Crest Theatre (formerly Empress Theatre) and Empress Tavern, which have been open since 1912 and 2015, respectively, is just one theater-restaurant pairing where you can have a full night out in Sacramento. From downtown Sacramento to Oak Park, legacy theaters around the region are serving up both dinner and a show. 

When the pandemic put a plug on nightlife, some of the spots that fed that world either whittled down their hours or closed outright. In the past few years, though, options have been respawning on the grid and surrounding areas. Their colorful, contagiously optimistic atmosphere echoes the mood of Sacramento nightlife’s post-pandemic resurgence.

You don’t need to fly all the way to Munich to get an authentic Oktoberfest experience, even after October draws to a close. Whether indoors or outdoors, in Sacramento, Rocklin or Elk Grove, this area has many biergartens and other German-style spots to choose from.

Cuties. Chandlers. Cilantro. They all start with the letter C, but what else do those words have in common? Popularity. Do consumer preferences impact farmers and what they choose to grow?  

Omakase has evolved from a Japanese culinary tradition mostly associated with high-end sushi restaurants to a dining concept that accommodates a wide range of palates.

If you’re in the Capital Region, there are plenty of interesting options — and not only at Sacramento International Airport, which is set to have a major refresh of its dining program by 2025. Whether you’re flying a jumbo jet or a crop duster, you’ll find something to nosh on when you land in and around Sacramento. 

Whether in Sacramento or the upper climbs of the Gold Country, craft distillers are ready to give the drinking public a taste of all of the possibilities within libation. 

Afternoon tea evokes something people have always sought — “a feeling of rarely experienced elegance and class,” Mueller says.

When Jet Bonanno started his shoestring home-based food operation, he never dreamed it would morph into a thriving brick-and-mortar restaurant. But that’s exactly what happened when Bonanno opened Jet’s American Grill & Bar at the ripe old age of 22.

These nomadic eateries, which surged in popularity around the Great Recession, came in vogue again during the COVID-19 pandemic, often as the only option for cooks in lockdown.