French Laundry experience, by request

AserAser 2,351 Posts
edited December 2015 in Off Topic (NRR)
oysters & pearlsmoulard duck "foie gras en terrine"tongue & cheek"feuillentine au caramel"santa barbara sea urchinI walked in w/o any expectations to be honest. I knew it would be tasty, but I did not need it to be the perfect meal to make my cipher complete.Service is definitely over the top, the level of synchronization is face melting. I dined w/ a party of 7, every course was presented by 7 waiters who would place our plates on the table simultaneously. This was orchestrated by eye contact with the manager, who stood behind everybody like Joe Torre. He gave the omnipresent nod....In terms of the actual food, the balance of flavours was key. Each ingredient in harmonious marriage w/ one another, yet distinct enough to stand on its own. Nothing overpowered, restraint was shown. My favourites are the braised pork (incredible texture) and the sea urchin (foam to die for).I can go on but I'll leave it at that. Feel free to ask anymore questions.....Also much thanks to the SF/LA folks that demonstrated such warm hospitality, the trip wouldn't have been the same w/o y'all. Kingmoisty, rosshogg, b. cause, wescosia, aspirin, day, are all so swell.I wanted to meet shig just to see how much he reeked of korean bbq, w00000t.
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  Comments


  • dayday 9,611 Posts
     


    Where, may I ask, did the tongue and cheek* come from originally? 





    "I will feed you strange things"*



  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    you sir love putting me on blast

    hah weeeee

  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    w00t

  • Chuck_HussChuck_Huss 145 Posts
    I'd be curious to eat at Per Se in New York and compare. I haven't been to FL since they raised their prices, but the times I have gone were memorable to say the least. That tasting menu destroys any prejudice about fine dinning not being filling, I had to get rolled out of there on a wheel barrow.

    Did you do any wine pairing?

  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    wow, that sea urchin looks unreal. I had sea urchin sushi for the first time a few months ago and it was incredible.

    was "tongue in cheek" the braised pork?

    I love foie gras, but after learning how the duck's liver is enlarged, I was turned off from it.

  • I was just talking to some friends about this place.

    How long ago did you make reservations?

    Did you pay for this or was it part of work. The only people I know who've gone went during the dot com boom when companies were paying for all sorts of things.

  • Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
    I'm fiending for some American Diner.

    Yo A$$-er. In your memory I had "French Countryside" food over the weekend at "La Note" in Berkley=CRAZY DELICIOUS!

  • kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts
    I was just talking to some friends about this place.

    How long ago did you make reservations?

    Did you pay for this or was it part of work. The only people I know who've gone went during the dot com boom when companies were paying for all sorts of things.

    They take rezzies two months to the day before you want to go. Getting said rezzies are notoriously difficult.

  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    chuck - wine pairing for each of the 9 courses, yes we were serious like steady b

    GV - yes, the sea urchin was the freshest I've ever tasted. Nothing worst than eating b grade uni, I avoid ordering it unless I have complete faith in a restaurant. The "tongue & cheek" was the braised pork cheeks, so tender, yet managed to retain great texture (not mushy). Now about foie gras, it is quite cruel but I'm going to quote Bourdain on this one........"if it's slower than me, dumber than me, and tastes reasonably good... pass the salt!".

    tbs - made reservations 2 months ago, and nope I went on my own dime/accord. Extravagant yes, but well worth it. It was one of those things on my "to do before I die" lists.

    moisty - dude, those fries man, I will be thinking about them for a while. I have to step up my fashion game though, I ain't on h$kobo's changing fits on the fly lifestyle as of yet. Let me know what you ate at the Berkeley spot.

    ps: just to give you the level of extravagance at work. The brioche accompanying the foie gras was replaced 2 mins after it was served w/ a hot fresh one. Said temperature drop in those 2 mins would've diminished the dish according to Keller. So over the top.......

  • Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
    Let me know what you ate at the Berkeley spot.

    I basically had gingerbread pancakes with these sauteed pears on top. Along with the this type of bread, kind of like french bread but not really. It also had cinamon swirls innit.

  • kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts

    ps: just to give you the level of extravagance at work. The brioche accompanying the foie gras was replaced 2 mins after it was served w/ a hot fresh one. Said temperature drop in those 2 mins would've diminished the dish according to Keller. So over the top.......

    I ate out Monday night with a woman who worked at Gourmet, and she called TK a 'tyrant'. I love the dude, but I'm glad I don't work for him.

  • goatboygoatboy 371 Posts

    ps: just to give you the level of extravagance at work. The brioche accompanying the foie gras was replaced 2 mins after it was served w/ a hot fresh one. Said temperature drop in those 2 mins would've diminished the dish according to Keller. So over the top.......

    I ate out Monday night with a woman who worked at Gourmet, and she called TK a 'tyrant'. I love the dude, but I'm glad I don't work for him.

