Top 5 restaurant in the WORLD? Highest possible Michelin Rating? Chef Thomas Keller named number #1 by the New York Times? Can it really be that good?

Nope. It’s Better.

I was very lucky to score a table on a Valentines Day (don’t ask me how and no I won’t help you ;-P)

It’s set in a quaint French-farmhouse style builiding in downtown Yountville. It’s got all the perfunctory niceties – impeccable, attentive staff, lavish surroundings, etc etc… But the foooood…

14 course- prix fixe menu. 3 intermezzo dishes. Amuse Busche every other course. Random chef tastings. It’s like all the Iron Chefs were hanging out in the kitchen surrounded by the highest quality ingredients and just spun out dish after dish after dish…

3 and a half hours and 8 or 9 tasting glasses of wine after we sat down, and after about the 4th or 5th dessert course I literally waved my napkin in surrender, to which the waiter laughed and said “Well why don’t we pack some of these desserts to go?” What am I going to do, say no???

Yes, this place kicked my ass. We’d be trying to figure out a dish from two courses ago only to have another rediculously intricate and unique masterpiece arrive. “Oh, this isn’t on the menu, but just a little something the Sous Chef is trying out,” the waiter would say. “Just took some stock from the Veal course, poached a little fresh sea bass in it, flashed it in hot sesame oil, chiffon of basil, thread of saffron…well try it, let us know what you think…” Oh sure sure, of course, I do that at home all the time, yah, right before the fire alarm goes off…

Yup, it’s THAT kind of place. There’s really no point to say what we had on that day since the menu is created daily (you’re not going to ask Picasso what he’s going to paint two months from now are you?), but yeah it had it all -Foie Gras, caviar, Filet Mignon, squab, poached lobster tail with decadent chocolate sauce (!!!) If you really want to know you can check out
http://www.rampant.org/blaufrankish/food/frenchlaundry-menu.htm
It’s not from our day but it will give you an idea.

No, I hope nobody reading this ever tries to go, it’ll just make my job even harder when I want to go next. But if you must, prepare yourself. And good luck.