Friday, March 19, 2010

The French Laundry

French Laundry Clothespins
May I distract you for a moment to take you on a brief journey?

A journey to Napa Valley, into a little town called Yountville, inside a quaint, rustic, French house. I would love to share with you a particular meal I had on my last night in Napa Valley.
French Laundry
The French Laundry is surprisingly unassuming from the outside.  It looks like any other quaint, rustic country home.  As Bryan and I were walking down Washington Street, we almost missed it.
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But if you look really hard at the bottom left corner of the "house," you'll see a sign surrounded by playfully bright flowers.  It's almost like it's trying to hide . . . sort of.
French Laundry Garden
Look across the street, and you'll see The French Laundry's own vegetable garden. The garden supplies many of the vegetables on the menu each day.
French Laundry
We walked around the corner and peered in. Look! A beautiful hidden garden. Could there be more?
French Laundry window
A quick glance through the window revealed chefs hard at work.
French Laundry Garden
We continued on to discover a beautiful secluded little area behind the rustic house. Oh, if only we could stay.  But food was beckoning inside the house.

A Meal of A Lifetime . . .
Join me as I share with you, course by course, the transcendent meal we experienced at The French Laundry.  Thomas Keller is nothing short of perfect when it comes to designing and executing these menus - the tasteful progression of unique, interesting, and surprising flavors that will delight the palate, awaken the senses, and tickle the mind.  Truly the gastronomical pinnacle of my time at Napa Valley.

 As I've said before, there's something about these three-star Michelin restaurants. Every single dish is executed flawlessly.  The French Laundry aims to make this meal the experience of a lifetime. They understand that most of their customers are coming here for a really really special occasion.  And they do a great job of making you feel really special.

As for the menu, you have your choice between two tasting menus - the Chef's Tasting Menu and the Tasting of Vegetables (which is vegetable focused, but is not vegetarian).  Because this was our first time, we both opted for the Chef's Tasting Menu - a 9-course culinary journey that takes you through some classic Thomas Keller dishes as well as new seasonal concoctions.
French Laundry Amuse
Moments after being seated next to a window on the second floor of the house, the waiters set before us the first amuse bouche: Gruyere filled Mini-Brioches.  These little bites were perfect for awakening the palate.
French Laundry Amuse
Soon after, Thomas Keller's signature amuse, the Salmon Cornets, arrived. I loved these. Delightful little "ice cream cones" filled with salmon tatare. The "cone" part is reminiscent of a thin, crispy butter cookie.  A perfect way to start the meal.

And then the courses began arriving . . .
French Laundry Amuse
"Oysters and Pearls"
"Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar 
This dish was decadent, with the briny saltiness of the caviar and the creamy richness of the oysters.  Absolutely divine with a glass of champagne.

For our next course, we had a choice between the salad and the foie gras.  I picked the salad while Bryan picked the foie gras.
French Laundry
Salad of French Laundry Garden Carrots
English Peas, Red Radish, Mint and Madras Curry Yogurt
This is not your typical peas and carrots.  The vegetables, especially the carrots, were really flavorful and had just the right amount of "crunch."  At this point I was almost wishing I had tried the "Tasting of Vegetables."
French Laundry Fois Gras
Moulard Duck Foie Gras En Terrine
White honey, Walnuts, Celery Relish and Dijon Mustard
French Laundry
Pimento-cured Hamachi Belly
Jidori Hen Egg, "Pain Frit," Petite Lettuce and "Dégustation d'Oignons"
Every single element of this artfully plated salad was perfect - the flavorful baby onions, the soft, succulent hamachi belly, the tiny fried bread pieces, the baby lettuce.
French Laundry shrimp
Maine Lobster Tail "Pochee Au Beurre Doux"
Black Truffle, Belgian Endive, Sicilian Pistachios, Watercress and Jurançon-Apricot Emulsion
I had thought I did not love black truffle, but it tasted so incredible in this dish that I began to reconsider.  Of course the Maine lobster was fantastic, although being from the East Coast, that aspect of the dish was not as novel to me.
French Laundry pretzel bread
Isn't their pretzel bread so cute? I actually liked how they waited until after a few courses before bringing the bread. You're much less likely to fill up needlessly on bread.

