Friday, October 24, 2008
Dinner at The French Laundry, Yountville, CA
Giao had been to the French Laundry a couple times before, and we've been to Per Se together, but Alexis had yet to experience the French Laundry, so this was her first time. Perhaps this wasn't the most economical restaurant choice for a recession, but if the economy gets any worse, perhaps all the nice restaurants will go out of business, so, we thought we'd better go now. Also, in 3 months our baby will be born, so we figured we don't really have a lot of time left to drive up to Napa without extensive childcare preparation. The tasting menu was $240 per person and Giao opted for the $30 supplement for the foie gras as well as a glass of Sauterne to go with it. Alexis was offered a selection of house made sodas and opted for the meyer lemon soda. The sodas were free of charge, when we got the bill.
While the French Laundry is certainly an experience worth having, we did find the menu to be rather tame. Per Se was much more interesting. Also, there are places of the same caliber in the city (like Coi and The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton) that are cheaper and have more dynamic menus. None of this is to say that the meal was not amazing, but having experienced it, I no longer hold the French Laundry on the pedastle that I once did.
Cheesy Gougere
A nice, tasty way to start the meal. Perfectly executed.
Salmon Tartare and Artichoke Coronettes with Creme Fraiche
This is a classic Keller dish and because I can't eat raw fish right now, due to the pregnancy, I was given an equally tasty artichoke version.
Oysters and Pearls
This is a signature dish at the French Laundry. Giao found it to be totally amazing. Oysters and caviar are very decadent.
Radish, Cauliflower and Radish Salad
A subtle, pleasant beginning to a meal. The super-thin slices of the veggies were also beautiful.
Foie Gras Terrine with Quince Relish, Frisee and Spice Bread Puree
The only time we had ever previously seen a bread puree was at Alinea in Chicago. In this preparation, it worked very well as a sauce.
Brioche (served with the foie gras)
3 Types of Salt (served with the foie gras)
Hearts of Peach Palm Salad with Cucumber, Radish and Yuzu-Apple Coulis
Refreshing.
Tuna Tartare with Charred Persimmons and Chestnut Puree
A beautiful dish whose flavors melded together beautifully.
Kahala Filet, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Broccolini, Lily Bulbs and Ginger Emulsion
The fish was perfectly cooked and the simple flavors of each element created an oddly cohesive dish.
Lobster Tail with Melted Leeks and Beet Sauce
The butter poached lobster was perfectly cooked and very sweet. The sweetness of the beets really complemented the lobster in an unexpected pairing. The leeks provided a nice savory element. This was probably our favorite dish of the night.
Rabbit with Onions, Carrots, Artichoke Puree and Dijon Sauce
The rabbit was tender and not at all gamey. The artichoke puree was so amazingly smooth and really went well with the rabbit.
Lamb with Black Rice, Cauliflower, Golden Raisins, Cilantro Shoots and Curry Sauce
The curry was subtle and let the tender lamb shine. Usually I'm not a fan of fruit with meat, but this was not at all offensive. Black rice is always a nutty, earthy surprise.
Tomme de Berger Cheese with Beans, Chorizo, Piquillo Peppers and Arugula
This was a tasty dish, for sure, but the accompaniments did seem a bit superfluous.
French Toast with Buttermilk Sorbet and Huckleberry Sauce
The buttermilk sorbet was tangy and delicious and I wish it were served without the french toast and with more of the awesome huckleberry sauce.
Sesame Seed and Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Tahini Ganache and Shiso Sorbet
The shiso sorbet was unexpectedly delicious and really rounded out the strong chocolate flavors.
Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts
Decadent in every way.
A variety of petit-fours, above and below. Some hits, some misses, but lots of variety.
More petit-fours...
Ratings:
Food: 3
Decor: 2
Service: 3
The French Laundry
6640 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
While the French Laundry is certainly an experience worth having, we did find the menu to be rather tame. Per Se was much more interesting. Also, there are places of the same caliber in the city (like Coi and The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton) that are cheaper and have more dynamic menus. None of this is to say that the meal was not amazing, but having experienced it, I no longer hold the French Laundry on the pedastle that I once did.
Cheesy Gougere
A nice, tasty way to start the meal. Perfectly executed.
Salmon Tartare and Artichoke Coronettes with Creme Fraiche
This is a classic Keller dish and because I can't eat raw fish right now, due to the pregnancy, I was given an equally tasty artichoke version.
Oysters and Pearls
This is a signature dish at the French Laundry. Giao found it to be totally amazing. Oysters and caviar are very decadent.
Radish, Cauliflower and Radish Salad
A subtle, pleasant beginning to a meal. The super-thin slices of the veggies were also beautiful.
