Repeatedly recognized as one of the best restaurants in the world by pretty much everyone for well over a decade, a visit to famed chef Thomas Keller’s original flagship culinary shrine is about as far away from your average dining experience as you can get. A multicourse affair that literally takes hours to complete, it consists of plate after plate of bite-size edible works of art. Some hinted at on the menu, many others arriving unexpectedly, all courses are presented to guests and finished at each table in unison by an impossibly well-trained staff that commands attention throughout the meal with their elaborate explanations of what you’re about to eat. It’s A-list dining theater done right, from the dramatic and astonishing flavors on the plate to the stellar performances of the staff. Alas, it’s hard to leave here without feeling about as overfed as a goose destined to become foie gras. But that doesn’t stop French Laundry from being on every foodie’s bucket list.