I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Chef Keller two years ago, which happened to be the night before I ate at Per Se. I felt instant admiration for this soft spoken, thoughtful, and down to earth Chef. Up until French Laundry, my dinner at Per Se was the highlight of all of my dining experiences. So you could imagine my excitement when I was able to get a reservation at French Laundry. I was finally going to experience eating at the place where he practiced, honed, and perfected his craft the way that he had always wanted to do it.
From the moment you enter through the infamous blue door, your journey begins. We had a cozy and intimate table on the first floor right next to a fire place. We arrived during the first seating,and although it was initially a tad bit quiet, within 15 or 20 minutes the whole room came to life with conversation. Immediately, you felt the difference between here and Per Se. French Laundry's dining room is warm, cozy, and very intimate, while Per Se's dining room is much more austere and formal.
We had a choice of three different 9 course tasting menus. I chose the Tasting Of Vegetables with a slight modification. I LOVE Chef Keller's lobster dishes and asked our waiter if they could make one for me. Sure enough the kitchen agreed to prepare a sweet butter poached Maine lobster dish. This is something that both Per Se and French Laundry do, and do well - make accommodations for their guests. At both dinners, we found that the kitchens were incredibly flexible with their menus and willing to make substitutions and changes on request.
Chris chose the Chef's Tasting Menu. The third menu was a special Offal Tasting Menu that was being offered for a short period of time.
In addition to the dishes on the printed menu, there are some special treats in between courses. Some of the dishes were classical, some whimsical, and some just simply astounding. While we took photos of every course, the lighting in the dining room is dim, you are not permitted to use a flash, and we were using an iPhone, therefore, I am only going to include a few of our favorites below. I could go on forever about each course, the freshness of the ingredients, and the smile on my face after I left, however, I think the small sampling below should be enough to convince anyone that this culinary vacation is well worth it.
In addition to the food, the wines we had were spectacular. We started with a 2006 bottle of Viña Sila, Verdejo, "Naiades," Rueda and then moved into a 2001 bottle of La Rioja Alta, "Viña Ardanza," Riserva Especial, which was absolutely remarkable. This vineyard has only produced a vintage three times in its history: 1964, 1973 and 2001. Besides the amazing food, the staff and service is world-class, without being stiff or snooty. I felt as if I was a dinner guest in someone's home. There was nothing sterile or pretentious about the experience.
French Laundry was the highlight of all my food experiences thus far. If you love food, this a place you should try and visit at least once in your lifetime. Also, don't be shy - ask for a kitchen tour after you eat, it is a perfect exclamation point on a remarkable evening.
Keller's classic amuse bouche - Gougeres. These are light and airy with an amazing burst of warm Gruyere when you bite into the center.
Chris had the salmon cone and I had an avocado, lime, and jalapeno cone.
Baked Sierra Beauty apple (Granola, Garden Blossoms and Yogurt Mousse) - this simple, yet incredibly creative dish was the perfect beginning to my meal.
The infamous "Oysters and Pearls" (Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar).
Kurobuta Pork "Jowl" (Vallarta Beans, Cavolo Nero, Jingle Bell Peppers, Garlic Confitand "BBQ Sauce") - Each bite was an explosion of flavor. The crispy garlic on top, the perfectly cooked pork that melted in your mouth, with all the fixings you would crave in a traditional BBQ dish. This unique play on pork and beans was stunning in both flavor and concept.
Snake River Farms "Calotte De Boeuf Grillee" (Sesame Seed "Pain Perdu," SanMarzano Tomato Compote, Petite Onions, Romaine Lettuce and "Ranch Dressing") I have to apologize that the quality of the photo is so poor, however, this was one of our favorite dishes, so I had to throw it on here. Perfectly cooked medium rare beef. A slightly salty and crispy crust encompassed this beautiful cut of meat. It too, melted in your mouth. This was a "fun" dish, as it was Keller's attempt at a play on the "Big Mac", thus the delightfully sweet and savory dressing.
Butter infused roll with butter (on the left) from Napa Valley that was slightly sweet and butter (on the right) from Vermont with delicious little crystals of sea salt mixed in.
Pecan Pie (Verjus - Poached Honey Pears, Maple-Brown Butter "Gastrique" and Grains of Paradise Ice Cream). Every single bite was better than the next, it was definitely my favorite Keller dessert to date.
Sugar Dusted Donuts and Chocolate Pudding with Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts - Perfect little bite size donuts, served warm and fresh, and the pudding reminded me of homemade pudding my mother used to make when we were little. The macadamia nuts are dangerous - you could eat the whole bowl without even thinking about it.
Mignardises (Chocolate Truffles with various fillings) - Just when you think you can't possibly eat another bite, these come out and you can't resist. My favorite, peanut butter and jelly truffle!
