The French Laundry 2001 - 2005

[Stone]

Yesterday, dear Cabrales and I lunched at French Laundry. I suspect that if you're trying to find her this weekend, you should put a call into the restaurant, because she will be at the bar waiting hopefully for another reservation opening.

The lunch was quite good. Exceptional, I'd say. It's been quite some time since I've had any dining experience of that sort. The only SF place I'd been to that pretends to offer a similar experience is Postrio, and it's really not the same league. I'd also been to Fleur D'lys, but I don't remember it that well, and whilst there didn't give the food the attention I gave to FL.

For someone like me, dining at FL is more than food. Of course, it's the experience. Moreso than any restaurant I can recall, the staff at FL is part and parcel of the experience. Nothing is just brought to you -- everything is explained. And they allow follow up questions. For example, when the waitress explained that two types of butter served were churned at the restaurant with the addition of fleur d'sel, she deftly fielded the follow up question which asked for the source of the salt. She explained that it was in fact French, and came from a particular area of France. Later, she stopped by to explain further the salt's origin, having double-checked with the kitchen staff. Most surprisingly for me, of course, was that the question about the salt's pedigree was not met with a chuckle and shrug.

After having experienced the food and paid my share of the bill, I drove home reflecting on the event. Two issues came prominently to mind. First, now that the meal was reduced to a memory, memorable though it was, did that memory merit the cost? Second, and related, was the unmistakable increase in the quality of the dining experience worth the extreme increase in cost? Typical cost benefit stuff that, I think, cannot be accurately gauged in this area, but is worth reflection before I see the credit card bill and think, "I paid how much for lunch?"

On one hand, it was not lunch. It was much more. Would I have paid that much for tickets to The Producers during Lane/Bueller's run? Tickets to the Superbowl? To see Mr. Townshend perform acoustically, sans boy? A day at a spa? For the most part, yes, I would have spent money on those experiences.

(Not the spa for me , although when I gave someone a Christmas gift of a spa-day at some hot place in NY, about $350 in total, and I thought it was a huge waste of money -- $350 for one afternoon? Hell, you could a new blouse (or two) or new shoes for that price which would last years. Enough women (and one questionable man) explained to me that, in fact, the enjoyment of a day at a good spa was worth the money.)

Later that evening, about 5 hours after leaving FL, I went to friend's place for his bolognese. I didn't have much, but I was surprised at how good his sauce was. (I think this is the only dish he makes, and he's done it enough to have developed a great meat sauce.) The flavors were bold and spicy. The sauce was foreceful, developed, and the feel of putting a good twist of pasta covered in the meat sauce into my mouth was a more viceral experience than any mouthfull at FL. Could the $10 mouthful of food at FL be that much better, on any subjective or objective level, than the $.50 cent mouthful of spaghetti bolognese? I wonder. It's not just that one will eat bolognese often, but only at FL infrequently. I think there's more to the question.

The restaurant is, as we all know, in a beautiful little building that had once been a laundry. It is very unassuming on a "main" street in Yountville, and very easy to miss. Walking around from the back brings you to a little courtyard with a small garden (nothing was growing at the moment). Whilst waiting for my guest I enjoyed the Napa sunshine, realizing that it had been quite a while that I had much sun in San Francisco. I went in an waiting at the bar, where a procession of three staff (hostess, MD and waitress) offered champagne or wine. I chose water. Cabrales arrived, we made our introductions, and went to the table.

The dining room is small, and simple. So much so that I remember very little of it. The ceilings were relatively low (but not uncomfortable for me, at 6'6"), and a fading white. I believe that most walls were simple white, and there was a small dining nook with stone walls. It was much more to my liking than, say, Fleur D'lys with it's over the top opulence.

They sat us with the menu, which included the chef's tasting menu for $135. Cabrales, who had done her studying, asked about substitutions, and they were very accomodating. (If she's comfortable, I'll let her describe the offerings more precisely, as she left with more suveniers than I.) We both substituted the famed "oysters and pearls" and we brought over the peas and carrots from the main menu.

I let Cabrales handle the wine purchase, having to constantly reassure her that I knew nothing about wine. As she read off a number of suggestions, I thought of explaining that she might as well be speaking French to me. But, of course, she was.

