Boulevard, San Francisco CA

After an early breakfast at Tartine and plenty of time driving around viewing the city, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Academy of Sciences the goal was a visit to California’s oldest restaurant for some lunch around 2:00 – little did we know that President’s day is actually a day off for those at Tadich Grill and most of downtown. A little disappointed I fired up the GPS to figure out something close and low-and-behold was greeted by another Northern California landmark – Boulevard. Having read glowing revies of Nancy Oakes both as a chef and a person, I’d actually considered dinner at Boulevard for that evening, but why wait, especially given the number of restaurants closed in SF on Mondays!

Arriving at Boulevard around 2:05 the restaurant was still approximately half full but our lack of reservations was not an issue at all. A courteous valet took the car and led us through the doors into the marvelous stone-clad room with its beautifully wide open kitchen and prep area, long scenic bar, and smells that piqued both my interest and my appetite. After approximately 3 minutes we were seated and our wonderfully helpful (if not a bit pretentious) waiter, Joe W presented us with menus and suggestions for wine – an option we declined, instead opting for iced tea and water. By the time Joe’s assistant returned with water and tea our minds were made up, orders were placed, and I made a quick trip (down the stairs, where many old awards hang) to the restroom where, oddly, a picture of a nude lady hangs. By the time I returned, a wonderful block of superb sourdough with wonderful salted butter was present and I proceeded to overindulge without regret.

For our meal options, my mother selected a main while my aunt chose an appetizer and a main and I selected two appetizers to serve as my main. Course one of the meal consisted of my aunt’s Dungeness Crab Cake with Bouillabaisse and Saffron Aioli and my eared Monterey Calamari with Pan Seared Artichoke Hearts and Puree, crispy tentacles, olive-red pepper relish. Both dishes were presented nicely by Joe and described in great detail with the bouillabaisse actually added to the crabcake tableside - a nice touch. Incredibly fresh and decent in portion, both dishes were true palate pleasers and on par with what one would expect in a place like Boulevard. Though she was first hesitant about the crab because she worried the bouillabaisse would be too fishy, my aunt loved her dish and while I generally prefer a little less spice in my dish, the pepper with my calamari was actually quite subdued by the olive and the crispy tentacles provided and interesting contrast to the smooth cephalopods.

For our mains, my mother selected the Organic Free Range Chicken Breast with Black Truffles, Baked Crespelle with Wild Mushroom Ragu, Ricotta, Sauteed Broccoli di Ciccio and Rich Chicken Jus while my aunt opted for the Kobe Beef Burger on Brioche Bun with White Cheddar, Crispy Fries, and Condiments. As I do not eat beef I cannot comment on the burger, but my aunt claims it was the best burger she has ever tasted and stated she didn’t even need to chew as the buttery brioche and beef melted on her tongue. In reference to the fries, I can say that these were a stunning example of how to make a potato, though not on par with those of Michael Mina or Thomas Keller, quite better than Michael Symon’s at Lola.

With regard to the chicken, let’s just say that if I had the money to purchase free-range local birds every day at home I’d be a much happier man and if all Broccoli tasted like this I wouldn’t have so many patients telling me they did not like salad. Without overstating I can say this was the best piece of foul I’d ever had (better than Trotters or Ducasse) until my subsequent meal at The French Laundry and I would strongly recommend the crispy coated yet perfectly moist bird to anyone who truly appreciates fine cooking technique and wonderful quality ingredients. The truffles in this dish, like in the chicken at Le Cirque were mostly for show.

For my main, I allowed my love of eggs to be indulged and selected the Slow Cooked Organic Farm Egg with Soft Polenta and Roasted Garlic, Quercia Acorn Prosciutto and Shaved Himalayan Truffles. Ham, eggs, garlic, and mushrooms simply never tasted so good – like the best savory breakfast you can imagine. Perfectly poached, the egg’s rich and smooth yolk contrasted sharply with the salty ham while the textured polenta and heavy hints of garlic were brought into focus by a surprisingly fresh and large portion (for the price) of Truffles. While I’m not the sort who praises truffles simply because they are rare or pricey, their effect on eggs is something I truly love and this dish was no exception.

