Tra Vigne, St. Helena, Napa Valley - A Delicious Dinner

The last restaurant where we dined during our stay in the Napa Valley was Tra Vigne (http://travignerestaurant.com/tv.html) in St. Helena. The meal was very nice.

Tra Vigne, which means "Among the Vines" was fairly large and was only about one third full. It had a neat-looking bar.

Inside Tra Vigne

Chef Michael Chiarello, the owner of Bottega, where we had dined the previous evening, had formerly worked at Tra Vigne.

We were seated at a table for two. Our waitress was a blonde woman named Cheryl.

My wife started with Forni Brown Gardens Organic Lettuces Salad for $9. In addition to the lettuces, it had Spring Mountain Pears, candied walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and red wine vinaigrette. It had lots of pears. She enjoyed it very much.

My first course was Mozzarella Cheese "Al Minuto" on grilled bruschetta for $14. The cheese was house-made that day. I added heirloom tomatoes for an extra $7. The melted cheese was put on four large slices of bread. The tomatoes were served separately. The bruschetta with cheese was tasty, but the best part was the heirloom tomatoes. They were incredibly delicious. I thought that one piece of bruschetta was a bit burned. I did not like its taste. My wife thought it was fine. The bruschetta portions were large enough that this dish could easily have been shared among four people.

The lady who served our meal (not the waitress) had an unenthusiastic, monotone voice. She said words like "enjoy" in a way that sounded robotic.

My wife's entrée was butternut squash ravioli with toasted sage brown butter, amaretti cookie crumbs, and parmesan for $18. She loved the dish and said that one great thing about it was that she could distinctly taste the ingredients with which the ravioli was filled.

My entrée was Maltagliati Verde - herb-infused, house-made pasta with Pozzi Ranch lamb and sangiovese wine sugo for $16. It was delicious. I was a bit put off by the olive green color of the pasta, but that was my problem, not any defect in the dish. The name of this pasta - maltagliati - means, "badly cut." It derives its name from the fact that it is made with scraps left over from making other pasta.

Our wine was a 2007 Benessere sangiovese from St. Helena for $58. It was very nice. It did not taste like a Tuscan sangiovese.

For dessert, we both had the butterscotch panna cotta with sea salt caramel, crème frâiche, and rosemary, accompanied by hazlenut cookies for $9. It was terrific.

We finished with espresso - a single for my wife for $3.25 and a double for me for $4. The espresso was delicious - much better than the miniscule serving we'd had at Bottega the previous evening.

Bistro Jeanty, Yountville, Napa Valley - A Very Enjoyable Dinner

Our dinner at Bistro Jeanty (http://www.bistrojeanty.com/) in Yountville, Napa Valley is one more example of the delightful dining experiences my wife and I had during our October trip to California. Bistro Jeanty, which is owned by chef Phillipe Jeanty, is a true French bistro. The cuisine, the decor, and the ambience are all French, but the ingredients are wonderful, locally-produced foods. The restaurant has been awarded one Michelin star for each of the past three years. (It is very difficult to get one Michelin star. The highest Michelin rating is 3 stars.)

Phillipe Jeanty was born and raised in the Champagne region of France. His father worked for the Moet & Chandon Champagne House. He came to California in 1977 with a team that established the Chandon restaurant at the Domaine Chandon winery in Yountville. He opened Bistro Jeanty in 1998. It deservedly has an excellent reputation.

The interior is decorated with lots of genuine French antique posters, signs, and other antiques, which Jeanty acquires during trips to France. One of the antiques close to our table was a metal horse head sculpture hanging over our fireplace. I commented to Kathy, our server, that such horse heads used to hang outside French eateries that specialized in serving horse meat. She explained that this horse head had been used in France for just such a purpose.

This fall's menu can be viewed at http://www.bistrojeanty.com/home/bistrojeanty/Fall%20Menu%20122311.pdf

Since the restaurant was busy and we were early, we had to wait a few minutes for our table. We were seated at a table near the fireplace.

We both started out with Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry (Crème de Tomate en Croute) for $10.50. Before coming to the bistro, I had read Internet reviews stating that this tomato soup was superb. That assessment was right on the mark. The recipe for this dish can be found at http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/creme_de_tomate_en_croute_bistro_jeanty.

