Farm-to-disappointment

There’s nothing more disappointing than biting into a gorgeously decorated cake to find it’s nothing but sugar. The baker worked hard to make it pretty, yet not enough to deliver on flavor.

Do you eat it anyway? Sure, why not? But you may not go back for seconds.

Unfortunately, EastSMF restaurant is like that cake. It’s all promise and hope at first glance, then underwhelming in reality.

The small space, originally home to the first Formoli’s Bistro, glows with pretty paint and a more open floor. A new patio space out front practically doubles the seating. It’s much more inviting than before.

Co-owner Rhonda Gruska radiates good cheer and idealism as she glides about the space, while her husband, Tony, and Rachel Kelley (most recently of Brasserie Capitale) lead the kitchen. The Gruskas bring plenty of experience, running Monticello Seasonal Cuisine in Davis for four years until it closed amidst legal drama last summer.

So, it’s confusing that the food at EastSMF is such a letdown. The entire premise of the restaurant is built on all-organic, hyperlocal produce—within 50 miles of Sacramento—with plenty of vegan and gluten-free menu options. It ticks all the farm-to-fork boxes, with the exception of flavor.

A special French onion soup ($9) delivered neither the tangle of sweet onions you might expect nor a rich, fragrant broth. There was no gooey cheese or crunchy bread for texture. We added salt and pepper, yet fared no better.

On another day, the house-brewed iced tea ($3) was so cloudy and tannic it was unpleasant. It sat sadly in a glass with no ice or lemon.

The menu changes frequently, depending on the produce brought in from farmers like Jim Eldon from Fiddlers Green Farm in Brooks, so vegetables abound. Dishes are limited in number, though, and tend to use the same ingredients repeatedly.

One night, the suppliers must have delivered a lot of asparagus. We received it in the daily pasta ($19), flatbread ($12) and vegetarian entree ($17), with varied levels of success.

With pappardelle, walnut-arugula pesto and caramelized onions, the asparagus added freshness, although the grainy pesto slid off the wide noodles in chunks.

The flatbread featured a cracker-thin base spread with ricotta, thinly sliced asparagus, greens and red onion. The bread lacked discernible flavor on its own, but it was an attractive vehicle for the al dente vegetables and creamy cheese.

On the other hand, the asparagus and its compatriots in the veggie main were so undercooked, they were practically raw. Paired with underseasoned polenta and no identifiable sauce, we lost interest quickly.

Slightly more successful was the salad of red beets and butter lettuce with goat cheese ($10). It could have used some nuts or a hint of bitter greens to offset the mound of sweet and soft, though.

Lunchtime may be a better bet, as the sandwiches seem to be well-executed. For example, the rainbow trout sandwich ($15) matched a semi-spicy, Cajun aioli, tucked inside a sourdough roll. Gorgeously colorful side salads tasted like spring; but oddly, one was too salty, while the other lacked seasoning.

Service, too, is uneven in a too-casual, absent-minded way. Even though our server only had three tables one night, she auctioned off the plates as if she couldn’t remember who ordered what.

Perhaps it’s the space. It cycled through several concepts since Formoli’s went on to a bigger and better location. Though the interior seems much improved, the newest tenants haven’t yet found the depth of flavors to match.