Gary Danko

San Francisco, CA

Gary Danko has always been synonymous with service. That's their reputation and people remember it. It was no different for us on our first trip there with Midas and Goldie on a windy and rainy San Francisco night. Upon sitting down, it was a whirlwind of attentiveness, from asking our drink orders, questions about the menu, an amuse bouche within minutes of sitting down, sparking or still water, it was almost overwhelming. But once things settled down, and we were able to look over the vast menu, the friendliness of the wait staff really stood out. They weren't stuffy either, given the expectation of "dressy" attire, the staff was pretty down to earth, snapping photos for groups, attempting to be helpful any way possible. On this evening, there was a special truffle tasting menu consisting of 5 courses for $175 per person, or selecting from the normal menu, 3, 4, or 5 courses, ranging from $68, $85 and $105 respectively. We hadn't had lunch and Midas and Goldie were up for the challenge, so we went all in with the 5 course option. The menu spans across a wide variety of proteins, preparations and flavor profiles, so it made the selection process time consuming because there were a lot of good options. 

Seared Sonoma Foie Gras with Caramelized Red Onions and Apples

I started with the foie, which was well prepared and delicious, rich and creamy. The caramelized red onions were also a nice touch.

French Red Pumpkin Soup with Dungeness Crab, Spiced Creme Fraiche,
Chive Biscuit and Bacon

Midas had the pumpkin soup, calling it the best one he had ever had! He did wish there was a bit more crab though, with only two small pieces. The best pumpkin soup we ever had was the pumpkin voulete at Maresa, but we didn't try Midas' so can't make a fair judgement. 

Dungeness Crab Salad with Avacado, and Yuzu

Chu-Toro went with the crab salad, simply prepared, beautifully presented and a good light starter. The yuzu dressing stood out.

Risotto with Lobster, Rock Shrimp, Shimeji Mushrooms and Butternut Squash

Goldie enjoyed the risotto with lobster, which was served in a surprisingly large portion. Anytime you have risotto, it's going to settle in your belly through a long meal. This was also Chu-Toro's second course, she she also liked. She described it as good, not great. Creamy, yet lacking the chunks of lobster that she was hoping for, and not in the same stratosphere of our favorite risotto at Redd. 

Glazed Oysters with Osetra Caviar, Salsify and Lettuce Cream

My second course was the glazed oysters, which reminded me of an item I'd had a Coi, but not nearly as good. The dish was okay, but the oysters were a little fishy, and the balance of the flavors wasn't quite there. I also later on learned that salsify is a root, when cooked tastes like an oyster. Subpar oyster, oyster root flavor and lettuce cream just didn't do it for me mixed with the salty caviar. 

Seared Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash Purée, Apples,
Caramelized Cauliflower and Tarragon

Midas had scallops for his second course which he loved. He took a bite, looked at me and was amazed by how good it was. 

Pan Seared Tuna with Chermoula, Fennel, Olives and Saffron-Orange Emulsion

Goldie went with the tuna next but she said it was fishy and notably the worst item of the evening.

Roast Maine Lobster with Potato Purée, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Edamame and Tarragon

Chu-Toro and I opted not to do a cheese course, which meant Goldie and Midas had the pleasure of watching us eat our next course. I went with the roast lobster with potato puree. This dish was again, well executed, but standard in flavor. The lobster was buttery and rich, the potatoes a little wetter than I usually like them, but all in all, a good dish. I started to uncover the theme of the food at Gary Danko at this point. Everything is classic flavors, good execution and predictable, but nothing really stood out to me. 

Branzini with Gnocchi, Roasted Butternut Squash, Capers,
Brussels Sprouts and Pumpkin Seeds

Chu-Toro went with the Branzini with gnocchi which was a well prepared, crispy skinned white fish. The gnocchi was okay, but overall she liked this dish too. 

Juniper Crusted Venison with Braised Red Cabbage, Cipollini Onions, Chestnut
Spaetzle, Tangerines and Cranberries

There were a lot of tempting choices for my entrée; lamb, quail, pork belly, but I ended up going with the venison, something I've tasted, but never had at a restaurant. I was impressed that there was no gamey taste to the medallion whatsoever, and it was extremely tender and medium rare inside. Later, I compared it to the seared filet of beef, which did not exemplify the same delicacy or consistency. The more I ate the venison, the more I liked it and it proved to be a successful selection.

