About Canon
Canon books on OpenTable, and the prime Friday and Saturday tables go a week or two out, but the bar is the move if you want in tonight. Brad Cecchi, a Sacramento native who came home to cook, has run this East Sacramento small-plates room at 1719 34th Street since 2017, and it has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2019, its sixth in 2025. The format is shareable plates that change with the Sacramento Valley harvest, and a full table with cocktails runs about $60 to $100 a head.
The Kitchen
Cecchi cooks what California's farms hand him that week, so the menu, ten to fifteen plates, turns over constantly. Two things to anchor an order: the Urfa chili drumsticks, his bar signature, and the lamb pavé with roasted pineapple and blue corn tortillas. The discipline here is restraint, a single good ingredient treated simply rather than overworked, and that is exactly what the Bib Gourmand rewards. Canon has kept the award six times since 2019, the most consistent record of any kitchen in the city, and the bar program he built around the food is among Sacramento's best.
The Room
Canon is a warm, dark neighbourhood room in East Sac, deep tones against bright white, the smell of smoke off the kitchen, and most nights a full house. It runs lively rather than hushed: conversation-easy but not quiet, which suits a group more than a whispered date. The bar is the best seat in the place for a walk-in, with the full menu and no reservation needed. Dress is smart casual and nobody is checking for a jacket.
Best for a Team Dinner
Book Canon for a team dinner for three reasons: the shareable format keeps plates moving and the table talking, the kitchen staggers courses for eight or ten without falling apart, and the cocktails keep the energy up. Reserve a week or two ahead, give them the headcount, and let the table order across the whole menu instead of plating individually. It is also a strong birthday room when the group wants to eat well without the formality of a prix fixe.
Not For
Skip Canon for a quiet, lingering first date or a deal you need to talk through in confidence. The room is loud and social by design, and the shared-plate format keeps the table busy rather than intimate. If you want hushed and private, this is the wrong address.
How to Book
Canon takes reservations on OpenTable; weekend prime time books one to two weeks out, weeknights are easy, and the bar takes walk-ins with the full menu. Call +1 916-469-2433 for larger parties. For more in town, see the full Sacramento dining guide and our best Sacramento tables for a team dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canon worth it? Yes. Brad Cecchi's small-plates room in East Sacramento has held a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2019, its sixth in 2025, which is Michelin's stamp for serious cooking at fair value. A full table of sharing plates and cocktails runs roughly $60 to $100 a head. Order the Urfa chili drumsticks and the lamb pavé and you will understand the record.
How hard is it to book Canon? Moderate. Canon books on OpenTable and the prime weekend slots go one to two weeks out, so reserve ahead for a Friday or Saturday. If you are flexible, weeknights and the bar are far easier; walk-ins can usually get a bar seat and order the full menu there. Call +1 916-469-2433 for larger parties.
What should I order at Canon? Start with the Urfa chili drumsticks, Cecchi's bar signature, then build a table from the seasonal small plates and platters; the lamb pavé with roasted pineapple and blue corn tortillas is the one to anchor a group order. The menu rotates with the Sacramento Valley harvest, so trust the day's specials. Add a cocktail; the bar program is among the city's best.
What is the dress code at Canon? Smart casual. Canon is a lively neighbourhood room, not a white-tablecloth dining room, so you will be comfortable in good jeans or business-casual. There is no jacket requirement. Aim for the level you would wear to a relaxed dinner with friends; the room is warm and unfussy by design.
Is Canon good for a team dinner? It is one of the best in Sacramento for it. The shareable format means dishes land continuously and circulate, the kitchen staggers courses for larger parties without chaos, and the cocktails keep the energy up. Book a week or two ahead for a group, tell them the headcount, and let the table order across the whole menu rather than plating individually.
Reservation links may earn RFK a commission at no cost to you. Scores and verdicts are editorial and never paid for.
