SacFoodies

Dine Downtown Restaurant Week at Dawson's

by SacFoodies

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.