Jardinière, a San Francisco staple, has been around for almost two decades.

I haven’t dined at Jardinière since I was a child so I was curious to see how the restaurant is these days. Without a doubt the atmosphere and food reminded me of Boulevard, New American cuisine but not as cutting edge as I would like.

Fries with Miso Aioli (7/10).

These were tasty but not mind blowing. The fries could have been warmer.

Since we were sharing everywhere, they actually split all the dishes for us which was a nice touch.

Tagliatelle with Lamb, Kumquat, and Swiss Chard (7.5/10).

Even though this was half the portion of the pasta dish, I barely got any strands of tagliatelle. It seemed there were more garnishes than the actual pasta. With that being said, I did like the tartness of the kumquats with the meaty pieces of lamb but overall I wanted more noodles.

Trout with Puffed Brown Rice, Peas, Artichokes, and Onions (8/10).

The trout was without a doubt either confited or sous vide because the texture and appearance of the fish seemed like it was raw but it was definitely cooked. The trout was extremely tender and soft and I loved all the beautiful vegetables surrounding the fish. The vibrant peas with the sweet onions and roasted artichokes only enhanced the fish.

Mangalitsa Pork with Puffed Amaranth and Tomatillo Lentil Sauce (7.5/10).

The pork was cooked well, tender and moist with a crunchy crust. I liked the acidity of the tomatillo in the lentil sauce that helped cut through the fattiness of the pork but I wasn’t necessarily crazy about the celery leaves and purslane on top.

Buttermilk Cake with Goats Milk Frozen Yogurt and Strawberries (7.5/10).

A straight forward dessert but a nice summery refreshing dish to end the meal. The buttermilk cake was fluffy and airy and the tart goats milk frozen yogurt went well with the sweet juicy macerated strawberries.

While all the food at Jardinière was beautifully presented and delicious, it lacked excitement for me. I’m glad I dined there since I hadn’t in years but I probably won’t be back anytime soon. Therefore my rating is a 7.5/10.