Vanessa Sapino

The Flaming Grill, Sacramento

February 28, 2011 by SacFoodies

We recently asked the adventurous RoShamBurger crew to check out the diverse menu at The Flaming Grill for a guest spot review on SacFoodies – not because we weren’t interested in checking it out ourselves, but mostly because we trust these true burger connoisseurs to dish about the rarest finds and eclectic offerings on The Flaming Grill menu. And, in true RoShamFashion, the crew didn’t disappoint.
RoShamBurger’s Chris Davey
The Flaming Grill is a “go to” for RoShamBurger, not because of its charming surroundings, or that it’s always good, but because it’s unique. The Flaming Grill offers a variety of meats and toppings that make the menu read more like a list of options and upgrades, rather than a restrictive “I’ll have a #2.” On this adventure to the known (and unknown), my wife Lisa and I expanded our burger horizons. You see, they were out of Kobe beef, which is unique in its own right. So, Lisa hopped on the kangaroo meat, while I went with the VeLion (more on this in a second). The kangaroo meat was “interesting” … I personally didn’t care for the strong gamey flavor, but Lisa found it “interesting” and ate what she didn’t share.

Ok, back to VeLion. This is an odd combination of veal and lion. Apparently, veal is very similar in taste to lion, but acts as a carrier for what I imagine is a rather tough scrap of meat – lion. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste a whole lot different than a sirloin burger. Although I finished it, I couldn’t get the image of Simba out of my head. Thankfully, I don’t think VeLion will ever sweep the nation as the next best burger meat, and Lisa and I were both glad we stepped outside of our comfort zones.

We can’t forget the beer at The Flaming Grill either. Jose is a beer lover and shares his passion with everyone. On this night, he was trying to empty his kegs in anticipation of the upcoming Sacramento Beer Week and a restocking with seven types of Deschutes. Unfortunately, this meant Pliny the Elder was tapped out, so I opted for the Hop Wallop instead.

RoShamBurger’s Mark Groux
RoShamBurger liked The Flaming Grill the first time so we decided to give them another visit, this time we took the women with us. My Bacon Avocado Sirloin Burger was cooked to perfection. The fries were great and I tried some different beers since they were trying to clear out for some new kegs on the way. Maureen, my girlfriend, had the Sourdough Melt and the beer sampler, complete with a BPA, Shugga, Nut Brown and something crazy called the Hairy Eyeball! The patty melt came with 1/3 lb. sirloin, grilled onions and mushrooms, and she had them throw on some tomato to boot and upgraded her fries to cheese fries.

RoShamBurger’s Lance Smith (husband to SacFoodie Vanessa Smith)
RoShamBurger’s first trip to The Flaming Grill was not exactly great for me and I was left with a dry taste in my mouth…translation…over cooked burger. It’s safe to say Vanessa and I are the conservative eaters in the group and we stayed true to form by ordering the Bacon Cheeseburger (someone had to have the control burger) and the Bacon Avocado Burger. Our two year old son, AKA “The RoShammer,” had the kid’s cheeseburger. All three burgers arrived hot, juicy and cooked to perfection. Needless to say, my over-cooked first impression was immediately deleted from memory and was replaced with a juicy medium rare one. Vanessa was particularly impressed with the quality and quantity of the freshly-sliced avocado placed on the burger as well as the lightly toasted bun. The RoShammer loved his burger and (as always) gave the fries two greasy thumbs up.

Our experience at The Flaming Grill was nothing short of superb. Not only did all 6.5 of us devour our burgers with total satisfaction, but we were also impressed with the chef’s ability to cook each burger perfectly. Believe it or not, ordering 3+ medium rare burgers at once has been as elusive to the RoShamBurgers as VeLion is to the American palate. With that being said, The Flaming Grill is officially a RoShamFavorite!
The Flaming Grill
2319 El Camino Avenue
Sacramento, California 95821
(916) 359-0840

FIRST Food & Bar, Las Vegas

March 18, 2010 by SacFoodies

Apparently not everything that happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I just can’t resist sharing the experience I had at FIRST Food & Bar inside The Palazzo at The Shoppes. The recommendation came from the Michael Kors store manager who insisted we try FIRST’s Cotton Candy Kiss and Warm Pretzels. So we did, in that order, and it didn’t disappoint.

