Pretty glowing 4 stars if you ask me. Picco has been one of the more reliable spots in the area, if you want a good dining experience in Marin. Although some of their better known chefs have rotated to other spots. Reservations are pretty much mandatory. Between the nice, upscale Picco Restaurant, and the tiny, itty bitty co-located Picco's pizzeria, many a Marin diner spends many a night angling for a table here. Picco's restaurant is a great date night spot and always solid, and hits the upper limits for the area. Favorites include the housemade pasta dishes, including their savory, doughy gnocchi. For nights when you have stars in your eyes, love in your heart, and a whole lot of patience. Lots and lots. (Or even better, a confirmed reservation.) read more

Oh my goodness, took my mom out for a early dinner tonight in Marin, heard about this place but to be honest I thought it would be like all the others... OK at best.. you need to go to the city or the peninsula.. much to my surprise, this place is a 10 out of 10 Unreal. Best food, Flavor ever. Service was awesome, the setting. Everything. Best meal ever Nat read more

Food was good. Why I knock a star off? 1. The Tomato Saffron Linguine was a bit on the salty side. 2. It was so loud our server got the appetizer mixed up. 3. They couldn't find my reservation. This is annoying because they would only seat us inside with a reservation. But my husband Plate the Gnocchi was perfect. I wish i would have ordered this and not gone for my need to have something that had sea food. Place is great for a group wanting to have a good dinner and drinks. But I wouldn't recommend if you are looking for something more intimate. read more

See all

Fabulous dining experience! Excellent food and ambiance. Good people watching. Per my request in the reservation, mom and I were seated away from the door (thank you!). Our waitress was more business than friendly, but the busboy made up for her lack of engagement. He was super attentive, witty and fun. Mom and I split the kampachi crudo (BOMB), celery root & potato blinis (from the specials menu), little gems salad, crispy pork schnitzel, and for dessert the warm cream cheese filled brioche and a glass of the Taylor Fladgate, 20 year, tawny port. LOVED LOVED each dish, especially the kampachi crudo (so fresh and bright). The dishes were brought out one by one so we could thoroughly enjoy the unique flavors of each one. Awesome that the menu rotates seasonally, I look forward to trying a new creation soon! read more

See all

Simply one of the best upscale yet cozy restaurants in Marin. My go-to for special occasion dinners or lets-be-social-and-semi-fancy date nights. Ask about the specials right away, as risotto and sometimes other specialties are made to order and can take 30 mins or even longer when in high demand. And they are SO good. Their appetizers and seemingly simple sides like salads and soups should not be missed -- come here planning to really experience the full menu. And dessert! Butterscotch pudding to die for. The atmosphere is lively -- this is a place to see and been seen. Reservations can be hard to come by at an ideal time, so make yours at least a week in advance. And it can be loud, so just know that and ask for a table in the back/outskirts if you are worried about that. They are very accommodating, whether you want a special table or have food issues, but communicate that several days in advance so they can be prepared. For example, I put a note on our reservation (which I made two weeks ahead of time) that it was our anniversary, and they sent out two free glasses of nice bubbly right after we were seated. read more

Restaurant Picco - Butterscotch pot de creme - Italian Near Me - Larkspur, California

This was once one the best restaurants in Marin, no more. The Crudo barely had any fish in it, the tuna tartare was a soggy fried blob of something with very little tuna on top. The veggie burger was mushy. Really disappointing, the pizzeria next-door is still fantastic but the conversation we had at my table was never again at the restaurant. read more

We ordered quite a few items and shared! So glad we did. The presentation was beautiful and everything tasted delicious. I'm visiting from Arizona and we don't have anything that compares in my opinion. Our server Michael Todd very good care of us. I hope to come again someday. Wonderful meal, wonderful time! read more

We went here for lunch on a Sunday. I thought it was a pizza restaurant for years but they have a whole menu of great choices. Nice place.

