The French Laundry: Pictures added.
- Thread starter FreeFlyNole
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I wouldn't wait in line for any food. Not Chili's, French Laundry or any BBQ place. Ive been to all three with no line and id have to say Franklin's was better followed by the other two in a tie.
If you want good BBQ take a drive from San Antonio or Austin, stay off the interstate and stop at any small bbq joint you see. Most are pretty good. The tourist trap ones tend to be overrated.
You haven't eaten good bbq. I guess the same could be said about any food though. Its all opinion.
Some dudes have husbands. You can confirm this through research.
Some doctors are woman also. Although you generally don't refer to them as his.
Are some of the pics out of order? Couple of gin and tonics deep while watching the lightning show and its hurting my head scrolling up and down from the pics to the menu trying to figure out some of them not labeled.
1st pic, is that the trout caviar? And how do you eat that? (Seems like one of those things where you wait for someone else to eat it first).
Which item is the one with strawberries and which one is the one with the green slab?
Which meat item was better? Quail or lamb?
Did you have to give a reach under the table tuggy to the docs for that?
1st pic, is that the trout caviar? And how do you eat that? (Seems like one of those things where you wait for someone else to eat it first).
Which item is the one with strawberries and which one is the one with the green slab?
Which meat item was better? Quail or lamb?
Did you have to give a reach under the table tuggy to the docs for that?
Looks like a once in a lifetime experience, awesome that they would spring for that for both of you.
I've had franklins several times but I've never eaten there nor have I ever waited. My brother lives in Austin. He orders ahead. We just go there pick everything up and leave. Food is great.
Freefly,
This looks like a lot of fun.
I turned into a bit of a foodie when I lived in Chicago. I can't say I've ever regretted an expensive meal. They're almost always a good experience.
Take that back. I went to a couple of moderately high end restaurants in New Orleans with a 2 year old and ended up eating about the most expensive to go orders I've ever had on an ironing board in my last minute crappy hotel room.
This looks like a lot of fun.
I turned into a bit of a foodie when I lived in Chicago. I can't say I've ever regretted an expensive meal. They're almost always a good experience.
Take that back. I went to a couple of moderately high end restaurants in New Orleans with a 2 year old and ended up eating about the most expensive to go orders I've ever had on an ironing board in my last minute crappy hotel room.
Nice. Place is great. We did not do the wine tasting, just bought 3 bottles through out the dinner. Still came out to the same 1k per couple. Sorry you did not get the butter poached lobster. They sous vide lobster tail in a vat of butter. They do not vacuum seal it, just cook it in butter heated to 140 degrees. Good god was that amazing.
Only the desserts may be out of order. The Lamb was insane. Also the munkfish. The desserts erer a hodgpodge of stuff, each person got 3 dishes and we didn't all puck the same menu, so there was some sharing. The first pic was oysters and sturgeon caviar, it was one of the most delicious dishes.
No hand jobs this time around.
Okay I knew that eventually you would post something I agree with wholeheartedly. You didn't disappoint.
If you've EVER lived in a big restaurant city like Dallas you would think people are crazy to wait for a table anywhere.
Even BBQ.
I can tell you with a high level of certainty, being familiar with Austin, the kind of people who WOULD wait there are the ultra cool hipsters who only talk to each other, who only live in certain areas, and who maybe ain't even from Texas to begin with. Hell, they might even be from someplace like **gasp** California. You know, those computer people.
( insert eye roll)
I'd head out to Driftwood, get me some Salt Lick, and head back on to the house.
I have been with my wife and two others for lunch which at that time was essentially the same menu as dinner.
Simply put, the cost was obscene. The lunch for four cost more than our 4 round trip airfare tickets from Florida to San Francisco. It was in excess of $2500 for lunch. When I got the bill, all I could do was laugh. I was laughing so hard I thought I was going to burst blood vessels.
To add insult, the waiter limited our table to one full glass of water each, forcing us to buy extra grossly over priced wine so we would have something to drink with our lunch.
While the food was good it was not memorable; but the price sure and heck was.
Suggestion, skip the French Laundry all together and spend your money in Napa at the private wine tastings at the better vineyards. Far better experience for the buck.
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I find it hard to believe that i live in a world where this might actually surprise anyone.
If you are suggesting the price surprised me, it did not. The price wasn't the surprise, the price of the "so-called experience" for less than memorable food was. I cannot even tell you what I had. More importantly, I leave the French Laundry out of my conversations, even though I was fortunate enough to go.
Bad meal, but great stories for that little bastage's wedding. I've had a couple of those too.
To those of you who wouldn't wait for Franklin's I just have to disagree. Let me explain.
It's not a place you go to grab lunch. It's an event. There is no doubt there will be a wait, that is built in to the expectation. BBQ is about the wait. If you do it at home there is a HUGE wait. Once you're at the cutting counter you are an individual. The respect you and give you time to decide, they have several cuts of meat to choose from and they will give you a sample of each to help you make up your mind. They answer any questions you may have and don't rush you. To that when you take up a table in their small space, they don't rush you one bit.
The line is an event in and of itself. You make friends, you tell stories and jokes, you drink beer and you smell some great Q and build your appetite. You can BYOB, or they sell cold beer in the line for $3,$4, and $5 depending, but don't care if you have a cooler. They provide chairs, it's like tailgating. I bring my little UE Boom bluetooth speaker and have a good ol'time.