Somewhat full, yet well informed that dessert at Boulevard should not be missed each of us selected an option with each being an absolute winner. The first choice, my mother’s First of Season Strawberry Shortcake with Brown Sugar Biscuit, Whipped Creme Fraiche, Strawberrries, and Meyer Lemon Sorbet was the worst of the three…and yet it was spectacular. A crispy biscuit with hints of sugar and cinnamon was sliced in two and layered with mildly sweet crème fraiche and flawless berries while a small pile of fresh Lemon Sorbet sat down-wind and contrasted from the sweet/warm shortcake with its sour/icy potency.

The second option, my aunt’s Butterscotch Cream Pie with Chocolate Painted Hazelnut Cookie Crust, Butterscotch Pudding, Chantilly Cream was a fantastic option and while incredibly sweet, somehow balanced surprisingly well with the light and airy cream to form a s’mores-esque mouth-feel. The presentation was fantastic, but for myself something this sweet would’ve needed coffee which I neglected to get.

My choice, the famous “Black & White” consisting of a Gianduja Cupcake with Chocolate & Meringue Kisses, Tainori Chocolate Pave with White Chocolate Foam, Araguani Chocolate Sorbet and Valhrona White chocolate Ice Cream was out of this world – and that description doesn’t even include the best item on the dish – a white chocolate macaroon absolutely stuffed with dark chocolate gnache. With the myriad textures, flavors, temperatures, and degrees of chocolate it is truly impossible to describe this dish without experiencing it and in my opinion any chocolate lover who has not experienced it could be missing out on the best “study of chocolate” dessert out there.

All told, the total bill for lunch came out to less than $40pp and while this price is indeed steep, I felt that it was a bargain given the quantity and quality of food served. Having read about the snooty service of others who visited, I must say that aside from an overall air of pretense, we did not experience any snooty behavior despite being dressed in jeans and street clothes and all-in-all the meal, food, and service was wonderful. A beautiful restaurant with great food in a nice setting, a Michelin Star, open for lunch, open on Mondays, and wonderful eggs with even better chocolate? Can’t beat that.

Tartine Bakery, San Francisco CA

On my recent trip to San Francisco, the basic plan was as follows: Light bakery breakfast, small/moderate lunch, and fancy dinner. The first of these breakfasts was partaken at Tartine bakery and given the glowing reviews and Beard awards the expectations were admittedly high. Arriving at 8:15 on a rainy President’s Day morning there was no line and we actually drove right past the unmarked building on first pass. Once the venue was located, parking was a snap and a mere $1 at the meter.

Entering the bakery the smell is almost perfection defined; vanilla, cinnamon, coffee, and warm chocolate waft through the air as a light soundtrack plays in the background. Browsing the selections quickly it was easy to say what looked good – everything, but nearly impossible to decide what looked BEST. After a few moments my group decided to get a number of items to share around, 2 coffees, and an orange juice. Service was prompt, albeit a little aloof, and prices were on par with what one would expect in the Midwest – not California. Seating was readily available, though I can definitely see how this might become problematic as more people arrive, especially on weekends.

Dishes selected included a Ham and Gruyere Croissant, an Almond Croissant, Seasonal Nectarine Bread Pudding, Walnut Banana Bread, a Morning Bun, a Meringue cookie, a large Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookie, and finally a Chocolate Pudding to go – each item was delicious and sizeable and it became obvious early on that we’d ordered to much.

The two croissants were each stunning examples and both served warm with a plethora of filling. Given its contents and flakey appearance, the ham and gruyere nearly represented a croquet monsieur moreso than a croissant and its buttery cheesy texture was divine. Similarly the Almond Croissant was stuffed with filling yet light and airy and covered with almonds and powdered sugar. While not quite as excellent as the version at The Butler and the Chef or Payard, quite wonderful none the less.

Despite the fanfare, the Morning Bun – served piping hot – was a tad bland for my taste and the orange essence seemed a bit overwhelming of the more subtle cinnamon/sugar texture. The Banana Bread that my aunt ordered with it, however, was a stunning example and absolutely crammed with Bananas and Walnuts to the point that I wondered how much flour was even there – the best Banana Bread I’ve yet encountered – Better than Bouchon.

