french laundry restaurant in napa valley

French laundry restaurant in napa valley pdf#
French laundry restaurant in napa valley upgrade#

“Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar Second Course ÉLEVAGES PÉRIGORD MOULARD DUCK FOIE GRAS “TERRINE ” We opted to start off with a couple of glasses of Rose Champagne, followed by glasses of bold reds as suggested by the sommelier. Normally when it comes to wine both VP and I tend to have a habit of excess, today was different we both wanted to enjoy the meal. Amuse-bouche Fruit Cornet – A mix of a fruit tartare and red onion crème fraîche Gruyère gougères – Warm cheese puffs piped with Mornay sauce. For example the amuse bouche in all the reviews I had read always began with a salmon tartare cornet, but today we were surprised with a fruit tartare cornet. The menu was just one big hit after another, and came with a few surprises.

French laundry restaurant in napa valley upgrade#

We both decided on the Chef’s Tasting Menu and opted to upgrade the second course to the Foie Gras at a supplement of $30.

French laundry restaurant in napa valley pdf#

Pdf copies of both reviews are available at the bottom. Both menus Taste of Vegetables and Chef’s Tasting Menu were personalised as I happened to mention when reconfirming my booking that it was part of my 30 th birthday celebrations which was a nice touch. We were seated on the first floor of this intimate restaurant and were quickly presented with menu’s. A personalised menu just for our table, was a lovely touch Since the restaurant does not have a bar, we were going to opt to have a glass of wine in the courtyard, but our table was ready and we were led through the blue door through the small reception area with a guestbook, another friendly host and a floral display (no doubt from the gardens!). We then moved on across the road, still over 50 minutes early for our booking, we sat in the garden just outside the infamous blue door and were greeted by the host who checked on our table and handed us an iPad with the wine list. Both VP and I at the infamous blue door at The French Laundry I couldn’t resist a little picture at the sign outside…

I must add no single ingredient is ever repeated throughout the meal, which is impressive on both menu choices. If you opt for the taste of vegetables menu, it is all sourced from the gardens. Aaron Keefer, the culinary gardener/horticulturist looks after the site and it is he source for a majority of the vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers that are used at The French Laundry. The French Laundry for many is a bucket list restaurant, for me it’s been on my list since the age of 25 when I began planning my New York and California trip for my 30 th with a friend – yes I know it is planning in advance but it was all part of a year where the two of us wanted to work our way through a bucket list in food and travel.įast-forward five years, and with life unexpected twists and turns, it turned out to be a trip we wouldn’t be able to encounter together. However, a fellow foodie, whisky, travel and wine lover Dr Vish Patel (VP), was coerced by the promise of red wines and Chef Thomas Keller’s reputation at The French Laundry.īoth VP and I arrived to the restaurant quite early, we spent some exploring the open, French Laundry gardens across the road from the restaurant.

Overview/history lesson over now a little background from me…. In order to do the restaurant justice, I’ll leave keep the review brief and let you admire the many pictures from the evening. Chef Thomas Keller purchased the restaurant in 1994 and it’s gone from strength to strength since including gaining 3 Michelin Stars and being crowned The World’s Best Restaurant 2 year’s running. Welcome to my French Laundry Review, I’ll start off with boring you with a bit of history in one of America’s star restaurants. The French Laundry started off as a saloon in the early 1900’s followed by a transformation to a residence, followed by operating as a French steam laundry (hence the name) from the 1920’s up until 1978, when the Mayor of Yountville CA converted it into a restaurant.