I'd been looking forward to checking out Picco for awhile since my husband told me about his dinner with co-workers awhile ago. First of all, Picco isn't cheap. So, we decided to come here for a Valentine's dinner. Of course, it's Valentine's Day so yeah, there was no parking. Luckily, Picco had a valet parking and we took advantage of that with a small price to pay like $5, instead of driving in the rain to find parking. Let's throw money at the problem. We didn't make a reservation so we just kind of went straight to ask for a table for two. The host was alright. She didn't seem enthused, and flat out let us know that it was a pre-fixe menu which we already knew.. (it's Picco and also Valentine's Day...) but then she explained that we could go with à la carte as well. However, our waiter had no idea about à la carte... are you guys on the same page? Oh well, moving on... so my husband went ahead with the prix fixe dinner ($80/person with 3 course dinner and dessert) and I opted out and ordered the 2nd and 3rd Course instead since I wasn't so hungry. Yup, after a couple minutes of awkwardness, our waiter let me order a la carte. This is our order: His dinner * 1st course - Oysters (4) on the half shell with Chile cilantro mignonette (5/5) * 2nd course - Trio of Beets (2/5) There were like 4 pieces of beets and tons of greens which splash of beef juices (more beets would have been great) * 3rd course - Mesquite Grilled New York Strip (3.5/5) I asked how it was and he said the portion was very tiny. I know it was a pre fixe dinner, but still it was too tiny for a main course) Dessert - White chocolate glazed " Sonoma Apple " (3/5) Great presentation, but the overall was just okay. Apple compote and cinnamon shortbread were super delish, but the white chocolate and white chocolate mousse were just super overpowering. My dinner (a la carte) * 2nd course - Truffled Sunchoke Soup (4/5) It was really good. It has a strong taste of truffle, so I was enjoying 3/4 of it and my husband helped me finish it. He really liked it though as he thought it tasted better than his 2nd course (Trio of Beets). * 3rd course - Dungeness Crab Chittara (3/5) Fresh crab and steelhead roe, but it was SO bland I had to ask for some grind pepper and it still didn't help. I honestly didn't really enjoy this dish that much. About drinks: I went with just hot green tea and it was such a fine green tea! It would have been nice though if our server had been more gentle. Seemed like he came in and dropped the tea and stormed out. I wouldn't even point this out if it wasn't a $$$$ restaurant. However, our waiter was GREAT. He was very nice and patient with us since we took awhile to order. He also helped suggesting some cocktails for my husband. The bathroom was just meh. Not only it wasn't clean, it also smelled horribly AWFUL! If you could wait, and skip it, seriously please do! All in all, we may have picked the wrong night to try out this restaurant. Would we come back? Probably not in awhile since we just paid almost $200 and it didn't even wow us. For now, Picco is a bit overrated. We have been to Michelin Star restaurants that cost around the same, the service and food were so great that Picco left us feeling disappointed. One thing I would say is that the drink menu was awesome and small plates weren't so bad, especially the oysters. But that was it. On a side note, the valet wes awesome and friendly! read more

See all

Don't forget to make reservations! This place was packed on a Friday evening this month, so having a table for our party of 5 was nice. The appetizers and entrees were delicious- as were the cocktails. Family friendly and beautiful setting. read more

I met two girlfriends here in late September. Exquisite food. Excellent service. All three of us chose the same marvelous Smoked Trout Salad with Horseradish Crema. We LOVED it!!! We'll be back! 8.1.17. We came back: 4 of us!!! We are sooooo glad we did. We each ordered different salads, entrees, and shared two desserts. Everything was absolutely exceptional. So much so that when my husband and I were driving back to Oregon the next day we were moaning that this fabulous restaurant doesn't also have a site in Ashland, Oregon. Thank goodness, I'll be returning to Marin in early September and my friends and I already have plans to go to Picco for dinner. 8.1.19 We came back with friends, all of whom had eaten at Picco before and loved it. We were all excited to see what fabulous salads they had and expected to have a difficult time choosing. Well ... they must have lost their chef or their chef lost his or her talent. We couldn't find anything interesting to eat. Not one of the four of us. No interesting salads at all. No interesting entrees. The server explained we were expected to share our choices with one another. Heck, we couldn't find anything that one of us wanted much less four of us. We finally each made a selection, they arrived, and, I'm sorry to say, each one was boring. What happened to this formerly wonderful restaurant? read more

