The natural beauty of Placer County attracts visitors from across Northern California to dive in and experience all it has to offer. Expensing energy from a hike or building an oversized appetite following an afternoon of wine tasting only leaves room for one more thing: a wonderful meal.
Whatever you’re in the mood for — Mexican, Italian or Asian cuisine — flavors of every kind are at your behest in Placer County.
So if you’re ready for the perfect culinary retreat, any of these top-rated restaurants are sure to please.
Located in Rocklin, The Chef’s Table brings together local ingredients for one exemplary night of food – and so much more. The restaurant serves up an impressive lineup of local beers, too.
“We love where we live, we love where our restaurant sits, and we love to entertain,” the restaurant’s website states.
The dinner menu includes such mouth-watering classics as southern fried chicken, ground filet mignon sliders, beer-battered French fries and other surprises. Patrons can also enjoy some traditional Mexican dishes including chicken posole – which fuses together a soup with tortilla chips, lime, salsa and other fresh Mex-ready ingredients. Al Pastor pork tacos are also on the menu.
The Chef’s Table does not stop there. Its eclectic offerings extend to its bar, where patrons can explore a local tour of beers. The extensive beer list features crafts from Loomis, Auburn, Sacramento, Petaluma and Berkeley.
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If a fine cut of beef or pork is more what you have in mind, Hawks Restaurant in Granite Bay is your ticket. Almond, wood-grilled filet mignon, New York steak, slow roasted short ribs and Niman Ranch rack of pork highlight the restaurant’s constantly changing menu.
Hawks was also featured in the “2016 Best Of” edition of Sacramento Magazine.
Joe Caribe has been serving folks in Auburn for nearly a decade with fresh, ethnic and Caribbean cuisine perfect for those with an adventurous pallet.
The menu includes tacos prepared with a variety of meats, including Alaskan cod, pork, chicken and shrimp. Joe Caribe’s burrito offerings take a detour from the norm. Chicken, shrimp and vegetarian curries spice up its offering of tortilla wraps, AKA, burritos.
Joe Caribe’s house specialties are more familiar and include jambalaya, quinoa and noodles.
Mamma mia, Pizzeria!
Il Pizzaiolo got its start after its founder grew tired of eating poor-quality pizza. He knew a thing or two about pizza, being from Brooklyn and all, and took matters, and dough, into his own hands to create a fast and casual pizzeria in Colfax.
The variety of pizzas are crafted in the tradition of Naples and are fired up in 800-degree wood-fired ovens. The menu includes Salsiccia, Cinque Terre, Pepperoni, Margherita and white-sauce pies, including Rosmarino, Campania, Siena and Pancetta.
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“Good food. Good Wine. Good Friends.” That’s how this restaurant in Granite Bay likes to think of itself. And if you’re looking for an update to country comfort food, Farmhaus is just for you.
The up-scale comfort food is served in a smaller building along Auburn Folsom Road. It serves breakfast, lunch and a pricier dinner, but everyone is talking about its take on chicken pot pie.