A Hot Bag of Amazing

What night out on the town would be complete without something sweet (besides my smiling face saying goodnight)? That's exactly what Baby Mama, Baby Daddy and myself were thinking about on our record breaking weekend. We had already gone to Zocalo's, Mix for the first time, Lucca's, DeVere's, and back to Mix... so what harm was one more stop going to do?

The three of us turned the corner onto 16th Street and walked down just one block over to the corner of 16th and K Streets to dine at an oldy but goody: Bistro 33 Midtown. Yes, it is the same restaurant as the one I visited on this Monday night, but this one's just a little bit more in terms of the people who eat there and what they're eating. Take the Kobe Beef slider's for example... or what we had that night: Turkey and Doughnuts.

No, it wasn't some experimental/trendy-on-the-edge-of-barftastic dish... they were two separate meals, but equally good.

Baby Daddy was looking for something hearty to soak up the night's drinks, so he perused the menu and opted for the Singapore Turkey Sliders.

These little buddies were made with turkey, some hearty cole-slaw with gigantic chunks of cabbage and carrots, a Thai peanut dipping sauce and freshly made potato chips. Baby Daddy was once again kind enough to share a bite with us lady-folk... and I was pretty impressed considering my paltry poultry experience earlier that night at Lucca's (rimshot!). The turkey was pretty well seasoned, but what made it tasty was the tangy Asian slaw on top... it added some good crunch. My favorite part though were the potato chips. They were perfectly salted and SUPER greasy... which late at night and after a couple of drinks is just what everyone needs.

While Baby Daddy made a good choice- yet again- I felt I had to redeem myself from my previous meal choice... so I went for a fail-proof snack that everyone loves: Doughnuts :)



These aren't just any balls of fat though... they're shaken. This spot is famous for their "Hot Bag O Doughnuts." They bring the bite sized pieces to the table in a brown paper bag, and shake 'em up in the cinnamon and sugar mix before pouring them out piping hot.... Soooooooooo gooooooood. Just look at them! My favorite part (and this is why America is so great) is that they serve the doughnuts with DIPPING SAUCES. Yes, dipping sauces for your doughnuts. And not one or two... but three! And not just your standard chocolate and maple... they give you a little bit of three gourmet goops.

The first is a freshly made Strawberry Compote which is nice and tart to offset the sweetness of the sugar-covered hole. The second is a rich homemade chocolate ganache-like spread which is incredibly rich. The last is my favorite for so many reasons: Homemade Honey Butter. Seriously. Butter for your doughnuts. With more sugar added. I don't think I can say much more than that. I'll let you soak it in.............................................................................................................................................. If you've suddenly got the urge to gain five pounds in one sitting... check your watch first (and your cholesterol). They only serve the Hot Bag O Doughnuts for breakfast (obviously) or late-night (smart move).

As much as I love that plate of heaven, I knew we couldn't have it for two meals in a row. So the next morning when we woke up and the childless parents wanted to know what was for breakfast, I decided on a place that I knew would please everybody. Just like we had breakfast for dessert the night before, we were about to have dessert for breakfast (mind-blowing I know!).

Mmmm Mmmm Good

This the cherry on top of my heart-attack-sunday. Although, if dessert has fruit inside, does that make healthy? Or does it at least count towards my two servings a day? There has to be something good that came from SpiderWoman and my trip to 33rd Street Bistro, other than the taste of this beauty.

We hem and hawed over whether or not to get dessert considering what he had already had to eat that night (see below). Unfortunately I have no self control, so of course I said we should get it.

33rd Street Bistro has a pretty good dessert selection. Actually they're owned by the same group that owns Riverside Clubhouse that offers up the amazing chocolate cake, and Bistro serves it too. Or, as I mentioned earlier, they've got the Trio... but that's for a night where I eat settle for soup and salad. So we decided to split the special of the night: Nectarine Cobbler.

Their cobbler was nothing extravagant or extra special. It was just simply good. The nectarines gave the dessert a lighter taste than the typical Peach Cobbler that most restaurants put on their menus... meaning the taste of the fruit didn't overpower the entire dessert. Plus it didn't taste like they put a ton of sugar in the filling so it wasn't like eating filling from the can. The crumble topping was just sweet enough and buttery and melted in my mouth, and the ice cream on top was homemade... you can't go wrong with that. All those tastes combined made for a rather filling, but not pants-busting feeling afterward. Especially since we shared. The one thing that would have made it better (besides sharing it with Kobe instead of SpiderWoman) would have been if they removed the peel for the nectarine before cooking. Every couple of bites I could feel the thin peel on my tongue after it separated from the fruit. Good roughage I guess, but not my cup of tea.

We polished that baby off and headed home, both saying we should remember that place when looking for a laid back dinner on a nice night in Sac.

Now if only I knew of place like that up here in Redding where I'm spending my last night of a business trip. Actually... the trip was more interesting than I thought it would be. It didn't involve any fantastic meals (as a result of last week's splurges I decided it might be better to bring my own food and control what I shove into my pie-hole (or Cobbler-hole)), but I did have a good time tonight. I'll have to fill you in on my walk on water, and my experience with mossy balls (what!?!). Don't worry, it's PG.

