Appetizers

Give Evan Elsberry credit. Not only is he a very good cook, he's a stubborn restaurateur. After promoting a full vegetarian wine dinner in May and then canceling it when interest was low, Evan's Kitchen on 57th Street is trying again

Vegetarian groups were apparently unaware of the big dinner and perhaps Elsberry didn't reach out to the right Web sites and blogs the first go round. Several folks said they would have made reservations had they known.

So now we'll see how many diners are out there willing to pay $60 for what looks to be a wonderful night of food and wine, absent the meat.

Here's the information Elsberry sent me:

First Course: Yellow Gazpacho and Ratatouille

$59.95 per person. Reservations Required. Call 916-452-3896.

That didn't take long. Ella Dining Room and Bar only recently embarked on a national search to replace Chef David English, who is departing for Italy in three weeks.

But the popular upscale restaurant on K Street looked no farther than Napa for someone to fill English's big shoes.

Kelly McCown, executive chef at Francis Ford Coppola's Rubicon Estate Winery in Napa, will start at Ella on July 6th.

A graduate of the California Culinary Institute, McCown is also a trained pastry chef.

He has held several prestigious posts, including chef de cuisine at Martini House, the Michelin-rated restaurant in St. Helena; sous chef at Greystone Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa; and chef de cuisine at Flying Fish in Seattle.

A press release from The Selland Group, owner of Ella and its showcase The Kitchen Restaurant, calls the new hire "an amazing catch. We could not be more thrilled to be hiring this eminently qualified, talented, energetic, and charismatic new executive chef for Ella Dining Room and Bar."

I came up with a fabulous recipe for fish fajitas after flubbing a halibut ceviche that I'd been obsessing about.

Check out the recipe by going to my blog, Mom.me.

Happy eating!

Mark your calendars Southwest cooking fans - Grange Restaurant & Bar is hosting a book signing for super chef Mark Miller.

The Sacramento event on July 15 celebrates Miller's newest cookbook, "Tacos" (Ten Speed Press, $21.95, 176 pages).

Grange Executive Chef Michael Tuohy also will create a special menu for lunch and dinner, highlighting dishes from the Miller's cookbook, according to an e-mail from the restaurant officials.

Miller has created more than 13 restaurants, including Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe, where he now lives, and Fourth Street Grill in Berkeley.

The book signing will be held during lunch service, which begins at 11:30 a.m., and dinner service, which begins at 5:30 p.m.

For more information, visit Grange's Web site.

The judges sipped and swirled wines for three days, and winners are now known. 562 wineries earned medals at the California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition, held from June 10 to June 12 at Cal Expo.

Gold medal winners included such area wineries as Michael-David Winery, Jeff Runquist Wines and Madrona Vineyards. A database of winners, except for five "best of show" awards, is available soon at www.sacwineregion.com/resources.

The "best of show" wines will be announced on July 9 at Grape & Gourmet, a food and wine festival at the Sacramento Convention Center.

The judging task was enough to test anyone's taste buds. More than 60 judges collectively sampled 20,000 glasses of wine to determine winners.

The competition celebrates California's wine industry, which is worth an estimated $30 billion. 607 wineries from around the state entered more than 2,600 bottles of wine.

Winning an award is about more than just bragging rights. Nabbing a gold medal or other top award can boost a wine's bottom line.

"It's one of those things where it's always good to win, but what (an award) does do is bring people into your tasting room," says Paul Bush, co-owner and winemaker of Madrona Vineyards, an El Dorado County winery that won a gold award for its cabernet sauvignon. "You never quite know how you're going to do. You just make the style of wine you believe in."

Such varietals as petite sirah and sparkling wines showed especially well this year, said chief judge G.M. "Pooch" Pucilowski. Some 300 wineries are expected to pour their winning wines at Grape & Gourmet.

"You can walk anywhere, close your eyes, stick out your wine glass and you're guarnateed to get a medal winning wine," says Pucilowski. "You can't beat it."

I'm a firm believer that quality vinegar can turn an average meal into one that you'll be talking about for days.

The following recipe for seared sea scallops calls for Banyuls vinegar, a wine vinegar made from grapes grown in the Banyuls-sur-Mer region of France. The vinegar is aged in oak barrels for more than five years, which helps yield a nutty flavor.

Though a bit of an investment at the outset, the vinegar keeps well and can be used to make delicious vinaigrettes and as a reduction sauce for a variety of proteins.

In this recipe, the Banyuls vinegar is used at the end to deglaze the pan, and is then poured on top of the scallops, which have been seasoned and seared in olive oil spiked with garlic. The vinegar's nuttiness marries beautifully with the scallops delicate flavor and turns the pungent garlic into a subtle undertone.

Banyuls vinegar can be found at many specialty grocers in the Sacramento region, including Taylor's Market and Corti Brothers.

Follow this link to see the recipe:

Have you ever heard of a 14-year-old who eats squab, much less knows how to cook it? My colleague, Carlos Alcala, has found a local teen who lives for cooking and chronicled his adventures for Wednesday's Food & Wine section.

Here's a sneak preview from Carlos to whet your appetite:

Some of us check, double-check and triple check our recipes as we cook. We don't make anything for guests that we haven't tested before. We measure ingredients carefully for every recipe. That's not Jeffrey Caves. The 14-year-old Carmichael cook is fearless in the kitchen. He's not afraid of knives, fire or failure. He knows enough about cooking that he can usually operate by the seat of his pants (or pans) and save any dish gone wrong from becoming a disaster. See what makes this teen kitchen whiz tick in Wednesday's Food & Wine section.