This amazing restaurant offers all sorts of food for people that are vegetarian or vegan, However the food is delicious no matter what you order, I can see why it is so popular! read more

Picco is absolutely amazing!! This is the type of the restaurant where I could order anything and be satisfied with it. The tuna tartar was by far my favorite entree, definitely try it out if you haven't already. The restaurant itself was a bit loud even though it wasn't completely a full house. The waiters were nice and cleared our plates after the entrees. You can not go wrong with the chocolate brownie with vanilla bean ice cream on top, so delicious. All the foods here taste luxurious and 100% homemade. Even though it was pretty pricy this is such a fun splurge for birthdays, anniversary's and just celebrations in general. I hope to come back read more

See all

I had my first date here with my current boyfriend 6 years ago. I entertained the idea that we should go back as an anniversary dinner (we don't celebrate anniversaries). So we made reservations including a note why we RSVP'd! :) Upon arrival they had our seats in the back at the booth! I love booth seatings! Our server then brought us complimentary champagne glasses and wished us a happy anniversary. How nice! Too bad the BF doesn't drink so 2 sparklies for me! Tano was our stellar server for the night and we really appreciated him! He gave wonderful recommendations and was so nice to us :) Here's what we shared: CRISPY PORK BELLY - $14.95 Molasses glaze, bread & butter pickles, tart apple jam. This new item was absolutely wonderful! If you like rich and unctuous with both the sweet and savory (and a kick of that pickly) flavors, GET THIS. The pickled went SO well with the prop belly. It was both soft and crispy and that apple jam made it sweet! I LOVED THIS! BRUSSELS SPROUTS - $11.95 Crispy fried brussels sprouts, spiced honey-mustard, pancetta, crispy herbs. Even though I'm usually not a fan of mustard flavor, I really enjoyed it in this. It's like I only taste the good of mustard and not the bitterness that I don't like. The Brussels sprouts were indeed crispy and yummy. I enjoyed all the laces of pancetta too! GNOCCHI - $23.95 House made fennel sausage, erbette chard, wild mushrooms, black truffle butter, grana padano. Hands down the best gnocchi I ever had. It looks like the slightly pan fried each side of the each gnocchi, giving it that light crispy texture. There was lots of mushrooms and this plate was all butter. Yum! I'd don't taste much of the black truffle but this dish was amazing. Very rich. The sausages were tender and delicious. MEATBALLS - $18.50 Roasted pork & beef meatballs, san marzano tomato sauce, torn basil, garlic bread. Although this was really good, it's really just meatballs--I mean GOOD and tender meatballs with lots of sauce! I feel because everything else was so unique and special, it may be a waste to order this classic/common dish. Don't get me wrong it was REALLY good! Picco just has so many other special dishes to choose from ;) CHOCOLATE BUDINO - $12.95 tcho chocolate budino, cocoa cookie crumble, vanilla chantilly, hazelnut brownie. This huge jar of super rich pudding had cookie crumple that made the texture so fun! I liked how it was sweet since the budino is already so sweet and rich! The hazelnut brownie and gooey and full of hazelnuts! We couldn't finish it and took the rest home. SO GOOD! I'm always happy when I come here. I love it here so much. Service is always excellent and the ambiance is lovely and romantic. I can't wait to come again! read more

See all

I've been coming here for years. While waiting for a table I noticed a table with a large dog sitting on a bench /chair. The dog was sniffing into the nearby table food so much that they politely moved their food and table over to the other side to try to avoid the dog. Then the dog owner had the dog drink out of a water glass while on the chair the water was splashing everywhere. I was so grossed out at how unsanitary this is ,that I decided to get a the pizzas to go. I believe the wait staff should have addressed this situation, you could see how uncomfortable the other diners were. The margarita pizza was much smaller than usual and was tasteless. The sausage pizza better but way too many onions. I am so bummed at this overall experience. read more

