The Sardine Factory Description

"Now I get why this place is so famous!" my 16-year-old said with a laugh as we exited The Sardine Factory, after what I can only describe as the most sumptuous meal we've ever experienced. The food was so amazing that my normally picky-eater teens were tempted to try every new delicacy, from abalone bisque — served at the White House for Ronald Reagan's inauguration — to miniature lamb chops with truffle sauce, to a crab and prawn cocktail. We left with a week's worth of stories: the ceiling-high flames on my Flaming Sardine (a galliano-based cocktail), the between-course sorbet served in swans carved out of ice, the wine cellar with a personal locker for Clint Eastwood. The staff members treat you with an old-world graciousiousness that today's kids have almost no experience with. As we waved goodbye, the staff felt like the best kind of uncles — the kind you want to visit with again and again.