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Just a little over a year ago, the Sacramento Breakfast Club had the honor of "opening" up The Terrace, by being the first customers in the, at that time, brand new restaurant. For nearly a year, we've been talking about paying an encore visit to Terrace, we loved the food, the decor, and the friendly staff, but for many reasons, we just couldn't manage a repeat visit. A couple of weeks ago, Dan realized that his turn was next, and he decided to turn dreams into reality, so on Friday, February 20, 2009, the Sacramento Breakfast Club paid an encore visit to The Terrace.
Photo: The Terrace is located in a section of the upscale Town and Country Village shopping center known as The Collection. There isn't room to park your 18-wheeler, or your fifth-wheel RV... that's my green Camry parked in front of the restaurant. Nothing about the restaurant has changed in the last year... the restaurant is still as elegant, the food is still remarkable, the menu is still innovative and the staff is friendly as ever. After a year of use, the restaurant still looks and smells brand new! Today, we were treated to Jennifer as our friendly and efficient waitress, and when I looked into the kitchen, I was happy to see that co-owner Michael Powers was performing chef duty. We missed the friendly smile and personality of co-owner Margo Powers, but Jennifer told us that she wouldn't be in until after 11:00, as she was taking her children to school, and dealing with "mom" issues.
Photo: At 0810 in the morning, the Sacramento Breakfast Club were the only customers, so I was able to take this existing light photo, of the dining room, and some of the members in action. The Terrace features California style cuisine, and their breakfast menu is loaded with choices that feature Italian sausage, bell peppers, mushrooms, feta cheese, and other Mediterranean-influenced ingredients that are popular in California. Terrace believes in serving delicious, innovative entrees, with emphasis on quality, freshness, flavor, and an attractive presentation. If you're interested in eating healthy, Terrace is your kind of restaurant, as most entrees include fresh fruit, salsa, or... gasp... a breakfast salad? Cooking oil is used sparingly, and the oil that is used is the type of oil that doesn't make dietitians cringe. Some things have changed during the last year, as the membership in our club has expanded, and we have several members who hadn't had the opportunity to enjoy an elegant breakfast at The Terrace, with the club. We wanted to give the new members a taste of the good life...
Photo: Jennifer amazes Dan with his plate of biscuits and gravy, as Brad and Serge look on, in anticipation of a delicious breakfast. The Terrace is located in the upscale Town and Country Village, (Common term: shopping center,) in a section billed as "The Collection." You can't miss "The Collection," as it features a large, decorative arch, with it's name, and the name of businesses, including Terrace, that reside in this part of the shopping center. Despite the elegant decor, Terrace isn't "stuffy" or formal, as the staff is very friendly, and makes you feel like you're part of their family. No, you won't see any 18-wheelers or fifth-wheel RV's parked in front, but you'll enjoy the company of great people, and the courteous staff will treat you like royalty.
Photo: Jennifer presents Mark his plate of Italian sausage, Terrace potatoes and eggs, with lots of bell pepper, mushrooms and onions... true California-style cuisine. Terrace's menu could best be described as creative, and offers a world of interesting choices So how do you choose? In my case, it was easy: Biscuits and gravy for the main dish, with eggs on the side. If can't decide what you want, an easy way would be to close your eyes and point your index finger at the menu, open your eyes, and whatever choice your finger points to, that's your breakfast. You can't go wrong with any item on Terrace's menu.
Photo: Today's breakfast club member, from left to right: Dan MacLeod, Brad Holther, Sergio Gaona, David DeMario, Bruce Coulter, Mark McIntire, Matt Donnelly, and Eric Rench, your author, photographer, and webmaster. The Terrace has a little breakfast ritual that is quite unique, in that they serve the toast and jam order that comes with breakfast before the main dish arrives, as sort of an appetizer. I've never seen this practice before, and it's an interesting concept. I take special notice the toast is served with little pots of freshly-made jam, not the little plastic packages of commercially-made jam that most restaurants serve. Normally I avoid jam, but I make exception to that rule when I'm dining at The Terrace, as their jam is freshly-made, in their kitchen, and it's some of the best jam that I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy. It reminds me of the jam my grandmother use to make, when I was a small boy...
Photo: My breakfast of biscuits, gravy and fried eggs. The eggs are mostly hidden underneath the ample portion of creamy, delicious, Italian sausage gravy. Note the chunks of Italian sausage, which make this a full meal. Note that the meal is served on a square plate. Breakfast at The Terrace is tasteful, elegant, delicious, and ... I think I've run out of adjectives. Dan and I both ordered biscuits and gravy, with a couple of fried eggs on top. The biscuits are made in the kitchen from scratch, just before the order is placed, so they're fresh, so very fresh! If you order eggs, as a side dish, Jennifer will give you the choice of having your eggs placed on the side of your plate, or you can have them on top of your biscuits. The sausage gravy covers the biscuits, eggs, and spills over the plate, and the gravy isn't the truck stop variety, as it's made from fresh, Italian sausage, and it's is rich, creamy, and delicious. Now the acid test: What did the first-timers think about The Terrace? Words such as delicious, impressive, fresh, delightful were heard, but I think the Italian sausage gravy caused the biggest sensation. Terrace first-timer and breakfast junkie Brad ordered biscuits and gravy as a side dish, in addition to his main order of blueberry pancakes, sausage and eggs. Bad-boy Brad received lots of kidding about how much food he ordered, but he rose to the occasion, and didn't leave a scrap of anything on his plate. Brad was more than a match for the huge breakfast he ordered, and The Terrace receives Brad's endorsement as a first-class breakfast restaurant.
Photo: Michael Powers, chef, and co-owner of The Terrace, poses in the kitchen. The Terrace is definitely different than most of the restaurants in the greater Sacramento area that the club frequents, but its good to break out of the mold, and enjoy a taste of the good life, whenever the mood strikes. Actually, we're in the mood for The Terrace every week, and it's a shame that there just aren't more weeks in the year.
Photo: I asked Jennifer to "say cheese," and she replied with gusto, as she poses for my digital camera in the kitchen of The Terrace.
Photo: This gentleman recognized us from reading past postings on the web site, so I thought it would be appropriate to post his photo with this article. Jennifer seems to think it's a good idea, too. The Terrace is open for breakfast and lunch only, but they offer catering that can be done after the restaurant closes, or other hours, by arrangement. They're open every day except Monday, but who's in the mood for breakfast on Monday, anyway? The Terrace is highly recommended by members of the Sacramento Breakfast Club. The
Terrace Copyright(c) 2009 eRench Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002. Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custom photography for any occasion...
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