So I recently had the opportunity to get wined and dined one of the best restaurants in San Francisco: Gary Danko
As far as the wine goes, I didn’t catch the names. One was a very fruity, tropical almost, Pinot Grigio (I believe it was a PG… pretty sure). Had a lot of acid in it which cut through some of the rich flavors of the food. The other was a full and warm Pinot Noir that was described as having a lot of structure. I don’t quite remember the Noir quite as well as I only had a few sips of it, but both wines were very enjoyable and did complement the food well.
What did I have?
Well, we started with a morsel Foie Gras Mousse. Personally. I”m not a big fan of Foie Gras, as I don’t really believe in the way its created, nor do I particular like the flavor. It was a very rich savory taste (I love savory foods, but not this rich), but had a mellow end, which is unexpected with very salty things. It was enjoyable, as it wasn’t too overpoweringly rich, but certainly gave you the feel of heaviness. Sort of coated your mouth.
As far as the dinner goes, we all had 5 courses. I had:
- Seared Ahi Tuna with Avocado, Nori, Enoki Mushrooms and Lemon Soy Dressing
- Sweet White Corn Soup with Corn Truffle Ravioli and Summer Truffles
- Seared Sea Scallops with Sweet Pea Purée, Shimeji Mushrooms, Chorizo
- Medallion of Beef Tenderloin with King Trumpet Mushrooms, Onions and some kind of potato thing
- Trio of Crème Brûlée with Cookies
The Seared Ahi Tuna with Avocado, Nori, Enoki Mushrooms and Lemon Soy Dressing was wonderfully buttery as the tuna and the avocado complement each other, and the dressing was tart, but with enough soy to cut through the acidity. Very simple, but the presentation was top notch, and set the kind of expectation for the rest of the meal.
One thing that surprised me was the size of the portions. The tuna was an appetizer, yet the portion given was quite substantial. Usually when I go to an expensive restaurant with multiple courses, each individual plate has a very small portion. Not so with Gary Danko.
The Sweet White Corn Soup with Corn Truffle Ravioli and Summer Truffles was served with a ravioli and a couple of tomatoes artfully prepared and arranged in a dish, then the corn soup poured over the top of it table side. A very nice presentation for a delicious soup. Kernels of crisp sweet corn dotted sips of a very tasty corn soup, giving extra sweetness and a refreshing texture to an otherwise smooth soup.
The Seared Sea Scallops with Sweet Pea Purée, Shimeji Mushrooms, Chorizo was the most contentious of all the dishes. I had read a couple of reviews on Gary Danko before I came, and I recommended the Scallops as every review I’ve read on the place mentioned that the Scallops were excellent. As a result, three of the five of us got the Scallops. I personally found the scallops very tasty. The other two found that the scallops were too overcooked for their liking. Personally I like firm seafoods, like swordfish and tunas, as I like a bit of resistance to my bite. I thought the flavors were well done, though a tiny bit bland for my taste.
My fourth course (and boy was I getting full) was the Medallion of Beef Tenderloin with King Trumpet Mushrooms, with onions and some kind of potato thing. Yeah, I don’t remember what exactly it was called. The other names I pulled from their online menu, but this item wasn’t on there. The tenderloin was perfectly seasoned, very tender (done medium rare) in the middle, while maintaining a good sear on the edges. As far as flavor goes, the meat was almost sweet, but also strongly savory; strong roasted garlic (you know, when it gets sweet and caramelized) flavored the sauces. The mushrooms and the potatoes really gave a strong foundation to the strong flavors already pleasant, whereas the red wine was a great complementary flavor.
At this point I went to the restroom. I’ll post a picture of the restroom later. Let’s just say, aromatherapy and a fountain.
The final dish was Trio of Crème Brûlée with Cookies. When they say trio, they mean three full ramikins of Blueberry, Chocolate, and Caramel. Each wonderful in its own right. I felt horrible that I couldn’t finish them. If Dmitriy reads this, you should drag Emily here and just order this dish. So damned good.
Dinner was topped off with a Latte, which sadly did not come up to snuff, but had this cool cup thing that I’ll post a picture of later.
