Vanilla Bean Bistro

I’m not sure about the whole menu but I had the fingerling potato calazone and it was amazzziiinnngg!!! The ambiance was amazing. The owner is right there cooking on the kitchen quiet nice place to relax.

NAME AND OWNERSHIP CHANGE: Fare thee well, Vanilla Bean Bistro. You’re now known as Istanbul Café. Apparently, your former owner Gönül jumped ship without telling anyone. A wistful «Dear John» letter on the restaurant’s web page would’ve been nice saying it’s not us, it’s her. Instead, all we get is a disconnected phone number and vapor trails wafting down J Street. Salud.
Don’t dispair, however. Gönül apparently expects these neglected customers to show up at Trio, her new/​rebooted Turkish bistro in downtown. And why not? To Gönül, we’re just like the roasted lamb served on her itinerant menu, ready to blindly follow a trail of abandoned restaurants (Formoli’s, the aforementioned Istanbul Café) wherever she decides to roam.
Gönül’s food is fantastic, sure, but her business acumen and regard for customers need a little seasoning. Sacto’s diners have long memories and I for one am a little gun shy. If visiting Trio, hold tight to the rug. It may be snatched away from underneath you.

I was in a few months ago on a Thursday night, out celebrating a big life event with my lady. A long wait to be sat was compounded with a longer wait for service (roughly 10 minutes). Upon ordering drinks, we did not receive any more service for nearly 20 minutes. We had to flag down a buser for water. The lone server eventually made it back to us, still without the wine, and took our order.
The food was good, though our first 4 attempts at ordering were sadly all sold out for the evening.
The server comped the wine or dessert, which was a nice gesture.

Based on the name and even the view from outside, I couldn’t really get a feel for what kind of place this was. It’s apparently mediterranean cuisine. Once inside, I found a nice intimate bar and dining atmosphere. On a Wednesday night, there was a single host and a single cook.
We had the Prix Fixe menu thanks to a Living Social deal. Course after course, the food was good. I really liked the spicyness of their butternut squash soup. The main entrée, chicken curry, was decent, but nothing special. It kind of had a rice bowl feel to it. I wish it was lamb or a different type of meat. They closed things out with banana pudding bread. It was rich, but delicious.
I’ll have to try this place again as the service was good and I’m now eyeing the Moroccan lamb stew on the regular menu.

Vanilla Bean Bistro has a great concept that unfortunately needs improvement. I came on on a weekday for an impromptu lunch with the wife. Besides a couple of patrons, the waiter/​host and the chef were the only two people in the place. We sat ourselves at the counter as the waiter was initially MIA and began our meal.
It’s hard for me to say anything bad about the food. Most of what we had was very flavorful. The service was lacking though, especially for how slow it was. Our waiter seemed completely befuddled and scatterbrained, forgetting our silverware and wandering off on multiple occasions. The chef tried to give us some nice personal service, but he forgot ingredients in both our appetizer and the sandwich I ordered. In a dinign situation with this many mistakes you expect some sort of compensation, either in the form of complimentary food or a discounted ticket, but we got neither.
I wouldn’t rule out another visit, but I think a more professional vibe is necessary to keep up the appearance they are trying to represent.

Kind of off the beaten path and an almost non existant parking lot however, an excellent restaurant in so many ways.
As soon as you walk through the door the environment is warm and inviting, comfortable and relaxed. A couple is actually able to carry on a resonable conversation and be able to hear each other without the rest of the patrons hearing it also… that’s a very welcome feature for us!
Gonul is the chef and she grows all the vegtables in her own garden. As we were eating the salad my wife said «it feels and tastes like there’s a party going on in my mouth»…a very deserving complament to Gonul. She also has the midas touch when it comes to her sauces.
The fair is pretty much European from a Greek flair to Italian, it was all just great! We will return for another experience.

The service was abysmal last night. They ran out of 5 (5!) different menu items, one after we already ordered it. They were extremely busy and clearly not prepared for a crowd, as evidenced by the sloooww service and lack of ingredients for menu items. One friend ordered the squash soup and was told they were out only as the rest of us were receiving our appetizers. So she ordered a salad. We had to ask for it 3 times, and it was only provided AFTER the entrees arrived.
The mixed green salad was pretty good, but the stuffed chicken was dry, bland and I’d hardly call a smearing of flavorless, yellow paste a stuffing. My friend ordered the lamb shank and was only presented with a dinner knife to cut it. She needed a steak knife, but a waiter never returned to provide it.
As the kitchen was out of 2 dessert items we chose to go to TreyBCakes for dessert (highly recommended, BTW!).
The temperature in the restaurant was WAY too hot — I was sweating in rolled-​up shirtsleeves — very uncomfortable.
Overall, this restaurant has miles to go before I’d ever eat there again.

Not impressed. Was taken here for lunch, ordered the falafel. It was very doughy served on a bed of rice with feta cheese and greens on top of a ‘pita’.
I put pita in quotes as this is not a pita in the sense that concrete is not bread. My grandfather used to make quick and chewy pancakes (flour, water and a pinch of salt), this ‘pita’ tasted like that. Goopy dough that was hard to cut and even harder to chew.
Suggestions: get rid of the pita, add more rice and greens and cook the falafel.