Roasted Pork Belly and Tenderloin with Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, Parsnip
Purée and Maple-Cider Glaze

Midas at this point in time was already in love with Gary Danko's, from his pumpkin soup, to perfect scallops, so when he got to his pork belly, he just continue to enjoy his amazing meal. Above everyone else's dishes, his entrée was noticeably larger, with large slices of tenderloin and a nice chuck of pork belly. He did note that he would have preferred his pork belly to be crispier like he had at the Supper Club, but was really satisfied with this course.

Seared Filet of Beef with Leeks, Crimini Mushrooms, Braised Shallots and Potato Cake

Goldie and Chu Toro both had the seared filet of beef, in which they both were underwhelmed for different reasons. Goldie's was overcooked and Chu Toro's lacked flavor. They equally were disturbed by the potato cake which tasted like hash browns in a school cafeteria. Chu-Toro now knows if its not from Five Dot Ranch, she's probably going to be disappointed. She still thinks about those beef courses from Benu and Quince. 

Cheese Course

Thankfully, Chu-Toro and I had a break when Midas and Goldie enjoyed their cheese course. We really needed one too since we were already nearly bursting at the seams. The cheese cart was impressive, spanning a range of 20-25 options, allowing you to select four. Midas made a noticeable selection of all truffle incorporated cheeses and enjoyed them all. After a few bites of each, they packed them away to save space for our final course, the desserts.

Flambéed Bananas with Mascarpone Filled Crpes, Graham Cracker-Pecan
Streusel and Vanilla Ice Cream

I was torn between the trio of creme brulee and the flambee bananas, but went with the latter since it came with a live table side preparation. It was fun to watch the flair of the flame in the dining room, and the dessert itself was quite enjoyable. I particularly liked the pecan streusel which was sweet and crunchy. 

Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces

Both Midas and Chu-Toro went with the baked souffle, in which the presentation and preparation was far more impressive than the actual flavor.  There was actually simply no flavor at all, like a hot chocolate that's too watery. They were both in agreement on the letdown of this one, in which their really high hopes were dashed, along with Midas' perfect meal.

Cornmeal-Apple Upside Down Cake with Calvados Cream, Maple-Walnut
Ice Cream and Apple-Ginger Sauce

Goldie went with the cornmeal upside down cake which she reported was yummy and photographed really well.

Mignardises

Most of the mignardies were taken home since we were stuffed to the brim by the end of the meal. We were all really happy with the evening since we were all full, were impressed with the service and had a great time chatting for hours. But the verdict is really on the food. I went back and thought about items that ranged from bad (tuna, beef, and souffle) to good (foie, lobster, venison) to great (?) and how it would affect my main question whenever I finish a meal: Do I want to come back? Unfortunately, I've fulfilled my curiosity on Gary Danko and probably won't be returning. It had great service, but for a restaurant relying on classic flavors based on consistent execution, the highest admiration I had for a dish was simply "good." I can see why people like it, since they're probably patrons who want predictability in their meal, but we'll be selecting somewhere else next time.

December 18, 2010

Rating 6.5/10

Mustard Seed

In Davis, there are about four notable restaurants for guests and Mustard Seed is one of them. So when Feen-dizzle said he was coming in our neck of the woods for dinner, we figured to go somewhere nice. This is where the professors bring their guests, so most of the patrons are residents and professionals, not students or young people. The menu covers a wide spectrum of dishes, so there's something to like for everyone. The prices are pretty standard for "high end" dining in Davis, but reasonably for the three of us with three courses each and a couple of drinks the total cost was about 150 bucks, not terrible. 


I had a Sudwerk's Marzen to drink, the crab cake for an appetizer, the half order of rack of lamb, and the apple tart for dessert. None of my dishes stood out in particular, but all were well executed and  pretty good. For Davis, it was a good example of well cooked, classic Californian cuisine. 
Chu-Toro had a glass of rose, the tomato bisque with puff pastry, the half order of duck breast and the chocolate croissant bread pudding.  I wasn't very fond of her duck, which tasted gamy to me, but the bread pudding was excellent. 
Feen-dizzle went with the apple and walnut salad, the gnocchi and the creme brulee. The gnocchi course was huge. Really mammoth. Like a family style offering for the whole table.


