Best of Sacramento 2016: Arts & Entertainment readers’ picks

Best all-ages music venue

1. Ace of Spades
1417 R Street, (916) 930-0220, www.aceofspadessac.com

2. Cafe Colonial
3520 Stockton Boulevard, (916) 736-3520, www.facebook.com/
cafecolonialsacramento

3. Sol Collective
2574 21st Street, (916) 585-3136, www.facebook.com/SolCollective

Best author of fiction

1. Christian Kiefer

2. Kim Stanley Robinson

3. Doug Rice

Best big screen

1. Esquire IMAX Theatre
1211 K Street, (916) 443-4629, www.imax.com/oo/esquire-imax

2. Tower Theatre
2508 Land Park Drive, (916) 442-0985, www.readingcinemasus.com

3. Crest Theatre
1013 K Street, (916) 442-5189, www.crestsacramento.com

Best brewfest

1. Capitol Beer Fest
www.capitolbeerfest.com

2. Raley Field Brewfest
http://raleyfieldsite.wordpress.com

3. California Brewers Festival
http://calbrewfest.com

Best casino/cardroom

1. Thunder Valley Casino Resort
1200 Athens Avenue in Lincoln, (916) 408-7777, www.thundervalleyresort.com

2. Red Hawk Casino
1 Red Hawk Parkway in Placerville, (530) 677-7000, www.redhawkcasino.com

3. Cache Creek Casino Resort
14455 Highway 16 in Brooks, (530) 796-3118, www.cachecreek.com

Best comedian

1. Johnny Taylor Jr.

2. Carlos Rodriguez

3. Lance Woods

Best comedy experience

1. Punch Line Sacramento
2100 Arden Way, (916) 925-5500, www.punchlinesac.com

2. Laughs Unlimited
1207 Front Street, (916) 446-8128, www.laughsunlimited.com

3. Sacramento Comedy Spot
1050 20th 20th Street, (916) 444-3137, www.saccomedyspot.com

Best community-theater group

1. Big Idea Theatre
1616 Del Paso Boulevard, (916) 960-3036, www.bigideatheatre.org

2. Davis Musical Theatre Company
607 Pena Drive, Suite 10, in Davis; (530) 756-3682; www.dmtc.org

3. Woodland Opera House Theatre Company
340 Second Street, (530) 666-9617, www.woodlandoperahouse.org

Best dance spot

1. The Press Club
2030 P Street, (916) 444-7914, www.facebook.com/thepressclub

2. Faces
2000 K Street, (916) 448-7798, www.faces.net

3. Badlands
2003 K Street, (916) 448-8790, www.sacbadlands.com

Best festival

1. California State Fair
www.castatefair.org

2. Sacramento Beer Week
http://sacbeerweek.com

3. Chalk it Up!
www.chalkitup.org

Best film festival

1. Trash Film Orgy
http://trashfilmorgy.com

2. Sacramento Film & Music Festival
www.sacfilm.com

3. Sacramento French Film Festival
www.sacramentofrenchfilmfestival.org

Best gay club

1. Faces
2000 K Street, (916) 448-7798, www.faces.net

2. The Mercantile Saloon
1928 L Street, (916) 447-0792

3. Badlands
2003 K Street, (916) 448-8790, www.sacbadlands.com

Best karaoke

1. River City Saloon
916 Second Street, (916) 443-6852, http://therivercitysaloon.com

2. The Distillery
2107 L Street, (916) 443-8815

3. Pine Cove Tavern
509 29th Street, (916) 446-3624, http://pinecovetavern.com

Best live music venue

1. Ace of Spades
1417 R Street, (916) 930-0220, www.aceofspadessac.com

2. Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub
2708 J Street, (916) 441-4693, www.harlows.com

3. Cafe Colonial
3520 Stockton Boulevard, (916) 718-7055, www.facebook.com/cafecolonialsacramento

Best local actor

1. Shannon Mahoney

2. Ryan Snyder

3. Benjamin T. Ismail

Best local media personality to have a drink with

1. Bethany Crouch, FOX40

2. Nick Brunner, Capital Public Radio

3. Cody Stark, Good Day Sacramento

Best meteorologist to trust for your weather forecast

1. Mark Finan, KCRA 3

2. Dirk Verdoorn, KCRA 3

3. Monica Woods, News 10

Best open-mic night

1. Luna’s Cafe & Juice Bar
1414 16th Street, (916) 441-3931, www.lunascafe.com

2. Shine
1400 E Street, Suite A; (916) 551-1400; www.shinesac.com

3. Old Ironsides
1901 10th Street, (916) 443-9751, http://theoldironsides.com

Best place to hear poetry

1. Shine
1400 E Street, Suite A, (916) 551-1400, www.shinesac.com

2. Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe & Juice Bar
1414 16th Street, (916) 441-3931, www.lunascafe.com

3. Sacramento Poetry Center
1719 25th Street, (916) 240-1897, www.sacramentopoetrycenter.com

Best place to knock down pins

1. Country Club Lanes
2600 Watt Avenue, (916) 483-5105, www.countryclublanes.com

2. Capitol Bowl
900 W. Capitol Avenue in West Sacramento, (916) 371-4200, www.capbowl.com

3. Strikes Unlimited
5681 Lonetree Boulevard in Rocklin, (916) 626-3600, www.strikesrocklin.com

Best place to see art

1. Crocker Art Museum
216 O Street, (916) 808-7000, https://crockerartmuseum.org

2. Verge Center for the Arts
625 S Street, (916) 448-2985, www.vergeart.com

3. Warehouse Artists Lofts
1108 R Street, (916) 498-9033, www.rstreetwal.com

Best place to stock your bookshelves

1. Beers Books
915 S Street, (916) 442-9475, www.beersbooks.com

2. Dimple Books
2499 Arden Way, (916) 239-3760, http://dimple.com

3. Time Tested Books
1114 21st Street, (916) 447-5696, www.timetestedbooks.net

Best professional theater company

1. B Street Theatre
2711 B Street, (916) 443-5300, www.bstreettheatre.org

2. Music Circus, California Musical Theatre
1419 H Street, (916) 557-1999, www.californiamusicaltheatre.com

3. Davis Shakespeare Ensemble
(530) 802-0998, www.shakespearedavis.org

Best seductive radio voice

1. Kitty O’Neal, 92.5 FM / 1530 AM KFBK

2. Devin Yamanaka, Capital Public Radio

3. Nick Brunner, Capital Public Radio

Best spot for pool

1. Blue Cue
1004 28th Street, (916) 441-6810, http://bluecue.com

2. R15 Bar
1431 R Street, (916) 930-9191, www.rstreet.cafebernardo.com/r15

3. Alley Katz
2019 O Street, (916) 442-2682, www.facebook.com/Alley-Katz-Midtown-Sacramento-253931997952199

Best trivia night

1. Track 7 Brewing Co.
3747 West Pacific Avenue, (916) 442-2682, http://track7brewing.com

3. Fox & Goose Public House
1001 R Street (916) 443-8825, http://foxandgoose.com

3. de Vere’s Irish Pub
1521 L Street, (916) 231-9947, www.deverespub.com

Best visual artist

1. Micah Crandall-Bear

3. Gioia Fonda

3. Susan Silvester