After a night at Rio City Café, it's easy to see why this local favorite has maintained its status as a staple of Sacramento dining. Walking into Rio City you are greeted with clean and crisp white linen tables and a long bar surrounded by tall windows and cream colored walls. The clean simple elegance and unstuffy atmosphere extends into their cuisine. We chose to dine out on the water front due to the approaching sunset at seven and were greeted with small outdoor lights and rich teak colored furniture. The atmosphere definitely gives you the feeling that one was walking into the tea light era of the 1920s. The cozy nature of the restaurant makes it all the more impressive that they can seat banquets of up to 300. The outside deck includes an uncovered and covered section, the latter containing blinds to control potential glare and heaters for those that choose to dine late in the evening and would enjoy some added warmth. The view was sublime; the Tower Bridge lay in near sight and glimpses of occasional meandering boats reminded us all that there is more to Sacramento once you wander out of the hustle and bustle of Midtown Sacramento.
Rio City Café is known for their fresh take on California Cuisine, perhaps a lesser know side is their sinful one. We enjoyed our first glimpse of this with our sourdough cheese loaf starter; a half round loaf of sourdough bathed in a variety of cheese including gruyere and parmesan and balancing on balsamic vinegar and olive oil and lightly flaked with chili peppers. One loaf later, and craving just one more bite, we all understood why this dish had garnered such a cult following and preventing its removal from the menu since its debut over twelve years ago. For those searching for a lighter starter, we recommend their Tuna Carpaccio. The Carpaccio is a featuring of Sashimi Ahi Tuna, Napa cabbage slaw, avocado and a delicious ponzu dipping sauce. Not only does it showcase Rio City's famous take on seafood, but also excited us all for what more was to come.
For main courses, one of the all around favorites was the braised lamb atop bleu cheese polenta and seasonal vegetables. The braising was so well executed that it easily fell away from the bone and retained its moisture, however, the real showstopper laid beneath the lamb. The bleu cheese polenta featured folded bleu cheese into a soft and creamy polenta and was a palate pleaser and a must for any food lover. Another outstanding dish was the Ratatouille Roulade over a bed of the aforementioned bleu cheese polenta. As far as vegetarian cuisine in Sacramento is concerned, it was refreshing to see an offering that didn’t center around the now ubiquitous portabella mushroom. Instead, Rio City Café offered up a seasonally inspired ratatouille wrapped in an eggplant roulade over a bed of the acclaimed bleu cheese polenta. The acidity of the marinara over the rich vegetables paired perfectly with the rich and velvety polenta.
Rio City Café offers a comprehensive wine list, providing most wine by the bottle and glass. Friendly, attentive and very knowledgeable servers can recommend pairings. An outstanding mixed drink is their jalapeño martini. A sensory surprise, the jalapeño martini was a light and floral libation with a sugar lined rim, only the last sip offered up a spicy note to the house specialty.
Desert affirmed the sinful side of Rio City as we enjoyed the chocolate soufflé concocted by Rio City's very own Bill Diaz, a charming man who wears many hats around Rio City as the owner, front house and sometimes even dishwasher. As the many dates around us had already learned, the short twelve minute wait is worth every single bite of the upscale twist on a 1950s American favorite—lava cake. The decadent chocolate soufflé, contains a rich molten chocolate and is paired with a scoop of pure vanilla ice cream. A more seasonal desert and favorite of the tasters, was the orange and clove crème brule. The fun of cracking open the sugar exterior gave way to a thick warm and creamy center with light notes of orange and clove which seemed perfect for the chilly Sacramento Winter evenings. Truly Rio City café offer classics and new delights, keeping things simple and elegant —with a new spring menu on the way it will be exciting to see what seasonal offerings chef John Bays has to offer.
Rio City Café is known for their fresh take on California Cuisine, perhaps a lesser know side is their sinful one. We enjoyed our first glimpse of this with our sourdough cheese loaf starter; a half round loaf of sourdough bathed in a variety of cheese including gruyere and parmesan and balancing on balsamic vinegar and olive oil and lightly flaked with chili peppers. One loaf later, and craving just one more bite, we all understood why this dish had garnered such a cult following and preventing its removal from the menu since its debut over twelve years ago. For those searching for a lighter starter, we recommend their Tuna Carpaccio. The Carpaccio is a featuring of Sashimi Ahi Tuna, Napa cabbage slaw, avocado and a delicious ponzu dipping sauce. Not only does it showcase Rio City's famous take on seafood, but also excited us all for what more was to come.
For main courses, one of the all around favorites was the braised lamb atop bleu cheese polenta and seasonal vegetables. The braising was so well executed that it easily fell away from the bone and retained its moisture, however, the real showstopper laid beneath the lamb. The bleu cheese polenta featured folded bleu cheese into a soft and creamy polenta and was a palate pleaser and a must for any food lover. Another outstanding dish was the Ratatouille Roulade over a bed of the aforementioned bleu cheese polenta. As far as vegetarian cuisine in Sacramento is concerned, it was refreshing to see an offering that didn’t center around the now ubiquitous portabella mushroom. Instead, Rio City Café offered up a seasonally inspired ratatouille wrapped in an eggplant roulade over a bed of the acclaimed bleu cheese polenta. The acidity of the marinara over the rich vegetables paired perfectly with the rich and velvety polenta.
Rio City Café offers a comprehensive wine list, providing most wine by the bottle and glass. Friendly, attentive and very knowledgeable servers can recommend pairings. An outstanding mixed drink is their jalapeño martini. A sensory surprise, the jalapeño martini was a light and floral libation with a sugar lined rim, only the last sip offered up a spicy note to the house specialty.
Desert affirmed the sinful side of Rio City as we enjoyed the chocolate soufflé concocted by Rio City's very own Bill Diaz, a charming man who wears many hats around Rio City as the owner, front house and sometimes even dishwasher. As the many dates around us had already learned, the short twelve minute wait is worth every single bite of the upscale twist on a 1950s American favorite—lava cake. The decadent chocolate soufflé, contains a rich molten chocolate and is paired with a scoop of pure vanilla ice cream. A more seasonal desert and favorite of the tasters, was the orange and clove crème brule. The fun of cracking open the sugar exterior gave way to a thick warm and creamy center with light notes of orange and clove which seemed perfect for the chilly Sacramento Winter evenings. Truly Rio City café offer classics and new delights, keeping things simple and elegant —with a new spring menu on the way it will be exciting to see what seasonal offerings chef John Bays has to offer.
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