This is the beginning of a new era at Slocum House, the venerable upscale restaurant in Old Fair Oaks, and owner Kerry Kassis couldn't be more excited.

Kassis recently made a dramatic change in the kitchen, replacing his executive chef, Eric Sunquist, with Gabriel Glasier, who cooked at the highly regarded Redbud Café in Cameron Park until its closing in recent months, an apparent victim of the economic downturn. Sunquist tells me he plans to go into the catering business.

Unbeknownst to the former Redbud Café chef/owner, Kassis had been watching Glasier, marveling at the chef's skills and wondering if he would someday be able to get him to cook under the Slocum House roof.

"I happened to stop in there for dinner years ago and I couldn't believe they were putting out that kind of food," Kassis told me. "I started going up there more and more and thought, 'This isn't going to happen.'"

It happened by accident, as it turns out. Slocum House was interviewing a server who listed Redbud on his resume and Kassis learned the place had recently closed.

"It didn't take more than a second or two to ask where the chef was now," Kassis said.

Turns our, Glasier was exploring his options. Kassis and Glasier got together to talk and apparently hit it off. Glasier put together some mock menus and Kassis had visions of returning Slocum House to its glory years under James LaPerrierre, who left in 2004 after nine years.

"Even though our food has been good over the past three or four years, it wasn't the kind of food where people would walk outside the door and say, 'Wow,'" Kassis said.

Kassis sent me a preview of the restaurant's new menu, which will premiere Friday. Glancing at the menu, I notice jumbo gulf prawns stuffed with blue crab, American Kobe sirloin with black truffled mac and cheese, a lamb porterhouse with Israeli cous cous, a farmer's market summer vegetable pot pie with brie cream.

I must admit, my first reaction is, indeed, "Wow."

Did you all read about Darrell Corti's recent trip to Chile? Our local gourmand and grocer returned Monday from this eight-day trip, but not after a trek full of visits to Chile's wine country and olive orchards, plus plenty of seafood dinners and may glasses of pisco sours. A crew from the Sacramento-based oodleboxtv.com also made the trip to shoot video for a possible TV or Internet show. But in the meantime, you can check out a blog about this trip, with postings by Corti Brothers store director Rick Mindermann. Lots of good stuff here, so surf on over for a taste of the Chilean trip ...

Ella Dining Room & Bar will soon have someone new wearing it's executive chef coat. David English, the executive chef at Ella since its 2007 opening, is leaving the downtown restaurant come mid-July.

English's first stop will be Italy, and then he's got some big plans back home in Sacramento.

"I'm taking a couple months off to travel through Italy," says English, a native of Davis. "I want to get some inspiration and enjoyment in their culinary arts and get re-energized. Then I'm looking to come back and look at opening my own place. I certainly want to be a part of midtown."

The Selland restaurant family, the proprietors behind Ella, are conducting a national search for English's replacement and already trying out chefs. Will Ella's ever popular pappardelle pasta with poached egg remain on the menu? We'll have to stay tuned for that, and will let you know when the new executive chef is named.

"It's been a huge pleasure to lead that kitchen and cook for people in Sacramento," says English. "I wish them luck in their search. I think they'll find someone who'll continue what we're doing."

Want to see what a $1.5 million wine tasting room looks like? Then check out the grand opening festivities going down this Saturday and Sunday at Naggiar Vineyards in Grass Valley (18125 Rosemary Lane, Grass Valley; 530-268-9059). This 3,600 square foot facility features plenty of wine tasting for the public, plus an events center and covered patio for outdoor sipping. Plenty of activities are on the grand opening weekend menu, including live music, prize drawings and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. Saturday. The festivities run from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Regular tasting room hours will be Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information and directions: www.naggiarvineyards.com.

OneSpeed opened with a bang Wednesday night as East Sacramento neighbors and Waterboy aficionados alike converged on Folsom Boulevard and 48th Street. Tables were packed throughout the night and the attractive new neighborhood pizzeria with the artisan touch drew rave reviews from diners.

Rick Mahan, the owner and chef at the acclaimed Waterboy restaurant in midtown, has spent months - and lots of money - to get OneSpeed rolling. A bicycle devotee and the owner of 8 bikes (and counting), Mahan wants to celebrate cycling as a way of life at his new pizza place, thus the name.

The orders flew into the open kitchen at a frenzied pace, as servers and cooks and bussers zig-zagged each other all night. And there was Mahan, dressed in shorts and sporting the chiseled calves of a cyclist (I can talk about a chef's calves, can't I?), running the show and offering encouragement to his staff, which included four servers, two bartenders, two bussers, two managers and seven cooks. They didn't get out of there until 11 p.m. From the looks of the happy crowd, OneSpeed could have stayed open half the night.

"I was so pleased with my staff. It was easily the best opening I've ever been involved with," Mahan told me when I caught up with him by phone the next day.

It had to be overwhelming. Mahan and crew were expecting 100 diners. They got 200-plus, including yours truly, who thoroughly enjoyed the thin-crust pizza that comes out of the oven in about two minutes, the perfectly cooked salmon, and the buttery gnocchi. But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the cherry tart, which was very simple but absolutely delicious.

