Elite Preview Party: The Capital Dime

Capitol Dime — you are oh-​so-​fine!
Ok, that was so retarded but it rhymes!
I was lucky to have been invited to Capitol Dime’s pre-​opening party (it’s NEAT to be ELITE). Upon entering the restaurant in the back patio, we were immediately greeted and given champagne by the welcoming staff. So far so good right?!
I sat outside with a few friends (Kali D., her hubby, and my friend Leigh Ann). The table set up was way cute. White table cloths and Unilocal mints and chapsticks on the table all neatly placed. Also on our table were pens and sheets of paper for us to score and comment on the dishes and drinks. How fun!
As soon as we sat down, the first dish arrived. Right after the first appetizer arrived, a different refreshing drink was served. Another dish and then another drink… this went on for about an hour or so. The timing of the dishes and drinks being served were spot on. There wasn’t a long wait in between which I think kept everyone happy. With this said, the staff did an awesome job! The wait staff walked around and mingled with the guests and even asked if we wanted seconds, and of course my reply was yes please!
The tasting was wonderful. I enjoyed every dish and drink. My favorites were the bacon wrapped pastrami sliders, bacon fries, and the lemon shrimp crostini with caviar. My favorite drink was the cowboy because I LOVE me some whiskey! And a big thank you to those who thought it was too strong and passed it my way, haha!
Chef Noah even came out and greeted the guests individually and as a group. He is a great speaker and walks with swag, that’s for sure! I am excited that the restaurant has opened since the event. I am sad that I haven’t dined at Capitol Dime since the Unilocal event but I plan on doing so very soon. The bacon fries are calling my name!
Great job Unilocal for putting on a fantastic event!

When I walked up the steps of The Dime over to the beautiful large patio I didn’t realized what a treat I was in for! I was immediately greeted by a fresh champagne glass of refreshment and I knew it was going to be a class act kind of night!
The place is definitely on the classy list! The décor, service and level of culinary creativity made me wonder how pricey their menu would be when they open there doors for good! Turns out, they are doing all of these amazing, fun and creative adventures within a price range that is reasonable to the average person!
Unfortunately, the food wasn’t exactly vegan friendly. However, after a few courses, the service did bring me a plate of fries and said, «We don’t let our vegan friends go hungry around here.» Very cool! I noticed a few other people with dietary restrictions that they were able and willing to accommodate. Definitely a plus in my book!
While I may not have been able to taste the food, I sure did taste the cocktails! Wow… let me just say that the Cowboy Andy Cocktail had me going to BevMo getting ingredients to a make these suckers at home! Granted, their cherries are made in house, so as hard as I’ve tried, I can’t get the flavor quite the same. I guess that means I will be heading back over to the Dime when they open up!
Overall, this event was very impressive. From the set up to the drinks, but most importantly the service! Everyone was extremely friendly, helpful and fun! Chef Noah is hilarious and really seems to take pride in creating a friendly, family designed, classy experience!
Thanks to Alex L. for throwing another great event and thanks to the staff at The Dime for making it a memorable experience! Can’t wait until they open and I can go get one of those cocktails!

