Sacramento Archives - International Food Blogger Conference

Our Board, A Special Winner & An Alumni Discount

December 13, 2017 by Kristy Wenz

Hello IFBC fans! We have a few updates and reminders as we move toward the New Year.

First, we would like to welcome and introduce the 2018 IFBC Advisory Board. Last year, we implemented the Advisory Board for the first time and they have proven to be instrumental to our planning efforts. This talented group of food bloggers and experts advises us on content, speakers, excursions, and keeps us on top of trends in food blogging and social media. This year we are welcoming Elise Bauer, Catherine Enfield, Toni Dash, Tim Gast, Doug Levy, Wendi Spraker and Julia Stambules to the IFBC. You can read all about this awesome team on our Advisory Board page.

We also want to say a big congratulations to Kaylen of Flavorful Eats. Kaylen, a first time attendee of IFBC in 2017, is the winner of the Visit Sacramento trip for two back to the Golden State and Farm-to-Fork capitol. Congratulations Kaylen and thank you to our awesome hosts, Visit Sacramento! Also, a big thank you to everyone who shared posts from our 9th annual IFBC in Sacramento this past September. You can read them all here!

And finally, we want to remind our IFBC Alumni that the deadline for big savings on IFBC 2018 in New Orleans is fast approaching. Use your exclusive alumni discount to register by 12/31/2017 and save. Please check your email for the discount code, or contact us with any questions.

Cheers to you all this holiday season! May your holidays be full of delicious memories and we hope to see you all in New Orleans in 2018! Register today.

The Sacramento Region’s Farm-to-Fork Program Showcasing the Bounty of America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital

July 22, 2016 by Allan

Farm to Fork isn’t a passing fad or a marketing slogan in the Sacramento region – it’s the way we live. The region has been an agricultural powerhouse for centuries, boasting a year-round growing season, ideal climate and a mouth-watering bounty of crops. Chances are, if you’re enjoying a meal in the Sacramento region, it came from a local farm.

But while Sacramento was farm to fork long before the concept had a name, it took a team of culinary and agricultural leaders to bring the region’s Farm-to-Fork Program to life. In 2012, Josh Nelson of the Selland Family Restaurants approached the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau with the idea that the region should shine a light on its amazing food and agriculture and share it with the rest of the country. Soon after, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson declared the region America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, and the rest is history.

One of the best times to join in the Sacramento region’s farm-to-fork fun is during the annual Farm-to-Fork Celebration each September. For an entire month, fresh food takes center stage with farm tours, street festivals, special dinners and other events happening almost every day. The SCVB hosts several hallmark events throughout the Celebration, designed to showcase where our food and drinks come from. These festivities include:

The Farm-Fresh Food Drive (Sept. 7) – The Farm-to-Fork Program will once again team up with the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services to host a fresh produce food drive at the Food Bank’s cold storage facility to officially kick off the 2016 Celebration; last year’s drive became 142,000 meals that fed 16,000 people for three days. The organizations will work with area farms and grocers to gather fresh, local produce to then be distributed to regional food bank clients. Members of the community are also invited to donate from their own home gardens and orchards. After raising a Guinness World Record-setting 170,923 lbs. in 2015, Farm to Fork will aim to beat the record, and Guinness will again be on-hand to adjudicate.

Farm-to-Fork Restaurant Weeks Presented by Raley’s (Sept. 8-Sept. 25) – Farm-to-Fork Restaurant Weeksreturns in 2016, with eateries across the greater Sacramento region offering seasonal farm-to-fork menus in honor of America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. The events are produced by the California Restaurant Association, and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Food Literacy Center.

Farm-to-Fork Legends of Wine Presented by Cadillac (Sept. 16) – The season’s premier wine tasting evening will return to the State Capitol. National wine experts Darrell Corti and David Berkley will select wineries from across the region to pour on the Capitol’s West Steps, alongside area eateries like Hook & Ladder serving delicious bites. Tickets are on sale now at www.farmtofork.com/events/legends-of-wine.

Farm Tank (Sept. 22-23) – The SCVB has partnered with leading food non-profit Food Tank to bring a new, West Coast version of its popular East Coast conference series to Sacramento this September. The annual “Farm Tank” Conference will be a first-of-its kind event that features more than 70 food and agriculture experts from across the country and the Sacramento region. In addition to speakers’ panels, Farm Tank will include a day of hands-on learning excursions to regional farms, distribution centers, restaurants and other related sites to highlight the greater Sacramento area’s key role in the country’s food system. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com.

Farm-to-Fork Festival (Sept. 24) – The country’s most-anticipated fresh-food party will be back on Sacramento’s Capitol Mall, bigger and better than ever. Attendees will find more than a half mile of booths from area farms, ranches, restaurants and more, along with beer and wine gardens, chef demo stages and kids’ activities. National celebrity chef Rick Moonen will be among the culinary experts to hit the live demo stages, and musical acts will also perform throughout the afternoon. The event remains admission free, with proceeds from Tower Bridge Dinner ticket sales going directly to fund the expanded Festival.

