You’ve probably known this about us for quite a while, but we love sushi. We always have. We always will. And in a town with SO MANY great options for sushi, everyone seems to have their favorite sushi spot.
Mine just so happens to be Lou’s Sushi on the corner of 23rd and P St. in Midtown. Their menu is full of creative rolls and fresh nigiri and sashimi offerings. Not to mention the array of seriously good specialty dishes (I’m talking about you, Secret Tofu). They also have a nice selection of sake and beer to sip on while you enjoy you’re the food crafted by Lou’s talented staff.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll love the fact Lou’s has an entire section of the menu dedicated to specialties, sushi and even nigiri to fit your dietary needs. Even if you eat meat, you shouldn’t overlook this section of the menu!
Here’s what we ordered during our trip to Lou’s!
Vegan Mushroom Tempura – remember when I told you to not overlook the vegan options? These Oyster mushrooms are coated in panko breadcrumbs, fried and then tossed in a house made sweet and sour sauce.
Stir Fried Green Beans – The name says it all. Green beans stir fried in a savory soy sauce and topped with sesame seeds. These were cooked to the perfect firmness!
Secret Tofu – The cat’s out of the bag on this one. Tofu is fried up crispy and smothered in a creamy garlic sauce. This tofu was one of the highlights of our meal. If you think you don’t like tofu, this will make you reconsider.
Veggie Tempura – Crisp and flavorful, fried to a light golden brown. Everything was cooked to perfection! Each veggie had a nice crunch without being underdone.
Chef’s Choice Nigiri – Nigiri is simple, flavorful and perfect for sharing. I never know what fish I want, so I always opt for chef’s choice.
The M-N-M – Tempura shrimp, spicy tuna, with unagi, avocado, masago & Lou’s amazing sweet-n-spicy sauce.
The Firecracker – The jalapenos on top should not be taken lightly! If you’re into spice, this is the roll for you.
And finally, dessert! We opted for tempura strawberries over vanilla ice-cream because how could we not?
The best part is, we’re giving away THREE 15% coupons to Lou’s on our Instagram this week! Go to @sacfoodies, find our Lou’s post and tag 2 foodie friends that you’d like to share an awesome meal with. The giveaway ends this Friday at 5:00pm PST!
No purchase necessary to win. Winner must be following @sacfoodies and will be randomly selected. A winner will be picked at random and announced on Friday, 12/22.
LowBrau Sausage Platter
Danke!
LowBrau
1050 20th Sacramento, CA
916-706-2636
Dawson’s
I had the opportunity to hang out with Jason Poole, the executive chef of Dawson’s last week, and learned that his restaurant is anything but an industry cliché. Located at 1209 L Street, Dawson’s is the Hyatt Regency’s in-house steakhouse. But don’t call it a “hotel restaurant.” Dawson’s stands on its own.
“We’re not a hotel restaurant. We’re better than that stigma,” Poole says. “Yes, we have rooms here, but we’re so much more.”
Unlike some hotel chains that implement uniform menus across all locations, Poole has free rein over 99 percent of everything that comes out of his kitchen. That translates into a delicious menu chock full of local items like SunFed Ranch grass fed beef from Sutter County and asparagus and other fresh veggies from the Delta.
With fresh local ingredients, Poole’s Chef de Cuisine Michael Grande has a wide variety of foods to work with, and he does so masterfully. The grass-fed beef bone marrow appetizer we sampled was luscious and buttery. We ordered the SunFed Ranch grass-fed flat iron steak and a California corn-fed flat iron from Brandt Beef for comparison. Both were delicious and cooked just to perfection, with sides of crisp asparagus as well as lobster mac-and-cheese. All these great flavors were delivered with incredible service (arguably the best I’ve had in Sacramento) courtesy of our awesome waiter, Ardy.
Beyond the great wait staff and cuisine, one particular source of pride to Poole is what used to be a cascading hotel fountain that’s now brimming with a variety of edibles like fragrant lemon thyme and ripening tomatoes. This is Poole’s vegetable garden, retrofitted by the hotel just for his use. Poole’s favorite plant is a hardy pepper plant that he likes to call, the “Charlie Brown pepper tree.”
“It’s the lone survivor of the garden’s first iteration,” Poole admits with a smile, touching the leaves of the plant. “It took some tweaks to get it right.”
To get the ingredients needed for Dawson’s beyond what his garden and the Charlie Brown tree provide, Poole says the best local foods are always just a phone call away.
“In Sacramento, it’s so easy, you just have to put in a request for whatever it is you want and it’s here,” Poole says.
Easy sourcing makes it even more fun for Poole to participate in the abundance of Sacramento Farm-to-Fork celebrations he enjoys, like BLT Week in July, Offal Day in August, Farm-to-Fork Festival in September and Baconfest in January. Poole says the events are great opportunities for him to showcase what Dawson’s has to offer Sacramento foodies.
“We’re out in the community,” Poole says. “We’re letting people know we’re way beyond just a hotel restaurant.”
