1st of all i was very excited because this was my first time eating at a thomas keller restaurant. if u dont know who thomas keller is, why are you reviewing restaurants in the first place? anyways, went here for lunch with my girlfriend and sisters. got the 1st 1130am reservation. we were probably the 3rd group seated, but i soon realized that a reservation was a very good decision as the restaurant filled within the next 15-20 min. service was wonderful. extremely polite and our server treated everyone equally (we were the youngest peoples there). we didnt order bottled water or sodas or wine or cocktails or anything so no comment on that. the wine list was 2 big pages long, i dont know much about wine, but im pretty sure they have a good wine list.

alright on to the food
for apetizer/salad, we shared a crab and lobster salad with toasted brioche. it was quite small but the flavors were surprisingly complex. at first bite it was familiar, my gf’s sister said it tasted like chicken salad, but the more you ate it, the more complex and deep the taste became. oh you taste crab, then lobster, then crab, then lobster. it was topped with various micro greens and surrounded by some kind of orange vinaigrette, which added to the richness of the seafood. alittle pricey for $18, but the quality is definetely there. and keep in mind. thomas keller

entree:
croque de madame: didnt taste it, but looked extremely appetizing, my gf’s sister couldnt finish it.

Truite aux Amandes: which was seared trout with brown butter, haricots verts, and toasted almonds
the trout melted in my mouth, the haricots verts were cooked perfectly and the almonds added a nice texture and the brown butter (which was subtle) tied them all together.

Moules au Safran et a la Moutarde: Maine bouchot mussels steamed in white wine, saffron, and mustard served with french fries
mussels were cooked perfectly and the broth was fantastic. the mustard, saffron and wine work together to make a unified smooth and rich broth to dip your fries in.

Steak Frites: i ordered this. it was a seared flat iron steak topped with (i want to say sauteed shallots) and maitre d’hotel butter (which is an herbed butter) and french fries.
i usually dont order steak when i go out because im afraid that the cook will overcook it. but of course im not going to be afraid like that at one of kellers establishments, that would be foolish. so the steak was perfectly cooked. the shallots just melted in my mouth along with the herbed butter, which didnt overpower the steak, but definetly enhanced the entire dish.

the french fries (for the 3 dishes we ordered) were amazing. all three plates had a good size hill of fries on them. dont finish them all, save space for desert! haha
but they were perfectly cooked also. crunchy outside and soft and fluffy inside. also they were perfectly seasoned. not the best fries i had (*cough BUD’s BURGER) but were better than all the other sit down restaurants ive eaten at.

desert:
Creme caramel
not too rich, not too sweet. almost pudding consistency, but it melts in your mouth. perfectly executed a fabulous desert choice.

there is alot to expect from a thomas keller restaurant and BOUCHON doesnt come short.

i wish i had a real job and made a real working wage so i could eat here every weekend. seriously

For the Keller enthusiast who just can’t afford the French Laundry (though we did take pictures in front of it). The mussel appetizers were fresh, scrumptious, and reasonable. The steak and fish special were awesome, but my pork short rib was the winner. For a French bistro the sauces were surprisingly light, allowing all of the flavors to come through. The wine list starts around $50 a bottle, but even those are fantastic. Totally worth it.

the butternut squash soup was absolutely amazing… its creamy yet light. the lamb shank and the chicken was deliciously yummy but the steak was not up to par with the rest of the food. We ordered the giant seafood appetizer (95 bucks) and i was already full after that. the lobster had a sweet taste to it.

would definitely go back again

After my initial confusion about the menu selections, I found out that we had reviewed the after hours menu because we were seated at approx midnight. The reg dinner menu will be worth trying, make reservations! I’ve had bites at Bouchon while at the bar…‘twas gr8! Love the ambience in the locale. The buzz is always on and it’s fun to laugh & smile when my Napa Valley neighbors are out and about town. Prices are very reasonable, you’ll get hit with the wine lists…should be another fun date!

Went there for dinner — very nice experience in all, but I was not sure what all the hype was about. We had a nice salad for starters, safran (?) mussels and fries, troute amandine for entrees and a mousse au chocolat for dessert (the last two probably the two most ho-hum dishes we had that evening, although definitely tasty). The interpretations (not all that daring) of the standard brasserie/bistro fare were all very well done, the quality excellent and the tastes delicious but… it’s just the basics. Definitely worth checking it out if you are already in the area or are lining up more adventurous culinary destinations in addition.

I had really high expectations for this restaurant, some were met and some weren’t. the food was of course superb and much more creative than other restaurants even within it’s class and price range (~$40/person no booze).

However, they didn’t have a table for us even with reservations and waiting awhile! Also whatever you do, do not sit outside for lunch. The sun can be quite harsh.