Cheesy delights take over Sacramento eateries as cheese conference comes to town
The 2014 American Cheese Society Conference has wheeled into Sacramento and local restaurants are taking note, with special menu items and cheese plates only available this week. Here are a few of our favorites.
Ambrosia Cafe
Ambrosia’s two locations (on K Street and on Capitol Mall) is serving up daily specials featuring cheese. On Wednesday, look for an organic grilled burger with Cypress Grove Chevre’s Truffle Tremor (a goat cheese mixed with the hearty flavor of Italian black summer truffles). On Thursday the cafes will be serving up a broccoli cheddar soup, and on Friday, try the panini with peach thyme jam, pancetta and Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company’s blue cheese. Leave room for dessert: A dish of mixed berry galettes with brie, and a fig and blue cheese tart with honey will be available all week. 1030 K St. 444-8129. 621 Capitol Mall. 492-2528. ambrosiafinefood.com
The Cultured and The Cured
As a special for this week, this East Sacramento cheese and charcuterie shop will be carrying a few rare California cheeses and national brands it normally doesn’t have in stock, like Sebastopol’s Bohemian Creamery, Boonville’s Pennyroyal Farm and sheeps’ milk blue cheese from upstate New York’s Meadowood Farms. 3644 J St. 732-3600. culturedandcured.com
Mulvaney's B&L
Chef Patrick Mulvaney will craft daily specials and plates around cheeses from Vermont Creamery, whose owners Allison Hooper and Bob Reese are in town for the ACS Conference. Throughout this week, look for creations like fresh mascarpone with caramel figs and local Del Rio Botanical honey, or a grilled Lanno Seco pork chop topped with Bonne Bouche goat cheese and bintje potatoes. 1215 19th St. 441-6022. mulvaneysbl.com
The Rind
Tonight, get an inside glimpse behind cheesemaking with a chance to meet Nicasio Valley Cheese Company proprietor Nick Lafranchi and taste crostinis that layer Nicasio Square (a washed-rind cheese), garlic-fava bean purée, shiitake mushrooms and Parmesan shavings, and will be paired with riesling. Look for unique plates throughout the rest of the week as well, with brand-new pairings featuring Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company on Wednesday, Cowgirl Creamery on Thursday, Cypress Grove on Friday and Laura Chenel’s Chèvre on Saturday. 1801 L St. 441-7463. therindsacramento.com
LowBrau
This midtown destination is taking its rotating “Best of the Wurst” selections to new heights this week, with special cheese additions from artisan cheesemakers like Bleating Heart. Today’s creation includes house-made polish sausage topped with bacon blue cheese crumble and a fig-plum jam, and be on the look out on Thursday for chef Michael Tuohy’s sausage macaroni and cheese employing ingredients from Oregon-based Rogue Creamery. 1050 20th St. 706-2636. lowbrausacramento.com
