Bouchon - The Meal

Pimms Cup (Brandy) - The best damn Pimm's Cup I've ever had, and certainly one of the best overall cocktails I've ever had.

Hendricks & Tonic (Charlie) - A solid standby

1/2 VDC Rouge (500 mL House Red Wine) - Perhaps the best deal of the trip - a 500 mL serving of a pre-release 2008 Realm Cellars Cabernet Franc / Merlot 80/20 blend from Sagecoach Vineyard by Michael Hirby. A fantastic wine and only $25.00! Why can't anyone else's "house red" be this awesome???

1/2 Dozen Oysters - We got an assortment of 3 types of oysters. Can't recall the types, but 2 were sweet and one was very salty. First time I've had a large, sweet and a small, salty. I'm used to it being the other way around...

House Cured Fluke (Daily Special) - Absolutely amazing. Came with a balsamic vinaigrette with red sweet peppers and I don't know what else. Just goodness.

"Poulet Roti" - Roasted Chicken with Red Rice, Pickled Grapes, Wilted Arugula, Candied Hazelnuts, and Tarragon Chicken Jus (Charlie) - I'd heard Keller's roasted chicken was amazing. And even though the combination of flavors of this dish did not particularly interest me, I had to try it. Boy, am I glad I did. Wow. What an amazing plate. And, again, a great deal at only $26.00.

Olive Oil-Poached Salmon with Fingerling Potatoes and ? (Brandy) - I only took one bite of this, so I'm not really fairly positioned to comment.

Macaroni au Gratin - A solid pasta and cheese side. Honestly, I preferred Cindy Pawlcyn's at Mustard's, but this was still good.

Haricot Vert - I'd had Bouchon's haricot vert with the pan-roasted trout in Vegas a couple of years ago. Once again, they did not disappoint.

This meal took place on 7/6/10.

The French Laundry - The Wines

2006 Shramsberg "Blanc de Blancs" Sparkling Wine (Glass)

2007 Hudson Vineyards Carneros Chardonnay (Glass)

2009 Bodegas Shaya, Verdejo, "Old Vines," Rueda* (Glass)

2004 Vineyard 7 & 8 "7" Cabernet Sauvignon (Bottle)

The Vineyard 7 & 8 "7" Cabernet Sauvignon was silky smooth and luscious. I plan to order a bottle of the current release as soon as I can!

*No website

Five Recommended Small-Production Wines

Five of my current favorite small-production ("boutique") wines:

Axios Wine - Worthy, "Sophia's Cuvee"

Don Sebastiani & Sons - Used Automobile Parts

Chiarello Family Vineyards - Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah

Vineyard 7 & 8 - "7" Cabernet Sauvignon

John Anthony Vineyards - Cabernet Sauvignon

The Hess Collection Mountain Cuvee Mount Veeder Napa Valley 2003

Enjoyed a bottle of The Hess Collection Mountain Cuvee Mount Veeder Napa Valley 2003. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. This is my kind of wine. Deep, rich opaque purple color. Dark, somewhat sweet, mysterious aroma. Silky smooth mouthfeel; well-integrated tannins. I wish I could describe it better because it is exactly what I look for in a wine. Amazing! Great buy at $28.99.

Mental note - visit The Hess Collection next time in Napa!

The French Laundry - The Best Meal Ever?

A few people have asked, "How was the French Laundry?" Or, more specifically, "Was the French Laundry the best meal of your life?" Well....

The French Laundry is housed in a beautiful building. Their dinnerware is exquisite. I'm sure their formal service is the best you can experience. Their bread and butter is the best you'll ever taste. Their sous-vide then grilled steak will literally melt in your mouth - really, I mean it - melt! Their wine list is like an encyclopedia; I had one of the best bottles I've ever had there. My hero Anthony Bourdain swears it was the best meal of his life. It has three Michelin stars. I could go on and on, but I am sure you get the point...

