YallKiltIt in the Napa Valley: The French Laundry took us to the Cleaners
Thanks for the feedback about me not posting this weekend. Here’s why YallKiltIt was in absentia:
My wife and I were in Calistoga (Napa Valley), Cottage Grove Inn to be precise, celebrating my fourth year of Wedded Bliss. Decided to check out
The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s Three-Michelin Star restaurant, and plan a weekend around the gastronimic/economic overkill.
Review to come later, but let’s say we walked away much more impressed with the surrounding area – and the aesthetics of the restaurant – than the food itself. Definitely did not live up to it’s two-time Restaurant of the Year (World) rating from Restaurant Magazine.
On our Tour-de-Michelin, this place comes in well below:
Providence, Melrose/Los Angeles
Gordon Ramsay at the London, Hollywood
The Dining Room at the Langham, Pasadena
Craft, Century City
Joe’s Restaurant, Venice
Chez Panisse, Berkeley
Lola, Seattle
The Hump, Santa Monica
Furthermore, “TFL” was not as impressive as up-and-comer Fig (Santa Monica).
It is, however, superior (in our opinion) to:
The Water Grill, Downtown
Osteria Mozza, Melrose/Los Angeles
-and-
Rivera, Downtown
These are each restaurants that provided same result, emanating from differing perspectives: Water Grill “on the way down and barely hanging on to its Michelin Star,” Rivera & Mozza “the new superstar of Los Angeles”.
It’s not to say the food at TFL wasn’t spectacular, it’s just when we pay twice as much for a Chef’s Tasting Menu than you’ve ever paid – even at the priciest of L.A. joints – you expect literal out-of-this-world food. There wasn’t one dish (out of nine courses, two amous bouches & three desserts) that had us saying “wow – I wish we had more of that.”
All in all, great weekend and special props to the massage team at Cottage Grove Inn for proving to me that massages really are pretty awesome.
Also, Old Faithful Geyser (of California) was pretty amazing, as was our face-to-face with llamas and big-horn sheep.
For the remainder of the Napa Valley pics, CLICK HERE. Now back to the sports, hip hop, media & Los Angeles insight. . .
YKI 
well done
THERES JUST TOO MUCH GAYNESS TO GO ON HERE IM FUCKIN PARALYZED WITH THE POSSIBILITIES
THINK IM GONNA RUN WITH THE GEYSER BUT GIVE ME A MINUTE IM TOO FUCKIN PARALYZED
Well-said. I agree: http://tinyurl.com/yzsu2h9
Hey , when looking at your blog i see some kind of weird codes all over the page, in case it’s important I just thought I’d let you know it says this with all sorts of other stuff after it: “Warning: Cannot modify header information – headers already sent in wp-settings.php line 12”
Just blowing some free time on Stumbleupon and I found your post . Not typically what I like to learn about, but it was certainly worth my time. Thanks.
I was just chatting with my coworker about this today at Outback steak house. Don’t remember how in the world we landed on the topic really, they brought it up. I do remember eating a wonderful steak salad with ranch on it. I digress…
I need to get off my duff and take a trip to France soon. I’ve been saying I’d do it for 3 years so far but it’s been one excuse after the other.