In general, all the courses were huge, our half orders of lamb and duck seemed like full orders, and the desserts were equally gigantic. Covering every inch of the plate, the bread pudding could have been enough dessert for the three of us. By the end of the meal, we were all bursting at the seams, pretty satisfied with the quality of food, the huge portions and the kind service. Not  a place we would go out of our way to have again, but if we needed to pick a place to take visitors to a nice meal, Mustard Seed would make the short list.  


December 6, 2010
Rating 6.5/10

Canteen

San Francisco, CA

Canteen is a small 15 person restaurants that offers simple, well-made, California cuisine. Michael Bauer has recently even credited owner/chef Dennis Leary as one of the original visionaries of the shift of fine dining to a more casual setting. Since it was only blocks away from the hotel I was at this past week, I finally got a chance to give it a try. Accompanied by Doctor Phil (he’s not a doctor, that’s just what we call him), we arrived on a Tuesday evening and sat at the bar. Tuesdays they have a fixed price menu for $40, so ordering was simple. Every seat was filled for the evening and on the menu was a Squash Soup with pumpkin seeds and pomegranate for starters. A Roasted Swordfish with greenwheat, kale and artichokes for the entree, and for dessert an almond cake with roasted pears. We also had a couple of beers, an amuse bouche and a very buttery soft roll.

Squash Soup with pumpkin seeds and pomegranate

The soup was rich but not heavy, combined with a unique combination of pumpkin seeds in the center, and a noticeable tart flavor for the pomegranate reduction. It was good, not great, and was a substantial sized offering. 

Roasted Swordfish with greenwheat, kale and artichokes

The roasted swordfish was next, simply prepared, lying atop a mirapoix with kale, artichokes. The fish was firm, but tender on the inside, so not overcooked, but due to the firm texture of the fish, not delicate either. It was satisfying and filling. 

Almond cake with roasted pears

Last was a good square serving size of almond cake, completely covered by a huge dollop of whipped cream and a small half roasted pear covered in a ginger candy sauce. The cake was moist and well flavored by almonds which contrasted interestingly with the ginger pear.

There wasn’t anything I didn’t like, but nothing that particularly stood out either. If you live in the area and are looking for a reasonably priced meal made with quality ingedients, kind service, and sound culinary techniques, Canteen is a good option. But it’s not something to go out of your way for and I probably won’t be back.

December 14, 2010
Rating 6/10

Sushi Zone

San Francisco, CA

Although I had made reservations to go with Doctor Phil to Sons and Daughters, he was in the mood for some San Francisco sushi, so although I knew there’d be a wait, we headed over to the zone.  I’d recently heard that one of the chef’s had retired and it wasn’t as good as it once was, but I needed to find out for myself. We waited for a good hour, but when we were seated, we had the best seats in the house, right in front of the new chef. I order the classics, large Asahi, miso soup, hamachi kama, baked sea bass, Hawaiian #2, Spicy Hamachi, two orders each of Tuna, Hamachi, Salmon and albacore.

Hawaiian #2 and Spicy Hamachi Roll

Nigiri - Tuna, Hamachi, Sake, Albacore (Top to Bottom)

The food was good, good quality fish, perfect executed original rolls, and thick, meaty cuts of nigiri. Here are the two differences that I noticed. The baked sea bass seemed to be heavy on the mango and light on the bass, flavor unchanged otherwise. The Hamachi nigiri, usually amazing, was just good. It was missing something, maybe the slice of lime, I’m not sure, but it just wasn’t the same. I met a couple who spoke about how this and Sushi Puzzle were the favorite places in the city. Another couple was there for the first time, reading about the Zone from the Zagat guide. It seems like the word is out, so although my special trips to the zone will probably become more infrequent as time passes and the popularity continues to grow, it will always be a nostalgic go to pick for affordable fish and friendly service.

