Plan b tops my California A-List

Good French food can be a very difficult to find item in America. One might not think that this would be the case, since almost all French food is very good, but sadly it is. In Boston there are a number of excellent French restaurants, but they are also some of the most expensive eateries in the city, which might be part of my own problem in trying to find a “good” one.

I grew up with a palate inclined to French style cooking and techniques, as it was the root of my mother's professional culinary training. I have also been to Paris and eaten at both some of the finest (Le Grand Vefour and Taillevent), and also some of the cheapest restaurants and cafe's there. While the thing I ate most in France was a simple ham and cheese, I also sampled various frogs legs, and ate a hare smothered in a sauce made from it's own blood (yum).

Since I moved to Redding, California, my favorite restaurant has been the Plan b Cafe in southern Sacramento. Plan b boasts a very skilled CIA trained chef and dedicated and attentive owners. Most of all, Plan b has an amazing menu of French origins.

Highlights of Plan b's menu include mussels with five different broth options, an explosively delicious lamb-sausage sandwich (Merguez) titled “Hot Dog”, daily soups that are to die for, and fantastic pommes allumettes (that's french fries to you bub) that are crispy and seasoned to perfection. And, to my delight, the Jambon de Paris lives up to its name and brought me right to the bar of some tiny Paris cafe enjoying simple fresh ham and swiss on a baguette while watching another patron smoke at a table with their dog at their feet (so maybe there are a few differences between here and Paris, but not Plan b's food).

Plan b's décor and atmosphere are as perfectly done as any of the dishes. It is clean, elegant, and calm. I feel comfortable showing up there in jeans and a sweatshirt or a full suit. A lovely outdoor dining area, which can be enclosed by clear plastic wind shields, allows one to enjoy the Sacramento sun even on blustery days.

Now we come to the hardest part: Price. Since fresh high-quality ingredients make all the difference with fine food, it is often hard to find a good restaurant where frequent visits are economically feasible. Yet somehow Plan b manages to provide all their wonderful food at perfectly affordable prices. I've easily spent more on a meal at MacDonald's than on lunch from Plan b, and if you have to ask which was better and more satisfying please stop reading my blog. There is a Mexican restaurant right next to Plan b, and while they have average food, their chimichanga costs more than Plan b's ingeniously crafted chicken entree.

Anyone who enjoys fine dining, regardless of whether they can name even one French dish (which with clear names like Rib-eye and Prawns you won't have to), should head straight to Plan b next time they are in Sacramento. The fine food, serene atmosphere, delightful staff, and astonishingly low prices make it one of my top choices for a real meal, lunch or dinner, on either side of the country.

For more information on Plan b Cafe please visit their website at http://www.cafeplanb.com/