The next dish, my favorite dessert by far, was a true treat to behold. Delicate layers of custard laden brioche, cinnamon, vanilla, and a slight hint of caramel buried beneath warmed and fresh nectarines was almost too much for breakfast – I say almost too much because the taste was so sublime that I devoured the dish and considered seconds before my belly caught up to my eyes. In a trip that included 6 Bread puddings, this was the champion amongst the fruit based options – and it wasn’t even close. An absolute must have.

Not quite stuffed (remember where I said “light Bakery breakfast” – oops) we opted for a small macaroon, a giant flat cookie, and a chocolate pudding to go. The macaroon, eaten immediately, was small and loaded with coconut, but nothing to write home about while the cookie was crisp yet piping hot, chewy yet textured, and large but light and airy – neither cookie made it to the car. The Chocolate Pudding, however, did make it to the car and was later consumed as a snack. While called a “pudding,” the flavor and texture more closely resembled a pot au crème in mass proportion. While truly delicious, I was glad my aunt liked this more than me because even for someone who loves chocolate, this was a bit much.

On the way out the door I stepped into the kitchen and watched four chefs prepare various treats and witnessed the finishing of an enormous lemon meringue cake, several chocolate éclairs, and a number of enormous gougeres – if I lived in San Francisco I’d be back to sample each, repeatedly.

All told, Tartine lives up to the hype and if one arrives early enough the wait isn’t even an issue. While I cannot speak to the quality of everything they produce, I can say that this bakery was the best of those visited during our trip in terms of selection, quality, and friendliness. Strongly recommended.

Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco CA

Going into my much anticipated visit to San Francisco, Restaurant Gary Danko was #2 on my “Great expectations” list; behind only The French Laundry. Arriving earlier in the day after an overly long (and twice delayed) flight from Ohio and having spent some time browsing /eating the Ferry Plaza, myself and my traveling companions got checked into our hotel around 5:30, changed into fancier digs, and made our way down the sloped streets of rainy San Francisco to famous GD-clad building on the corner of North Point Street. A gracious valet greeted us on the corner and escorted the three of us under umbrella through the front doors. Entering the lobby we were instantly met by the boisterous bar and the brightly colored purple, pink, and red orchids and roses remaining from the previous day’s Valentine’s Dinner. Checking in under our 2-months-to-the-date reservation we were quickly led to our corner table in the main dining room and given water and a wine list to peruse.

After approximately 5 minutes of taking in the restaurant’s beauty one of our four waitresses for the evening arrived to present menus and explain the brilliant concept that any section could be ordered as a main or appetizer portion and that sizes of each dish would be dictated by the number of courses ordered – I’ve never seen this done at a restaurant and must say the concept is wonderful. Feeling a little full from our earlier eating my mother and aunt each selected the three course menu while I opted for the full 5 course experience. While some restaurants are hesitant to allow more courses for one person than the others, this was never even a question at Gary Danko and the timing was perfect for all involved.

Shortly after our orders were placed, a small amuse of Butternut Squash soup with Bacon, Vanilla, and Meyer Lemon was delivered along with a wonderfully hearty whole wheat sourdough and sweet salted butter. The soup can only be summed up with one word and that is spectacular. Creamy and sweet, yet tart and salty with the crispy bacon offering a sharp contrast to the silky puree – without a doubt the best soup of the trip to San Francisco/Napa/LA/San Diego and if it were a menu item as opposed to an amuse it would be a must-have.

Amuse completed our ornate pewter charger plates were removed and shortly replaced with our first course. For myself, course one consisted of Danko’s highly regarded Foie Gras, this evening featuring Seared Sonoma Foie Gras with Caramelized Red Onions and Fuji Apples. While not the greatest presentation of foie I’ve ever experienced (see One Market, Eleven Madison Park, BoMA, Aqua, and TFL) this was certainly a great presentation with a sizeable piece of perfectly seared foie with wonderful compliments of potent and sweet.

