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.