The French Laundry 2001 - 2005

[rdailey]

Its my understanding that the Venetian opened their conference center last week, but has yet to open the new 1000-room tower where Bouchon is expected to be. Although their website says June, I read other articles in April that said it may not be open until later this year.

[Flocko]

Its my understanding that the Venetian opened their conference center last week, but has yet to open the new 1000-room tower where Bouchon is expected to be. Although their website says June, I read other articles in April that said it may not be open until later this year.

Thank you!

[IrishCream]

Personally, I am going to do my best to eat there before the hiatus. Who knows what the menu/pricing/quality will be like afterwards? Any other Californians want to go with me?

[bilrus]

This is quite disappointing.

My wife is going to a conference in SF the second week in November and I was going to try like hell to get reservations to the French Laundry and tag along.

We were in SF in February, right before I joined eGullet and got such a Jones to go to the FL.

Damn.

[richw]

Where can I find info on his Florida location? I wasn't aware of any Keller establishments here. Fill me in, PLEASE.

OOOPS FL = French Laundry NOT FLORIDA

sorry...brainfart.

Edited June 26, 2003 by richw (log)

[Katherine]

Of a side note... if you were a waiter at FL and informed you had a four-month vacation (probably NOT paid), would you go back to work there? Unlikely these folks have the funds to NOT work for four months.

Just thinking out loud.

How about the kitchen staff? Are they that well paid either? Especially with the hemorrhage of funds in NYC?

(My vote for a name is still "Tommy's Salmon Ice Cream Cone Stand.")

Yeah, they're going to lose most of their staff. It should take them a while to get back in gear again, after building the new team. People who have to relocate to find work are gone for good.

[cmvnapa]

Personally, I am going to do my best to eat there before the hiatus.  Who knows what the menu/pricing/quality will be like afterwards?  Any other Californians want to go with me? 

I'm going there this Saturday for my maiden voyage. Looking forward to it. I hear that reservations are easier to come by if one just goes to the restaurant at 9:30 AM two months in advance.

This might be an interesting job to take on.

[melkor]

I hear that reservations are easier to come by if one just goes to the restaurant at 9:30 AM two months in advance.

This might be an interesting job to take on.

Reservations are much easier to come by if you go in person; they start taking reservations in the lobby at 9:45 or so and they deal with everyone who is waiting before they start answering the phones. Every time I've gotten a reservation by waiting in the lobby there have been at least two concierges from local hotels getting reservations for their guests. If you are getting reservations for five or six people you need to get there before the concierges, as there are only 4 six-tops per night and two are usually booked in other ways. I would suspect that between friends of the house and locals showing up in person that half of the tables are taken before the phones open for Friday and Saturday nights.

If you want to eat at the French Laundry from out of town, stay in Yountville and talk to the concierge at your hotel when you make your lodging reservations.

[cmvnapa]

Of a side note... if you were a waiter at FL and informed you had a four-month vacation (probably NOT paid), would you go back to work there? Unlikely these folks have the funds to NOT work for four months.

Just thinking out loud.

I dunno - I just talked to somebody who has worked with some FL staff and she feels they would've made enough dough over the years to be able to take the time off. She also offered up the possibility that he might be taking some of the staff along with him to NYC.

[Really Nice!]

The FOH is where the money is. Waiters who have been there for years, such as Larry and Milton probably pull in > $60,000 a year. While they have to split the gratuity with others, the gratuity is 18 percent. Their tasting menu is currently $135 and that gives them $24 for each person served. It doesn't take much to add $100 per person to the bill in beverages which is another $18 per person served. Serve 10 people a night and that $420 to split with the others. They should be fine.

Now, that said, if they have a lot of debt, four months off might be a problem.

If I were Keller, I'd bring the stars of my staff with me to ensure a smooth opening.

Yeah, they're going to lose most of their staff. It should take them a while to get back in gear again, after building the new team. People who have to relocate to find work are gone for good.

There are two kinds of people working there. Those that want to get FL on their resume, and those that want to work there because they feel it's the best restaurant in the country. Those that work to get it on their resume will soon be gone whether the restaurant closes or stays open.

[cmvnapa]

Update: Per the wait staff at The French Laundry, they will be open in Yountville through the end of the year and will start the New York restaurant hiatus in 2004.

