I'm always down for a good brunch, and thanks to Priya R., I was able to experience that at the…read morebeautiful Sienna in EDH. First impression when I walked in to this Tuscan-styled restaurant was, "wow, this is nice". It's an upscale environment with a casual vibe. I loved it. I felt like I was at a posh resort somewhere, not within any close radius to Sacramento (that's a good thing), but where flip flops were acceptable attire. Keep in mind this was brunch. I'd definitely dress up for dinner though. Let's keep it classy, folks! All the staff were friendly and welcoming, from the hostess to the omelet chef to our server Silas. He was great at refilling our bottomless mimosas (included in the $23/person buffet). Our party of 8 was seated in the semi-private Coriander room, aka "the fish bowl". It's floor- to- ceiling glass walls gave us enough privacy to really enjoy each other's conversation and not be distracted by any other patrons. I felt like a very important person as I was eating my 3rd plate of buffet food and sipping on my mimosa! Food was delicious. I had no complaints about anything I tried-and I pretty much tried everything. Don't judge. The "usual" breakfast items included diced country potatoes, bacon (OMG SOOO GOOD), sausage links, French toast (perfectly done), waffles, biscuits and gravy (different from any other b&g that I've ever had and worthy of a "must try" label), cinnamon rolls, and a made-to-order omelette station. They also had eggs benedict and a veggie benedict (tomato/spinach/egg), a refreshing spinach and mandarin orange salad, caesar salad, fresh fruit salad, bagels and lox (beautifuly rolled up smoked salmon and capers and a bowl of whipped cream cheese), a pepperoni flatbread (a little too greasy) and a breakfast flatbread. But the real brunch winners for me were the blackened pork tenderloin over mashed potatoes and the chicken enchiladas. The pork was tender and well seasoned and the garlic mashed potatoes had a perfect consistency. The enchiladas were thick and full of cheese, green chilis, and moist chicken. Sienna provided a a perfectly relaxing, intimate, and fun way to get to know my fellow Yelpers Priya, Devo and Scott, Frankie and Manolo, and Angel. Thank you all for a wonderful brunch!

Wow! Taste of Land Park was such a wonderful time!…read more So, I just relocated to Sacramento from the Bay Area this year. I heard about this event in my 'hood from little signs posted around. Not sure where else they advertised, but there was a pretty healthy crowd. I heard from one of the vendors that over 600 people showed up! And one of them was fabulous Yelper Karen K. (+ her husband :) who I got to meet for the first time - pretty sure I heard people raving about her fly sunglasses all over the event ;) I love food tasting events like these and have been to several in the Bay Area. I gotta say, Taste of Land Park can compete with the best of them. Not only was the entry price cheaper ($45!) than the tickets usually are for this sort of thing, the portions were HEFTY at every vendor, there was a huge variety of food available and the vibe was super chill! It really felt like a neighborhood event - it wasn't in the middle of Land Park, which made a huge difference. It was just on 10th street in the middle of people's houses, which gave it a secluded block party feel. Shoutout to the band playing - they were pretty legit and had a horn section! Also, no long lines!!! A chronic problem at these events is that you end up waiting in huge lines at each vendor, and by the time you're through the line, they've run out of food anyway. Lol. Not the case at ToLP - vendors were super well prepared & generous. Pretty sure I could've gone for seconds at almost every vendor if I wasn't so freakin' stuffed after the first go around! Ernesto's Mexican even gave away free tote bags to bring food home with!! I'm not much of a drinker, but there were also a lot of wine tasting options available. I only sampled one glass of wine (told you I'm not a big drinker) and it was awesome. They also had a local craft vendor section, but the prices there were a little out of control. One pillow was as much as the entry ticket to Taste of Land Park! Lmao. Passed on those... I didn't see a sign/brochure with all of the vendors listed, so here are the vendors I remember: + Vic's Ice Cream: Man, they even gave each person a cone. They had four flavors, I had the raspberry ribbon which was delicious & my new flavor pick when I go there. I need to give Vic's major props as I just went to an ice cream social for the Belle Cooledge Library that they also sponsored. Gotta love a business that gives back to the community! + Raleys: Had a serve yourself bar with fruit, multiple desserts, cheeses, olives and flavored water. They had a blackberry & goat cheese crostini that was one of my favorites of the event. + Nugget: They had HUGE portions of grapes! Also a huge variety of cheeses, desserts and some selections from their deli section. The supermarkets really turned up!! + Ernesto's Mexican: Like I said earlier, they gave out tote bags which was awesome. I really liked their rice! + Burgess Burgers & BBQ: One of the most popular vendors at the event. Despite their popularity, they never had a huge line and served people super quickly! I didn't try any of their BBQ but their potato salad was REALLY good and the coleslaw had a great flavor too. + Selland's Market: Really enjoyed the noodle salad here. They had a couple other salads to choose from. + Freeport Bakery: Always a favorite!! They had a really huge variety, I had the fruit tart and buttercream cake which were delicious! They encouraged people to take multiple cakes which was so generous! + Masullo's Pizza: Instead of pizza, they served their bread with a variety of dipping sauces. Good choice and great flavors! + Can't remember the name of the bistro, but they served a salmon dish that seemed to be the crowd favorite. It was a delicious & refreshing choice for the hot day :) + Oh yeah, and someone served a very spicy olive pasta... can't remember who, but it was good. Sorry, since I didn't try most of the wine, I don't remember who was there. Lol. Now that I think about it, there wasn't a single bad dish served. The food was really on point! Taste of Land Park was a great intro to Sacramento food & a wonderful way to show off the neighborhood. I'll definitely be returning next year! See you there Karen :)

