South Sutter riverside eatery closed temporarily

A south Sutter County riverside bar and grill popular with boaters — and less so for neighbors on occasion — has temporarily closed, according to the owner.

Pinky's Bar and Grill, at 6985 Garden Highway near Nicolaus, closed about a month ago without much warning, said a neighbor.

But the bar and grill's owner, Matthew Lovett, said the closing is only temporary.

"We're doing repairs right now," he said. "We'll be reopening soon."

He did not give a reopening date.

However, he may have to act soon if he wants to keep the business' name.

According to the Sutter County Clerk-Recorder's Office, the Fictitious Business Name for Pinky's expires on Thursday, and Lovett has so far not acted to renew it despite a notice from the county.

Pinky's, once known as Verona Joe's Cantina & Grill, overlooks a boat slip on the Sacramento River and has an active license with the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The bar has occasionally drawn interest from law enforcement in recent years, particularly after neighbors petitioned in 2009 for the Sutter County Sheriff's Department to take a stronger hand in cracking down on rowdy partygoers.

At the time, the Sheriff's Department said it had experienced few problems with the bar. However, a man survived after he was shot in the face there in April 2011, and sheriff's deputies arrested an Oakland man nearby said to be carrying a gun and concentrated cannabis a few weeks later.

Neighbor Bruce Freytag, though, said he had not noticed much noise from the establishment recently.

"They did have some people complaining from half a mile away," said Freytag, whose caretaker, Zana Freytag, ran the nearby Verona Village Store until closing it at the end of August.

But Bruce Freytag said he has also seen newspaper notices soliciting bids to take over the bar and grill's lease.

CONTACT Ben van der Meer at bvandermeer@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4786. Find him on Facebook at /ADbvandermeer or on Twitter at @ADbvandermeer.