[weaver_extra_menu menu=’foodMenu’ style=’menu-horizontal’ width=’100%’ css=’menu-horizontal’]
A Capitol Idea
I have also run a few successful restaurants over the years, so I know what it takes to operate one. The time, the energy, the commitment can be intense, especially when you first open and, if you are a small operation, the pressure is even greater because you have no support. I know, therefore, that one of the keys (other than skill and money) is to truly enjoy entertaining other people. That is essentially what restaurateurs are – they are entertainers or party hosts. Their party is every night though, and that is the grind. Therefore, it is always nice to meet someone that enjoys both food and hosting a party every night. That is exactly who I met when I sat down with Christine (she likes to be on a first name basis with everyone), one of the owners of Capitol Café in Benicia, to talk to her and her new chef, Arthur, about the restaurant, their food and what they have planned.
As I said, I enjoy all things food and it was fascinating to learn about how Capitol Café created their restaurant and menu. To start, Christine and her partner, Jane, did not really plan to open a restaurant. The previous restaurant in the location had closed and they thought that it was a great place to have a restaurant – right next door to the former Capitol of California – hence the name. They lived close by and, as the building sat empty longer and longer they thought, ‘Hey, we have some experience, some talents and a little bit of time and money,’ so they decided to jump in and give it a whirl. While they had some experience, they were far from experienced restaurateurs.
In the almost two years Capitol Café has been open (May will be their 2nd anniversary) they have had their missteps, blunders and accidents. But, they have persevered, learning and growing into their business. A little luck and hard work has gone quiet a long way in that process and now they have turned the corner and are focused on growing a loyal following. Customers though are not coming in to learn about their business acumen but to enjoy their food – and they will not be disappointed.
Their focus is to provide a fresh take on traditional comfort foods. When I say “fresh” I do not only mean “different” but also fresh in the sense of locally grown or made. Capitol Café likes to produce as much as they can in house and they do not want dishes that you can get down the street or even in the next city over. As an example, they make their own potato chips and serve them with their own Peach Habanero salsa (yes I said peach), which is quite nice. The chips are wonderful by themselves, but the spicy tang of the habaneros are balanced nicely by the sweet taste of the peaches, which makes them even better. That sweet and spicy theme seems to travel through many of their dishes and it makes for a wonderful gastronomical experience. Another unique item is their Deep Fried Avocado – three words that I personally would never think to combine. It was like the deep south comes to California. They serve the fried avocado as an appetizer and offer it with both a traditional aioli (think garlic mayonnaise) and a chipotle aioli (think spicy mayonnaise) and you have a fun new way to enjoy your avocado – which is exactly what they wanted.
Christine does not like to be either a lender or a borrower when it comes to their menu so they look to change things as other nearby restaurants look to replicate their offerings. Over the first 18 months the menu changed quite a bit as they looked to be both unique and to satisfy their guests’ wants. Originally, for example, they did not offer hamburgers – which are now one of their most popular items. When they first opened they wanted to offer a burger but felt that too many nearby restaurants were offering one and that theirs would not stand out. After many months of debate, they launched the ‘Build Your Own Burger’ program as well as offering unique house specialties. I had a chance to try two of them – their Manly and Dunlop Burgers.
Their Manly Burger was developed by combining all of the things that a man would want on his burger. It is two 1/3 pound beef patties, bacon, avocado, grilled onion, lettuce, tomato, pepper jack cheese, their house sauce and finally a chipotle chili – and I have to say, it was fantastic! And, it has also been such a hit with opposite sex they started calling it the Wo-Manly Burger as well. They also offer both a single version as well as a triple version of the Manly for those that want to be either more or less manly!
The Dunlop Burger was named after Dunlop Guitars (also located in Benicia), which is where Matt, the person who originally suggested it, happened to work. This is a combination of 1/3 pound of beef, two strips of bacon, fresh pastrami and their own honey mustard sauce. Now, typically I am not a fan of all meat burgers as I prefer some sort of vegetable with it such as lettuce, pickles or at least some cheese. I have to admit though, the taste of beef, pastrami and bacon were just perfect together and the honey mustard made this a mouthwatering combo – though I doubt my doctor would be as excited about it as I was.
Then I had a chance to delve into their Stuffed Portobello, which is stuffed with zucchini, squash, tomato, spinach and either blue or chevre (goat) cheese, then surrounded by fresh asparagus and crispy bread, which is topped with their house brochette. This was one of the newer dishes Arthur had been working on since he started with them in January. He also helped them revise their chicken wing with a spicy boneless chicken wing (all breast meat actually) seasoned with peach habanero salsa as well as other ingredients and marinated. I have to admit I was a touch skeptical when it was first brought out because I am such a huge lover of chicken wings. I have found that, over the years, boneless wings just seem to have less flavor. These, however, seemed to capture the taste of a true chicken wing while having just the right amount of zest AND the convenience of being boneless. Homemade ranch and blue cheese topped them off nicely. I am sure these will quickly become a house favorite.
