Best of Sacramento

What if all the years of Sacramento’s history were accessible through some souped-up time machine that could shoot us backward or forward faster than the speed of light? If you could slip the confines of the time-space continuum, would you go back a few months and avoid all of your downtown traffic tickets? Or head up to the gold fields one year before Capt. John Sutter to stuff your pockets with a fortune?

Our reporters assumed a different mission. They imagined time-traveling back through the years of Sacramento’s history to investigate some of the remarkable people and events that helped shape our contemporary city. Our writers imagined that with the help of some super-scientific mojo, they could lift a pint of ale at a Sacramento riverfront inn in the year 1851 or watch competitive horseback-riding events at the state fair in 1921. They even gave out some special “Best of Sacramento” awards to some of the city’s early innovators. Inside, you’ll find these awards featured along with the best of 2005.

For those of us still locked in the early 21st century, we’re proud to dedicate most of our issue to the offerings of the contemporary age. Sacramento’s full of great athletes, performers and entrepreneurs, and we’re proud to point out a wealth of new restaurants and nightclubs; importers who provide us with fabrics and edible delicacies from Russia, India, Italy and, yes, Southern California; and politicians and advocates who are boldly shaping state policy. This year, Sacramento’s theater companies are sending their best plays to Broadway, our musicians are going national, and our women’s sports teams are the country’s champions.

Finally, we come to the future. Our extra-intrepid reporters also traveled forward in time and gave awards to Sacramento’s burgeoning vegetarian dining scene in 2015 and a new brand of sex club open in 2050. They also viewed the dramatic conclusion of some of today’s most compelling political battles.

Now, based on these final awards, the reader might assume that our reporters saw in the future what they wanted to see. Well, you can hardly blame them for that. In the spirit of the most beloved time-travelers in literature, they chose to use their powers for good and try to effect change in their own time by sharing the best of what they saw in the future. In the next 100 years—at least as envisioned by SN&R’s reporters—it’s clear that Sacramento still has a lot to look forward to.

Food & Drink
Traveling to 2015: Best West Coast city for vegetarian dining
Writers’ choice
Readers’ choice

Sports & Recreation
Traveling to 2050: Best idea for a new sports complex
Writers’ choice
Readers’ choice

Goods & Services
Traveling to 1946: Best new supplier
Writers’ choice
Readers’ choice

People & Places
Traveling to 1921: Best budding horseback rider
Writers’ choice
Readers’ choice

Arts & Entertainment
Traveling to 2020: Best local supergroup
Writers’ choice
Readers’ choice

Sex & Love
Traveling to 2100: Spacey Personals
Writers’ choice
Readers’ choice