Pocket Life January 2020

By Corky Mau
January 2020

Roll Out the Barrel

Device taproom brings new taste to promenade

For thirsty Pocket residents, the wait is almost over for Device Brewing Company’s new taproom in the Promenade Shopping Center. The rollout will be gradual, but thanks to Device the Pocket restaurant scene will get a significant lift in 2020.

Device owner Ken Anthony, who lives in Pocket, took me on a walkthrough of his new taproom. What a transformation. The former Tuesday Morning retail store has been reimagined as a family-friendly eatery and taproom.

Ken and wife Melissa opened their first Device Brewing in 2013 in the Power Inn industrial area. Beer production and product packaging continues at the Power Inn site.
In 2018, the Anthony family opened a second taproom in the Ice Blocks at 16th and R streets. The Rush River Drive site makes three locations for the owners.

“For years, Melissa and I went into Downtown or Elk Grove to dine and relax with our family,” Ken says. “We didn’t think the Pocket had many family-friendly choices. Rather than complain about it, we came up with a solution: Build a taproom and kitchen right here in the community where we live.”

The taproom is kid friendly. There’s a game area for children of all ages and a “parent’s bar” that overlooks a dedicated play area for smaller family members. There are two large outdoor patios where patrons can dine and relax.

The taproom will serve up to 24 beers and cider on tap, plus wine. The food menu offers affordable choices from gourmet sausages and Philly-style cheesesteak sandwiches to fresh salads. I bet the Snake River Farms Kobe beef corndog will be a hit.

The Anthony family apparently has a solid business model—Device beers are distributed throughout California in more than 1,000 retail establishments.
Ken and Melissa will be pleased to have you stop by and visit. I’m not alone in welcoming their investment to our neighborhood.

REMEMBERING LINA FAT

Fat family matriarch Lina Fat passed away in November at the age of 81. The regional restaurant scene will never be the same.

The Hong Kong native attended pharmacy school at UC San Francisco (where she met her husband, Ken Fat, son of Frank Fat) and was working as a part-time pharmacist when the Fat family opened their first restaurant, China Camp in Old Sacramento, with Lina as chef.

Fat lent her business acumen and flair for menu planning to the Fat’s legacy of eateries, eventually becoming the Fat Family Restaurant Group’s vice president of culinary research and development. She also authored “The Lina Fat Cookbook: Recipes From the Fat Family Restaurants,” founded the Sacramento World Music & Dance Festival, and acted as mentor and friend to many of the area’s most celebrated female chefs.

Lina, you will be missed. For more information on the history of the Fat family, visit frankfats.com.

DINE DOWNTOWN

Bring your appetite to the 15th annual Dine Downtown Restaurant Week taking place Jan. 10–20.

Diners can enjoy unique, three-course, prix-fixe menus for $40 at 31 area eateries, including Grange, The Firehouse, Paragary’s, Biba, Ella, The Porch, Frank Fat’s and many more. One dollar from every meal will be donated to social services and food literacy programs in Sacramento.

“Dine Downtown is an event that honors the many culinary talents that have made the heart of Sacramento their home,” says Michael Ault, executive director of Downtown Sacramento Partnership. “Guests have a chance to try new dining experiences and taste some of the most noteworthy restaurants in our region—all while raising funds for two incredible local programs.”

For menus and more information, visit godowntownsac.com/dinedowntown.

CHILI COOK OFF

Elks Lodge No. 6 will hold its ninth annual Chili Cook Off contest Sunday, Jan. 26. Chili tasting is at 4 p.m. and dinner at 5 p.m. A $10 fee includes a baked potato bar (and chili tasting, of course). 

Purchase tickets at the Elks Lodge Office, but act quickly as the event is limited to 100 people. A $5 entry fee for all contestants includes a dinner ticket. For more information, contact Gina D’Arcangelo at (916) 601-8745 or ginadarcangelo@aol.com.

SACRAMENTO COUNTY GRAND JURY

The Sacramento County Superior Court is accepting applications for the 2019-20 Grand Jury term. To be eligible, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old and a resident of Sacramento County.

The grand jury reviews complaints lodged by county residents, investigates city and county governments, and issues criminal indictments. The application deadline is Jan. 25. For more information, visit sacgrandjury.org or call (916) 874-7559.

JFK ROBOTICS TEAM

Robotics students at John F. Kennedy High School have received a $3,000 grant from Bayer Fund to support their participation in the FIRST Robotics program.

The after-school robotics program is designed to promote interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and provide students hands-on training to design, engineer, fabricate and program robots that can perform preassigned tasks at competitions from January through April.

In the 10 years of FIRST competitions, Kennedy Robotics students have received more than 42 major awards. They’ve qualified three times for the World Championship and received the highest student recognition (Dean’s List) in 2016.

Recruitment for the 2019-20 season is now open. Team members cross-train across a wide variety of disciplines, including design, drafting, machining, electronics, welding, 3D printing and computer technology. For more information, visit first3250.com.

2020 CONSTIUENT MEETINGS

Staff from Assemblymember Jim Cooper’s office will meet with residents Thursday, Jan. 16, from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Community Room at the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library.

At 6 p.m., residents will meet with City Councilmember Rick Jennings and staff. The monthly sessions allow constituents to discuss community concerns.  

Corky Mau can be reached at corky.sue50@gmail.com. Submissions are due six weeks prior to the publication month. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @insidesacramento.