Downtown Blackbird Kitchen & Beer Gallery
Where to eat?
Here are a few recent reviews and regional recommendations by Janelle bitker, ann Martin rolke, Garrett McCord, Jonathan Mendick and shoka updated regularly. Check out www.newsreview.com for more dining advice.
Blackbird is back with chefowner Carina Lampkin again at the helm. It’s located in its original space with a similar aesthetic, though with more focus on beer and bar food to better complement the seafood-inspired dinner menu. A burger served with house pickles, seven-day housecured bacon, cheddar and sweet ’n’ chivey “awesome sauce” make for one of the city’s best burgers, no question. Chowder fries, however, are nifty in theory—fries covered in bay shrimp, bacon and parsley, then doused with chowder. It’s a play on poutine, but a lack of acid and serious sogginess issues mar it from being a landmark dish. Better yet? Fish tacos featuring fried pollock served with pickled cabbage and chipotle crema. These and a beer will remedy any bad day you’re having. American. 1015 Ninth St., (916) 498-9224. Dinner for one: $10-$30. HHH1/2 G.M.
Midtown Block Butcher Bar This place serves the holy trinity of European cuisine: meat, cheese and alcoholic beverages. Most of its boards and plates are balanced using three basic tastes: salty (meats and cheeses), sweet (honey and jam) and sour (pickles and vinegar). The charcuterie boards impress visually and on the tongue.
A recent selection included shaved almonds, neat piles of meat, mustard, pickled cauliflower and beets, served with small slices of bread. The ’njuda sandwich is startlingly spicy and salty, with rich melted cheese and ground meat spread between pressed slices of bread. Or try the pressed serrano ham, manchego cheese, arugula and salsa sandwich—it’s like a cross between a cubano, a breakfast panini and a torta. Elsewhere on the menu there are fine cocktails, an intimidating whiskey list, and a small but diverse selection of beer and wine, both regional and international. European. 1050 20th St., (916) 476-6306. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHHH J.M.
Cafe Plan B This Midtown iteration of the popular Plan B Restaurant in Arden Arcade brings to mind old-school French dining. This should not be read as an insult. The menu runs with salads, sandwiches, mains and appetizers—however, the highlight is the generous array of mussels served in both modern and classic fashion. The épicé mussels are served in a thick tomato sauce with a rumbling chili-garlic heat. Coconutbroth mussels are sweet and tangy and worth a visit. A white-anchovy tartelette with shredded fennel and leek dazzles—it’s the sort of light food welcomed in triple-digit heat. The puff pastry it sits on is a means to an end. Branzino cooked en papillote is also a thing of beauty: light,
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flaky and served with wisps of lemon and fennel. The wine selection is limited, however, the house white is affordable and welcome, pairing well with numerous dishes. French. 1226 20th St., (916) 447-3300. Dinner for one: $25-$30. HHHH G.M.
East Sacramento Fahrenheit 250 BBQ This barbecue joint ups the ante with attentive table service and highend ingredients. Chef Jacob Carriker serves Southern staples such as pulled pork, brisket and ribs, plus the very California addition of smoked tri-tip. There’s also chicken and trout—all smoked in a 7-foot hand-forged steel behemoth. The pulled-pork sandwich is moist, smoky and falling apart with tenderness. The half-chicken is a bit dry, but benefits from a shot of sauce. The tri-tip is wellsmoked, but not as good as the brisket, although it still makes for a very nice addition to the Market salad, with baby greens, grilled zucchini and onions, and cornbread croutons. Barbecue. 7042 Folsom Blvd., (916) 476-4508. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHHH AMR
Der Biergarten This spot is a slightly quirky, low-key place with only nine food items on the menu: four appetizerstyle options, four sandwichtype offerings and a sausage platter, plus about 30 cold ones on tap. Patrons order from a building that was built from a couple of cargo containers and dine outdoors on communal benches, traditional German biergarten style. The Derfinater Dog is a gussied-up hot dog, and despite its seemingly excessive number of toppings, everything served a tasteful purpose. The mayo and garlic sauce helped moisten a somewhat dry roll, and the bacon added saltiness, which balanced the sweetness of cream cheese and barbecue sauce. The pretzel disappointed by being a bit on the flaky and brittle side. The sausage platter was the best item on the menu: a pork sausage, chicken sausage, and a veal-and-pork sausage— much more plump, juicy and flavorful than the frankfurters—served alongside piles of sauerkraut and German potato salad. German. 2332 K St., (916) 346-4572. Dinner for one: $5-$10. HHH J.M.
