Since our dinner at The French Laundry last Friday night, the second question (after “how was it?”) has invariably been “was it worth it?” I’ve given that some serious thought in the past few days.
Was it worth it? In a word, yes. Was it the most money we have ever spent on a meal? Yes. But we knew that would be the case long before we got there. We wouldn’t have gone through the hoops of making a reservation at the French Laundry if we weren’t willing to pay the piper. Then, we had the two months between making the reservation and our actual meal to get used to the fact that yes, it was going to cost a bloody fortune. In fact, by the time we saw the bill, we were able to giggle a little at the absurd number written at the bottom. (Of course, the liquid lubricant throughout the meal helped in that area!) Was the cost of every bite of food put in front of us that evening equal to the amount we paid? Probably not. But it’s not about the price of the ingredients. The better question is: was the amount of thought and care put into each dish, the artistry, the quality, the service, the EXPERIENCE, worth the price? Hell yes.
As I’ve said before, a great meal is about so much more than just the food. Or the wine. It is the convergence of time, place, company, food, wine. An alignment of the planets. In a word, the experience. Chef Keller says that “a great meal is an emotional experience”. I couldn’t agree more. The French Laundry followed through and provided an incredible emotional experience, an experience that was greater than the sum of its parts, one that we will remember for a long time. After years of wanting to eat there, years of hearing how great it is, the French Laundry not only lived up to our expectations, it exceeded them.
If you care to geek out about the details of our evening, please read on.
Our reservation was for 9:00pm. That was a bit worrisome at first as 9:00pm is pretty darn close to my usual bedtime. Luckily, after an early evening snack and some wine tasting at Maisonry before dinner, we managed to rally. I have to confess that I was actually a little nervous as we walked into the esteemed French Laundry. We were welcomed and asked to wait just a moment. When we were seated (only a few minutes past our reservation time – impressive), a gentleman took my coat and led us to a very nice table in the salon. The space was very warm and welcoming. Fireplace, low lights, carpet, candlelight. There was no artwork on the walls but (unlike at Benu) it actually worked and still managed to feel cozy.
The wait staff here are amazing. I lost count as to how many there actually were (a lot) but they all worked together like a well-oiled machine. It was pretty incredible. While they were very professional the entire evening, after some time and conversation our waiter loosened up and was very friendly. It’s all about how you, the customer, treat them, really.
Before I get to the food, let me tell you about the wine. If you know me at all, you know I am not a white wine drinker. Until recently, I couldn’t even recall the last time I drank a glass of white wine. But I recently decided it was time to give the white wines another chance and expand my horizons a bit. I’m so glad I did. I asked the waiter for a recommendation for a glass of white wine to start off with. The only parameters I gave were that it not be champagne or chardonnay. He recommended a 2009 Nigl Gruner Veltliner “Seftenberger Piri”. It was really different – full-bodied like a chardonnay but cleaner and crisper in flavor, more like a sauvignon blanc. It paired wonderfully with the first few seafood courses. (Note to self: try more Gruner Veltliners.)
Next, we had a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape. It was good but I cannot for the life of me remember which one we ended up ordering. Guess it wasn’t really that important in the grand scheme of things, as the courses we drank it with were the best of the evening and outshone the wine anyway.
Finally, with the dessert, our waiter recommended a Hungarian dessert wine called Tokaji Aszú. Oh my, was this good! And I’m not a fan of dessert wines typically. The color was beautiful – kind of a peachy gold. The nose was apricots and honey and lemon, with a really intense, but not too sweet, palate - apricotty and elegant. The pairing with my dessert – a chocolate soufflé – was mind blowingly good. I loved this wine and am determined to find some to buy!
Okay, so, the food. The FL menu is a nine course chef's tasting menu. Before we even got started, they set three amuse-bouche type dishes on the table. There was a bite of a salmon terrine, two gougeres, and the famous salmon cone. All delicious (and much needed by 9:00pm!). We then made our way through the perfectly paced courses: (1) “oysters and pearls”, a dish of oysters and caviar in a sabayon; (2) hearts of palm salad; (3) halibut fillet with wild nettles, sunchokes, pine nuts and green garlic; (4) butter poached lobster mitts with peas and carrots; (5) Tete de Cochon (pigs head) with shitake mushrooms, green asparagus, hen egg emulsion and Dungeness crab; (6) lamb rib-eye with globe artichokes, piperade, barbajuan and capers; (7) Cavatina cheese with dried apricot, cauliflower, cilantro and peppercorns; (8) Gros Michel banana sorbet with French Laundry muesli and toasted oak milk; and (9) dessert, which for me was an incredible Valrhona Guanaja chocolate soufflé with salted caramel ice cream, cookie crumbs and a warm caramel sauce. To die for! Now, on top of those nine menu courses, we also received FL’s famous “coffee and doughnuts” – delicious little doughnut holes covered in sugar and cinnamon accompanied by an espresso semifreddo served in an espresso cup and topped with cream. So good. And, while we were making our way through our desserts (and slowing down, I might add), they put a tray of beautiful handmade truffles on the table. I regret to say that I did not try a single one of the truffles. I’m very sad about that. (They took the tray away before I had a chance to slip them into my purse.) So, we’re at what, 10 and ½ courses? Or if you count the amuse-bouche, 11 courses? Whichever way you count, it was a whole lot of absolutely incredible food. In fact, it was so good that I have a hard time picking my favorite course. The tete de cochon is definitely up there. As is the soufflé. However, the cheese course was one that made me stop, moan a bit and say to my husband, “this is the most perfect bite I think I’ve ever eaten.” So, there’s a good argument for the cheese course.
