by The SacFoodies
Beneath the historic Crest Theater in downtown Sacramento’s K Street district lies a haven for carnivores, wine connoisseurs and cocktail geeks with some of the best atmosphere in the area. We’re talking, of course, about Empress Tavern.
Empress Tavern opened its doors in September 2015 and has been catering to those looking for a stellar beverage program, along with high quality and excellently prepared meats and local produce. Ironically, this meat-centric eatery comes courtesy of Chef Michael Thiemann, who also owns Mother, a local favorite known for meatless takes on classic southern comfort food. But where Mother lacks in the meat department, Empress delivers with dishes like Cote de Beouf, rotisserie chicken, prime rib and French onion bone marrow. Chef Thiemann’s appreciation for seasonal produce also makes a strong impression on the menu.
We were given a surprise tour of Empress Tavern when we last took in K Street and have been dying to sink our teeth into the menu ever since.
The evening began with cocktails, wine and some incredibly soft and buttery dinner rolls. We ordered a number of items from the menu to get as wide a variety of offerings as possible.
Here’s what we ate.
Pimento Cheese Crudité
This was the prefect snack to start the meal. You can’t go wrong with fresh, seasonal veggies in a pimento cheese dipping sauce. The beet pistachio soil added a lot of flavor and color to this take on crudité.
Smoked Salmon Dip
This was the perfect combo of the classic smoked salmon flavor and cheesy goodness. Take it from our author Harrison who’s “not the biggest fan of salmon” and was “a little bit skeptical of this dish.” He agreed his skepticism was unwarranted because this dip was seriously good!
Living Butter Lettuce Salad
This salad was so fresh and colorful – a great reminder that we have some fabulous produce in season during the fall! This salad is a do-not-miss item on the menu that highlights all the flavor and textures you could want – crunchy, tangy, sweet, creamy and salty. It’s a feast for the eyes and the palate.
Smoked Trout Fritters
These smoked trout fitters were perfectly cooked to a crisp golden brown. The tender smoky trout played well with the lemon aioli and bed of slightly bitter frisee. If you’re a fan of smoked fish, you’re going to want to order two servings. Trust us.
Baltimore Crab Cake
We loved the crab cakes. They were rich and delicious, but not at all greasy as some can be. And served with butter, garlic and lemon! What else could you want?
Wedge Potatoes
These aren’t your average potato wedges! Dressed with chives and drizzled with a smoked cheddar aioli, Empress Tavern’s potato wedges put fast food French Fries to shame.
Chickpea Fritter
The fritter itself was delicious, with an absolute perfect texture. But what took it over the top was the saffron aioli. The garlic of the sauce was the perfect complement to the fritters.
Latkes
These latkes had such a great mixtures of flavors and textures. Definitely worth fighting for when divvying up leftovers. And trust us, there were plenty of leftovers.
Seared Scallops
If you are a scallop lover, you must try this. The chef sears the scallops to perfection and finishes the dish with a silky celery root puree, making this dish a great choice to warm your belly on a crisp fall evening. A+!
Delicata Squash
A few of us had never had delicata before, but after trying this colorful holiday dish, we just had to know what it was. Our waitress was quick to teach us all we needed to know about this squash and even brought out a whole one to show the table.
Baby Carrots
We know what you’re thinking – carrots aren’t exactly an exciting item to order at a nice restaurant. But don’t be fooled – these baby carrots had over-the-top flavor, dressed with a mustard seed crème fraiche and accompanied by caraway bread crumbs.
Honey Hot Fried Chicken
Empress Tavern’s signature dish did not disappoint, the massive family-style plate of chicken was one of the highlights of the evening. The sweet honey was a nice twist on traditional fried chicken, but it wasn’t without a strong spicy kick. We were happy to take a few pieces home with us.
Pumpkin Cake
Who doesn’t love desert?! The pumpkin cake had layer after layer of moist cake and a salted caramel sauce that gave it the ultimate sweet and salty combo!
Lemon Meringue Pie
What a treat — both in flavor and experience. This lemon meringue pie is topped with meringue dollops and torched to perfection right at your table!
After what seemed like hours of perfectly designed plates adorning our table, we were quite satisfied as a group. It was an evening filled with great conversation, laughter and, as you can see, incredible food.
Empress Tavern has gone above and beyond in creating a chic, modern atmosphere to welcome their guests. We hope that you can experience Empress Tavern soon…let us know what you think!
Sweet Pumpkins for a Sweet Pumpkin
Remember the days of bringing in birthday treats for class? Cupcakes, cookies, brownies – or in the case of a certain little guy with an October birthday – crispy rice pumpkins with eyes and Tootsie Roll tops. He inherited the “theme gene” from his mom, so of course, I was happy to deliver birthday pumpkins during this fall-festive time of year.
Let us know your favorite memories for sweet birthday eats and class treats!