I marveled at the table-side making of the Cotton Candy Kiss, literally like a kid in a candy store. The ooey-gooey pink libation starts with pink cotton candy in a martini glass rimmed with crushed Life Savers, that is then topped with vodka, elderflower, vanilla and juice. Does it get any sweeter?

From lunch to late night, everything on the FIRST menu is bound to satisfy any sweet tooth or comfort food craving. We sampled goodies like the lamb lollipops, mini gyros, baked meatballs, and the warm pretzels served with three types of mustard. FIRST was the perfect first stop on our final night in Vegas. As for the rest of the trip, well, that stayed in Vegas.

La Provence: A Fabulous French Food Frenzy

September 30, 2009 by SacFoodies

Every year around this time, my husband and I ask the dreaded question: where should we go for our anniversary dinner? It’s not dreaded because of the occasion, certainly not; it’s dreaded because there are so many choices in the greater Sacramento-area these days that it’s hard to choose! And, now that we have a small child, there is even more pressure to choose a good restaurant and make the most of an evening out!
We started the list with restaurants we’ve never been to before and La Provence Restaurant & Terrace in Roseville quickly rose to the top. Nestled in the Blue Oaks neighborhood in Roseville, La Provence is located in a very unlikely place, perched among oak trees and perfectly polished residential neighborhoods. It has a rustic, yet elegant charm, with a beautiful outdoor terrace underneath a sea of umbrellas. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to sit outside due to a wedding reception, oh, and the fact that it was still a balmy 95 degrees at 7 p.m., so instead we enjoyed a window-side table in comfortable air conditioning!

We started out with the Tatin au Fromage, caramelized apples atop creamy cambozola blue cheese, baked in a puff of pastry, followed by a cup of the Soupe de Tomates, tomato soup made with local tomatoes. For our entrees, we ordered the Saumon avec Haricots Verts, which was a pan-seared salmon, paired with local French green beans and chanterelle mushroom; and the Assiette de Fruits de Mer, “fruits of the sea” such as broiled red mullet, a spicy blue crab cake, sautéed seafood sausage, over a buckwheat taboulé. Even with all that to enjoy, I couldn’t resist ordering a side of the creamy, parmesan-cheesy Risotto d’Maize, a sweet corn risotto – I’m such a sucker for risotto!

I must admit, I’m rarely enticed by the thought of French cuisine, mainly because I’m typically won over by my usual cravings for gluttonous portions, but they do get me on the richness of the food with an abundance of cheese and delectable sauces. Not only was I pleasantly surprised by the portion sizes of the selections we made, I was equally impressed with the variety of foods on the menu. The service was impeccable and the evening was thoroughly enjoyable. I am eager to visit La Provence in the winter time, when we can sit by the fire and enjoy another great meal. I will most definitely be back!
La Provence Restaurant & Terrace
110 Diamond Creek Place
Roseville, CA 95747
(916) 789-2002

On the road again…

July 17, 2009 by SacFoodies

I love a good road trip. As a kid growing up, I spent a lot of time in the car heading to see relatives across the country. I always got a kick out of the games we’d play along the way (think “I Spy” and counting red cars), but my favorite part about road trips, even to this day, are the food stops along the way.
As we embarked on our first summer vacation with Jacob, our now 7 month old bundle-of-joy, we chose to drive to Seattle by way of Bend and Portland to see friends for the July 4^th holiday. I know what you’re thinking: that’s a long time in the car with a baby! Actually, he did quite well! The only thing he didn’t allow us time for was meandering through small towns in search of refreshing libations and interesting road fare. Instead, we were roadies on a mission!

