French Laundry in Napa

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

Wow, that is expensive. Tasting menus in montreal WITH wine pairings top-out at around $185 per person.
Here in San Francisco it is about the same as Montreal. I have to confess that I really dislike wine pairings with tasting menus. I much prefer to have a bottle or two of wine that goes nicely with dinner. The tastings are always very pretentious to me. More that anything, I like a few nice bottles of Champagne with dinner.

 

[tiecollector]

It has a prix fixe of $210 a person, this includes service, so I'm guessing no tip, but I'm also guessing no wine. Maybe I won't go there then. Do they even allow corking?

I have been to Healdsburg once back in middle school for a soccer tournament, quite far away from Sacramento, where I just move to. I had forgotten about Fleur de Lys, that is where Top Chef was filmed season 1.

Yountville, where French Laundry is located, is hideously yuppy too.

There is supposed to be a great place that isn't well-publicized, or even visible from the road, in Sacramento called The Kitchen and it runs about $130/person, dunno if that includes wine.

The only French restaurant I have been to is Ti Couz because my friend bartends there, I am not really into crepes.

I'm leaning towards Marinus now in light of Manton and iammatt's recs.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

There is supposed to be a great place that isn't well-publicized, or even visible from the road, in Sacramento called The Kitchen and it runs about $130/person, dunno if that includes wine.
Wow, Sacto has come a long way. For years and years and years, the best place in town (without peer, really) was Biba. Willie Brown probably had a quarter of his Assemby paycheck direct-deposited in their account. The owner (Biba, natch) had a PBS show. Nearby there was Paragary's, good but not in the same league or even trying. And then Wulff's, an old-French dinosaur that closed eons ago.

Sac was picking up a bit when I was last there in (I believe) 1999. "28" was not bad. Downtown had a few entrants. Il Fornaio in the Wells Fargo building was OK. A chain, I know, but a magnificent space. Would have been grand anywhere, but for Sac-town it was like a temple. For "updated" Chinese, Chinois at Watt & Fair Oaks was great.

tiecollector: where are you living?

 

[tiecollector]

I went to Biba 2 weeks ago, I live around the corner. The food was very good though the ambience had kind of a Golden Girls casino feel. We got drunk and the gnocchi tasted just liek Chef Boyardee, but in a good way. I was very disappointed that we were the last to leave at about 10 and the staff was already getting loaded and stripping down to their undershirts. I expected more from my $150. It was actually the maitre'd who recommended The Kitchen.

Paragary's is good too. I like the interior much better and it is better priced. There are a lot of new restaurants popping up, most of which are quite good that I've had. Il Fornaio is over-priced though the building is beautiful.

Originally Posted by Manton

Wow, Sacto has come a long way. For years and years and years, the best place in town (without peer, really) was Biba. Willie Brown probably had a quarter of his Assemby paycheck direct-deposited in their account. The owner (Biba, natch) had a PBS show. Nearby there was Paragary's, good but not in the same league or even trying. And then Wulff's, an old-French dinosaur that closed eons ago.

Sac was picking up a bit when I was last there in (I believe) 1999. "28" was not bad. Downtown had a few entrants. Il Fornaio in the Wells Fargo building was OK. A chain, I know, but a magnificent space. Would have been grand anywhere, but for Sac-town it was like a temple. For "updated" Chinese, Chinois at Watt & Fair Oaks was great.

tiecollector: where are you living?

 

[Manton]

Where is The Kitchen?

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by Manton

Where is The Kitchen?

It is on Hurley, around Arden I think. It isn't visible from the freeway and I had never heard of it before.

http://www.thekitchenrestaurant.com/about/randall.html

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

It is on Hurley, around Arden I think. It isn't visible from the freeway and I had never heard of it before.

http://www.thekitchenrestaurant.com/about/randall.html
Wierd place for a high-end restaurant. He must be going for that "You know my place is great because the location sucks" vibe.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by Manton

Wierd place for a high-end restaurant. He must be going for that "You know my place is great because the location sucks" vibe.
I think that Arden is sort of an upcoming area in Sacto. I know that a couple of things have gone in there recently, but I cannot remember what exactly.

 

[tiecollector]

It is no Midtown but I think that stretch of Howe, between the river and Arden is one of the next nicest place in Sac. A couple lights down on Fair Oaks and Howe you have Julius and all that. But that is Sactown for you, very spread out.

 

[Manton]

It may have changed a lot. Fair Oaks between Howe and Fulton was probably the most upscale part of town for a long time. At least for dining and retail. That's where Wulff's was, for instance. Chinois used to be there too, before moving to a bigger space at Watt. It's also very near one of the two richest neighborhoods in town.

But Hurley was different. Only two (long) blocks north, yet decidedly down-market.

When Biba opened on M at 28th, it was almost revolutionary to have an upscale place there. "Midtown" has come a long, long way.

 

[alflauren]

Wow. I love Charlie Trotters, and these prices make them look like an absolute bargain.

 

[tiecollector]

There is also a place called The Waterboy which is down Capitol (there is no M St really

) is supposed to have some good food too. I looked inside walking by but the clientelle seems a little too old for me to feel comfortable with bright lighting, wicker chairs and kind of a Titanic feel. I'm supposed to ask for the chicken strips and tell em the maitre'd sent me and they'll know what I'm talking about.

Originally Posted by Manton

It may have changed a lot. Fair Oaks between Howe and Fulton was probably the most upscale part of town for a long time. At least for dining and retail. That's where Wulff's was, for instance. Chinois used to be there too, before moving to a bigger space at Watt. It's also very near one of the two richest neighborhoods in town.

But Hurley was different. Only two (long) blocks north, yet decidedly down-market.

When Biba opened on M at 28th, it was almost revolutionary to have an upscale place there. "Midtown" has come a long, long way.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by tiecollector

(there is no M St really

)
Actually, there is. M "reboots" at 32nd. Anyway, I bet you are the kind of guy who calls 6th Ave "Avenue of the Americas."

All these hip places in locations that were one basically skid row (16th & J?). Sac-town has come a long way.

 

[tiecollector]

Originally Posted by Manton

Actually, there is. M "reboots" at 32nd. Anyway, I bet you are the kidn of guy who calls 6th Ave "Avenue of the Americas."

All these hip places in locations that were one basically skid row (16th & J?). Sac-town has come a long way.

The most out of place upscale place that I have ever seen in Sac is Limn off 160 and arden area, around there. I'm scared to get mugged and there is this super nice furniture store. Was this area once nice?

 

[Charley]

Originally Posted by Manton

"One does not do research in a cathedral. Awe is fine for those who come to worship or admire, but for those who come to analyze, to tamper, to change, to criticize, a factual and dispassionate, and sometimes even colorful, approach is to be preferred."

Manton,
I forgot to ask:
Who is the picture of in Today's avitar?
I did like Nick very much.

To summarize: Many people believe that the current system must inevitably end in total annihilation. They reject, sometimes very emotionally, any attempts to analyze this notion. Either they are afraid of where the thinking will lead them or they are afraid of thinking at all. They want to make the choice, between a risk and the certainty of disaster, between sanity and insanity, between good and evil; therefore, as moral and sane men they need no longer hesitate. I hold that an intelligent and responsible person cannot pose the problem so simply.