by Steve LaRosa
photography by Dave Brooks

This Folsom hangout is a great place for a sandwich or something sweet.

To misquote Neil Young, I wanna live with a cinnamon roll. I could be happy the rest of my life with a cinnamon roll. If I had to choose just one, I'd pick Karen's.

Owner/chef Karen Holmes uses Vietnamese cinnamon and Danish dough in hers. Let's be honest. With a lot of rolls, you start outside with good faith, presuming that the payoff lies at the epicenter. Karen's rolls taste great from tread to hub.

The art on the walls at this popular Folsom cafe depicts the “art” in the bakery case. Both are for sale. Some are edible, including Karen's version of that American classic, the Ho Ho. This model includes mascarpone-filled chocolate sponge cake coated in chocolate ganache. (Come to think of it, also great from tread to hub.) Of course, the bakery case/tart gallery is loaded with cakes, scones, cookies and other gorgeous “baking beauties.”


The cafe menu changes daily, with about 10 different offerings. We tried the caramel chicken: Asian-seasoned chicken thighs, served over basmati rice with sugar snap peas. The chicken was cooked to perfection and had a nice, tangy flavor. Creative sandwiches are a hallmark at Karen's, like the open-faced roast-pork sandwich with a rich mustard sauce and red cabbage, and the applewood-smoked pork and Gruyère cheese panini. Both were delicious and filling.

Karen's other claim to fame is Saturday breakfast. Choose from steak and eggs, a great quiche made with ingredients that change seasonally and the popular breakfast tortilla, among other things.

Incidentally, my informal, unscientific survey turned up the following: There are more bike pants being worn here per capita than at just about any eatery in town. “There's a bike shop next door,” Holmes explained, “and the bike trail passes just across the street.” Mystery solved.

Located in the same shopping center as Zinfandel Grille and just down from Folsom's historic Sutter Street, Karen's (which opened last year) has quickly become a neighborhood hangout and a two-wheel-commuter stop. With the upcoming completion of the light rail stop across the street, add train commuters to the list.

705 Gold Lake Drive, Suite 340 , Folsom; (916) 985-2665; Open 6 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday.

Look for Steve LaRosa's restaurant reviews the first Friday of every month at 11 a.m. on “News10 Midday. “