The Kitchen

Stephanie told me, "It's the best food you'll ever eat," and it did not disappoint. No offense to the countless mothers, fathers, and chefs who have prepared food for me in the past, but The Kitchen is really the end-all, be-all for fine dining and culinary showmanship. (I've even heard it trump Napa's renowned French Laundry.) That said, the evening celebrating of my 26th year was a blissful 4-plus hour love affair with food, wine, and the divine.

The Kitchen restaurant is a single-seating establishment. The door opens for 55 or so patrons at 7:00 sharp, and they invite you to stay as long as you like. There's no rush to turn your table, no librarian-esque murmuring, no awkward bill placement; it's an experience made especially for relishing.

First, you meet chef Noah Zonca, a boisterous man busily pacing between appliances and dangling pots, who gives you the run down. January's menu consists of three plates, a self-serve sushi and sashimi break dubbed "intermission," a final protein plate, a white-gloved tea service and coffee session, and the dessert course. All in all, it's a six course wonderland of succulent flavors and savory moments. Because we sat at the bar surrounding the kitchen, we were afforded excellent views of each item's plating.

Below is a recall of the evening. The menu descriptions are included below each dish as it arrived at my place setting.

We started the evening with a Mendocino's Vision Cellars Pinot Noir. Behind is a huge bowl of walnuts and the kitchen.

Chef Noah Zonca parading the Maine lobster I would eventually request seconds of.

Plating the first course.

Opening Dish
The Kitchen 'Pork and Beans' with Local Ham Shanks, Marrow Beans, Parmesan Bread Pudding and Buttered Brussels Sprouts Leaves

Second Plate
A Salad of Winter Oranges and Endives with Arugula, Dungeness Crab, Preserved Meyer Lemon, Herbs and Willapa Bay Oysters.

Adding the broth to, yes, a lobster pot pie.

Third Plate
Maine Lobster-Black Truffle Pot Pie and 'Rice Krispie' Rock Shrimp.

Switching over to Napa's Modus Operandi “Vicarious,” a meritage blend, prior to our sushi and sashimi intermission (not pictured).

Fourth Plate
Mustard Basted Lamb Rack, Oxtail-Cipollini Onion 'Empanada', Creamed Shaved Potatoes, Cabernet and Thyme.

This is the spread for the white glove tea service. You simply approached, asked for a particular flavor, blend or herb, and watched as your choices were cut, shaved, potted, and steeped. We also enjoyed locally grown coffee before...

Dessert is Served
Brioche French Toast with Hazelnut-Maple Jus, Espresso-Cinnamon Butter Ice Cream and Peppered Bacon Brittle.

If you have a fondness for food - whether you cook it or just love eating it - I can't imagine a better location to celebrate your passion. It's not just a pricey restaurant, it's an open kitchen, an unassuming mecca for innovation and purity. The food is local when feasible, fresher than local grocer, and organic and free range. Above all, The Kitchen makes the magic accessible to anyone who, like me, marvels at how so many oddities can collaborate at a particular time, place, and temperature and set the tone for every meal that follows.

The Run to Feed the Hungry, 2008

It wasn't so much about the run itself, Sacramento's premier Thanksgiving Day event, but the plan that infiltrated a seemingly normal tradition. To avoid the hassle of parking at Sac State, the plan was to ride bicycles from the Don-Maben house through the East Sac suburbs. After Stacy and Mike's slow-rolling two seater fell back, I began experiencing some suspicious "bike trouble" of my own. Here's a rundown:

On a knee, waiting for Stephanie to realize what was going on.

The revealing of the presumptuous shirt. I wore this the last mile of the 10K; it was like having a congratulatory cheering section for our engagement.

Quite happy indeed!

Post-race, looking happy and trying not to shiver.

More information on the wedding itself, the wedding party, and some fine Zook/Petty trivia available at our wedding website.