Cafe Collage

Wow!!! I just had take out from Salem tonight. We both really enjoyed our meals as always, but I had his special Scottish Salmon!!! Truly melted in my mouth absolutely loved my dinner! We are always pleased with Salem’s cooking ~ Excellent chef ~ Café Collage what an absolute jewel to have in our Yuba foothills. Thank you again Salem for a delicious dinner. Much appreciated… and you are only just down the road.

GREAT food. I had the beef filet and my husband had the braised lamb shank. My steak was perfectly cooked. I said I wanted it medium and it was just the right pink in the center. Delicious syrah. Service was friendly and attentive. I had coffee with dessert and it was European style, made with an espresso machine, delightfully strong but not overpowering with the crema layer on top. The décor could use a little work but it’s homey and in keeping with it’s country location. All and all a very pleasant dining experience. We will definitely be returning.
Update: We returned a couple of weeks ago for pizza — Wow, was it good. We ordered one margherita and one pepperoni. Both were superb. Don’t miss the pizza, folks!

After swimming on the Yuba River most of the day, we headed over here to have dinner. The food was amazing! We had the Collage Mirage (app) to start which gives you a taste of the Mediterranean/​Middle East to start. The eggplant dip and salad are my favorites on the plate. They have local wines however we went for an Italian Primitivo, which was nice and refreshing after the river. I chose the lamb shank, delicious! The veggies with it were cooked and seasoned to perfection! The fingerling carrots were the highlight. My boyfriend had the seafood Couscous, he loved it! Our friends had a pizza (good) and a Cesar salad with chicken (good). The evening was just about to end when the owner said he had just finished a nectarine tart, so we ordered that too! That dessert was to die for! If you are ever in the area, I would go here for dinner!

PROS: Expertly prepared traditional Mediterranean dishes; an exciting variety of items on the menu; attentive service; speaking with Chef Salim about ingredients, wine, etc.
CONS: Due to its relatively remote location, you have to REALLY plan to go. I wished there were more Renaissance wines by the glass; wine is pricey. Dining at a slower time in an empty (or near-​empty) dining room is a bit awkward, but it’s also an opportunity to engage with staff about the food and area.
REVIEW: This place has been on my radar for a couple of years … On July 26, we were in the area on a Sunday to drop off kids at Lake Francis’ Camp Rockin’ U, so we arrived around 5:30 pm and were quickly seated in the lovely, colorfully decorated dining area. For the entire hour-​plus of our dining time, we were the only customers, which at first seemed a bit weird. But chef Salim checked on us personally and we had some nice conversations about his experiences in Tunisia, Greece and locally. Very interesting man of many talents.
Seeing a lot of wine bottles at the upper limit of our price threshold, we opted for wine by the glasses. The first two (white and red) were OK, but we inquired about Renaissance wines produced nearby and Salim soon produced a very nice Syrah off the menu. Thank you! Since the restaurant has a connection to Renaissance, I’m hoping more of that wine can be available — at least by the glass. It’s very good wine that’s very hard to find retailed.
My girlfriend ordered the Greek moussaka, which is like an eggplant/​ground beef/​mozzarella lasagna. The meat is spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon. Great stuff, and a good value at $ 19 (including a nice mixed greens house salad. I ordered the cassoulet, not really knowing what to expect. Wow! This amazing, rich stew/​casserole of southern France was made very traditionally with lamb shank and duck braised in red wine, with andouille sausage, white beans and a garnish of young string beans. It also came with a house salad. The cassoulet was so savory and rich. I appreciated that both dishes were served in oven-​hot pottery which kept the food hot through the entire meal.
Sadly, there was no room for dessert, but the dessert menu looked great. I want also to mention the light and fluffy homemade bread was served with a hummus. Very tasty. We also ordered the house-​made mix olives appetizer, which was excellent. There was enough left over to take home. Same with the cassoulet.
I came in with high expectations and they were exceeded. We’ll be back soon.