December 13, 2010

Rating 8/10

Commonwealth

San Francisco, CA

So what do you do to follow-up an excellent meal at Frances, one of the hottest restaurants in the city? Well, you go compare it to another really hot restaurant. Jason Fox's Commonwealth, located in the Mission is another example of the fine dining movement deviating towards a more casual appeal and price point. Why can they charge less? Probably because Commonwealth is located in the heart of the Mission, next to bars, taquerias, and dirty streets. Thankfully, that doesn't ruin the decor or ambiance of the restaurant which is beautifully designed, contemporary and simple. We arrived for an early Sunday dinner at 5:30 and by 6:30, every table and bar stool was filled. 

Nori dusted chips

They started us off with Nori dusted chips, basically seweed flavored potato chips. Addicting and plentiful since they offer refills. 

The Gozer

Ichtegem's Grand Cru

While we mulled over the menu, that was filled with plenty of interesting items, we ordered some drinks. Chu-Toro went with the Gozer, probably the coolest name drink ever, which consisted of Floc deGascogne, pomogrante, kaffir lime liquid nitrogen.  Basically, it was a really good alcoholic slushy which she finished in about ten minutes. I had the Belgium beer, like i usually do, and it had a quite sour, fruity undertone. 

Porcini churros, thyme, huckleberry jam

We started with a shared bouchee, the porcini churros. It came with three curled pieces of dough with a huckleberry jam. The jam was the best part of this tasting, but the churro itself was quite doughy in the middle and reminded me more of funnel cake at the fair. It was okay, but not something we'd order again. Surprisingly, it ended up being the only poor dish of the night.

Slow cooked farm egg, matsutake mushrooms, Jerusalem artichoke, barley, yuzu 

It probably doesn't look like much, but my appetizer was pretty awesome. Sure the fresh farm egg was perfectly cooked, and the mushrooms and artichoke just worked, but it was the combination of it all in one bite with the yuzu undertones that made this dish amazing. A really perfect starter.

kabocha pumpkin, black kale, yubu, sprouting broccoli, coconut milk, peanut

As much as I liked my course, Chu-Toro loved her kabocha pumpkin even more. It was the dish of the night for her. It had undertones of Indian flavors, almost familiar, laced into incredibly fresh organic vegetables.  And although it doesn't capture great on camera, it was an awesome dish. We only selected it to be different and because it seemed to be featured on the tasting menu instead of a salad, and we were really glad we did.

sea urchin, sweet potato tempura, chrysanthemum leaf, shiso, scallion, yuzu kosho

I was torn between the sea urchin and the squid, but being the perfect wife that she is, Chu-Toro got the squid so I could try it. Let's start off with the uni dish. As individual items, it was good. As a combination of balanced flavors which I would have never expected to be put together, it was great. This dish challenged my pallet and introduced me to flavor contrasts that just melted together in perfect harmony.  Jason Fox's dishes were eye opening and wonderful, in essence, the whole reason I love food so much .

squid and pork belly, jidori egg salad, potato crutons, herb vinagarette

Now while the uni dish really exposed me to something unique, the squid and pork belly did the same in a more comforting fashion. This was my favorite dish of the night, because every component on the plate tasted amazing, and together were unbelievable. I kept waiting for something to disappoint me, but each bite of the food at Commonwealth made me fall deeper into its trance. The squid was perfectly tender, not overly seasoned, while the pork belly provided the flavor punch and also crunchy texture. The egg salad was also a very cool preparation that I'd never had before. Overall, perfect balances in every regard.

grilled lamb cheeks, chanterelles, cauliflower, almond crumble, douglas fir

So something has to be subpar right? I mean, let's not jinx it, but main entrees are usually our downfall in our meals. Cheek meat seems to be the hot item on menus lately and can you blame them, they're so tender and delectable. I didn't need a knife or a fork to break them up, I could've used a thread to break apart the ridiculously tender lamb cheek. The same effect can be found on short ribs that are braised for 48 hours. It was a very good dish although Chu-Toro doesn't like lamb, she did enjoy bites of this dish without the protein which can attest for dish overall.

pork, mustard greens, turnips, onion soubise, mustard caviar, juniter jus

Pardon the picture, because it doesn't do the dish justice. Pork is how it's described on the menu. It's actually three cuts, the loin, shoulder and ear. Chu-Toro really liked each preparation, although the loin with a good layer of fat was the star, very moist and tender. The other standout on the dish was the mustard caviar, which did not overpower the course, but added the perfect flavor profile at the end of your bite.

