Author: Rob Turner
Morning Stars
When the weekend rolls around, we like to play our own version of the hunger games, seeking out our favorite meal of them all—brunch. In our latest quest, we tracked down sweet ’n’ savory chicken and waffles in Davis, a magnificent mango-stuffed French toast in Roseville, perfect pumpkin bacon pancakes in midtown, and a tangy Welsh rarebit omelet downtown, along with dozens of other egg-cellent dishes. So, top of the morning (or afternoon) to you, Sacramento—here’s our region’s best of the brunch. Let the games begin!
Almond Joy
With Sacramento’s new emphasis on its farm-to-fork merits, there’s never been a better reason to bring back the Blue Diamond almond factory tours that helped put our local food on the world map. It’s time to polish this diamond in the rough.
A Fork in the River
In Oregon and Idaho, rafting trips combine nature with riverfront farm-to-fork dining. With stunning rivers, great weather and a rich agricultural heritage here at home, why not feed ourselves on the river that feeds our land?
A Critical Stage
Sacramento’s Community Center Theater is gearing up for a multi-year renovation, but may be missing the role of a lifetime. As the heart of the Sacramento performing arts scene, here’s how to keep this comedy of errors from becoming a civic tragedy.
Veto the Vote
Regardless of whether the Kings decide to stay or go, it’s time to start treating the arena issue like every other major project we undertake for the good of the people. And that means not asking the people what’s good for them.
Moving Images
In Chicago and Moscow, local artists and museums have transformed train cars into mobile galleries and one-of-a-kind art events. Here’s why Sacramento’s second Saturday needs to get on board, too.
A Fair Assessment
With a new CEO on board, the California State Fair has a chance to start fresh and live up to the grand plans made by Cal Expo’s creators nearly 50 years ago. A little Disney magic might just do the trick.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman
Charles and Ray Eames were among the greatest designers of the 20th century, and their signature creation, the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, turned 50 this year. But Ray, who was born and raised here, is still a relative unknown in her hometown.
Keys to the City
In more than 30 cities around the world, a British artist has placed pianos in public spaces to encourage citizens to sit down and play, creating a landscape filled with pop-up urban concerts. Why not bring the sound of music to the streets of Sacramento?
Massive Appeal
We have a lot of great public art in Sacramento, but we’re woefully short on the kinds of large-scale works that help create a sense of place. It’s time to think big.
Food for Thought
For decades, our region has struggled to find its national identity. But actually, it’s been here all along. Who knew that dirt would be so much more valuable than gold?
Hope Floats
Hot air balloon festivals are hot. Festivals from Reno to Russia are drawing huge crowds every year, and for good reason. Balloons paint the sky with vibrant shapes and colors, like fireworks during daylight.
Hotel Lobbying
Sacramento’s grandest historic hotel has been lost for decades. But with a new owner taking over, now is the time to reclaim a key part of our civic narrative. Sometimes you need to look backward to move forward.
School Ties
Sacramento has never done enough to pay tribute to its celebrated native sons and daughters, but it’s not too late to learn our lesson.
Trunk Show
In cities like Seattle, Vancouver and Melbourne, an Australian installation artist is “painting” trees to raise awareness of global deforestation. It also happens to be beautiful. Here in the City of Trees, we should take some brushes to our branches.
Pushing the Envelope
With Sacramento’s historic post office building about to lose its namesake tenant, now is the time to think big and put our stamp on this city’s future.
Game Boy
Without stepping foot in Silicon Valley, a local kid who grew up loving games and computers started with a frozen yogurt shop and ended up building a video game company that brought a Silicon Valley giant to Sacramento. Here’s how rolling some very funny-shaped dice paid off in a very big way. And how it almost didn’t.
Cover Art
In Seattle and Vancouver, people are looking down on art these days. Literally. That’s because manhole covers are being transformed into whimsical works of urban design. With a little imagination, our streets, too, can be paved with good inventions.
"B" the Change
The Great Recession hasn’t been kind to our cultural community, stopping multiple arts seasons and projects dead in their tracks. And our city’s record on philanthropy isn’t helping. But here’s another chance to get it right.
Bright Lights, Big City
The effort to save the Kings proved that we’re a city that can come together when we want to. Now we have a chance to show how bright our future really can be.
A Competitive Spirit
A novel concept behind the new arena campaign (public input) and a strategy for a revamped Capitol Mall (a design competition) are steps in the right direction toward great civic design. But they’re just a start.
A Foolish Consistency
For four years, the Sacramento City Council has thwarted the notion of a strong-mayor system that would give this and future mayors the authority they need to govern more effectively. Here’s why the council’s argument is so weak.
Skyline Cinema
From Austin to Australia, rooftop theaters are blending the best of outdoor films with vertical vistas and lofty lounges. With the best summer nights on the planet, Sacramento is ideally situated to host the ultimate screening room with a view.
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Time Machines
You don’t need to be H.G. Wells to dream of time traveling. Many cities are telling their own stories using historic tours to preserve their distinctive identities. After all, what better way to journey through history than by sitting in a piece of it?
Catalyst for Change
The recent design competition to reinvigorate Capitol Mall is a big step in the right direction. But now that the ideas are on the table, let’s make sure we’re viewing the situation from the right vantage point (preferably a high one).
