Teich.Net :: All In

I’ve written about the French Laundry before (visits one and two). This post is now two months overdue and I’ve struggled with what new to say about our lunch in May. While my giddy, over-the-top awe has mellowed over the course of our five meals there (which have included a few dishes that didn’t quite make it into the stratosphere), my general opinion that it offers the best fine dining experience in the US remains unchanged. That said, my compulsion to return as often as possible has waned as the price and familiarity have increased, so with the difficulty of assembling a party of four on 3 days’ notice willing to drop that kind of cash, I nearly took a pass when Chuck offered me a last-minute reservation in May. But, we did manage three people, it was a good time of year for produce, and a nice celebration for the week before starting my new job, so off we went! Rather than rehash the oohs and awes or detract from the memory with a few nitpicks, I offer notes from our latest meal through photos.

Last night was dinner number two at The French Laundry. We had a wonderful meal, though it was a small notch below our first, out-of-this-world experience there in May. I’m already planning our next visit, but will be keeping two new lessons in mind.
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We weren’t sure how to approach our dinner at the French Laundry after all these years. I feared that my preference for la cucina povera and food that grabs my taste buds more than my mind would make even this untarnished institution — consistently ranked one of the best, if not the best restaurant in the world — a disappointment. I had been warned prior to this trip that my entire world view, at least with respect to food, was about to change. I hoped and feared that might be so.

We went in knowing it would be an amazing experience, even if the food didn’t move us. We needn’t have worried: I would trade every prestigious restaurant meal I have ever had for another meal at the French Laundry. It really is that good. Start saving your dollars, or twenties, do whatever it takes to get a reservation, and get yourself to Yountville before anything changes.
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