The French Laundry 2001 - 2005

[Carlovski]

Slightly picky point (And I may be wrong!) but wouldn't "Toro" of Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna, translate as "Tuna" of Tuna?

I think that 'Toro' is the belly cut of a tuna. The richest, fattiest part.

You are right - I was getting confused with 'Ahi'.

[robert40]

jeffj

Thank You so much for taking the time and sharing your report with us.

Just out of bed with cup of coffee in hand it was a wonderful way too start the day.

Great Photos Also!!

R.R.

[jeffj]

Re: the bill

The final tab for two was $655.

Re: what I do for a crust

I'm a web designer who has been fortunate enough to weather layoffs from three different Dot Coms and still be able to find work in the valley. In these tough times, I count my blessings every day.

Re: FL vs. Trotters

It's funny...I was initially going to write a short section about how I feel that these two restaurants are very similar. Both are obviously icons in the industry and are lead by highly respected chefs. And I think both places offer absolute top quality service without being overly stuffy.

As for the food, I think FL definitely has an established style and philosophy. A menu from three years ago would probably not be that much different than a menu served today. I don't have a large historical knowledge of Trotters...but it will be interesting to see the direction that Charlie takes in the coming years (that is if the rumors of the restaurant shutting down are indeed false.) By the recent banishment of foie gras from his menu and his embrace of the raw food movement, Chef Trotter's menu could very well change drastically in the coming years.

It's very hard for me to definitively proclaim one restaurant better than the other. They're both outstanding. If I was pressed, I would probably lean towards FL.

Re: choices on the tasting menu

I think the typical FL chef's menu only has one optional item (the foie course.) However I've seen several instances where there have been expanded options. One in particular was a menu offered during truffle season that had several truffle up-sells. I think that the ingredients available at the time dictate whether "special" items will be offered on the tasting menu.

Yes, in my opinion the foie course is worth it...its very delicious. Especially when the other option was the hearts of palm salad which has gotten some negative reviews from people. One thing to note is that since both my girlfriend and I ordered the foie, our server offered to send out two preparations: the terrine and a sautéed preparation. However, we both prefer our foie cold so we politely declined.

[tanabutler]

Whose hand is in the photo with the little cone? (Very pretty hand.)

[rdailey]

I didn't realize that one had choices on the Chef's Tasting Menu...is that typical?  I have a reservation there in September.  I think I would be disappointed with the meal you received.  Kind of depressing.  Is the foie worth the supplement?

I was curious about this as well. I have only seen it done for the salad/foie course.

The waitstaff has always allowed me to substitute items on the tasting menu from the regular menu (sized appropriately, of course). I wonder if they are still allowing guests to do this or if adding more choices to the tasting menu means they would prefer the guests not to do this anymore...

And yes, the foie supplement is worth it.

[Schneier]

The first thing that arrived in e-mail was the wine list. It's an impressive list: 426 wines, fifty pages worth, some of them costing thousands. Reading through it took fifteen minutes. Discussing it with the rest of my group took weeks. We had no choice, though. When you have a table at the French Laundry's private room, they want you to choose your wine in advance.

Yep; the French Laundry has a private room. It's for parties of at least eight and of at most twelve. There's no menu choice; you get the nine-course tasting menu, tailored to the wines you've pre-chosen for the meal. But here's the secret: it can be reserved up to six months in advance. If you're a large group, this is the secret back door to avoid the telephone queue every morning.

Four weeks ago today, eight of us had dinner in the private room. It's upstairs, through an arched doorway off the main room. It's also small. At eight we were crowded; I can't imagine how they manage to squeeze in twelve. But open doors lead onto the balcony on two of the sides, and the weather was nice enough to walk outside and rest between courses. Not what I expect when I reserve a private room--I expect a door that closes and some room to maneuver--but it did just fine.

We were offered our champagne in the garden, but we decided to have it at our table. It was a NV Billiot Rose Ambonnay, well balanced with a nice minerally crispness that matched the next three courses well.

The first amuse-bouche was a gougere: a Gruyere pastry ball. It was good, but nothing special. Pity, as this seems to be what they give everyone to start. Two of our party arrived early and waited in the garden for the rest of us--they were given a pair of gougeres to keep them company.

