Swift - The Wilbur Mansion

Swift is my pick for upscale dining in the Valley. The restaurant’s oddly not that well-known despite how great it is. The cuisine’s typical fancy American fare, some sort of melting pot of French and Italian, that’s generally tasty and well-executed. They have a thoughtful cocktail menu designed to be palatable even for those who are not cocktail drinkers; and they’ll happily whip up standard cocktails as their bar’s well-stocked. The venue is dazzlingly beautiful, an old-money personal mansion converted into multiple dining rooms, each with a different vibe. I just wish they had a more thoughtfully curated wine selection. My favorite thing on the menu is, oddly enough, the garlic spinach that comes with some of the mains. It can’t be just minced garlic! They must be doing garlic oil shenanigans to intensify the flavor and aroma. The pork chop was plenty juicy and delicious, especially with that buttery smooth cheesy mash. And you should order the S’mores cake for the rich chocolate cake. Most of the dishes have a shortcoming but it doesn’t change the fact that the food’s solid across the board. In my last visit, the potato soup was undercooked, leading to a gritty texture, but otherwise the balanced umami-scallion flavor was delicious. The demiglace and spinach, as well as the gnudi, were oversalted but still delicious. I think if they can tidy up these little details, Swift would easily be the best fancy night out.