French Laundry – Yountville

This was our last meal with Corey Lee at French Laundry, but stay tuned, as he is opening a restaurant in San Francisco. Sous Chef Timothy Hollingsworth will be taking over for Corey and knowing Thomas and his organization, everything will be fine.

Corey knows I love uni and had prepared 4 different preparations. What was interesting is that Corey used 3 different types of uni from Mendocino, Santa Barbara and Japan; each type of uni had a different taste and mouthfeel. 

Gougeres

 

Salmon Cornets

 

Champagne

 

“Lonsdale” – gin, apple, mint, coconut “snow”, a small dab of chili on top – this was a pop in your mouth “cocktail” in one bite.

 

Island Creek Oyster with Raspberry Vinegar and Cucumber Foam – another one slurp wonder

 

Mendocino Uni with Green Apple Granite – what an incredible combination – the icy cold granite with the smooth unctuous uni

 

Fresh Water Eel with Akita Komachi Rice, Marinated Trout Roe and Perilla Leaves – This had a pronounced Asian flair – the trout roe was spectualar, the rice a perfect complement and the eel delicious

 

White wine

 

Frog’s Legs with Filet Beans from the French Laundry Garden, Heirloom Tomato, Parsley, Lemon –  Sometimes I hate the less is more theory of the French Laundry

 

Ensui Uni (Japan) with Almond Panna Cotta, 1/16″ dice of apple, Black Truffles, Edible Gold Leaf – this uni was very different than the Menocino uni – it had a salty ocean taste. Who would have thought that almond panna cotta would even work – it did.

 

Sauteed Big Fin Squid from Japan, Confit of Eggplant, “Tossed” Navel Orange, Cashew Nuts, Scallions, Mizuna – I love squid, but too many restaurants cook it until it is rubber – not Corey. The citrus orange brightened the dish and the cashews added texture.

 

Hen Egg Omelet, Santa Barbara Uni, Red Ribbon Sorrel, White Sturgeon Caviar, Creme Fraiche – This was THE dish of the evening – absolutely spectacular. Scroll down to see my notes taken that evening.

 

Brioche Soldiers

Inside of the Omelet – gorgeous!

 

I have a small notebook in which I take notes. I had our server take my notebook back to the kitchen to show Corey. He loved his grade!

 

Now Butter and Bread is served: Animal farm Butter – the newest calf is named Keller and Andante Dairy Butter (Petaluma) – The butter is made by Soyoung Scalan, the Andante cheesemaker. She lets the butter sit with the cheese so the butter picks up the bacteria and texture of the cheese and therefore its texture becomes more cheeselike.

 

Second White Wine

 

Japanese Blue Fin Tuna with Sunchokes, Pinenuts, Cherry and Nicoise Olive Emulsion – nothing fancy- just a pristine piece of fish

 

Prawns from Louisana, Roasted Deep-fried Garlic, Globe Artichoke, Chorizo, Garlic Foam, Romesco Sauce – This is when Corey demonstrates his ability to do cuisine that represents many different styles and what I find most fun about eating at the French Laundry. This was definitely a Spanish influenced dish. 

 

Russet Potato Gnocchi, Uni, Uni Emulsion – Pairing gnocchi with uni is a first for me – the gnocchi were as light as air and then—-

 

Australian Winter Black Truffles were added tableside.

 

Red Wine

 

Fricasse of Pork Belly, Milk-fed Poulet, sliced into ribbons, Golden Corn, Filet Beans, Romaine leaf, Buttermilk Ranch Dressing – This was almost like eating a haute cuisine chicken salad.

 

Sbrinz, a cow’s milk cheese from Switzerland (the “godfather of Parmesan), Sweet 1000 tomatoes, Mustard, Pain Perdue, Frisee, Cippolini Onions

 

Nectarine Sorbet, Boysenberry Puree, Ginger Gelee

 

Coffee and Donuts

 

Vanilla Custard, Grilled Pinenut Cake, Silverado Trail Srawberries, Cherry Sorbet

 

A huge thank you to Corey Lee and the staff for so many wondrous meals. I never take our dining experiences at The French Laundry for granted. I appreciate the effort, the dedication, the thoughtfulness, the extraordinary sourcing of unusual ingredients and the unique combinations. Yes, it with sadness that I bid Corey good-bye, but I look forward to a Timothy Hollingsworth meal.

The French Laundry – Yountville

I will miss Corey Lee at French Laundry. I will miss Corey Lee at French Laundry. I will miss Corey Lee at French Laundry. I guess if I say it three times, I have made my point. Corey has added so much to a French Laundry meal. He has added such a personal stamp as well as knowing us very well and our preference for lots of canapes. I will not go into detailed descriptions of signature French Laundry dishes as I have done that ad infinitum. (See French Laundry archive)

During the afternoon as I was walking back to our hotel, I stopped by to say hello.

The new Laundry Van.

 

Extra Wine Storage

 

The new electric scooter

 

DINNER – I never see a menu so all the descriptions are given in detail by the staff and quickly written by me. Any mistakes are mine.

Krug to start

 

Gougeres

 

Salmon Cornets

 

Mangosteens from Puerto Rico with Seaweed – I have never heard of Mangosteens and obviously never tasted one. It definitely tasted tropical.

Writing about “this most celebrated fruit of the East” T.W.K. goes on to say…

”This pulp melts away in your mouth after the manner of a ripe peach or 
strawberry; it has a taste which nobody can describe any more than he can tell how 
a canary sings or a violet smells, and I know of nothing more forcible than the 
statement of a Yankee skipper who pronounced the mangosteen the “bang-upest 
fruit” he had ever seen.”

http://www.mangosteen.com/

 

“Tartare” of 1/4″ dice of earshell clam from Korea, diced cucumbers, radishes, bonito foam – Corey handles fish beautifully – the Korean earshell clam was perfect.

 

Presentation of Oysters and Pearls

 

Oysters and Pearls – the Oysters were Island Creek from Duxbury, Mass and the caviar was Californian White Sturgeon - I really like the Island Creek Oyster – sweet salty all in one bite with Atlantic Ocean overtones. (My Boston roots are obvious.)

 

White Wine

 

White wine decanted and my caviar purse – a tradition as I always bring this purse to our first French Laundry meal of our trip up north.

 

Unfortunately this is a very blurry photo. This was Corey’s play on sushi. At first glance, you thought that the tiny white bits were rice. Not at all! Peach palm had been finely chopped to resemble “rice”, then wrapped in Hawaiian Hearts of Palm, topped with slices of Haas avocado, trout roe and bachelor button.

 

CAESAR MUSHROOMS

At first we are presented with this plate of Mizuna. I am thinking to myself this is definitely minimalism.

 

Next a very hot stone appears.

 

We are now presented with Caesar Mushrooms from Umbria. It is explained that in order of expense and rarity number one is white truffles, then Caesar mushrooms, then black truffles, then porcini mushrooms. Notice the red cap on the mushrooms.

 

Mushrooms cooking on the stone. It was quickly seared on the bottom, but kept raw on top.

 

This was served with a yuzu aigre-doux – it was the quick sear of the bottom and the rawness of the same mushroom that was extraordinary.

 

Green-Lipped Abalone from the Sea of Japan presented – to be served 3 ways

 

Hand-cut buckwheat “capellini”, poached abalone with its own juices, mint blossom served cold. This reminded me of one of our favorite restaurants in Oahu, Matsugen that specializes in handmade buckwheat soba. I was a very happy camper.

 

Deep-fried Abalone, Caulifower Puree with a sauce of parsley, capers and lemon and a confit of Meyer lemon. This was very reminiscent of a traditional Sand Dabs recipe. It was so good that we adopted a “finger spoon” method — use your finger, scrape the bowl and “lick.”