But no time to feel any disappointment, as this was quickly followed by a second amuse-bouche: a cornet cone filled with salmon tartare, lemon-infused olive oil and red onion creme fraiche. Wow! This was delicious in every way. The interplay of flavors--lemon, cream, black sesame--and the balance of textures--soft salmon against crispy cornet--was inspired. It was fun. It was serious. It delighted the palate and left everyone wanting more.

Luckily, more was to come.

Printed menus were at our place settings when we sat down, and the first dish off that menu came next: "'Oysters and Pearls': 'Sabayon' of pearl tapioca with Begaduce River oysters and Iranian Osetra caviar." This is one of Thomas Keller's signature dishes, and I've read it about it many times. It lived up to the hype. The tapioca pearls, the oyster pieces, and the caviar were a medley of round toys for the palate, and the briny flavor was gently blended by the sauce. It was flavorful and complex, while at the same time light and balanced. Luxurious without being overwhelming. A prefect match for the champagne. For some of us, this was the best dish of the night.

The next course was a surprise, not on the printed menu. It was an eggshell standing on end with its top neatly sliced open. (I had seen this presentation before, but for some at the table it was a novelty.) Inside was a mixture of custard, white truffle oil, black truffle ragout, potato and chives. One of us called it a "culinary Faberge egg," and it was delicious. The rich and earthy truffle flavors made the dish very intense, and was matched well with our second wine: a 2001 Prager Gruner Veltliner "Ried Achleiten," Smaragd. And ephemeral; just a few spoonfuls and it was gone. My only wish is that there was more.

But that just meant that there was some Gruner left for the next course. Second on the menu, fifth if you count the amuse-bouches, was the salad: "Salad on Hawaiian hearts of palm with breakfast radish, celery branch and 'fines herbes' vinaigrette." When we first saw this on the menu we were skeptical, but we were all surprised. Each individual ingredient was perfect, and the mixture of flavors and textures worked well. It probably helped that Keller positioned this dish after two rich courses. An unexpected surprise, and another good match for the Gruner.

Our third wine choice was 1979 Baumard Savenierres "Clos de Papillon." There are some Loire wines that age long and beautifully, and this was certainly one of them: fascinating complexity on both the nose and the palate, and still quite young at 24.

Amazingly, Keller produced a dish to match. It was "Grilled filet of Hawaiian big-eye tuna with Italian eggplant 'chutney' and madras curry 'emulsion.'" Another delicious dish. The tuna was perfectly grilled; the top was just barely browned, with the degree of doneness tapering off slowly through pink to the seared bottom. The texture was flaky without losing its integrity. The waiter commented that this is an unusually good variety of tuna. It was certainly among the best pieces I'd ever had.

But it was the sauce that made the dish. The eggplant/curry mixture complemented without overwhelming. Is it possible that somebody knew that 24-year-old chenin blanc tastes like eggplant and curry? It just couldn't have been a coincidence.

Number seven (if you're counting): "Sweet butter poached Maine lobster, caramelized fennel bulb, crystallized fennel chip and sauce 'noilly prat.'" One of the problems with eating an entire meal at a restaurant like the French Laundry is that you rapidly lose all sense of perspective. This is a dish that, I believe, would be the star of a meal elsewhere. Here, it was an also-ran. Not that there was anything wrong with it. The lobster was perfectly cooked, and the mild lobster flavors were as intense as any I've eaten. The sauce was a very tasty vermouth and lobster stock reduction. But the food clashed terribly with the Savenierres (probably the sweetness of the lobster meat), and hey, this is the French Laundry--the competition was intense.

And it's probably a credit to Keller that the dish was overshadowed by one of its own ingredients. The fennel chip, the fennel chip--we couldn't stop talking about the fennel chip. A razor-thin slice of dried fennel plant: it was visual, textural, and gastronomic perfection. If we could have arranged a big bowl of them in the center of the table, we would have fought each other over who was eating more of them.

