The French Laundry, Could It Get Better?

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It is nearing 3 years since our first and previous visit with The French Laundry. Another visit was long past due. As I considered how far my cuisine has come and evolved over the past three years, it only seemed like perfect sense to do this again. For research of course! Always good to sharpen your skills and get inspired by observing the best Chefs in the Country.


It also happened to fall perfectly on Mom's birthday weekend! So we celebrated her birthday and mine, which is next week! What a gift.

After securing a reservation for the three of us, I came to realize what a treat we were in for. Knowing that it is truffle season, I was excited! So we packed our clothes and booked a babysitter to join us for the weekend to watch the little one. Off to Yountville we went.


We had such an amazing experience previously that we were naturally concerned about our experience this time. Together we learned that when in the hands of The French Laundry, there is nothing to worry about.


Dinner was truly amazing, something that I could appreciate so much more, knowing the technique and recognizing the skill and refinement that went into the entire production. I picked up some great inspiration and new techniques. So inspiring.

Amuse Bouche: Gougeres, Salmon Tartar

The Gougere seemed smaller and lighter than I previously remember, with the slightest nuance of nutmeg if you will. Extremely warm and meltingly smooth with cheese.

The salmon was so very fresh, cut with such precision, like a surgeon yielding a scalpel over a patient. The lingering acidity of the lemon in the creamy creme fraiche left salvation on our palates.

Cauliflower Panna Cotta, Island Creek Oyster Glaze, California Sturgeon Caviar

What can I say, truly amazing and classic pairing. Rich, so luxurious, and perfect.

Amazing Pain Au Lait, compressed adante butter was amazing, cheese-like richness and texture. My understanding was that they compress the butter with cheese cloth.

"Moulard Duck Foie Gras En Terrine, Quince Relish, Duck Confit, Cornichons, Watercress"

A revelation for me. Foie Gras, the best I have ever seen & taste executed.

The first thing that struck me was just how small or dainty this seemed. Again, such delicate execution, such care taken. The duck confit added a great textural variance, and the pairing was great with the quince, dijon and cornichon. The Brioche was the lightest I had ever seen. As standard, an array of exquisite & rare salts complimented this course.

Salad of Matsutake Mushroom, Tokyo Turnips, Cashew, Mizuna, Meyer Lemon

This course really got our taste buds excited. Not the biggest flavor, but the cashews were great paired with the mushrooms and the acidity really brought a great brightness.

Tartare of Japanese Bluefin Tuna, Jidori Hen Egg, Red Radish, Black Truffle, Romaine Lettuce and Celery Root Remoulade

Angie loved this dish, as she is the crudo queen. Devoured every bite without the blink of eye it seemed. It was very good. But I preferred what came next.

Confit Fillet of Atlantic Cod, Crispy Brandade, Piperade, Garlic Pudding & Parsley

The fish appeared to be put together to form a roulade using activa, though I did not ask I am pretty positive. You could see the seam if you looked close enough. Meltingly soft, rich, warm, amazing. Cooked in 2 parts canola to 1 part olive oil via sous vide. They fill the reservoir and the run the oil right through the machine I believe, at least that is what we were made to believe. The brandade was very crispy and tasted great, but the piperade and garlic brought the dish together and made it sing. So very simple and so delicious.

A Classic

"Beets & Leeks"

Maine Lobster Tail "Pochee au Beurre Doux" with King Richard Leeks, "Pommes Maxim's" and Red Beet Essence.

This dish was rich and luxurious as we noted in our notes. Simple as ever and not fussy at all. The leeks were so creamy, the lobster cooked perfect, the beets rich and velvety and the pommes executed nicely for some crunch and salt. We were very happy with this course.

Next up I splurged and ordered the white truffle tasting from Alba. They obliged and were kind enough to bring Angie and Mom another classic.

White Tuffle Infused Custard, Black Truffle Ragout, Chive Chip.

Spectacular and simple.

The loosest polenta I had ever had enriched with mascarpone cheese, a ring of the cleanest flavored rich veal jus, and white truffle shaved generously over the top. Heavenly. Divine. Can I have seconds? I will remember this dish for some years to come.

Mom opted out of the main course options which were either Rabbit or Pigs Head. Instead she subbed to the vegetarian tasting for this.

