The Salt House, San Francisco

You know those perfect dinners out? The kind where the atmosphere is mellow enough to hear each others' conversation but bustling enough to feel alive; where every plate is just so delicious that everyone is scrambling to try everyone else's dish; where the service is so seamless that you barely notice the waitperson yet you don't find yourself needing anything because your glass is always full. I had one of those fantastic meals the other night with my friends Joe and Jill at the Salt House in San Francisco.

Jill and Joe - a power couple if ever there was one. She's an attorney, he's a deputy district attorney. Need I say more?

We shared two appetizers: The lovely dayboat scallops with white corn, chorizo, shittakes and an orange gremolata.

We also shared the poutin, Canada's answer to chili cheese fries. Salt House's poutin consists of fries topped with a short rib gravy and Bravo Farms cheddar. What's not to LOVE?

Jill had the prime New York steak with white corn, spelt, fava beans and a sweet corn puree. The sweet corn was divine, and a perfect compliment to the savory steak.

I went for the Peking duck, which was served with a white bean and summer vegetable salad, and short ribs (yes, that's short ribs at the end of the plate). Decadent and delicious!

Joe opted for the Alaskan halibut which was sitting atop a sweet and sour sauce and summer vegetables. It was light, flaky and perfectly crusted.

We were lucky enough to sit next to the large basket of bread - not a bad thing to look at all night! This is the crusty-chewy bread that everyone gets upon seating at the Salt House.

For dessert, the three of us split this strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream. Light, sweet and just about all we could handle after our very substantial dinner!