The Lunch of a Lifetime, Part One

No discussion of wine country is complete without mention of the French Laundry, the ne plus ultra of dining experiences created by exalted chef Thomas Keller. He is perhaps America’s best - and we’ve got him right here in Yountville. But just try getting into the place! It takes patience. Not to mention more money than should be spent outside of Harry Winston. Is it that good? One of those things you should have on your list of things to do before you die, like climbing Mt. Everest? I don’t like snow or altitude so there’s an easy answer: I’d cross everything else off the list to eat there once a week. It’s that good. And I’m going to tell you about it.

The French Laundry (www.frenchlaundry.com) really was at one time a French steam-washing establishment. This makes me think of expertise with red wine stain removal and the spritzing of fine linens with lavender water. It was also a brothel, not that these are mutually exclusive… Before it was either of those businesses it was a saloon in the 1880’s, which is why the structure looks like a set from Deadwood. Then, for about 20 years it operated as a restaurant. It was named, not surprisingly, The French Laundry, and I haven’t yet met a single person who ate there. In 1994, Thomas Keller raised the money to buy it, though this, his first restaurant had a bit of a rocky start. Ghosts of the brothel wreaking havoc, perhaps? Letting T.K. known they liked the previous owners? It got better, a lot better. That’s how it is with successful restaurants, and this one really pushes the boundaries of experiential dining into the spiritual dimension. It is unforgettable.

Thomas Keller is a son of California who lived and worked elsewhere. This is a good thing, as otherwise, the French Laundry might be just another of our ubiquitous wood-fired pizza emporia. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) Clearly, his geographic and culinary adventures were transcendent because he came to a very different place, philosophically. In an interview I read, he says that in buying this restaurant he just wanted to create good French Country cooking. Seriously good food, but also fun. Fun? Like balloons and streamers-fun? Waiters in clown suits-fun? Hmmm…What exactly does mean he mean by that? Check in soon to find out. Meanwhile, make your reservation.