Tomato Soup in Puff Pastry

As her main course, my wife had Ham and Leek Quiche (Quiche aux Poireaux) with butter lettuce salad for $17.50. She thought this dish was decent, but unexciting.

I had the Mussels Steamed in Red Wine with Grilled Bread (Moules au Vin Rouge) for $18.50. The dish was wonderful.

As you might expect, the baguette served with our dinner was great.

For dessert, my wife had the Lemon Meringue Tart with Candied Orange Sauce (Tarte au Citron) for $8.50. The meringue was really high. It was delicious.

Lemon Merignue Pie

I had the Creamy Rice Pudding with Brandied Cherries “Griotines” (Riz au Lait) for $8.50. It was good, but not great.

For our wine, we each had a glass of 2009 Venge “Muhlner Steps Vineyard” Napa Valley syrah for $12 per glass. It was very nice, but it was a big wine that took a while to open up.

The wine list offered a nice mix of California and French wines with quite a range of prices - starting at $25 per bottle and going up to $5,000 per bottle for a 1918 (yes - 1918) Château Latour Pauillac 1er Grand Cru.

I finished with an espresso for $3.

Café La Haye - Perfect Way to End the Day

In October, we capped off a great day of wine tasting at Simi, Dry Creek Vineyard, Truett-Hurst, and Ferrari Carano with a delicious meal at Café La Haye (http://cafelahaye.com/index.php?_page=menu), just off Sonoma Plaza in Sonoma. We dined their with our Sonoma hosts. All four of us really enjoyed our meal  - meeting our expectations after reading great Internet reviews.

From  Café La Haye's nice, creative menu, my wife  chose:

- tomato leek purée with bacon, the soup of the day, for $8.

- rigatoni with sweet Italian sausage, summer ratatouille, and fresh mozzarella, for $18.95

I had:

- mussel-saffron soup with chorizo for $12

- quail with a balsamic jus, lemon couscous, and shaved pear & fennel salad got $26.95.

One of our hosts had the pasta and the other had the filet mignon for $26.95.

Our wine was a 2007 Hughes Family Wild Turkey Zinfandel, recommended Hannah, our server, for $36. It was excellent.

One nice aspect of Cafe La Haye and many of the California restaurants we enjoyed is that they use high quality ingredients from local farms.

A "Navy Day" Lunch at Cafe 522, Sonoma

During our recent stay in Sonoma, I had the pleasure of having a “Navy Day” lunch with my host and four of his former Navy colleagues. They get together for lunch about once a month. The group was very welcoming, and I enjoyed chatting with them.

My host and two of his colleagues had served as Commanding Officer of the naval activity at Skaggs Island, which had been located nearby and which had closed in 1993.

One of the colleagues who had served as Commanding Officer at Skaggs Island had later served as the Deputy Commander of a major naval command. That same colleague had worked in the local wine industry for a number of years after his retirement.

I was the only one in the group who had not done a full career in the Navy, and the only one who had not been an officer. I will refrain from saying that, on the basis of my Navy enlisted experience, I did my best to mentor these officers and keep them out of trouble.

We started with a drink at Murphy’s Irish Pub (http://www.sonomapub.com/) at 464 1^St E in downtown Sonoma. The group normally starts at Murphy’s, then has lunch somewhere else, and often returns to Murphy’s.  I could easily see why they liked to start at Murphy’s. It had a very warm and friendly atmosphere.

After our start at Murphy’s, we headed out to lunch. We walked two blocks to Cafe 522 (http://www.cafe522.com/ ) at 522 Broadway, on the south side of Sonoma Plaza.

The cafe was relatively new, but you would never know it. The food was excellent and the service was efficient and friendly. We all had a nice time and tasty meals.

My meal was great! I had macaroni and cheese with Vella cheddar and jack cheese, baily-long ranch bacon, and garlic-thyme breadcrumbs for $12. Vella Cheese (http://www.vellacheese.com/) is a Sonoma company that produces fine artisanal cheeses.

Although, the lunch and dinner menus were not extensive, I could see at least five other dishes I would like to have tried.

