The French Laundry, Yountville CA

"The Best” is an interesting concept to me – especially in a subjective realm like the arts; whether visual, music, or culinary. What makes Dali or Picasso a genius? What makes Zeppelin better than the Who? Who decides that what Thomas Keller is doing in Yountville is better than what Trotter is doing in Chicago or Alex Stratta is doing in Vegas – What makes The French Laundry the best restaurant in the country – and perhaps the best in the world? On December 17th my mother graciously spent a great deal of time on the phone in order to secure me reservations on February 17th to find out. Subsequently, after much e-mail and phone discussion with the incredibly gracious staff the decision was made to further enhance the experience by requesting an extended menu to be crafted by Chefs Keller and Lee.

Arriving in San Francisco on the 15th we’d already dined at Gary Danko, One Market, and Boulevard prior to our trip north to Muir Woods, Napa, Sonoma, and Yountville yet the true goal of my visit was to experience Keller’s magic – first for lunch at Bouchon and then for Dinner at The French Laundry. Having already tasted the Bouchon experience in Vegas and NYC within the past year, I knew what to expect and was not let down despite having to watch my portions in preparation for the meal ahead. After lunch we snapped some daytime pictures in front of the beautiful old laundry house as well as a few of the back lot and the beautiful (albeit rain soaked) garden across the street. After browsing Yountville for a bit we then visited the Petrified Forrest, Berringer Winery, and the Culinary Institute of America before returning for dinner – it was dark and I was glad to have gotten my photos early.

Entering through the famous blue door I was instantly met by the small waiting area and when I announced my name to the hostess I was met with “Of course, we’ve been expecting you” and was led to my two-top prepared for one along the back wall near a window downstairs. Sitting down I smiled at the trademark clothespin attached to my tri-folded napkin and water (flat or sparkling – I chose flat) was poured from a large glass bottle. Minutes later the sommelier arrived and offered me complimentary champagne – though not a drinker I partook in this and actually quite enjoyed the flavor, though the name escapes me. The sommelier notably stopped by again later and noted that even though I was not a drinker, he would be glad to formulate any sort of drink pairing I might desire to go with my meal – graciously I declined, but the effort was appreciated.

Another few moments passed and I gazed around at the other couples dining before my head-server, Ruben, arrived and stated “the Chef has prepared a special menu at your request, but if you’d like to see the evening menu I can let you browse that as well.” Not wanting to ruin the surprise I declined and Ruben disappeared to the kitchen. Moments later, the first dish arrived, albeit not unexpectedly.

#1 GOUGERES - Savory pate a choux with Gruyère cheese and sauce Mornay. Small as a gumball yet dainty as a dried flower, so dense and packed with flavor that any more might be “too much,” this small pastry simply melted in the mouth leaving behind a delicious and creamy gel. I take back what I said before, more would be ideal…lots more.

#2 SALMON CORONETS – Line caught Scottish Salmon with chives and a red onion crème fraîche on a sesame cone. The signature amuse of The French Laundry and every bit as good as the reports. A buttery and perfect cone filled with savory sweet cream and topped with a spicy yet perfect salmon that seemed to cling to the palate well after it was finished. Perfect.

The first two amuses, classically offered before every meal at The French Laundry, were delivered by a young female server who delivered more than half of the evening’s dishes with great dignity and wonderful descriptions – I personally find it quite impressive that all servers, male or female, are held to the same high standard of dress as the male patrons – jacket and tie required. In order to better organize this report, I will avoid overly discussing the service and simply note that without overstating, I can say that every single server at The French Laundry was flawless in execution. Despite the small size of the restaurant and myriad servers there was no sense of “hovering” or “rush” to the meal at all. Water was refilled without question, the wine pours of others were always on time, and even long pauses between dishes (anywhere from 6-15 minutes) always seemed perfect to fully appreciate the previous dish.

#3 PURÉE OF BELGIAN ENDIVE SOUP - Granny Smith Apples, Celery Branch and Hazelnuts. The first true dish of the evening, this arrived as a small pile of apples, celery branch, and hazelnuts in the base of a bowl into which the piping hot soup was poured tableside. Complex and rich, sweet yet salty, perfectly textured the soup was a knockout and the triple tiered serving dishes were truly gorgeous. Not quite as good as the soup at Gary Danko two days prior, but a take on Endive that I’d have never expected. Brilliant, warm, and a great start.

