the french laundry

dinner at the french laundry isn't an ordinarymealand shouldn't be viewed in that context. it's a culinary event that's magnified in significance because it's considered one of the world's best restaurants and is owned by thomas keller, one of the world

what superlative hasn’t already been used to describe the french laundry? our afternoon “lunch “ was amealto remember. the gray stone walls and timbered portico announced that this would be a memorable occasion. our family enjoyed a private room with polished wood walls and back-lit shelves of the wine glasses we would use during our meal. the comfortable room was exposed layer by layer - first a glass door and then lattice panels - to reveal a lovely california garden. the waitstaff, especially our personal server, were quietly and unobtrusively attentive and professional. not a hint of stuffiness. the food was all the restaurant’s classics. the first-time guest would be disappointed otherwise. and they were all delicious, never mind beautiful. wines were perfectly matched. a wonderful experience.

we were going to be in the states for my husband’s birthday, and he was fondly remembering his last birthday in the states where we went to the french laundry and probably had the bestmealof our lives. even six years later, we compare all other fine dining meals to that meal. so he decided we needed to go to california for his birthday, enjoy some wine, and have an amazing meal. since the newlyweds from the #mascawedding were also going to be in the napa valley at the time, we invited them along as they clearly needed an amazingmealas part of their “mini-moon” after the wedding. and luckily, the concierge from our hotel managed to get us a booking on my husband’s actual birthday so we could celebrate in style and luxury.

there are some restaurants that are legendary, impossible to get seats for, and renown as the bestmealever eaten – thomas keller’s french laundry is one of these fabled establishments. i went here for my 35th birthday, to check off one of my items on my bucket list and to celebrate with kipnik and noblesse d’coeur. i’ve cooked from multiple thomas keller cookbooks and absolutely adore bouchon and bouchon bakery, so it was an absolute dream come true to be able to sit down at a table at the apex of his restaurants, especially on my birthday!  it was more a whim to see if we could pull off this nearly impossible feat, and the fates conspired to make it happen for us.

still one of my favorites. i admit, i have a bad habit of traveling just for food, most notably dropping everything and flying to spain once reservations at el bulli were confirmed (back in 2008). with that said, what a delight to know one of my favorite restaurants is in my own backyard. french laundry makes just plain amazing food, not a trend chaser and not overly stuffy like some classically french restaurants, but memorable dishes. i always go for the tasting menu and make a request for the oysters and pearls, the one dish that i would even request for my lastmealon earth. the location in yountville is much more relaxed than its new york counterpart per se. though i had a lot of fun in per se, and the menu is similar, i have a soft spot for the original!

disappointing. well for all the hype this is one i should have certainly passed on. the location is beautiful outside (inside is a bit sterile but they are closing for renovations soon, i hope it gets better). we were seated and placed our order. a few minutes later the server came back with a pen and paper and went around to each of us to confirm our order. i have never had that happen to me even in a crappy restaurant! also, the staff all night was uneducated about the food. they stumbled over every dish when it was brought to the table. very unprofessional.

we were asked if we wanted wine. when we asked if they had a tasting menu (they do not, surprising), the server looked at us like a deer in headlights and said they don't have specific wines for specific courses but she had a novel idea, we could order a bottle of sparkling wine to start, move to a white wine, then a red wine toward the end of the meal. i had not even thought of that, really? we were never introduced to the sommelier (if there even was one?) so we just asked for the wine list and picked the wines ourselves. we ordered 2 different very expensive reds. the first one was brought to the table and served, it was way too cold and was not even left to breathe before pouring so we asked them to decant the second bottle now so it would be the right temperature before we drank it later. should we really have to do this in a 3 star michelin restaurant?

also, the air conditioning was on full boar and everyone was freezing so we asked them to turn it off which they did for about 5 minutes then it went right back on. we were freezing the wholemeal(so were all the other guests) and finally almost at the end of dinner were finally offered a pashmina to stay warm. they had probably all been given out to other guests and we were offered one when someone left. would have been helpful at the beginning or better yet turn off the damn air!!!!

the food was ok. nothing super special. my problem with it was every plate that came out was super rich and heavy. there was no variation and by midmeali was feeling a bit sick for the richness with nothing served to cut it in between.
i don't love fish and when i saw cod on the menu i was thankful as that is the only fish i like to eat that is super mild and not fishy tasting. wrong! the cod was super fishy and after one bite i declined the rest. how can fast food chains serve non fishy tasting cod and french laundry cannot? another mystery. also, i am not particularly comfortable with rabbit but in fine dining restaurants i don't mind because they always make it taste so delectable. not tonight! rabbit tasted like rabbit. bummer. another dish i did not care for.

our friends wanted a cognac at the end of themealto help cut the richness of all the food and were given the list but nothing on there worth ordering. another disappointment.

all in all it was an extremely overpriced dinner for the experience. they have not received any accolades in the last several years and are resting on their laurels. they received their 3 star rating way back in 2006. i doubt anyone from michelin has been back and keep awarding them their 3 stars because they are too lazy to check in and see what is really going on!
we just returned from a 3 week vacation in france and every restaurant we ate at was 3,000 times better than french laundry hands down. i feel completely cheated out of my $1,000 dinner for two. a complete let down. i would never recommend this to anyone. my husband has clients that want him to bring them here but after this experience i am politely refusing to go. i cannot sit through anothermeallike it.

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 themeallast 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

still waiting. we have tried to make a reservation several time by telephone right at 60 days out and right at 10 am when the line opens only to be disappointed. we plan to go to napa in the fall and hope to have amealhere. it is on my wish list.

my lastmealat the french laundry was over two years ago. but my memory of their coffee and doughnuts offering rings as the benchmark against which all other haute cuisine restaurants' doughnuts must aspire to. reservations for the french laundry are som

aside from my wedding celebrations, i cannot recall amealthat i so eagerly anticipated. so much so, that i was determined to be free of any ills, jet lag or hangovers before i went. ultimately, it was important......

perfect evening. my friend and i were able to get a last-minute reservation and the dinner was nothing short of spectacular. bestmealof my life.

well, it's the best for a reason!. the service is the best i have ever seen. i actually felt and stated that each of us seemed to have a personal waiter at a table of 6. the plates were presented simultaneously, probably hitting the table within milliseconds of each other. soon after sitting down, i pulled a napkin from below the table and presented it to the waiter very nonchalantly, but the maitre d was at the table within seconds practically begging for my forgiveness...over something that trivial.

the food is the best i have ever had, but you are certainly paying for the service. the nine coursemealturned into a 13-14, i lost count, coursemealas the kitchen just kept sending out little amuse sized plates. we joked that they must be cleaning out the pantry.

a one-time must experience for all who consider themselves foodies.

the day was finally here...we fasted in anticipation of what many have said is the bestmealof their lives. we had already been to per se (thomas keller's other high-end new york based restaurant) and constantly watched ratatouille (this was the disney m