This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Restaurant Gary Danko Doesn't Disappoint

Michelin-starred restaurant Gary Danko serves sublime food at surprisingly reasonable prices.

No sign of a recession at Gary Danko in San Francisco a few weeks ago; its simple, elegant dining room was filled with diners holding animated conversations.

It was our first visit to this award-winning restaurant, considered the height of sophisticated cuisine. Our friends, however, are regulars and we received attentive service from our first step inside.

We'd no sooner been seated than a bottle of chilled sparkling wine appeared. It was sublime. I didn't look at the bottle myself, but was surprised to hear later that it was Louis Bouillot Cremant de Bourgogne Rose, a lower-priced sparkling wine with much more heart than more expensive champagnes we’ve drunk.

Find out what's happening in Campbellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Shortly after we ordered,  we were served amuse bouche: a tiny portion of a cold, cucumber asparagus soup and a salmon blini topped with Osetra caviar. Delicious.

A magnificent lobster, rock shrimp and asparagus risotto was my appetizer; the portion was large enough to have served as my main course. Nearly every forkful held a plump chunk of tender lobster or shrimp meat in arborio rice seasoned and cooked to creamy perfection. I could have stopped there and been perfectly happy. The big controversy with risotto is whether to stir it while cooking or not. I don't know which side of the fence Gary Danko comes down on, but it was perfect.

My husband ordered the ahi tuna appetizer prepared in a citrusy marinade and served with small slices of avocado. He said Danko's version followed through on its tantalizing plate appeal. The texture of the avocado offset the tuna nicely. His main course was beef fillet, flavorful and so tender he could cut it with his fork.

My main course was horseradish crusted salmon medallions with dilled cucumber and mustard sauce. Two perfectly-portioned medallions sat artfully on my plate, the horseradish crust so thick it looked like an en croute pastry. They were fresh, perfectly cooked and tender--Gary Danko deserves its Michelin star just for the perfection of these medallions. However, the sauce was heavy on the dill, overpowering the delectable salmon. The portion wasn't large, but I didn't finish it.

Find out what's happening in Campbellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We were offered a wide array of cheeses from the restaurant's cheese cart. We left the selection to our waiter and enjoyed the four slices that appeared on our plates, accompanied by a cluster of purple grapes and a nut bread.

The chef sent over a small berry brioche "pre-dessert," which was delicious enough to have been on the menu.

A trio of creme brulee in most fine restaurants means three almost thimble-sized ramekins. At Gary Danko, the serving was generous and rich. All three were beautifully crusty with perfect texture. I probably shouldn't have begun with the delicious Nutella creme brulee, whose bold flavor dominated my palate so that I was unable to enjoy the delicate taste of the vanilla version. The Makers Mark bourbon creme brulee was too strong for me. Less would have been more: the three flavors failed to make a harmonious whole; any single one of them, though, would have made a delicious offering. The Nutella creme brulee, especially, proved the point that a small serving of a fabulous dessert is quite enough.

My husband had the baked chocolate souffle with two sauces. He was surprised to find it was more a chiffon than a souffle; he would choose another dessert next time.

The meal ended with a small pedestal of mini-pastries and chocolate truffles, which looked wonderful but we were too full to enjoy. As a parting gift, the ladies were given a small banana cream filled bread to take home for breakfast. It was scrumptious.

The portions in each course were perfect. We ate well but didn't leave the table groaning that we were stuffed.

Vegetarian options did not appear on the menu. These days and especially in San Francisco, it was a surprising omission.

Virtually all fine restaurants serve unexpected little mini-courses in between the courses diners have ordered.  I'm just not sure they are all necessary. I loved the amuse bouche starters at Gary Danko, but the pre-dessert berry dish and the post-dessert mini-cookies were too much. It would be cute to wrap the mini-cookies and give them out as a midnight snack, but in effect, we were served three desserts and it was just too much.

If you fear the cost of a dinner like this, don't: it was surprisingly reasonable.

We were delighted our friends are regulars and able to get a relatively last-minute reservation. We plan to visit again very soon.

Gary Danko/800 N Point St/ San Francisco, CA 94109-1228
(415) 749-2060

Carol blogs daily at www.middle-aged-diva.blogspot.com

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?