Sacramento's Dine Downtown Week: Mayahuel and the best steak ever!!

Hello Sacramento! Welcome to Dine Downtown week! I just want to take a moment of your time to recommend a restaurant that might not yet be that well known. It's called Mayahuel (pronounced Ma-Ha-Kwell) and it's located diagonally from one of my other favorite restaurants, Ella. You've heard of Ella, right?

OK, well back to Mayahuel and Dine Downtown. It starts today and you must try this restaurant. First, they brought out this soup. It was made with nopales, and a little on the spicy side. It was kind of like an amuse bouche. 

During this time, the BF and I made our wine selection for the evening--yes, you can get decent wine in a Mexican restaurant--the Napa Toro Chardonnay. Feel free to like them on Facebook now. ;) Because it was actually pretty good wine. 

I have to give a shout out to our server, Franscisco. He was the epitome of service. So polite, and so genuinely kind.

After meeting us, he presented the two appetizer choices from the Dine Downtown menu. First, was the Eclipse de Sol: it was composed of beets, orange rings in a citrus sauce with pickled onions, peanuts and a touch of oregano. 

Then came the soup, called Flor de Calabaza con Perfume de Tequila: a Creamy Squash Blossom soup with infused tequila. Yes, please! It was topped with tortilla strips, providing a pleasant crunch.

And now, for the stunning entrées. And I am not kidding here, they WERE stunning. I was so blown away with the flavors, the amount of food on the plate, and how perfect everything was cooked.

First, my BF ordered the Mixiotes de Pollo en Adobo Huasteco: Chicken and mushrooms with nopales in a Cascabel & Pasilla chile Adobo sauce, served with white rice and Mexican zucchini slices. The chicken was super tender and the sauce was mild, yet incredibly flavorful. As you can see, the portion was very generous. The wine we chose previously (the Napa Toro Chardonnay) was a great complement to this dish.

And then, let me present to you, the best steak I have ever had in a restaurant, the Ojo de Costilla con Costra de Chorizo Rib eye steak with a chorizo crust, on a bed of seasoned mushrooms in an adobo salsa. I was literally cutting my steak with my fork. It was exquisite, and I am not exaggerating. If you only try one thing off the menu at Mayahuel, please give this a go, (order it rare or medium rare). It will knock your little stockings off! I didn't even mention the chorizo. It was so flavorful and added another dimension to the meal.

And then out came the mariachi band... they were wonderful and the crowd was loving it. I was so pleased to see the restaurant packed around us and everyone was in a convivial mood.

Then it was time for dessert. First, our server Francisco, brought out the Pastel de Queso y Chayote (a Chayote cheese cake and mole in chocolate sauce). Mole is a perfect addition to a dessert because of its components and texture. The chayote works in the dessert because it's a squash and has an inherent slightly sweet taste and tender texture. That being said, I don't think you're gonna find this at the Cheesecake Factory, folks, only at Mayahuel! (Thanks to the BF for tasting the sugary treats).

The other dessert option was the Flan de Chile Ancho. It was a flan made with ancho chiles of all things, and finished with Grand Marnier. It has a beautiful strawberry and blueberry garnish. The BF tells me the combination of the ancho and the Grand Marnier was uniquely flavorful.

So, not only do you get the food I just showed you above, but for the $30, included at the end of the meal, is the 1/2 ounce tequila tasting. Our bartender, Oscar, was extremely knowledgeable and passionate, and had a true encyclopedic knowledge of tequila.

The tequila we tried was the Jose Cuervo Platino, and it was served in a champagne flute in order to provide the best tasting experience. It's truly the stemware that makes all the difference in a tasting. It can really bring out the oaky and fruity notes of a particular wine or beverage. What a nice little digestif, and it was such a treat to get some background information on tequila from Oscar.

If you haven't been to Mayahuel Tequila Museo, you are missing out on a true downtown gem. Dine Downtown week kicks off Monday, January 9th and runs through Wednesday, January 18th. This event is a great way to try out some of Sacramento's finest.

Mayahuel is on Facebook here and on twitter here. To make reservations, you can call them at or check them out on Open Table here.

4th Anniversary Menu now at Ella Dining Room and Bar

I met a few friends for happy hour last night at Ella Dining Room and Bar, among them David Cole of James David Cellars, and Gina Funk of Selland Restaurant Group, Tony Cohn of Tony Cohn Social Media Services, and Julie Gallaher of Things You Should Do (to name a few) and was having such a good time that I decided to stay and try their limited time only pre fixe menu to celebrate their 4th anniversary. See the table on the left in the picture above? That's where we all sat! :)

Me, Donelle, Tony, and chef Kelly in the background. #minicrush :)

I won't let you in on the table talk *wink*, but I will tell you about the menu we all enjoyed! It is three courses for $30 (you can choose from two options each course) and there is an optional wine pairing (just ask your server).

Salad of local peaches and nectarines, Mangalitsa pork lardo, banyuls vinaigrette, and rustic argula

appetizer
Salad of local peaches and nectarines, Mangalitsa pork lardo, banyuls vinaigrette, and rustic argula
or
Ricotta gnocchi with parmesan cream, tomato coulis, and warmed cherry tomatoes
                  

Wood oven-fired lamb sirloin caponata of summer vegatables, tapenade vinaigrette, and basil aioli

entrée
Pan seared Passmore Ranch trout with Bloomsdale spinach, prosciutto, crispy capers, and mustard sauce
or                    
Wood oven-fired lamb sirloin, caponata of summer vegatables, tapenade vinaigrette, and basil aioli

Pan seared Passmore Ranch trout with Bloomsdale spinach, prosciutto, crispy capers, and mustard sauce

dessert
Gratin of orchard fruits, lemon mousse and vanilla ice cream
or               
Mocha almond gateau créme chantilly and almond cookie

I ordered the salad shown above with my dressing on the side. I am one of those dip-the-fork-in-the-dressing-to-save-calories types :) The great thing about all the food at Ella is that it is as local and seasonal as possible. The flavors are a real symphony in the salad. The lardo can be found on the bottom layer of the salad, almost like a piece of rice paper. I ate it by cutting into the lardo with my knife and fork and wrapping it around the peaches and argula in each bite.

I followed up the salad with the lamb, which I ordered medium rare. I can tell you the lamb was mild and tender and that it almost didn't need any sauce at all. That being said I left most of my sauce (although it too was amazing) on the plate. The caponata accompaniment was a perfect balance to the lamb.

If you would like to partake in this delicious meal, you can from now until the end of September. Call Ella at 916.443.3772 for reservations. The price is only $30, and if you check in on Facebook while you are there and show your server, Valet parking will be validated.     
    
I was glad I stayed for dinner, because Randall Selland even stopped in to say hello and chat with our group for a bit.

You can like Ella on Facebook here and follow them on twitter here. Don't forget about the photo contest they are running.