Maybe it was the rain. Maybe it was us. Maybe it's just not as special anymore. But my third trip to French Laundry was a let-down. It was pouring out. Torrential. I didn't think it would matter, I thought it might actually add some extra character. But I think it did matter. We (four of us) were seated at the top of the stairs to the right. Just in front of the staff room. Perhaps it was the rain, but it was just dark. It was dark in the room and that seemed to lead to the some of the mood. My earlier trips had been bright sunny afternoons, and fun, friendly lunches. Not today. As we walked in, my Dad noticed that everyone was very stern. He was right. Not just the customers. But they were, in a word, quiet. The couple next to us at the top of the stairs looked down-right upset. I don't think she smiled once. He didn't seem to speak to her. Other tables were as quiet. My Dad thought that the expense and formality might breed this type of atmosphere, but I certainly didn't remember it from my earlier trips. And the staff, too, was stern. Not our head waiter, who I remembered from my last trip. But some of the other blue jackets practically frowned at the room when they surveyed it. I was very surprised. Our head waiter was, I thought, terrific. He was friendly, casual, helpful, and welcoming. He joked, helped with the menu, dealt with our few special requests. The servers were also very good, although there were a bunch of small errors, the types I would never notice if it wasn't FL. They stumbled a bit explaining the dishes, they twice delivered the wrong dishes, but caught themselves quickly. Minor errors. Otherwise, they too were terrific. Question: What do I do with that flat spoon/knife-like utensil? The food: Cauliflower "Panna Cotts" with Bagaduce Oyster Glaze and Iranian Osetra Caviar. A large white bowl bottomed with cauliflower panna cotta and topped with a healthy quennelle of caviar. I've had this before, and it was very good but didn't wow me this second time. The panna cotta was firmer than I'd remembered, but still smooth and clean tasting. The underlying essence of the cauliflower was subtle and fresh. The caviar, wonderful, bright and explosive without being fishy. I can't say that I was able to distinguish the oyster glaze. But I would have been happier with a ssecond taste of Oysters and Pears. Moulard Duck "Foie Gras Au Torchon" Jacobsen's Farm Flowering Quince "Relish" Served with Toasted "Brioche". (The menu planner charges by the quotation mark). $20 supplement. This was excellent. Perhaps the best pate I've had. The pate was smooth, creamy and cool. The flavor was well-rounded, not too strong and almost sweet. The brioche was also excellent, as it had been the first time, but toasted a little too much. Thick and airy, it was a deep golden color, not the bright gold I remembered. But still, for white bread, it was beautiful. I wasn't a fan of the quince relish, but that's just me. Too citrus-y. My Mom doesn't like pate, but she tried this and said it was the best she'd had. Almost good enough to eat. Salad of Hawaiin Hearts of Palm, Celery Branch, Perioggrod Truffles and Breakfast Radishes. Mom ordered this and loved it. I loved sitting next to it, smelling the truffles. I tasted at bit and it was a fresh, crunchy salad. With truffles. What not to like? "Toro" of Spanish Blue-Fin Tuna with Japanese Sweet Rice, Canied Almonds, Marinated English Cucumber and Wasabit Infused Oil. ($15 Supplement.) Two large squares of pink-marbled sashimi. I'm of mixed mind when it comes to toro. I find that the extra-creaminess of the fat in the flesh is usually accompanied by a loss of flavor. Same here. The fish was cool and fresh and melted in my mouth. But it didn't have much flavor to it. The rice/almond was minced small, like brunoise. Cruncy and flavorful. The dish was topped with the fresh zest of a bright yellow Yuzu (Sp?), an Asian citrus fruit that set out an umbrella of citrus aroma reminding me of the fruits in a Bangkok market. Oddly, I thought the marinated cucumber, sliced thin and served with a hint of wasabi was the strongest part of the dish. Atlantic Monkfish Tail "Roti Sur le Dos" Autumn Pole Bean "Cassoulet" and Thyme-Infused Exra Virgin Olive Oil. The folks and sister had this. I didn't taste it, but it was their favorite dish. A jewelery-box sized piece of monkfish, crisp on the outside and moist inside. Seated atop bright firm-fleshed beans. Peas & Carrots. Three of us substituted the Peas & Carrots based on my recommendation. It was offered on the regular menu, but not the Chef's Tasting menu. A real disappointment. There was no crepe. I recalled a large, sturdy, perfect crepe wrapped around a surprising portion of butter-poached lobster pieces. The photo in the book shows the same. We got no crepe. Instead, carrot purree on one side. Pea shoots in the center. Two relatively small pieces of lobster on the other. Now, someone at the restaurant may tell me that all portions of the lobster preparation have the same quantity, but I'd be surprised. This seemed to be the lower join of the small claw and a quarter curl of the tail. Sure, it was delicious, but it was two pieces of lobster next to pea shoots next to carrot puree. I tell ya. After my first visit, I thought this was one of the best things I'd ever eaten. I was soooo looking forward to it. Alas. (Yes, when I revied the a la carte menu it described the peas & carrots as "lobster pancake." Don't know what that's supposed to be.) "Macaroni & Cheese" Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Mascarpone-Enriched Orzo Pasta and Creamy Lobster Broth. This looked good. My sister loved it. The lobster was perched atop a dark brothy portion of orzo. Looked good. Looked like something special. Looked better than the Peas & Carrots. Crispy Eden Farms Berkshire Pork Belly Red Wine Braised Cabbage and Jacobsen's Farm Splendour Apple "Compote". Another disappointment. I loved the pork belly my first visit. This