Longtime Carpe Vino chefs to open Josephine in Auburn

AUBURN HAS GONE FROM A quaint outpost for antiques to a vibrant city bubbling with young doers and creative outdoor types making Auburn happen,” according to ExploreAuburnCA.com, an economic development website dedicated to the foothills town. Josephine is a shining example — a restaurant that Chefs Eric Alexander and Courtney McDonald plan to open in […]

Below the snow belt: Satellite ski towns

“SATELLITE SKI COMMUNITIES ARE THE new dream,” according to Powder magazine Though a little farther from the ski slopes, so-called satellite ski towns still have easy access, a vibrant cultural scene, and are more affordable. The foothills is blessed with an abundance of them: AUBURN ExploreAuburnCa.com Auburn helped bring skiing to the Sierra. The Auburn […]

Monkey Cat: Fine dining in Auburn

OUR AREA IS HOME to some of the most experienced and enthusiastic restaurateurs. For the past 11 years, Jim Bril and his wife, Trish, have owned the popular Monkey Cat restaurant in downtown Auburn. Jim also has partnered with Gary Capps, a longtime local, to open Tre Pazzi, an authentic Italian trattoria in Auburn. “I […]

Destination dining in the Sierra Foothills and Truckee-Tahoe

GREAT FOOD IS A PART OF EVERY adventure. In our region, imaginative chefs and restaurateurs are invigorating the dining scene, and a growing number are winning rave reviews—from the James Beard Foundation, OpenTable, respected restaurant critics and food magazines. Farm-to-fork restaurants are a way of life in the foothills, not a fad, thanks to an […]

Auburn booms as a food, wine & art mecca

AUBURN HAS BEEN REVITALIZED and is no longer a “pit stop” on I-80 but a destination for dining and entertainment, as we’ve observed. It has some top-notch restaurants and restaurateurs, such as Jim Bril’s Monkey Cat and Gary Moffat’s Carpe Vino; good ethnic food, like Bobo Cafe for Vietnamese or Royal Thai; and Tre Pazzi […]

Food Collaboration: how chefs, farmers, winemakers, beer makers get together

Collaboration is the name of the game in the New Year in the Sierra foothills —among chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, winemakers and craft-beer makers. Artists are joining the mix too, because wine and art also pair well together. Examples: ”GET CORKED!” Drop by the Grass Valley Wine Co. to try a few wines (or even have […]

Pizza & Pasta: Where to get it

ITALIAN-AMERICAN COOKING WILL TAKE its place at the table as a top food trend in 2012, predicts Saveur magazine. Regional Italian food also is high on the list. Some menu items and area restaurants that serve notable ones are: LASAGNA Tofanelli’s Lasagna is made in-house from a recipe handed down from generations, with layers of […]

Good Eats along I-80 this winter

A WINTER JOURNEY UP THE INTERSTATE for skiing, snowboarding or tubing (or west-bound for warmer weather) doesn’t mean you have to compromise when it comes to a road stop for lunch or dinner. Just like the old Route 66, you can “get your kicks” and enjoy fresh, local and well-prepared food along I-80 between Sacramento […]

Tre Pazzi: Authentic Italian cuisine in Auburn

“A TRATTORIA IS A HOME AWAY FROM home for many Italians,” writes Biba Caggiano in “Trattoria Cooking.” “Eating in a trattoria is like eating with an Italian family.” Dishes include lasagna, pan-roasted chicken, mussels and fish, pizzas and pastas and charbroiled meats. The atmosphere is cozy, lively and festive. Restaurants such as Felice a Testaccio […]

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