Patient Newsletter: May 2023
People love love.
Dear Patients and Friends,
On May 18th, we celebrated 27 years of marriage. This coming August 9 will mark the 30th anniversary of the day Chris and I met. So now, we’ve been together way longer than we have been apart. That is just a long-ass time. There is no other way to say it.
This year we decided to celebrate with a few days in California. We love the Napa Valley and Yountville is our absolute favorite town in wine country. For those not familiar, it is tiny, just 1.5 square miles, but perfect in every way. The homes are immaculately kept, and the town center is pristine and dotted with 5-star hotels, hundreds of perpetually blooming roses, and world-class tasting rooms. But, what Yountville is most famous for is that it is home to America’s (and at least three times since opening, the world’s) BEST restaurant: The French Laundry.
Rewind.
I am a complete food nerd. So I have been fangirling over Chef Thomas Keller for longer than I can remember. And, dining at his flagship restaurant — you guessed it: The French Laundry — has been on my bucket list for decades. Unfortunately, there’s the matter of the astronomical price tag and the fact that it is virtually impossible to score a reservation. Nonetheless, whenever we plan a trip to Yountville, I try. Until this year, the closest I have come is to stand just outside and stare longingly through the meticulously groomed hedges and daydream.
This year was finally my year! After careful planning to be sure I was home the day the May reservations opened, making sure I was hard-wired to the internet, loading my credit card information ahead of time, and stalking Reddit, I was finally able to get a reservation.
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