For our first meat course, we were given a choice between quail and the pig's head. The pig's head sort of scared me, so I ordered the quail. Bryan, brave eater that he is, ordered the pig's head, much to the delight of the waiter, who said "excellent choice!"
French Laundry quail
Wolfe Ranch White Quail
Cauliflower, Swiss Chard, Marcona Almonds and Cherry-Guinness Jus
The quail was soft, juicy, and perfectly cooked. I loved the textural interplay between the juicy meat, the tender cauliflower florets, and the crunchy almonds.
French Laundry pig's head
"Rouelle de Tete de Cochon"
Sacramento Delta Asparagus, Frisée, and "Thousand Island Dressing"
Far from having a pig's head on your table, the pig's head is cooked whole, the cheeks are removed, prepared, and deep fried to form the rouelles that you see above.  The meat was incredible soft, unlike most pork that you try.
French Laundry Beef
Snake River Farms "Calotte de Boeuf Grillee"
Brown Butter "Pain Perdu," Black Trumplet Mushrooms, Turnips, Arrowleaf Spinach and "Sauce Bordelaise"
Beautiful and perfectly cooked piece of "boeuf."  I remember really savoring the flavor of the nearly rare steak.  I am also awed by the attention to detail of each little vegetable on the plate.  Look how the turnips are perfectly charred on the ends!
French Laundry cheese
"Compte"
"Panisse," Piperade, Arugula and Chickpea-Lucques Olive Vinaigrette
Steel cut oat sherbet French Laundry
Steel-cut Oat Sherbet
Granola, Granny Smith Apple "Nuage" and Rum Raisin Coulis
I love all things oat flavored, and I had never had oat sherbet before.  This was a perfect palate cleanser in preparation for dessert!
Peanut Butter Babarois
Peanut Butter "Bavarois"
Crunchy Feuilletine, Maralumi Milk Chocolate "Whip" and Gros Michel Banana Sorbet
Bryan ordered this one.  Even though I'm not a banana lover, I had to admit this dessert was very good.
French Laundry Vanilla passion tart
"Savarin Au Citron"
Citrus "Vierge," Moulin des Pétitents Olive Oil and Straus Daily "Crème Glacée"
I loved my light citrus-y tart topped with a simple olive oil ice cream
French Laundry Mignardises
Mignardises
These chocolates were beautiful, decadent, and delicious.  We cut each one in half so we could try all six.
French Laundry Macadamian Nuts
These Dusted Chocolate Covered Nacadamia Nuts were addictive. We ended up taking about half of it home with us because we were so full.
French Laundry Cookies
And of course, before we headed out, a little take-away gift.

A Visit Into The Kitchen
Even though the meal probably took around 3 hours, the time seemed to pass by quickly.  I'm not sure how they manage to do it, but they somehow are able to time each course perfectly in a way that makes the 3 hours fly by.  At the end of the meal, the waiter asked if we would like a tour of the kitchen.
French Laundry Kitchen
One of the first things we saw when we went inside was this big flat screen TV.  It was a live feed to the kitchen at Per Se.  Since it was around 8:45pm on the west coast, the Per Se kitchen was nearly empty, it being close to midnight over there.

This TV not only allows Thomas Keller to keep an eye on both his kitchens at all times, it also gives the staff a greater sense of togetherness.
FrenchLaundryKitchen-1
The kitchen was definitely buzzing with at least a dozen people (if not more) plating, making coronets, washing dishes, etc.  It's truly an operation in there!  There's a ton of work that goes into each dish before it makes its way out into the dining hall.

Underneath the TV, there is a small sign that sums up The French Laundry's attitude about what they do.
French Laundry Kitchen Sign
I love it. Of course I thought the food was perfect.  But even if it was not, by making me happy, they made me feel as if I had enjoyed the perfect meal.

Thank you, The French Laundry, for an absolutely fantastic end to such a dream-come-true trip.
French Laundry Lobster
Postlude / Other General Information
You might wonder how I managed to get a reservation there, as reservations at The French Laundry are notorious difficult to obtain. As expected, when I called The French Laundry about a month before my scheduled trip, the restaurant was already entirely booked.  However, they do keep a waiting list, and if you're lucky, there just might be a cancellation, and you might get a call.  I received my call about 6 days before the actual dinner reservation.  They will ask you to give them a credit card number to hold the reservation.  There is a $100 cancellation fee if you cancel less than 3 days before a reservation. You can also contact the restaurant the morning of to see if there are any cancellations. Apparently you can sometimes get a reservation this way as well.

