Jardiniere

View of Jardiniere from across the street

Whenever I travel I make it a point to eat out a lot.  There is so much you can learn from a city by eating your way around it.  The dining trends, where people like to hang out, and visit all the different neighborhoods by visiting different restaurants.  With a visit to each city I always splurge on one big-named restaurant.  A restaurant that I don't mind paying upwards of over $150 for myself, as I know it will be worth it and remain a memory worth having.

In the case of San Francisco this restaurant was Jardiniere.  Owned and operated by Chef Traci Des Jardins, Jardiniere has remained one of the top restaurants in the Bay Area for the last 15 years.  Recently just finishing a solid run on Top Chef Masters, Traci has won numerous awards through her career including "Rising Star Chef", "Best New Chef", "Best Chef Pacific Region", and "Best New Restaurant" after Jardiniere opened.  With so many accolades under her apron it was no surprise I made it a point to dine here.

The spectacular ceiling of twinkling lights

Located just across San Francisco's City Hall, the corner building with exposed brick walls is where Chef Des Jardins makes her home.  Walking through the glass door entrance you are transported to a room designed after an inverted cocktail glass filled with champagne.  On the ceiling is a spectacular glass dome with twinkling lights evoking the feeling of effervescent bubbles.  The decor continues downward to a champagne-colored staircase connecting the ground floor.   The ground level has marble floors sweeping throughout, laying home to a large, circular mahogany bar and the entrance to the main kitchen.  Exposed brick walls on the inside of the restaurant give a more rustic feel and counteract the elegance of the tablecloth covered dining room.



As the hostess lead me up the staircase and to my table overlooking the downstairs bar I couldn't help but notice the mix of people dining here tonight.  The business man with the obvious material girl looking just for a night of pampering and not interested whatsoever in the conversation.  The anniversary couple, the ones that you know have been together for years and looking for a night out, only to realize they're not into the food and it would have been better to just stay in.  The first date, where both patrons are engaged in each others conversation while thoroughly sizing up their flaws.  The party-goers, starting the night with a nice meal and taking flash pictures of themselves through every course.  The drinkers, who sit at the bar and nothing else, dropping money on cocktails and bar snacks.  And then there was I, the traveling foodie, who sat a tier above everyone, and realized at that moment, this is a great table for people-watching.

Bread Plate

After looking over the menu I opted to go a la carte this evening as there were more choices on the menu I had wanted to try.  After a few sips of my cocktail and a slice of the warm bread placed in front of me, I was ready to embark on my fine dining journey.


The kitchen welcomed me with a small amuse.  Yellow beets were shaved and complemented by sliced sunchokes, radish, and an avocado mousseline.  The vibrant colors thoroughly showcased the freshness of the courses to follow.

Beets, Sunchoke, and Avocado Mousseline

The Jardiniere charcuterie plate was placed in front of me next.  As I am a huge fan of charcuterie I always love to try how different restaurants are doing it.  The love, care, and patience it takes to make these small morsels speaks loudly of a restaurant's philosophy.  One, that they will never let anything go to waste, as these are usually made from offal cuts or pieces of protein that are too small to serve on their own.  And two, to be done correctly, constant care has to be taken to maintain weight, temperature, and humidity upwards of up to one year at times.

Charcuterie Plate

Starting from the far right:
Rosette de Lyon - A specialty of Lyon, France, it is a cured pork sausage made from the leg of pork.
Rabbit Rillettes - French style terrine of chopped rabbit.  In this case flavored with laurel bay and black pepper.
Ciccioli - A rustic style Italian pork pate.  It is spiced with garlic, chili, and thyme.
Lardo - My favorite type of charcuterie.  It is dry-cured pork fatback.  Jardiniere's was flavored with clove, chili, and rosemary.
Porchetta di Testa - Finally was the cooked pigs head, flavored with chili, garlic, and black pepper.

What defined this plate were the distinct flavors of each protein, matched perfectly with housemade mustard, pickles, celery root, and some toast.

Next was the second appetizer.  Seared scallops were paired with chanterelles and brussel sprouts.  As a play on the name of the restaurant the housemade pickles made their way to this plate as well.  They were seared and cooked to a perfect medium-rare.  Incredible flavor came through with every bite.

Scallops with Chanterelles and Brussel Sprouts

The showstopper was dropped next.  Foie gras stuffed quail.  The quail was set atop farro, parsnips, and chestnuts.  Cutting into it revealed a perfect med-rare temp with foie gras just oozing from the bottom.  The textural play with the chestnuts and farro made this an entree worth remembering.

Foie Gras Stuffed Quail with Chestnuts, Farro, and Parsnips

Cutting into the quail

The cheese course was my least favorite course of the evening.  Compared to everything else it seemed so plain.  The five cheeses were dropped on one round plate, with a few slices of raisin-nut bread on the side.  When I go to most restaurants of this caliber they usually wheel out a cheese cart.  Your server will ask you for preferences, cut the cheeses in front of you, and present them with different sauces and accompaniments. This plate, however, did not have any of that.  It was just...cheese.  Anyone who goes to high-caliber restaurants and eats cheese courses should understand my disdain.

Cheese course.  So very plain.

Raisin-Nut Bread sent to complement the cheeses

The last course, however, made up for it.  The "Milky Way" was a chocolate lover's dream.  With most desserts, as I am not classically trained with pastry, I'll just let you look at the picture and allow you to drool over your computer.

The "Milky Way"

On a last note, I must touch on how amazing the staff was here.  After sparking up a conversation with my server that I was traveling from NYC and am dining my way around town, he called over his manager who then gave me plenty of suggestions of places to eat while in San Francisco.  Although I didn't go to any of them, I have to admit, the thought was very nice.

Jardiniere

300 Grove Street

San Francisco, CA 94102