Best of the Burbs: Roseville, Rocklin & Granite Bay writers’ picks

Best not-trendy bar

The Owl Club

There’s no shortage of pubs and breweries in the greater Roseville area—which just makes the Owl Club’s longevity all the better. Founded in 1934, the bar’s long reinvented itself as a craft beer destination. But don’t let its impressive beer list fool you into thinking this is just another taphouse-of-the-moment kind of place. This two-story bar, located in the city’s Old Town district, makes for an unpretentious way to wile away your time. On any given night there’s karaoke, deejay dancing or live music, plus a no-frills menu offering up mac ’n’ cheese, steak, tacos and more. The place recently underwent a facelift so we’re not talking some janked-out dive bar; it’s clean and the staff is friendly. OK, fine, that beer list doesn’t hurt either. 109 Church Street in Roseville, (916) 773-2337, http://owlclubtaphouse.com. R.L.

Best place to take your dieting date

Green Boheme

Sacramento’s vegans and paleo-dieters were devastated when the Green Boheme on Del Paso Boulevard closed last year. Luckily, chef Brooke Preston reopened in Roseville as part restaurant, part health center. It offers culinary classes, take-home meal plans and, of course, a bounty of organic, vegan, gluten-free, raw and soy-free meals. Preston also partnered up with East Sacramento’s Liquidology, so folks can enjoy some cold-pressed juice alongside their acai bowls. And yes, that pesto pasta doesn’t have wheat, and that tuna isn’t really tuna. 1611 Lead Hill Boulevard, Suite 160, in Roseville; (916) 474-5609; http://the-green-boheme.myshopify.com. J.B.

Best way to forget you’re in Roseville

A beer crawl

Grab a DD and get ready for the best burbs beer crawl ever. Start in Rocklin at Out of Bounds Brewing (4480 Yankee Hill Road, Suite 100, in Rocklin; (916) 259-1511; http://outofboundsbrewing.com) right when the place opens at noon. There’s no need to start slow when you can get a dozen samplers for just $20—sweat it out over pingpong or foosball in the back room. Head over to Boneshaker Community Brewery (4810 Granite Drive, Suite A-1, in Rocklin; (916) 672-6292; www.boneshakerbrew.com) for a diverse array of brews—last year, the brewery whipped up the likes of a sweet potato porter, white stout, wild rice lager, pumpkin rye saison and other exciting experiments. Pair those with some hoisin-glazed pork belly and get ready for Rocklin’s newest microbrewery: Dragas Brewing (5860 Pacific Street in Rocklin, (916) 905-7710, www.dragasbrewing.com). Be careful with the Indecent Barleywine of Dragas, a beast at 12 percent alcohol. Then move on to Roseville, and if you’ve got time, to Roseville Brewing Company (501 Derek Place in Roseville, (916) 783-2337, www.rosevillebrewingcompany.com), a tiny haunt that closes at 6 p.m. But unless you’re a speedy guzzler, there’s a good chance it’s after 6 p.m., so zoom on over to the Monk’s Cellar (240 Vernon Street in Roseville, (916) 786-6665, www.monkscellar.com). You’re probably sick of IPAs by now, right? Relish in Monk’s Belgian brews and grab some dinner while you’re at it. Yum, duck-fat fries. Finally, if you’re not stumbling out the door, stop at Final Gravity (9205 Sierra College Boulevard, Suite 100, in Roseville; (916) 782-1166; www.finalgravitybeer.com)—it’s not a brewery, but it’s got the best beer selection in town. On second thought, you should just grab those bottles to go. J.B.

Best diamond

Arena Softball

If you hate kids and loud warehouses full of them, Arena Softball won’t be your jam. But get over your stuck-up self, because this spot is pretty rad: Two mini-sized baseball diamonds for the little ones do to their birthday-party thing, and softball and baseball cages so the adults can rake a few long balls. It’s easily the best place for your softball team to hit the cages and practice not sucking in the region. 8288 Industrial Avenue, (916) 771-3818, www.arenasoftball.com. N.M.

Best zero-gravity therapy

True REST Roseville

The latest trend in alternative therapies has arrived in Roseville: floating. Essentially, you step into a pod filled with Epsom-salted water, which makes it nearly impossible for you to even touch the bottom of the tank. It’s a zero-gravity environment with zero distractions or unwanted noise. It’s just you. Floating. Alone. For an hour. The price might seem steep at $79 per float, and you’ll probably get bored, but advocates say you’ll walk away relieved of pain, totally relaxed and with magical sleep the following nights. 711 Pleasant Grove Boulevard, Suite 130, in Roseville; (916) 773-5297; http://truerest.com. J.B.

Best date night in Rocklin

The Chef’s Table

This place will chill out your date-night vibe. There’s calming black-and-white artwork on the bar. There’s craft beer that doesn’t suck. There are all sorts of adventurous food specials, like ahi two ways (seared and tartare) or battered sea bass fish ’n’ chips. Oh, and did we mention copious craft brew. Just remember: You’re on a date. 6843 Lonetree Boulevard, Suite 103, in Rocklin; (916) 771-5656; www.thechefstablerocklin.com. N.M.

Best alternative to the Galleria at Roseville

The Maidu Indian Museum

Everyone knows Roseville is full of ritzy folk who spend all day shopping at stores like Crate & Barrel, Williams-Sonoma and Louis Vuitton. But most people don’t know that Roseville was inhabited by Nisenan Maidu for 3,000 years. Check out The Maidu Indian Museum to see centuries-old petroglyphs carved into sandstone and other artifacts. Spanish trappers brought diseases to the Nisenan in the early 1800s, before the gold rush brought gold-seekers and railroads, which defined the city between 1850 and 1950. Learn more about Roseville’s history—both ancient and modern—at the Roseville Historical Society’s website, www.rosevillehistorical.org. www.roseville.ca.us/IndianMuseum. J.M.