Todo Un Poco — Restaurant in California

I would say that we are still fairly new to the Sacramento area and the surrounding cities.  Coming from Southern California, where the options for fine dining are abundant, to say the least, finding authentic and interesting Mexican food has presented some challenges.  Don't get me wrong, we've eaten at several places where the food is good but still predictable nonetheless.  We've been trying new places in hopes of finding food that can surprise our taste buds yet give us that comfort you feel when eating foods you grew up with.  That's what Todo un Poco offered us.  Not only do I love everything that has to do with the culture surrounding Day of the Dead, which is what drew our eyes to the curb appeal of Todo un Poco.  The dark tones of the bistro and the  calavera mural facade sparked our curiosity since the day we visited this bistro for the first time.  We were driving around looking for something new and interesting to try for the first time.  It wasn't until we were seated down that we realized that this was a fusion of two amazing cultures all wrapped up into one; Mexican and Italian cuisine.

I have to admit that eating at a restaurant where two cultures are fused can be overwhelming for some, especially because the menu might feel a little foreign to you if you are not familiar with both cultures equally. But if you are, that will definitely make things much easier.  My advice is just to go in with an open mind and pick whatever sounds the most interesting or, if that is too much, ask for recommendations by the staff.  To be honest, whatever you pick will be a good experience regardless.  Their fusions are spot on.  Everything we've tried so far has been a solid 10/10.  We've visited twice already this month, and it's quickly becoming one of our favorite places to eat.

So far, we have tried the Jalisco Heat Pizza, which includes white sauce, refried beans, chorizo, jalapeños, tomatoes, and cilantro.  For our taste, it had the right amount of spiciness, but if spicy food is not for you, just say no to the jalapeños.   We've also eaten during both visits, the Chicken and Cilantro Spaghetti with Creamy Cilantro Sauce, chicken, garlic, and parmesan.  This one is our favorite.  My husband makes fun of me because I end up scraping the leftover sauce from my plate because the flavor of the sauce is so addicting.  This one is always going to be a must-have on all future visits for us.  My son tried the Chicken Piri Piri that includes chicken, spicy piri piri cream sauce and fries.  This one surprised us because we weren't convinced about the fries at first, but dipping the fries in the sauce was surprisingly delicious.  My brother-in-law tried the Mole Enchiladas, which included three enchiladas, mole sauce, rice, beans, chicken, and cheese.  I personally didn't try this one, but according to my brother-in-law, who is a mole lover, said it was perfect.  My husband tried the Enfrijoladas, which included enchilidas, black bean sauce, chicken, cheese, and sour cream.  So far, everything we've tried has left us wanting more, which is a good thing.  There's so much more on the menu, enough to try something new for several visits to come.  The prices are moderate; not low but not too high.  The portions are generous, and the staff is extremely friendly.  On our first visit, we were welcomed by the owners.  Very lovely couple. The staff there is very friendly and attentive.  It's definitely a good vibe as soon as you walk in there.  The wait time is decent. The ambiance is very relaxing with moderate noise levels.  While you wait, you can keep yourself entertained admiring all the beautiful art surrounding you.  In conclusion, if you want to experience something new,  definitely give this place a try....I promise you that like us, you'll want...

The trickiest part about this place seems to be getting in and getting out; but I assure you it is entirely worth the wait. I'd say its worth the drive anywhere from Stockton through Rocklin as you won't find anything else like it.

Let me explain: the entrance is a non-descript door with billowy red curtains behind them. If you are confused about where the entrance is exactly, there's a to-go pick-up window to the right of the entry doors.

When you walk in, you may not be greeted, and there may be people already waiting in line out the door. It took around 15 minutes to get seated with two or three groups in front of us which really isn't that bad for how small of a staff there is actually running the place.

If you live dangerously and like to try different places, you'll know this omen means its either truly something good or a sign of true chaos. Luckily, gladly, its the former.

I have to initiate Todo un Poco into the 5+ club because it does something the rest of us sometimes wistfully imagine but never dare: a dreamy fusion of Mexican and Italian food set inside a rhapsodically decorated bistro, dominated by deep reds with black accents. The decor is playful, original, self-referential, and invigorating.

A usual break or make moment is when you see food going out while waiting to be seated; I think you'll find everything looks good here. The menu is littered with new and exciting combinations of flavors and everything is made fresh in-house . The chips and salsa you start off with are excellent, with a nice thicker chip and well-balanced salsa which kicks for lighter tongues and provides a nice exploration of flavor for spice fiends. It won't burn, but the flavor is still excellent.

The menu has a great deal of pasta options, but what caught my eye was the pizza, and we ended up ordering two: the chicken chile verde and the Punjabi. Neither disappointed in any sense. The dough is crisp and crunchy on the bottom with a soft bread center. Not too thick and not too crispy. The underlying flavor with the cheese and sauce is already well balanced, but the toppings are added in just the right way so that everything is complimentary without detracting in any way.

For instance, the tomato on the verde pizza adds a nice brightness to help round out the flavor and provide a richer sense of contrast. The bits of cilantro and onion pair very well with the sauce, and the chicken on top is delicious: crisped outside with a nice reduced sauce clinging to marinated and shredded chicken.

Every dish that went by looked incredible, so its hard to imagine anything on the menu being disappointing; time and refinement has clearly been put into this menu.

The margaritas also fall in line with this, as they are big without being too sweet or too heavy and the salt enhances the brightness of the flavor.

This would definitely be a good place to bring someone to get to know them as the atmosphere and menu coupled with the bit of the wait provide ample time and material for conversation. And, worst case scenario, even if that turns out to be an unmemorable dud, your memories of the food will make you forget everything else.

As for the pictures, I just couldn't wait. It...

Me and my family came here to dine since we searched for restaurants in Elk Grove and wanted to try something new. We walked in and the decor and wall paintings were gorgeous! The wait time was a little long maybe 20-30 minutes but that's normal for more popular restraunts that are medium sizes especially in Elk Grove.

A kind sir with long hair in a pony tail and a white lady server with brown hair in a bun helped seat us. We ordered our food and it was lovely! The pastas were nice and lightly flavored, enchiladas were delicious and seasoned well, the pizza was fresh and crunchy. The sweet moscato wine was also wonderful.

Me and my family truly enjoyed taking our time to dine and observe the environment. Until another lady server who looked black/mix with orange brown hair in a bun asked if we needed boxes, while our plates were still 3/4 filled with food.... we were still eating but felt rushed.

The table was filled with plates of food so there was almost no room for the to go containers even, but since we felt rushed I said sure, 4 containers to which she brought and set them at the egde of the table.

It was offputting and uncomfortable to feel rushed right when we were seated and barely tasting the delicious food. As for the other servers, instead of saying "how many boxes we would like" like the other server, they made sure plates were empty before taking it and they asked "How are we doing here? Do you need anything?" Which allows us the chance to ask for water, napkins, or simply say we are good thank you, to which we did say that. And it isn't directly rushing us, but more so checking on customers.

I worked as a waiter and a cook simultaneously before so I understand the stress and busy active environment of working at a restaurant. But I hope that particular server here can take a note to not rush customers in the slight beginning/midway of eating meals... Aside from that we of course appreciated how she helped take a few dishes away and tried to check on us. She is a hard worker along with all the staff here!

We will definitely be back, I just thought I would share my honest review in hopes that there can be a little improvement. I think it'd be best to address this incase she may rush other guests, which takes away from such a wonderful experience.

Dishes in the picture: Chicken Enchiladas Macaroni and Cheese Fettuccine Alfredo...