MPI Perspective - Fall 2013 - (Page 19)

[ D E S T I N AT I O N ] Explore Sacramento’s Booming Restaurant Scene Local, seasonal, sustainable: These may be new culinary buzzwords in many places, but Sacramento restaurateurs have been cooking by these principles for years. Surrounded by unparalleled agricultural bounty, Sacramento’s restaurants showcase the region’s best products, from juicy tomatoes to lush old-vine Zinfandel, sweet peaches to crisp sweet corn, nutty almonds to succulent lamb. That cornucopia inspires Sacramento’s talented chefs year-round, and the city’s dining scene – especially in the convenient, central downtown and midtown areas – has boomed in recent years. The city’s hip new dining venues and its longtime favorite haunts alike offer top-notch, inventive fare and high style, together with the welcoming vibe that characterizes this friendly city. So next time you’re in town for a meeting, plan to eat at one of these culinary hot spots. Downtown In the neighborhood that surrounds the state capitol, power-lunch places are now jointed by happening hot spots like Ella Dining Room and Bar (1131 K St., 916443-3772), a venture from Randall Selland and family (the powers behind highend stalwart The Kitchen). Ella’s refined, luxe style (its signature is hundreds of wooden shutters, sourced from Europe) was created by an Amsterdam design team, and its distinctive look has been featured in magazines worldwide. The perfectly crafted small-plates fare and upscale cocktails (like a refreshing gin and tonic – the tonic is house-made) are just as sophisticated as the airy interior. Grange (926 J St., 916-492-4450), situated in the showpiece Citizen Hotel, serves ever-changing, strictly local menus at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, including The Courtyard at The Firehouse in historic Old Sacramento. well-priced nightly prix-fixe specials (on Fridays’ special menu, everything comes from within 100 miles). The warmly lit, mod interior is framed by dramatic high windows and carved from the The city’s hip new dining venues and its longtime favorite haunts alike offer top-notch, inventive fare and high style, together with the welcoming vibe that characterizes this friendly city. Citizen’s renovated historic quarters. Nearby, Café Bernardo (1000 K St., 916-4469800), the latest venture from restaurateur Randy Paragary offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Midtown Sacramento’s hippest neighborhood draws nightly crowds not just to its art galleries and boutiques, but its hot restaurants as well. Gems abound in this diningrich neighborhood, but two local favorites are Mulvaney’s Building and Loan (1215 19th St., 916-441-6022) and The Waterboy (2000 Capitol Ave., 916-498-9891), both of which reflect the personalities of their chef-owners with fresh, seasonal cooking. Patrick Mulvaney’s intimate restaurant, which features P E R S P E C T I V E | fall 2013 | 19 http://www.mpincc.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MPI Perspective - Fall 2013

Editor’s Note
Take 5
President’s Message
Connections Matter
If You Aren’t on LinkedIn, You Don’t Exist
5 Ways to Build a Better Attendee Experience
August Professional Education Program
MPI Spotlight
POV
Destination: Sacramento
Take Your Meetings to New Heights
Index to Advertisers/ Advertisers.com

MPI Perspective - Fall 2013