Upon entering the appropriately named Bricks and looking at the brick walls, I immediately felt a sense of history; however, the contemporary lighting, pub-style setting, and art-lined walls featuring works by local artists brought me back to the present.

Bricks literally has something for everyone, whether you are in the mood for a burger and beer, homemade meatloaf like mom used to make or a New York steak. On this particular night I was craving something from the sea and after salivating over the assortment of appetizers, I finally decided on the Coconut Shrimp. The succulent shrimp were deep-fried with crunchy coconut flakes and came with a tasty dipping sauce that was spicy sweet. My main dish – the Atlantic Salmon – was grilled to perfection with spinach and a dill lemon caper sauce, which paired beautifully with the fish. The meal went down smooth with a glass of Oakstone Pinot Grigio, one of many local wineries from the El Dorado, Amador and Clarksburg regions that’s featured on the restaurant’s extensive “by the glass” wine list.

Since the hubby is more of a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, he tried the Top Sirloin – which was also flawlessly cooked – topped with bacon and blue cheese; the potatoes on the side were distinctly prepared as a blue cheese au gratin.

Even though we were stuffed, we both saved a little room for my favorite part of the meal – dessert! The Bricklayer Chocolate Cake was a thick piece of heavenly goodness, piled high with chocolate and fudge. I usually can dust off a dessert without help, but it was so rich that I had no choice but to share it with my spouse.

Bricks has a full bar, fun staff and is open seven days a week, with a great happy hour Monday to Thursday. Drop-ins are welcome, but to get straight to business, call ahead for a “Bricks Fast Pass.” •