Luckily, the next dish more than made up for any disappointment. It was rabbit: "'Un paquet de rillettes de lapin,' French green lentils and applewood smoked bacon 'lardons.'" I loved this dish while eating it, and the more I considered it over the next few days the more it impressed me. I buy rillettes in France all the time; it's perfect picnic food. (Rillettes is meat, usually pork but also rabbit, goose, poultry, fish, etc., that is slowly cooked in seasoned fat and then pounded or pulverized--along with some of the fat--into a paste. It’s delicious.) But to heat it up and serve it with that sauce...wow! One definition of brilliance is to do something that is obvious to everyone else once you do it, but that no one else thought about doing before. It was smoky, slightly chewy, robust but not gigantic, earthy--delicious in every way. It was a perfect dish to match our fourth wine: 2000 Allemand Cornas "Chaillot."

Course number nine was meat with a capital "M." The menu said: "Snake River Farms 'calotte de boeuf grille,' forest mushrooms 'duxelles,' La Ratte potato 'fondant' and 'buerre colbert,'" but to us it was meat and potatoes. Actually, that's not fair. It was a perfectly fine course, but it paled in comparison to what we had just eaten. The beef was cooked rare and tender. The duxelles were delicious. The tater tots--forget "fondant"; they were tater tots--were fine. This course was probably included for the people who expect meat and potatoes.

But we did order a Burgundy, so we should have expected beef. But we didn’t get the Burgundy we ordered. We agreed on the 2000 Roty Charmes Chambertin "Tres Vieilles Vignes," but a few courses earlier we had been told that it was not available. Out came the wine lists. Even though we were able to restrict the discussion to the five pages of Burgundies, it took a while to pick a replacement. The sommelier was very helpful and knowledgeable, and did a great job in helping us choose. But it was just wrong. The whole point of selecting wines beforehand was so they would be available when we arrived. If the bottle wasn't available when we selected the wines, why weren't we told that when we selected it? (Three of our other first choices were not available; we learned that via e-mail and were able to pick others.) If it was available back then, why wasn't it held for us? And if there was no guarantee that our selections would be held, why did they make a meal to suit the wines? It just didn't make sense.

In any case, we ended up with a 1990 Camille Giroud Volnay "Santenots." It was okay, and a fine complement to the beef, but some of us were looking forward to the wine we ordered.

After the beef we began the long and winding road towards dessert. Cheese first. The dining room is too small to have a cheese cart; there just isn't room to maneuver. And Keller prefers prepared cheese dishes to a selection of cheeses. For us he made a "'Herbiette,' roasted sweet pepper 'crostini,' nicoise olives and basic-infused extra virgin olive oil." Honestly, it wasn't much. One cheese, and not a very interesting one at that. A nice enough crostini, I'll admit. Hardly a cheese course, really. And totally unmemorable.

Next came the most confusing dish of the night. On our menu: "Frog Hollow peach sorbet with Cream of Wheat pudding 'cake.'" First of all, how can you possibly have peach and frog in the same culinary-related sentence without bringing to mind Peter Cook and Dudley Moore? And second, it was just a dollop of sorbet on top of the pudding cake. The sorbet was good enough, but the table was divided over whether the Cream of Wheat helped or hurt the dish. Some thought it matched well, others thought the blend was a complete and total disaster. The best I can say is that the sorbet was really good.

Chocolate followed: "'Delice au chocolat' with passion fruit 'coulis,' chocolate 'dentelle' and yogurt 'foam.'" This was better than the peach, but it was nothing more than a solidly executed chocolate dessert. Where's the brilliance? Where's the inspiration? Who's the pastry chef, anyway?

Maybe we were too jaded at that point. Maybe we should have ordered one or two dessert wines. Maybe it was after 11:00 PM and we were just tired.

We were certainly full. When the "Mignardises" (a fancy name for petit-fours) came around, it was hard to take more than a couple of bites. And the bites varied: absolutely delicious coffee-toffee-mocha flavored macaroons, excellent chocolate-hazelnut candies, good chocolate velour tartlette, dry mini chocolate-chip scone. There were more, but I just couldn’t try everything.

After taking our coffee order, the kitchen brought us another course not on the menu: a choice of a small creme brulee or pistachio pot au creme. Both were delicious. Of course we swapped around so that everyone got to taste everything. The creme brulee was intensely flavored and exactly what you expect a creme brulee to be. The pistachio was also rich and intense, a perfect rendition of pistachio flavor in cream form. Coffee and tea came for those who wished, and we were done.