I've been 4 times now. My situation may be a little different. It's always been on a weekday, and I've always been with an important customer, so it has been an opportunity to drink some beers, and spend some quality time with a customer and get off the generic superficial business conversations folks have. Then at then end.... you get OUTSTANDING BBQ.
I may not be the connoisseur that some of you fat bastards are, but I know the basics and if Franklin's isn't your best, it will sit near the top. So no matter what you think or say about the line, the BBQ isn't disappointing.
I suggest you do it some day with the right attitude and expectations it's a good spot.
It's not a place you go to grab lunch. It's an event. There is no doubt there will be a wait, that is built in to the expectation. BBQ is about the wait. If you do it at home there is a HUGE wait. Once you're at the cutting counter you are an individual. The respect you and give you time to decide, they have several cuts of meat to choose from and they will give you a sample of each to help you make up your mind. They answer any questions you may have and don't rush you. To that when you take up a table in their small space, they don't rush you one bit.
The line is an event in and of itself. You make friends, you tell stories and jokes, you drink beer and you smell some great Q and build your appetite. You can BYOB, or they sell cold beer in the line for $3,$4, and $5 depending, but don't care if you have a cooler. They provide chairs, it's like tailgating. I bring my little UE Boom bluetooth speaker and have a good ol'time.
I've been 4 times now. My situation may be a little different. It's always been on a weekday, and I've always been with an important customer, so it has been an opportunity to drink some beers, and spend some quality time with a customer and get off the generic superficial business conversations folks have. Then at then end.... you get OUTSTANDING BBQ.
I may not be the connoisseur that some of you fat bastards are, but I know the basics and if Franklin's isn't your best, it will sit near the top. So no matter what you think or say about the line, the BBQ isn't disappointing.
I suggest you do it some day with the right attitude and expectations it's a good spot.
I am curious as to how this plays out. Is it something like this:
Nole4757: Waiter, may I please have another glass of water?
Waiter: No, you must have wine.
Nole4757: I would really prefer water.
Waiter: No, you must have wine.
Noles4757: Well, may I speak to the manager?
Manager: May I help you?
Noles4757: I would like to have a glass of water.
Manager: No, you must have wine.
Noles4757: I'm paying over $500 for my lunch. I want a glass of water.
Manager: No, you must have wine
Noles4757: OK, I guess I have to have wine. I'll take this one (points to cheapest bottle on menu).
Waiter: No, you must have this one (grossly overpriced).
Noles4757. OK. (thinks to himself, this is totally not worth the money)
LOL!
You are actually pretty close.
The waiter, however, didn't offer wine as an alternative. Just said we cannot refill water glasses or sell you any further bottles of water, leaving you with no choice but to order wine and by the bottle yet, not the glass. The French Laundry would never slum itself so low as to offer wine by the glass.
What made the lunch so ridiculous is that right after my party of four was seated, one of my clients called and wanted a conference call. So I spent most of my "French Laundry experience", for which I paid ridiculous sums, in the French Laundry court yard outside the French Laundry house.
And, after I returned to my table, I could not even get a second glass of water.
How could you not laugh yourself silly when you got the bill that was north of $2500 for lunch?
After we finished lunch and left the prestigious French Launch, we went to a local pizza joint to get filled up.
I agree, the French Laundry was an experience I have yet to forget.
What is your business? You're (1) unable to get a second glass of water at a restaurant; (2) unable to tell a client that you're unavailable for a couple of hours. Whatever it is that you do, you can't be very good at it, and you're less important than you think.
I've only been to Franklin's once, for a rehearsal dinner, so I got the best of both worlds: an evening of cutting up, drinking, and joking around while eating fantastic 'cue. However, I would totally go spend a few hours tailgating for it. Hell, tailgating in and of itself is a rad way to spend a day. You get some brisket at the end? Aight.
That's true, there's never a line at the Tampa Outback or Olive Garden.....
I was thinking Golden Corral but it appears you went high end restaurants on us.
Thanks. If I'm ever in Tampa, I'll remember that. Since I don't patronize either chain I'm not sure how useful the info will be.
He's just letting us know he got a promotion at work and can now afford such establishments.
Too ultra-hipster? Or don't they offer 4pm dinner reservations?
I believe he was talking about a male doctor having a husband but I digress. $1,000 a head for dinner and you only get a few spoonfuls of accoutrements and a couple of bites of duck and lamb? Cash me ousside...
Dunno. I'd have to ask someone who's not working at 4 PM. I think it's interesting that you're an authority on such things, though.
Just because servings are small does not mean that the amount of food is lacking. While I have not eaten at French Laundry I did have the good fortune of eating a 7 course meal at a 3 star Michelin (same as French Laundry) in France recently. Did the recommended tasting for the evening, nice bottle of Burgundian Grand Cru, and while it was expensive, it was absolutely amazing. Any restaurant that garners 3 stars is going to be amazing but the fois gras lollipop was mind-blowing as was the poached pigeon which was far better than it sounds. I respect anyone's choices for how they spend their disposable income but there is certainly nothing wrong with spending 4 hours consuming culinary art.
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