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Category: Food and Drink

  • Farmer’s Kitchen Cafe Energy Prices Force it Out of D Street Location

    Farmers-kitchen-cafeby Scott Steward

    My brother came over from the Bay Area, where they have a lot of great dessert shops, and we sat down on my mom's west Davis back patio for a picnic lunch.

    I had stopped at previously at the Farmer’s Kitchen Cafe and picked up a beautiful (gluten-free) crust strawberry and raspberry pie, which we had with a small amount of ice cream, following our humus and vegetable platter with potato and green salads.

    But the pie! "Best pie I've had," my brother exclaimed, and his wife agreed and the seven of us present were able to eat half of the large 12" diameter desert. 

    This is the kind of consistently tasty and inspired eating you get from the Farmer's Family Cafe. Roseanne and her family have served sit-down no hurry service, and have provided a subscription menu, for years from the D Street location, but no more as of this July.

    In the last eight months, Roseanne has had to pay PG&E $36,000 in energy bills. Energy bills have always been high for the businesses renting in the conspicuously inefficient 11,400 sq ft D Street building (est. built in the 60s), but the last 8 months are different. $36,000, and Roseanne—who is not one to want to move—is moving to a new location to be announced once all is settled.

    Two systemic problems forced Roseanne's hand, and she is just one of the majority of businesses that have seen profits reduced by high utility bills. Not since Enron in 2000 have utilities increased so much in such a short period of time. The owners of these old buildings keep on collecting rent checks and do nothing about what it costs tenant businesses to keep buildings cool and food hot.

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  • Tenth Davis Pride kicks off on June 1

    DragCrowd 1

    A drag queen interacts with a young festivalgoer at the 2023 Davis Pride Festival. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    By Wendy Weitzel

    The rainbow crosswalks are being painted Sunday in downtown Davis, signaling the path to a month full of Davis Pride celebrations ahead in June.

    This is the 10th year of Davis Pride activities, organized by the nonprofit Davis Phoenix Coalition. For 2024, highlights include the Davis Pride Community Fair and Music Festival, an after party, a fun run, skate night, comedy night, and plenty of drag.

    This year’s theme is “Davis Pride – Because Yolo County is for Everyone!” It follows the Davis Phoenix Coalition’s recent lawn sign messages “Davis is for Everyone” and “Yolo County is for Everyone,” to counter the far-right actions experienced in the community.

    The 10th annual Davis Pride Community Fair and Music Festival has a new location this year: Civic Center Park, at Sixth and B streets. The community-focused, family-friendly event includes a music festival, resources, vendors, food, drinks and more – from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 1.

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  • Past honored in 10th year of Davis Pride

    FourLeap2023

    Gloria Partida, left, Jessica Uzarski, Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs and Mily Ron jump for joy after volunteers complete the rainbow crosswalk painting in downtown Davis on May 30, 2023. This year’s painting will be from 6 to 9 a.m. on Sunday, May 26 around Central Park in Davis. (Courtesy photo)

    By Wendy Weitzel

    As the Davis Phoenix Coalition marks its 10th year of Davis Pride activities next month, its members also want to honor those who painted that rainbow road.

    Pride celebrations in Davis go much deeper than a decade. Every June from 1996 to 2006, local LGBTQ+ activists Shelly Bailes and Ellen Pontac coordinated the Yolo County Lesbian and Gay Picnic Day. After it took a hiatus, the event was revived in 2015 by the nonprofit Davis Phoenix Coalition, which rebranded it as Davis Pride. Rising from its origins as a single-day event with 500 participants in the 1990s, it has become a monthlong June celebration, drawing close to 10,000 people. These participants come from all segments of the local population, happy to gather in support of LGBTQ+ rights.

    This year, highlights include the Davis Pride Community Fair and Music Festival, an after party, a fun run, skate night, comedy night, and plenty of drag.

