As I said last time, for a couple of months Russ Salazar was after me to go out to breakfast and write about it. “A lot of people go out for breakfast and I am sure they would like to know about new places or old places with new dishes,” he told me several times.
As you noticed with Los Pinos, I agreed to give it a try.
My problem is that if I eat a large breakfast I still seem to want lunch and dinner later. So I told him I would do it, but only if we had breakfast in the late morning so my stomach would think it was lunch.
He organizes a number of events for the SIRS (Sons In Retirement) group in Pollock Pines and wanted to check out the banquet room at California Kitchen, which is located at 251 Main Street in Placerville.
California Kitchen is a restaurant on Main Street that serves Traditional American and Mexican style breakfast and lunch. The menu is amazing.
I met Russ there around 11 a.m. one of our few sunny days last month and, after finding a table, we went over the menu.
I had downloaded a copy of their Breakfast/Lunch menu and looked it over the night before. Not only do they feature pancakes, waffles, different Benedicts, omelets, scrambles, house specialities and “Old California Breakfasts,” you can also order salads and sandwiches. In fact, one of my neighbors told me, “Get the steak sandwich for breakfast, it is wonderful and a really good deal.”
I was considering ordering from the interesting list of “Old California Breakfasts,” which includes Huevos Rancheros, Carnitas Uruapan, Mole Ranchero con Huevos, Chorizo Estilo Toluca, and an interesting dish simply called Santa Fe and Huevos Estilo Tepatitian. However, Russ beat me to it and selected the Chorizo Estilo Toluca – chorizo sausage prepared Toluca style, Toluca being a city in Mexico.
It is a combination of sauteed chorizo sausage, onions, jalapeños and potatoes scrambled in eggs and queso fresco, served with refried beans and garnished with avocado, sour cream and pico de gallo.
My choice was something more “New California,” the Country Benedict, which is two eggs on a biscuit with a crispy chicken fried steak, all smothered in country gravy and served with home style potatoes. There were three other Benedicts to choose from, but this just sounded interesting.
When our breakfasts arrived, they were beautifully presented and looked delicious. As you know, a good presentation makes a meal even better.
Russ was especially delighted with the texture and taste of the chorizo in his eggs, which he said is sometimes mushy. He also liked the homemade refried beans.
I tasted the egg mixture and the beans and agreed. They were really good.
I really liked my Country Benedict, the eggs, the biscuits and especially, the country fried steak and gravy. I grew up with a lot of pepper in country gravy, so I added a few shakes, along with a few shots of Tabasco, which conveniently they have on each table. Eggs need Tabasco.
Russ tried my Benedict, appeared neutral about it and seemed to be much more interested in what he had ordered.
Better than for me to try and describe their Breakfast/Lunch menu, since it is several pages long, check it out yourself on their webpage at www.californiakitchenplacerville.com. Ignore the Dinner menu as they sadly no longer serve dinner.
It is family friendly, so there is also a large kid’s menu.
Overall, clean and friendly, with great food and excellent service.
Breakfast and lunch are served daily from 7 until 3. For more information give them a call at (530) 622-7500.