All stories about "French Laundry"

YOUNTVILLE—Up in Kellertown, Bouchon begins its ten-day sabbatical today, which means that diners who once balked at the portable bathrooms need not worry anymore (though we liked the look, personally). The cause of the hiatus is the Bouchon kitchen expansion, and the restaurant is expected to reopen for dinner service next Thursday, May 1st. In the meantime, reservations are still being accepted online. [EaterWire]

BAY AREA—Speaking of His Highness Keller, Restaurant Magazine has released its annual list of the 50 best restaurants in the world. Once again, El Bulli took top honors, and The French Laundry (#5) managed a spot in the top five, followed closely by its NYC offshoot, Per Se (#6). The only other American entry west of Chicago? Put your hands together for Chez Panisse, at #37. [Bloomberg]

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Last night, Thomas Keller appeared on Charlie Rose, and even though Rose's first question was "What is it you know about cooking?", it's a fascinating discussion overall, particularly for Father Keller fans. More concerned than ever with making the restaurant world a better place, His Highness is in full regal, philosophical mode, talking about his failures, his role in Ratatouille, other big name chefs (Gordon Ramsay, David Chang), the origin of his famous Oysters and Pearls dish, the changing role of the modern chef and even how he closed the French Laundry for five months to open Per Se. Other highlights from the conversation:

On his desired legacy: "One that has been impactful, that helps [my staff] do their job better. For diners, just the memories."

On how often he's in the kitchen: "As often as I can be. [Chuckles]"

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In what might be described as an upset, Urasawa in Beverly Hills has been named the best restaurant in all of the land in a new dining survey by Opinionated About Dining food blogger Steve Plotnicki. Thought to someday contend with the likes of Zagat and Michelin, Plotnicki's guide was conducted over 10 months, was compiled by "opinionated destination diners" and contains semi-indecipherable scores a la the Zagat guide. Urasawa tops the list, but is followed closely by the French Laundry at #2 and Manresa at #3 (tied). The rest of the top 50 includes some Bay Area restaurants: Chez Panisse, Coi, Masa's, Boulevard and Cyrus. But the big news is that His Highness Thomas Keller, for the first time in memory, is sitting in second place for some reason. That, and Los Angeles somehow outscored the Bay. We're calling shenanigans on those last two items (and perhaps renewing the interstate intrastate rivalry).

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· Upscale Soul Food Arena: Farmer Brown > 1300 [Mouthfuls]
· OpenTable French Laundry Resy Available For the Next Several Seconds; Go! [CH]
· Crab Shells & Cold Bread: Picking the Nits at Gary Danko [CH]
· Don't Look for Chinese Products at Trader Joe's Anytime Soon [CH]
· The Search For Generic, Americanized Chinese Food [Yelp]

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Now, we're of the mindset that at this point, Thomas Keller, in his relentless quest to achieve god status, can (and might) charge whatever he damn well pleases, particularly at the French Laundry. But the Yountville locals aren't taking too kindly to the rising prices at the under-renovation Bouchon, the accessible bistro where main plates once fell in the $15-25 range. From our trusty Napa correspondent: "Now I know how they are paying for the remodel. $40 for an entree at Bouchon in Yountville. This is not Manhattan, SF or the French Laundry!"
· Keller Dispatch: Behind the Bouchon Expansion [~ESF~]

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· Turmoil in Kellerville? Even More French Laundry Job Openings [Mouthfuls]
· Zuni Lives Up the Hype, In-N-Out Not So Much [CH]
· Lunch Options Near the Ballpark: Java House, Slim, Few [CH]
· Jack London Square: "It's Become a Ghost Town" [Yelp]
· The "Logic" of Splitting a Top Tier Meal, Yelper Style [Yelp]

Betelnut on Union [Photo: Flickr/raluistro]

· Martin Yan, Betelnut's Alex Ong and Others Discuss Chinese Cuisine [Cooking W/Amy]
· Mississippi Considers Law To Ban Restaurant Service to the Obese [Chow]
· Prep the Resumes: The French Laundry Seeks Manager [Craigslist]
· Local Man Hero Joey Chestnut Conquers Food Competition Again [YumSugar]
· Braving the Lines For St. George Spirits Absinthe [Gastronomie]
· Tenderloin Expected to Get New Liquor Regulations [SFE]

· Myth: Still Great, But O'Brien's Time Winding Down [CH]
· All Stops Pulled Out For French Laundry Resy [CH]
· Epic and Waterbar Already Getting the Hound Vote [CH]
· Everyone Likes Pie, and Mission Pie Has Lemon Ones [Mouthfuls]
· On the List of Useful Lists: Decent Bar Food [Yelp]
· Not on the List of Useful Lists: Restaurants With Lines [Yelp]

· Upscale Tiki Bar Aficionado Claims "Trader Vic's Was the Best" [Tribe]
· You Know What Makes Restaurant Week Great? A "Pretty" Place [CH]
· Undetered By an Isolated Incident, a Return to Isa [CH]
· The City's Offerings of Fries in the Dutch Style [Yelp Convo]
· Has Bon Appetit "Been Rachael Rayed"? [CH]
· And the Curious Case of the Unconfirmed French Laundry Reservation [CH]

After the madness of the holiday season, many restaurants often take a break, recharge the batteries and maybe undertake a renovation or two. On that note, here are some updates from a trio of restaurants readying for 2008.

