In an earlier post I explained the transition from Corey to Tim. Basically I am going to let the photos tell the story.
No photo, but champagne to start.
Gougeres
Salmon Cornets — a special comment to Michael Bauer, SF Chronicle restaurant critic – this has never been nor will it ever be ahi – his latest review of a similar type of meal did in fact state ahi cornets.
Warm Stinging Nettle Soup with Hen-of-the-Woods Mushrooms and Frog’s Legs
California White Sturgeon Caviar, Raw Island Creek Oysters, Applewood smoked bacon, fried sunchokes, finely diced, Romaine lettuce
First wine
Penobscot Sea Urchin. The sea urchin is from the famous lobster supplier Ingrid of Maine. The sea urchins are sent live!
Uni, crème fraiche panna cotta, grapefruit, leeks, hazelnuts, garden mezuna, black truffle puree
Atlantic Cod “Shirako”, nicoise olive crumb, San Marzano tomato compote, crispy Shirako (cod semen sack coated with panko), gratin of cardoons
Japanese BigFin Squid, Piquillo peppers, garlic sitting on a fried cylindar of panisse, arugula
Chawan Mushi with Dungeness Crab, Monterey Bay Abalone, Brioche crumb
Sauce Grenobloise
Blurry picture of the Sauce Grenobloise added to the dish
Butter
Adante
Animal Farm – last cow is now named Keller
Garden heirloom beets, celery branch, petite lettuce, Fuyu persimmon, crème fraiche, tarragon
White wine
Black Truffle Lasagna, Mendocino uni, wilted spinach, hazelnut foam
Lasagna plated and uni plated
Nantucket bay scallops “poelees”, cauliflower, pomegranate, pumpkin seed, butternut squash puree
Red Wine
Risotto dish presented
Alba white truffles presented
Carnaroli risotto, Castelmagno cheese from Italy, brown butter
Thomas Farms Squab presented
Thomas Farm Squab “en cocotte”, stuffed with Moulard Duck foie gras wrapped in Savoy cabbage, pear-roasted chestnuts, black truffle, watercress and sauce Perigourdine – for me this was THE dish of the night.
Everything looks great but that last dish looks exquisite!
David, it was!
TWO french laundry meals in the past five days?? Guess your portfolio is doing OKAY
some meal! can you give me a sense of what a meal like this costs relative to FL’s standard tasting menu? i imagine 2-3x given all the foie, uni, and truffles…
The cost is $240 prix fixe – service included. Foie Gras and truffles have a supplement – I don’t see a menu or the bill so I can’t give you an exact price. We always get uni because they know it is my favorite ingredient – as far as I know no supplement on the uni. As you can see our menu is front-loaded – lots of canapes, lots of fish, usually no cheese or dessert. Wine, of course, adds to the final bill.
I am absolutely appalled by Bauer’s latest review of FL. Yes, he gives 4 stars, which is obviously deserved. But he writes the following:
“the meal begins to ramp up with the signature cornets: chopped ahi in a bite-size cone filled with creme fraiche.”
It has never been ahi – it is salmon – always was and always will be.
See here – I am not making this up.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/24/DDQ81B7A2L.DTL&type=food