In the spirit of OneSpeed and Mahan's celebration of the bike, we rode our one-speed bikes to the restaurant for opening night. Alas, the bike racks haven't arrived yet, so we locked our rigs to a signpost across Folsom Boulevard. Mahan's bike rack is going to consist of several reclaimed old bike frames welded together.

Referring to the big night, Mahan drew a deep breath and said with a laugh, "I'm pleased because I've never owed so much money in my life."

Now being served at the Old Sugar Mill: a set of new owners.

Koy Builders of Pomona, Ca. has taken over ownership of the Clarksburg tourist destination, which currently hosts tasting rooms for six local wineries.

The Old Sugar Mill's previous owners are Clarksburg Investment Partners, headed by local wine proprietor John Carvalho Jr. This Clarksburg company started renovations on the 75-year-old sugar mill in 2000.

Current tenants of the Old Sugar Mill include Todd Taylor Wines, Heringer Estates, Carvalho Family Winery, the Solomon Wine Company, Three Wines and Clarksburg Wine Company.

"Our owners have an inherent appreciation of and sensitivity toward the historic nature of Old Sugar Mill and its place in Clarksburg both past and present," said John Beckman of Koy Builders, in a statement. "We very much look forward to working with John Carvalho, and building on the good works he has already accomplished here."

Beckman's background in the wine industry includes stints in winery operations and marketing. He holds a degree in enology from the University of California, Davis.

So what might this ownership change mean for local wine lovers? Likely not much, at least for now.

"Things will probably go along as they were," said Duke Heringer of Heringer Estates, a longtime Old Sugar Mill tenant. "We're hoping for the best, and that we don't get stung with any increase in our lease. But the Old Sugar Mill's been great for us. We're seeing our (visitor) traffic increase every year. To be able to do a retail shop in a nice galleria has done us quite well."

Sacramento recently played host to a unique tasting of Forman cabernet sauvignon. 17 vintages of this somewhat underrated wine were sampled (1983-1999), plus some examples from 2002, 2004-06. Proprietor Ric Forman himself attended the tasting himself, and you can read more about how the night went in today's "Wine Buzz" column.

Here are my tasting notes from the night. And yes, this was some serious wine geek-dom:

1983: The first vintage under Forman's own label. First bottle was flawed; back-up bottle showed better. Certainly not in its prime, but showing a nice rosey color and still some vibrancy in the fruit.

1984: Elegant style but somewhat restrained nose. Berry fruit still showing after all these years. Would've liked to have tasted this 5+ years ago.

1985: Now this is what Forman's all about. Fantastic structure, solid fruit with secondary tobacco and earthy flavors. Would guess this as top-notch Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Ric Forman remembered this vintage as "lean and mean," and the 1985 is still rocking. Earned WOTN (a.k.a. "wine of the night") for myself and many others at the tasting. Paid about $60 for this on winebid.com just a few months ago. A steal.

1986: Herbal qualities of mint and eucalyptus prominent here, a style you rarely see anymore with California cabernet sauvignon. Too bad. Enjoyed the subtelties of this vintage.

1987: Struck me as a little tougher and more austere than the other wines so far. Nose had some funk that needed to blow off, but this wine has clearly made it through the long haul. Mike Dunne, former food and wine editor for the Bee, picked the 1987 as one of his favorite vintages at this tasting.

1988: Pleasing nose with a nice smokey quality. The brightness and acidity of this wine was memorable.

1989: Youthful purple color and savory nose. Still boasting solid structure and good berry fruit.

1990: A transition year to a riper style for Forman. Grapes hung on the vine longer than previous years, and it showed. Youthful color and tasty core fruit. Firm tannic grip. Liked this one, and earned WOTN honors from Marcus Marquez, owner of L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen.

1991: Great vintage and still a great wine from Forman. Remarkable structure, oak integration and nice tannic grip. Tasty plum fruit with secondary notes of cedar. Food friendly, but also a wine to sip and ponder on its own.

1992: Softer and more resolved tannins than the 1990 and 1991. Still pleasing, and good with bites of steak.

1993: Brought this wine as my contribution to the tasting. Harkened more to the Bordeaux style of 1980s-era Forman. Ric Forman called 1993 a tough vintage, and the overall fruit profile was less ripe than hoped for. Still a firm acidity and bite to this wine.

1994: My hand-written notes say, "NICE!" Noted vintage for California cabernet overall, and this bottle was showing beautifully. Gorgeous aromatics. Core fruit remains strong, structure firmly intact and would love to re-visit this wine. Perhaps my second favorite wine of the night. Paid about $60 for this about a year ago on winebid.com.

1995: No notes on this one. Sorry, think I was still being bowled over by the 94.

1996: Wonderful plummy aromatics. Slightly softer in style than the 94 and 91, but a notable sense of elegance. Prominent fruit without being overpowering. Surprised with how much I ended up liking the 96.

1997: Vintage noted for its ripeness and upfront pleasures. That held true for the 97 Forman. Darker nose of violets and licorice was different than other bottles so far. More of a brooding, dense wine with loads of dark fruits. Actually preferred the 96 to the 97.

