Let me start by saying the reviews that gave this place low stars are the type of people I want to…read morestay far away from. How you can give this establishment 1-3 stars is beyond ridiculous. We dined here for our first time yesterday, and I can't believe it took us this long to finally try it out. We had reservations for 7:30pm and arrived a bit early. We were offered to have drinks at the bar which we happily obliged. We don't recall the name of the lady who made our drinks, but she was great and clearly is top notch at her craft. My wife got the White Lotus and I had the Thai NAgarita (adult non alcoholic). My wife absolutely LOVED her drink and I also did. We were seated shortly after getting our drinks and seamlessly moved us to our table. Our server was great, again drawing a blank on her name. We ended up getting the Soup de Saison which was a creamy potato soup, sorry for my lack of ability to explain it correctly. It was absolutely phenomenal. Being able to take a soup as simple as potato and make it have the flavor it did blew our minds. We also got the Fava Bean Dip which comes with two pita bread. This dish was fantastic. We would order both again and again, but will have to try other Starters next time because we know everything will be amazing. For our entrees my wife ordered the English Pea Vareniki and I the Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut. We both were extremely happy with our dishes. I tried the Vareniki and it was delicious. Again, we would both order these over and over. Mind blown. For dessert we got the Tarte Au Citron and also the special which was a Strawberry Pavlova. The Tarte was absolutely delicious and would get it again and again. The Strawberry Pavlova was hands down the best dessert dish we have ever had in our lives. We do love strawberries so that helps, but everything about it was out of this world. If it is available when we go, we will order it every time. Overall an amazing experience and loved the ambiance and old building feel. Definitely an Auburn vibe which we love. I have seen a lot of complaints about the noise, but once again, those are people I don't care to be around. It is sort of a smaller restaurant with people having a good time, so if you are people who are snotty and complain about some noise and others talking and laughing enjoying themselves, don't come here. Well done Restaurant Josephine. Absolutely phenomenal!

This weekend we dined at a restaurant that's been on my radar for a while. Restaurant Josephine in…read moreAuburn. It's not often a restaurant hits all my sweet spots, but, wow!!!! When we first stepped through the door, the aromas hit me with a punch in the best kind of way, if there is such a thing. The restaurant has limited space and was full when we arrived, so it was a bit loud and tight, but I have to admit, even though we were extremely close to our restaurants mates, it felt like we were in our own intimate bubble. Our server, Eric, was so kind and wasn't shy about sharing his favorites. We started with an asparagus salad with puréed black garlic and frisée that was flavorful and unique. It is so refreshing to see more than just roasted or steamed asparagus on a menu. For our mains, Rob ordered the Crispy "Iron" Half Chicken, and I ordered the Yukon Gold Potato Vareniki. Typically, we don't order food that I make well at home such as chicken and salmon, however, with Eric's recommendation, Rob landed on the chicken. It was the perfect crisp on the outside without being fried, and the perfect moist on the inside. It was served on a piece of grilled toast with garlic puree that was unexpectedly good. The Yukon Gold Potato Vareniki, are tiny pillows of potato filled deliciousness surrounded by a small pool of earthy brown sauce with chestnut mushrooms and cipollini onions. This dish feels like home that I can eat over and over again. We ended our evening with an almond cake with a citrus sherbet and sliced almonds. I loved the chew of the crispy outside and soft inside. Mixed with the sliced almonds and sherbet, it was as pretty perfect as a dessert can be. While the space is a little tight, the vibe is unexpected and delightful. I cannot wait to go back and try more dishes. This will be a regular on our rotation.

Great! Everything is great: food, staff, atmosphere. Perfect…read moretaste and perfect portion sizes. Anyone complaining about portion size is likely overweight. If you need unlimited food I'd reco golden corral for you?