Lunch there on Saturday was beyond my expectations, and after lunch, as we were ogling the gardens between Washington & Hwy. 29, Chef Keller came out and graciously signed menus for those of us who asked.

A great experience.

[Schneier]

Of a side note... if you were a waiter at FL and informed you had a four-month vacation (probably NOT paid), would you go back to work there? Unlikely these folks have the funds to NOT work for four months.

He simply has to be paying them during the break. Otherwise you're right; he won't have any staff when the restaurant reopens.

Bruce

[Schneier]

Two nights ago I ate at the French Laundry. A review will follow in a few days, but the news I learned is that the closing has been delayed.

FL will remain open through the year, and will close for a few months in the beginning of 2004. The reason is construction delays in the AOL Building in New York.

During the closing, many of the staff will be in New York training the staff there. Others will do stages at other restaurants around the world. They don't expect to lose anyone when they reopen.

And, of course, this could be delayed even further if there are further construction delays.

Bruce

[robert40]

Bruce,

Looking forward to your report as I can never hear enough about the French Laundry.

Lately it seem's some report's have been mixed.

What was your impression?

Thank You.

Robert.R.

[Schneier]

Basically:

Excellent meal, very good service (four glitches that I noticed). Some of the dishes were inspired, and the rest were very good executions of what they were. Definitely worth the money, but not the blow-your-socks-off best meal that I've ever had.

Bruce

[jeffj]

As bay area residents, my girlfriend and I are fortunate enough to be able to make day trips to Napa to indulge our food and drink obsession. And there's no better place to do that than at The French Laundry. Having secured lunch reservations through Open Table exactly two months previously, we were ready to have a memorable meal.

We arrived in Yountville about thirty minutes early for our 11:15 reservation and took the opportunity to visit the newly opened Bouchon Bakery. As we pulled up I had to do a double take...I almost assuredly saw Chef Keller reading the newspaper on one of the benches outside the bakery. However, by the time we had parked and walked over he was gone so I can’t be sure.

At the bakery we purchased a croissant and one of the small rustique loaves. Of course these were to bring home since we weren't about to eat anything before the main event. The croissant turned out to be very tasty but I was rather disappointed with the rustique. The exterior was scorched and thus it had a burned taste. In addition, the loaf was a bit more tough and chewy than the Acme Ciabatta that I love. It's a quaint bakery but I would not go out of my way to return there.

With blue skies and moderately warm temperatures, you couldn't ask for better weather. It was a great change from the first time we dined at FL back in February...that day was cold and rainy. We headed over to the Laundry and spent a few minutes walking the grounds and peering into the kitchen. The first thing you notice is how quiet the kitchen is. It's definitely a testament to the polished nature of the FL machine. Efficiency of movement and absolute focused energy are the rules in that kitchen. We leisurely walked into the restaurant and were immediately seated at a two top in the downstairs dining room.

WINES

I love being able to sample a large assortment of wines that have been paired with particular dishes. While FL doesn't have a wine pairing with their menu, I had hoped to be able to order five or six wines by the glass and then have the pours split between the two of us. This would allow us to taste as many wines as possible without getting too tipsy. However, our server said that they could not accommodate that request for smaller/split pours. I was rather surprised and disappointed that they said "no" to a seemingly easy request. In any event, even though I knew we'd end up drinking too much wine, we went ahead and ordered as our waiter suggested: Two glasses of Sauternes, a half bottle of white, and a half bottle of red. We left the bottle choices to the discretion of the waiter so as to hopefully get the best food/wine pairing possible. In the end, we were also comped two half glasses of champagne and were brought two glasses of dessert wine. The bill was rung up with the two half bottles, one Sauternes, and one dessert wine. Overall, it was much too much wine for us to drink but we had fun drinking it anyways.