    Gloria Partida founded the Davis Phoenix Coalition in 2013 after her son, Lawrence “Mikey” Partida was brutally beaten in an anti-gay attack. She and other organizers started Davis Pride with the idea of a fun run, and added a family-friendly festival for the whole community.

    Despite successes like the federal legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015, they knew Davis Pride would be controversial. She saw what Bailes and Pontac went through. “They had a lot of pushback when they were doing the work,” Partida said.

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  • Davis Pride to celebrate 10th anniversary

    PrideFest2023

    Festivalgoers enjoy the 2023 Davis Pride Festival. This year’s event is June 1 (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) The Davis Phoenix Coalition plans a month full of events to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride, beginning with its 10th annual festival on June 1. Activities also include a festival after party, fun run, skate and comedy nights, and plenty of drag queens.

    The activities share the theme “Davis Pride – Because Yolo County is for Everyone!” It follows the Davis Phoenix Coalition’s recent lawn sign messages “Davis is for Everyone” and “Yolo County is for Everyone,” to counter the far-right actions experienced in the community.

    The 10th annual Davis Pride Community Fair and Music Festival has a new location this year: Civic Center Park, at Sixth and B streets. The community-focused, family-friendly event includes a music festival, resources, vendors, food, drinks and more – from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 1. Headlining the musical lineup is Davis’ own Butterscotch, a Season 2 finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Other performers include Deuces & Diamonds in a special reunion performance, the Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus, Team Davis Singers, and the always popular Drag Revue. Other artists will be announced soon. There will be activity zones for children, teens and seniors.

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  • Picnic in the Park returns to Davis on May 1

    PIP2023

    Patrons enjoy the first Picnic in the Park of the 2023 season. The annual Davis Farmers Market tradition returns in May, and runs every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. through September in Central Park. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) The music, food and family fun of Picnic in the Park returns to the Davis Farmers Market on May 1.

    The popular event is every Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m., May through September. A local band plays each night. There’s children’s entertainment, loads of food vendors, and plenty of opportunity to gather as a community. October through April, there’s a traditional farmers market on Wednesdays, from 3 to 6 p.m.

    Upcoming bands on the 2024 Picnic in the Park schedule are: Cold Shot (dance party) on May 1; 5-Star Alcatraz (indie, alt rock) on May 8; Kindred Spirits (folk rock) on May 15; Penny Lane (Beatles) on May 22; According to Bazooka (indie, folk, pop) on May 29; The Teds (rock) on June 5; Island Crew (beach tunes) on June 12; and Julie and the Jukes (classic blues) on June 19. Bands are still being booked through September. Check the entertainment schedule at https://www.davisfarmersmarket.org/entertainment-schedule/.

    Tables and chairs in the Market Food Court are sponsored by A Grand Affair Party and Event Rentals. They are for use while enjoying market-purchased food. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets for picnicking on the lawn.

    During operating hours, the market will have an open-container permit, allowing patrons to consume alcohol, whether it’s canned beer from one of the four Davis breweries rotating each week, a bottle of wine from Heringer Estates, or a beverage they brought from home. Check the brewery rotation schedule at https://www.davisfarmersmarket.org/2024-beer-schedule/.

    Picnic in the Park will focus on family-friendly children’s activities and music, along with a wide range of food made from market ingredients. There is a clown, face-painter and children’s activities. The Davis Schools Foundation is organizing the pedal-powered carousel.

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  • Three Davis Farmers Market vendors featured in new Food Network show

    BiteGroup

    Contestants and judges pose with Guy Fieri on Aug. 1, the day the “Best Bite in Town” was filmed in Davis’ Central Park (Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) Six Davis restaurants are featured in the premiere of Food Network’s newest series “Best Bite in Town,” which airs Sunday, April 7 at 10 p.m. Three of those restaurants are vendors at the Davis Farmers Market, and will be available at the Saturday, April 6 market in downtown Davis.