I love the menu. The staff is very friendly. And the food... Amazing ! Comfort french food!…read more Love it. We went several times already and bought gift cards for our friends. I definite Y recommend it

Food was FANSTASTIC! I got the pork chop, thick and cooked to perfection. Duck Confit tasty…read moretender and crispy skinned and juicy. Our Server Bogden was even better. This young adult had it! Greeted at the door by a sweet young lady. Nice bar area to sit and just have a cocktail. The bread is Acme delivered everyday and high quality butter. Would 100% go again

Adding a new review for our most recent visit to Hawks. In my head I contemplated a lot whether i…read moreshould update my existing review, and decided to do so with the hopes that things improve. Review is for Mother's Day dinner. We had reservations and were seated immediately. Our server, Shad, felt like he was either upset to be working on a Mother's Day or just not wanting to serve us. The prefixe menu was also pretty average. Cruise ships serve better food than what was being brought out. Except for the burrata appetizer everything else was mid. Filet Mignon was salty. The lobster ravioli had an overdose of salt (maybe it was just saltwater) Will definitely not come to Hawks for a precise meal.

We went here on a whim, as we were on Sacramento's K street for a stage performance and the iMax,…read moreand spotted this between events. I am by no means a judge of French cuisine, so I cannot tell if this is truly representative or not, but we did sample a number of small plates and enjoyed it quite a bit. We did a full meal of fresh bread, French onion soup, a vegetable plate, an Ahi salad and their take on meatballs in a cream type sauce. THE PROS: The ambiance inside was quite nice, but we had lovely evening weather and dined outside on the patio. The fresh bread was delicious and the Onion soup was exactly what you want, rich flavor of caramelized onion with plenty of cheese. The meatballs with Gruyère, Dijon, shallots and crème was full of flavor. My wife's cocktail of gin lemon and blackberry liqueur was so good I going to try and make it at home! THE CONS: Please know these Cons are not reflective of the quality or flavors. In fact this may be the proper French way - but for us these few tweaks would have made a difference. The "Legume Grilleés" first listed ingredient was broccolini, but there was only one piece on the whole plate. The flavors were all there, and squeezing some juice from the grilled lemon gave the dish a great acidic brightness, The same goes for the Dukkah, which is a topping of toasted sesame, coriander hazelnut and cumin- but all we had was the sesame and could find none of those other spice notes. For the "Salade Niçoise" I would have liked the Ahi on the salad to really have been seared till golden, not gray. It was fresh but we've had so much good Ahi in the past, that this version left me a bit underwhelmed. The serving size itself was quite large, in fact they had split the order for us in the kitchen and I thought we had gotten two full orders! And as with the Dukkah, I expected more flavor from the salad's Dijon Vinaigrette. BOTTOM LINE: Yes we will go again. The experience overall was quite enjoyable, and there is enough variety to try something new. Sacramento's K street has had so many ups and downs it is great to have a place like Brasserie there. Each small plate ran between $12-$25. Our 5 items plus the cocktail came in right at $100, and we both left happy and hunger satisfied. RATING: 8/10

My boyfriend and I chose this restaurant to celebrate my birthday. It was a bit difficult to secure…read morea reservation due to limited time slots, so we expected it to be a busy night. However, when we arrived, the restaurant was surprisingly empty, and we anticipated a quiet, relaxed evening. We started with the half oysters and salmon tartare, and for our entrées, I had the lamb chops while my boyfriend ordered the duck confit. For drinks, he had sweet iced tea and I had Tito's with soda. The food was excellent--flavorful, well-prepared, and generously portioned. That said, I'm giving three stars primarily due to the service and ambiance. Our server (whose name I unfortunately forgot) was very friendly but not attentive, especially considering how slow the restaurant was. He didn't check on us after delivering our meals, and my boyfriend had to request a refill on his iced tea. Additionally, the bartender was loudly sharing what sounded like personal stories with another guest, to the point where it disrupted the atmosphere. We could barely hear ourselves talk. When dining out--especially for a special occasion--we were hoping for a more peaceful environment where we could enjoy a quiet conversation. While the décor is elegant and inviting, the overall experience didn't quite match the setting. I would return for the food alone, but I hope improvements are made in service and ambiance. Also, given how slow the evening was, the food took longer than expected to come out.

