Comments on: French Laundry (Yountville, CA) – Calculated Cuisine

By: ChuckEats blog » The French Laundry (Yountville, CA) - Unlocking the Secret

ChuckEats blog » The French Laundry (Yountville, CA) - Unlocking the Secret — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:05:43 +0000

[...] in food but the lofty expectations, and the need for culinary fireworks, often lead many, including myself, to question the greatness of the meal. Food for the Thoughtless perfectly captures these [...]

By: chuckeats.com Blog » Random Tidbits 2 (In and Around San Francisco)

chuckeats.com Blog » Random Tidbits 2 (In and Around San Francisco) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:12:17 +0000

[...] Here are some random, quick reviews of misc places that won’t make it into a proper review. I have been eating at a number of places throughout the Bay Area and, while I’ve discovered some gems, I’m still largely unimpressed with many of the offerings. Great casual eating city? Probably. World-class dining? In some cases. [...]

By: Misha

Misha — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:53:41 +0000

If you make it below the Mason-Dixon line, put Le Reve and Restaurant August on your list. Le Reve is the more traditional, less ambitious and better executed version of French Laundry. I recently had dinner at both and I had a better meal at Le Reve. I suspect a big part of the reason why is that Andrew Weissman refuses to open the restaurant unless he is able to cook the food himself, while Thomas Keller has comfortably settled into being a CEO more so than a chef. A friend who has been thought numerous two and three star restaurants in France was underwhelmed.

The tasting menu at Restaurant August is not quite a refined experience, but it does a great job of capturing New Orleans. Not everything works and too many dishes are draped in flavorless truffles, but it’s the best time I’ve had at a dinner in as long as I can remember and more often than not the food is outstanding. Make sure to tell them if you are against having to wear a bib and crack boiled crawfish open with your hands ahead of time, if you find the concept barbaric. I’d recommend sticking with it, though. One of the best dishes of the night.

Both places had more memorable dishes than French Laundry. Good call on Manresa, BTW. One of the few restaurants I cannot wait to revisit again.

By: Olivia

Olivia — Sun, 22 Jul 2007 00:26:10 +0000

Very thought-provoking post and nicely written. Excellent photos and the best I’ve seen on your blog! Even with the help of lunch lighting, these are well above the norm.

I had black truffles in a dish when we went in May and asked about their provenance. They were the truffles I had heard about which the restaurant buys in season and freezes with a special technique they’ve developed. If I remember correctly, they said they don’t shave well, but are better than any alternatives for off-season fine truffle gratings/dust and saucing.

By: Jenn

Jenn — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:54:33 +0000

You’re so right…expectations play a major role in how you feel about your meal.

Glad to hear they’re still holding their own.

By: ChuckEats

ChuckEats — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:10:48 +0000

the photos were taken during the day. despite being sat next to a window, there wasn’t that much light (but still a bit more than your typical dinner.) lunch is the way to go if you want great pictures.

… You are so silly, somehow that updated 356 had to get into the food pix –lol– (YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY IS OUTSTANDING THIS TIME MY BOY!)

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

Wilbur