"Poached Flowering Quince, French Laundry Ham, Crispy Membrillo, Marcona Almonds, Arugula and Piment d'Espelette"

Again a great pairing, seemed rather fall like with hints of anise and almonds and almost the hint of nutmeg. House cured ham for 18 months, everything came together to form a great dish.

Sirloin of Devil's Gulch Ranch Rabbit

Sunchoke, Pine Nut, Royal Blenheim Apricot, Arugula, Aged Balsamic

So amazingly small and delicate, every bite was a gift.

Rouelle De Tete De Cochon

Tuscan Lentils, Melted Swiss Chard, Butternut Squash and Blis Maple Syrup

A great dish. Pork was perfect, tender, crunchy, hot, salty, flavorful, fatty. My problem with this dish was that the puree seemed very one note. The dish seemed one noted. I would have had liked a little more balance here. It was extremely rich but needed some acidity to balance the fattiness of the dish. Very rich. Very good however.

Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Saddle

Autumn Pole Bean Cassoulet, Tomato Compote, Petite Sale, Thyme Jus

I was pretty loving this dish. Lamb was perfect. Perfectly cooked, flavor was amazing. The cassoulet was the best bit of beans I have have ever eaten, so I was pleasantly and extremely surprised by that. Thyme jus complimented the dish great, and the tomato compote brought that sweetness and acidity to the course. Perhaps my favorite of the night. I ate 2.

Red Hawk

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts, Pickled Pear, Chestnut vinaigrette

Amazed at how well they nailed this pairing. The brussel sprouts really brought out the cheeses grassy and natural flavors. This was very good and everything a cheese course should be.

We Love Cheese. My Mom kept talking about blue cheese. The waiter heard this. So he brought us an additional cheese plate not on the menu. Here it is.

Forme D Ambert, French Prune, Hazelnuts, Compressed Endive

The endive was something I thought was special. You can see the translucency in it, all they did was compress this in water. Amazing at how the flavor and texture were enhanced.

Unfortunately I still cannot bring myself to enjoy blue cheese. It is the only thing that I can truly say I do not have a taste for. I have tried and tried to like it, I really want to like it and enjoy it, but I just don't. If anyone has any tips let me know.

Dark and Stormy

Maui Gold Pineapple Sorbet, Spiced Gingerbread, Gros Michel Banana

A really great dish. My understanding was that they used a ginger beer foam which really accented the dish lovely. Crumbled gingerbread and a sugar tuile brought some flavor and texture to the dish. And of course, any time I eat ice cream, sorbet or anything frozen my awareness of texture has gone through the room since my acquisition and practice with the paco jet. The Sorbet was superb, texturally exactly what one would not expect. I mean it was exactly what it should be but usually is not. The texture was amazing as was the clean flavors of the dish and I really enjoyed this.

A Classic

Coffee and Doughnuts

I have a slight obsession with doughnuts. I have been known to make them frequently and have gotten quite well at them I must say. So I really appreciated seeing this appear surprisingly, as it was not on the menu. The doughnuts were great, but the best part was the overlooked coffee. Wow. Something so unique and soooo good. I have found my new favorite drink I think, if you could call it that.

A birthday treat

Gateau Saint Nizier Au Manjari

Mango Chili Relish, Valrhona Cocoa Nibs, Lime Foam, Coconut Milk Sorbet

All I can think of when I look at this dish and the previous pineapple sorbet, is that the pastry chef must be tired of the cold Yountville weather in December. Yearning and daydreaming of a trip to some tropical place where pina coladas flow and fresh tropical fruit is offered. Not very winter like.

I must say, thank you for daydreaming. This was another superb dish! Flourless chocolate cake that was ever so moist, a mango chili relish that all came together with a cloud of lime foam and again a perfectly textural sorbet.

Another treat. How many items did we get that were not on the menu? I would have to go back and count. But I am so glad we did.

A simple cheesecake. Thats all.

Did I mention and truly sensansional simple cheesecake. The thinnest and crunchiest graham crakcer crust perfectly executed as though santa's elfs themselves had worked their magic to make the crust without a flaw. A velvety creamy and not overly sweetened filling, with the right amount of tang to really excite your taste buds after all this food. And one very lonely and amazingly delicious cherry. OMG.

The standard house made chocolates, which we took home and enjoyed over the next week as to try and live the day out as long as possible. Please don't end!