Edited February 3, 2003 by Stone (log)

[Gavin Jones]

What a pleasure to know that Cabrales is still eating.

Intriguingly your account is mostly either anticipation or reflection, the slightly bald menu appended.

So I can't tell whether I can understand the food served from the menu descriptions.

[Stone]

What a pleasure to know that Cabrales is still eating.

Intriguingly your account is mostly either anticipation or reflection, the slightly bald menu appended.

More on food to come.

[Stone]

Amuse -- Salmon cornet amuse

While we were still discussing with the sommelier, the waiter brought over the amuse. Wrapped in paper folded with small wings, he explained that Keller's goal was to produce something reminiscent of an ice cream cone. It certainly looked the part. The salmon was diced small, almost minced, mixed with chopped herbs and scooped on top a fried cone with black sesame seeds. Inside was filled with creme fraiche. Looking at the salmon, I thought it might be mushy and heavy. But no. It was fresh and clean and perfectly smooth -- a word that came to mind many times during the meal. The flavor of the herbed salmon countered well with the saltiness of the cone and cool creme fraiche inside. The cone was slightly oily, but if this wasn't FL, I don't think I would have noticed at all. Cabrales, bless her, noticed that one of the sesame seeds in her cone was white, not black. (Surely the French would never had made such a glaring error.)

"Pearls and Oysters"

One of Keller's signatures (?), I notice that when I googled the term many reviews of his book focus on this appetizer. The base of the dish is a scoop of herbed butter mixed with tapioca pearls in a small white bowl. Across the equator is spread a healthy line glistening black caviar (osetra?), and just above is one small oyster. We were given mother of pearl spoons for utensil. The presentation of the dish was simple yet beautiful, with the deep black caviar on the yellow creamy tapioca sabayon, resting in the clean white of the dish. I thought the white oyster got lost in the mix as it blended in the tapioca. I sampled the caviar first, and found it very mellow. The overwhelming flavor of the dish, however, was butter, which I found surprising and somewhat disappointing. (I think Cabrales didn't find the butter as strong.) When mixed together, I lost any hint of caviar or ocean and the oyster added little. The tapioca pearls offered a suprising texture, but what I really tasted was butter. But this wasn't bad. I thought it would be too rich after a few spoons, but the flavor of the butter was tempered by the tapioca (and perhaps some egg yolk?), and it came off creamy and smooth and fresh. I had not trouble finishing it off. Just the perfect amount.

"Terrine" of Moulard duck "foie gras" with Perigord truffles, truffled salad and toasted "brioche"/Braised celeriac salad with Perigord truffles and cutting celery

I'm not much of a foie gras fan, but I figured this was the place to try it again. The MD explained that the foie gras was pressed through a fine-mesh strainer and terrined (is that a verb?) with veins of balsamic and truffle. I was served a credit card slice, about 1/2 inch thick, with a small frisee salad topped with a slice of black truffle. To the other side were drops of balsamic and small sprays of salt and pepper. The dish came with two slices of toasted brioche, that, oddly, arrived a good five minutes after the foie gras. I thought this was oversight until I noticed that the same happened at the table next to us.

The foie gras was, again, terrfic. The texture was silky smooth and moist without being at all wet. The flavor was mellower than I'm used to, and the veins of balsamic and truffle were subtle and excellent. The brioche was also suprisingly good. The slices (triangles) were a good inch thick, airy without being the least bit spongy, toasted golden and only lightly buttered.

Edited February 3, 2003 by Stone (log)

[lizziee]

"fried cone with black sesame seeds. The cone was slightly oily"

I have made this dish many times and for the record, the cone is not fried, it is baked. There is no oil used at all. It is made with flour, sugar, salt, egg whites and butter which is spread thinly over a stencil and then baked on a Silipat until bubbly and then rolled on a cone and again baked until brown.

"(and perhaps some egg yolk?"

The oysters and pearls dish is a sabayon (egg yolks) of pearl tapioca.

[Jinmyo]

Stone, this is some of your best writing.

