New restaurants, hiked price on the menu for 2020’s Dine Downtown

Benjy Egel
Frank Fat’s features dramatic colors and interior.

Dine Downtown will return in January for the 15th consecutive year with a handful of restaurant additions and a slightly raised price tag.

Restaurants will come up with a three-course prix fixe menu available from Jan. 10-20. Dinners will go for $40, up from the $35 tag of years past, and $1 of every meal goes to programs run by the Food Literacy Center and Hope Cooperative.

Newcomers such as MidiCi, Aji Dori, Solomon’s Delicatessen and Hoppy’s Railyard Kitchen & Hopgarden will offer three-course specials, as will longtime participants such as Biba and The Firehouse.

The 31 participating restaurants to date are:

▪ Aioli Bodega Española

▪ Aji Dori

▪ Biba Restaurant

▪ Brasserie Capitale

▪ Camden Spit & Larder

▪ Dawson’s Steakhouse

▪ Ella Dining Room & Bar

▪ Empress Tavern

▪ The Firehouse Restaurant

▪ Foundation Restaurant & Bar

▪ Frank Fat’s

▪ Grange

▪ Hawks Provisions and Public House

▪ Hook and Ladder Manufacturing Co.

▪ Hoppy’s Railyard Kitchen & Hopgarden

▪ Joe’s Crab Shack

▪ Kasbah Lounge

▪ Kodaiko Ramen & Bar

▪ La Cosecha

▪ The Melting Pot

▪ MidiCi

▪ Paragary’s

▪ The Pilothouse Restaurant at the Delta King

▪ The Porch Restaurant & Bar

▪ The Red Rabbit Kitchen & Bar

▪ Rio City Café

▪ Solomon’s Delicatessen

▪ Station 16 Restaurant & Bar

▪ Tequila Museo Mayahuel

▪ Tiger

▪ Tower Bridge Bistro

Restaurant sales are often slow in January, a product of a winter chill combined with a lack of holidays such as Christmas or Valentine’s Day. Participating restaurants have seen nearly $6 million in total revenue from Dine Downtown sales since the program began in 2005, according to Downtown Sacramento Partnership data.

“Dine Downtown is an event that honors the many culinary talents that have made the heart of Sacramento their home,” Downtown Sacramento Partnership executive director Michael Ault said in a news release. “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.”

Menus and reservations will be available online starting Dec. 1 at https://bit.ly/2pDMSaD.

Disclaimer: The Sacramento Bee is a minority sponsor of Dine Downtown along with Sac 365, Sacramento Magazine, OpenTable and Yelp. Kaiser Permanente is the primary sponsor, while Radio.com and Sacramento Regional Transit District provide additional support.