KUPROS BISTRO

Well damn!  I bought a coupon from Groupon for Kupros Bistro and I was all set to go to dinner tonight and what do I find when I opened the paper?  A restaurant review of Kupros!  It tells me that the original chef has left and the food has lost it's edge.  I knew the chef was leaving but I didn't know when, alas I was too late to taste his cooking which got rave reviews.  So this is my view of the food, post chef Gurnee who has left for Wayfare Tavern (Tyler Florence) in San Francisco which is also on my to do list. Now I was in a quandary, do I still go, is it worth it?  I don't want a bad meal.  What the heck, give it a shot I have a coupon after all.
All in all I was quite pleased with everything we had.  The building which used to house Cheap Thrills costume shop is beautiful with stained glass above the bar and leaded windows (I think that's what it's called).  We,  sat down stairs in the bar area which our server said was the more "happening" place, though other than another couple and a couple of guys at the bar it wasn't happening down here on a Sunday night. Upstairs was the dining room which is where everyone else who entered headed. Next time we'll have to check out the dining room.
We started out with drinks but the glass of wine I had ordered wasn't in stock any longer.  The bar tender came over and made a suggestion for a comparable wine and asked if I would like a taste to see if I liked it.  Now you would think that this would be a common practice, to let you have a taste of an unfamiliar wine before you order a whole glass.  This was the first time I have ever been given that choice and I thought that bode very well for Kupros and the start of the evening.  The wine I ended up with was the Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon and it was very good.
We decided to make dinner out of the various appetizers.  We started with with the Frito Misto, battered calamari, rock shrimp, lemon, fennel with a garlic aoli. The usual, good but nothing special .
Next up was the Bone Marrow, which I loved.  It was served with capers and parsley and grilled bread.  It was flavorful, one of the better bone marrow's I've had.  All bone marrow gets compared to the one at Ella which for me sets the standard, it is just amazing.  We then had the Beer Steamed Clams, clams, chorizo, cream and grilled bread.  It was very tasty.  And of course we had the Poutine, that's what they seem to be known for.  Fries, topped with short rib gravy and cheese curds.  Well, what can I say, what is there not to like about this dish?  It was really good. According to  the restaurant review they cut  back on the size of the serving, but as a far as I was concerned it was a good size serving for an appetizer.
I also had the Duck Confit salad which was good but pretty much lacking in the duck confit and Charlie had the Rabbit Sugo with pappardelle, mushrooms and Parmesan.  Truly it wasn't quite what you would consider an entree, more a small plate.. but ..the flavor was very good.  I thought it was quite flavorful.  It would be something I'd order again.

Poutine and Frito Misto

Bone Marrow w/capers and parsley and grilled bread

Beer steamed clams

Duck Confit salad

Rabbit Sugo

 I had a good time, our waitress was great and made the evening fun and the food was good.  Yes, it didn't have any "WOW" moments but there wasn't anything that I was dissatisfied with.  Plus since I had no previous concept of the food other than what I had heard I had nothing to compare it to.  I liked the place and yes, I would go back.

Kupros Bistro
1217 21st Street
Sacramento  CA  95811
916  440-0401