(!pardon the quality of photos, flash not welcome at the presented moment!)
(cheese board,lobster risotto, frog legs,quail,washroom,)

Let me be completely blunt, I am having a crappy week. Two bad meals within a short span of four days. San Tung served nominal dry fried chicken along with waiters hawking at me to pay my bill. Yan Yan Seafood Restaurant, a dilapidated Chinese restaurant on Judah, triggered an ambiance so sterile that it mirrored some hospital walls. Don’t worry, I will blog about all the crappy restaurant experience so that I save you the trouble, time, and money.

Trying to revive my faith in the restaurant industry, I close my eyes. Warping myself back three years ago, I imagine the feast that I had at the famed Gary Danko. For restaurant owners who want to learn about how a pristine operation performs, dine at Danko. Jazzing my way into Danko, dark tones of wood trigger my grand escape. Only 18 properties belong to the Relais & Chateaux, an exclusive club of the best fine dining entities, Danko being one them in North America. Very regal.

Service. Like secrets agents prowling every step of the President, the wait staff is attentive, in a good way. Returning from a break to the wash room, my white table cloth napkin is folded. The bathroom is an experience in itself. Looking like a gala bathroom at a showcase South of Market, it provides a Zen like ambiance before the feast. With a smile and excitement, the wait staff explains dishes and readily available for suggestions. Danko is a great spot to wow your date with out the over the top gala of Ritz Carlton Dining Room.

hint: When ordering at fine dining restaurant, choose dishes that you would not make at home. Take the chef for a test drive. Also, use ingredients that you may not prepare yourself. For Fear Factor thrill seekers, try the frog legs that don’t disappoint. Unlike Michael Minna’s, Danko has a menu that lets you be the boss. We each ordered the 3 course menu. You can order two main entrees and one appetizer if you feel like opting out on dessert. That’s classy. I would best describe the cuisine as French with hints of Californian. For cheese lovers, don’t miss out on their extensive cheese menu.

Food. Prices are reasonable. (3 courses-$65,4 courses-$81, 5-courses$96)
Dining with four people total, we order an array of dishes so that we can taste a myriad of flavors and textures. The foie gras makes me cry on the inside. With a velvety rich texture, it literally melts in your mouth. The pungent taste overwhelmed the palate while the after taste echoes throughout all the pivot points in your mouth. With a slight crispy crust, the frog legs were meaty and charmingly supported with lentil. The frog legs are a far cry from your the ones wok-fried in Chinatown. Stealing the appetizer show, the lobster risotto put me in comfort food heaven. With a creamy consistency, the see sweet lobster provided bouncy crunch that was a marriage made in heaven. The quail stuffed with mushroom and foie gras was another of my favorite dishes. Assemble small portion of earthy mushroom combined with buttery foie gras- all stuffed inside a moist quail. The result, amazingly. The savory sauce rounded out the dish.

Consultant hat.
Gary Danko keeps prices reasonable while presenting consistent dishes. I would guess that building an operation like Danko can easily cost upward of about 2.3 million dollars. Ingredients involved include interior designers, architects, consultants, industrial kitchen appliances, extraordinary ingredients, and staff. Like most fine dining restaurants, Danko does not open for lunch so dinner is the time to make up for lost ground. With reservations available from 5pm to as late as 10pm, the window for profit is wide as their front door. With rent and staff as a fixed cost, the important key is to fill all the tables at all times. I know a guy who once worked for Ritz Carlton Dining Room. Veteran waiter can easily make around $80,000 a year. Gary Danko is the perfect blend of great fine dining experience without the snob tones found at other venues.

info
Gary Danko website