Thank goodness my good friend Maggie has a cousin who runs the front of the house here because I would have never discovered this place on my own. Larkspur? Doesn't a ferry dock there or something? Although Picco is a perennial on Bauer's Top 100 list, I don't think much about venturing north of the Golden Gate for fine dining. That's why I was perplexed when she first suggested it as a place to take me and Jamie W. out for my birthday. Now who am I to sacrifice a free meal no matter how dubious the occasion, am I right? What a pleasant surprise to discover such a great place in a woodsy hamlet that feels as far away from SoMa as, well...Marin. It's a popular place with an adjoining pizzeria that bustles even more. Due to Maggie's connection, we were seated at a prime table right next to the window with a bucolic view. We were surprised with a complimentary appetizer, the $11.95 Avocado Bruschetta, a really creative take on the traditional tomato treatment drizzled with Villa Manodori Balsamic Vinegar and Sea Salt (photo: http://bit.ly/1sTzx6C). How lovely that this was the same balsamic Jamie and I had on a wonderful food tour we took in Modena and Bologna (review: http://bit.ly/1yMeZjU). It was richly delicious and came with a little ramekin of smoky Chorizo de Leon). Next came the $17.95 Local Albacore Crudo, an artisanal plate that presented little tastes of Raw Tuna layered with Smoked Avocado, Cherry Tomatoes, Fennel, Black Olives, Padrón Peppers, Basil and Crispy Shallots (photo: http://bit.ly/1sTzEiy). They were lovely bitefuls of joy as they sat in a glistening puddle of extra virgin olive oil. The hits kept on coming with the $15.95 Heirloom Tomatoes at the seasonal peak of flavor surrounded by Burrata, Black Olive Puree, Basil, Aged Balsamic, and Crispy Shallots (photo: http://bit.ly/Zz6Lw9). That was probably the high point as I am a complete sucker for fresh heirloom tomatoes. A hearty delight came next, the $18.95 Wood Grilled Squid Panzanella Salad with Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Castelvetrano Olives, and Smoked Marcona Almonds ladled with a Pistachio Romesco Sauce (photo: http://bit.ly/1wSB5ge). It was an unexpected mix of textures and flavors as they nestled together quite well on the palate. We couldn't help ourselves when we saw a nearby table receive a $7.95 bowl of Kennebec Fries with Aioli, Marcona almonds and the same Pistachio Romesco Sauce (photo: http://bit.ly/1ofUZTv). The spuds were truly satisfying and honestly too abundant for the three of us to devour. After all that food, you would think we would be finished, but no, here come the shared entrees. First up was the $17.95 Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Ravioli with Black Garlic, Brown Butter and Wild Mushrooms (photo: http://bit.ly/1rMmP4p). Luscious and filling. Luckily there were six of them, so we could divide them equally. Surprisingly the last entree turned out to be the only marginal disappointment, the $16.95 Roasted Pork and Beef Meatballs drowning in Stewed San Marzano Tomatoes and topped with Torn Basil Leaves and Parmesan (photo: http://bit.ly/1wSBoI9). Just too saucy for my taste even though the San Marzano tomatoes were top-drawer. No fear. The desserts more than compensated. The $10.95 Warm Apple Tart Tatine, an elaborate pastry creation with Salted Caramel Sauce, Candied Almond and a scoop of Black Pepper Ice Cream topped by my birthday candle (photo: http://bit.ly/1ukcP48). Yummy but overshadowed by the $9.95 Toasted Coconut Pound Cake with Blackberry Ice Cream, Streusel and a variety of Market Berries (photo: http://bit.ly/1vqXMtO). That was masterful decadence. What a feast, and I shouldn't be surprised that this restaurant comes from Bruce Hill who rejuvenated Bix and most recently, Fog City. Picco surpasses both, and chef Jared Rogers' creative execution must be given due credit. The 2014 Picayune Pinot Noir from Sonoma provided lovely accompaniment throughout (photo: http://bit.ly/1vqXR0D). FOOD - 5 stars...creative takes on Italian dishes that tickle the palate AMBIANCE - 4 stars...warm and comfortable in a bucolic setting, noise level tends to increase as the evening progressed SERVICE - 4.5...quite attentive without being intrusive TOTAL - 5 stars...could be Marin's best restaurant...but how the hell would I know? read more