One member of the group brought a bottle of wine from his son’s winery. It was a very nice 2009 Hindsight Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  That member not only treated us to the wine, but to our whole meal. Thanks Jim!

Another brought a 1999 Petit Sirah from Deer Park Winery in St. Helena. The wine had been produced at a time when he had played an important role at the winery.

Salito's in Sausalito - A Tasty Lunch

During our October trip to California in October, my wife and I stopped for lunch in Sausalito on our way from San Francisco to Sonoma. We had a very pleasant lunch at Salito's at 1200 Bridgeway.


Normally, I do a bit of research before choosing a restaurant. In this case, I did not. I made my selection on the basis of two criteria - waterfront location and available parking. We were very happy with the results. (I have seen mixed reviews at Yelp.com and other sites.)


Between San Francisco and Sausalito, we made two stops close to Sausalito:
1. North Vista Point, which is located on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It offers beautiful views of San Francisco and the Bay.
2. Marin Headlands, which is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It affords stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Golden Gate strait, whichlinks the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay.

Until this year, Salito's had been called Paradise Bay, which I believe had operated under that name for many years.

The restaurant is right on the waterfront amd has beautiful views of Richardson Bay. We could see a forest of sailboat masts from the restaurant.

A View from Salito's

Salito's has an outdoor dining area with bar, and an indoor dining area. We chose to dine inside.

The Outdoor Dining Area

My wife had a buttermilk-battered whitefish filet fishwich, with coleslaw and extra-virgin olive oil on the sandwich for $9.95 and a diet coke for $3. Her coke was served in a glass, but extra coke was provided in a decanter-style bottle.

My lunch was really good:

- A plate of eight wide half slices of San Daniele prosciutto for $8.95. San Daniele is one of the very best of the Italian prosciuttos.

- A dish of cavolo fritto - fried cabbage, bacon, and thin slices of pecorino, thin slices of carrot, onions, capers and parsley - for $4.95. It was terrific!

- House-made kettle bread baked and served hot in a skillet for $1. It was wonderful.

- A Glass of Kenwood Merlot for $9.

Cavolo Fritto, San Daniele Prosciutto, & Kettle Bread

Morimoto Napa - An Iron Chef Experience

Famed Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto operates a number of restaurants in the U.S. and abroad, including one in Napa (http://morimotonapa.com/). The cuisine is a fusion of Japanese and western ingredients. We enjoyed a superb meal there during our recent trip to California.

Morimoto was originally a professional baseball player in the Japanese major leagues. However, after a shoulder injury ended his career, he turned to cooking.

The entrance to Morimoto Napa is situated along Main St. in Napa. The restaurant features a sushi bar, lounge, large main dining room, and outdoor patio dining area. The dining room and outdoor patio front along the Napa River, with heaters to warm the outdoor area. The ambience is bright, modern, and very casual. The  restaurant is very large and it was packed. It was very lively.

The menu was great, with too many interesting choices. Every bite of our meal was wonderful. I would love to have dined there several times.

My wife started with a Tempura Shrimp Sushi Roll for $9, with tempura shrimp, asparagus, and a spicy sauce. It was fantastic.

My appetizer was pork gyoza with garlic, chives, tomato, and bacon cream for $16. It was different from traditional gyoza. The filling had the consistency of sausage. It was delicious.

 Pork Gyoza

My wife's entrée was Morimoto Pork Chop and Apple Sauce, with kimchee, bacon, and ginger apple purée for$34. The pork chop was marinated in miso sauce for 24 hours. It was a large serving and very tasty.

Pork Chop

My entrée was Seafood Toban Yaki - lobster, king crab, mussels, clams, and diver scallops, with baby bok choy in a red miso sake broth - for $39. It was seasoned with the Morimoto 7, which our server described as having 5 types of Korean chilis, cumin, and paprika. It was filled with seafood and the taste was terrific.

Seafood Toban Yaki



I had a side of Japanese-style rice for $6

We both had the same dessert - Bi Bim Bop - a sushi rice pudding with mango ice cream and tropical fruit for $12 per serving. Like everything else, it was delicious.

Our wine was a 2010 Duckhorn Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc from St. Helena for $50. It was very nice and a perfect accompaniment for our meal.