Other posts from the Napa Valley Series

The French Laundry
6640 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
French Laundry on Urbanspoon

23 comments :

  1. Oh. My. GAWD!!! Distract me? you've got my FULL ATTENTION! The title says it all! The French Laundry...Aaahh! I would die to dine in there just once! You lucky lucky woman, and thank you for giving me a vicarious glimpse in to that foodie ethereal center once!

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  2. great review! i'll be going there on sunday, can't wait. this post made me more excited to go, as many people have been saying that the French Laundry is becoming disappointing. Hopefully, like with your meal, it isn't the case!

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  3. Wow....such a beautiful place and awesome food. Love all the food presentation.

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  4. There are no words for this. I am so envious but glad I got to live through the experience through you! Great pictures even in restaurant light - how were they about taking photos?

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  5. Wow, I'm so jealous - i would love to be there! Everything looks incredible!

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  6. I'm so happy you got to experience The French Laundry! I hope to one day, as well. Oat sherbet? Yum! Goodness, what perfection!

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  7. Just wow. Nothing else can be said. Very jealous of your trip and this visit to the finest restaurant in the country! You must be beaming with elation..

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  8. Oh my. Visiting and dining at The French Laundry would be a dream come true for me. I actually wanted to work there. Thanks for sharing this with us. You had my full attention.

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  9. This looks like an amazing meal! I am so glad to hear that you had a 'perfect' experience there, and that The French Laundry hasn't lost its panache.

    The quality of black truffles, and truffles in general, can be hit or miss, they travel from long distances, and each day lose a flavor and aroma. Hopefully one of these days Bryan and you can go on a truffle excursion in Europe so you can taste how amazing they truly can be.

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  10. Jen, thank you for taking the time to write up this lovely post! I felt (almost) like I was there. The food looks incredible. Still haven't been th ethe FL...it's on the list. Maybe for our anniversary this year.

    Your photos are fabulous. I'm interested in how you got an invite into the kitchen...?

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  11. jen! such beautiful food and pictures!! :) def a dream come true meal! :)

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  12. YUM! I totally want to go there someday.

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  13. This is amazing and I am so glad you got in! My husband and I aspire to go there someday....but this post makes me want to go NOW!

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  14. Wonderful! I wish I could get a little stint there!

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  15. What a magical experience it looks like you had. Everything looks immaculate and exquisite. you are so lucky!

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  16. what a fitting conclusion to the napa posts..spectacular food and photos!

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  17. Your photos of the meal are so beautiful! Mine turned out way too dark when I went...but was happy to see the kitchen too (unfortunately the TV was out for repair). Loving your Cali recaps!

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  18. I'm full just reading about of the wonderful food. The lobster caught my eye on foodgawker---just lovely!

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  19. Thanks for all the comments!

    Chris - hope you enjoyed your meal there!!

    Mardi - they were TOTALLY cool about pictures. I was doing it in front of them, and even snapping pictures of the kitchen, and they didn't care. They even took a photo of the two of us for us!

    Fresh Local Best - I would love to do a truffle tour like the one you did!

    Hungry Dog - I'm under the impression that they invite everyone into the kitchen. I might be wrong, but I definitely have heard of others being able to visit the kitchen as well.

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  20. Lucky you! I think I would stop being vegetarian for a meal if I could eat there.

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  21. So here's the super practical question: after wine (assuming you had a couple glasses at least, if not a bottle), what did this meal cost? Don't get me wrong, I'm not an "expensive food is bad" kind of diner and I *love* a well-prepared, thoughtful menu *and* I'm a huge fan of Keller's. But, if I were going to budget for a trip there, I'd like to have a clear idea of what the final bill was going to look like.

    Tastings are $250pp, so how was wine priced?

    Thanks and thank you for such an amazing chronicle of this meal!

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  22. Oh gasp... double gasp... triple gasp!! A meal of a lifetime, to be sure. Thomas Keller has truly shaped the direction of American cuisine, no? I realize it's French-inspired, but he has such imagination and innovative ways to truly reinvision ingredients and the way they interact with all our senses. Food as art, to be sure. You will cherish this experience forever!

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  23. hey tiny urban kitchen, came across your blog when i googled "joel robuchon mansion"

    i went to TFL last august for my bday and i absolutely loved it. the only disappointment was that we weren't served oysters and pearls...i mean isn't that like TFL's signature dish?!?!?!?!

    a few months ago i met mr. keller at his book signing and i mentioned that to him and he said "you know, there is a simple solution to that. you just have to go again!" hahaha. i only wish.

    i'm glad you had a wonderful time

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