[Stone]

"fried cone with black sesame seeds. The cone was slightly oily"

I have made this dish many times and for the record, the cone is not fried, it is baked. There is no oil used at all. It is made with flour, sugar, salt, egg whites and butter which is spread thinly over a stencil and then baked on a Silipat until bubbly and then rolled on a cone and again baked until brown.

"(and perhaps some egg yolk?"

The oysters and pearls dish is a sabayon (egg yolks) of pearl tapioca.

Interesting. Must have been the butter. butter = oil, no? Not only did the cone taste of oil, but it was left on the paper wrapper.

Yes, that should have been "the egg yolk" instead of "some".

Edited February 3, 2003 by Stone (log)

[Beachfan]

Very nice post, Stone. (what happened to the "D"?).

You described my take on oysters and pearls to a T. A great concept that by the time I had my third mouthful, I was thinking "Polar Bear in a Snowstorm".

I'd be interesting if you found "butter" as thematic through the meal as I did.

[Stone]

Flipping through a copy of the cookbook which was on the bar, I came across the discussion of buerre mont. Keller noted that the restaurant uses a lot of butter, although very little is out on the table. In addition to the oyseters and pearls, there was a leek puree with the veal loin (coming later), that was basically leek with butter. Tasted great though. Given the amount of butter in the meal in various forms, I was surprised that it never got too heavy.

[cabrales]

On one hand, it was not lunch.  It was much more.

Stone -- On lunch being lunch or more, it wasn't in part my company?

Below are dish names from the menu:

Salmon cornet amuse

"Pearls and Oysters"

"Terrine" of Moulard duck "foie gras" with Perigord truffles, truffled salad and toasted "brioche"/Braised celeriac salad with Perigord truffles and cutting celery

Crispy skin filet of Atlantic sea bass with wilted arrowleaf spinach and vanilla-saffron sauce

"Peas and Carrots"

Hobbs Shore pork belly with melted leeks and "confit" of navel orange

Pan-roasted "Chateaubriand" of nature-fed veal with forest mushrooms, "rissole" potatoes and natural "jus"

"Maytag Blue" with rosemary poached dried fruits and rosemary-infused oil

Oregon huckleberry sorbet with toasted almond "financier"

Crispy sweet polenta cake with candied apples and brown sugar ice cream

Post-Dessert -- Creme brulee; Ginger pot-au-creme

Billecart-Salmon N.V., by the glass

1/2 bottle Chassagne Montrachet "Les Vergers", Ramonet 1999

Gevrey Chambertin, Joseph Roty 1997 (a special cuvee that is off-wine-list and that was recommended by the sommelier over the 1986 Joseph Roty G-C)

On souvenirs, I secured two originals of the menu and would be happy to hand one over. Also, you have your little "clothes pin" wooden napkin holder, and will have photos sooner or later.

[eatingwitheddie]

"Peas and Carrots"

Can you describe this dish please?

[Stone]

Crispy skin filet of Atlantic sea bass with wilted arrowleaf spinach and vanilla-saffron sauce.

I had mixed feeling about this dish, but most of it was good. Again, the best impression made on me was the presentation. The piece of fish was served crispy skin up, of course. And the skin was beautiful. It must have been seared for no longer than a whisper, because most of it appeared completely unadulterated. Instead, fine, dark, weblike lines of raised texture appeared as if they were penciled in by the staff. Imagine if one overlaid a thin sheet of paper on the fish and traced it softly with the side of a pencil point to discover the relief of the skin below. The skin itself was thin and papery crisp, without any soft fat beneath. It had been scored precisely to aid in cutting, so that pushing the fork through the skin did not crush the flesh of the fish beneath. I thought the meat itself was not special, however. It was a very well-cooked, moist piece of fish. The vanilla saffron sauce was subtle and surprising. I would not have expected a vanilla flavor in a main course. It was (like so much of the meal), smooth and soft. I really liked it.

