This post is extremely difficult to write, and I do it with great sadness. I don’t even remember how long I’ve been waiting to go to The French Laundry 6640 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599, often named as the best restaurant in the United States. It’s pretty difficult to get reservations, which requires constant redialing for 40+ minutes, exactly 2 months to the date you want to go. After that, no change can be made to the reservation. Since we live in NY, I literally planned our flights and travel itinerary around this reservation. If the reservation itself was tangible, I would have carried it around with me in my pocket every day, armed with pepper spray to defend it.
The evening started well. I couldn’t have been in a better mood about my dining companions, Lon (the hubby) Peter (one of my best friends who just moved to California), and Bobby (Lon’s very awesome friend). Four is such a perfect group size, large enough to share more dishes, small enough for good conversation. We took photos in the little garden and got to see the kitchen (surprisingly small, pristine clean) before being seated in the dining room. I was just a tad disappointed in the plain gray room with low ceilings, which sank a little deeper when I saw the second floor dining room (where the bathrooms are) that was brighter with higher ceilings. Decor has never been that important to me though. It’s just an added plus.
Amuse 1
We started with warm gougeres, cheese flavored pate a choux.
Amuse 2
Next, cones filled with creme fraiche and a scoop of salmon tartare. The salmon seemed pretty average.
First Course
“Oysters and Pearls”, a dish I’ve heard about, is their most fantastic dish. The two Island Creak Oysters, the size of small marbles, are the most perfectly clean but briny oysters, that burst a little like soft grapes. The pile of white sturgeon caviar are like juicy sea salt drops that swim through the creamy puddle of sabayon that the soft tapioca adds more texture to. All the spherical shapes roll about on your tongue softly until they just melt away.
Bread 1
A very nice brioche-like bread was served with two butters, one from Vermont and one local (CA). Neither really impressed me. (Blue Hill had the best butter.) I was also surprised that they were not brought to room temperature so they were difficult to spread.
Second Course
Here, we had a choice of Fennel Salad or Moularde Duck Foie Gras ($30 supplement). We got two of each and shared. The fennel was limp and boring and I didn’t taste the Earl Grey gastrique. The hazelnuts, pears, and flowers didn’t help much.
The foie gras was ultra smooth, but really didn’t taste like much, which really disappointed me because of the extra cost. The almond “genoise” underneath with huckleberries on top made it look like a dessert, a beautiful presentation, but it ended there. The Tokyo turnips and marcona almonds were both delicious individually, but didn’t add anything to the foie gras.
It was served with a trio of salts, which you needed to bring out any flavor at all.
Third Course
There was three choices so we shared again. The Sauteed Filet of Hawaiian Moi was nice, but not memorable. Again, the accompaniments were all perfect and fresh, but I would not have remembered what was there had they not given me a printed menu on our way out. (In case you’re curious, it was edamame, breakfast radish, jingle bell peppers, and meyer lemon condiment.
The Japanese Octopus was pretty standard octopus with some vegetables. Again, nothing stood out. It was actually under-seasoned so the bites with nicoise olives were better bites.
The Grilled Pave of Japanese Toro sits on charred scallions, navel oranges, and Akita Komachi rice, in a shallow pool of Matsutake Mushroom Bouillon. It’s a light Asian inspired dish but isn’t worth the extra $45. (Go get a piece of fatty tuna cheek at Sushi Yasuda!)
Bread 2
Your choice of ciabatta, sourdough, whole Grain, or baguette, all fresh and crusty but no favorites.
Fourth Course
The Sweet Butter-Poached Maine Lobster “Mitts” are the most perfect bites of lobster ever, such densely packed parcels of meat, tender and juicy, a little flaky. It’s topped with a bacon chip and served with a salad, a nice country farm feel. Our only complaint is that the pickled pearl onions are the perfect touch of acid but there wasn’t enough to be eaten with each bite.
By now, I had gone to the bathroom twice I think. When I came back my napkin was gone. It seems their practice is to take napkins away when people get up and bring a new folded one back. This time, I guess they forgot to bring one back.
