The Kitchen Restaurant

Reviews 5

A

A Private User

The Wait Staff: The first thing that you notice about The Kitchen experience is the gracious and accomodating staff. They meet you at the door with a smile, take your wine (MORE on the wine later!) and seem genuinely friendly. Through out the meal the wait staff remains attentive and professional. The staff even remains friendly while foodies are wondering around the kitchen getting in the way of the Chefs preparing the meal. The Ambiance: Other than the sign in the parking lot which says "Dont Leave Valuables In Your Car" the ambiance is very nice, not unlike Lucas Restaurant. The counter seating is a nice touch also, and highly recommended for this "experience." Part of the ambiance is the interaction of the chefs and wait staff during the preparation and serving of the courses. The Food: Gourmet by any standard or measure - you couldnt possibly complain. Some of the dishes, in my view, were "over the top." Maybe its just me but no matter what they did with the salad course, it was still "weeds" - albiet, well prepared and attractive weeds. The portions were modest, but all told, I was full when I left the building (greeted by the chef who said thanks for coming.) Other Stuff: The Sushi/Sashimi intermission was needed and it was very fresh, well prepared and presented. This course represented the largest portion of any of the courses served, and although nobody shoved the sushi down my throat, it was more than I typically ordered in a Sushi restaurant! I regretted having eaten so much during this course because I later struggled to finish the remaining courses. Indeed, I took the desert home and finished it the next day. Needed improvement: The corkage fees, although advertised, were outrageous and left the only "black mark" on the meal. Although I did not observe anyone in the restaurant who looked like they had been beaten down by the recession, The Kitchen needs to relook their corkage fees. My group of eight opened seven bottles and drank 6 1/2 bottles of wine over the four hour "experience." The corkage fee? $330.00, or over $40.00 per person. For this 4 hour experience I didnt think that $125.00 a person for the meal was gouging - it lasted longer than a good play and we were fed a great meal, but the corkage fee was not appropriate - no matter what spin The Kitchen puts on it. OVERALL: My wife and I enjoyed ourselves, although we still owe our neighbor $80.00 for corkage! I recommend The Kitchen for VERY special occasions. Will I go back? Not this year, but perhaps some other time after the corkage fee sticker shock has worn off! When I go back I will probably drink beer - there is no bottle top fee.

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Ann Onnamus

Absolutely the best food Ive had. Every bite was a delight and with the wine pairing the food was as close to perfection as you can get. And the service was excellent. BUT -- The "show" was annoying on our more recent visit because theyve changed "ringmasters." The owner is now running the show and while hes obviously a knowledgeable businessman and chef, hes a very poor host. One problem is that there were several offensive jokes and comments. (Even though we happened to agree with his political and religious views, several people were clearly offended because they did not, and any polite person should know better than to "go there" in this kind of party setting anyway.) Moreover, he was border-line narcissistic -- way too full of himself, way too loud, and way too opinionated. On top of that, he sort of bragged that the guests could have seconds, but then complained when too many took him up on it; invited everyone to have tea but complained that so many ordered tea that it was slowing down the proceedings; and so forth. The previous host/chef was a delight; this guy was a pain. Still, well probably go back, but I might take ear plugs next time (or better yet, hope for a replacement host). Whether you agree with the above or not, heres a tip, no pun intended: The gratuity is included and they dont tell you except in fairly small print on the bill. If youre the type to pay in cash you might not discover until the next morning (if ever) that you left a redundant tip. I saw the bill for $602 for my wife and me (I could read that part without putting on my glasses), pulled out that cash plus a $120 tip, and left, not knowing the tip had already been included. Considering that we listened to that guy babble on and on about everything from the price of truffles to the correct length of lobster antennae, youd think theyd mention somewhere that the gratuity is included. Unless, of course, keeping it somewhat secret is part of the plan -- they do have to pay for their precious truffles, after all.

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Corey Strock

I love this place. We go hear every year for our anniversary and have never had a bad experience. It is a fine dining restaurant experience unlike any other. There is a set menu of 6 courses that rotates monthly using the freshest locally sourced ingredients. The special twist is that its all you can eat. You heard that right, all you can eat fine dining. You want to try a course again? Do it, you want to try just one of the ingredients from a dish on its own, do that too. Hell, you feel like you want something special, maybe a memory from your childhood, or you favorite dish? You can ask. And theyll even attempt to make a version of it on the fly. In the past, Ive had BLTs, Mac & Cheese, Peanut Butter & jellys, and more. On this last visit, I special ordered some Garlic Fries, and sure enough they were incredible. The alcohol selection is also very good, whether you like sake, scotch, wine or beer. The service is as good as it gets, everyone is super nice, and they all have personality too. The price is high, as it should be for fine dining, but its worth it IMO. The price is $175 per person. But seriously, you wanna splurge? Go there, you can make reservations typically in as little as 2-3 weeks out.

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Jeffrey Nelan

Well it was the first night of their February menu and what a menu it was. The Kitchen truly is a culinary experience unlike any other. As a customer you do feel like you have all the power as you are free to go anywhere you like and make an assortment of unusual requests. We started out the evening by ordering the wine pairing at the advice of the resident sommelier. They did a tremendous job as each of the pairings complemented their respective dish very well. Be sure to try the Four Roses Bourbon during intermission as well. A hand picked barrel shared between this restaurant and their sister restaurant Ella. The food was exceptional. The portions were small which gave you ample ability to devour all the extra treats available. It really felt like you could have whatever you wanted. You could also order as much as you want of each dish. If you liked the scallops you could just have an entire other plate which we saw many people do. This place is a must visit in Sacramento. Just make sure you book your reservation well in advance.

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D M Hall

The husband & I have wanted to book a table since moving to Sac over 3 years ago but reservations and scheduling conflicts thwarted us until last Sunday. WoW- whod have thought we have such an amazing restaurant nestled across from Crunch Gym , Ross & Marshalls strip mall! Everything from the warm welcome upon arriving until we were shaking hands with the front of house manager with full bellies was amazing. We celebrated our anniversary along with the couples on our right and left- this is the place to come for super special date nights. We were seated along the open kitchen counter where we enjoyed the wonderful view of the meal preparation & plating. Chef David Chavez was passionate and convivial as he explained how they source and incorporate local, top quality ingredients into the most delectable creations. Both my husband and I enjoyed this indulgent night out and eagerly await the opportunity to revisit The Kitchen.

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