December 2010 at The Kitchen!

Greetings friends! We hope you are having a wonderful holiday season, and if you’ve already got reservations with us this month, you’re definitely off to a good start.

We’ve got two amazing Kitchen classics, two totally new dishes, our sushi and sashimi, and a new take on one of our favorite desserts, the Tres Leches cake.

As of Wednesday, November 24th, we are fully booked in December. However, if you want to join us this month and enjoy this mouth-watering menu, we highly recommend you call and get put on our wait list for the date or dates you want, as we do get cancellations.

Please call soon so you can get at the top of a wait list! 916.568.7171


The Kitchen — December 2010


- First Course -

Randall’s French Onion Soup
with Aged Swiss Gruyere


Randall’s French Onion Soup is a December tradition at The Kitchen. It’s got so many layers of flavors and just has an amazing depth and complexity, especially for good ol’ French Onion soup, which is, quite frankly, hard to mess up! But this one should prove better than any you’ve ever tasted. It’s really all about the broth on our French Onion Soup, with the yellow onions, pearl onions, and cippolinis we get from the Farmers Market, and the wonderfully pungent real Swiss Gruyere melted on house made toasts that are a terrific accompaniment but do not take over the dish. A little chive completes this classic, unforgettable soup.


- Second Course -

The Kitchen’s Maine Lobster
Mac ‘n’ Cheese


The Maine Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese, as many of you know, is another famous Kitchen classic. We get requests for this dish all the time even when it’s not on the menu, and of course we are happy to oblige! Radiatore pasta, which we’ve found is the best for catching all the rich and creamy cheese sauce, is covered in a mix of a beautiful, strongly flavored, sinfully rich Talleggio cheese as well as a little Parmesan, Swiss and béchamel. The butter-poached, ultra-fresh Maine Lobster is then spooned on top. In the bowl, we also ladle in a heavenly broth of duck stock, which really ties all the elements together. Even though the broth is rich as well, it actually balances the dish in a remarkable way and is what makes it seem like something new and different. Every year I taste this dish I think it’s great without the broth and then when the chefs add the broth I think, wow, I didn’t know what I was missing! We’ll be ready for your orders for seconds, so go for it.


- Sushi ~ Sashimi ~ Crudo -


- Third Course -

Wild New Zealand Salmon with Truffled Hollandaise,
Local Dungeness Crab, Tarragon and
Buttered Brussels Sprouts


This is a wonderful fish coming to us from New Zealand that is truly wild and is the kind of salmon that Randall loves. It’s got good oil content and tons of flavor, but is not fishy or too salmon-y, if you know what we mean. We’ll grill it med rare, and serve it with a just-made hollandaise sauce infused with real black Perigord truffles that come to us via Connie Green, the famed mushroom forager out of Napa. We’ll also have a bit of ultra-fresh crab caught in the San Francisco Bay area, since crab and hollandaise taste so good together, and a touch of tarragon, which is also an ideal companion. If you’re not a fan of Brussels Sprouts, fear not, the way Noah and Randall prepare them will make you a convert. They actually take all the leaves off to make them light and tender, and then of course a good helping of butter really makes the flavor delicious. We think you’ll love this course.


- Fourth Course -

Grilled Angus Beef Strip Loin with
Bone Marrow, Toasts, Parsley
and Red Wine


For our final savory dish of the night we are featuring a wonderful cut of meat we just discovered that is procured for us by Chef John Paul Khoury of Preferred Meats. He actually served this strip loin at the first Sacramento Chefs Dinner held at The Kitchen last month and it was a big hit. Randall and Noah were so impressed with the flavor they picked it up to share with you in December. These cattle are raised all-naturally with no growth hormones and to very strict humane standards. We will most likely prepare this cut sous vide for optimal flavor and tenderness. Along with the beef we will take a page from Ella and serve our version of what is probably their most celebrated dish, the Bone Marrow. We’ll serve it with a bit of parsley and some toasts so you will get all the pure, delectable Bone Marrow flavor to savor. A simple reduction of red wine completes this straightforward and succulent dish.


- Dessert Course -

Navel Orange Tres Leches Cake with Ice Cream,
Walnut Infused Maple Syrup and
Sugared Cranberries


We love doing a take on the classic Tres Leches Cake, which is always super-moist and delicious, and this month oranges are of course in full swing at the Farmers Markets, so we’ll pick up whatever looks best and create the orange infused cakes to serve with our house made ice creams (flavors will vary) and a sinfully delicious Walnut-Infused Maple Syrup that we make in house, combining our favorite real Vermont Maple Syrup with locally grown Chandler Walnuts from Tasso Farms. The last component of sugared cranberries is appropriately festive and gives the dish a lovely high note. If you’re a chocolate lover, just ask and we’re happy to send something delicious and chocolaty your way!



Happy Holidays and all the best to you and your family from ours,

The Sellands