I'm just getting started

Alright guys, I've had a superproductive day. I'm feeling good. I've been to the gym, an audition, a job interview and had some secret meetings and done some secret paperwork. I've cleaned and unpacked and I am ready to do my French Laundry post. Aaaaah! I hope you like it.

First of all, The French Laundry is a destination. You drive all the way out to Yountville, which is basically Thomas Keller town. You dress up nice, which is kind of comical when you're with Zack and it's the middle of the day and you're surrounded by quasi-farmland. This is not your average restaurant, people. Here I am in front!


I am so excited, I don't even care how dorky I'm being, or that I'm wearing makeup and pantyhose in the middle of the day. Here's the famous blue door.


Did you know that the blue door is famous? Because it is.

Right from the get go, the service is incredible. The staff is so nice and helpful and not condescending or rude to the weird young folks in black jeans with wannabe Tina Fey glasses. That's how it should be! Our table wasn't quite ready, so I checked out the bathroom.


I'm obsessed with the lighting in the bathroom. It makes my hair look pretty (and yes, I know this photo is sideways. I can't get it to work. All the pictures used to be sideways and I managed to fix those. This has been driving me nuts for a whole day and now I'm saying screw it. Just turn your head). Also, they have real towels that you use and then they wash. How great is that?


We get a great table right next to the window (good for natural light for my pictures) and I am pretty much bursting with excitement. See the pretty roses?


The waiter comes and explains the menu to us - we can have the chef's tasting menu or the vegetable tasting menu. The tasting menu is more of a traditional French meal, with fish courses, meat courses, cheese courses, etc. The vegetables are self explanatory and we didn't get them because we're not paying hundreds of dollars for just vegetables. We opt not to get wine (we're wined out from the day before - more on that later), but we do get some non-alcoholic sodas. I get pomegranate and Zack gets Kiwi. Mine is very fruity and his tastes like tonic water, but he likes it.

We get started with a little pre-first course or amuse-bouche. These are some famous iconic Thomas Keller bites - gougeres and salmon cornets.


They are both so good. Gougeres are little bites of cheesy amazingness that are nice and crispy on the outside and then just melt away in your mouth. Salmon cornets look like mini ice cream cones but taste like a little perfect bagel with lox - a crunchy cone, smoked salmon, a little bit of creme fraiche....This is making me hungry. Dammit.

At this point, I'm realizing how long this post would be if I did it all at once - I've got about a bazillion pictures (or 42). So I'm leaving you here so that you can wait in agony for my next installment. Happy waiting! Don't be mad.