Gary Danko, San Francisco, CA, USA

The boisterous chatter you hear walking into Restaurant Gary Danko is a snapshot of what dining here is like - excellent cuisine is the centerpiece, of course, but it's also prepared and presented in a way that's highly attentive, often creative, and surprisingly fun. We had to wait for about twenty minutes after arriving for our 8:15 reservation, which gave us plenty of time to soak in the surroundings - the tall flower vases in the corners, the small size of the restaurant itself, and the just-a-bit-noisier-than-ideal volume, probably due to the restaurant's small size.

A constant stream of servers and staff wearing dark jackets traverses the restaurant, ever attentive without drawing too much attention. The hostess was similarly attentive to us, apologizing for the wait and arranging for a few free treats for us when we were finally seated. The first, a buckwheat belini topped with smoked salmon and caviar, was delicious - the smoked salmon and caviar combining for a rich, salty flavor, but balanced by the buckwheat and complemented by a generous amount of butter that had gone into the belini. Indeed, a generous helping of butter helped many of our dishes taste better, and we even noticed the scent of butter in the air when we first walked in, probably from the bananas flambe, one of several dishes Gary Danko prepares for guests in the main dining room. The other complementary items were two glasses of champagne, and we were also served a small amouse bouche of curry soup like other diners.

The first of my three courses was a lobster risotto, made perfectly. The rice was al dente without being soggy, and overall the risotto had a rich, buttery flavor, with a surprising little hint of lime. Mixed in were nice large pieces of lobster, whose flavor was suffused throughout the dish; shimeji mushrooms, adding a creative and unusual new texture to the risotto; and peas. The first main was roast maine lobster, also done perfectly - the lobster was tender, sweet and needed nothing more than the rich buttery sauce to make it a savory delight. The lobster sat on a bed of potato puree, mixed with black trumpet mushrooms, edamame and tarragon. For wine, we selected a Chardonnay from Evening Land Vinyeards, a niche but growing vineyard, and the wine was also excellent, with a full-bodied, smooth flavor and hint of oak.

By now, we were concerned that we were filling up, yet only haflway through. The second main was a whole roast quail, stuffed with foie gras, mushrooms and quinoa. The dish was done well, with the hint of foie gras adding a rich, dense flavor to the quail. Accompanying the dish were braised artichokes, peas, and slices of prosciutto. Finally, for dessert, I picked the chocolate souffle. The server brought out the souffle, then poured in a two sauces, one vanilla, and one chocolate. The souffle was moist and soft, and the sweet, rich sauce was a perfect finish to a decadent, delicious and very memorable meal.

Though it was nearly 11pm by the time we left the restaurant, we had enjoyed every minute of the perfectly executed food, very gracious service, and fun touches like the cheese cart and bananas flambe in the main room, leaving with the same boisterous good cheer that we saw in the room when we first entered. Without a doubt, it's a splurge, an expensive, full-immersion experience, but one that any serious foodies should not miss.