was pretty similar in preparation, but not nearly as good. Smaller than I remember, it was a brick of braised pork belly with almost and inch of meat topped by crisp fat. But the fat was too crisp -- it did not cut easily like the last. pressing the knife down crushed the flesh beneath. Worse, the flesh was dry. Not terrible, but not at all moist. The small quennelle of braised cabbage was very good, but nothing special. The apple "Compote" was a smooth, creamy apple sauce. Very good on texture, nothing special on taste. (My sister doesn't eat pork, and she had a half pan-seared quail. She liked it a lot, and the little bit I tasted was very good.) Elysian Fields Farm "Selle D'Agneau Roti Entier" Chanterelle Mushrooms, Herb Roasted Salsify and Glazed Cippolini Onions. Finally, a pleasant difference from my earlier visits. I loved this. Three large, thick sliced of lamb loin on top of a woodsy portion of mushrooms. The lamb was not quite seared brown, but the edges were crisp and accentuated by a healthy dose of sea salt. Under the shallow browned edge was a surprisingly uniform bright pink meat. It cut easy, was soft on the tongue and offered only slight resistance to the tooth. The flavor was a wonderful blend of salt, sear, and the sweet gaminess of lamb. I loved it. The chantarelle mushrooms were very small, but a good portion was offered. They had great flavor and the salsify added terrfic crunch. (My Dad doesn't like lamb, so I ate his.) Pan Roasted Scottish Wood Pigeon "Mille Feuille" of Sweet Potato, Arrowleaf Spinach and "Confit" of Garlic. Sister doesn't eat red-meat, but she wasn't excited about eating pigeon. We're from NY afterall. Mom wanted it. I hope more out of curiosity and adventure than spite and revenge. The roasted bird was first brought out in the pan for a viewing. It didn't look good. The skin was dark blue, almost black and topped by blacked herb bits. "That serves two?" sister asked. "It's a tasting menu" I explained for the umpteenth time of the evening. They brought only only two large slices of breast. I'm not sure it was even the entire breast. No thigh, leg or wing. Odd. But the breast was half-wonderful, half-empty. Half was bright red rare. The flesh was firm. It tasted like filet. Really. It was great. At the other end, the meat was darker brown, like thigh meat. It didn't have the flavor or intensity of the rarer portion. If it had been uniformly rare, it would have been the best part of the afternoon. I'd never had pigeon before, I look forward to having it again. (I didn't taste the sides, but Mom and Sis ate them all.) "Tomme de Savoie" "Musquee de Provence" Pumpkin Marmelade, Black Pepper Shortbread and toasted Pumpkin Seed Oil. The cheese course. I've never had Tomme. It was quite good. Semi-hard, creamy. It had a very interesting flavor, almost sweet and tangy. The pumpkin marmelade didn't do it for me. And for the life of me, there was no black pepper shortbread under my marmelade. I'll bet the bill it just wasn't there. Nor under Mom's or Dad's. Sis had something that could have been the promised small black disk. But not me. Napa Valley Guava Sorbet with Toasted Coconut "Financier" Steve Klc has suggested that California restaurants skimp on dessert. Well, I'm no dessert expert, but these were good. The sorbet was bursting with flavor. The financier, a small macaroon-like cake, was outstanding. Moist, chewy, with complex flavor from the coconut. My Mom was blown away. It was all topped by a circle of dehydrated pinapple. Again, this was suprisingly strong flavored and very good. (But not nearly as intersting as the dried apple slice on my first visit.) Valrhona Chocolate "Velours" with Ginger-Infused Custard and "Creme d'Agrumes" Another exquisite desert. The "cake" was a three-inch or so high cylinder, coated with bitter chocolate power. Underneath, a smooth chocolate . . . almost like a cream, but not quite a cake. Hidden in the center, a luscious white custard humming with ginger flavor. Why is it that ginger goes so well with savory and sweet? It was topped with a dollop of creme and some gold leaf. Resting on the side were three long, delicate poles of chocolate. This was terrific. But under all of this was a glowing sunlight of orange infused creme anglais. I don't like bitter chocolate, but this was wonderful. I don't know where to begin. It was just great. The meal was finished with lemongrass infused pot d'creme and vanilla infused creme brulee. And petit fours. Wine: I asked the Sommolier to help choose a half-bottle of white. I said that I like dry, zippier whites, not oaky or too full. He suggested Domaine de Chevalier 1998 Pessoc-Leognan Blanc. What did I know? I said o.k. I did notice that it was one of the most expensive half-bottles. But since I had no "substantive" reason to question the choice, I felt that I was left with the option of saying, "something cheaper please." I didn't want to say that. It was quite good however. I brought an '89 Cos D'Estournel. I didn't love this. It had a moist woodsy undertone, but nothing much on top. Nothing special. I also had a '95 haut brion, but the sommolier suggested that it was likely too young. I'll hold on to it for a few years. My father definitely would not return. He like it well-enough, but no meal to him was worth that money. And, frankly, he can't get past the small portions of a tasting menu. Even though he was stuffed when we were finished (he didn't even eat the pot d'creme or petit fours) I think he doesn't accept the concept of many small portions. Mom said simply that it was the best meal she'd ever had. After my first two meals, I left wondering when I could justify another visit. I'm not sure I'd go back again. If I did, I'd make sure I was downstairs. I liked that room better -- it was open and spacious. I did not like the top floor, which was narrow, almost like eating in a hallway. And I didn't like at all watching waiters going in and out of the service room.