I have always wanted to take part in a food tasting experience like in Restaurant Wars on the TV show, Top Chef. And then, it happened. I was incredibly fortunate enough to get invited to one of Unilocal’s hottest events: the preopening for one of Sacramento’s newest upcoming restaurants, Capital Dime. There are no words for how excited I was… it pretty much started with «YAAAAAAAAY!»
I knew it was going to be a great event after the server handed me a pretty alcohol beverage as I first walked in. I was blown away by the beauty of the spacious courtyard decorated with Unilocal balloons and banners. The white tablecloth bistro tables were adorned with simple dinnerware and Unilocalstick (chapstick) and mints. The restaurant is still under construction, but after a quick peek inside, it definitely has a modern casual vibe. I opted to sit outside instead of in the restaurant because it was a such a beautiful day.
Chef Noah and his staff went around the courtyard, explaining the menu and sharing the vision of Capital Dime. It was such an honor to be in the prescence of a local celebrity chef. The service was great! Our table was always clean because the servers were quick and consistent about removing dishes/​refilling water. I was even lucky enough to get a second serving of some of the dishes!
Food — Fantastic. You know the food is good when you take that first bite and you feel your stomach smiling. I had that moment after trying the lemon mousse bay shrimp crostini with tobiko caviar. I literally could have eaten a whole platter of these. I also enjoyed the calamari and shrimp bites and pastrami sliders.
Drinks — I was not a fan of the cocktails served. Granted, I do not like bourbon or Gin, but I appreciated their presentation. The drinks were also made very strong. The bar manager offered to make another drink which tasted like a strawberry lemonade with a kick :) Thumbs up for awesome customer service.
Rating Feedback — Opportunity to try unique cocktails and tasty bites and relive them in writing? Yes please! Loved that we were able to provide honest feedback for each dish and drink!
Sad face — I have a super sweet tooth so I was disappointed that Capital Dime did not showcase an actual dessert. Lack of lights in the courtyard made it difficult to see my food and dessert drink. My foodie team and I had to use our phone lights together to take ‘creative and artistic photos’. I realize that restaurant may have not expected the event to run later than it did, but even a candle on the tables would have worked.
Kudos to the Capital Dime staff for interacting with Unilocalers, providing fantastic service and for allowing us to be a part of their exciting new journey! Alex L., Giselle and crew — SUPERB job with this event! I had a blast!
This was an incredible opportunity and experience for my foodie heart. I hope Unilocal has future preopening events! Looking forward to Capital Dime’s grand opening!

So yeah, this event was great. Hopefully this helped the CD get some social networking buzz and hashtags galore.
We rolled in late looking to do the regular mingle and sample thing, but uhhh BAM everyone was all seated in tables and being served. The seating situation was looking scarce, but before we could worry about that like 3 staff members came up tripping all over themselves to sit us where we wanted and to get us caught up on the courses AND drinks. Then they take it up another notch and bring out non-​cheesy fries and a vegan version of their Honey Boo Boo cocktail for cool vegan Dominique who was at our table. A+ for hospitality
Quality ingredients are used. That’s my takeaway from the event’s food. I did like the pastrami slider and the calamari. I’d order those. I think there is skill here and I’d like to see what other things pop up on their menu. If the concept is excecuted I’ll be back for a Cowboy Andy and snacks in the future.
Fun event. High five Capital Dime, Alex, and Unilocal

Best Elite event I’ve been to! Very excited for Capital Dime to open. It’s clear that the concept is for Chef Noah to bring his culinary artistry to a broader audience.
Especially noteworthy was their willingness to accomodate. Cheese fries without chorizo? Sure, not a problem! At the Kitchen, Chef Noah used to make fun of vegetarians while still fully catering to their needs. I’m willing to take a little heat if he’s wiling to modify too make me (and Danielle O.) happy.
The drinks were great too — stuff I would never make at home.
I predict that this place will be a big success!

Truely, this elite event has made it to my top three!
The coordination, organization, and personalization all made the dining experience at Capital Dime a grand time.
What made this event so grand? Well, maybe it was my table of Unilocalers who were quite entertaining, or the food and strong drinks that were spectacular, and least we forget to mentionthe owner, Noah, was a delight.
My favorite stand outs were the whisky drink with a real marachino cherry, the pastrami slider, and the spicy calamari. I am so thankful to have been one of the few elites who were able to taste these delicious plates of food! I went home bragging about all those flavorful plates.
As I have said before, I am a sucker for owners to be out in the restaurant talking to their guests. For me, this shows a level of love for what he\she does for a living, and that love usually translates to the food. Sure enough, the food and drinks delivered at Capital Dime reflected the way the owner cares for his patrons. Seeing Noah out in the restaurant explaining the dishes, talking about his new and upcoming restaurant, and mingling with guests is a sure sign that he is proud of what he has created. A fine job and great gratitude to Noah for allowing all us Unilocalers into his new restaurant to taste his delicious food. I enjoyed it thouroughly!
Once again, thank you to Alex and his team for hosting a great midweek event. As a college student, I very rarely am able to go out midweek for a relaxing and fun time, however, I am more than glad I atteded the event at Capital Dime! I can’t wait for the opening so I can take my friends to a place that I can say with confidence they will enjoy!