"Peas and Carrots"

On the bottom of the plate was a puree of carrots. On top of the dish, fresh leaves off pea shoots. In the middle, heaven. Peas and Carrots was the presentation of butter-poached lobster. It came wrapped in a gentle crepe purse, speckled with chopped chive. About the size of . . . well, smaller than a baseball and larger than an egg, it was healthy portion of lobster. I expected that the crepe would be weak, and disintegrate with the moisture from the meat and carrot puree, but it held its form well even when cut. The purse was filled with chopped bits of lobster meat. The lobster had absorbed the butter into its pores and bonded with it to make something rich, yet, again smooth. This wasn't hunk of tail dipped in drawn butter. It was supple pieces of sweet meat basking in the aroma of butter, almost as if coconut creme were added. Cabrales thought she detected a little curry, and that suggestion was there. The carrot sauce on the bottom was missed by me, but I was surprised at how aromatic the few pea shoots were. They were not bitter at all (although on first glance I thought they were watercress), just fresh and green.

If I had been served nine courses of this, I would not question in the least whether the meal was worth the money.

Hobbs Shore pork belly with melted leeks and "confit" of navel orange

This was another of the true surprises of the day. I have never had pork belly, and expected a thick, fatty and chewy piece of unsmoked bacon. Or something like that, but sounding nicer (after all, it is FL). Instead we were served a large, matchbook sized piece of pork belly, with crisp golden fat on top and tender juicy meat below. The fat was not chew at all, and broke well under the fork. The meat inside was tender, not at all the texture I expected from pork. I thought the combination of the crispy fat and tender meat reminded me, in taste, texture and prentation, of duck breast. Cabrales suggested, rightly so, that the meat was fish-like in its consistency -- it was moist and flaked apart on the fork. Not chewy in the least. The flavor was, again, softer than I expected. It was meaty, with a little salt, but certainly not too overpowering to linger through the remainder of the meal. I wasn't a fan of the "confit of navel orange", which appeared to be just two section of orange laid on top, but I don't particularly care for the ubiquitous pairing of fruit with pork. The melted leeks were great, but were, for the most part, minced leeks with butter. Ahh, butter.

Pan-roasted "Chateaubriand" of nature-fed veal with forest mushrooms, "rissole" potatoes and natural "jus"

This was the weak portion of the meal, and the more I think about it, the less I liked it. The veal loin just didn't have much flavor. It appeared not to have been seared, and did not develop any browning. The three or so cross-sections served had grey rings around the side and a soft pink center. The meat was very tender, but not much else. Even if it were not trying to meet FL standards, I don't think it would have been a success. The mushrooms did not add much, and the rissole potatotes were little more than small marbles of potato. Just didn't do it for me.

Edited February 3, 2003 by Stone (log)

[Really Nice!]

I find it amazing that they can put out an eight-course lunch and then a 10-course dinner (not including the one or two dishes not on the menu) for 100 or so seats in the evening.

I've enjoyed dining there on three occasisions, but never been there for lunch.

Was the restaurant full?

How much is he charging for lunch?

[cabrales]

The restaurant is, as we all know, in a beautiful little building that had once been a laundry.  It is very unassuming on a "main" street in Yountville, and very easy to miss.... Cabrales arrived, we made our introductions, and went to the table...

I believe that most walls were simple white, and there was a small dining nook with stone walls....

Saturday's lunch with Stone and two further meals at FL this weekend constituted a bona fide attempt to understand this restaurant. I would rate it as the best restaurant in the US , although its cuisine falls short, in my mind and with all respect, of the average three-star in France. The cuisine was very well-executed and for the most part the dishes were well-conceived. The dining room team assistance was excellent.

As Stone described, the FL building is not particularly impressive-looking from the outside. It is a darkish wood, and the "French Laundry" name is set forth at a low height from the ground. The Relais Gourmand sign is only slightly more noticeable. The "frontage" along the road does not include a door. One has to walk along that frontage before arriving at a blue door on the side.

When I arrived, Stone was waiting in the bar area (there are 4 bar stools in grey velour or a similar fabric are available). He had on a tobacco brown jacket which seemed to be close to the color of the dress I wore. We were seated in the ground floor's main dining area. The restaurant has that room, and a ground-floor adjoining alcove-like area with a few more tables. On the upper floor are two additional rooms and a long balcony. The washroom is also on the upper floor.

The inside walls did seem a white or off-white color. The bottom half of at least certain portions of the walls in the main dining room on the ground floor might have been wood with a simple pattern that had been painted a light pink (??). There were metallic poles with electric "mimic" candle bulbs, and a weird glass decoration behind the bulbs. Overall, a laid back decor that included dark blue chairs. Parts of the alcove (alcove in a very loose sense) might have also been blue in color.

