Citizen Scene Spotter: Tips about Sacramento's Nightlife, Beth

I bumped into Beth around K and 15th Street as she was headed to her Saturday night destination. Beth allowed me a few minutes to speak with her about Sacramento's nightlife. As a downtown resident herself, she gave me insight into some of her favorite bars and clubs around the area. We spent more than 20 minutes and a couple of blocks talking the sights and sounds of Sacramento at night.

Name: Beth
Age: 30
How long have you lived in Sacramento? I went to High School in the area so I've been here a while.
Downtown specifically? The last three months.
Occupation? Recreation Coordinator

Where is your Saturday night spot?
Definitely The Park Ultra Lounge. (For a more laid back spot) We've been to Shady Lady. You can show up and most of the time there's no cover. It's a lot of fun.

Where do you go for a post-work drink?
My friend and I have been trying different Happy Hours and
so far one of my favorites is Il Fornaio, it's an Italian restaurant (on Capital). We're going to try Capitol
Garage next week, we hear a lot of good things about that place.

Do you have a favorite venue for live music?
I've only been to Harlow's but it was really fun. Shady Lady has live bands too. It's got a real jazzy vibe to it.

When you're in the mood to dance, where do you head?
The Park Ultra Lounge. It has one large dance floor and it plays songs we actually like. It's got a really large sitting area too to rest your feet.

Are there any must-see places you take out-of-town friends?
I actually just had a friend here from Oakland. First we went to Paesano's for dinner then we went to The Park. We also went to the Shady Lady. That's the beauty of Sacramento, there's such a wide range; there's a lot of different places to go. DeVere's has a nice downtown pub feel to it. I'd definitely take someone there too.

When you think of "Downtown" or "Midtown Bar", what do you think of?
There's just such a wide variety. You've got hole-in-the-wall places and upscale places. I'd choose DeVere's or a restaurant bar like Paesanos. There's a really nice wine bar, 58 Degrees. Even though it's a little pricey, it has a really nice wine list and great food.

Is there a particular bar that has really good food?
De Vere's has really good Mac and Cheese, I think it's like four cheese or something. Streets of London has fried pickles. Their bar food is awesome. I know it's not really nightlife food but R15 has amazing brunch; bottomless mimosas and omelets.

If you're not in the mood for a bar or club, what do you do instead?
I like to try different restaurants. I've found places like Centro, Tapa the World, Freshii.

After a long night out, where do you go for post-club eats?
We went to Petra, a Greek restaurant. It's open until 1:30 or 2 a.m.

Is there any place you visit more often in the winter different from summer?
We normally go to Social more often because the parking garage is down the street and the walk is mostly covered. But most of the places downtown are all close enough to each other, so there's not too much difference.