Sons & Daughters

As you've certainly read elsewhere, it's spectacular. I'll add just a couple notes on pricing in case others haven't yet. When experiencing fine dining, I've sometimes seen menus with items listed without a price. (Often items are shown as "AQ" for "as quoted" or "MP" for "market price.") When I first saw this as a younger person, I asked a friend what these items could cost, which is when I heard the famous saying: "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." Nonetheless, over the years I've found two rules apply when estimating the worst case maximum pricing of the item. Over the years, these rules have never been violated (though there have been some close calls) which makes me wonder if there's an actual unwritten industry rule out there. Here goes: 1) If a food item is listed without a price, find the highest priced other item on the menu and double it. For example if the lobster is the highest priced item at $60 and the Wagyu is MP, that Wagyu will cost up to $120.2) If a drink pairing is offered without a price, it will cost up to the same price as the prix fixe menu without supplements. For example, if the prix fixe menu is $200 with up to $100 in supplements, the unpriced wine pairing will cost up to $200.In each case, it's rare to get within 20% of the maximum. Anyway, I mention this because Sons and Daughters managed to test both my rules born of experience. They passed - barely.

Made reservations for 4 at 6:30pm, arrived a bit early around 6:05 and were a bit too early to be seated so walked around the neighborhood until our table was ready. Upon checking in they took coats, jackets and bags which was a nice touch. We were seated in a nice private room downstairs which we really enjoyed. Food: Nordic inspired with local California produce highlighted, most of the ingredients are locally procured and even the ceramics were procured primarily from local producers which was amazing to see and experience. Root Vegetable Toasted Grain Broth - a really nice salty savory start to the meal, broth was super rich in flavor without any protein which was very impressive Prawn on Swedish crips bread - nice light bite, prawn was sweet and delicate with some tangy savory notes from the gooseberry garum Beef Tare Tare - very punchy in flavor, smokiness from the grilled butter, slightly gamey Cured duck heart - very unique and interesting horseradish added a bit of spiciness, the sorrel added freshness favorite of the 3 small bitesScallop - prepared two ways, the raw scallop was topped with pickled seeds and smoked with doulas fir really unique combination of flavors, the cooked scallop was served almost like a taco was fantastic creamy smoked scallop filling wrapped with a buttery flatbread The house made bread with cheese - a beautiful little loaf of toasted spelt bread cut into four slices served warm with the creamy fresh cow's milk cheese that had a bright tanginess and was so soft it spread like butter Black Cod - the most tender piece of fish i've ever eaten, this melted in my mouth paired with a delicious creamy sunchoke puree, the tallow really added richness to the dish and the barley provided some nice textural contrast Rutabaga - very unique and perhaps my favorite dish, this centered around a new rutabaga turnip hybrid which was Buckwheat & Chestnuts - a delicious warm bowl of grains topped with a shaved fresh chestnut and and mushrooms, super comforting and hearty Guinea hen - perfectly roasted, meat was tender and flavorful, served with onions, an herb oil, and mushroomsVenison - served rare to medium rare, meat was tender, the beet pairing was so interesting adding a slight sweet earthiness to the dish Crab apple sorbet - tart and acidic, a punchy transition to dessert, really cleansed the pallet Yogurt and Quince - no too sweet, creamy tangy yogurt with sweet poached quince to add contrast, the cookie served with this was just barely sweet a very interesting combinationAcorn cake - like a frozen truffle, savory from the miso, almost chocolate like in flavorSweet bun - reminded me of a tiny cinnamon roll, favorite sweet bite of the evening Kombucha jelly - gummy/jelly like texture with the flavor of kombucha Drink: Wine pairing was really well rounded with a great variety, from light whites, to sparkling wines, some robust reds, and even a sherry in the mix. Non-Alcoholic Beverage pairing - we actually preferred this, super unique drinks which really matched perfectly with each course, color of the drinks were very similar to the wines that were paired with the meal, whimsical and delicious would recommend giving this option a try, truly impressive Service was excellent, super warm and friendly staff with incredible in depth knowledge of not only the food and beverage but even the details on each of the plates that dishes were served on. Refined and elegant presentation. Loved that chefs walked in to introduce dishes throughout the meal. The restaurant really puts in the effort to get to know each guest and were genuinely interested in connecting with those dining with them. Overall thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Son and Daughter, truly a special experience. The food, service, drinks and ambiance were warm, intimate and refined. Food really highlights Nordic cuisine with unique California ingredients. All the savory dishes were innovative, unique and delicious with great variety. The desserts were lighter and less sweet than expected, I do wish there was one that was a little sweeter to finish the meal. We were quite full and satisfied at the end of the meal. Definitely worth a visit if you enjoy Nordic style fermentation heavy tasting menus.