1998: Not as much fruitiness showing on the nose or palate compared to other 90s bottles, but still a very solid wine. Nice tannic grip that worked well with bites of steak. The overall 98 vintage in California often gets a bum rap for its less ripe style, but this wine is certainly in for the haul. Aging better than the 97, at least from this tasting.

1999: Currently in a tasty and thoroughly enjoyable sweet spot of primary fruit and beginning of secondary bottle notes. Flavors of black currants, plus some tobacco and a little spiciness. Very much a crowd pleaser. WOTN for Rick Kushman, my pal and wine drinking colleague.

2002, 2004, 2005, 2006: Welcome to the modern age of Forman, with upfront wines that emphasize blueberries and violets. Alcohol levels in the upper 14 percent range, compared to 12-ish percent from the inaugural vintages. As a group, also getting notes of coffee (especially in the 2002) and lots of plum. Ric Forman predicts these big structured wines will age well, but geared more toward immediate enjoyment.

The waiters at Applebee's in Cameron Park will look at a little more "uniform" than usual on Tuesday.

El Dorado County sheriff's deputies will wait on diners during the restaurant's lunch and dinner service as part of a fundraiser for the Special Olympics of Northern California.

The deputies' "tips" will be donated to the organization, which provides athletic programs for more than 13,000 people with developmental disabilities.

There are training and competition opportunities year-round within Special Olympics Northern California. Our programs are free to all eligible athletes and are possible thanks to the generous support from individuals and businesses who believe in Special Olympics athletes..

The event, called Tip A Cop, is part of the 2009 Law Enforcement Torch Run, a year-round fundraising and awareness campaign organized and managed by local law enforcement staff, a sheriff's office news release states.

The participating Applebee's is located at 3281 Coach Ln., Cameron Park.

View Applebee's in a larger map

Check out my "Wine Buzz" column today and you'll read about my first foray as a wine judge. I spent Saturday morning and early afternoon at the Amador County Fairground in Plymouth, with the task of considering 69 wines for possible medals. My three-person panel sampled 22 sangioveses, 31 cabernet sauvignon, 11 red Bordeaux blends, three "other white varietals blends" and two apple wines. The event can be summed up like this: good times, many glasses and a seriously stained tongue by the end of it all.

Here are the "best of class" winners selected by my panel:

Sangiovese - Macchia 2007 Sangiovese (This wine featured some stiff competition with a Cooper Vineyards 2006 Estate Sangiovese, but the edge went to the Macchia for its overall balance and fruity, long finish. Sangioveses from Vino Noceto also showed especially well).

Cabernet Sauvignon - Iverson Winery 2006 El Dorado Cabernet Sauvignon (a well-structured wine that also won us over for its flavors and aroma).

Red Bordeaux Blend - Winery by the Creek 2007 Grand Reserve (My personal favorite was the Hatcher Winery 2006 Meritage, but this wine was certainly fine and noted for its expressive bouquet and balanced fruit).

Other White Varietal Blends - Avanguardia Wines 2006 Selvatico (Out of the three wines in this flight, we all agreed that this wine had the best aromatics and flavor).

Apple Wine - Boa Vista Vineyards 2006 (Compared to the somewhat cloying Kandi Apple Wine from Boa Vista, this apple wine from the same producer was simply more refreshing and balanced - especially after a long morning of tasting).

But the competition featured nearly two dozen judges hosting many different panels. And by the end of it all, one wine reigned supreme: Sobon Estate 2007 Primitivo. This wine swept all of its fields and emerged as the "best of show" bottle. Wasn't on the panels for primitivo or "best of show," so I'm looking forward to tasting this one myself. Have fun tracking this bottle down ... and now, here are more "best of show" winners:

Best of Show - Sobon Estate 2007 Primitivo

Best Red - Sobon Estate 2007 Primitivo

Best White - Sierra Vista Winery 2008 Viognier

Best Desert Wine - Chateau Routon Winery 2005 Sierratage Vintage Port '05

Best Rose - Bray Vineyards 2008 Barbera Rosato

Best Amador Rhone - Karmere Winery 2007 Syrah

Best Amador Red Zinfandel - Obscurity Cellars 2007 Old Man Murrill Vineyard Zinfandel '07

Best Amador Italian - Sobon Estate 2007 Primitivo

Best Sauvignon Blanc - Wildrotter Winery 2008 Sauvignon Blanc

That's the question as New Vine Logistics recently suspended operations. This direct-to-consumer fulfillment company based in Napa, which shipped wine to 44 states and helped wineries sell their wares online, is seeking capital while its 200+ clients scramble to find shipping alternatives. New Vine Logistics also partnered with Amazon.com in 2008 to help the e-retailer ship wine.

So what does this mean for local wineries and wine drinkers? We're still sorting this out as events unfold, but in the meantime you can learn more about this story here and here.

Looking for a healthy, inexpensive way to feed your family?

Find some answers Sunday at Fruit and Veggie Fest, sponsored by FoodMaxx and the Health Education Council.

The festival is part of a month-long effort to teach low-income families how to make healthy living a priority, said Lesley Miller, the council's spokeswoman.

"Basically, we'll share with shoppers educational and interactive activities so they can learn how to make healthy choices," she said.

The council is a non-profit organization focused on promoting health education.

The event will include dance performances, free health screenings, physical activity specialists and a "smoothie bike," where a rider will peddle a bicycle that powers an attached blender, resulting in cool, healthy drinks.