Jaren, one of our servers - previously worked at Alinea and was very knowledgable of food. Even shaired some experiences from his previous position that I will keep in my locker.

Brian, our server who helped to make the day truly over the top. Extra courses, amazing service. Whew. He is of all things a culinary graduate from the CIA!

Anani - Sommelier - A great guy with whom we share something in common; Both of our daughters were born on January 9th, a truly special day for us long before our daughter was born. This seemed like fate! What a great person!

All said and done, whew! Where we eating for dinner? I'm hungry!

Classic, only my wife! What a doll!

As we were leaving we ran into Bob! What a treat! Of course he agreed to a photo and we were able to chat with him on his way into the restaurant. Thanks Bob and hope to see you next time!

As I reflect over the dinner and experience at hand many things come to mind and stand out. Little things like how when one would get up to use the restroom they would appear and present a newly folded napkin. Or how the Brioche was replaced with warm brioche frequently. How we were greeted upon arrival, how the water and wine never went empty, how we never had to ask for anything! They were on top of it all. Service was over the top.

Then I think of the extras. How they really made this day special and above what we expected. The extra food, the amazing dialogue that was shared, the closeness that we felt with our servers. That is what really made all the difference and made the day memorable and special. We felt like part of the family.

We were taken into the kitchen at the end of the meal. I was able to really observe and take it in, just how small the working area is and how amazing they are to achieve what they do. I spoke with the Sous Chef and was able to thank them for a wonderful day.

I think I hounded my server all day about a Stage position. I was really interested in finding out what it takes to get a stage and he was kind enough to help out. Come to find that it requires 3 months of stage as an interview process prior to any sort of pay. Something we will think about moving forward. I would love it if I can afford it.

The food, I think I really have to talk about the food. I was so amazed at the level of skill, the attention to detail. Most of all, I was amazed at the delicate touch that every single item leaving the kitchen that appeared on our plates had. Delicate, Perfect, Simple. Amazing! So very clean and so very good. This philosophy carried over into the operation as a whole. How the staff carried themselves and spoke, delicately. Wow.

Such thought and care goes into their jobs. You can feel the "specialness" in the air if you will, as though people are aware that they are doing something special and as patrons we felt like a part of it. Bravo to everyone at The French Laundry and thank you for an amazing day!

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New Cookbooks

So it has been quite some time since I have found a really good cookbook that I have gotten excited about. Releasing this month is what appears to be lining up as something worth talking about, and definitely something to get excited over.

Below are a list of the cookbooks that I have already pre-ordered and cannot wait to receive. Finally some new material to inspire me!


1) Alinea Cookbook

Famed Chef Grant Aschatz releases his first ever cookbook and look inside the famed Alinea Restaurant of Chicago. Grant is known for his revolutionary approach to food and the manipulation of food and flavors. He pairs uncommon flavors in uncommon ways giving his diners new food memories along the way. An example of his style is the reversal of classic combinations, such as a piece of crunchy bacon and soft pineapple. Grant instead reverses the textural role each plays by pureeing pineapple, adding a modified food starch, drying it paper thin and wrapping it around a piece of softened bacon fat thickened to a marshmallow like texture with tapioca maltodextrin. He then pops the bite size pieces in a dehydrator to further enhance the crisp of the pineapple! This book is going to provide some excellent insight to textural manipulation for sure! Only the strong need purchase, as the recipes are definitely lengthy and the ingredients difficult to find. I special ordered a limited edition copy personally signed by the team of Chefs which will come with a special jacket not available in stores. It also came with full access to a discussion forum on technique and recipes months ago! Check it out if you dare.


2) Under Pressure

Finally after many years another Thomas Keller invention. Yes! Just when I think I have exhausted the possibilities of the French Laundry and Bouchon cookbooks I will set them aside for a month, come back to them and find something brilliant which I overlooked previously. I have been waiting for something new from Keller for many years and later this month it finally arrives. This book focuses on the cooking technique "sous vide", a French term literally translating to under pressure. It is a method by which food is vacuum sealed to remove oxygen, and cooked in a water bath at very low and extremely controlled temperatures for lenghty periods of time, up to 48 hours! Removal of oxygen and the slow cooking enables the products to retain their own juices and nutrients rather than leaking them out and losing them. The result in flavor is incredible! Particular proteins like meats benefit tremendously due to the low cooking temperatures which allows the protein strands to stay in tact rather than break and release their juicy goodness! Due out later this month!



