The Restaurant at Meadowood

The Restaurant at Meadowood (AKA - the other Michelin 3 Star in Wine Country)

Walkway to The Restaurant

The Restaurant at Meadowood

MrP at the start of the evening

"Pillows on a Pillow"
Cheese Filled Heaven
that was served on a pillow

Frozen Radish Shoots with Iced Gelee
(another "wish we'd written it down moment)

Clam with spinach, then lightly "breaded" before being baked
(hard to describe, but tasty!)

Goat Cheese Custard with Chives and Caramelized Onions

Fresh out of the oven Pain au Lait with
cream butter that featured floral petals within

TannyP and MrP's First Course
Crescenza Agnolotti with Broccoli, Bantam Egg, White Truffle Nage
paired with a Chassagne Montrachet White Burgandy Chardonnay

Fresh Baked Sourdough Roll

TannyP Second Course
Cobia in Kale Ash with Pumpkin, Gastrique of White
Soy and Maple, Quince paired with a Cold Heaven Voignier

MrP Second Course - Butter Poached Veal Chop with assorted
Roots and Tubers paired with a Vietti Barbera D'Alba

Wines paired with Cheeses

MrP Third Course
La Jeune Austise with textures of Apple, Herb Ash,
Sassafras Honey paired with a Terre de Rouge Muscat

TannyP Third Course
Abbaye De Belloc with Pear, Macadamia Nut,
Nasturtium paired with a Rolly Gassman Alsace Reisling
(isn't this the coolest cheese presentation?! I
hope to find this and serve it at my next wine & cheese night!)

Bread served alongside cheese course

Palate Cleanser
Buttermilk Sorbet with Wheat Crisps
& Dehydrated Strawberry Meringues

Lubbers

TannyP Fourth Course
Pears from the Garden with Parmesan, Caramel, Rosemary
paired with a fortified wine (no picture or notes showing the wine or vintage)

MrP Fourth Course
Milk Chocolate with Burnt Orange, Maple, Pecan paired with a fortified wine (no picture or notes showing the wine or vintage)

Mignardises
Mint Cream Truffles

Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches
Mini Toast & Jam
served on living moss from surrounding forest

We felt compelled to try Meadowood after eating at various Michelin starred restaurants, including other three starred restaurants - The French Laundry, Daniel and Le Bernardin.

The meal was excellent, please don't think it wasn't... but truthfully the experience and food were better at some of the other places and if you really want to get MrP fuming, charge him $16 for still water, then another $12/pot for tea (which we each requested peppermint tea after supper - we could've easily shared a single pot, but they brought us one each).

Alas, we loved our visit to Napa and San Francisco and coming home to -4 weather was less than inspiring. The 23 bottles of wine did, however, inspire us to finally order a lovely wine rack, which MrP put together tonight. YAY! Unfortunately, we discovered our basement is a lot warmer (and less humid) than we thought, so we still may have to invest in a cellar (if you're reading this, MrP, I'm not opposed ;-Þ )

And so this finishes our trip....until we leave for Chicago on November 11th! In the meantime, I've got some craftiness to share.

Napa Valley Wine Train

Due to some technical difficulties on our last day at the hotel in Napa, I wasn't able to get the photos uploaded from our wine train tour. Then we got home and I have no excuse...I was just plain lazy! Alas, MrP has requested that I get my poop in a group before he goes back to work so he can show everyone each day's worth of California goodness, so here goes:

Napa Valley Wine Train

Nerd on a Train
(I swear it's a movie title...)

View of Opus One

Heitz Cellar - we bought a bottle of their wine (and liked it) before we left.
It was recommended by a guy at the wine store (just another customer).

Another nerd on a train
(Vista Dome is where it's at!)

Boarding Pass & Menu
(And complimentary Mumm Brut)

Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese "Ravioli"

Grilled Sea Scallop & Prawn

Bread and the hand of God
(or MrP...whichever is more likely)

Trying to pull a MrP
Somehow it's just not as believable

Red & Green Apple Endive Salad

Grilled Canadian Salmon
(I just got it because it's Canadian!)

Beef Tenderloin

Up the stairs to the Vista Dome 

One of the train cars

From the last car, looking out the back

The pair of us on the last train car

Handmade "Smore"
Chocolate tart with marshmallow

Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

Anniversary Truffles
Supposedly they were Kahlua, but they didn't taste all 'coffee-ish' so MrP even had one

Celebrating Palmers

Engine of the Wine Train

Big ol' Engine

Napa River Inn (view walking back from Napa Valley Wine Train over the Napa River)
I've decided this is one of the most pathetic 'rivers' I've ever seen.
It has almost trickle spots where it's barely a stream.

It was a beautiful day on the train - and definitely a unique way to view wine country. MrP is fascinated by trains, so it was a good time had by all.