By this time it was close to 1:00am. When our waiter brought us the check, I asked him if we could have a tour of the kitchen. He said yes and I mentioned that we needed to call for a taxi first, and could we then see the kitchen while we waited. He came back to the table a moment later and said, “We’re going to take you back to your hotel.” I was so shocked that I think I may have actually uttered a “Huh?” Long story short, after seeing the kitchen and meeting Chef Timothy Hollingsworth, a member of the French Laundry staff drove us (in one of the BMW Hybrids at the disposal of the French Laundry) the 8 miles back to our hotel in Napa. Seriously? That alone went so far above and beyond the duty of any restaurant that we are still talking about it in amazement. I cannot begin to tell you how big an impression that simple act of kindness and courtesy, so wholly unexpected, made on me. It’s easy to understand why Chef Keller is so revered. And while I may not become a regular (ah, if only!), they have certainly gained my loyalty and appreciation.
So, more than four hours after we started, the evening was over. When we woke up the next morning one of the first things I said to Jason was, “I can’t believe they drove us home!” Of course, the second was, “Wow, that was good!” And, actually, the third thing, once I managed to get up and find the cute bag of shortbread cookies they sent us home with, was, “Oh my dog, these cookies are f*#%ing awesome!” (In addition to being melt-in-your-mouth buttery good, they also seemed to have some magical hangover cure qualities!)
Now the cookies are gone but we have the memory of a wonderful evening - and the famous French Laundry clothespin - to tide us over until our next visit.
Was it worth it? Yes. Yes. Yes.
(Huge thanks to my husband for an unforgetable Christmas present!)
Was it worth it? In a word, yes. Was it the most money we have ever spent on a meal? Yes. But we knew that would be the case long before we got there. We wouldn’t have gone through the hoops of making a reservation at the French Laundry if we weren’t willing to pay the piper. Then, we had the two months between making the reservation and our actual meal to get used to the fact that yes, it was going to cost a bloody fortune. In fact, by the time we saw the bill, we were able to giggle a little at the absurd number written at the bottom. (Of course, the liquid lubricant throughout the meal helped in that area!) Was the cost of every bite of food put in front of us that evening equal to the amount we paid? Probably not. But it’s not about the price of the ingredients. The better question is: was the amount of thought and care put into each dish, the artistry, the quality, the service, the EXPERIENCE, worth the price? Hell yes.
As I’ve said before, a great meal is about so much more than just the food. Or the wine. It is the convergence of time, place, company, food, wine. An alignment of the planets. In a word, the experience. Chef Keller says that “a great meal is an emotional experience”. I couldn’t agree more. The French Laundry followed through and provided an incredible emotional experience, an experience that was greater than the sum of its parts, one that we will remember for a long time. After years of wanting to eat there, years of hearing how great it is, the French Laundry not only lived up to our expectations, it exceeded them.
If you care to geek out about the details of our evening, please read on.
Our reservation was for 9:00pm. That was a bit worrisome at first as 9:00pm is pretty darn close to my usual bedtime. Luckily, after an early evening snack and some wine tasting at Maisonry before dinner, we managed to rally. I have to confess that I was actually a little nervous as we walked into the esteemed French Laundry. We were welcomed and asked to wait just a moment. When we were seated (only a few minutes past our reservation time – impressive), a gentleman took my coat and led us to a very nice table in the salon. The space was very warm and welcoming. Fireplace, low lights, carpet, candlelight. There was no artwork on the walls but (unlike at Benu) it actually worked and still managed to feel cozy.
The wait staff here are amazing. I lost count as to how many there actually were (a lot) but they all worked together like a well-oiled machine. It was pretty incredible. While they were very professional the entire evening, after some time and conversation our waiter loosened up and was very friendly. It’s all about how you, the customer, treat them, really.
