Zach and Kara Taylor of Apple Hill gem Smokey Ridge Charcuterie struck gold with their new farm-to-fork restaurant The Farm Table—a crafty café and market. Stock your pantry with the house-label preserves, pickled vegetables and gourmet condiments; tote a carnivorous feast home (they also feature daily salads, side dishes and satisfying sweet treats like bacon chocolate chip cookies and chocolate beet cake); or dine in and sip on a local craft brew and wine, or old-fashioned soda. The biggest star here is their specialty meats, many of them made in-house, but they also offer tempting sandwiches and delectable plates like red wine-braised beef. On a recent visit, it was their aptly named Chef’s Charcuterie Platter that excited my stomach. Alongside the “chef’s choice” of meats—signature country confit duck pate with pistachios, smoky Spanish-style chorizo, paper-thin bresaola and duck pastrami—was a hunk of Pt. Reyes blue cheese and several accouterments: house gherkins, pickled onions, grapes, olives and whole-grain mustard. Served with crostini, it was a fun, experimental meal for sharing, and there were several winning combinations. If you’re still salivating after your visit, join one of their club memberships and get the goods delivered to your door year-round! The Farm Table, 311 Main Street, Placerville. 530-295-8140, ourfarmtable.com.

– by Heather L. Becker