We had a nice evening at The Firehouse in Old Town Sacramento. Our server was wonderful, and we had a hard time picking what we wanted from their amazing menu.

We picked the Crushed Pork Belly appetizer with Goat Cheese Creme and Cherry Pomegranate Gasrique (which was such a great flavor combination of tart, sweet and salty), Carpaccio (which was unique from carpaccio we have had in the past because the meat was smoked, giving it a distinct smokey flavor, and it had less acid). Then for our meal, we ordered the Duck Breast, which was served with roasted beats and carrots and a duck leg samosa (which was amazing, and I am going to have to make my own version with some fresh tarragon and white pepper for more of a flavor punch), and I had to try the Oysters, so we picked another appetizer as one of our entrees. The Washington oysters were tiny but had a great briny and slightly sweet flavor. The pink peppercorn mignonette was good but has to be stirred right before pouring, because the ground peppercorn settles and is not quite married into the vinegar base yet.

Jer had his favorite boulevardier, and I ordered a sazerac (because it's been a while since I've had one, and rye seemed to be a good choice with the pork belly). They were perfect. We shared a glass of wine with the duck and oysters... and voilà! A fantastic meal.

We walked along the streets of old town in the fog and saw "the beam" lighting up the Sacramento sky, reminding us that we missed an NBA game to have a romantic dinner together... and Hey! Sacramento won! The Firehouse is definitely a winner in our book.

The food and drinks were great, and the service is amazing from the second you step to the front door. Mix that with the historic feel of an Old Town Sac building and the romantic lighting and decor... and I couldn't ask for a better experience.