Well, almost done. We asked for a kitchen tour and they gave us one, four at a time. I've toured a lot of high-end kitchens over the years, and that one was--by far--the smallest I'd ever seen. I'd like to sit somewhere out of the way and watch them cook dinner someday.

It was a wonderful meal. Service--as expected--was excellent, but not perfect. The captain was great. He paced the meal well. He interacted with us pleasantly. He correctly gauged the timbre of our group and matched it.

I only have four service complaints. One, that weird contretemps with the Burgundy. Two, the waitstaff lapsed in keeping our water glasses full towards the end of the meal. Three, they got confused over who ordered what coffee or tea. And four, the captain opened a second bottle of champagne for us without asking. I dislike it when restaurants try to push wine. But he didn't try doing it a second time.

But these matters were small compared to the meal. We had a delightful time. The restaurant was a beautiful little jewel. The grounds were serene. We enjoyed standing on the balcony between courses, looking at the gardens. The ingredients were beyond reproach. The presentations were excellent. The level of creativity was, with a couple of exceptions, excellent as well. Same with the service. The cost...well, there is that. Everything included, the cost was $334 per person.

And that's something that can't be ignored. The French Laundry was not the most expensive meal I've had--Michelin three-stars in Paris have cost more, as did Ginza Sushi-Ko in Beverly Hills--but it was certainly up there. On the other hand, while I am not the sort of person that ranks experiences, the meal was certainly one of the best I've ever eaten. To me, the only financial question you can really ask about this absurdly priced meal is whether or not it was worth it. It was. No question.

I'd go back in a heartbeat.

[bilrus]

I am going to be in the area in November and am going to try to get a reservation for my first time and of course, I am looking forward to it. I'm curious though about something that has come up in several reviews that people have posted.

Almost no one's experiences were 100% positive and in your case it seemed like only about half of the numerous courses were outright successes. Yet you still consider the meal one of your best ever evan at the price tag of over $300 per person. Like i said, you aren't the only one who has expressed this.

How do you justify ranking it so high in your personal experience or is it just that your expectations were so high for the meal that, although the quality was very good across the board, it didn't meet those expecations?

[Alex]

Thanks, Schneier, for the detailed report and the mention of the private room. Maybe if I can manage to restrain myself from buying all these attractive but superfluous items at Williams-Sonoma's clearance sales, one of these days my wife and I can actually afford to eat there. (Then there's the minor matter of transportation from the Midwest, lodging, etc.)

First of all, how can you possibly have peach and frog in the same culinary-related sentence without bringing to mind Peter Cook and Dudley Moore?

One of my all-time favorites.

A transcript of the routine can be found at several places on the 'net, including here.

[carpet bagger]

Well where to begin? The lunch lasted for four hours. I'm afraid that trying to describe the event including all my feelings may take four days. What a classy place! They really do know how to treat you with kindness and attention as you would hope for in a place of this caliber. They began by changing our table location as we desired without even a hint of anything but wanting to please us. The service throughout was appropriate and proper and totally effective and unobtrusive. You only noticed them there when you wanted them. As formal as the service and attention was the whole experience was completely relaxed and casual. I didn't want it to end and I already wanted to make reservations for the next time. How about tonoght I kept saying. I guess I have to tell you about the meal or feast or orgy. The amazing thing is that as much as we ate our stomachs never felt overfull. We were two couples, the men had the 9 course and the ladies had the 5 course. Each had extra courses, in the form of added appertisers. The men actually had an additional meat course as we had some extra wine left that needed something to eat with it.

1) We all started with the signiture waffle cone of salmon tartar covering creme fraiche in the bottom of the cone. Great awakening.

2)I had the cauliflower "Panna Cotta", with Bagaduce Oyster Glaze and Iranian Osetra Caviar. My friend had Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Palm, Celery Branch, Breakfast Radish and Pergord Truffle "Syrup".

Both the above went perfectly with the 1997 Tement Ziereg Sauvignon Blanc from Austria, which we brought.

3) the ladies had Summer vine ripened Tomato " Petal" Salad," Gazpacho Gelee", Heirloom Tomato "Parfait" and Sweet Garlic " Melba". ( one lady) The other had:-

" Softshell Crab Sandwich" Chesapeake Bay Softshell Crab with " Confit of Tomato, Toasted " Brioche", Mixed Field Greens and French Pickle Sauce.

