The first time I walked into Gill's Diner, they were fully booked without any seats available for even one person! Imagine that. Ok, feeling disappointed, I took a mental note to book next time. That was over a month ago. One of the reasons why I noticed Gill's Diner was because it was literally just next to Commercial Bakery, one of my favorite places to eat because of three things: (1) coffee, (2) croissant, and (3) chocolate tartlet. Other baked goods are just as heavenly and they are infamous for breakfasts, but I digress.
I was surprised when a waiter ushered me in and knew my name instantly, it's like being on a special guest list. Impressive. The only menu that was printed and stored was the extensive wine list. Another impressive point from a diner. Everything else, from entrees to dessert, was chalked up on the board. All the items has an Italian theme, some stews, a pasta marinara, steak, cassoulet (hmm, maybe French as well) but the menu was quite rustic and homely.
I settled for a King Valley white, something called Petit Manseng. It is described as an obscure white grape variety from France and grown in King Valley, it has top notes of lemonzest, pears and green olives and a piquant finish. I really don't know about all that, but the wine was fresh and citrusy, which a crisp finish.
For my entree, I'm having their Gravadlax - house cured salmon with mustard creme fraiche, herb salad, gerkins, and capers. Mm...this one was a winner. The cured salmon was distinctly light and bright coral in color and was glistening with all the wondrous oil. The salmon was not too salty and just enough. It has a slightly sweet flavor and no fishiness anywhere. Due to the fact that it's house cured, I can see the care and taste the delicate flavor put into the lovely slices. However, the gerkin plus capers were too much so it's either you have a piece of the salmon with gerkin or capers or the creme fraiche. Just the salmon slices were enough of a rave.
My main was White Bean Cassoulet with Pork Belly, Rabbit, Confit of Duck and Gill's Toulouse Sausage. Alrighty. This was clearly a carnivore's heaven. From the generous pieces gloriously arranged, I'm surely in for a treat. First, I went for the sausage. This was my favorite part of the dish. The sausage was soft and silky and was definitely the real thing. What's good about it is that it was fresh without being too fatty but I can still taste huge chunks of meat. It wasn't too fine or too processed and, preservative-free. Next, the white bean cassoulet. This was also very tasty. It was cooked with white wine, a combination of onions, baby carrots, white broad beans and small white beans. The duck confit was a tad too salty for me and I think wasn't as soft as I wanted it to be. The skin wasn't crunchy as well. The pork belly, however, has a perfect crackling. The fat underneath wasn't too thick, which made it soft and luscious. However, the bottom of the belly was a bit burnt, hence the bitter flavor. Lastly, the rabbit was a disappointment. It was overcooked and dry. Still, I think the dish was a valiant effort.
Gill's Diner is simply growing on me. As I stayed, the atmosphere was bustling, with chatty people wearing their casual clothes and business suits. There was the occasional too-loud syndrome but still, the food and wine are enough to allow you to sit back and let the time while away. Another point to consider is that Gill's Diner is not really a diner, it is more of a cafeteria style dining place that serves rael comfort food with quick and honest to goodness service from the staff.
I was surprised when a waiter ushered me in and knew my name instantly, it's like being on a special guest list. Impressive. The only menu that was printed and stored was the extensive wine list. Another impressive point from a diner. Everything else, from entrees to dessert, was chalked up on the board. All the items has an Italian theme, some stews, a pasta marinara, steak, cassoulet (hmm, maybe French as well) but the menu was quite rustic and homely.
I settled for a King Valley white, something called Petit Manseng. It is described as an obscure white grape variety from France and grown in King Valley, it has top notes of lemonzest, pears and green olives and a piquant finish. I really don't know about all that, but the wine was fresh and citrusy, which a crisp finish. For my entree, I'm having their Gravadlax - house cured salmon with mustard creme fraiche, herb salad, gerkins, and capers. Mm...this one was a winner. The cured salmon was distinctly light and bright coral in color and was glistening with all the wondrous oil. The salmon was not too salty and just enough. It has a slightly sweet flavor and no fishiness anywhere. Due to the fact that it's house cured, I can see the care and taste the delicate flavor put into the lovely slices. However, the gerkin plus capers were too much so it's either you have a piece of the salmon with gerkin or capers or the creme fraiche. Just the salmon slices were enough of a rave. My main was White Bean Cassoulet with Pork Belly, Rabbit, Confit of Duck and Gill's Toulouse Sausage. Alrighty. This was clearly a carnivore's heaven. From the generous pieces gloriously arranged, I'm surely in for a treat. First, I went for the sausage. This was my favorite part of the dish. The sausage was soft and silky and was definitely the real thing. What's good about it is that it was fresh without being too fatty but I can still taste huge chunks of meat. It wasn't too fine or too processed and, preservative-free. Next, the white bean cassoulet. This was also very tasty. It was cooked with white wine, a combination of onions, baby carrots, white broad beans and small white beans. The duck confit was a tad too salty for me and I think wasn't as soft as I wanted it to be. The skin wasn't crunchy as well. The pork belly, however, has a perfect crackling. The fat underneath wasn't too thick, which made it soft and luscious. However, the bottom of the belly was a bit burnt, hence the bitter flavor. Lastly, the rabbit was a disappointment. It was overcooked and dry. Still, I think the dish was a valiant effort. Gill's Diner is simply growing on me. As I stayed, the atmosphere was bustling, with chatty people wearing their casual clothes and business suits. There was the occasional too-loud syndrome but still, the food and wine are enough to allow you to sit back and let the time while away. Another point to consider is that Gill's Diner is not really a diner, it is more of a cafeteria style dining place that serves rael comfort food with quick and honest to goodness service from the staff.
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