#4 “OYSTERS AND PEARLS” - “Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar. When the mother of pearl spoon arrived I knew what was coming and I must say I was a little concerned. Not a fan of Oysters and minimally experienced in caviar tasting I honestly did not know what to expect, yet these worries disappeared the moment I tasted the first bite. Having read the TFL cookbook I realized the small oysters were trimmed and cooked with the trimmings used in the sabayon and despite the expected brininess, the tapioca’s subtle cream perfectly offset the salty caviar which each popped on the tongue like an experimental mg dish. Flawless and dainty, perhaps I’m more of a fan of oysters than once thought.

#5 TARTARE OF JAPANESE KANPACHI - Compressed Cucumber, Perilla Shoots and Niçoise Olives. The texture of the fish was quite firm, and its dainty flavor was perfectly complimented by the cucumber and mild olives while the perilla lent a small degree of fresh “mint” essence to the dish. While not my favorite dish of the evening, I’d certainly order this at many sushi bars if it were offered.

#6 FLORIDA EVERGLADES FROG LEGS - Cauliflower Fleurettes, Marcona Almonds, Red Chili, Cilantro and Coconut-Kaffir Lime “Nuage.” Clearly an exercise in contrasting textures, flavors, and expectations this dish worked on every level. The panko crusted frog was succulent, moist, and sweet while the cauliflower was crisp and broiled to perfection and the nuts provided a bit of crunch and texture. While the Chili was mostly undetectable at first, the heat grew on the palate as the dish was consumed and the subtle hints of lime essence filled the nostrils with each bite. Amazing.

#7 WHITE TRUFFLE CUSTARD - with a Ragoût of Périgord Truffles. In a night of amazing dishes and a trip of amazing foods, this one may have been the best of them all - what appears to be simply an egg-shell sans top is actually a medley of flavors that can barely be described. Presented with two dried potato chips emerging from the top, the slow poached cream infused custard is then topped with a truffle ragout that can be smelled at arms length. Despite its small size, I do believe this dish took 15 minutes to eat as I savored each bite with a smile on my face. Ruben, my server, must’ve noticed this as he came over to the table when I was done to describe the preparation of this dish and the classic nature of the process.

At this point in the meal I was brought Chef Keller’s famous Pain Au Lait with two butters, an unsalted version from Napa Valley Cows and the famous Animal Farm Dairy Butter, Salted, from Vermont. Served warm, the Pain Au Lait was glorious and notably had the buttery soft texture expected from a roll made with a tablespoon of butter melted with inside – the best dinner roll ever, for sure. Each butter additionally added a subtle nuance to the bread with the local butter notably sweet yet ‘dry’ in the mouth and the Animal Farm Butter slightly less sweet but more nuanced with a ‘grassy’ and ‘wet’ texture to it. While both were tasty, I found myself going back to the Animal Farm option for future bread courses which included a crispy ciabatta roll and a small whole-wheat sourdough roll, both of which were good but not remarkable.

#8 SALAD OF HEIRLOOM BEETS - Field Rhubarb, Fennel Bulb, Nasturtium and Horseradish Gastrique. My salad course for the evening came at a perfect time as I prefer my salads with bread and the dish was truly beautiful. Slightly sweet beets, perfectly poached and appropriately earthy were brought to a sharp focus by the addition of a mild fennel pungency and the unique taste of rhubarb. The horseradish gastrique added a certain degree of saltiness and heat while the Nasturtium was mostly flavorless and likely present just for show. Everything a salad should be and a good example of how flawless technique can make anything better than you’d ever expected.

#9 RUSSET POTATO “GNOCCHI” - with Castelmagno Cheese and Shaved Black Truffles from Provence. First of all, let me admit that along with Bread Pudding, Gnocchi is one of my favorite “all time” foods and Keller’s Gnocchi a la Parisian that I had on special request for breakfast at Bouchon in Vegas is my all time favorite version. That said, wow. Perfect potato gnocchi blended with the most intense and savory yet only mildly salty cheese, and then topped tableside with a large portion of freshly shaved black truffle. Possibly the richest dish of the evening outside the Foie Gras, and along with the egg and foie my favorites. The most interesting aspect of this dish was the unique grass-y taste of the Castelmagno (upon further reading, common to this sort of cheese) and its perfect complement to the woodsy and fragrant truffles. While the pate a choux gnocchi at Bouchon still hold reign as the best dumplings I’ve ever tasted, this certainly re-set the bar for potato based gnocchi and as Ruben stated when collecting the dish “Gnocchi and cheese topped with truffles isn’t a bad way to go through life, is it?”

