Gardenias

Thoroughly satisfying food — interesting combinations of ingredients and flavors, but plating and portions place it squarely in the the comfort food camp. Small, low key place perfect for romantic dates and small gatherings with family and friends. I wish we had a place like this in our neighborhood! We went in winter and the menu reflected the season, so I suspect they change the menu regularly. Our service was impeccable, we had a reservation and they seated us right away. We werent super organized, but the server was very patient with us. We shared everything so they worked out how to course it appropriately. Each course was solid, from bites, to starters, to mains, to dessert. Will definitely be back.

The food’s pretty great: I had the kabocha soup, the scallops, and the game hen (perhaps a bit under seasoned, but still very good with the potatoes and greens). We all shared some bottles of chardonnay. Our entrees took quite a bit of time to show up, but I’ll assume it’s because they were busy (full restaurant on a weeknight). Great Fillmore pregame spot.

LOVE this place, one of my favorite meals in SF in the past year. This is the kind of charming, wonderful neighborhood spot that I don’t want anyone else to find out about, but I also want everyone else to find out about because it’s the kind of restaurant that deserves all the business in the world.
For starters, the service was impeccable in a helpful but not overly bothersome way. As for the food, everything was as delicious as I could have hoped for on a cozy night in this little neighborhood gem. I had the pork should braised in milk which was one of the most delicious pork preparations I’ve ever enjoyed, and started with the crostini with brocolli rabe, garlic, and other magic. The olives for the table, the bread, all fantastic. Wine selection was perfect.
Rooster Tail didn’t make it here before, and I think there is something a bit challenging about this location. However, given Gardenias ambiance, food, and service, I look forward to coming back to this neighborhood gem ALL THE TIME. Keep up the great work, Gardenias.

If you liked Woodward’s Garden, you will love Gardenia’s. Everything I had there was top notch and some things were excellent. I would particularly recommend the slow cooked pork shoulder — it was as tender and tasty as I have ever had and was served with an delectable savory sauce.
The only downside to the restaurant is the deafening noise level.

I was pretty sad when Café Kati closed, and the replacement was kind of disappointing. So, when this place opened, it looked promising. I’d never been to the Woodward’s Garden, but opinions seemed pretty favorable.
So, this place fits in really well with the neighborhood. Casual-​ish, upscale, friendly staff, and some unique flavors that fit pretty well. We had 3 dishes, and two of them had a blend of savory and sweet that blended perfectly. The other had more traditional flavors, but quite refined.
It’s a little too pricey for me to go too often, but still within reach where it doesn’t necessarily need to be a special occasion.

Absolutely lovely space, comfortable but refined — really enjoyed the atmosphere.
Fresh, well-​prepared comfort food in a gorgeous atmosphere. The current menu could use a few tweaks, as could the service which was extremely friendly if a bit harried.
Two of us had five items of varying sizes and while everything was delicious, it was a bit one note. Again, I’ll stress that we enjoyed all of it (though didn’t finish any of the larger items). I just wish there was a bit of variation in flavors and some lighter options. The current menu (not the one on the website) is on the heavier side with a very fall/​winter feel to it. I greatly appreciate seasonality, but a little acid somewhere in our meal would have gone a long way.
I am currently eating my leftover squash crepes for breakfast and I feel exactly the same as when I had them for dinner — delicious but just a little too heavy and sweet. And there is something in the flavoring that is very similar to the celery/​parsley soup and the short ribs.
I’d like some heavier wines to cut through the current menu — they were much too light for the current food offerings, though tasty and reasonably priced.
I will definitely go back to Gardenias though I might wait for Spring…

Gardenias is the real deal, clearly the best restaurant in the neighborhood north of Geary. We stopped by without reservations on a saturday night after a film. We were seated at the counter which was very comfortable and allowed us to watch the kitchen. Everything we ordered was fantastic. The raviolo with roasted persimmon and the greens wrapped in prosciutto were both outstanding. I had the short ribs and my partner had the game hen. He kept making happy sounds with each bite. My short ribs were the best rendition I have had of that dish in years. The wine list is very interesting and offered us the opportunity to have wines we had never heard of. We picked a red from Northern Italy near the boarder with Germany. It was great. The orange cake was a little sweet for my taste so I was glad to be splitting it. The service was great, attentive but not intrusive. The dishes were well timed. All in all, I can’t wait to go back. What a great addition to the neighborhood.

