Great food is all about technique. Over the past few months, I’ve worked though Chef Thomas Keller’s online cooking techniques course. With three-Michelin-star ratings in two of his restaurants at the same time, Chef Keller defines the art of fine cuisine. His world class restaurants include French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon and Ad Hoc. Now that I’ve tried his approach in my own kitchen, I headed to Yountville to dine in one of his restaurants.
Welcome to Bouchon Bistro!
Bouchon delivers a lovely French bistro experience for food and wine lovers in Napa Valley. As I stepped inside, the savory aroma of fresh baked baguette permeated the room. Diners happily bantered over glasses of wine as I noted the hand painted mosaic floor, antique lighting and telltale decorative pieces.
As I mentioned my 12:45 reservation, the host quickly responded, “Ahh… you must be Stephanie!” Wonderful! I felt like a welcome regular as he guided me to a reserved two-top near the window overlooking the patio. As I sat down down, I surveyed the table presentation. My table setting included a signature plate, a folded white linen napkin and a carefully pressed menu. Lovely!
Within a few minutes of arrival, my waiter introduced himself and walked through menu highlights along with a variety of specials. Before I heard about the specials, I planned to order the Croque Madame. Now, I wasn’t so sure! Although I wasn’t quite ready to commit to my lunch decision, I was very ready for my first glass of local Napa Valley wine.
Just as my glass of 2015 Truchard Chardonnay from the Carneros region arrived, so too did the warm, rustic pain d’epi with soft salted butter. As I ripped off a piece of this wheat stalk baguette, the crust offered just the right amount of resistance. Ooh, this is going to be good!
This is one fine baguette.
As I tasted the baguette, the chewy crust gave way to a slightly sweet and yeasty interior as the flavor of freshly toasted bread took hold. With a fine baguette like this, a smear of creamy butter simply gilded the lily. Of course, that didn’t stop me. Is this heaven?
I chose the special.
When my waiter returned, I placed my order. Rather than selecting an option from the menu, I chose an interesting entrée from the list of daily specials: Lobster Boudin. According to the waiter, this sausage prepared on location is stuffed with a heavenly combination of lobster and sole.
My lobster boudin arrived.
As the waiter set this decadent dish in front of me, I felt damn lucky that I got in on this special before they sold out. I couldn’t possibly resist this lobster-based boudin served with creamy potato puree and fresh grilled leeks swimming in a creamy lobster sauce. While I’ve eaten my fair share of boudin over the years, this will be my first time trying one made with fresh seafood!
As I cut into the boudin, the casing itself provided very little resistance. I couldn’t help but notice little red flecks of lobster distributed evenly throughout the sausage. After dredging a small piece of boudin through the sauce, I took my first bite. A hint of sherry vinegar in this creamy lobster sauce accentuated the sweet, mellow flavor of the lobster boudin. And the texture? C’est magnifique!
Now, the side dishes!
Grilled to perfection, these warm leeks were slightly softer than al dente. This side dish amused me, as the leeks actually squeaked a little while chewing. My friends back in Wisconsin would appreciate this, as the squeak of these leeks reminded me of those famous squeaky cheese curds back home!
You won’t find a potato dish more rich than Chef Keller’s French potato puree. We explored the technique for potato puree within his techniques course. Basically, he stuffs three potatoes with as much fat as they can possibly hold. Yukon gold potatoes are boiled and run through a tami before incorporating an incredible amount of hot cream, whole butter and clarified butter. The result is a thick and creamy potato puree that pours from pan to plate. And, it is absolutely delicious!
I loved this dish so much that I polished off all of the boudin and sauce. So, when it came time for dessert, I politely declined. This small girl can only eat so much!
Chocolate bouchon? Yes, please!
After settling up, the waiter presented me with a small token of appreciation for the road. This included two fresh baked chocolate bouchon from Bouchon Bakery, which we promptly devoured when I got home. Of course, they had a perfectly chewy texture and deep chocolate flavor!
Plan your own visit to Bouchon
If you find yourself in Napa Valley, consider a stop at Bouchon.
Unlike the French Laundry, Bouchon Bistro currently accepts reservations on OpenTable. For prime weekend dinner reservations, you’ll want to secure your seats several months in advance. With that said, you won’t have too much trouble securing reservations within week or so if you’re willing to dine over lunch or just off of standard dinner times.
While you can get to Yountville from San Francisco via public transportation, I recommend driving to Yountville during off-peak traffic hours. You’ll enjoy San Francisco’s famous bridges, and you’ll have the freedom to drive through Napa Valley’s gorgeous wine country on a whim.
Once you get to Yountville, however, you’ll find that the entire downtown area is totally walkable. In fact, you’ll find Thomas Keller’s garden within a block of Bouchon. So, be sure to check that out as well!
Bouchon is located in downtown Yountville at 6534 Washington St.