Fifth Course
Here a choice between two for poultry. I preferred the Four Story Hill Farm “Poularde”. Never mind the carrots and spinach, which are more for looks. This milk fed chicken is so juicy for white meat, with even texture and density throughout the thick piece.
The Rouelle de Tete de Cochon, hog’s head, is presented here as a fried disc with baby corn and ranch dressing. It was as good as any fried pig part is but nothing beyond that. Well, it wasn’t oily, but I was really more taken by the teany toy box tomatoes, with all the flavor of a big tomato packed into 1/4″ sphere.
You know, I can’t be sure, but Bobby and I felt like we weren’t really being cared for by the staff, possibly because only he was ordering wine. Pete and Lon were driving and I just wasn’t feeling like it. It’s not a nice feeling to have when you’re paying this much (and getting some supplementally priced dishes).
Sixth Course
I’ve had Elysian Fields Farm Lamb before. It’s very tasty lamb and the rib-eye here was cooked perfectly. Again, I don’t remember the accompanying flavors at all here and can only tell you from reading the menu: sunchokes, beets, arugula and sauce aux pignongs de pin.
Bread 3
Slices of bread are brought for the cheese course. I liked the loaded currant one which went nicely with the cheese. The others were average.
Seventh Course
I like that there is a cheese course but Comte seems like such an average choice. It’s served with a mission fig pop tart and celery.
Eighth Course
I was appalled when the Honeydew Melon Sorbet was served while Pete was in the restroom. I have never been served at a fine dining restaurant while someone was not at the table. To top it off, this dish was melting as we all waited.
The cold honeydew and compressed watermelon was very refreshing and the basil oil and seeds went surprisingly well with the fruits, giving even more summer feel. This was the first dish where I felt any flavor synergy.
Ninth Course
Two of us got the Gateau Saint Nizier au Manjari. It sounds fancy but it was just average chocolate cake squares with mango chili relish that didn’t really go with it. The coconut milk sorbet and lime foam didn’t do much for us either.
Two of us got the Lemon Verbena Vacherin. None of us tasted any telicherry in the panna cotta, but all of us enjoyed the very strawberry consomme, brightened with lemon sherbert.
Mignardises
Pete and Bobby both had double shot espressos with the mignardises. We all loved the macadamia nuts with a faint cocoa scent and flavor.
The rest was brought in what I think is a glass rimmer tray, but there was only one of each. They did bring more when Lon asked for it but it feels awkward to have to ask for more of these.
By the end of the meal, Lon was pretty angry, but I was just sad. I thought about whether my expectations were just set so high they couldn’t be met. It’s possible, but there were definite misses here. This is the top restaurant in the US with three Michelin stars. Shouldn’t it be flawless? Lon and I enjoyed the meal at Daniel so much more and Pete enjoyed a meal at Le Bernardin a lot more. Bobby didn’t feel like the meal met expectations. At The French Laundry, everything is cooked perfectly, looks beautiful, and they use the best ingredients. BUT, nothing is really exciting. The flavors don’t leap and I won’t remember any of this meal in just a week or so. Unfortunately, I will remember that I didn’t feel wanted there, and that I didn’t get the experience I dreamed of for $671 (just me and Lon, no alcohol).
Oh, I’m so sorry about your experience. Yes, it must have been terribly sad, considering all the effort you must have made to get reservations and fly out there. I know French Laundry and Per Se is supposed to be known for stellar service, but I kind of know what you’re talking about as my husband and I were a bit rushed out when we had dinner at Per Se (we were there for less than 2.5 hours). So I guess that stuff can happen even in the most reputable of establishments.
Wow, I was so looking forward to this review. What an expensive disappointment!
heard someone say no such thing as an expensive GOOD meal only an expensive BAD one..it didn’t seem like you had a bad meal..but too bad the service didn’t make it a great one.
Miss Needle, 2.5 hours is ridiculous! Really outrageous! I forgot to mention that we were done in about 3.5 hours, which seemed odd to us, since Manresa and Daniel were all over 4 hours.
MiMi, yea, it does bite.