I spent a lot of time thinking about the question of whether or not TFL was the best meal of my life. I quickly realized I wasn't even certain what qualifies the best meal ever. Presumably, in order to determine the best meal ever, one would have to be able to objectively evaluate the meal. I am sure I could set several categories to rate the meal, such as decor & ambiance, food & drink, service, etc., as I have previously attempted to do in my few Yelp reviews, but I am starting to think this is nothing more than me over-analyzing these experiences, as I tend to do. Isn't it a lot simpler and yet more personal than this allows?

This got me thinking back to my time with Todd Anderson, owner of Anderson's Conn Valley, and his perspective on "the best." Specifically, Todd spoke to Robert Parker's famous wine ratings, asking who's to say that because Robert Parker rates a wine 100 points that makes it the best, that is, the best for me? Todd went on to say (I am paraphrasing here):

You know more about wine than I do. When you take a sip of a wine, all you know is whether you like it or not. I can't tell you it is the best. If you say it's the best wine you've ever had, what you're really saying it is the best wine you've ever had at that moment...with that food...and that setting...and those friends...and that music...etc.

I tend to support this view, and based on that, I definitely can't say that my experience at TFL was my best meal ever. Yet, I do still consider my experience at TFL to be very important in my food and wine journey, as it helped me realize why I've enjoyed many other meals more than what I experienced at TFL. My favorite meals have been those where highly-executed food and magnificent drinks were served in an inviting, comfortable setting with friendly, casual service. This is where Keller truly succeeds in my mind - at his French brasserie, Bouchon, and New American restaurant, Ad Hoc; both serve (affordable) perfectly-executed food and beautiful wine in vibrant, yet relaxed environments, coupled with unpretentious, seamless service. And beyond all of that, my favorite meals have been highlighted by the right company, the right music, the right conversation, the right mood, etc. for that particular moment. That's where Todd is so on-point.

So, what is the best meal I've ever had? Well, it's hard to say, really, as there's so many. But if I had to pick just one, I'd have to say the best meal of my life was experiencing the Menu Decouverte at L'atelier De Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Napa - Day 6 (The Final Day)

When I called to make a reservation at Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards in St. Helena this past June for this trip, I was informed we'd be visiting on one of their special "barrel luncheon" days at which we'd get to sample various wines straight from the barrel and enjoy a traditional Mexican lunch, plus the usual other tasting/tour benefits. Sounds fun, right? And, all for $25.00? This sounded a little too good!


On Friday, July 9, our last day in Napa, we headed up to the ACV vineyard, which is situated about 15 minutes off Highway 29. It's a windy, but lovely drive off the highway, with small rolling hills and vineyards. Ronene Anderson, ops director, welcomed us and introduced us to the assistant winemaker Ennio (sp?), who showed us to a few wines to enjoy while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. While exploring the caves, we encountered Todd Anderson, Ronene's husband and owner/founder of Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards.


After tasting a few different vintages and varietals directly from barrels with Todd, Ennio informed us that lunch was ready. We headed out to the wine cave patio along with the four other folks to what would become an absolutely unforgettable experience...


Lucky for us, the four other people were Todd's friends, so he pulled out some wines we may not have otherwise gotten to taste. While I would have been stoked to simply enjoy Anderson's flagship Eloge and Right Bank blends, in addition to a their Cabs, Todd also brought out a few "cult wines." Huh? Cult wines? This sounded interesting.


I'd never heard of "cult wines" before visiting ACVV. Apparently, cult wines are wines typically characterized by very limited production and a really high price tag (if not at retail, then in the secondary market). Plus, one usually has to pay some absurd amount of money to get on the mailing list or at least wait a ridiculous amount of time (like five years) to even get considered to become a patron. If you want to check this out, look up Screaming Eagle or Harlan Estate.


