The folks at Morton’s were gracious and generous enough to invite me to a free preview lunch last week, and I was stupid and dull enough to find myself out of town on the day of the event.  Thankfully, a friend and local eating enthusiast Paul Somerhausen from Sacramento Epicureans took up the mantle and went in my place.  Here’s his report:

I was lucky enough to get to sample the new location of Morton’s Downtown. They are now located at the base of a new office building on the corners of 6th and Capitol, and it is a major improvement to the previous location. The old restaurant had the feel of an old Chicago mobsters hang out, and was about as easy to find. This new place is wide open, with big tall windows that leave plenty of light in. Also, the soft tones of wood, the huge temperature controlled wine room, and the big hanging lamps adorn this establishment and make it feel bright and welcoming.

The bar area is another highlight, with big comfortable chairs and a fully stocked wall of offerings. They will feature (happy) power hours with $5 bar bites, and drink specials. Also new is outside seating to enjoy the beautiful Sacramento weather.

The dinner menu features the same trusted items you find from Morton’s, with a multitude of generous cuts of USDA prime Aged Beef, a variety of fish and seafood, and a very impressive wine list with a combination of classics and some more rare to find vintages. As an addition, at this location they will now serve lunch Monday-Friday, and will offer a slimmed down version of the dinner menu, but with some added sandwiches and salads.

We chose their lobster bisque, which had a delicate balance of seafood, cream, pepper and spice to it. Additionally, we tried their colossal shrimp cocktail. With only 6-8 units to a pound, the four that they offered were soft, plump, and huge. They came with a tangy cocktail sauce. As entrees we ordered the prime rib au jus, and the NY steak sandwich. The prime rib was juicy, tender, and seared to perfection. The steak sandwich came with crispy fries and two generous cuts of spiced seared NY steak cooked perfectly medium rare. We ended our meal with a veritable S & S NY style cheesecake, imported from New York itself. A great meal!

The service was attentively overwhelming, typical for a soft opening. This place will likely be a great destination for all the bankers, lawyers and lobbyists that surround it, and for those celebrating something special.

Morton’s
621 Capitol Mall
Sacramento , CA 95814
Tel: 916-442-7877

Food **** Ambiance **** Atmosphere ****