Foie Gras Terrine with Quince Relish, Frisee and Spice Bread Puree
The only time we had ever previously seen a bread puree was at Alinea in Chicago. In this preparation, it worked very well as a sauce.
Brioche (served with the foie gras)
3 Types of Salt (served with the foie gras)
Hearts of Peach Palm Salad with Cucumber, Radish and Yuzu-Apple Coulis
Refreshing.
Tuna Tartare with Charred Persimmons and Chestnut Puree
A beautiful dish whose flavors melded together beautifully.
Kahala Filet, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Broccolini, Lily Bulbs and Ginger Emulsion
The fish was perfectly cooked and the simple flavors of each element created an oddly cohesive dish.
Lobster Tail with Melted Leeks and Beet Sauce
The butter poached lobster was perfectly cooked and very sweet. The sweetness of the beets really complemented the lobster in an unexpected pairing. The leeks provided a nice savory element. This was probably our favorite dish of the night.
Rabbit with Onions, Carrots, Artichoke Puree and Dijon Sauce
The rabbit was tender and not at all gamey. The artichoke puree was so amazingly smooth and really went well with the rabbit.
Lamb with Black Rice, Cauliflower, Golden Raisins, Cilantro Shoots and Curry Sauce
The curry was subtle and let the tender lamb shine. Usually I'm not a fan of fruit with meat, but this was not at all offensive. Black rice is always a nutty, earthy surprise.
Tomme de Berger Cheese with Beans, Chorizo, Piquillo Peppers and Arugula
This was a tasty dish, for sure, but the accompaniments did seem a bit superfluous.
French Toast with Buttermilk Sorbet and Huckleberry Sauce
The buttermilk sorbet was tangy and delicious and I wish it were served without the french toast and with more of the awesome huckleberry sauce.
Sesame Seed and Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Tahini Ganache and Shiso Sorbet
The shiso sorbet was unexpectedly delicious and really rounded out the strong chocolate flavors.
Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts
Decadent in every way.
A variety of petit-fours, above and below. Some hits, some misses, but lots of variety.
More petit-fours...
Ratings:
Food: 3
Decor: 2
Service: 3
The French Laundry
6640 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 3, restaurant, review, service: 3
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Traditional and Tasty Meal at Acquerello, San Francisco, CA
Acquerello, a Michelin starred restaurant has been on our list for a while. We finally made a reservation. The place tended towards an older crowd and definitely skewed towards romantic date nights. The decor was not my style, but nice enough. The service was very good. The service staff was gracious and friendly without being in-your-face. I ordered 4 courses, while Giao ordered the 7 course tasting menu, and for all but one course, I was sent out a complementary dish to match Giao's. At $72 for 4 (large) courses and a tasting menu for around $90, we got a lot of food for the money.
Apperitif
Blood orange and some sort of licqour, this gift from the chef was quite good.
Chilled Melon Soup
Giao quite liked this amuse-bouche, but Alexis is not a fan of canteloupe.
Beet Carapaccio with Fresh Ricotta
A subtle, but tasty, beginning of the meal.
Burrata Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Parmasan Crostini
This salad was absolutely delicious. Now, we do have quite a fondness to burrata in all forms, but the herbacious sauce served with this dish really made the creaminess of the burrata pop.
Lemon Gnocchi with Zucchini Puree and Fried Zucchini Blossom
These were also delicious. The gnocchi, while huge, were tender in texture and flavor and the puree was flavorful.
Lobster Ravioli
The pasta could have been thinner, but the flavor was great. The sauce was much like awell-executed lobster bisque.
Pappardelle with Sweetbreads and Chanterelles
While the components of this dish were all good by themselves, it somehow didn't come together. The sauce didn't have quite enough viscosity to hold everything together.
Stuffed Quail with Plum Sauce
The quail was tender, and the plums, while sweet, were a good match.
Short Rib with Roasted Root Vegetables
This was good, but not great.
Pan Fried Black Bass with Lentils and Shaved Artichoke Salad
The fish was perfectly cooked and the skin was very crispy. The lentils and the shaved artichokes rounded out the meal in both flavor and texture.
Cheeses (above and below)
We found this selection of Italian cheeses to be good, but we still like French cheeses better. The braised grapes with rosemary were a novel condiment.
Selection of Sorbets
Peach, grape and mango sorbet. They were all quite tasty.
Bourbon Caramel Semi-Freddo
This was an enormous dessert that was brought to Alexis, on the house, since she did not order dessert. She was so full that she could not eat it all, despite the fact that it was creamy and cold and good.
Almond Biscotti
These were the best biscotti we've ever had. They were light and incredibly crispy. The waiter packed them up for us to take with us.
Ratings:
Food: 2
Decor: 1
Service: 3
Apperitif
Blood orange and some sort of licqour, this gift from the chef was quite good.
Chilled Melon Soup
Giao quite liked this amuse-bouche, but Alexis is not a fan of canteloupe.
