4 Best Restaurants in Sacramento and the Gold Country, California

Something special transpires nightly at this ground-floor restaurant inside Auburn's 1894 redbrick Odd Fellows Hall that transcends the romantic, softly lit space and French bistro–inspired fare. Caviar, fresh oysters, steak tartare, and duck-liver mousse are typical starters, perhaps leading into moules frites (steamed mussels and fries), grilled Duroc pork chop, or pan-roasted fish with foraged mushrooms, all prepared from the heart by chef-owners Eric Alexander and town native Courtney MacDonald.

Inside the historic American Block building, which dates from 1856, you can see this craft operation's beers being made through glass walls behind the dining room, which serves burgers, fish-and-chips, short rib and fish tacos, salads, sandwiches, and other decent gastropub fare. Gold Country Pilsner, Old Town Brown, and Gold Digger IPA are all Great American Beer Festival award winners.

One of Auburn's favorite old-time breakfast and lunch spots entices patrons with waffles, pancakes, Monte Cristo French toast, and a slew of egg dishes you can wash down with an award-winning Bloody Mary or two. Feast on burgers, sandwiches, and more Bloody Marys for lunch.

Black subway tiles, contemporary bistro furniture, and a gray-marble counter lit by Edison bulbs lend urban panache to this fine spot for a craft coffee or one of more than two dozen local, national, and international brews on tap. In a space once occupied by a drugstore, the Pour Choice serves light fare that might include a grilled gourmet-cheese sandwich on ciabatta with bacon.