My Gawd, Crazy Fun Time If Looking For Something....You'd NEVER Do Again!…read more SITREP Okay, I KID, I KID! But I have to say that after we left iFly and were heading for an after-party at the Almond Tree Lounge (Almond), the LAST thing I expected to be doing was Line-Dancing! THE SETUP In fact, it's a little misleading to be calling this a "lounge" if you are looking for a QUIET, chill place to relax, and regroup, and catch up with friends (without having to YELL). Well, be-that-as-it-may, the Almond was a wild-ass fun time, even if it exploded into my face like a GIANT FRIENDLY FART! (You know what I'm saying?) ;) Mad Props to uber-Yelper John H. for organizing this fest-of-fun and making it so convenient for us to hit after the iFly Yelp Elite Event (YEE)! DANCING! First off, when you enter the Almond, you are walking RIGHT PAST the band and then the dance floor, so it's impossible to be discreet about your entrance: all-eyes-on-YOU! But the dance floor is big and smooth (no potholes) and fun to dance on! I even got to uber-Elite Lucy out there for some Country-Western Swing and we had a great time. THE DRINKS! OH my GAWD! Sometimes you have to order a specific drink (like when I'm in Spokane, or Bishop, or Coeur d'Alene ) that is calle the "mind-eraser" to make sure it's packing a wallop! NOPE. Not here! I simply ordered a standard Jack & Coke, and that puppy was able to put me on my ass (I THINK the coke was added merely to get a BIT of coloring in the glass!) And the Alex L. and Maria & Scott were getting shots for peeps! Crazy pineapple thingies and jager shots - the mind WAS erasing away...... (Seriously, I was glad I was not driving). THE FOOD Nothing really to write home about. Our table got 2 pizzas - a cheese and a pepperoni. *munch munch munch* And as we were munching, I said to Alex L., "tastes like Red Baron." *munch munch munch* Alex looked far off, and then came back, "Digiorno?" We laughed. Point was made. But honestly, in the end when going for drinks late at night, the food is inconsequential. THE LOWDOWN Great time to spend with iFlyers, Yelp-friends, Romans, and Countrymen, in a fun honky-tonk environment in Roseville, off-the-Sacto-grid (for a change!).