1) Everyone's favorite Mission Michelin, Range, will return on Thursday, January 10th. The entire storefront is decked out in brown paper, which suggests that some remodeling just might be in the works. For those of you chomping on the bit, the January menu has been posted, complete with a bread pudding sighting.

2) Down on Fourth Street—right next to Elizabeth Falkner's Orson, actually—the Glas Kat Supper Club is putting the finishing touches on a facelift that included a new paint job, new lighting and other miscellaneous fixings. It will reopen today, and its website would like you to know that the Glas Kat is perfect for receptions of 80-800 persons.

3) File this in the "if you have to ask ..." category if you must, but the French Laundry is in the midst of its annual January vacation. Food Jesus will resume dinner service at his flagship on Friday, January 18th, and perhaps even more importantly, the reservation line is also closed during this time period, reopening the morning of the 18th.

HEALDSBURG—Cyrus is among seven new North American gourmet restaurants and/or hotels inducted to the prestigious Relais & Chateaux club. Restaurants must apply for admission into the French club, with the application process often taking several years. In case you're wondering, the only other local restaurants already in the elite club are the French Laundry, Meadowood and Gary Danko (proving that not all French elitists dislike Monsieur Danko). [EaterWire Inbox]

POTRERO HILL—PotHi local staple Couleur Cafe continues to shake things up with some updates. From Chowhound: "The recent updates -- a whole flight of new mussel preparations and a much improved steak frites - are particularly worth a try ... They now have nice live acoustic music on Sunday evenings and are about to start that on Wednesdays as well." Usually, menu upheavals and live music promotions are telltale signs that a restaurant is struggling, but the post seems to suggest that Couleur Cafe merely continues to improve on a good thing. Any Potrero peeps know anything? [CH]

GHIRARDELLI SQUARE—Speaking of possible semi-desperate promotions, McCormick & Kuleto’s is now offering a Happy Hour Bar Menu: "Every Monday through Friday (3pm-6pm) you can feast on Bay Shrimp cocktails, Black Mussels, a Diestel Turkey Breast Quesadilla, Spicy Buffalo Wings, and a half-pound Cheeseburger for just $1.95 (with a two drink minimum)." What Happy Hour ends at 6pm with a two-drink minimum, you ask? One that caters to the tourist crowd, obv. And that $2 burger, while tempting, might not seem so great when you remember that In-N-Out is down the street. [SF City Dish]

[Photo courtesy]

· Campton Place Dessert: Mincemeat Streusel With Curry, Raisins [CH]
· Is Cyrus Worth a Trip? [CH]
· Practical Prep Questions For a Night With Food Jesus [CH]
· Wasabi and Soy Sauce on Sushi: Settled? [eGullet]
· Budget Dining At Larkin Express, Jitlada, Dottie's, More [eGullet]
· Even More Mourning For Powell's Place [Yelp Convo]

· What Better Thanksgiving Prep Than a French Laundry Report? [eG]
· The Last Minute Scramble For Weekend Reservations [CH]
· Tourist Take on Bong Su, Range, and Bar Crudo [CH]
· Caffe Trieste Is All the East Bay Rage [CH]
· "Quite Thrilled" With Eating at the 1300 Bar [Mouthfuls]
· Vietnamese That Delivers, Figuratively and Literally [Yelp Convo]
· A Look at the New Bar From Erik Adkins of Slanted Door [eG]

· Looking for New York Food in the Bay [CH]
· Teatro ZinZanni Alternatives, Anyone? [tribe.net]
· Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sebo's Omakase [CH]
· Dios Mio: Day of the Dead at Taqueria Vallarta [CH]
· Two Slots Open For French Laundry Dinner Tomorrow [Yelp Convo]
· Are There Ethical Problems on The Next Iron Chef? [CH]

· Post-Thanksgiving Dinners at Meadowood and Kellerville: Straight Decadent [CH]
· Inkas in the Mission: Delicious, But Will It Succeed? [CH]
· Is There Anything Good Around UCSF? [CH]
· For That Matter, How About Around San Bruno Avenue? [CH]
· Check Please! as a "TV Version of Yelp" [CH]
· Everyone Loves the Recital of the Specials [Zagat Discussion]
· Wait! Old Ice Cream Being Served at Chez Panisse? [Mouthfuls]

Earlier this month, Thomas Keller and company made waves in coffee circles by introducing the most expensive coffee in the world to the French Laundry. The magic coffee, called the Panama Esmeralda Geisha, is apparently grown by three lone plants somewhere in the Central American mountains and sold at auction for $130 a pound. And the only place in the world to find it is at the conclusion of VIP dinners at the French Laundry and Per Se. Initial reactions to the coffee splurge were predictably glorious, but now some coffee-philes think it's all a cover-up ploy by Keller:

Problem is that the coffee service at The French Laundry is well, uh, severely lacking compared to the otherwise lofty dining expectations and l'addition. (For example, their espresso scored lower than the Starbucks at SFO.) So rather than get educated, train staff, and elevate the craft (if not also chuck their superautomatic Schaerer espresso machine for something less suited for an assembly line), they take the lazy short cut of espousing the merits of "the most expensive coffee in the world" on their menus.

