the french laundry

for any self- proclaimed foodie out there, the name needs no introduction. for everyone else, french laundry is the crème de la crème of fine dining in america. with 3 highly coveted michelin stars (only 2 restaurants in california with 3 stars), it has continued to top the charts in annual lists of best restaurants.

omg. this was heaven on a plate. the pasta and cheese were spectacular and the crunch from the fried sweetbreads was divine. and the truffles. mmmm, truffles, drool ... it may be incredibly hedonistic to spend an extra $100 on a dish but greedy girl was a very satisfied customer. it goes close to being the very best plate of food - ever.

the ballet of fine dining. eating at the french laundry is not just a night out for supper, it is an experience. chef thomas keller has consistently been touted as one of the best chef's in america if not the world. his restaurant the french laundry has been also consistent in it's ranking as a top dining destination in the country. the french laundry is adventurous in it's approach to food. there are items on the menu that will bewilder even the most discerning of diners. there are items on the tasting menus that may not appeal to everyone particularly when you do nine to thirteen courses. it's bound to happen, kind of like "the law of averages", for me it was a foie gras mousse, not my cup of tea, but there were plenty of other items on the menu to appease my pallet. with the food aside, the most important aspect for me, that sets the french laundry apart from most other restaurants is the service. while there are many restaurants serving incredible food, no one serves a diner like the french laundry. on the evening we were there, a tuesday, no less than 10 different people serviced our meal. watching the staff work the room, virtually unnoticed by most, was like watching ghosts moving through a room, serving patrons without them knowing how it happened. the staff moved around patrons and each other like their movements where choreographed, like a ballet, and i am sure they were. it was a pleasure to watch, and to experience first hand. for those that doubt the possibility of getting a reservation, you are correct in that it can be difficult, however, i am a person who traveled from canada, with no connections and i managed to get a reservation. if i am in napa, sonoma or yountville again, i would go back, reservations pending.

rather than do a recap of my favorites restaurants of 2013, i thought i would share the details of my visit to foodie mecca…aka thomas keller’s the french laundry . getting the reservation this was an absolute stroke of luck/genius that i owe entirely to my husband. after reading all the blogs and exhaustively trying the phone tricks (french laundry became number 1 on my speed dial), he somehow managed to score the one open-table reservation that opens up at 12:15 pm for two people at lunch. this was after checking everyday and often. the little touches the 9 course tasting menu changes daily and you can bring home the memories to make the meal last a lifetime. our menu was personalized and commemorates our wedding anniversary, as well as the anniversary of our lunch at french laundry and it’s given to you on your way out along with a list of where you food came from. i also took the napkin holders…which might not have been mine to take…but no one saw me the menu here is a look at our

the ambiance in the french laundry is amazing. everything is controlled, there is amazing attention to detail, but you will endlessly be surprised and it all feels so… warm and inviting. i remember being struck by the glassware of our water glasses. i own fine crystal and bar ware – this was the most amazing combination of light and yet sturdy i had ever grasped.

great food and presentation. don't be afraid to bring something you tasted duri g the day and pay the $75 corkage fee. you know you are drinking what you'll like.

in a word – amazing. the salty caviar went so well with the creamy tapioca and the rich oysters.

tfl had been a major influence in the culinary world for a significant amount of time, laying the foundation for many of today’s great chefs,

dream come true!. i had been dreaming about going to this resturant for years... and when i finally got a chance to go, i was not dissappointed. the service was impecable and the food exquisite. it is, of course, for special moments as the pricing is step but well worth the experience. a special favorite was all of the mini-bread that they served throughout (attention to detail) and their seamless transition of the menu for a person with serious food allergies. thank you for an amazing dinner!

the room was charming. an old world little nook with very minimal seating. regardless of size (and a full seating, of course), the room felt intimate and i never felt "too close" or crowded by other tables. service was lovely, very professional and friendly, but nothing as impressive as what my we call "the dance" at eleven madison park in nyc. elm service was perhaps the best we have ever encountered, where servers seemed to float across the floor in some type of dream like dance that i couldn't really figure out. but it was beautifiul. - see more at: http://www.abbeyskitchen.com/blog/san-francisco-and-napa-valley-day-1-out-french-laundry/#sthash.6wx1i96o.dpuf

the french laundry had been at the top of my bucket list for many years. so when i recently had the opportunity to dine there with my twin daughters, i jumped on it. owned by chef thomas keller for the past 18 years, the restaurant is located in yountville in napa county, california and is housed in a century-old stone building that was once a french steam laundry. for both lunch and dinner, the french laundry offers only a fixed price tasting menu (with a vegetarian option), which changes daily. the restaurant and keller have won basically every major culinary award in the country so, needless to say, reservations are incredibly difficult to obtain. having heard about the french laundry for so many years, i wondered whether it would ultimately disappoint. but it more than lived up to the hype. it was magical and extraordinary; the best dining experience i have ever had in this country and one of the two best i’ve had ever had in the world. our lunch lasted four and a half hours and co

we were served by one gentleman for most of the afternoon, and he has been with tfl for 12 years. he was brilliant, as were all the staff. you might think in a place like this that the staff would be snooty or stiff and formal. nope. they were extremely professional but also relaxed and friendly.

very disappointing cuisine. the view is one of the world's best.
too bad about the food...there were four in our
party and none of us had anything that truly
"wowed" us. in fact, the sweetbread entree
was the worst of that food i've ever eaten!

this was the only restaurant in a week of napa
valley dining that did not live up to our expectations.

what's not to like? a wonderful experience.

no1 again. i just read the tfl is number one yet again. highly recommended. an amazing experience.