Mustard Seed

Location

222 D Street, near the Pence Gallery

Hours

Lunch: Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:00pm

Dinner: Monday-Sunday 5:30pm-8:30pm

Phone

(530)758-5750

Web site

MustardSeedDavis.com

Enhance your romance. Wine and dine in our little cabin in the trees or outside on our garden patio.
Voted Best Restaurant in Davis by reader's polls in both The Davis Enterprise and Sacramento Magazine. Zagat Rated for food: 27 out of a possible 29.
Chef-owners Paul & Robyn Bergman and their talented staff have been feeding the hungry people of Davis for over 25 years.
Our seasonal menu has something new weekly to freshen the compact yet diversified selections,
specializing in sustainable fresh fish, natural meats and local seasonal produce.
You won't want to miss our house made desserts.
We are proud members of the;
• Seafood Choices Alliance
• Community Alliance of Family Farmers
• Slow Food USA

For reservations please click http://www.opentable.com, where further reviews are available.
You can also make a reservation at http://www.mustardseeddavis.com

Comments:

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• Reviews from 2005 ~ 11 comments
  

• Reviews from 2006 ~ 13 comments
  

• Reviews from 2007 ~ 19 comments

2008-01-30 13:31:40   I think the food here is some of the best in town. It's pricey, but when my husband and I want a nice dinner we know we will get the quality we expect, and thus the price is worth it. My one complaint is the manger. Like others, I have seen her yell at employees in front of patrons. I have seen it happen twice, and it is very unprofessional. I felt so bad for my server I gave her a little extra tip, especially since she really didn't do anything wrong. —AmLin

2008-02-21 16:55:24   As a frequent diner at the Mustard Seed, I will be the first to admit that the couple who owns and runs the restaurant does occasionally have a bad night; however, they are wonderfully kind and caring people despite the occasional inappropriate evening. They have always been exceptionally nice to me, and they know their stuff. The food, the wine, and the atmosphere is all them. It is obviously family owned and operated, and, although dysfunction sometimes stems from that, they also care about you and your experience so much more. They are highly invested, and, for the most part, they seek to give you the best experience possible. Also, the servers are great—I do not understand many of the reviews above. Their salads are delightful, the tomato bisque and puff pastry is superb. If you go at lunch during the fall/winter, get the penne pasta—it is outstanding! Always save room for dessert; it is the best in town! My favorites are the soufflé cake and the trio of profiteroles, but my boyfriend loves the bread pudding. Their lamb and duck dishes are wonderful in the evening next to the fire. If you are looking for romance, reserve the two top next to the fire; I saw a couple get engaged there once! I do feel though that they could stand to change their menu more often. Regardless, it is by far the best in town! —s.haraldson

2008-06-13 12:40:14   My Girlfriend and I were dining at Osteria Fasulo on a Tuesday night at about 7 pm a couple of weeks ago and had the great displeasure of sharing the interior room with the owners of the Mustard Seed. The patio was very full and there were only two servers on for the night, the one servicing us and the MS owners inside was called in that night after having to cancel a dinner date with his girlfriend in Sacramento. Because we were the only ones in the restaurant we could hear all of the very loud and crass words emanating from the table 10 feet from ours. Leonardo went and talked with them for awhile and the chef also conversed with them at length after serving them a custom dish. Before the chef came out they spared no criticism and after when discussing it with him called it perfect blah, blah, blah. The pinnacle of the evening however, came when our very polite and attentive server under the circumstances (12 tables between two overworked servers )delivered their bill. They complained that the chef told them the custom dish would be comped (we never heard that) and complained vehemently to have it removed. This is the antithesis of class (business at the seed not doing well). THEN, the woman had the audacity to say "service was very poor tonight, our appetizers took too long an what I tell my servers is if you are not waiting on us, we're waiting on you." The pace at a nice restaurant like Osteria ought to be relaxed and offer time to savor the dishes and have relaxing conversation (at a respectable volume) over some nice wine. I fell like the level of class and patience of these two is more suited to getting their Italian fix at Pasta. I have never seen someone treated like this at a restaurant where he was good and obviously operating under understaffed duress. Additionally it would be poor form for a server to interrupt conversations happening between a guest and the owner or chef so it was their false and pretentious yammering that prevented the timely delivery of the delicious mussel appetizer I enjoyed. If their behavior and other comments on this page are any indication i would avoid their restaurant as they managed to create a dour atmosphere in a restaurant that they were only dining in as opposed to operating. -Jonathan Nasca —JJNasca