Deschutes Street Pub
By: Harrison Reilly
For the second year in a row, Bend, Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery took over the 1800 block of Capitol Avenue for their traveling Street Pub. With 100% of the proceeds going to Runnin’ for Rhet, the event was an opportunity for Sacramento beer lovers to try unique brews, enjoy live music, eat great food and support a worthy and local cause.
The Deschutes Street Pub has been visiting cities across the United States, offering fans the chance to try their wide ranging beer selection, including some rare releases. While I didn’t get to try the food, Deschutes’ head chef Jeff Usinowicz was creating custom dishes with help from local chefs Wesley Nilson from De Vere’s Irish Pub and Ryan Rose from Zocalo.
As for the beer, it didn’t disappoint. If I had attended during the evening hours, I would have given their porters and stouts a try. I’m a big fan of their aged stout, The Abyss, but the late afternoon heat called for some lighter beers.
Here’s what I had:
- Sagefight Imperial IPA: This double IPA was very smooth for having an 8% ABV. The sage was a great touch without it being overpowering.
- The Dissident: Only poured in a 30 minute window, this limited production sour was a thrill to taste for die hard Deschutes fans in attendance. Although I’m not a big fan of sours, I really enjoyed this one and its wine-like qualities.
- Armory XPA: Described to me as an “experimental pale ale”, this beer was the most refreshing of the three I tried on a surprisingly hot afternoon.
This was a fantastic event and a great addition to Sacramento’s fall events calendar. We hope Deschutes makes their third trip to Sacramento next October.
SacFoodies Weekend Picks
by Brandon Smith
“Fall into Friday” – First Friday Oak Park
All the wonderful colors of fall will soon be covering the streets of Oak Park and what better place to take it all in than the Oak Park Broadway Corridor on First Friday.
First Friday is an exciting community-oriented event that celebrates all that Oak Park has to offer and transforms the Broadway Corridor into an evening full of shopping, dining, art installations and festive community celebrations.
Come celebrate the fall season with warm seasonal drinks from local coffeehouses, a pop-up park for kids and adults, food trucks featuring seasonal fall items, special sales at retail locations, live music and art activations from some of Sacramento’s top designers, artisans and muralists.
First Friday in Oak Park spans the Broadway Corridor from 37th Street to Alhambra, and is presented by the Oak Park Business Association and Unseen Heroes.
First Friday Oak Park
October 7, 2016
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Broadway between 37th Street and Alhambra Blvd.
Oktoberfest presented by Sacramento Turn Verein
Couldn’t make it to Munich this year? Need an excuse to break out your lederhosen? Don’t worry! The Sacramento Turn Verein has you covered with their annual Oktoberfest celebration.
The Turn Verein in East Sac will be pouring authentic German beers and wine in their outdoor Biergarten and serving delicious German food while live music from three different bands and dancers transport you to Theresienwiese.
The festivities begin today, Friday, October 7, at 6:00 p.m. and go until Saturday, October 8 at 12:00 a.m.
Sacramento Turn Verein
3349 J St, Sacramento, CA 95816
Deschutes Brewery Street Pub
Deschutes Brewery is back for another visit to the Farm-to-Fork Capitol on Saturday, October 8. Street Pub is a family friendly one-stop shop to try a variety of Deschutes beers with over 60 taps featured – from Black Butte XXVIII all the way to year-round favorites like Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Fresh Squeezed IPA. Deschutes will be pairing their beers with culinary creations from Deschutes Executive Chef, Jeff Usinowicz and a few local chefs as well. Street Pub will also feature local, live music from River City Radio (2-3:30pm), Brass Magic (4-5:30pm), Humble Wolf (6-7:30pm), & IDEATEAM (8-10pm).
And if an amazing selection of beers, delicious food and live music wasn’t enough to sell you on attending, what if I told you 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Runnin’ for Rhett?
Entry to the event is free and tokens good for one 16 oz. beer will be sold for $6. VIP tickets will also be available for purchase upon entry.
Deschutes Brewery Street Pub
October 8, 2016
1806 Capitol Ave.
Sacramento, CA
Vegetable Pie Recipe
by Harrison Reilly
This is an old family recipe that is great to bake any time of year. Traditionally, my family makes it for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but could easily be served cold as a summer dish. A pre-made crust works fine for this recipe and feel free to experiment with the vegetables used!
VEGETABLE PIE
Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 clove of garlic
1 bell pepper
4 tomatoes
4 zucchinis
¾ cup frozen corn or two ears of corn, kernels cut off
2 tablespoons of olive oil
6 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of butter
Directions:
Sauté first six ingredients in olive oil in the order listed, just until the zucchini is still crisp. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese in the bottom of an uncooked pie crust; spread a layer of vegetable, dot with butter and more cheese. Repeat until all the vegetables are used. Finish with a topping of cheese.
Cook for 40 minutes in the oven at 375 degrees. You maybe want to spoon out some of the liquid before serving, which collects during cooking.
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