Capitol Café, of course, offers salads and homemade soups along with several other popular sandwiches for lunch. The dinner menu is rounded off with a variety of entrée items such as the very popular beef stroganoff and Blue Cheese Flat Iron steak. It is hard not to find something for everyone – even the kids (they have a PB&J as one of their offerings for the younger customers!)
Going along with that desire to produce items in house, Capitol Café also makes their own desserts. They have some wonderful offerings. The first is the Blooming Apple, which is an apple, sectioned out like a flower ‘bloom’ then drizzled with caramel, raspberry coulis and chocolate and finally topped with slivered almonds, dried cranberries and a dollop of whipped cream. They wanted to create the taste of a caramel apple but allow their guests to eat it with a knife and fork – I think they have succeeded.
I also sampled their lemon meringue pie and chocolate tort. The lemon meringue was delectable. A strong lemon flavor, light crust and fluffy meringue to top it off. It made a perfect finish to a meal. The tort was rich and dense and set into a wonderful chocolate and graham cracker crust.
The Capitol Café is open Tuesday thru Saturday for lunch (11:30 – 2:30) and dinner (5 to 7:30) Tuesday thru Sunday. They also offer a brunch on Sunday from 9:30 to 2:30. You can check out their entire menu online at www.Capitol-Cafe.com. They are always revising the menu and offer daily specials as well, so make sure to call them if you have any questions (707) 853-6055. They offer guests both wine and beer and have a WIDE variety of the latter for all you beer aficionados. They have several new ideas in the works such as offering movie nights where you can stop in to enjoy some coffee and dessert while taking in one of your favorites from the past – make sure to call ahead to see what is showing. As the days get longer, they are looking to expand dinner hours to accommodate those guests who might enjoy a little later summertime meal. So, stop in and make sure to check out their name sake next door as well to take in a little bit of California history –
Bon Appetite!
Robert Briseño – when he is not enjoying great food he is helping his three young children to learn to enjoy it.
Elevate Your Estate
Get connected with the pros at the Vacaville Home and Garden Show
People local to the Vacaville area may have grown familiar with the Vacaville Total Home & Garden Show over the last 20 years. Under new ownership as of 2010, JN Productions, LLC is bringing it back again this year, not once, but twice. The first show is the usual time of year, April 20-22. The second show will be a Fall Home and Garden Show, held in October. They also have two more events planned for October including an Oktoberfest and the Vaca Total Hunting & Fishing Expo. All events will be held at the Nut Tree in Vacaville.
“Fairfield, Vacaville, Vallejo, Dixon, Napa … We have all these areas, so we can provide a show that people can come to here, without having to drive to San Francisco or Sacramento,” says Nicole Arabia, co-founder of JN Productions, formerly the Queen of Marketing. Queen of Marketing was developed to help local businesses plan events and promotions. When Arabia approached Bob Bock, creator of the home and garden show, she encountered an offer she couldn’t refuse. “I contacted the owner and asked him if we could help him with his marketing,” she says. “Next thing we know, he asks us if we’d like to purchase the home and garden show. So we did.”
The show was a big undertaking – so big that Arabia and her business partner, Jodi McGuire, co-founded JN Productions just for the show. “This was a huge leap going from a ribbon cutting to putting on a 300-exhibitor event,” says Arabia. They weren’t completely on their own, however, as Bock stayed in as a consultant for their first year. “He mentored us through that whole year to make sure that it was another successful year,” says Arabia. Last year was JN Productions’ first go as the sole producer of the event. “It was really good,” she says. “We had 20,000 people come through in three days.” They expect similar results this year.
As far as who should attend this show, the answer really is anyone. First-time homebuyers, investors that are purchasing a home that could be in foreclosure and needs some fixing up, and even current homeowners. “What we’ve noticed is the homeowners these days may not be doing heavy construction in their home,” says Arabia. “A lot of homeowners are into taking it slow and getting back into just updating their homes—painting, new carpet, floor remodeling.”
All sorts of exhibitors are expected at the event as well. “From painting to electrical to landscaping,” says Arabia. Insulation companies, glass companies, awning systems, solar, bathroom, spa companies, pool companies, construction companies, the whole gamut. Brandy Davis, Marketing Assistant for JN Productions, adds, “We do have arts and crafts as well, it’s not just all big construction, heating and air. We also have barbecues, patio furniture, knick knacks, all kinds of stuff that you would consider at an arts and crafts fair.”
