Seasons 52, the fresh grill and wine bar restaurant known for its seasonally inspired menu, has begun recruiting team members for its new restaurant in Arden Fair. The restaurant is expected to bring an additional 100 new jobs to the Sacramento area.

Seasons 52 will open to the public on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013.

The restaurant has dozens of service team positions available for hire including bartenders, servers and hosts/hostesses, as well as, culinary positions including prep and line cooks. All job seekers must apply online at www.Seasons52.com/careers, where applicants can get more information on the various career opportunities, values and culture at Seasons 52.

“Seasons 52 is seeking the area’s most professional, upbeat and friendly team members who can share their passion for fresh, creative cuisine while delivering an outstanding dining experience for guests,” said Jeff Warren, Managing Partner of Arden Fair’s Seasons 52. “All of our team members receive the proper tools and training to be successful, and the company firmly believes in promoting from within.”

Seasons 52 offers benefits packages to their employees. New team members are eligible for medical and dental insurance on the first day of employment. Other benefits include access to vision plans, meal discounts, 401K plan and even pet insurance.

The clean, contemporary style is highlighted by soft lighting, greenery, rich colors, contemporary art, stone and warm wood accents, which present architectural. A circular piano bar featuring live music nightly, an open kitchen with a brick oven, a chef’s table and a customized, climate controlled wine chateau holding upwards of 2,000 bottles of wine round out the vibrant guest dining experience. The restaurant also will offer two private dining rooms for private and semi- ‐ private business and social events.

Seasons 52 at Arden Fair will be prominently located at the main entrance in front of Nordstrom, with convenient street- ‐side access.

About Seasons 52

Seasons 52, which debuted in 2003, is a fresh grill and wine bar that provides guests with a fresh dining experience, enabling them to celebrate living well. The menu is orchestrated by award- ‐winning Chef Clifford Pleau, and is inspired by the seasons and the fresh appeal of the farmers’ market – 52 weeks a year. The award- ‐ winning wine list created and developed by Master Sommelier George Miliotes – one of over 180 Master Sommeliers worldwide – is consistently praised for its diverse international selection of 100 wines, including more than 52 offered by the glass. Seasons 52 is recognized as a forward- ‐thinking restaurant concept that is “right for the times” and always offers guests something new to discover.

Seasons 52 currently operates 26 restaurants in 13 states across the country. For more information, please visit Seasons52.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Ravenous Café owner Wade Sawaya fondly remembers the wonderful dishes his mother made for her family and the love and care she added to make each meal special.
Born in the Azores Islands in Portugal, Sawaya had his first experience in the restaurant business washing dishes at the air base where his father worked as a civilian.
“When I decided to join the Air Force years later, I still had a part-time job waiting tables,” Sawaya says. “I decided to keep on that path.”
Sawaya has been in the restaurant business for over 20 years and is a certified Sommelier. Sawaya worked for the world renowned Broadmoor Hotel and many other fine establishments before buying his own restaurant. He believes what is most important is making sure the diners have a good time. Sawaya is completely dedicated to his business and doesn’t mind working 24/7.
Ravenous chef, Roberto Lainez has been preparing appetizing dishes for close to seven years and Sawaya says he is incredible.
“I can pretty much do what I want here, making my own twist on the food,” Lainez said. “If someone comes into the restaurant and wants something a little different than what is on the menu, I try to remain open to their ideas.”
Lainez is from New York and started his career there. He said he has always enjoyed trying new restaurants to see what other chefs are making and still enjoys going to new places.
Sawaya moved to Sacramento from Boulder Colorado after he bought Ravenous in August 2011. Sawaya likes the fact that Sacramento is in the heart of good wine. He said the Pocket is a great neighborhood and the people are friendly.
“This is your restaurant,” Sawaya says. “It’s Pocket’s fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere and people don’t have to drive too far.”
A specialty offered by Ravenous is the endless mimosas for $10 when ordering an entrée for Sunday brunch. The signature dish at Ravenous is the risotto. There is a different risotto every day in addition to the fish of the day. Arctic Char and Barramundi are a couple of the chef’s favorites. There is a European influence in most of the dishes prepared. Ravenous changes their menu each season to provide the freshest ingredients in their food.
“I love it!” says Karen Waring, a Pocket resident for 22 years. “This place stands up to any restaurant downtown.”
Waring said it’s nice to have a restaurant so close that serves gourmet food. There’s a good wine selection and Waring said it’s also a nice place to just order appetizers and wine with friends.
Ravenous believes in supporting small businesses and buys everything locally. As part of their wine selection, they carry Scribner Bend wines, a local winery from Clarksburg, Bella Bru bakery breads, produce from Produce Express, which are all the local farms with an 80-mile radius and their meats from Preferred Meats out of Oakland.
A native of Sacramento, Skip Lee provides the art on the walls at the restaurant. The art adds warmth.  Sawaya wants people to feel cozy, like they are at home.
“I feel like I’m entertaining folks every night in my dining room,” Sawaya says. “Great music, great food and great wine.”
“Over the years I have learned the importance of beginning with the freshest ingredients, preparing them with care, and serving them with love so that people do not just have a good time at a restaurant, but they felt like they were treated like family.”
Sawaya highly recommend reservations.
Ravenous Café is located at Pocket Road and Greenhaven Drive.
The hours are as follows: Thursday through Sunday dinner 5-9 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 pm., Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday dinner (no lunch) 5 to 9 p.m. (Endless mimosas for $10 with purchase of entrée).
Ravenous is closed Mondays. The restaurant will serve a five-course prefix menu on New Year’s Eve for $75 per person. Reservations are required. Visit  http://www.ravenouscafe.com/ or call 399-9309 for details.

The 22nd Annual Curtis Park Wine Tasting, Silent Auction & Beer Garden was held Saturday, Oct. 6 from 4-7 p.m., at Sierra 2 Center. As one of SCNA’s largest fundraisers, the event brought local wineries, breweries and restaurants to Sierra 2 Center for tastings. Attendees enjoyed delicious food and beverages along with the exciting silent auction and raffle drawings. Items for bid included original art, spa packages, beach rentals, dance lessons and much more.

