GD is, hands down, the best haute cuisine restaurant in Northern CA. (And yes, I've been to all of them.) The staff is fabulous, professional, knowledgeable and totally down to earth - not snooty at all - and seem genuinely happy to be part of your dining experience. The food is to die for, especially the fois gras (sorry if you're anti, but it's amazing), lobster anything, and the duck. You'll also notice that you and your guest(s) can have conversations at a normal speaking level, which is sometimes unusual for a 5-star restaurant (where you usually feel like you're talking in a library). In true SF color, the patrons that come to GD are welcomed from all different walks of life - wearing everything from suits down to jeans, older folks to 20-somethings - and we're all brought together in our mutual love and appreciation for impeccably tasting and prepared food. You MUST have the cheese course; the waitstaff is super knowledgeable about each cheese and they are eager to share their knowledge with you. The sommelier is genuine and even complimented us with a wine selection that was lower priced on the list, saying it was a great choice and one he often recommends; there was no looking down on us for choosing a lower priced wine and we really appreciated that! I'd say this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but actually, you'll want to go again and again. (And you know, you actually could, because GD is a great value for what you get, unlike such places that will insult you, like Michael Mina and The French Laundry.)
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