Ravenous Couple, it wasn’t a bad meal. Actually, I would even say it was very good. But, it just wasn’t as good as it should be for the price, service, and reputation.
Jessica, I’m so sorry to hear that your experience fell short of expectations. It’s been well over a decade since I first dined at the French Laundry, and perhaps it’s gotten too much hype in recent years, but I will always have fond memories of it.
Again, sorry to hear that it fell short, nothing is more disappointing than having an expensive dinner and feeling like you’ve been taken to the cleaners, even if it the feeling was only slight.
love all the food treats.. sorry abt ye terrible experience! 🙁
Have they forgotten that it is of the utmost importance to please you?
I have dreamt of eating there.I even fabricated a little simili-clothespeg~
Now I will stop dreaming.
I must commend you on your photos though..Beautiful and bright and crisp!
Sorry for you..
It’s so similar as when you meet someone you have always thought of the pleasure of meeting and they are not how you thought:(
Yup, I’ve had that happen before…not at FL, but at a VERY NICE place in NYC. So depressing. At first you feel like you are nuts, but then you get a little pissed off right?
By the way, how on earth did you get all those beautiful photos? Did you simply ask them if you could photog all your courses for your site? So curious about that…
Thanks!
Kathy
It’s good to hear your insight. After reading your review I was left in awe. I still want to make a trip to French Laundry for the experience, and just like you, I have high expectations. I wouldn’t have thought that a restaurant with its long history of awards would ever disappoint.
Great post! Thanks for sharing your experience with us…so sad it was a disappointment. I can’t imagine spending that kind of money on a meal that didn’t rock your world. I probably would’ve cried…
Sorry to hear you were disappointed. I’m happy you wrote about it in detail though. I’ll stick to my Bouchon cookbook and continue to delight myself and friends with Thomas Keller’s recipes, although I’m sure they won’t be styled or presented a fraction as well as you saw at the restaurant.
Oh, no! I’m so sorry you had such a disappointing experience! I was really really hoping that French Laundry was better than this! We had a very similar disappointing experience at Thomas Kellar’s per se in New York where pretty much the only dish we liked was oysters and pearls and the service was similarly terrible. Check out my write up when you have time – http://5starfoodie.com/profile.asp?ResID=28&requestPage=/index.asp
Such a shame. Of my friends who have gone there, no one has come away with a “wow”.
Fresh Local and Best, I had heard such great things that I was wondering if it has slipped since.
Monique, your comment made me laugh at the end because it reminded me of this guy I met on some on-line dating site (years ago). ha!
Kathy, I don’t usually ask. I just take the pictures and usually no one stops me. I don’t use flash at nice restaurants.
Lando, I hope you have a better experience. It seems like I’m hearing many good and bad so it might be just chance? That’s not right for such an expensive restaurant though.
Inspired 2 cook, I haven’t cried but I’m a bit depressed about it. I’ve thought about it more than normal I think and I am just really sad. It actually hurts my feelings, odd as that may sound.
Fran, have you been liking everything in the Bouchon cookbook? We liked many things at Bouchon, particularly the fluffer nutter. Is that one in there?
Natasha, wow, I’m shocked, but then not really. Miss Needle wrote in a comment above how she was rushed out in 2.5 hours. I’m even more disappointed now. Before I was just upset that they were not as flawless as they should be, but now after hearing all these other bad stories, I’m really disturbed.
Sorry to hear about your bad experience. It’s unfortunate the food did not meet expectations, but the poor service you received is simply unacceptable.
@Jessica I don’t see the Fluffer Nutter in the book, but wonder if the index shows it as something else, although I don’t see anything close when I leaf through the book. I made the tarte tatin first — not so successful, but I have yet to make a great tarte tatin from anyone’s recipe, even Julia. It’s got to be me. I’ve made a few fish dishes from Bouchon — Excellent! And the onion soup gratinée was amazing. Sure, 5 hours to cook the onions, but so worth it.
As Jessica mentioned, I was (and am not) a happy camper. Relative to the price, reputation, and number of Michelin stars, I must make this perfectly clear to everyone: DO NOT GO TO FRENCH LAUNDRY.