 

Presentation of a turtle shell

 

Turtle Shell

 

Snapper Turtle Soup, Green-lipped Abalone, Beech Mushrooms, Koshikari rice. The broth is made from the turtle meat, dashi, sake and is reduced and reduced and reduced some more. The turtle meat is then strained out. The broth was fabulous, the rice perfect and the abalone delicious.

 

Presentation of the next dish

 

Unfortunately the photo doesn’t represent this dish correctly. Uni with corn foam, ragout of applewood smoked bacon, Australian black truffles, golden corn and celery, potato puree at the bottom

 

Uni dish after using the “finger spoon” method.

 

Signature White Truffle Custard with Black Truffle Ragout

 

Heirloom Tomato Tart – Puff Pastry

 

Tomato Tart served – Burrata, Red Onion Marmalade, Chive, Corn Flower Blossom, Balsamic

 

Crispy Skin Pacific Moi, Braised Fennel, Nicoise Olives, Citrus Vinaigrette, Micro Arugula – Again there is no way to describe how well Corey handles fish

 

Japanese Sea Eel, Pearl Onions, Sugar Snap Peas, Romaine Lettuce, Creme Fraiche – this didn’t have an Asian flair, it was more French in sensibility with a California flair.

 

Close-up of the eel – the peas were incredible

 

Wine with Foie

 

Salts for the Foie Gras

 

Foie Gras Torchon with White Almond Glaze, Shaved Celery, Apricot Puree, Toasted Almonds – I happen to prefer the cold foie over the seared foie – personal preference

 

Brioche for Foie

 

Cap of the Rib Eye, King Trumpet Mushrooms, Mustard Seed Cake, Ginger Sauce – what a combination, expertly prepared

 

Jardinere of Vegetables – Nasturtiums, Carrots, Radishes, Turnips, Favas, Idiazabal Croquette, Joselito Grand Reserva Ham, Australian Black truffles – this is different than Manresa’s Into The Garden with the addition of the Ham and the Idiazabal.

 

Donut – John’s favorite and a must ending for him.

 

Sfogliatele – Cannoli stuffed with fresh Ricotta cheese infused with Orange and Lemon, Pistachio Cake, Cherry Sorbet

You will notice that we had only one meat course, by choice, and only one dessert and no mignardises, also by choice. As frequent diners at The French Laundry for many years, I am well aware that our meal is geared to our personal likes and dislikes. A first time diner would not get this type of meal and shouldn’t expect it. This doesn’t mean that a “standard” French Laundry meal won’t be exquisite and well thought-out. The tasting menus are not just a string of random dishes – there is a progression, an internal harmony and what I like to call a symphony. This is not a temple; it is a wonderful place to dine, have glorious food plus fun with a staff that tries and succeeds to make everyone feel special.

French Laundry – September 2008

Corey Lee orchestrated a perfect meal for us on Thursday night – each dish was exquisite with a subtle and flawless flavor profile. As I have stated many times before, this is not the usual French laundry meal. We love the fish canapes so our meals are definitely front loaded. One of my favorite ingredients is uni and Corey always has at least one dish with sea urchin. We usually have one meat course and rarely have more than one dessert.

As always we started with gougeres and salmon cornets (not pictured) and a half bottle of Krug.

Uni from Japan that was “packed” in natural sea water and then served with the natural sea water. This uni was from the south end of Japan and has a slightly less pronounced taste than those harvested in the north. It was served with crunchy ice lettuce and gold leaf.

 

Oysters and Pearls – the oysters were Island Creek from Mass and the caviar was Californian white sturgeon – this is just a perfect dish and as usual Corey executed it sublimely.

 

Inada – lightly grilled wild, baby amberjack served with compressed English cucumber, espellette, cilantro shoots, 1/4 inch dice of cucumber

Just look at how perfectly the cucumber has been diced – talk about perfect knife skills!

 

We decided to splurge and honor Didier Dagueneau who had just died in a plane crash at the very young age of 52. The 2005 Silex was superb.

 

Japanese Pike Conger, Japanese mountain yams (yamo imo), white miso, yuzu, perilla leaves – this was just a wonderful, subtle blend of textures and taste

 

Uni from Hokkaido, Japan. The water is much colder as Hokkaido is in the north and as a result the uni had a fatter “taste” feel. It was served with peeled sweet 100 tomatoes, avocado panna cotta and borrage (blue flowers). My first thought was for the poor person who had to delicately and precisely peel those tiny tomatoes. What an absolutely perfect combination – the lusciousness of the avocado with the northern uni was inspired.

Close-up of avocado panna cotta

 

Fresh water eel was wrapped in feuille de brik pastry and served with persian lime creme fraiche (in the bowl). We were shameless and used our fingers to lick up every drop of the creme fraiche.

 

On the right is the Animal farm butter. There are now six cows and the last is named Keller.

 

Japanese Big Fin Squid Confit (it had been packed in salt for 30 minutes and then poached in olive oil), Summer squash done 3 ways – ribbons, puree, blossoms, garlic aigre-doux, champagne vinegar and on top crispy Iberico ham, brunoise. I never receive a menu at French Laundry and every single description was recited to me tableside by the lovely new wife of Nick, Sandra. Obviously service was attentive and extraordinary from Jimmy, the sommelier, to Dennis our main waiter, Larry as always and every single person of the French laundry team, who stopped at our table to say hi. 

 

Crispy Frogs legs from the Florida Everglades, breaded in panko, Cauliflower puree, tomato raisins, parsley shoots, Meyer lemon – just 3 quick bites – boy, I could have eaten a dozen.

 

Japanese Black Abalone  roasted whole was then presented.

 

Our red for the evening.

 

The roasted abalone was paired with sauteed moulard foie gras, haricot vert from the French laundry garden, baby corn, light as air gnocchi, corn foam and emulsion – I was one very happy camper!

 

Anago (sea Eel) tempura, Hobb’s bacon, beech mushrooms, Romaine lettuce ribs, red radish, cippolini onions, bacon emulsion – another absolute winner.

 

Signature Truffle Custard

 

Japanese Wagyu, sweet Nantes carrots, turnips, snap peas, pea tendrils, bordelaise sauce – how many ways can you say perfect.

 

We decided to have a cheese course and this was one of the best we have ever had at French laundry – Heirloom tomato tart on puff pastry with burrata, topped with a splash of olive oil and a bit of 100 year old balsamic vinegar

 

Tart plated

Balsamic Vinegar

 

As usual, we just had one dessert. Me – Grilled pine nut gateau (soaked in honey), Jacobson’s Farms figs, Fig marmalade, Pine nut mascarpone ice cream, mint syrup and toasted pine nuts

 

John – Coffee and Doughnuts

 

There is just no way to convey how sensational this meal was. There was just not one wrong note and what made it so incredibly perfect is that from beginning to end, this was a symphony. Sometimes tasting menus can just be a string of dishes – this was anything but and that is why I call it a symphony. To make the evening even more special, Thomas was there and we chatted for a bit.

Thank you Corey and thank you to the French laundry team for a very, special and incredible evening.

French Laundry – Meal #2 – July 2008

Our meals are not a typical FL meal. In fact, Corey Lee knew we were coming with 2 other guests who hadn’t been back to FL in 10 years. He suggested that we do a more classical FL meal – I sort of begged that he just do his thing.

A caveat: my notes on this meal are not as complete or detailed.  We were with friends and it was hard to take notes plus focus on a primarily social evening. I apologize in advance for any mistakes.

Gougeres

Cornets

The soup was presented with small cantaloupe melon balls sprinkled with nicoise olive crumbs

Then our server poured the cold cantaloupe on top – refreshing, light, a lovely beginning

 

Kahala Belly with peeled green grapes and white sesame puree -  My first thought was sympathy for the poor cook who had to peel those grapes. What Corey does so well is the juxtaposition of ingredients.

