The persevering, rugged spirit of the Wild West is well-summarized in the alliterative phrase, “Come hell or highwater.” In non-cowboy terms, it means, “despite any obstacle.” And in that spirit, says DJ Rogers of his recently opened restaurant and bar Highwater, in a rare straight-shooting answer to a goddamn question, “Though the trials many and tribulations toilsome; come hell or highwater, it was to be.”

Mick Stevenson and Rogers, both veteran local musicians and owners of Dad’s Sandwiches, laid claim to a golden opportunity in late 2015 when they purchased Pour House on Q Street from Trevor Shults, the enterprising creator of a laundry list of local bars and restaurants in the Sacramento area. Biding their time, and partnering with Justin Isaacks, Ben Dewey, Matt Hagstrom and Isaac Fratini, they continued operating the establishment as Pour House until mid-August, when they launched the new concept, Highwater, which better fit the space.

I mean, it was kind of off having a vape lounge/cocktail bar in a train trackside saloon smack dab in the middle of a historically Old West city. Why not embrace the cowboy theme and run with it? But rather than Gold Rush western, Highwater’s inspiration is decidedly Albuquerque western. Evidence of their ties to rock ‘n’ roll can be found throughout, too. The brick interior is gussied up with trippy murals by local artists Shaun Burner and Dan Osterhoff.

“I asked [them] if they had ever seen the movie Holy Mountain. They both said yes, which was a shock because I know they don’t do drugs. A few cans of paint later, and our customers have traveled to the desert with us,” explains Rogers.

When I asked him how they think Highwater stands out in a pretty crowded restaurant and bar scene, Rogers accurately described the Highwater difference: “Promising up-and-coming UFC prospects are less likely to slap the Monster Energy with vodka out of both your girlfriends’ hands here.”

But in all seriousness, Stevenson lived in Albuquerque prior to planting his flag in California, and Rogers expounds, “I had also spent a lot of time in New Mexico. Since I met Mick, we had always talked about doing a menu like this. We weren’t really setting out to be unique, just to put out the best food we knew we could. Pairing drinks with the menu is where our head bartender came in; because of the nature of the food, he ended up going with a lot of mezcals and tequilas—as it turns out they make for incredible cocktails.”

Highwater serves up lunch and dinner seven days a week until 10 p.m., and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Happy hour is daily from 3–7 p.m., and they’ve stuck with the train shots from the Pour House and Whiskey Wild days—when a train goes by, house whiskey shots are two bucks. Rotating drafts feature a mixture of local brews and Mexican imports, and the back bar is well-stocked with a curated selection of artisanal scotches, bourbons, tequilas, mezcals and other high-end liquors.

First, we ordered up a Peach Rose from our trusty bar dog. This bourbon-based drink was poured with Four Roses, lemon, ginger, simple syrup, peach liqueur and angostura bitters, and garnished with a lemon peel and whiskey stone ice cube. Drinkable, smooth and carefully striking a balance between sweet, boozy and bitter, the Peach Rose had a frothy, creamy texture, while merely hinting at peach and citrus.

The Pinto is Highwater’s answer to the current beer cocktail trend. Made with Botanist gin, St. Elder, simple syrup, lemon, grapefruit and Track 7 IPA, the Pinto tastes like a Fresca (that grapefruit soda that was popularized in the ‘90s). It was refreshing, bitter, citrusy, light and crisp.

Highwater’s Bloody Mary is the self-same Preservation and Co. recipe that Pour House mixed—no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. This award-winning hair of the dog cures hangovers with vodka, obviously, and Sacramento-based Preservation and Co.’s Bloody Mary Mix, sriracha salt and pickled olive, green bean and pearl onion garnishes. Note that it’s available during brunch only, upon request.

Time to eat. Stevenson busily procured one plate after another for the Submerge team to try, and upon delivery, gave us the rundown of each awesome dish we were to try. The salmon cake Benedict, a brunch item, arrived first. Made just like a crab cake, the savory, breaded salmon cakes were seared to a crisp on the outside, topped with poached eggs and a housemade hollandaise, and garnished with microgreens. The side of Deli Lama’s Papas are Highwater’s delicious version of breakfast potatoes.

Vegans! The stuffed portabella tastes almost as good a juicy steak and is 100 percent veg. Marinated portabellas are stuffed with a not-overcooked, marinated mix of grilled carrots, summer squash and zucchini, and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Dirty rice comes on the side.

The chicken adobo street tacos were up next. Doubled up corn tortillas are stuffed to the max with cabbage, chicken adobo, housemade salsa, roasted jalapeño, cilantro and Cotija cheese. I suggest removing the bottom tortilla and eating the taco over said tortilla so when hella stuff falls out, you have another taco. Stevenson plans to add a pork taco to the menu soon.

I am told that it’s football season? Whatever, the Super Bowl Nachos are grub whenevs. Tri-color chips, cheddar and jack cheese, housemade salsa, New Mexico green chiles, green onions and black beans are heaped in a pile of simple, timeless goodness.

The rebrand, new menu and events (see below) have been a hit with locals thus far, and it would seem that neither hell, nor highwater, have come to stand in the way. After more than a decade of working together, be it making music, throwing rad events or running businesses, you’d think Stevenson and Rogers would get sick of each other sometimes, but they seem to be having a blast in all of their partnerships, with no signs of slowing down. That’s probably due to a shared attitudinal working dynamic, summarized by Rogers with this metaphor: “When there’s only one slice of pizza left in the box, we leave it be.”

PARTY CRUSHERS
Highwater’s Events Offer Quality Alternatives to Your Couch

We asked Rogers about which events have proven the most popular so far, to which he replied, “The Midtown Spring Formal comes to mind. Who doesn’t like to dress up? I’ll pin a corsage on anything that moves.” But their weekly events keep bringing people in, too. Keep on eye on their events calendar, it might just upgrade your social life.

