The French Laundry has become the ultimate destination restaurant, a place of pilgrimage for anybody who wants to enter that famous blue door. Keller is too irreverent to allow his restaurant to become a temple of food", but somehow this is exactly what has happened.
Ruth Reichl also mentions in her piece that "Mr. The philosophy was and still is: classically based dishes made with world-class ingredients. Even though the culinary landscape in America has changed immensely in the past two decades, things haven't changed significantly at The French Laundry. In her 1997 review for the New York Times, Ruth Reichl describes the effect of the food on the diners as "electric" and the review comes with the headline "A Restaurant Scales the Peak". The French Laundry has been critically acclaimed ever since the place opened its doors in 1994. And there were some final sweet treats, such as "Coffee and Doughnuts" (Cappuccino Semifreddo and cinnamon-sugar doughnuts), and macarons (peanut butter & jelly and green tea & yuzu). Equally good was a cylinder-shaped dark chocolate marquise with a toasted brioche centre and garnished with salted pretzel crisps. This was followed by a lovely dessert of vanilla-pistachio swirl ice cream with edible tutti frutti confetti. The only let down, however, was the slightly grainy texture of the panna cotta. First up was a buttermilk panna cotta, served with a crystalised nettle leaf and marinated strawberries, a delightful combination. The meal concluded with a selection of desserts. Then there was a delicious cheese course of Acapella, a soft goat's cheese from Adante Dairy, served with a Champagne jelly, poached rhubarb, The sole was a bit on the firm/dry side, but otherwise this was a good dish with attractive flavours. Lovely touch of sweetness from the gastrique and the grassy freshness of the coriander oil balanced the dish out nicely. The next course was a sole ballotine filled with a salty corned beef farce, served with creamed cabbage, and complemented by a "Thousand Island Gastrique", described as a red wine reduction seasoned with a "gastrique" of strawberry and honey and adorned with coriander oil. I did use some of the salts and they enhanced the superb flavour of the foie gras nicely. Exquisite foie gras, firm in texture but creamy and buttery in the mouth, and the sweet and bitter accompaniments balanced its richness beautifully. With the foie gras came a selection of no fewer than six salts and a wonderfully buttery brioche bun. Also on the plate was a terrific, pure and concentrated pistachio puree, some kumquat zest, glazed tangerine, caramelised pistachios and Japanese baby turnips. A thick slice of this foie gras torchon was covered with a layer of glazed crème fraîche and dusted with kumquat powder. The French Laundry has had a long-standing relationship with top-quality foie gras producer D'Artagnan in the Hudson Valley in New York and their foie gras is prepared "au Torchon" (cylinder shaped, briefly poached and then wrapped in cheesecloth). The ban was lifted in January 2015 and I was told that tonight was the first night that foie gras was back on the menu. In July 2012 a California state law prohibited the production and sale of force-fed foie gras and restaurants had to take foie gras entirely of the menu.
Second course was "Hudson Valley Moulard Duck Foie Gras au Torchon". Oysters and Pearls was listed as the first course of the tasting menu, so some of the other canapés/amuse bouches may have been served as complimentary dishes, but I don't know this for sure.
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