San Marzano tomato marmalade, parmesan, cornichons, romaine lettuce and Haas avocado. Chef’s Tasting Menu $270
The French Laundry, Yountville CA
Apologies for the iPhone photo being so blurry because I really loved this dish! The “sandwich” was amazing and the football-shaped avocado pieces were super cute. I enjoyed the crisp texture of the sandwich exterior, the warm firmness of the crab filling, and the creaminess of of the avocado “sauce”. Noms, a great dish all around!
Celery branch, cara cara orange, juniper yogurt, almond sable and red ribbon sorrel. Chef’s Tasting Menu $270 + $30 supplement
The French Laundry, Yountville CA
Another beautifully plated dish! I love the soft, pale colors on the plate from the cara cara (red navel) orange wedges to the pink foie terrine and green sorrel. For a tasting menu, the terrine portion was generous but I did my duty and ate it ALL up, lol!
Warm brioche. This was kinda cool – I was finishing the first half of the thick brioche when a server came up behind me and replaced the remaining half with a new, warm slice. Fresh and warm is best for this dish!
Trio of salts. Pretty and tasty! You could definitely taste a difference between the salts.
With lettuce, tomato, cheddar chesese, green tomato, and tartar sauce on a toasted hoagie roll. Served with jalapeno-peach coleslaw and butter pickles. $12
Magnolia’s – Uptown Down South, Charleston SC
SO good! The catfish was delicious and perfectly fried – not greasy at all. The jalapeno-peach coleslaw was a pleasant option and you gotta love butter pickles. The sandwich was pretty large but the upper hoagie bun was too thick for me. I wish they could have toasted it a little more.
Housemade bread and butter. I know that the butter was flavored but I forget what it was exactly – it was delicious though!
Daughters of the Confederacy Museum. This historic building sits on the corner of Market Street and Meeting Street at the western end off covered market area. It looks cool from the outside, but I haven’t gone inside yet. I like that you can walk underneath it to enter the market behind it.
Bulleit rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, splash of grenadine, and a dash of bitters. $10
Magnolia’s – Uptown Down South, Charleston SC
Gotta love the relaxed atmosphere of this restaurant! Service is sweet and friendly and the drinks are nicely made. This Manhattan was delicous!
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. I have to admit that this bridge looks really cool! One of these days, I’m gonna run this thing.
Smoked pulled pork, 1/4 chicken, 3-4 ribs, mac and cheese, poppy seed slaw, cornbread muffin. $16.25
Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ, Charleston SC
Mmm, so good! I’m a sucker for pork ribs and these taste great. Actually, the chicken and the pulled pork were also very good. The mac and cheese was perfect, so cheesy and just the way I like it. The coleslaw was light, perhaps on the runny side but yummy. And the Alabama white sauce is amazing!
SweetWater 420 Extra pale ale beer. I’m not a huge beer fan but this tasted great with the bbq!
Bbq sauce bottles. They’re all different tasting and pretty good. The “hot” bbq sauce is not hot at all though. Maybe Southerners have a different spice gauge? And I’m not a big mustard based bbq sauce guy so I didn’t use much of it.
Circular Congretional Church and Cemetery. This is a beautiful church in the middle of the downtown historic district. I’ve never been inside, but the graveyard in the back is pretty cool.
“Sabayon” of pearl tapioca with Island Creek oysters and white sturgeon caviar. Chef’s Tasting Menu $270
The French Laundry, Yountville CA
This has got to be one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes. It’s small, but it packs a punch! The caviar was tasty and I loved the texture, and the oysters were firm but weren’t overcooked.
Gotta love the small mother of pearl spoon they provide to eat this delicious morsel.
Project 365: Day 126
Only worked a half day today so I could go to the dentist and get my teeth cleaned. I’m kind of annoyed with them because they thought I was a different person and had pulled the wrong records and even greeted me as the other person. Shouldn’t they know who I am when I make the appointment!? Gonna have to keep my eye on them from now on!
