Thomas Keller's French Laundry is SO not worth it.
We dined with a party of ten in Sept. 2006 and 2007. At our 2007 seating they forgot the promised birthday cake and 5 of the 9 dishes were the same as the previous year. When we emailed and asked them to vary the menu, Thomas Keller called us personally and said, "If you don't like what I serve, don't come." We cancelled and will now dine at Gary Danko's in S.F., a much better restaurant. French Laundry is SO not worth what they charge you.
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24 Comments:
What exactly are you discussing here? This sounds like it belongs on yelp.
unarata at 5:41AM on 09/21/08
Here's a recent thread at SE which agrees with you... and personally I question whether ANY of these super exclusive places are worth the price of admission...
However, 1-2 years after the fact seems a bit late to create a complaint topic.
FastFoodCritic at 7:07AM on 09/21/08
Ah yea ... its 2008 dear ... what exactly brought this up?
bravian at 8:47AM on 09/21/08
Ditto the above. This seems rather random slash bandwagonish.
lexophile at 12:10PM on 09/21/08
This is just copied/pasted comment on the previous FL thread. Necessary?
renzata at 2:03PM on 09/21/08
I'm really surprised at the reaction here. Okay, obviously I feel that the FL can stand some healthy criticism, and others disagree--but maybe aanraku didn't feel like sharing this memory until now.
As to bandwagonish, talk to someone who's been run over by the wagon. Believe me, there is very little popular support for a down-with-Keller movement. VERY little. See http://www.annienewman.typepad.com, index "Westward Ha!"
But SE boards are generally a lot more supportive than these comments. What are we angry about? You know this kind of post isn't like one of those "IT SUCKS" things that turn up on other boards and blogs. This is a person with an honest complaint.
Honestly, I wouldn't even expect Kenny Shopsin to call me at home with a message like that! (He'd say it to my face while I was in the restaurant.)
annien at 3:44PM on 09/21/08
Actually, with only a couple of statements on the part of the poster its very much like one of those "it sucks" posts.
Further, as much as I like to give posters the benefit of the doubt, I don't believe that Thomas Keller personally called to tell someone off in such a way.
I do believe that the dishes may not have varied. I do believe that for many the experience may not be worth what is charged.
ccbweb at 4:53PM on 09/21/08
That's really disappointing. I've been dreaming of going to French Laundry for a long time, but maybe it isn't worth it. I absolutely love Gary Danko by the way. You can't go wrong there!
yummydietfood at 4:54PM on 09/21/08
There's a "down-with-Keller movement"? Seriously? I can understand not liking a restaurant's food, service, atmosphere, cuisine, or anything else. I can understand commenting about it. But a "movement"?
Unless someone served me food that made me ill (or threatened to make me ill) or there were serious and observable health code violations, I doubt it would warrant any more than a comment that I didn't like it, and then I'd never go back. Even if there were heath issues, I doubt I'd be trying to find support for a movement. (What? I'm gonna try to get other people to picket?)
dbcurrie at 5:38PM on 09/21/08
Oh GOD, db, I was being sarcastic!
And believe me, only a small fringe movement really believes that you're shilling for me.
annien at 7:15PM on 09/21/08
It is a restaurant. No one told you the sun was burning out. Wait newsflash there is no Santa Claus, and the tooth fairy is an urban legend. The Easter Bunny however shows up everytime I have 3 martinis.
JerzeeTomato at 7:26PM on 09/21/08
JerzeeTomato, you never fail to make me smile. You are very to the point and very humorous. I love reading your comments!
floridagirl at 7:59PM on 09/21/08
Jerz, I wish you would invite me over for some of those martinis...I might even like them better than spicy tomato juice.
annien at 9:05PM on 09/21/08
@annien, a fringe movement thinks I'm shilling for you?
These movements are getting more frightening by the minute. I think I need to go hide under the bed with a few of Jerzee's martinis so the alien Easter bunnies don't get me.
dbcurrie at 10:35PM on 09/21/08
"... there is no Santa Claus, and the tooth fairy is an urban legend. The Easter Bunny however shows up everytime I have 3 martinis."
STOP IT.
Say what you will about Santa and the Tooth Fairy, but I'll be damned if I'm going to sit here and let you tarnish the name of the Easter Bunny.
FastFoodCritic at 10:36PM on 09/21/08
Um... what about The Great Pumpkin, my fellow Serious Eaters?
p.s.,
happy fall!
LoCo at 10:46PM on 09/21/08
"...alien Easter bunnies..."
Oh sure.... see what you've started. You listen to ME, both of you... That poor innocent Easter Bunny never hurt anyone. You leave him alone!
FastFoodCritic at 10:51PM on 09/21/08
He'd better seek shelter with FFC or Jerzee. My hubby has a shotgun and ALL bunnies are fair game. Maybe I can get him liquored-up and join db's alien nation. If he does shoot one, let us hope that it doesn't end up on Keller's "Catch 'o the Day".
Josdean at 8:02AM on 09/22/08
@FFC, the Easter Bunny is the reason I won't eat raisins. I will, however, devour chocolate Easter Bunnies without mercy.
EARS first!
dbcurrie at 3:21PM on 09/22/08
"@FFC, the Easter Bunny is the reason I won't eat raisins."
Ewww... You weirdo. ;)
FastFoodCritic at 1:38AM on 09/23/08
@FFC, The Easter Bunny is the reason I won't eat whole black beans. I will eat a choc bunny as long as it is all chocolate no marshmallow center. After reading the above thread NO HERSHEY'S bunnies.
pjracz10 at 3:23AM on 09/23/08
@Annien Did you see the debate W/Anthony Bourdain vs White w/Rulhman as cheerleader regarding F.L in SE?
pjracz10 at 9:27AM on 09/23/08
WHAT???? There is a Santa Claus! There really is!!
izatryt at 9:57AM on 09/23/08
@FFC, blame my mother for being unclear, annoyed, and probably hung over as I cleaned up the "rabbit droppings" around the basket one Easter morning. When she snapped "Oh, quit complaining. They're just raisins; you eat them all the time," in my childish mind, I thought she was saying that that was where raisins came from, not that these were raisins instead of droppings. Ever since, I've had a gag reflex when faced with a raisin.
dbcurrie at 12:33PM on 09/23/08