Dining Room Assistance

The dining room team was responsive to my inquiries. Gracious, informed and careful. For example, I asked whether Stone and I could benefit from the "solo diner immediate VIP" policy which is described in Ruhlman's book and which chefg confirmed ("Trio questions" thread in The Heartland). The answer was "no", but it was nicely framed. I also took some time to select the wine, and the sommelier appeared to be fine with that. (On the wines, the restaurant had some interesting Raveneau Chablis that I was originally considering, but was steered away from.)

On my questions re: the butter, there were two types of butter, one of which was from Vermont and had the fleur de sel component. I asked whether the fleur de sel was from Ile de Re, Noirmoutiers or Camarge. The dining room team member initially referred to the Camarge, but later indicated that it was from Brittany (which still did not identify the region within Brittany). Nonetheless, a good response.

Miscellaneous

The two closest places to stay include Vintage Inn (around $200/night) and Burgundy Inn. Vintage Inn is less than a 3 minute walk from FL, and is across the street from Bouchon. That being said, Yountville is not a large place and there may be other accommodations within walking distance.

Lunch is the same price as dinner ($135 for the nine? course tasting menu). There seems to be some room for substitutions (of at least like-kind dishes), particularly if a diner were to attempt to obtain a signature dish. The restaurant appears to have a staggered seating policy whereby even diners during a given service are scheduled to arrive at different times (presumably to assist the kitchen's handling of the dishes).

(More to come, including dish descriptions, on which Stone has, of course, already done a good job)

Edited February 3, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[Stone]

He had on a tobacco brown jacket which seemed to be close to the color of the dress I wore. :hmmm

More of a dark maroon, blood pudding. We did make a smashing couple.

There were metallic poles with electric "mimic" candle bulbs, and a weird glass decoration behind the bulbs.

Yes, I remember thinking these were out of place. The bulb was in the center of a circular pattern or mirrors (like sunflower petals). It reminded me of a flashbulb.

Edited February 3, 2003 by Stone (log)

[Louisa Chu]

Oregon huckleberry sorbet with toasted almond "financier"

Crispy sweet polenta cake with candied apples and brown sugar ice cream

Post-Dessert -- Creme brulee; Ginger pot-au-creme

Quite elaborate pre and post desserts with what sounds like a substantial and hearty dessert in and of itself - for lunch!

And have you in fact given up desserts as threatened?

And welcome back.

[Stone]

I find it amazing that they can put out an eight-course lunch and then a 10-course dinner (not including the one or two dishes not on the menu) for 100 or so seats in the evening.

We glanced in the kitchen after eating, during the break between lunch and dinner. I was surprised both by how clean and orderly the kitchen looked, and by how many cooks were in there, all happy and clean. I did notice two young fellows whisking large pots filled with butter. They make 20 pounds of buerre mont a day. God bless 'em.

[cabrales]

(1) Salmon cornet amuse

This was as Stone described. The Atlantic salmon was very flavorful, and might have had onions (or shallots) mixed in. It also had a bit of chives, perhaps for another meal (?). I wonder whether the creme fraiche might not have had some small butter component as well.

The "cone" was interesting, because it was moist/slightly oily, and yet still "broke" the way an ice cream cone might. I suspect the utilization of white sesame in a limited way on the cone was intentional, as there were two white sesame grains in many on the cone.

(2) "Pearls and Oysters"

I liked this dish, particularly the "gluey" feel of the tapioca in the mouth -- a sensation which was augmented by the gooey nature of the sabayon.

FL utilizes different oysters from time to time (I overheard this during a later meal), but this weekend it was Malpeques. The Malpeques might have been halved in this dish, with one half above the quenelle of pristine oscetra and the other below it visually. A generous serving of caviar, and, for me, sufficient balance between the caviar and the buttery sensations.

(3) Braised celeriac salad with Perigord truffles and cutting celery

A minor service imperfection in the dining room team member's perception of the need to explain to me what celeriac is. However, this was a nice dish with small segments of (cooked, of course) celeryroot that tasted "unadulterated" by the cooking.

