French Laundry

One of the world’s hardest-to-score tables (where diners have been known to wait a year for reservations) has been praised to the heavens for more than a decade now—and deservedly so. For those who actually get to enter the unassuming wood-and-brick Yountville restaurant, chef Thomas Keller provides a sublime, virtually flawless dining experience. His dishes can seem delightfully whimsical: for instance, his famed smoked salmon cornets, tissue-thin shavings served in sesame-seed-flecked whorls of tuile, look just like miniature ice cream cones. But Keller takes his flavors very seriously, sourcing as many ingredients as possible (including most of his vegetables and herbs) from the property’s own gardens. There’s little to do but choose between the vegetable menu or the chef’s nine-course tasting menu (both change daily) and then sit back and relax. During your meal (which will likely last three hours), you’ll have plenty of time to notice all the little details: the ramekins of artisanal salts and specially made butter that are brought to the table; the signature French Laundry clothespins clipped to each perfectly pressed white napkin; the attentive but never oppressive servers. Take it all in: this is one of those meals you’ll want to remember forever.