A few other points to add on to what Jessica wrote. French Laundry is a solid hour out of San Fran. It’s not exactly in any special location, it’s just off the highway in Napa, bleh. Although to be fair, probably due to FL, that street has become a hot bed (with Bouchon down the block, and a handful of shops and spas).
The wait staff was not particularly helpful, interesting, exciting, good or bad. They were completely average. There are $5 a plate diner waitresses that are more attentive than some of the wait staff at French Laundry.
At the end of the meal, when I was reeling in anger and wrath at the let down; and then they brought out petit four and there was only one of each, I was shocked (as Jess wrote). However, when I asked for more so that we could all taste them, they brought one more. Now that may seem appropriate, since it’s what I asked for; but I liken it to when I ask for water. If I ask for water, the waiter should take it upon themselves to bring water for the rest of the table. I don’t need to ask for them.
Finally, eating at Daniel (a comparative price / ranking) is a fantasy. Each course is amazing: tasty, beautiful, and a new experience. The restaurant is as beautiful as a restaurant can be (particularly in ugly NYC) and the wait staff are all good looking and extremely talented. Notice how much hyperbole I’m using in the description. No stone is unturned.
For shame French Laundry, for shame.
I’m so sorry your experience wasn’t all it should have been. You do take beautiful photos though!
I cannot imagine being in a place so nice, pulling out a camera and stopping to take photographs. This reads as having the feel of documenting a meal rather than fully being present. This came across as more whiny than disappointment.
Fran, good to know the book has generally been very good. I look forwards to seeing some of your posts on it.
Janet, everyone enjoys things in a different way and taking photos of beautiful food is part of how we enjoy our food. I’ve heard that practically all of Japan enjoys their food the way I do. Since I’ve been photographing every meal for a long time, FL was on the same playing field as any other restaurant, and I’m surprised you read it as whiny. It’s unfortunate (for me) that my writing did not come across the way I wanted it to for some, but I’m working on that every day. Thanks!
Fran, I disagree with you on both your points. Taking pictures of your food and documenting it can be part of the whole experience (most restaurant critics take notes). Since the diner controls the amount of time s/he spends with each dish, they can enjoy the eating after taking pictures and then discuss / write about the experience. Second, how exactly should Jess/Lon document the failings of this restaurant? I think it’s very helpful to see where things went wrong. If it just read “we were disappointed,” I would be disappointed in the review. Actually discussing the good and bad elements of a restaurant meal is a large part of this blog’s mandate.
sorry this didn’t go well. I wrapped my entire NYC trip around Blue Hill like you did FL, except my experiences were.. far superior.
My husband and I have been trying to get some reservations for Valentine’s day on next year. After reading your review, what a disappointment. Our friends went last year and told us that the service was very average and even got mixed up in the order in which the dishes should be served (they got an extra wagyu beef dish as an apology), even though they said the food was very good.
After seeing your review, I’m a little hesitant. You’re right, for this amount of money, the food has to go above and beyond your expectations.
sorry, but i agree with janet. your comments remind me of my nouveau riche sister in law who, with my brother’s money, now eats at the best restaurants in the country and whines about every one of them. and who knows – perhaps the level of service you received was somehow influenced by the utter tackiness of whipping out your camera and taking pictures (we don’t live in japan, so the analogy doesn’t work; also saying that the french laundry was fair game just like every other restaurant is ridiculous. you’ve decided that what you want to do trumps generally accepted decorum and good manners? puh-lease.) and displaying how sad, shocked, disappointed, “reeling in anger and wrath” that you all were. you sound like a bunch of spoiled, immature brats. and yes, i’ve eaten at french laundry, per se, daniel and bouchon, but no, i’m not a thomas keller cheerleader or defending the french laundry in particular. your complaints generally just seem kind of ridiculous (you had to add salt to a dish that was served with 3 different varieties of salt? did it ever cross your mind that the dish was “underseasoned” so that it wouldn’t taste like a salt lick when you added the special salts?) and childish. and now you have all of these people rethinking their potential french laundry dinners… of course, that probably says just as much about your readers as it does about you, but in any case i won’t be back. sorry i wasted my time here after linking from foodgawker.