Store tours also will be given so families can learn tips on how to eat healthy on a budget.

The festival will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at the FoodMaxx at 3860 Florin Rd., Sacramento.

Just got word that a benefit is taking place for the family of Craig Alires tonight at Azukar Lounge (1616 J St., Sacramento). Alires was a beloved local bartender known by the nickname "Guero," a tongue-in-cheek term for a light skinned person. Alires poured many a drink behind the bar at Tropicana nighclub and Azur, but his life was cut short on May 21. Alires was killed in a single-car accident on Jackson Rd. Alires was 37.

Donations will be accepted tonight at Azukar, with a fundraiser and gathering starting at 8 p.m. All proceeds from the door and bar will go toward Alires' family. Contributions can also be made to:

Craig Alires Memorial Fund at the Golden One Credit Union
c/o 9552 Dunkerrin Way
Elk Grove, CA 95758

Gotta love some sparkling wine around this time of the year, as the weather heats up and it's best to let those cabernet sauvignons go into hibernation until fall. The Italian sparking wine known as prosecco has always been a personal favorite, for either kicking off a meal or just sipping on a warm day. But not all proseccos are alike in ther food friendliness, with some versions tasting closer to carbonated pear juice than sparkling wine.

That's why I was so stoked to when I popped into Hot Italian (1627 16th St., Sacramento) last week and sampled their Ruggeri Prosecco. First off, the price was nice at just $8 a glass. But it was the taste that really struck me. This prosecco was on the dry side, but with a brightness and pronounced acidity that made it especially food friendly. Paired with a slice of Magnini (pizza topped with smoked salmon, mozzarella and mascarpone cheese), my taste buds were practically yelling, "Mangia!"

Overall, I liked the accessibility of Hot Italian's wine list. Full bottles can be had for $28-$48, or as little as $5 per glass. I tasted a few other wines, including a strawberry-ish barbera rose from Lodi's Uvaggio winery ($5), and a fairly straightforward white by Inama ($7). But one glass that really stood out was a barbera from Michele Chiarlo ($8). I've always been a fan of the light and peachy moscato d'asti by Michele Chiarlo, and their barbera was also a winner. This red wine, medium in weight and full of berry flavors, felt refreshing to the palate instead of bombarding it with ripe fruit and oak. My mouth felt primed for more pizza instead of fatigued.

Can't vouch for the rest of the food, but I did like Hot Italian's pizzas, especially the Fiori (includes tomato sauce, arugula, prosciutto parma and truffle oil). The pizzas are something like a California spin on traditional Neopolitan pizza. The thin, slightly blistered crust, plus the freshness of ingredients, was all Italian. But the portion of toppings was more generous and cheesy than usually found on traditional pizza. I'm definitely not a deep-dish sort of pizza guy, so this style suited me well. For those who like Masullo's pizzas (and yes, that would be me), but crave a little more heft with toppings, Hot Italian may be right for your palate. And seriously, don't forget that glass of the Ruggeri Prosecco.

Talk about an important dinner service.

Grange Restaurant and Bar had a special guest for dinner Wednesday night ﷓ the mother of California cuisine, Chez Panisse co-owner and chef Alice Waters.

Waters was among a party of about 20 people dining at the J Street restaurant and also stayed at the Citizen Hotel Wednesday night, said Sarah Essary, a spokeswoman for Grange.

Waters was in town for the premier of Food Inc., a documentary that explores the corporate-controlled food industry being shown at The Crest Wednesday night.

She also is in town to help plant and dedicate a vegetable garden at Capitol Park this morning alongside California first lady Maria Shriver and celebrity chef Guy Fieri.

Waters and her party dined around 6:45 p.m. and chose items from Wednesday's dinner menu.

Waters had the local farm lettuce salad with sun dried tomatoes, North Valley Farms' chevre and a fig balsamic vinaigrette.

She also dined on grilled Bledsoe Farm lamb rack chops with olive oil crushed potatoes, minted fava beans and pancetta and a tapenade.

Specific compliments to Grange Chef Michael Tuohy were not overheard, but "I know that they enjoyed themselves," Essary said.

One ingredient that was specially procured for Waters' visit, however, wound up not being served.

A Grange staffer was spotted at the farmer's market at Cesar Chavez plaza Wednesday afternoon purchasing several pounds of cherries.

The chef was overheard eagerly remarking to the vendor that "Alice Waters is going to eat these."

The vendor looked at the chef with a blank stare.

"Who's that?"

No word on what became of the cherries.

One of the Sacramento area's largest winemaking operations will soon cease production. R.H. Phillips Winery, the Esparto-based facility responsible for producing Toasted Head wines, will close Sept. 1.

But its wines aren't entirely going away. Production of Toasted Head and R.H. Phillips wines will continue at Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi, located near Lodi.

R.H. Phillips Winery is being shut down by its parent company, Constellation Brands, Inc.. The Victor, N.Y.-based company, which also owns the Robert Mondavi Corporation, is the world's largest wine company with annual sales of 95 million cases of wine.

R.H. Phillips Winery's 1,700 acres of vineyards, located in the Dunnigan Hills area of Yolo County, will remain under the ownership of Constellation Brands.

"(The closure) is part of an ongoing strategic initiative for efficiency," said Nora Feeley, a Constellation spokeswoman Nora Feeley. "We could produce the wines and keep the grapes, but produce them with no damage (to quality) to the wine at Woodbridge."