3) Fat Duck

Heston Blumenthal owns a little place in London called "The Fat Duck". The little place also fights every year for the #1 restaurant in the world spot with the infamous El Bulli of Rosas Spain. This is the most pricey of the books costing a whopping $150+! Heston has almost solely transformed the culinary world into kitchen laboratories, looking more like science labs than kitchens. He brought cooking with liquid nitrogen to the table, instantly making ice cream table side; deep freezing eggs and bacon until a crispy texture appears, and more out of this world type gimmicks! His cookbook is rumored to be the same exact recipes as the restaurant uses, which translates to me as being almost impossible to duplicate in a home kitchen. I mean with the equipment the recipes will call for, it would be much cheaper to actually hop a plane and spend a week eating in his famed restaurant. But I am sure there will be some great ideas in there that I can put to excellent use, and cannot wait to receive it!





4) On The Line

Eric Repeirt is the famed Chef of Le Bernadain, 3 star Michelin rated New York Restaurant with a great history. This Fall he releases his cookbook "On The Line" and I am not sure what this will offer in terms of recipes. If I am correct in my assumptions, it will not fall short of excellent due to his reputation in the kitchen. He is known for being brilliant and creative, along with extremely meticulous with his preparations! There should be some worthy recipes for inspiration in this book, so pick it up! Definitely something to add to your Christmas list if nothing else! Its on mine! Hint Hint!








5) The Complete Robuchon

Need I say more? The title pretty much says it all. Joel Robuchon, Famed French Culinary God? Holder of more Michelin stars than any other Chef, all restaurants combined. Anyone heard of him? Well he owns many restaurants around the world, 12 to be exact, just google his name. Tokyo? Japan? Paris? Las Vegas? Where else? His avant garde approach is extremely modern to French classic preparations and this book should lend a hand in inspiring a modern way of thinking. This cookbook assures us some classical French dishes from the famed Chef that I believe will follow through. I hope I am correct because I am looking forward to receiving my copy soon! A steal at $25 apx online!




6) Dessert Four Play

Johnny Iuzzini is the Pastry Chef of Jean Georges in New York, oh yeah it also has 3 Michelin stars. Does anyone listen to those French "star givers"? I wonder, but it has to mean something, I mean there are only 4 in the entire city of New York with 3 stars. Perhaps the Chefs are buddies of the French... Either way, Johnny's creations in the pastry kitchen are well known world wide! He is cutting edge in his use of technique and flavor combinations.


If I may steal a quote from Harold McGee, “The first time I tasted Johnny’s creations, the profusion of delicious flavors in familiar and unfamiliar forms was like nothing I'd ever experienced in a dessert course. In this long-awaited book, Johnny shares the thinking, the cutting-edge techniques, and the flexible recipes that make his approach to the end of the meal so fresh and engaging.” —Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking


This book due out December 30th is a steal for the price and something you should run to grab, a good pastry book is hard to come by and something to cherish!





Well I hope you all enjoy the above if you choose to follow through! I will add, there are a long list of others hitting the shelves this Fall, so keep your eyes posted for anything that keeps your attention!

The long awaited Review: French Laundry

MARCH 24, 2007

Much time has passed and many meals eaten since my visit to "Culinary Paradise"... the #1 restaurant in all the United States, the mecca of culinary goodness, The French laundry. I have been meaning to write about it, blog, review, call it what you want; I finally have found the motivation and platform to do so.

Our visit began January 24th, at 9:50 am to be exact. That was the time that I had prepared my cell phone, my work phone which consits of 3 lines, Terry's and Angie's cell phones, every line we could operate. I had the number dialed into every line so I could just hit redial.


I got through on the line until about 9:59 which is when the chaos began. It was busy and stayed busy as I held the cell phone in one hand and the office phone in the other, juggling to hit redial on every line. We did this non-stop until 10:20 am when the magic happened; finally, a ring tone!

I was then put on hold for about 10 more minutes. By the time the receptionist finally spoke with me they only had lunch reservations available, fine with me! We took the March 24th date at 12:30 and we were set for 3 people! Whew!

The 2 months thereafter seemed like forever and at the same time flew by, I love it when that happens. There was so much anticipation I had for the event, it was almost better than actually going! Finally the day arrived.


