The French Laundry 2001 - 2005

[lizziee]

Boaziko,

To be honest, I have never seen children at the French Laundry. It is a long meal and most kids would go crazy trying to sit through it all.

[it aint easy being cheesy]

I ate at the FL in the Summer of 1999 with my date who was vegetarian. She got the Veg Tasting and I got the Meat and Fish. I apologize for not remembering all the courses as they seemed to all run together. The Veg tasting was the same flavor on every course "Butter". Not very creative. My date also asked if she could extend it to match with the extra courses I was going to receive. After running to the kitchen to ask Thomas Keller we were told NO. So for my 3 extra courses she sat empty! Maybe it was a bad night. More than what I remember eating is how I remember her sitting there waiting for me to finish courses so we could leave.

[jordyn]

Finally, after several weeks of trying to secure a reservation, and two long months of post-reservation anticipation, I had the chance to eat at the French Laundry last Friday. Despite some of the slightly less than enthusiastic comments in this thread, I went to Yountville with high expectations. Fortunately, my patience was rewarded and my expectations were more than met.

We'll start with the most disappointing part of the evening. We arrived at 7:30, only to be told that our reservation was actually at 8:30. Now that I'm home and reviewing my notes, I know that indeed my reservation was at 8:30. Unfortunately, when the restaurant called to confirm the reservation two days before dinner, they indicated the 7:30 time and I simply made a note of it and proceeded to show up at that time. Since this situation was at least partly my fault for not double-checking the confirmation against my notes on the original reservation, I certainly can't hold too much of a grudge, but I felt like the restaurant didn't handle the situation very well. The hostess implied that there was no way the incorrect time could have been given to me, and basically shooed me out the door to sit in the garden and drink something. I felt like under the circumstances we could have been dealt with a little more delicately, and feel like at a lot of places I would have been comped our drinks in a similar situation. Fortunately, eventually things were smoothed out: our first amuse was brought to us in the garden, and by the time we sat down our waiter was apologizing for the whole mess.

Perhaps expecting us to be impatient because of our wait, the food came out very quickly, with courses served with practically no gap between them. I would have preferred a slightly slower paced--something closer to the four hours that others have mentioned here as opposed to the approximately three hours that our meal lasted. One final service nit-pick: after talking to us about an initial bottle of white wine, the sommelier wandered off, never to be heard from again. Eventually, another fellow helped us out, initially indicating he'd bring the sommelier back, and finally helping us make a selection himself.

These points aside, the service throughout the night was generally smooth and professional. The staff was very knowledgeable about the dishes and was usually around when we needed and not hovering near the table when we didn't.

Onto food. Here's the tasting menu that we enjoyed:

1. Light round pastries stuffed with cheese (sadly, I can't remember the type of cheese)

2. "Ice cream cone" of salmon tartare and creme fraiche

3. Chilled Sunchoke Soup with "Gelee de Pomme et Caviar"

4. Baby Leek Salad with Perigord Truffles and Baby Garden Mache

-and- (only one of us opted for the foie gras, a $25 supplement)

"Terrine" of Moulard Duck "Foie Gras" with Perigord Truffles, Truffle Salad and Toasted "Brioche"

5. Sauteed Medallion of Chatham Bay Cod with a "Ragout" of Cranberry Beans and Rosemary-infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

6. Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster, Yukon Gold Potato "Fondant", Herb Salad and Lobster Vinaigrette

7. "Ravioli de Ris de Veau" with Forest Mushrooms and "Creme de Champignons Sauvages"

8. Saddle of Elysian Fields Farm Lamb "Roti Entier" with Braised Baby Fennel Bulb, Roasted Sweet Peppers and a Carmelized Lemon-infused Sauce

9. "Sancerois" with Bing Cherries and Celery Branch Salad

10. Peach Sorbet with Fresh Fruit Cocktail "En Gelee"

11. "Opera" Cake: Almond Cake with Coffee Butter Cream, Chocolate "Ganache" and Coffee "Anglaise"

12. Mignardise

There was not a single dish that I did not thoroughly enjoy. For me, this is unusual in a three course meal--to make it through this many courses without finding fault is a real achievement. And, of course, several of the dishes were real standouts: rosemary was an unusual accompaniment to the cod, but it was subtle enough not to overwhelm a beautiful piece of fish and actually played off the delicate flavors of the cod beautifully; and I can still taste the delicate flavor of the cheese pastry puffs, the perfect first course which heightened the senses and awakened the palate. Even items that I don't usually like, such as salmon tartare and caviar, were both compelling and good. This fact alone makes the meal something of a revelation.

