Category: Food

The Kitchen

I’ve sensed a lot of mixed feelings in Sacramento about The Kitchen. Being the most expensive dining choice in the greater Sacramento area, The Kitchen has garnered its share of devotees and detractors. There are those who claim that spending $125 on a meal is never appropriate, no matter what is served, how it’s prepared, or how many “special” massages you are entitled to per course. Then there are those that claim the $125 per person cost at The Kitchen is justified due to the top notch ingredients, top notch service, top notch atmosphere, and top notch notches.

The truth, as with most truths, falls somewhere in between. When The Kitchen is “on,” meaning the food is extraordinary, the “performance cooking” is presented with theatrical flair, and the five hour eat-a-thon flies by in the blink of an eye, the price, to me, is justified. But when the food, while creative and interesting, fails to tickle you in your naughties and lift you out of your chair, it sets the whole evening on tilt and makes you question the steep price tag. Continue reading “The Kitchen”

Let the Year End Lists Begin-Best Meals of 2007

My Top Ten Meals of 2007

10.  The chile colorado at Sal’s Tacos.  Whether it was the fantastic flavors or the drunkenness achieved at the West Coast Brewfest, this had to have been the best Mexican meal of 2007.

9.  Due to its consistency rather than one-time superiority, the Drunken Pig Tostada at Sacramento Brewing Company.  As always washed down with a Celtic Amber.

8.  The small plate of orichette at Mulvaney’s B&L.  Tender, delicious, sublime.

7.  The apple cider doughnut at Rainbow Orchards.  Sure, it’s not a meal, but you can always eat four more and call it a meal. Continue reading “Let the Year End Lists Begin-Best Meals of 2007”

whadjasay?

I intend the focus of my posts here to be primarily on local music, so consider this entry an aberration. Yesterday, my department took me out to lunch for a belated birthday celebration. We had wanted to try Chicago Fire, but for some reason they are only open for dinner. I thought it a bit odd to hear of a pizza place that doesn’t do lunch, but perhaps the lunch crowd isn’t so big on that end of J Street, since our substitute restaurant, Gianni’s Trattoria only had about a 10-12 other diners the entire two hours we were there.

However, the primary reason I am writing this is not to review the cuisine – which folks like sac-eats can do much better than I – it’s more to give y’all a couple heads-up warnings. First, that if you want to go to Chicago Fire you’ll have to make it for dinner. Second, it’s probably not a good idea to visit Gianni’s right now, because they are renovating the space next to the restaurant and the entire time we were there they were hammering on the walls, which put a bit of a damper on the affair.
Continue reading “whadjasay?”

Paul Martin’s American Bistro

It takes a lot to get me to go to Roseville.  It’s not a destination that I seek out, let’s put it that way.  I don’t have any specific beef with the place per se, but it doesn’t draw me in with any specific gravitational pull.  That being said, when I was invited to dine at Paul Martin’s American Bistro in Roseville recently, I jumped at the chance.  I had heard too many good things about the place from friends, acquaintances, and others in the know to turn down the opportunity.  

Many of you will scratch your heads and say, “Roseville?  Paul who’s?  Why bother?”  Of course you’d say that.  We can’t even get you to go over the J Street bridge, heck, we can’t even get you to leave your couch, why should we expect you get excited about something ten miles up the freeway?  And that’s just fine.  The truth is, there are plenty of folks up the road who recognize Martin’s as the best new restaurant in their neck of the woods.  They’re excited.  They’ll leave their couches.  They’ll put the box of Bugles down and throw on some khakis.  The ‘Bistro will not be hurting for business.  I know you don’t want to hear this, and I apologize for bringing this out into the open, but Paul Martin’s doesn’t need you.   Oh, now I’ve got your attention, now you’ve got a chip on your shoulder, now you’ve got some skin in the game.  Fair enough, read on. Continue reading “Paul Martin’s American Bistro”

Tuli Bistro

So, after much waiting and a bit of writing, Tuli Bistro is now open.  And yes, dear public, it was worth the wait.  How good is it, you may ask?  Is Tuli Bistro the best restaurant in Sacramento?  Of course not.  Nor would I presume to base such a statement after one meal (even if that meal was perhaps the world’s most perfect tuna melt).  No, Tuli may not be the best restaurant in Sacramento, but that’s probably in Tuli’s interest.  Being the “best restaurant” anywhere implies a certain distance between chef and diner, a certain cost over and above what one would normally shell out for good food, and even a certain reluctance to patronize such a location more than once in a blue moon.