 

 Sturgeon with Applewood Smoke, Cippolini onions – Our server presented a glass covered bowl.

When the bowl was uncovered a haze of applewood smoke escaped from the bowl. On the bottom of the bowl was the sturgeon and Cippolini onions. The smoke infused the sturgeon with the applewood flavor so it was more than a gimmick; it was an essential flavoring to the dish.

 

Fresh water eel, Kirby cucumber, Perilla, sweet vinaigrette – The cucumber was thinly sliced and functioned as the wrapper for the eel (much like nori in an eel roll at a sushi bar). I didn’t get a full explanation of the vinaigrette, but knew it was soy-based and I am guessing it was similar to that used for eel dishes in Japanese restaurants, but not as thick – it was much more delicate in taste.

 

Santa Barbara Uni, Medallion of Eggplant, Korean Mint Blossom – the eggplant was the base of the dish with the uni on top – perfect, plump uni

 

Baby Amberjack (Inada), Shaved Turnip, Cherry Blossom, Nasturtium leaf, Cherry Coulis – absolutely perfect

 

The dish presented – Thomas Keller is known for his multi-plate presentations – notice 3 plates plus the covered small bowl

 

Stone Flounder, Beech Mushrooms, Ginger Broth – the ginger broth was light and delicate and a perfect match to the flounder.

From a google search re stone flounder:  “Unusually the ishigarei does not have scales, but instead a few bony protrusions (the Japanese refer to them as ’stones’ hence the name) on the skin on its dorsal surface, that produce copious amounts of a rather foul-smelling fish slime. However, if one removes these the fillet of the fish possesses a firm, white yet oily flesh that is quite delicious.”

 

Abalone, zucchini, young squash, Meyer lemon emulsion – The abalone had been scored and seared, the squash from the FL garden was very, very young and just now blooming – I am in fish heaven.

 

Uni, brik filled with potato puree, sugar snap peas and black truffle coulis – Some might criticize Corey Lee for 2 uni dishes in one meal – not me. Corey knows I adore uni and one year Thomas, after asking John what my favorite ingredient was, made 5 different uni dishes in one meal. What characterized this dish was the textural contrast – the crispy brik, the smooth potato, the crunchy snap peas and the soft and melting uni. The black truffle coulis elevated the dish to a wonderful harmony of flavors.

 

Crispy Sandab with a FL “tartar sauce” – I was absolutely blown away by this sauce and in awe of the person who had to cut up the components – this was not 1/8” dice; it was closer to 1/18” dice. Sometimes, I truly hate the less is more approach – I could have eaten a dozen – not quite, but this was a terrific dish.

 

Confit of Tuna, Sweet 100 Tomatoes, Sea Bean (Marsh Jeune)

 

Then our served added Bonito Broth to the dish – an elegant and light enhancement to the tuna. 

 

Another wonderful FL serving dish

 

Oyster Custard, Caviar, Gold Flakes – this was Corey’s “take” on oysters and pearls – he took the components of oysters and pearls and decided to improvise a new dish – novel, fun and a fresh approach to a classic dish.

 

Escargot, Corn, Chanterelles, Purslane, Corn emulsion – I hope I got this right, remember the amount of wine I have consumed , but my notes say that FL uses fresh snails and purges them with cornmeal. I know when I use fresh clams, that is exactly what I do. In any case, this was a marriage of ingredients that were meant for each other.

 

Lobster Mitts, Globe artichokes, Spicy Lobster Emulsion – good but I am a sucker for the lobster béarnaise dish.

 

Beef presented

 

Grilled Pave of Kuroge Beef from Shiga (from the Southeast, A-5 beef, fed barley and massaged for 2 years), Broccolini fleurettes, Pine nuts, Puree – I honestly can’t give a full description of this dish, but the beef was exquisite.

We were getting very, very full and decided to forgo a cheese course plus the parade of desserts.

 

Garden Basil Sorbet, Lychee Fruit and basil Seeds

 

Coffee and Doughnuts

Again, Corey Lee outdid himself – a beautiful symphony of a meal that was executed perfectly. I don’t for a minute take this for granted – I know the hours and hours it takes to not only plan this type of meal, but also to surpass the plans and have it prepared perfectly.

I have made no secret of the fact that my two favorite restaurants up north are Manresa and French Laundry. They are different in approach, but what sets them a part from every other restaurant is the commitment and dedication of these two chefs. These are just not dining experiences, but dining adventures that have been carefully and thoughtfully orchestrated. I am one very lucky lady.

 

 

 

 

 

 

French Laundry -July 2008

I never see a menu at FL. Our normal approach to a FL meal is just have Corey cook whatever he wants to. Corey does know that we much prefer the small canapes at the beginning of the meal and don’t really care about the parade of desserts at the end.  Again, Corey is no longer doing one preparation for me and one for John; he feels that the constant passing of dishes back and forth is distracting and basically detracts rather than enhances the flow of the meal.

For the first time, I decided to take photos at FL. ( I did ask permission).

Gougeres

 Cornets

I have been trying to learn how to fold the cocktail napkins correctly for the cornets since I do make the cornets at home. I thought maybe a picture would help – I still get a D for napkin folding.

 

 

Tomato Sorbet, Heirloom Tomatoes, Sweet 100, Sundried Tomatoes, Nasturtium flowers and leaves – as lovely to look at as it was to eat – like David Kinch – seasonality with a capital S.

 

 Oysters and Pearls with Island Creek Oysters from Mass and California White Sturgeon Caviar – enough has been written about this dish to fill a small book – executed perfectly

 

 Pike Conger (Hamo), Santa Rosa Plums, Umeboshi, Tokyo Tunips, Shaved turnip, Perilla Shoots – there was definitely an Asian influence in this dish, but it was not a muddle of flavors; each ingredient added to the whole. The interesting part of this dish was the texture of the pike conger – pike conger has lots of bones, so it takes a really skilled chef with a razor sharp knife to prepare it, but still retain the texture.

From a google search:

The bones of the hamo are situated and distributed throughout the flesh in such a way that removal is just not an option. Some fish, with small, soft and thin bones are eaten bones, head, guts, meat and all. The hamo bones are thick and heavy though, so, this is not feasible.

Chefs solved the problem by drawing upon Japan’s sword culture. A special purpose knife was developed for slicing the bones in the flesh so that it could be eaten. The goal of an adept chef is to put down 26 slices per 3 cm of hamo. That leaves each slice of flesh (and bone) about 1 mm in width! The hamo is 1-2 meters in length, so this involved a whole lot of cutting! This slicing technique is called honegiri in Japanese, literally ‘bone cutting’.

The meat and bones are sliced and the skin is left intact. The bones are substantial enough that slicing through them produces a very audible sound.

 

Atlantic Fluke Carpaccio Marinated with Kanzuri gastric, Compressed English cucumber served on a bed on Akita-Komachi rice – What set this dish apart was a nod to a sushi bar experience with the rice serving as the “bed” for the fluke – absolutely wonderful.

 Big fin Squid, baby squash from the FL garden, lemon verbena, nicoise olive crumbs, squash blossoms – the squid could have been prepared by Hiro Urasawa – tender and just perfect.

 

Potato puree, Hobb’s bacon, lovage emulsion, golden corn kernels, Santa Barbara uni – OK, I will admit it; I am a sucker for uni, but to have 4 of my favorite ingredients in one dish – bacon, potato, corn and uni – just oh my.

 

Eel, Avocado, Creme Fraiche topped with Lime Zest. To the right was the crispy cylinder of brik. Again, texture was a key element in this dish with the addition of the brik. Also avocado and eel have an affinity for each other, given their fatty mouth feel ( just think of all the sushi bars that do an eel and avocado roll). Let’s just say I was a very happy camper.

