What's a Male Version of Cougar?

Because that's what myself, Baby Mama and Baby's Daddy were dealing with when we started the new Freckled Record.

After Zocalo's we headed over to this new-er bar in downtown, called Mix. It's a rooftop bar that serves small plates. And when the sun goes down the cover charge goes up and it turns into a club... one the of the hottest in downtown.

For their Happy Hour, from 4-7, they don't charge to lounge around in their open-air digs. The whole lounge isn't totally out in the open... the back half is covered. And in the winter they pop a huge tent over the other half, making it semi-open-air. In the summer it can get pretty hot up there if you're their for Happy Hour... but when the sun starts to go down it's one of the best places to just sit back and relax. We got there just as the sun was heading down, and took up a GREAT spot in the corner. This place has retro-style lounge chairs, Adirondack chairs, and benches all around the perimeter with cushions and pillows.


That was the view from our corner spot. (The woman on the left is a perfect example of the type of people that like to frequent this place. Not saying anything bad... just saying. The key demo for this place is the over 30 crowd. 'Nuff said.)

We sat back and ordered a few beers to water down the cocktails we had just had. They've got a specialty cocktail menu, a wine list, and small plate menu. I've tried some of the small plates when they first opened and wasn't overly impressed, but I'd be willing to give it another try (if you're in town I'll let you treat me to some ;). We decided to stick to just beers as we had reservations later on that evening.

Just because we didn't eat doesn't mean we didn't have a lot to digest. There were some interesting people there. Including the male version of the cougar to our left. I've heard of Mougar, Billy Goat, Trout, a Cobra or a Manther. I'm going to go with Manther. I say he was staring at Baby Mama, but Baby Mama says he was staring at me (poor guy must have already had his beer goggles on).

Anywho, the three of us (Baby Daddy included, not Manther) concocted the story of our lives if he were to approach us. The first two characters were Baby Daddy and Baby Mama:


These two were in Sac getting to know hockey big-wigs because he was looking to make the move from playing overseas to playing in Cali. Next up was Baby Mama's cousin, who was Baby Daddy's assistant:


The story couldn't be that hard to keep straight, right?

We eagerly awaited Manther's approach, but alas, he never came. I didn't know whether to be flattered or embarrassed that a balding man his late thirties didn't hit on me. It didn't matter... we had dinner reservations to catch at one of my family's favorite spots. After all, we had a date with the Gov-nuh.

Perfect Monday Night in Sac

Oh if only I were in my bed writing about the wonderful time I had tonight from the comfort of my own bed. Instead I'm sitting on a hotel couch in Redding, eating olives from Safeway, wishing it were last Monday. That's when I had the perfect Monday night in Sac.

After work, Spiderwoman and I headed over to Trader Joe's. I consider myself an expert in Trader Joe's shopping, so I filled her in on some of my super secret insider tips. Like did you know their pre-marinated Korean beef ribs are perfect for cooking? Or that their asparagus can either be steamed or oven roasted? Where would Spiderwoman or you guys be without me filling you in?!? Anywho, we walked the store and I continued to point out the obvious... then decided we had enough food-shopping and wanted to do some food-consuming.

My first thought was to head right next door to Burr's Fountain, located on Folsom Boulevard near 49th Street. I've always driven by and seen people sitting on the picnic tables outside and they looked like they were enjoying themselves. Well, they must have been enjoying their ice cream, because I don't think they would like as happy if they were eating dinner there. Inside they have a sort of deli that serves up mostly sandwiches. Everything looked pretty plain and possibly not so fresh. With so many great places to grab a sandwich in Sac, I wasn't going to waste my calories there.

Spiderwoman and I wanted to try some place new, but every place I pulled on Yelp was closed on Mondays. I was trying to think of what was close, and remembered one of my favorite dinner spots. How could I forget? 33rd Street Bistro was right down the street, had a nice little patio, and had some delish sandwiches on the menu. Off we went.

We drove over to the restaurant located on 33rd Street and Folsom Boulevard. There are a couple of other locations in El Dorado Hills, Davis and Midtown (just down the street on 16th and K Streets), but this one is my fave. The Midtown location is a little on the trendier side, so I never feel as laid back in there. However, with that comes great people watching, especially for weekend brunch (hot bag of donuts! Seriously!). The Davis location is actually pretty awesome with a humongous outdoor eating area, but is too far away for me to enjoy. And the El Dorado Hills location... well I actually haven't been out there but I can't imagine it's better than the original location Spiderwoman and I chose.