    Genius is almost always hard to be around...

    This meal sounds amazing!
    I've been wanting to go for some time.
    I was in NY a year or so ago and tried to get into Per Se (calling well in advance) but it didn't work out.
    I have been to TK's Bouchon in Vegas though and although much simpler fare, it was absolutely delicious.

    That Bourdain quote is hilarious and so typical of what I love about him.

  • kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts

    ps: just to give you the level of extravagance at work. The brioche accompanying the foie gras was replaced 2 mins after it was served w/ a hot fresh one. Said temperature drop in those 2 mins would've diminished the dish according to Keller. So over the top.......

    I ate out Monday night with a woman who worked at Gourmet, and she called TK a 'tyrant'. I love the dude, but I'm glad I don't work for him.

    Genius is almost always hard to be around...

    This meal sounds amazing!
    I've been wanting to go for some time.
    I was in NY a year or so ago and tried to get into Per Se (calling well in advance) but it didn't work out.
    I have been to TK's Bouchon in Vegas though and although much simpler fare, it was absolutely delicious.

    That Bourdain quote is hilarious and so typical of what I love about him.

    I still revere T. Keller, don't get me wrong.

    She also said that Ferran Adria (el bulli) was completely nuts. She had some great chef/magazine dirt.

  • SooksSooks 714 Posts
    thanks! how were the wines?

    also, I may have asked you this already, but I forget - have you been to Eigensinn farm?

  • goatboygoatboy 371 Posts


    She also said that Ferran Adria (el bulli) was completely nuts. She had some great chef/magazine dirt.

    That world sounds so crazy to live in, I'm sure she had some great stories!!

    My wife's aunt does reviews for James Beard and also has a restaraunt show on a local station out of Princeton. She's told us a few interesting adventures. I'd love that job - man she has gotten some great meals!!

  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    Restaurant mag's top 50 list for 2006 just came oot, El Bulli is back on top. From all reports, I've heard he is a serious nut, but you don't become a genius by staying par for course. I think I want to eat at Tetsuya's more than El Bulli though.

    goatboy - a frond went to per se recently and raved, so I'm sure the standards are pretty close to FL. Plus Keller flies between the two locations every month.

    sooks - the wines were incredible, going through the textbook like wine list and picking amongst the suggestions thrown at us was mind boggling. They don't have an official pairing, we were given 2-3 suggestions for each course. You can only imagine the amount of work it took to narrow down pairings for 9 courses. Also, last I heard Eigensinn farms was closed until further notice?

    speaking of food critics, I've been meaning to read this for the longest time...



  • funky16cornersfunky16corners 7,175 Posts
    Restaurant mag's top 50 list for 2006 just came oot, El Bulli is back on top. From all reports, I've heard he is a serious nut, but you don't become a genius by staying par for course. I think I want to eat at Tetsuya's more than El Bulli though.

    goatboy - a frond went to per se recently and raved, so I'm sure the standards are pretty close to FL. Plus Keller flies between the two locations every month.

    sooks - the wines were incredible, going through the textbook like wine list and picking amongst the suggestions thrown at us was mind boggling. They don't have an official pairing, we were given 2-3 suggestions for each course. You can only imagine the amount of work it took to narrow down pairings for 9 courses. Also, ast I heard Eigensinn farms was closed until further notice?

    speaking of food critics, I've been meaning to read this for the longest time...



    I just finished it (right after finishing Jane & Michael Stern's "Two For the Road"). Excellent.

  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    here's a great interview w/ Reichl about the insidious world of comp meals (oh how I dream of this world).

    finally, we were invited to the kitchen post meal. I have never seen such a serene calmness in a commercial kitchen. Talk about a well oiled machine, the place was completely spotless.



  • Young_PhonicsYoung_Phonics 8,039 Posts
    Shit I always wonder how the fuck did you get hooked up with that job "yo ..you want to eat a bunch of places and talk shit about 'em?"

    seriously, where do you apply? how do work your way up?

  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    probably a lot closer to real life than you think....

    Work at a local free weekly such as the guardian. Befriend tastemakers in the industry (chefs, sommeliers, wine estate managers). Attract elements of controversy with scathing reviews of at least one institution. Move on to a bigger city, rinse, repeat, until you reach the pinnacle that is NYT.

    Chan might have a better scoop on this since he is fronds w/ Eric Asimov.

  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts


  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    I've been fortunate enough to dine at the FL twice...though this was both before they raised prices on the prix frie menu so I don't know if I'd be able to afford a third trip back.

    That said, they were two of the best meals I've ever had in my life in terms of a culinary experience/adventure. I mean, it's just FUN waiting to see what comes next and tasting it and as people have noted, the food there is just insanely well-prepared and what not.

