Ella Dining Room and Bar, Sacramento

The much anticipated, official Grand Opening of Ella Dining Room and Bar took place last night. If you live in the Sacramento area I am sure you are familiar with, and maybe have been to, The Kitchen Restaurant or Selland's Market-Cafe, both run by the Selland family. This is their newest venture and the restaurant is named after Randell Selland's grand daughter Ella.
Located at the corner of 12th St. and K St. in the Cathedral Building, a sleek, light wood entry meets you as you step in through the door. The large open restaurant with a big, square bar in the middle of the room, with plenty of seating, has hundreds of Hungarian window shutters decorating the ceiling and part of walls, giving the space a very rustic feel. The seating is a smart mix of smaller contemporary tables with upholstered chairs, and rustic large wood tables and wood chairs for eating community style. Behind the bar sits a large wine room enclosed only by dark glass walls. A lounge area with more bar stool seating and couches also adds to the scene. As you can see contemporary meets rustic in this very cleverly and tastefully decorated restaurant. Private dining rooms are available as well, and chef's tables with a specialized menu.

Moving on to the menu, it offers a wide selection of eclectic cuisine. Our waiter explained the different sections of the menu, and encouraged our party to share a variety of dishes to experience the many flavors.
First on the menu is the cold bar section featuring everything from oysters to ceviche. We tried the Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi with a Salad of Frisee, Radish, Almonds and Citrus Segments ($14). The fresh burst of citrus in the salad and the different textures made a great pairing with the very fresh, delicate yellowfin.
From the next section of the menu, the small plates, we ordered the Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine Reduction ($10). Served on top a parsnip puree and scattered glazed carrots. Succulent, tender, and flavorful, this rustic dish won the heart of all of us. Another fantastic small plate was the Gnocchi in Cream Sauce with Broccoli Rabe, Parmesan and Prosciutto ($12). The gnocchi impossibly fluffy/pillowy with almost a creamy texture as they melt in your mouth when you bite into them. The accenting ingredients were a perfect match as well as you can see.
Next section was Salads and then Vegetables. We ordered the Heirloom Tomato Stuffed with Burrata Cheese ($9.50) with a side of super sweet cherry tomatoes tossed in basil and olive oil. Burrata is an Italian fresh cheese made from Mozzarella and cream that is mixed until it obtains a soft texture. Mild and creamy it made the sun bursting flavors of the heirloom tomato shine. We also tried the White Corn Soup with Chives and Creme Fraiche ($8). Simple and delicious with bright sweet corn flavor.
On to the Entrees with three different sections, pasta, fish and meat. Us girls had the Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes, Tapenade and Olive Oil ($24), and the Slow Roasted Salmon with Baby Artichokes, Preserved Lemon and Lardons ($24). Both great dishes, my salmon moist and melting in the mouth. The guys had the Grilled New York Strip with Tomato, Mushrooms, and Gremolata ($28) and the Grilled Hereford Ribeye with Bordelaise, and Bearnaise Sauce ($48). Great dishes as well, the only mistake being the New York Strip coming out at the table as medium rare when being ordered medium.
Although stuffed at this point we had to try a few of the desserts as well, three to be exact... A Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with Soft Ganache Center, Cocoa Nibs, and Toasted Coconut Almond Ice Cream, and the Profiteroles with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce, both really good, although the profiterole eating guest thought the profiteroles were slightly dry. Despite being a chocoholic, I have to admit that the third dessert was the most interesting. A French Toast with Cinnamon, Maple Syrup and Coffee Ice Cream. Excellent marriage and balance of the flavors.

This massive feast was enjoyed with three fantastic bottles of wine. Roar 2005 Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir, Jayson 2002 Napa Valley Red Wine and Plumpjack 1995 Oakville Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We had brought the 2002 Jayson with us, the other two bottles were from their well put together wine list. With a limited but very well choosen selection under each varietal, it concentrates mostly on new world wines but does not forget about the wines from Europe. It has something to offer for everyone, with prices for a bottle of wine starting at under $30 and climbing from there, and with a section dedicated to half bottles. The library section has a great selection of Napa Valley Meritage and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The setting, ambiance and food exceeded my expectations for an opening night. The service was very attentive, courteous and knowledgeable, but as with the stress of any grand opening, just a little off in the timing. Small mistakes like serving first course before our wine had arrived, and forgetting to offer us coffee at dessert time, should be easily overcome as they hit their stride. I have been to grand openings before and not a single one has been able to offer that impeccable service right of the bat. Having dined many times at their other restaurant, The Kitchen, that offers service second to none, I am confident that it is only a matter of days or weeks until this is also achieved at Ella Dining Room and Bar.
Over all I can highly recommend this restaurant and I am one for sure that will be back very soon.


