‘Tis the season at all Café Bernardo locations for this brown butter and vanilla bean cupcake with cinnamon buttercream and garnished with toasted Snickerdoodle cookie crumbs. Available throughout the month of December for only $2.75!
Café Bernardo
Various Locations in Midtown, Downtown and Davis
(Photo courtesy of Paragary Restaurant Group)
Spinach Puffs from Bon Appétit
For a recent Halloween party, I found the perfect disguise: a side dish masquerading as an appetizer.
To deepen the identity crisis, Bon Appétit’s new November issue also touts these versatile spinach puffs as a “vegetable side and dinner roll in one.”
Call ‘em what you will. These puffs take no guff when it comes to taste.
As incredibly easy apps (or sides, or mains), they’re perfect for parties or lazy Saturday afternoons. And at 110 calories each and packed with spinach, I’m also telling myself they’re healthy.
I doubled the recipe to make a dozen and threw in a half-cup of rough-chopped walnuts for added texture. Feel free to spin these babies any way you want.
Here was my interpretation.
I just used two thawed packets of frozen spinach. The trick is to use your hands to ring out all the excess moisture to avoid sogginess. Then combine the spinach and the first five ingredients in a bowl. Fold in two eggs.
I rough-chopped about a half-cup of walnuts for added texture.
Pre-packaged puff pastry sheets are a great staple to have on-hand. Here, a picture’s worth a thousand words. Or 12:
Next, carefully place each square into a muffin tin and add the spinach mixture, twisting the ends of each dough square to form an enclosure. Easy as…
Twenty-five minutes in a 400-degree oven should do the trick.
Let the puffs cool for a bit, then remove each one carefully. I used a paring knife and a spoon. As a side or a main, you’ll want to serve them warm. As an app, they’re perfectly fine at room temperature.
Bon appétit! (No really, Bon Appétit).
Like I said, it’s a recipe rife with riffing potential. Try goat cheese instead of feta. Add jalapeno for a jolt of spice. Mushrooms for texture and added flavor. The possibilities are endless.
If you’re anything like me, you won’t be able to get enough of this puff.
Ingredients
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped dill
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs, divided
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-ounce package), thawed, rolled out to a 12-inch square, kept chilled
Instructions
Using your hands, squeeze spinach until dry, forcing out as much water as possible (too much water will make for a soggy filling; you should have about 1 1/3 cups well-drained spinach). Mix spinach and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs to blend; fold into spinach mixture.
Cut puff pastry into 4 equal strips. Reserve 2 strips for another use. Cut each remaining strip into 3 squares for a total of 12. Place a square in each muffin cup, pressing into bottom and up sides and leaving corners pointing up. Divide filling among cups. Fold pastry over filling, pressing corners together to meet in center. DO AHEAD Spinach puffs can be assembled 3 hours ahead. Cover puffs and chill.
Preheat oven to 400°. Beat remaining eggs to blend in a small bowl. Brush pastry with egg wash (this will give the pastry a nice sheen). Bake until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let puffs cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around pan edges to loosen; turn out puffs onto rack to cool slightly before serving.
Original recipe courtesy of Bon Appétit magazine.
Thursday Happy Hours at Crocker Café by Supper Club
The new Mel Ramos exhibit at The Crocker is a sight to behold.
But if the pop paintings of nudes alongside larger-than-life sodas, candy and oranges set your tummy rumbling (like they did mine), you’re in luck.
The museum’s newest food offering—located on the ground floor of the sleek, sunlit Friedman Court—is appropriately called the Crocker Café by Supper Club. And it offers a few artful spins on counter staples sure to satiate even the staunchest critics.
I’ve been here before, when it was run by Mulvaney’s B&L. The look and feel is mostly the same, as are the quietly elevated menu items. Think: White truffle asiago or sweet potato fries; a BLT on walnut wheat bread; or a chili lime Caesar salad.
Nothing too ground-breaking, to be sure. But a delightful way to while away an afternoon after soaking in some of the museum’s diverse cultural offerings on the floors above, from ancient Egyptian figurines to stunning 21st Century sculpture.
My advice? Time your visit to coincide with the café’s alluring 4-6 p.m. happy hour on Thursdays. At just five bucks apiece ($7 after 6 p.m.), the surprisingly filling menu items are a great way to cap off a multi-floor cultural walkabout with an array of artful eats.
My museum buddy and I splurged on three of the menu’s four items last week, as outlined below.
¼ lb. Angus cheddar burger with shoestring fries
I don’t mean to over-qualify museum fare. But this burger was surprisingly good! From the toasted bun to the gobs of melted cheddar, it rivals my other favorite happy hour burger special at McCormick & Schmick’s on J Street. And while the photo hardly does it justice, that whopping heap of delicious, slightly crispy shoestring fries was a killer bonus.
Hawaiian-style pulled pork sliders with coconut lime slaw and sweet potato fries
Again: the portions. For $5, this was a solid amount of food! The sweet Hawaiian buns, the juicy pulled pork and the deliciously sweet and tangy slaw offered an array of enticing flavors. The fries were served piping hot with a perfect dusting of sea salt. Yum!
Pizza bread with pepperoni, four cheeses and red sauce
I hate chewy bread. And when we ordered, I was admittedly the least excited about this dish. But any doubts lingering on the canvas of my mind were wiped clean upon first bite. The dough was delightfully light—like biting into a savory cloud, peppered with Parmesan. A great option for cranky kids or famished adults.
The can’t-miss Mel Ramos exhibit runs through October 21, but the Crocker Café’s Thursday Happy Hour is part of the museum’s permanent collection. At least for now.
Drink specials at the full bar offer another enticing reason to get out and soak up some local culture, too.