We set up shop on the front patio which sits right on the Folsom Boulevard sidewalk. It's the perfect spot to watch people drive by, ride by on their bikes, or run or walk by. And on a night like we were having, it was the perfect spot to just sit back and enjoy the awesome weather. Nothing beats a summer night in Sac.

We couldn't decide on what to eat because it all looked good (especially after grocery shopping). Last time I was there I had the Tillamook Cheddar Cheeseburger and Fries, and finished it off with their much loved Trio of desserts (how can you go wrong with three normal sized portions of dessert? By the way, my pants can answer that question). Because we couldn't settle on anything we decided to split. First up, The Gorge:


This hearty sandwich is loaded with turkey, bacon, havarti, greens and mayo on a ciabatta bun. You can see they don't skimp on the turkey which is a plus right off the bat. Combined with the soft texture of the havarti and distinguishable creamy-ish taste, the luxurious herby mayo (any time I eat full-fat mayo I consider it luxurious), crispy bacon and the hearty bun... MMMMM MMMMM MMMMM. It is a very satisfying sandwich. Well, it was a satisfying half. Next up was The Puget Sound:


This super-calorie treat is a mix of crab, shrimp and artichokes topped with Tillamook cheddar sandwiched between two crusty pieces of sourdough. The genius part is the sourdough served with seafood... perfect combo. I don't know what the binding part of the mix is... I'm assuming mayo and possibly a bit of cream cheese. Either way it makes for a super rich filling. The seafood taste was not overpowering as teh creaminess took care of that. Not exactly the healthiest choice but that's why they serve it with salad right?

It was too bad the salad the sandwiches came with wasn't all that great, because I barely ate any of it... making my meal even that much healthier for me. It's basically just greens and a very light dressing of olive oil and a little bit of vinegar (or even just plane old lemon juice). No tomatoes, no croutons, no cheese, no nothing. I thought, If I wanted diet food I clearly wouldn't have ordered the sandwich!

The lack of greens in my meal would have been the perfect excuse to turn down dessert. I didn't need more calories in the form of bad carbs and saturated fat... but what fun would that have been? I have you guys to entertain and tell my adventures to. If I passed on dessert, would you have been satisfied with just tales of sandwiches? I think not!

But-- and there's always a but (or in the case of this meal, a butt)-- how could I survive my second night in Redding if I didn't have dessert to reminisce about? We will all have to wait until tomorrow to hear about the dessert that I know will at least make one of you ready to hop in the car and come visit me. In Sac, not Redding.

Time Travel

Let’s go back, way back. All of the way back to the very beginning of my three day weekend, which started on a Friday night… late Friday night.

It’s not very often I’m in town on a weekend, and when I am I like to hit up friends from my old job and see what they’re up to. Usually they’re attending or throwing some going away party, because that’s how the business goes. And that’s how it went Friday night.

I called up Blondie to see what was going down and much to my delight, she was meeting up for a going away party (Gasp!) at one of my favorite places to grab a drink: Riverside Clubhouse on Riverside Blvd., just off of Broadway by Target. I think it’s a favorite because it brings back memories of my going away party, and almost every going away party I’ve been to in Sac for that matter. I’m also a big fan because it’s a great solo-dining spot: Good food, good drinks, nice bartenders, big TVs, modern setting and interesting people.

Of course these going away parties don’t start until everyone gets off at 11PM, so when we got there I expected the place to be packed full of the young professional, young urban family crowd that’s usually there. Sadly, that was not the case. It looks like Riverside is feeling the effects of Sac’s sad state of affairs. The place was practically empty. All the more reason for me to order as much as I could to help them out ;)

My favorite cocktail to order anywhere is a Lime Rickey, and Riverside was the first place I’ve had one… and I still haven’t been able to find a place that makes one that tastes even close, or even knows how to make one at all. It’s nothing fancy, just Grey Goose, lime juice, and soda. Like I said, nothing fancy but it’s def the best thirst quenching, food-neutral drinky drink.

