So I’m not just talking about eating your green vegetables which I am a fan of,but of eating at restaurants that are making an effort to be responsible in the foods they provide and how they provide them. I was happy to discover GRAS the other day on Facebook. GRAS stands for the Green Restaurant Alliance of Sacramento. In their own words:GRAS is “led by restauranteurs,and in collaboration with diners,staffs,municipalities and our local food industry. GRAS aims to start by creating a greener restaurant industry in Sacramento.”Many of our favorite restaurants are on this list and many we are hoping to try.
Last Friday we went to the Grange (a member of GRAS) to celebrate Mark’s birthday a little early. Mark and I have been wanting to try the Grange on a Friday when they normally provide a fixed menu of local foods. We have been following Chef Michael Tuohy’s Blog,Frontburner,for a while. It is a great resource for local and sustainable foods,especially if you live in the Sacramento or Bay areas. We decided a few months ago that it would be a perfect place to celebrate Mark’s birthday,and when he noticed they were having a special dinner last Friday,it seemed perfect and it was! Chef Touhy,prepared a five course menu that revolved around “hand-selected and pastured hog”with a specially blended bourbon from Woodford in Kentucky. I know Kentucky is not exactly local,but where else do you go for Bourbon? And the Bourbon was selected and blended by the Chef Tuohy and the Grange’s sommelier. It was truly a liberal meal in a truly political hotel. The Grange is in the historic Citizen Hotel that is a beautiful tribute to the political sarcasm of California’s history. Really,can you think of a better setting for Mark’s birthday???
From the moment they entered everyone wished Mark a Happy Birthday from the hostess to the waiters. It was personal without being obnoxious. From the first cocktail to the last dessert,we had a wonderful meal. It is hard to pick my favorite course,but it may be the Rancho Gordo Cannellini Bean Soup with Crisp ciccioli &bourbon molasses served with a bourbon champagne cocktail. Although the grits that were served with the Bourbon Brined &Smoked Riverdog Farm Pork and pickled rhubarb were worth writing about. I also enjoyed the tarragon infused take on a mint julep. After dinner we walked through the hotel as the laser etched “Happy Birthday”and Mark’s birth date into the bottle of the “Grange Blended”Woodford Bourbon we bought.
I would like to thank Chef Tuohy,and his staff for making Mark’s birthday so memorable. It’s going to be hard to top it next year!
