As I mentioned in my previous post about WAG, after our Saturday night feast up in Napa, we felt we had turned out a meal that would stand up well next to the efforts of the kitchen on Sunday evening at The French Laundry. Allow me to state for the record that upon tasting the first bite of Thomas Keller’s signature dish Oysters and Pearls, we all immediately agreed that “we’re not worthy” and that our efforts in the kitchen the night before, while impressive, were part of a different (and lower) culinary plane of existence. Keller truly deserves his place in the pantheon of the world’s greatest chefs.
I’ve also posted an image of the menu from the evening, which includes the wine pairings. One item that does not appear on the menu is a chestnut agnolotti with celery root cream sauce. My wife Katherine had requested a menu without red meat or poultry, and they served this dish for her in place of the beef course on our menu. We all took a taste of her chestnut-filled pasta and declared it one of the best courses of the evening. Overhearing this, our waiter had the kitchen prepare an extra course and served each of us a plate of the agnolotti. Nice touch.