French Laundry
www.frenchlaundry.com
707-944-2380
Address:
6840 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Hours:
Seven days a week
Lunch 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Dinner 5:30 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
From the moment you enter through the infamous blue door, your journey begins. We had a cozy and intimate table on the first floor right next to a fire place. We arrived during the first seating,and although it was initially a tad bit quiet, within 15 or 20 minutes the whole room came to life with conversation. Immediately, you felt the difference between here and Per Se. French Laundry's dining room is warm, cozy, and very intimate, while Per Se's dining room is much more austere and formal.
We had a choice of three different 9 course tasting menus. I chose the Tasting Of Vegetables with a slight modification. I LOVE Chef Keller's lobster dishes and asked our waiter if they could make one for me. Sure enough the kitchen agreed to prepare a sweet butter poached Maine lobster dish. This is something that both Per Se and French Laundry do, and do well - make accommodations for their guests. At both dinners, we found that the kitchens were incredibly flexible with their menus and willing to make substitutions and changes on request.
Chris chose the Chef's Tasting Menu. The third menu was a special Offal Tasting Menu that was being offered for a short period of time.
In addition to the dishes on the printed menu, there are some special treats in between courses. Some of the dishes were classical, some whimsical, and some just simply astounding. While we took photos of every course, the lighting in the dining room is dim, you are not permitted to use a flash, and we were using an iPhone, therefore, I am only going to include a few of our favorites below. I could go on forever about each course, the freshness of the ingredients, and the smile on my face after I left, however, I think the small sampling below should be enough to convince anyone that this culinary vacation is well worth it.
In addition to the food, the wines we had were spectacular. We started with a 2006 bottle of Viña Sila, Verdejo, "Naiades," Rueda and then moved into a 2001 bottle of La Rioja Alta, "Viña Ardanza," Riserva Especial, which was absolutely remarkable. This vineyard has only produced a vintage three times in its history: 1964, 1973 and 2001. Besides the amazing food, the staff and service is world-class, without being stiff or snooty. I felt as if I was a dinner guest in someone's home. There was nothing sterile or pretentious about the experience.
French Laundry was the highlight of all my food experiences thus far. If you love food, this a place you should try and visit at least once in your lifetime. Also, don't be shy - ask for a kitchen tour after you eat, it is a perfect exclamation point on a remarkable evening.
Keller's classic amuse bouche - Gougeres. These are light and airy with an amazing burst of warm Gruyere when you bite into the center.
Chris had the salmon cone and I had an avocado, lime, and jalapeno cone.
Baked Sierra Beauty apple (Granola, Garden Blossoms and Yogurt Mousse) - this simple, yet incredibly creative dish was the perfect beginning to my meal.
The infamous "Oysters and Pearls" (Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar).
Kurobuta Pork "Jowl" (Vallarta Beans, Cavolo Nero, Jingle Bell Peppers, Garlic Confitand "BBQ Sauce") - Each bite was an explosion of flavor. The crispy garlic on top, the perfectly cooked pork that melted in your mouth, with all the fixings you would crave in a traditional BBQ dish. This unique play on pork and beans was stunning in both flavor and concept.
Snake River Farms "Calotte De Boeuf Grillee" (Sesame Seed "Pain Perdu," SanMarzano Tomato Compote, Petite Onions, Romaine Lettuce and "Ranch Dressing") I have to apologize that the quality of the photo is so poor, however, this was one of our favorite dishes, so I had to throw it on here. Perfectly cooked medium rare beef. A slightly salty and crispy crust encompassed this beautiful cut of meat. It too, melted in your mouth. This was a "fun" dish, as it was Keller's attempt at a play on the "Big Mac", thus the delightfully sweet and savory dressing.
Butter infused roll with butter (on the left) from Napa Valley that was slightly sweet and butter (on the right) from Vermont with delicious little crystals of sea salt mixed in.
Pecan Pie (Verjus - Poached Honey Pears, Maple-Brown Butter "Gastrique" and Grains of Paradise Ice Cream). Every single bite was better than the next, it was definitely my favorite Keller dessert to date.
Sugar Dusted Donuts and Chocolate Pudding with Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts - Perfect little bite size donuts, served warm and fresh, and the pudding reminded me of homemade pudding my mother used to make when we were little. The macadamia nuts are dangerous - you could eat the whole bowl without even thinking about it.
Mignardises (Chocolate Truffles with various fillings) - Just when you think you can't possibly eat another bite, these come out and you can't resist. My favorite, peanut butter and jelly truffle!
French Laundry
www.frenchlaundry.com
707-944-2380
Address:
6840 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Hours:
Seven days a week
Lunch 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Dinner 5:30 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
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