Quince

At Quince, a server might gently lift a single asparagus out of a broth-filled glass bucket and place it on your plate with the care usually reserved for putting babies to sleep. It’s one of the most memorable moments of the meal—the kind that has you excitedly kicking your feet and realizing why you paid $390 to be here. The 10-course dinner has asparagus bucket highs and a couple of mildly snoozy lulls. But you get what you pay for: stunning hyper-seasonal dishes and a Very Special night that hits all the fine dining marks.

photo credit: Quince

This Jackson Square standby has been tweezing ripe peas since Schwarzenegger was sworn into office. So the nearly three-hour shebang goes off without a hitch, from synchronized wine pours to the staff who will buddy-system you on the way to the bathroom. The whole meal takes place in a recently renovated dining room that looks like a bespoke boutique with zero price tags and the name "Wild Magnolia Delight." It's a pleasant place to eat caviar in a billion forms, and tortelloni with asparagus sauce poured out of a custom ceramic carafe. Everything is delicious, even if you’ll forget some of the dishes—like the tiny football-shaped turnip slices or rhubarb and ginger semifreddo—by the time you get home. All of the seasonal produce most likely lived its entire life a short car ride away, and you can tell.

photo credit: Oivind Haug

Unless you run in C-suite circles, the price of admission to Quince is something you will probably have to plan for, especially after tax, tip, and wine. But there are less prohibitively expensive ways to enjoy the produce-happy dishes. Opt for the four-course option ($270) in the more laidback salon, come for lunch (Fridays only, $195), or walk up to the bar and order a la carte. Regardless, a trip here should be saved for nights when you want to ditch the sneakers and eat fancy and delightful food at a restaurant that has real towels in the bathroom. Your asparagus pail awaits.

Food Rundown

The menu at Quince changes daily, but here’s an idea of what you can expect.

photo credit: Julia Chen

Green Asparagus In Spring Mustard Broth, Fried Egg & Caviar

We’re not sure how much of an actual effect the broth bath has on the asparagus, but we will say that this is one stellar vegetable—it’s slightly sweet and satisfyingly firm. The battered and fried egg that comes on the side lacks crunch, but the inside of the egg is filled with caviar for a nice pop of saltiness.

photo credit: Julia Chen

Caviar

Speaking of caviar, there’s a lot of it here—on tiny omelettes, one-bite onion chips, and spooned into the grooves of a mini waffle. And you know what? It’s f*cking delicious. Enjoy.

photo credit: Julia Chen

Spring Peas Lightly Warmed, Tomales Bay Clam & Guanciale

The halved peas in this “lightly warmed” dish are smoother than a filter-happy influencer’s collarbone. The local clams lend a hint of umami to each green spoonful.

photo credit: Julia Chen

White Asparagus Tortelloni & Fermented White Asparagus Sauce

A fantastic triple whammy of white asparagus—it’s served whole, as a buttery sauce, and in sweet custardy form as the filling for two little pasta pockets.

photo credit: Julia Chen

Don Watson Spring Lamb Cooked In The Fireplace, Fava Bean, Green Garlic, & Wild Ramp

This is, objectively, a really good plate of lamb. Will you remember it next week? Probably not.