R.H. Phillips Winery was founded in 1983 by the husband-wife team of John and Lane Giguiere, along with John's brother Karl Giguiere. R.H. Phillips Winery went public in 1995 and the company was sold in 2000 to Vincor International Inc., Canada's largest wine company. Constellation Brands acquired Vincor in 2006.

R.H. Phillips is best known for its line of Toasted Head chardonnay, which is priced in the $10 range and sells more than half a million cases annually. R.H. Phillips' other wine brands, including Night Harvest, sell some 250,000 cases each year.

R.H. Phillips Winery currently employs 53 workers. It's not known if any employees will transfer to the winemaking operations at Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi.

Meanwhile, Barry Bergman, head winemaker and general manager for Toasted Head, has meanwhile accepted a position with Domaine Chandon in Napa Valley.

Harvest operations at R.H. Phillips Winery are suspended as the transition to closure takes place.

"It's incredibly sad, not only for the employees but the local community," said Lane Giguiere. "It was nice having the largest wine company in the world here. It was a crown in our cap for Yolo County."

People often complain that the Sacramento restaurant scene plays it a little too safe, that too many menus look and sound too much alike.

So what happens when someone goes out on a limb and does something different, even daring? In the case of Evan's Kitchen, it's met with a thud. Last week, I reported here that the very fine restaurant in East Sacramento was making its monthly wine dinner an entirely vegetarian affair. But not enough people bit, according to an email I received from Evan Elsberry, the owner and chef.

Evan writes: It was a risk and we had only a few reservations, so we are canceling the June 1 Vegetarian Wine dinner. More people like Vegan, but I'm not going to offer that.

Judging from the menu and the price, it was going to be quite an evening. Too bad.

Looks like it's luci spente (lights out) for the Italian Cultural Society's Annual Wine and Food Festival in Carmichael this Sunday.

Presale tickets weren't going as well as anticipated so organizers decided to cancel the event, said Bill Cerruti, the society's executive director.

"We're getting a lot of last minute people and probably could have pulled it off, but we weren't sure," he said.

People who purchased advance tickets will have their money refunded.

The event typically attracts about 100 to 200 people and the society plans to hold the wine and food gathering next year, Cerutti said.

"We had good entertainment lined up," he said. "This has just been an uncertain year."

Italian culture lovers have no fear - the society still plans on holding its Summer Italian Festival August 1 and 2 at the Croation Community Center.

"It's all set to go," Cerutti said.

For ticket information about the summer festival, e-mail the society or call (916) 482-5900.

I'm putting this in here because wine dinners are a popular feature at restaurants these days. But I haven't heard of a vegetarian wine dinner until now. I received the following notice from Evan' s Kitchen in East Sac. I admire his daring, since going meatless for such a big dinner is a risk.

Here's what Evan's sent me:

Evan's Kitchen Presents: I Can't Believe It's Meatless! Vegetarian Wine Dinner

Monday, June 1, 2009, 6 to 9 p.m.

First Course: Yellow Gazpacho and Ratatouille

Second Course: Tomato and Melon Salad with Tomato Sorbet and Basil Tempura

Third Course: Layered Grilled Tofu and Marinated Eggplant with Rice Noodles, Sea Beans, Crispy Ginger and Coconut Red Curry Emulsion

Fourth Course: Provencal Vegetables in Jicama ("Cannelloni") with Red Pepper Jus and Artichoke Sauté

Dessert: Almonds and Marjoram Mirliton with Citrus Fruits

Chef Evan will marry the wines to complement the varied flavors of the courses and dessert.

$59.95 per person. Reservations Required. Call 916-452-3896. Evan's Kitchen is located at 855 - 57th St, Sacramento CA, 95819, between H and J Sts. in the 57th Street Antique Row.

`

Local foodies have an unlikely find in Tre restaurant on Howe Ave. This location was a longtime El Torito outlet - oh, the chain restaurant horror! - before being gutted and refurbished by the Haines brothers (Matt and Fred). Since opening six months ago as a nightclub and dining spot, Tre has won its share of accolades for a diverse and well-executioned menu that spans Italian, French and even Cajun cooking.

But come June 1, Tre is changing its menu. The restaurant will morph into a bar and grill with plenty of American comfort food. So why change the menu if it wasn't broken? Seems that Tre was getting two distinct crowds: those who showed up early for fine dining, and the later crowd that wanted to groove to the latest club bangers. And these crowds weren't overlapping the way Tre's managament hoped they would.

"People in the beginning would love our food, but they wouldn't come back for it," says Tre general manager Joseph Hechmi. "Our food was made for the more sophisticated diner, so we decided to go more mainstream but still contemporary. We want people in the club to feel comfortable as well. We're going toward ribs and chicken, but everything will be made from scratch."

Midtown's Lounge on 20 recently held a cocktail competition featuring local mixologists. And after all the shaking and stirring, one bartender reigned supreme: Chris Tucker from L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen (and no relation to the guy avoiding a beat down by Deebo in "Friday"). Broker's London Dry Gin was the theme ingredient, and Tucker concocted a cocktail called "Paint It Black" that ranked tops with the judging panel. I'd been trying to get this recipe from Tucker since his win, and finally got it locked down. The recipe comes in three parts: one for the charged water, another for the tonic jelly and the final instructions of how to put it all together.