4) The Men had Crispy Skin Filet of Hawaiian Moi, "Edamame", Piquillo Peppers and Green- Orange "Aigre Doux"

The ladies next, one had Sauteed Filet of Chatham Bay Cod, Summer Squash, Oven Roasted Roma Tomatoes, Nicoise Olives and " Moulin Des Penitents" Extra Virgin Olive Oil "Emulsion"

The other Lady had "Peas and Carrots" Maine Lobster " Pancake" with Sweet Pea Shoot Salad and Ginger- Carrot Butter.

We all continued to drink the same Sauvignon Blanc with the above courses.

5) My next course was Salad of Grilled Pacific Cuttlefish, Big Island Hearts of Palm, Pickled Young Ginger, Thai Coconut and Garden Cilantro.

My friend had Pan Seared Cloverdale Farms Rabbit Sirloin, Spiced Roasted Genoa Figs and Glazed Grey Shallots.

The Ladies each had Grilled Snake River Ranch "Calotte De Boeuf" Chanterelle Mushrooms and Sauce Bordelaise" One Lady asked for and received potatoes instead of Bone Marrow Bread Pudding.

The wine switched to 1988 Gevrey Chambertin Phillip Leclerc Les Cazetiers.

6) I next had a Quail Dish served on a Mariposa Plum Marinated in a Sauce.

My friend had Elysian Fields Farm "Selle D'Agneau Roti Entier" Summer Squash, Marinated Sweet 100 Tomatoes and Garden Basil "Coulis"

A note of interest is that when the Men were served extra dishes, I thought it was classy that the Ladies were provided with clean plates so they were not left out. Classy Huh!

7) The Men then had " Camembert" Gravenstein Apple "Compote", Apple Chip and Cinnamon Glaze

We had just switched to 1997 Killibinbin Shiraz from Langhorn Creek in South Australia.

It was then that I asked for something to go with the extra wine we had left. They made a beef dish using the top of the Rib Eye from the only American real Kobe Beef style from Japan. It was explained that the Cows were not fed the same way but it was the same breed. It was cooked to perfection as was everything .

8 and 9) Consisted of a combination of the following deserts.

Ladies " Carnaroli Risotto Biologique" and Passion Fruit "Gratin" with Hibiscus Flower Ice Cream

"Declinaison Au Chocolat" "Mousse Au Chocolat Tiede", Chocolate Sorbet, Chocolate Brownie and Milk Chocolate "Granache" My Wife was in Heaven She is really a chocoholic.

The Men were served the following each:-

"Nuage De Fruits Rouges" with Marscapone Sorbet and then Valrhona Chocolate "Velours" with a Ginger Custard and "Creme D' Agrumes"

Everyone received "Mignardises"

We were all happy that we went for lunch as that was a large meal to have to go to bed right after eating. We all agreed that it was the best meal we had ever eaten. Each dish was an entity unto itself without repeating any of the flavors. I could not help feeling that I have been to a number of wonderful restaurants that have given me one or two really great dishes, but none have ever given me this perfect dish after dish experience. I didn't mind the $50.00 corkage as the wine service was perfect. They really know how to treat the wines as well as the food and the people. Yes the cost is high, but believe it or not it is worth every penny. By the way they did not fuss about my wife wanting to change part of a couple ingredients and no extra charge for the additional meat course I sprung on them .This is a classy bunch. I can't say enough great things about Thomas Keller. He is a perfect Gentleman in every sense of the word. He definitely deserves all the best to him in life. I have been fortunate to meet a number of great chefs, none of whom have been this unassuming and gracious. I admire him for all that , certainly not limited to his phenominal prowess in the kitchen. ( and no he is not related to me) That is just how he makes me feel.

I suggest that you find a way in your life to go at least once. You will never regret it.

The best culinary Four Hours I have ever spent.

Edited August 26, 2003 by carpet bagger (log)

[FoodZealot]

Thanks for the report, CB. I would think most people around here would agree that a peak experience like this is worth quite a bit in dollar terms.

~Tad

[Special Ed]

Sigh. You're a lucky man. Some day.. some day.