For my aunt’s first course, Lobster Salad with Persimmons, Pistachios, Chestnut Mousse and Pomegranate Seeds was selected any may have been the best dish of the evening. Wonderfully poached lobster offset with crunchy salty pistachios and creamy sweet mousse – everything in the dish just worked like the individual pieces of a symphony all summing up to something greater than the individual pieces involved. The final first course dish, selected by my mother, was Dungeness Crab Salad with Winter Citrus, Avocado and Meyer Lemon-Chive Vinaigrette. Another winning salad, but not on par with the Lobster salad – while my mother loved it (and stated it bested the crab/grapefruit/avocado salad at Ferry Plaza Seafood by miles) I simply found the dish too citrusy for my palate.

Being the glutton of the group, the next two dishes arrived individually for myself while my mother and aunt sipped their ice tea and commented on how loud our (quite inebriated) neighbors were. Dish two was Roast Maine Lobster with Potato Purée, Blood Oranges, Edamame Beans and Basil – a dish similarly ordered by my aunt as her “main course.” Another perfectly poached piece of lobster was placed back in its shell and perched atop a creamy potato puree heavily touched with butter and sharply accented with fresh sliced blood oranges and succulent edamame boiled in what I can only assume was a combination of orange and basil. Flawless flavors and hefty in portion the dish shined for me until my aunt received her main course portion with nearly twice as much lobster – jealousy would have surely ensued had the next two courses not been equally fantastic.

Course three for myself was Seared Sea Scallops with Parsnip Purée, Maitake Mushrooms and Sauce Maréchal – another experiment in contrasting textures and flavors and another masterpiece from Chef Danko. While the scallop was single, the size was impressive and the preparation miraculous. Lightly seared outside, nearly raw inside – everything a scallop should aspire to be. The compliment of crisply fried mushrooms with hints of bacon and sage and cheese combined beautifully with the creamy root vegetables. A “heavier” and more woodsy flavor than the previous dishes (lacking citrus) the scallop proved a wonderful transition to my main course.

For my main “fourth course” I selected the Guinea Hen Breast with Braised Leg, Black Truffle Gnocchi, Brussels Sprouts, Apples and Pancetta while my aunt enjoyed the previously mentioned Roast Main Lobster and my mother chose the Risotto with Lobster, Rock Shrimp, Butternut Squash and Porcini Mushrooms.

Gnocchi (my favorite pasta by far) with Black Truffles? Be still my heart. Add on Guinea Hen, Pancetta, Apples, and fresh sprouts – can’t miss, right? Perfectly cooked, salty yet sweet, my only regret was that only 3 gnocchi were present and the truffle was undetectable while the braised leg was served as a confuit beneath the breast and actually overwhelmed some of the more subtle nuances of the dish. While not a “bad” dish by any means, certainly the worst of the meal. My mother’s risotto, on the other hand, was rivaled only by my aunt’s lobster salad for dish-of-the night. Lacking the cheese or butter that so often weighs down risotto, this simple presentation utilized pureed squash and chopped mushroom in olive oil to form the creamy base and the flavor of the seafood truly dominated all other aspects of the dish in a fresh and wonderful manner that seemed impossibly light yet incredibly satisfying – without a doubt the best risotto I’ve ever experienced, even better than the version at Alex which I previously found incomparable.

With savory dishes complete, we moved onto the sweet courses and were once again most impressed. For myself, Danko’s famous Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces (Belgian Dark and Creme Anglaise) was selected and absolutely lived up to the hype. Not overly sweet, nor overly “bittersweet” despite the dark chocolate, the fluffy texture was truly marvelous and the flavor sublime.

For my mother, another meyer lemon dish and another winner - Lemon Soufflé Cake with Crème Fraîche Panna Cotta and Pomegranate Sorbet was once again impossibly light yet refreshingly potent – a dish that could have been served as either a palate cleanser or a dessert and exactly what mom loves in a dessert – smiles all around.