In today’s world of advanced communication technology, news can still travel slowly.
For instance, many longtime Arden and Carmichael residents would have trouble guessing the obvious newsworthy answer to the question: “What do the Coral Reef, the Palomino Room, Ken’s Red Barn and Buggy Whip all have in common?”
A quick answer would be that these are names of popular restaurants that have operated at various times in the north area of the city.
Although this answer is true, the newsworthy answer is these are all north area restaurants that are no longer in operation.
Certainly many years have passed since the Coral Reef at 2795 Fulton Ave., the Palomino Room at 3405 El Camino Ave. and Ken’s Red Barn at 500 Fulton Ave. were serving their customers.
But still, there are very many residents of the area who remain unaware that Buggy Whip, at 2737 Fulton Ave., ceased operation on May 8 after more than 52 years in business.
Arden-area resident Cindy Simmons, for instance, said that she was surprised to hear that Buggy Whip closed three months ago.
“I had no idea (Buggy Whip) closed,” said Cindy, who has been an occasional patron of the restaurant since the mid-1960s. “I got married (to Doug Simmons) in 1966 and we probably went there three or four times a year and we would go with other people. We would always get the same thing – the prime rib. It was a wonderful meal with the soup and salad and the whole nine yards. You could always count on a good meal at an appropriate price. We never had a bad meal there. It was always very positive. I’m really sad that they needed to close. I hope they find a way to open again.”
Fortunately for Cindy and other locals who have enjoyed dining at Buggy Whip at various times during this eating establishment’s longtime existence, some very positive news may be on its way.

Good news?
“I am edging toward the idea of reopening the restaurant,” said Larry LeSieur, who took over ownership of the restaurant in 1980 following the death of his father, Aaron LeSieur, who opened the restaurant in 1959.
But of course, many people are still left wondering why the restaurant closed in the first place.
With a quick view inside Buggy Whip’s windows, the old eatery’s tables remain set like a place that has been closed for several hours, as opposed to the past 90 days.
On one of these windows and on a glass panel on the front door are signs, which read: “Remodeling: Closed for repairs. Thank you.”
As of the publishing of this article, no recent remodeling had occurred and the restaurant building sat awaiting its unknown future.

Setting the record straight
When presented with the opportunity to share details about his landmark restaurant with readers of this publication, Larry LeSieur, 65, was eager to set the record straight.
“What really happened was (Buggy Whip) was a union restaurant for 50 years,” he said. “I talked to the union (representative). I had to sign a new contract, and I said, ‘Hey, listen, we’re going through the toughest times.’ You can’t have a mom and pop (union) restaurant. We’re the only one left, except for The Firehouse (in Old Sacramento), in all of Sacramento. And the reason we were union is because 50 years ago, everybody was union. You can’t be in the union. So, anyway, I said, ‘I can’t pay benefits. There’s no way. You can’t have health, welfare and pay these three-week vacations. You can’t do that.’ Most (employees) were only kind of part-time, too. They wouldn’t even work 40 hours (per week). So, basically, I said, ‘I can’t sign (the contract),’ and I didn’t sign it. But I didn’t get out right.”
LeSieur said that a year and a half later, the union representative who had worked with him had left his job, and LeSieur was then approached by a different union representative who told him his contract was still valid.
Eventually, however, LeSieur was sued and the restaurant was later closed.

The lawsuit
“When you get out of a contract, you have to do certain procedures, which I didn’t do,” LeSieur said. “So, they had me red handed. So, what they do is get a judgment against you. The judgment was $60,000 or $90,000. But then they said, ‘Hey, listen, we’ll let you pay $30,000, but you’ll have to sign a new contract with us.’ I said, ‘Either way, I can’t pay the $30,000, but let’s just say I would pay the $30,000, the problem is I can’t sign a new contract going forward, because I can’t make any money.’ You can’t have health and welfare benefits for a small, little mom and pop restaurant. So, I filed and that’s how I ended up in Chapter 11. And some mistakes were made and now it’s into liquidation. Otherwise, I would still be open today.”
Regarding his financial situation with the restaurant, LeSieur said he paid off most of the IRS debt, but he still owes the state board and the Education Development Department a small amount.
“It’s a lot of money, but it’s not a lot of money,” he said. “I would have to make those whole and then go back in, but the liquidation would take care of those things.”

To reopen or not to reopen
LeSieur said that if he reopens his restaurant, it would likely reappear with a slightly different name change. He said that the place would probably become known as “The Buggy Whip” – a name so subtlety different that many people would never notice that the name had been changed.
Although he does not like the idea of keeping many of his former customers in limbo, LeSieur said that he needs some time to determine what he wants his future to be in the local restaurant industry.
“The update is I’m just not quite sure what I’m going to do,” he said.

Lance@valcomnews.com

Editor’s Note: This is part two of a two-part history series about Sam’s Hof Brau and other restaurants that were founded in Sacramento by the late Sam Gordon. Read Part one

