Birds of a Feather
Auberge alums and Milestone owners Nick Dedier and Alexa Hazelton team up again to launch Mom & Pop Chicken Shop. The result? Twenty-hour-brined chicken with 20 herbs and spices that’s finger lickin’ great.
Fall Arts Preview 2021
To borrow from the Bard, it has been, by all measures, the spring, summer, autumn and winter of our discontent. Every theater shuttered, each seat unfilled, preview posters of musicals never performed hung in frames like broken clocks. But make no mistake, the stage is set for the arts to come roaring back as the curtains rise again this fall. So cue the music—it’s time to sit back and enjoy the shows.
Q&A with CEO of Broadway Sacramento Richard Lewis
On Sept. 15, after going dark in the spring of 2020 due to Covid, Broadway Sacramento (which produces Broadway on Tour and Broadway at Music Circus) will finally raise the curtain on its first show in a year and a half, the 11-time Tony Award-winning Hamilton—and in a newly renovated theater to boot. Here, Richard Lewis, the CEO and president of the arts organization, whose strong penchant for musical theater is hereditary—his father co-founded Music Circus in 1951 and his mother was a stage performer—addresses the pandemic elephant in the auditorium, reveals the best seat in the (new) house, and gives a pro tip for Hamilton first-timers that’s super, well, sonic.
The Wonders Down Under
Sacramento’s annual Wide Open Walls mural festival is upon us. But in many cities around the country, people are looking down on public art—about 5 to 6 feet down. It’s time to wash that gray right out of our streets.
The New Golden Age
By weekday, they’re construction workers, utility mechanics and registered nurses. But on weekends, they abandon their respective vocations and venture far up into the storied Sierra foothills and far back in time—circa 1849—dodging rattlesnakes, poison oak and the stink-eyed gazes of seasoned treasure hunters as they transform into passionate modern-day prospectors. And they’re not alone. The global pandemic drove gold prices to record highs this past year and left many with a lot more time on their hands—and knees—searching for the precious yellow metal that’s so deeply entwined with our region’s historical DNA. Yep, there’s still gold up in them thar hills, and the rush to find it is on (again).
Must-Eat Summer Treats
The heat is on, Sacramento. For those of you looking for some cool comfort during these dog days, we’ve got 10 delicious ways—from delicate macaron ice cream sandwiches to decadent pie milkshakes—to help you chill out this summer.
The Thrill Isn’t Gone
After his 2020 birthday concert was canceled due to the pandemic, Mick Martin is getting his band back together for take two at The Sofia in August—his first live indoor performance in over a year. At 72, the Sacramento bluesman is readier than ever to reclaim the stage.
Getting Back on Track
Five years ago, Sacramento Regional Transit was on the verge of derailing. Riders felt unsafe, staff morale was low, and the agency was flat broke. Then Henry Li stepped in. He cut costs, launched innovative programs targeting climate change, equity and customer service, and built a $30 million reserve—leading him to be named, effectively, America’s public transit CEO of the year in 2019. But when Covid hit, ridership plunged, a key funding mechanism was pulled from the ballot, and now the future of commuting is a looming question mark. Whether you ride public transit or not, his decisions will affect your commute, the air you breathe and, in many ways big and small, the future of Sacramento. Henry Li is now arriving.
Q&A with California State Architect Ida Clair
It may surprise many to know that as the newly minted state architect of California, Ida Antoniolli Clair does not design government buildings. Instead, her foremost responsibility is to oversee design and construction of public schools. But considering the impetus for her role—the 1933 Long Beach earthquake, which damaged over 200 school buildings—we’re glad she’s on the case, creating a safer and more sustainable future for our kids. Here, we talk to the longtime Elk Grove resident about California’s zero net energy goals, her favorite buildings in Sacramento, and breaking the brick ceiling as our first female state architect.
Perfect Picnics
We’ve filled our wicker baskets with the best takeout en route to eight sonnet-worthy spots across the region for your alfresco dining pleasure. Whether you’re unpacking a gourmet BLT on toasted artisan bread while gazing upon a sweeping view of Gold Country or digging into a bucket of crispy fried chicken while smelling the roses at McKinley Park, we prove that life in the wake of a pandemic can be a picnic after all. (Just don’t forget the sunscreen.)
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