Ugh...am up way too early on my vacation day. Still, it's nice to get a jump on the day, even though I'm not sure I wanted it to start with a phone call from a continuing education school.
"You can't make an omelet without breaking the eggs."-Joseph Campbell
But what better way to start the 100th Post (w00t!) with talking about my recent trip with Mymymy, Mr. Jones and the Germ to here:
Gary DankoOh yes people.
It lives up to the hype.
No matter what people tell you, listen to the Penny.
It lives up to the hype.
It lives up to the hype on a level where I felt disrespectful taking pictures of any of my food. So you guys will have to deal with my descriptions.
It was my parents' 35th Anniversary on July 1st, and they celebrated just with us-instead of the whole family like they did a couple of years ago. But as a special treat, they took us to Restaurant Gary Danko-one of the premiere 4 star restaurants in San Francisco. So many amazing reviews both from professionals and friends had been thrust in my face over the years that I had actually requested Gary Danko for my birthday one year. And of course, was laughed at royally. But for a 35th Anniversary, my parents aquiesced.
Have also been told that the interior of the restaurant has since been updated from their opening. I was under the distinct impression that the decor used to read old East Coast Boys Club with heavy, dark wood paneling, velvet drapes and the like. Now the interior, reads a little Vegas and a little hotel restaurant. The wall paint is mostly a salmon pink with huge backlit crystal flower arrangements at the corners of the room. To me, the most disturbing is the angled upper clerestory of mirrors that is EXACTLY what Walgreen's uses in their stores for security. I wasn't a big fan of the decor-except for the table arrangments which was a low silver bud vase of roses set among the crystal and china. It's also INCREDIBLY noisy in here. Not because people are being overly raucous-but because every table is FILLED with hungry diners. And the bar wasn't doing too bad business either.
On to the food!
Amuse bouche: Zucchini soup, creme fraiche, basil oil, smoked haddock.
The fresh mellow summer taste of zucchini-lacking any of the characteristic bitterness that you can get from cooked zucchini, balanced with the rich creme fraiche. The smoked haddock added a lovely big of umami and smoke that tempered the zucchini flavors.
First course: Seared fois gras with caramelized onions, cherries, au jus and salsify.
Amazingly delicious. I mean, basically, it's a large slice of FAT that's just seared til crispy then served over meltingly sweet and tender caramelized onions with seasonal cherries that were braised in the au jus-but still remain decidedly firm and juicy. I loved that attention to detail with this dish. Most of the time, cherries will be stewed within an inch of their lives and are delivered mushy and over sweet. These cherries retained shape and texture and just a hint of sourness to balance the richness of the fois and the sweetness of the onions. Adding their hint of spiciness was the green salsify. This is one of those 'perfect bite' dishes-add every flavor together and you get exactly what the chef was going for; perfect palate harmony.
Second course: Seared ahi tuna with avocado, nori, enoki mushrooms, lemon-soy vinagrette, pickled ginger and fresh pea shoots. Fresh and light to balance out the fois gras from the starter. The ahi was coated with shichimi togarishi, then seared til about 1/8" of the outside was cooked, leaving the inner slices pink and tender. Paired with the nori and the other elements into the shape of a butterfly(!). Very little fishy flavor, paired well with the buttery avocado. At times, I found the lemony vinagrette a little overwhelming-but then this is undoubtably the best pickled ginger I've ever had. It seems odd to keep commenting on elements of each dish (onions, ginger)-but sometimes, it's the little things that really show the quality of a chef. I forgot to ask the waiter if they make their own ginger in house, but I would assume so. I can't tell you what made it different; the hue of pink was a shade lighter, the slices more tender, the taste more subtle.
Third course: Pancetta wrapped frogs legs with lentils, sunchoke puree and potato. I had been eying this dish since Mr. Jones had ordered it as his second course. Four crispy legs, completely enrobed in pancetta and served over a pillow of lentils. The sunchoke/potato puree was so rich, I mistook it for beurre blanc. This was like a completely upscale version of buffalo wings-tender meat, wrapped in salty, fatty pancetta paired with the creamy, tiny lentils made for a textural party. (I also had a bite of Mymymy's lobster and it was amazing.)
Fourth course: Bison with cipollini onions, trumped mushrooms and herb spaetzleNew goal: when eating at restaurants, only eat the things you can't or won't cook at home and that you've never had before. Bison was sort of a revelation for me, I don't know if they're hard to raise or people just don't eat them because of a saturated beef market-but the meat was delicious. Not as heavy as beef, but also not gamey like venison. The chef cooked it just right-not too long as to make it tough, but just blackened enough to add character to the exterior which was hand rubbed with spices. Again, the onions were phenomenal. Braised in a balsamic vinegar for some sweet/tartness, their tender veggie flesh was delicious paired with a bite of the bison. I didn't really think the spaetzle was too special tho' (I've had better at Walzwerk)
Dessert course: Black Mission Figs with Port Wine ice cream, Sable Breton, Balsamic caramel and Black Pepper Sabayon. I decided to go much lighter for dessert-and was actually hoping for a fruit dessert; but wasn't too much into the melon consomme they were offering. I'm glad that I went with the figs-because by the end of dinner I was absolutely stuffed. The Germ and Mymymy weren't so clever though and both ordered the chocolate souffle with the dark chocolate and vanilla bean creme anglaise. They could barely finish and looked like they were going to pass out with all the deliciousness inside their bellies. The figs were roasted to the melting point, but in all honesty, the ice cream made the dish and melded all the elements together.
We shared a bottle of 2005 Burgundy which was amazing-but expensive (I almost ripped the Germ a new one when I found out how much it was. Simply because I had offered to share a 'glass' with him-but because he thought my mom wanted wine too, he ordered a bottle). The mellow and subtle red had none of that tannin back bite and went well with the seafood dishes (except for the ahi) as well as the meats. It was smooth...but looking at how much was in our glasses at the end of the night...I was upset with the Germ.
To me, what made Gary Danko above and beyond other 2 and 3 star restaurants that I've been to, was not only the food, but the wait service. They were IMPECCABLE. Not stuck up, but totally professional. Clean, polite, unobtrusive. They all took little unspoked cues from each other and would glance over at every table now and then to make sure that people had bread or enough wine or enough water. They provided each service willingly and pleasantly. I give double props to the bread/water girl who was so delightfully cheerful and sweet (and who graciously walked me to the restroom). Our waiter was beyond amazing-explaining dishes, pouring sauces, pouring more water or wine. And every course was served in a sweep. This concept was introduced to me in Top Chef Season 1 during wedding wars, where each member of the table is served simultaneously. However, while in the show-the effect was pretty but detrimental to the challenge, at Gary Danko-sweep service is all part of the professional classiness of the staff.
As we left, Mymymy and I were each given an apricot breakfast cake to enjoy the next morning and sent off by: the sommelier, hostess and our waiter. Now that people, is class.
BELIEVE THE HYPE!(I shared the apricot cake with WD40 the next morning and we both agreed it was incredible; moist, chewy, buttery crumb...ahh)Next time you're in the Planet Hollywood in New York City, check out the letter hanging on the wall that Bruce Lee wrote to himself.
It's stamped "secret" and is dated January 9, 1970.
"By 1980 I will be the best known oriental movie star in the United States and will have secured $10 million dollars." He continues with, "And in return I will give the very best acting I could possibly give every single time I am in front of the camera and I will live in peace and harmony."
