SF/Sonoma restaurants

[jat]

I forgot to mention a component about the Fifth Floor. Each dish has a

specially designed plate. The bowl of Lobster is deep, to get the full aroma.

You feel that each dish is like a painting, and they wanted it to be perfectly framed.

[jat]

Restaurant : GARY DANKO

Tops in service. We had 4 servers. As soon as we enter the restaurant, we

are handed our drinks.

Our server was the epitomy of grace and consideration. I have never had a

server anywhere who compared. Her timing and patience were flawless.

For a room of 65 tables, it is lively conversation, so speak up a little.

We chose the Chef's Tasting Menu, and it is very flexible, you can order 3 apetizers if

you want.

For starters: Gazpacho soup, zesty and great.

Apetizer: Oyster with leeks, zucchini pearls and Ostera caviar. (Savory, great)

I also tried the Foie Gras with a fig sauce I think, really sweet and great

LOBSTER, with morels and a potato puree

DUCK BREAST , in a plum compote

CHEESE SELECTION: A nice tray brought tableside of 20 cheeses, you get to

select 4.

Vallencay, Loire Valley, "not pasteurized" (I won't tell)

Cowgirl Creamery, Triple Cream

Saint Nectaire

Roaring 40"s Blue Cheese, Tasmania

DESSERT:

Fig with fig ice cream, and a Sabayon pink sauce

Chocolate Souflee with 2 chocolate sauces

Creme Brulee, brilliant of the chef, 3 are served, Butterscotch, Chocolate, and

Vanilla. This way you don't get bored. And they are full size servings.

The rave: believe it or not, they make this butter brittle and serve you little

cookies and they give you a chocolate muffin for the mornings breakfast, but my

husband still talks about the butter brittle. A great evening.

Next stop: French Laundry, Chez Panise and a bed and breakfast. I'm more a

country gal.

[NVNVGirl]

Charcoop, there is a little town called Jenner in Sonoma at the mouth of the Russian River and the Pacific Ocean. It's quiet and remote and no cell phones (hooray!) and there is a perfect little restaurant (with cabins) called River's End. The owner is all about fresh/local/organic/seasonal, and we had a wonderful meal there. All Sonoma wines (why bother with anything else when you live in heaven?). The view and setting is just what you'd expect (oceanside with the overlap of the river's mouth). The staff is kind and smart, and the owner's photography graces the walls—all local nature scenes.

The clam chowder was incomparable, and I would just take anything they recommended.

Big, big thumbs up. It's worth the drive out, too, especially at that time of year. You might get a little fall leaf color action if you're lucky. Wildlife is abundant in the estuary. Bring a camera.

Article online

From the JennerInn.com website, a photograph from above the river.

Hours are seasonal.

We think it's a very special place.

River's End is one of my favorite places to eat...what a great chef!

[NVNVGirl]

Venticello for Italian food is supposed to be very good too. My mom and stepdad just had dinner there a couple of weeks ago and said everything was absolutely fabulous including the wine selection. They also said the service was phenomenal and insisted that my husband and I go the next time we are in The City. My husband refuses to eat at a place that isnt' well recommended or well known (it's just so scary when it's an adventure ), so it must have been pretty darned good. Check them out at venticello.com on the web.

[A Good Critic]

You can start surfing here:

SF and Bay Area Restaurants

[tanabutler]

You can start surfing here:

SF and Bay Area Restaurants

As a web designer, let me say: "too many choices."

Multiple pull-downs = a headache.

Edited October 1, 2003 by tanabutler (log)