#10 COLUMBIA RIVER STURGEON “CONFIT À LA MINUTE” - Buckwheat Spaetzle, Piquillo Peppers and Brussels Sprouts – While I have no idea what the confit a la minute is, the dish was fantastic. Cooked Sous vide the surgeon was flawless in texture and extremely flavorful while the piquillo peppers were minimally spicy and not overwhelming at all. Given my fondness for Buckwheat (as well as Barley) I was particularly impressed by the toothsome and flavorful spaetzle which seemingly had the essence of creamed cheese and I was equally impressed by the caramelized brussel sprouts which more closely represented a crispy hushpuppy than an actual sprout.

#11 “PEAS AND CARROTS” - Maine Lobster Tail “Pochée au Beurre Doux,” English Peas, Glazed Carrot Buttons and Nantes Carrot Butter. Specially requested in my original e-mail to the restaurant, my server noted that no one had requested this particular dish in ages – a misstep by pretty much everyone, in my eyes. Like many of the wonderfully poached lobster tails commonly featured on the menu at TFL, the perfectly butter poached tail rested daintily at the center of the plate and was presented simply with the accompaniment of wonderfully crisp English Peas, impossibly sweet yet well cooked carrots, and a butter/carrot reduction that essentially redefined carrots. Having lusted for this preparation in The French Laundry Cookbook I can definitely say it was the most delicious Maine lobster I’d ever tasted and topped only by Alex Stratta’s European blue lobster for best crustacean dish ever.

#12 MOULARD DUCK “FOIE GRAS EN TERRINE” - Sunchoke-Vanilla Glaze, Asian Pear, Pickled Pearl Onions, Mizuna and Toasted Brioche. If you’re reading this, chances are you are aware of Keller’s Foie preparations, the warm brioche that is replaced before it has a chance to cool, and the salt. Many call this the best Foie Gras preparation there is…I will agree, though Eleven Madison Park’s was close. Wonderfully creamy, perfectly accented with vanilla and the mustardy essence of mizuna, and sweetened to a peak with the pear/onion addition – Incredible on its own and only more impressive when spread like butter on the buttery brioche (lets just say my brioche never got cold, but I did end up with a second one, regardless.) All that said about the Foie, the other highlight of the extended presentation was the compliment of 6 salts instead of the standard three. Fleur de Sel, Parisian Grey, Hawaian Black, Fiji Red, Montana Jurassic, and Japanese Sea Brine all presented a different nuance to the dish with the Jurassic clearly the most potent and the Brine nearly nori-esque in flavor.

#13 “ROUELLE DE TÊTE DE COCHON” - Romaine Lettuce, San Marzano Tomato Compote and “Ranch Dressing.” Delicious in all regards, if I had to describe this dish I would simply say it tasted like a blend of pork loin and pork belly breaded and served with the appropriate complements to make the best BLT on the planet. Truly rendered from the head of a pig (actually the cheeks according to my server) this dish was as smooth and creamy as the Foie yet as crispy and crunchy as the frog legs. Having never consumed Tete de Cochon before I must admit I was quite impressed and would not hesitate to order it from a menu in the future. While the ranch dressing was impressive, the Tomato Compote was much moreso and actually tasted like a sweeter version of the tomato confit served with Beignets de Brandade de Morue at Bouchon.

#14 FOUR STORY HILL FARM “BLANC DE POULARDE” - “Pommes Sarladaises,” Bluefoot Mushrooms, Cipollini Onions, Watercress and Whole Grain Mustard. First of all, I tasted no mustard – and since I don’t particularly favor strong mustard this was a good thing. With that said, this is officially the best chicken I’ve ever tasted and every aspect of the dish “worked.” Served nearly cordon bleu style with a goat cheese/cream/nut combination whose name escapes me inside of chicken sausage on top of the flawless sous vide chicken the dish was easily cut with a fork and was complimented with salty fried potatoes, crispy mushrooms, and an interesting onion flavored jus. Truly wonderful and unexpected.

#15 “TIMANOIX” - Royal Blenheim Apricot, Celery Branch and Toasted Walnut. My cheese course of the night was served with two types of bread – a cinnamon walnut and pecan currant – and both were delectable (and used to consume more Animal Farm Butter.) The cheese course, alas, was a miss for me because although the compliments were wonderful, the oddly fragrant and firm cheese simply did not rest well on my palate. Although nutty, there was something smoky – almost steak-like that just did not agree with me. To be fair, I’m not much of a cheese eater outside of burrata and brie, so I certainly don’t blame the restaurant – I’m not easy to please.