Summary:

2 half glasses Champagne (unknown)

2 glasses 1997 Chateau Climens Barsac

Half bottle 2001 Chassagne-Montrachet Domaine Jean Pillot

Half bottle 2000 Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge

2 glasses 1995 Fonseca Guimaraens Port

FOOD

Here’s a rundown of the full printed menu:

Chef’s Tasting Menu

August 10, 2003

Cauliflower "Panna Cotta"

Bagaduce Oyster Glaze and Iranian Osetra Caviar

--------

Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Palm

With Breakfast Radish, Celery Branch

And "Fines Herbes" Vinaigrette

Or

Poached Moulard Duck "Foie Gras En Terrine",

Frisee Lettuce and Black Perigord Truffles,

Served with Toasted "Brioche"

($25 Supplement)

--------

Grilled Hawaiian Big-Eye Tuna,

Forest Mushrooms, Crispy Shallots

And a Red Wine Sauce

Or

"Toro" of Hawaiian Big-Eye Tuna,

Served with a Salad of Japanese Sweet Rice, Candied Peanuts,

Garden Cucumber and Pickled Red Pearl Onions

($15 Supplement)

--------

Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster

With Caramelized Fennel Bulb, Crystallized Fennel Chip

And Sauce "Noilly Prat"

--------

"Un Paquet De Rillettes De Lapin",

French Green Lentils and Applewood Smoked Bacon "Lardons"

--------

Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Saddle "Roti Entier"

With Roasted Italian Eggplant, Sultanas, Toasted Almonds

Herb-Scented "Panisse" and Madras Curry Oil

Or

Wolfe Ranch Squab "Cuit En Sous Vide"

With "Haricots Verts", Yellow Wax Beans, Fingerling Potatoes

And Perigord Truffles

(Serves Two)

--------

"Abbaye De Belloc"

With Sauce "Piperade" and Baby Arugula

--------

Maui Pineapple Sorbet

With a Toasted Coconut "Financier"

--------

"Delice Au Chocolat"

With Passion Fruit "Coulis", Chocolate "Dentelle" and Yogurt "Foam"

--------

"Mignardises"

Summary:

Cornets

Salmon Tartare with Red Onion Crème Fraiche

Obviously everyone's familiar with this amuse. And it truly is a perfect amuse. I tend to agree with my girlfriend when she suggested that a full tray of these cones would be a stupendous meal it it's own right. I can't get enough of these.

Cauliflower "Panna Cotta"

Bagaduce Oyster Glaze and Iranian Osetra Caviar

This was a very subtle yet decadent dish. The cauliflower flavor was very appealing and the combination of champagne and caviar can't be beat. What's intriguing about dishes such as this is the fact that you are tasting a familiar flavor (in this case cauliflower) in a non-traditional form. I love the playfulness.

Poached Moulard Duck "Foie Gras En Terrine",

Frisee Lettuce and Black Perigord Truffles,

Served with Toasted "Brioche"

We had this same dish back in February and it was just as outstanding this time. I love cold preparation foie gras. One thing to note is that the first time we had this dish, the wait staff only changed out our Brioche one time whereas on this occasion we were given three plates. That was definitely a nice touch.

"Toro" of Hawaiian Big-Eye Tuna,

Served with a Salad of Japanese Sweet Rice, Candied Peanuts,

Garden Cucumber and Pickled Red Pearl Onions

The interesting aspect of this fish course was the fact that on our first visit, the fish course also had an Asian twist to it: Gold Coast Pompano with Stir Fry Vegetables and Sauce "Satay". That dish was not very appealing (due to both the lack of thickness of the fish and the rather average flavoring of the sauce) and we felt it was out of place on the menu. However, this time, the toro dish was a lot more successful. Although the candied peanuts tended to overpower the dish a bit, the cucumbers and onions were a positive accompaniment. The toro was absolutely tender and rich in a fatty way. A near perfect piece of fish. And the wasabi oil provided a great little kick and was a standout due to its fresh wasabi taste.

Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster

With Caramelized Fennel Bulb, Crystallized Fennel Chip

And Sauce "Noilly Prat"

This dish is absolute perfection. It's another dish that we had the first time and I was so excited to see it on the menu again. This is definitely one of my top three dishes of all time. I wish I knew how to make the Noilly Prat sauce because I'd be pouring it over everything. The flavor combination of fennel and lobster is so delicious.

"Un Paquet De Rillettes De Lapin",

French Green Lentils and Applewood Smoked Bacon "Lardons"

I started by tasting a bit of the sauce and it was very rich and appealing. Unfortunately, the next bite, which included the rabbit, was much too salty. And to top it off, a subsequent bite included a hard tooth shaped object. That was a rather surprising gaffe for such a high quality restaurant.

Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Saddle "Roti Entier"

With Roasted Italian Eggplant, Sultanas, Toasted Almonds

Herb-Scented "Panisse" and Madras Curry Oil

The lamb was tender and full of flavor but there was nothing exciting about the dish.

