On Monday we went to a couple of wineries, including Beaulieu Vineyard. D was able to pick out a couple of bottles for people at work. For lunch we ate at Auberge du Soleil in nearby Rutherford. It was quite fancy, which we figured out in the very beginning, when they “forced” us to valet park. k was thankfully pretty well-behaved and had fun making the waiters laugh. She also managed to keep all of her food down.
The menu was pretty complicated. The descriptions of the desserts were difficult to decipher so D had the waiter translate. One of the desserts that piqued my interest was something with Douglas Fir streusel. They actually boil the pine needles and use the essence, or something like that. That didn’t appeal to me, and no one could decide, so I opted for one of the simplest desserts on the menu: apple tart with caramel sauce. Isn’t it pretty?
The restaurant has a nice view of the valley.
I thought this statute in the garden was amusing.
Afterward we strolled through Yountville. We checked out the outside of The French Laundry, which is considered the #1 restaurant in the U.S. Considering it costs $240 per person, this is the closest we will ever get to experiencing it:
Too bad Bouchon Bakery, which is down the street and also owned by Thomas Keller, was closed for Christmas Eve by the time we got there.