Restaurant Review: Ella Dining Room & Bar

By Juliet Farmer

When the Selland family set their sights on the K Street Mall, I knew that if any family could make magic on K Street, it would be them. After all, their improv-fine-dining brainchild, The Kitchen, is housed in a strip mall-ish setting, but that doesn't deter from its immense success. (In the interest of full disclosure, The Kitchen catered my wedding a little over a decade ago. For the record, whenever said wedding is discussed in my household, we still recall the drool-worthyspread.)

Following in the footsteps of The Kitchen, Ella Dining Room & Bar (opened 9/2007) is a fine dining, splurge-worthy establishment without any pretenses. The elegant, airy and bright dining area is an interior designers dream come true, boasting a ceiling and back wall covered in reclaimed shutters, an eye-catching center (of the room) piece of a trio of progressively smaller farm tables stacked one atop the next, and breezy floor to ceiling sheer white material providing "walls." The elegance is balanced with a down-to-earth vibe, so diners can feel just as comfortable in a suit and tie (for the men) or dress, and they can in nice jeans.

Ella's impeccable service begins with a genuine greeting and a check in to see if you have any time constraints (speak up, if you do!). Service remains attentive throughout the dining experience, ensuring your bread plate and water glasses are always full, and clean plates and utensils are brought periodically. If it's your first time, you'll also likely be explained the concept of Ella, which is sharing, so as to enjoy a multitude of dishes. (Insider tip: Don't fall prey to the regular restaurant concept here, whereby you stick to your own entrée with the possible sharing of a bite. There are so many great dishes on Ella's menu you'll wish you could try them all, but at least by sharing you'll be able to sample more than one!)

Ella's menu is not extensive, yet offers a wide range of choices in appetizers, entrees, and cold bar items (there's dessert, too, so save room). The menu also changes according to the season, ensuring fresh produce and local ingredients get center plate.

On a recent trip to Ella, my husband and I started with our beverages of choice—a Mojito for me
(I've tried many a Mojito in Sacramento, and Ella's are by far the best) and a Rodenbach Grand
Cru (Flanders red ale) for him.

For the meal, we shared several courses, starting with the cream of mushroom soup, which was a heavenly blend of mushrooms and cream. We then shared the wood-oven-fired meatballs, presented as four large meatballs with by cherry tomatoes, candied garlic (delicious, but without the dragon breath!), basil and sheep's milk ricotta.

Next, we enjoyed the pappardelle pasta and poached egg, which, to those not accustomed, might sound odd, but was in fact quite delicious. The dish featured large, fresh pappardelle ribbons with crispy prosciutto, preserved lemon butter sauce, mini croutons, and a farm-fresh poached egg on top. Just break the yolk, mix, and enjoy (you can thank me later). (Factoid: Apparently the powers-that-be tried to take this item off the dinner menu, but quickly caved to the multitude of pappardelle fans.)

Then, we had a palate-cleansing yellow peach and heirloom tomato salad, dressed with a tangy ginger-yuzu vinaigrette, finely sliced jalapeno, mint, cilantro, basil, and black and white sesame seeds. (Although the menu listed peaches as a main ingredient, I'm pretty sure nectarines were used in our salad, but no matter, because the combination of flavors was amazing.)

Our last course was the roasted Berkshire pork T-bone with a panzanella salad, green garlic, braised pearl onions, piperade, and bacon lardons. The meat had a hint of smoky barbecue flavor, and the bacon lardons provided the right amount of salt.

We topped off our meal with a trio of house-made white chocolate pistachio, vanilla bean and coffee ice creams. (Had the scoops not been generous, we might have had a problem.)

Ella Dining Room & Bar's menu may change periodically (with a few delicious mainstays on the menu full time), but the elegant atmosphere, outstanding service, and delicious food is a year-round guarantee.

Ella Dining Room & Bar
1131 K Street
Sacramento, CA
(916) 443-3772

Hours: Mon to Fri 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sat 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
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Juliet Farmer was born and raised in Sacramento, where she resides with her husband, two cats, and rescued greyhound. She is a freelance writer who regularly writes about food, pets, health and wellness, entertainment, and more.