I think we should re-​name this event, «Perfect Pairings Preview Party».
1) Bay shrimp crostini w/​lemon mousse and tobiko caviar + Prosecco and Campari spritzer
2) Watermelon, prawns, and mozzarella salad + Bonini (gin/​elderflower liqueur/​cucumber)
3) Fried calamari and shrimp w/​a spicy aioli sauce + Cowboy Andy (whiskey/​orange bitters)
4) Best damn slider, pastrami slider, and chorizo cheese fries + Honey Boo Boo (vanilla vodka/​jasmine/​milk/​honey)
5) Noah Zonca + Capital Dime
6) Unilocal Elite Squad + Pre-​Opening Preview Party
My favorites of this fabulous night were Chef Noah (so sorry for your loss, Kitchen!) and all his hard-​working and personable staff, the house-​smoked pastrami (best I’ve ever had!), the watermelon salad because of it’s creative and original fusion of flavors (fish sauce?!!), and the Bonini (so refreshing!). The Cowboy Andy cocktail was up there too, but since I’m not a whiskey fan, it was too strong for my tastes (can a cocktail be TOO strong?!!).
Another spectacularly awesome YEE + Alex and crew… definitely one of the best pairings in Sacramento Unilocal history!

It’s Neat to be Elite! So glad that I was able to be part of the soft grand opening at the Dime! This event took my whole Unilocal Experience, ever since I received my first badge, to a whole other level!
I don’t even know what else to add that everyone else hasn’t already (I know… I’m a little late. eek).
Impressed by the four course, sit down, and drink pairing event. For the first time in a long time Elites weren’t fighting or swarming a server just to get a taste. We were classy this time!
Food was ahhhMazing, drinks were strong, and I finally got to meet a couple of Unilocal Elites I follow like Carol P. Still looking for Danielle O. though. hahaha!
Can’t wait for the Dime to open so that I can enjoy it with all my friends. And they’re patio is rumored to be dog friendly!!! Can’t wait to meet friends for play dates with our fur children :) So excited!

The classiest YEE I’ve ever been to. So fancy!
The drinks were fancy, the food was almost all seafood (classy!), the tables had white linens, we were served by fantastic servers, had to fill out a rating guide for every dish/​drink we tried (very posh!) and got a sneak-​peak of Sacramento’s soon-​to-​be hottest spot in town at the Capital Dime!
What an event! Thanks to Capital Dime for allowing us first dibs and thanks to Alex L. and the Unilocal team for putting it all together. I’m still not over those burgers and that pink seltzer drink! Can’t wait until the Dime is open for business!

Unilocal, Alex and Chef Noah need a high five for this event.
The event was full of Elite Unilocalers, fantastic servers/​staff and overall just a wonderful crowd of people. Upon arrival I was excited to see we were going to be seated on a outdoor patio full of classy white linen clothes and decorations.
As our meal began, I quickly noticed that most of the small plates included some sort of shellfish, and of course the one event my Hubby agrees to attend, they are serving something he is deathly allergic too! But being the man he is, he did not want to alert staff because he understood the preparation and time that goes into an event as this.
Seated at a table with my Hubby, my girl and fellow Unilocaler Latda V. and her girlfriend we began our tasting vacation in the land of Chef Noah. Each item came out one by one, with score cards in hand we were delighted and excited to rave about the food. Drinks at our table were being guzzled down with no hesitation. But after the 1^st couple courses I excused myself to whisper to one of the hostess, is it possible to get something for my Hubby to eat and explained his shellfish allergy. With NO hesitation Chef Noah directed his staff to whip up some no shellfish items. Chef Noah brought over himself, the calamari (without the shrimp), fried chicken strips with a buffalo sauce and a BBQ sauce, and also an cheesy artichoke dip with toasted bread.
I have to say EVERYTHING that hit our table was great and with service like that of course we will gracing the presence of Chef Noah and his staff again!
Thank you again Alex and Chef Noah! May your restaurant be a great success and become a staple in the downtown restaurant community! Cheers!

