Mar 28, 2026
Valene Byrd is all about helping with art. She’s the founder of ART-TISM, a nonprofit that provides art activities, resources and advocacy for children on the autism spectrum and their families.
ART-TISM started as an act of love for Byrd’s son, Mateo. During the pandemic, longtime teacher Byrd transformed her living room into a classroom for Mateo, now 11, who has autism.
She worried about the impact of isolation and wanted him ready to transition back to the classroom. Byrd reserved half a wall for Mateo’s art. At the end of the year, the wall was full of his drawings.
Mar 28, 2026
This year’s State of Downtown Breakfast was a modest affair. With no high-profile project or plan to unveil, the event featured mostly small steps unlikely to generate much excitement.
But there’s no shortage of cool stuff happening to shake the central city out of the doldrums.
Let’s start with safety. Downtown Partnership Executive Director Michael Ault says nothing’s more important than keeping people safe. That’s why the partnership is hiring private security patrols to augment police.
“Safety is the foundation that our city needs to be built on and without it nothing else will succeed,” Ault told the breakfast audience.
Mar 1, 2026
Sacramento spends astonishing sums trying to address homelessness—more than $120 million in five years. Yet the crisis continues to dominate our streets, parks, business districts and neighborhoods.
A recent investigation by the Bee lays out where the money went and why the results were so limited. The findings deserve close attention from residents who wonder how so much public investment produces so little improvement.
The Bee’s reporting shows local strategy centered on building and operating shelters—large sites, tiny home villages, motel conversions and sanctioned camping areas. These projects consume enormous financial and administrative resources.
Mar 1, 2026
Binh Đào and his uncle, Tuong Đào, opened Đào Distillery and tasting room in 2024 to “better serve our community and bring awareness to Vietnamese culture,” Binh says.
At the distillery and tasting room, customers try a traditional Vietnamese rice liquor from the Mekong Delta called rượu đế.
Similar to Japanese shochu or strong sake, the drink was considered moonshine in Vietnam. The Rancho Cordova distillery produces eight variations.
For the Đào family, getting to Sacramento was an epic ordeal.
Feb 28, 2026
Eight years ago, Allora was a new thing. Deneb Williams and Elizabeth-Rose Mandalou put together a fine-dining concept in a town where fine dining was thin. In the years since, Allora stayed true to its roots and found a restrained and beautiful approach to everything it does.
At Allora, every element feels special and curated. Every glass, every plate, every ingredient, every bottle of wine, every interaction. A night at Allora is a special thing not to be missed.
Like many fine-dining restaurants, Allora has a tasting menu where diners select three, four or five courses. I love the four-course option with appetizer, pasta, main and dessert paired with a novel European wine.