After the cheese plate I was served a great cup of Equator Estates TFL blend coffee and although not as good as the syrupy/woodsy coffee at Bouchon, this mild and nutty acidic blend worked excellently to open up the palate and prepare for the sweet dishes. It especially worked well with the two dessert options, requiring a second cup.

#16 RHUBARB SORBET - with Mascarpone and Garden Mint. Onward to the sweet courses, my palate cleanser was a beautifully presented dollop of tart yet sweet pink sorbet that tasted like a cold and creamy Rhubarb pie. Though I did not ask, I would not be surprised if the sorbet itself contained butter and there was no doubt the graham cracker crumble below it and the mascarpone on the side created the semblance pie-like feel of the dish. With regard to the mint – I couldn’t taste it, but it looked pretty.

#17 “COFFEE AND DOUGHNUTS” - Cinnamon-Sugared Doughnuts and “Cappuccino Semifreddo.” Another French Laundry classic and every bit worth the hype. Having seen Coffee semifreddo done at a number of restaurants with varying degrees of success, I was glad to taste Keller’s version and realize he didn’t bother trying to make it “too coffee-esque” but instead focused on the essence of coffee in a sweet and airy mousse. Perfect on its own, the semifreddo served as a great foil to the crispy and sugary donut and the placement of the hole back on the donut was a nice touch. I felt like dunking, but refrained in order to not seem a total glutton (not that they hadn’t guessed.)

#18 “MOUSSE AU CHOCOLAT AMEDEI” - Gros Michel Banana Ice Cream, Candied Cashews and Curry “Arlette.” Thick chocolate ganache with hints of spice, crunchy cashews with a cinnamon shell, small balls of incredible plantains, and an ice cream that tasted like banana blended with caramel – what more can I say? Delicious, stupendous, and a top-5 all time dessert.

#19 MIGNARDISES - 3 tiered case with 12 selections, Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts. Delivered together, the famous tower was spiraled open to reveal a bottom drawer of fruit flavored concoctions including a pineapple jelly, coconut meringues, olive financier, and something else. A middle tier of chocolates including a peanut butter candy, a chocolate covered pretzel, a cocoa dusted truffle, and a salty dark chocolate filled with coffee. A top tier of vanilla/caramels including a vanilla butterscotch, a hand wrapped caramel, a vanilla/raspberry cookie, and something else. The Macadamia nuts were loaded with chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar and served in the famous Chinese porcelain container. All selections were good with the olive financier and the salty coffee chocolate particularly impressive.

#20 CANDIES - Peanut butter, Passion Fruit, Chocolate, and Clarified Butter Caramel. Arriving after the mignardises were consumed, 6 types of chocolate were presented and 4 selected. Perfect peanut butter, tart passion fruit, thick dark chocolate gnache, and an incredible white chocolate filled with what I can only describe as liquefied butter and caramel. At this point I was nearing a level of sugar overload that was rivaled only by the night I followed a Charlie Trotter’s Tasting menu with a TRU dessert tasting, thus I deferred on the other 2 chocolates.

#21 SHORTBREADS – a take-home gift from the chef, these cookies were shared with my mother and Aunt after returning to my hotel and were every bit as good as expected. Buttery yet flakey, sweet yet salty, very good indeed.

Along with the Shortbreads the substantial bill was delivered – a bill that was every bit worth the price – on the famous laundry tag. Pulling out the plastic to pay I again chatted with my server Ruben who noted that since the menu was spontaneous there was no printed version yet available, but if I left my information this menu would be printed and signed by both Chef’s Lee and Keller and mailed to my home first class. He additionally offered me a tour of the kitchen and noting that I missed out on two of the chocolates offered to package up some candies for me to take home with me. I gratefully accepted the wonderful offers and sampled the coconut chocolate as well as the caramel filled dark chocolate 2 days later (along with a pistachio candy, fleur de sel chocolate, and two cocoa truffles) which brought back more fond memories.

Entering the kitchen I was struck by its incredible cleanliness and the raw number of chefs, sous chefs, and myriad stations preparing each dish. I saw the large Michelin 3-star on the back wall as well as the plasma screen monitoring the kitchen at Per Se. I additionally had the chance to shake Chef Lee’s hand and thank him for the wonderful evening.

