[Sacramento, CA] - The Kitchen

I suppose it was only a matter of time before I made my way to The Kitchen. Known as one of the top dining experiences in Sacramento, it is, for lack of better words, an experience. I would even argue that it's more about the experience of dining here than it is for the food. For the majority of restaurants, guests are passive in their dining. You eat whatever is placed in front of you (unless you're at a buffet, then, you know what to do). At The Kitchen, guests are active participants. You are told to wander around the kitchen and patio and sample whatever you see around. And if you don't see anything interesting, ask because you never know!

I overhead other diners saying something about oysters in conjunction with "Hog Island" and "in the back fridge", so of course I wove my way through the kitchen. It definitely felt weird being back there with the staff who were all busy peeling garlic, prepping sauces, washing plates. So I'm sure I sounded extra timid and meek when I asked, "which way to the oysters?" Everyone I bumped into was helpful; pointing out where the oysters were, making sure I didn't get locked in the freezer, and adding, "we also have some cookie dough in that freezer." Well, don't mind if I do! Even though everyone seemed busy, they made time to answer any questions or lead any stragglers like myself to their food destination. 

After having a few oysters and a blob of cookie dough, I found the rest of my party at the bar. The Kitchen doesn't have a full bar, but they still have a solid selection and do their best to make whatever your heart desires. They had two specialty drinks for the night. One that had cranberry and vodka. I honestly didn't pay that much attention to it because I had already decided I wanted the first drink he explained, which was a Rusty Nail - Macallan 12Yr and a splash of honey liquor. It tasted similar to an Old Fashioned, but made with whiskey instead of rye. And, it was delicious. 

Sitting at the counter, you get a front row seat to the chefs. Much like at a sushi bar, but The Kitchen is louder and you'll find more strangers chatting with each other along with their own parties.

Even if you're not at the front counter, you still relatively close. 

Two pairings to choose from. I could have sworn I ordered the House Pairing, but halfway through was told I was being served the Reserve. I wanted the House Pairing to try the Spanish wine. Luckily the Sommelier was nice enough to bring me a tiny sip to try it out.

 Hog Island Sweetwater oysters. Hog Island's own Pacific Oyster. Much smaller than regular Pacific oysters, and while still briny, tastes much cleaner than the regular ones.

Fried olives. Even people who don't like olives seemed to like this. 

Chef prepping some sauce for our dinners

In door number 2 - cookie dough! They actually bake these later on for you to eat after dinner with a dollop of cream. 

Rusty nail

My first time trying some Thomas Handy Sazerac Rye. At 63+% alcohol, I was surprised at how smooth it was. That afterburn sticks with you like you just used some Vick's, though! 

Seriously, being able to walk around and poke my nose into everyone's business without being yelled at was kind of weird! Cool, but weird.

Fireplace out on the patio for people to hang out with some drinks. It looks even better after the sun sets!

Amuse bouche - pineapple, cucumber, little bit of jalapeno - creamy with a bite

Act I - MV Delamotte Champagne, Brut Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cote des Blancs, France. Bubbly, light, dry. Off to a great start.

Act I and Act II next to each other. Act II - 2015 Inama Garganega Soave Classico, Veneto, Italy. This was to be paired with the dayboat scallops.

Act II - Roman Legion - Butter Basted Sea Scallop - English Pea Coulis, Kholrabi, Meyer Lemon, Braised Little Gem Lettuce.

The sauce alone made the scallop extra decadent. Thankfully the lemon helped cut the fatty taste to balance it out.

Act III - MV Mousse Fils Champagne, Blanc de Noir 'Reserve,' Vallee de la Marne, France.

I have to say this was my first time having a champagne that was served in such a wide glass. It made me feel like I needed to drink if before the bubbles died out, but I definitely did not. Actually, I had trouble finishing each glass before the next dish arrived.