As presented in the first part of this series, local restaurateur Sam Gordon (1907-1998) established four restaurants in the Sacramento area from 1955 to 1960. And with the popularity of these eateries, he continued to open other local restaurants.
Sam’s Plaza Hof Brau
His next dining establishment, Sam’s Plaza Hof Brau at 2500 Watt Ave. at El Camino Avenue, opened in January 1962.
In its Jan. 21, 1962 edition, The Sacramento Union noted that the restaurant had “opened to the public last week.”
The announcement was accompanied by a few details regarding the then-new Sam’s Plaza Hof Brau and a photograph of Gordon standing alongside a tall, wooden American Indian statue.
The carved statue was part of the décor of the restaurant, which was mainly designed with a “Gay 1890s” theme and had 6,000 square feet of floor space.
Other decorations placed in the restaurant were old signs, paintings and stained glass from a collection in Scottsdale, Ariz. and solid brass, gas lanterns from the grand ballroom of the old Union Hotel in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The lanterns had since been converted for electrical use.
The restaurant also opened with its 1890 Room, a banquet room with a safe from the Western Hotel, which was located at 209-219 K St. and owned by William Land, who willed the funds for today’s William Land Park. The banquet room was built to accommodate 60 to 90 patrons and the remainder of the restaurant seated 180 guests.
More than 100 photographs and etchings of early Sacramento and nearly life-sized paintings of Lillian Russell and Diamond Jim Brady were hung on the walls.
One of the more notable decorations at the restaurant is a large painting of the 1869 “golden spike” celebration, which ceremoniously marked the completion of the first Transcontinental Railroad.
But beyond its unique, inviting décor, Sam’s built its positive reputation through its entrées featuring fresh meats such as roast beef, roast turkey, prime rib, corned beef, baked ham and pastrami.
And of course, these meats can always be used to make this eatery’s signature “Sam’wiches.”
Special hof brau memories
Tom Tolley, who grew up in Carmichael and was a 1968 graduate of Del Campo High School, was one of this restaurant’s earliest diners.
“Sam’s Hof Brau was always a favorite,” Tom said. “In 1962, my folks (Walter and Norma Tolley) and I first visited Sacramento and ate at Sam’s on Watt and El Camino (avenues). I found it hard to believe that such a cool restaurant was right next door to such a fabulous bookstore and record store – the two Towers. Even Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, where I lived, couldn’t match that sort of arrangement. We moved to Sacramento two years later and my dad and I would eat there. When Sam’s celebrated their 25th anniversary, they rolled prices back to match their opening menu for about a week – a roast beef sandwich for around 65 cents – and the lines were out the door. Even though I was working at a quality restaurant – Coral Reef – I ate there almost every day during that week. Sam’s is still a destination where I have lunch with friends or when I happen to be out that way. The one thing I miss is being able to buy a new book or album before or after lunch. The changes to Sam’s have not been drastic over the years and I can still load up on free pickles.”
David Spieth, 60, who graduated from El Camino High School in 1970, also shared his memories about the Watt and El Camino avenues restaurant.
“Sam’s Hof Brau was always a neat place to eat roast beef sandwiches,” Spieth said. “And, of course, if you wanted a taste of turkey, they always had one turning in the window. It was always dark and cozy and had a lot of privacy when you ate. It was a place where you could take your girlfriend or friends and family. And it was close to the Country Club (Lanes) bowling alley, where I used to bowl. (It was) next to Tower Records, where you could always get your vinyl or tapes. (The area has) changed a lot. The bowling alley and Sam’s Hof Brau are the only original places left.”
Carmichael resident Pete Lennarz, who owned the Watt Avenue hof brau for about 16 years, said that he began leasing the Watt Avenue building from Gordon in 1991.
Lennarz added that since the Denny’s restaurant corporation owned Sam’s eateries at that time, he simply shortened his business’s name to Plaza Hof Brau to avoid any conflict with Denny’s.
In 2007, the restaurant was purchased from Lennarz by the Hof Brau Restaurant Group, which included several Mikuni restaurants partners. And since 2009, this hof brau has operated under the name, Sam’s Hof Brau.
Among the earlier events held at the restaurant under its then-new ownership was a 50th anniversary celebration on May 18, 2009.
To eliminate any confusion regarding the timing of this event, it should be recognized that upon acquiring the hof brau, these owners were incorrectly informed that this Watt Avenue business had been established in 1959.
It was not until the publication of the first part of this article series (see May 24 edition of this paper at www.valcomnews.com) that the ownership learned that the event was unfortunately held three years prior to the restaurant’s actual anniversary.
Sam’s Big Top
Less than two months following the opening of Sam’s Plaza Hof Brau, construction began on Gordon’s sixth Sacramento area restaurant – Sam’s Big Top at 1101 16th St. The business was opened to the public in October 1962.
The location was an ideal place for this circus-themed eatery, since Sacramentans had routinely dined at the popular Stan’s Drive-In at the same site.
This Sam’s restaurant, which was originally managed by Art Davis, featured 24-hour booth and counter service and seating for 100 guests.
Another Sam’s Big Top later opened at 2721 El Camino Ave. at Sandringham Road, but was operating as a Denny’s by 1970.
Sam’s expanded outside Sacto
Many Sacramentans also have fond memories of Sam’s Town entertainment center and restaurant, which operated off Highway 50 in Cameron Park from 1963 to 2000.
Additional Sam’s Hof Braus were opened outside the capital city, including in Auburn (Placer County), Oakland, Portland and Los Angeles.

A Sacramento tradition continues
Certainly the days are long gone when Sam’s restaurants could be spotted in different parts of the Sacramento area.
But fortunately the last remaining Gordon-founded eatery in the city, Sam’s Hof Brau at Watt and El Camino avenues, continues to carry forth its tradition of serving “fresh, stick-to-your-ribs food at piggy bank prices.”

One of the restaurant gems in Land Park is a little “hole in the wall” place – a Neapolitan pizzeria called Masullo. Located on Riverside Boulevard, just across from the historic Masonic cemetery, this local restaurant is building a reputation for quality food, served quickly and with fresh, local ingredients.

Owner/chef Robert Masullo opened the restaurant in June of 2008. The building is from the late 1940s, and Robert chose to go with a “mid-century modern” design palate of concrete, steel and wood “to jive with the era of the building.” All the wood on the one-of-a-kind tables is from one tree in Sacramento.

“I opened (the pizzeria) because it’s just something I like,” Robert said. “My family took a vacation to Italy in 1987. I was amazed at how something I thought I knew – pizza – could be so incredibly different.”

Vive la differenza

American pizza is often heavy, with thick sauces, heavy toppings and baked in a commercial oven. Authentic Neapolitan pizza is baked in a wood-fired oven, has a thin crust, light sauces and fresh toppings that can include goat cheese, prosciutto and more.

The authentic taste of Italy begins with the dough for each pizza pie, according to Robert.