First, I am really disappointed that I'm giving it the rating that I am, I had extremely high hopes for this place. My wife and I always celebrate special occasions by treating ourselves to various Michelin star restaurants and we have been to a fair amount in the city - but I will say that this doesn't rank as high as others (ie Birdsong, Kiln, Saison, Acquerello , etc) in both food and service.First when we were seated they told us happy birthday even though we were celebrating our anniversary. I mean you have 6 tables in the restaurant and we were the first to come in and it says right in front of you on the card you nicely laid out for us that it's our anniversary. He eventually corrected himself but kept joking about it even at the end. It also seemed no one else around us was celebrating anything.I did the non-alcoholic pairing, while some of the drinks were huge hits, there were almost the same amount that were not. Some were bitter (think celery juice and another bear juice) while others were not good at all (imagine drinking the water that sits on top of your non-fat Greek yogurt, ya they had one like that). When it came to the service, they were very knowledgeable, and I appreciated their sustainability story around every dish, but I would say they weren't exactly friendly and as the night progressed, the overall atmosphere seemed a bit stuffy. Not once did anyone ask how we were doing or our thoughts on the drinks or dishes, I tried to proactively bring it up and they were responsive and hoped to have it reciprocated but I guess it didn't work out.Now with the food. I will say that their snacks in the beginning and the end were highlights compared to their actual courses. Even their caviar course was overshadowed by the taste of celery that I couldn't tell you how good or not good the caviar was. If I'm paying $115 each on top of the meal for caviar, I would like to taste it have it as the star of the show.They brought out the entire duck breast to show us and explained the story which was appreciated, but at the end - I didn't expect to only get a small sliver of the breast - I mean what a tease. Every other restaurant that offers a tasting menu serves a bit of a heartier meat course. Everything seemed to be overshadowed by broths or foams which was a bummer. The worst part was dessert. We were given a lovage herb sorbet - basically tasted very bitter and could not get the taste out of my mouth. I would say the main highlights of the night were the scallop and halibut but again they were overpowered by either seeds or broths that took away from the beauty. I understand wanting to push the envelope and be unique and different in flavors, but sometimes it's good to have something that compliments or helps highlight the main part of the dish vs hide or clash. Again, some highlights and some misses. Unfortunately more misses than wins.

I would almost give it a 4 star. I dunno,,, that's tough. 4 for a Michelin maybe?. 5 is fitting though I guess. It was delicious but I'd say out of all the places I've visited. It's under top 3 for sure. The desserts were the things I were least impressed by. My friend says the acorn dessert tasted like the smell of her babies vomit... and yes it was a little sour almost. I would never go for seconds. The kombucha was excited for but it was just biting into a sugar ball. Sweet. The little roll was the best.The bread and spread mid meal was MY FAVORITE part. Who doesn't love bread omg. It's always my favorite part of a dinner.The meal was interesting over all in comparison to other places I have been to. Small bites.I did think I was still hungry when I left but as I walked around I felt myself filling up and I was content. Over all great meal and unique flavors. I don't think I would have found this place if it wasn't for the reccomendations from another Michelin restaurant I reached out to. So thank you for that. Ambiance was elegant and yet dark. I'd love to visit again in the future.

I was very disappointed with the service from the start, due to the all star weekend + the parade in down town, I was half an hour late, my girlfriends was all there already and forced to start without me....... The presentation of the dishes was nice..... but when the chef was describing the 2nd last course I over heard my server laugh about us don't understand what kind of meat he was describing, I've been to numerous upscale restaurants, this is the first time I leave a 1 star comment!