 

Sautéed Rouget, Globe artichokes, 1/8 inch diced Spanish Piquillo peppers, Arugula, Italian emulsion of olive oil, garlic and butter – my take on this dish was don’t mess with a perfect piece of fish with a lot of unnecessary ingredients.

 

Butter poached Lobster, Belgian endive, watercress, Hazelnut crumble, hazelnut puree, Tahitian vanilla gastric – this was excellent, but our favorite all-time lobster dish was a dish Corey did in 2007 – Lobster Knuckle, with small carrot balls in a béarnaise custard made with lobster consommé. This is just a matter of personal preference.

 

Signature Truffle custard 

 

Salt presentation for Foie – Jurassic, Fleur de sel, sel gris, volcanic, Molokai, Crystal Rock from Western Siberia – I hope you are impressed that I got these written down given the amount of wine I had consumed.

 

foie presented whole

Foie gras, peach relish, cornichons, small onions, frisee, Dijon mustard – I hope the photo does the foie justice – cooked perfectly, no veins, no stringiness – just smooth and as good as the cold tourchon.

 

 Jardinere – carrots, fennel, radish, turnips, tiny peas, Iberico ham, banyuls vinaigrette, Black truffle foam, Australian black truffles – this is served in a bowl within bowl. Pine needles ring the second plate – hot water is then added to the pine needles so you are enveloped in the smell of a pine needle forest.

 

Grilled Snake River Farms cote de boeuf, broccolini fleurettes, lilly bulbs, Hen of the woods mushrooms, garlic sauce – excellent

 

Oregon Rogue River Blue Panna Cotta, House-made granola, Granny Smith Relish

 

Blueberry Sorbet, Crème Fraiche panna Cotta, Crispy Quinoa

 

 Coffee and doughnuts, as good as ever.

 

I don’t have a clue

What a wonderful meal. A tasting menu should have an integral integrity, a symphony of sorts. We all love different composers so obviously there are different strokes for different folks. But Corey Lee does know our tune so well, that it is a supreme privilege to have a French laundry Corey Lee meal.

 

 

 

French Laundry – Dec 2007

Corey Lee is definitely running the FL kitchen. He has changed the extended tasting menu that he does for us. He no longer wants to do one prep for John and one for me. (We discussed this after service) He feels that he would rather do the same preparation for both of us so that we can be more focused on a particular dish. I see his point. Sometimes we get so caught up in passing back and forth that we lose sight of what we are actually eating. 

During dinner, John and I discussed the evolution of FL. Thomas was obviously always in the kitchen at the beginning. It wasn’t until Thomas’s empire expanded and Thomas spent less time in the kitchen that the French Laundry’s significant alumni put their own stamp on the cuisine. Ron Siegal, Jonathan Benno and Grant Achatz more or less executed Thomas’s dishes. With Eric Ziebold and now with Corey Lee you definitely feel his personal stamp on the cuisine. 

First Dinner:

Gougeres

Salmon Cornets

Santa Barbara Uni with Granny Smith Apple Granite, Persian Lime and a touch of fleur de sel – Corey knows that if I don’t get an uni dish, I am a very unhappy camper. The star of the dish was of course the uni with the granite and salt adding a sub note. 

Oysters and Pearls – always perfect

Monkfish Liver glazed with turnip cream, Satsuma Mandarin, Watercress, Watercress puree – this was just wonderful – the turnip cream was like a custard and enrobed the monkfish liver – unusual and delicious.

Grilled Kahala Belly, (Hawaiian yellowtail) Mizuna, tiny balls of Granny Smith Apple, Kohlrabi, Mustard Seed Vinaigrette – again Corey knows my love of fish canapés. The combination of the kahala, the apples, the shaved Kohlrabi was wondrous. Also when we are passing back and forth, we normally get only one or two bites; as we were getting a ‘full” course, it was much more substantial.

Mushroom Royale – basically a custard with eggs, cream, Matsutake mushrooms and a chicken stock bouillon with scallions and aromatics – rich and delicious.

Sweetbreads with truffle foam, cardoons and White Truffles shaved tableside. The supplement for the white truffles was $150 per person. This was the only real loser of the night. The truffles were completely tasteless and instead of enhancing the sweetbreads, they detracted. To FL’s credit, they deleted the $300 extra charge for the truffles.

Japanese Giant Fin Squid, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Globe Artichokes, Diced Serrano Ham, Piquillo Pepper and Barigole sauce – Back on tract and the dish had a definite nod to Spain. I loved the combination of the squid with the ham.

Lightly Poached Japanese Sea Eel, Small balls of Asian Pears, Perilla, Kabocha Squash Puree

Akita Komachi Rice with Pork Belly, Tamari, Ginger – Probably a first timer at FL would be horrified by this dish – a bowl of rice with pork belly – more or less a glorified fried rice in an expensive tasting menu. I loved it!!! This is when Corey knows that he can take chances with us – he knows this is not the once in a lifetime experience for us so he can play.

Butter Poached Lobster, Sunchoke Puree, Cippolini. Onion, Hazelnut/Coffee sauce – the star in this course was the hazelnut/coffee sauce.

Wagyu with Celery Root Puree, Ribbons of Fuyu Persimmon and Horseradish – a very, very generous piece of Wagyu that matched perfectly with the Fuyu.

Bravo Farms Silver Mountain Cheese with Cornbread and Honey Jalapeno – I have never been a big fan of the cheese course at FL.

We decided to forgo the dessert parade and John had his requisite doughnuts.

Second Dinner

Gougeres

Salmon Cornets

Musque de Provence with uni sabayon and black truffle coulis. This was served in a narrow cylindar and was cold on the top and then hot on the bottom – excellent

Sunchoke and applewood smoked bacon enclosed in deep-fried brik topped with Sterling caviar sitting on a bed of sunchoke puree – absolutely delicious

Kanpachi (yellowjack) sashimi with Satsuma, Young Arugula and dots of 100 year old balsamic – perfect fish

Cod Milt (cod sperm) Brandade topped with toasted brioche crumbs – this was marvelous in taste as well as texture

Cured Salmon Roe, Cucumber Foam and Gold Leaf - 

Saute of Scottish Langoustine, Yukon Gold Potato Puree, Shaved White truffles (no supplement – done in the kitchen) – the truffles worked better with the langoustine than the sweetbreads, but still the quality was iffy. I think white truffles of this quality work better with pasta or risotto.

The next couple of dishes is why I love FL – Urasawa a la Corey. 

Sashimi of Spanish Mackerel, Saute of Cauliflower florets, Haas Avocado Espelette Pepper sauce, Smoked Paprika. The Espelette sauce was superb and “made” the sauce. 

Squid, Tokyo turnips, Baby Shiso, Umebushi – perfect

Savoy Cabbage Gratin with Compressed Asian pears, Yuzu and topped with Uni – I adore uni and the combination of the gratin with the uni was novel and extraordinary.

Lightly Fried Eel, Valley Oak Acorn Flan, Fuyu Persimmon, Black Truffle sauce – yippee course

Grilled Tuna Amandine with 1/8 inch dice of carrots, Celery, Belgian endive, Yuzu

Lobster Knuckle, with small carrot balls in a béarnaise custard made with lobster consommé – this was one of the best lobster dishes I have ever had at FL – small pieces of lobster in a béarnaise custard was just decadent

Air-cured Wagyu, Chestnuts, Asian pear, Nicoise, olive oil, Arugula

Buttermilk Fried Quail, FL biscuits, Coleslaw, Wildflower Honey, Dice of Sweet peppers – When Corey went to Tennnesse, he fell in love with Southern food

Crispy Kurobota Pork belly, Cippolini Onions, Globe Artichokes, Caraway and Mustard seed sauce

Brin d’Amour (sheep’s milk) Cheese with toasted pine nuts, crispy eggplant and olive puree

We did have some desserts but no notes and no memory.