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A Taste of Sacramento

Friday night we went to a food, wine, and beer event in Sacramento, A Taste of Sacramento, a benefit for Easter Seals. It featured over 70 local wineries, breweries and restaurants who showcased their wine, beer and food to ticket holders. As you understand there was not enough time, nor room in my stomach to tasted everything at the event but I did want to share a few thoughts with you on some of the participants that I particularly enjoyed (or not).

Let's start with the food. Best BBQ in town was served up by J.R.'s Texas Bar-B-Que who plated mesquite smoked brisket and baked beans. This is what BBQ should taste like. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse had sliced steak with mashed potatoes. Yummy. Rubio's flavorful, juicy and tender carnitas in flour tortilla with guacamole was surprisingly good considering it being a chain restaurant. Someone was serving a good mahi mahi taco roll as well, but I can't recall who it was... I also had shrimp with a great cocktail sauce that I think it might have come from Pilothouse Restaurant...
For dessert I had two favorites, The Berry Factory (owned by Shari Fitzpatrick of Shari's Berries) with their chocolate dipped strawberries (to die for) and a local chocolate maker that I had not heard of before, Chocolate Silk The Chocolate Architect. They had a wide variety of fudge. The toffee chip chocolate fudge and espresso chocolate fudge were my two favorites.

On to the wine. Holly's Hill Vineyards from Placerville, produces Rhone varietals, and poured a 2006 Viognier that really stood out with intense white peach on the nose and pear at the palate. Sometimes viognier can be a little bit over the top for me but this one did not have to sweet fruit and was lighter and more refreshing then most viogniers. They also had their 2005 Patriarche, a blend of Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache, and the lesser known Rhone varietal Counoise. Very nicely balanced with large, but not to ripe fruit, and savory tannins. Good wine for food.

Montevina was there and I only tasted their Barbera and it was a disappointment to me. The entry level Barbera was bland and diluted and lacked the concentration this grape can have. Tasting the one-step-up Terra d'Oro Barbera didn't do it for me either. I moved on...

Cosentino Winery was there and poured a long line of wine. As a former wine club member I know their wines very well. I tasted their 2005 Franc (Cabernet Franc) and the 2005 CigarZin (Zinfandel). These two wines have a very constant quality trough vintages and these were not an exception. They were as big, concentrated and plush as ever, with good tannins.

R. Merlo Estate Vineyards, poured one of the few Pinot Noir that was at the event. The style of this 2002 Pinot Noir was more delicate and less concentrated, compared to the central coast Pinot I usually drink, with red cherries and red berries and only hints of darker fruit. I usually prefer some more of the later, but it was never the less a really nice Pinot Noir. I also tasted their 2002 Syrah. This one full of ripe, big berries and tannins to match. Very good.

Last but not least M2 Wines was there, with owner/winemaker Chris Matheny and his wife Diana pouring the wines. This was one of the best pourings at the event. I have tasted their wines at a wine tasting a while back and reviewed them in a prior post. They had the same line up at this event and you can read my thoughts on their wines here. One extra wine was poured that I had not tried before, the 2004 Clone Six Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. A great wine with dark cherry, black currant, oak and high on firm tannins. Will definitely drink well for many years to come.
Chatting with Chris and Diana they told me about the M2 Autumn Winemaker Dinner they will be hosting October 20th at Fair Oaks Nursery. When seeing the menu and the wine they'll be pairing with the four courses, it was hard to say no, and we did not... They are hosting a gourmet meal with appetizer, choice of crab bisque or roasted beet salad, for entree beef tenderloin or plank grilled salmon, and then a chocolate creation for dessert. All paired up with M2's exciting wines, for a very reasonable $80. To get more information, and join in on the fun call Diana at (916) 838-7914 or email her at dmatheny@m2wines.com. Maybe I'll see you there...

With that I am wrapping up my thoughts on the 2007 A Taste of Sacramento event. I'll be back next year.

