as a business, including: residing whole system of economic inequality, in a low-income household, living in zip racism and sexism. That’s what WOC codes targeted during the “war on drugs” Canna seeks to do,” Sharp said. “I believe and having a previous cannabis arrest or having an immediate family member with it is important for more people of color, women specifically, to be represented a record. and prevalent in the cannabis industry for Brenda Davis of the Urban League the same reasons I believe women need told SN&R that the program addresses better representation in every industry of the consequences of the “war on drugs,” business.” Ω which predominantly targeted black and brown communities, because “the chaos of a conviction spreads and can take a toll on families, mental health, well being and financial security.”

For more information on Sacramento’s Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity program, visit The CORE program began accepting cityofsacramento.org and gsul.org. applications in April 2018 and its first “whO bEnEfiTs ...” COnTinuEd fROm pagE 81

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Coachillin’ Redding, CA stAy tuned

Thank you for voting for us!

By Ngaio Bealum

as k 420 @ne w s re v i e w . c o m

Put the joint down? smoke it. You can eat it, absorb I have smoked weed all toit sublingually through a tincture or of my life. I am getting even rub lotions and oils on your skin. Old stoners are always cute. older (I’m almost 60), Look at Tommy Chong. and I wonder: Should I quit?

Can you tell me more I don’t know. Should you? Cannabis about terpenes and use is a personal decision. However, the elderly use cannabis all the time. what-not?

According to a study published in July by the University of Colorado, cannabis use by older folks has increased in the past decade. This is mostly because cannabis is more legal than ever, and also because seniors are using cannabis more as a medicine than as a party drug. It makes sense: Study after study shows that cannabis is great for aches and pains, good for insomnia and helps fight cancer.

In fact, a study published in Nature magazine in May 2017 said that giving old mice low doses of THC actually improved their cognitive function. I quote: “THC treatment restored hippocampal gene transcription patterns such that the expression profiles of THC-treated mice aged 12 months closely resembled those of THC-free animals aged 2 months.” How about that? Cannabis keeps your brain young. At least it does if you are a mouse. Humans are not mice, of course, but a brain is a brain, and an endocannabinoid system is an endocannabinoid system.

I am not a doctor, but here is what I have to say if you are in good health and are still enjoying cannabis at an advanced age: Woohoo! Please keep in mind that moderation is important, and that there are more ways than ever to use cannabis. You don’t have

Sure. While THC and CBD are probably the most well-known chemicals in the cannabis plant, terpenes (aromatic, non-cannabinoid chemicals found in some plants such as cannabis) are gaining attention for their uses and effects. Terpenes are what give cannabis strains their unique smells and flavors. Myrcene, pinene, limonene and beta-caryophyllene are the most well known, but there are plenty of others.

Terpenes don’t just make your weed taste good. For example, beta-caryophyllene has been shown to be an effective antiinflammatory and could reduce the accumulation of the brain plaque that causes Alzheimer’s disease. Yes, that test was performed on mice, but the results are promising. Fortunately, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (part of the National Institutes of Health) recently announced three new studies about terpenes and cannabinoids. Well done!

I hear they are even gonna take some tests on humans this time. Ω

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Free will astrology

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For the week oF September 26, 2019 ARIES (MARch 21-ApRIl 19): Comedian John Cleese

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my girlfriend broke up with me four months ago. She still sends texts saying she misses me and wants to see me. then she ignores me for days. when I get her texts I feel hopeful, like maybe we will get back together, but then she ghosts me. what’s up with that?

Your ex-girlfriend’s nostalgia blooms when she doesn’t get the attention she desires from whomever she’s romantically interested in now. Instead of struggling through uncomfortable feelings and becoming a better person, she reaches for you. You respond in love. That reassures her that she can always return to you but doesn’t have to, not ever. Do you want to continue to be her harbor or are you ready to sail free?

I’m voting that you get a backbone.

Send her a short text saying that you’re working on taking better care of yourself and that includes letting go of the past.

Don’t apologize. Don’t tell her you wish things were different. Just let go. Delete her number. Unfollow or block her on social media. Breathe. When your mind wanders into thoughts about her, rein it in. Remind yourself that was the past and you are present, ready for a future with a partner who appreciates your loyalty and love. my best friend’s boyfriend hugs me for a super-long time and in a weird way that makes me uncomfortable. I’ve tried to avoid his hugs. I’ve even held my purse between us. when I did, he whispered something in my ear I didn’t quite hear but it made my skin crawl. I complained to my best friend. She just shrugged and said he’s “a hugger.” how do I draw the line with this guy?