Two excellent meals with only one huge loser – the sweetbreads and white truffle dish.

French Laundry

I have pages and pages of notes from my FL meals. There is no way that I can repeat them all here. Obviously, this is a very special restaurant for us. We feel very privileged to have been a part of FL’s history and evolution over the years.

Two write-ups will hopefully give you a sense of time and place at FL.

The tenth anniversary of the French Laundry was a 6 day celebration. Festivities started on Tuesday with a party honoring the Schmidts, former owners of “the laundry”.   The next 4 days were invitation only 12 course prix fixe meals.   Saturday was reserved for the “ultimate surprise” anniversary dinner for family, special friends, and long time guests of The French Laundry.  

This sequence led us to say, “God created heaven and earth in 6 days and rested on the 7th.  Thomas Keller created and groomed The French Laundry over 10 years and celebrated for 6 days. He didn’t rest on the 7th as there was a staff only picnic on Sunday at a winery with all past and present members of the FL family. On the 8th day, Thomas cooked to a full house. (Details on that meal to follow.)

Thomas believed that Saturday would be a re-run of the previous meals and was leisurely taking a shower around 10 am. His Dad interrupted him with the dreaded words “there is no electricity in the kitchen.” Thomas couldn’t believe it. First the fire at Per Se and now after a $ 2 million remodel of FL, no electricity.

He hurriedly dressed and went to investigate. He was astonished to see a kitchen packed with his former and current sous chefs… Grant Achatz, Ron Siegel, Jonathan Benno, Eric Ziebold, Matthew Walsh, Stephen Durfee to name a few.

Laura had arranged for each of them to cook one course of the special anniversary meal on Saturday. Thomas didn’t have a clue what would be served, although he would expedite. The fascinating aspect of this menu was that each chef made a dish reflecting his personal cuisine rather than making it like the Thomas Keller dish that inspired it—quite a treat for regular FL diners.

At 7:00 64 people met in the garden for passed appetizers and champagne. The guest list was an eclectic group of significant people in Thomas’ life– loyal customers, press friends, family and literary associates. The one thing we had in common was our love of good food and wine and our appreciation for what Thomas had accomplished.

A number of former front of the house staff had also come back for a “one night stand” to work once again as a part of the FL service team.

Appetizers included the salmon cornets, a small baguette of tomato marmalade topped by proscuitto, gougeres and the most amazing foie sickle or think foie tootsie pop– A ball of foie had been tempuraed and mounted on a stick. You then dipped your pop into a port reduction sauce. Even though, I knew a lot of food would be served, I just couldn’t resist having 4 of those foie pops.

The FL had been rearranged with round tables, each seating 8.

First Course – Doug Psaltis and Thomas Keller

Oysters and Pearls – Absolutely no need for me to describe this dish. One person at our table summed up this dish – no matter how many times  you have eaten this dish, it is always a perfect taste sensation..

Second course and Third Course – Both were prepared by Grant Achatz – 1996-98, 1999-2001 (Grant is now at Alinea, Chicago)

Rock Shrimp “Tempura” with Santa Rosa Plum, Preserved Meyer Lemon and Tahitian Vanilla FragranceOne This was one of Trio’s signature dishes. Grant had brought with him the special holder for the shrimp. A single shrimp was cooked tempura style and speared on a vanilla bean. The Santa Rosa plum and Meyer Lemon were incorporated  into the batter. The shrimp was delicious.

Black Truffle “Explosion” Broccoli Puree, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Parmigiano-Reggiano

The soup spoon sat on a small mound of broccoli puree and we were instructed to be sure and dip the spoon in the puree when tasting the “explosion. “ The mouth feel really does explode “truffle” in your mouth. The truffle slice on top of the “explosion” actually had very little truffle taste.

Fourth Course – Summer Potato “Salad” “Barbeque” Vinaigrette and Pickled Celery “Ribs” – Mark Hopper, 1996 – 2003 (now at Bouchon, Vegas)

To the left on the plate was a small mound of the vinaigrette, the secret ingredient being coca-cola. To the right was a slice of fingerling potato. At the top was a salad of tiny diced potato confit mixed with the pickled celery ribs –  The taste sensation was a haute cuisine version of potato salad for the typical Fourth of July picnic.

Fifth Course – “Sashimi” of Blue-Fin Toro, Geoduck Clam “Ceviche”, Cucumber Gelee and “Ama Hito” Sea Salt – Ron Siegel, 1994-1996 (now at Ritz San Francisco)

This was superb. A large triangle shape slice of toro topped by vivid bright green cucumber gelee and on top a small mound of diced marinated geoduck. The toro was the finest quality and this is when the whole equals more than the sum of the parts.

Sixth Course – Butter Poached Maine Lobster Tail, Sweet Cherry Tomatoes, “Crispy Fleur De Courgette” and “Pistou” – Jonathan Benno – 1995-1996, 2001-2003 (now at Per Se) and Joshua Schwartz, 1995-1998 (now private dining chef, Per Se)

Actually Eric Ziebold should also be credited with this dish as, according to Thomas’ father, he got stuck prepping the 90 lobsters.

The lobster was cooked to perfection which is quite a feat considering that 64 people were being served. The accompaniments were a nice component and in particular the crispy cauliflower a nice texture, taste contrast.

Seventh Course – Sauteed Moulard Foie Gras with a “Pave” of Pickled watermelon, Upland Cress and Tellicherry Pepper Gastrique – Gregory Short, 1996-2002 (Now at Masa SF)

The watermelon wedge to the right of the foie was a surprising but thoroughly enjoyable and ingenious taste sensation.

Eighth  Course – “Duck, Duck Goose” Pan Roasted Liberty Valley Duck Breast, crispy Duck “Rillettes”, Royal Blenheim Apricots, Cipollini Onions and Goose “Consomme” – Jeffrey Cerciello, 1995-1998 (Now at Bouchon, Yountville)

A 3/4 inch slice of rare duck breast was to the left of the plate. Just below were the apricot/cippollini onion mixture, to the right were the rillettes.. The server then poured a small amount of intense goose consommé on the plate. This was an excellent dish and the duck was packed with flavor.

Ninth Course – Grilled Snake River Farms “Calotte” of Prime Beef Served with caramelized Garlic, Baby Leeks, Crispy Shiiitake Mushrooms, and Bordelaise Vinaigrette – Eric Ziebold – 1996-2004 (now at City Zen, DC)

This was perfect – the sauce was spectacular. It was actually a broken bordelaise which was achieved by adding droplets of beef fat to the sauce.. The meat was of the best quality and served rare.

Tenth Course

“Roquefort”, Bing Cherry “Compote”, Garden Herb salad and Thyme-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Matthew Walsh – 1998-2001

Eleventh Course

Berry Treasure Farm Strawberry Sorbet with a “Madeline Au Citron Et Aux Fruits D’Ete”, “Balsamico Bianco Gelee” and Kendall Farm “Crème Fraiche”- Sebastien Rouxel – 1999-2004 (now pastry chef at Per Se)

At this point we were also on our eleventh wine and these were not pours – your glass was constantly re-filled. My notes look like scrawls done by a 5 year old – basically illegible.

Twelfth Course –

“Coffee and Doughnuts” Cinnamon Sugared Doughnuts with cappuccino “Semi-Freddo” – Francisco Migoya, 2004 (now CIA instructor, Hyde Park)

FL’s signature dessert, executed perfectly.