Excellent new addition to the Fillmore /​lower pacific heights neighborhood. Each item on the menu seemed compelling and had interesting ingredients that seemed to all pair very well. The service was great, the salad (kale?) was good and the pork shoulder on farro was outstanding (so tender!).

Solid with moments of inspiration or at least recollection. The small plates have been most exciting in our few trips, including opening week. Mediterranean socca, crostini, gazpacho, and raviolo have been standouts, with some variations on the different trips.
Our most recent trip demonstrated much improved service and a friendliness to shared plates. The tap wine list is interesting enough, with some excellent French and Italian selections.

Healthy, stellar menu choices. Every dish was beautiful and tasted sensational. Very attentive service on both visits so far.

A charming neighborhood place serving a small menu of modern American upscale comfort food. You wouldn’t find cutting edge food here nor must have dining but what it does, it does quite well.
The food was all good except the fish a local opah that was overcooked and dry. The rest of the food was good well and had lots of flavour. The gazpacho and the potato soup both had delicious flavour. The raviolo was probably the best dish we had-​very simple with a ricotta filling and burnt butter.
The cheese plate was disapointing with only two slices each of two cheese that were a bit too cold.
The service was excellent almost too friendly and the noise level was very good. This is a good bet if you are in the neighborhood and want a comforting delicious meal.
The restaurant and bathroom is wheelchair accessible.

I was a huge Woodwards fan and this couple’s new venture Gardenias does not disappoint. Classic décor, a brief but excellent wine list and amazing service are just the icing on the cake. The main event — the cuisine — is just fabulous. The food is Inventive yet classic and made with seasonal and divine ingredients;Gardenias does not disappoint! Great place for an intimate and delicious meal.

I have never felt compelled to write a restaurant review until now. My best hope is that the owners take note… if they want this place to survive. NB: I have worked in restaurants and I am always willing to give the benefit of the doubt and am so very rarely not willing to tip at least 20%.
Beginning with the positive: the space is adorable and the Nebbiolo on tap and the gazpacho were delicious.
Now, on to the sad remainder of the review. We sat at the chef’s counter. Point #1: if you expose your kitchen to your customers you **MUST** have your sh*t together. Otherwise it is like dining at your friends’ house, as they teeter on the brink of divorce.
Our first server was a sweet french (?) girl who unknowingly traded off duties with another server who looked less than thrilled to be there. They were the only two designated servers, but there was someone who appeared to be ab expediter who was also on the floor. Two line cooks were behind the bar and communication among all parties was a hot mess. Our gazpacho came in a timely fashion, and like I said, it was delicious.
Our two small plates, crudite and little gems salad seemed to be taking an awfully long time so server #1 checked in, saying they were on their way. After another 15 minutes and checking with server #2, the little gems that we saw sitting on the counter for 20 minutes arrived to us, along with the vegetables. Meanwhile, we could SEE that our entrees had been fired and were ready to be served at that time, so off to the heating rack they went, to dry out for 10 minutes.
In a hurried frenzy the small plates were cleared and our mains were there, hot hot plates and all. I had the pork shoulder which had dried out a bit after sitting around. My husband had the guinea hen, which we both thought would be an actual guinea hen. Maybe it was ¹⁄₃ of a guinea hen, which is like, 2 bites. And it was accompanied by 1.5 halves of potatoes. Not worth $ 27.
I get it. Accidents happen. But the couple next to us seemed to have a similar issue. The owners are restaurant veterans, so I have a hard time seeing how they can let their establishment run like this on a Saturday night. And like I said, if your kitchen is visible to your customers, don’t mess up, and if you do, re-​fire those mains and fix your mistakes. And don’t let your customers see the eye-​rolling, the huffing and puffing, the stress, and the discord. It’s just not pleasant. AND if you mess up, comp SOMETHING. ANYTHING. Acknowledge that you’re having a bad night, and make it right!