Farm-to-Fork Gala (Sept. 25) – The month-long Celebration will conclude on Sacramento’s iconic Tower Bridge when close to 800 diners enjoy a one-of-a-kind culinary experience created by the region’s top farmers and chefs. In its fourth year, this fundraising dinner will focus on the unique collaborative nature between the region’s farmers and chefs, with teams working together to create a five-course meal. Details on the lead culinary team and can be found at farmtofork.com.

Stay in touch!

Visit Farm-to-Fork for more information.

Follow on Twitter @SacFarm2Fork, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram

Mother at Friday’s Taste of Sacramento Culinary Fair

July 22, 2016 by Allan

Mother is a vegetarian restaurant offering great food that just so happens to be meatless. Our staff is warmhearted, efficient and loved. We’ve put as much thought in our staffing as our brick and mortar. Our cuisine is inspired by southern american cooking featuring dishes that will undoubtedly play with the nostalgia receptors in your brain. The food is rustic, dynamic, and unfussy.

Here, a short Q&A with Partner, Ryan Donahue, especially for anyone outside the area. Safe travels, all!

Chicken-fried Mushroom Po’Boy from Mother

Welcome to Sacramento FAQ

So, why Sacramento?
We’re in one of the greatest ag areas on the planet.

Is that why it’s so damn hot?
Ya.

What excites you about food in Sacramento?
With the recent restaurant boom it’s encouraging to see developers invest in local talent, and to see/taste what those individuals do. Plus, we have good coffee, booze and beer damn near everywhere.

How do you feel about bloggers?
Love ’em. The media landscape is in the throes of a sea change. Customers have an insatiable hunger for content and traditional media isn’t equipped to relate the vast array of experiences that can be had at a brewery, roastery, farmers market or restaurant to readers. Bloggers, collectively, have the ability to define hospitality at a much higher resolution.

If you we me, what are some must haves in town?
Some of my favorites are coffee at The Mill, breakfast at Nopalitos, the “Corti Special” at Corti Brothers for lunch (absolutely go to Corti Brothers… It’s your duty), beer at Pangaea, and Spinoccoli Pizza at Zeldas. If you hit all these places I’ll buy you a cocktail at Empress.

Assfire?
Glad you asked. Many restaurants in Sacramento maintain a supply of habanero hot sauce in the back of the house. More on this here.

It’s late and I’m hungry.
Sa Rang Bang.

Ryan Donahue is a partner in downtown’s Empress Tavern and Mother.

Ginger Elizabeth at Friday’s Taste of Sacramento Culinary Fair

July 21, 2016 by Allan

Within a sea of restuarants, we are thrilled to host chocolatier Ginger Elizabeth. She says, “Little things may take longer, but they matter. Taking the extra steps to create exceptional products is an essential value, and a key to achieving excellence. We know our customers appreciate such attention to details.”

Ginger Elizabeth Hahn is a formally trained chocolatier and pastry chef who has been studying and working professionally with chocolate for over 10 years. She studied pastry at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. She graduated top of her class receiving the CIA Management Award and Angel Scholastic Award.

1. In one sentence, describe your ethos or goal with Ginger Elizabeth.
My goal with Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates is to create truly memorable experiences and traditions around chocolate and pastry.

2. You are in farm country – do you have a favorite veg or fruit that you wait for all year?
In the summertime I’m waiting for the winter citrus crop … amazingly floral bergamot and yuzu are my favorites! In the winter I long for olallieberries … I get them from a farm in the foothills where I grew up. We’ve taken advantage of our proximity to amazing local farmers by making sure to preserve fruit at the peak of its season so that we can access flavors year round.

3. What inspires you, as a chef?
Travel inspires me immensely. Whether it is a short weekend away or a longer leisurely trip, traveling always seems to take my mind to a creative space.

4. How has technology shaped your business?
Most notably, technology allows me to tell my story in a way that way not possible even a few years ago. Through the internet and social media we can access a virtually limitless audience.
Technology also allows us to share and learn efficiently as a professional community. This sparks increasing creativity and keeps standards high.

5. What are you serving at IFBC?
•   Walnut Shortbread Praline Bonbon, made with organic Fully Belly Farm Walnuts.
•   Olive Oil and Sea Salt Bonbon, made with organic Yolo Press Olive Oil and Jacobsen Sea Salt.
•   Salty Caramel Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches, made with Jacobsen Sea Salt.
•   Olallieberry Pie Macarons, made with organic ARC Farms Olallieberries.

6. If you could talk to all of our bloggers individually, what would you want them to know about food, technology, your biz?

This is such an exciting time to be working with food! There is a renewed interest in farming which is bringing us a growing and diverse array of products with which to work. Here in Northern California, we are especially fortunate to be surrounded by amazing farmers and producers. Technology has given professionals and consumers alike increasingly easy access to knowledge and ideas. As a result, more and more people are seeking out meaningful food experiences on a regular basis. My goal is to take advantage of all of these wonderful opportunities to continue creating innovative, compelling and – above all – delicious chocolates, macarons, ice cream and desserts. For techniques and ideas I keep my eye on the global community of professionals; when choosing ingredients, I focus on using the amazing produce and other resources grown and produced close to home.

Our Board, A Special Winner & An Alumni Discount

Search

Contact Us

Search

Follow Us

Contact Us