See all

Mmmmm. Picco. How you will forever have our hearts. Ahi Tuna Tartare Towers for days, Avocado Bruschettas, Grass Fed Mini Burgers in and around my mouth, tuna crudo, Risottos made from scratch on the half hour...we have the drill down. Eatin good in our neighborhood always with you! My Husband and I are Marin natives of close to 35 years and you are our favorite restaurant in all of Marin County. Loving the summer Lemon Lavender Bee's Knees Cocktail! read more

See all

I recently returned to Picco for a holiday team dinner with coworkers and was very impressed. I had always held Picco in high regard, but it feels like the food has gone up a level since my last visit. We started off with a spread of various appetizers including fries, oysters, avocado bruchetta, and green beans. Everything I tried was well executed and delicious. Additionally I tried their house risotto which they make every 30 minutes. My risotto had winter chicory and leeks and had a wonderful hearty flavor. It was the highlight of my meal, a must try. For my main course, I picked a fried chicken dish which was their special of the day. The batter of the fried chicken seemed to have a bit of either honey or maple syrup to give it an interesting sweetness that I didn't expect. This came on a plate with mashed potatoes and gravy, and collard greens cooked with some kind of rendered cured pork. I had a great experience, and for me, Picco gets a 5th star. read more

See all

Very disappointing meal.I had the chicken. It clearly had been cooked previously and then reheated. It was very dry and there was hardly any meat on the leg/thigh. My husband had the steak which was okay but fatty. We shared the crispy rice tuna and again the crispy rice was very over cooked. The drinks were great and so was the service. The decor is tacky but I could easily overlook it if the chef cared more about the food. I used to love this place. I live right around the corner but I'll walk a little further in the future and dine at the Left Bank. Come on Picco get your act together. read more

I have eaten at Picco countless times over the years and thought it was one of Marin's best restaurants during Bruce Hill's tenure. It had a great vibe and delicious and innovative food. Over the last couple of years however, the food, the service and the ambiance have become uninspired and mediocre. And...it is very expensive. I sincerely hope that the management use this feedback to focus on bringing back some of the magic and quality ingredients that Picco had, once upon a time. read more

Sad to say disappointing all around. High expectations based on reviews and recommendations. Service was non existent and food was not worth the price. I expected a larger portion and more of a plate for how the salmon was described and at $38. We also had the pappardelle which had absolutely no taste. The server never checked on us...salt or more cheese could have helped. All in all, we won't be coming back and would recommend others to skip this restaurant. read more

Pleasantly surprised by how good the pizza was. Nice outdoor seating and friendly service.

Food is good. BE REALLY CAREFUL with reservations. THEY SAY TO CALL THE RESTAURANT for reservations 5+. Do not do this. DO NOT LEAVE A PHONE MESSAGE as they ask. I left 4 messages 2 days before the day we wanted to go, Finally reached in person when I called back for the 5 time late the day before and they said they were full. I had to book another restaurant. Mid-day on the day we wanted to go, I get a text saying we had a reservation. They never apologized and never contacted me. read more

Great spot to hang out downtown Larskpur. During Covid so there was limited items on the menu. But we had great time there. The killer is the soft served ice cream with olive oil and sea salt. read more

Restaurant Picco - Ice cream with olive oil ? Yes ! - Italian Near Me - Larkspur, California

Picco has been my favorite restaurant for many many years. In fact, that is why I chose it to celebrate my 50th birthday on Saturday night. It was packed as always, and despite asking for a special table, we were seated in the cold, austere room in the back by a busy server station/ pantry. Our waiter was incredibly distracted the entire evening, and while the food was of course delicious, the experience just wasn't up to Picco standards. In this case it was the waiter serving half of the entrées 10 minutes after the others, never checking on whether we needed another beverage, and a general dismissiveness that felt almost rude. Wish I had loved it but I didn't. I've heard it's hard to find experienced, professional servers these days and my experience seems to reflect that. read more

Always a great meal. Always wonderful service. Order the risotto as soon as you get in, and have a cocktail. The bartenders are great!

