Hand-crafted food prepared with fresh and local ingredients

Kelly Tao and Daisy Aguilar

Selland’s Market-Café, on the corner of H Street and El Dorado Way, stays true to its name by combining a fresh marketplace feel with a warm and friendly café.

marketplaceLess than two miles from Sacramento State, Selland’s stimulates memories of home-cooked meals with its hand-crafted food.  

Walking inside the restaurant, customers immediately smell the different spices and aromas used for a variety of daily prepared dishes.

“The chefs come in early and prepare everything fresh each morning,” said former student employee Tasha Bellamy.

Unlike other restaurants where customers have to take a look at a menu before deciding what to order, Selland’s presents all its freshly prepared food in a glass heated display for customers to see and choose.

With vegetarian and gluten-free options available, customers are given a large selection of choices.

Some of the most popular dishes include the “Chicken Breast with Mushrooms,” a chicken breast roasted with mushrooms, sherry and cream. Another is the “BBQ Beef Brisket” braised with special homemade sauce.

Meatloaf, teriyaki chicken thighs and slowly cooked carnitas are also a win with the customers.

Customers can choose hot or cold sides to go with their entree.  The four cheese macaroni  topped with bread crumbs and berry salad are  only a few of the many sides offered.

Carrie Draper said she enjoys the night environment even though the restaurant can get busy.

“They have a good deal on dinner, which brings more business as well,and includes a dinner for two and a bottle of wine for just $25,” Draper said.

The dinner for two changes every week and is available Monday through Saturday after 3 p.m.

And to enhance any dish to perfection, Selland’s also has a large wine selection displayed on an entire wall.

Selland’s also prepares sandwiches for customers wanting to grab a quick bite, including carnitas, prime rib and turkey. Vegetarian options include  the “Avocado and Jack” or the “Tomato and Mozzarella”  sandwiches.

Denise Houshel is a regular customer and said she has a hard time choosing a favorite dish.

“It changes but [I] really love ‘The Owen’ pizza without bacon,” Houshel said.  “They took it off the menu,but so many people were requesting it, that they brought it back.”

The ingredients of the “The Owen” pizza  is topped with bacon, macaroni and cheese, jalapenos, shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bellamy said Selland’s Market-Cafe also introduces new dishes a few times a year.

“Selland’s sometimes has seasonal items like the ‘seasonal squash’ which is brought to the menu during fall,” Bellamy said.

Aside from hand-crafted food, Selland’s Market-Cafe offers a full-service bakery.

The dessert display has everything from German chocolate, carrot and red velvet cake, lemon squares, salted caramel brownies to an assortment of cupcakes and cookies.

 Whether looking for a quick place to grab lunch or dinner or simply having  a sweet tooth for cake, Selland’s Market-Cafe is a short stop away from campus, and guaranteed to satisfy customers.