The Ultimate Food Experience

After weeks and weeks of calling the French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, CA, I finally got through at 10am on 6/19 for reservations on 8/19. You have no idea how hard it was to get through. Their phone lines are always busy. One time I got through and the guy told me that all reservations for the day two months out is always all booked up within 20 minutes of each day. It's crazy. Thank goodness for redail! My advice is to start calling at 9:55am on the day two months before you want to go. For higher chances, I would get someone else to call at the same time.

When they day finally came, it almost seemed unreal. My husband and I spent two months talking about how great the food must be. I've imagine in my mind what the restaurant was like many times. The restaurant was a cute little old building that used to be a frech laundry. Across the streat was a small open area that was the French Laundry garden. This was where they planted their herbs and small vegetables. It was cute. When we went into the restaurant, the place was smaller than I expected. We went upstairs and got seated in a small room that fit about 4 tables.

I think we both hyped it up so much that our overall experince missed the "wow" factor. Not that it the food or experience was bad, but I think we just expected the to be wowed every step of the night. The food was still great and Thomas Keller's ability to combine the oddest foods together and make it taste great, was just amazing. We also expected the experience to be glamorous and romantic, but the rooms were small (so it was kind of loud)and surprisingly, folks that were eating there were not as dressed up as we were. Some women just wore capris and a shirt and men are required to wear a jacket, but ties are optional. I think my husband was the only one with a tie. When I pay $210 for my meal, which is alot, I guess I expected the diners to be more dressed up and the place to feel more romantic, intimate and overall just more shi shi. At least this was how I imagine the place to be in my head. The waiters were all very polite and nice. But for some reason they all spoke so softly. At times it was hard to hear them.

Even though the the hecf's tasting menu says it's a nine course meal, it was way more than 9 courses. Each course came out in a gigantic plate, but the amount of food was about the size of half a fist or smaller. Seems like so little food, but by the end of the night, we were stuffed. Dessert alone was about 4 courses. They made their own fudges and truffles, which were delicous. The papillions were excellent. I wanted to stuff some in my purse to take home. To top it off, they sent us home with some shortbread they made in the kitchen. What a nice treat.

I think my favorite dish of the night was the first course which was called Oysters and Pearls. I have no idea how Thomas Keller even thinks up these ocmbinations. It was pretty much tapioca with two oyster and a spoonful of cavier on top. When you taste each individual piece, the tapioca was tasteless, the cavier was too salty and the oysters, well they tasted like oysters. But when you combined all three of the ingredients, it was amazing. I think this was the dish that gave me that "wow" I was looking for. I'm going to have to try to recreate this one at home.

Overall I would say the good was excellent. Keller is a genius when it comes to creating different dishes. I just think that I would be best for newbies to go with out any expectations, especially those of you who have dined at other top notch restaurants.