I think that depends upon what one is looking for . . .
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Danger! Danger! Warning, Will Robinson â Thread Drift Approaching!
(Personal theory only)
Chez Panisse, across the Bay from Restaurant Gary Danko in North Berkeleyâs âGourmet Ghetto,â is [almost] universally hailed as the âbirthplace of California Cuisine.â There can be no questioning the impact Alice Waters had on cooking in America. It was definitely (and defiantly) cutting edge . . . circa 1971.
Very little has changed at Chez Panisse since then, in terms of cuisine. There are so many â countless thousands! â of places that have surpassed Chez Panisse in the past 45 years, one stopped considering Chez Panisse âcutting edgeâ long, long ago.
BUT . . . does that mean it is no longer any good? Does that mean it isnât worth going to? No. Of course not. (Well, IMHO, itâs âof course notâ; YMMV.) And every time we go, I am reminded of just how good Chez Panisse truly is. The food can be deceptively simple, in that itâs not sauces, itâs not molecular gastronomy, itâs not modern technique or âarchitecturalâ â itâs pure ingredients that shine âpurelyâ (I donât know how else to say it).
In terms of Restaurant Gary Danko . . ., I think itâs much the same way â not in terms of cuisine, but in terms of what was once âcutting edgeâ and âamazing techniqueâ is no longer so. Other places are surely more âcutting edge,â or display more amazing techniques in the kitchen; other places will bring a greater âfusionâ of Eastern and Western influences together; etc., etc., etc. Like Chez Panisse, it is âfrozen in timeâ â not much has changed since it opened, but it is still a place where both the food and service are wonderful, and well-worth going to . . . again, IMHO, and again, depending upon what one is looking for in terms of both cuisine and ambiance.
So, yes, if one is looking for things that Gary Danko isnât, then heck yes, you can certainly do better! But if one is looking for a classic, romantic restaurant with great food for a special occasion . . . again, it all depends upon what one is looking for . . . .