I ponied up to the U-shaped stone bar and ordered one, and was helped by some guy that has worked there for a while. I remember this because he bailed me out one night when I was dining solo at the bar, and two drunk ‘tards kept hitting on me. He didn’t remember me (it had been a while) but I’ll always remember him calling them a cab before they even finished their food :)

I took my drink to the patio- one of the best I’ve EVER been to. It’s covered in those triangular shaped sail thingys, has tables and lounge chairs, a three tiered fire pit, and waterfall along the entire back wall. This place has also got those garage-type doors like at Capitol Garage that gives you the nice indoor/outdoor mix if you sit anywhere near it. And if you’re not down with the great outdoors, there’s a lounge area near the entrance with tables, an open floor for dancing or mingling, and an ultra-swank gas fireplace with glass instead of coals. Oh yeah, and a huge TV.

We all opted for the patio and I stayed out there until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. It was 12:30PM after all, and I am getting old (don’t worry it was sleepiness, not drinkiness. I only had one). I had to leave there without having my fav dessert: Warm Chocolate Cake. Don’t worry as much as I like that place, I guarantee you’ll hear more about that. And see more once I figure this picture thing out.

So I left Riverside and bid farewell to the gigantic bull on top of the building (don’t ask), apologized for not being able to spend more, and hopped into my time travel machine (it’s real), that brought me back to today so I could tell you about my adventures. That, my friends (well most of you are family), is how you spend a three day weekend in Sacramento. I dare you to come up here and try to beat six places in three days (Call me!).

1 Down, 2 to Go….

After SpiderWoman, IronWoman and I left de Vere’s, we went to the other side of the block to a personal favorite, Capitol Garage. Located on the corner of a parking garage on 15th and K Streets, this restaurant was the first I ever visited as a newbie here in Sac, so it holds a special place in my heart. It's the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat or sip on a drink during warmer weather. It's got two garage doors in place of two walls on either side of the entrance, and they roll 'em up when the weather is right. It's the best feeling to sit on that patio and get the mix of the AC blowing from the inside and the warm weather of the outside. Kind of like riding in your car with your windows down and AC blasting in the middle of the summer.

This time the three of us skipped the patio and sat up at the bar so I could get a clear view of the TV (and Kobe's butt). I ordered a Newcastle (Gasp! A Beer! I admit, I like the sweet carmel-ly flavor of this one), as did IronWoman. SpiderWoman was thoughtful enough to order some dessert and share it with two willing taste-testers. She ordered the S'more Cheesecake, and it wasn't the first time for either of us. The two of us had gone to the Garage earlier in the week with coupons in hand for a "Buy 1 Get 1 Free” special. Now that’s a real special. We shared two appetizers and the same cheesecake. She was more impressed with it than I was… having had better cheesecake at places like Tower Café, and even the Cheesecake Factory. Not to say this wasn’t good… it’s just not fall-out-of-your-chair amazing. The crust wasn't graham-cracker-crunchy enough for me, and the marshmallow topping didn’t taste enough like a marshmallow. It could have used a good torching on top to give it that campfire taste. However, with a nice drizzle of chocolate sauce across the top, the flavors did all blend together for a sweet treat. Especially after two beers. Yup, I drank TWO beers.

We stayed at the Garage for the rest of the second half, and lucky for the two Women, the Lakers won. If they hadn’t, I don’t think I would have been game for number three of our 3 for 1 special.

2 down, 1 to go....

3 for 1 Restaurant Special

Ooooh if only the 3 for 1 special was as cheap as it sounds. My 3 for 1 restaurant special did not involve the enjoyment of 3 restaurants for the price of 1. It was more like 3 restaurants in one night. That's how the Saturday of my three day weekend went.

SpiderWoman, another friend and I went out on Saturday night to celebrate all things Lakers. OK,I was the only one interested the Purple & Gold out of the three of us... but that was still good enough for me. SpiderWoman has absolutely no interest in basketball, and the other friend enjoys all sports. Not only does she enjoy watching athletes... but she's one serious athlete herself. So much so that from here on out she'll be called IronWoman.

