Table Setting
Interior
The interior is fun and vibrant for an upscale restaurant. Bright colored paper butterflies hanging from plants throughout the restaurant. The staff is helpful, fun, and genuinely nice.
Amuse Bouche: Mushroom in Broth
Note to Gary Danko--please get a new amuse bouche ASAP and retire this one forever. I always look forward to amuse bouches at fancy restaurants as they are the first taste you get of a chef's approach to the art of cuisine. I'm all for simplicity, but this mushroom sliver soaked in broth was very underwhelming.
Bread and Butter
I took a bite out of one slice and decided to only eat the crust. The bread and butter is ordinary, nothing special. The room temperature of the bread was as if it had been sitting uncovered for a while, with the texture being dry.
Lobster Salad with Avocado, Citrus, Shaved Fennel and Mustard Tarragon Vinaigrette
I was blown away by this salad, you can taste each and every ingredient used in this. I was pleasantly surprised by the two large pieces of fresh lobster that were included. I've had lobster salad at other restaurants where they cut the lobster into tiny pieces and spread it throughout the salad. I prefer this method of presentation more; biting into the juicy lobster was so satisfying!
Glazed Oysters with Osetra Caviar, Salsify and Lettuce Cream
I was lucky enough to have this dish at two restaurants while in San Francisco. The French Laundry version was better than this, but I have no complaints with the Gary Danko version. The Gary Danko version is a much bigger portion, and it also made me want to lick the bowl. I would probably go broke if I found a restaurant in Memphis that serves this.
Roast Maine Lobster with Potato Purée, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Edamame and Tarragon
If lobster is a must order when you go to a restaurant, I would choose the lobster salad appetizer instead of the roast maine lobster entree. While the roast maine lobster was good, it was not anything special. I liked the black trumpet mushrooms, but could have done without the mashed potatoes potato purée.
Seared Sea Scallops with Mushroom Ragout, Roasted Salsify, Parsnip and Sauce Maréchal
Order this. Just do it. These were the best scallops I have ever had at any restaurant. Incredibly succulent, juicy, large scallops that were excellently flavored with the sauce and herbs. Crisp on the outside, melt in your mouth tender on the inside. I was very protective of this dish whenever A reached over to grab a couple bites; I wanted it all to myself!
Lemon Pepper Duck Breast with Duck Hash, Bacon Braised Endive and Huckleberry Bordelaise
Duck is my favorite land meat of all my time, and this dish is a perfect example why. Each piece of duck was sliced to the ideal thickness, the meat itself was tender, and the seasoning was spot on. I didn't mind the huckleberry bordelaise sauce, but I think I would have enjoyed it even more if they used a different sauce.
Cheese Cart and one of our charming waiters
How does one become a cheese connoisseur? This man knew so much about the cheeses on the cheese cart; I could barely follow what he was saying with all the descriptive words he used to describe each cheese. He was a great example of how knowledgeable and helpful the staff at Gary Danko is. The cheese cart had an impressive selection of cheese with varying texture, taste, and origin.
A selection of cheeses that have fancy names I cannot remember
All four cheeses had distinct and interesting tastes; the second one from the left was my favorite.
Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces
According to everyone that visits Gary Danko, this is the dessert to get. People use so many superlatives to rave about this dish, but I found it to be mediocre. I enjoyed the presentation of it (a waiter pours the two sauces into the hole right in front of you), but the dessert itself was just alright. Order it if you're a chocolate lover, but if you're not, there are far better dessert options to explore on the menu.
Warm Louisiana Butter Cake with Apples, Huckleberry Compote and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
This is a must. Words cannot describe how sinfully delicious this dessert is. I am not a berry sauce person, but I was scraping the compote up with my fork. I want to be buried in this warm butter cake when I die. It's slightly crispy and chewy (not hard and crunchy) on the outside, and the inside is warm softness. There has to be a better word out there to use than 'chewy', but I loved the chewiness of the outside. Pair it with creamy ice cream, and it's even better! This dish is one of the best desserts I've had in a while. Truly to die for.
Mignardises
Great variety of small treats to finish the meal. Tasted okay--not amazing but certainly not bad either. My favorite was the maroon jelly thing. Similar to Turkish Delight, but not quite.
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin for the morning after
A great treat to take home. A and I shared this in bed when we woke up the next morning. The muffin was moist and fresh, and I enjoyed the cream cheese center.
Gary Danko is a fantastic upscale restaurant without the pretentious, uptight atmosphere. With that being said, the dress code is still dressy. There's a slight chance you could get away with dark jeans here, but the majority of people at the restaurant wore a dress or a suit.
My most favorite thing about Gary Danko is the choice and variety you have with the menu. The menu is split up into four sections: Appetizers, Fish and Seafood, Meat and Game Birds, and Desserts. There is also a tasting menu; you can find all of the dishes on the tasting menu on the full menu. Prices are pretty reasonable for the amount and quality of food you get. You can mix and match from all parts of the menu. Any 3 courses are $76, 4 courses are $94, and 5 courses are $111.
I would visit Gary Danko again and again. Service is top notch and the really outstanding dishes (scallops, butter cake) are dishes that I have not had better at any other restaurant. I'm looking forward to the next time I'm in San Francisco; Gary Danko will be a dinner stop for sure!
