Astonished is not the word for learning that my favorite downtown Sacramento restaurant, 55 Degrees, is closing tomorrow. Saddened, stunned and disappointed are much better descriptive words.
Owner Ali Mackani made the decision last week to close 55 Degrees. Among his reasons are the rising cost of ingredients, overhead and the fact the slowdown in the economy has hit restaurants particularly hard.
The Sacramento Business Journal reported last month that the July Sacramento unemployment rate was 7.3% but that 2,900 (29% of those jobs) were in the leisure and hospitality area, and 2,400 of those were in the bar and restaurant business (when people cut back, they quit eating out).
55 Degrees was a place you could go to totally hungry and equally exhausted. The service was exceptional. You could plop down in a chair, ask for a martini and order the chef's surprise selection -- which was a multi-course meal of the chef's choosing, paired with extraordinary wine selections. You didn't have to think about what you wanted because the chef would always prepare a delightful meal, and you knew you would be pleased.
My husband and I tried to get reservations to say goodbye to 55 Degrees, but they were open only for lunch this week. Tomorrow, 55 Degrees will be closed.
No Towers, no Aura, and now, no more 55 Degrees. It's a sad day in Sacramento.
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Certified HAFA Specialist
My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
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