“The dough is mixed two days in advance and is refrigerated,” he said. “The longer and slower the ferment of the yeast is, the more the naturally occurring enzymes have time to develop and that’s where the good flavors come from.”

Pizzas are made to serve one person, and come in two varieties: with tomato sauce and without. Whether you are a tomato sauce lover or not, there is something for everyone on the menu.

For the traditionalist, there is the “American” ($12) which features tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.

For those who want to try something a bit more adventurous (and delicious), try the “Kathryn” ($13), which features tomato sauce, Fontina cheese, Noman Ranch ham, red Fresno chili peppers and Crimini mushrooms. The “Jacqueline” ($14) is served without tomato sauce, and features potatoes, Fontina cheese, Niman Ranch bacon and oregano.

Meat lovers should enjoy Masullo’s “3Meat” pizza ($15), which features tomato sauce, mozzarella, Bellwether Farms ricotta cheese, Fra’Mani Toscano salame, sausage and Mortadella mushrooms.

All of the pizzas and salads at Masullo use award-winning Frate Sole extra virgin olive oil. This olive oil is estate grown, hand-harvested and cold-pressed in Woodland. It is a delightful dipping accompaniment to the pizza for an extra $2.

Everything at Masullo is fresh, local and organic whenever possible. Pizzas bake quickly in the brick oven and are served promptly to hungry guests. A lunch menu has just been added to the regular dinner menu. It will feature soups, salads, sandwiches and a select group of pizzas.

“We strive to keep things straight-forward and simple, not complicated,” Robert said. “Our focus is on quality.”

Masullo is located at 2711 Riverside Boulevard in Sacramento. Limited parking is available, it is often best to park “around the corner.” Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday; 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday; and closed, Sunday. For more information, call (916) 443-8929.

It has often been said that the first year in business is always the most challenging and many upstart businesses never survive their first year. But of course, longtime Sacramentan Randy Paragary has no firsthand experience of what it is like to have a business not excel past its first year.

To the contrary, Randy has built a strong legacy in this city as a man who has had four decades of success in the bar and restaurant industry.

And sitting down in one of his successful businesses, Café Bernardo at 2726 Capitol Ave., last week, Randy discussed his long business career in the capital city.

The early years

A 1964 graduate of McClatchy High School, Randy moved to Sacramento during his childhood.

Randy, 63, began attending the fourth grade at Woodlake Elementary School while residing in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom duplex at 424 Baxter Ave. with his parents, Sam and Charmaine Paragary, and his brother, Bruce Paragary.

When he was about 14 years old, Randy moved to South Land Park and began attending California Junior High School and later McClatchy High School.

First jobs

During his high school years, Randy obtained his first two jobs, the first of which was at Tuolumne County’s Pinecrest Lodge, which was located about 30 miles above Sonora.

Randy said that his work at Pinecrest, where his father was the manager, was a summer job in which he worked as a dishwasher and busboy.

It was also during his time at McClatchy High that Randy was hired as a busboy at Bill Christie’s Elbo Room at 2000 K Street, where Faces nightclub is now located.

Randy said that his time at the Elbo Room proved to be some of his best early training in the restaurant industry.

“I worked there (at the Elbo Room) as a busboy for two years while I was going to high school,” Randy said. “I would get out of school and drive there and do my three or four shifts per week. So, that’s really where I got my first taste of the restaurant business. That was a very happening, very popular restaurant in its day. It had a lot of diners and a good bar scene and I really enjoyed it.”

The Parapow Palace Saloon

At the age of 23, Randy decided to use his experience in the restaurant and bar business to establish his own business.

On Nov. 8, 1969, Randy and his high school friend, Pat Powers, opened the Parapow Palace Saloon at 3000 O St.

Recalling the process of establishing the tavern, Randy said that it was opened for the purpose of filling a void in the local music scene.

“Pat Powers and I were really good friends and like friendship conversations go, he said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to open a bar. There’s no place for us to go to have the music we like to hear.’ The (music) scene was bowling alley types of bars. I said, ‘Well, we can open a place. Shoot, I’ve been a busboy before. I know a little bit about it.’ And Pat said, ‘We can do it.’”

Opting to keep their business simple, as well as lower their establishment’s operating costs, Randy and Pat decided to maintain a beer-only bar.

While searching for a location for their business, it came to Randy and Pat’s attention that the old Ritz Market site at 3000 O St. had become vacant.

After negotiating an arrangement to lease the site, Randy and Pat began the process of preparing their business for its opening.

“We had to go through the whole process of opening a business, beginning with a lease,” Randy said. “We went to Alcohol Beverage Control and applied for a liquor license and went to the IRS and got a federal ID number, so we could have employees and then we got our business license. Then it came time to get a set of plans together, so we could get a building permit to go do the plumbing and wiring. We then approached the beer companies and established credit. It’s exactly the same process that I go through today to open a place. It was a fantastic apprenticeship.”

Randy said that the Parapow Palace, which had a western theme with woodwork from old barns and maintained the Sunlamp Blues Band as its house band, proved to be a success, as it provided a much-needed, local entertainment venue during this era.

“There was such a pent-up demand from our peers – guys, girls our age who were looking for a hippie-type of place to go – that we really filled a void,” Randy said. “The word got out really quickly, so it was super popular.”

Law school

No longer associated with the Parapow, which was sold in 1972, Randy attended McGeorge School of Law, where he passed the bar in 1976.

Restauranteur

A year earlier, Randy, along with a different business partner Jim Moore, opened an Italian restaurant, called The Arbor, at 2730 N St.

Fitting to its name, the restaurant, which became the Capitol Grille in 1990, featured a redwood, butcher-style interior.

It was also during 1975 that Randy added a building across the street from The Arbor to his business endeavors. Within this building, which is located at 1401 28th St., Randy and Jim opened a bar, known as Lord Beaverbrook.

Today, many locals are familiar with this site, which has been the location of the popular Paragary’s Bar and Oven since 1983.