Would not go here ever again we were treated like low lifes. We had just finished a long day of working hard and were looking for a good meal. Yes we have money we just don’t flaunt it with nice clothes. This place might want to make sure they treat everyone equal no matter what they ware. My husband and I were first in line to be seated and people that looked like they had money were seated up front as soon as a seat in the way back came available that’s where we would be seated. No… they didn’t call ahead for a table the other customers were walk in’s like us. I do have to say yes the food was good but as a resident here in Oregon House, I was disappointed with the treatment.

After a long day of hiking we showed up less than 30 mins before closing but they were kind enough to seat us. The entire staff was very friendly. We ordered seafood risotto and the halibut. Both of our entrees were delicious. Wonderful flavor and the fish was cooked perfectly. The desserts all looked great but we were full and didn’t was to stay any later as it was already 45 minutes after closing. We will definitely be coming back (earlier) next time we’re in the area. 5 stars for the awesome food and hospitality.

My husband and I have been dining regularly at Café Collage for over four years. Our experiences have been consistently positive. The food is delicious, ingredients are fresh, locally grown and perfectly prepared. Service from the wonderful staff is excellent and the atmosphere warm, welcoming and friendly.
We have taken many out-​of-​town guests to this fine restaurant and all agree that chef/​owner Salim Ben-​Ami and his staff provide an outstanding meal and a great dining experience.

Just off highway 20, on the way to Bullards Bar resort, Café Collage is a quiet escape from the rough and rugged North Yuba landscape. Salim has managed to compile an assortment of the areas best ingredients to craft his Mediterranean fusion cuisines. Everything from the atmosphere to the wine selection reflects Salim’s high quality taste. Make sure to get the Collage Mirage to start!!!

This is an amazing place. This is where my first love and I would go on romantic dinners. The food is amazing and the service is great. I couldn’t ask for a better atmosphere. The duck has always been my favorite, but the lamb and various sea food dishes are quite delicious.

Really enjoyed this restaurant. Who would have thought such a wonderful place would exist in the middle of nowhere? It is clear that the owner takes pride in his food [art]. We shared the Collage Mirage appetizer, which had a nice, beautifully presented, helping of multiple dips (the eggplant dip was great), olives, and greens. The Spanakopita was amazing paired with a bottle of wine. One note, the sides with my spanakopita were the same as what was on the appetizer plate – I should have noticed when ordering. I was so full and had plenty of leftovers. Good service and I love seeing the chef/​owner walk around and talk to the guests. I should have mentioned my new favorite cookbook to the chef: called Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. Has an excellent hummus recipe, though I’m sure café collage has this ‘down-​pat’. Thanks to Café Collage for a wonderful evening.

This is now my favorite place. I’ve only been there once but the food and experience were so good that I look forward to the day that I have the money and time to make it all the way back there again. As a vegetarian, I was pleased with the options and the ease of substitution.

The gist: Great service, cool décor, and a great gem in the middle of nowhere.
I’ve come here twice, and while I’ve found the food pretty good for being in the middle of nowhere, I’ve found it a little hit and miss on the side of hit. I’ll just say that if you’re in the area and have some money to blow, you have to come here. But if you don’t have money to blow, are vegetarian and it’s not a special occasion, maybe you should eat a clif bar and wait while you head down the hill to Marysville.
Here’s my beef, and it’s not a huge deal, but worth mentioning: 5 years ago, I came here and ordered the seafood stew. On the menu, it listed salmon as an ingredient, but it didn’t come with it. I know we are in the middle of nowhere and when you run out of salmon, you run out of salmon. But I would’ve liked to have been told that there would be no salmon in my expensive seafood stew. It was good, but the salmon was what I was looking forward to most.
I came here last weekend, and it was great. There’s this eggplant dip they make that is incredible. The pizza was very good, but felt like it was missing something. And our lentil soup was good, albeit a little too spicy for my GF, but she’s pretty sensitive to spice so I’m not knocking them for that. Everything else was great and they are cool with BYOW, so i’m always happy when that’s the case.
I’ve heard of folks having not stellar experiences here, but the service is always good and the novelty of it is definitely worth checking out.