When I think about what it really means to be «Yelp Elite» and what privileges would come with it, this type of event would be the reason why «It’s Neat to be Elite.»
Being able to attend a pre-​opening party/​tasting for a new up and coming restaurant is what being a foodie is all about. Being the first to try and spread the word for a great new spot is what we all strive to do.
I went in to this event not knowing any of the backgrounds of the staff or management. Apparently some of them have already made a name for themselves in the biz before they got together to make Capital Dime. So i can say that I’m going into this without a bias.
OK here we go:
The food was great. They had a well picked tasting menu that I feel flowed well through out the meal. I wish the portions were larger. What kinda sucked is that there was no real dessert. Just a dessert drink.
The drinks were also pretty good its just that i didn’t think they complimented the course they were serving it with so it threw my taste buds off a little.
The courses came out a little slower than i would’ve liked. We had a lot of downtime between the courses and it would’ve been nice to socialize more but the seating arrangement outside made it a little difficult to do so. I liked how the inside was set up because there were a couple huge tables while outside was all 4ppl square tables. Also because the dishes came out probably slower than planed it caused the event to go into overtime and the outside got pretty dark and it became pretty challenging to take a decent picture and grope around for my dropped napkin.
It may have just been bad planing on the restaurant’s part but some kind of lighting would’ve been good like a candle or something. There were lighted trees around our area but not nearly enough to make a difference. It set a nice mood but we are creatures of the light.
Overall it was a really cool event and the type i would love to do more often.
Thanks to Alex and his crew for putting together a great event.

The BEST Unilocal Elite event I have ever been to. Hands down. I’m pretty sure everything after this will be subpar in my mind haha. Just the fact that we were able to attend a pre-​opening of a restaurant was pretty impressive. I cannot wait to check out Chef Noah’s menu when Capital Dime opens. I enjoyed the fact that we were served instead of having to scramble for food like savages at my events (you know what I’m talking about!) I took one of my friends to the event and he had a blast too. I even got to meet some cool Elites!
The food was amazing. The little caviar bite with lemon mousse and shrimp was the perfect start to our meal. I would gladly order these in the future. The watermelon salad was just ok in my opinion but the fried shrimp and fried calamari more than made up for it. The slider were also very delicious. What I enjoyed the most were the drinks though. All them were very strong and very delicious. I would definitely come back just for the Honey Boo Boo — it was a sweet vanilla and jasmine-​liquor infused vodka dessert drink. I mean, jasmine-​infused! That’s not something you normally see!
Overall, I had a blast and can NOT wait for the next event!

When the Unilocal announcement first appeared under our Elite badge’s secret hatch, I couldn’t wait to attend this special Elite’s only event. One of my first thoughts was, that I had never heard of this currently evolving restaurant. That’s because it is still under construction, still formulating the food and drink menus, training new staff, and getting an idea of prospective clientele who will patronize another addition to a very popular downtown hot spot. My second thought was why is it called Capital Dime? Besides the obvious «Capital» portion of the name (Sacramento is the capital city of CA), what does the «Dime» title mean? So I asked my boyfriend encyclopedia who told me that the restaurant’s intention is to establish itself as an upscale dining experience while keeping its menu at around $ 10.00 per dish. A great idea that I hope will fall into fruition!
As Joe K and I arrived, the party was already in full swing because we got a little lost finding the building. Searching for a place to sit, a smiling server immediately made us feel welcome and offered us our first delightful taste of an appetizer. After biting into a Crostini that was topped with lemon mousse, tiny bay shrimp and sprinkled with Tobiko caviar, my appetite was stimulated and looking forward to more! Luckily for us, two chairs were still open at a table where the handsome Douglas Y. and his beautiful wife Kathy Y. waived us over to sit with them. I was finally able to meet one of my Unilocal friends in person, and it was such a pleasure having them as dining companions and getting to know both of them!
Now it was time to do a little catch up on the food and drink tasting. We were handed check off sheets in which we were to rate four dishes and four cocktails. A second plate was placed in front of us that consisted of a chopped watermelon salad, fresh Perlini Mozzarella & poached prawns, sprinkled with various seasonings. It was very delicious and refreshing! I was also presented with two drinks at the same time: the Prosecco Campari Spritzer which tasted like a Mimosa and The Bonini Cocktail which had the appearance of looking like a glass of water, but was far from it! Both drinks really hit the spot in more ways than one! Our next sampling was The Dime’s Crispy Calamari & Shrimp accompanied by dipping sauces. Another hit with me! Both seafood morsels were breaded and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
Here comes cocktail number three: the Cowboy Andy. Despite the name, this is definitely an adult’s only beverage! This was one of the more potent drinks presented, with ingredients like whiskey, St. Germaine’s and orange bitters. The final course was a plate with two types of sliders: House-​smoked pastrami and the «Best Damn Slider» accompanied by Chorizo Cheese Fries. Another great presentation! Unfortunately for me, I was unable to eat the sliders because I don’t eat a lot of red meat. But those fries were awesome! At least I did some food trading with other Unilocalers! I felt a little bad that I wasn’t a good candidate to critique the meat containing dishes.
The finale came as a dessert cocktail. While I would have liked a more substantial food item of sugar, fat and calories (just because I was still hungry), this unique and delicious tasting drink called the Honey Boo Boo was the next best thing! It consisted of vodka, vanilla and Jasmine liquor whipped into a creamy consistency. It quickly became another hit of the party!
During this wonderful dining opportunity, the very popular Chef Noah Zonca and co-​owner of the Capital Dime, came out to greet us with some history and promotions about their new signature menu. We also got to meet and shake the hands of some of the other well known chefs such as Ruben Perez, Juan Vaca and Chachi Maydahi. Everyone treated us like VIP’s!