Here's what Tucker says about his champion cocktail, followed by the recipe. Bottom's up!

"My idea for the drink is basically just a playful turn on the ol' reliable - but often boring - gin and tonic. I love housemade tonics and particularly creating flavored tonics that complement the flavor profile for specific spirits. For gins like Brokers, Bombay Saphire and Plymouth, the flavors of blackberry, ginger and star anise work well. In jelly form, it allows the flavor of the tonic to slowly leach into the drink, so that as the ice melts and the drink dillutes down, the flavor of the drink remains true. This is aided by the natural stirring that occurs by people playing with their drinks."

Paint It Black

2 oz Brokers Gin
2 Tablespoons *Blackberry Ginger Star Anise Tonic Jelly
3 oz **Mint Blackberry charged water

Paint the inside of a 12 oz Collins glass with 1 tablespoon of jelly and fill glass with ice. In a mixing glass, combine gin with remaining tablespoon of jelly. Add ice and shake well. Double strain and pour over ice filled Collins glass. Top with mint blackberry charged water and garnish with lime zest.

*Blackberry Ginger Star Anise Tonic Jelly

15 oz Blackberries
1 cup sliced Ginger
5 Star Anise pods
½ cup boiling water
1 Tablespoon Citric Acid powder
1 Tablespoon Quinine powder(cinchona bark powder)

In a 6 qt sauce pot, combine blackberries, ginger and star anise and sweat over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent scalding on the bottom. In a small pot, combine boiling water, citric acid and quinine. Whisk to break up clumps. Add to blackberry pot and continue stirring over medium heat. Once bubbling, add sugar and continue stirring until dissolved. Continue cooking over medium heat reducing fluid by 1/3 (30 min) stirring occasionally. Strain and pour into sterile preserve jars. Yields 16-20 oz

**Mint Blackberry Charged Water

1 cup Blackberries
1 small bunch of fresh Mint
36 oz fresh cold water

Combine in sauce pot and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Boil for 90 seconds. Strain and refrigerate. Once cold, add to soda siphon or seltzer charger and charge. Keep cold.

Not only do cyclists save on gas, they're saving when they eat and drink. After I mentioned the upcoming free-pizza deal at Hot Italian, I heard from Erik Johnson, public information coordinator for the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, better known as SACOG.

This being national "Bike Month," here are some other deals Erik knows about (for those not familiar with small-batch, boutique beers, PBR is short for Pabst Blue Ribbon! Better than Gatorade):

*Morgan's Bar & Grill, Bike Night, Sundays 6-11 pm, $1 PBR/$5 PBR Pitchers if you ride your bicycle.

*Nolan's Hilltop Tavern, $1 off every draft beer for everyone on a bicycle in May.

* Lucca Restaurant & Bar, Complimentary dessert with purchase of an entrée for anyone who rides his or her bike to the restaurant in May.

*Riverside Clubhouse, Bike Night, Every Wednesday, 5-8pm, if you ride your bike to Riverside Clubhouse, $1.00 tacos & $2.00 beers.

*Chipotle (Midtown), free burrito for everyone on a bike on Sunday, May 17, from noon to 4 p.m. They'll also have "best of" contests, raffle prizes, and more.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is urging California parents to get into their kitchen and rattle those pots and pans.

The father of four declared the second Saturday in May "Cook With Your Kids Day" and issued a proclamation urging parents to spend time cooking with their children.

Food Network celebrity chef and local
restaurateur Guy Fieri also was presented with a resolution that recognized him as an advocate for families cooking together and healthy meals during an event at the State Capitol this week, according to a news release.

Today, Fieri is hosting a kids' sushi class for 40 children at his Tex Wasabi's restaurant on Arden Way. Half of the participants will be from the UC Davis Children's Hospital. Fieri has five restaurants in Northern California.

In a recent interview with The Bee, Fieri said parents need to teach children critical lessons, such as how to cook and how to eat in moderation.

"We need to educate our kids about food," he said.

Fieri, who has four children, practices what he preaches.

"One of the things I do with my son is he has to make the lunch," Fieri said, adding that his son gets to buy the school lunch once a week.

Aside from a cooking and food choice lesson, it also cuts down on wasted food, Fieri said.

Want some ideas for easy cooking lessons with children?

Here are quick, healthy ideas that this Bee reporter came up with:

• Stick it to 'em - Children love food on sticks (hang on, so to adults!). Grab some skewers and make fruit kebabs. Strawberries, grapes and pineapple chunks work great.

• Say (macaroni and) cheese - Shove aside the blue box and try the do-it-yourself version. All you need are some noodles, cheese and a little milk and butter. The beauty of forgoing the box version is you can control the quality of the ingredients and take simple steps to cut down on calories.

• Breakfast for dinner - Pancakes seem to be a hit with kids whatever time of day you serve them. Pack an extra nutritional punch by sprinkling in some flax seed or stirring in some fresh or frozen fruit. Want a parent-of-the-year award? Pour the batter in the shape of a certain mouse's head or in the shape of a heart.

Go to the Food Network for more kid-friendly recipe ideas.

