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foodandthecity
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Name: Shinie, Kathy, Jesse C.
Interests: FOOD. one post per review so you can make comments on each individual place =) see first post for THE LIST.
Expertise: FOOD RATINGS are on a scale of 0-5 stars. PRICE RATINGS: $ = 10ish, $$ = 20ish, etc.
Message: message me
Member Since:
1/25/2006
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| foodandthecity has been resuscitated! ....
OVER HERE!
i'm currently transferring all the old posts from this xanga to the new blog (almost complete). it's much easier to search for restaurants (labels/categories by location, type of cuisine, and price range) as opposed to dig through these xanga pages. sorry xanga, but we're retiring your services.
the new blog also isn't exclusive to SF anymore, but also includes other bay area places, and not just restaurants. enjoy!
- k
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| so i'm trying to convert to google blogger, but for some reason the changes are a bit buggy. reason for the conversion: organization by topic, as opposed to chronologically. xanga just sucks because you have to page through every single entry to find what you're looking for which is really annoying. plus, google is taking over the world, and i predict that most people will stop using xanga, anyway
new blog!
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| Gary Danko - ****, $$$$$$$
800 North Point (and Hyde)
(415) 749-2060
Californian/French near Fisherman's Wharf
It was by the far the BEST meal of my entire life! The lamb was the best I have ever tasted... and it was the worst dish in the meal... that's how great it was! The seared foie grois was amazing, and the lobster and stuffed quail were absolute heaven! The selection of cheeses was a really cool experience, too!
Three courses per person is more than enough food. If I go here again with someone, the ideal combination would be two 3-course meals - 3 appetizers (including foie grois), the lobster, a game dish, and the cheese course. I'd skip the dessert (trio of creme brulee) just because I'm not that big on dessert and have had similar quality elsewhere. Plus, they give you chocolate cake to go.
***
I went here for my mom's birthday (as well as mine), and I actually thought it was overrated. Maybe it's because my standards have increased after having the best meal of my life, but I was actually not that impressed, especially since Gary Danko is supposed to be the best in SF!
I had the foie gras to start, and it was good and very rich... but just too much. I guess at a nice restaurant most people would be delighted to get a really large portion, but two large pieces of liver is just too much, even if I love the stuff. The lobster was really good, as was the duck (seared, and accompanied with duck hash -- REALLY GOOD. not quite like corn beef hash but with duck instead of corn beef... but rather like... a salty duck salad? i'm obviously bad at describing food, hence why i am not a food critic professionally). I had a pear souffle for dessert, which was light and delicious. The pear flavor was a bit too subtle (i.e. I couldn't taste it), but it was good nonetheless.
The service was amazing - they have a very large staff for a nice restaurant, and set everything onto the table simultaneously (top chef stephen style) which makes for fantastic presentation. They're very friendly and patient, especially considering that they did not act snotty at all to old asian parents (one of which was wearing a baseball cap) who have never really gone to a nice french restaurant.
Gary Danko was definitely classy, but I took away a star because I remember enjoying the food at La Folie more. Maybe I was also expecting too much, since it IS praised as the best in SF (which it is not, sorry).
***
Beverages
Tequila Sunrise
Two glasses of amazing (and very expensive) German champagne!
Amuse Bouche
Gazpacho soup, a gift from the kitchen
Appetizers
Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Red Onions, Peaches and Toasted Hazelnuts
Sweet White Corn Soup with Corn Truffle Ravioli and Summer Truffles
Fish/Seafood Course
Roast Maine Lobster with Chanterelles, Corn and Tarragon
Meat and Game
Herb Crusted Loin of Lamb with Summer Vegetable Tian, Mint-Sweet Pea Risotto and Salsa Verde
Cornbread Stuffed Quail with Tasso Ham, Sweet Corn and Black-Eyed Pea Succotash
Cheese
A Selection of Farmhouse and Artisanal Cheeses Presented Tableside
Desserts
Trio of Creme Brulee with Cookies
Happy Birthday Petit Fours
Chocolate Cheesecake to go
***
They have these portable hooks that they put at the edge of the table for you to hang your purse on - it was pretty neat and I had never seen that before! =) And the bathroom had a shoe buffer, which you also don't see often.
***
-m/l (guest food critic) - k
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| kappa+ - *****; i have no idea what it cost, although i think it is on the expensive side
1700 Post St. (at Buchanan)
415-673-6004
Japanese in J-town (who would've thought), small plates style
Being someone who loves Japanese food, I've realized how limited my exposure to this cuisine has been. As a Sushi House lover, my meal at this place has made me realize that I am uber American, as are my taste buds. I had some good, traditional food in Japan, but even so, I still enjoy classic American Japanese food. This place, however, has opened my eyes and expanded my palate.
