Chef/owner, Restaurant Gary Danko, 800 Northpoint St. (at Hyde), 415-749-2060, www.garydanko.com

It seems fitting that chef Gary Danko is on the cover of the new Northside San Francisco this month – he was on the cover of what was to become Northside SF, called Quality of Life, when it went from an insert in the Marina Times to a stand-alone publication in June of 2004. At the time, Danko was mulling over what he wanted to do with the large space at the Cannery that houses his offices as well as the old Ben Johnson restaurant, replete with towering ornate wooden fireplaces in the 16th century dining room, and a kitchen. “I would like to do a cooking school here some day,” he mused as we walked through the space back then. “Maybe a multifunctional thing …”

Nearly three years later, that dream is coming to fruition, but Danko sees the private dining project as an extension of Restaurant Gary Danko rather than as a new business venture. “One restaurant is enough,” he says.

In an era of increasingly media savvy chefs, Danko’s candidness, down to earth demeanor, and sharp wit are a welcome respite. Asked about the recent Michelin madness where he received one star from the French guide when many people felt he deserved two, he says, “There’s a certain practicality about American life that I don’t think they get. You can’t just come to America knowing nothing really about the restaurants here and start handing out stars based on your French criteria. People will probably say this is sour grapes, but truthfully, Zagat means more to me because it’s geared toward Americans and the public is speaking. And that’s what we’ve always been about and still are about; we focus on our guests and what makes them happy.”

The formula seems to be working just fine – after seven years, Restaurant Gary Danko still has one of the longest waits in the country for a reservation – up to eight weeks for a weekend – and the daily list of people hoping to nab a table that becomes available at the last minute can run 50 deep or more. This has been another stellar year for Restaurant Gary Danko – for the fifth year in a row, the Zagat guide named it The City’s best based on a survey of nearly 8,000 diners. Danko tied with The French Laundry for best food, scoring 29 out of a possible 30; he came out on top for service, and was also crowned the most popular restaurant. That renowned service, considered by many to be the best in The City if not in the nation, also had a prestigious James Beard Award bestowed upon it earlier this year.

Danko still devotes more than 16 hours a day to the restaurant. He says he’s not interested in spinning off sequels in Las Vegas, New York, or Miami, a growing trend these days for big name chefs. It is that consistency that makes him a hit with diners and a target for impatient critics who expect chefs to constantly reinvent themselves. A catty unbylined editorial in the October 4th issue of the San Francisco Chronicle snarked, “There’s … something beautiful about the sight of a super-hyped, prohibitively expensive restaurant such as Gary Danko grouped in the same one-star category as low-key, splendid neighborhood favorite Range.”

Considering that a tasting menu at Gary Danko costs more than $100 less than a tasting menu at The French Laundry, and is in line with other restaurants in San Francisco of a similar caliber, it seems like a low, and perhaps personal, blow.

True to form, Danko shrugs it off, refusing to give the sleight more attention that it deserves. Sitting in the kitchen of the newly renovated Russian Hill home he shares with his partner, Greg, he seems content and happy, and unwilling to let such insignificant things get in the way. “You can’t please everyone,” he says as he adds his personal signature to several restaurant gift certificates. “I’m not doing this to please critics; I’m doing it to please the people who dine at the restaurant. That’s what has always mattered to me.”