For a variety of reasons, a few years ago Todd decided to get into the cult wine biz and began producing his private label, Ghost Horse. Interestingly enough, he refuses to this day to submit his wines to be reviewed by the wine media (Wine Enthusiast, etc.), so Ghost Horse has taken on a more genuine meaning of "cult" status, as you seemingly have to be "in-the-know" to have even heard of it.


Now, before I continue, I must interrupt the wine-talk and say the food and the conversation we had at the table over the seven, yes, seven, hours we sat there might just have been the best of the trip. The meal consisted of various home-cooked grilled meats, chiles, green onions, and tortillas, plus fresh guacamole and salsa, etc. The conversation, well, let's say that beyond Todd's very enjoyable, informative perspective on wine and the wine industry, it was politically charged. Me, the (not-so-wealthy) "Tennessee liberal long-haired hippie," along with Brandy, were the minority amongst the (apparently wealthy) California cult wine conservatives, which was quite an interesting (and perhaps backwards) mix. Regardless of our political differences, the energy of the group, the food, and the wine (plus the cigars, moonshine, and Maker's Mark) produced a one-of-a-kind afternoon.


Now, back to the wine. My god, THE WINE! It was undoubtedly the best on the trip. Maybe my mind was clouded (no, not drunk!) from the simple, beautiful food, the views, and the vanilla-laced cigar smoke, but Todd's (unreleased) 2006 Ghost Horse Fantome Cabernet Sauvignon was the best wine I've ever tasted. (Well, as Todd will tell you, the best I've ever had at that moment.) I could not refuse getting a bottle - not after this experience. I had to take some of it with me to enjoy and remember with a few years from now. So, I went completely overboard and bought a bottle, but not one of the fancy standard-issue etched glass bottles (which are cool, too). I asked for one right out of the cardboard box with Todd's handwritten name and year of the wine on the bottle, just like we drank at the table. I think it's one of the coolest things I've ever bought.


And if you take the time to research Todd Anderson and his Ghost Horse label, you'll see a ton of bitching and complaining about his persona and pricing, typical of the anonymous nature of blogs. I am proud to say while Todd and I probably are not the types to ever hang out with one another, Todd's efforts to make us feel "at home" and openness to share his thoughts on wine with us were far beyond anything we'd experienced elsewhere. Without a doubt, I had one of my best food & wine experiences with Todd, and I don't regret my purchase. Eat that, bloggers. (Wait, I'm a blogger...)



Unreleased 2006 Ghost Horse Fantome Cabernet Sauvignon, hand-labeled and signed by Todd Anderson


Oh, and to top that, Todd invited us to dinner at this house, but, regrettably, we had to turn him down. After all of that, we still had our final dinner reservation at Thomas Keller's casual "locals" restaurant, Ad Hoc!


What a great last meal. Ad Hoc features a 4-course prix fixe menu, priced at $49.00. AD Hoc probably deserves a bigger and better review than this, but, simply put, it might just be the best deal in the valley.


Here's the menu for Friday, July 9th:

Every bite was delicious. 5/5 stars!

Napa - Day 5

Began our fifth day at Oxbow Public Market, just off downtown Napa. Oxbox is a collection of artisan food and drink producers similar to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. We started with a refreshing iced tea at Tillerman Tea (wish I'd bought some loose tea leaves) and then made our way over to The Fatted Calf to procure some charcuterie for our "brunch." We picked a selection of smoked ham, proscuitto, salami, and cornichons. We also added house-made beef jerky. To complement our charcuterie, we grabbed a small loaf of crusty sourdough bread. Wish we had a charcuterie shop at home, wow...

Next up today was Vinter's Collective, a small tasting room in downtown Napa featuring "boutique" wine producers too small to offer their own tasting establishments. Can't say I was thrilled with our service there, as it was a a bit pretentious, but the wine was solid. Ended up snagging 2 bottles of 2007 Melka "CJ."