2008-06-26 21:33:21   The food here is expensive but good, and it's true the service is slow but I haven't experienced anything else too negative (yet). If a $25 dinner entree isn't in your budget but you still want to enjoy some good food, come for the sandwiches at lunch. They're still a little pricey ($10) but are worth it, and I really enjoyed sitting out on the patio. Their stand at the Farmers Market on Wednesday nights is good too. —SRB

2008-10-14 10:59:49   Came here for lunch last Friday with "my partner". It was fantastic! Service was prompt and courteous. I had the tuna while he ordered the roast beef sandwich (I think). The food was tasty and the atmosphere was really nice. Although, I do feel like I didn't get the full experience since the owner didn't verbally abuse us. Maybe next time. —CurlyGirl26

2008-10-14 18:03:04   Yes, I agree, that the woman in the front, who believes she knows how to run a "Fine Dining Establishment," is ridiculous, rude, and very unprofessional. Just the tone in her voice is very condescending, and if you even look like you're not good enough for the restaurant, she asks you why you're there and turns her nose up if you don't "look" like the "right" customer. One piece of advice for you lady...it is not appropriate for a person to be able to see your stomach skin through the holes in your shirt in a "fine dining establishment." This is one place in Davis you WILL get discriminated against. —Penelope

2008-11-16 20:20:40   i completely agree with other posts; the owner is autocratic abrasive and rude, walks around with this chip on her shoulder frantically ordering the staff around and most of the patrons notice. the food is OK- some dishes are better than others they know how to sear a fillet of halibut and for lunch their salads are decent but it's frankly not worth the money. To commit yourself to a place in the $30 entree and $10 appetizers (and $18 corkage fee) territory with dismissive or at least overstretched staff to dine in a cramped and poorly decorated atmosphere is pretty absurd. —Chrissapher

2009-02-02 22:30:37   I was sitting on the Cloud Forest patio today for a late lunch when the owners of Mustard Seed pulled up. They spent the next ten minutes screaming at each other over the poorly swept front porch. She was screaming about how she tells 'them' all the time to keep the front well swept because it gives off a bad impression. I think her screaming for 10 minutes out front gives off a bad impression. Awkward. —CharlieMurphy

2009-03-03 20:38:12   I have to agree with many other reviewers. The lady at the front is incredibly rude. I was applying to be a busser or server, and as I was turning in my application she belittles me and starts to interigate me about my application without looking at it. Honestly she doesn't know how to run a restaurant or how to behave in the romantic atmosphere they are trying to create. Please don't waste your money here and go to Cafe Italia, or Pasta? instead. If felt i would have someday eaten there if she hadn't been so inappropriate with her behavior. —Marina

2009-03-10 12:49:10   I had dinner here last week, and had an absolutely delightful experience! Not only was the food excellent (I had the tomato bisque and a Caesar salad), but the service was exemplary. The gentleman who served me was a middle-aged man (who may well have been the owner, I don't know), who was extremely conversational and friendly. I have eaten here before, and will definitely again. I highly recommend The Mustard See —NaBarry

2009-03-30 14:09:04   This is by far the best restaurant in town. They deserve all the great press thre receiving. That said, I cant believe most of the stuff Im reading here! These are not reviews, but personal attacks. Ive been aregular for over 10 years and have never witnessed anything remotely close. The staff loves Robyn and Paul, they treat them like there own kids. If you must criticise please keep it constructve. I just cant imagine what promted any of this except maybe the competition is trying to ruin thier businees. Dont believe most of what you read here. Its exageration way beyond bellief! —janetpeabody

