
Making Way for a New Type of Dining
David Hardie may have let go of Enotria, but he’s got something fresh for the historically problematic spot
Give David Hardie credit. The owner of the building and restaurant that was named Enotria for two decades went “all in,” as he says, on trying to make that spot exciting and a draw to diners.

Brewed by Design
The brewery tasting room is a new kind of social space, where ambience matters as much as ale
Wine tasting is often an experience shared only by the taster and pourer. A brewery tasting room, however, needs to facilitate the gregariously social aspects of craft beer, making space for interaction and mingling. Room to brew, room to chat and room to sample flights of beer make for highly dynamic spaces that bring to life the distinct personalities of brewers and their art.

Scott Ostrander is a Chef on the Move
This Sacramento native returned home on a farm-to-fork mission
When Scott Ostrander heard that Sacramento had declared itself America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, he was working at Alinea, a 3-Michelin-star restaurant in Chicago. As a Sacramento native and an advocate of food-literacy education, he took the news as a sort of pied-piper call to return to his roots.

Good Eats Made Easy
Caviar delivery service launches partnerships with Sacramento restaurants
Sacramento dining is about to get a little more convenient.

California Enacts Strictest Animal Antibiotic Law in the U.S.
California just passed a bill to sharply limit the use of antibiotics in farm animals, making it the first state to ban the routine use of the drugs in animal agriculture.

Global Flavors Next Door
The rising popularity of ethnic grocers is impacting everyday dining
Where in your local supermarket do you find the curry leaves? How about dumplings filled with red bean paste, or maybe smoked duck. Does your local grocer have fresh menudo, warm tortillas right out of the oven, or miso broth prepared that morning on-site? Independent grocery stores focused on specific ethnic cuisines are thriving in Sacramento, enjoying a boom in customers from beyond their base cultural markets.

In Sugar Versus Syrup Fight, Both Sweeteners Face Bitter Reality
After years of bickering, U.S. sugar companies and their rivals, the makers of high-fructose corn syrup, are going to trial over what exactly constitutes a “natural” sweetener.

The Lighter Side of Drinking
You don’t need to get drunk to support local brewing
Let’s eschew the wonders of hops and malts for a minute to explore the fizzy but kid-friendly offerings of Sacramento beverage artisans.

From the Dinner Table to the Board Room
How three local family businesses make it work
Some families love being together, some enjoy short visits and others have a hard time just getting through Thanksgiving dinner. So how do families who have decided to go into business together make it work? Recently I had sat down with three families-turned-business-partners to find out.

Harvesting a Heritage
At Full Belly Farms, succession hinges on the creativity of younger generations
Every week, 330 American farmers leave their land for good. And as an aging population of baby-boomer farmers retire, their jobs aren’t being filled quickly enough. Only six percent of all farmers are under the age of 35. But as the national food movement strengthens, will we see a return to farming? What about the children of these aging farmers — will they love their farm land or leave it?