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Sneak peek disclaimer: This is not a review as I was invited to taste the menu before the official opening. I also know the owners and chefs of this restaurant.
Anyone who drives the Jackson Highway is familiar with the two landmarks in Sloughouse. There's the Davis Ranch farmer's market on the left side and on the right side has always been the Sloughouse Inn.
The Sloughouse Inn is no more and in its place is the new Meadowlands Restaurant from the owners of Lucca, Roxy, and Lucky Dog Ranch. This means you'll get the same great service and food that you've come to love at the other restaurants. Many of the ingredients come from Lucky Dog Ranch. The beef is all grass fed and free of antibiotics and hormones and many of the vegetables come from their own gardens.
The menu is farm to fork, new American and with similarities to Roxy. For instance, you will find the Elvis Burger and the Lucky Dog Ranch Burger on both menus. The idea here, though, is to showcase the seasonal produce that is produced in the area and that you might find down the road at Davis Ranch market.
The interior has been completely redone with new furnishings that give a comfortable, rustic vibe. It feels like an American farm restaurant.
We were invited to a preview dinner and to provide criticism of the menu the night before opening. There was not much to comment on as everything was so good! Presentation was excellent as well as the dishes having lots of flavor. Let's take a look at a few favorites.
I'm really picky about biscuits. After all, they are hard to do really well. No problem here. These small biscuits are an appetizer served with butter and honey. As the server took the plate and I grabbed the last one, he asked if I wanted the butter and honey. No. If you can't eat a biscuit on its own, it's not good enough. Meadowlands' biscuits are soft, flakey, and have enough salt to make them tasty solo.
We also loved the Brussels sprouts appetizer. Nice and sticky with a maple jalapeno reduction, I loved them on their own, but the server insisted we not forget to squeeze the lemon on top to cut some of the bitterness. Good either way.
LOVED this Shaved Cauliflower Salad with apple, fennel, pomegranate seeds, and a ginger vinaigrette. I described it as "bright and energetic" because it woke me up with bright flavor.
I ordered the Lucky Dog Ribeye because I love their beef and I was in the mood for a ribeye. The thing with ribeyes in fine dining restaurants these days is that they are often over $30, which is beyond my price point. This one is priced at $28 and I love that. It was served with roasted potatoes and pearl onions and had a lovely herb butter on top. It was everything I want a ribeye to be.
This dish might be renamed as we said that Beef in a Barrel made us picture more of a braised short rib style dish. In actuality the barrel refers to the barrel smoker. The beef was served with a delicious chimichurri. The more notable dish is the mac n cheese on the left. Instead of using pasta, they use small cubes of cauliflower florets. It's a great, winning take on mac n cheese.
I know the locals are excited by Meadowlands' arrival. For those in Sacramento, it's a worthy stop along Jackson Highway.
