The palate cleansing sorbet was delicious and beautiful to look at. I might even think about doing a crispy polenta with other cheeses in the future. The cheese was very creamy, and all of the flavors worked very well together. The cheese course featured “Boho Bell” cheese, crispy polenta, French prunes and dijon mustard. We savored that meat course for a long time, but the cheese was a welcome change when it came out. Both were amazing, but the grilled beef was so tender and buttery that you almost didn’t need to chew it. Snake River Farms “Calotte de Boeuf Grille.” This course was a lightly grilled American-style kobe beef that was rested in butter, paired with a piece of glazed brisket that had been cooked sous vide for two days to make it as tender as possible. The next course was easily my favorite of the night. The pork belly was my favorite, I have to admit, but the juicy and tender chicken was a lovely, simple dish. The alternative to this was a milk-poached Poulard (chicken), which also came with very crispy skin and was served with baby artichokes and a san marzano tomato compote. It was served with a cabbage and ginger slaw. ![]() First up was Salmon Creek Farms Pork Belly, which was cooked until it was meltingly tender and crisp on one side for contrast. We were given a choice for the next course, so we opted for one of each item. ![]() I tried a Sweet Corn Chowder, which came with confit yukon gold potatoes, celery, razor clams and a clam foam. Not being a fan of lobster – although the beet essence was amazing – I substituted this course for one on the vegetarian tasting menu. The next course was “Beets and Leeks,” a butter-poached lobster tail served with a side of leeks, a super-sweet beet essence and a large potato crisp. They were served with both unsalted and salted butter. There were many bread options to choose from as bread was served, but it was impossible to resist the mini pretzel brioche baguettes. The fish had a wonderful firm texture, but I could have eaten quite a bit of that chorizo, which actually had waygu beef as a component. It was served with chorizo, sunchokes, piquilo peppers, arugula and candied meyer lemon pieces. The next course was Frilled Fillet of Atlantic Cobia, a swordfish-like white-fleshed fish. It was a great combination and the banana in particular was a standout. The second course was an Endive Salad, with a roasted endive that was served with a bruioise of caramelized bananas, candied cashews, cilantro and madras curry. I’m not always a big fan of caviar, but the flavor and texture here was lovely. Everything in the dish has an element of roundness to it and it is great fun to eat, as well as being flavorful. It consists of a “sabayon” of pearl tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar. It remains popular even with people who have eaten at the restaurant many times and it’s not hard to see why. The first course was “Oysters and Pearls,” a signature dish that has been on the menu almost since the restaurant opened. The rest of the ingredients used are sourced based on quality, primarily from local producers. Much of the produce is actually grown by the French Laundry, which maintains a 5-acre garden across the street from the restaurant in addition to other farming property near by. The menu is structured to go from lighter dishes to heavier ones, in addition to not using the same ingredient more than once (aside from salt, etc.), so we opened with a salad course and moved on to fish courses and then meat courses. We started with some small, cheese-filled gougères (essentially savory cream puffs) and with sesame tuile “ice cream cones” filled with green onion creme fraiche and topped with salmon tartar.Īfter the salmon, we started on the actual tasting menu. These are small, bite-sized snacks that are intended to awaken the palate. I didn’t make that mistake this time, so I can share a peek at the wonderful meal I had there – and make sure I remember it myself! This post is photo heavy, so be patient if the page takes a moment to load.Ī meal at the French Laundry opens with an amuse bouche or two. ![]() ![]() I ate at the restaurant once before, back in 2004, and one of the things I regret about that memorable visit was that I didn’t take any pictures. The tasting menu changes daily and never features the same ingredient more than once, as it is structured to surprise you with new tastes as you are served each course. The restaurant belongs to Chef Thomas Keller, who has been serving a beautiful nine course tasting menu there since 1994, when he bought the building (formerly an actual French Lanudry, but operated previously as a restaurant) and opened his restaurant. The French Laundry is one of the most iconic restaurants in the Napa Valley and one of the best restaurants in the world, with three Michelin stars to prove it.
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