in my opinion, french food in california has lost much of its luster...mainly because of the ban on the sale of Foie Gras. not to say that french cuisine is solely dependent on this fatty liver of goose or duck...its because...well, yeah...its because we dont have foie gras anymore and the food and menu's just arent the same...
had dinner at The French Laundry the other day...no foie gras on the menu...dinner sucked.
one meal at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon...whats on the menu? oh whuuuut? foie? GAME OVER...hands down best meal of my year up to date...
i basically had a dinner that consisted of foie gras prepared several ways, along with having some fresh uni...that was all.
good thing about this place is that you dont NEED to do a prix fixe menu...you simply choose what you want to eat and make your own 3-10 course meal yourself (granted, it might be cheaper to do the set menu...i learned this the hard way)
so if you live in california...and you miss your foie gras...this place is a must try restaurant...and if there is one thing on the menu i would recommend...PLEASE GET THE FOIE GRAS SLIDERS...they will change your life.