I love this restaurant — the food and atmosphere were lovely!
I went with a group of friends — we shared the starters and I especially liked the little gem salad and the chicken liver crostini. I had a delicious salmon as my main course and tried the hen, which was also tasty. Save room for dessert as the blueberry tart was the best I have had in years. All the desserts were impressive!
I will be coming back soon–

A nice addition to the Fillmore neighborhood. Delicious food! Good service! Good vibe! Perfect for date nights! We ordered the Chicken liver Crostini with pickled Cherri’s, Gazpacho, ravioli, mussels, game hen, the short ribs and for desserts we got the olive oil cake with figs. Everything that we ordered was cooked to perfection! Will definitely eat here again.

This was a huge disappointment. We waited so long for this restaurant to open in our neighborhood! We had been at the other restaurant they owned in the Mission (Woodward) and loved the experience. I cannot say the same of this new place.
Food was average and overpriced for what you get. Service was sloooow. Waiter was rude and crude. They threw the $ 14 cheese plate on the table w/​o even introducing the cheeses. Well I guess because there was not much to introduce on the plate. Two small piece of ordinary cheese on a plate!
I had the corn hen. Actually ½ for $ 24. I could have eaten it in two bites. It was dry too!
Our table neighbors ended up leaving before they even started. They said they felt they were pressed and waiter (the blonde lady who seems to be one of the two owners) was too rude.
Well …too bad. We hoped this would become our around the corner favorite restaurant.
I really hope the two owners get in the spirit of this neighborhood and start being nice and connecting with the people!

The food was a bit disappointing.
2 small slices of cheese for a $ 14 cheese plate and 2 crackers it’s excessive.
The hen was dry. The polenta was too rich and the ribs bland.
Unfortunately, the service was very slow and disorganized. We waited at least 15 min between the starters and the main course. I asked for a glass of water with my main course. I was almost done when the water was served.
The establishment is new and the machine is not perfectly oiled. However, it is too pricey for the quality of the experience.

I had never made it to Woodward’s Garden, but it was my old man’s go to spot. He was sad when it closed, but so happy when he got wind of the new spot and concept. So, we were dying to go.
I did some sleuthing about when it was finally LIVE. They are only open right now Thurs-​Mon for dinner, with a last seating at 8pm, so we took a Monday 8pm spot via Opentable. The patio looks great, but they are still waiting on the permit for it so, stay tuned.
The space is sleek and clean, with tables and a lovely eat at counter. Lots of walk in opportunities. We had a table with our reservation, but opted for the counter as it is my old man’s preference. It wasn’t too crowded, so we were able to chat with the staff and have some fun. It feels like a place where that will be the norm, even when it is slammed.
Once seated, Margie came over and brought us menus. The food is always going to change based on availability, but there are a few staples. We started with the cucumber gazpacho and a seasonal veggie plate. The gazpacho was mine, and lovely. It was a punch of cucumber flavor, with some kick (jalapeño), and these great radish bits too cool off the heat. The old man had the veggies, but kindly shared them — they were earthy and fresh, and such a warm (as in comforting) way to start our meals. Dinner was: the wheat berry risotto for him and the braised short ribs for me. I sadly forgot to try his, but he said it was creamy, filling and yet still light. My ribs were beautiful cooked and seasoned, but the polenta they were on: I wanted to bathe in it. It was a different texture than most, but it complemented the ribs perfectly, and the flavor off the charts.
We were more than full — the portions are what I would call perfect, not tiny waif-​like, but not middle-​american gluttonous. But, early in the meal, I saw the olive oil cake go by, so that was happening. My olive oil cake was really special. All the lightness and texture that such cakes are marked by, and none of the over-​powering nuttiness they can have in less skilled hands. The old man got the chocolate raspberry tart, and it was so delicate. The chocolate is an underneath lawyer, so I forgot it was there until I bit into it, and it balanced the raspberry tartness perfectly.
The whole meal set us back about $ 86 (and I had wine), which in SF for 3 courses x 2 people plus wine for me, is really quite a treat. The old man is already set for dessert date there this week, and dinner next. So, that should tell you it is up to snuff.
And, though I never went to Woodward’s Garden, I could appreciate very easily and straight away why people love Margie so much, and why the place had so many loyal folks. When we were there, she was all about the place, doing everything from clearing plates to giving advice. She told us how much she loved the new spot, and how happy she is; I think that comes through pretty clearly with everything we enjoyed. Welcome to the neighborhood Gardenias!

Amazing!!!
At long last these two food Pioneers have a new home. Impeccable and sophisticated. Tap wine curated with thought. Can’t wait to go back.