yuzu curd, olive oil cake, huckleberries, pinenut brittle, cream friache ice cream

We'd generally share a dessert, but everything had been so awesome, we decided to roll the dice with two desserts. We got a balance of light and heavy options. The olive oil cake was not why we order the above dish. It was for the yuzu curd. Chu-Toro immediately declared, it's exactly like Zo, referencing the shot of yuzu we receive at the end of a perfect sushi meal in LA. She wasn't exaggerating, it was perfect emulation of yuzu in dessert form. I could eat it every night. The cake itself was a conduit to sop up the huckleberry sauce, cream friache ice cream and yuzu, and in that regard served it's purpose well.

cinnamon mille-feuille, cardamom marshmallow, chocolate ganache, burnt honey ice cream

The most popular dessert was the mille-feuille, sold to us as a deconstructed smore. It totally was, except way better than a smore. The homemade cardamom marshmello was beautifully plated, under it, the cinnamon mille feuille, then bitersweet chocolate ganache layer. It also came with a burnt honey ice cream, tasting like carmel and was a rich satisfying end to a perfect meal. What? A perfect meal? Those were the words from Chu-Toro's mouth. I'm not sure it was perfect, but it was pretty damn amazing. It definitely shot up the charts to one of our favorites with Manresa, Benu, Zo, and Mozza in one unsuspecting Sunday dinner, but probably going to have to dine here again real soon to ensure it wasn't a fluke. Real soon could even be next weekend if we're lucky. 


12/12/2010
Rating 8.5/10

Taiwan Restaurant

San Francisco, CA

Everybody has childhood favorites and Taiwan restaurant is that place for Chu-Toro. She's been coming here with her family ever since she was a young girl and started sharing the tradition with me six years ago. Ever since, I've been hooked as well. It's just so nostalgic and classic, that it's pretty hard to curb the craving until we make a special trip to Clement. Sure, it's super oily and fattening, but would you want your Chinese breakfast any other way? In a huge wok filled of oil in the front window, you can watch them fry up Chinese donuts fresh on the weekends. Our order is always the same, and although we've had other lunchtime menu items, we come here for breakfast.

Soy Milk and Chinese donut

The soy milk is usually made fresh, but during this visit, they've done something recently that tasted kinda powdery. That's a shame because it's usually perfect. The Chinese donut is also usually made fresh and dripping with oil when it's served, but this one must have been sitting at the window, because it was cold. Pretty unfortunate that the first time I had my camera, the meal wasn't perfect. Still better than anything we could get in our neck of the woods, so we enjoyed it nonetheless.

Potstickers

We never order potstickers, unless we're here. You can see the great pan fry they do on only one side of the large perfect dumpling. It was awesome.

Green Onion Pancake

The green onion pancake, perhaps the oiliest of them all, is a crunchy dough with green onion bits on the inside. A classic and perfect Chinese breakfast dish.

Beef noodle soup

This one's not oily, but is still very fatty. Not just from the meat which comes laced with tendon and fat, but from the msg in the broth. Chu-Toro mentions she thinks the noodles recently changed, not as chewy which she dislikes, but this is our favorite soup noodle dish and always warms our soul. 

Food is really about the memories it invokes, and despite its recent drop off, it remains one of our go to spots in the city for breakfast. 

12/12/2010

Rating 7/10

Frances*

San Francisco, CA

The hardest reservation to get in the city? Arguably, Melissa Perello's restaurant Frances in the Castro. The newly minted Michelin recipient serves unpretentious California cuisine in a casual, affordable setting. No wonder it's so hard to get a reservation. The few reservations that you can get are usually at 5 PM when they open or 10 PM before they close. Located on a quiet street near residential homes, the place was packed when we arrive at 6 PM with a lone table unoccupied for us, perfectly isolated from the other tables, lucky us! The menu was small, with four options for bouchees, appitizers, entrees and desserts. But there was a good variety of options under each section which made choosing a challenge since everything sounded pretty good. We started with a couple drinks, the Magnolia Brewery weather report wheat, Haight & Masonic, a nice light finish beer on tap for a steal at $5 a glass. Chu-Toro went with APPLES & HONEY, (sparkling wine, house white wine, Bonny Doon Pommeau, Martin Gol). 