[Rosie]

Thanks for your report. I am drooling! When we were there we got such a kick out of the plates. They were white but a different size and shape for each course. The bill was presented on a laundry tag.

[VMBrasseur]

So what exactly did you have to go through during those weeks of getting a reservation? I've been toying with the idea of trying it myself lately and would like to know what sort of an ordeal to expect.

--V

[Rosie]

Make your restaurant reservation first and then get the plane tickets! Be prepared to stand by

the phone a few hours hitting the redial button! Yes, it's worth it.

[Bux]

My experience is that the few hours are wasted if spent in one day. If you can't get through quickly on the day reservations open for the day you want, you're not going to get a reservation.

[VMBrasseur]

Tickets? I don't need no steenkin' tickets. I live in Oakland. Napa is practically in my backyard.

So do they just not answer the phone? Or do they give you the runaround when they pick up the call? I'd already been expecting to plan waaaaay in advance for this, so a bit of a wait on reservations isn't a problem.

--V

[Bux]

You're likely to get a busy signal. I forget how far in advance, it may be two months, the reservations open up for a given day. All tables ae quickly reserved within hours.

[jordyn]

Here's my experience, based on trying to get a table on a Friday or Saturday.

Reservations are taken two months in advance, to the day. It is very hard to get past the busy signals on the phone number. All tables are booked within an hour and a half of the reservations line being opened (which I think is at 10 AM Pacific time). The best approach is to constantly redial over and over and over again. Do not tire and "wait for a little while" before trying again. Keep redialing until an hour has passed or you have secured a reservation.

The restaurant is going to be closed for a couple of weeks starting later in July. The day the restaurant opens might be a very good day to try and get reservations. On that day, they will be taking reservations for all of the days that they missed while they were closed as well, so there will be a much larger pool of tables that you are competing for (probably more competition too, though). To get the exact dates, call late at night. They will be closed, but you will get a friendly recorded message with more information about the reservation process and the closure.

Apparently, they will take your reservation if you show up in person. If I lived in Oakland I would drive out there and be waiting at the door when they opened. This way you will not have to deal with the constant busy signals that you get on the phone line.

[Rosie]

You can also call the day you want to go and see if there are any cancellations. I know people who have done this.

[Stone]

The tidy little stack of ingredients (every dish looks like a "Napoleon") in the center of the big white plate. Lightly seared or roasted this-or-that on a bed of

brightly-colored vegetables with something-or-other emulsion. The baby chocolate soufflé/cake for dessert

Steve -- you just described every non-burrito restaurant in San Francisco. Except you forgot the mango chutney. Can't go anywhere in this town without them tossing mango chutney at you. (Although sometimes they get sneaky and call it mango coulis. The Southwestern fusion places call it mango salsa.)

[robert brown]

To a lifelong Europhile like me, a first-time whirlwind trip to Napa Valley was about as I imagined it would be. The concept of an American version of Burgundy, Piedmont, and, I can only imagine, the Rheinpfalz, is wonderful to see in action. Going into wineries with their dedicated tasting rooms where everyone speaks English and that are user-friendly or unintimidating with their down-to-earth wine servers knowledgeable in the wine-tasting lingo, is not to be taken lightly. Contrast this to tasting in Piedmont or Burgundy where the winemakers may or may not speak English and tasting wine is just as apt to take place in someone’s office, kitchen, or cellar. Of course the Burgundians or Piemontese would never charge a specific price for a specified number of tastings, but then you would not feel obligated to purchase a bottle or two either. Since I went just as the harvesting was concluding, I missed the hordes of tourists that I hear jam the roads, wineries, and hotels during the summer. In other words, I caught the crush of the grapes instead of the crush of the tourists. Having only traveled the main highway from Yountville to just short of Calestoga, then back to Yountville on one of the parallel backroads, I didn’t get to see very much of Northern California wine country; but unless there is a dramatic change of landscape between Calestoga and Alexander, Sonoma, and Mendocino territory I would have to say that the Lange hills (which comprise Barolo, Barbaresco, and Asti, to name a few of their wine landmarks), Chianti, and Montelcino have a breathtaking, highly-defined natural beauty I did not see in my quick visit through the Valley.

It goes without saying that no sane person would go from Los Angeles to Yountville or beyond to spend but a couple of hours before dinner poking around such gastronomic hallowed ground. Yet my reason for being there was somewhat different from going to winemakers, but gastronomic nonetheless: It was to satisfy nearly a decade-old bit of curiosity called “Dining at the French Laundry”.

