Couldn’t get into Sacramento’s Tower Bridge Dinner? Here’s what to order at chefs’ restaurants

Five local chefs headed up Sacramento’s most exclusive meal, the Tower Bridge Dinner, on Sunday evening atop the city’s golden landmark. As of Monday, they’re back in their restaurants’ kitchens awaiting their next customers.

Once an opportunity for Sacramento to host visiting luminaries such as Jeremiah Tower or Suzette Gresham, the Tower Bridge Dinner has returned to its roots over the past few years. It’s back to being a showcase for the region’s top local chefs, who oversee restaurants at a wide range of price points.

It’s easy enough to try their creations, even if you didn’t secure one of the 880 tickets for the great feast. Here’s what the Tower Bridge Dinner’s five chefs recommend customers try at their restaurants. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Katerina Balagian (chef at Seasons Kitchen & Bar): “The lamb muhammara, definitely (a Syrian red pepper dip served at the Tower Bridge Dinner). We always have a tofu dish as well for our vegan guests (currently tofu tempura with muhammara, mixed squash and peach salsa). That’s kind of one of our signatures as well.

“And then any of the wood-fired pizzas, which rotate seasonally based on the toppings. I think people sleep on the pizzas because we’re in a town where there are a lot of pizza places that people go to, and they’re amazing as well. But I think that we really do a lot to make that special, and they’re much more different than everyone else’s.”

102 F St., Davis | 530-746-5500

Note: Seasons will close for good on Friday, Sept. 13.

Cecil Rhodes II (chef/co-owner at Nash & Proper): Come to Nash & Proper, and it’ll be hot chicken all the time. People should do the half-bird more often. It’s super filling, but at the end of the day, you get every piece of the bird.

If you want something like the Tower Bridge Dinner (Rhodes’ course was carrot-habanero aguachile with clams, scallops, shrimp and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta blue crawfish, plus a side of corn pudding) for a small dinner party or wedding or something, we always do catering. We do everything from plated dinners all the way up to barbecues and crawfish boils, just making the menu up for what the hosts are doing.

1023 K St., Sacramento | 916-426-6712. Nash & Proper is also in Local Kitchens food halls in North Natomas, Roseville, Granite Bay and Davis, and has multiple food trucks.

Jamie Rathburn (chef de cuisine at Ella Dining Room & Bar): “We’re still pretty heavy into our lobster season, so there’s a lot of lobster being featured on our menu, which a lot of people love. This year it’s a ‘lobster al pastor’ dish marinated in a red curry peach sauce, and we also use peaches to garnish. It’s really light, really flavorful and a really good start to your dinner.

“People kind of sleep on the sides, and during the summer is where they really shine. All the produce is very fresh and we’re barely doing anything to it: a little salt, a little oil, light roast. Everything is so flavor-forward and it’s like the best Sacramento has to offer between July and September.”

1131 K St., Sacramento | 916-443-3772

Pedro DePina (chef de cuisine at The 7th St. Standard): ”Chicken and cheddar-and-chive drop biscuits with gravy have been on the menu since Day 1 and continue to be on the menu. It’s comfort food, and really delicious. We have our 7th Street burger, that’s really good. It’s house-ground short rib, tri-tip and New York strip steak with thick-cut bacon, caramelized onions, cheddar and harissa aioli on a brioche bun.

“We do brunch seven days a week, and our seasonal menu that’s coming up in the fall will rotate to short ribs, nice braises. We do a double-cut pork chop with some braised chicories, mustard greens and stone-milled grits that are locally sourced.”

1122 7th St., Sacramento | 916-898-1100

Brock Macdonald (chef at Slow & Low, Beast + Bounty and LowBrau): “For Slow & Low, it’s the smoked beef rib on the weekends (a version of which was served at the Tower Bridge Dinner). I also have something called the Brock’s Bowl that’s sushi rice, smoked tri-tip, smoked broccoli, cilantro and green onion that’s got a very similar flavor profile to what we made for the dinner.

“At Beast + Bounty, I’ll go with the octopus appetizer because we’ve had it since Day 1. It’s grilled with pickled potatoes, peaches during the summer and Calabrian chili oil.

“And then at LowBrau, as much as we’ve built our brand around sausages, I still feel like probably the burger is the best thing there. It’s more of a kid-friendly burger, in my opinion, but it’s got something like a Calabrian chili aioli with pickles mixed in, house-ground beef, white American cheese and a pretzel bun.”

Slow & Low: 9700 Railroad St., Elk Grove | 916-775-7569

Beast + Bounty: 1701 R St., Sacramento | 916-244-4016

LowBrau: 1050 20th St., Sacramento | 916-706-2636