    The service was definitely face-melty though not nearly as intrusive as it may sound to have a 1 server to 1 diner ratio. That said, the head server did remark to me, after I complimented him on a suggestion he had made for my meal, "I enjoy helping people enjoy the better things in life." It wasn't said to be snobby but dude was laying it on a little thick.

    I love that they bring you about 12 courses for dessert. Their macaroons are so good, they make it impossible for one to enjoy macaroons again anywhere else. Bastards.

    I don't mean to shit on vegetarians but I just can't imagine going there and dropping $200+ for the vegetarian course.

    By the way, someone's already nodded to this but if you want to understand why people get juiced to go there (besides looking at Aser's photos), read Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential" and/or the book "Soul of the Chef" both of which include chapters that make Thomas Keller sound like Jesus in the kitchen. "Soul of the Chef" especially has an extended history of the restaurant itself (my parents-in-law actually ate at the FL pre-Keller, back in the 1980s since it already had a certain cache, even then). I like the idea that all these big shot NY food critics ate at the FL and came away like it was a revelatory experience. I'm sure Ruth Reichl has written on the restaurant before.

    Also, on food writing: I've always been a big fan of Jeffrey Steingarten's two books on food: "The Man Who Ate Everything" and "It Must Have Been Something I Ate." He's very funny but he also has a way of describing the eating experience that makes you want to jump on a plane and fly out to Baja for some carna asada tacos or Italy to try mantis shrimp. Damn, I'm getting hungry just reminiscing.

    Lastly, I don't challenge the idea that fois gras isn't made under the nicest of circumstances but seriously, how many animals are really treated that humanely on their way from the pen to your plate? It just strikes me that protesting fois gras - but not, oh, a thousand other kinds of food products made from animals - seems to be missing the forest for a very small, elite tree.

  • grandpa_shiggrandpa_shig 5,799 Posts
    mmmmm...prix fries...

  • catalistcatalist 1,373 Posts
    Strutters are much more refined/sophisticated than I would have known! I wouldn't know what to do with that food, it looks like I shouldn't cut into it, perhaps a better move would be to cryogenically freeze the dish and sell it later for loot.

  • kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts
    Strutters are much more refined/sophisticated than I would have known! I wouldn't know what to do with that food, it looks like I shouldn't cut into it, perhaps a better move would be to cryogenically freeze the dish and sell it later for loot.

    Dude, you're not far off; dudes like keller, wylie dufresne, charlie trotter, and others are all about the cryovacing. Check out wd-50.com to see photos of some of wylie's work. He's a cool, young dude doing some VERY scientific food work; his joint is next on my NYC restaurant list.

  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    The argument can go both ways. On one hand, the idea of force feeding certainly sounds cruel. Anyone that has watched videos of this will attest to that. Our initial reactions to force feeding are generally equated to a human perspective. Which ducks/geese are not, considering they have no gag reflexes. Also, these farmers are exploiting a natural trait found in the animals, who normally expand their esophogus to store large items such as fish. They are known to bulk up in the fall to prepare for life in the harsh winter, often doubling their size.

    Foie gras is too tasty for me to abstain from, but I wouldn't force my opinion on anybody else. Most important point is being aware of the facts from both sides of the coin.

    Steingarten is quite cheeky, I've enjoyed everything of his I've read and his off the cuff remarks on Iron Chef America. Although my frond has said his antics wear thin over a day of incessant snapping, he witnessed various tirades of Steingarten's while attending a taping of said show. NAGL?

    oh btw oliver, I think I saw you here....hah



  • Pistol_PetePistol_Pete 1,289 Posts
    Thomas Keller is right now. But i think French, sushi and new american cuisines unfairly run these types of list.

    I heard Babbo in NYC is , but italian gets no love.

    I myself would love to eat at these spots, but don't have funds. My boss however is a baller that rolls to many of the places on the top 50 list.

  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I don't think one could ever accuse Babbo of "getting no love"...

    I have dined there and wasn't sufficiently blown away to warant long-term pining for a return though... then again, I wasn't eating meat at the time. :/

  • kitchenknightkitchenknight 4,922 Posts
    I don't think one could ever accuse Babbo of "getting no love"...

    I have dined there and wasn't sufficiently blown away to warant long-term pining for a return though... then again, I wasn't eating meat at the time. :/

    Ate at Esca last week in the city, another Batali joint (though, not a flagship or anything). Anyway, good but not great, with one main course sent back. My lady was nervous about it, but as my friend said to her, "These guys are running the city, and making billions a year. Your piece of fish won't sink them." (Yes, billions is an exaggeration on his part, but it was a good line.)

    Point is: Babbo and Batali get a lot of love and money. Though, Del Posto get no fourth star, dawg.

  • BrianBrian 7,618 Posts
    I wasn't eating meat at the time. :/

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