We are straying from our typical “we can cook that” post to highlight a special dinner we enjoyed for our anniversary. We didn’t think any of you would mind too much, and really, like we could ever say we could cook a dish by Thomas Keller? Please. There really aren’t words to describe how unique and delicious the whole experience was. We’ve eaten at only one other three star Michelin restaurant (Arzak in Spain) and both experiences were fabulous but completely different. Thomas Keller’s Yountville, CA, restaurant is all about the natural, pure flavors of the food. Each dish is purposely small, aiming to excite and satisfy your taste buds yet leave you wanting just a little bit more. The French Laundry is considered to be the best restaurant in the world by many. With the attention to detail not only in the food, but in the decor and service, we certainly won’t argue with the title.
Two menus are offered daily – Chef’s Tasting Menu and Tasting of Vegetables. No single ingredient is repeated throughout the meal. We both decided to go with the chef’s tasting menu, which includes nine courses with a few options to choose from on several of the courses. Below, when you see two pictures listed under a course, one was ordered by Amanda and the other by Romeo. The entire meal lasted four hours and not once were our eyes, noses or taste buds bored, tired or underwhelmed.
We’ve posted pictures of the dishes in the order they were served. We tried to capture the amount of detail given to presentation and how each plate was a work of art. If we could share with you the flavors and smells through a blog post, we would! The pictures speak for themselves but please feel free to leave any comments or questions for us and we will do our best to answer them.
Foodie love,
Romeo and Amanda
But first, a few pictures of us sitting at the table and getting excited.
Fresh flowers adorned just about every surface of the restaurant, from the dining tables to huge bouquets in the bathrooms.
In case you need a reminder on what you are about to experience.
You can dress Romeo in a suit and take him to a fancy restaurant, but you can’t take away the fun. Here, he’s practicing being a foodie snob.
Since we had a six hour drive back to Los Angeles after we ate, we skipped the wine pairings and opted for two half bottles instead, one white and one red according to the course we were on. They were both superb.
The French Laundry – Chef’s Tasting Menu, April 22, 2012
We started with several amuse bouche and complimentary glasses of champagne.
Gougères
Salmon Tartare Cornets with Sweet Red Onion Crème Fraîche
This shows you how tiny the little cone was. Don’t you just love the attention given to folding the origami napkin?
Hen Egg Custard with a Ragout of Périgord Truffles
We both managed to eat the custard without breaking the shell.
Amanda loved the pattern of the china. Of course Chef Keller designed his own!
FIRST COURSE
“Oysters and “Pears”
“Sabayan” of Pearl Topioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar
Because it would be a crime against etiquette to eat oysters and cavier with a silver spoon. One must use a spoon made of pearl.
SECOND COURSE
Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Palm
English Cucumber, Baby Bokchoy, Toasted Nori, Chili and Yuzu-Soy Vinaigrette
Moulard Duck “Foie Gras En Terrine”
Field Rhubarb, Silverado Trail Strawberries, Celery Branch, Pecans and Aged Balsamic
*We felt very lucky to have the chance to visit the restaurant before the foie gras ban goes into effect in California this summer.
Three types of salt were served with the foie gras. The pink was from France, gray from the Philippines and white from Montana. We thought the salt deserved its own mention, even though we don’t quite remember the fancy names.
We were tucked into a small room just off the main dining area. There were two other couples in the room with us and we all quickly became friends. Laughing and talking with them enriched the visit for everyone. Good food is meant to be shared and experienced with others. One of the ladies even let Amanda sample the gnocci from the tastings of vegetables menu.
THIRD COURSE
Columbia River Sturgeon “Confit A La Minute”
Hobb’s Bacon, Conch, Razor Clams, Young Fennel, Navel Orange and Nicoise Olive Pureé
*This dish was originally ordered by Romeo, but was promptly traded because Amanda liked it better than the soft shell crab. One of our favorite courses of the meal.
“Veal Oscar”
Soft Shell Crab, Ris de Veau, Green Asparagus, Tomato Compote and Frisée
FOURTH COURSE
“Beets and Leeks”
Maine Lobster “Pouchee au Beurre Doux,” King RIchard Leeks, “Pommes Maxim’s” and Red Beet Essence
FIFTH COURSE
Ravioli De “Cuisse De Poularde”
Morel Mushrooms, English Peas, Romaine Lettuce, Petite Radish and “Vin Jaune Mousseline”
SIXTH COURSE
Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Rib-Eye
Ribettes, Eggplant, Nantes Carrots, “Naan,” Ricotta and Cilantro Shoots
SEVENTH COURSE
“Acapella”
Sultana Raisin Chutney, Celtuce, Cashews and Garden Mache
EIGHTH COURSE
White Verjus Sorbet
Toasted Oats and Red Grapes
NINTH COURSE
“Marjolaine”
Praline Mousse, “Dacquoise,” and Roasted Banana Sorbet
Meyer Lemon “Parfait”
Oregon Huckleberries, Sicilian Pistachios and Poppy Seed Ice Cream
Another little off the menu treat was this small papaya cake.
MIGNARDISES
Assorted Caramels
“Coffee & Donuts”
Cappuccino semifreddo (mousse) and french donuts.
Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts
Happy Anniversary to us. We are pretty sure the only way to ever top this dining extravaganza would be to revisit The French Laundry. It truly is an experience all its own. Maybe in five more years, our pocket book will have recovered enough to venture north to Napa Valley for a repeat.
Sadly, we weren’t able to finish our desserts. This must happen often because they offered to wrap the caramels and nuts and presented us with this lovely bag which also included a tiny tin of shortbread cookies.
We were also given a copy of the day’s menu in a envelope and were told we could take the wooden clothes pins home with us as well.
Lastly, across the street from The French Laundry is their very own garden. It’s not often you have the opportunity to stroll through a garden where the food you eat at a restaurant came from.
