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.