Thirteenth Course –

“Theoboma” Slow Baked mousse of Stone-Ground Chocolate and Fragrant Spice, “Dulce de Leche” and Rum raisins – Stephen Durfee – 1994-2000 (now instructor at CIA Hyde Park)

This was a tour de force by Stephen…he actually made his own chocolate from cocoa beans…he must have worked hundreds of hours on the dish.  It was absolutely heavenly—light, but solid, full bodied but not over-whelming, the flavor lingered , the Port wine served to accent the chocolate flavor…I don’t imagine anyone  will have this dish soon again…the ingredients alone would make it a $ 50-100 dessert…is it worth it, yes…a resounding yes!!!  Bravo Stephen.

Mignardise and Coffee

 

This second write-up was a response to a Chowhound poster who said their meal at FL had not one memorable dish. As a response, I wrote the following:

I have been eating at the FL, almost since they opened. Not only can I remember almost every dish I have had, I also have the taste memory as well. These are just some of the stand-out dishes between 2002 and 2006. Believe me when I say this is an extremely edited list of what I have eaten there in those 4 years.

1. Oysters and Pearls – “Sabayon” of pearl tapioca with malpeque oysters and osetra caviar


2. Cauliflower panna cotta topped with osetra caviar


3. Atlantic Salmon chop with russet potato gnocchi 


4. White truffle custard with ragout of Perigord truffles with veal stock presented in a hallowed out egg


5. Coddled hen egg with perigord truffle beurre noisette and brioche soldiers


6. Turbot collar with fennel and Meyer lemon beurre blanc 


7. Seafood bouillabaisse over a puree of potatoes with olive oil. 


8. “Beets and Leeks” – sweet butter poached Maine lobster with melted green leeks, “pomme maxim” and red beet essence


9. “Pithivier of Cloverdale Farms rabbit (confit of rabbit) with wilted Arrowleaf spinach and Brooks cherries and a cherry sauce reduction


10. Foie Gras au torchon” with green gage plum marmalade and toasted brioche


11. Terrine of Moulard duck foie gras studded with truffles served with frisee salad 


12. House made tagliatelle with black truffles


13. Carnaroli risotto with black truffles


14. Whole roasted Moulard duck foie gras with spiced bread crumbs, slices of Bosc pears and clove gastric. 


15, Russet potato gnocchi, roasted chestnuts, white truffle butter and shaved white truffles from Alba. 


16. “Canard a L’Orange” Whole roasted moulard duck foie gras with orange braised duck leg and confit of navel orange. The foie gras looked liked a petit filet, about 2 x 2 x 2 and was cooked with a slight crunch on the outside, but moist and rare inside.


17. Grilled “Calotte” and poached rib-eye of prime beef, “tortelloni” of roasted root vegetables and oxtail consomme


18. Sashimi of Kona Kahala (amberjack) with Hass Avocado Sorbet and Crème Fraiche scented with lime and to the right a salad of Micro-Cilantro shoots and Ribbons of Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Farm. 


19. Shrimp with White Truffle Foam, Truffle Slices and Potato Puree as the base. 


20. Black Bass Shabu Shabu with scallions, pickled ginger, Bonito broth. 


21.Uni Risotto with Black Truffles


22. Uni Sabayon with Chives


23. Maltese Tuna Poached in Olive Oil, Herb Spatzle, Savoy Cabbage, Sauce Goulash. 


24.Australian Wagyu Beef tartare on Koshikari rice, Baby Bok Choy, Chestnut Mousse, Tamari Glaze


25. Pecorino and some other cheese (I think our waiter said foglia de noche) Gratin, Serrano Ham, Cardoons


26. White Truffle Float with white truffle ice cream on the bottom and white truffle foam on top


27. Pistachio butter with White Sturgeon Caviar and Small Brioche croutons


28. Tempura of Rock Shrimp on a bed of Kahala tartar with chives and red radish.


29. Kurobuta Pork Belly with Koshikari rice and Jidori Hen Egg


30. Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi with White Truffles shaved tableside


31. Bacon-wrapped Partridge with Brussel Sprouts, Foie Gras Beignet, Tokyo Turnips


32. Uni soup over small Parisian balls of Crimson gold apples


33. Truffle-cured scallop 


34. Confit of Columbia River Sturgeon, green grapes, beurre blanc, white sturgeon caviar


35. Monterey Bay Sardine, crusted with brioche, ragu of cauliflower florets, piquillo peppers, FL house-made chorizo, watercress puree


36. A “pavé” of Spanish mackerel, cured and grilled, Koshikari rice, compressed Asian pear, nori gastric


37. Soft poached hen egg, with French green lentils, chives, chervil and sherry vinegar


38. FL Lobster Roll – The roll was actually pain perdue, FL 1000 island dressing was a tomato-based sauce made with olive oil and egg yolk. Also in the roll was a layer of tomato marmalade and celery


39. Kurobata Pork belly with bok choy leaves, daikon, corn and tamarind jus


40. Uni panna cotta with green orange gelee


41. Russet Potato Gnocchi with cured salmon roe and tomato marmalade


42. Cap of the rib eye (Snake River), golden sweet corn, chanterelles, celery root puree, perigordine sauce


43. Poached Black bass with Red Wine Reduction sauce, Potato Millefeuille, Spring Onion, Grilled Baby Leeks


44. Toro with lemon sauce, Quenelle of Piperade, Roasted Sunflower Blossoms, Toasted Sunflower seeds


45. “Peas and Carrots” Maine Lobster Pancakes (crepe) with pea shoot salad and Ginger-carrot Emulsion


46. Sauteed Moulard Foie Gras with mulberries, Tokyo Turnips, Saucing of Mulberries and Red Wine Vinegar Reduction. This was accompanied by a poppy seed Genoise done with duck fat


47. Four Story Hills farm Poularde with Mousseline of chorizo, Piquillo, Golden Sweet Corn, sage-scented jus


48. Madeleine genoise, Pistachio nougatine, Blackberry spoon tency.


49. Santa Barbara Uni with Granny Smith Apple Gelee topped with Caspian Sea Russian Sevruga caviar and baby squash blossoms


50. Kanpachi belly that had been cold-smoked with Applewood Bacon. As the lid was lifted from the dish, smoky white “bacon clouds” floated in the air.


51. Mackerel with Ginger Gastric on a bed of steamed rice served with chopsticks


52. Omelet stuffed with Italian Castelmagno cheese with truffle Perigordine sauce. Thick slices of brioche are served on the side. 


53. Striped Bass Shank, roasted on the bone with razor clams, a cassoulet of beans with nicoise olive puree fennel


54. Devil’s Gulch Ranch Rabbit Sirloin wrapped in applewood smoked bacon, chanterelles and golden corn pudding. 


55. Butternut Squash Soup served over Glazed Chestnuts 


56. Grilled Nova Scotia Bluefin Tuna, Beech Mushrooms “a la Greque”, Baby Arugula and Meyer Lemon 


57. Brandade with Sweet Garlic Infused Cream, Crispy Spanish Capers, and Parsley Oil


58. Mascarpone-Enriched K&J Orchard Chestnut “Agnolotti’ with Black Truffles 


59. Grilled Dover Sole with Marinated Cauliflower Florets, Raisins, Almonds, Madras Curry 


60. Potato “Dauphinoise” with Russian Sevruga Caviar


61. Monterey Bay Sardine “En Brioche”, Piquillo Pepper and Spanish Caper Emulsion


62. Brook Trout Roe served with salt smoked with cherry wood and grated bonito 


63.”Cheese and Crackers” — Four Story Hills Farm Berkshire Pork “Fromage de Tete” and Fennel Seed Crackers – The head cheese was not served as a terrine. Instead it was finely diced and you were to scoop up the dice and place it on your fennel cracker 


64. Grilled “Pave” of Spanish Bluefin Tuna, Ginger Glazed Baby Bok Choy, Hon Shimeji and Beech Mushrooms and Green Orange “Aigre-Doux – It had been poached in olive oil (confit) and tasted like the best toro. The bok choy had been cooked sous vide and then butter added. The aigre-doux was a mixture of glucose sugar, champagne vinegar and navel orange. 


