Join us tonight as we savor wines from our proverbial backyard. Highway 50 leads to one of the first great wine regions in the U.S. with Amador County, Plymouth, and El Dorado being chock full of great varietals such as Zinfandel, Barbera, Viognier, and so much more. Check us out and try some Old Vine Zin from a vineyard that dates back to the turn of the century. See you at 5:30, $10. -PM
Tasting Tuesday Presents: Up Highway 50
Tasting Tuesday Heads to Southern Italy…..
……Sort of. We will stay here at The Firehouse Restaurant and experience some great wines produced in some of the greatest parts of Italy that you may not always here about. A white wine from Campania, reds from Scicily, Morellino di Scansano, and Puglia. We will talk about cultural influences and history and how that has affected winemaking since before the Romans. Starts at 5:30, hope to see you there. $10
Spoto Winemaker Dinner is a Smash!!!!
Friday night, candles lit, bottles are breathing, last of the silver is polished and set, and the kitchen is full steam ahead. This was the scene last evening when Chef Deneb Williams plated a dynamic sold out dinner for thirty guests including Winemaker Stuart Spoto of Spoto Wines. Stuart has crafted incredible cabernets from the Oakville District in Napa Valley that we have enjoyed for years here on our winelist at The Firehouse Restaurant. This event we were able to include all of his wines from around Napa including a wonderful blend called Lenore, which is named after his mom who was also in attendance last night. Also a chardonnay from Northern Napa Valley and a great Russian River pinot noir from Sonoma to name just a few.
We kicked off the evening with sabering J Cuvee magnums of sparkling wine as guests arrived in our Courtyard Grill with the fireplace setting a great mood. All four of our sommeliers and servers meeting guests and talking about great wines and past experiences here at The Firehouse. As guests were seated at the Kings table Chef Williams described in great detail the seven course menu and the wines to be paired. Stuart talked about his gracious endevours into wine all inspired by family winemaking and the strength of the family run operation. As course by course was served in synchronicity, the guests were delving into the dishes and glasses of wine. Everyone comparing notes and tastes that the food and wine were setting for them. The dessert course with Le Tertre du Solis , Sauternes finished the plated part of the night and everyone moved to the Wine Cellar where everyone was a buzz with thoughts and favorites from the dinner so far. Stuart, Mario, And Chef Deneb kept the mood going with the guests with favorite wine and food stories. It was a great night to be out in Old Sac. Spoto is based here in Sacramento so it was a wonderfully fitting dinner here and his wines are defintely to be treasured.
The Firehouse Closed on January 27
This Sunday, January 27, The Firehouse will be closed for our staff appreciation party. The Firehouse takes time each year to celebrate the hard work from all of our employees.
Although The Firehouse will not be open, we encourage you to dine at our sister restaurant, Ten22. Ten22 is open and located only one block north at 1022 Second Street. We apologize for any inconvenience to our guests.
Spanish Wine Focus This Week
A few loves of my life are my family, what I do for a living, and espicially the Spanish wines I get to taste. For many of you who come to the tastings we have here at The Firehouse, you know that sometimes I can ramble on a bit once someone brings up Rioja, or tempranillo, and garnacha. I had a chance many years ago to visit Spain and drive through the wine country from Madrid up to Rioja. No offense to my Napa friends, but the driving here is crazier.
Spain has a great heritage in winemaking and some of the most renowned aged whites come from here as well. The Spanish wine culture has a bit of this and that such as sparkling wines with Cava, light floral and fruity whites with albariño and verdejo, viura which ages for decades in oak before release, and reds that cover light zingers to deep rich super reds. The wine indusrty in Spain is starting to boom like never before and cutting edge wineries and winemaking are leading the way. Take a chance and have the next bottle you try be a tempranillo from Rioja, monastrell form Jumilla, garnacha from Priorat, or La Mancha blended wine. I bet you will have quite an experience as we did this past Tuesday. Next Tuesday we will take a journey to Southern Italy with the tasting, stay tuned……
Celebrate Christmas Eve at The Firehouse
The Firehouse invites you to celebrate Christmas Eve with your family and friends at Sacramento’s “Best Special Occasion” restaurant.
This Christmas Eve, The Firehouse will be open for lunch from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm, and for dinner from 4:30 pm – 10 pm. Guests will be treated to an evening of sophistication and luxury as Chef Deneb showcases his talents with exquisite dinner specials that include:
Lobster Bread Pudding
bacon-leek savory pudding with sauce béarnaise
Maine lobster with candied orange salad
$16
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Balsamic-Glazed Sea Bass
pan seared with roasted cauliflower-olive relish
confit Yukon potato coins and sunchoke soubise
$34
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Filet Oscar
chargrilled beef tenderloin
potato risotto with roasted fennel demi jus
Dungeness crab and sauce béarnaise
$48
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Harissa-Spiced Tofu
chargrilled with saffron quinoa, cipollini onion
wilted spinach, tomato-apricot chutney
cilantro yogurt
$19
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Bûche de Noël
chocolate génoise cake and hazelnut cream filling
coated in rich ganache with candied hazelnuts
meringue “mushrooms”
$8.50
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Artisanal Cheese Plate
$15
Marin County Triple Cream Brie
Cow’s Milk – USA
Roaring Forties Blue
Cow’s Milk – Australia
Humboldt Fog
Goat’s Milk – USA
Ossau-Iraty
Sheep’s Milk – France
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The regular menu will be available as well as the following exclusive wine flights.
