Nightlife in Rocklin

Pause Lounge & Kitchen urges diners to take a break from sprinting after fast food by slipping inside its elegant eatery and enjoying a luxuriously chewable selection of contemporary chow and beverages. Start off by noshing on a pile of beer-battered asparagus flanked by a dedicated entourage of lemon aioli ($4), then proceed to chat with pals about baseball scores and solutions to the Entscheidungsproblem over a helping of crispy monterey calamari ($10) washed down with Terra Alpina pinot grigio ($8/glass) or a mug of Pause’s house-brewed ale ($3). While using one hand to grip a glass of basil-mint or thyme-lime lemonade ($4), guests can order the other to fork-feed them dainty bites of hanger steak ($20). The dangerous twists and turns of a busy day slowly fade into a liquefied rollycoaster as the palate draws a bath of zesty Bridgetown daiquiri spiked with rum, apricot liqueur, lime, and bitters ($9). For dessert, tickle the tongue’s sweet spot with a plate of chocolate-chip cookies and a chaser of milk ($6).

Inside Strikes Unlimited's cavernous entertainment complex, players send bowling balls hurtling down 50 gleaming lanes. Whether they're competing in a league or just enjoying the night with friends, bowlers can watch exciting plays on the center's bounty of flat-screen TVs and massive projection screens equipped with a cutting-edge sound system. Three nights a week, the lights dim, the black lights glimmer, and a DJ starts pumping beats for Glow Bowl, an event that blends the challenge of bowling with the excitement of the club.

Just around the corner from the crack of bowling pins, Halftime Bar and Grill fuels bowling and arcade games with juicy burgers made from certified Hereford-beef patties and frosty draft beers. Eight flat-screen TVs broadcast the big game, and pool tables offer a diversion from the bowling lanes. The dance floor pulses on Friday and Saturday nights, as live music ushers in a late-night menu. Trivia night and acoustic music are among other weekly attractions.

La Huaca Restaurant's chefs prepare elegant presentations of Peruvian cuisine in a sleek space outfitted with imaginative decor. Waiters hustle dishes of citrus-infused ceviche made with fresh fish, shrimp, or octopus past shelves of glass jugs filled with rainbow-hued liquid, and carry glasses of Peruvian wine to tables set along a wall of knotted ropes. The pachamanca tres carnes pairs a medley of slow-cooked chicken, beef, and pork with Andean tubers and a Peruvian corn cake, and the lomo saltado seasons pieces of filet mignon with a sauce made from pisco, a South American brandy made with grapes too bold to become mere jelly. The smooth-tasting liqueur also makes its way into the dessert menu and steeps into the rich layers of the tres leches sponge cake.

From hand-selecting all of the restaurant's produce at a local farmers' market to testing recipes to ensure authenticity, the owner of My Thai Table influences every dish that emerges from the kitchen. Each platters carry an additional personal touch from the chefs, whose close ties to Phetchabun, Thailand ensure that their entrees simmered, stir-fried, and spiced according to the country’s culinary traditions. Noodle staples such as pad thai and pad see ew accompany four types of curry and three kinds of fried rice, as well as signature house specialties such as shish kabobs that bookend beef, shrimp, and chicken with mushrooms and pineapples.

A chic lounge attached to the dining area beckons guests to recline on sky blue ottomans and benches. The square tables set throughout the space play host to glasses of Napa Valley wines and frothy bottles of imported Chang and Singha beers. During private events, the rhythms of smooth jazz float from the restaurant’s live ensemble, enticing passersby to glance through the floor-to-ceiling windows and try to catch the echoes of a fading bass line with their bare hands. Starting December 20, customers can revel in live jazz every Thursday from 6—9 p.m.

As Bunz & Company embarks on its second quarter century in business, owners Julie and Jim Sweet aim to uphold its position as a family-friendly establishment. "It's comfortable and familiar, like the 'Cheers' of Roseville," Jim told the Roseville Press-Tribune, which profiled the bar and its origin as the brainchild of former San Francisco 49er and Roseville native Dan Bunz. Once a postpractice hot spot for the 49ers—including football greats Joe Montana, R.C. Owens, and Bobby Boucher—the English-style pub now serves local, and very loyal, clientele. The restaurant’s more than 17 televisions broadcast popular sporting events while servers ferry trays of casual American fare and giant vats of sports drink.

At Valencia Club, the menu—which includes everything from specialty wings to tacos and chili-mac ‘n’ cheese––serves as an added bonus to the convivial atmosphere. A sprawling patio, two bars, horseshoe pits, pool tables, and a dance floor make for memorable evenings and Odyssian trips to and from the bathroom. Local bands on Fridays, country tunes on Saturdays, and DJ-spun beats on the patio on Fridays and Saturdays underscore the lively atmosphere. Valencia Club even holds line-dancing lessons every Saturday night, hosted by a local radio DJ.