[Andy Lynes]

They began by changing our table location as we desired without even a hint of  anything but wanting to please us.

As someone who from time to time requests a change of table in restaurants (see this thread for a very recent example), can I ask what you disliked about your original location. Was it an obviously "bad" table, or just not to your liking?

I put great store by how a restaurant deals with this sort of situation. If handled badly, it can sour the whole experience, which my review of Lindsay house in London illustrates. It would appear TFL did an admirable job in your case, but I can't help thinking that a top establishment, every table should be good.

Can I ask if the $50.00 corkage for just the Sauvignon, or did you bring other bottles?

I must say I'm deeply impressed that you were able to order two menus of different lengths for one table and that the additional meat course was comp'd. I would guess it was ordered without regard to cost and it seems that the restaurant repaid your trust, appetite and enthusiasm in spades.

[Basildog]

Andy, in that Lindsay review from 2 years ago you said that the age of the celebrity chef was over.Still believe that?

As for table allocation, is it really werid to just let the guests pick the table from whats available? This would obviously leave the shitty table till last, but then it would show the resturant where it can improve.

[Andy Lynes]

Andy, in that Lindsay review from 2 years ago you said that the age of the celebrity chef was over.Still believe that?

Absolutely, that particular currency has been well and truely devalued. Unless of course you are Jamie Oliver and your name can fill a back street restaurant in the City of London months in advance.

But that is an entirely different audience from say Marco or Nico in his pomp, or the one that Ramsay at Hospital Road attracts now. I think they have gone through the adoration phase and are now looking for some real service and relative value for money. Well, I am anyway.

[Andy Lynes]

As for table allocation, is it really werid to just let the guests pick the table from whats available? This would obviously leave the shitty table till last, but then it would show the resturant where it can improve.

I don't think thats a goer at Michelin star level. For me, the ideal is to hand over control to the restaurant the moment you walk in the door and for everything to be perfect from that second on. At 3 star level (or 4 star in US terms which is what we are talking about here), you should expect no less.

[carpet bagger]

Andy the original table was one of two in a relatively small room, kind of squashed into a corner. Probably ok but it was much better to be in the open. We were early so we decided to try to take advantage of more open space. As I said they were very gracious and immediate about the change. The corkage was $50.00 per bottle and we had three. That was $150.00 of the total bill $836.00 for four. We felt that everything was sooo good that we added to the tip and made the total $900.00 I hope they felt that that was enough.Throughout they were only interested in our wellbeing and that we were happy about how everything was going. They did everything without the feeling of their hand being ready to catch the tip they would be anticipating. I hate the way most restaurants here in town are. A lot of the waiters are very pretentious. Enough said, this is the best example that I have experienced and I have been fortunate to eat in some of the great restaurants throughout the world. Many European restaurantsespecially in Switzerland and England have been trained properly. They have offered similar treatment.

[Andy Lynes]

The corkage was $50.00 per bottle and we had three. That was $150.00 of the total bill $836.00 for four.

So I would assume that it was worth bringing those bottles in terms of quality, age and compatibility with the food rather than picking off the list?

[melkor]

Andy the original table was one of two in a relatively small room, kind of squashed into a corner. Probably ok but it was much better to be in the open. We were early so we decided to try to take advantage of more open space.

It's interesting, I suspect that table is the one I had dinner at a few weeks prior to your visit. Personally I preferred sitting there, we had a late (9:15) seating and by the time we were at our table (45min of champagne and apps in the garden) the room was empty and it felt like we were the only people in the place. This table that you were first offered was on the right side of the small room with one small window and an open doorway to the larger dinning room to the right of the lobby?

[carpet bagger]

Melkor that sounds like the table exactly.

Andy it was worth bringing our own wine. They did not have the same wines on their list, but had they, it would have been $600.00 to $700.00 off their list. I looked at their list to determine what to bring. To me the wines I drink with dinner is as important as the food. These wines were perfect with the food. Both in time and taste. I have been known to be crazy because I will bring a case of wine to a restaurant so I can select the most appropriate wine for the dinner. I once went to Tru in Chicago. I called ahead and spoke to the wine steward from LA. We actually talked quite a few times discussing the food and wine pairings. I ended up bringing 11 bottles for 9 people. The first bottle I gave to him for all his help. We drank 9 and I ended giving him the extra bottle to take home with him. Their corkage was also $50.00. Well worth it because the wines, if they had them on their list, would have been about $2000.00.

