11.23.2009

Our French Laundry Adventure- The ULTIMATE Dining Experience


OUR FRENCH LAUNDRY ADVENTURE

{Welcome to The French Laundry}



{the boys perusing the wine list}
{the eager beavers ready to eat!}
{texans in california}
{mother of pearl caviar spoon with their adorable clothespin logo}
{melt in your mouth cheese puffs- we all agreed that we could eat a bag full}

{I forgot what they called this but it was salmon and some type of cream in a pastry crisp Delish!!}
{the French Laundry's house bread. I wanted to eat a billion of these but I was too embarrassed to ask for more lol}
{"Cauliflower "panna cotta" my first experience with caviar. I'm happy to say that I LOVED it!}
{"Salad of French Laundry Garden Beets"- salad as a culinary art form}
{Sauteed fillet of Hawaiian Moi"- perfectly fried and seasoned with a hint of curry}
{Sweet butter-poached maine lobster mitts}
{I'm not a big pork fan, so I was able to substitute the pork belly dish with parsnip stuffed pasta topped with black truffle shavings- This dish was hands down my FAVORITE. I want to sprinkle truffles on everything I eat from now on!}
{Fricassee of salmon creek farms pork belly- Derek and Vinay's Fave}
{Elysian fields farm lamb rib-eye}
{Abbye de tamie- Potato croquette on a cheese plate with prune puree and burgundy truffle}
{Bartlett pear sorbet}
{Gateua saint Nizier Au Manjari}
Bakewell Almond Tart
{Goodies for the road- Melt in your mouth Shortbread cookies}
{They wouldn't let us leave without a goodie bag}
{Where the magic happens!}

{Best cup of coffee I've ever had}
{Until next time French Laundry!}

Thanks to a silly bet and our dear friend Vinay, all our culinary dreams came true this weekend. In celebration of Vinay becoming a full-fledged attorney, we headed to Thomas Keller's world renowned French Laundry in the heart of the Napa Valley. I'm not one to frequent "shi- shi, snobby, I'm trying too hard" eateries, but French Laundry was nothing short of exceptional. The food was absolutely amazing, and the service was impeccable. I surprisingly felt right at home, no air of snobbiness here, just the highest quality food and service. After three bottles of wine and four hours later, I garnered up the courage to ask our waiter if they did kitchen tours, and shockingly they agreed! The staff was curious as to why I was taking so many pictures, and when I told them about my blog, they went out of their way so I could meet their executive chef. I left weak in the knees and totally blown away by the entire experience. I want to believe that I'll be coming back frequently, but because of the pretty price tag, I think trips to French Laundry will be saved for REALLY special occasions =) That being said, I can't wait to go back again!

15 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness, so yummy! I want to try them all.

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  2. wow it all looks so delicious! i love your pictures!
    have a sweet day,
    justyna

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  3. oh wow... you make me wanna go out and break my diet. Come to think of it, I think I'm going to invite mom for a buffet dinner tonight. yum. =)

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  4. grrrr mel!! i hate how you have the prettiest smile!!! hehehe

    anyway that looks lovely! you guys got dressed up to!!

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  5. The photos show food that is more art than food! How beautifully presented!

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  6. You met the freaking executive chef at the French Laundry?!!! *dies of jealousy* *dies some more*

    OMG OMG OMG This place is totally on my dream list of places to eat.

    *still dying over jealousy of chef meet and dining dream*

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  7. Wow, what a wonderful experience! And everything looked fabulous!!!!

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  8. thanks for sharing your pictures! i <3 truffle...such a unique flavor. why can't thanksgiving dinner look like this? :) glad you had fun love!

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  9. !!!!!
    Exciting!!! French Laundry is on our list. Chez Panisse was our first fancy schmancy restaurant, then Aqua, then Gary Danko, then Manresa, and I think we'll be ready for French Laundry soon. =)
    How far in advance did you have to book the reservation? So jealous! You look like you had so much fun!

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  10. yeahhh! this is my kinda post! love it... the hawaiian moi, the lobster... *drooools* bf and i dont frequent fancy places (cus boy likes to "get his moneys worth in terms of quantity" haha) but i do enjoy the experience when we go!

    p.s - was it just me or was the salmon with the cream a little suggestive looking. its just me isn't it. hahha!

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  11. That sounds like it was an amazing dining experience! I've never had food that fancy - the best my husband and I get when we go out to eat is a hamburger and fries :)

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  12. this looks amazing! and, of course, very classy.

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  13. I've never been here but have heard many a wonderful things about it! I love all the pics you posted and am now going to look for something to eat! I think Mr. Milk and I should go here next time we visit the Bay Area.

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  14. this is amazing!!!! i am hungry just looking at your images lol....

    thank you for your sweet comments. be sure to follow my blog and i will do the same.

    xoxo

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