Finding Paris in Napa? Keller's Bouchon is soothing
Feb 05 '01 (Updated Feb 20 '01)
The Bottom Line If you prefer a more understated alternative to French Laundry, Bouchon is a wonderful French bistro that offers a relaxing way to end a day of wine-tasting!
Sinatra crooning in the background, intimate chandelier lighting complemented by votive candles lining the room, and plush, deep red banquette seating all combine to set up the ultimate romantic love nest, if only there weren’t a few dozen other people in the room with you. The place? Bouchon, a cozy yet lush 80-seat French bistro nestled in Yountville, just outside of Napa.
Bouchon is a relatively new restaurant (two years old but it’s still not available on Epinions!) by nationally acclaimed chef Thomas Keller (of French Laundry fame) and his brother Joseph. It is quite an experience after a relaxing day of wine tasting and outlet shopping in the Napa valley.
My fiancé and I dined here recently during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. I’ve been patiently waiting for the Travel section to re-open, but finally settled on this category.
First Impressions
We were graciously greeted by the maitre d’ and seated promptly at a corner table, which immediately earned bonus points in my book. As our reservation was quite early (I believe it was at 5:30, the earliest the restaurant would accept), the restaurant was still nearly empty and I had plenty of opportunity to survey the room.
Having never been to France, I can’t comment on its authenticity other than to say it invokes what I've always imagined to be a French aura. Many other reviews claim that this place appears to have been transported directly from Paris because of the innumerable authentic details imported from France. Adam D. Tihany is the designer credited with crafting this setting, and I enjoyed his style, as expressed at Bouchon, much more than the more whimsical décor of the highly touted Farallon restaurant.
As a bistro, I gather that Bouchon is supposed to be more relaxed than a formal French restaurant. As generally outlined above, the place definitely has a more relaxed feel to it than the more refined and elaborate French places like Fleur de Lys in San Francisco. I also doubt the Keller brothers intended Bouchon to compete directly with French Laundry (which is noted for its more refined experience) as Bouchon appears to be an alternative for those craving a more relaxed experience.
I had been surprised by the size of the restaurant, as it appears quite small from the exterior. The somewhat high ceilings and warm color scheme lend it a spaciousness that makes one feel quite comfortable. Unlike more pretentious restaurants, I found this décor reminded me of a sophisticated yet warm environment, as opposed to the ultra-trendy, cold /antiseptic places. Assuming this is the impression a Parisian bistro aims for, Bouchon has succeeded here.
There are also a cluster of tables in the middle of the room, in addition to the aforementioned banquette seating. Overall, I'm still surprised that there is room for 80 here. The tables were quite close, but I didn't feel crowded or bothered by noise. Other reviewers do note that it can get very loud, but we didn't seem to particularly notice it, so it fits in with the atmosphere.
The service affects the impression
Now, having set the visual background, let me add a few details that altered the experience. Going in knowing only that this place is the more budget-friendly sister restaurant to French Laundry, I really didn’t know what to expect. I’ve never been to French Laundry, but I know it’s known for its excellent service and presume this translates to a more formal attitude.
At Bouchon, our waiter greeted us with a “Hey guys” and had a fairly casual yet friendly demeanor. This doesn’t mean he wasn’t attentive or appropriately respectful, but I did find it a surprising change from most servers at non-chain restaurants. To be frank, I’d prefer a little more formality—something more along the lines of “Hello, how are you?” Still, I did find my napkin folded after I returned from the restroom, and a myriad of other details that one expects from upscale restaurants, so I can’t really complain.
Getting down to the basics
This is definitely “comfort food” as opposed to the more trendy selections some other restaurants offer. There weren’t towering architectural details, elaborately arranged food or overly choreographed details in the food presentation, which definitely casts the focus on the taste of the food itself. In general, we both found ourselves comfortably full and satisfied by our choices. Unlike some places, the serving size of the entrees was enough to satisfy, though not necessarily “hearty” portions.
We started with a half-dozen oysters ($12), which I thoroughly enjoyed. I can’t remember the exact types of oysters, but there were at least three choices available. FYI, another review I read on-line claims Bouchon has the only daily raw bar in the Napa valley.
For the main entrée, I had the Gigot d’Agneau--leg of lamb with flageolets beans in a lamb jus ($18.95) while brace33 had Steak Frites—a pan seared flatiron served with maître d’hôtel butter & french fries.
I’ve never had flageolets beans and really enjoyed its flavor, especially when “swimming” in the lamb jus. The lamb was good, but not overly impressive. I think it may be because I usually prefer a strong rosemary garlic flavor.
As for brace33’s steak, he enjoyed it but didn’t particularly care for the french fries that accompanied it. They were light and crispy, but I guess we’ve always associated french fries with McDonald’s.
Other entrees included an unusual-sounding blood sausage (Boudin Noir for $15.95), a massive seafood platter (Grand Plâteau, which offers 1 lobster, 16 oysters, 8 shrimp, 8 clams, 9 mussels, seasonal crab and a special selection for $70), and simple ham and cheese sandwich (Croque Madame, with a fried egg and mornay sauce for $12.95).
Unfortunately, I can’t remember exactly what wine we had. That’s one of the problems of waiting for a month before writing an epinion—you lose your notes! Suffice to say, there is an excellent selection of local Napa valley wines, seeing how the restaurant is located so close to local wineries.
Having dined extensively on prosciutto, salame, and cheese at the V. Sattui winery’s deli earlier in the day, we were not really hungry to begin with so we skipped on dessert after finishing our entrees. However, the menu does offer a number of intriguing choices, including the lemon tart, a dark chocolate mousse, and the caramel custard. Prices are reasonable, at $6.50 for the most expensive. Cheese is also offered (served with honeycomb) at $7.95 each or $9.75 for a 3 piece tasting portion, including a Hudson Valley Camembert, Sir Laurier cows milk, and Capri Classic Blue goats milk.
And the final detail!
Those who have followed my restaurant reviews know that I like to check out the restrooms. Sometimes, restaurants have neglected to pay as much attention to this area as the main dining room and I think that reflects poorly on the management.
Bouchon’s women’s restroom is quite a change in design style from the main room. It’s very modern looking, with it’s cool stainless steel trough that serves as a sink and bright red paint. There were also fresh flowers, a detail I always appreciate.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience dining at Bouchon. I can understand why it’s popular, but I don’t think it is a must-try restaurant or even one that begs to be visited again. As one of the Kellers mentioned in an article I read, this place doesn't rely so much on creativity as on providing classic dishes in an authentic manner. If you’re in the Napa valley and looking for a good place for dinner, this is definitely an option, if you can get a reservation or don’t mind waiting. Other reviews have mentioned that the Keller brothers only allow reservations for half the restaurant, so walk-ins can still be accommodated.
Of course, I would love to drop by frequently if I lived closer because of its reasonable prices and relaxing atmosphere. But if we’re in the Napa area again, I hope to try some of the other local restaurants as well, including another French bistro down the street, Bistro Jeanty. I’ve only dined at French restaurants a half dozen times or so, but I definitely look forward to trying more of them. Please also check out my upcoming review of Fringale, a French bistro here in San Francisco, that I think will become one of my regular favorites (it’s part of the “dessert first” write-off that Epicure arranged which will be posted starting 2/14)!
--------------------------------
Bouchon
6534 Washington Street
Yountville 707-944-8037
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.