Due to some less organized behavior by yours truly, I ended up with an extra night, or rather, an evening with no dinner plans while in San Francisco. The dining scene in the city is rather daunting – there is so much choice! Anyway, being the lazy person that I am, I decided to limit my radius to those venues that were within walking distance of my hotel (I stayed at the Hyatt Centric, a modern hotel, with excellent service).
Enter, 1 Michelin star Restaurant Gary Danko.
Now, almost exactly two weeks before this meal, I dined at another 1 Michelin star restaurant (Mingles) while in Seoul. While the cuisines are completely different, I do think standards and quality of food should be fairly similar. After all, what good is a grading system if you can’t trust it? While I realize food is very subjective, there are certain qualities I would look for in each Michelin venue. So, how did Gary Danko compare to some of my other Michelin meals?
Without a reservation, I was told I could try the ‘first come, first served’ service at the bar. Fair enough. Finishing at my conference, I arrived just before 6 PM and was rather surprised to see the restaurant was nearly full on a Tuesday night. When I inquired as to how busy they usually were, I was informed the restaurant can do up to three seatings in a night — that’s quite a bit of hustle from the kitchen.
I had a look at the tasting menu, but as I was still a bit jet-lagged and full from a late lunch, I opted instead for choosing three courses (guests have options of 3, 4, or 5 courses, plus the degustation). Given the range of a la carte offers, I appreciated I could choose whichever three dishes I wanted from whichever section. The cost, however, USD$92 — seemed a bit much. I had a glass of wine and service water, my bill came in close to $120 (which, plus tip, put the meal much higher than I think it was worth).
So, what did I choose? First up was a small amuse bouche — a tiny cup of Mushroom Consomme, which lacked a certain depth I have appreciated in other similar dishes. For my first course, Risotto with Rock Shrimp, Dungeness Crab, Sweet Corn, and Beech Mushrooms, I was impressed with the flavor, but the presentation was certainly lacking. I know risotto is not the easiest to make beautiful, but my photos turned up basically a lumpy pile of pasta. While the taste was fine, given the level of plating and knife work at Mingles, I was surprised that this pasta gets a pass. My favorite course were the Roasted Sea Scallops with Tomato Fondue, Glazed Zucchini and Basil. I love a scallop, and these were everything I enjoy about the protein — sweet, perfectly tender, and the sauce added some harmonious, savory elements. Lastly, I decided on another seafood dish, Roast Maine Lobster with Potato Purée, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Corn and Tarragon. Personally, I thought the plate could’ve been taken further with texture (bacon, celery, squash, or any vegetable with crunch), but the ingredients were luxurious and overall, I would probably order this dish again.
While I didn’t order dessert, I was presented with the largest tray of petit fours I’ve ever experienced at a restaurant. Seriously. While not included in the price, I can see a choice to add this as an option, or drop $10-$15 from the menu. As delicious as it was, I would’ve been happy with a simple piece of chocolate.
For the road, I was given a beautifully wrapped piece of pumpkin cheesecake (!), but I was so busy with the conference that I didn’t have a chance to eat it. #diningfail
Now, while the service at Gary Danko was personal in only the way Americans can be, I found that in comparison to Mingles the overall differences were larger than expected. The value for money at Mingles was much better, as was the presentation, and overall flavors. I would happily recommend anyone to Mingles because it’s an amazing experience and I was delighted with all of my dishes. Gary Danko, unfortunately, felt like a place I’ll end up forgetting in a few months.
Would I go back to Gary Danko? Real talk, no, I would not. There are far too many restaurants in the city with better reputations and the cost seemed well above the experience.
Who is Gary Danko best for? Those looking for a quick meal highlighting local flavors. Anyone with an expense account.
What is your favorite restaurant in San Francisco? What does a Michelin star mean to you?