Your thoughts in the comments field, please.

· My Dinner at the French Laundry, By Tupac [eGullet]
· Cafe Majestic: "Good Enough, But Nothing Special" [Mouthfuls]
· Further Discussion on the Valet Issue [Zagat Discussions]
· Fact: No Corkage at Indigo [Yelp Convo]
· Opinion: 20% is the New 15% [Yelp Convo]

Like 'em or not, the Michelin stars always cause a buzz, especially in a place that loves its restaurants like San Francisco. Unfortunately for those of you wanting to make a big deal about something this year, not much really changed from last year's inaugural edition. The only movement among San Francisco restaurants was in the one-star category, where bushi-tei bowed out. Ame, Coi and Cortez all joined the club, but in a year devoid of last year's uproar, the restaurant probably garnering the most quizzical looks is One Market.

But that doesn't mean people can't still whine about the guide! In that vein, here is what the Bay Area is saying. (And if you're wondering Michael Bauer's thoughts, well, you'll just have to wait until tomorrow, because he already used up his daily blog entry talking about Vegas or something.)

1) Chef Christopher Kostow of two-star recipient Chez TJ, who was asleep when he got Director Naret's call this morning: "I was completely speechless, I was completely surprised ... I just freaked out." [SJMN]

2) SFGate Community Member mgescuro: "I remember the uproar last year about the Michelin ratings "screwing up" some of the top restaurants in the region -- much the same way Michelin "screwed up" the NYC restaurants when they were initially reviewed. I'm glad to see a few more restaurants getting a star. One surprise... One Market.... REALLY??? Has the food been getting better or something??" [Chron]

About an hour ago at a media brunch—at Bloomingdale's with pretty gift bags, natch—Michelin Director Jean-Luc Naret announced the star ratings of the second annual Michelin guide for the San Francisco Bay Area & Wine Country. 384 restaurants around the Bay made the cut, plus 61 hotels. As mentioned earlier, while the Michelin guide's impact is debatable in the area, there's absolutely no denying that for the eater who follows the restaurant scene, the release of the little red book is always interesting.

The biggest news this year is probably the debut of St. Helena newbie Meadowood in the two-star slot. Chez TJ (Mountain View) also joined the two-star club, making last year's two-star quartet of Manresa, Cyrus, Aqua and Michael Mina a sextet.

The rest of the star ratings, quite frankly, are not terribly different from last year. The French Laundry, as expected, remained the lone three-star, with seven newcomers—including One Market—joining the 27 one-stars. Bay Area favorites like Gary Danko, Chez Panisse and The Dining Room at the Ritz stayed in the one-star category, while The Slanted Door, despite being a noted Naret haunt, remained starless. Losing their only star were bushi-tei and Dry Creek Kitchen.

Next week, the 2008 San Francisco/Bay Area Michelin Guide will be released. While the impact and relevance of the French guide are questionable here in California, there's no denying that at the very least, the little red book provides the fodder for much debate among chefs and diners alike. Looking at last year's rankings, the Bay's restaurants seemed to fall victim to some type of French sensibility apparently absent outside of Yountville. To recap, Thomas Keller's French Laundry, predictably, was the lone recipient of the hallowed trio, an eclectic quartet nabbed a pair of stars, all while the best non-Keller restaurant in the state, Chez Panisse, received a lone star, along with 23 others.

This year's storylines:

1) The most outcry last year involved Chez Panisse and Gary Danko, Zagat's top-rated restaurant for the past six years running. Will either make the jump to two stars?

2) Also surprised/disappointed with a lone star were French stalwarts La Folie and Fleur de Lys, who are pretty much designed to win Michelin stars.

3) Manresa and Cyrus seem to be the only shots to join Keller in the three-star club, but as Bauer pointed out last year, it's virtually impossible to put someone else on equal grounds as The French Laundry.

· Middle American Rumor Mongering: a French Laundry in Missouri? Um ... [CH]
· Everyone's Wondering About the Mission's Newly-Opened Lolo [CH]
· Burma Superstar, Still the Holy Grail of Cheap Eats Destinations [eGullet]
· Foam at Plumpjack: Neither Trendy Nor Well-Received [tribe.net]
· Where, Oh Where to Find Female Sushi Chefs? [CH]