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L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen in Sacramento

The L Wine Lounge and Urban Kitchen on 1801 L Street in Sacramento opened about two months ago and finally last Friday we got to try it out.
The owners Marcus and Kolea Marquez has opted for a very chic, contemporary design of the space that fit the new complex it is located in. The space consists of a wine bar, tables for dining at two levels and an outdoor patio area for summer nights. We sat at the patio to enjoy the courtyard and it's sleek architecture.
The wine list is relatively short but well composed and the menu is set up of an array of small plates to match and share. I love this kind of eating as you get to try so may things from the menu. The chef is Ame Harrington, formerly at The Kitchen, and she has done a great job selecting items for the menu.

We started of with the Three Cheese Plate. A goat cheese, a hard cows milk, and a soft cows milk was accompanied by olives, Marcona almonds, peach slices, dates, fig cake, preserved whole walnut (interesting item that I have never seen before), and bread. A great start to our meal!
After that we ordered several items to share at the table.

Flat Iron Steak with jus, fresh porcini mushrooms, and some other mushrooms (that I did not recognize). The steak was incredibly juicy, tender and flavorful. A great dish.
Pan Seared Pizzetta came in two versions and we picked the one topped with a goat cheese spread, eggplant and basil. Perfect to satisfy our craving for carbs. I am not usually a big fan of eggplant but this creation from Ame was fantastic.
Last but not least we had a total of three plates (yes you heard it right) of Slow Roasted Babyback Ribs. These were the best ribs any of us had had in a long time. There was plenty of meat at the ribs and it was extremely succulent and fall-of-the-bone tender. They had a really interesting seasoning to them and Ame was kind enough to share the rub with us: juniper berry, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, salt and pepper. I will have to try my hand on this at home. On the side a grated mango salad with cilantro. Perfectly refreshing and it paired great with the seasoning of the ribs.

We tried two different wine from the wine list. Our group of four that went out that night are all pinot noir fanatics and we started out with the August West 2005 Rosella's Vineyard Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir. We all loved this big, fruity pinot with plenty of acidity and tannins to stand up to the dark fruit and berries.
Second bottle was the Hatcher 2004 Willamette Valley Oregon Pinot Noir. A more cool climate slightly more elegant pinot noir that we should have given the benefit to be the first bottle. Altough this was a nice bottle too, it had a hard time to stand up to the August West and we were therefore a little bit disappointed... We'll know better next time.

The wine list over all has a very reasonable mark up and I have to applaud the owners for that. The August West set us back $62, and in my local wine store the price is $45. I say that shows a pretty fair price for the restaurant.

If you live in the area or are passing by pay this new, modern lounge and restaurant a visit. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Check back soon as I will review the August West in more detail in the near future. I had to order half a case from my wine store the next day and it is coming in not to long...


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Sapor Restaurant, Sacramento

I got invited to a nice little mid week treat last week. While our husbands watched a basket ball game at Arco Arena us two girls went out to dinner. My girl friend suggested a new neighborhood restaurant, Sapor Restaurant, just blocks from her house in Sacramento. They had been their previously and really enjoyed the food and service. Being a Wednesday night it was very quite as we stepped in. The restaurant only seats 56 and we were the second table to be seated that night.
We were presented with the menu and decided to start with Day Boat Scallop and Prawn with Horseradish Celery Root Puree and Riesling Essence. We paired this with a glass Chardonnay. The wine arrived, and with it, just out of the oven baked bread. Shortly after the starter arrived. The scallop was perfectly cooked and although I couldn't really detect the horseradish, the celery root puree was a great match with it's subtle taste and creaminess. The Riesling essence accentuated the sweetness of the scallops beautifully. A great start!
For entree we both choose the Oven Roasted California Halibut with a Sauteed Leek Souffle, Pine Nut Relish, Baby Spinach and Citrus Essence, paired with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Great Halibut although a tad over cooked for my taste, and an out of this world leek souffle! The pine nut relish offered both a texture and flavor element. This dish was delicious and I'll have it again in a heartbeat! For dessert we shared the Warm Dark Chocolate Brownie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. No better way to end a meal than with chocolate!

This is a great restaurant of the beaten path. Very attentive service and great ambiance. If you are lucky the chef TJ (Tjisana Lewis) will come out and sit down and talk to you about the food and maybe offer up a little surprise. We were out of luck this particular night...
As the night progressed more tables filled up but it never got busy. I hope more people will find their way here to keep this diamond in the ruff in business. As for me. I can't wait to go back!