Beet Carapaccio with Fresh Ricotta
A subtle, but tasty, beginning of the meal.
Burrata Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Parmasan Crostini
This salad was absolutely delicious. Now, we do have quite a fondness to burrata in all forms, but the herbacious sauce served with this dish really made the creaminess of the burrata pop.
Lemon Gnocchi with Zucchini Puree and Fried Zucchini BlossomThese were also delicious. The gnocchi, while huge, were tender in texture and flavor and the puree was flavorful.
Lobster Ravioli
The pasta could have been thinner, but the flavor was great. The sauce was much like awell-executed lobster bisque.
Pappardelle with Sweetbreads and Chanterelles
While the components of this dish were all good by themselves, it somehow didn't come together. The sauce didn't have quite enough viscosity to hold everything together.
Stuffed Quail with Plum Sauce
The quail was tender, and the plums, while sweet, were a good match.
Short Rib with Roasted Root VegetablesThis was good, but not great.
Pan Fried Black Bass with Lentils and Shaved Artichoke SaladThe fish was perfectly cooked and the skin was very crispy. The lentils and the shaved artichokes rounded out the meal in both flavor and texture.
Cheeses (above and below)We found this selection of Italian cheeses to be good, but we still like French cheeses better. The braised grapes with rosemary were a novel condiment.
Selection of SorbetsPeach, grape and mango sorbet. They were all quite tasty.
Bourbon Caramel Semi-FreddoThis was an enormous dessert that was brought to Alexis, on the house, since she did not order dessert. She was so full that she could not eat it all, despite the fact that it was creamy and cold and good.
Almond BiscottiThese were the best biscotti we've ever had. They were light and incredibly crispy. The waiter packed them up for us to take with us.
Ratings:
Food: 2
Decor: 1
Service: 3
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 2, Italian, restaurant, review, service: 3
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Lunch at Per Se, New York, NY
Per Se has been on our list for a while now. It's Thomas Keller's (of French Laundry fame) NY place which is, oddly, located on the 4th floor of a mall at Columbus Circle. The decor was both interesting and classic, the waitstaff friendly, if not entirely invisible, and the view of central park was very nice. The meal was $250 per person, including service.
Puff Pastries Stuffed with Gruyere
The perfect, tiny, first bite.
Marinated Salmon on a Black Sesame Tuile Cone Stuffed with Creme Fraiche
This was absolutely delicious. Maybe the best bite of the meal.
Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Caviar
The texture was a bit too firm, but you can't go wrong with caviar.
Butter produced on a small farm from only 6 cows.
More butter, this one unsalted.
Salad of Hearts of Palm, Beets, Granny Smith Apples, Young Lettuce and Horseradish Fritters
Artfully plated and pretty good. The fritters were the stars though, not the hearts of palm, for which the dish was named.
Torchon on Moulard Duck Foie Gras with Green Almonds, Ramps, and Peach Gelee
The gelee didn't do much for the dish, and we never understand why a place would serve torchon rather than seared, but it was still good.
Brioche (served with the foie)
The funniest service experience we had during this meal what when the waiter silently replaced Giao's barely touched brioche with a fresh, hot plate of it.
Tuna Tartare with Avocado, Mango, Cilantro and Amarillo Spiced Potatos on a Yuzu Aioli
This would have been much better without the potatos. They were unnecessary and added an unpleasantly gritty texture to the dish.
Grilled Cobia with Carrots, Compressed Cucumber and Sorrell
The fish was fine (with beautiful grill marks) and we've learned from Thomas Keller that compression is a great technique, as we saw in the compressed apples at Ad Hoc. The compression makes the texture crunchier and somehow intensifies the flavor.
Langoustines with Potatos, First of Season Asparagus, Morels and Langoustine Foam
The foam deflated unpn serving, but these langoustines were so tender it didn't matter.
Pork Belly with Pickled Blackberries and Carmelized Salsify
The pork belly could have been a bit more tender and the blackberries didn't taste very pickled, but it was a solid dish nonetheless.
Pan Fried Veal Brains with Quail Egg and Polenta
These brains were like custard, so insanely smooth.
Lamb with Artichokes, Tomato Confit and Olives
The lamb was so tender and so NOT gamey that the rest of the ingredients were almost beside the point. We could have cut this lamb with a butter knife.
Fleur de Maquis Sheep's Milk Cheese with Onion Marmalade, Onion Rings and Maple-Bourbon Reduction
This was the weirdest texture we had ever tasted in a cheese. You had to eat it with a spoon and it had odd chunky bits in it. But the flavor was mild in its intensity, if that makes any sense.
Coconut Sorbet with Hibiscus Foam and Black Sesame Nougatine
The sorbet was very creamy and the nougatine was strangely like crushed oreo, although it didn't taste like chocolate.