[essvee]

Schneier, would you mind sharing how much your wine cost? Sounds as if you and your friends are very knowledgable, and willing to pay for what you want. Did you consider bringing some of your own?

[IrishCream]

Thank you for a great report (I have dinner reservations there 9/19 so I have a vested interest!). I was wondering where the wine-list was posted...I have to request by email?

[Schneier]

Schneier, would you mind sharing how much your wine cost?  Sounds as if you and your friends are very knowledgable, and willing to pay for what you want.  Did you consider bringing some of your own?

Wine cost was about $100 a person. We tried really hard to keep is reasonable, which wasn't easy.

Corkage is $50 a bottle. It's excessive, but not when you compare it to the markup on the wine list.

But in the private room, you're not allowed to bring in your own wine. You have no choice but to order off the list.

Bruce

[Schneier]

Almost no one's experiences were 100% positive and in your case it seemed like only about half of the numerous courses were outright successes.  Yet you still consider the meal one of your best ever evan at the price tag of over $300 per person.  Like i said, you aren't the only one who has expressed this.

How do you justify ranking it so high in your personal experience or is it just that your expectations were so high for the meal that, although the quality was very good across the board, it didn't meet those expecations?

It's a combination of things. One, expectations are very high. Two, the competition among the dishes during a single meal is fierce. And three, the meal was stellar even though it was not perfect.

Honestly, I was surprised that everyone around the table agreed that it was worth it...despite the failures and glitches.

But it was.

Bruce

[Schneier]

I made a mistake in the write-up that started this thread. The private room can be ordered up to one year in advance.

If you have seven friends, this is the best way to avoid the reservations telephone system.

Bruce

[ExtraMSG]

Adding an old Chowhound report to the egullet mix. Hope it helps:

THE FRENCH LAUNDRY: Had to ask directions of possibly the most tired man in the world cycling over the mountain between Santa Rosa and Napa. I’m glad it was a rental car because I think I left tire pieces going around the turns on that road to make our reservation. I felt like I was entering a French country home with its pleasant garden area and wood exterior. It had more in common with Chez Panisse style-wise than any of the other places on our visit. I love the stone nook on the lower floor and I wish I could eat either there or upstairs if I ever return. We were seated promptly and the food-orgy began:

Coronet of salmon tartare with crème fraiche and sesame cone: The signature dish that most everyone has heard of by now. It lives up to the hype. I think the salmon could have a little more flavor (maybe smoked salmon would be better), but I enjoyed it nonetheless. You go from the meaty salmon, to the creamy crème, to the crispy and nutty sesame. Clever and tasty; should be the definition of an amuse bouche.

Cauliflower panna cotta, bagaduce oyster glaze, and Iranian osetra caviar: What a simple but interesting dish. The panna cotta was creamy but had that unique cauliflower essence that worked so well with the salty caviar and intense oyster glaze.

Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Palm and Garden Radishes with Black Truffle Syrup: This was probably the only failure on the menu. Not offensive or inedible just so plain and flavorless I think it deserves to be called a failure. The sauce added sweetness but imparted little if any truffle flavor. Both the radish and heart of palm were very bland.

Sauteed filet of Hawaiian moi crushed marble potatoes, melted leeks, and spring onion soubise: A very nice dish reminiscent of potato-leek soup topped with crispy-skinned fish. Good texture balance. On top of the fish was a quenelle of sautéed leeks that were melt in your mouth wonderful.

Sweet butter poached lobster with braised lobster mushrooms, fennel bulb, garden tarragon and verjus: Extremely tender lobster and just a fabulous sauce. So packed with rich flavors -- creamy, sweet, and earthy. One of those seemingly simple dishes where you have to ask for extra bread to sop up every last bit on the plate.

Fruitwood smoked salmon tiede, russet potato gnocchi, marinated cucumber, and Iranian osetra caviar: Scott’s substitution for the lobster. It came so that you could pile everything on triangles of toast. Well-balanced, I wish I could have tasted it with the toast. I think that texture addition would be nice.

