VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIALS

-Esquire Grill-
Maine Lobster Mac & Cheese
Melted leeks, mascarpone, herbed breadcrumbs

-Spataro Restaurant & Bar-
Grilled Bone-in Rib Eye Steak
Potato-green garlic puree, rapini, roasted Brussels Sprouts with garlic and lemon

-Paragary’s Bar & Oven-
Dark Chocolate Bombe
Passion Fruit mousse, chocolate ganache, fresh raspberries

Click here to view all Valentine’s Day specials

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DINNER FOR TWO

Whole Enchilada Sunday at Centro Cocina Mexicana
For just $25, you’ll get TWO Centro Margaritas and TWO Enchilada Entrees. Available only after 5pm on Sundays.

Dinner for Two at Cafe Bernardo
Join us for two entrees, two side salads, and a carafe of wine. All for just $25! Available only at Cafe Bernardo Midtown (28th & Capitol) Monday-Thursday, 5pm-close. Entrees and wine selection change weekly.

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VALENTINE’S DAY GIVEAWAY
Did you meet your sweetie for the first time at a Paragary restaurant? Or was your your first date at a Paragary restaurant? If so, tell us!!

Leave a comment below (or on our Facebook page) telling us which Paragary location it was at, when it was, and something in particular that you remember (food, music, decor, etc.). One lucky couple will win a Valentine’s Day dinner (up to $100 value) at a Paragary restaurant. Winners will be selected this Friday 2/10. Good luck!

Valid only at Cafe Bernardo Midtown (28th & Capitol) Monday-Thursday,
5pm-close. Entrees and wine selection change weekly.

This week’s Dinner for Two features Orrechiette Pasta (with Roasted cauliflower, leeks, pancetta, cream, chopped herbs, and Parmesan), two Mixed Greens Salads, and a carafe of Stone Cellars Chardonnay.

Centro Cocina Mexicana is now offering a Dinner for Two on Sunday evenings. For just $25, you’ll get TWO Enchiladas and TWO Centro Margaritas!

TWO Margaritas:

Margarita a la Centro
Sauza Blanco, Triple Sec, Fresh Lime Juice

Pick any TWO Enchiladas entrees below:

Enchiladas de Papas
Corn tortillas stuffed with potatoes, poblano chiles, braised swiss chard, chipotle-roasted tomato sauce, steamed rice and whole black beans

Enchiladas de Pollo  Michoacán
Shredded chicken, tomatillo sauce, radishes, cotija cheese, crema, steamed rice, whole pinto beans

Enchiladas Oaxaqueñas  Oaxaca
Chicken, mole negro (a traditional sauce of dried chiles, plantains, raisins, chocolate, and nuts), crema, sesame seeds, steamed rice, refried black beans

]]> http://paragarys.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/whole-enchilada-sundays-at-centro/feed/ 0 melissanielsen CEN_Sunday http://paragarys.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/dine-downtown-2012/ http://paragarys.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/dine-downtown-2012/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 18:40:52 +0000 PRG Marketing Team http://paragarys.wordpress.com/?p=756 Continue reading →]]> Experience the best of Downtown Sacramento’s dining scene during the award-winning Dine Downtown Restaurant Week. For 10 days only, local chefs will create special 3-course dinner menus for only $30 per person.

Visit the Dine Downtown website for more information and a list of other participating Sacramento restaurants.

Reservations are filling up quickly, so reserve your table today at Esquire Grill, Paragary’s Bar & Oven, and Spataro Restaurant & Bar!

Menu available online
For reservations, call (916) 440-8888 or click here to book online

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Menu available online
For reservations, call (916) 448-8900 or click here to book online

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Menu available online
For reservations, call (916) 457-5737

Gary Grogan

Hometown: Columbus, OH

How long have you worked for PRG? 25 years!

Best part of working at your PRG location? Knowing most of the guests. It is great to watch their children grow up and eventually bring their own children to the restaurant. I love watching different generations of families come here to eat.

First job ever: Helping my dad fix his Pontiac and Cadillac cars.

What is your favorite food to eat? Dungeness Crab, artichokes, and sweetbreads.

Drink of choice: Red wine, Cognac and Armagnac.

If you could add any item to your PRG restaurant’s menu, what would it be? Paragary’s Chef TJ Brewer’s “Risky Chicken.”

When not at work, you can find me… at home cooking and drinking red wine.

What are your indulgences? Computers, motorcycles, and watching rugby.

What is your favorite food-related TV show? Barefoot Contessa.

What do you do for fun? I’m a USA Rugby Referee

Best PRG memory: Watching hundreds of college kids wait for the free pizza on Friday and Saturday nights at Paragary’s Bar and Oven!

Whether you’re looking for a nice dinner or a late night party, we’ve got you covered.

$40 3-Course Dinner

Start your New Year’s Eve celebration with an elegant dinner at Paragary’s Bar and Oven, Spataro Restaurant and Bar, or Esquire Grill. Each restaurant will be offering a special $40 3-Course menu (in addition to the regular menu). Reservations are strongly recommended. Reserve your table today! Click the links below to view menus.

Menu: Spataro Restaurant and Bar

Menu: Esquire Grill

Menu: Paragary’s Bar and Oven

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$3 Cocktails All-Night

Ring in the New Year at R15 Bar or Monkey Bar. Both bars will feature $3 cocktails all-night, no cover and a champagne toast at midnight!

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Other Events in Sacramento

Looking for something to do in Sacramento on New Year’s Eve? Check out these great events within walking distance of our restaurants.

