French Laundry, Yountville
Triumph! After two years of relentless re-dialing to make a reservation at the French Laundry (promptly at 10am, two months in advance to the day), I finally succceeded.
On the day of our reservation, we arrived early and were promptly seated at a quaint table upstairs. As expected, the service and atmosphere were impeccable. No other restaurant that I’ve ever been to even comes close in terms of the staff’s attention to detail, dedication to giving customers the best dining experience, and knowledge of the entire food preparation process. The restaurant even churns it’s own butter,and grows it’s own herb garden across the street! Additionally, you can expect a bit of "food education" before each course is served. For example, when our cheese course arrived, the server told us in great detail where the cheese came from (origin and species!), what the cheese tastes like, and how it was cultivated!
I’m going to skip the course by course commentary this time and let the menu/pics tell their own story. The 9 course prix fixe menu is $240pp (including service charge). Expect to pay more since you’ll likely order wine and select some courses which may require a supplement. The portions are tiny (1-2 bites only) but the meal includes several amuse bouche items that really highlight some of French Laundry’s best. You will definitely be very stuffed at the end of the meal. I wasn’t impressed with a few of the courses, but my favorites were the "oysters and pearls" sabayon, foie gras ($30 add’l!), grilled pacific octopus, an amazing buttermilk sorbet dessert, and a bottle of Littorai wine. See for yourself!