The only minor problem with the restaurant was that it was noisy - both because of the lively crowd and the acoustics.

In view of the great popularity of this restaurant, I recommend reservations long in advance.

ご馳走様でした。大変おいしかったです。

A Memorable Dinner at Ristorante Bottega, Yountville

One of the best of many wonderful meals we had during our recent visit to California was at Bottega Ristorante in Yountville, Napa Valley. It was very close to Bistro Jeanty, where we'd had dinner the previous evening. It was an easy drive down Route 29 from our hotel in St. Helena.

The restaurant was large and doing a bustling business. It had a very nice, but not intimate atmosphere. Our server was James was extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and professional. I had lots of questions and he had lots of great answers.

The menu was extremely creative and the food was fantastic.  The owner is famous chef Michael Chiarello. The executive chef is Robert Hohmann.

When I told James that I wanted to order a bottle of Zinfandel, perhaps from Grgich Hills winery, he suggested instead a 2008 Paradigm Zinfandel from nearby Oakville. He said that only about 200 cases per year are produced. It was $53, and in the same price range as the Grgich Hills. We followed his suggestion and are glad we did. The wine, produced by famous winemaker Heidi Barrett, was terrific.

When I returned home, I discovered that the lowest on-line price I could find was $34.95 plus shipping, so the $53 cost was really low for a restaurant. Restaurant wine prices are generally two to three times retail. Michael Chiarello states in the introduction to his wine menu that his wines are aggressibely priced to afford diners the opportunity to drink better wines.

My wife's appetizer was "Succotash" - forno-roasted summer squash and sweet corn. cherry tomato, ricotta and chili-stuffed squash blossom, arugula leaves, and "corn pudding" that was really not a pudding. It was delicious.

My appetizer was Burrata Caprese - creamy whipped mozzarella burrata, Golden Bear Ranch heirloon tomatoes, deep-fried bruschetta, and basil oil and balsamic caviar. It was an incredible dish. The bruschetta was probably the best I've ever had. The "caviar" was made from the balsamic vinegar.

We both had the same main course - Risotto Calabrese - risotto with Calabrian sausage, butter, parmesan cheese, oregano, cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese. It was terrific.

For dessert, my wife had Tiramisu Profiteroles - tiramisu and sponge cake gelato with "Cocoa Puff" chocolate sauce - for $10.

I had Caramel Fig Crostata for $10. Since I could not remember all the details of this mouth-watering dessert, I sent an email to Bottega, and received a detailed answer from the restaurant’s General Manager, Joël Hoachuck. The recipe for the dish is:

House made dough pie crust

Traditional caramel

Fresh fig halves

Fresh minced thyme & grated lemon zest

(about ½ tbsp of butter added for richness during baking)

Sprinkled with coarse “disco” sugar

To finish:

Scoop of house made crème fraîche sherbet

The gremolata is in fact a biscotti cookie crumble (consisting of almond anise, chocolate pistachio and cinnamon)

Caramel Fig Crostata

 After dessert, we each had an espresso for $3.25. These cups of espresso were the smallest I have ever had, and I’ve had many espressos all over the U.S., Italy, and France. We almost needed a microscope to find the coffee.

Yemeni-Moroccan-California Fusion in SF

While we were in San Francisco earlier this month, we had a terrific dinner at Saha (http://www.sahasf.com) - which offers a wonderful and unusual fusion of Yemeni Arabic, Moroccan, and California cuisines with French influences. In addition to Middle Eastern and North African dishes, Saha has many vegan dishes like shiitake mango ravioli, and many creative dishes like Salmon Baklava!

 

We had never had Yemeni cuisine, and I was anxious to try it. The experience was great. I wish we lived nearby. I would go there often

The atmosphere is warm and Middle Eastern.

Our waiter was a Moroccan named Hassan. He was very nice. He introduced us to Mohamed Aboghanem, the owner and chef. In our short conversation, Mohamed mentioned that Yemenis tend to use more cumin in their dishes; whereas Levantine Arabs tend to use more allspice.

Hassan began by bringing us some delicious, fresh-baked Moroccan bread with a dip of olive oil, sesame seeds and thyme.