Food was delicious--risotto, soup, pizza, cocktails, etc. Loved the good. The issue for us was that we had a reservation but were not seated for 25 minutes and left outside to stand as it got colder. Nor did the hostess or anyone care that the reservation was moot. The main courses arrived 30 minutes apart so some of us were done eating our entrees by the time the others at our table were served theirs. The waiter brushed it off and said they're still trying to coordinate between the two kitchens, which is not something you want to tell customers. I enjoyed the food for sure but probably won't be going back due to the long waits of food service and getting seated so long after our reserved time. read more

This time not as good as the first - maybe due to different menu items selected. But still a solid place to catch up with great friends. Recommend: Gazpacho - burst of flavor. Summer squash - great balance of flavor and cooked just right. Tuna tartare - very crispy base. Fresh tuna on top. Great on presentation and taste. Worth trying for the first time: Risotto with beans - large portion. the half portion is more than sufficient. Skip: Meatballs - can get these everywhere. Not special unless you are in the mood for meatballs. Octopus with chickpeas - chickpeas are too much comparing to octopus, a bit tasteless (octopus and potato would have been better) read more

See all

This place never disappoints. We started with the Brussel sprouts and avocado toast with chorizo Both were delicious. We also tried the Aracini which was yummy. I had the gnocchi entree and it was mouth watering good! We will definitely be back soon! read more

Restaurant Picco - Shitznel - Italian Near Me - Larkspur, California

See all

Picco - downtown Larkspur, a big hit every time we dine there. Excellent vegetarian options, and wowza - order the ice cream with olive oil and salt, madness!! read more

You all must try the ahi tuna wontons!! They are listed year round and are delightful with a glass of wine and a salad as the main! read more

Restaurant Picco - Ahi Tuna Wontons-INCREDIBLE!! - Italian Near Me - Larkspur, California

No reservations, first come first serve, this place really runs a tight ship. Good service, unpretentious warm interior, fast delivery of food, excellent food, creative dishes with beautiful seasonal produce and of course risotto made on the 1/2 hour always creamy yet defined. I know your thinking, but it's Larkspur? Right, never mind just stay home, it's too good of a place to share. :) read more

Over the past five years we have been to Picco many many times. It was a favorite restaurant of mine for many years and we enjoyed countless excellent meals there. However, our last four visits/meals have been incredibly disappointing. The service has been dropped off considerably and the food is below average. On top of that, it's expensive. We will not be returning. read more

Picked up a few things here and was impressed with the quality and flavors. I had the red pepper soup , spinach radiotore pasta , the risotto and the flash frozen son of yeti pizza to go . The waiter was so kind that when I was checking my to go order I noticed the pizza was missing so gave me two as was sorry for the error . Can't wait to back in Marin to have dinner at the restaurant read more

Marin is an absolutely stunning place. The restaurant is a block over from a redwood patch. The ambience is spot on and the service was great. This was the first restaurant we ate at since we moved to Marin three months. Well if this is a top restaurant in Marin, it's clear good food is not on this side of the Golden Gate. Now the pizza is decent for 23+ dollars each, but it seems to end there. The rest of the food we ordered was so overpriced, small in portions, and subpar quality. I do a much better cooking at home - ie: the prawn spaghetti. Now I make this with large prawns, clams, garlic, wine, lemon butter sauce. Their version is tiiiny with tiny "prawns" aka the small Gulf de veined shrimp you find in the farmed section for 12.99 a pound at the grocery store. It's essentially black linguini with a bland lemon sauce and 8 farmed and previously frozen shrimp - no where near 30+ in value. I'd love to grab a pizza from here again, but that's it. If you live in Marin, I encourage you to as well. Aside from that, our dinner dates once a month will be in San Fran for now on unfortunately. If I'm going to pay this kind of money for food, it's going to either have to be truly unique or better than I can make at home. Picco does neither. read more

I'm happy to report that one of my favorite Marin restaurants is just as good as ever. We are SO lucky to have Picco in our backyard. If you haven't been, I'd recommend the following items... - Avocado Bruschetta (yum! I was never a huge avocado fan, but this dish converted me.) - Ahi Tuna Tartare served on sticky rice cakes with Asian pear, shiso, sesame, soy, and wasabi - Bacon Braised Brussels Sprouts (served with chopped onion rings, pickled garlic, & vinegar) - Risotto made from scratch on the half hour (the one we had was made with asparagus and leeks) - New York steak (served "tuscan style" with arugula, shaved parmesan, & olive oil). It's a carnivore's dream-come-true! There are so many things on the menu that I haven't even tried yet. But rest assured, I will keep coming back until I've explored it all. BTW, the cocktails here are pretty great, too. I'm especially a fan of their Barrel-aged Manhatten! Keep in mind, this place ain't cheap. But if you're looking for a wonderful restaurant for a special occasion, look no further. This place is a gem! read more

See all

Wonderful food! Service was seamless and the ambiance was perfect. Loves the risotto and oysters . Most sophisticated restaurant in Marin!