Fresh wrap in rice paper with bean sprout, mint, carrot, cilantro, lettuce and vermicelli noodles served with peanut sauce and hoisin sauce. $7
Siam Saigon, San Francisco CA
This tasted great. The shrimp was good (not old or grainy) and the other ingredients were fresh and clean. There’s not much shrimp in the rolls, but the flavors were there. Their peanut sauce is on the thick, creamy side and I like that they also give you the hoisin sauce as an alternative.
Project 365: Day 125
Another ho-hum day at work, not much to report. Had a good workout at the gym then grabbed an early dinner with CT at Barracuda. Wow, they have a pretty good happy hour. We didn’t have any drinks but their food specials were great and SUPER cheap! I think we got more than enough food for only $13.
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Omg, I highly recommend knowing an insider or anyone connected with the restaurant if you’re going to dine at The French Laundry. You’ll not only get the exceptional service and outstanding food that the restaurant is known for, but chances are the kitchen will also throw a few extra bites your way!
It was difficult remembering what everything was since they weren’t on the menu, but I’ve done my best in recollecting. Please correct me if I’ve gotten anything wrong.
The French Laundry, Yountville CA
Salmon tartare cone with seaweed sesame tuile, chives.
Warm gougere. Choux pastry with cheese Mournay.
Soup with shaved truffle and Oxalis(?) blossoms.
Truffled Guinea egg custard with potato chive wafer.
Gaston Chiquet, Blanc de Blancs d’Ay Champagne. Also free, thanks to Olivia’s restaurant connections.
It was my friend Olivia’s (foodie insider friend) 30th birthday and she was able to secure this amazing reservation at The French Laundry. I was definitely honored to be one of her guests and overjoyed that the experience was as amazing as I imagined it would be. The dinner lasted 5 hours and we literally closed the place down! Thanks, Olivia!
Baked five spice chicken marinated in lemongrass and rich herb sauce, served with rice, salad, and fish sauce. $11.25
Ben Tre Vietnamese Homestyle Cuisine, South San Francisco CA
I’m not sure if this was actually baked, it had a semi-fried texture to me. Maybe it was just finished in the oven. But it was very flavorful and delicious. A bit on the salty side especially if you add the fish sauce, but I think Vietnamese food tends to be salty anyway.
2 poached eggs on homemade biscuits covered in hollandaise sauce, served with red beans and rice and sourdough toast. $13
Roux Louisiana Kitchen, San Jose CA
Ugh! The pulled pork was super dry and the sourdough toast was just a couple thin slices of baguette. Even the rice and beans were uneventful.
San Jose Museum of Art Cafe and Museum Store. This is a really cool historic building in downtown San Jose.
Ruby Celebration martini – Absolut ruby red vodka, cranberry juice, splash of champagne, garnished with lemon wedge. $12
Creole Bloody Mary – Karlsson’s Gold vodka, Roux’s Cajun Bloody Mary mix, garnished with olives and lemon wedge. $14
Roux Louisiana Kitchen, San Jose CA
These cocktails were weak! The martini tasted ok, but the bloody mary was not at all spicy. Lame restaurant, lame drinks!
The Pattern by Isaac Goes, San Jose “Downtown Doors” Project. I like that San Jose has this public art project showcasing works from local artist.
Project 365: Day 122
Had an amazing day so far! David and I are having a Cinco de Sonoma weekend. We started the day with lunch at Farley Bar in Sausalito, then made it to Gloria Ferrer and Viansa before checking into The Lodge in Sonoma. Our room is cute and overlooks the pool area. Now we’re just relaxing before heading to LaSalette for a Portuguese tapas dinner. Life is good!
5 ounces of fresh ahi tuna seared rare with ginger wasabi mayo and Asian slaw on a toasted egg bun. $14.99
Gott’s Roadside, San Francisco
Mmm, so good! This burger is pretty delicious. The ginger wasabi mayo and the slaw have so much flavor. The piece of tuna is quite large (which may account for the price), but it was a little too cold in the center to make this burger absolutely amazing. Again, I love that the egg bun soaks up all the yummy flavors.
7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011
Outside the beautiful Ferry Building at the end of Market Street. I love its Farmers’ Market with all the beautiful produce stands and yummy food vendors.
Vittle Monster 