    The six restaurants are Handheld Sweet & Savory Pies, Hikari Sushi & Omakase, The Hotdogger, Sudwerk Brewing Co., Tommy J’s Grill and Zumapoke. From 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Handheld, The Hotdogger and Zumapoke will be at the Davis Farmers Market, in Central Park, 301 C St. in Davis. The park is where the competition segment of the show was filmed. The winner will not be announced before it airs.

    For the show, filmed in late July and early August, Guy Fieri sends a trio of judges, his buddy Noah Cappe and acclaimed chefs Tiffani Faison and Jet Tila, to hit the food scene in Davis. Each judge selects two restaurants, trying everything from college hangouts and local pubs to bicycle-friendly eateries and high-end sushi. After tasting a wide variety of delicious food, they select one dish each to take to a crowd-packed showcase in Central Park where a panel of Fieri judges taste and determine which restaurant has the best bite in town.

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  • Help ‘Stuff the Bus’ With Food, Other Essentials

    Flyer_StuffTheBuss(From press release) Unitrans and the Davis Food Co-op invite the community on Dec. 16 to “Stuff the Bus” with food and some of life’s other essentials for The Pantry, which serves UC Davis students in need.

    One of Unitrans’ vintage double-deckers from London will be ready to take aboard donations for the seventh annual collection 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Davis Food Co-op, 620 G St.

    The first 50 donors will receive a Unitrans pass good for 10 rides on the campus-city transit service and a $10 coupon for the Davis Food Co-op. Everyone is invited to have some fun by climbing to the top deck of the bus.

    Nonperishable food items — including easy grab-and-go snacks — dominate the list of needed goods at The Pantry, which is a unit of the Associated Students of UC Davis. Staff said toiletries and hygiene products are also a high priority.

    Some of the specific items on The Pantry’s wish list are canned, ready-to-eat meals; cooking utensils; healthy snacks; gluten-free foods; canned soups; peanut butter; jam; fruit juice; and baby formula.

    “Pretty much anything that’s reasonably healthy, we’ll take it!” said Sergio Bocardo- Aguilar, director of The Pantry. “Things we’d like to avoid are sugary foods and non- nutritious food.”

    Starting in a living room in 1972, the Davis Food Co-op has grown into a full-service grocery store owned and operated by more than 8,000 households. It features natural, organic and local foods but strives to offer a full spectrum of groceries to serve the entire community.

    Unitrans has been serving the community for more than 50 years with a fleet of red buses that includes new and vintage double-deckers and, more recently, electric, single-deck buses.

  • Gift Basket Central returns to the Davis Farmers Market

    BaileyMorrisGBC

    Bailey Morris shows a completed Davis Farmers Market gift basket in December 2022. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) The Davis Farmers Market’s Gift Basket Central is back, offering free baskets and wrapping of market items on Saturdays.

    Every Saturday until the new year, shoppers can compile items for custom gift baskets, and have them wrapped for free at the market’s Gift Basket Central station. There are red, green and blue tissue options, neutral and red baskets, cellophane wrapping and various colored ribbons. The service is available to anyone who purchases three or more items at the Davis Farmers Market, at 301 C St. in Central Park.

    The market is open regular hours (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), every Saturday through the holidays. It will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

    Looking for ideas? Besides the abundant produce, market sellers offer preserved jams and sauces, lemon curd, honey, balsamic vinegars, olive oils, dried herbs, nuts and nut butters. There are sweets like dried fruit or chocolate-covered almonds, pistachio brittle, and local wines. Other items include handmade soaps and lotions, wreaths, hats and scarves. Enjoy coffee and hot food, and peruse artisan crafts, market-logo merchandise, and surprising local ingredients for gift baskets.

    There’s also “The Davis Farmers Market Cookbook, Revised Edition,” which features seasonal recipes from market produce. Also at the Market Shed, there are shopping baskets, market-logo aprons, hats, totes, mugs and T-shirts. Shoppers have access to an ATM, and the Market Shed accepts credit and debit cards.

