A special anniversary? An important business dinner? A fat tax refund? These are the reasons one books a table at Jardinière. The restaurant takes its name from its chef-owner, Traci Des Jardins, and the sophisticated interior, with its eye-catching oval atrium and curving staircase, fills nightly with locals and out-of-towners alike. The equally sophisticated menu, a marriage of California and France, changes daily but regularly includes such high-style plates as potato gnocchi with black truffles, and duck breast with Moroccan spices. Cheese lovers will appreciate the wide variety of choices—both old world and new—housed in the glassed-in cheese-aging chamber in the rear of the restaurant. Chocoholics will want to save room for the chocolate soufflée cake with caramel ice cream.
Reviewed by scoomoo from Dallas on 7/22/08
I made a reservation at Jardiniere after finding more highly recommended and rated restaurants already booked. We had a couple cocktails at the bar, which were pretty good (and pretty expensive). We ordered a salad, which was pretty good, and a couple of glasses of wine which were great. My wife ordered the duck breast for her main entree and I ordered the Wagyu steak. The duck breast was really good. Wonderful glaze and sauce. The steak was a huge disappointment. As the most expensive entree on the menu ($60), I was anticipating a perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth meal. Instead, I got a overly-charred (I ordered medium-rare), hard to cut piece of bland meat. The tastiest part was the garlic and spinach garnish. I have had much better steaks at a neighborhood chain restaurant.
All-in-all, the experience was not worth the money. Great staff, good atmosphere, but very inconsistent food. At the prices they charge, I would expect nothing less than great across the board.
Reviewed by ecasey22 from New York, NY on 7/30/07
I loved the food (oysters and halibut are divine) and the service was first rate but the vibe of the place feels a bit dated. Thankfully, the restaurant notices this too and is getting a much needed makeover in late August. Can't wait to see the end result.
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