SinoSoul, did you go to the one in Manhattan or at Stone Barns? We really enjoyed the one at Stone Barns and I’m thinking about going to the one in the city too.
Jackie, before writing this post, I wondered if this was a unique situation but after hearing many other complaints, I feel like the so-so service might be more common than it should be.
Elj, it’s exactly the opposite of being a spoiled brat when you complain about poor service/under-whelming food for the price you have paid, if you work hard for your money. The reason we are upset about it is because Lon and I, and our readers, don’t have sugar daddy’s. It sounds like you have some major pent up issues with your sis-in-law and need to address that elsewhere. I’m sorry if I mis-communicated about the salts. I was not complaining about that, just stating how it was being served. I’m indifferent to that part, but the foie gras was pretty flavorless. Flavorless and under-seasoned are not the same. Again, I’ll disagree about taking pictures and just point out that I was taking pictures from the beginning, and service did not fall off until we decided not to order more alcohol.
Whoaa, Elj, I’m a little confused, Lon and Jess go to a restaurant and spend hundreds of dollars and aren’t allowed to take pictures of their food? They have to sit there like good little robots because of the “utter tackiness” of taking pix. So the servers are justified in ruining their experience instead of politely saying “no pictures please” (if that is their policy)? As far as the review, Lon and Jess have glowed about other restaurants in this price range, so I don’t think they have an agenda other than giving their honest feedback about their experiences. Sometimes a little hyperbole helps spice up the readers’ experience. After eating at Per Se, I have to say this review about the food does not surprise me at all (although I must say the service was amazing).
Well, I love that you take pictures of all these fabulous (or at least supposedly so) places, because I’m a grad student and I’ll likely never be able to eat at most of them! Surely with food blogging being such big business now restaurants are used to people photographing the food? I’ve never photographed food at a restaurant (mostly because none of the places I can afford to go are terribly exciting), but I love taking shots of the food I cook before I serve it – it’s like an extra level of appreciation for me.
And as for the “whiny” element, I don’t know what people are talking about. If I had paid $671 for a meal, you can bet your a** I’d be complaining if that experience wasn’t the damned best thing I’d ever had in my life. Heck, I complain when my steak isn’t done to my request at Outback!
Anyway, keep on photographing and writing – I love it!
Oh, and I do have a friend who ate at FL for her anniversary last year and loved it, but it was pretty much her first “super fine dining” experience, so that could color her opinion. I’m sure I’d be impressed with this meal too, but my tastebuds aren’t exactly educated in the art of fine dining out.
As a reader, I’d be disappointed if you DIDN’T have any pictures to show for a $671 dinner. “You spent $671 on a sub-par dinner and DON’T EVEN HAVE A PICTURE TO SHOW FOR IT!?” Maybe for some people, a picture of a clothespin might have been enough. Simply to make a statement. “I went to French Laundry.” Who cares about THAT!? I feel the same about food blogs as I do about online dating sites – if there are no pictures, then what is the point? BRING ON DA PIX! I want the juicy details!
So thank you Jessica and Lon for taking pics and being straight up honest. It helps give us readers a more accurate presentation (or should I say documentation? haha..) of a restaurant. Oh, and it also lets some us live (eat?) vicariously through you. WHICH IS COMPLETELY AWESOME.
Bill, Megan, Janny, and all of our readers. Thank you for your support.
Megan, I am certain some people have amazing experiences at FL, regardless of their level of “fine dining experience”. Otherwise they could not have the reputation they have. Probably, more often than not, it’s pretty stellar. The post is just an honest representation of our experience and I think the value is in knowing that they are not flawless, so that readers know that they can spend that level of money and possibly not be happy, that there is a risk there. From other comments, it seems like the risk is reasonably high too, so if $671 is a lot of money for you (and it is for us), you might want to think twice before going.
