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Started By
Message
re: 16 minute video review of Thomas Keller's 'The French Laundry' restaurant in Napa Valley
Posted on 6/9/25 at 11:25 am to Carson123987
Posted on 6/9/25 at 11:25 am to Carson123987
We are having lunch in 2 weeks at Franceschetta 58 in Modena, Italy. It's the little brother restaurant of Osteria Francescana which was the #1 ranked restaurant in the world a few years back. I could have gotten reservations but the train back to Bologna would have been very late and like the French Laundry it's about $1500 for two with the wine tasting.
Our lunch will cost 200 or so Euro and it's also a Massimo Bottura and will do just fine and leave over a grand still in my pockets.
Our lunch will cost 200 or so Euro and it's also a Massimo Bottura and will do just fine and leave over a grand still in my pockets.
2
Posted on 6/9/25 at 1:51 pm to VABuckeye
Never ate at TFL but I did eat at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago in 1999! Had the Kitchen Table for 6...dined with Dr. Mcafee and his group of scientists . We were attending the North American Spine Society Meeting in Chicago. Had 12 course meal which was at that time 300/person but wine...can you say great wines took the bill up a notch. One wine with foe' gras was 1,800 dollars it was a 1961 Chateau d'Yquem. WOW what a nite...bill came to 8,000 and change...Chairman of Board of Stryker at that time was John Brown...he was blown away that I had dined with Dr. McAfee and his group after being turned down numerous times himself by Dr. McAfee. After a business meeting with Dr. McAfee and having to listen to the story of this great meal...John Brown sought me out at on the Convention floor and asked if I had the bill...of course it was burning a hole in my suit jacket..I produced it and he looked at it with bulging eyes and asked how many people dined ...I said 12...he said good answer. Got a corporate check 3 days later to cover dinner. Charlie Trotter led us after dinner to the wine cellar where we saw at the time was the 3rd Oldest bottle of wine in the world...1843 d'Yqem...was on list for 30,000 and guaranteed. Trotter had 2 famous people join us in cellar. At the time retired basketball player Michael Jordon and retired coach Phil Jackson...Trotter opened up a nite cap..a bottle of 1961 Chateau Lafite Rothschild...all I can say is that was one great dinning experience. RIP Charlie Trotter!
Posted on 6/9/25 at 4:27 pm to Poppy201
quote:
Never ate at TFL but I did eat at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago in 1999! Had the Kitchen Table for 6...dined with Dr. Mcafee and his group of scientists . We were attending the North American Spine Society Meeting in Chicago. Had 12 course meal which was at that time 300/person but wine...can you say great wines took the bill up a notch. One wine with foe' gras was 1,800 dollars it was a 1961 Chateau d'Yquem. WOW what a nite...bill came to 8,000 and change...Chairman of Board of Stryker at that time was John Brown...he was blown away that I had dined with Dr. McAfee and his group after being turned down numerous times himself by Dr. McAfee. After a business meeting with Dr. McAfee and having to listen to the story of this great meal...John Brown sought me out at on the Convention floor and asked if I had the bill...of course it was burning a hole in my suit jacket..I produced it and he looked at it with bulging eyes and asked how many people dined ...I said 12...he said good answer. Got a corporate check 3 days later to cover dinner. Charlie Trotter led us after dinner to the wine cellar where we saw at the time was the 3rd Oldest bottle of wine in the world...1843 d'Yqem...was on list for 30,000 and guaranteed. Trotter had 2 famous people join us in cellar. At the time retired basketball player Michael Jordon and retired coach Phil Jackson...Trotter opened up a nite cap..a bottle of 1961 Chateau Lafite Rothschild...all I can say is that was one great dinning experience. RIP Charlie Trotter!
Great story
Posted on 6/9/25 at 6:40 pm to coolpapaboze
quote:
The first time I ate there, I was standing in the courtyard after the meal, waiting on the rest of my party. I could see in to the kitchen and it's mesmerizing to just watch them work, but the thing that struck me was there was a guy in the corner doing nothing but drying wine glasses. He was so focused and attentive, making sure every single glass was absolutely perfect before he put it away. The most impressive thing about it, was that the guy drying the glasses was Thomas Keller. Dude is one of the best chefs in the world, running one of the best restaurants in the world, but he's not above drying wine glasses in the kitchen if that is what needs to be done. I think that says a lot about him and about how they have maintained such high standards for going on three decades now.
That's impressive
Posted on 6/10/25 at 6:05 am to VABuckeye
Make sure you get the ravioli in Parmesan cream sauce. Had that dish about a year ago and think of it daily.
Posted on 6/10/25 at 10:34 am to coolpapaboze
quote:
Also, the easiest way to get a reservation is to drop by and ask if they have any cancellations for that night. So if you're local it is (or was) much easier to eat there if you wanted. I rented a house around the corner from the FL in Yountville one summer for a couple of months and my wife would drop by occasionally and ask about cancellations. I think they had at least one every time she stopped in. I think it's probably tougher now to be a regular unless you've got serious money, but that area does have serious money.
Fairly certain this is all online now. Its very possible they have non online reservations also though.
Posted on 6/10/25 at 12:19 pm to L.A.
I was in the wait list for several months prior to a couple of trips out there and never got in. Cool location. We went to his Bakery nearby. Very good.
Posted on 6/10/25 at 3:18 pm to zippyputt
quote:
Cool location. We went to his Bakery nearby. Very good.
Yes, great location. We've driven by there many times while visiting wineries.
And we went to the bakery too. I remember liking it but it's been so long that I don't remember what we got.
Posted on 6/10/25 at 8:50 pm to L.A.
.
This post was edited on 6/19/25 at 8:59 pm
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