Tell him directly that his hugs make you uncomfortable and that from here forward you don’t want to hug him. Then, don’t hug him. If he approaches you for a hug, step backward with one arm extended between you, palm toward him in a stop position. Say kindly: “Ah, thanks but I’m not doing the hug thing. Remember?”

If he’s not a respectful person, he might say something like, “Oh, yeah

@AskJoeyGarcia

you don’t like to be touched.” If he does, be clear: “That’s not true. I spoke to you about this privately. Would you like to talk about it again now?” Your best friend might become annoyed with you. If she does, remind her that no one has permission to touch your body without your permission. Remind yourself of that, too. But don’t expect her to protect you. That’s your job. why do people I match with on tinder or bumble start following me on Instagram or twitter and commenting on my posts before we even meet in person?

Solve the problem by adding this to your bio: “Prefer to connect IRL before you stalk me on social.” If that feels too intense, educate one person at a time. When someone follows you and comments, send them a DM saying that you prefer to connect in person before connecting online. If they act annoyed, you know their values don’t mesh with yours and it wouldn’t have worked out anyway. Ω

medItatIon oF the week “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice,” said Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa. Have you trained yourself to initiate equality in the world?

Write, email or leave a message for Joey at the News & Review. Give your name, telephone number (for verification purposes only) and question—all correspondence will be kept strictly confidential.

Write Joey, 1124 Del paso Boulevard, Sacramento, cA 95815; call (916) 498-1234, ext. 1360; or email askjoey@newsreview.com.

Join Joey Garcia, Angelo Williams and Renée Moffett Thompson for a literary reading to benefit the Sacramento homeless Organizing committee, Monday, Sept. 30 at 7pm at the Sacramento poetry center. Donations welcome.

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speaks of two different modes toward which we humans gravitate. The closed style is tight, guarded, rigid, controlling, hierarchical and tunnel-visioned. The open is more relaxed, receptive, exploratory, democratic, playful and humorous. I’m pleased to inform you that you’re in a phase when spending luxurious amounts of time in the open mode would be dramatically healing to your mental health. Luckily, you’re more predisposed than usual to operate in that mode. I encourage you to experiment with the possibilities.

TAURUS (ApRIl 20-MAy 20): Upcoming adventures could test your poise and wit. They may activate your uncertainties and stir you to ask provocative questions. That’s cause for celebration, in my opinion. I think you’ll benefit from having your poise and wit tested. You’ll generate good fortune for yourself by exploring your uncertainties and asking provocative questions. You may even thrive and exult and glow like a miniature sun.

Why? Because you need life to kick your ass in just the right gentle way so you will become alert to possibilities you have ignored or been blind to.

GEMINI (MAy 21-JUNE 20): Novelist John Irving asked, “Who can distinguish between falling in love and imagining falling in love? Even genuinely falling in love is an act of the imagination.” That will be a helpful idea for you to contemplate in the coming weeks. Why? Because you’re more likely than usual to fall in love or imagine falling in love—or both. And even if you don’t literally develop a crush on an attractive person or deepen your intimacy with a person you already care for, I suspect you will be inflamed with an elevated lust for life that will enhance the attractiveness of everything and everyone you behold. cANcER (JUNE 21-JUly 22): You know your body is made of atoms, but you may not realize that every one of your atoms is mostly empty space.

Each nucleus contains more than 99% of the atom’s mass, but is as small in comparison to the rest of the atom as a pea is to a cathedral.