We’ve enjoyed Gonul’s Mediterranean cooking and warm hospitality for 6 years. Her restaurant is a rare find and I’m glad to have a dining choice like this right in our neighborhood.
Almost all of the meals we’ve had have been delicious, with balanced flavors and interesting ingredients. Although, on my last visit, I was disappointed to find the lamb stew using ground lamb instead of the lamb chunks we’d seen on prior visits (recommend you ask before ordering if that will make a difference to you, it did to me).
If you don’t see parking out front, you can turn right just past the restaurant and use the large parking lot in the back of the shopping strip.
Give her a try … she really doesn’t do this for the money, and how many restaurants can you say that about?

Tried the tiny café using groupon/​living social. The food is above average but service and seating can be a pain due to the tiny size of the establishment and the even tinier ktichen.

The food was good. Appetizers were the star, except the fried raviolis that weren’t fried. Our group had three different salads and but for an olive on one and some shrimp on the other they were identical. Same dressing and everything. Kind of odd.
Service was friendly, but non existent at times. Forgotten drinks, no bread plates, missing server… stuff like that. They weren’t that busy, so no excuses.
Though intrigued by the menu, and a VERY reasonable wine list, I doubt I’ll go back.

One of my friends lives across the street so we can walk over here. Been a few times and it has been great all each time.
There is usually just one server, so try not to be in a hurry.
Over the course of several visits, we have tried the stuffed chicken (yum!), the tabouli salad, the yellow corn and merlot grape crepes, a vegetarian sandwich, and a few other odds and ends. All have been tasty and creatively prepared.
It is a very small place, and from looking at the recent reviews, I will wait til the weather cools off to go back again, but I definitely will go back.

I have nothing positive to say about this place.
I came here because of a Groupon, and really had high hopes. We had appetizers to start. Fried Butternut Squash Ravioli with a curry sauce which was basically all dough, and practically no filling. Second was the Salmon Crêpe which was desert level sweet, with a strange mixture of flavors that didn’t quite go together. Lastly, for the entrée, we both elected for the Stuffed Chicken. The description sounded very interesting, and the waiter told us it was their most popular dish, so we both just decided to try it. It was TERRIBLE. The chicken was over cooked to the point of tasting like rubber. It was salted beyond belief, and past the point of being edible. Despite the small serving size of the dish, we both left the majority of it behind to be thrown away. That chicken belonged nowhere but the trash.
Also, we went there on a hot day, and when we first walked in it felt fine, but soon afterwards it became so unbearably hot that I had to ask twice if they could turn on the air conditioning because the sweat was starting to drip down my face. It was unbearable in there, and I can’t believe they would ever let it get that way.
If you’re thinking of dining in here, think again. You can do much better elsewhere, and its difficult to imagine it being nay worse.

I wouldn’t return.
I had high hopes but there were a number of short cuts that made our meal unpleasant.
It’s nice that they bring bread and dipping sauce to your table but the bread and sauce combo is repeated throughout the rest of the meal. We joked that we didn’t want to order dessert, for fear we would receive a slice of bread cake with dijon sauce.
I was happy to see a variety of vegetarian and fish options on their menu. My boyfriend had moussaka recently and it looked so good that I decided to order Vanilla Bean’s vegetarian version. The moussaka was unbearably salty and covered in the same dijon sauce that was on our two appetizers. My dining partner’s filet mignon looked spongy, like a steak you would find in chicken fried steak. About ¹⁄₃ of it was fat and the whole thing looked really unappetizing. Their house white wine was good for the price.
The server kept forgetting everything and that wasn’t only with our table. The interior is decorated nicely but ambiance only goes so far.

What a great place! It is definitely a whole in the wall, but such a great find!
We went for lunch and decided to sit at the bar since it had a great view of the chef. We were immediately greeted by our lovely server and were told about their specials of the day. We both had a glass of the house red wine for only $ 3.75 and after we ordered were given unlimited complimentary pita bread and tzatziki dip! It was fresh off the grill and so amazing!
As our entrees, we ordered the curry chicken and the chop salad. Both were really great, but my favorite was definitely the curry chicken. I’ve only had curry once before, so I was a little nervous, but it was soooo good!
We will definitely be back!