Arabia mentions that individuals who are looking to do some work on their home might want to wait until the home and garden show, as they could find a better deal for what they’re looking for. “A lot of these vendors will have special discount pricing just for the show,” she says. “Check out the show before you get into something; a lot of these vendors come with their ideas too.” And Davis agrees. “If there’s anything you want to do with your home, any ideas, there’s going to be so many people there,” she says. “You don’t actually have to buy anything if you don’t want to, but you’re going to have all these people that are specialists in their field, so you’ll actually be able to go in there and ask.”
They haven’t forgotten about the younger members of the community either. Kids Growing Strong will have their own corner at the event and will have activities for children. Solano Agriculture will be present, handing out seed packets for people to take home. There will also be planting opportunities for kids. “They can plant something at the show and then take that with them,” says Davis. “Also, we’re partnering up with Home Depot so they’ll have a booth there and the kids can interact with them. Painting on tiles, different things like that.”
Something new to the event this year is the presence of BatBuilder.com. “They have this crazy, amazing car,” says Arabia. She describes is as a combination of the batmobile and a battlebot. “That’s a huge draw for kids,” she says. “We’re trying to have a little bit of everything for everyone.” And if you’re not sold yet, most people like food and beer, which will also be present. “We’ve got some really great food vendors, and beer gardens as well.”
Another new thing this year is the timing of the event. “This year Earth Day falls on the Sunday of the show,” says Davis. “We are letting all of our clients know that it’s Earth Day and we’re hoping they might do something special.” So make sure to bring some sustainability questions with you as well.
“One of the things that we really hope people will walk away with is a knowledge of businesses that are around this area,” says Davis. “We’re hoping that people that want to make changes or improvements on their home will be able to do so by way of our show because of certain discounts. Overall it’s just helping out the community.”
Admission to the event is $7 for adults. $2 for kids age 12 and under. There’s also a $2 off coupon in their directory that can be picked up at Home Depot stores throughout Solano County. Keep up with their latest news at www.vacahomeshow.com.
Matt Larson is a writer/actor/comedian who shamelessly promotes his Vallejo Comedy shows in his byline. He encourages you to visit www.vallejocomedy.com. Woot!
I have always loved the coast, the fog, the romance and mystery that surrounds it. Maybe it was reading Jane Eyre as a child. Maybe I’m looking for Heathcliff. Whatever it is, trips to the coast during summer, spring, winter or fall have always been a favorite of mine. So recently, when I was asked to go to Mendocino, it was a no brainer that I jumped in the car. Of course my brain is always running on overdrive and I thought, “This could be our first Travel Section piece.” Guess what, it is!
Mendocino is such a wonderful place that I can’t remember ever having a bad experience there. I love just walking around and being lazy and this was no exception. I was expecting rain since this was at the end of November. As we started our drive there were indications that we should expect rain because, it was raining! This did not deter my happy thoughts of getting to Mendocino. We stopped along the way and had a beer in Boonville, a great little town, and guess what? We learned a new language: Boontling. I had never heard of such a thing but according to the bartender it is spoken only by residents of Boonville.
Wikepedia says:
Although based on English, Boontling’s unusual words are unique to Boonville, California. Scottish, Gaelic and Irish, and some Pomoan and Spanish, also influenced the vocabulary of the language. Boontling was invented in the late 19th century and had quite a following at the turn of the 20th century. It is now mostly spoken only by aging counter-culturists and native Anderson Valley residents. Because the town of Boonville only has a little over 700 residents, Boontling is an extremely esoteric dialect, and is quickly becoming archaic. It has over a thousand unique words and phrases.
It goes on to give a complete dictionary of Boontling. Amazing but true.
Onward we went, and as we drove into the town the rain subsided. For the rest of the two-day trip we had sunshine and beautiful weather.
No matter where you stay, your accommodations will be homey and comfortable. We stayed at the McCallum House on the Hill in their suites and what a treat! The room was spacious and, what a view.
Mendocino sits right on the coast with beautiful headlands and a sleepy little town. The restaurants are amazing, the shops are quaint, the art galleries are amazing, need I say more? All around there are things to do. You can choose to hike, walk the dog, shop, visit the little towns that border Mendocino, golf or just admire the beautiful vistas. Whatever you choose – go, have a great time and let us know how it was.
Pet Friendly
Mendocino County is a pet-lover’s paradise, with trails, beaches, bluffs and campgrounds galore to share with your four-legged friends. The off-leash beach at Noyo Harbor offers your dog a chance to run and get his exercise in the surf, and many of the businesses and activities around the county welcome dogs as well. There are pet-friendly wineries and state parks. Ben found many businesses that gave him treats as well.