I hoped we'd be able to visit Gustav Thrace, another nearby tasting room, but it was closed each time we checked throughout the early afternoon, so we made our way back over to the Oxbow Wine Merchant and Wine Bar. I had a great 2007 Cab Sauv from a small producer called Maroon Wines at the bar. I wish I would have bought a bottle or two to ship back. It was excellent. They had a few other $25-$40 bottles that looked awesome, as well.

After more wine, we figured a snack was in need, so we grabbed a taco from C Casa. I had a shrimp taco that was quite good, but I must say - $6.50 was too high. I'd rather stick to my $2.00 La Esperanza fish tacos. Wish we had time for a beer - they had Negra Modelo on draft. Only my second time seeing it on tap!

Our winery appointment today was our first in the afternoon. (I was actually getting used to drinking wine starting at 10:30 or 11:00 in the morning.) We made our way up to Franciscan Estates after Oxbow for their Magnificat: Art of the Blend seminar. This was the first that was strictly educational (no scenic views); it focused on the 5 Bordeaux vartietals that go into their flagship wine, Magnificat. We got to try each varietal individually, blend the five varietals into our own custom Bordeaux-style wine, and then compare our blend to the real Magnificat. Lots o' wine and lots o' fun. And lucky us, it ended up being another private experience, as the other group cancelled. Too bad for them, we drank some of their wine....

After all that tasting, we needed more food. I'd heard good things about the Hog Island Oyster Co. in the Oxbow, so we headed back there. It was really expensive, as oysters often are, coming out at about $50+ for 14 oysters, but they were all really excellent. Eight were grilled with fresh tomato and basil. They were certainly the highlight.

Following all that we ate at a little quaint place called The French Laundry. I think that deserves it's own post.

More to follow from our last day...

Napa - Day 4

Started the day off at Bouchon Bakery. Had a lovely Orange Pistachio Brioche. Perhaps a little too much sugar for breakfast for me. Would have been perfect with a cappuccino - hey, why didn't I think of that then???

While we enjoyed our Bouchon Bakery breakfast we walked around in Napa Style, the gift shop started by former Food Network star / chef Michael Chiarello. While walking over, we actually saw Chiarello at the back of his new (and only current) restaurant, Bottega, taking a delivery. Definitely did not expect to see a celebrity chef taking deliveries at 10:30 in the morning!

We soon headed back down Washington St. (the main road in downtown Yountville with all the awesome restaurants) to Bell Wine Cellars. We drink Bell's Bordeaux-style blends often in Knoxville, so we were excited to visit. (Their 2005 and 2006 Claret and 2006 Canterbury Vineyard Syrah are fantastic $25-$30 wines.) Happened to run into a couple of other (former) Knoxvillians in the tasting room (world is always smaller than you think) and then got started on the tour, which turned out to be only us, as the other folks cancelled.

This tour was much more informative and personal than Newton. Our guide was excellent. Got to learn about why the grapes are planted the way (and where) they are, how they are crushed, the differences in the clones, while also leaning about the winemaker, etc. We then got to taste several of Bell's offerings alongside cheese pairings, which was a nice addition. Ended up grabbing a half bottle of the 2006 Clone 6 Cabernet Sauvignon. Always wanted to try it, but the price stopped me short. Nice to be able to acquire it in a half bottle.

Followed Bell up with a stop at a Pacific Blues Cafe to catch the end of the Germany-Spain game. Again, I think it was bad luck for me to stop and start watching at the end....Germany lost....boooooo.....

In an effort to recover from the loss, we began our search for the La Esperanza taco truck. It has outstanding reviews all over Yelp. After about 15 minutes of de-tours and wrong roads, we found them in a closed auto auction lot. Incredible fish tacos (the best I've had) and awesome carnitas. Also, it was great to have a Mexican coke with their spicy salsa. Search out their blue truck!