John H you are a gentleman and a scholar. It was nice of you to wait around for all of us fliers…read moreand flier watchers to get out of iFly Nextdoor and come join. I am soooo glad I did! Leave it to one of my favorite yelpers to find such a sweet spot. Cheap drinks made perfectly (greyhounds are my favorite and they do them so well here), a straight up old people dance floor, and even an indoor smoking room?!? What is this? Reno?!? What a cool little divey jivey place. Almond tree. There's food here and it mostly looked good. The pizza was tasty. And cheap. Alex L bought us pineapple upside down cake shots but only for girls, and Maria bought us pizza. What did we do to deserve this?!?! Yelp is cool.

My horse is named Colin and she has a little bit of an attitude...how perfect is that!read more

Where "The Federalist Papers" & Pizza Meet In Perfect Harmony…read more SITREP Some pretty thoughtful statements coming from The Federalist Papers. The brain child of three (3) very literate founding fathers: Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison. This first quote explains a lot to me why it's to the advantage of the Federal government to stay in conflict.... * "The operations of the federal government will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the State governments, in times of peace and security." ― James Madison I think the distinction between a "democracy" and a "republic" was never so eloquently & succinctly stated... * "It is, that in a democracy, the people meet and exercise the government in person: in a republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and agents. A democracy, consequently, must be confined to a small spot. A republic may be extended over a large region." ― Alexander Hamilton Another chestnut I tripped over.... * "Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government." ― James Madison John Jay distrusted government as much as he distrusted organized religion... "It is too true, however disgraceful it may be to human nature, that nations in general will make war whenever they have a prospect of getting anything by it." ― John Jay, And MOST interesting (disturbing?).... * "Democracy is the most vile form of government." ― James Madison Well, moving on from history....*cough* let's have some PIZZA and MEATBALL Sandwiches! THE SETUP The Federalist Public House is this UNIQUE structure in Midtown Sacramento that is constructed out of Shipping Containers welded together! How's THAT for "Pre-Fab"? It's bit awe-inspiring in fact to be sitting INSIDE these former WalMart & Target slave labor sweat-shop textile industry transport devices of cheap products too! With numerous metal picnic-like tables, the decor is minimalist, the utensils & napkins conveniently left inside standalone old metal sleeves (that USED to be inside the metal frame that housed all the silverware - like you would see in your elementary school cafeteria - or prison) But it works! And if it keeps prices down, then I'm all for this utilitarian approach. HAPPY HUMPY HOUR! Leave it to our delightful and lovely Katie G. - Yelp Sacramento's Marketing Assistant - to wrastle us all up together and trek to The Federalist! It was fun to see seasoned stalwarts like Ang, Jefferson L. and David O., some of our favorite couples like Jessica & Paul, Clay & Vicky, and Katie & Greg. Newbies like Chris & Dylan. And then of course our fearless leader himself, Alex L. LE MENU We ordered at the counter and selected the menu items and/or the drinks we wanted to have, be given a number, and then move back to a table of our choice. Lots of people got the Italian Meatballs that came 3 to a bowl with sauce and bread slices ($8). I got the Italian Meatball sandwich itself that came with an Arugula salad ($9). There were also some great pizza pies ($12-$15). The food was tasty and the brews were refreshing. All-in-all, a rousing great time! THE LOWDOWN An excellent stop in Midtown Sacramento for delicious Italian fare and refreshing ales!