Un paquet de rillettes de lapin, confit of santa rosa plums, and roasted Belgian endive: Both Scott and I took a taste of the meat and said, “Rabbit carnitas!” And it was. A medallion of rabbit carnitas, rich and salty, beside the tangy plums and the bitter endive. There was some fennel, too, I believe. The bitter elements were a little too much so, but it could be balanced with the plums. More plums would have been nice since it was so useful in cutting the bitterness and the richness of the dish. Excellent.

Grilled Snake River Ranch calotte de boeuf served with white corn, summer pole beans, applewood smoked bacon lardoons, and bordelaise mignonette: A straight-forward dish that would have been at home served from the kitchen of Chez Panisse. It was about the ingredients and they were perfect.

Cheese: An extremely cool presentation with a slice of cheese (a cow’s milk from the pyranees), dots of a thick balsamic in the shape of a checkmark, and a column of tiny little sticks of zucchini and san marzanos where the walls of the columns were slices of the summer squash. Very good balance between the flavors getting two characters of sweet and tart with the tomatoes and balsamic.

Apricot sorbet with toasted almond financier: Almonds and apricot always go together. Intense apricot flavor.

Crème brulee: Just a very small one with a slightly overburnt brulee.

Corn pot de crème: Like eating cold corn butter, silky, rich, and sweet. Great little dessert.

Valrhona chocolate velours with a Vermont maple syrup custard and maple anglaise: Probably my favorite chocolate dessert of the trip, though we didn’t have many. Creamy innards and mapley sauce. Yum. Cool presentation with a white dollup on top with a flake of gold in the center like a huge all-seeing eye. “Arms” of chocolate strands extended from the “body” of the dessert.

Mignardises: We received several little desserts including a chocolate tartlet, a blueberry and whipped cream on a little pastry, a passion fruit gelee tartlet, and a cinnamon sugar cookie. Little blueberry thing was good partially because the blueberry was so perfectly ripe. The passion fruit thing was very intense. Along with these petit fours, we also got two “little macs”. Shaped like little hamburgers, the “macs” had “buns” of puffy caramel sandwiching macaroon and chocolate. I loved them.

After the strength of the main dessert and the mignardises -- plus the fact that the desserts all sounded great -- we decided to order three more:

Apricot tart a l’ancienne with thyme ice cream and apricot marmelade: I often order desserts like this based entirely on ice cream. The dessert was good in itself but the ice cream made it special. It did have an excellent presentation with a long, narrow flaky pastry (the “tart”) down one side The other elements were placed in rows parallel to the “tart”. Edible flowers garnished as did candied nuts.

Sweet polenta cake, tellicherry pepper-scented blackberry compote, blackberry sorbet, and yogurt foam: Really powerful flavors, nice brightness tempered by the other pieces of the dessert. Scott will have to tell you more because this thing disappeared.

Coffee and doughnuts: Coffee semifreddo in an espresso cup topped with whipped cream served with doughnut holes. Another clever concept executed perfectly. The semifreddo was very good and I enjoyed “dipping” the doughnuts in the “coffee”.

Conclusion: Possibly the best meal I’ve ever had. I think I like Inn at Little Washington slightly better because of slightly better service and a more interesting interior (way cool bathrooms). But that’s it (and I think FL varies their menu a lot more). There’s a place in Dallas, the Tasting Room at Lola, a 16 course meal for $65 with a menu that changes every 3 weeks, that is competitive for food and a much better value, but it’s not near the restaurant as a whole that The French Laundry is.

Easily the best service of the trip here. Course timing was excellent, the whole thing, with extra desserts, taking just over 2 hours. They also gave us a tour of the kitchen even though the waiter said he’s gotten in trouble for it before. He even took our picture in the kitchen. Also, our waiter *offered* the coffee and doughnuts to us even though it wasn’t on the menu. Lots of nice little touches.

They also had the best bread of the trip. Two excellent breads very competitive with the quality at Acme, plus two very good butters. They paid attention to details here.

Sure, it’s expensive, but at The French Laundry you get what you pay for. Clever dishes that didn’t feel pretentious, but just like the chef was enjoying what he does. Swap out the hearts of palm and it would have been a perfect meal. btw, best set of desserts and sweets I've ever had. Every one was a winner.