I settled into a patio chair at midtown’s The Press Bistro recently on a sweltering Sacramento October evening, thirsty for some serious liquid refreshment. The bartender’s vivacious San Gennaro – one of the restaurant’s signature cocktails – was just the ticket for some palate-cooling relief. This cucumber-dotted quaff, prepared with gin, muddled cucumber, sparkling wine and elderflower liqueur, was über-refreshing and just sweet enough, and its cucumber-kissed flavor lingered seductively on the taste buds. Revived, I tucked into the restaurant’s excellent fried meatballs, served up with a sprightly garlic-yogurt sauce; the pretty goat cheese-stuffed piquillo peppers; and my long-standing fave – the kitchen’s grilled calamari, paired with soft white beans, arugula and roasted bell pepper.
