C’est Splendide C’est

French Bistro Builds On Casual Traditions

No restaurant around Sacramento is quite like Franquette, the Frenchinspired bistro in West Sac’s Bridge District. Combining

French dishes, coffee and wine with a California casualness, this year-old business fills missing pieces in the local culinary scene.

But first a question. Where have all the French restaurants gone? Look around and you need one hand to count the places focused on Gallic gastronomy. Arden-Arcade’s Plan B Restaurant is a standout with its insanely good mussels. A few others might come to mind.

But since the closure of Café Rolle in 2019, and given the popularity and trendiness of foods from previously overlooked cuisines, French cooking isn’t having a moment.

As I wrote last year, Sacramento has seen an uptick in wine bars. Midtown’s Good News Wine is an exceptional example. But rarely do wine bars create an elegant kitchen menu that’s equal to the wine list.

So, when the team behind East Sacramento’s Canon opened a

French bistro and wine bar in West Sacramento, I headed across the river. After all, Canon rates praise from Michelin’s Bib Gourmand for quality and reasonable prices.

Franquette accomplishes many tasks. The French cooking is off the charts, the marriage of wine, coffee and food a three-way tie for perfection. A casual outpost open daily, Franquette serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The ambition on display is unique.

Chef Elena Winks produces impressive cookery in a comically small space. Her kitchen, tucked behind the wine bar in view of patrons, is a fantasy of cheese, butter, pastry, slow simmering and flavor-packing.

Mornings are where she shows her baker skills, turning out small batches of chocolate croissants, seasonal galettes and a gorgeous walnut croissant. Each dish is paired with expertly pulled coffees.

Lunch and dinner share the same menu, owing to Winks’ lack of space. Classic French fare such as sandwich au jambon, a simple bonding of ham and cheese melted into indulgence on an Acme Bread baguette, work

GSBy Greg Sabin Restaurant Insider