First Stop: Bend, Oregon. In the quaint town of Bend, we refreshed our spirits with local brew and appetizers at McMenamins, set in what was once an old Catholic schoolhouse. McMenamins are hotels and restaurants, all unique in their architecture, scattered throughout the Northwest. In Bend, the restaurant is adjacent to the hotel, where old classrooms are now the lodging rooms. Complete with a pub, bakery, movie theater and Turkish bath house, this place has it all. We drank a very light and refreshingly fruity, Ruby raspberry ale, and enjoyed the Hummus Plate and Baked Wedge o ’Brie, which was fried with an apple and hazelnut crust! Yes, it was as good as it sounds!

Next Stop: Portland. By sheer happenstance, we ate at both Jake’s and McCormick & Schmick’s while visiting Portland (M&S is an FH client). At Jake’s, we moseyed up to the sidewalk seating for Happy Hour and ordered cheeseburgers, fries and beer, for the perfect welcome meal to Portland! The following day, we strolled along the waterfront and literally stumbled upon McCormick & Schmick’s and decided to stay for dinner and a beautiful view of the water. I had a delectable parmesan encrusted Halibut, and Lance ordered scallops with stir-fry over rice; both dishes were cooked perfectly and paired well with Northwest Region wines.

Destination: Seattle. Our friends welcomed us with a very detailed menu of wonderful home-cooked meals – including ‘halibut and chips’ and bison chili – all gluten and dairy free recipes! (I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the gluten, dairy free foods; not only did they taste good, in some cases they tasted better!) On the one occasion we ate out, it was during a day trip to Snoqualmie, where we had lunch at the Salish Lodge overlooking the roaring Snoqualmie Falls. We were banished to the Attic Lounge due to all our gear and three kids in tow, but the upstairs restaurant offered stellar views of the falls. The fare was perfect for our parched palettes – I ordered the fire roasted chicken sandwich with cherry pepper aioli, crisp pancetta, fontina cheese, and fried sweet onions on house made sea salt focaccia bread.
Now, I’m sure you’re wondering about the ride home, and I must confess that we ate Burger King, pizza and hotel breakfast. After all, we were once again roadies on a mission, logging 1,700 miles of fond memories and many culinary delights!
McMenamins
700 NW Bond Street
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 382-5174
Jake’s
401 SW 12th Ave.
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 226-1419
Salish Lodge
6501 Railroad Ave.
Snoqualmie, WA 98065
(425) 888-2556

Are you a crab picker or a crab piler?

February 6, 2008 by SacFoodies

This was the question du jour last Saturday night as the Smith and McGough families embarked on their second annual Fisherman’s Club Crab Feed in Lincoln, California.
In our group of 10 (plus baby Will made 11), the majority of the Smith/McGough clan are pilers: carefully selecting the perfect piece to crack open, cultivating the most meat possible, then creating a pile only eaten once it’s big enough for it to be considered a meal.

Unfortunately I was the odd woman out, as I don’t have the devotion to crab or the patience for the piling process. I’m a picker: crack the crab leg, pull out the meat and eat it. Repeat. I must admit, since my husband is a piler, it’s very convenient for me to have an empty plate between picking as I always get sympathy bites from his pile!

Whether you are a picker or a piler, crab feeds are fun way to really get into your food. How many other opportunities do you have to wear a bib and get messy unless you’re under the age of three? And it’s not just about the crab, we enjoyed appetizers, shrimp cocktail, coleslaw and clam chowder. Half the fun is taking part in such an elaborate production in which you must be prepared with wine and wine glasses, butter warmers, special sauces, and crab crackers and pickers. The ill-prepared will still have a good time, but going bare bones once will teach you to build up your crab feed experience with all the trimmings next time!
So whether you’re a picker or a piler, crab lover or just plain crabby, you are sure to enjoy a good time with family or friends at a crab feed.