Bennett’s Kitchen Bar Market
1595 Eureka Road, Roseville, 916-750-5150, bennettskitchen.com
There’s a new restaurant concept happening in Roseville, and frankly, I’m a big fan. Bennett’s Kitchen Bar Market is everything their name implies and quite a bit more. They have something for everyone and every eating style including a full-service restaurant, bar with handcrafted cocktails, market-café with freshly prepared meals along with grab-and-go food and a full-service coffee counter. From a morning cup o’ Joe to go, lunch on their newly remodeled patio (featuring air conditioning), suds or sips in the bar watching a game, or a business, casual or date-night dinner, Bennett’s has you covered.
I stopped in for dinner recently and started with a couple of small plates from their Happy Hour menu—shrimp tempura and grilled polenta with marinara and wild mushrooms. The shrimp were cooked in classic Japanese-style tempura—light, crispy, and golden brown served with slaw and a house-made “Bang Sauce.” A crisp local beer paired perfectly with this fiery sauce. The one-inch thick triangles of polenta were seared and covered in rich marinara sauce topped with wild mushrooms that I just couldn’t get enough of.
For the main course, I had lasagna featuring rich bolognese sauce and parmesan-reggiano. The pasta was silky with a nice compliment of cheese and ground beef. I don’t usually order lasagna so this was a nice change of pace and the fact that it had that made-in-house quality (like almost everything they serve) made it all the more enjoyable.
The real show-stopper of the evening was the center-cut filet with cauliflower au gratin and grilled asparagus. The filet came cooked medium-rare as requested and topped with mouth-watering herb butter. No to-go boxes for this one! The sides of grilled asparagus and cauliflower au gratin made the experience feel like date night at a steakhouse.
I finished the evening with their key lime pie. Tart and creamy with a crisp graham cracker crust and topped with sweetened cream, it was perfect for a shareable sweet-tooth finish.
I’ve been in for lunch and weekend brunch and on all my visits the food and service were first-class. I guess I’ll have to come back and try some of their fresh takeout meals like their lasagna. You should, too!
by Lorn Randall
photos by Menka Belgal
Hours: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. (Monday-Saturday), 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (Sunday)
DRINKS: Full Bar
TAB: $$
TRY THIS: Bennett’s burger, lasagna, grilled polenta with marinara and wild mushrooms, grilled Scottish Loch Duart Salmon and heirloom grains, pineapple upside-down cake, key lime pie
HEADS UP: Outdoor dining, weekend brunch till 2 p.m., vegetarian and gluten-free options, catering, daily happy hour specials include meals, takeout market, and coffee bar