• You know, the contributions to this wiki are openly tracked (i.e., any editor can see them). That's part of how fake reviews are monitored.... for instance, when somebody signs up from the same computer Paul used just to reiterate what he said, it looks somewhat questionable. When you use fake accounts like that, it is called a sockpuppet. It rapidly becomes pretty obvious. It prevents the kind of "competition bashing us" that you imply — it also prevents whitewashing the entry from the business itself. In fact, of the five negative reviews here, two are from active wiki editors who have posted many different things around the wiki, making it pretty clear they are individuals. Three are from lesser used accounts, although they each used different wording and computers to post. There are real people who are writing about their family adopting cats and writing positive reviews of several other restaurants (some of whom would also be "competition" if they were owners as you imply)... and they also are writing about their negative experiences with the owners of the Mustard Seed. Even some of the positive reviews praise the food and still criticize the owner's behavior... which is an odd tactic if they were (as you imply) competition. You can track all this as well: the wiki has open records as to who contributes what. In this case, it is pretty clear it is not just a case of the "competition is trying to ruin thier businees[sic]", but rather many people simply reporting what they have seen. —Evan 'JabberWokky' Edwards
  

2009-05-28 21:04:52   MUSTARD SEED HAS THE WORST SERVICE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. you will get treated better if you go to McDonald's. It doesn't matter how good the food is, if the waitress is rude and doesn't even bring you water for the first 30 minutes. Even on an anniversary, they were so rude. This restaurant is a joke and I hope they get a new staff and management immediately if they want to stay in business. —plackbenis

2009-07-09 16:01:54   anyone who regularly reads comments on daviswiki can tell when the owner or some other worker is posting positive or defensive reviews of the business/restaurant. the food is very good though. but the clientele is generally older crowd. —boing3887

• I don't go to the restaurant, so I can't comment on the food or service or any of that. However, just as a tip, it will generally hurt your credibility if you avoid actual facts and instead use insults and personal remarks. Just sayin'...—JoePomidor

* I have to wonder about the age of the folks commenting on this page and the broad range of reviews. As mentioned by boing3887, the Mustard Seed crowd is mostly older. In my experiences at this establishment, besides the servers being treated badly, I felt I was also looked down upon. As a specific example, I walked in just after 5pm on a weeknight without a reservation and the restaurant was nearly empty. The owner flat out ignored my husband and I for a few minutes and then was uphauled to hear we didn't have a reservation. She made us feel like she did us a huge favor by "squeezing us in". Needless to say, when we were done with dinner, the restuarant was still empty, so I think there was plenty of room and no need for her attitude. Multiple times I 've felt very looked down upon (only by the woman) I have to assume because I am young and may look like a college student. This is unfortunate for a few reasons. First, I was a college student in Davis, love the town, and decided to settle down in the area and start my career. Now that I can afford nice dinners more often, The Mustard Seed is no longer on my list of places to go for a nice evening. Second, there are plenty of college students in town who will go to a nice restaurant for a date or a special occasion, so don't ostricize half the town! —AmLin

2009-07-09 16:20:08   I think I'd like to add my two cents to the conversation. I've discussed this restaurant with many of my clients over the years, and we all agree. The food and ambiance of the Mustard Seed is awesome. This place will never receive our business, however, until the female owner stops yelling at her staff. I've been here several times, and EVERY time we leave thinking she must go through new servers constantly. We listen to her yell, and leave unhappy. That should be taken as "advice" from a business owner, not "complaints". —Davidlm

2009-08-12 16:56:52   We have worked with Paul and Robyn on different occasions and have found them to be committed and hard-working. For two years, we have hosted a party for colleagues in our home for over 100 people, catered by the Mustard Seed. Both Paul and Robyn showed up early in the morning, set up the dining area, provided some upbeat morning humor, and came back later only to wow the crowd with their delicious cuisine. Paul manages to keep a sense of humor all the while tending to the oven, the stove, his employees, the party guests, the dog in his way, informing us when said dog has escaped, and keeping the serving dishes flowing. When the party is over, Paul and his staff wrap the leftovers, place them in the fridge, CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES, and give a cheery "Goodnight." He has even received an ovation from the crowd. We have also taken a group of 14 to the restaurant and each guest raved about their food. I especially appreciate working with Robyn because I appreciate her work ethic and her passion for her business. We've also enjoyed delicious lunches and dinners in the restaurant with our good friends and family. We find it the perfect atmosphere for celebrating with those most important to us. —MrsC