We arrived a bit early to the "Laundry" as we call it. Immediately we were greeted by a door man, followed by a coat man, then the hostess. From there we were asked if we would like to be seated immediately or rather linger a bit. I do remember the overwhelming feeling or nervousness, of sheer panic almost. I was like a little kid, eager and scared, anxious and yet ready to run at the same time. I was definitely sweating up a storm I felt like. I was fully dressed and we were definitely the youngest in the joint.


We were taken to our table which was the first room to the right, downstairs, immediately following the walkway to the kitchen. It was the room which looked into the wine cellar of the worlds finest wines, a room filled by stone walls yet with a wonderful feeling of natural light.

The waiter came and introduced himself: Bob was our guy. He was a character, a little up tight at first as I think they feel their clientele out for their demeanor, but once he got comfortable with us was a charm. We started with a bottle of champagne while they brought the classic Salmon Tartare cornet.... I have made these prior at my home, straight from the book. I must say that they are truly a lot of work considering the time consuming efforts and patience one must have to complete each individual cornet, working it while hot to form the mold. They were delicious! Every little bite filled with extreme flavor and texture, crispy, creamy, cold. It was all there.

Next they followed with the homemade bread. I must say that to date I think this may have been the very best single piece of bread I have ever eaten, absolutely amazing, and I was quite impressed with something so simple, I laughed! It was the round Boule which I did not capture a photo of, but highly recommend to anyone going there!


Bob then came by and took our orders: 3 Tasting menus it would be... If I had know then to ask for the extended menu I would have, but I was young and inexperienced? Lol.. next time. They then brought the signature Gourgeres made with gruyere. Delicious and so much smaller than I would have imagined them to be and much smaller than those I have ever made personally. Light and airy while still being able to maintain the creaminess and cheesiness!


I had decided that I didn't have the fat wallet to afford to buy 3 bottles of high quality wine therefore we brought our own bottles.... the first was a 2480 Hollywood Vine Chardonnay. It is a great bottle of wine which is normally on their menu for I think it was $240 but they were fortunately out of it, therefore we were able to bring ours in and have it corked for a mere $50 fee! Ouch, but much cheaper than buying the bottle!

Next another signature dish came, I think this came while we were still enjoying the Champagne, as that would make the most sense. It was the Cauliflower panna cotta with oyster glaze and Caviar. I have never liked caviar and I sure did not expect to start. But I was so surprised when I fell in love with the flavors of the dish. I truly learned to appreciate the greatness of good caviar and learned an appreciation that day! I am very lucky to have experienced that and was stoked to have liked it!


Our official first course came after this. It was a delicately constructed salad of Sacramento Delta Asparagus spears, Meyer lemons, Golden Beets, Golden Beet hash and a meyer lemon aioli. This was light, earthy, citrus-ee, truly a delicious course unexpectedly so. The beet hash was so amazing I fell in love with it. It also exhibited a truly skilled hand with the knife, the hash was so finely brunoised that I was truly impressed. The dish was a star to begin with, and it was one which we thought would pass without much notice.
Traditionally the next dish is the Foie Gras option. I opted to pass and instead went with the Kampachi dish. It was thinly sliced and folded into ribbons with perfection. It was paired with red turnips, hearts of palm, celery stalks, micro cilantro, small round balls of beets, madras date curry emulsion and again a hash of some sort, I will have to check my notes as I am writing this from my memory and the photos! The dish was excellent, the fish was extremely fresh and silky smooth, and very cold. The madras date curry emulsion was very good, again an unexpected pairing that really worked excellent together. Overall this dish was right in line with the flow of the meal thus far. Following was a Lobster tail, "cuite en sous vide" or rather cooked sous vide. Butter poached, forget about it, rather, take your lobster tail and cook with butter to perfection in a sous vide bath while obtaining the perfect texture and doneness! Viola, a perfect piece of Lobster. And this was no exception at all. This lobster was excellent, paired with cippolini onions nicely caramelized, a hazelnut and sunchoke puree I believe. Again back to my notes to double check and I will update. The sauce was a coffee and chocolate sauce. The dish was probably my least favorite of the night but still remained excellent!
Following the Lobster came my favorite dish of the evening. This dish evolved as the single dish that changed myself and my perspective of food incredibly throughout the meal. It was the one dish that I could not let go of and that I found great motivation in. It was perfect. Quite possibly the best thing I can remember eating. I had never tasted pork so delicious, so tender and succulent, so crispy and textured, so flavorful. No this was new to me as was the rest of the combinations thus far, the flavors, the ideas and techniques involved in creating them. But this dish, the best of the night. It is what lit the flame to my infatuation with this meat which I adore. It was Kurobuta pork belly cooked Sous Vide. I am sure they cook it for 36 hours or so. Just a guess. I am also assuming that they brine the meat as well, something with some brown sugar, honey, salt, apple cider? Peppercorns, herbs, thyme.... etc etc... all speculation and what I could taste coming through, or what I would and have done to execute such a perfect dish myself. The belly was seared to a perfect crisp on top. The inside perfectly cooked, tender and juicy, full of flavor! The puree of apples and vanilla was magical and the creaminess and sweetness paired wonderfully with the saltiness of the pork. The caramelized apple slice, great addition with some fruitiness and acidity, and lastly the braised cabbage finished with champagne vinegar I believe. All the elements were present, salty, sweet, hot, cold, tart, crispy, silky smooth, all of it and more. This dish luckily, was not the favorite of Mom and Angie due to the fat content. I was lucky enough to finish all 3 dishes and still wanted more! It was the one dish worth the entire trip to the "Laundry". Kudos to Corey Lee for this was perfection on a plate and something I relished in!


