"Feel the Roar" at Lion's Gate O Club

“Feel the Roar” used to be a slogan for the King’s basketball team. Now that they have reverted to cubs in the basketball world, there is a new roaring lion in town. I can say that having been a 22-year season ticket holder.

March was my month to choose. I had been working on my “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” volunteer opportunity and was sharing it with one of my ladies night friends. I had the pleasure of seeing her daughters, beautiful and grown up. A product of their mother who is one of the most composed and lovely women I know. The girls were participating in the volunteer event too. So, while we were making blankets, the conversation of course turned to dining. One of the daughters happens to be married to a chef. He was working at Lion’s Gate helping a fellow chef on paternity leave.

Ladies night had previously dined at Lion’s Gate in 2002, a beautiful setting in the O Club, the previous Officers Club at the now decommissioned McClellan Air Force Base. We remember it being a good meal in a classy setting.

I chose to revisit the O Club for our dining experience. When we arrived, we were quickly seated in the sparsely populated dining room. However, the bar was packed.
The view from our table was of the pool, timeless and inviting. This was the place that provided a hideaway for the officers, a place to escape the daily grind. It has a bit of romantic history and present day peace to it.

The server was young and told us that he usually worked breakfast but he would do his best to get our dinner. I would much rather be told of a perceived shortcoming on the wait staff part than to have it inflicted on me without warning. In this case, he need not worry. We had no complaints on his serving abilities. We told him we were in no hurry, as usual, and to let Chef know that we had arrived. I should also note that there were only three of us dining. Historically we have gone out when only two are available!

We ordered drinks and began our monthly conversational update. The next thing we knew, salad appeared. It was field greens with blue cheese and nuts in a lovely vinaigrette. Not too sharp for the greens but a delightful contrast to the cheese. Chef then came to the table and advised us to his favorite menu item, steak. I do not recall any of us ordering steak in our dining out history. We are more the pasta and chicken types and one of us not in attendance is dedicated to Caesar salad. We asked him how the salmon was and he said he had just cut it. Good to know. Two of us went with the salmon and one with the chicken breast.

Next to arrive unannounced was an appetizer of house made spinach ricotta gnocchi sitting in a delicate marinara. Wow, the flavors married in your mouth. Delicious.

The soup was a potato. Usually not a standout. But this one was smooth, creamy, and cheesy and had potato bits that contrasted the creaminess. It was served hot and the aroma filled the table. Yum.

The chicken breast was lemon-rosemary with potatoes and served on a bed of Del Rio greens. I had no idea except Chef mentioned where the greens came from. I went on their website and found this:
“Del Rio Botanicals, the Produce Express Farm produces unique, ethnic, and specialty produce for the restaurant trade. In addition, we produce seed for 485 different varieties of vegetables, culinary herbs, medicinal herbs, gourds, and flowers. 30 acres is in organic production. 170 acres is in the process of being converted to organic production. Our year round fresh vegetable supply, the dedicated year round crew, and the continual seed production keep us growing 12 months of the year.”

The salmon was served with sliced potatoes and a blood orange sauce on a bed of the greens. My friend’s husband makes great salmon and I am always excited to be invited to a BBQ at their home in Elk Grove. His is in a sweet sauce to die for. My husband has also mastered the art of salmon even though he doesn’t eat it. He BBQs his with lemon and butter and serves it slightly undercooked.
So I consider myself a connoisseur of salmon. Chef Wright’s salmon beats them both hands down. But please still invite me to Elk Grove!

And then dessert, which we usually don’t order but when we do, we share it. Michael brought an assortment. We had a raspberry layer cake, a chocolate raspberry cake and a crème Brule. The raspberries were tart and the layer cake sweet, a good ying yang. The chocolate was so rich and gooey and decadent. The tart raspberry sauce helped to cut the sweet deep flavor of the chocolate. We were surprised to find that they were both made by Bellabru bakery. You too would be surprised by the breadth of this bakery's reach in local restaurants. The delicious bread my husband raved about at Lucca’s came from Bellabru. Their baking is unsurpassed in Sacramento.

But, the delight of the evening came from the Lion’s Gate kitchen. My friend in Ohio, you would have been in dessert heaven. Crème Brule, house made was served warm and creamy with the crunch of sugar on top. Perfectly vanilla made to melt in your mouth. I could talk about this dessert all day. The only clue I can give you came from the Chef. Here it is Ohio, Alton Brown.

It was a lovely dinner, great company as always and a beautiful setting. You can’t ask for more than that. Having Chef come out and talk about the food made the entire evening a culinary experience. This was not our usual evening fare and I am so grateful to Chef for his attention.

I know that credit is due to the regular chef at Lion’s Gate, Johnny Frink. I have some advice for him. Don’t stay away too long. Chef Wright has it right!

www.lionsgatehotel.com

www.bellabrucafe.com
www.luccarestaurant.com
www.delriobotanical.com