sublime. just back from my first dinner at john howie steak. where to start? very lovely service from mary ann, beautiful dining room. the food- starting with the bread basket- the not-so-humble basket of house made goodness. flatbread, a pretzel-like stick, and a cheesy roll, along with some amazing butter. de-lish-us! next up, gnocchi with mushrooms, dungeness crab and truffle oil- worthy of standing on its own as an entree, but a starter nonetheless. i had to stop myself after just a few bites. next up, a very generous wild greens salad, with just the right amount of dressing. but then, the entrees- my date and i each went with filets, 3 total: nebraska aged and american wagyu for me and japanese wagyu for him. perfect for comparing- and each brought something to the party- the wagyu beef from japan was by far the the richest, most tender meat, but for me, the american wagyu was the perfect balance of flavors. sauces were unecessary- but we loved the peppercorn. sides included some roasted corn with chipotle chili, and more wild mushrooms. we took our dessert to go, and we're happy on a sunday evening with very good meyer lemon tart. all in all, john howie steak exceeded my expectations- leaving el gaucho and daniels behind. the quality and value were exactly what i was looking for in a steak house experience!