On my way out of the building a nice lady snapped my picture at the blue door and we chatted until my ride arrived – apparently this lady and her husband were celebrating an anniversary that night – and their 23rd visit to The French Laundry. Widely traveled, the woman’s husband told me that TFL was his favorite restaurant in the world –better than El Bulli or Fat Duck or Mugaritz. Well, I haven’t been to any of those places, nor have I been to The French Laundry 23 times, but I can definitely say it is the best meal I have ever had and I really cannot imagine that anything better exists.

Bouchon Bakery, Yountville CA

"In the end, a great meal is not about the food and the wine. A great meal is an emotional experience. We try to make it an extraordinary one by creating a beautiful place, one filled with staff who cares about it as they do about their home, and care for you as the most important guest in it...a great meal is not one that fills you up. A great meal is a kind of journey that returns you to sources of pleasure you may have forgotten and takes you to places you haven't been before."

With quotes like that you know his food is not a joke, and I will admit a bias to Thomas Keller's concepts and food. From peanut butter and jelly to quiche to gnocchi to bread and butter to cookies and cakes the man simply does amazing things with food. The best french toast I've ever eaten, the best quiche, the best cookie, the best gnocchi, the best roll, the best meal....and service that never fails to make you feel like the most important guest on earth. With those things in mind my Vegas vacation entailed two visits to Bouchon Bistro and four visits to Bouchon Bakery, my NYC trip entailed dinner at Bouchon Bakery, and my trip to San Francisco was prefaced by lunch at Bouchon, dinner at The French Laundry, and lunch dessert at – you guessed it – Bouchon Bakery.

Smaller than the Vegas or NYC branches, the original Bouchon Bakery is tucked into a small slot on Washington Street in Yountville and 75% of the store is actually the bakery while 25% is retail space – but oh what a retail space it is. Seeing many of my favorites (TKOs, Banana Muffins, Macaroons, Nutter Butters, Bread Pudding) it was nearly impossible to make a decision – especially taking into consideration my TFL dinner reservations.

Visiting Bouchon and the bakery with my mother and Aunt, both of whom had some Macaroons brought home from NYC, a number of selections were made and per usual all were excellent.
For myself a single Citrus Pistacchio Brioche was selected and proved to be a great choice given my dinner plans. Very light yet supremely buttery with wonderful essences of lime and orange, the subtlety of the brioche was wonderful and just as good as the brioche at Aqua the next night – if not better. While I generally prefer my Brioche as a savory over a sweet, I must admit this one was superb and one of 4 pieces of brioche that day (the Croque at Bouchon and 2 with the Foie at TFL.)

For my aunt, a new cookie in Keller’s repertoire was selected – the TLC. As delicious as it sounds, the TLC is an Oatmeal cookie with Pecans and Brown sugar and its lightness was greatly appreciated despite the sometimes heavy nature of oats in a cookie. Along with the carrot cake cookie, TKO, and Nutter Butter this was yet another winner and the best cookie of the trip. My aunt additionally purchased one of Keller’s Peanut Butter Cups which I experienced in NYC. Honestly, how can you go wrong with Chocolate and Peanut butter?

My mother, additionally opting for a light option, decided to try one of Keller’s famous pistachio macaroons and purchased a mocha éclair for later. A huge fan of the Macaroon, my mom was mightily impressed by the size of Keller’s version and named the cookie her favorite macaroon of the trip. While she wouldn’t commit to it being better than Pistachia Vera in Columbus, I personally believe Pistachia to still be the best, albeit much smaller. With regard to the éclair, this was consumed while I was at The French Laundry, but a small taste was saved for me. Creamy and buttery with an airy coffee cream inside I quite liked it – my mother loved it.

All told, I’ve not yet tried an item at Bouchon Bakery that didn’t at least challenge for “best overall” in its category. Great ingredients and classic technique from the mind of a brilliant chef generally yield excellent results. If I lived near a Bouchon Bakery I’d have a weight problem, no doubt.

Bouchon Bistro, Yountville CA

On December 17th my mother managed to secure me February 17th reservations at The French Laundry – without overstating too much, my entire trip to San Francisco was prefaced by this event. Knowing that we would be in Napa/Yountville/Sonoma on the 17th and knowing that my mother and aunt would not be joining me at The Laundry, I decided it would be nice to share Keller’s glorious cooking concepts with them with lunch at Bouchon. Having already dined at Bouchon New York in June and at Bouchon Vegas twice in September I knew what to expect – unfortunately, whether it was an effect of all the great meals I’d had or the anticipation of TFL that evening, this Bouchon fell just a little short of the “wow factor” I had at the other locations.