To say that our expectations should be anything other than high would mean something akin to living in the middle of Papua New Guinea. No American restaurant has accumulated a bigger mystique, had its owner-chef as lauded, and been so difficult to obtain a reservation than the French Laundry. Several of the gastronomes I respect the most said that the restaurant provided them with the best meal they have had in the United States and that it competed favorably with many they had had in France. However since some of these assessments were now dated and that more recent ones on the various eGullet French Laundry threads were less than laudatory, I was able to temper my expectations, or perhaps I had no preconceived notions at all other than wondering in what ways the French Laundry could be so different than American, or even international, restaurants that are highly-revered. .

From the point at which we tasted our amuse-bouche until we finished the first course from the Chef’s Tasting Menu, I was unquestionably in league with the French Laundry partisans. The renown salmon tartare and red onion crème fraiche “tuile” cone was both witty in conception and a wonderful way to arouse the palate between the saltiness of the roe, the crunch of the tuile, and the creaminess of the crème fraiche. Even better, in fact way better-indeed so monumental that you could call it a Fountain of Youth for jaded palates- was today’s most famous dish by an American-born chef: Sabayon of Pearl Tapioca with Malpeque Oysters and Osetra Caviar, simply referred to as “Oysters and Pearls”. As described by Lizziee in a previous thread, the dish is “milk-softened tapioca strained with oyster trimmings and more milk and cream, which is further mixed with an oyster infused sabayon that is again mixed with creme fraiche and whipped cream and then placed in an even layer in a gratin dish. The sauce is a reduction of vermouth, oyster juice, shallots, vinegar and butter. The tapioca mixture is warmed in the gratin dish, oysters are added, sauce is spooned over all and a scoop of caviar is added for garnish.” To my wife, the creation was “a luxurious warm salt bath for the palate”; for me it brought back almost forgotten memories of eating in the best country restaurants of France many years ago when the intense flavor of a certain sauce would stop me dead in my tracks; and for my wife’s daughter, the Oysters and Pearls became an exercise in literally scraping every last vestige of the sabayon from her plate while lamenting that the portion was so small. Then, minutes later, something completely unexpected started to happen: From a purely gustatory standpoint, our meal began to unravel.

From the “Oysters and Pearls” until the dessert nothing we tasted transcended, at best, the mediocre. While my wife was especially ecstatic over a pan-seared fillet of Atlantic halibut whose skin was crisped to a golden hue and the flesh of which was perfectly cooked, the kitchen used some unannounced truffle oil and tiny bits of Perigord truffles that had been preserved and had nothing left in them, or to them, to add to the flavor. A foie gras dish with an overly sweet Anjou pear relish carrying a $20.00 supplement to the $135.00 Chef’s Tasting Menu and that had the Hudson Valley provenance lacked the soft, buttery richness of its French counterpart. Pieces of poached Maine lobster with an “emince” of sweet carrots, green leeks and a saffron-infused tomato butter was ordinary, but what was inexcusable was including the rubbery tip of the claw when so few pieces were put forth as part of such an expensive menu.

What we enjoyed most about the pieces of farmed capon with “cepe” mushrooms, English thyme and green lemon was the young “stagier” who told us that the cepes were “Japanese mushrooms that had been marinated in France”. The dish itself had been left sitting in or under a heat source with the result that both the meat had dried out and the sauce had congealed. The final meat dish, a pan-roasted “Chateaubriand” of nature-fed veal with caramelized fennel risotto and farm figs from Yountville suffered from a less-than-tender piece of meat that was a far cry from baby veal from the Limousin or the mountains around Cuneo.

If there was one dish that pointed out what we recognized by this point as a certain lack of integrity in the operation was the unexciting cheese course described as “St.Nectaire, Savoy Cabbage ‘Cole Slaw’ and Grain Mustard Vinaigrette”. Its inclusion in the meal raised a few interesting questions: Why was there no “plateau des fromages” offered on a $135.00 menu? Why did Keller use a sliver of a variety of French cheese whose superior raw-milk, “fermier” version is not allowed in the United States, but nonetheless proceed to overwhelm it with cabbage and mustard?; And why was there no recognition of any of the dedicated cheese makers from the Napa Valley region who are making many interesting varieties and collectively could comprise a noteworthy, indeed a knowledge-imparting, cheese tray?

The two desserts on the tasting menu, “Frog Hollow Peach Sorbet with a Toasted Almond ‘Financier’ and a “ ‘Chiboust a la Vanille’ with a Chocolate ‘Marquise’ and Chocolate Syrup” were up to the standards of a fine restaurant, although the second dessert hid the complexities in making it that our waiter spelled out for us. We made sure to have one of us substitute the “Chiboust” with the French Laundry dessert that is as famous as the salmon tartare tuile and the “Oysters and Pearls”: the cinnamon donuts with a coffee semifreddo known as “Coffee and Doughnuts”. As a vehicle for bringing together gastronomy and linguistics in a clever way, it worked fine. From a purely gustatory standpoint, it struck us as being exactly as it was described and an overly sweet way to finish the meal. The “mignardises” served after were small in number.

