![]()
After months of waiting, it's open! Beast + Bounty opened this week and the wait has been worth it. Best friends are in the kitchen with chef Brock MacDonald heading the kitchen and Edward Martinez handling desserts and baked goods.
Beast + Bounty is located in the Ice Blocks area of Midtown in an area exploding with newly constructed apartments and retail. (Note that it isn't in the actual Ice Blocks complex itself, but across the street next to Philz Coffee.) The restaurant retains one old-brick wall with modern touches of large windows, bright but muted colors, and contemporary furnishings. There's a small waiting area next to a staircase where they had a (occasional) DJ placed seen in pictures of their soft opening.
Attention to details were apparent when we were taken to our table. We were seated at a banquette of muted pink leather with leather 'belts' seemingly holding up the backrests. It's the place setting that really makes an impact. One thing for sure, anyone daring to swipe a piece or a setting would immediately be called out should someone see these unique pieces in your home! I had to wonder if that small knife blade would cut anything. (It does.)
 |
| bone marrow |
 |
| wet aged ribeye w/ chimichurri (not the 60-day dry aged one) |
 |
| mixed grill - flank steak, duck breast, pork belly (SStiavetti) |
 |
| burger (SStiavetti) |
The food is described in the name - Beast + Bounty. Brock MacDonald's menu is designed to appeal to all diners, from omnivores to vegans. Beast dishes include such items as a bright Bone Marrow appetizer to a 60-day dry aged Ribeye or a Mixed Grill plate with duck, flank steak, and pork belly. The burger was the last to arrive and was delicious. The meat was so flavorful and made to shine without being covered up the accompaniments. I look forward to it being part of the 2019 Sacramento Burger Battle. (Too late to be in this year's.)
 |
| cauliflower w/ vegan creme fraiche |
 |
| roasted carrots |
 |
| watermelon salad (SStiavetti) |
The Bounty dishes will attract any veggie centric diner. The Cast Iron Cauliflower is atop a layer of a vegan creme fraiche. Roasted Carrots with multiple 'carrot' elements was our favorite veggie dish and the Watermelon Salad with Thai eggplant, and pickled radishes was a surprising win.
 |
| coconut tart |
 |
| blackberry eclair |
Martinez's influence sandwiches a meal with his soft, warm Parker rolls served with cultured butter aged for eight months. The dessert menu is sure to always be in flux, but includes five items to chose from, including a vegan Soy Milk Panna Cotta with blueberries and maple granita. The favorite among us was the Coconut Tart with a rye crust and a tarragon powder. Second favorite was the blackberry eclair with butterscotch. The peach 'donut' is actually a white chocolate donut-shaped shell filled with a gelee. We agreed it needed one more textural element, like a cake base.
 |
| peach 'donut' |
 |
| smoked chocolate pudding |
Martinez will be doing double duty in about a month or so as Milk Money will be located across the walkway from Beast + Bounty. This will be his artisan donut and ice cream shop and houses his ovens for doing the Beast + Bounty desserts. For the last six months Martinez has been hosting donut popups around town, selling out under an hour each time.
Beast + Bounty is destined to become one of Sacramento's most popular restaurants, perfectly designed to showcase the City's title of Farm-to-Fork Capital.
.png)