Act III - Lent's Loophole - Ricotta and Black Pepper Cavatelli - Spring Green Garlic Veloute, Frog's Legs, Citron, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, and Crispy Garlic

I thought this was a fun way to plate frog legs. The "lily pads" tasted pretty good. After some high tech research (vegetable that looks like lily pads) I discovered that these are called miner's lettuce. Or Indian lettuce, spring beauty, or winter purslane, and that it is very common to Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley. What really surprises me is that is common to the area but I haven't seen anyone else use it this creatively. Bravo!

After those two rich buttery sauced up dishes, we were given some freshly made chips and told that we had some free time to wander around, eat more random things, and enjoy the cool evening air from the patio. 

In this corner we have some sliced rolls and more Sweetwater oysters. I was told if I wanted to, I could still grab it from the fridge. Just depends on what you feel like doing.

At this point, I was feeling full so I wasn't able to bring myself to try the other bits and pieces. Except another few oysters. There's always room for oysters. 

If you are up for it, they have sake tastings also.

The set up in the front part of the kitchen reminded me of a wedding. Small bites laid out, and people lining up to eat it all.

I'm not entirely sure what else was included other than the octopus legs, daikon sprout, and chip. What I do know is that it was a little too salty for my preference.

For this item, I have no idea what it was. I could be totally wrong but my guess is that the red portion was a bell pepper. The filling was creamy and smooth. I would have liked a bit more crunch to go with it. Or I suppose I could have just plunked it on a chip? Hindsight is always 20/20.

This was probably my favorite of the little snacks they had. It was like a little open faced taco, but instead of tortilla, it was a sweet potato (I could be wrong, I was definitely playing the guessing game on these). Savory and various textures worked well for this one.

I wasn't a huge fan of this one because the salmon was just warm enough that it was warmer than room temperature. The other folks around me sounded like they enjoyed it though.

This one was pretty clear - fried dumpling with ground beef

Act IV - "Long Ears" - Roasted Loin of Rabbit - Bergamot, Leek Vinaigrette, Caramelized Spring Onion, and Parmesan.

The name of the dish was a bit rough. It felt worse because one of the diners in our party doesn't eat rabbit (she had lost her pet rabbit that she had for over twelve years recently). She was able to get a substitute, but I felt a bit like a monster for eating this.

For a few others who didn't do the wine flight, they shared this nice bottle of Chateau Saint-Pierre.

Act V - St. Hyacinth's Dumpling - Butter Poached Beef Tenderloin - Young Potato Pierogi, Ash Roasted Nantes Carrots, and Porcini Mushroom.

This was the best act of all. While it was poached in butter, it didn't feel as heavy as the other buttered up dishes had. Plus, the tenderloin was indeed, tender and beefy. The pierogi was a nice touch.

Dessert Course - "By Any Other Name" - Vanilla Bavarian Cream - Lemon Curd, Rose Water Poached Mandarin, and Citron Gelee.

Definitely wait for the coffee or espresso to arrive before eating this. It was just sweet enough that I needed the coffee to go with it. I'm sure a nice black tea would have been perfect also. With the reserve pairing, it came with a 2013 Chateau Laribotte Late Harvest White Blend from Sauterne, France that was too sweet for my tastes.

Found a hand model to show off what was inside the wrapper.

If you didn't want coffee, everyone gets their own little hot chocolate. Not pictured are the chocolate chip cookies they pass out with whipped cream.

Menu for the night was the March 2018 Menu - (Available March 7th through April 1st 2018)

Presented by Executive Chef Kelly McCown, Chef de Cuisine Allyson Harvie and Chef Owner Randall Selland

Address:
3484, 2225 Hurley Way
Sacramento, CA 95825

I'm not sure if the parking lot for the laundromat is connected, but if you take the second opening, the restaurant is right there. The signage isn't very clear, but you'll definitely see the greeter at the door, along with signs in each parking spot denoting that parking is for restaurant patrons only.

Please call 916-568-7171 for reservations - also available through Open Table.
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