Mulvaney's B&L and the Slow Food Movement

Inside the Michelin-awarded Sacramento Restaurant helping Trailblazing the Relationship Between Fine Dining, Sustainability, and Community Give-Back

Photo courtesy of Mulvaney's B&L

Establishment Background

The hum of steady conversation drowns in the clattering of pots and verbal cues from the exposed kitchen. The whole ensemble creates a song-like melody that flows through each corner of the restaurant–connecting people through food.

By looking at it, some may struggle to tell that Mulvaney’s B&L holds Michelin-star status, a state certificate of recognition, and countless community service awards. 

The establishment is visibly smaller, with ample porch space that is frequently used for summer brunches and fireplace-side dinners alike. Interiorly, small candle-lit tables and vintage lights call for intimate conversions and add to the restaurant's rustic feel. Hidden through a small door lies a banquet hall fit for nearly 150 people, and is often put to use for weddings and birthdays alike.

The restaurant is owned by couple Bobbin and Patrick Mulvaney; New York originals who moved to California in 1991. A chef by background, Patrick is often seen, even on busy Saturday nights, conversing with customers; not afraid to name-drop the farmers whose work went into the meal.

“The cod you had is from a fisherman named Anthony Ferrari. He’s working with [John Trujuillo] in the back to create a table for butchering the fish he farms.” Patrick Mulvaney, owner of Mulvaney’s B&L, said. 

Bobbin, on the other hand, works on the organization and community outreach of the restaurant. She connects the restaurant to nonprofits and educational opportunities; enforcing what good food is all about, and bringing people together.

While only executive chef at Mulvaney’s for two months, John Trujillo is certainly well-versed in producing beautiful dishes using his training in Japanese and French cuisine and the restaurant's values. He’s in the kitchen for 16 hours a day curating his art, but when he’s not, he teaches students at Del Paso Heights how to cook. 

During the Pandemic, Patrick and Bobbin Mulvaney led their crew to make thousands of meals for low-income students who could not get food from their district’s lunch programs. While a tremendous feat, this is only one of the couple's many ways of giving back to the community.

“When, in 2020, so many people were scared of the police; we were the people to invite them in for a coffee or two. Because, at the end of the day, they’re people too.” John Trujillo, head chef at Mulvaney’s B&L, said. “They probably have, you know, a family, kids, a dog…we’re not all that different.” 

The restaurant’s community service is larger than just doing good deeds–It’s part of a global movement called Slow Food, which has its roots in 1980s Italy when protesters opposed the construction of a McDonald's in Rome. Today, the movement supports and encourages locally based produce and food in efforts to preserve regional cuisine and reverse/slow climate change and rejects the implementation of large industrial food chains to protect local flavors, even while worldwide there is a movement toward a more monogamous globalized cuisine. 

“Why would I go and, you know, buy lemons from a big company when they’re just going to spray wax over them and leave them to sit in a warehouse for days when…Joe from across the street sells lemons that I can get that day?” Chef Trujillo said.

Because the restaurant sources its ingredients locally, it feels a responsibility to give back to the community that supports and supplies its business, whether through dining or agriculture. Trujillo explains how it’s all a cycle: the community gives to the restaurant, the restaurant provides food, the food brings the community together, and the restaurant gets more involved in the community to bring more people together. 

“We do this thing called Family Meal every month where we provide meals for a ton of people. This month, it’s a pig we’ve been feeding with our food scraps.” Patrick Mulvaney said.

Furthermore, this movement speaks out against food waste and overconsumption in the restaurant industry. In fact, Mulvaney’s uses composting to decrease food waste and feeds the extra food to the homeless around Sacramento. The Farm to Fork movement plays into this sustainability standard, as the food’s carbon footprint is lowered due to lessened transportation needs. 

“Regenerative farming is what’s going to guarantee our kids have food on their plates in the future.” John Trujillo said.

Dining Experience

All this care to properly source the food, maximize community give-back, and minimize climate impact certainly reflects in Mulvaney’s dining experience. The menu is dynamic, often changing to introduce new dishes; and reviving fan-favorites. Helpful and involved, the staff are easy to talk to and explain their dishes well (and really, any questions you may have) 

Before ordering, you are presented with the standard bread and butter offered at many restaurants at a similar par. When asked what I would have, I turned to the chef for recommendations and he immediately mentioned the restaurant’s smoked salmon platter.

The platter is served much like the scales of the salmon itself; with around 20 meticulously sliced pieces folded over one another in rows, covering the entire plate. On the side lay an array of toppings; including peas, onions, and cheese, and a homemade aioli. Most notable however, is the Irish Brown bread that starkly contrasts the light, fluffy bread many of us affiliate with high-end dining. As the name suggests, the darker-hued bread is dense and rather un-elastic. A staff member recommended that I mix the toppings and salmon, then place the mixture onto the bread.

Whilst something I would not order again due to the denser nature of the bread and lack of much flavor depth, I did enjoy the salmon itself. The salmon was light and sweet, not a burnt and heavy flavor. 

In addition to the salmon dish, I tasted the squash-filled tortellini. The tortellini was beautifully simple; truly making the squash in the dish stand out. The soft filling contrasted with the structured pasta created a unique surprise when you bite down on each pasta, which often gives you a warm and comforting feeling with the addition of the warmer spices.

To end the main course on a strong note was a Cod dish, served with mashed potatoes and a lobster sauce that dances around in your mouth. The flakiness of the cod allows the lobster sauce to truly penetrate the meat, while the mashed potatoes provide a contrasting heaviness to the dish with its creamy and herbal flavors.

To end the meal, the previous Executive chef added a Ding-Dong, a play on the 90s gas-station treats that often brought guests back to their childhood, to the dessert menu. While disguised as a supermarket treat, the Ding-Dong is a more sophisticated chocolate mouse.

To keep the tradition alive, the new head chef introduced his play on the Twinkie, a similar 90s treat that is often seen at store checkout lines. While not on the official dessert menu, the chefs will make it upon request. Topped with silver foil, this miniature sponge cake surpasses its gas-station counterpart in numerous ways. Rather than the original, the denser sponge cake ops for the light, whipped chantilly filling on the outside of the cake instead of the filling. To counter the sweetness, a persimmon jam lays on the edge of the cake, introducing a tart flavor.

Overall, Mulvaney’s truly makes great strides to advance not only its taste, but also its community and climate impact. The value of the dining experience is reflected in its attention to detail and service. The simplistic meals showcase the skill and precision that go into every bite. Even with a shift to a new staff member, the owners' hands-on involvement shows the true intentions behind Mulvaney’s B&L.

“Dinner is probably one of the most civilized things mankind has ever done,” John Trujillo said.