Stopped by one Saturday afternoon for a mother and daughter impromptu date brunch before my baby…read moreshower in West Sac. Loved treating my mom to a new experience! She ordered the Quiche Lorraine and raves about it daily. She also ordered an ice tea with cherry limeade that was so refreshing. I opted for the butter lettuce salad with a creamy dill sauce, and it was literally the perfect salad. Cute little spot with friendly staff. Can't wait to bring my mom back!

Stopped by here for breakfast at the recommendation of a friend…read more I was immediately disappointed by the menu. It did not look like it would really fill the emptiness that was in my stomach. It seemed much more like a small bite sort of place which maybe it is but... I don't know what they do with their food, but oh my God everything is so filling. Like I really don't feel like I ate a lot of food at all, especially comparative to some of the breakfasts I usually stuff down my mouth. I'm like uncomfortably full right now. We both got full And I've got a bunch of leftovers in the fridge. What I liked: their bread was really, really good. The bread they used on the ham and cheese sandwich was really tasty and it really made the sandwich. The croissant I got ....the walnut croissant super tasty and probably one of the better croissants I've had in a while. The ratatouille which I didn't think would be a good for breakfast was super tasty. Super rich, but really nice. What I didn't like: it is straight up criminal that the two slices of bread were extra with that ratatouille. you absolutely need that for dipping. Go ahead and include it in the price, but there is no way in hell that should be extra. Ham was only half warmed but that's OK... It was fine and part of me is happy that someone didn't have to stick their finger inside my sandwich.

A calm evening in Sacramento County, a comfortable table, and a beautifully prepared French meal.read more

We went to plan b for Mothers's day, which is a stressful day for most nice restaurants. But they…read moreweren't staffed for it. We had a reservation and we stood just inside the front door for a couple minutes waiting for someone , then moved to the bar and stood there for another 5 minutes before anyone acknowledged us. The escargot was over the top with garlic. Bummer for my daughter's first time ordering snails. My ribeye was tasty, pretty thin cut but still tasty. The problem was my daughter's rack of lamb. Suuuuper rare. Asked them to cook it more and they brought another one back in like 30 seconds that was even worse. Sent that back and STILL came back just a bit more than raw. Fourth time came back cooked, but the crust was pure pepper and served in a pool of oil. They did take it off the bill so that was good. My wife was very pleased with her pheasant. Desserts were outstanding. Get the cheesecake.

The food was excellent as was the service, both of which I expected, and they delivered…read more All of our dishes were great and cooked just right. I loved the atmosphere of the place, had a feeling of being out in wine country. Most options on the menu were meat dishes, but there are still dishes for vegetarians the eat. I had a ravioli style dish that was really good, and paired with asparagus. I got an old fashion as well, which was good, but nothing exceptional.

It's interesting when I went inside the interior made me feel like I was in West Palm Beach. Maybe…read moreit was the wicker chairs or that and the palm tree located right in the middle of the dining room. I'm not saying that's a bad thing by any means but just struck me of that when I came in. The food was good and the halibut special was excellent. I'd say the pricing was slightly on the higher side, but on par for the items being served. Service was excellent so I would give that five stars.