My wife and I have been dining at the Café Collage for several years, have never been disappointed and always impressed. If you enjoy Mediterranean cuisine, and a staff that treats you like royalty, this is the place for you.
Chef/​Owner Salim has created a large variety of entrees, salads, appetizers and desserts that will delight anyone’s palette.
Get on their mailing list for specials and recipes.

I have been hearing about this place for a while… Well checked it out and discovered a diamond in the ruff! The food was well prepared and fresh higher quality produce… some organic… the owner was super friendly and personable … definatly off the beaten path but when exhausted of the local options… it was refreshing… excellent wine selection!

Perfect dinner. Staff cared for us and took the time to serve us properly and treat us as guests. Staff was attentive to our needs and questions without ever hovering or lingering. Food quality and the care in preparation was superb. Portions are a little larger and some entrees come with unexpected sides. Plan to bring some home. Order the Collage Mirage appetizer. Order one of the Oregon House area wines. They cost a little more, but well worth it. I recommend calling or writing ahead with dietary restrictions. Be sure to mention dessert if you have restrictions like dairy that they need to accommodate. VERY special place indeed.

A surprisingly good restaurant in the redneckian countryside with actual hummus and babaganoush — mediterranean treats hard to come by in a sit-​down atmosphere anywhere in Nevada or Yuba Counties.
The one drawback has to do with temperature. We visited during the winter and were seated in the main dining area which was freezing. Several space heaters had been turned on but should have been running hours earlier. I had to keep my down jacket on throughout dinner. The smaller, warmer seating area was open yet the hostess/​waitress didn’t offer to seat anyone in there.
Probably best to visit in summer.

My wife and I were so impressed with Café Collage. The restaurant manager who served us had full knowledge (in detail) of the entire menu. He also knew his wine, matching the perfect grape for our meal. Chef/​Owner Salim has an amazing menu filled with rich Mediterranean flavors. Beautiful presentation as well. Thank you Café Collage, Oregon House never tasted so good.

Been living in the area for over 15 years and just found this little gem. My expectations were high based on the other reviews and I was not disappointed.
The place is small and has that casual elegance look.
I had the salmon in parchment paper with crab and the wife the Moussaka. The fish was outstanding and you can taste the real crab. However what really stood out were the sides, the potato and eggplant ragout. Perhaps I am only saying this because most side dishes are only average but these stood up to the main course.
The owners have some tie to fresh fish so it is ok to order it here even though it is breaking the don’t order fish if you are 100 miles from the ocean rule.
For dessert had the baklava. Very good and not overly sweet.
The Chef came out at least 3 times and had a quick chat which was really nice but it was not over done.
So no more driving to Nevada City for special dinners we will be coming back again and again.

Our party of 4 dined here for the first time tonight. We loved it, Chef Salim was very welcoming and friendly.
I had the Greek Moussaka (wonderful) a spinach salad with feta cheese (the Chef’s suggestion). 2 had pizzas, the Pollo-​Tomato-​Chicken Breast & the Siciliam-​Tomato-​Capers-​Anchovies etc. Both the guys said they were very good. The fourth dish was the Duck confit, judged delicious.
The bread and hummus they serve was outstanding. Even 2 who don’t normally like hummus said it had a great flavor.
I loved the well decorated restaurant and will return again soon.
We knew about the restaurant because of the food column Chef Salim writes weekly in the Appeal Democrat.

This place is fantastic! All the veggies are locally grown and even the meat is local. The presentation is great, you can tell the owner really takes pride in his food. And best of all, it’s delicious! And they offer local wines too (I love supporting local businesses!)
But seriously, the food is amazing and I tell all my friends about it. Definitely worth the trip if you’re even remotely in the area.