707-944-2380

For the past four days at 1:00 PM eastern / 10:00 AM pacific sharp, I spent my lunch break dialing 707-944-2380. For 20-30 minutes it would just ring busy...unlike most phone lines these days, which usually send you to some sort of wait line. But, no, not when you call Napa Valley's The French Laundry, America's most coveted restaurant. So many people are dialing the number, you can't even get to call waiting. And you better be sure you're calling two months to the calendar day out from the day you want to visit (the day reservations open), because this is the only day you have a shot at actually getting a reservation. So you dial again...and again....and again, only to hear that horrid busy signal. If you're lucky in the first half hour, you'll hit the hold line with an automated message telling you "thanks for calling" and "there are other customers in front of you." Eventually the line rings through to an actual human being, who informs you there are no reservations available for two, but they'll be glad to put you on the wait list. Damn....

Such was my luck for the first three days. But on the fourth, I actually got a reservation for 9:00 PM on Thursday, July 8! I was shocked. I'm still shocked. Thomas Keller, here I come!