Milk Chocolate Cremeux and Hazelnut Struesel with Condensed Milk Sorbet and Sweetened Salty Hazelnuts
The cremeux was creamy and perfectly chocolately and the nuts added a nice texture contrast. There wasn't much going on flavorwise, other than sweet, with the sorbet.
Madagascar Vanilla Creme Brulee
This was the only thing that wasn't that good in the whole meal. The texture was not creamy enough and the sugar to custard ratio was off.
Fruits of the Forest-Yogurt Pot de Creme
Very good. Not too sweet, a little tangy. A beautiful play on fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt containers. Alexis could eat this every day for breakfast.
House-made Chocolate Truffles
Very interestig flavors. We had grapefruit, ginger caramel, fennel (which was intensely anise-y) and bourbon.
Chocolate Covered Almonds
Not sweet at all, Giao really liked these.
Chocolate Lemon Candies (the texture of a soft caramel, but tasting intensely of lemon and chocolate), Nougat (standard) and even more truffles (the caramel one was particularly tasty).
Puff Pastries Stuffed with Gruyere
The perfect, tiny, first bite.
Marinated Salmon on a Black Sesame Tuile Cone Stuffed with Creme Fraiche
This was absolutely delicious. Maybe the best bite of the meal.
Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Caviar
The texture was a bit too firm, but you can't go wrong with caviar.
Butter produced on a small farm from only 6 cows.
More butter, this one unsalted.
Salad of Hearts of Palm, Beets, Granny Smith Apples, Young Lettuce and Horseradish Fritters
Artfully plated and pretty good. The fritters were the stars though, not the hearts of palm, for which the dish was named.
Torchon on Moulard Duck Foie Gras with Green Almonds, Ramps, and Peach Gelee
The gelee didn't do much for the dish, and we never understand why a place would serve torchon rather than seared, but it was still good.
Brioche (served with the foie)
The funniest service experience we had during this meal what when the waiter silently replaced Giao's barely touched brioche with a fresh, hot plate of it.
Tuna Tartare with Avocado, Mango, Cilantro and Amarillo Spiced Potatos on a Yuzu Aioli
This would have been much better without the potatos. They were unnecessary and added an unpleasantly gritty texture to the dish.
Grilled Cobia with Carrots, Compressed Cucumber and Sorrell
The fish was fine (with beautiful grill marks) and we've learned from Thomas Keller that compression is a great technique, as we saw in the compressed apples at Ad Hoc. The compression makes the texture crunchier and somehow intensifies the flavor.
Langoustines with Potatos, First of Season Asparagus, Morels and Langoustine Foam
The foam deflated unpn serving, but these langoustines were so tender it didn't matter.
Pork Belly with Pickled Blackberries and Carmelized Salsify
The pork belly could have been a bit more tender and the blackberries didn't taste very pickled, but it was a solid dish nonetheless.
Pan Fried Veal Brains with Quail Egg and Polenta
These brains were like custard, so insanely smooth.
Lamb with Artichokes, Tomato Confit and Olives
The lamb was so tender and so NOT gamey that the rest of the ingredients were almost beside the point. We could have cut this lamb with a butter knife.
Fleur de Maquis Sheep's Milk Cheese with Onion Marmalade, Onion Rings and Maple-Bourbon Reduction
This was the weirdest texture we had ever tasted in a cheese. You had to eat it with a spoon and it had odd chunky bits in it. But the flavor was mild in its intensity, if that makes any sense.
Coconut Sorbet with Hibiscus Foam and Black Sesame Nougatine
The sorbet was very creamy and the nougatine was strangely like crushed oreo, although it didn't taste like chocolate.
Milk Chocolate Cremeux and Hazelnut Struesel with Condensed Milk Sorbet and Sweetened Salty Hazelnuts
The cremeux was creamy and perfectly chocolately and the nuts added a nice texture contrast. There wasn't much going on flavorwise, other than sweet, with the sorbet.
Madagascar Vanilla Creme Brulee
This was the only thing that wasn't that good in the whole meal. The texture was not creamy enough and the sugar to custard ratio was off.
Fruits of the Forest-Yogurt Pot de Creme
Very good. Not too sweet, a little tangy. A beautiful play on fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt containers. Alexis could eat this every day for breakfast.
House-made Chocolate Truffles
Very interestig flavors. We had grapefruit, ginger caramel, fennel (which was intensely anise-y) and bourbon.
Chocolate Covered Almonds
Not sweet at all, Giao really liked these.
Chocolate Lemon Candies (the texture of a soft caramel, but tasting intensely of lemon and chocolate), Nougat (standard) and even more truffles (the caramel one was particularly tasty).
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 3, nouveau American, restaurant, review, service: 3, tasting menu
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