2010 Best of Sacramento Winner - Best French Toast

Mangos may be the most hidden of dining treasures in the Sacramento region. Located within the exclusive Arden Hills Resort Club & Spa, this beautiful and elegant restaurant is open to the public—except no one seems to know about it. The restaurant’s airy, spacious dining room features floor to ceiling windows, linen-draped tables topped with orchids, and big, lazy ceiling fans; while the intimate flower-festooned outdoor dining patio made me feel like I was on (a very swanky) vacation in Hawaii. Mango’s menu is wide-ranging and unique, with a tropical attitude and a focus on health. The compact lunch lineup includes an interesting selection of salads (try the Thai prawn salad, with Asian vegetables and rice noodles) and several entrées, such as the cilantro-lime chicken (served with garbanzo bean flatbread) and a seared Ahi steak. Dinner gets pretty fancy (and pricier) with items such as the olive oil-poached Chilean sea bass (with a tangerine glaze) and grilled New York steak with truffle oil-enhanced garlic “smashed” potatoes. But the best time to visit may be on a sunny Sunday morning, when you can sit outside on the patio and devour the kitchen’s delightful French toast (prepared from thick slices of cinnamon-swirl bread, and dipped in crushed corn flakes); or the rich and flavorful coconut crab cake Benedict, swathed in a silky hollandaise sauce. Mangos has one of the most exciting brunch menus I’ve seen in the region. Do make the effort to find this lovely restaurant. – Kira O'Donnell

Insider tip: Mangos also has an attractive lounge area adjacent to the dining room.

Reservations: Recommended on Friday and Saturday nights and for large parties

Payment methods: AmEx, Discover Card, MasterCard, Visa

Alcohol: Full bar

Corkage fee: $10

Hours:
Wednesday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; 5:30–9 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (brunch only)