Just a thought…$671 for a dinner of small appetizers that dwarf the plate? I know this is trendy, but pleeeeeeeeze! I’m tired of seeing small samplings “presented” on large serving platters. Cut down on the mini courses and serve a meal. Waiters that are inattentive and water glasses that run dry? Sorry, I find it very hard to patronize and support an establishment like this. Sorry FL, but $671 can be spent at several places with a much better outcome.
Oysters & Pearls gives me goosebumps. That dish alone transports me to another world.
Sorry to hear your French Laundry experience wasn’t all that you had hoped. Such a shame.
Jessica, keep up the great work. I did not find your review “whiny.”
@Megan: food is supposed to be exciting at every price range. I photograph all my food and with flash! The flashes blend in with the other table-side group pictures. And, I don’t see how flash couldn’t be used given that most fine dine establishments are dim at night.
@elj: I call troll.
Per Pelligrino’s World 50 best restaurants, FL has dropped to 12th from 5th last year. This review substantiates the drop in ranking. I wonder if this is a situation where attention to restaurant chain expansion is causing a decrease in quality or lack of ingenuity at the flagship restaurant.
Thanks Will. I will always love hearing when people enjoy reading. =) I am very torn about the flash thing. I don’t want to effect the experience of other diners so I generally don’t use it but I do agree, that when all these restaurants are so poorly lit (to the point where most can barely read the menu), it’s practically begging us to use flash or bring a lamp with you.
Not that I really give much credit to Zagat but FL dropped in the recent one too. =(
Hi Jess,
I’ve a similar disappointing experience at Per Se, NYC in November 09. While I didn’t guard the reservation with my life, I was celebrating my partner’s birthday dinner at Per Se.
I’ve no complaints about the service but the food was a let-down.
A small example will be that our breads were served below room temp.
I was almost thankful that I brought my partner to a wonderful lunch earlier on.
Serene, each time I hear that someone else had a bad experience, I just feel horrible because I know we all spent so much money on it and it is often a special occasion. Where did you have the wonderful lunch?
Hi Jess,
The wonderful lunch I had was at Eleven at Madison. I highly recommend it!!!
Go for lunch and order the beef. You won’t regret it!
Eleven Madison is def on my list. I was there years ago but the chef has changed since so I need to go back.
I would never spend that much money on dinner. Sorry.
So, so true – check out this letter I wrote after my equally disappointing experience at ‘TFL’ http://yallkiltit.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/french-laundry-follow-up-letter-to-chef-keller/
Willie, sorry you had a disappointing experience as well. It is hard to swallow when you spend that much money and do so much planning around it. I agree with one of your other commenters. Your letter was so nice. I hope Chef writes back to you.
I realize I come late after much of the heated debate is over, but I to linked here off foodgawker as well [going backwards through time!]. I want to thank you for the exhaustive work done on this post, it says a lot in the little details more than in the big ones. I think the most telling points were not even the flavors of the dishes, but the unspreadable butter and the missing napkin. I’ve eaten at places that were a fraction of the price that would not be caught dead serving their patrons butter that was chilled past the point absolutely necessary to keep it prettily molded for the table.
It reminds us that sometimes things aren’t what they seem, just because The Guide or The Reviewer says so, and it synchs neatly with some of what happened in a book a recently read by Ruth Reichl [not to plug it]. It’s sort of an eye opener, but it’s made me very careful about which places I go to splurge. If I can, especially, I ask the locals first, so far I have yet to be dissapponted.
Anyone that disagrees with the way you wrote the review seems to misunderstand the meaning of three Michelin stars. “Exceptional cuisine and worth the journey.” If you aren’t completely floored, they did something wrong. These are not people that lack experience with luxury, their opinion should be reliable.
The salts are too cute, though! I want the dish in the foreground.
Hi Meredith, thanks for your comment. No matter how long ago this was written, I will always be happy to read thorough comments.
I know this is quite a difference in time, but We ate at The French Laundry this month and had flown from Arkansas to do so. It was a good dinner, but not great. I could go into detail about the dishes and the hits and misses, but the sentiment is the same as yours.
Ben, that stinks having traveled from Arkansas. =( To better food travels in the future for both of us!