Grilled Calamari, preserved lemon, shaved fennel, radishes, wild arugula 

Our first bouche was the Grilled Calamari salad. The calamari was lightly grilled and perfectly cooked, a really nice flavored start. This is the kind of salad I could get used to, great balance, great flavors and fresh ingredients.

Applewood smoked bacon beignets - Maple creme friache and chives

The most ordered dish on the menu, the bacon beignets, were bursting with bacon goodness. The creme friache dipping sauce offered a nice balance to the heavy flavored bites, which were gummy and yummy inside, built with a crunchy bite sized exterior. 

Crisp Red Garnet Yams - Meyer Lemon, Parmesan, Calabrese Chili Aioli

After we ordered, we regretted that we didn't get the Yams, which we've been on a big kick for lately, so we  made a quick addition. It was a good one, although simply prepared, the standout flavor was the yam itself which was sweet and creamy. The slice of meyer lemon, was a fragrant and a perfect accompaniment. 

Parmesan and Ricotta Gnocchi - Boccalone Panchetta, Chanterelles, Napa Cabbage

Thinking back on when we first started ordering gnocchi, we recalled the awesome ones at Biba in Sacramento that turned us to the dish. However, since then, we've had some pretty big hits (Bottega) and misses (A16). So, I had controlled expectations for Frances. I was pleasantly surprised by the lightness of the well made gnocchi which made the dish very enjoyable. The panchetta bits and chanterelles added a nice earthly and salty combination, launching Melissa Perello's gnocchi to my top three list. 

Salsify and Pacific oyster chowder - melted leeks and creme friache

The oyster chowder was probably the worst dish of the evening, although "worst" is probably a really relative term. It wasn't a standout dish, but a solid offering, a surprisingly light chowder lacking the contents I'd hope to bite in a chowder. Instead, it was a thin oyster soup, but could not stand up to the one we've had at Hog Island, and pretty one dimensional.

Five Dot Ranch Bavette Steak - Toasted Farro Ragout, Maitakes, Fava Greens

We're learning that meats from Five Dot Ranch speak for themselves. The quality of the product is unbelievable, and really just needs to be well cooked to be appreciated. The steak was just that, perfectly medium rare, bursting with natural juices and able to stand on its own. I could've had the dish again if I wasn't so full. The toasted farro and maitakes presented a earthy tone to the dish, reminded Chu-Toro of the goat in whey at Meadowood. The quality of the beef also reminded us of the perfect steak we had at Benu. All in all, a very excellent entrée. The only downside was the wait time to receive the steak. It was a half hour layoff between our appetizers and the entrée. Our server was kind enough to notice and offered us a free dessert to make up for the delay.

'Malva' Pudding Cake - Toasted Almond, Fuyu Persimmon, Vanilla Bean Creme Friache

We chose the super moist malva cake, a almond flavored cake slice with a strong vanilla cheme friache to coat. It was a dessert that deviated from our norm of chocolate desserts, but was a nice light finish to an excellent meal.

It's hard to say it met all expectations, but Frances certainly did not disappoint. It's a perfect neighborhood restaurant that I'm sure we'd dine at once a week if we were within walking distance. The food is well prepared, staff is kind and attentive and the prices are reasonable. The flavors are very homey, and although, not going to surpass those of a Benu or Manresa, that's not what Melissa Perello is trying to do. She's cooking the way she wants, excellent fresh ingredients in a well presented, well flavored manner, placed in a casual setting and achieves that perfectly. If the evolution of fine dining is moving into a casual setting with lower prices and unpretentious service, Frances has embodied that with precision. It was surprising how excellent the service was, changing dish ware constantly, folding napkins, filling drinks, crumbing off the table, while maintaining an excellent, casual, comfort demeanor, which were all greatly appreciated. It's not a destination meal, but if you're looking for a bargain of excellent food, service and can catch an open table, Frances is a very good choice.

Rating 7.5/10

December 11, 2010.