Dining Reviews
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| The Black Rooster |
| 807 Sutter Street, Folsom |
| 916-357-0115 |
| theblkrooster.com |
 The Black Rooster has quickly become a sparkly gem in Folsom. They offer crisp salads, hearty soups and you won’t find a better panini anywhere in town. But we’re not talking about anything savory — it’s all about the sweet stuff in my department, so I’m going to talk about a dessert that is near and dear to my heart. Gelato.
Gelato, popularly consumed in Italy, is like ice cream but better. And when I say better I mean creamier and denser than regular ice cream (gelato has 55 percent less air than ice cream).
The Black Rooster prizes itself on providing award-winning Caffe Classico gelato in a variety of flavors, some traditional, some unusual. If you don’t like to fuss with your gelato, I’d recommend the double espresso bean (for the coffee lovers, of course) and the Bavarian mint for the mint chocolate chip die-hards.
Okay, so now on to the not-so-usual flavors. The lemon poppy seed is refreshing and very satisfying, it’s as if you’re eating a creamy lemon poppy seed muffin. The honey lavender is also a perfect blend of savory and sweet that makes for a pretty fantastic ending to your meal (okay I did say that we were not going to talk about savory, but sometimes savory does make dessert all the more sweeter). For the holidays, you may want to try pumpkin and rum raisin. Don’t worry if you can’t decide – you can ask for a sample before you commit. If you want gelato with some oomph, I suggest you try an Affogato, which is a wonderful Italian dessert with espresso poured on vanilla bean gelato.
Even on a cold winter day you will find much comfort in some gelato from The Black Rooster. You won’t find that kind of variety anywhere else!
— Rachel Mercurio |
| Chicago Fire |
| 614 Sutter Street, Folsom |
| 916-353-0140 |
| chicagofirerestaurant.com |
 As a lover of all things Chicago, I was ecstatic to learn that there is a local restaurant that makes deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. I have had the privilege of enjoying deep-dish pizza in the Windy City, and I must confess that it is the only kind of pizza I will eat. Luckily, authentic Chicago-style pies can be found at Chicago Fire in historic Folsom. I’ve visited many dining establishments that claim to have real Chicago-style pizza, but Chicago Fire in Folsom has it right.
On a recent visit, my husband and I ordered our usual, the baked artichoke appetizer for me and small Caesar salad for him — to enjoy before our deep dish, all-meat pizza. To craft such an exquisite pie takes time, so plan on at least thirty minutes for your pizza to be made and baked. After delivering our drinks, our server quickly returned with a salad with the perfect lettuce-to-dressing ratio. Soon after, my baked artichoke arrived. A whole artichoke doused in Caesar dressing, lemon juice and olive oil, topped with Parmesan cheese…delicious! She also brought an iron pedestal on which the pizza would rest to allow for easy serving. Our pizza conveniently arrived as we finished our appetizers. A small deep-dish pie consists of four slices and is more than enough for two people. Fresh from the oven, with cheese melted to perfection, crushed tomatoes scattered evenly atop, and with the perfect crispy and flaky crust, this deep dish delight brought memories of Chicago vacations to mind. Sliced Italian sausage, pepperoni, salami and Canadian bacon satisfied our meat-loving appetites.
Aside from deep dish, Chicago Fire also offers gourmet stuffed and crispy wafer-thin pizza, along with an array of other delectable menu items, including a great wine selection and a mouthwatering chocolate chip pizza dessert. Chicago Fire is as close as you can get to authentic Chicago-style pizza short of getting on a plane.
— Jenn Talley |
| Lolita's |
| 9580 Oak Avenue Parkway, Folsom |
| 916-987-7300 |
 Craving chips and salsa, I gathered my appetite and my dining companion, and headed out to try some Mexican fare a la Lolita’s. In a convenient location, Lolita’s casual, traditionally decorated dining room was inviting, as were the staff members…at least three different folks enthusiastically greeted us upon entering.
We sat and took a bit of time to check out the lengthy menu, as I tend to think everything sounds good. Usually I am pretty adventurous and not afraid to try a new dish (to expand my Mexican-cuisine-palate), but on this occasion I skipped the mystery and went straight for a Lolita’s specialty burrito, the Original Burrito Grande stuffed with shredded chicken, beans and rice. My guest chose to go with two cheese enchiladas, but if you don’t want to go plain Jane, you can opt to have them filled with chicken, beef, chorizo, fish or shrimp – a little something for everyone!
While we waited for our food to come out, we snacked on the chips and salsa (my favorite part); and interestingly the salsa is served in squeeze bottles, two varieties – one spicy, the other mild with more tomato flavor. It actually works out quite well to squeeze just the right amount of sauce on each chip without wasting a drop. Or, you can of course pour the salsa in the provided bowl and dip away like normal people. I think it’s more fun the other way, though.
Our plates soon came out steaming; my burrito served enchilada-style with a tasty Verde sauce and melted cheese on top and the enchiladas, well, they looked nice and cheesy, and very tempting. We both agreed that we would be back again to try more on the menu, and if you don’t have room for dessert at the end (like us), the Honey Cinnamon Chips are great to take home for your midnight snack.
— Desiree Patterson |
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