Arriving at 11:30am I was amazed at how quickly a quaint bistro in a small town like Yountville fills up on a nondescript rainy Tuesday afternoon. Seated immediately our waiter Chris B. poured our water and left us with our menus. After a seemingly long wait, Chris returned and offered wine (declined,) explained the specials, and took drink orders – iced tea for the two ladies and the wonderfully thick/syrupy/woodsy Equator Estates Coffee for me. Returning a short while later, Chris delivered the drinks and take orders. While Chris certainly wasn’t a bad waiter by any means, there was an air of arrogance/curtness to his demeanor that struck me as odd and aside from delivering dishes he was rarely seen – perhaps he was having a bad day, but compared to the amazing service at the other Bouchon’s I found this unfortunate at the original. Thankfully the ancillary servers were on the ball and tea/coffee/water were never empty.

After about 6-7 minutes one of the ancillary servers returned with the first of 2 orders of Bouchon’s famed epi-baguettes. As good as remembered, it was unfortunate in my opinion that they came with only the sweet butter while the versions in Vegas and NYC both came with jellies (raspberry and apricot, respectively.) None the less, in a trip that contained tons of wonderful breads, this one was my mother’s absolute favorite.

After a few more minutes and some talk about the day’s plans our first course arrived – for myself the Beignets de Brandade de Morue - Cod brandade with tomato confit and fried sage, for my mother the Salade de Cresson et d'Endives au Roqefort et Noix - Watercress and endive salad with Roquefort, toasted walnuts and walnut vinaigrette, and for my aunt the Soupe à l'Oignon with thick melted swiss.

To describe the Beignets is somewhat tricky, yet somehow easy – imagine the best “fish stick” you have ever had – with ketchup. Alright, now, take away the fakeness/fishiness and replace it with the flavor of perfectly cooked salted cod, incredibly sweet and fresh tomatoes, and the zip of crispy fresh sage. Beautiful in presentation and delicious in flavor with the lightest breading you can imagine – excellent.

My mother’s salad, like the Cod, utilized many commonly used ingredients in great portions with flawless execution to create a dish better than the sum of its parts. Fresh endive, tangy Roquefort, crisp walnuts, and a vinaigrette that tasted like a combination of wine and walnuts with minimal acidity and plenty of bite – wonderful. With regard to my aunt’s soup – I don’t consume beef and as such did not taste the broth, but the cheese was incredibly thick and bubbly. Both my mother and aunt enjoyed the soup very much.

For our mains, both my mother and aunt selected the Quiche du Jour - Lorraine with bacon, comté cheese, and spinach due to my sister’s glowing recommendation from our trip to Bouchon New York. Once again perfect, although not a Quiche fan I can definitely appreciate the light and airy texture despite the heavy and comforting ingredients – both the ladies loved the dish and its impossibly buttery crust. Served with a large salad and my mother quite full of vegetables from the Salade de Cresson, I indulged and very much enjoyed the simple vinegar and oil dressing with cracked pepper over flawless fresh greens.

In addition to the Quiche my aunt ordered a side of the Macaroni Gratin with Macaroni, nutmeg, thyme, Comte cheese, and panko breadcrumbs. Clearly underestimating the amount of cheese in the soup and quiche and overestimating the size of her stomach the Gratin was shared around and was very tasty with strong hints of nutmeg serving as a wonderful counterpart to the rich Comte. The Panko crumbs were a great addition for texture and although not as good as Michael Mina’s Mac n’ Cheese, it was definitely a solid preparation.

For my lunch, I opted for the Croque Madame with toasted ham and cheese on buttered brioche with fried egg, mornay sauce and served with pomme frites. First of all, did someone say “Supersize?” The portion of fries was insane and while delicious – bested only by Mina’s Duck Fat Fries – I had to send 75% back in order to not fill up. With regard to the Croque – yum! Talk about comfort food – the Brioche was as good as that at The French Laundry, the egg perfectly prepared, the Mornay salty and savory without being too heavy, and the ham every bit as good as one would hope. Though not quite as incredible as the Croque at The Butler and The Chef, the egg addition put this dish over the top as a “must order” and the price was well in line with the quality of the ingredients and preparation.