In between eating, drinking, and enjoying the company of other Unilocal friends, I managed to get a quick over view of what the restaurant will become. We were mainly seated out on the comfortable and spacious patio area. But I think I got a pretty good feel that the Capital Dime has great potential and will easily become a successful endeavor! This was one of the best Unilocal events I have been to and can’t wait to brag about it! I want to thank Capital Dime, the staff and Alex L for making us one of the lucky participants to a wonderful dining experience I won’t forget! Time to start saving my dimes!

Being a huge fan of Chef Noah’s work at the Sacramento landmark Kitchen Restaurant, I was extremely excited to attend this event. The 18^th and L ST location is near the heart of midtown and perfect for 2^nd Saturdays, bar hopping or just walking around. We were seated in a large courtyard which was quite spacious and easy on the eye. Since the establishment was still under construction I assume additional lighting/​outdoor heaters etc will be added to the courtyard seating in the near future. The interior of the establishment included a full bar and seating in a casual yet cool style of comfortable and not to stuffy décor. Note the bathrooms are too small only accommodating 2 people at a time.
Chef Noah was on hand to greet all of us as the event started and he made his rounds throughout the night stopping at each table and even cooking up something special for those of us who had special dietary concerns. We were seated next to Unilocal royalty Joe and Ida and I wish they had gotten a chance to ask Noah to fix up something different since Joe wasn’t able to eat the main course of sliders.
The menu included the following items along with a checklist to provide feedback on each item:
Bay shrimp crostini: a one bite morsel of tender bay shrimp on a crispy cracker
with lemon mousse and tobiko caviar
Prosecco Campari Spritzer: a delicious light spritzer to kick off the night
Bonini Cocktail: named after Noah’s grandmother I believe this drink was made with gin and reminded me of a stronger mojito
Watermelon salad with fresh mozzeralla and poached wild prawns: this was one of my favorite dishes light, flavorfull and delicious
Crispy Calamari and Shrimp: I didnt receive any shrimp but the calamari was tender and flavorful. The breading reminded me of a chicken strip type batter.
Cowboy Andy Cocktail: made with whiskey this cowboy had too much kick for me
House made pastrami and best Damn slider with chorizo cheese fries: Served on ciabatta type buns the pastrami was very tasty but it would have been better with a crunch factor ie coleslaw added. The best damn slider was good and contained lettuce, green tomato, pickles and a sauce. The cheese fries were thin style served with white cheese sauce and chorizo on top. All of these were good and would probably be better when not served in masse, but I felt they still needed a little tweeking.
Honey Boo Boo desert cocktail: beautiful and delicious, this delectable drink arrived just as I started to sober up and put me back in a «non vehicle operating state» LOL. Vanilla, creamy, honey suckle, yumminess
As always our star community manager Alex put together another fabulous event. Alex never ceases to amaze me with how well this events are put together. Alex, are you available to put together my house warming party LOL

