![]() The bread and butter course took 25 minutes, and the meat course after that took another 30 minutes. Certain courses came out too quickly, others took far too long. At this Michelin level and price point I would expect each course to be individually paired with its own wine.Lastly, it was simply too long of an experience. At times, both pairings offered one wine for every few courses, which seemed a little conservative to me since none of the other 3-stars I've been to are doing this. I got the base level pairing ($500) and my partner got the mid level pairing ($1000). Did not give me the impression some of them understood the food or were confident in the experience.Wine pairings were good, but pairing structure was strange. More than once they mumbled into their chests as they announced the courses. Hosts were professional and very accommodating, but servers seemed to range drastically in experience. Table was not marked nor cleared properly at least three times. Number of small errors in terms of the service that night. I don't necessarily need to be floored with every course at a 3-star restaurant, but this is the first time I have ever sent anything back at one. ![]() Far too mustard-forward for either of us. The tar tar course was probably the worst of the offerings we both sent it back. Many of the caviar courses were delicious. The menu was surf and turf, which was fun. Huge shock, especially since we saw Thomas Keller himself there on the floor that night.The food was good for the most part. Unfortunately it was operating at probably a 1 Michelin star level that evening. We couldn't have asked for a better experience.Īfter dining at fellow three star restaurants like Singlethread, Joel Robuchon, and Benu, we were excited to go to "big napa" and see what all the fuss was about. We really enjoyed chatting with the staff. We were also invited into the kitchen to checkout the workspace. They gave us some goodies to take home to them. After our meal the staff chatted with us and learned we had two kids. Our meal was great and there was ample time in between each course so we didn't feel rushed. Lamb is exactly what came out! I was seriously impressed. My favorite is lamb, but I didn't expect it to be prepared for me. To my delight our waiter asked what proteins I do eat so the kitchen could substitute. I don't eat beef and I expected the staff to tell me there could be no substitutions on the non-veg menu. The left side had a vegetarian menu and the right side was non-veg. Upon being seated we saw the menus had been customized with Happy Anniversary and our names. The food was great and the portions were not too large. We worked with the sommelier to wine pair our meal. I expected a bit or an attitude for working at the most well known restaurant in the US, but I was pleasantly surprised that was not the case. It was a spectacular spot because we could watch the kitchen working and there were no other tables around us. Our table was on the quad corner, facing the front door of the restaurant. Of course, we have heard so much about the restaurant so we were half expecting to be let down, but I think the experience went above our expectations. In fact, I think the view was probably more suburb than being inside. We finally made it here and it exceeded its hype! We dined outdoors and I don't think it took anything away from being inside. ![]() The Michellin stars were proudly displayed in the beautiful venue where the most wonderful dishes were prepared for us. We requested a tour of the kitchen and was graced with one when we were done with dinner. Our bag home also included tins of shortbread. ![]() We were so full, we took most of our desserts home.My friend was having a milestone birthday and was presented with a specially personalize bottle of champagne! It was so nice of French Laundry and was extremely touching for my friend. My friend's birthday was recognized by a long rectangular cake and a huge sparkler candle! As it turned out, we received slices of the cake to be eaten with the other desserts. I was trying to eat slowly to savor each bite that was so lovingly prepared by chefs. We were very full by the time the last dishes arrived. Each dish was amazing - so wonderfully presented, delicious - a work of art. The menu was personalized for my friend's birthday. It appeared seating was staggered so as not to bring all in at once which made the experience much nicer. We took our requisite photos in from the the French Laundry sign and was welcome to come inside to be seated. We arrived early and once the curtains to the outdoor area were drawn, we could proceed to the front door. She was able to get an reservation for for the first seating at 4:00 p.m.I've eaten at Per Se in NY, so I was looking forward to the experience at French Laundry. My friend invited me to dinner to celebrate her 60th birthday.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |