May 19, 2022 Lunch - Bouchon, Yountville, CA.  

We awakened early and I downloaded some of the reservations and finished packing.  Suzette watered the plants.  

Then I toasted three slices of bagel and spread cream cheese on them and then garnished them with slices of Manchego cheese and slices of salami on two and ham on the third.  I also packed five slices of the fresh dill pickles I made two days ago.

We drove to the airport and consumed one slice while we were waiting for the flight to Oakland.

When we arrived in Oakland we picked up our rental car. Suzette had activated our Budget Fastrack app that allowed us to reserve a vehicle and bypass the rental counter, which was wonderful.  We also got upgraded to a mid-size Camry and 2400 extra points.

We were able to leave the rental parking lot before 1:00, which put us ahead of schedule.  We arrived in Yountville at 2:00.  We went to the information Center and were given lots of information and wineries in Napa Valley.

We then drove the two blocks to Bouchon and arrived at 2:30, thirty minutes before our 3:00 reservation.  We were seated and given a outdoor table on the patio next to the street but it was shielded from the sidewalk and street by privet bushes.

This is a Thomas Keller restaurant. We were unable to obtain a reservation at French Laundry and were lucky to get a reservation at Bouchon.

Here is how the website describes Bouchon Bistro

Thomas Keller's French Bistro - Extravagant $$$$

Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro is like a French brasserie, a bit fancier than Bistro Jeanty, a bit livelier, a bit noisier. Of course the food is pure Keller, classic dishes done with a finesse using the highest quality ingredients. The roasted chicken is a standout and whatever you get make sure some fries come with it as Keller is serious about making the best french fries. Oysters and seafood at the raw bar, caviar, you can easily spend a small fortune here. On the opposite end they have surprisingly affordable house wines by the carafe and a Croque Madame (grilled ham and cheese topped with an egg and sauce) that is less than $20, a bargain.

There were lots of raw seafood items, but we each selected dishes with serious sauces.  Suzette ordered Poached Trout with a creamy beurre Blanc sauce made without glutton but instead combined artichoke broth, lemon, and butter. I could not understand how the sauce was made, which was interesting. The dish also had a baraquole of spring petit artichokes and sliced fennel.

Here is the menu description for her dish:  Truite avec Artichauts à la Barigoule sautéed Idaho rainbow trout with cocktail artichokes, braised fennel, sweet carrots with barigoule emulsion.

I chose a Sautéed Boudin sausage with Super creamy and buttery whipped potatoes and five rehydrated dried plums with a deceptively simple Beurre Noisette sauce.

 Here is the menu description: Boudin Blanc white sausage with potato purée, dried French plums & beurre noisette.

I had never eaten beurre noisette like this before. This beurre noisette was lighter in color and taste than those I have made and tasted.  The waiter said that the butter is carefully heated to prevent it scorching and then is combined with olive oil, fresh herbs, and a bit of lemon juice. It was brighter and lighter in flavor than any I had tasted before.

Although I loved the pureed potatoes, they were so full of butter that I had indigestion later in the evening that I relieved with a few bites of chocolate flavored yogurt.

This was one of gastronomically interesting meals we had eaten because of the amazing sauces.

We ordered a bottle of 2020 Sancerre for $68.00 that was delicious.  We love a Sancerre and its granny apple and slight citrus after taste went really well with the trout and I enjoyed it with my white sausage.

It even went well with the creamy creme brûlée and pistachio macaron.

It was a $154.00 lunch before tax and tip that we loved every bite of.

After lunch we drove the back road, Silverado Trail to Calistoga and then up over the winding road over hills separating Napa from Sonoma and continuing north through Alexander Valley and Dry Creek before joining U.S. 101 east of Healdsburg.

Once on 101 we were able to drive the remaining 46 miles fairly quickly because 101 is a divided highway that follows the rather straight northerly course of the Russian River.

We were tired when we arrived at the Motel 6 in Ukiah, but decided to buy some food to snack on tomorrow and later in the evening.

We drove to a Safeway supermarket and bought a container of blueberries and cubed pineapple, a baguette of sourdough bread, a container of spreadable goat cheese, and the chocolate yogurt I mentioned earlier plus a bottle of Pinot noir.

We went back to the motel and watched a very interesting multi-episode British show called Vera about a tough but clever older female detective.

Suzette was tired and went to sleep and I stayed up and blogged this posting.

I can not tell you how exciting we were to taste the two amazing sauces at Bouchon Bistro.  Some day we will hope to eat at the French Laundry, which is the restaurant that stands at the pinnacle of Thomas Kepler’s fame.

Bon Appetit