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Shady Lady Saloon has an enthusiastic following of fans who love the establishment’s sultry ambiance, seven-nights-a-week, wide-ranging live music offerings and the stellar handcrafted cocktails. But every time I dine at Shady Lady I’m struck by the quality and creativity of the food. The last three meals I’ve had at the saloon have been fabulous – a recent lunch included the kitchen’s delightful “Lil’ Wedge” salad – a flavorful tumble of baby romaine lettuce leaves with chewy chunks of Applewood-smoked bacon, sweet cherry tomatoes and chopped red onion, sprinkled with Pt. Reyes blue cheese and blanketed in a tangy housemade buttermilk dressing – a delightful choice on a warm Sacramento afternoon. Other knockout menu items we tried were the hefty, flavorful Reuben sandwich, crammed full of house-smoked pastrami and sauerkraut, and the irresistible, crusty duck confit “tots” (remember the tater tots of our youth? This is the sophisticated version), attractively served up with a smoked paprika-lemon aioli.