Things to do in Mendocino:
• Walk, hike or run on the headlands
• Visit the many art galleries
• Learn the history of the area
• Ride the Skunk Train
• Attend one of the many Festivals
• Visit Point Cabrillo Lighthouse
• Go horseback riding
• Golf at Little River Inn
• Get married! (People come from all over to for their destination wedding)
Visit www.mendocinocoast.com for more information.
Deanna Baillie loves her Australian Shepherd, Ben, just as much as she loves her family, red wine and cheese! OK, a little more than the wine and cheese.
I saw the full moon last night – how magical, mysterious and romantic. Life is good.
I was able to catch up on life yesterday and realize just how much I needed to get back to my life, needs and projects. The saying “Today is the first day of the rest of my life.” now makes sense. I am up early this morning and getting to my day.
The magazine should be up on the web today as well as all the stories. The printed version will hit the streets late today and be available tomorrow at various drop locations.
I had the nicest comment emailed to me yesterday about this blog yesterday: “I have read other blogs along the same topic as yours but none have really been as detailed I really appreciate your thought you put into it It really shows Thanks again…” Thanks for your thoughts and comments!
The Giants season starts today and I will be rooting for them waiting for them to come home next week. Tim Lincecum is pitching and I hope this will be his first win of the season. Go Buster, I will be rooting for him as I think half the nation will be – what a story.
Tiger Woods ended his day yesterday at even so he needs to make a few birdies to catch up. Let’s start making a move Tiger!
The 'Chem Dry' guys take time out to smile for the camera
Last night was a great mixer in Vacaville, lots of people, old friends, new friends and lots of fun.
No time for stretches, feed Ben, latte, and go. . .
Chad and Mark doing the raffle
Larry going into his first Giants game of the season at AT&T Park
I believe that either tonight or tomorrow the moon will be full so get ready for the fun!
Yesterday was a blur, final touches on the magazine, Giants and A’s Game, and come back and put the final, final touches on the magazine.
Yes, the Giants lost yesterday but they had won the first two games in the series so I was OK. My niece Danielle was singing yesterday at the ballpark. Her Sacred Heart Choir sang the Star Spangled Banner and it was really great! We were up close and personal and were able to see most of our heroes on the Giants – Buster, Wilson, Lincecum, Huff and more. Opening Day – FRIDAY, LET’S GO GIANTS!
Buster Posey heading out to warm up!
Today I am rooting for another of my heroes, Tiger Woods, as he is playing in the Masters starting today. I will be keeping a close eye on the TV today. Go Tiger!
The magazine is to bed, keep an eye out for it on the website. It will hit the streets tomorrow. My back is tight from all of the computer work the last few days so lots of stretches, feed Ben, latte, and go. . .
You never know who you will meet at the Giants games!
Nitro Dog was very excited with the "Local Happenings Award" they won!
No, but Tuesday was a little weird since the blog connection had gone down, I was on deadline to put the magazine to bed, and I had three meetings to attend. Sometimes just staying home and pulling the blankets over my head is a much better idea.
Everything is getting done though, I have to keep a positive mental attitude and just keep moving forward. LOTS of stretches, feed Ben, latte, and go. . .
So this day is a oops since my blog link to the web went missing! Oh well!
LOTS of stretches, feed Ben, latte, and go. . .
Ben greets George from Sac's Hot Dogs!
What a weekend! Life never stopped. It started on Friday with
a bang and the fireworks kept going off. I was winding things up on Friday for the end of the month and I had trunk shows and client parties to go to, but wait, did I tell you that I got food poisoning. . . or was it the flu? I don’t know, but I hate slowing down. I spent Saturday catching up and of course Sunday was full of fun!
The sun was out in full force so it made it easy to get out
of bed! Photo shoot first thing in the morning, then a Cobra Run. A what? That’s what I said; a group of Shelby Cobras rode through Benicia on Sunday morning making quite the parade on First Street. Dave Jones, owner of Foster Lumber who owns one of these fabulous cars made quite the host welcoming these fellow car lovers to his hometown. Sailor Jack’s at the end of Frist Street welcomed this group for breakfast and made them feel right at home as well. Come back anytime!
Dave Jones and his "Baby"
Yvonne and Jacqueline from Miguelena hosted their Anniversary
Party this weekend at their store in conjunction with Benicia Main Streets’ “Benicia in Bloom.” From what I hear, everyone had a great time and Yvonne and Jacqueline thank everyone for stopping in. Ben greeted all the guests!
It’s a Monday, lots of stretches, feed Ben, latte, and go. .
.