Crocker Café by Supper Club
Crocker Art Museum
216 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 808-1865
Two for $25 Dinners at Café Bernardo
True, fellow Sac Foodie Liz Conant shone a Wordless Wednesday spotlight on this screaming deal back in February.
I’m here to reiterate the amazingness of it all.
Café Bernardo—that bastion of the midtown and Davis dining scenes—is a hotspot for breakfast and lunch and known for incorporating local ingredients into its inventive and approachable dishes. But do you ever consider it as a dinner option?
You should.
Especially with this weekly dining special, only available at the midtown location on Capitol Avenue. Monday through Thursday, from 5 p.m. to close, the original location is offering two starters, two mains and a carafe of wine for only $25!
And trust me. Unlike similar specials around town, Café Bernardo doesn’t skimp on portions.
Each Monday, the restaurant debuts its ever-changing Two for $25 specials on Facebook. The items range from menu staples like the to-die-for turkey burger with a large side of garlic fries, to the delicious achiote chicken salad with a side of fresh bread from the Paragary Bakery.
Depending on the dish, Café Bernardo also mixes up the drinks. While an appropriately paired carafe of wine is standard, the eatery has also offered pitchers of beer or ice-cold Coronas to wash down each flavorful plate.
Again: all for $25.
Here’s a look at my culinary sojourn this week.
Starter and Wine
A light, unfussy, and delicious mixed green salad with locally sourced lettuce in a light balsamic vinaigrette. To pair? Stone Cellars Chardonnay.
Main
Bangkok Garden, Sacramento
In the seminal ’80s classic “One Night in Bangkok,” Murray Head’s new wave chorus belts, “One night in Bangkok makes a hard man crumble!”
I prefer a twist on the original, adding in two well-deserved syllables every time I venture out to my favorite Thai restaurant in Sacramento.
Because it’s true. One night at Bangkok Garden will make a hard man crumble—at this Buddha-dotted altar of exceptionally good food.
Camoflaged between a Starbucks and a Jim Boys Tacos in a Natomas strip mall (stay with me), this place is like a secret club. Those who know of it are ardent fanatics, eagerly trying to convert the uninitated with tales of plate-licking curries, drunken noodles and plum-sauce-drenched goong hare.
Those who haven’t heard of Bangkok Garden (and I wouldn’t blame you—this culinary oasis doesn’t even have a working website) are in for a treat.
I’ve been going for a couple years now. Regularly. In addition to the food, I look forward to the ridiculously friendly service from every single member of the staff and the eye-catching wall temples with their ornately dressed figurines. And be sure to listen up or you’ll miss the soft-rock soundtrack featuring traditional Thai instruments that play the likes of Celine Dion, Simon & Garfunkel, and Credence Clearwater Revival. I’m obsessed.
I’ve got my usual fare from which I rarely deviate. But for you, I ordered up a few different entrees to share. So consider this your invite to join one of Sacramento’s most exclusive clubs. Just don’t tell anyone else.
Appetizer: Goong Hare
A harmony of textures, this elegant app consists of marinated shrimp wrapped in egg noodles, deep fried, and served with a savory-sweet plum sauce. They’re fun, filling, if not a little difficult to eat. Consider it a great ice breaker for a first date or a shameless, mouth-shoveling good time with your one true love.
Entrée: Eggplant and beef sauteed with onion, bell pepper and basil in coconut milk and chili paste
Meet the dish that haunts my dreams. I’m not kidding when I say that I literally think about this several times per week. The sauce alone—so coconutty and savory!—deserves its own mention. But when paired with the soft, ample slices of eggplant and tender strips of beef (I always order extra), this will easily convert any non-believer into full-fledged Bangkok Garden fanaticism. Be sure to order sticky rice so you can mop up every last bit of sauce, too. Because your only other option is to lick the plate. And even then, I wouldn’t judge.
Entrée: Basil chicken with chili paste, sweet basil and bell pepper
Another fan favorite, I like to order this one with a little extra spice and serve it over a snow-white bed of steamed rice. The sodium profile is pretty high, but I love that sort of thing. Especially when I always get hints of a welcomed bit of tanginess at the end. That’s my palate’s reaction to sweet basil, and this dish has plenty of it.
Entrée: Sauteed green bean chicken with onion, bamboo shoots, bell pepper and chili paste
There’s that chili paste again! I love the way they sneak this into my favorite dishes without overpowering the taste profile of the other ingredients. This is another hearty plate, though the green beans and bamboo shoots help break up the intensity with some welcomed fibrousness. This also holds up well in your refrigerator for lunch the next day.
Entrée: Drunken noodles with chicken, sweet basil, chili paste, onion, bell pepper and tomato
Another fan favorite, these pan-fried flat rice noodles carry a nice lightness to them that mixes well with this entrée’s perfect heat level. One of my favorite things about Thai cuisine is the unusual and often-striking flavor combinations, too. The addition of tomato adds a welcomed burst of character that almost makes you think of salad (no doubt bolstered by the bed of lettuce on which the dish sits).
Dessert: Ube ice cream
Did I have room for dessert? You tell me:
Baskin Robbins may have 31 flavors, but it doesn’t have this: Ube. Ube, also known as the purple yam, is a vegetable root indigenous to the Asian tropics. Bright lavender in color, it’s used in a variety of desserts, including this game-changing ice cream you have to save room for. I’m not kidding. If you like coconut (and even if you don’t!), this delicious reprieve cleanses your Thai-spiced tongue and serves as the perfect way to cap-off your one night in Bangkok Garden.
Though undoubtedly, you’ll be back for more.
Bangkok Garden
3230 Arena Blvd.
Ste. 215
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 285-0608