One vital part of Sacramento's summer season is cold beer, and there's no shortage of small breweries providing it. Where to sample them? For one, Fabian's Italian Bistro is getting the reputation as a Beer Central.
"Almost all of our taps (are beers) from Northern California craft breweries," said co-owner (with wife Mercedes) Christian Forte. "That's our thing right now."
Among them are Hoptologist (from the Knee Deep brewery in Lincoln), Franklin (Sutter Buttes brewery) and Brother David (Anderson Valley brewery).
Wednesday will be Beer Night at the restaurant, featuring a representative from the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., who will be happy to talk "all things beer."
The deal: four tastes plus two appetizers for $10, with live music on the patio.
The brews: Bigfoot Barleywine Ale and Ovila Dubbel Belgian Ale on tap. In bottles will be Hoptimum and Summerfest Lager.
The bites: Chef Tom Patterson will make beer-battered mascarpone-stuffed pepperoncini with smoked paprika aioli, and beer-battered Vidalia onion rings with spicy catsup.
The special: The main-course dinner ($14.95) will be house-made Italian sausage steamed in Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, served with mascarpone polenta and peperonata (simmered bell peppers with onion and garlic).
Beer Night begins at 5:30 p.m. and ends "until we're tapped out," said Christian Forte.
Fabian's is in the Almond Orchard center, 11755 Fair Oaks Blvd., Fair Oaks; (916) 536-9891, www.fabiansitalianbistro.com, www.sierranevada.com.
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