The Lyon King
The former chef-owner of the Zagat dining guide’s highest-rated restaurant in the Sacramento region, La Bonne Soupe Café, is back in business with a cozy new boîte in Folsom.
Where the Streets Have Two Names
The practice of bestowing honorary street names on illustrious locals is a fast-growing trend. Imagine living on Oprah Winfrey Way in Chicago or Austin’s Willie Nelson Boulevard. Here’s why we need to pave the way for our own Avenue Q-Rating.
Candles in the Wind
In many Asian countries, a centuries-old tradition of releasing lanterns into the sky has captured the imagination of millions, though the concept has been on a slow boat to America. But now San Antonio has given us a roadmap to these man-made stars.
A Santa Cause
You may not be thinking about Santa in June, but the folks at New York's Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are busy as elves. They're also gearing up for parades in Portland and Seattle. Why not put an improved Sacramento Santa Parade on our civic wish list?
Political Theater
From San Francisco to Boston and Minneapolis to Austin, small-scale, localized theater productions have captured the imaginations of locals and visitors alike for years on end. Here’s why we should have our own show that must go on (and on)
The Big Gipper
In state capitals across the country, memorials stand in tribute to our past presidents. From Austin to Boston, larger-than-life statues not only honor our country’s leaders, but also remind people of the role those cities played in their lives. It’s time to put politics aside and cast our own bronze star here.
Courting Disaster
The most expensive building in Sacramento history—a new courthouse—is set to rise downtown, but where it ends up will pit the best interests of the city against those of the county and the California government. With the future of Capitol Mall in the balance, it’s time for Sacramento to stop being prisoners of the state
Wayne Thiebaud as Photographed by Irving Penn
In 1993, one of the world’s greatest photographers took a portrait of this Sacramento artist as a younger man. But it was never published—until now.
Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark
For decades, movies and cartoons have borrowed heavily from classical music. But now, from L.A. to Decatur, Illinois, orchestras are turning the tables. Perhaps it’s time to lower our lights, turn on the projector and try a little Bugs with our Brahms.
Raising the Roof
Cities everywhere are discovering the environmental (and aesthetic) benefits of green roofs. And from Chicago to Austin, city halls that are setting the example. As a city with our own green ambitions, isn’t it time we planted some seeds of change?
A Bridge to Our Future
With a year-long study about building a new bridge for the River City in its final stages, now is the time to think big and bold. But forget New York and San Francisco. Let’s follow Redding’s lead instead.
The Pour de France
In recent decades, American cities have begun celebrating Bastille Day—July 14—with a waiters’ race modeled after a historic Parisian competition. It mixes tradition and civility with modern-day philanthropy and urban excitement. On your mark, get set, Bordeaux!
Up in the Air
With no observation decks in Sacramento, only a few lucky high-rise office workers and helicopter traffic reporters get a bird’s-eye view of our town. But in cities like Chicago and Houston, tethered balloons are giving locals and visitors a whole new reason to look up
A Claes Act
Just ask San Francisco, Milan or even Des Moines: Landing a larger-than-life sculpture by Claes Oldenburg in your city is an artistic triumph. But if we want our own, we need to act fast. He's in his '80s. And yes, he’s still taking commissions.
Meals on Wheels
Urban streets lined with food trucks have long thrived in metropolises like New York and Chicago. But in recent years, western cities like Portland and Austin have seen an explosion in mobile eateries, too, boasting convenience, ethnic diversity and recession-friendly prices. With a little civic cooperation, Sacramento could enjoy its own moveable feast.
A Birthday Wish
In a collision of artistic serendipity, our city’s greatest artist, Wayne Thiebaud, and our greatest museum, the Crocker, both celebrate major milestones next fall. Here’s why we hope they both take the cake
The Super Dome
Access to the beautiful Capitol dome and its 360-degree views ended during World War II. But other capital cities like Denver and Topeka, Kansas are raising the roof on their capitols by reopening their domes and allowing for more historical education, increased tourism and stunning views. These days, the State of California is taking a lot from its citizens. Here’s an easy way to give something back.
Let There Be Lights
From London and Helsinki to Montreal and Washington, D.C., cities across the worldare using their cathedrals as giant canvases for dramatic light and music shows. With Easter upon us and plans for K Street finally picking up speed, now is the time to think about how our own historic cathedral can take center stage
“Pop” Art
Two men hope to pay tribute to their fathers by building what could become an instant architectural icon. But it won’t be a piece of cake.
Almond Joy
In Washington, D.C., the National Cherry Blossom Festival draws over a million visitors every March, generating $150 million for the region. In Macon, Georgia, they draw 300,000 people. Here in the City of Trees, we have a nutty idea for a festival of our own.
Marquee Façade
Downtown is about to get a serious shot of economic adrenaline. The Cosmopolitan opens in October, the swanky Citizen Hotel in November and, in February, downtown hosts America’s biggest bike race. But with all the progress, there are still some buildings that aren’t ready for their close-up. Let’s take some cues from Beijing, Detroit and even Gary, Indiana and put on a happy façade
Tune Town
Another jazz festival just ended, and with it, the sound of music in the air in Sacramento. In cities from Austin to Seattle and New York to New Orleans, street music creates an ambience that shapes a city’s urban experience for locals and visitors alike. It’s time for Sacramento to get in tune with the times.
On Sale Now!
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