Yip on Garibaldi's

Garibaldi's Restaurant * 347 Presidio Ave @ Sacramento * San Francisco, CA 94115 * (415) 563-8841
Cuisine: Californian
Neighborhood: Presidio Heights

The Scene

I heard a small buzz about this place from some local Presidio Heights' residents, so I had been wanting to check it out. Once you happen upon it, you wouldn't know it was there if you weren't looking for it. Lights aren't too bright. Sign's not too obvious. Kind of unassuming and private. All around, subtle yet tasteful.

The Service

I made an OpenTable reservation with my 5 best SF girlfriends (2 more were sadly missed due to busy scheduling conflicts) to celebrate my 28th birthday. In the comments section, I noted that we were celebrating a special occasion and hoped they could oblige with an extra nice table. We were offered an off-to-the-side round table, fantastic for a small crowd to engage in a group conversation. This was great because, even though these are MY best girlfriends, they didn't all know each other very well. And by that I mean, we had a moment where we went around the table and told perfectly hilarious stories about how they all knew me. And this is just how a girl likes to recount the last 28 years of her social life. Heaven help us when the 30th rolls around and the real roast begins.

In addition to the great table, the service was all around great for a special occasion meal. Wine glasses never went empty. Courses were timed perfectly to a leisure dinner. Waiter was available, but didn't hover.

The Decor

Minimal. A smallish bar, but still with presence. White table cloths and simple art for the walls. Our table had a fantastic overhead light. And by fantastic, I mean I am in a lighting obsession phase, which should be clear from the constant references to my opinion on it from place to place. This one got my seal of approval (though it could have used a good dusting).

The Menu

Highly enticing. And lucky for a girl with a restaurant blog and a birthday to celebrate, everyone will give you a tasty of theirs. I started with duck carpaccio and smoked salmon rosette paired with the only cucumber salad (my girlfriend Kelli can confirm) I have been known to eat. I also had a tastes of the Garibaldi's salad (better than a traditional "house" but not superbly special) and the roasted artichoke panzella. And here's where I experienced by 1:2 disappointments for the evening. How could I have been so stupid to not have ordered this myself!?!?! Fantastic. Delicious. A must have. Make room if you are thinking it's a "main course only" kind of night.

I proceeded to enjoy the tournedos of filet mignon, which was delish and appropriately portion controlled. I also tasted the halibut, tuna and rissotto. Halbut was probably the best, but I love a good steak so no complaints.

And to celebrate our occasion, they made a delicious specialty dessert, with a plate chilled with chocolate sauce "Happy Birthday" and a candle. Subtle, yet tasteful. And thankfully, the group passed on the singing.

The Bathrooms

Two simple individual rooms with not too much decor. Appropriate restaurant to restroom transitional lighting (I hate getting blinded by bathroom's 100-watt bulbs when the restaurant is dimmed for romance). Overall, and I know I repeat myself: subtle, yet tasteful. And truthfully, in preparation for my next comment, it was cleaner than the average. One problem: no toilet seat covers. I mean, that's really a problem anywhere, but this is a nice place, so even more of a problem. There's no excuse for that. And to be clear, it's not as if they were just out (one greedy patron could have ruined this for everyone). There was no receptacle housing where they SHOULD be. Weird. Wrong. Yuck.

*************

In a spoonful, I highly recommend. I do feel the need to mention that this place is really for a special occasion (though they do grace the menu with a what sounds like a tasty burger). Since it was my birthday, I didn't even get a glimpse at the meal ticket before my ladies threw in their credit cards, but I know it was a pretty penny. All they have to do is fix that personal hygiene issue and they'll be up there in my top 5 picks in the city. For a special occasion, that is. Or when you are on your I-banker boyfriend's expense account.

Yip gives it 4.5 spoons.