Community Center Theatre Presents:
“Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles”
December 31, 2011
Shows at 2pm and 8pm
Rain performs the full range of The Beatles’ discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience. Together longer than The Beatles, Rain has mastered every song, gesture and nuance of the legendary foursome, delivering a totally live, note-for-note performance in this multimedia concert, that’s as infectious as it is transporting.
calmt.com

Hyatt Regency-Sacramento Presents:
New Year’s Eve Party
December 31, 2011 8pm-2am
If you’re looking for a late night party, check out the Hyatt’s New Year’s Eve Party at The New L on 12 Nightclub with DJ Rated R and the Cheeseballs and at the Acoustic Lounge with Quinn Hedges and Ryan Hernandez.
sacramento.hyatt.com

Click here for more event listings

KITCHEN TOOLS

Mac Knives
There are many excellent brands of Japanese chef’s knives available. What’s unique about Mac Knives is that the distribution center for the US is located in Sacramento. You can visit the showroom and select from dozens of options.  Excellent customer service is provided by the owner of the company.
Mac Knife, Inc.
9624 Kiefer Blvd #1
(916)854-9974
sales@macknife.com

Riedel Glassware
For those who enjoy drinking good wine, having the proper glassware can heighten the pleasure immeasurably. Reidel is an Austrian based company well known for making fine wine and cocktail glassware. There are several different levels of craftsmanship each with there own level of pricing. I like the Vinum series for home use.
Reidel.com

Mortar and Pestle
This is one of my favorite tools. It’s great for pounding a clove of garlic or an anchovy for salad dressings or for grinding small amounts of spices for making curries or marinades. It’s looks great on the counter too! A good choice for all around use is the Italian marble mortars available at Sur la Table.
Surlatable.com   

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COOKBOOKS

On Food and Cooking by Harold Mcgee
A classic reference book on the science of cooking that will keep any foodie occupied for years to come. The book has been recently revised and updated.

The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters
An excellent reference book on how to cook things from apple crisp to roast turkey. Full of great ideas, techniques and flavor combinations.

Grand Livre de Cuisine by Alain Ducasse
Over a thousand pages of recipes, techniques and photographs for those interested in classic and contemporary French Cuisine. Perfect for the most ambitious among your food geek friends or relatives.

Orrechiette
Roasted cauliflower, leeks, pancetta, cream, chopped herbs, Parmesan

Roasted Turkey Sandwich
Cranberry-pear chutney, smoked Gouda, mixed greens, sage mayonnaise

Sonoma County Spinach & Delta Pear Salad
Dried cranberries, red onion, Laurel Chenel goat cheese, hazelnuts, whole grain mustard vinaigrette

Napa Cabbage & Tofu Salad
Carrots, mushrooms, scallions, sesame seeds, soy-ginger vinaigrette

Cafe Bernardo Davis

Pan Seared Chicken
Roasted carrots and parsnips, mashed potatoes, mustard pan sauce

Reuben Sandwich
Pastrami, swiss cheese, housemade sauerkraut, Russian dressing

Grilled Salmon
Roasted butternut squash, roasted red onion, spinach, brown butter almond sauce

In need of a last-minute Thanksgiving recipe? Make this delicious Butternut Squash Gratin from Paragary’s Bar and Oven!

Ingredients:
1 medium Butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1/8” slices
4 cups heavy cream
1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
3-4 sprigs of thyme
grated nutmeg
1/2 Yellow onion, roughly chopped
Sea salt and pepper
2 Bay leaves
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Combine cream, garlic, herbs, and onions in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to cook over a very low flame until garlic and onion are very soft, 30-40 minutes. Strain mixture and season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.

Arrange squash in a 9” by 13” baking dish, seasoning each layer with a little Parmesan cheese. Pour the infused cream over the layered squash and season the top with more Parmesan. Allow the ingredients to settle for several minutes. Bake the gratin at 350 degrees until squash is very tender and cream has been absorbed. Let the gratin cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

FERRAN: The Inside Story of El Bulli and The Man Who Reinvented Food by Colman Andrews

Why are you recommending this book?
Interesting and fun read about a famous chef from Spain who is well revered in our field.

Who should read this book?
For both professional and home cooks who want to learn about a far-influencing chef who runs the #1 restaurant in the world and is a leader in food gastronomy and technology.

Why did you choose to read this book?
I wanted to learn about the origin of our worldly food influences and how it affects what top American chefs do today.

What did you like the most about this book?
So far, the writer writes passionately about Ferran and his restaurant and how it became something from nothing. Mr. Andrews seems to be an intense foodie and it shows through his love for storytelling.

Book Details

Book available at: Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com

Book Summary (from Barnes & Noble):

The first-ever biography of Ferran Adrià, the chef behind Spain’s renowned El Bulli restaurant, by one of the world’s foremost food authorities.

Ferran Adrià is arguably the greatest culinary revolutionary of our time. Hailed as a genius and a prophet by fellow chefs, worshipped (if often misunderstood) by critics and lay diners alike, Adrià is imitated and paid homage to in professional kitchens, and in more than a few private ones, all over the world.

In his lively close-up portrait of Adrià, award-winning food writer Colman Andrews traces this groundbreaking chef ‘s rise from resort- hotel dishwasher to culinary deity, and the evolution of El Bulli from a German-owned beach bar into the establishment voted annually by an international jury to be “the world’s best restaurant.” With a new afterword for the paperback edition, Ferran brings to life the most exciting food movement of our time and illuminates the ways in which Adrià has forever altered our understanding and appreciation of food and cooking.

Have you read Ferran? If so, please leave a comment below and tell us what you thought about the book.