As are most restaurants without a long history, the wine list comprises almost all bottles that are too young to drink, not age-worthy, or can be consumed either now or in several years. Most are overpriced. Nonetheless, thanks to the assistant sommelier, we did well in terms of both quality and price (each wine was a bit under $100.00) with a 1997 Chassagne-Montrachet “Morgeot” from Lequin Roussot and a 1997 Pommard whose vineyard and producer escape me.

Service had its ups and downs. Our welcome typified what is becoming increasingly common: My name was not on the computerized reservation list, with the result that the rather officious fellow with a British accent made us feel like those onerous people without reservations who try to talk their way into a hot restaurant. Once seated, however, our waiter Kevin, who has been at the French Laundry since it opened, was marvelously attentive and informative. For whatever reason, however, the assistant sommelier taking care of our wine service disappeared after pouring the first glasses of our second wine, never to be seen again if you don’t count my sighting of him on the floor above as I went to the men’s room. Because no one picked up the slack, we poured the rest of the bottle ourselves.

What disappointed me more than, or beyond, the food and the uneven service were the implications for the state of American chefs and cuisine that emanate from what arguably is this country’s most talked about and influential chef and restaurant. I was unable to detect or ascertain what the French Laundry was doing to advance the cause of restaurant gastronomy in America. Unlike Keller’s compatriot a bit further south, Alice Waters, I saw no overt championing of local or regional produce, at least in terms of putting together names and places. In the execution of the dishes, I could not sense a feeling for “gourmandness” or the love of eating. The tiny portions that drive the conception of each dish preclude the grandiosity and the bringing to the table (often with special skill) of the whole product. (As I remarked to my wife on the flight back to New York, the expression “ the nearer to the bone, the sweeter the meat” is never applicable in the French Laundry type of restaurant since such places do not like to serve anything with bones).

More off-putting, however, is that these effete, precious little “menu” creations first give off the impression of not being adroitly cooked but manhandled and assembled; second, are based on a hoped-for fortuitous meshing of disparate ingredients instead of drawing out profound flavor from the principle ingredient; and, third, are built from the top down as opposed to the bottom up.

After the salmon tartar cones and the Oysters and Pearls, nothing tasted as if it came from anywhere beyond the imagination of a chef having, charitably speaking, an off night. (In fact, Keller was off that night to Anaheim for the second game of the World Series. But so what, I figured: Once work starts on his New York French Laundry, the clients in Yountville will not be seeing him for very many nights either). The food was, to put it another way, cuisine’s adaptation of Gertrude Stein’s “There is no there there.”

The only plausible or conceivable explanation for our lackluster visit was the absence of three key people that Sunday night (Thomas Keller, the head sommelier Bobby Stuckey and Larry, the assistant general manager). Nonetheless, even if the restaurant were fully staffed and I had been treated as a regular or a celebrity, there was no way the general level of cooking was going to miraculously get better just for the four of us. Yet, I am not so arrogant to write off the French Laundry, given its overall professionalism and bursts of culinary brilliance, to the point of never giving it another go. Nonetheless I have a nagging suspicion that like so many other grand restaurants, those calling the shots there are reducing food costs, getting by with fewer employees and devoting their time to finding ways outside of the kitchen to increase the value of their investments or net worth. My guess is that the French Laundry has seen its best days, but having discovered the pearl in the oyster, Thomas Keller need not be overly concerned about that.

[awbrig]

awesome report...the salmon cones were good at least...sorry the rest was a little bit of a let down...

do you have pictures of your trip to FL?

[Fat Guy]

Robert, I forget, have you been to Charlie Trotter's? If so, how would you compare the two?

[ngatti]

Tommy once said something that I think appropriate.

"In the words of Keannu Reeve...Whoah!!"

I don't use the word awsome often, but this report was that.

Good, bad , or indifferent. Agree or disagree. I loved reading it.

There is much to mull over and I'm sure this will be the start of a very long and interesting thread.

Thank You Robert.

