Ending the Curse

With Casa East Sac, two brothers appear to have found the secret to success.

BY MARYBETH BIZJAK

Some restaurants seem cursed. That’s how I once regarded a restaurant space at the corner of 54th and H streets in East Sac. Originally a small house, it was turned into an eatery a few years back. Its first tenant was The Neighborhood Pizzeria, from the owners of Federalist Pizza in midtown. Serving thick squares of a vaguely Detroit pizzalike product, it never quite caught on, and the place closed within 10 months. It was replaced by Joon Market, a hip spot run by a pair of talented chefs who made things like smoked yogurt and heirloom-grain bread. While I was a big fan of Joon Market, it, too, had trouble finding traction and closed after little more than a year.

But in a twist worthy of Goldilocks, the space seems finally to have found a tenant that is just right. Called Casa East Sac, it hits the sweet spot between casual and high concept with simple, delicious food that’s not too basic and not too offbeat. Within weeks of its opening for dinner in December, people were lining up in the small foyer for a table in the cozy dining room. It appears owners Steve and Ted Gibanov have cracked the code for this accursed location.

The Gibanovs are brothers, first-generation Russian Americans who learned about food from their grandmothers. “Both grandmothers were amazing cooks,” says Steve. “Cooking was their expression of love, not hugs and kisses.” One grandma made Russian meat dumplings called pelmeni, which she sold from her apartment. The other grandma babysat the boys after school and cooked dinner for them every night. Steve can still remember watching one of his grandmothers make what he calls “béchamel magic” at the stove.

Eleven years older than his brother, Steve went off to culinary school in San Francisco, then worked at a succession of jobs in restaurants, hotels and an upscale senior living development. Ted followed him into the industry, becoming the chef at midtown’s Revolution Winery. Eventually, they teamed up to run their own catering company, American River Provisions. They were working out of a commercial kitchen in Citrus Heights when they saw the empty space on H Street and decided to take a stab at running their own restaurant. The space fit their vision, which was to serve a good burger at lunch, a nice entree at dinner—classic, no-frills, honest, straightforward food. “We’re not trying to build the atom bomb,” says Steve.

At lunch, Casa’s menu includes a handful of pizzas; small plates like deviled eggs and bruschetta; several salads, including a lovely Louie featuring plump prawns and a perfectly cooked 6-minute egg; a burger on a house-baked brioche bun; and a few sandwiches, including (if you’re lucky) house-cured pastrami, a recipe that “Teddy dialed in,” according to Steve. The evening menu has most of those things, along with four entrees: an herb-roasted half chicken with panzanella (an homage to the famous chicken and bread salad served at San Francisco’s Zuni Cafe), ricotta gnudi (based on another Zuni dish), plus a fish and a steak that both change daily. The steak, whether it’s a filet or a rib-eye, gets flavor reinforcement in the form of demiglace, compound butter, a drizzle of olive oil and a hefty sprinkle of sea salt. Dessert is something simple and homey, such as panna cotta, tiramisu or crème brûlee. There are always two or three specials; it could be a giant bowl of spaghetti with three enormous meatballs, or a 2-pound tomahawk rib-eye for two that costs $140 and comes with salad, vegetables, dessert and a bottle of wine.

THE STEAK, WHETHER IT’S A FILET OR A RIBEYE, GETS FLAVOR REINFORCEMENT IN THE FORM OF DEMIGLACE, COMPOUND BUTTER, A DRIZZLE OF OLIVE OIL AND A HEFTY SPRINKLE OF SEA SALT.

The Gibanovs believe in hearty portions. It harkens back to the days when their grandmothers used to stuff them full of food. Good food, good value is what they’re all about. “We’re simple guys,” Steve explains. “I respect fine dining, but it’s not our style.”

Told that they seem to have cracked the code on creating a successful restaurant in a once-unsuccessful spot, the brothers smile. “The code is simple,” Steve says. “Don’t overdo things.”

Get Lucky

Sky River, the Wilton Rancheria-run casino that opened last August on the southern edge of Elk Grove, is more than a cacophonous sea of slot machines and card tables. It’s also a legit dining destination with 13 eateries and enough variety to please everyone from big-fish baccarat players to penny-slot fanatics. CATHERINE and dried scallop fried rice. Don’t let Dragon Beaux’s limited hot pot options—just two types each of meat and noodles— steer you off course from an otherwise gratifying menu.

SR PRIME STEAKHOUSE is oozing with an expenseaccount vibe, replete with expansive leather banquettes, blingy light fixtures and towers of wine displayed in a massive glass enclosure. This is meat-and-potatoes territory, with a few surprises thrown in. Hard-core carnivores will gravitate toward the chef’s cuts, which include a 48-ounce Black Angus tomahawk for $128 (the priciest item on the menu). For a steakhouse, seafood gets decent billing here, with a handful of raw bar items (including scallop crudo and piquant tuna tartare) as well as lobster and salmon entrees.

A gastropub on steroids, 32 BREWS STREET serves a well-rounded menu of casual pub grub—think burgers, sandwiches (the mile-high club sandwich is stacked to impress) and crowdpleasing appetizers like wings and nachos—in a setting with too many TV screens to count. The restaurant’s spacious lounge area, outfitted with leather settees and wingback chairs, is a stylish place to watch a game while enjoying some cold ones with friends in between hands of blackjack.

AT THE MARKET, SKY RIVER’S VERSION OF A FOOD COURT (WITHOUT THE LOITERING TEENAGERS), THE BEST BET IS TO FOCUS ON PROVEN CONCEPTS FROM ESTABLISHED RESTAURATEURS.

DRAGON BEAUX , with its dramatic wooden ribbed towers rising up around chic red booths, boasts Sky River’s most striking dining room. An offshoot of the popular San Francisco joint of the same name, the restaurant delivers traditional and modern dim sum dishes (highlights include abalone siu mai, Wagyu bao and fan favorite chicken paw in black bean sauce) as well as classics like Peking duck with pancakes

At The Market, Sky River’s version of a food court (without the loitering teenagers), the best bet is to focus on proven concepts from established restaurateurs. At FUKURO BY KRU , the truncated menu of sushi rolls, nigiri and small plates makes this joint a fast-casual winner. The Kru quality shines through here; just don’t come expecting the type of high-end dishes that the parent restaurant is known for. San Francisco-based ROLI ROTI excels at mouthwatering rotisserie fare, including a succulent crispy porcetta sandwich on a roll smeared with onion marmalade. The potatoes and Brussels sprouts, both doused with pork and chicken drippings and seasoned with rosemary salt and lime, are worthy accompaniments. The best things going at DESSERTS are the pies from Sacramento’s beloved Real Pie Company and ice cream from perennial favorite Gunther’s.

BEFORE YOU GO— Check skyriver.com for restaurant operating hours. Although the casino is open to gamblers 24-7, the eateries are not. Also, be forewarned: Sky River permits smoking on the casino floor, so if your meal would be spoiled by the scent of Marlboros wafting into the dining area, this is probably not the place for you. And leave the kids at home—no one under 21 is permitted inside the casino, even in the restaurants.