For my Aunt, a lover of all things crème brulee, the Trio of Crème Brûlée with Cookies (chocolate, caramel, vanilla) was selected and much to my delight she was unable to finish the dish which left me the opportunity to further indulge my sweet tooth. While the vanilla was relatively bland, the caramel was one of the best crème brulees I’ve ever experienced and the chocolate was so dense and flavorful that it was almost moreso a cake than a crème brulee – the cookies were good too, especially the short bread/snickerdoodle.

Completely full, we were next brought a beautiful tray of mignardises that included an airy crème fraiche macaroon, peanut/raisin brittle, boysenberry financier, raspberry lemon tarte, mini chocolate devils food cake, tiramisu truffle, and candied orange peel. Each was sampled in tiny portions and all were delicious, particularly the devils food cake.

Feeling quite full, I was next presented with the extremely reasonable bill while my mother and aunt were presented with a large take-hope chocolate devils food cake, a box of chocolate and caramel truffles, and a long stem red rose each. Being the giving sorts they are, I was allowed to sample all of the above at breakfast the following morning and the devils food cake was the same as the mignardise –except stuffed with creamy cheesecake. At my request I the waitress also liberated one of the paper menus from the menu holder and walked it back to the kitchen where chef Danko autographed it and placed it in a protective gold envelope.

All told, Gary Danko is a wonderful experience worthy of its status and difficult reservation. Service was flawless and the customizable tasting and affordable prices are truly remarkable. If one were to utter a single complaint about the restaurant, it would simply be the loudness of the bar and some of the patrons, but this certainly isn’t the fault of the restaurant – just the fault of too much wine. Another complaint, for me, is that I didn't have enough room left to experience the cheese cart which looked sublime. For the pricepoint, Gary Danko just might be the best dining experience in San Francisco – it isn’t every day that you can get treated like the most important guest in the house for less than $100 per person.

Ferry Plaza Seafood, San Francisco California

On a trip that included 8 days and 20ish meals plus myriad snacks and desserts, our first stop in San Francisco was the famous Ferry Plaza Marketplace for some fresh seafood at Ferry Plaza Seafood. To be fair, we were warned ahead of time that prices at Ferry Market were generally higher than the quality at other “off the beaten track” stops, but wanting to see ACME, Cowgirl, Recchiuti, and the rest of the market we decided this was as good a place to try some simple crab dishes as anywhere else.

Landing late due to SFO’s poor weather conditions, arrival at Ferry Market was around 2:30pm PST and we were seated immediately at the bar across from Hog’s Island Oysters with a great view of the stormy bay. Our server, a surly elderly lady who wore no nametag and did not introduce herself, handed us menus and poured water before sauntering off to talk with other staff members. With dinner plans for Gary Danko that evening we decided to go with light options and selected the Dungeness Crab Tower with Avocado, Grapefruit, Vinegrette, a Crab Sandwich on ACME French Roll, and a baked Dungeness Crab Cake – we also opted for 3 small ACME dinner rolls which apparently cost 50 cents apiece. After ordering I got up to wander the surrounding Village Market and simply smiled in amusement that such a great place exists – certainly not in Central Ohio.

Food arrived in relatively short order and surprisingly with a smile and a bit of conversation from our server. While all dishes were quite attractive and obviously fresh, the crab sandwich was rather bland and heavy in mayo while the Crab Tower’s fresh crab was compromised by an overly tart grapefruit. The Crab-cake, on the other hand, was a marvelous representation with minimal “binder” and none of that greasiness that tends to encumber pan-fried versions. Lightly seasoned and unquestionably fresh, this may have been the best crab-cake of a trip that included a number of examples chosen by my mother and aunt.

All told, the food was good – but nothing to write home about. The crab was fresh and well prepared, but better flavors and quality were found on a trip to Monterey – in an equally trendy setting on Fisherman’s wharf. The service, while adequate, wasn’t quite as friendly as one would expect either, and the 50 cent per roll charge seemed a tad “nickel-and-dimeish” considering the excessive prices of the food in such a casual setting. All that said, the ACME Bread was quite excellent and left me wanting more – a want which was easily filled by a glorious cinnamon-currant pullapart from the bakery just down the hall.