Nick

[robert brown]

Thanks to all those so far who have put up with my dyed-in-the-wool contrariness. It took me quite a while to write the post, so your kind remarks are something I really appreciate. Since my purpose was to stick to my perceptions of the meal, I hope I didn't give the impression that I may have had a lousy time. In fact we all had a most fun time celebrating my wife's daughter's birthday on the day itself. I am anxious to return and when I do, I hope I can try a wider range of dishes (there were two that I omitted from my report, one of which the birthday girl's friend ordered and that I really didn't get a chance to taste). I know that Lizziee and Nick Gatti, among others, really enjoyed their meals there, and I hate to express a contrary opinion with a professional chef and an amateur (in the best sense) gastronomic traveler as Keller partisans.

Steve, I have never been to Trotter's. Awbrig, have you been to the French Laundry? Alas, I didn't take photos (but I enjoy yours). I did record some of the sounds including the bit about the Japanese cepes being marinated in France.

[Jinmyo]

Robert, a truly prodigious post. Thank you. Your perspective on FL is very interesting.

[ngatti]

Actually, I read it twice and then called my sous chef into the office:

"Ken you gotta read this, this is why love I this site!"

We then started talking about the circle of chefs on Bourdain's "A Cook's Tour" and their opinions of their meal (Ken saw it, I did not, though I read the chapter in the book).

The conclusion was that yes as cooks we may have good palates within the context of what we do (cook in our restaurants), but we *don't* get the amount of dining exposure as others do. I (and others I suspect) do not have the french/european dining background that puts this meal into proper perspective. While i may have some, it's nowhere near enough.

The europeon/french comparisons are what I found so interesting. In light of my own meal there? I liked it very much. But could never critique it in such a deep and lucid manner. I don't have the *dining* chops...not yet.

Nick

[Jinmyo]

More off-putting, however, is that these effete, precious little “menu” creations first give off the impression of not being adroitly cooked but manhandled and assembled; second, are based on a hoped-for fortuitous meshing of disparate ingredients instead of drawing out profound flavor from the principle ingredient; and, third, are built from the top down as opposed to the bottom up.

I think that these words of Robert's post are the most damning in that they are I am sure exactly what Keller would not want to hear.

In the immortal words of Keanu Reeves, "Ouch, dude."

[ngatti]

More off-putting, however, is that these effete, precious little “menu” creations first give off the impression of not being adroitly cooked but manhandled and assembled; second, are based on a hoped-for fortuitous meshing of disparate ingredients instead of drawing out profound flavor from the principle ingredient; and, third, are built from the top down as opposed to the bottom up.

I think that these words of Robert's post are the most damning in that they are I am sure exactly what Keller would not want to hear.

In the immortal words of Keanu Reeves, "Ouch, dude."

simply expert with the rapier.

Robert did you Fence in college?

Nick

[Robert Schonfeld]

Thanks for such a well-reasioned and well-written report, Robert. The FL clearly merits both attention and criticism. No doubt chef Keller will get plenty of both when he sets up here in NYC.

[awbrig]

Robert, Ive never been to FL but obviously have the cookbook and have done a lot of research on it and have tried many of the recipes...tough stuff to prepare and create...Its always a bummer when the figurehead is not there when you are...but always a thrill when he/she is!

I think Trotters is probably very comparable but the surroundings not as beautiful...and the value probably better, but not by much and it is still very very very expensive $300 a person or so...but worth it...

Come to Chicago and Ill buy you dinner at Trotters...

[lizziee]

Robert,

To say I am surprised by your meal at The French Laundry is an understatement. I am shocked that every component of your meal was so poor from the greeting to the wine service and most importantly to the mediocrity of the food.

Our experiences at FL are completely, 180 degrees, different from your recent one and I am at a loss to understand what and why it happened. It can't be that Thomas wasn't there as I have had extraordinary meals when Thomas has not been in the kitchen.

I re-read my posts on our last three meals and if anything I found our dishes intensely flavored, always highlighting the principle ingredient, adroitly cooked with passion and never a mish mash of disparate ingredients.

One of the things that Keller prides himself on is perfect execution. Also, having had long chats with him on the state of cuisine, I know he truly loves food and loves seeing others share his passion.

I don't for a minute doubt your perceptions. I always trust your evaluations and know you never have an "ax to grind." I think your review is well-thought-out, perceptive, honest and impartial. I truly have to believe that this was an aberration. I have had so many meals at FL over the years and can't recall a one where I was disappointed. I hope you have the chance to give it another try and I sincerely hope that this is not a harbinger of things for the future.

[Nick]

Robert,

That was a magnificently well written bit of complaining.

I was particularly struck by, "...what was inexcusable was including the rubbery tip of the claw."

As well as, "Because no one picked up the slack, we poured the rest of the bottle ourselves."

Was your arm in a sling?

Yours from the coast of Maine.