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THREE MICHELIN STAR

CHEF THOMAS KELLER | FRENCH FOOD

City: Yountville, CA. 6640 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599

MICHELIN WORTHY | REVIEW | NAPA VALLEY

The French Laundry restaurant in Napa is a place where you come to enjoy a whole weekend with friends, for good food, good wine, right in the middle of wine country. Chef Thomas Keller is the first and only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from the Michelin Guide, and also voted World’s Best Restaurant in 2003 and 2004.

On the year of The French Laundry’s 25th anniversary, they were inducted into the Best of the Best Hall of Fame in 2019. An honor I believe is well earned and well-deserved. Each and every dish served at dinner was perfection. However, the best part for me is always the anticipated and welcomed arrival of the cutest most adorable waffle cone ever. A tiny little waffle cone that’s filled with a scoop of salmon tartare, or what Thomas Keller calls it, the two-bite cone. It just puts a smile on your face. And thus, commences an evening of delight and utter enjoyment, in the middle of beautiful Napa Valley, in which we savor… every… bite.

PHOTOS | THE FRENCH LAUNDRY

The Iconic Blue Door

The color is meant to evoke the original kitchen when The French Laundry first opened as a restaurant in 1978. It was then owned by Sally and Don Schmitt, a couple who ran the restaurant before Keller bought the stone building in 1994. Sally had a blue hood above her stove, which was uncommon since most hoods were stainless steel. When Keller renovated the original kitchen he realized there would be nothing left of Sally Schmitt’s history. So he decided then and there to “paint what was then the kitchen door, which would become the front door, blue in commemoration of Sally’s kitchen,” he wrote. “And now, the blue door that connects us to Sally’s kitchen represents all that is The French Laundry.”

“OYSTERS AND PEARLS”

“Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and Regiis Ova Caviar

*so good… I can just drink a tub of that sabayon

SIGNATURE SALMON CORNETS

The famous French Laundry Salmon Tartare with Sweet Red Onion Créme Fraîche

*who doesn’t smile when handed something that looks like an ice cream cone =)

“SALADE ROUGE”

K&J Orchards Apples, Honer Poached Cranberries, Belgian Endive and Pickled Beet Purée

ALASKAN KING CRAB “À LA PLANCHA”

Toasted Brioche, Garden Romaine Lettuce, Bacon “Émince” and “Sauce Hollandaise”

*absolutely amazing!

“BREAD AND BUTTER”

Bitter Cocoa Laminated Brioche and Diane St. Clair’s Animal Farm Butter

*OMG this was so good… I would give up carbs for a dozen of these

WOLFE RANCH WHITE QUAIL

Compressed Asian Pears, Sicilian Pistachio Purée, Cipollini Onions and “Sauce Périgourdine

“MAC AND CHEESE”

Hand Cut Tagliatelle. Aged Parmesan Reggiano

*I wish I could have super sized this portion, so good

HEARTH ROASTED ELYSIAN FIELDS FARM LAMB

“Pommes au Choucroute, ” Brussels Sprouts, Glazed Turnips and “Sauce Raifort”

CHARCOAL GRILLED JAPANESE WAGYU

“Grilled Cheese” Custard, Wilted Arrowleaf Spinach, Garden Scallions and “Steak Sauce

“GOUGÈRE”

Andante Dairy “Etude” and Périgord Black Winter Truffle “Fondue”

ASSORTMENT OF DESSERTS

Fruit. Ice Cream. Chocolate and Candies

Truffles- hazelnut, salted caramel, pistachio, s’mores, dark chocolate

*perfect way to end our memorable night at The French Laundry. We left feeling oh so very stuffed!

The French Laundry Kitchen

Spotless kitchen runs like clockwork!

French Laundry Stemware

That’s a LOT of stemware. Can’t even imagine how many wine glasses they must go through every evening.

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