Yountville, a.k.a. Thomas Kellerville: Bouchon Bakery and The French Laundry

Yountville might as well be called Thomas Kellerville.  In this Napa Valley town of roughly 3,000 people, one can find several of the many institutions that make up Chef Keller’s Culinary Empire:  The French Laundry, Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc grace the small road that is Washington Street.  In the midst of lush greenery and rolling mountains, Yountville serves as the perfect backdrop to eating some of the most charming, elegant and perfect foods of your life (not to mention formidably expensive, but every bite is worth it).

On Sunday, we drove out to Yountville to pick up a “few” pastries from the Bakery, check out Michael Chiarello’s Bottega, sip some Chardonnay at V Wine Cellar, and finally bask in the Gastronomic Glory that is The French Laundry, (which is the whole reason why we decided to take this crazy trip in the first place).

The French Laundry

“Dinner” is too poor a word to describe what was an Aesthetic Experience of Biblical Proportions.  This was actually our second visit within the year, and although the novelty had worn off slightly, the cuisine and service did not fail to exceed the expectations of me, my husband and our French comrade, a gentleman with an admirably fastidious palate.  

The French Laundry garden, across the street from the restaurant.

The other half.  Got a whiff of the lemon thyme, just awesome.

Carottes

Unfortunately, I have no photographs to document the tasting.  I know, its lame and disappointing, and I could’ve done it as so many others have…but I find the concept of snapping shots in such an intimate, refined place where people pay $240 apiece a bit unsettling.  (That $240 does not include wine or supplemental fees.)  No need to disturb this serene scene with the constant pulling out of a camera.   You’ll just have to go there, if you really want the experience.  ; )

As for the tasting menus, there are two:  the chef’s tasting and the vegetable tasting.  I opted for the chef’s menu again, as I am pretty much powerless against the “Oysters and Pearls”:

Everything, as expected, was perfectly executed, foodwise and servicewise.  I actually found the food even more spectacular this time, which I didn’t think could be possible.  The new Chef de Cuisine, Timothy Hollingsworth, is definitely a chef to keep an eye on.*  Amazing talent.  The waitstaff are friendly, unassuming, well-trained and prodigiously knowledgeable about food and wine.  They wind through the tables in a seamless rhythm, as if in a choreographed movement.  Service like this is one in a billion. 

Superlatively soigné:  If I’m not mistaken, there was a lot of sous vide action going on, ensuring perfectly tender, moist pieces of poularde and veal.**  Aside from that, the dishes that left the greatest impressions were the famed “Oysters and Pearls”, Santa Barbara Sea Urchin, and Lemon Verbena “Vacherin.”

The Oysters and Pearls are a signature dish never to be missed.  The description reads, “‘Sabayon’ of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar.”  This is not your mother’s tapioca.  I can’t describe this dish adequately.  Its creamy and flavorful (think vermouth and shallots), with tender, fleshy oysters.  The caviar adds the perfect balance of freshness and mild saltiness to counteract the richness of the sabayon.  Food of the gods.  Our Frenchman summed it up for all of us:  ”You don’t want the flavor to leave your mouth.”  

The Santa Barbara Sea Urchin.  For the record, I have never been a fan of sea urchin.  Too tangy, too much aftertaste, and almost too sweet for me.  Which is why I had to choose it, to see if The French Laundry could change my perception of this spiny invertebrate.  Well, it turns out that I love sea urchin with all my heart.  This was beautiful.  So mild, so meltingly tender, the accompanying garnish was almost unnecessary.  It was like foie gras.  I’m 99.9% sure that I will never taste urchin like that again.  In fact, I’m reluctant to try it anywhere else.

The One and Only Picture I was brave enough to take.

The Lemon Verbena “Vacherin”.  The lemon verbena sorbet was citrusy and herbal with floral hints.  The Tellicherry Pepper Panna Cotta was subtle, and the texture just right, creamy and custardy, no proof of gelatin-abuse.  The tiny, white meringues were as light as air, dissolving as soon as they hit the tongue, ending in a burst of lemony sweetness.  The strawberry consommé, which was poured at the table, was like liquid candy.  Scarlet-red with the clarity of water and tasting of sweet strawberries just picked, it married all the flavor elements with unerring harmony.  This course burned an indelible impression on my palate.  A rare happening, as I find most desserts in America to be overly-sugared.

So yeah, I love this restaurant.  Everything about it.  EXCEPT…The French Laundry is a little further away from my house than I would like.  C’est la vie.

Back to the subject of desserts in America, Bouchon Bakery in Yountville is one of my favorite places to buy pastries.  The menu there changes on a regular basis:

The Quintessential Bakery

Brioche Bread pudding, best bread pudding, EVER

Perfect Financiers:  crisp on the outside, tender and moist on the inside.

Seasonal fruit tart.  Excellent buttery crust and filling.

Chocolate Bouchons.  Between a brownie and cake, addictive.

Passionfruit caramel macarons, financiers, nutter butters, brioche bread pudding and chocolate bouchons are among my favorite guilty pleasures from this charming little venue.  One characteristic that amazes me about the bakery is the consistency and perfection in the goods.  At 5 pm, the sandwiches still look like they just left a cutting board, the baked goods maintain their outer crispness and freshness to a T for days.  

All I know is, I will return to the haven that is Yountville someday.  After all, Bouchon Bistro and Ad Hoc still beckon.  And I will eat at The French Laundry again.  

Bouchon Bistro, with Bouchon Bakery to the right.

*  An interview with Timothy Hollingsworth by Food Gal.
**  To learn more about sous vide cooking, check out Keller’s book, Under Pressure, a breathtaking read.

The French Laundry
6640 Washington Street
Yountville, CA  94599
707.944.2380
www.frenchlaundry.com

Bouchon Bakery
6528 Washington Street
Yountville, Ca  94599
707.944.2533
www.bouchonbakery.com

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