The tiny electrons, which comprise the rest of the basic unit, fly around in a vast, deserted area. So we can rightfully conclude that you are mostly made of nothing. That’s a good meditation right now. The coming weeks will be a fine time to enjoy the refreshing pleasures of emptiness. The less frenzy you stir up, the healthier you’ll be. The more spacious you allow your mind to be, the smarter you’ll become. “Roomy” and “capacious” will be your words of power. lEO (JUly 23-AUG. 22): “We don’t always have a choice about how we get to know one another,” wrote novelist John Irving. “Sometimes, people fall into our lives cleanly—as if out of the sky, or as if there were a direct flight from Heaven to Earth.” This principle could be in full play for you during the coming weeks. For best results, be alert for the arrival of new allies, future colleagues, unlikely matches and surprise helpers.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEpT. 22): In North America, people call the phone number 911 to report an emergency. In much of the European Union, the equivalent is 112. As you might imagine, worrywarts sometimes use these numbers even though they’re not experiencing a legitimate crisis. For example, a Florida woman sought urgent aid when her local McDonald’s ran out of Chicken McNuggets. In another case, a man walking outdoors just after dawn spied a blaze of dry vegetation in the distance and notified authorities. But it turned out to be the rising sun. I’m wondering if you and yours might be prone to false alarms like these in the coming days. Be aware of that possibility. You’ll have substantial power if you marshal your energy for real dilemmas and worthy riddles, which will probably be subtle. lIBRA (SEpT. 23-OcT. 22): “I just cut my bangs in a gas station bathroom,” confesses a Libran blogger who calls herself MagicLipstick. “An hour ago I shocked myself by making an impulse

buy of a perfect cashmere trench coat from a stranger loitering in a parking lot,” testifies another Libran blogger who refers to himself as MaybeMaybeNot. “Today I had the sudden realization that I needed to become a watercolor painter, then signed up for a watercolor class that starts tomorrow,” writes a Libran blogger named UsuallyPrettyCareful. In normal times, I wouldn’t recommend that you engage in actions that are so heedlessly and delightfully spontaneous. But I do now.

ScORpIO (OcT. 23-NOV. 21): You could call the assignment I have for you as “taking a moral inventory” or you could refer to it as “going to confession.” I think of it as “flushing out your worn-out problems so as to clear a space for better, bigger, more interesting problems.”

Ready? Take a pen and piece of paper or open a file on your computer and write about your raw remorse, festering secrets, unspeakable apologies, inconsolable guilt and desperate mortifications. Deliver the mess to me at Truthrooster@gmail.com. I’ll print out your testimony and conduct a ritual of purgation. As I burn your confessions in my bonfire at the beach, I’ll call on the Goddess to purify your heart and release you from your angst. (P.S.: I’ll keep everything confidential.)

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEc. 21): Two hundred years ago, Sagittarian genius Ludwig Beethoven created stirring music that’s often played today.

He’s regarded as one of history’s greatest classical composers. And yet he couldn’t multiply or divide numbers. That inability made it hard for him to organize his finances. He once wrote about himself that he was “an incompetent business man who is bad at arithmetic.” Personally, I’m willing to forgive those flaws and focus on praising him for his soul-inspiring music. I encourage you to practice a similar approach with yourself in the next two weeks. Be extra lenient and merciful and magnanimous as you evaluate the current state of your life. In this phase of your cycle, you need to concentrate on what works instead of on what doesn’t. cApRIcORN (DEc. 22-JAN. 19): “When you hit a wall—of your own imagined limitations—just kick it in,” wrote playwright Sam Shepard. That seems like a faulty metaphor to me. Have you ever tried to literally kick in a wall? I just tried it, and it didn’t work. I put on a steel-toe work boot and launched it at a closet door in my basement, and it didn’t make a dent. Plus now my foot hurts. So what might be a better symbol for breaking through your imagined limitations? How about this: Use a metaphorical sledgehammer or medieval battering ram or backhoe. (P.S. Now is a great time to attend to this matter.)

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): In 1965, Chinese archaeologists found an untarnished 2,400-yearold royal bronze sword that was still sharp and shiny. It was intricately accessorized with turquoise and blue crystals, precision designs and a silk-wrapped grip. I propose we make the Sword of Goujian one of your symbolic power objects for the coming months. May it inspire you to build your power and authority by calling on the spirits of your ancestors and your best memories. May it remind you that the past has gifts to offer your future. May it mobilize you to invoke beauty and grace as you fight for what’s good and true and just. pIScES (FEB. 19-MARch 20): “All human beings have three lives: public, private and secret,” wrote Piscean novelist Gabriel García Márquez. I will add that during different phases of our lives, one or the other of these three lives might take precedence; may need more care than usual.

According to my analysis, your life in the coming weeks will offer an abundance of vitality and blessings in the third area: your secret life. For best results, give devoted attention to your hidden depths. Be a brave explorer of your mysterious riddles.

Are you ready for the new world order? Bring a garlic press, is all Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to say.

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