"I think I'm drunk off the polenta!"

What's a magpie?

When I google it, it comes up as: long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call

Very interesting... I learn something new every day!

I just thought I would stop by to tell you about a place M and I went to tonight. It's Magpie Caterers--Market & Cafe. It's really cute and can be found on this "random" street in Sacramento--R St and 14th St to be exact. [Just look for it down the street from Burgers & Brew. If you hit The Shady Lady, you've gone too far! ]

This place has an eclectic menu, and it was delicious! I had Black Mussels in White Wine sauce. The mussels were cooked with garlic and rosemary--the sauce was a white wine reduction that was actually more orange in color than I was expecting, but it was good! M ordered the Homemade (Pork) Sausage that was served with a very garlicky pesto-like sauce called "chimichurri sauce", and oddly enough, a giant red pepper. Their side dishes are wide and far between ranging from a Purple Potato Salad, (next on my list) Barley Kale salad (sounds good, right?), and off today's menu, we ordered the Pan-seared Creamy Polenta, and that was served with roasted red bell peppers (yum-o!). The polenta was indeed creamy--it tasted a bit grainy but it was still creamy tasting with the crunch from being pan-seared, and seasoned just right... I can't be sure what herbs they used, but I did enjoy it and may try to recreate. It may not sound like a lot of food but it was filling.

(Sidenote: They also have a wine list and a few beers on tap--including the local Davis brew, Sudwerks). Yet, if you know me, I had my eye on dessert. When I first walked in, there was this curious dessert they call a Carrot Cake Cookie--it's one of a kind because I've never seen anything like it! Basically, it's a cookie sandwich--the cookies taste like carrot cake (They have a consistency of oatmeal cookies), and in between the cookies is a cream cheese frosting. Hats off to the great chef who created this creative dessert because it was way fun to eat. There was one more thing that I had to try before leaving--Chocolate Mousse made with dark chocolate and avocado, topped with black salt, cinnamon, and chile. OH-MY-GOD! If you want to have a rich dessert, I think it would go something like that! With every bite I think you would catch a different part of it. The avocado is mixed into the mousse you could tell just by the texture and you can almost taste it. Secondly, it was the black salt that most surprised me. I never thought about coupling black salt with chocolate. And if I've never said it before, there's something about chile with dark chocolate that just works!

Is your mouth watering yet???

Their breakfast, lunch and dinner menus change daily. If you're interested/not yet convinced, they post their menus on their website: http://www.magpiecaterers.com/

P.S. Also saved for another day, they offer French press coffee (note: There is no espresso machine on the premises.) for $4... AND I'm willing to try breakfast there, when's the last time you had a Herb Cheddar Scone--I *heart* savory scones, you don't just get those anywhere!