The French Laundry



Prepared to head out to supper



Taking our Deerfield Ranch DRX to supper

Signature Laundry Pins

A half bottle of champagne to start the night
(chosen on their iPad wine list - an update from our last visit)

Michel Turgy, "Réserve," Blanc de Blancs, Mesnil-sur-Oger

Warm Gourges (Cheese Puffs)

Salmon Tartare with Creme Fraiche in Handmade Cones

 

"Oysters and Pearls"
"Sabayon" of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar

First serving of bread with Cowgirl Creamery Sweet Butter made for TFL
and a whipped, salted butter (MrP's fave butter on earth)

Chanterelle Mushroom Veloute
Nantes carrots, Cipollini Onion Marmalade, Coriander and Curry Creme Fraiche

Salad of Black Mission Figs
Fennel Bulb, Piedmont Hazelnuts, Arugula and 100-Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar

"Fish and Chips"
Sauteed Fillet of Mediterranean Rouget, Garlic "Palettes" and Parlsey Coulis

"Smoked" Fillet of Atlantic Cod
Littleneck Clams, Confit Potatoes,  Celery Branch and Roasted Tomato Vinaigrette
(this was a play on New England Corn Chowder)

Sweet Butter-Poached Maine Lobster "Mitts"
Jacobsen's Farm Pears, Roasted Salsify, "Herbes Fines" and Lobster Broth

Bacon wrapped Devil's Gulch Ranch Rabbit Sirloin
"Musquee de Provence" Pumpkin, Brussel Sprouts, Cranberries and K&J Orchard Chestnuts
(You can't see it well, but this also had a rabbit kidney and featured a frenched rabbit chop. This is knife work at it's finest - something Chef Keller likes to feature -
highlighting the staff skills)

 

Wolfe Ranch White Quail
Sweet Peppers, Broccoli, Spanish Capers and Braised Pine Nuts

Snake River Farms "Calotte de Boeuf Grillee"
Baby Beets, Arrowleaf Spinach, Horseradish "Pain Perdu" and Aged Balsamic

Snake River Farms "Calotte de Boeuf Grillee"
Baby Beets, Arrowleaf Spinach, Horseradish "Pain Perdu" and Aged Balsamic
(MrP wanted a pic of his, too. - his best beef dish EVER)

"Comte Reserve"
Sour Cherry Clafoutis, Compressed Endive, Marcona Almonds, Arugula and Burgandy Truffle

Verjus Sorbet

Candied Cashews, Grapes and Mountain Mint

(This dish was designed to be a palate cleanser, following the beef - before dessert -
 but could have easily been the showcase; the flavor of the sorbet was incredible.)

Caramelized White Chocolate "Namelaka"

Piedmont Hazelnuts, Toasted Oats and Black Mission Fig Sorbet

To celebrate our anniversary they also brought out out a Chocolate Wine cCke

"Pommes Anna"

Funnel cake, "Pruneaux d'Agen", Rum "Anglaise" and Salted Caramel Ice Cream



Mignardises



As a special treat, guests last night were also presented with an original French Laundry classic
"Coffee and Donuts"

 consisting of a frozen cappucino semi-freddo with sugar dusted beignet.
They also provided their traditional caramel covered macadamia nuts.

  

MrP holding the copy of the menu heading into the French Laundry kitchen

Milton's (our main waiter - you can see his hand here) giving us a tour of the kitchen and explaining the various stations. Here is where the vegetables and fish(?!) stations.

  

Protein station, followed by Pastry (who are always the last chefs to finish up)

 

The two of us under the five stars of Thomas Keller

Wine Cellar

Chef Timothy Hollingsworth discussing next night's menu with one of his staff

Chef Hollingsworth
The one 'regret' we had of the evening was that we didn't even think to have our picture taken with him! LOL He was very humble (upon congratulations of their retention of the Michelin 3 stars, his reaction was "Thank you! It's definitely a group effort!"

Autographed menu
(he's even got an elegant signature!)

Parting Gift

Shortbread and the unfinished macadamia caramel chocolates

At the beginning of the evening, we were unsure of whether our second visit could stand up to the hype of the first, which was undeniably the best dining experience we'd ever had. After visiting Daniel in NY, we'd both thought they might have won for 'best food'. (Our first visit to TFL having been our first three star dining experience, we were still learning the ins & outs of what we enjoyed).

While there was really nowhere to go but down, somehow The French Laundry's staff managed to make this visit even better, outdoing themselves once again. The food was exquisite, the the service was spectacular and the experience was second to none. Still #1 in our books - in both experience and food,

(As a side note, I told MrP that had I died last night, it really would've been my perfect day - fabulous day of exercise, followed by the best meal of my life!)