My wife decided to have two appetizer dishes. She started with the traditional Arabic kibbeh. There are many versions of kibbeh - both cooked and raw. Saha serves a cooked version. It has an outer shell of cracked wheat (bulgur wheat) stuffed with ground beef, onions, pine nuts, and spices. It is served with a tomato sauce and leban (Middle Eastern Yoghurt). It was very tasty. (My mother used to make incredible kibbeh.)

I started with Lahem Sougar, a Yemeni dish. It involved grass-fed lamb sautéed with sumac, pine nuts, and olive oil, and served over Baba Ghanoush, with pita bread, olives, and harissa sauce. It was delicious, and cost $16.

My wife’s second appetizer dish was Bastilla, a Moroccan dish with chicken, almonds, onions, egg, parsley, and spices, wrapped in phyllo dough, baked with powdered sugar garnish and served over saffron sauce. It was wonderful and cost $12.

Bastilla

I had Helba, a Yemeni national dish made with okra, potatoes, fenugreek, rice and vegetable broth. Saha offers three versions - with only vegetables, with lamb and ground beef, and with wild salmon, ahi and scallops. I had the version with lamb & ground beef for $23. It was served with excellent pita bread. The Helba was fantastic. (Diners who have never had really fresh, genuine pita bread, rather than the mediocre supermarket versions are missing a real treat.)  

Our wine was a Nyers 2010 Vista Luna Borden Ranch Dry Creek Zinfandel for $41. It was very, very nice.

For dessert, my wife had crème brulée.

I had a Yemeni cake called Bisbusa, with syrup, strawberries, and pistacchio gelato for $6. It was very tasty.

One minor disappointment was that Saha did not serve Arabic coffee, so I had a cup of San Francisco Coffee Company coffee. Saha does serve Arabic tea.

Saha is located in the Hotel Carlton at 1075 Sutter St. Phone 415-345-9547. The night we were there, the restaurant was very busy, so I would strongly recommend reservations.

To get a really good appreciation of Saha, see the YouTube story at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlyZLGfJrQE

A "Relatively" Delicious Dinner

Last week, we enjoyed a delightful evening and delicious dinner hosted by my cousin and his wife, who live in Sonoma. My cousin in a superb cooking and is very knowledgeable about wines.

We started with an appetizer plate that included fig jam and crackers, olives, stuffed peppers.

The wine my cousin served with the appetizers was a 2009 Alexandra Gianna Pinot Grigio made by a friends of my cousin and his wife. The wine is produced by Jon and Carol Sebastiani, and is named after their youngest daughter. I rated it as excellent - at the top of my wine grading system.

The first dish was a fantastic mussel dish prepared by my cousin. The ingredients included mussels, pancetta, roma tomato, chicken broth, half a stick of butter, and a half bottle of white wine. I love mussels and pancetta, and this was one of the best mussel dishes I have ever had, and better than a terrific one I had at Bistro Jeanty last night.

The next wine that my cousin opened was a 2004 Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon, from Kenwood in Sonoma County. It was also excellent.

The second dish was prepared by his wife. It was equally delicious - with a jalapeño vinaigrette that included apple cider vinegar, jalapeño, onions, garlic, and cilantro.

The table where we ate the appetizers and main courses was very interesting. It was made from a massive wooded beam from an old house they had renovated in San Francisco.

We moved to the living room for dessert - pumpkin pie and ice cream. We love pumpkin pie, and ice cream is always high on Linda's list.

The dessert wine my cousin served was a 1994 Carmenet late harvest sauvignon blanc. We enjoyed it, but he thought it was not very good.

Despite all of the wonderful conversation, food and wine, there was one major flaw that may outweigh all of the pleasure of the evening - the colors of the different cloth napkins they used did not match. We suggest that they may wish to attend napkin matching school. (Only joking, of course.)

Nopa - More Fine, Fun Frisco Food

Tonight, my wife and I had dinner at Nopa (http://nopasf.com/), which had been recommended to s by our terrific niece who lives in the area. Nopa, which is located at 560 Divisadero, was packed when we arrived. I wasn't surprised because it wasn't easy to get a reservation.