Followed the tacos up with a visit to Francis Ford Coppola's Rubicon Estate winery. Amazing property off Highway 29. The view from the highway doesn't do it justice. I'd like to go back another time to take the tour. On the wine...well, I was a little disappointed. I've eyed the Rubicon cabs for a while. Not quite what I hoped for, especially not for the price. Oh well...glad I tried it.

Dinner tonight had us back at Michael Chiarello's Bottega. Unfortunately, reservations were about 1/2 hour behind (the restaurant was packed), but I made that shorter by enjoying a glass of Don Julio 1942, my favorite tequila.

Botegga was fantastic. We shared the following dishes, all of which were excellent.

-Monterey calamari, crisped with Arborio rice flour, aioli nero

-Wood-grilled octopus, olive oil braised potatoes, pickled red onion, salsa verde

-Crispy potato gnocchi, English pea and Tallegio fonduta, spring vegetables, prosciutto crisp

-Grilled "angry" gulf prawns, heirloom tomato steaks, crispy garlic, basil, orange and Calabrian chili dressing, lemon aioli

-2007 Chiarello Family Vineyards Roux Old Vine Petite Sirah

The grilled gulf prawns were the best (especially the juices in the head). I was also impressed with the Chiarello petite sirah. It was one of my favorite wines on the trip. (I subsequently ordered a bottle to be shipped home.) Great prices, too, especially on the wine, for Yountville.

Napa - Day 3

Another great day in Napa. Thought it was going to be rainy when I woke up, but soon realized it was the typical morning fog. Kind of amazing - it completely disappears by about noon each summer day to reveal a completely clear sky. (You should see the stars at night. Wow, I am used to a bunch of light pollution.)

Started at Newton Vineyards for a private tour/tasting. It's a ways off Highway 29 in St. Helena up a private road to the mountain top. Amazing views and delicious wines. Cool architecture, too. Got to try their unfiltered premium offerings plus their flagship wine, 'The Puzzle." Good deal for $40 including the views.

Next we stopped at a cool small Mexican bar/club called Ana's Cantina to catch the end of the Uruguay / Netherlands World Cup game. Shouldn't have stopped...Uruguay lost. Bummer.

Off to Cindy Pawlcyn's Mustard's Grill for lunch. Had a fantastic casual, homestyle meal there - Onion Rings with Apple Ketchup, Daily Lamb Burger with Paprika Aioli, Sauteed Red Onion, Watercress, and Manchego Cheese, House Fries, and Macaroni & Cheese. Added a Bordeaux -style Napa red wine flight to that. Fairly expensive for lunch, but it was really good and a place we wanted to visit.

After that we made a quick stop at Alpha Omega winery, which caught our eye immediately off Highway 29. Hoped that the expensive proprietary red blends ($85 range) would deliver, but I was not a fan. Nice building, though.

Headed back to hotel to chill and decided to grab some Mint Chocolate Chunk ice cream from Ben & Jerry's and saw a big Bonnaroo Buzz poster. Nice to see Bonnaroo making it's way all the way out here in Napa Valley.

Hung out on the most-excellent Avia terrace for a bit and then walked around downtown Napa to work off the Mustard's Grill lunch in preparation for Thomas Keller's Bouchon.

I probably will and should write a full review of Bouchon, but the quick version is - Bouchon is amazing. Very casual, but perfectly executed classic French bistro fare. Best roast chicken I've ever had. Great value, too, when you consider what you're getting for the money. More to come...

Napa - Day 2

Started the morning off with a quick visit to Whole Foods. Figure we needed some water to drink with all the vino we were going to consume. I wish we had one of these in Knoxville. It has basically everything a foodie needs.

From there we met Matt Buoncristiani with the Buoncristiani Family Winery to do our first tour. It's goingto be hard to beat this one. We were the only people on the tour - just us with Matt (one of the four owner-brothers), 6 fantastic wines, a cave winery-in-progress, and amazing views from the Soda Canyon. Can't wait to come back in a year or two and see the finished product.