In 1978, a second Lord Beaverbrook bar was opened at 2384 Fair Oaks Blvd., where Zito’s Italian restaurant opened in 1985 and where the Zinfandel Grille operates today.

From 1980 to 1983, Randy owned Harry’s Bar and Grill at 400 L St., where the 4th Street Grill is presently located.

To some people in the community, it may seem as if Randy opens a new business on an annual basis.

Although this is not the case, such a thought does not lie far from the truth.

Frequently continuing to provide food and beverage establishments in the Sacramento area, Randy opened the aforementioned Café Bernardo midtown location in 1993, Centro Cocina Mexicana at 2730 J St. in 1994, another Café Bernardo location at 234 D St. in Davis in 1995, the Monkey Bar at 2730 Capitol Ave. in 1997 and Esquire Grille at 1213 K St. in 1999.

Continuing to open businesses during this century, Randy opened Spataro Restaurant and Bar at 1415 L St. in 2004, a third Café Bernardo and the R15 Bar in the R Street Corridor area at 15^th and R streets in 2007 and Cosmo Café at 1000 K St. in 2008.

Randy, who enjoys snow skiing, water skiing, playing golf and tennis, traveling and increasing his knowledge about food and wines, said that with the economy the way it is today, he has no plans to add other businesses anytime soon.

In the meantime, Randy, who resides in the Sierra Oaks area of the city and has a wife named Stacy and two children, Lisa and Sam, said that he will instead concentrate on improving upon the businesses which he currently owns.

Industry mentor

Looking back on his four decades as a business owner in the bar and restaurant industry, Randy said that he is proud of his many accomplishments, which include providing the training grounds for employees who later established their own successful businesses.

“Over the years, there’s really a great list of committed, passionate people who have worked for me who now own their own places – guys like (The Waterboy restaurant owner) Rick Mahan and Patrick Mulvaney, who owns Mulvaney’s (B&L restaurant),” Randy said. “And I can’t leave out Kurt Spataro. He’s the executive chef of all of these restaurants and has great skills in both the cooking and administrative parts of being a chef. But the city is loaded with chefs and general managers who have worked for me who are now either owners of their own places or are in upper level management in Sacramento or other cities.”

Randy, who mentioned that he has been inspired by such people as restaurant owners and chefs Alice Waters and Biba Caggiano and Corti Bros. Italian grocery store co-owner Darrell Corti, said that although 40 years have passed since he opened his first business, he continues to be passionate about his work.

“The never-ending search for cool concepts and menus is the exciting part of it,” Randy said. “That’s what has enabled me to get the inspiration for continued growth. It’s a lot of fun taking a space and converting it into something really exciting.”

And based on his continued success and the support of his businesses’ many loyal customers, Randy should be at the forefront of the local bar and restaurant scene for many more years to come.

lance@valcomnews.com

As a community newspaper reporter, it is my ongoing quest to continuously gain a more thorough knowledge and understanding of the past and present businesses of local communities. And it was just last week, for instance, that this quest led me to Three Sisters Mexican Kitchen and Cantina.

Three years ago, while covering a Cinco de Mayo story at Tres Hermanas Restaurant at 2416 K St., I learned from this midtown Sacramento business’s co-owner, Sergio Saenz, that there really were “tres hermanas” or “three sisters” behind the naming of the restaurant.

Sergio explained to me that the midtown restaurant, which opened its doors for the first time on Oct. 18, 1996, had been named after his sisters.

And it certainly came as no surprise to me when Sergio revealed to me how many sisters were in his family.

After telling me that his “tres hermanas” were Norma, Dora and Sonia, he also informed me that Three Sisters restaurant at 5100 Folsom Blvd. was also part of his family’s restaurant endeavors.

In an attempt to enhance my Cinco de Mayo story, I asked Sergio if I could arrange a meeting with all three sisters.

Sergio informed me that it would be best to leave such a meeting to another time, since Norma and Dora were operating the East Sacramento restaurant and Sonia was working with him at the midtown restaurant.

Although my Cinco de Mayo Tres Hermanas story was successfully completed without the presence of all three sisters, the idea of one day gathering these sisters together for one interview continued to intrigue me.

Undoubtedly, there were many people in Sacramento who were familiar with Tres Hermanas and Three Sisters restaurants, yet had no idea why these restaurants received these names.

Being that my travels often take me past Three Sisters restaurant, it recently occurred to me that it was about time to make an effort to obtain my desired interview with all three sisters.

In my attempt to secure an interview with all three sisters, Dora informed me that I would have to wait until the following week in order to conduct my “tres hermanas” interview.

Considering that in a way, I had already waited 181 weeks for this interview, I figured that it would not be too much trouble on my part to wait just another week.

When the day of my interview finally arrived, it was nice to see not una hermana or dos hermanas, but actually tres hermanas.

After confirming that these women were the three sisters that I had arrived to meet and not just three unsuspecting women at the restaurant who I suddenly sat down with – that could be an awkward moment – I began to learn about these local business women.

Born in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua and raised in the town of Cuahtemoc – a place of about 80,000 people that is comparable to Stockton, with a downtown, suburbs and orchards – the three sisters are among the seven children of Guadalupe Saenz and her late husband, Simon Saenz.

After arriving in the United States with their family in 1988, Norma, Dora and Sonia worked in different restaurants in Sacramento for eight years prior to making the decision to open their own restaurant.

The sisters’ search for a restaurant ended when local real estate broker Angelo Tsorakis of Elk Grove offered them the K Street restaurant site that had formerly housed Food for Thought.

After the three sisters acquired their midtown business location, Tsorakis presented the idea of naming the restaurant, Tres Hermanas.

Norma admits that the name was initially rejected, but was later reevaluated and accepted.

Dora, who often enjoys telling young visitors of Three Sisters restaurant that she is the real life character from the animated children’s television series, Dora the Explorer, recalled how challenging it was to operate a new restaurant for the first time.

“We thought we knew everything, but we’re still learning, actually,” Dora said. “It was funny. Everybody thought, ‘I’m going start my own business and I’m going to be the boss.’ It is not exactly that way.”

