50 th Birthday dinner

[mswynne]

My wife and I will be in SF in July to clebrate my 50th. We will be staying at the Ritz Carlton. I am open to any ideas. I hear the Ritz dining room is great but I have never been a big fan of hotel restaurants. I have generally found them to be overpriced and lacking in quality. We have been to A16, Zuni cafe, and Aqua in the past. We liked them all. Money is not a big concern. I just want a nice , fun, atmosphere, good wine list and great food. Gary Danko, Bix,?? Thank you for any recs. MW

[mswynne]

I want to thank all of you for your recs. Of course, now im totally confused.Im leaning towards The Dining Room at the RC.The menu looks great as does the wine list. I will have to get over my aversion to hotel restaurants. I know this is very different. If the chef leaves I will rethink. If not the RC than I may just go to Bix for the atmosphere if not so much the food. Everyone I know who has been liked it. Thanks again.

[sugartoof]

If you want elegant then the Ritz is really the way to go for special occasions. They also have an excellent brunch buffet from what I've heard.

Another suggestion for fun atmosphere might be Tadich Grill. It's more old world then upscale, but they do have curtained off booths which are nice.

[Robert Lauriston]

Tadich doesn't take reservations and there's no guarantee you'll get a booth.

And little if any of the food is on the same level as you'd get at A16, Zuni, Gary Danko, or the Ritz.

[sugartoof]

I think it's as good as Zuni, which is why I thought of it.
I'd pick the Ritz over any of those other choices.

[Paul H]

I'm not particularly fond of Zuni, but even so, I consider it to have far better food than Tadich.

[sugartoof]

You have to be careful of what you order at both places.

[Robert Lauriston]

I strongly disagree. Much of Tadich's fish and shellfish is frozen and some of the dishes on their preposterously long menu are grotesque 1950s holdovers. I've seen some really awful food there.

Everything at Zuni is made from first-rate fresh ingredients and everything on the short menu is good. The only danger is ordering unexpectedly bland dishes, such as a plain bowl of broth or polenta.

[sugartoof]

Okay so you're a Zuni fan. Personally, I haven't been back since they served me pork that was cold in the middle. They brought it back to me 3 times, still not fully cooked through, and explained it was due to the wood brick oven. No idea how long before they finally removed it from their menu. Anyway, I'm happy to suggest alternatives when possible.

I've never heard of Tadich using frozen fish, or specifically what you're talking about, but there are some types of fish which only ship frozen to begin with anyway. I wouldn't be shocked to hear that every Seafood establishment relies on some frozen fish. It's a fun, nice old place, and it's cool that they have a menu with some old 50's holdovers. I'd reckon I'm not the only one who appreciates it for that very reason. It's a great birthday spot, and was worth the suggestion though as I said to begin with, it's no Ritz.

[Robert Lauriston]

Zuni's menu changes daily, all meat entrees are daily specials. Sounds like they were having some strange problems with the cook and/or oven that day. I've never had hot items served cold or undercooked there. In the 20+ years I've been eating there I had only one unacceptable dish, a white-truffle risotto with no hint of truffle.

Tadich is a fun old place and I enjoy it for what it is, but neither the food nor the service are in the same class as the places the original poster mentioned, the wine list is lame, and it takes no reservations.

[sugartoof]

Do you want to elaborate on the Tadich using frozen fish comment though?

[Robert Lauriston]

The menu has lobster tail, which is always frozen. They told the Chron they use frozen prawns. I'm not sure where the bay shrimp comes from but it sure doesn't taste fresh.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/448173#3010643
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/39720...

[sugartoof]

I'm not entirely sure about lobster tails, but one might be shocked by how much of the prawns arrive from distributors frozen these days. Swans uses a lot of frozen seafood for example, which I think you acknowledged in one of the threads you linked. It's not too abnormal for San Francisco. PJ's in it's hey day relied on frozen items, and still won awards for serving seafood all the time.

As for the first linked conversation where someone claims there were frozen patties in the kitchen, it's anecdotal heresy and with flash freezing technology it can be hard to taste the difference. I wouldn't be phased to hear it's a common practice especially at older establishments.

Anyway, you actually linked to some great accurate reviews of Tadich's and it sounds like you like the sand dabs, so I don't think I need to defend the place.

[Robert Lauriston]

Swan's also uses canned chowder. You can eat pretty badly there, too, if you order randomly.

[sfcaviar]

I say Gary Danko - the best dining experience in the city of SF. Make sure to make reservations 2 months (to the date) in advance. The food is great, the service is perfect & don't forget to tell them it is a special occassion. I love dining there - table or bar - its always great.

[Carrie 218]

Another great hotel restaurant is Fifth Floor. I'd also consider Coi for innovative and far superior to Danko. Quince is another great idea.

I'm a HUGE Bix fan, but I only go there for appetizers and Sidecars. Seriously, late night nosh of the *best* tartare in the city with some caviar-topped potato puffs can't be beat. Definitely go there during your visit but not for the big night.

[mrs bacon]

Fifth Floor just changed their menu concept per today's Chronicle, but it sounded good!

I would seriously take a look at the Dining Room at the RC. It's far from anything typical in terms of hotel dining, and would be at the top of my list (unless Ron Siegal is really leaving). The only thing I would say is that it's not particularly lively, if that's what you're looking for. On the other hand, Range is probably too casual for a 50th birthday celebration.

I would second Danko and Quince. Myth would be up there too is they weren't in flux right now. If you can make your way out of town, then Cyrus in Healdsburg and Redd in Yountville should be contenders.

[ceekskat]

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/493530

I would recommend Ame but it too is a hotel restaurant though a beautiful comtemporary one. It is located in the sleek St. Regis hotel. Just not sure about the "fun" atmosphere. Perhaps Range or Perbacco.

http://www.amerestaurant.com/home.html

[Husky]

You'll spend some $$$, but be very happy you went to Quince.

-----
Quince Restaurant
470 Pacific Av, San Francisco, CA 94133

[Scott M]

Well I would hardly call the Ritz Dining Room a typical "hotel restaurant". It is a good choice if Ron Siegal is still the chef. There have been rumors that he is leaving so keep that in mind.

Outside of the Ritz there is Gary Danko, Acquerello, or La Folie depending on your cuisine preferences.

[mswynne]

Thanks,Scott. I know the RC is not typical but I pefer to get out of the hotels and try the local restaurants.