The crowd was primarily young and very animated - obviously having a great time. We were seated on the second level, which was quieter. The second level overlooked the first.

Our server was Ryan. He was very knowledgeable, pleasant, and professional. He was from Minnesota. The menu was very creative, so it was very hard to choose. Almost everything that is made, like pasta and sausage, is made in house.

We were served an amuse bouche of a long green bean each with Molden sea salt, a gourmet sea salt from the UK.

Linda and I shared an appetizer of crostini, with a warm goat cheese spread, fresh plums, and watercress for $11. It was wonderful. There were lots of crostini and a nice ramekin of goat cheese. It was perfect for sharing.

Linda's entrée was a Moroccan vegetable tagine with roasted almonds and lemon yoguhrt for $18. It was delicious.

My entrée was housemade pappardelle with spicy fennel sausage, delicata squach, and a cream sauce with parmesan for $19. It was fantastic.

For dessert, we shared Jonathan apple crisp with calvados ice cream for $8. It was delicious.

One interesting-sounding dessert was Johnny cake with roasted corn ice cream and bacon brittle for $8.

With dessert, I had a 2-cup pot of coffee that was made from a blend of three African coffees - one Ugandan coffee and two Ethiopian coffees - Yirgacheff and Sidamo. It was terrific.

Our wine was a southern Rhône red - 2009 Alain Graillot Crozes-Hermitage for $50. It was very nice.

The total cost of this delightful dinner was $121.47.

When we left the restaurant about 11:15 pm, it was still three-quarters full and customers were still coming in.

Delicious Japanese Ramen - Katana-Ya

One Japanese dish I love is ramen. These are not the tiny, short noodles found on U.S. supermarket shelves. Rather these are long noodles served in large bowls with a variety of ingredients. I had ramen in many small ramen shops throughout Japan during the 4 years I lived there. I always loved it. It was best in winter, when the hot soup warmed body and soul.

Ramen in Japan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramen) is served in different broths. The major types are miso, soy (shouyu), salt (shio), and tonkotsu (not tonkatsu).

Toppings in the ramen can include things like pork slices, seaweed, onions, corn, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, boiled eggs, etc.

There are many Japanese restaurants in San Francisco that serve Ramen. My wonderful niece, who lives in the area, recommended Katana-ya, which means something like, "Sword Shop."

The night before last, I followed her recommendation, and went to the restaurant at 430 Geary St., about a block and a half from Union Square. My wife, who was tired from our long trip to San Francisco, decided not to join me.

When I walked up to Katana-ya, there were a number of young people, mostly Asian-Americans, waiting outside for tables.

I walked up to a stand just outside the front door, where there was a waiting list. One of the people next to the stand said I should write my name on the list. I did that. Next to the names on the list was a column for the number of people in the party. All of the other names on the list had parties of two or more. That was fortunate for me, my name was the next one called.

I was put at the sushi bar. I ordered a bowl of Corn-butter Ramen for $9.50 and a 16 oz. Sapporo draft beer. The ramen was in a huge bowl as it is served in Japan. The ingredients included long ramen noodles, green onions, two slices of tender pork, corn, butter, greens, and several other ingredients. It was fantastic! The total cost came to $15.73.

At least three of the servers spoke Japanese, so when two of them asked me at different times how the ramen was, I told them in Japanese that it was wonderful.

ご馳走様でした大変おいしかったです！

Breakfast at Sears Fine Food, San Francisco

This morning, my wife and I had breakfast at Sears Fine Food (http://www.searsfinefood.com/), which is located at 439 Powell St., about a block and a half from our hotel. I chose this restaurant because of many excellent reviews on Yelp.com.
The restaurant, which was founded in 1938, has an extensive breakfast menu. Breakfast is served until 3 pm, and overlaps with lunch service, which begins at 11 am.

The restaurant, which is very large, was almost full. Fortunately, we were seated right away.

Linda started with a regular coffee for $2.45. She found it very flavorful. I had a double mocha for $4.70. It was rich and delicious.

Linda had scrambled eggs with hash browns and sourdough toast for $8.95. The dish was tasty. She also had a large glass of orange juice for $4.25. She would rather have had a small glass, but only large glasses were on the menu.

