bouchon

since we could not find reservations at french laundry, we wanted to eat atleast atbouchonbistro when we were in napa. for years i had watched videos of chef thomas keller make the roast chicken. we made reservations to go there and have the roast chicken and more delicacies we had read in the cookbook. some we had tried making ourselves and some we wanted to try since they seemed daunting.

we decided to have brunch here and noted that although there were humongous lines forbouchonbakery next door, there was plenty of room (and no wait) to dine atbouchonitself. the food, and thankfully the wine list, is much more french than its american counterpart ...

we went for brunch but stayed that bit longer to get the lunch menu where i enjoyed a delicious quiche, profiteroles with ice cream, and then you can order items formbouchonbistro and have them delivered to your table. service!

we went tobouchonbakery to grab some macarons. i love their macarons and they are giant. not your typical tiny macaron.



yes, i ate them all and went to enjoy the vineyards.

a solid choice for dinner. this is a casual but small cafe. they start you off with crustybouchonbread and high quality butter. we tried the rillettes aux deux saumons that were made with fresh and smoked salmon. it was indulgent and delicious. for dinner i tried the salmon special and it just melted like butter in my mouth. it was seasoned just right and was stacked over a tasty crisp potato rosti and a really fresh sweet slice of heirloom tomato. the lemon tart had lots of lemon tang to it and had a tasty thin nut crust that seemed just right.

i had a reservation to dine at ad hoc and the menu of the day didn't work for me when i called to cancel the girl on the phone suggestedbouchonand i'm glad i gavebouchona try.

andrew kluger. in all of my experiences dining atbouchonin yountville i have never had a disappointing experience. any guests , family members, or staff that i have invited to join me there have departed either their expectations fulfilled. staff is most welcoming, their meal and dine selections make for a sensational gastronomic experience and everyone leaves with a smile and desire to return. thank you for enriching our life experiences!

wonderful dining experience. outstanding food! i had high expectations for a thomas keller establishment, andbouchondid not disappoint. had bone marrow for the first time in my life and it was delicious; boyfriend and i had to use our bread to get all the sauce off the plate... steak and frites were fantastic (best fries ever), and dessert was a crowning glory to the meal. the ambience and scenery were added bonuses. the only reason i am not givingbouchon5 stars is that i think our service could have been a little better for the quality level of the restaurant. still, the overall experience was excellent, and i will definitely be back.

bouchon is perhaps becoming a victim of its own success. the career defining french laundry has elevated thomas keller to such an elite status in the eyes of food enthusiasts that anything but perfection is viewed as a letdown.bouchonis everything it was meant to be, a casual restaurant that takes full advantage of its location and surroundings. this wasn't meant as a life altering restaurant, simply enjoy the food, it's pretty darn good.

after a full day of wine tasting all over napa, we settled in to dinner at bouchon, a thomas keller restaurant that i love. there’s abouchonbakery in new york that ken and i go to all of the time, but their menu is limited compared to what thisbouchonoffers. we started off with their signature bread with a white bean dip and butter: my side of the table decided to share everything and order family style, so we started out with some beef tartare: and whitefish with a melange of vegetables: we shared some filet with fried onions: and the seasonal gnocchi: everything was delicious, so much so that we ordered another side of french fries, even though we had some with another dish:

stepping insidebouchonwas like taking a trip across the atlantic. the red awning, mosaic tile floor, chalkboards listing today's specials, and the noise - plenty of noise - all combined for a feel that was more latin quarter and less yountville. if a quiet, private dining experience is what you're after,bouchonis not the place for you, because the tables are packed closer together than the middle seat in coach. on the other hand, those that have a love for paris will feel right at home.

very disappointing- we reservedbouchonfor our last night in napa (saving the best for last..or so thought). our party of six left very disappointed. my boyfriend ordered the steak and frites, which i will admit, was amazing. as for everything else, extremely underwhelming. i was not impressed with the menu selections, but i thought, "this is thomas keller's place! i'm sure anything i order will be unforgettable!" well it wasn't. i've had better meals from run-of-the-mill french restaurants not run by superstar chefs. i really regret not going back to tra vigne for my final meal (that place is phenomenal).

simply fantastic!. this was our first visit to the napa valley region andbouchonwas at the top our list for places to eat. i made reservations a month ahead of time to make sure we had a table and i definitely expected a lot from thomas keller's world famous restaurant. luckily we were not disappointed!

the service was perfect... attentive, friendly, informative, but not over-bearing. the drinks were expertly prepared and refreshing. the food was amazingly delicious and certainly the highlight of the experience. the surroundings were not pretentious, but refined and inviting. we had the salmon rillette for an appetizer and it was lovely. our entree was the steak dijonnaise, which was the best cut of meat we have had in ages with a creamy and velvety sauce.

i'm not sure i will ever make it back to napa, but if i dobouchonwill be my first stop before the wineries!

i'll just tell you up front.bouchonwas probably one of my favourite dinners ever. after a long 54km (and 6 hour bike ride) around some wineries in napa valley, we drove back to yountville to go to bouchon. luckily at about 8pm we were able to get a table for 9 outside without any reservation. it took a while for them to set up the table. though outside, we weren't bitten by mosquitoes, and we were surrounded by heaters. this was one of the dinners i was looking forward to on this trip. to start i ordered the salad de cresson et d'endives which is watercress and endive salad with roquefort cheeese, and walnuts with a walnut vinaigrette. i didn't enjoy this salad that much. i much preferred the salads at incanto and buckeye roadhouse. for me i think the roquefort was a bit too pungent for my liking, and i'm still not used to blue cheese, though i try to order it and get a taste for it when i see it around. i did enjoy the light dressing and the walnuts. for my main i ordered the

difficulties. we started with a bang. bread on arrival within 10 seconds.......and then? we were forgotten about for at least 30 minutes. wow, i never thought that it could happen in a restaurant of this caliber.
the meals came delivered by the maitre 'd for the rest of the evening & complimentary everything to make up for the blunder, most out of character one would presume.
the food was well executed french bistro naturally & the wine was some of the best i had tried while in america, a local shiraz.
in the end i will have to 'like'bouchon& would even go as far as to say i'd return.

i was super excited to have the opportunity to eat at a thomas keller restaurant. i pickedbouchonfor the casual feel that it seemed to have. the 2 michelin stars was also very appealing. pistachio starters the pistachios were salty. just enough to get the palette geared up. it also came out with this unique braided bread, it was unique because it was thinly braided whereas most of the ones i've eaten are chunky thick breads. bread the bread was quite crunchy and tough to chew. but it was pretty good. duck confit the duck confit was tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. the texture was juicy and the dish had its innate duck taste. it came out on a celery puree. the celery actually enhanced the duck flavor. crispy soft shell crab the crispy soft shell crab was alright. we had heard it was a signature appetizer and so we had ordered it but was very similar to other soft shell crab dishes that i've had. lamb shan