Sugar Rush

One place I always forget about when I've got a sweet tooth, is a place that is THE perfect remedy for such an affliction. Pieces of cake that are bigger than the plate they're on ( like Strawberry Amaretto Poppyseed or Orange Cranberry), pies that overflow from their tins (try Cherry Rhubarb Raspberry or Pumpkin Pecan Cheese), tortes with the perfect flavor combinations (how about Strawberry Kiwi or Chocolate Kahlua Bombe), and pastries and dessert bars that would satisfy the fat kid screaming to come out of all of us (Pumpkin or Lemon). Oh I could go on and on about Rick's Dessert Diner, but a picture is worth a thousand calories:


People, that is what they call Raspberry Diva. While I don't consider myself a big raspberry fan, or a diva (shock!), I do consider myself a fan of desserts that are meant for sharing. The best part about desserts that are meant for sharing, is not sharing them. I eat it aaalllll by myself- feel guilty about it afterwards-but ultimately come out as a better person because I looked a challenge square in the frosting and conquered it. What better place to accomplish that AND gain five pounds than this little 50's style diner on K Street between 23rd and 24th Streets. My friends and I made our way over there after an afternoon of wine tasting in the park (more to come) and cocktails at Mikuni's. Anyone who doesn't want dessert after a day like that is no friend of mine.

We walked in there and got in line with about 10 other people. This place is always packed, especially late-night. Rick's has hours made for days like the one we were having: Open until 1AM on Fridays and Saturdays. The wait goes quickly so you better pick your poison quickly. The glorious options are displayed in two large cases, the first filled with cheesecakes, pastries, pies and dessert bars. The second case has the cakes that are cut into to show the multitude of layers and filings. The Raspberry Diva I chose was poppy seed cake with a raspberry preserves and raspberry buttercream filling, topped with more raspberry buttercream frosting. As expected, it was super sweet, but oh-so-good. Their buttercream frosting is the good, expensive tasting stuff. The kind that doesn't leave your mouth feeling like it just got sprayed with Crisco (don't eat the Crisco!). And the poppy seeds in the cake gave it a nice texture (and a nice surprise later when I smiled and a friend pointed to them in my teeth). Sadly, that night was not a night I accomplished my goal of eating the whole thing. There just wasn't enough room in that tiny stomach of mine (ha!).

Now I don't remember exactly what my friends had (see note above on wine tasting and cocktails), but I know they enjoyed theirs just as I much I did mine. For a peak at how good you could have it, check out their dessert menu here. And let me know when you're going, I'll buy a dessert we can share, then tell you to get your own ;)

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....

Spiders and Milkshakes

I know "Spiders and Milkshakes" don't necessarily go together, but in the world of Me on Monday night all by myself in my apartment, it does.

Monday night I finally decided to do what I had been avoiding (by going out and eating/drinking) doing all weekend: cleaning. I decided to start with my guest closet, because I had to replace a broken closet rod (whoda thunk a rod cannot support an entire closet full of jackets?). Much to my delight, when I started to lift the rod, a gigantic spider the size of my fist crawled by my hand. And by size of my fist I mean the size of a quarter. It was not only humongous, but it was fuzzy, and had white spots on it. I did a freak-out dance and scream combo and ran out of the room and closed the door. Being that I can't even look at a spider without throwing up in my mouth, there was no possible way I would consider doing something about it ALL BY MYSELF. So I called someone who I thought would be able to help me: My boyfriend. Who does not live with me. Because he lives two and a half hours away. Of course he would be able to help on a Monday night when it's almost 10PM, right? Here's how it went:

Me: "Mister! There's a spider in my closet and it's HUUUUUGE! And furry! It might be a black widow!"
Mister: "There's a what? (giggles) What do you want me to do about it?"
Me: "I want you drive up here and kill it! I can't even look at it!"
Mister: "Well just leave it then."
Me: "I can't leave it! It could crawl out of the closet and find me, or go somewhere where I can't find it. Plus the babies could eat it!" (Don't worry. Not real babies.)
Mister: "Well then you're really going to have to kill it. Go to the store and get some bug spray, and just spray the [heck] out of it."
Me: "I can't. I need you come up here. You HAVE to come up here."
Mister: "I would if I could. Is there someone else you can call who actually lives close?"
Me: "Why yes there is.... "

Who better to save me than a friend from my old job who I swore had to have more cajones than me. I call her up.... and she promptly tells me there's no way she can handle spiders either. She made me feel better, though, by saying "It could jump off the wall onto you and bite you and kill you!" That's what friends are for.

Next on the list is someone who I clearly remember not being afraid of spiders. I remember being in Texas with her and making her kill one for me. Now that's a true friend. "So how do you feel about spiders?" It's not hard to make this girl laugh, but she let out the biggest laugh I've heard in a while. "Why do you need me to kill one for you? You know I'm going to make fun of you forever for it!" If that's the price I had to pay for being able to sleep that night, then so be it. She came right over, and with a killer flip-flop in hand.

By the time she got there, the spider had relocated to OUTSIDE of the closet (he was fast). I couldn't even watch her try to kill the thing, so I just listened. SMACK! "Aahhhhhh!" SMACK! "Oh, he's not dead yet!" SMACK! "Aahhhh!" FLUSH! I was relieved. And I knew I had to repay the girl for coming over at almost 10PM on a Monday night. That's where the milkshakes come in.

I tolder her about "Burgers & Brews" (where I had been earlier that day) and that I had seen milkshakes on the menu. She was down. We got there and were led to a table outside. I forget that nights in Sac can get a bit chilly once you throw in the Delta Breeze, but luckily I was wearing my P.J's: Long sleave shirt, leggings, and Uggs (or $130 house slippers if you ask her). I promptly ordered a strawberry shake and she ordered a chocolate one with a side salad (those two go together, right?). The shakes were as good as shakes get (hard to go wrong). The strawberry was smooth and sweet (no chunks), and the chocolate was super rich and tasty. And all for a decent price. The exact total of the bill shall remain a secret. You never reveal the price of presents. However, I can tell you the one she gave me was priceless.