You start to wonder about a restaurant when every person that you
know who has eaten there claims it to be the "best meal ever." Or when every
national ranking of restaurants gives it the #1 spot. Or when you have to call two
months in advance to the day at exactly 10:00 a.m. (and get through before 10:25 a.m.) in
order to make an 11:00 a.m. lunch reservation. Or when you hear about a chef serving
9 courses at lunch. Or when your friends tell you they would travel 2,531 miles just
for a meal. You start to wonder if it will live up to your expectations.
It has got to be pretty damn good if it exceeds your
expectations. Suddenly you find yourself part of the "best meal ever"
publicity club.
So this is it. My best meal ever. December 23, 2001
at the French Laundry in Yountville, California. We had lunch next to a charming
little fireplace for about four hours on a cool winter day in the Napa Valley. I'm
sure there were a few other diners in the world as happy as I was at that moment.
Some were in my direct vicinity, while others could have only been in Alba, Italy or
Provence.
I had the Black and White Truffle Tasting Menu, while Elizabeth had the
Chef's Tasting Menu. I take my hat off to Mr. Keller...thank you so very much for
this unforgettable experience!
The Black and White Truffle Tasting Menu:
 | A small, light "cone" filled with creme fraiche and chives,
topped with an "ice cream ball" of salmon tartare
|
| Coddled egg scented with white truffles and covered with grated black
truffles
|
| Fresh, handmade tagliatelle with shaved white truffles and a brown
butter sauce (served in a v-shaped bowl to maximize the aromatic experience)
|
| Thinly sliced heirloom beets in a light vinaigrette with frisee and
shaved black truffles
|
| Hand-selected Maine scallop seared in a bacon emulsion, served in a
cauliflower puree with shaved white truffles
|
| Duck confit served with frisee on a bed of tiny Yukon gold potato slices
with a light vinaigrette and grated black truffles
|
| Miniature medallions of veal and veal sweetbreads served with celery
branch in a celery root puree with shaved white truffles
|
| Brie, whipped with black truffles served with sesame thins
|
| White truffle ice cream float: white truffle ice cream floating in white
truffle infused cream garnished with a white truffle chip (awesome..trust me!)
|
| Valhrona molten chocolate cake with caramel ice cream and shaved black
truffles (that really brought out the flavor of the chocolate
|
| Pot au creme
|
| Mignardise
|
| The salmon tartare ice cream cone
|
| A small scoop of cauliflower panna cotta in a Malpeque oyster glaze
covered with Osetra caviar
|
| Black trumpet mushroom risotto
|
| Medallion of cod, pan roasted and served with three types of onion: a
leek "fondue". caramelized onions and cioppollini marmelade
|
| Lobster poached in butter, served with thinly sliced potatoes with herbs
in a lobster vinaigrette
|
| Crispy roasted quail with veal sweetbreads, a chestnut puree and grated
black truffles
|
| Angliotti filled with Yukon gold potatoes, butter and marscapone served
with vegetables and shaved white truffles
|
| Vacherin Mont d'Or (alive and kicking and running and running) served
with small prune tarts
|
| Chocolate sorbet and a warm folded crepe covered in chocolate sauce
|
| Tangerine "meringue" tart with tangerine butter and cranberry
sorbet
|
| Creme brulee
|
| Mignardise
|