The sisters quickly learned that owning the business also meant performing just about every duty that was necessary to operate a successful restaurant.

As the sisters’ midtown business progressed, Tsorakis approached Norma about the possibility of moving the restaurant to East Sacramento.

After Norma told Tsorakis that she was happy with the midtown site, the topic arose about the sisters acquiring a second restaurant location.

Norma related the humorous scenario in which the sisters purchased the East Sacramento restaurant site, which formerly housed the Irish pub, Gallagher’s Bar and Grill.

“Angelo said to me, ‘I think you need a second restaurant,’ and I said, ‘Oh no, Angelo,’” Norma recalled. “I told him I didn’t want to see it, but he didn’t take no for an answer. It was only about five minutes away, so I finally went and looked at it. The building already looked Mexican with the arched windows. I later called Angelo and said, ‘Nice, but no.’”

Since Tsorakis remained persistent about the sisters acquiring the second site, Norma offered $30,000 on the location, which was being offered for $65,000.

Norma said that it was her way of easing out of the situation with Tsorakis.

“I offered him $30,000, because I knew they were not going to take it,” Norma said. “(Tsorakis) came back like two days later and said, ‘Norma, they think the offer is too low.’ I said, ‘I’m not going to offer any more, Angelo.’ He later came back and told me they took the offer. Instead of being happy, I was like, ‘Oh no, don’t tell me this, Angelo.’ And here we are and thank God, because we’ve been very, very successful.”

With the notoriety of Tres Hermanas, Three Sisters was more easily able to establish itself as a popular restaurant.

In addition to having similarities to the midtown restaurant, Three Sisters was established with different characteristics, including a few different food items, a distinct décor and a full bar, including many tequilas, as opposed to the midtown site’s small, beer and wine bar.

But one undeniably similar aspect about both locations is the Saenz family’s concentration on presenting a friendly atmosphere.

“We’re doing what we love and we love to entertain people,” Norma said. “This is our life. The customers become our friends. The greatest friends we have, we found in here at the restaurant.”

Sonia added, “I like to see people happy. It’s so nice just to see people when they’re eating and on their faces they look happy.”

But certainly, a great aid in having people look happy when they’re eating is presenting quality food, which is something that both restaurants understand quite well.

Already having high expectations for Three Sisters’ food, since I have great memories of enjoying the carnitas entrée at Tres Hermanas, I decided to try out the Chicken Mole Poblano ($13.99).

And what a wise choice this was, as with my first bite, the many wonderful flavors of the mole sauce instantly danced upon my taste buds.

The sauce, which takes almost a whole day to prepare and includes about 35 ingredients, is undoubtedly one of the best mole sauces that I have ever tasted.

Furthermore, the chicken, which was topped off with thin strips of onions and sesame seeds, was extremely tender and the entrée was complimented with homemade beans and rice, fresh tortillas, chips and salsa.

But the quality of both restaurants’ food should come as no surprise for those who have heard the passion in which the business’s owners speak about their love for using high quality, fresh ingredients and creating all their dishes from scratch.

New guests of these excellent Sacramento restaurants will discover that these eating establishments offer different tasting, more spicier foods, since these restaurants are inspired by the northern Mexico cooking of Guadalupe, her mother and her nine sisters.

Norma said that these notable differences in tastes are due to the fact that most of the Mexican restaurants in the Sacramento area present food derived from recipes from Jalisco and Michoacan in the south part of Mexico.

Other popular dinner entrées at both restaurants include: Camarones (shrimp) a la Three Sisters/Tres Hermanas ($14.99), Carne Asada ($13.99), Beef Chimichanga with Chipotle Sauce ($13.99), Vegetarian Tamales ($12.99) and Navajo Chicken Salad ($11.99) with house creamy cilantro dressing.

Welcoming the community to visit Three Sisters Mexican Kitchen and Cantina and Tres Hermanas Restaurant, as well as the family’s other restaurants, Sabores Mexican Cuisine at 10341 Fairway Drive in Rocklin and Tres Hermanas Restaurant at 805 2^nd St. in Davis, which opens this month, Dora said, “Everybody should come and try our restaurants. If you give us one chance, you’ll be coming back.”

And based on my visits to the Saenz family’s Sacramento restaurants, I couldn’t agree more.

Three Sisters and Tres Hermanas restaurants, which serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, are open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For additional information about these restaurants, call (916) 452-7442.

lance@valcomnews.com

It is often considered a very good accomplishment when a business can survive its first year, but in the case of Carmichael’s Serritella’s Italian Food and Pizza, this business has done much more than survive its first year in business. It is currently in its fourth decade of successful operation.

Linda Melody of the Carmichael Chamber of Commerce said that she is impressed by the longevity of this local business, which is located at 6346 Fair Oaks Blvd., at the intersection where Marconi Avenue becomes Palm Drive.

“Considering that Carmichael just celebrated its 100th anniversary, it’s quite an accomplishment for (Serritella’s) to have been around this long,” Melody said. “They’ve been around for nearly half of Carmichael’s history.”
Deep dish, deep roots

The roots of the business extend to when Doug McRae had the building constructed – a feat that was completed on March 5, 1962.

Marilyn McRae, whose husband Doug passed away in 1993, said that the McRae family continues to own the building.

Sacramento suburban directories show that the first business to occupy the 6346 Fair Oaks Blvd. space was the Washburn Burton Realty Co., which is listed as being in operation at this site in 1963 and 1964. The business may have moved into the site in 1962, yet due to its timing was not included in the 1962 directory.

Continuing, the directories show that Gerald Gallo operated his business, Adriano Delicatessen, from the same address for the following three years.

Although the 1968 through 1973 directories list Albert Rio as owning the Red Devil Pizzeria at this site from 1968 to 1973, Marilyn said that Rio actually opened the restaurant as Serritella’s Red Devil Pizzeria.