With a relatively standard dessert menu and Bouchon Bakery next door we deferred on dessert and I consumed another cup of coffee before departure. All told we all enjoyed the meal a great deal and it was nice to let my family experience some of Chef Keller’s work (aside from those I’d prepared in the past from the Bouchon cookbook) but neither the experience nor the setting were quite as impressive as Bouchon Las Vegas and the service simply left something to be desired attitude-wise. While I’d certainly go back on future visits, I’ll take a Bouchon Vegas breakfast over a Bouchon Yountville lunch anytime.

Kara's Cupcakes, San Francisco CA

Knowing that we would be getting an early start up to Muir Woods, Napa, Sonoma, and Yountville my family and I decided to grab breakfast-y treats the day prior. Items for this gluttonous smorgasbord included the left-over Devils Food Cake from Gary Danko, the Chocolate Pudding from Tartine, some Chocolate Figs from Sharffen Berger, and four cupcakes from Kara’s Cupcakes near Fisherman’s Wharf/Ghirardelli square.

Having sampled the famous cupcakes of Magnolia, Sprinkles, Yummy, Crumbs, Bleeding Heart, Mrs. Beasley’s, and Bouchon previously and planning to check out Love At First Bite, Kara’s, Vanilla, and Citizen Cake on this trip I have to say my expectations were high. Tucked away in Ghirardelli square, near the soon-to-open Danko Brasserie I must admit I was somewhat shocked by the prices at first, but after reading about the ingredients this shock soon passed. Selections were numerous and some quite unique – no Red Velvet was a bummer - and we decided on four options to be split and shared. My choice was the Fleur de Sel while my mother chose the Meyer Lemony Lemon and my Aunt picked the Banana and Kara’s Karrot.

Remember where I said share? Apparently my mother forgot about this and in the glee of “it was amazing” polished off the Lemony Lemon all on her own. Fortunately my Aunt was more giving, especially as she ate way too much of the rich Chocolate Pudding from Tartine, and I was able to sample the rest.

The Banana, in my opinion, was pretty standard fare and although the cupcake was moist and tasty it didn’t hold a candle to Tartine’s banana bread, Bouchon’s Banana Muffin, or the Banana Cupcakes at Yummy. The Karrot, on the other hand, was heavenly and probably the second best Carrot based dessert I’ve ever tasted (bested only by Keller’s Carrot Cookie at Bouchon) – the frosting especially was so impossibly light yet tangy and sweet.

The final option, and the best of the group by far, was the Fleur de Sel. A dense Ghirardelli chocolate cupcake with thick caramel filling, heavy and dense chocolate ganache frosting and a light sprinkling of fleur de sel was a perfect balance of sweet and salty, chocolate and caramel, light and heavy – possibly the best chocolate cupcake I’ve ever tasted. The small size was somewhat fortunate as I know I’d have overindulged had there been more.

All told, a good little cupcake place in an interesting location. Prices could be a little bit more approachable for the size, but certainly aren’t as absurd as Miette or Sprinkles. The quality is tops and you get what you pay for.

One Market, San Francisco CA.

It is a holiday Monday in San Francisco; you had Tartine for breakfast and were blown away, you had Boulevard for lunch and were very impressed – you want to keep with the great yet classic concept but your companions don’t want “prix fixe” or a tasting menu. You’ve wandered the wharf, Ghirardelli square, and even Coit tower and no find yourself in the financial district around 8:30pm. Browsing the Michelin Guide you spot One Market and realize they’re one of the few starred restaurants participating in Crab-Week – You love crab and rarely get anything fresh in Ohio – Sold.

Entering One Market around 8:30pm after securing free parking one immediately notes the large Michelin Star perched on the hostess station and next notices the boisterous bar on the right, beautiful restaurant on the left, open kitchen in the back, and large windows peering out onto the Embarcadero. No reservations are no problem, jeans and a leather blazer not too upscale or too casual, a table by the window? Sure.

Seating was prompt, wine offered and declined, water filled and menus delivered – our waiter Nelsen was much older than the other servers we met on our trip and while somewhat fuddling in his dish descriptions also had a level of respect and attentiveness to detail that was a nice change from the aloof approach at Boulevard that was later also experienced at Aqua, Bazaar, Osteria Mozza, and Chez Panisse Café. After approximately 10 minutes Nelsen returned with a plate of sourdough rolls and took our orders. The rolls were fair, but the icy cold butter was unimpressive at best. Shortly after the bread arrived, a group of well dressed businessmen were seated close to our table and another server, similar in age to Nelsen, appeared to take care of their table. Upon looking around, it appeared all the staff was more experienced and that each table had its own server – I’m unsure whether this speaks to the economy or just a style choice for the restaurant, but it was interesting to have such individualized service.