The beets I later sampled were to also have this quality, which could be viewed as a positive or a negative (in my mind, a close call). Black truffle manifested itself in the saucing.

I had a bite of Stone's foie gras -- moist, as he described, and yet with "clean" fatty sensations (no mushiness or the "harder" texture of many foie terrines). He appeared to have a generous amount of black truffle.

(4) Crispy skin filet of Atlantic sea bass with wilted arrowleaf spinach and vanilla-saffron sauce

The dish was, again, as Stone described. The bass flesh was nicely prepared, with the right level of cooking. I liked this dish as well, although I found the saffron sauce slightly too sweet for my tastes. Nonetheless, a very good dish. Also, a dish that went beautifully with the Chassagne-Montrachet.

That white wine was served in a ravishing Riedel sommelier series large glass (very large glass), with a ridge along the lip (hard to describe). I enjoyed holding and drinking from this large glass.

Note I do not own Keller's book, and my dish descriptions might not benefit from information in the book.

Edited February 3, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[Stone]

That white wine was served in a ravishing Riedel sommelier series large glass (very large glass), with a ridge along the lip (hard to describe).  I enjoyed holding and drinking from this large glass.

The glass was beautiful. It looked somewhat like a large buttercup, with the top of the rim leaning back from the center. I offered to steal one, but Cabrales firmly objected. Coward.

[cabrales]

The glass was beautiful.  It looked somewhat like a large buttercup, with the top of the rim leaning back from the center.  I offered to steal one, but Cabrales firmly objected.  Coward.

Stone -- Your descriptions in this thread are putting mine to shame.

On theft, Stone was intent to taking the wooden "clothes pin" that holds the napkin. I asked the dining room team member whether we could take them, and she noted that was welcomed. The restaurant sees the clothes pin as almost its business card. (As members know, the clothes pin is the restaurant's logo of sorts).

guajolote -- That looks like the cup, although it did seem more bulbous at the restaurant.

Edited February 3, 2003 by cabrales (log)

[Stone]

On theft, Stone was intent to taking the wooden "clothes pin" that holds the napkin. I asked the dining room team member whether we could take them, and she noted that was welcomed.

I also asked if I could steal the glass, and he seemed to say yes. Alas, I didn't, but hopefully Amazon will run a special.

[cabrales]

Note the clothes pin wooden napkin holder is intended to be kept by the diner. I suspect quite a few diners who want it do not keep it because they are too afraid to ask.

I'm going to buy the glass, hopefully soon. I wonder how much it is.

We glanced in the kitchen after eating, during the break between lunch and dinner.  I was surprised both by how clean and orderly the kitchen looked, and by how many cooks were in there, all happy and clean. 

Interesting also that the Mobil stars were featured very prominently on a metallic section (a stove hood?) when one entered the kitchen. Keller was not in attendance over the weekend. The kitchen had nice windows overlooking the garden area separating it from the dining room area.

Back to the cuisine:

[Stone]

"Maytag Blue" with rosemary poached dried fruits and rosemary-infused oil

Oregon huckleberry sorbet with toasted almond "financier"

Crispy sweet polenta cake with candied apples and brown sugar ice cream

Post-Dessert -- Creme brulee; Ginger pot-au-creme

The remainder of the meal was good, but it was definitely the denouement. . . .

The cheese was very flavorsul and creamy. I really like the sharp taste of the rosemary with the sweet fruit. The huckleberry sorbet was also fine, but fairly strong. The toasted almond financier had nothing to do with Wall Street.

I really enjoyed the polenta cake. The texture of was, again again, smooth and soft. It was not too sweet, nor heavy. It sat on the candied apples (which to me got lost) and was topped by some delicious brown sugar ice cream -- I thought it had a bit of a hazelnut flavor. The best part of this dish, to me, was the cap of a thin, baked slice of apple. I wish I had a picture to do it justice. It was sliced paper thin and transparent. The result was visually astounding. The cell-structure of the apple appeared and created a fine texture when viewed closely at an angle. It looked as if it had been embroidered with fine gold thread. I assumed that it had been pressed between fine parchment paper and dried softly under the hot breath of flushed, nubile virgins, but I was informed that it was merely sliced and baked. (My version is better).