Marilyn, a Sacramento native who graduated from McClatchy High School in 1948, added that she does not know why the name Serritella’s was selected, but speculates that it could have been a last name of one of Rio’s relatives or simply a name that Rio randomly selected because he liked the sound of it, as well as its Italian origin.

Beginning in 1974 and continuing into the 1980s, directories listed the same address as being the home of Serritella’s Red Devil Italian Cuisine.

Rio, who had a wife named Emma, owned the restaurant until 1986 and eventually moved to Chicago, was known for entertaining his guests at various times by singing Italian opera.

The restaurant’s next owner was Jackie Valentino, who operated the business until 1993.

The following owners of the business were Ann Kelly Cooms (1993-2000) and John Koukoulas and Sean Hellwig (2000-2006).

 

Now to Serritella’s

The current owners, Robert Contreras and Bonnie Prophet, who gave the restaurant its modified name, Serritella’s Italian Food and Pizza, purchased the business on May 13, 2006, when their now-4-year-old daughter, Isabella, was only 6 weeks old. The couple also has two sons, Andre, 16, and Ty, 8.

Bonnie, who grew up in the Tahoe Park area of the city, said that running the restaurant today is certainly much different than operating the business during its earlier years.

“When Serritella’s opened, it only consisted of the middle section of the restaurant, but (a pair of) expansions has greatly increased the size of the restaurant,” Bonnie said.

In about 1988, Valentino expanded into the left or north side of the building, which formerly housed a paint store, a dress shop and lastly a bakery.

The second expansion occurred in about 1993 to the right or south side of the building after Hyler’s Custom Dry Cleaning at 6342 Fair Oaks Blvd. went out of business. This area now includes the restaurant’s popular bar, which since its initial year has been operated by bartender Steve Lyle.

Bonnie said that much hard work was performed to make Serritella’s, which originally only served pizzas, into the full-fledged restaurant that it is today.

“We have worked very hard here to keep up the traditions of Serritella’s,” Bonnie said. “We pride ourselves in using fresh, quality ingredients to create our many popular offerings.”

Robert added that maintaining the traditions of Serritella’s is very rewarding.

“It’s very gratifying to have served our customers who have come here over the years and who tell us how good (the food) is and that it’s as good as they remember,” Robert said. “To carry the name is really what it’s about. The best thing I’ve ever been told is (Serritella’s food) is the best (Italian food) they ever had. A lot of people say that they’ve come from the East Coast and that our food compares to a lot of Italian restaurants on the East Coast.”

 

Tasty tradition

Carmichael resident Janet Jones said that although her lunch at Serritella’s last week marked her first visit to the restaurant, she is already a fan of this eatery.

“I moved to Carmichael in 2000 and I’ve been meaning to come here for a long time and I’m glad that I did,” Jones said. “We were greeted really friendly and the atmosphere and food is great here. And it’s a great place for vegetarians (like herself). I like the pizza and how they use fresh basil and I also like the cheese raviolis. Even though it’s my first time here, I will definitely be coming back.”

In regard to the pizzas, Deb Palin, Serritella’s pizza chef since 1994, said that quality and consistency are essential elements of every pizza made at the restaurant.

“I make every (pizza) the same as the last and I try to make all the pizzas exactly the way I would like to have them served to me,” Palin said. “Quality is extremely important and whatever (pizza) anybody wants – as long as we have the product in the restaurant – I will make a pizza out of it, whether it’s zucchini or eggplant or whatever.”

Serritella’s specialty pizzas, which range in price from $14.99 to $21.99, include the most popular Red Devil Combination with pepperoni, salami, sausage, mushrooms, olives, green peppers and onions, the North Beach with clams, onions, garlic, tomatoes, oregano and parmesan cheese, and the Devil’s Delight with gorgonzola and parmesan cheeses, pancetta and tomatoes.

 

And for those who prefer a create-your-own pizza, the pizza kitchen features a selection of about 20 toppings.

But unlike the days of the pizza-only Serritella’s, the restaurant is rich with other Italian offerings such as pasta, chicken and veal dishes, steak, soups and salads.

The restaurant features 25 non-pizza entrees on its menu, including a variety of Bonnie’s favorites, which include scaloppini ala marsala ($16.99 with chicken, $18.99 with veal), parmigiana ($15.99 with chicken, $17.99 with veal), chicken portabella ($16.99) and lasagna ($15.99).

Appetizers include prosciutto-wrapped shrimp ($11.99), gnocci ($8.99), polenta ($6.99) and Serritella’s bread sticks (50 cents each), which are served with garlic butter and peanut butter.

Robert and Bonnie said that Serritella’s is also a great place to just relax at the bar with a nice glass of wine such as a cabernet, merlot or chardonnay.

 

Visiting Serritella’s

Serritella’s is open Mondays through Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m., Fridays from 5 to 9:30 p.m., Saturdays from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Sundays from 4:30 to 9 p.m. for dinner and Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch.

For additional information regarding this restaurant, call (916) 482-5483 or visit the Web site www.serritellas.com.

 

E-mail Lance Armstrong at lance@valcomnews.com.

When it comes to Sacramento history, few places in the city have such a rich heritage as the Español Restaurant.

To the average commuter, this East Sacramento eatery’s historic building and its accompanying old neon sign have the appearance of a business that has stood the test of time.

Although such an impression is undoubtedly correct, the historic building and sign represent only a part of this restaurant’s rich past.

With a few steps inside this old building at 5723 Folsom Blvd., which was built in 1946 as the new home of the Square Deal Café, one can observe a business that is swarming with history.

Immediately inside the front doors of the place, black and white photographs of days of old begin to tell the story of a business that began long before it opened at its current site in 1965.

Hanging on the walls of the lobby area, which is an addition to the original structure, are photographs of the business’s previous site at 231 I St., as well as other images such as photographs of members of the Luigi family. The business is currently owned by Perry Luigi, Paula (Luigi) Serrano and Karen (Luigi) Zito, whose father Frank “Babe” Luigi and uncle Mario Luigi previously owned the business.

