I bet you hear the phrase “white tablecloth restaurants” and automatically think classy and lavishly expensive, or at least I do. There are a lot of fancy and extremely elegant restaurants out there, places only some people can dream about. There’s no doubt in my mind they are delightfully charming places, with all sorts of delectable food beautifully arranged on plates in the most attractive of presentations. White tablecloth restaurants usually means fancy food with exquisite taste, not to mention a pretty price tag to go along.
I will admit, my mouth about dropped to the floor when I heard about the restaurant called “The French Laundry.” Talk about the life of luxury! Even the website is classy. I’ve never seen anything quite like the restaurant and, to be honest, my curiosity has been heightened. Each day The French Laundry restaurant creates two unique, nine-course menu items! They say, “No single ingredient is ever repeated throughout the meal,” so you can experience “something so new, so exciting, so comforting, so delicious, you think, ‘Wow’—and then it’s gone.” This is why they serve a series of small courses “to excite your mind, satisfy your appetite, and pique your curiosity.” They want us to say, “ ‘I wish I had just one more bite of that.’ And then the next plate arrives and same thing happens, but in a different way, a whole new flavor and feel of emotion.
Here are some of the menu items they served earlier this week. (They sound so impressive!)
LASAGNE DE HOMARD -“Fines Herbes” Pasta, Summer Squash, Globe Artichoke and “Crème de Corail”
CHARCOAL-GRILLED LA RATTE POTATOES -Brentwood Corn, Summer Pole Beans, Pickled Huckleberries, Blackstrap Molasses and Honey Butter
JIDORI HEN EGG “RAVIOLO” -Summer Squash, Eggplant, Moroccan Olives and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Emulsion
CHOCOLATE PUDDING PIE”-Thomas Keller Oreo, Manjari Chocolate Mousse and Reduced Milk Ice Cream
Would you like to guess how much it would cost to eat here? Just by simply looking at the menu, you know it’s expensive! Perhaps the menu doesn’t sound appetizing at all, or maybe it looks so fancy you gave up and had to look in the dictionary to see what some of these items were, but if you want to know, here it is: A nine-course meal will cost you a grand total of $270! Of course, you wouldn’t want to go on a date by yourself, so if you and your date were planning on a night out, it would cost you around $540. That’s one pretty price tag if you ask me!
I know for a fact that I would never pay $270 for a single meal. Even if I could, I still wouldn’t do it! I guess I can’t find myself justifying it. That’s like two months’ worth of groceries. So I came up with another alternative. And I do think it would be most delightful! So here’s my proposition: On a random day (not a holiday. mind you) I’d like to come up with my own nine-course meal. That’s right nine-course meal! Then I’d have a few family or friends over to join me. This means using a tablecloth and pretty dishes (just like the fancy schmancy restaurants) of course!
Perfectly Happy 