Land Park/ Curtis Park Pangaea Bier Cafe Just as European wines are made to be enjoyed with food rather than sipped alone, the current tsunami of European-style microbreweries feature drinks often best quaffed alongside a well-crafted meal. Pangaea Bier Cafe recently stepped up its food game to satisfy that need with a revamped menu that includes an ever-changing rotation of seasonal, slightly upscale pub food. Try the Buffalo wings:
They’re deeply flavorful fried morsels with a thick glaze. The mac ’n’ cheese is creamy, with a bit of beer in the sauce and a crunchy topping of herb-flecked breadcrumbs. The sliders are gorgeous little mouthfuls with Tillamook cheddar and house-made pickles. The main-course cheeseburger, one of the best we’ve had in ages, is made from a custom blend of brisket and chuck. This is a juicy patty that holds together, yet bursts with flavor. The locally made brioche bun bears up well, and the house pickles and cheddar simply gild the lily. American. 2743 Franklin Blvd., (916) 454-4942. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHH1/2 AMR
South Sac Bodhi Bowl This Vietnamese eatery’s menu is all vegetarian and mostly vegan, with plenty of high notes. The Heavenly Noodle is a can’t-go-wrong salad comprising snow-white vermicelli noodles with cooling mint, cucumber slices, house-roasted peanuts and jagged pieces of faux beef. The “beef” actually is slightly sweet, plenty umami and pleasantly inoffensive, as far as fake meat goes. Nearly everything here has a faux-meat product or tofu element. So, sorry diners with soy allergies—it can’t even be escaped in the papaya salad. Not an issue? Soldier on with the Hot & Sour soup, a not-too spicy sunset-orange broth that
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teems with a tomatoey and citrus flavor, chunks of pineapple, semicircles of trumpet mushrooms, cubes of fried tofu and slices of faux crab. Or, try the stir-fried Eight Fold Path. It features al dente celery, red bell pepper and triangles of the most savory, salty, dense tofu perhaps ever. Vietnamese. 6511 Savings Place, Ste. 100; (916) 428-4160. Dinner for one: $10-$15. HHHH S.
Kansai Ramen & Sushi House This place serves its own take on ramen and sushi, with varying degrees of success. The kakuni ramen, which features three thick slices of braised pork belly in lieu of the house ramen’s thin slices of chashu, boasts a nice, sweet marinade; tender consistency; and copious flavor. The sushi rolls here are Western style—a.k.a. loaded with toppings. Try the Mufasa roll. With crab and avocado on the inside and salmon and sauce outside, it’s particularly tasty, seasoned in sesame oil and baked—a somewhat unusual technique for sushi. Japanese. 2992 65th St., Ste. 288; (916) 455-0288. Dinner for one: $10-$20. HHH J.M.
Zazon Guadalajara Grill This place offers a fun experience for learning more about food native to the state of Jalisco, where the city of Guadalajara resides, with an extensive and eclectic menu. The tacos here are outstanding. The cabeza (beef cheeks) and barbacoa are the
Football SundayS
$1 tap beer Special StartS at 10am up .50 an hour
N O W
O P E N
$5 brunch SpecialS
• Sourdough French toaSt & eggS • pancake & eggs • the beSt biScuitS & gravy and eggS - add home Style potatoeS, bacon, sausage, or steak $2 more • $10 bottomleSS mimoSaS • $5 bloody mary bar beFore noon
.50 cent wingS
hot, wet, dry, habanero, chipotle, BBQ, teriyaki & lemon pepper
$1 Beef tacos & $2 pork tacos
thurSday night Football $10 riBeye steak dinner special or our amazing asian riBeye steak dinner Served until 8pm .50 cent wingS, $1 beeF tacoS, $2 pork tacos until 6:30pm
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