The longtime tradition of the restaurant, however, began long before Babe and Mario purchased the business in 1959.

The restaurant, in fact, was established in an even earlier location than the 2nd and I streets site, near today’s historic Southern Pacific train depot.

 

Español of yesteryear

During the 19th century, the city was home to many hotels such as the Pacific Hotel at 916-918 11th St., the International Hotel at 320-326 K St. and the Tremont Hotel at 112-114 J St.

At the site of the Tremont Hotel, a new hotel, known as Hotel Español, emerged as early as 1919.

The Hotel Español, which was primarily operated as a Basque boarding house, was initially home to sheepherders who were hired out to local ranchers.

It was at this hotel, which in its early years was owned by Victoriano Urrutia and then Castro Arrate and Mamerto Fernandez, that the Español Restaurant began to evolve.

On the ground floor of the large, brick building, food such as oxtail stew, pig knuckles, lamb fries, lamb chops, tripe, chicken and veal were prepared and cooked for the Basque tenants.

News of these meals eventually made its way to many outsiders of the building, as others were introduced to the boarders’ food and the eatery increased in popularity.

During the early 1930s, the well-known Sacramentan Ancil Hoffman, who has a park named in his honor in Carmichael, became the owner of the building.

With the 1952 sale of the Hotel Español building, the Español Restaurant was relocated to the Commercial Hotel, which had been constructed about 15 years earlier.

This move was arranged following Arrate’s retirement and under the direction of the restaurant’s chef Joe Trueba and his close friend, Joe Martinez.

The restaurant, which continued to increase in popularity and serve Basque tenants who relocated to the Commercial Hotel, was operated by Trueba and Martinez until the business’s sale to Babe and Mario Luigi, who brought in the eatery’s Italian food offerings.

The development of Old Sacramento, which included the nearby extension of Interstate 5, resulted in the second relocation of the restaurant within a 13-year span of time.

 

Moving to East Sac

Opening at its current site in 1965, the Español Restaurant, despite no longer serving unique food to Basque hotel tenants, carried forth many of its traditions in East Sacramento, near the historic Little Italy neighborhood.

Among these traditions included the presence of the popular waitress Mary Trabazo, who worked at all three sites of the restaurant.

Beginning her career with the Español in 1936, Trabazo retired from the restaurant 52 years later.

Waitress Leah Alcanter also dedicated her fair share of time as an Español waitress, as she worked at the restaurant for 35 years.

Many other employees, including 26-year waitress Diane Lara and 25-year dishwasher David Larsen, have spent many years at the restaurant throughout its history.

This history includes various famous diners such as actress Ann Sothern, actor Leo Carrillo, singer Frankie Laine, boxer Max Baer, flamenco dancer Jose Greco, Gov. Earl Warren and Secretary of State Frank Jordan, Sr.

East Sacramento native Willie DaPrato, who was part owner of the restaurant with Babe and Mario from 1978 to 1985, said that he enjoyed working with the Luigi family.

“I had a great time and (Babe and Mario) were two wonderful people,” DaPrato said. “I had no problems. I went in on a handshake and I left on a handshake. Every now and again, I still drop into the restaurant. It’s one of the finest family-owned restaurants in town with lots of home-style cooked food and it’s just very good.”

On Jan 1, 1988, Perry, Paula and Karen, who began assisting their father at the restaurant as children, purchased the Español from Babe, who passed away three months later.

Louise Luigi said that she is proud of her children’s accomplishments as owners of the restaurant.

“They have done a wonderful job running the place and my husband (Babe) would be very proud to see that it is continuing on today,” Louise said.

With a look around the Español on any given day, one can observe people who have been dining at the restaurant for many years, as well as those who are much newer guests of the establishment, which also includes a popular bar.

 

Rave reviews

Español customer Mary Giacomotto said that she has been enjoying visiting the restaurant since it was located at 231 I St.

“In the old days, it was wonderful just going (to the restaurant) with our parents and (Rosemary and Ted Lehy) and their children,” Giacomotto said. “It was very family-oriented and we would sit and have (soup) and wait for our parents to return from the bar. I also remember how my father (John Bateman) would start to sing there (at the restaurant) and then we would all sing and everybody around us would sing. Those were wonderful, wonderful times.”

Perry said that the secret of the restaurant’s longtime success is its traditional, family-style Italian dishes, as well as its great value and fine service.

The Español offers dishes ranging from veal cutlets and chicken cacciatore with polenta to cheese ravioli pesto and lasagna. Guests can also enjoy traditional spaghetti and raviolis with meat sauce.

Also among the restaurant’s many menu items is its famous minestrone soup, Perry explained.

“People come from miles around to buy our minestrone soup-to-go for their dinners and family functions such as Christmas Eve,” Perry said. “I think I sell more soup than any restaurant in Sacramento.”

Complete lunches and dinners include tureen of minestrone soup, salad, an entrée of one’s choice, pasta, vegetables, coffee or iced tea and spumoni.

Prices for these lunches range from $9 to $11 and the dinner prices range from $15 to $20. And for those who prefer a lighter meal, soups and salads cost about $5.

The restaurant also includes the following daily specials: roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy on Tuesdays, veal stew on Wednesdays, corned beef and cabbage on Thursdays and meatloaf on Fridays.

Paula said that people are attracted to the restaurant, in general, because it reminds them of the traditional, family-style restaurants of New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

“It reminds them of the Godfather-type restaurants,” Perry added with a chuckle.

Español Restaurant, which has a seating capacity of 160, is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Perry said that he takes great pride in carrying forth the tradition of what he refers to as “the Italian restaurant with a Spanish name.”

“We’re proud of our long history in East Sacramento, as well as the Old Sacramento area, and we invite people to take a step back in time and drive to East Sacramento to enjoy Sacramento’s oldest restaurant,” Perry said. “Come on in, join us and experience traditional, family-style cooking and be part of the Español family.”

For additional information about Español Restaurant, call (916) 457-1936.

 

E-mail Lance with lance@valcomnews.com.