Following a dish like that is like being on vacation in Hawaii, then someone telling you they are taking you on vacation again, this time to the most beautiful place in the world, but you end up in TJ. Well ok that was corny, but you get the drift, hard to follow. However, they did a pretty darn good job at the progression of the meal as I have stated previously, keeping everything timed just right, keeping the orchestrated touches on all the dishes, the composure and restraint in flavors and in portions sizes, the whole bit. Next we had a Kobe Beef, it was actually American Kobe or Wagyu, from Snake River Farms. Ok so I led you on a bit, this dish was absolutely amazing and again taught me something new. It was a Rib Cap, off the rib eye. It was perfectly cooked Sous Vide I am assuming here, due to the perfect butteriness of the meats texture, the perfect medium rare without being too bloody, and a beautiful crisp or sear on the outside. It was a brilliant piece of meat, one that only a man like Thomas Keller can actually order I am assuming. You will never be able to find a butcher willing to let his rib eye caps go without the entire rib eye. It is the very best piece of the steak and it is very small as well. This dish was prepared with Hen of the Woods mushrooms, or maitake. Th earthiness and texture of these magnificent mushrooms really stood out and held up to the complexity of the meat. There was a broccolini puree and turnips I believe, finished with a black truffle jus. This dish was spectacular!This was another dish that I finished all 3, Mom and Angie not caring the meat and its rare-ness!

Ok by this point I am stuffed. I just finished all of the last two dishes and I don't eat that much usually. I am not a particularly large person, actually not at all.... 5'11" and about 160lbs soaking wet.... So we really needed an intermission... we began to take our time. I failed to mention that we were already on our 3rd bottle of wine by this point.

When the cheese course came out it was beautifully plated. San Marzano tomato compote I believe, Panisse and a firm goat's milk cheese which was a hard cheese, cannot remember name as of now. Again to my detailed notes I took and the menu I took home! Paired with balsamic reduction, was very good dish.

Ok so then dessert started. First was a cleaner or transitioning dish. A wonderful rhubarb sorbet, sweetened yogurt, a cardamon scented financier, a sugar disc tuile and some orange peel candied. Then we got two desserts, one was the pistachio cake with green tea mousse and white chocolate mousse. This later was a play directly from the Claire Clark Dessert book. It was paired with an amazing passion fruit gelee, and some very dark chocolate. Next was a baked meringue, a play on a baked alaska. It had compressed pineapple and was not our favorite dessert. Last they brought out lemon pot de creme, and creme brulee. We had orange tuiles and the traditional tray of truffles and mignardises. Whew... a lot of food! Now I am thinking I may be lucky I did not order the extended menu!

Overall the dinner or lunch took 4 1/2 hours, 1 bottle of champagne, 1 bottle of white wine, 2 bottles of red wine, a ton of money and a priceless experience. I cannot wait to go back! It was absolutley amazing, something everyone must do once, save your pennies it is truly worth them all! See you at the Laundry, or better yet at one of my dinners, they be the best bargain in the state for food like this!