Without planning to, I managed to have dinner at two of my favorite SF restaurants on consecutive nights -- Delfina first, then Myth. Aside from Restaurant Gary Danko, which is in another price strata, these two are my favorite places to eat in SF. It was interesting to try them back to back.
Delfina is the more casual of the two, a place that could be the greatest neighborhood restaurant in the city, were in not for the fact that it's thronged by people from all over (but we managed to walk in on Monday night at 6:30p). The food is all about elegant, unfussy preparations. Highlights were the house cured anchovies (reminiscent of saba at an excellent sushi bar) and the roast half chicken with chanterelles (a regular on the menu). My roast pork, while tasty, was a tad on the dry side. Service was nearly perfect, as always -- relaxed, personable, casual without being sloppy. The service and the attention to detail are what sets this place apart. Even the butter for the bread was divine (and lightly sprinkled with sea salt, just to show they know how to do the details). Two appetizers, two main courses, a glass of wine, plus tip = $94.
Myth is more of an "event" restaurant, although not so much that it feels stuffy. The food is consistently excellent, but with more "nouveau" flourishes (chick pea pancake touched by anise, mashed potatoes spiked with horseradish). The roast duck breast was superlative. Short ribs were very good, as was the soft-shell crab on a bed of arugula with parmesean dressing (excellent combination of sweet and bitter), but the asparagus soup was a bit lacking in flavor. Myth also have a wonderful "by the glass" wine selection, reasonably priced. I particularly appreciate the option to get half glasses, making it easy to go from Riesling to Petit Sirah (2005 McManis, which tasted like a cedar closet!) between courses, which I did. But strangely enough, the service was slightly subpar, with the waitress forgetting a second glass of wine that had been ordered. On my other two visits, service was excellent, so maybe this was a fluke. Two appetizers, two mains, two half glasses of wine, two desserts, two teas, plus tip = $150.
Overall, Delfina edged out Myth this time, but I'd say they are still tied for my top spot (after Gary Danko's).