Five minutes after the orders were taken, a young lady emerged from the kitchen with an amuse bouche of seared toro and tomato compote with microbasil that more than made up for the butter, however. Having never tasted toro before, my aunt was particularly impressed by this dish and I will note that the texture of the fish was every bit as good as any toro I’ve tried while the tomatoes were quite fresh and zesty. Shortly after the amuse, our appetizers began to arrive. Like many other meals, I personally opted for multiple appetizers in order to maximize taste experience without any masticatory boredom.

For myself, course one consisted of the Grilled Octopus with kabocha squash, asian pear, tamarind, pumpkin seeds. A fan of Grilled Octopus, this version was remarkable in that it did not use a heavy handed citrus component like Babbo or Spiaggia, but instead focused on contrasting textures and highlighting the brininess of the Octopi. Perfectly seared and succulent, the crunch of the seeds alongside the delicate squash was a great experience and certainly something I’ll try to recreate in the future. One of the best octopus dishes yet to grace my palate.

Dish one for my mother was the Dungeness Crab & Coconut Milk Soup with leeks, carrots, fennel, kaffir lime. Beautifully plated tableside I can honestly say this dish was a huge miss for me. While my mother liked it and was glad she ordered it, there was an undefined spice to the dish similar to a curry that refluxed on me throughout the night and left me with significant heart burn on my morning run the next day that actually required the purchase of TUMS. My mom did not experience this, thankfully, but for me this dish left sour memories of the meal as a whole.

My next dish, another appetizer, was the Pan-seared Artisan Foie Gras with golden raisin puree and hazelnut crackle. Having had multiple presentations of Foie in the past, at the time I consumed this dish it was the single best Foie Gras I had ever tasted and is still my favorite all time seared preparation (the cold terrines at TFL and Aqua were more “my style.”) Perfectly seared and large in portion, no veins and plenty of texture, the sweet raisin and candied hazelnut/apricot compote for texture – amazing and a must have dish.

For our mains, my mother and I opted to split an order of the House Made Cavatelli and Dungeness Crab with artichoke, basil, meyer lemon (served as two appetizer portions.) While hand rolled pasta is always a plus and fresh crab never hurts, what truly brought this dish to the next level was actually the flawlessly seared artichokes and the use of meyer lemon peel in addition to the meyer lemon infused olive oil dressing. Dainty yet hearty, sour yet savory, clean and refreshing this pasta was a winner in a place where pasta isn’t exactly the highlight of the menu - a great surprise.

For my Aunt’s main she once again selected the Crab cakes – offered as an appetizer portion since she was not all that hungry after a large burger and Crab Cakes plus Dessert at lunch. Three small cakes arrived along with a small salad and although the crab was fresh, the flavor was relatively subdued and boring. Not bad, but certainly not on par with the other crab cakes she experienced on the trip.

Mains finished, dessert was next in line and with all of us feeling a bit full we opted for a few of the “Singular sensations” and one of the Valrhona Chocolate Souffle Cake with Blood Orange Caramel Compote, Vanilla Cream, Grand marnier mascarpone ice cream. While the cake was decent, it was relatively standard for a soufflé cake and the ancillary items were vastly more interesting with the super-sweet yet deliciously sour caramel complementing both the ice cream and the cream beautifully. The dish was good, but not great – especially compared to one of the Singluars.

Of the singulars, three options were selected including the Tahitian Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, Butterscotch Pudding with Chantilly Cream, and Coconut Chocolate Parfait with candied macadamias and graham cracker. The Crème Brulee was standard fare, too sweet for my liking and far inferior to that of Gary Danko while the coconut parfait simply wasn’t my style – too much coconut flavor and not enough of the crunch. The Butterscotch Pudding, however, was transcendent and much like a Pot du Crème, only better. Light and airy Chantilly Cream only further enhanced the dish and while the texture was an exact opposite of the Butterscotch at Boulevard earlier in the day, the taste was equally sublime.

When it was all said and done, our dinner at One Market cost similar to our lunch at Boulevard and we we’d certainly received more food. While the meal contained many highlights, particularly the Octopus, Foie, and Butterscotch, I can’t help but look back on the soup, cold butter, and crabcakes as misses. Excellent service and a great setting with free parking are certainly plusses, as well. Not the greatest meal in SF, but definitely worth the visit just for the Foie (which can be prepped at lunch if requested.)