SpiderWoman, IronWoman and I started out our night at DeVere's Irish Pub on L Street between 15th & 16th Streets. This spot opened up earlier this year, and has been packed ever since. The owners (three guys just as white as me) have said they were looking to open a place just like a pub in Ireland: an extension of one's living room. Perfect! My living room is my favorite place to watch Lakers games... so the three of us waddled inside.

There are two main parts to the Pub: The front has a long bar, and some booths and some pub tables & chairs. If you walk past the front onto the back, there's some more tables and a little bit shorter bar... but there is great service back there. That's where we plopped down, with a large flat screen in plain view. For a drink I opted for a Snake-Bite. A Snake-Bite is half beer, and half hard cider (perfect for me because I'm not so big on the beer). IronWoman had a NewCastle, and SpiderWoman stuck with soda. As for grub, I was saving room for whatever else was coming up that night... and the two Women ordered an Irish-American Grilled Cheese to split. I've had this one before, seeing that I am grilled cheese connoisseur. It's made with Dubliner and American cheeses, and served with a tomato on it (which I usually add anyways). The Dubliner cheese has one of those super-melty consistencies that gets all over your face and hands and whatever else gets close to it. The 'wich is made on your choice of bread... but everyone knows the crusty Sourdough is the best (even if it does cut up the roof of your mouth). This masterpiece also comes with your choice of "Chips or Crisps." The "Chips" are fries and the "Crisps"are potato chips. It's a little backwards, but makes sense if you remember the "Chips" in "Fish and Chips" is actually fries. Both are yummy here either way... the "Chips" being large wedges, served on the crispy side.

Two Snake-Bites and some left over fries later I was ready for a change. It was half time in the game... and when the Lakers changed sides... so did we. We went to the other side of the block to a family favorite.

1 down 2 to go...

Starting From the Bottom

So let me tell you (all two of you, three if I count myself) about my last great adventure of the three day weekend. Don't worry... you won't miss anything. I'll work my way backwards. I know you were worried.

Anyways, on Sunday I had promised myself I wasn't going to eat crap and wasn't going to spend money on crap. Lord knows I had done that enough already. So when I read about a new restaurant JUST down the street from me-- owned by the same people that run Crepeville (you'll def hear more about that)-- I knew I couldn't resist. The place is called Burgers & Brew, and served just that. It just opened about a month ago, next to stand-by's R15 and Cafe Bernardo. Also, its located right underneath some awesome condos that just opened, and are practically all sold (think exposed brick walls, ducting, plumbing, huge windows, roof-top deck, floor to ceiling kitchen cabs). Back to the food...

So I stopped by and ordered at the counter. I later found out they have table service in the evenings. And by later I mean a coupe of hours later when I went back for more (More on that sad story tomorrow. It has something to do with spiders). I ordered a Bacon-Jalepeno Cheeseburger. It came with regular fries, so I of course upgraded to garlic fries. Let me tell you about these garlic fries. They were the best. Ever. They weren't like fries you get at other places, with the garlic chunks so big they burn your mouth. I want to say they were made with crushed garlic (or at least it was the best mincing job I've ever seen), and fried up extra crispy. The garlic flavor didn't overwhelm when I bit into it, but instead the garlic taste lingered a little longer(sexy!). Oh and word to the wise: If you like ranch dressing with your fries, I hope you like Hidden Valley. Straight out of the bottle.

The best part of the fries were that I saved them until I was done with my burger. That meant that all of the grease and juice from the burger (there was A LOT), got all over the fries so they tasted like garlic-burger-fries. The burger itself was impressive. Not going to say it's the best I've ever had (that goes to The Squeeze-Inn), but it might now be Top 3. It was extra juicy and greasy and cooked to order (medium for me). The burger was garnished by bacon (hard to go wrong), marinated jalepenos (tasted more like regular), and a jalepeno mayonnaise (masked by the flavor of the regular jalapenos). Despite the marinated jalapenos not being marinated, the burger was still really good.

As for the "Brews" in "Burgers & Brews," I stuck with a diet coke. But they DID have a large selection on tap and an even larger in bottles. And wine too! This is def a place my dad and brother are going to LOVE. Good food. Good drinks. Good location. Good patio. Sold.

AND, the best part of the whole thing: The food wasn't crap and the prices weren't either ($11 total). So I didn't break my promise :)