Since I already reviewed Capital Dime, I’ll keep this one short and focus on the event.
The Elite Preview Party: The Capital Dime was one of the best of not THE BEST Unilocal event I been too since I became Elite. The event ran smoothly and very organized as if it was in autopilot. We arrived early, checked in and gathered at the gates of the courtyard eagerly waiting like children at Charlie’s Chocolate Factory. As we entered we were welcomed by staff and offered Prosecco Campari Spritzer to kick off the evening.
The evening continued with 4 spectacular dishes and 4 fabulous drinks. In the end it really felt like we had a 5 course meal with drinks. I thoroughly enjoyed everything that was offered and the service. It was actually fun rating and discussing each item that came out. It made the event more social and allowed us to further express our thoughts on each item deeper than just «this is really good.» Noah and the staff deserved more than just simple words for their complex creations and hospitality.
Thanks Capital Dime and Alex for a classy evening and delicious tasting!

Noah Zonca.
Need I say anything more?
The Kitchen will never be the same, now that Noah has followed his dream of starting his own restaurant, the Capital Dime. One of the power chefs in Sacramento, Noah has created a sparkling new gem in the local dining scene… one that I can’t wait to visit again.
Lucky enough to get invited to the pre-​opening last night, my friend Rhonda and I walked up 18^th, excited to experience the first taste of one of the more eagerly-​anticipated restaurant openings in recent history. For the past few months, the name and even the owner of the space was under wraps, creating a delicious buzz of mystery. And last week, when the news splashed across foodie blogs and papers that it was a Noah Zonca endeavor, I hugged myself with giddy anticipation when I realized that the Unilocal Elite Event (YEE) that I had just RSVP’ed to was the very same restaurant.
It was one the most well attended YEEs I’ve ever been to. We got there right at 7pm, and as we were waiting for the pearly gates (appropriately named as such by Michelangelo) to open, I watched as the well-​dressed Unilocalers walked up the steps, happy to see so many familiar faces. We walked in to see beautifully arranged white-​tablecloth-​covered tables set for four each dotting the patio, red Unilocal balloons and the Unilocal banner providing the decorations, and the wait staff smiling, with trays balancing champagne flutes holding pretty red prosecco cocktails. We were seated around the patio and the loft area indoors. The rest of the space was still under construction, but we were able to sneak a look: gorgeously appointed with accessories from Restoration Hardware, dark wood, raised banquette benches by the bar area, I can’t wait to see it when it is done.
The evening progressed beautifully, with the servers bringing various appetizers around to us, and four (yes, four!) cocktails. My favorite had to be the last one, a sublime concoction of vanilla vodka, milk, and honeysuckle, the Honey Boo Boo (name change seems necessary). I would like one of those every night at bedtime, please. The food was delicious: lemon mousse shrimp and caviar crostini, calamari, watermelon shrimp and mozzarella cheese salad, and sliders with fries.
I had a wonderful time, catching up with my Unilocal friends and meeting new Elites. There was a sparkling feel to the moment as I sat there, taking in the sounds of the tinkling glasses, the laughter, the happy conversations, looking around at the fairy lights on the trees around the patio, watching Noah and his crew mingling amongst the guests, excitedly sharing their vision for this place… it was exhilarating to be a part of it all.
Once again, Alex and Unilocal hit it out of the park, planning a wonderful event to introduce a new restaurant to the community. And the Capital Dime showed us how masterful they were at putting on an event even while the bulk of the space was still under construction. A wonderful experience, overall.

One of the best Elite events I have been to! I knew this was going to be a treat, but my expectations were surpassed by the presentation of all the awesome offerings. Those sliders were off the hook and the «Cowboy Andy» cocktail just might find itself in my list of favorite whiskey drinks.
Great food, great drinks, great people! Chef Noah, the Capital Dime staff, Alex and the team… thanks!

