First things first, a little bird told me that the powers that be in the city think that the residents don't have a problem with the Bass Pro Shop that is going in in the railyards because no one has been making a fuss. I haven't paid much attention because the railyard deal has been moving so glacially that I forget to pay attention. Perhaps E could tell us the best way to make a fuss and the PF could remind us why Bass Pro Shops suck?
This weekend was epic in a way my weekends rarely are. I went to two! dinners cooked by the traveling vegan chef, Joshua Ploeg. (buy his cookbooks here, do it) The first was a winter themed dinner which was delicious. The second was Indonesian and reminded me that this man is a true genius. Unfortunately I can't give you more detail because everything was kind of a blur of good tastes. I say unfortunately because I'm supposed to write it up for Midtown Monthly and I can't just say "this shit is the shit". At least for a little while Joshua will be travelling no more because he's setting up camp in Sac! This is amazing good news for all of our stomachs and his website says he does classes. I want to get in on that. Look for a profile of Joshua by DKK in the April issue of Midtown Monthly.
The Finches/Mantles/Finches sandwich on friday night is definitely an early contender for show of the year. There is a new sound guy at Fools and he managed to make the sound pretty decent and both bands were in fine form. I can't wait to see them again on wednesday at Cafe Du Nord. Make sure you get a copy of the Finches album, supposedly the Beat is going to be carrying it.
Saturday night wrapped up, as most of my nights do, at a classy little joint called Embers. The guy next to me yelled "I just want to suck on those titties" when speaking about a blonde giantess and I think he spoke for all of us.
Once upon a time there was a group of concerned Sacramentans called SRD... would anyone care to revive this nearly-defunct group and actively oppose the Bass Pro Shops idea?
ReplyDeleteFYI - there was an article in yesterdays' Bee on Stan Thomas, the Railyards developer:
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/114679.html
Read it and weep.
-E
It could work. SRD fizzled from lack of focus I think. If our focus was meditating bad vibes at the bass pro shop maybe we could make the planner's head explode. Or we could just have a normal meeting.
ReplyDeletenext time you go to embers let me know. i've been meaning to go for quite a few years now
ReplyDeleteDid SRD actually die, or is it merely comatose? I know the Y-group fizzled out but there seemed to be some momentum just before that time--but wasn't there notice of a meeting just last month? If those meetings continue to happen, I would probably be able to be more involved, especially since I will no longer be NBNA chair next month and theoretically have some scraps of free time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I suppose I should ask: what is the reason for opposing a Bass Pro Shop? Just on the basis that it's a big box, or do they have a Walmartish sort of reputation?
The Embers....
ReplyDeleteI cut my teeth there for dj'ing strip clubs around '98-'99. It's the first place I've worked at where they let you drink on the job. There seemed to be an Aryan Brotherhood undercurrent going on with some of the staff & management when I was there, but treated me okay because they like Mexicans. My mom and grandma came by, wanting to watch me in action but I wouldn't let them for safety reasons. A year later, I let them stop by Club Fantasy to watch me, it's nicer and doesn't have the booze element there.
But yeah, The Embers is alot of fun, especially for people watching.
Lazza R.
"...remind us why Bass Pro Shops suck?"
ReplyDelete-----------------------------
BPS was a neat mailorder house for bass gear back in the 70s and 80s but they've transformed themselves into this behemoth disneyland-of-outdoor-gear type of chain. They're big spectacles showcasing big aquariums, elaborate wildlife displays, full service gun and boat dealers and stuff like that; sure, it might be interesting to check out once or twice but BPS stores are probably better suited to serve more isolated areas or smaller communities without many services of that nature.
What most people object to is that the smaller, independent specialty tackle shops (I actually worked for one in SF) will suffer and/or go under due to BPS' scale of buying power. They're almost the like the Wal-Mart of outdoor retailers. You also get anonymous clerks that don't know much about anything at these huge "marts."
You can hang out at the small mom & pop independent shops where they'll get to know you personally and will remember your gear requirements. Small shops are repositories of experience and info--if you need help gearing up for fishing far off places like the Amazon/Alaska/Costa Rica/etc they can do it right 'cause they're enthusiasts and get sent to fish these places regularly. So basically, BPS spells the end of the small independent retailers.
I think I read somewhere that a BPS store is supposed to draw its customer base from a 200 mile radius. Building one in Sac doesn't make sense since Manteca already has one in the works, as does Reno. If BPS is coming to northern CA let Manteca have it...
Pres,
SASSF
wburg writes:
ReplyDelete"what is the reason for opposing a Bass Pro Shop? Just on the basis that it's a big box, or do they have a Walmartish sort of reputation?"
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They're not really predatory like Wal-Mart but they are a big box that will help put the specialized indie stores out of business. You pay more at the smaller, personal independent businesses but having them around is way more prefereable to the more generic offerings that BPS will bring with them...
Pres,
SASSF
I suppose I would be fairly upset if Old Sacramento Armory went out of business.
ReplyDeleteSo anyhow, SRD. Is it alive, is it dead? Is it a brains-craving zombie? Would some SRD survivors be interested in continuing the cause of preservation of some small scraps of downtown/midtown?
Old Sac Armory has carved out a good niche in the local firearms trade so I doubt they'd be hurt (same with River City Gun Exchange on Fruitridge). I'm probably overstating BPS' potential impact but that's because I'm not a fan of their big box approach. I like chewing the fat with the owners/clerks of the smaller shops and giving them my money instead...
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the book, by the way. I like the entire series on Sac neighborhoods from that publisher.
Pres,
SASSF
I love the black and white of the planning. "We need a downtown arena in the train yards so we can be a world class city and prove once and for all that we aren't a cowtown full of yokels!"
ReplyDelete"Oh, what?"
"We are a cowtown full of yokels? Well, lets just put in a giant fishing and hunting emporium down there in the train yards. Howdee!"
gbomb
Joshua Ploeg's food was absolutly mind blowing. The one I went to was "Food High" quality.
ReplyDeleteSimply amazing what he can do.