65. Glazed Wolfe Ranch White Quail, Caramelized Fennel Bulb and “Pruneau d’Agen” -The quail was wrapped around a foie gras mousse, but it was the poached prune and the foie gras emulsion that elevated this dish to a 4 star status. 


66. “Coffee and Doughnuts” – 


67. Santa Barbara Sea Urchin served with a Sake Granite


68. Eggs “Perigourdine” – Poached “Arcuna” Hen Egg with “Thomas” English Muffin, Sauce Hollandaise and Black “Perigord” 


69. “Fricassee” of Maine Lobster “Mitts”, Sweet Corn Pudding, Applewood Smoked bacon and Shaved Summer Truffles 


70. Sea of Cortez Scallops, Beet Vinaigrette, Melted King Richard Leeks, Poppy Seed Tuile 


71. Dungeness Crab Gratin with Melted Leeks with Meyer Lemon 


72. Duck Neck with Perigord Truffles, Foie gras, Sweet Carrots with a bit of 100 year old Balsamic Vinegar – Think of a round 3 inch circle studded with small 1⁄4” dice of foie gras and black truffles 


73. Poularde with Port Wine Reduction, Toasted Brioche “smeared” with the poularde liver which had been sautéed with thyme, shallots and garlic


74. A Toad in the Hole – As the name implies, a hole is made in a 11⁄2 inch round of brioche. In the hole is a lightly coddled hen egg set on truffle coulis 


75. Pickled “Deviled” Egg with Perigord Truffle “Pop Tart” – – Egg pickled in truffle juice, sliced horizontally, yolk mashed with crème fraiche and re-stuffed into the white. The “deviled egg” was set on top of truffle gelee and surrounded by a truffle perigord sauce. 


76. Monkfish first presented whole, then plated and served with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Sautéed Arugula with tiny bits of crispy bacon, whole grain mustard sauce made with shellfish stock. 


77. Nature fed Veal with Crispy sweetbreads, Morels, Jacobson Farm carrots, Yukon Gold Potato Millefeuille Layered with Truffles, Thyme infused Veal Jus, Cilantro, Thyme Garnish. 


78. Smoked steelhead roe porridge with Diane Sinclair butter finished with Persian lime Salt and freshly shaved bonito flakes sprinkled on top tableside by our server with chopsticks. dish.


79. Uni with umebashi (plum paste) gastric with breakfast radish, daikon and black salt. 


80. Veal Oscar – Veal Sweetbreads with Sacramento Asparagus and a succulent piece of crab to the side with hollandaise sauce. An absolute winner.


81. Bacon-wrapped sirloin of rabbit, Cassoulet of Spring Pole Beans, Rabbit Jus, Thyme Infused Olive Oil. 


82. Agnolotti with Fava beans, Mascarpone with Black Truffles, shaved tableside


83. Potato Ravioli, Celery, Beurre Monte, Black Truffles Shaved Tableside


84. Salt-packed Branzino, Roasted Artichoke Hearts, Red pepper, Piquillo Pepper Tapenade with Bouillabaise Sauce 


85. Squab breast and squab “drummette” with, sunchoke puree, brussel sprouts, red onions, sauce perigordine 


86. Snake River Farm’s “Calotte de Boeuf Grillee – Beef cap with Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Asparagus, Béarnaise Cheese


87. Thomas’ version of a BLT – Think of a sandwich with first Brioche toast, then a Lettuce/Basil “sort of” puree, White Truffle Slice, Cured Bacon, White Truffle Slice, a touch of the Lettuce/Basil combination, and then Brioche toast. 


88. Scrambled Araucana Hen Eggs, “Mousselline des Tompinambours” (sunchokes) and Iranian Oscetra Caviar 


89. Maine Lobster Tail “cuit sous vide”, Melted Savoy Cabbage, Stew of Winter Chestnuts, Chestnut “Coulis” and Applewood Smoked Bacon “Crisp” 


90. Wolfe Ranch Breast of Squab “Farci aux foie Gras de Canard aux truffle Noir”, Glazed Cipolinni Onions and Butternut Squash.


91. Anson Mills Polenta With Brown Butter/Chicken Stock Sauce with Shaved White Truffles Tableside. 


92. Lobster cooked sous vide with navel orange mousseline topped with a confit of navel orange accompanied by a small herb salad. 


93. Seared eel on apple puree compote, grated daikon and ponzu sauce served with silver-tipped chop sticks. 


94. Sturgeon on a bed of melted leeks with pomme boulangerie and apple cider sauce


95. Confit of foie gras topped with toasted brioche croutons, cipoline onion, fines herbes vinaigrette and a sweet and sour pepper gastric served with 8 different salts. 


96. Roasted Partridge with chestnuts and Perigord truffles. 


97. Roasted Wolfe Ranch White Quail, stuffed with “Musquee de Provence” Pumpkin, “Ris de Veau”, Frisee Lettuce and Curry Balsamic Vinaigrette


98. Marinated Octopus with Tomato water Gelee and shaved dried bonita flakes added tableside..


99. a boneless quail, stuffed with foie, then the quail is”confit it” and preserved whole in a jar. They showed us the jar and the preserved quail/foie, but it was presented sliced with the gelee. 


100. “Toro” of Australian Bluefin Tuna, salad of Japanese sweet rice.


101. “Pork and Beans” – all day braised Eden Farms Berkshire Pork “belly” with a “Cassoulet” of Spring Pole Beans and Whole Grain Mustard Sauce.


102. Pied de cochon farcie aux ris de veau with lentils and a sherry vinaigrette sauce.


103. Needle fish with Walla Walla Shallots, Julienne Carrots and Wasabi Oil. 


104. Sauteed Foie Gras with Transcending Crab-Apple and Wildflower Honey Gastric. 


105. Foie Gras Terrine with Black Truffles and Frisee salad. 


106. Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Saddle with Summer Ratatouille and Crispy Herb-scented Panisse croutons. 


107.Culotte of Beef with beef marrow. 


108. On a Meyer lemon butter sauce, a mound of potato puree and then topped with a postage size piece of thick all-day braised pork belly and finally mounded with a quenelle of caviar. 


109. A duck egg that had been very briefly simmered in water, white removed sitting in an intense reduced almost to glaze black truffle perigord sauce..


110. “Saucisson L’Ail” with a “ragout” of pearl barley and fuji apples, sultana tapenade and a savory-infused olive oil


112. Lyon Cervela with pistachio nuts, lentils and black truffles. Between the casing and the sausage were black truffles as well

 

Now it is 2008 at the FL. Since Corey Lee has now become chef de cuisine at FL, the evolution continues. FL is not a static restaurant and each and every dining experience is an unique adventure.

 

French Laundry

6640 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
Phone: 707.944.2380
http://www.frenchlaundry.com

 

Executive Chef / Owner: Thomas Keller
Chef de Cuisine: Corey Lee
Sommelier: Greg Castells
Pastry Chef: Claire Clark

 

Thomas Keller is one of my favorite chefs and French Laundry is one of my favorite restaurants. We have been eating at the French Laundry almost since they opened. I would guess that I have had over a hundred meals at French Laundry. I never take pictures there as we do get a lot of courses and feel it would disrupt the flow of the meal. We always have 2 meals at FL on our trip up north.
 
FIRST MEAL
 
I never see a menu at FL so all descriptions are verbally given and I have to write very fast, trying to be accurate. Corey Lee, chef de cuisine, was off for our first meal at FL so Devon, the sous chef, was “handling” our meal. Gregory Castells, who is one of the finest sommeliers anywhere, took care of the wine pairing.
 