Before I get to the food, let me tell you about the wine. If you know me at all, you know I am not a white wine drinker. Until recently, I couldn’t even recall the last time I drank a glass of white wine. But I recently decided it was time to give the white wines another chance and expand my horizons a bit. I’m so glad I did. I asked the waiter for a recommendation for a glass of white wine to start off with. The only parameters I gave were that it not be champagne or chardonnay. He recommended a 2009 Nigl Gruner Veltliner “Seftenberger Piri”. It was really different – full-bodied like a chardonnay but cleaner and crisper in flavor, more like a sauvignon blanc. It paired wonderfully with the first few seafood courses. (Note to self: try more Gruner Veltliners.)
Next, we had a bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape. It was good but I cannot for the life of me remember which one we ended up ordering. Guess it wasn’t really that important in the grand scheme of things, as the courses we drank it with were the best of the evening and outshone the wine anyway.
Finally, with the dessert, our waiter recommended a Hungarian dessert wine called Tokaji Aszú. Oh my, was this good! And I’m not a fan of dessert wines typically. The color was beautiful – kind of a peachy gold. The nose was apricots and honey and lemon, with a really intense, but not too sweet, palate - apricotty and elegant. The pairing with my dessert – a chocolate soufflé – was mind blowingly good. I loved this wine and am determined to find some to buy!
Okay, so, the food. The FL menu is a nine course chef's tasting menu. Before we even got started, they set three amuse-bouche type dishes on the table. There was a bite of a salmon terrine, two gougeres, and the famous salmon cone. All delicious (and much needed by 9:00pm!). We then made our way through the perfectly paced courses: (1) “oysters and pearls”, a dish of oysters and caviar in a sabayon; (2) hearts of palm salad; (3) halibut fillet with wild nettles, sunchokes, pine nuts and green garlic; (4) butter poached lobster mitts with peas and carrots; (5) Tete de Cochon (pigs head) with shitake mushrooms, green asparagus, hen egg emulsion and Dungeness crab; (6) lamb rib-eye with globe artichokes, piperade, barbajuan and capers; (7) Cavatina cheese with dried apricot, cauliflower, cilantro and peppercorns; (8) Gros Michel banana sorbet with French Laundry muesli and toasted oak milk; and (9) dessert, which for me was an incredible Valrhona Guanaja chocolate soufflé with salted caramel ice cream, cookie crumbs and a warm caramel sauce. To die for! Now, on top of those nine menu courses, we also received FL’s famous “coffee and doughnuts” – delicious little doughnut holes covered in sugar and cinnamon accompanied by an espresso semifreddo served in an espresso cup and topped with cream. So good. And, while we were making our way through our desserts (and slowing down, I might add), they put a tray of beautiful handmade truffles on the table. I regret to say that I did not try a single one of the truffles. I’m very sad about that. (They took the tray away before I had a chance to slip them into my purse.) So, we’re at what, 10 and ½ courses? Or if you count the amuse-bouche, 11 courses? Whichever way you count, it was a whole lot of absolutely incredible food. In fact, it was so good that I have a hard time picking my favorite course. The tete de cochon is definitely up there. As is the soufflé. However, the cheese course was one that made me stop, moan a bit and say to my husband, “this is the most perfect bite I think I’ve ever eaten.” So, there’s a good argument for the cheese course.
By this time it was close to 1:00am. When our waiter brought us the check, I asked him if we could have a tour of the kitchen. He said yes and I mentioned that we needed to call for a taxi first, and could we then see the kitchen while we waited. He came back to the table a moment later and said, “We’re going to take you back to your hotel.” I was so shocked that I think I may have actually uttered a “Huh?” Long story short, after seeing the kitchen and meeting Chef Timothy Hollingsworth, a member of the French Laundry staff drove us (in one of the BMW Hybrids at the disposal of the French Laundry) the 8 miles back to our hotel in Napa. Seriously? That alone went so far above and beyond the duty of any restaurant that we are still talking about it in amazement. I cannot begin to tell you how big an impression that simple act of kindness and courtesy, so wholly unexpected, made on me. It’s easy to understand why Chef Keller is so revered. And while I may not become a regular (ah, if only!), they have certainly gained my loyalty and appreciation.
So, more than four hours after we started, the evening was over. When we woke up the next morning one of the first things I said to Jason was, “I can’t believe they drove us home!” Of course, the second was, “Wow, that was good!” And, actually, the third thing, once I managed to get up and find the cute bag of shortbread cookies they sent us home with, was, “Oh my dog, these cookies are f*#%ing awesome!” (In addition to being melt-in-your-mouth buttery good, they also seemed to have some magical hangover cure qualities!)
Now the cookies are gone but we have the memory of a wonderful evening - and the famous French Laundry clothespin - to tide us over until our next visit.
Was it worth it? Yes. Yes. Yes.
(Huge thanks to my husband for an unforgetable Christmas present!)
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