When you close your eyes and picture a personal trainer, what comes to mind? A person who wakes up every morning and meditates to the mantra “no pain, no gain”? An individual whose arms, no matter the angle, are so sculpted that they appear to be their own topographic map of mountains and valleys? Someone whose veins are so prominent that they cast their own shadows, and who barks reps with the intensity of a rocket launch countdown? These stereotypes, and versions of them, have long pervaded pop culture, but personal trainers aren’t really like that. They don’t yell at you, don’t push you unt ..read more

It was the summer of 2006, the year that Mulvaney’s B&L opened in a historic firehouse on 19th Street in midtown Sacramento. A local farmer was growing amazing heirloom tomatoes in a range of colors, shapes and varieties, and Patrick Mulvaney, the restaurant’s chef and owner, wanted to celebrate those spectacular tomatoes. He knew just the dish for the job. First: tomatoes, some cut into wedges, others into slices, arranged in a circle around the plate’s perimeter. A kiss of extra-virgin olive oil. An artful swirl of aged balsamic vinegar. A few torn basil leaves. A sprinkle of sea salt an ..read more

Just how many restaurant concepts can fit under one roof? Two food businesses new to the Sacramento region are attempting to find out. At The Line, which co-founder Kamiar Nejad describes as a “virtual food hall,” more than half a dozen tenants occupy a suite of 200-square-foot kitchens from which they prepare  takeout-only meals available for pickup by diners or delivery drivers at their East Sacramento location. The Line is currently home to to-go kitchens for Kru restaurant and Kizuna by Binchoyaki as well as vendors selling everything from Chinese dumplings to Mexican tortas. Customer ..read more

Fans of “The Great British Baking Show” will find lots to love at a darling new bakery in Sacramento’s Pocket neighborhood. Through the Looking Glass Cakes is a baking studio that offers classes to cooks of all ages in addition to selling whimsical custom cakes worthy of a Paul Hollywood handshake. The bakery is the brainchild of Shanna Martinez, a self-taught baker who was inspired by “an amazing cake lady” she used to buy birthday cakes from in Oakland. “I have an artsy background and am a very visual person who loves to dream big, so I just threw myself into it,” says Martinez. Shanna Marti ..read more

If you think restaurant salads are getting bigger, you’re not mistaken. They are. These days, restaurant salads are bigger not just in size but in flavor, texture, number of ingredients and sheer creativity. New York Magazine, always on the lookout for the latest and greatest, recently waxed poetic about the beauty of the Big-Ass Salad. Sacramento restaurants have jumped on the bandwagon, serving interesting takes on the Big-Ass Salad (henceforth to be referred to as BAS). Generally, a BAS includes everything but the kitchen sink: at least one protein (meat or seafood), a grain, a market baske ..read more

Need a pick-me-up in terms of live entertainment? If so, you’re in luck because Rocklin Community Theatre is presenting “The Drowsy Chaperone” through the last weekend of July. The organization’s latest Mainstage Teen Production has won five Tony Awards, including best book and original score. Rocklin Community Theatre describes it as a “Jazz Age musical, featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another. “With the houselights down, a man in a chair appears on stage and puts on his favorite record: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical. The recording comes to life and&n ..read more

When fourth-generation watchmaker and collector Raimond Irimescu peers at the intricate inner workings of a timepiece, he sees a miniature world in motion. “A tiny watch could have 180 to 300 parts,” he says. “All those moving parts work together to do something beneficial for someone: tell time.” Watches are a way of life for Irimescu, who began apprenticing in horology at age 11 and today runs Paul’s Watch Repair with his father, who started dismantling clocks and watches at the tender age of 8. Irimescu’s great-grandfather began the tradition in Romania more than a century ago. “It’s a trad ..read more

Mokelumne Hill is a small town in Calaveras County with a Gold Rush origin story. Like many of the surrounding areas, the town peaked around 1850, boasting a diverse population of about 15,000. Today, 700 people call Mokelumne Hill home. The town covers just over 3 square miles. You can grab a free parking spot anywhere along Main Street and walk the attractions from there. It will likely take just an afternoon, but if you want to immerse yourself in the small-town life enjoyed by locals (and those from nearby communities), stay for the weekend—it’ll feel like home. STAY Mokelumne Hill, fondly ..read more

Since 1972, the tiny Delta town of Courtland has celebrated the Bartlett pear harvest in a big way at Pear Fair. Treat the family to this classic ag fest, featuring a pancake breakfast, parade, baking and eating contests, live music, 5- and 10-mile runs and kids’ ½-miler, artisans and an array of food and drink, including pear-infused treats. Pear Fair July 30 Courtland, CA pearfair.com The post Pear Fair 2023 appeared first on Sacramento Magazine ..read more

Known for his namesake vegetarian restaurant on Broadway, Andy Nguyen has expanded his empire with BUDDHA BELLY BURGER, where all the burgers are vegan. In addition to the All American Cheese Burger made with a meatless patty, there’s the Country Fried Steak Burger, the Lion’s Mane Burger (made with lion’s mane mushrooms) and the Banh Mi Burger, featuring cucumber, pickled carrots and jalapeños, red onions, cilantro and garlic mayo. Who needs beef when you have all that? Buddha Belly Burger 1901 S St.; (916) 594-7646 https://buddha-burger.com/ The post Buddha Belly Burger appeared first on Sac ..read more