Heading to SF, and my wife and I will be without the kid one night. Any suggestions for a blow-out meal? We can’t make it up to Napa to try to for French Laundry, but any ideas for something memorable like that?
Thanks
Marc,
Check out Saison, you will love it! I just had my birthday dinner there last weekend and it was delicious and a very comfortable and fun place.
Cheers,
Kimberly
Acquerello, Gary Danko, La Folie, Quince (haven’t been but have heard great things)! Enjoy!
Ill add in a 2nd for Danko and Quince and also suggest RN74, Boulevard, Piperade and Fleur de Lis. My favorite restaurant in the US is Danko and you need reservations way in advance and its worth the effort.
I would agree with Gary Danko and the Boulevard.
Bob
Thanks - I now have some websites to visit…
Marc, on 2nd thought after re-reading your request, the “blowout dinner” is definitely Danko, forget the other recs I provided. I remember a few years back, we ate at Danko on one night and the French Laundry the next and both were stellar and RGD was the better of the two without a doubt considering the entire experience; Blowout type.
Just looked at Gary Danko’s website and they allow booking 2 months in advance and give pref to callers.
Acquerello for an intimate, special experience that is not off-the-charts expensive. One of the most reliable restaurants I know of anywhere. Superb wine service. I think the difference between Fleur de Lys and Acquerello is that FDL has a bit of pretense - too much awareness of what is elegant - whereas Acquerello just does what they do naturally. Although I did ask the woman with the cheese cart to just make some selections for us - she was being intrusive to an intimate conversation - and I had to redirect her.
If you want something a bit livelier, try Spruce. I was only there once, but I loved it. Other foodies do, as well.
I have been to Boulevard many, many times, but my visit there last summer was very mundane, and the visit prior to that was similar. Someone had suggested it was “tired,” and perhaps it is true. Others, as recently as last week, swear by it.
IMO Gary Danko is a glorified tourist trap. Food is good but not inspired, the service is just acceptable and the tables are about 10" apart. Make sure you hold your elbows in or else it can get amusing with the servers.
I’d agree with Gary Danko being a tourist trap.
Ermmm… danko hasn’t been interesting in a longggg while. Their service is top notch, but their food is no longer of interest if you’re coming from another foodie haven such as Chicago.
Coi and Benu are other choices. Benu has a Chinese/Korean slant to their French techniques. Chef of Benu was longtime Chef de cuisine of the French Laundry.
Thanks everyone for the feedback on Gary Danko and everything else. I’ve been reading up on Chowhound and Eater as well, and with all the feedback, my list is now Coi, Saison, Acquerello or Atelier Crenn. If only my four year old could tolerate a 3 hour meal, I’d try all of them!
After reading some of the negative posts re Danko, I have to admit I am very surprised. I`ve eaten there more than 20 times over the past 10 years including events in their private dinning room and always found the service to be tops with a commitment to detail and accommodating, the menu to be varied and numerous options within each course, the food to be creative and presented with class and elegance, the wine list to be world class and the cheese cart to be extraordinary.
My wife and I select a table for 2 in the main dinning room [to the right] and never have been cramped and always have been able to have our own conversation without other interference.
I would have wished everyone else to have had the same, quality experience we`ve had.
Many foodie and sommelier friends in the Bay Area have consistently unsolicitedly offered, Danko to be a top class SF restaurant.
Since it has been many months since my last visit, I shall return to discover if things have changed and if so, move on and retract my recommendation in future threads.
Cheers.
Service has always been THE top point for Danko. I don’t think anyone is disputing that. However, while their food changes a little bit season to season, it no longer offers any surprises. After eating there several times in a year, and then going back the following year, I found the menu to repeat their all-star favorites (good dishes I admit), but experienced my risotto to be undercooked-crunchy.
As the OP is coming from Chicago, there are restaurants in Chicago that serve food exactly like Danko. But if one doesn’t mind that, and enjoys the service, then Danko is a good choice. To be fair, their five course “tasting” menu is a good value for the experience received.
Marc,
I have never been to FL and I would imagine nothing in the City would compare. Danko is a lovely place and would suggest going if you have never been. Yes the food is somewhat stale if you have been there multiple times, but service is top notch and more of a traditional fine dining atmosphere. Other restaurants along the same lines are Quince, Masa’s, Jardiniere, Spruce and La Folie. All the other suggestions are fantastic in their own way. It really depends on cuisine and the atmosphere you’re looking for. Please note that my suggestions tend to attract an older less hip crowd. Also Spruce is a neighborhood place and is a little further away from downtown. Enjoy!
I’d argue that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Danko aside from the food.
The split over Danko is similar to the split I saw reading Chowhound. There are a few top places here in Chicago that have been around for a while and garner that divisiveness. Looking at Danko online, it reminds me of some great meals I’ve had, but fits into the more old guard box (not that there’s anything wrong with that, to pull Seinfeld out of context).
This has been great because now I have some choices depending on whether I want to go more traditional or more quirky.
I have a close friend who was so upset at how they were treated (I believe it was a corkage issue)that he will never go back. Of all the places I went with him, he refused to take me there.
I have only been to LaFolie once, but I loved it. Could have had something to do with ordering (and enjoying immensely)the white truffle pasta ($50 surcharge per person). That pumped the bill up! But as I was not paying the bill, I absolutely loved my meal there.
Love Danko but haven’t been a few years. Recently, Atelier Crenn was outstanding. The “poetic” concept tasting dinner is a bid different but the food was just fantastic. Great service. Very small place. We did the wine pairing b/c we just had no idea what was coming out of the kitchen. Michelin 2 star that I would have to say is accurate; though I don’t always agree with Michelin’s assessment in the US.
JD