My meal was fantastic. I had the restaurant's famous Swedish pancackes - a plate of 18 small, thin pancakes for $9.95. I added lingonberries to put on top for $2.25. I had a side of country sausage for $3.50. I loved the pancakes and sausage.

Even though the restaurant was crowded, the service was efficient and friendly.

The total for our breakfast came to $39.11 - more then we would have paid at home, but then this is downtown San Francisco.

San Francisco's Restaurant Gary Danko - An Unforgettable Experience

There are restaurants, Restaurants, RESTAURANTS, and RESTAURANTS. Restaurant Gary Danko is a RESTAURANT. Last night, my wife and I enjoyed a superb dinner there.

Restaurant Gary Danko (RGD) is located at 800 North Point St. at the intersection with Hyde St. It is a short distance from Fisherman's Wharf. RGD only takes reservations by phone. The phone nr. is 415-749-2060. Reservations should be made long in advance. The restaurant was full the whole time we were there, and we saw diners arriving at least as late as 10:30.

We arrived at the restaurant at 9:10 - 20 minutes before our reeservation time. However, we were seated within 3-4 minutes.

Our server, Darrin, was terrific. He was efficient, friendly, and extremely knowedgeable about the cuisine. I was very impressed when I heard him spend several minutes describing in great detail to diners at the next table the many offerings on the cheese cart.

RGD only offers prix-fixe menus. The three-course menu is $69, the four-course menu is $87, and the five-course menu is $102. There is also a five-course tasting menu for $102 and wine pairing for $60.

The menu at RGD is superbly creative. I had a very difficult time choosing. The menu can be seen at http://www.garydanko.com/flash/GaryDanko.html.

We both decided to do the three-course prix-fixe meal.

We started with an amuse bouche, a gift from the chef. It was an incredibly delicious tomato-fennel soup with roasted red pepper, diced onion, leeks, garlic, and basil.

The bread were were served throughout the meal was wonderful. I agreed with my wife's view that we could have made a meal of a bowl of the amuse bouche soup, the bread, and wine.

Our first course was an appetizer:

My wife had Risotto with Lobster, Rock Shrimp, Shimeji Mushrooms, Peas, Corn and Roasted Tomatoes. It was fantastic.

I had Lobster Salad with Asian Pear, Mango, Avocado, Cashews and Lime Cilantro Rémoulade. It was also superb.

Our second course was an entrée:

My wife had Herb Crusted Lamb Loin with Tian of Summer Vegetables and Polenta. It was delicious.

I had a wonderful Juniper Crusted Bison with King Trumpet Mushrooms, Glazed Cipollini Onions and Herb Spaetzle.

Our third course was dessert:

My wife had Roasted Fig Tart with Almond Frangipane and Raspberry Ice Cream. It was nice, but not what she expected. She thought the figs would be incorporated into the tart. Instead, three figs and several raspberries were on top of the almond frangipane.

I had the Crème Fraiche Cheesecake with Caramelized Pecans, Summer Berries and Strawberry Sorbet. It was mouth watering.

Our wine was a southern Rhône red - 2007 Perrin & Fils "Les Christins," made from 80% grenache and 20% syrah for $60. It was very nice.

Our wine sommelier was, Deanna, who was very knowledgeable and charming. She has been a sommelier for 9 years.

The restaurant says that its wine list contains over 1,200 selections from 15 countries, with vintages spanning three centuries. The wine list is available at http://www.garydanko.com/site/winelist.html. It has earned aWine Spectator Grand Award.

As an anniversary present, Darrin served us:
- A lemon icebox cake - sorbet with cream
- nine fantastic little artisinal sweets

Finally, Darrin brought us a parting gift of two wrapped Gary Danko breakfast cakes. We had the breakfast cakes as a snack this afternoon. They were very tasty - like a banana bread.

The service was impeccable except for one small hiccup. It took a while for our dessert to arrive. However, a member of the staff advised us immediately after our entree plates were cleared that the dessert would be slow to arrive.

It was interesting to observe how the staff worked with one another as an efficient and professional team.
The restaurant had a cab waiting for us as we walked out the front door. (Darrin had asked us earlier if we had driven or come by cab.)