Monkey Cat: Foothill palapa dining
FOR NEARLY THREE DECADES, JIM BRIL helped run the word-famous Fior d’Italia restaurant in San Francisco. His regulars included Mayor Joe Alioto, Tommy Lasorda and Lance Armstrong.
Now Jim owns Monkey Cat restaurant in Auburn. He jokes that Lance will be visiting again—this time as he rides past the upscale bistro in the Amgen Tour [...]
Sinclair Family Farm for pasture-raised lamb
WITH ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT FACTORY farming, more people are looking for meat from animals raised in pastures on small farms.
The foothills provide many choices: Nevada County Free Range Beef, Coffee Pot Ranch for pork and Chapel Farm for buffalo.
Sinclair Family Farm in Penryn is the place to go for naturally raised lamb. [...]
PlacerGROWN: A bumper crop
PLACERGROWN HAS BECOME A POWERFUL voice in the foothills, thanks to its passion for farming, desire to conserve natural resources and commitment to grow fresh, local food.
The nonprofit group represents among the best of what the foothills offers in fruit and vegetable farming, Mandarin orchards, wine grape growing and all-natural meats.
Farmers such as [...]
Apollo Olive Oil: To your health
FOR CENTURES, OLIVE OIL HAS BEEN prized for its health benefits. It contains antioxidants and polyphenols, proven to
improve our health and longevity, according to the California Olive Oil Council.
Olive oil also is an important part of the state’s heritage. Olive trees were first brought over by Spanish missionaries. In the past decade, nearly 7.5 [...]
Maria’s in Grass Valley goes outdoors
MARIA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT in Grass Valley has been serving fresh Mexican food to locals and visitors for a generation.
Now Maria Ramos’ loyal following received a new treat: An outdoor patio, round bar and expanded restaurant.
“We’re going to make the patio look like Mexico,” says Maria, who learned to cook from her Mexican- born mother. [...]
Matteo’s and Old 5 Mile House: Craft beer newcomers
CRAFT BREWS ARE THE NEW “KING OF Beers.” Their sales grew 7 percent last year when other brewers posted a decline. The number of craft brewers also continues to boom.
A growing number of restaurants in the foothills and Tahoe/Truckee are well-known for their craft beer selections: Among them, the Auburn Ale House; the Fifty [...]
Florio’s Olive Oil Co.
FOOD LOVERS CONTINUE TO BUY specialty items despite the recession.
Though some gourmands are more price conscious, their cravings for healthy food
is hard to resist.
Enter Neil Sarchett, a young entrepreneur who opened Florio’s Olive Oil Co. in downtown Grass Valley last summer. Undaunted by the downturn, Neil saw a market for unique, gourmet products, [...]
Vegetarian Mexican cuisine at Las Katarinas in Nevada City
MEATLESS DINING IS ON THE RISE, WITH nearly a quarter of Americans eating more vegetarian or vegan entrees than they did a year ago, according to recent dining surveys.
As a result, restaurateurs are dishing up more meatless meals across a wide spectrum of cuisines—American, Chinese, Italian and Mexican.
In the foothills, Las Katarinas Mexican [...]
Eat like Lance at Amgen bike race in May
You might not be riding in the Amgen Tour of California bike race when it rolls through the Foothills, but you still can eat like a champion bicycle racer.
Endurance cyclists get their energy from healthy eating: grains, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and meat — but not too much. They eat plenty of carbohydrate-rich [...]
Placer County Real Food showcases farm-to-table cooking
Food awareness is booming now more than ever. More people want to know where their food is coming from, how it’s grown and how it’s transported.
Farmers markets are popping up all over. In the Foothills and Sierra, we have farmers markets in Auburn, Truckee, Tahoe City, Grass Valley and more recently, Nevada City. In Auburn, [...]