We did apps and a drink at the restaurant then moved over to the pizzeria. Great times! Never disappointed when I come here. read more

Restaurant Picco - Just amazing pizzas.... - Italian Near Me - Larkspur, California

Delicious farm-to-table dining, reminded me of Chez Panisse. The dishes are all intended to be shared, though it's definitely possible to have the pastas/mains as an entree for an individual. Several of the dishes were really great, though some tasted under-seasoned/complex to me. About $200 for two people, including two cocktails and a tip. Asparagus soup, crispy shallot & prosciutto, lemon crème fraîche, chives: $10 This isn't intended to be shared, but my wife and I did. Really delicious, and less of a soup than a rich cream puree. The shallot and prosciutto add delicious umami and depth. Burrata & artichoke toast, seeded country bread, violet artichokes, asparagus, english peas, lemon agrumato: $16 We cut this large piece of toast in half and ate it like an open-faced sandwich. Very fresh and delicious, though some of the greens/sprouts made it a little messy to eat. We didn't order the avocado bruschetta because my wife doesn't like avocados, but other reviewers have pointed to that as fantastic. Squid ink bucatini, local dungeness crab, green garlic, meyer lemon, calabrian chili, bread crumbs, fines herbes: $26 I was underwhelmed by this dish, I felt it was under-seasoned; that said, it's a tricky thing to include crab in a dish, because it's such a delicate flavor -- I think if this were a cream-based pasta dish, it might have been more successful. Also, we requested they hold the chili oil because my wife is very sensitive to spicy food, but they forgot; it was fortunately still edible for her. Wood grillled asparagus, 63° egg, frisée, arugula, duchilly hazelnuts & shallot agrodolce, mint, pecorino romano: $15 This was my favorite dish of the night. Perfectly grilled, thick asparagus, with the savory egg, hazelnut, shallot, and cheese make for a fantastic side. Crispy pork schnitzel, porcini spaetzle, brussels sprouts leaves, chestnuts, wild mushroom gravy: $35 This was tasty, though I wish the pork were thinner so it had a higher crust:meat ratio. When we have this as a family meal, I often drown it in lemon, which they do include on the side, but I think an even stronger lemon presence would be great. The porcini spaetzle doesn't strike you texture-wise as being made from mushrooms; perhaps it's not and just contains porcini as an ingredient. Anyhow, it was pretty tasty. Butterscotch pot de crème, salted chocolate ganache, chantilly cream, marcona almond tuille: $12 My wife really enjoyed this, but I'm not a huge caramel/butterscotch fan. I'm such a chocolate lover I should have ordered the chocolate dessert. Cocktail, "sinister kid"-campari, blood orange, lillet blanc, hayman's old tom gin: $13 I had this cocktail. The combination of Campari and blood orange is one I enjoy; it was good but not mind-bending. Cocktail, "ol' ron's old fashioned" - old bardstown bourbon, barrel aged cola syrup, strongwater golden bitters: $14 My wife had this Old Fashioned, it was tasty. They have many wines by the glass. In hindsight, I should have ordered a sauvignon blanc to go with the pork schnitzel, which I ate the most of. I didn't order wine because we were ordering asparagus (which would scramble the flavor) and I didn't think a single wine would go both with the crab (chardonnay) and the pork (sauvignon blanc). I probably won't return soon, as I'm a big fan of stronger, bolder flavors, like you're more likely to find with top French or Italian restaurants. But a very good farm-to-table experience and worth getting a reservation at. read more

Run by horrible, liars. Home delivery, 2 days late...A soggy pizza left in the rain. These folks have no business being in business. DISGRACEFUL. read more