Here are some of the highlights:

TOTAL RECALL & FUNK IN THE TRUNK
Every first Friday, Total Recall brings the heat with your favorite ‘90s hits.

HEAVY MONDAYS
Mondays suck, so commiserate with some metal together at the back bar.

TUSSLE
Every Tuesday, get down at this weekly trip hop and soul dance night.

ONLY THE GOOD STUFF
Every Wednesday, that good good hip hop and R&B dance party gets you past the mid-week slump.

MOVEMENT
A monthly party featuring all vinyl sets of synth pop, ‘80s and new wave, spun by Eric and Juan.

Highwater is located at 1910 Q St., Sacramento. For more info, go to Highwatersacramento.com.

Crawdads on the River

1375 Garden Highway – Sacramento

Crawdads on the River is one of three restaurants in Sacramento that literally floats on the Sacramento River, offering some of the best riverfront views you could ask for. The restaurant is located just off the Garden Highway, in the Riverbank Marina, nestled between a Chevys and some office buildings.

Established in 1986, the restaurant has been native to Sacramento for almost 30 years but is now under new ownership: Trevor Shults, who also owns Pour House and Vanguard 1415, and head chef Adam Pechal of Tuli Bistro and Restaurant Thir13en. Pechal became somewhat of a celebrity in Sacramento after being featured on ABC’s The Taste. The change in ownership resulted in a new menu and some significant remodeling. “Crawdads was pretty before, but we gave her quite the facelift,” says restaurant manager Brett Miller.

Sunday brunch at Crawdads was busy when I arrived just before noon, but it was an older crowd and the atmosphere was mellow. Tables were set up for couples, rather than groups of rowdy 20-somethings like many of the popular brunch spots in downtown or Midtown Sacramento. There was enough shade to make it bearable to sit outside despite the mid-July heat, and the sounds of chirping birds, the river and calypso music made it easy to forget that I was just minutes from the highway.

My server was pleasant and attentive, accommodating my request to switch to the other side of the restaurant for a better view and remembering that I had asked for lemon water with no ice. My meal arrived incredibly fast for a brunch spot, and the dishes were served piping hot.

The menu is not huge, but there is a good variety of choices. I started with a healthier option—the Farmers Market Omelet, with spinach, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and aged goat cheese. Finding a decent vegetable dish at a restaurant that serves Southern food is usually a challenge, but this omelet was fresh and light, and the goat cheese complemented the vegetables well. The potatoes were fragrant and cooked to that perfect midway point between crispy and soggy.

Next, no brunch spot is complete without a signature benedict, and Crawdads does not disappoint in this area. The Cajun Benedict is served on a jalapeno-cheddar biscuit with Andouille sausage, eggs and the special “Crawfish Hollandaise.” This dish was surprisingly not too spicy, so it didn’t quite live up to its name, but it was easily my favorite dish. It was also the most expensive item on the menu at $18.

I happen to believe that dessert should be included with every meal, so the Crème Brulee French Toast was my final choice. Picture soft, creamy custard on the inside with that same characteristic burnt sugar crunch on the outside. It’s served with pomegranate syrup, but I don’t recommend using much—this dish is already a little on the sweet side and best shared between two people.

Finally, the cocktails. The selection was a bit overwhelming, although most would be better suited for a happy hour than brunch. As it was still before noon, I went with the “Crispy Mosa,” a refreshing twist on the traditional mimosa that pairs Crispin Cider with orange juice. This is a great option if you’re tired of champagne. I also tried the Cajun Bloody Mary, but abandoned my drink after a few sips because it was just too spicy.

Crawdads might not be my all-time favorite brunch spot in Sacramento, but the quality of the food combined with the riverfront view and relaxing ambiance certainly will make me a return customer.

Crawdads is located at 1375 Garden Highway in Sacramento and is open Sunday–Thursday from 11 a.m.–12 a.m. and Friday–Saturday from 11 a.m.–2 a.m. Visit Saccrawdads.com for more info.

Paragary Restaurant Group is branching out into the theater and live music business with the opening of a new mixed-use venue called Assembly, located at 1000 K Street in downtown Sacramento. Taking over Cosmopolitan Cabaret’s former space, Assembly will showcase local, regional and national touring talent. The 9,000 square-foot space features a massive stage, an open floor on the main level, a full bar and tiered seating. It’s a very versatile space. Capacity is 500 for general admission, 240 seated.

This sort of fills a void between local clubs like Harlow’s (which is around 400 capacity) and Ace of Spades (around 900 capacity), both of which have been killing it lately, if I might add. In a press release provided to Submerge by Assembly, Randy Paragary was quoted saying, “What makes this space so unique is the variety of talent we will feature including live bands, improv comedy, celebrity DJs and much more.”

An on-going feature at Assembly will be B Street Live!, a sketch comedy act presented by B Street Theatre that will change monthly based on trends and current events in pop culture. The shows will run Wednesday through Sunday from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m., allowing the venue to also host live music and other entertainment later in the evening. Paragary has brought bar and nightclub scene staples Trevor Shults and Bob Simpson onboard to operate and market the venue as well as Scott Brill-Lehn of SBL Entertainment to book talent. The space is also available to other promoters and event organizers based on availability, like on April 19 when Conscious Vibes is bringing vocalist, pianist and composer N’dambi to Assembly.

The grand opening party for Assembly is scheduled for Friday, March 22 and will feature free admission and live music from one of the area’s top cover bands, Pop Fiction. Local soul singer James Cavern is having his EP Release party there on March 29, K Flay is touring through on March 30, Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers will play on April 2, and that’s just a few of Assembly’s announced shows. Keep an eye out at Facebook.com/AssemblySacramento for more information.