Selland Hospitality Group is a juggernaut on the restaurant scene, from grab-and-go to Michelin stars. Most popular among the collection are Sellands Neighborhood Cafe and Bar.
With locations at H Street and Broadway, and another in El Dorado Hills, the casual restaurants combine high-end cooking and cafe accessibility.
But times change. While the food at Sellands stays consistent and delightful, the style and look of the Broadway and H Street locations have leveled up.
The Broadway site didn’t need much work, though the addition of a beautiful bar brings a cosmopolitan flare. Nestled between Ninth and 10th streets and sharing a building with the Michelin-starred The Kitchen, Sellands Broadway is large and open with a commodious patio and horseshoe bar that evokes grand dining halls of yesteryear.
For real transformation, visit H Street. When it opened in 2001, Selland’s Market-Cafe, as it was called, was a splendid addition.
Borrowing vibes from market restaurants such as David Berkley’s and Café Bernardo, Selland’s matched upscale comfort food with California cuisine. A small wine and sundries market expanded the order-at-the-counter restaurant. A neighborhood favorite was born.
With its remodel, the H Street location is something to see. The interior is bright and welcoming with touches from California, France and wherever wine, cheese, food and friends mingle.
There’s something timeless about the design, drawing influences from dining halls of the past. In one corner, antique-style light fixtures hint at the 1890s. Across the room, art deco returns from the 1920s. Colors, fonts, architecture and art create a soul-satisfying atmosphere.
A white-washed, slated panel ceiling brightens the room. Sellands old bustle feels refined. Cane chairs seem straight from a Paris café. The mirror-back bar looks rescued from a Montmartre cabaret. Old-fashioned windows with hand-lettered signs saying “foods” and “wine shop” suggest an upscale country store.
As with Broadway, the biggest change to H Street is the bar and drinks program. The wine shop and sundries are gone, replaced by an elegant, compact marble-topped bar.
Sellands is always a good place for California wines and craft brews. The new bar pulls the mixology history of Downtown sister restaurant Ella into a casual setting.
Drinks such as Oak & Smoke Fashioned, with its theatrical billowing cloud, or Sellands Cup, a take on the Pimm’s cup with berries and cucumber soda, are true craft cocktails—more than you might expect from an order-at-the-counter joint.
Thankfully, the food hasn’t changed. Sellands is consistent with hot and cold case offerings, plus a rotation of specials and seasonal standouts. The pizza is excellent. The carrot cake is the best in town.
A hot main and two sides give good bang for your buck. Take your choice of teriyaki or lemon chicken, salmon or Swedish meatballs along with sides. Cooking is masterful with short ribs and potatoes, braised pork with poblano and corn relish. Weekly and seasonal menu choices never disappoint.
There was nothing wrong with the old Sellands. The remodels closed the cafes for months, a bummer. But now that the doors are open again, the upgrades are grand—brighter, roomier, more sophisticated, just as delicious.
An impressive achievement, taking something beloved and improving it.
Sellands Neighborhood Cafe and Bar is at 5340 H St., (916) 736-3333, and 915 Broadway, (916) 732-3390. Visit sellands.com.
Greg Sabin can be reached at saceats@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
