big budget high brow baller status dinner

[tj442x]

I have a special, special event coming up. Soon. I tried to score French Laundry reservations but to no avail. Next up, Restaurant at Meadowood? Bouchon? Cyrus? All would be outstanding, I am sure. But what to pick?

Fight!

(oh, and, thanks :)

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The French Laundry
6640 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

Bouchon
6534 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

[tj442x]

Went with Cyrus. Loved it. Thanks everyone for the input!

Still gunning for French Laundry at a later date, but also feel a strong pull towards Cyrus for a repeat!

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The French Laundry
6640 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

[Ruth Lafler]

Thanks for reporting back. Were your guests impressed?

[tj442x]

Tremendously! Well, it was our first dinner after engagement, and with our states of mind we probably would have been happy with a fast food burger. Still, it was a meal for the ages. Aside from excellent food at every course, the sommelier was most impressive.

[zin1953]

If you're not going to FL, try Manresa next time . . .

[bbulkow]

Is south bay / Manresa out of the question? They very easy to book, kick ass in many directions, have a private back room. Just make sure you have a big balla-bling Hummer limo riding from SF to the south bay.

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Manresa Restaurant
320 Village Lane, Los Gatos, CA 95030

[tj442x]

Definitely not, and now being considered. Thanks!

[cavolonero]

yeah, I would second Manresa. It's incredible.

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Manresa Restaurant
320 Village Lane, Los Gatos, CA 95030

[bbulkow]

Many consider Manresa at par with TFL and the Napa greats. I've found the experience there to be slightly more variable - the highs are higher, the lows are lower. The cuisine is less fat oriented and more veg/taste oriented than TFL, and I've never gotten "glazed over" at their tasting. But the full tasting there is an experience - their arpege egg is always an experience. It will be, by far and away, the easiest michelin 2 or 3 star to book, with large group experiences available.

Here's a little tidbit on manresa:
http://sf.eater.com/archives/2010/06/...

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Manresa Restaurant
320 Village Lane, Los Gatos, CA 95030

[pauliface]

I went to meadowood this last weekend, hoping for a 3-star experience (had tried for TFL but there was nothing available).

I plan to post a review soon (I feel it's my duty, as there is sooo little information about Meadowood out there), but for now....

I have no idea how in the world Meadowood got 3 stars.
Maybe it deserves one star, but I'm not even sure of that.
The experience has really made me rethink Michelin; I no longer think I can trust them, at least not here in America.

Avoid Meadowood, or at least go expecting a nice un-michelin-starred upscale experience.

[tj442x]

Aha, this is exactly the concern! getting too caught up in stars and having a bummer of a meal. if i was not afraid of their all-of-a-sudden three star status i would already have resos at meadowood.

So far I have heard one plus and one minus for Meadowood, anyone else have direct experience? Thanks much pauliface!

[deylamian]

No Coi? Benu?

Coi is absolutely awesome imo...

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Benu
22 Hawthorne St, San Francisco, CA 94103

[cortez]

TFL, Cyrus and Meadowood would be the top 3 for the "no budget restrictions" big deal kind of evening. Bouchon is very good, but is on a more casual basis, eg, Bistro from Lyon comes to California.

Do you have a hotel concierge who can make the TFL reso for you? Don't give up too soon. Cyrus can be done via open table.

Good luck.

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Bouchon
6534 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

[tj442x]

Thanks for the tidbit on Bouchon, I dropped it off my list and am inching closer to a decision.

I am already staying local longer term - any way to or advice in abusing a concierge for this purpose? The big night is a little over a month away, so running short on time at least in terms of TFL resos.

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Bouchon
6534 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

[Robert Lauriston]

Call Yountville hotels, ask to speak with the concierge, tell them you'll book there if they can get you into TFL. That's not abuse, that's their job.