Dawson’s
BAR: 4:00pm – 10:00pm Monday – Friday
5:00pm – 10:00pm Saturday & Sunday
Happy Hour: Monday – Friday, 4:00pm – 6:00pm
DINING ROOM: 5:30pm – 10:00pm Daily
2014 Valentine's Day in Sacramento
When you’re lucky enough to have Valentine’s Day fall on a Friday, the options are endless where romantic dining is concerned.
Should you stay in and set the mood in the comfort of your own home? Do you go grand and reserve a table at the hottest restaurant in town? What about the single ladies and gents – should you defy cupid and indulge in solo pursuits on the most romantic day of the year?
Can’t decide? Not to worry, the Sac Foodies are here to help. We’ve created a list of must-dos for love-struck couples, happy homebodies and single ladies and lads to help everyone’s V-Day sizzle all night long.
Valentine’s Prix Fixe Offerings in Sacramento (Make reservations on Open Table or by contacting each restaurant quickly before it’s too late)
- The Melting Pot – $75 per person offers five-courses of mouthwatering fondue dishes with a variety of dessert and entrée options. There’s also a Lover’s Lane package for $125 per person, which offers four courses, sparkling wine and an embossed photo frame. See the full menu here.
The Melting Pot
814 15th St., Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 443-2347
- Cafeteria 15L – $80 per couple includes a champagne toast, an appetizer, an entrée and dessert options for two. Dinner is served from 5 – 11 p.m. See the full menu here.
Cafeteria 15L
1116 15th St., Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 492-1960
- Ella Dining Room and Bar – An Ella Valentine’s meal is an exquisite four-course adventure paired with one bottle of champagne per couple. The cost is $125 per person and the full menu can be found here.
Ella Dining Room and Bar
1131 K St., Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 443-3772
Creative Ideas for Homebodies (This is what I’ll be doing)
- Netflix subscribers rejoice! Season 2 of the award-winning ‘House of Cards’ premieres on Feb. 14. So tune in, cozy up, and kick off the night with a bottle of red and a home-cooked meal, made with love. Check out these appetizing delights on CookingLight.com for 20 delicious (and healthy!) romantic recipes to set the mood.
- Not in the cooking mood? Here are local hot-spots offering takeout for two.
- P.F. Chang’s – Nothing says takeout, like Chinese takeout! Here’s the full P.F. Chang’s menu to choose from. Call-in your order ahead of time to ensure it arrives quickly.
- Buca di Beppo – Known for their family-style Italian cuisine, Buca di Beppo offers heart-warming, tummy-filling meals to satisfy both you and your love. The best part? They deliver! Check out the full menu here.
- Looking for more delivery options? Look no further than Eat24.com to find any fine dining cuisine in your area that delivers straight to your front door.
- And if you really want to impress that special someone – try this amazingly simple, mood-setting treat guaranteed to wow: chocolate-covered strawberries. Believe it or not, I make these for friends and family at least twice a month because it’s that easy. As in, two-ingredients-one-microwave-and-15-minutes-easy. Here’s my go-to recipe on FoodNetwork.com that never fails.
All the single ladies… Now put your hands up!
- If you’re not marching to the beat of Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies’ song, then you’re truly missing out. Let your hair down and have more fun on Valentine’s Night, because you CAN! Consider indulging in these activities with a group of your closest pals.
- Harlow’s Restaurant – All-girl rock band, the Rainbow Girls will be performing at Harlow’s on Feb. 14, so turn Valentine’s Day into Ladies Night and enjoy good tunes, cold drinks and great company at Harlow’s Restaurant & Nightclub.
- Fox & Goose – Enjoy good folk music from Sea Legs and Davis folk rock group, Red Union Blue at local hot-spot Fox & Goose. Event starts at 9p.m. and tickets are $5.
- Shady Lady – Take yourself back to the Roaring Twenties when jazz and blues were all the rage. This Friday at 9 p.m., Shady Lady will bring original blues orchestra and jazz from Sacramento-based musician, Harley White Jr.
- Are you a single homebody? Then I suggest turning Valentine’s Night into a fun friends or family affair. Include a group of friends, your devoted pet, or perhaps your kids or parents and throw in some ice cream, pizza, beer, wine, or all of the above, and pop in your favorite movie for a full family date night!
Tell us, what are your plans for the big day?
Sacramento Restaurants Open for Christmas
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the town, Sacramentans were hungry but no restaurant could be found. Whether you’re hungry for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or a drink– lucky for you, here’s a list of Sactown places open on Christmas so you won’t have to think! Restaurants are filling quickly so reservations shouldn’t be stalled. We hope you enjoy your holiday and Happy Christmas to all! Be sure to thank those who are working this Christmas to ensure yours is a memorable one!
Buca di Beppo – Opens at 11 a.m.
1249 Howe Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 922-6673
Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Opens at 2 p.m.
501 Pavilions Lane, Pavilions Shopping Plaza
Sacramento, CA 95825
(916) 286-2702
Capitol Garage – Opens at 4 p.m.
1500 K St
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 444-3633
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood – Opens at 11 a.m.
1194 Roseville Parkway
Roseville, CA 95678
(916) 960-4875
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