French Laundry Restaurant

http://aswelikeit.vox.com/
Cuisine=*(0-20) Ambiance=!(0-5) Price=$(Simple-Full)
Approximate Price per person excluding tax, beverage + tip=$. Simple=appetizer + main course; full= best available multi-course meal.

As We Like It has been serving the gastronomically enlightened community since 1989.

    Wine Country- Yountville

    The French Laundry *(20) !(5) $(240-300 includes service) 707-944-2380 for reservations taken up to 2 months in advance. www.frenchlaundry.com.  6640 Washington St.  at Creek. Lunch Fri.-Sun.11:30-1:00, Dinner 5:30-9:30 P.M. Nightly.
    This is the essence of what a Michelin 3-star restaurant experience is all about: a place where each patron is treated like royalty and dines and drinks like a king. The hefty charge for dinner includes a plentiful, multi-course meal with lots of choices, so those people searching for a more simple experience should go elsewhere. Service is world class, beginning with their telephone personnel, front desk reception and pacing throughout the meal.
    One begins with a series of amuse gueules to enhance your appetite. If there are two of you, each will receive a different taste for variety. These will frequently include some of the following: warm cheese gougeres, salmon tartare cornets, small tastes of exquisite soup combinations (perhaps a mushroom-pomegranate base under a squash puree), custard preparations (sometimes with jidori hen egg and/or truffles), white sturgeon caviar variations and an otherworldly Kahala sashimi-type fish preparation whose fresh smoke excites the senses when the transparent cover is lifted. At this point the actual menu courses begin to arrive. Refreshing salads might include Santa Barbara peaches or fennel bulb and satsuma mandarins with arugula leaves and Nicoise olive oil. Delectable oil poached blue fin tuna was served rare with a tomato concassee and delicate greens. Marvelous preparations of perfectly butter-poached Maine lobster tail (caramelized cipollini onions, sunchoke puree, scallion “Emincee”, hazelnuts and coffee-chocolate emulsion) were followed by outstanding foie gras dishes (for a $30.00 supplement, one sautéed just right, the other “au torchon” with meyer lemon relish, Tokyo turnips, watercress and Granny Smith apple puree). Fortunately for us, white truffles were in season to top our carnaroli rice risotto and tagliatelle pasta; these dishes were “to die for”!!! We loved the rich, sensuous courses of: all day-braised Kurobuta pork belly with mustard seed glaze, roasted hearts of romaine lettuce and celery root puree, as well as the rabbit shoulder with exquisite mashed potatoes. Another very special experience was tasting the grilled-rare sirloin of Kuroge beef from Shiga with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, thumbelina carrots, wilted pea tendrils and caramelized garlic sauce (for a $100.00 supplement). At this point in the evening we were so full that we skipped the cheese course and went directly to desserts of a wonderful chocolate soufflé with caramel ice cream and chocolate sauce, as well as a chocolate mousse pavé with pistachio ice cream and sour cherries. Some strong double expressos prepared us for the drive home.
Their wine selection a nd service are world class as well. Corkage is $50.00 if you bring your own bottle. We considered the following to be a perfect wine complement to the food: start with the lovely house Champagne, followed by our own 1992 Remoissenet Montrachet Thenard and a half bottle of 2000 Chateau Palmer (Margaux).
The decor appearance of a converted manor home with delicate linens, wine friendly, elegant Riedel crystal, Bernardaud Limoges china service and Ercuis silver specially designed by Chef Thomas Keller complete the look and feel of elegance.
Even the sound of Christmas carollers singing at the entrance a few days before Xmas was a special treat.