(Unfortunately, we didn't have a camera on the mountain top, but this is a photo of the vineyard they manage at the hotel and spa Villagio.)

From there itwas off to In-N-Out Burger for a Double-Double with Animal-Style Fries and a Chocolate Shake. I'd never actually had the Animal Style Fries. If you're unfamiliar, it's a secret menu item. Take their perfect fresh cut fries and add sauteed onions, cheese, and their special sauce (thousand island). Excellent.

Back to the wine. Checked out Darioush Winery. I'd had their alternate label cabernet sauvignon called "Caravan," but never Darioush proper, mostly because of the price, despite seeing it in Knoxville quite often. Pretty over the top decor (see photos below). Wine was underwhelming - especially for the retail price tag.

Decided to drive down Silverado Trail from there and happened to land in Yountville. Pulled into a convenient parking spot off the road and realized we were next to a nice small garden. Hoping that we could walk around, and then seeing someone already in there, we made our way over. But this was no ordinary garden - this was the French Laundry's private garden. Wait, where are we? I looked across the street (across from my convenient parking spot) and quickly realized we were at The French Laundry. It was like a magnet drew us there.

Followed up a walk in the garden with a visit to Ma(i)sonry - an art and wine gallery and tasting room. Probably some of the best sculpture I've ever seen. Lots of skulls, too, which are always fun. A great hang spot for late afternoon. They serve wines from 15 or so local boutique wineries that are too small to offer their own tasting rooms. Great spot.

Finished the night with our first big dinner at REDD. So many items on the menu looked so good, we had to go for the 5 course tasting menu plus wine pairings. We each got a different item each course, so 10 total dishes. Same for the wine - 10 different wines. Highlights were:

Sashimi of yellowfin tuna, sticky rice, edamame, lime ginger sauce

Carnaroli risotto, maine lobster, meyer lemon confit, truffle oil

Crispy duck confit, lentils, foie gras meatballs, crispy spaetzle

Prime new york steak and shortribs, crispy potatoes, bacon, and cipollini onion ragout

Overall, I've got mixed opinions about REDD. The decor and design is top notch. Very minimalist with earthy tones. Nice bar, too. The ambiance is OK. Didn't notice the music, but the old people around us were kinda annoying. (I guess that has nothing to do with the restaurant itself.)

The food was mostly really good. I thought the desserts fell short for a James Beard award-winning pastry chef (maybe I was just too tired to care) and the pork belly was waaayyy over salted. Disappointing. The rest of the food, though, was either really good or excellent. The wines, on the other hand, were forgettable for me.

The service was a little clunky. I expected more. Items arrived in an inconsistent manner and I didn't really feel taken care of.

For the price ($75 per tasting menu plus $45 per wine pairing), I would rate REDD at 3.75 stars out of 5.

I'm baaaaack....in Napa - Day 1

Back again, at least for a little bit while I am on vacation and actually want to use my computer outside of the office life...

Got to Napa 2 days ago.

Clunky start with crappy Avis rent-a-car, but after we finally got out of SFO, we had an enjoyable drive up the bay area through Oakland and Berkeley to Napa.

We're staying at Avia, which is probably the best hotel I've ever stayed in. Fantastic decor. Makes me want to re-decorate my own house...

While most of the town was at the Fourth of July fireworks display down the street Sunday night, we took advantage of the suddenly empty restaurants and started at Taqueria Tres Hermanos for dinner with some fantastic carnitas tacos and Bohemia beer. Excellent diced onion, cilantro, lime, and ranchero sauce (?) toppings. Glad to see shredded cheese and lettuce aren't options. Pretty typical rice and bean sides, but with better flavor.

Followed that up with a stop at a brand new tasting room in our hotel called John Anthony. It has a very upscale/hip/modern feel, but without being stuffy. Excellent wine. Definitely plan to go back before we leave. John Anthony was there too - nice to meet the owner, always.

Good start...