I thought the creme brulee and pot-du-creme was fine, but nothing spectacular. A little too much ginger in the pot.

Before the final desserts (and there were small cookies to finish), Cabrales and I both felt a little hungry (she tried to convince me to drive her to In-n-Out Burger for "real food" as she put it). But as I drove away I realized that it was the perfect amount of food -- for a normal person who, unlike me, does not always walk away from the table stuffed to the gills.

Driving home one flavor remained with more more than the others -- truffle. Not like the aftertaste of garlic or onion, I say that it was more of a memory. When I thought about it, I could quickly recall the essence of the truffle, earthy, full and slightly sharp, as if I had just put another slice in my mouth. I realize that the more I have truffle, the more I love the stuff.

[Stone]

Interesting also that the Mobil stars were featured very prominently on a metallic section (a stove hood?) when one entered the kitchen.

But if I recall correctly, they blended well into the color of the hood. They did not stand out like flashy gold stars.

I think Keller's absence ruined the meal.

[cabrales]

(5) "Peas and Carrots" -- Ditto exactly Stone's assessment, including that this was the most impressive dish of the meal. The chives speckling the pasta "skin" of the bundle were cute-looking. (Keller seems to like chives in a number of dishes.) The lobster meat was very flavorful and had the benefit of not only the butter, but possibly some lobster broth (?) and/or coraile elements (??). This dish might be in Keller's book (??). Anyhow, the carrot saucing was nice and had a muted sweetness. This dish was excellent. Other chefs who have sought to imitate this dish do not approximate what Keller produces on butter poached lobsters.

A note on saucing, which is generally very well done at FL. Nice consistency to the sauces in general, and no obvious butter connotations in many instances (although butter was generously utilized).

I later sampled the hot Caesar-salad-mimic preparation (excellent too) (cooked romaine with butter poached lobster -- this time not in chunks -- and bottarga shavings and bottarga-based sauce, to mimic the anchovy taste) but have not sampled the "macaroni and cheese" version of butter poached lobster (yet). I'd have to say that Keller's seafood and fish dishes appear stronger than his meat dishes, relative to my preferences. The butter poached lobster at FL is a "must-try", and my sense (unsubstantiated) is that it is generally included in the $135 menu in one guise or another.

(6) Hobbs Shore pork belly with melted leeks and "confit" of navel orange

A smaller layer of fat between the skin and the meat than most pork bellies. Also the belly portion was slightly less fatty. This did not detract from the flavorfulness and the nice texture of the flesh. I considered the melted leek quenelle unnecessary, and the sweetness of the navel orange confit a bit excessive. Still, a very good dish. The Gevrey Chambertin was nice.

(7) Pan-roasted "Chateaubriand" of nature-fed veal with forest mushrooms, "rissole" potatoes and natural "jus"

As Stone noted, the veal was a let-down in the meal. The veal was presented in three or four slices, and not overcooked. However, it did not have any meaningful flavor (whether from the intrinsic flesh or from the saucing). The mushrooms had a glistening feel in the mouth, and sat below the veal. Overall, a disappointment that had an effect on the meal. I noticed a generally lower quality to the meat courses in other FL meals too. Still, they were very good by the standards applicable to US restaurants.

(8) Dessert-type items

The Maytag serving was sizable. As Stone noted, the huckleberry sorbet was very stark (in a negative way). Also as Stone observed, the polenta dessert was excellent. The apple slice was quasi-translucent (green apple), almost like in one of the Michel Trama desserts that I have not yet tried.

The mini creme brulee I received had a disproportionate portion of "burnt" top (due to its small size), and therefore tasted a bit darker than most brulees. It was average.

On portion size, for one of my later meals, I was so confident with respect to my capacity that I had a pre-lunch at Domaine Chandon before my FL reservation. I had "Six oysters Five Ways", with a glass of Chandon Reserve Brut (1/2 shell with garlic and ginger mignonette, over apple blini, poached in Chandon Brut Classic sabayon, baked under a basil crust and fried in a 'bonbon').

Stone -- Have you written up a meal like this before?

Edited February 3, 2003 by cabrales (log)