Aw, Such A Great Time For Beer & Babies!…read more SITREP I have to qualify this by saying that NO BABIES were drinking! (Just to make this point clear). THE SETUP And part of the reason for this excitement was to celebrate the impending parenthood of our dynamic Community Manager (CM) Alex L. and his dynamite wife Diana S. We wished them much joy for the impending birth of their baby which is scheduled over the weekend. BEER But! Having said all of the above, we have to give MAD PROPS to Yelp Eliteness Jessica L. for her outstanding arrangement of this fun event to investigate New Helvetia Brewing Company and it's dynamic offerings of brews! Of which I had a great flight - courtesy of outstanding newbie Elite himself, John H. Which included, to wit: * The Buffalo Craft lager! Smooth, Refreshing, like a Prairie Field soaked under a citrus Sun * The Molly American Red Ale! More body, more taste, and yet still light * The (916) Pale Ale! I think my favorite of the night, and the one that will ring me back to New Helvetia; and finally, * The Homeland Stout! This was a pleasant foundational brew, and is it was, this was the featured foundation that all the *Coffee*-brews were based upon during this Beer Week 2015. Good stuff too. KUDOS A big shout out to Jessica L. for creating such an awesome UYE and to Katie G. for incorporating such a fun Baby Shower component to the evening's fun! THE LOWDOWN New Helvetia is a great place to gather for some fun celebrations!

This was my first ever UYE on 08/22/22. About a year ago. I didn't even know how to input a UYE. So…read morethat is why this one is so late. It's great to have Elite friends. My wife and I had five other Yelp Elites come to Dim Sum with us. I called and ask for a reservation but we went early enough where it didn't matter. We were seated right away and got right in the middle of the restaurant next to the fish tanks. It was so nice to visit with other Elite Yelpers and at such an nice location. Plus a small group and at a round table so we all could talk easily. We started out with tea and soon after the carts started coming by. My wife speaks Chinese so it went great but you don't have to speak to order just much faster. We got so much food and everything was very good. Only thing the steamed taro cake with pork tasted old and dry. Everything else was great. Shrimp dumpling, Shu Mai, baked pork bun, taro pie, fried sesame seed ball, shrimp fun, crispy fried pork dumpling and so much more. The place was getting packed as we sat and visited so it was good we got here early. Oh the egg tart was fresh and not hard crust. Everyone liked the bolo bao (pineapple bun) The staff was so nice and helpful. They even took some pictures for us. Good time by all

Berni, Berdi, Berci!…read more SITREP Bernie came, Bernie saw, and Bernie conquered our hearts last night at the Bernie Sanders 2020 Rally in Cesar Chavez Park! https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-feel-the-bern-rally-bernie-2020-cesar-chavez-park-sacramento?select=5kTCYC98osE2iI_PfQgO8g&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w THE SETUP It's very cool to get a National-level Candidate running for President make a stop in Sacramento and share their vision for the future of our great country. I have to give Bernie mad props for making that effort. MRS. BERNIE It was a treat - and I always admire - seeing the significant other of any candidate to take the time to go barnstorming with their partner. She is even used to introduce her husband at rallies - that's pretty cool. https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-feel-the-bern-rally-bernie-2020-cesar-chavez-park-sacramento?select=BVbxrAOOPt-vbYyP9BxrWQ&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w MY THOUGHTS THIS ELECTION CYCLE I have not as of yet thrown my own personal support behind any single candidate, and I may be no closer even a the week just before the California Primary in March 2020. But still, this is the best time to put in the effort, to research the candidates platforms, compare them to the rest of the candidates, do some serious analysis about "elect-ability" (or not) and the see how it how pans out. I do know this: * I will NOT be voting for Joe Biden in the Primary Election; and, * I will NOT be voting for Donald Trump in the General Election. My friends are free to derive whatever they want from those two nuggets of information. CHARLES T. IN DA HOUSE! My coworker Charles T. actually got INVITED to sit on the stage behind Bernie (because, he's so handsome and all...) ;) https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/uye-feel-the-bern-rally-bernie-2020-cesar-chavez-park-sacramento?select=T3b0JHmmBvij71tfO_7dMA&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w THE LOWDOWN Thank you Bernie for making a stop in Sacramento, and I wish you the best of luck on your continued campaigning. We shall see what happens next year....