They accommodated our party of 10 and EVERYTHING was incredible! From a 5 year old to retired age.read more

Came here one night when we were in Tahoe, and had a great meal. This place is a solid 4.5 star,…read moresince Yelp doesn't do half stars, I'm rounding it up to 5 stars. Service was great, nice clean interior. Food was very good. Here're are what we ordered: Deviled eggs with caviar: 4/5 pretty good, just a bit too salty. Onion soup: 5/5, I'd say this is the best onion soup I've had in the US. Beef tartare: 5/5 the marinade was citrisy, bright, complements the beef very well. Escargot: 3/5, they are a bit earthy, maybe its the type of snails they use, not the best. I have yet to find a place for escargot in the US, the best ones I've had was still in Paris. Rabbit pasta: 5/5 so good! You can taste the freshness of their home-made pasta, and the rabbit meat has a mild flavor. Steamed clams: 4/5 overall, a solid dish, but I had a few with sand in it. Took 1 star off. Rainbow trout: 4/5 a nice piece of fish, cooked well, but not as flavorful. Cassoulet: 4/5 a hearty dish with duck legs and sausages, beans. It was ok, not my fav.

WOW! We found this shop the night before, when arriving at the same shopping plaza to have dinner…read moreat Strings Italian(please see separate review). I looked up Bon Apetit - Crepes, Croissants & More on Yelp, saw a very good rating, but not too much information and only a few photos. Considering this business has been here more than 12 years, and boasted baked goods, I HAD to do my research and provide a bit more information. We came in after our breakfast at My Garden Cafe(please see separate review), so we weren't hungry but, again, research was the goal. The space itself was a bit surprising. Having occupied this space for so many years, I guess I expected it to look more like a restaurant or kitchen of some kind. It doesn't. The large interior space has a few small bistro style patio tables and chairs (even outdoor umbrellas!) and - I think - is meant to look as if patrons are dining al fresco in Paris, maybe??? But it reminded me more of a church or school bake sale. Folding tables with colorful tablecloths are pushed up along one wall and on them set large, food service grade, clear plastic bins with the baked good inside. Above each bin is a laminated color copy of the corresponding pastry affixed to the wall. Utensils, paper bags and tongs are available for customers to self serve their selections. A separate cart has a couple of industrial coffee carafes and paper cups for beverage self service, alongside a free standing water cooler. I asked if the pastries are made there and was told no. They are made fresh each morning by the owner, Bruno, and brought in in the bins and arranged, usually, under the display pictures to easily see what is in that day. So, while not conventional, this method obviously works, and has for OVER A DECADE. Unconventional bakery esthetics and sales methods aside, the products are what customers are repeatedly here for. AUTHENTIC, French pastries made from European butter, making them lighter than an angel's wings and tastier than the devil should allow. My husband was going to patiently wait while I chose my purchases, but I persuaded him to indulge in the last remaining buttery croissant as I added it to my bag of pain au chocolate. I'm such an arm twister.... CAUTION! Digression ahead: Recently, I had been excited about a different croissant purchase at a sandwich shop in Sunland-Tujunga, only to bite into something that was more like Pilsbury canned dough than a real buttery French croissant. I guess that unpleasant experience made me long for pastry vindication and Bon Apetit came through for the win! But even before my first bite, I asked Bruno what type of chocolate he used in the pain au chocolate. 'Today Belgian. I get Belgian if I cannot get French, because they are practically the same,' he replied in his lovely French accent. And I melted. FINALLY! I was getting AUTHENTIC pain au chocolate! I'm telling you, when you have had the real thing, an imitation French pastry, made with anything less than quality European butter and chocolate just won't satisfy. We enjoyed our lovely, delicious pastries a bit later, while visiting Bridalveil Fall in Yosemite. Briefly, I tried letting the pain au chocolate sit in the warmth of the sun's rays atop my dashboard, wishing I had a way to heat the pain au chocolate enough to soften the chocolate, but I just couldn't wait. I was still very happy and satisfied with the flaky, light buttery taste of the pastry and the wonderful flavor and texture of the chocolate inside. I am adding Bon Apetit - Crepes, Croissants & More to my "Cali Road-tripping" bookmarks and look forward to bringing my French pastry loving bestie with me for my return visit. Cheers! CC

It wasn't what I expected. I thought it was going to be more like a bakery but to my surprise it…read morewas not. So I thought, well let me check out the menu, and try out a crepe since I've never had one. And they were out of crepe batter so guess I still won't be trying one.