I love to eat great food and don't mind spending a lot of money in pursuit of this hobby/lifestyle.

After six months of trying, I obtained reservations for four at 9 pm on a recent weekday at the world-famous French Laundry in Yountville, about 45 minutes from S.F.

I found the food good to great. On the whole, it didn't equal a typical meal at La Folie or Gary Danko. However, there is certainly more creativity in the ingredients and design of each course.

But get this - the service was really, really poor for a restaurant of this caliber. The first course arrives, delivered by three waiters and they mix up the plates serving food to the wrong people.

This is a mistake they repeat again and we frequently had to direct them as to who should be served which selection!

I repeatedly had to request more bread, even though there was a waiter dedicated to this task. My water glass went dry numerous times. A waiter spilled sauce on one diner's suit jacket (and didn't say a word).

Another waiter spilled sauce onto my silverware while aiming for my plate and also didn't say a word or do anything about it.

The waitstaff for our table were EXTREMELY young (seemed under age 21), very nervous and unprofessional. They also had a somber attitude that really did not help.

I found the service distracting from what could have been a pleasant meal. My wife and I will certainly try it again, based on it's reputation and the thought that maybe this was a bad night. However, I don't think our two guests would.

While these complaints may appear minor, I have rarely seen such gaffes occur in similar restaurants. This may sound elitist - but in a restaurant where dinner for four was over $800 with just a little wine, I expect more.

What do I make of this? Should I expect more or is this a restaurant of good to great food but mediocre service?

What worries me is that I have NEVER seen a French Laundry review as poor as the one I'm providing now. Do the reviewers get the A+++ treatment and not me. What's up? Was it a bad night in Yountville? Help!

I thought I was the only one to have a less-than-stellar experience at French Laundry. The food was good, but not up to the $ they want for it. I also had trouble with the service... we also had to keep asking for very routine items (e.g. water refills, forgotten dessert). The worst part was putting someone else's bill on my credit card and giving them the charge ticket to sign. Fortunately, the mistake was caught, but it certainly left a "bad taste".

Although I have tried (and tried), I've never been able to get a reservation.

Their bizarre impossible-to-get-a-reservation policy make this destination restaurant not worth the trouble, IMHO, no matter how good the food is.

I don't think this policy is intentional, the restaurant is just very busy. Having started this thread, I would encourage you to keep trying because some of the food was truly uniquely prepared. Some tips on reserving: 1) just keep trying, cancellations occur, or 2) show up in person 30 minutes before they open the phone line in the morning.

You should go over to La Toque. It will knock your socks off (as good a food experience as Gary Danko on a "good" night).

That would be $400 for me and Mrs. USAFAN! No way! French Laundry is not for me.
I have paid less in two and three Michelin star restaurants in Europe, also here, not all are worth the money.
I'll go back to Bistro Jeantry (spelling?) or Tra Vigne. O.K., it's not the same league like French L., but still good. Or I try the restaurant at Domain Chandon next time...I think the chef from Jeantry was the former chef from Do. Chan..?!
What is the price range at Gary Danko? This restaurant is mentioned again and again..

I just checked my Decemer 2002 credit card bill - it was $845.50 for 4 people. Maybe there's $100 for drinks in there though. And maybe I did order that truffle thing - oh and maybe I did get the full tasting menu with umpteen courses, oh well. Plus you get a real clothes pin to take home.

It is definitely worth a visit - I just thought the service a big disappointment that night.

On Gary Danko, expect about $100 per person (including tip) if you get the five course dinner plus drinks. Reservations can be 60 days out, so call early. You can probably be squeezed in at early or late hours though on much less notice.

Here's the menu so you can figure the price yourself. You'll enjoy it plus it's near Ghiradelli Square.

http://www.garydanko.com/flash/menu_print.html

And here's the French Laundry's three menus.
Isn't the internet great for eating!

http://www.sterba.net/yountville/fre...dry/menu1.html

http://www.sterba.net/yountville/fre...dry/menu2.html

http://www.sterba.net/yountville/fre...dry/menu3.html

Note the cute clothes pins - they are somehow used as napkin rings

Your check - on a laundry ticket

The building used to house a French laundry -hence the name.

Thanks RS. I'll try Gary Danko ... I'll have to wait some time to make the trip ... until the weather is getting better in SFO.

The weather may never get better in SF! Well, you know what I mean, fogwise, marine temps and all. However, up in Yountville (French Laundry territory) it's beginning to warm up already.

Sorry, I disagree. There are plenty of restaurants in the world that are as busy, but I've never heard of anything like the way they make you get a reservation at French Laundry.

For those of you who are not familiar with the policy, they only take reservations a month in advance. So, for example, for March 3, they open the phone lines the morning of February 3 and start taking calls. You can dial and dial and dial, and the line's always busy. By the the time you finally get in, there are no more bookings.

I've tried to get a reservation at French Laundry a number of times and never been able to get through to make a reservation. The place might be great, but they are arrogant in the way they do business. I'm through with their silly reservation game.

You ACTUALLY HAVE TO CALL TWO MONTHS in advance, not one month. It's not a game, they are in that much demand.

However, some people at my firm thought that we should try the same strategy and tell prospective clients that our next opening is 2 or 3 months out. We thought it could improve our image!

Sorry, you're right. I meant two months, not one month.

And it is a silly game IMHO...why not take reservations a year in advance instead of making people try and try to get through, but never do (until it's too late). Try again the next day. Sigh.

Too many fine places to dine in this area to put up with such nonsense.

You have a good point. I don't know the rationale behind not taking reservations beyond the 2 months. A number of restaurants limit themselves this way. I'll ask my restaurant friends about this. Anybody out there have any idea?

Possibly to reduce speculative "overbooking" and excessive cancellations. Why do airlines limit themselves to booking one year in advance (330 days), and not two or three? Why are seat assignments often limited to shorter timeframes?

[Those are rhetorical questions. I am aware of equipment changes, and as a former RSR at UA SFORR, I know about the "benefit" during the days when computing was in its infancy of not needing a "year" field.]

When demand greatly exceeds supply, any system of rationing will cause frustration. As long as they establish a procedure, and follow it honestly, I don't think a customer has any real ground for complaint.

They're doing the best they can. Would you prefer that they simply "ration" demand by raising prices [even more?] outrageously?

My response to being unable to get what I want is one of the following. (1) Try harder. (2) Decide that if it seems so impossible to get, maybe I should try something else right now.

The latter seems sensible in this case if there has been a shortfall in service standards due to the restaurant's extreme popularity.

Perhaps by waiting a few months or years until the "trendiness" has died down, you'll get a better dining experience. You're taking a risk that the chef will move on or something, but perhaps that will be offset by a new personal culinary find (on the road less traveled) elsewhere that actually is a better fit for you.

It makes no sense to get upset or bitter, or to "kill the messenger" (the folks at the restaurant who implement the necessary rationing scheme).

You can't always get what you want.
[But if you try, you just might find, you get what you need.] (Apologies to the Rolling Stones.)
See The Hoary Platitude Thread.
http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/006502.html

So I have a question for the epicures, concerning the linked menu.

Originally posted by RS:
I presume this means that for the Gary Danko four-course meal, I would skip one of the five courses listed: Appetizers, Fish and Seafood, Meat and Game Birds, Cheese, or Desserts.

Is it my choice, not the restaurant's, which course I skip?

I presume one selects one of the 7-9 items listed for each course?






[UBB edit.]

[This message has been edited by SPN Lifer (edited 02-09-2003).]