As always, my husband and I share every course.
 
>> Gougere
 
>> Salmon Cornets
 
SOUP 

1. In the bottom of the bowl were small dice of applewood smoked bacon and Yukon gold potatoes and tarragon. Chanterelle mushroom soup was poured on top.

2. In the bottom of the bowl were small dice of Hosai pears and rosemary. Butternut squash soup was poured on top.

Both soups were delicious.
 
CAVIAR

1. Pork belly, ravigote cream with American White Sturgeon Caviar

2. Oysters and Pearls

Nicolas Fanucci (GM) came to the table and spooned the caviar on each dish – a new type of service. What can anyone say about oysters and pearls – delicious! The ravigote was based on the classic French sauce of a veloute sauce with chives and tarragon. The pork belly was crispy and resembled “bacon.”
 
FISH CANAPE

1. Cold-smoked hamachi, curry wood, pickled garlic

2. Hamachi tartare with young coconut cream and lime

To be honest, I don’t have a clue what I meant by curry wood, but both preparations were excellent with the nod going to the tartare.
 
FISH CANAPE

1. Uni Soufflé with cauliflower florettes, uni tongues, garden mache, winter truffle and truffle vinaigrette

2. Shrimp with almond coating, tarragon, leeks and roasted fennel

3. Caramelized Salmon Roe on an avocado mousse tart (both)

It is well known to the FL that I love uni and the soufflé was perfect. That is not to say that the shrimp was a miss. With dish #3, the roe had a crunch and a sweetness that hinted that it could have been a brulee, but this is a guess on my part. The wine Gregory served was wondrous as it mimicked the oily and fat of the avocado.
 
TRUFFLE

1. White Truffle Custard with a ragout of Perigord Truffles with Veal Stock served in an eggshell.

2. Small dice of tofu, truffle broth and poached quail egg.

The truffle custard is one of my all-time favourite dishes at FL. Sublime as always.

MEAT CANAPE

1. Confit of wagyu with crispy broccolini

2. Wagyu seared tableside, arugula and a sauce of yuzu, horseradish and honey

The seared Wagyu was perfect and definitely the star of the two dishes.
 
SALAD

1. Compressed sweet Asian pears, hazelnut puree, watercress, red beets

2. White asparagus, Serrano ham, garden mache, black truffle coulis

PASTA

1. House made Tagliatelle with black truffles shaved tableside

2. Ricotta “Agnolotti” with Butter Beurre Blanc sauce, black truffles shaved tableside

Both dishes are old favorites. We had a new server and he was surprised to learn that it was me who named the serving dish for the pasta “The Flying Nun Bowl” about 10 years ago. Now everyone refers to the bowl this way.
 
FISH

1. Sautéed red snapper, crispy skin, herbed spatzle, brussel sprouts, pickled red pearl onions, goulash sauce

2. Sautéed John Dory, artichoke, green garlic, nicoise, fines herbes

What is not to like – excellent!
 
LOBSTER

1. “Caesar Salad” – Maine Lobster Tail, Braised Romaine, Bottarga Emulsion, Grated Bottarga.

2. Lobster Mitts, carrot puree, new crop fava bean puree, cilantro shoots, pain perdue infused with Madras curry

I am just not a fan of the Caesar Salad lobster, but this is just a matter of personal preference. I loved the lobster with carrot and fava bean purees.
 
We definitely needed a break. We were getting very, very full and we knew we had a foie gras course coming. So as is our custom, we sat in the garden and smelled the fresh night time air of Yountville.
 
GRANITE

1. Sake with confit of cara cara orange

2. Apple, Parisian apples, mint oil

FOIE GRAS

1. Foie Gras terrine with roasted banana, banyul gastric, watercress

2. Foie Gras Torchon with cherry pepper, Oregon Huckleberry sauce

We had requested two cold foie dishes instead of one hot and one cold. As usual, it was served with a decadent, thick slice of toasted brioche.
 
LAMB

Lamb chop with Bluefoot mushrooms and sunchoke coulis, saddle of lamb with bordelaise sauce and pierogi filled with braised lamb with radicchio.
 
In retrospect, we should have skipped the foie gras course as we were definitely stuffed. As a result we begged off cheese and dessert.
 
Conclusion: Given that this had been a marathon week of dining, we spoke to Larry and requested that our next meal at FL focus on fish courses and we would skip lobster and foie gras. Once again, FL knocked my socks off.  The consistency at the restaurant is unfathomable.  It’s a pleasure each and every time.

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SECOND MEAL

For our second meal, the gang was all there (except for Thomas) – Larry, Gregory, Nicolas, Kevin and Corey Lee in the kitchen. Corey had devised a very unique, not at all typical FL meal. Many of the dishes the staff had never seen before. In terms of a culinary experience, it was like a journey to many different parts of the world.
 
>> Gougere
 
>> Cornets
 
SOUP

1. Spring Green garlic soup with bone marrow, panna cotta, escargot, piquillo

2. Savoy cabbage, glazed pork belly, cabbage and clam veloute

Absolutely sensational soups.
 
CAVIAR

This was an utterly over-the-top course. We each got our own jar of Persicus (Iranian Oscetra Caviar), our own plate of blinis and a dish of crème fraiche and chives. The blini plate was refreshed for hot blinis. We did pay a supplement for this – (Larry asked us ahead of time if this was OK).
 
FISH CANAPE

1. Shiro-Ebi (shrimp) with pixie orange, roasted nori, salmon roe and crispy rice

2. Pibales (baby eels) with chorizo, Amando extra virgin olive oil and piquillo

FISH CANAPE 2

1. Santa Barbara Uni with sweet turnip cream and Japanese salted plum jelly

2. Grilled Cuddlefish, cuddlefish jelly and red radish

FISH

1. St. James River Shad Roe, Applewood Smoked Bacon, roasted romaine, pain perdue, bliss maple syrup

2. Mackerel, julienne of pickled carrots and scallion in a bouillon of ginger, bonito, mirin, tamari and kombu
 
FISH 2

1. Kahala, cauliflower, marcona almonds, black truffles, bitter orange and black truffle coulis.

2. Sautéed Abalone with creamy barley, preserved Meyer lemon, broccolini, morels and tomato marmalade

On the skin of the Kahala, Corey had finely diced the black truffles and almonds so that it resembled black and white sesame seeds – a stunning visual trompe d’oeil. The abalone was perfection.
 
MEAT

1. Japanese Wagyu, air-dried Bresaola, hearts of palm, Asian pear and baby mizuna (both)

Delicious, although the seared Wagyu at the table was more fun. However the combination of the bresaola and the rich beef was a match made in heaven.
 
MEAT 2

1. Crispy veal brains, grilled white asparagus from Holland, gribache sauce

2. Glazed veal sweetbreads, green asparagus, 1000 Island Hollandaise sauce

Both dishes were brilliant and the hollandaise to die for.
 
CHEESE

1. Brillant Savarin cheesecake with walnuts

2. Windemere from Vermont and a crepe filled with figs, balsamic vinegar

SORBET

1. Cara cara orange, vanilla panna cotta, honey tuile

2. Mango sorbet, angel food cake, sweet Chilean lime mango sauce

DESSERT

1. Baked Alaska – Swiss Meringue, Coconut Ice Cream, Persian Lime

2. Pound Cake and Compressed Golden Pineapple

Conclusion: This was an amazing meal. Although it wasn’t as extensive as our first meal, it was beautifully orchestrated. I actually have a better taste memory of this meal than the first one. There wasn’t one miss-step, a meal as close to perfection as I have had at the FL.

Although I don’t take pictures at FL, I do take pictures at Thomas Keller’s other restaurants – Bouchon, Ad Hoc and Per Se.