First I would like to say that I am reviewing the event and I have little doubt that to review the business based on this event would be completely misleading to my readers. Capital Dime is in the process of still building their restaurant and creating a menu. The waiter and cook staff were still being trained for their grand opening and we were given a few tastes of things that may appear on the menu in exchange for our feedback. Even the dishes we were served on were rented for our event.
I loved that three of the four items served were low sodium friendly. I hope the owners and chefs of Capital Dime will keep in mind that there is a large population out there that for medical reasons (heart and kidney) cannot eat at most restaurants because they only serve items high in sodium unless they order a salad without dressing and bring their own. Why eat out? I would love to be able to come back after Capital Dime has opened for a creative and delicious low sodium meal. Consider that a challenge Chef Noah. … and certainly not an easy one.
Ida and I arrived fashionably late since she does not get off work until six and had to come home and get «girlied» up first. The event looked full and we were not sure we were going to get a place to sit until Douglas Y. and his lovely wife were nice enough to waive us over to their table.
Everyone was already finishing their first appetizer and drink when we arrived but the wait staff was kind enough to serve us our first round almost immediately. It was directly followed by our second drink along with our second food tasting. The watermelon and shrimp was so good that we asked for seconds and were not disappointed. Another drink and appetizer quickly followed that. No, I am not repeating myself, it was most efficient. Everything to this point seemed low sodium friendly. Lucky me! Then came the slider and frites. They were definitely not sodium friendly which was a very good thing for Douglas.
Between the great conversation with Doug and his wife and the quick efficient and most friendly service, (Maybe there were a couple of opening night jitters?) I barely had time for a very brief lap to say hi to my friends and I think I might have missed half of them.
I loved the patio, the food and the company. I wish they would have had better lighting. Hopefully that is still to come along with some heaters. Other than that the patio was awesome.

WOWZA. Every YEE is a treat but this one had to be the best ever.
I felt like I was I a supa-​star with complete access to what will be one of the best restaurants in Sacramento. Chef Noah made dang sure of that!
Chef Noah had everything down to perfection. As soon as we walked in through the gates, there were many tables set up outside and inside. What??? This… was… a… sit down… event??? Craziness! Definitely a first for me… absolutely loved it! We chose a table outside because the weather was just so perfect. Before we even sat down, a server greeted us with a prosecco campari spritzer. I have never been much of a campari fan but after taking a couple of sips of this stuff, it was delish. The servers were on it and didn’t miss a step! They were also very knowledgeable about the menu… kudos to all of them.
At our table, we each grabbed a pen and some paperwork to review each drink and dish that came out. Chef Noah made it a point to go around and introduce himself to everyone with a hug or a handshake. He definitely made an impression on everyone… a really good one.
4 drinks and 4 dishes later… I was a happy camper. My favorite drink was the bonini… named after Chef Noah’s mom’s maiden name. It had a slice of cucumber in it and was super light and refreshing. I’d definitely order that when I return… Yes, I am definitely returning as soon as this place opens its doors!!! The Honey Boo Boo had to be the best dessert cocktail I have EVER had. I had to personally go to Chef Noah to rave about it as he told me what it was made of… Vanilla Vodka, Jasmine Liquer, milk, and honey. What a combination! The 3^rd drink we had last night was called the Cowboy Andy. If you love whiskey, this drink is the one for you. It also came with a housemade cherry which was also delish.
For the dishes, we started off with a bay shrimp crostini with caviar. After that, we sampled watermelon salad with mozzarella and prawns. Third, we had calamari and shrimp. Lastly, the best damn slider I have ever had and a pastrami slider served with chorizo cheese fries… I could go on and on forever talking about these dishes. They were all VERY delish. The slider and the calamari were definitely my 2 favorites. My tablemates pretty much came down to the same consensus.
We met some pretty awesome Unilocalers while at the event. Of course, Alex was always a pleasure to talk to. One of the guys who work for Chef Noah also told us that the lower floor will be for regular dining. The top floor and patio will be used for private parties. The patio area can fit up to 300 people. Insane!!!
The restaurant is about 2 weeks out to completion. I personally can’t wait!!! I will definitely be coming by to try whatever else they will be offering on their menu.
What a treat… what a restaurant… what a fantastic event!!!
Alex, THANK YOU SO MUCH for allowing us to be a part of this awesomeness. Unilocal and Capital Dime rocked everyone’s socks off!!! Woohoo!