Wine Flights
2-oz pours
Silver Oak Flight
2003 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
2004 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
2005 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley
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Champagne Flight
Deutz Brut Classic, Ay
Gosset Brut Excellence, Ay
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Blue Label Reserve Particuliere, Epernay
Reservations are required for dinner and can be made here or by calling the restaurant directly at 916.442.4772. Valet parking will be available for guests.
Holiday Gift Packages at The Firehouse
The holiday season is already upon us which means shopping for Christmas gifts is in full swing. I’ve come to notice that there is always one person on my list that seems impossible to buy for. They already have everything from the latest gadgets to the coolest clothes. And while gift cards seem to be an easy fix most of the time, this year I find myself turning to the next best thing…wine. Who doesn’t love a great bottle of wine? I know I do.
This year at The Firehouse, our Sommeliers have put together some incredible wine packages at great prices to fit every wine lover on your list. These wine packages start at just $99 and range from 2-bottle sets to 4-bottle sets. The Firehouse is also offering unique package options such as the “Silver Oak Vertical” and “Magnum Party” sets. Click here to see the full list of holiday wine packages.
To place your order, come in and visit us or call us at
(916) 442-4772. Happy Holidays!
Dine & Donate at The Firehouse
The Firehouse is proud to announce a special Dine & Donate program with Northern California Shriners Hospitals for Children! Dine with us from October 8 through 14, and 15% of the proceeds generated at The Firehouse will be donated to this very important cause. This is the second consecutive year that The Firehouse is partnering its Dine & Donate program with Northern California Shriners Hospitals for Children.
A network of 22 non-profit hospitals across North America, Shriners Hospitals for Children offer state-of-the-art treatment for adolescents 18 years or younger with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries or other special health care needs, regardless of the patients’ ability to pay. Working to become the world leader in caring for children, employees from the Shriners Hospitals for Children pride themselves on offering these services in a collaborative, compassionate and family-centered environment.
Help support one of California’s most vital non-profit organizations while enjoying the best food and wine Sacramento has to offer.
Reservations are recommended and can be made online at www.FirehouseOldSac.com or by calling the restaurant directly at 916.442.4772.
Fall Menu Q & A with Chef Jay
Ten22 is about to launch an all new fall menu. We sat down with Chef Jay for some Q & A to get the inside scoop!
The Fall Menu is going to launch soon. What is different on this menu versus menus in the past?
This menu is a progression of everything we have been working towards. We have enough trust and commitment to the community to come out with a great menu featuring new American cuisine. This menu is American comfort food done creatively. We strive for a continual commitment to organic, sustainable, and local ingredients, whenever possible.
What is your favorite item(s) on the menu? And why?
The duck is fantastic. We are also going to have a wild game option that I am really excited about. Another menu item I love is the Pork and Beans. But this is no ordinary pork and beans…it has that new American twist. Think house-made pork medallions and a pepper plum jus.
Are there any particular ingredients you’re excited to start using on this new menu?
Not necessarily the ingredients, but I am excited to work with the progression of how we are preparing the food. From curing to smoking, this process is going to be totally different from what we have been doing in the past.
I see on the menu there is going to be a “Chef’s Daily Pizza.” Can you give us a sneak peak to what one of these creations would be like?
Shaved lamb and feta pizza with fresh mint and roasted red peppers. And also the muscle pizza. Don’t judge it by the name. Once you try it, it will be the best pizza you have ever had.
On the fall dessert menu, what is your favorite that our guests shouldn’t go home without trying?
You have to try the Bourbon Butterscotch Bread Pudding. It is what people remember me for. The biggest compliment I received for this dish was at a Louisiana bread pudding contest. The judges had no idea it was made by someone in California. I ended up winning the whole thing. Ever since then, I knew this was something special.
“Complication hides flaws, simplicity adds focus.”
Wine of the Month
We sat down with Lead Sommelier and Night Dining Room Manager Paul Marsh to get his wine recommendation for September!
2006 Favia Quarzo Syrah, Amador County
Here’s what Paul had to say about this special wine:
Beautifully integrated complex syrah from just 40 miles outside Sacramento? You bet. Meet Favia Quarzo Syrah from Amador. Deep garnet color with medium body, tight blackberry and blueberry notes, minerality and cigar box flavors that uncover hints of nutmeg and blackberry jam. The wine finishes with long, smooth tannins that beg to be paired with our Delmonico, somewhere around medium rare. This is a great wine from our friends Annie Favia and her husband Andy Erickson. Join us and enjoy a small production gem sourced just a short drive away.
