Gary Danko, San Francisco

Tonight I had the occasion to try out Gary Danko, which is consistently rated as one of San Francisco's finest restaurants...I wanted to compare it with my experiences at one of its rival restaurants, Aqua. I love Aqua, but Gary Danko was also phenomenal. But I won't pick favorites between Aqua and Gary Danko, because I will always feel lucky to be indulged by either...Although I did think the service was notably better than Aqua--someone at Gary Danko beat me to the restroom to open the door and turn the lights on for me...My wine glass was removed the second I took the last sip ((we got a 2005 Pinot Noir by Walter Hansel Winery, which was FANTASTIC!)...The staff was friendly, educated about their food and wine, and attentive with an effective team of people assigned to every table...I was impressed, to say the least.

Since it was a business dinner, I did not get to take photos of everything, but my 3-course menu consisted of:

* Risotto with Lobster, Rock Shrimp, Winter Root Vegetables and Sage Oil
* Roast Maine Lobster with Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Edamame Beans and Tarragon
* Baked Chocolate Souffle with a Vanilla Creme Anglaise and Belgian Chocolate Sauce

um....YUM! Enough said.