    Still need inspiration? Market staffers are prepared with a list of gift basket ideas for chefs, bakers, party hosts, chocolate lovers, and youths, or with themes like breakfast or relaxation.

    The rest of the year, the Davis Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Wednesday hours are 3 to 6 p.m. through mid-May, and 4 to 8 p.m. Mid-May through early September for Picnic in the Park.

    For more information, visit https://www.davisfarmersmarket.org/ or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • Farmers market plans extended Pre-Thanksgiving event

    BrusselsStalk

    Brussels sprouts on the stalk are a popular item at the Davis Farmers Market's annual Pre-Thanksgiving Market, set for Nov. 22. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    (From press release) The day before Thanksgiving, the Davis Farmers Market extends its hours. This year’s annual Pre-Thanksgiving Market will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Central Park, 301 C St., Davis.

    On Wednesday, Nov. 22, the market will have a bounty of seasonal produce, flowers and table décor, olive oil, nuts, honey and wine from two wineries. Several bakeries will have fresh-baked items like pumpkin, apple, pecan and berry pies and pumpkin cheesecake; breads, rolls, stuffing mix and cookies. There will be dips and Kettle Corn too.

    The rest of the season, visit the market from 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays, and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. It will be closed on Wednesday, Dec.  27. For more information, visit https://davisfarmersmarket.org or visit it on Facebook or Instagram.

  • G Street Reimagined

    G Street Reimagined-1

    (Click to see larger version)

    By Architect Marcus Marino of Design M Group

    On October 4th, the engineering firm hired by City planning staff presented their options for G Street to the community for comments. The Davis Enterprise newspaper wrote an article on this but neglected to mention the alternative plan prepared and presented by the Davis architectural firm, Design M Group. The firm’s architect, Marcus Marino, explained the major differences between his proposal and the City planning staff’s proposals.

    The City of Davis has reduced G Street to a 20-foot wide pedestrian/emergency vehicle area in the center of the street. City Planning’s proposal is to keep the sidewalks for pedestrians as well. Design M Group proposes a different plan: pedestrians use the center width of the street while using the existing sidewalks and sides of the street for restaurant seating, store display areas, or parklets with kiosks. This plan could enliven the pedestrian area, allowing a more cohesive atmosphere for the extension of the restaurants and potentially increasing revenue for the City of Davis.

    Design M Group proposes making G Street level from the pedestrian area to the sidewalks by milling the street and using an outdoor, raised flooring system. This raised flooring would permit stormwater to continue to flow in the same way that it does now, potentially reducing costs to the City. Design M Group’s proposal also aims to have a simpler and more cost-efficient way to correct the parking area near 2nd Street.

    G Street Reimagined-2

    (Click to see larger version)

    The most dramatic part of the proposal was the suggestion to build gateway signs over the entrances to the G Street area as an homage to the original Davis Arch that stood from 1916 to 1924. The gateway columns would be conical, like those of the original Davis Arch, and they would be built with perforated stainless-steel material that would be lit from the inside—creating a starry night sky effect as people walked by the structure.

    Downtown advocate Aaron Wedra has closely followed both the City’s and Design M Group’s plans and expressed his view by stating, “I believe Design M Group’s recommendations offer more substantial improvements to the pedestrian area of G Street than what the City has considered up to this point. The City has repeatedly emphasized adding strand lighting and street art (and other small improvements), but so much more could be done. This space is our city’s historic main street and, considering its proximity to the train station, could serve as the gateway to downtown. Putting a gateway arch on at least the South entrance would bring a lot of life to this pedestrian space. Additionally, Design M Group’s plans make much better use of the entire width of the street. The City’s current plans seem to partition the street into at least five segments unnecessarily.”

    Design M Group’s architectural renderings can be seen at https://smartzgraphics.wixsite.com/design-m.