Sacramentans, rejoice! Dine Downtown 2018 is officially our favorite way to kick off this rainy New Year. From January 12-21st, 32 del-oi-cious Sacramento restaurants are offering three-course meals for $35 in honor of Dine Downtown 2018. For ten days, your favorite restaurants will feature a special Dine Downtown menu, with one dollar from every meal purchased benefiting local social services and Sacramento’s Food Literacy Center.
As foodie fiends, we love the opportunity to try out specially curated menus because it gives chefs the chance to show off what they’re proud of, and we get to try something new. Earlier this week, we were invited to preview the Dine Downtown menus from Ten22, La Cosecha and Iron Horse Tavern.To no one’s surprise, everything we tried was inventive and tasty, with unexpected flavors and new takes on old classics that caught our attention in a big way! Take a look through the photos below for some highlights and some mouthwatering menu inspo!
To check out all participating restaurants and their specially-made menus for the occasion, click here. We’ve already picked out a few favorites that we can’t wait to try out – hope to see you there!
Dine Downtown Restaurant Week at Dawson's
By Jake Ferguson and Sarah Hamblen
Thanks to Dine Downtown Restaurant Week, through January 17, 2014 you can visit 28 of Sacramento’s hottest restaurants and enjoy a delicious 3-course meal for only $31.
We were invited by Dine Downtown Restaurant Week to check out the Dine Downtown menu at Dawson’s Restaurant in the Hyatt Hotel, and we definitely left feeling more than satisfied.
In addition to the 3-course meal, Dawson’s offered a $12 wine pairing to go along with the first and second courses.
Everything from the first course was absolutely scrumptious! Here are a few of our thoughts on each item:
- Butterball Potato Bisque with Leek, Crème Fraiche and Sterling Caviar: this bisque was creamy and delicious, but not too heavy. The leek provided a good texture and creaminess of the soup balanced the flavor.
- Local Albacore Crudo with Sweet Potato Chips, Pumelo and Lemon Curd: the presentation of this dish was gorgeous and had a flavor to match. We loved the texture combination of the crunchy chips with the fresh albacore tuna, and the lemon curd was very tasty.
- Winter Greens Salad withHeirloom Beets and Maple and Mustard Vinaigrette: this salad was perfectly dressed and the combination of the beets and the blue cheese was delicious!
Our favorite: Butterball Potato Bisque
Lucky for us the second course was just as delicious as the first! Selecting a favorite course was no small feat and one can be certain that no matter which items of this course they select—it will be superb.
- Loch Duart Salmon with Lobster and Fingerling Potato Hash and Chive Buerre Blanc: the melt-in-your-mouth salmon was cooked to perfection and the hash was absolutely fantastic! We loved the sauce which complimented the dish perfectly.
- Sunfed Ranch Flat Iron with Saffron Cauliflower Puree, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Peppercorn Sauce: the Brussels sprouts were quite tasty and a wonderful pairing to the steak and savory cauliflower purée. The peppercorn sauce finished off the tender steak and made this a very well-rounded dish.
- Roasted Kabocha Squash Lasagna with Scarmoza Cheese, Walnuts and Sage: this lasagna was hearty, packed with great flavors and the walnuts added an additional flavor profile and a nice crunch.
Our favorite: Loch Duart Salmon
A meal is never over until dessert has been enjoyed – that’s my motto.
- Mascarpone Cheesecake with Blood Orange Compote: this cheesecake was not as heavy as most other cheesecakes, making it the perfect dessert after a big meal. It was light and tasty and the blood orange compote gave it a little extra zing.
- Heirloom Apple Pie with Aged Cheddar Crust: if “apple and spice and everything nice” was a saying, it would be for this dessert. It was sweet but not overindulgent and the ice cream was delicious (and tasted homemade!).
Our favorite: Mascarpone Cheesecake
Thanks to Dine Downtown Restaurant week for inviting us – we had a great time! And an even bigger thanks to the staff at Dawson’s and our wonderful server Paulette for the exceptional hospitality and service.
Check out this full list of participating restaurants on the Dine Downtown Restaurant Week website.
Sacramento Dine Downtown Week is Here!
The annual Sacramento Dine Downtown Restaurant Week kicks-off today with a smattering of local restaurants offering special 3-course dinner menus priced at $31 for 10 days only. This year the extra dollar goes to the California Food Literacy Center, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring change in community food education.
• What? Sacramento Dine Downtown Restaurant Week
• When? January 8 – January 17, 2014
• Where? Nearly 30 Sacramento restaurants
For more information and to view all the participating restaurant menus (including plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options!) visit DowntownSac.org.
And, check SacFoodies later this week for a review of the Dine Downtown experience at Dawson’s Restaurant at the Hyatt.
Dine Downtown Restaurant Week
The Sacramento food scene is kicking off the year with a bang as Dine Downtown Restaurant Week begins next week, running January 9-18.
This is an excellent opportunity to sample some of the best cuisine that Downtown Sacramento has to offer! Presented by Sacramento Magazine, patrons will have the chance to enjoy three-course dinner menus created by area chefs for only $30 per person. Yes, you read that right!
Some of the restaurants participating include: Biba, Esquire Grill, Frank Fat’s, The Porch, Tuli Bistro, Mulvaney’s B&L , Blackbird Kitchen+Bar and Mayahuel.
Looking for a vegetarian or gluten-free option? You’re in luck because many are offering special menus too.
To see the full list of participating restaurants and find out more, click here.