Best Unilocal Elite Event I’ve Hit Yet In Sactown!
SITREP
I was having SERIOUS Unilocal Deju Vu last night.
THE SETUP
Back in September 2012, I hit the ICIS Unilocal Elite Event (YEE) at the ICIS Resort Apartment Homes in Glendale, CA. My friend & L.A. East Unilocal Community Manager Katie B. had invited me to her magnificent YEE in the courtyard of the ICIS condo resort. Last night at the Capital Dime in the expansive Courtyard, I felt the same kind of vibe. I am totally thinking that these are the kind of events that truly make the Unilocal Elite experience very special!
CALIBER ABOVE
However, what the ICIS YEE lacked was Capital Dime! Without a doubt, their food & beverage team was a dramatic cut above the culinary standard and I have to say hands down that this Elite Preview Party For The Capital Dime has been my most exquisite & favorite YEE experience to date!
IN HEAVEN!
Actually, IN MIDTOWN, but I just emphasize how much fun it was for me to be just blocks away from my front door! What was special about this evening’s event is that it was a «soft opening» — Capital Dime, the brainchild of Ink Eats & Drinks owners, and located on 18^th & L Streets where the L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen used to be, is still technically closed to the public and is not scheduled to open their doors for their grand opening until the week of The 4^th of July.
THE NAME
First off, what do we call the place: «Capital Dime» or «The Dime»? Both work and it’s just a matter of colloquial usage. But the sign says «Capital Dime» and some staff themselves just say «The Dime.» So it goes both ways, which should be no surprise, in a city where «The Sacramento News & Review» & «The Sacramento Bee» are just referred to as «The News & Review» & «The Bee».
But to be a total smart ass, with all things being reviewed by Unilocal,it’s listed as «Capital Dime» here. So that’s what I call it. And it’s located at one of the busiest intersections in Midtown Sacramento, the Dime’s kitschy theme is to serve $ 10 entrees of American bistro-​style comfort food. Capital Dime features a large spacious downstairs dining area with some more private spaces upstairs for overflow dining or special events. For the YEE, we actually were escorted upstairs by staff into the spacious courtyard tonight that adjoins the restaurant.
MANAGEMENT, CHEF & BAR TEAM
The Kitchen’s Chef star superpower Noah Zonca is a consultant and has managed many of the new hires for Capital Dime, including,
* Juan Vaca, still currently at Mulvaney’s B&L, but taking on head chef duties at Capital Dime;
* Ruben Perez, Chef de Cuisine (and former head chef of Ink); and,
* Chachi Maydahi, that many of us remember from de Vere’s Irish Pub, and will be performing the role of sous chef.
⁵⁰⁄₅₀ WINE THEME
In his courtyard share with our entire group, Noah called the wine program being featured at Capital Dime as «50÷50», meaning «50 kinds of wine, all $ 50 and under», 10 of which will be served by the glass, featuring California, French, Italian & Spanish wines.
CONDO SERVICE
Talk about a «community angle»! If you are a lucky soul living in the adjoining condoplex, you will receive room service from Capital Dime! Talk about an incentive to moving into that building!
REFRESHING BEVERAGES
There was a great selection of cocktail creations by the talented bar staff, that included:
* The Bonini (a gin fusion delight!);
* The Prosecco Campari Spritzer
* The Cowboy Andy Cocktail (with St. Germain, Bourbon & Homemade Orange Bitters)
FOOD TASTES FOR THE EVENING
The food bites tonight were absolutely exquisite and were an array of many diverse taste treats, including:
* Lemon Mousse Bay Shrimp Crostini with Tobika Caviar
* White Prawn Watermelon Salad (Cool, refreshing & tasty!
*. Crispy Calamari & Shrimp
* House-​smoked Pastrami & Best Damn Slider with Chorizo Cheese Fries
Such fun creative drinks and a fantastic spread of food!
RATING MECHANISM
What was totally a first for ME (others may have experiences this in other YEE experiences — I don’t know) was seeing Capital Dime putting out some rating sheets next to each of our place settings. There was a listing for each of the taste bites and each of the beverages that we would be trying this evening, and it was clear that Capital Dime truly valued our feedback.
This was a dynamic convergence of both a group of reviewers & a restaurant enterprise starting up, sharing feedback & teaching each other.
KUDOS
Major shoutouts for this delightful event. A major thank-​you to Noah and team of chefs, bartenders, and servers! I recognized several of the servers in fact as my friend Kristin who it was fun to see!
And major props to Unilocal CM Alex L. and his able Major Domo, the ever lovely Giselle! Giselle event joined us at our table and so it was an absolute delight to sync up our music passions as we were dining with exotic seafoods and tasty American Sliders!
THE LOWDOWN
All I can say is «YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!»