Canon

Canon is a popular high-end restaurant located in East Sacramento. Even though it’s right on the street, the little sign and unremarkable front view of the restaurant can make it hard to distinguish. But people certainly know that it’s here! My wife and I went to Canon for our anniversary dinner on a Thursday night… and the place was packed! The atmosphere at the restaurant was lively and loud. There was a ton of life, people socializing, and just a buzz about the place.

We had made a reservation on Open Table a while back so we were able to be seated right away. It was nice that they knew it was our anniversary (via Open Table) and congratulated us when we were greeted. The server also knew it was our anniversary and was very congratulatory as well. It was a nice touch to be acknowledged in this way.

Our server informed us that the dishes on the menu are all prepared family style and were meant to be shared. I found this to be a pretty interesting concept. So rather than just finding something for myself, it was important to consult with my wife on what to order as a tandem.

The menu has small bites, small plates, and main dishes. The small plates are similar to appetizers/sides. We didn’t have any small bites, but I can only assume that these items are sort of pop-in-your-mouth type foods that are very quickly eaten. After perusing the menu, we decided on the albacore tataki, summer nectarine salad, and the crispy fingerling potatoes.

The albacore tataki came out first and was plated very neatly. I felt that there was an artistic look to the food and how it was given to us. The dish had a number of components in it such as radish slices, melon, and cucumber. Each component had a delicious flavor profile. I ended up enjoying each individual part very much. The albacore was meaty and had a satisfying taste accompanied by the other ingredients around it. As an appetizer, it did well to get our appetites going for the rest of the meal.

The next dish to come out was the summer nectarine salad. I imagined it would come in a bowl… like a salad usually does. But, of course, it didn’t. The summer nectarine salad was plated similarly to the albacore tataki dish. Rather than a mixed up bowl of salad, the salad had its components on a little plate ready for you to enjoy however you like. And like before, each component brought its own flavor to the dish. The shishito peppers contained in this dish were the star for me. They look like they’d be flaming hot, but they are in fact pretty mild - and very tasty. I loved them and would happily have an entire plate of them.

The final small plate came along with the main course. And they actually paired very well together. The crispy fingerling potatoes and chicken matched up very well. The potatoes had a bit of spice to them while the chicken was sweet with a honey sauce. The sweet and spicy combo really worked and made for a great main part of the meal. The chicken in particular stood out as it was cooked amazingly well. My wife’s co-worker said that it is made from a special cooking technique that takes about 45-minutes to finish. If that is indeed true, each of those minutes was worth it because I’m not sure if I’ve had better.

As it was our anniversary we splurged and ordered a number of drinks to go along with dinner. The most controversial drink for us was the Grumpy Vic. We both HATED it! It had a very floral and herbiness to it that we just didn’t enjoy at all. We’re not typically ones to send food back, but the server could tell that we didn’t like it and took it back for something else. It was a really nice thing for her to do and appreciated greatly. She brought back another drink that worked out a lot better for us. For those of you who are wondering it was the lemon drop. Common… but great for those who just want a little kick of alcohol.

I had a nice glass of red wine as well as their blackberry, citrus, and ginger soda. The wine was exceptional but the soda was, again, a bit too much for me in terms of its strange (to me) flavor profile. It certainly was exotic, but something I definitely wasn’t a fan of.

If you’re a bit more adventurous, you may find these concoctions to be right up your alley. I guess I’m a bit of a bore when it comes to these things.

The meal for 2 was around $200 - which is what we expected. In fact, we thought it would be more… but the sharing of dishes cut down on the cost. I wouldn’t come here if money is a concern as this is a high-end restaurant with high-end prices.

For a special occasion where you get to have your taste buds surprised, this might just be the perfect ticket for you!

Website: www.canoneastsac.com

Address: 1719 34th St, Sacramento, Ca 95816