The Kitchen (California restaurant)

Michelin-starred farm-to-fork restaurant in Sacramento

For other uses, see The Kitchen (South African restaurant) and The Kitchin.

The Kitchen

Restaurant information
Head chef| Kelly McCown (exec. chef)
Rating|  (2019–present),
AAA Five Diamond Award (2011–2023)[1]
Street address| 2225 Hurley Way
City| Sacramento
County| Sacramento County
State| California
Postal/ZIP Code| 95825
Country| United States
Coordinates| 38°35′21.28″N 121°24′50.75″W﻿ / ﻿38.5892444°N 121.4140972°W﻿ / 38.5892444; -121.4140972
Website| thekitchenrestaurant.com

The Kitchen is a Michelin-starred farm-to-fork restaurant in Sacramento, California.

## History

[edit]

The Kitchen was opened at Marconi Avenue in 1991 by chefs Randall Selland and Nancy Zimmer, both husband and wife, alongside Nancy's catering business.[2][3] Randall and Nancy moved the restaurant and her catering business to 2225 Hurley Way in 1997. In 2001, Selland's Market Cafe was opened at 5340 H Street, and Nancy reduced her catering business from full service to only drop-offs and pickups from the cafe.[3]

The Kitchen's executive chef is Kelly McCown, who has worked at the restaurant since the 1990s.[4] Its menu has been seasonal.[2] In 2003, Tuesday nights were reserved for only private dining, and it publicly operated from Wednesday to Saturday nights per week.[3]

Besides The Kitchen and the East Sacramento location of Selland's Market Cafe, the Selland Family Restaurants group also operates another farm-to-fork restaurant Ella Dining Room and Bar, an Italian eatery OBO' Italian Table and Bar, and El Dorado Hills and Broadway (Sacramento) locations of Selland's Market Cafe.[5] Members of the restaurant group and of other groups on August 31, 2019, opened a fried chicken restaurant Bawk, fully owned by Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse since its reopening on October 28, 2020.[6][7]

Announced in April 2015, the site of 915 Broadway was the planned relocation of The Kitchen. The 1.9-acre (0.77 ha) property included the 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) building and was bought for USD$2.6 million (equivalent to $3.3 million in 2023).[8] The Broadway site after the January 2016 announcement eventually became the third location of Market Cafe, the chain that has had broader appeal, due to feedback from customers who wanted another Market Cafe location. Meanwhile, The Kitchen underwent renovations: "expanded wine cellar", "redone bathrooms", and increased space for dining rooms. The restaurant's bakery section was relocated to the Cafe's Broadway site. Its office, consolidated with the office of the Cafe's H Street site, was relocated to another site.[9]

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, The Kitchen was closed throughout most of the year 2020 until October 14.[10]

## Reception

[edit]

As of 2019, The Kitchen has received highest Zagat ratings and the AAA Five Diamond Award consecutively since 2011.[11][12] OpenTable named it one of top 100 restaurants in the United States providing "best service" in 2012[13] and then "100 Best Restaurants" in the US for 2016.[14] The Kitchen received its first Michelin star on June 3, 2019, becoming the first Michelin-starred restaurant in Sacramento.[2] The USA Today in August 2019 ranked it thirtieth out of its top thirty restaurants in the US, reviewed by 24/7 Wall St.[15]

As of September 2021, The Kitchen remains the only Michelin-starred restaurant in the city.[16]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Diaz, Aixa (May 1, 2023). "2023 Five & Four Diamond Hotels & Restaurant Lists". AAA Newsroom. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
2. ^ a b c "Sacramento restaurant earns coveted Michelin star". KCRA-TV. June 3, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2022. Reprinted the following day on the San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required).
3. ^ a b c Schmidt, Bob (October 17, 2003). "PROFILE: Randall Selland". Sacramento Business Journal. Vol. 20, no. 32\. ProQuest 216836072.
4. ^ Makaula, Walter (April 27, 2019). "Sacramento restaurant makes prestigious '30 Best in America' list". KCRA-TV. Retrieved March 2, 2022. Reprinted the following day on the San Francisco Chronicle (subscription required).
5. ^ Drabble, Cody (July 16, 2019). "Family Behind The Kitchen Celebrates Michelin Star". CapRadio. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
6. ^ Sorich, Sonya (August 30, 2019). "5 things to know, and when you can visit Bawk Fried Chicken". Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
7. ^ Sorich, Sonya (October 29, 2020). "5 things to know, including an R Street chicken eatery update". Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
8. ^ van der Meer, Ben (April 24, 2015). "The Kitchen to relocate to redevelopment site on Broadway". Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
9. ^ Sorich, Sonya (January 20, 2016). "The Kitchen won't move to Broadway. What happens now?". Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
10. ^ Bizjak, Marybeth (October 9, 2020). "The Kitchen Will Soon Be Back". Sacramento Magazine. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
11. ^ Escalante, Eric (June 3, 2019). "The Kitchen in Sacramento wins city's first Michelin Star". KXTV-TV. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
12. ^ "AAA Five Diamond Award – Lucky #7!". The Kitchen. February 14, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
13. ^ "OpenTable Diner Reviews Showcase Top 100 Restaurants for Service in the U.S." PR Newswire (Press release). February 29, 2012. ProQuest 923975084. Retrieved March 3, 2022 - via OpenTable.
14. ^ "OpenTable Announces 100 Best Restaurants in America Based on Diner Reviews". PR Newswire (Press release). December 1, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2022. Reprinted in OpenTable article.
15. ^ "The 30 best restaurants in America". USA Today. August 22, 2019. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
16. ^ Fletcher, Ed (September 28, 2021). "Sacramento Restaurants Earn Michelin Guide Honors in Latest Guide". CapRadio. Retrieved March 2, 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website