Here’s the thing, I’m not interested in going back to Tuli once every blue moon.  I want to go there three or four times a week.  To me, it’s the perfect restaurant. Continue reading “Tuli Bistro”

Let’s, like, totally go get some fro-yo after I tighten my scrunchie

Who knew that frozen yogurt would make such a comeback?  Fro-yo was such a huge part of the ’80s and early ’90s — so much that my college roommate and I had the Yogurt Park “flavor hotline” on speed dial. 

While we don’t see many Penguin or Honey Treat yogurt joints around these days, there are two spots in Sac that put a modern spin on the frozen concoction of yore:

Continue reading “Let’s, like, totally go get some fro-yo after I tighten my scrunchie”

The basil factory is on high alert

First this:

DIXON (CBS13) ― Some serious foul play is going on at a Dixon chicken farm where thieves are stealing or killing hundreds of chickens and its costing the farmer thousands of dollars.

The Eatwell Farm in Dixon has been hit about 5 times since October costing the owner around $20,000.

And then, this:

STOCKTON (CBS13) ― Crates of tomato sauce in Stockton continued to smolder this morning, more than 12 hours after they began burning.

Five hundred plastic 300-gallon crates full of tomato product began burning yesterday afternoon at the Unilever Factory on Waterloo Road.

Coincidence? I think not.

Updates on Updates for the Hungry

Tuli Bistro– the restaurant that has been nothing but a promise for almost a year will finally open its doors on Tuesday, December 11. The new joint will be housed in a block of new buildings at the corner of 21st and S. If good things come to those who wait, then Tuli should be effing fantastic. Neighbors and interested parties have been waiting for Tuli to open for quite a while, so expectations are high. It would have been embarrassing had Tuli been beaten in the race to open by the philosophically indifferent…

Ju Hachi– at the former site of Taka’s (18th and S). Work progresses in a Zen-like fashion at the once and future sushi joint. (Or does it? That’s so Zen.) One of the simplest exercises in Zen is to dig a hole then fill it up. Maybe you get the same effect by opening a sushi restaurant then closing it down, then repeating. (Can you tell I’ve been watching “Life” on NBC?) Of course, what’s more Zen than burgers… Continue reading “Updates on Updates for the Hungry”

Marrakech

It is without reservation that I claim the food of Morocco to be yummy. Yeah yummy! That being said, however, one does have to make a few mental recalculations when addressing Moroccan cuisine. The food itself is tasty, Mediterranean fare–pickled vegetables, couscous, honey soaked lamb, filo-wrapped chicken, baklava– nothing too out of the ordinary, but deliciously prepared. It is the presentation, or rather the consumption of the food that is foreign, difficult, but in the end, rewarding.

“What’s the big deal with eating the food?” you might ask. “It’s utensils,” I respond, “or perhaps the lack thereof.” “What do you mean?” you say. “You eat with your hands,” I say. “You mean like a sandwich?” you say. “No, not like a sandwich, you dolt, like a Moroccan. You know what, I’ve had about enough of you and your ceaseless questions. What are you, five years old? Wanna know where babies come from too? Just shut your trap and pay attention.” Continue reading “Marrakech”

The calorie-free way to kill brain cells this holiday season

Why kill brain cells on eggnog and turkey-tinis when you can just turn on VH1 and catch a local or two on “America’s Most Smartest Model.”

Grass Valley native VJ is still in the running, while Sacramentan Jesse has already been sent home. Some may remember Slavco (also already sent packing) from VH1’s “Kept” from 2004.

Thankfully, I’ve only caught one full episode, so there’s still hope for a full recovery. The one redeeming quality of this show is that it is co-hosted by the wry Ben Stein; although, I’d love to see guest appearances by Tyra, Miss Jay, Benny Ninja — and just for kicks, Michael Kors and Tim Gunn (just keep Padma away, por favor.)