3.5 STARSDate: Friday, September 13th, 2024Time: 8:30pmParty of: 2Meal: Birthday DinnerReservations Made: via Tock about 3 weeks priorSons & Daughters Tasting Menu - Summer 2024 ($295) x2, Supplemental Caviar Course ($115) x2*Pressed tomatoes with last year's black garlic and green juniper oil*Raw spot prawn with Swedish crisp bread and gooseberry garum*Elderberries with Millbrook venison, coastal redwood and grilled butter*Turnips with miso and fresh horseradish*Tomatoes and their leaves with unripe plums, preserved blueberries and juiced cucumber*Locally caught halibut with currant wood oil and fermented root vegetables*Supplemental Course - Sustainably sourced Osetra caviar with lactic fermented potatoes, summer preserves and buttermilk*Raw scallops from Maine with preserved white asparagus, cold preserved rapeseed oil and geranium*House milled rye Tunnbrod with smoked scallop, wild pea shoots and wood sorrel*Toasted spelt bread with fresh cow's milk cheese, chanterelles and watercress*Black cod from Half Moon Bay with grilled green strawberries, unripe tomatoes and wild rose petals*Sprouted and toasted buckwheat with hen of the woods and broccoli rabe*Lobster from Maine grilled over smoking applewood with smoked chicken fat, aged pear vinegar and preserved ramp*Lamb from Umpqua Valley OR Celeriac with ripe and unripe summer berries and sunflower seeds*Juiced lovage with blackberries, fermented pear and toasted wild hops*Grilled Brittany Lane peaches with chamomile, spir cream and marigold*Frozen acorn cake miso*Sweet wheat bun with spruce butter*Jelly made with our kombucha *Sparkling Water ($12)*Muri 'Passing Clouds' Glass ($28)*Champagne, Marc Herbrart, BDB, Premier Cru Glass ($36)*Corkage ($75)I've always wanted to go to Sons & Daughters. When it came time for my bday dinner this year, a friend said let's do it! I was only in town for a few days and we found a late night rezzie for that Fri night. We snagged it up.As expected, they go all out in terms of comfort and presentation. We were greeted with a card addressed to us (with our names printed on it) and were seated at a big comfy booth. Service was attentive and informative. They explained every dish before serving which I adored.Food wise, I appreciated the farm to table, sustainability aspect of each item. My favs were the lobster and lamb. Both were cooked perfectly. For the lobster, the chicken fat added a nice richness. I don't eat lamb much, but this was sooo good. Was worried it might be a little too sweet for me due to the berries, but it wasn't at all. Tender and meaty. The perfect temp. I love caviar so we splurged for the added course. I gobbled that right up. Overall, I found the menu interesting and a nice departure from other michelin menus I've had. Tho if I'm being completely honest, I didn't find this menu filling. And I'm not one of those that needs a second meal after this type of dinner. I'm normally the one that can't finish everything.While we were here, we saw another table celebrating a birthday as well. (I believe they got a dessert with a candle.) My friend wanted to make sure it was a special occasion since we were splurging, so he noted it was my bday when reserving. Not that I needed a bday dessert, but I figured we would have something similar. We didn't end up getting anything which was fine. I don't know if it was due to the fact I'm not a big dessert person. The staff noticed I was only taking one bite of each sweet course and I mentioned that. (I finished all the savory courses in their entirety.) But I said my friend loves desserts! With all the money you are spending, we thought they would do a little something. Especially since we saw another table with a celebratory dessert.A good experience. This was one of the weirder michelin star restaurants in terms of feeling like it was a special occasion, but fine to try once if you want to splurge on a more unique menu.REVIEW #3589

Amazing experience. Service was beyond my expectation. The look from outside was a little bit sketchy but once I entered, seemed like I was in another world.... They were so creative about food..they did it in the little area and all of them were so gorgeous.... Two down side were the length of dinner which took me and my friend almost 4 hours to finish ( we decided to try their caviar ~ so it was longer too) and food was a bit salty.When it came to parking.... So difficult but there was a garage really close by so no worry about that Try this Michelin star restaurant for your experience!!

Fantastic service and super romantic (we went for Valentine's day). Each chef serves the dish and describes how the ingredients were sourced and cooked. New norwegian cuisine so truly a no waste cooking style which led to a lot of creative dishes and fantastic flavors. Also did a juice pairing and 10/10 recommend. I'm not a fan of alcohol so this was really up my alley. Loved the pear and quince juices, there was a rutabaga tea that was served which was.. very interesting on its own but tasted much better when eaten with the meal lol (it kind of tasted like a shot of elevated soy sauce? Hahah) Some dishes leaned on the salty side but overall was a great experience and would come back to try different menus :)

Spectacular dining experience, really enjoyed chatting to Chef and his team. No idea how they do what they do in such a small kitchen! All the courses were delicious and the standouts were the black cod and guinea foul!

What an incredible experience - great ambiance with such friendly service combined with a deliciously unique menu showcasing locally sourced, sustainable and seasonal ingredients. Service: from the moment we arrived, the service was impeccable. Their attention to detail went above and beyond. I really appreciated how the chefs took turns introducing and explaining each course. Food: every dish was delightful, balancing flavor, texture and presentation. The edible florals made those dishes visually stand out. Also, their plateware is really beautiful; each dish looked perfect. The whole meal was amazing but we really enjoyed the halibut, the scallops, and the quail. The entire experience was quite lovely - great vibes, top notch service, flavorful food. Would definitely come back to try different menus and their pairings!