The U.S. Postal Service's letter carriers will be carting more than just the mail during an annual food drive Saturday.
The National Association of Letter Carriers and the Postal Service are holding the Stamp Out Hunger food drive to help hungry families in communities across the nation, according to information on the food drive's Web site.
Residents can place non-perishable food items in bags by their mailbox Saturday before their mail arrives and letter carriers will pick them up and take them to local food banks.
The event is the largest single-day food drive in the country. Last year, carriers delivered more than 73 million pounds of donated food, the Web site states.
Residents are asked not to donate expired items or food in glass containers.

There's a lot of talk about pizza in Sacramento these days. Downtown foodies have been keeping an eye on the renovation of the old Firestone building taking shape at the corner of 16th and L streets. Though opinion will be mixed about whether we should be thrilled that a chain will be anchoring one of the most visible and attractive rooms in the city, there is little doubt that this corner is already a happening place.

In recent days, there has been a flurry of activity inside California Pizza Kitchen, much of it from folks donning chefs coats. We just received a notice in the mail that there will be a grand opening preview on Sunday, May 17 from 5-7:30 p.m. The event is invitation only.

I haven't had a pizza from one of these places in several years. If I recall, it was pretty good. How will this place do against some of the big guns in town? Hard to say. But chains seem to do well here. Just look at the nearby Old Spaghetti Factory, where it is common to see people lined up to get in.

Speaking of pizza, I recently spoke with Rick Mahan at Waterboy, and he told me his pizza venture in East Sac called One Speed is slated to open May 22 on Folsom Boulevard. That will be exciting for the neighborhood and, if the pizza is anything like the food he cooks at Waterboy, exciting for pizza lovers all over.

As everyone knows, the competition for the Sacramento dining dollar is tougher than ever. There are more and more good restaurants, and with the retrenching economy, the dollars are only going so far.

Enter the lunchtime price war. The winner so far? It would be tough to beat Spataro. I recently stopped in for lunch with Ryan Lillis, The Bee's city hall reporter par excellence and occasional morning golf buddy. Ryan also happens to be a discerning food guy.

While I ordered a very nice thin-crust Neapolitan pizza with prosciutto, Ryan went with the special, which changes daily. On this day, it was chicken parmesan. We agreed it was an incredible deal. The chicken breast was very large and perfectly cooked, the sauce full of flavor. Then there were extra-smooth mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach.

What's more, Ryan had a good-sized Romaine lettuce salad and vegetable soup included. He couldn't finish the chicken and barely was able to nibble on the salad, so I chipped in and helped.

All this in an upscale, elegant dining room overlooking Capitol Park. We'll be looking for other deals in the days ahead, but as we walked outside and headed back to work, Ryan and I agreed that Spataro's entry into the lunchtime price war is going to be tough to beat.

By the way, my pizza, with that thin, charred crust that is crispy on the outside and slightly chewy inside, was very good. We're also getting ready for an indepth assessment of Sacramento's newfound reputation as a pizza town and search for who is making the best pies. This pizza will be a contender.

I can't think of another local business that is more supportive of the whole "May is Bike Month" than Hot Italian.

"Biking, walking or any two-wheel transportation fits into our 'new urbanist' principals at Hot Italian," Andrea Lepore, one of the restaurant's owners, told me.

First, the restaurant opened in haste before construction was complete so it could cater to fans attending the Amgen Tour of California in February.

When the building renovation is finally complete, it is expected to be Sacramento's first LEED certified green restaurant. Part of being green is forgoing the car on occasion for something more environmentally friendly. For pancake-flat Sacramento, the bike is a good bet.

Now the stylish new restaurant wants to see its designer bike racks filled, so it's giving away pizza on "Ride to Work Day" May 14 (Thursday). The one catch -- the bikes have to be Italian, the country with the rich cycling culture and where, any day now, the three-week Giro d'Italia stage race will start, featuring Lance Armstrong, Santa Rosa's Levi Leipheimer and sometime Sacramentan Chris Horner.

As the owner of more than one Italian bike, I'm a fan of this promotion, but I promise not to butt in on the free pizza.

Lepore says there will be 32 free pizzas for lunch (from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and 32 for dinner (5-8 p.m.). That 's how many bikes fit in those racks at the corner of 16th and Q streets.

The Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 was a noble fight, with the Mexicans defeating the French - and in less than a year would boot them out of Mexico City. And what better way to celebrate this moment of Mexican pride than ... uhm ... seeing if you can eat a five pound burrito in less than 30 minutes. That's right, Cinco de Mayo isn't just for tequila drinking contests while dusting off that Santana CD. Taco Del Mar outlets in the Sacramento area are hosting a burrito challenge on Cinco de Mayo. Eat a five pound burrito in a half hour or less, and you'll score a $20 gift certificate from Taco Del Mar. This gut bomb is the equivalent of four-and-a-half Mondo Burritos, each packed with rice, beans, meat, sauces and jalapenos wrapped snug in four flour tortillas. If you don't finish this five pounder in the allotted time, it'll cost you $17.95 - and after clobbering your digestive tract, hopefully you've saved a little extra cash for Imodium. But hey, if you're up for the challenge, here's a list of local Taco Del Mar outlets. Viva Cinco de Mayo!

- 1120 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento
- Missouri Flat Village: 3967 Missouri Flat Rd., Placerville
- Sterling Point Shopping Center: 885 S. State Highway 65, Lincoln
- Village Square: 3941 Park Dr., El Dorado Hills