Scott's on the River

UPDATE: WHEN I WROTE THIS BLOG POST IN 2011, I HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE STAFF AT SCOTT'S ON THE RIVER THAT THEIR CAPELLINI WAS VEGAN. NOW I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS NOT. THEY ORDER THE PASTA FROM AN OUTSIDE SOURCE AND THINK THAT IT MAY CONTAIN EGGS. EVEN IF IT DOESN'T, THE CHEF AT SCOTT'S ADDS BUTTER TO THIS DISH, FOR SOME REASON. THIS MEANS THAT THERE ARE NO VEGAN OPTIONS ON THE MENU AT SCOTT'S. UPON REQUEST, THEY WILL MAKE GRILLED VEGETABLES OR A STIR FRY WITH RICE NOODLES.

ALSO, THE SCOTT'S SEAFOOD LOCATION ON MUNROE HAS CLOSED.

I don't know about you, but all of my friends seem to want to go to Scott's on the River these days.  What's not to like?  It's a lovely dining venue, and it's one of the few restaurants in Sacramento to take advantage of the fact that the city has a waterfront.

The Scott's Seafood chain, of course, is known for its fish.  But is there anything there that a vegan can eat while sipping on one of the many fabulous wines they offer?  This seems to be an issue that Scott's has wrestled with throughout the years.  I remember when the Scott's location at Loehmann's Plaza began offering vegan prawns on their menu several years ago.  I think it was the only restaurant in the Scott's chain to serve that particular dish, and I only had it a couple of times before they discontinued the item.  But I appreciated the fact that they made the effort.

The vegan prawns may not be on the menu anymore, but there is still one vegan item on the Scott's menu:  the Capellini Provencal, a dish consisting of angel hair pasta in a sauce made of tomatoes, onions, capers, kalamata olives, garlic, herbs, and olive oil.  It's listed in the "Small Plates" section of the menu, and it really is quite small, so if you're hungry, you'll need to either fill up on the complimentary sourdough bread, or order one of the salads as a first course and ask them to omit all the non-vegan parts. 

I can't say that Scott's on the River is my favorite place to eat from a food standpoint, but since I love sitting outside with my friends and family, sipping wine, and gazing at the beautiful Sacramento River, I'm glad to know that there's something on the menu that seems to have been created for people like me.

Scott's on the River is located at 4350 B Riverside Boulevard.  Their phone number is 916-379-5959, and their website address is http://www.scottsseafood.net/locations/river/restaurant/.  They are open for breakfast Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (looks like your best bets on the breakfast menu are the fresh fruit, oatmeal without milk, and toast without butter); lunch Monday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; dinner Monday through Sunday from 3:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and brunch Saturday and Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (not much for a vegan on the brunch menu -- probably just salad with all the non-vegan parts left off).

There are two other Scott's Seafood Grill & Bar locations in the area:  the one at Loehmann's Plaza, located at 545 Munroe Street in Sacramento (http://www.scottsseafood.net/locations/sacramento/restaurant/), and one in Folsom at 9611 Greenback Lane (http://www.scottsseafood.net/locations/folsom/restaurant/).