In May 2016, The Kitchen celebrates 25 years. What a milestone! It’s humbling, awesome, and a bit overwhelming to look back on, now having spent a quarter of a century as a family business here in our hometown of Sacramento. We are, from the bottom of our hearts, sincerely grateful to our guests, many of whom have become friends over the years, and to our peerless staff of chefs, servers, managers, sommeliers and more that we have had the pleasure of working alongside, many of whom now have their own restaurants or have gone on to other great culinary pursuits.
We started The Kitchen from what was once our catering facility, at first offering our now-famous “Demonstration Dinners” just one night per month, then once per week. As demand quickly grew, we kept adding more nights. Chefs/Owners Randall Selland and Nancy Zimmer would put on the “show” behind the counter, cooking and chatting with guests, while their (barely) adult children Tamera Baker and Josh Nelson would run the “front of the house”, serving food and pouring wine. Our serendipitous family adventure became a dining experience that proved unique, unparalleled, unforgettable, and quite popular. It eventually grew into a full-time family venture. The Kitchen quickly became one of the most sought after reservations to get not only in Sacramento, but also in the region and the state – a true dining destination.
After 25 years, we have compiled quite a list of dishes that have really stood out as exceptionally memorable, ones that were continuously singled out as guest, staff, and family favorites, our Kitchen “Greatest Hits”, so to speak. So throughout the coming year, we will celebrate the best-of-the-best by bringing back the top classics from Chefs Randall Selland and Nancy Zimmer’s most beloved menus. The Kitchen’s Executive Chef Kelly McCown will be featuring one of these celebrated dishes each month to share with you alongside his own monthly seasonal menus.
Featured “Greatest Hits” dishes over the coming year will include:
Famous French Toast with Butter Brittle Ice Cream Dessert – May 2016
Delta Asparagus Bisque with Parmesan Flan – June 2016
White Corn Chowder with Summer Truffles – July 2016
Grilled Local Quail with Randall’s Chili Glaze – August 2016
Room Temperature Heirloom Tomato Soup with Dungeness Crab – September 2016
Wild Mushroom Tart with Porcini Custard and Rosemary Thyme Jus – October 2016
Cinderella Pumpkin Bisque with Toasted Pepitas – November 2016
Traditional Beef Wellington with Pan Seared Foie Gras – December 2016
The Kitchen’s Buttery Maine Lobster Pot Pie – January 2017
Braised Halibut Cheeks with Miso Butter Sauce – February 2017
Pan Seared Canadian Halibut with Dungeness Crab Hollandaise and Caviar – March 2017
Pasta Pillows with Smoked Ham Shanks, Mascarpone and Ricotta – April 2017
To reserve a seat in advance and secure your spot at The Kitchen this year, please call our reservationist at 916.568.7171. We look forward to celebrating with you!
Over the years, The Kitchen has won every imaginable award and recognition locally and regionally for its food, service, and hospitality, and has received accolades from national publications like Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast for its innovative, trail-blazing wine list. It has also received the AAA Five Diamond Award six years in a row and was named as a semifinalist for the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award. It sits consistently at the top of the Open Table and Yelp ratings. From its inception, The Kitchen has been a leader in the city’s “Farm-to-Fork” movement, sourcing locally and cultivating relationships with the region’s growers, ranchers, farmers and producers and has remained booked solid throughout the past 25 years. We have been so fortunate to have served our guests and the Sacramento community for so long, both through the restaurant’s Demonstration Dinners and through countless charitable donations.