In short: The place is a little hard to find and parking can be a challenge. I’d recommend making reservations for dinner as the bistro is small and popular. Turkish/​Mediterranean fare is flavorful and satisfying. Pricing and portion size is appropriate for a nice dining experience. Casual dress, but you could make it classier in this environment. I’d go here for a dinner for two or four versus a large party. Try the wines. Excellent service.
Overly long:
Got a Groupon for this intimate little place and gave it a go for dinner with the hubby. We were greeted and asked if we had reservations, which we didn’t. (In the future, we will call ahead for reservations regardless due to the small seating.) We were seated at the counter, but don’t get the wrong idea. The counter area gives you a bird’s eye view of the kitchen and honestly, guaranteed service. I mean, you’re right there– staring at them. But service wasn’t a problem anyway. The bistro is small and the staff is friendly and prompt. We were even greeted by the chef as we sat down.
After telling us the specials, we received fresh made, really fluffy, warm pita bread and a homemade artichoke dip that was to die for. We would come back just for that. For reals. Not even joking; it’s that good. We got a second helping and would’ve gone for a third but the appetizers made their appearance.
Being a tea lover, I got the organic herbal tea, which was pre-​sweetened with honey. I thought it was flavorful, but too sweet. Then again, I don’t add anything to my teas as they are that flavorful to me. My Hubs dumps a sugar packet in regardless. He thought the tea was perfect. Next time, I’ll go with wine and he can order the pot o’ tea. (Thumbs up for giving me a pot of tea rather than just a cup. Also, I got a real teacup and saucer. Classy and very much appreciated.)
For appetizers, we got the two crepes. Mine was a Wine Grape and Yellow Corn crêpe while his was a Wine Grape and chicken. Mine was sweet and savory. Hubby said his was like mine except with chicken and this orange marmalade-​like sauce. He said his was like a Turkish delight with chicken, if that helps any. I have a small stomach and was kinda full at this point, but the main entrée came and it was time to man up.
Hubs had the Stuffed Chicken (chicken w/​apricots, dates, preserved lemon, golden raisins, shallots, goat cheese & cream cheese served with brown rice). He said it was tasty, but the flavors were too similar to the crêpe he had. Not that it stopped him from cleaning his plate. I had the Half Moon Ravioli (Turkish pasta with potatoes, mascarpone & goat cheese, French Sorrell, oven roasted tomatoes, Mediterranean herbs with lime and Maras pepper sauce), which I thought was rich and flavorful. It was really good and the flavors oddly reminded me of a Turkish chicken enchilada. (I had the feeling that the chefs have a basic recipe in their heads, but sometimes add a little to the mix. I think I had a better dining experience for it.)
Finished everything off with the Vanilla Bean Bread Pudding with vanilla gelato. It was nice, but Hubby and I agreed that we’d rather have had another round of the bread and dip. Next time, we are trying the Dense Chocolate Cake. And we want to try their Prix Fixe Feast for Sunday Brunch. And maybe drop in for lunch for the Sweet chicken and bacon wrap & the Curry chicken wrap.
Needless to say, we decided that we enjoy this intimate little place and are going back again when we want a nice date night. I think we’ll even request to be seated at the counter.

Gonul is such a lovely lady, I really want to like the food but it just isn’t all that great. Went again last week and food was so-​so. The lamb stew was so sweet, couldn’t even finish it. Had chicken sandwich that was supposed to served open faced but wasn’t and bread they used was very old/​tasteless. This coupled with our last visit means we probably won’t be back for lunch/​dinner.
Might give it one more try for brunch because their coffee is so outstanding.

This place is ok (not great) for brunch but not very good for dinner. I want to like it but I find it overpriced and not very flavorful. Mediterranean food should be flavorful. And there are plenty of other places with better Mediterranean food around town. I just don’t think it’s a good value for the quality you’re getting.
Another big problem with this place besides price and flavor is the service. It’s very slow and good luck getting a drink refill.
I do like their new location and would like to see them succeed, but they have a number of problems to fix.

Someone help me, but… I don’t get the food at Gonul’s
(well 1 — I don’t get the funky name but we’ll talk about that another time)
I just don’t get the TASTE. Here I am, eating my boss’ leftovers from her Turlu and open-​faced lamb burger and my mouth is just going… WTF? I’ll eat it, because I’m hungry, but my tastebuds are so confused. The Turlu was a bit too flavorful, salty, and my spoon was definitely dripping in oil! Gross!
And why is the lamb sweet? Maybe I’m just too used to gyros or something…
Fail on being out of the Tabulleh salad.

I’ve eaten at a startling number of places since arriving in Sacramento for the first time last spring, and this one stands out as the worst… by far.
The trouble started with the service. They barely spoke, and they had a tendency to hover and stare in a way that wasn’t so much helpful as it was just plain creepy. There was some pressure to order food right away, despite the fact that we made it very clear that a couple of people would be joining very soon. This was almost humorous in light of the fact that the restaurant was basically empty aside from our table.
I couldn’t bring myself to order any of the food — nothing sounded appealing enough to justify the high-​ish prices. It wasn’t that the menu items were bad, really, just that I’d read the description and it would sound good at first, but then they would keep listing off more ingredients until the food sounded so completely jumbled and overcomplicated that I had no interest in it. If you like that style of dish, though, you might not have a problem with that.
The food on the plates of my dining companions was not particularly appetizing. It reminded me of the food in the nursing home my father runs — limp, colorless, and uninspired. That’s fine for diners who are often missing their teeth, but not so much for me. The only people who were happy with their food were the ones who ordered salad.
I did order dessert. Two desserts, actually. One was some kind of apple crisp dish, and I couldn’t bring myself to eat more than one bite. It was completely devoid of flavor, aside from a gritty sugary taste. The apples were neither tart nor sweet… they were just limp and flavorless. I can’t even recall what the second dessert was, but it was similarly bad.
I will not be back. I cringe when I notice the place while driving by.