"Abbaye De Belloc"

With Sauce "Piperade" and Baby Arugula

Nothing much to note with this one. However, it did seem like the cheese had sat out at room temperature a bit too long.

Maui Pineapple Sorbet

With a Toasted Coconut "Financier"

This was somewhat disappointing. I love fruit based desserts. Yet once again the financier was too hard and the sorbet was nothing special...it was lacking a strong pineapple flavor. It was especially disappointing when compared to a similar dish we recently had at Charlie Trotters (which was stronger due to the use of ginger, olive oil, and thyme.)

"Coffee and Doughnuts"

One pleasant surprise was the arrival of a complimentary course of the FL signature dessert "Coffee and Doughnuts." I assume this was to make amends for the hard object I found in my rabbit dish. I was excited since I've read about this dessert many times but had not tasted it yet. It was a very satisfying dish. The doughnuts were warm and very freshly made...freshness is definitely a key to an enjoyable doughnut. The cappuccino semifreddo is a perfect accompaniment.

"Delice Au Chocolat"

With Passion Fruit "Coulis", Chocolate "Dentelle" and Yogurt "Foam"

Pistachio Pot de Crème / Crème Brule

"Mignardises"

Nothing significant of note with these.

CONCULUSION

The French Laundry is truly a top tier establishment. After dining there twice this year I feel that I have a good grasp of the food and what the restaurant is all about. The food is obviously outstanding and offers some of the best dishes I've ever tasted. However, I can't help but feel that many of the dishes are a bit too uninspiring for me. I think the menu often starts out with "both guns blazing" but then begins to fizzle as it moves past the seafood. I love dishes such as "Oysters and Pearls", the foie gras terrine, and the butter poached lobster but I think that the heavier dishes and the desserts are not as successful. Good ingredients and good preparation, yes, but they don't present anything that makes me yell out "wow".

The age old question is, "Is it worth it?" And my answer is a definitive "yes." It is an absolutely enjoyable meal and the setting of Napa Valley can't be beat. Yet, for my personality and my tastes, the most exciting restaurant right now is still Trio in Evanston, Illinois. Keller protégé, Grant Achatz's TDF menu is an absolute dream. You are able to sample so many different flavor combinations and are presented with such a cerebral culinary experience. Nothing about Trio is safe or traditional...and that's why it's so exciting. The bottom line is that I plan on traveling thousands of miles to visit Trio again before making another trip to The French Laundry.

If you'd like to check out more about my previous dinner at Trio, read my Chicago Trip Report.

[KelMH]

Thanks for the report and photos--can't get too much of The French Laundry.

[Stone]

My first trip to FL, I thought the meats were the weak part of the meal. Not so on the second, however. Quite surprising the number of flaws you found. And not just picky ones, but actual flaws.

[Carolyn Tillie]

So.... if I may ask -- what was the final tab? I'm looking forward to being able to dine there as I am also local enough to do so (just too poor)...

[carpet bagger]

WOW! Jeffj. I have reservations for lunch at the FL but I don't think that I need to go. Your Post is incredible. I not only dream about experiencing meals like that but I dream about being as eloquent as your report. I travelled back to your only other post and have now eaten at those restaurants too. ( cerebrally that is). I ate all those courses with you and didn't get indigestion at all. Thank you, thank you. By the way what do you do for a crust? Bread that is. An Australian expression. We figure if you can get the crust you can get the bread.

[ballast_regime]

All I can say is, looks boring. I haven't been (it's the last great restaurant in the United States I have yet to dine at), but I will go. Some day. Your review was very thorough and excellently written. Thank you very much for sharing, and I hope to see many like it in the future!

Btw, which did you prefer between Charlie Trotter's and The French Laundry?

Much peace,

Ian Lowe

ballast/regime

[IrishCream]

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?

[Carlovski]

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

I know Keller likes to play with his menu descriptions, but that one would be just bizarre!

[bleachboy]

I didn't realize that one had choices on the Chef's Tasting Menu...is that typical?

I had the pleasure of dining at Daniel in NYC a couple of months ago, and was surprised to see that every course on their tasting menu had two choices (none with upcharge). Even more surprising was that my wife, a non-hardcore vegetarian, was brought a separate vegetarian tasting menu in which each course also had two options. Needless to say, my wife was in vegetable heaven.

[slbunge]

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.