This place is tiny (seats about 8-10 people) and is run by only two (I think) Japanese people (maybe husband and wife?). There are no signs, and even if you found it, you wouldn't know what it was because the door is closed without any windows. Once you walk in, the dining area is blocked off by a hanging curtain, giving your meal the utmost privacy. It is bar-style seating, also giving you a view of the displayed raw seafood (fish, squid, octopus, etc). The hostess is a lovely older woman dressed in kimono, who speaks both English and Japanese. It is definitely a date place, but there was a party of 3 when I ate there. The menu was in both English and Japanese, but being used to American Japanese food, I had no idea what to order and let my dinner partner take care of everything.
My dinner partner had sake, which came in this really pretty clear teapot lined with gold trimming. The sake cup was like this matching mini goblet (I probably sound so uncultured right now).
The food (hopefully I didn't forget anything):
- seafood salad: given to start and before we ordered, this tiny dollop of seafood salad was very light and fresh. I'm not really sure what was in it, to be honest.
- misc sashimi (hamachi, squid, other fish): very good quality and fresh. There's nothing better than raw fish melting in your mouth mmm
- mountain yam: I had never had this before, and it wasn't like an American yam at all. It was more like daikon in texture and color, but it was gooey (as if doused in rubber cement or something). Thinly sliced, the pieces of yam were crispy (much like daikon) and a good accompaniment to the rest of the dishes. It didn't have much flavor itself, but I really liked the texture, and I could probably eat this as a snack any time.
- duck: very rich in flavor and moist
- boiled stuff - tofu, edamame pod?, some type of mushroom, squash, and some kind of melon (similar to melon used in chinese soups) in broth
- fried fish cake: I almost burned my tongue and actually took it out of my mouth because it was so hot. I felt so rude.
- tonkatsu (fried pork): unlike most tonkatsu, this was in a more cubic chunk, as opposed to flat and pancake-like. I thought this cut was to its detriment, as each bite had more pork than fried goodness. There was also a chunk of fat in my piece (which I was really surprised by, since Japanese food tends to be super lean), but I ate it anyway because I thought it would be rude not to. Thank God I have a high metabolism.
- miso soup with clams and green onions
The service was good - my ocha (green tea) cup was never empty, and they were very attentive and polite. I couldn't really get a good feel for the staff because my dinner partner talked to them in Japanese only, but regardless, service was good and food came at a good pace. They were also very flexible, as we stayed there for probably over 2 hours, and even when everybody else had gone, we still ordered one more dish.
Go here. =)
- k
+ Updated!
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| the french laundry - ****** (i gave it 6 stars), $^n where n = how much you're willing to spend
6640 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
707.944.2380
the best restaurant in the country (note: yes, i know this isn't in SF, but whatever. it's worth a post!)
if you've never heard of french laundry, you must know that (1) it's the best restaurant in america according to just about any food resource, and (2) it's the only restaurant on the west coast (i.e. outside of new york in the US) to get 3 michelin stars. i must say that it completely lives up to the hype.
going along with the woodsy theme of wine country, french laundry basically feels like a classic and elegant house in the countryside (that just so happens to house millions of dollars worth of food). it takes quite a few months in advance to get a reservation, but if you're lucky and have connections (like if your friend's sister's coworker is friends with thomas keller's ex-gf!), you can score a reservation of your choice in a few days! =) there's an early and a late seating since the meals are so extensive and time-consuming (9+ courses). we basically started at 6pm and didn't leave till after 9/9:30pm.
the best part about going to the best restaurant in the country is that not only the food is good, but the service is impeccable and not snotty at all. despite being probably the youngest in the building, the staff treated us with respect and were really nice =) there are two menus - the chef's tasting menu, and then the vegetable menu (vegan except for some cream here or there i think... even the cheese course isn't real cheese though). even though i'm not vegetarian, the veggie menu looked really good. but being the carnivore i am, i opted for the chef's menu.
the food: it was good. uber rich. lots of butter. and GOOD. instead of going into detail about it here, you can see for yourself here. yes, i took pictures with absolutely no shame.
the money: prix fixe menu is $210 including service. for my menu, there was a $30 supplement for foie gras, and a $150 supplement for the wagyu, or kobe beef. i'm actually not sure if it was $150 for two, or just one.... and then the wine pairings... i'm not sure about that, either.. but i'm sure it was a good amount! yes, this place is bank, but if you think about it, it's more than just food... it's an experience (maybe even a once in a lifetime!).
- k
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