The French Laundry

A wooden clothespin at each table setting reminds you that this, perhaps the greatest restaurant in America, began life in the 1890s as a French steam laundry. The upstairs dining room of the two-story stone house is suffused with golden light at sunset, while a handful of outside tables bask in a fragrant rose garden. The main dining room bustles with anticipation for the nine courses that await. (There are two unique menus to choose from every day.) Master of the elaborate tasting menu, chef Thomas Keller gives diners just enough of each dish so they are pining for one more spoonful--that is, until the next tiny, jewel-like dish arrives. Typical of his masterwork are Oysters and Pearls (a poached malpeque oyster floating on a sabayon of pearl tapioca with a scoop of osetra caviar), Tongue in Cheek (a succulent marriage of braised beef cheek and lamb's tongue), and Coffee and Doughnuts (airy coffee semifreddo supporting puffy little beignets).