After the short limo ride to LAX and an hour flight to Napa County Airport, they reach the coveted restaurant, La Toque, in time for lunch. This time, only the Blue Team and X, along with two producers and the cameramen were present. Chef Ramsay had not joined them on this reward, but that was alright. An afternoon of wine and relaxation is always something to look forward to.
Upon entering the restaurant, they were greeted by the staff as well as the resident chef, Ken Frank. "Good afternoon, gents." Chef Frank shook hands with the men. "And mademoiselle." He kissed the back of X's hand. "Welcome to La Toque!" He led the winners into the dining area which was the picture of modern sophistication. Warm orange lighting accented the white ceiling which was in beautiful contrast with black, leather topped chairs and tables. A special area was reserved for them which was in front of a beautiful, roaring fireplace. Every aspect of the restaurant screamed sophistication. It was a good thing they were advised to dress up for the trip.
A few moments after they were seated, the appetizers were served along with a glass of chardonnay. "Looks like we're starting early boys!" Ben laughed and raised his glass. "To the Blue Team!" The men followed suit, raising their glasses and knocking back the wine.
Kaito had struck up a conversation with X while they ate the appetizers. He was fascinated with the skills she had shown so far in the competition, not to mention manning the kitchen alone during dinner service. "You always finish dinner service few minutes after us! I still cannot believe it!"
X smiled and set down her fork. "It's really about focus and drive, Kai. You have it in you, too. Just takes a lot of practice and training."
"Did you have any teacher besides Chef Wolfgang Puck?"
"Yes, Chef Puck often visited a lot of other chefs, tagging me along. I learned a lot from them and I am very grateful for sharing their knowledge."
"I hope one day, I get to become a very skilled chef and open my own restaurant."
"And I will be your first customer, Chef Suzuki Kaito."
The first entree was served. It was Atlantic Black bass, Beech mushrooms and Mendocino Sea Beans in Bergamot Dashi. The chardonnay was replaced with Sauvignon Blanc which matched greatly with the entree.
While they were eating, Chef Ken Frank came out of the kitchen to check on his special diners. He shared the achievements of La Toque, especially the Wine Spectator's highest honor, the Grand Award, given to only 91 restaurants in the whole world.
After the heavenly fish entree, they were presented with Violet mustard and Herb-crusted rack of lamb, paired with Merlot.
"Now this is what I call fine dining!" Ralph laughed as he took a sip of the Merlot.
"Save some for later," Damian said. "We still have the vineyards to go to later!"
After sharing another toast, they finished the lamb entree. Chef Frank himself served the dessert. "This is one of my latest additions to the menu – Hazelnut Black Truffle Ice Cream Sandwich."
X squealed with delight like a kid when her dessert plate was placed in front of her, which shocked the men. That was the first time they had seen her giddy about something. She looked up. "What? I love ice cream!"
"It's just that you look and sound like an 8-year old, X." Calvin chuckled and started his dessert. "Wow..." The sommelier poured them a tall glass of Madeira to pair with the ice cream. "Were gonna be drunk before we even reach the vineyards at this point!"
Dessert was finished and thanks were said as Chef Ken Frank bid them a good day at the vineyards. It was a short drive away from the restaurant and they made a sharp turn when they saw the arch that announced the Corley Family's Monticello Vineyards.
They were greeted by a man in his 70's with white hair and slightly red-faced, dressed in a plaid shirt and khaki pants. He shook hands with everyone. "Welcome to Monticello Vineyards and Winery. I am Jay Corley, the founder. Shall we start the tour?"
Just as he finished his introduction, women riding tall, beautiful stallions came and greeted the men.
"Now we're talking!" Ben excitedly approached one of the horses, whereas Damian went straight for the lady. "Good afternoon, senorita. I am Damian Mondragon y De Jesus. And you are?"
"My name is Kat." She said cheerfully as she hopped off the horse. And this..." she pats the brown mane of the steed. "Is The Destroyer."
"Well that was unexpected." X laughs as a handsome young man helps her up the horse. "Is your name The Terminator, baby?" she scratches the back of the tawny-colored steed's ear.
"No ma'am. Her name is Dandelion."
They rode around the vineyards in horses as Jay talked to them about different types of grapes, harvest season, and wine making. They were even invited to do the traditional grape-treading. After the tour of the vineyards, Jay led them to the main wine cellar which housed the treasure of Monticello. Barrels upon barrels, as well as bottles of wine lined the walls and shelves.
Jay opened the tap on one of the big barrels and filled a few glasses halfway. "This is the Montreaux Brut. It is barrel fermented and aged to produce a creamy richness and depth. They imitated Jay as he swirled the wine in the glass and took a whiff.
X couldn't help but sigh happily. This was one of the best wines she had ever had the pleasure of tasting. Quickly finishing the glass, she followed the men as they moved to the next big barrel.
Several glasses of wines later, they were led to the veranda of the main estate to relax while overlooking the vineyards. "I feel like I'm in a telenovela back home." Damian said as he slowly placed an arm over Kat's shoulders.
Kaito, Calvin and Baron were having their siesta on the hammocks, rocked by the light breeze that came with the sunset.
"Lightweights..." Samuel muttered as he ran a hand through his hair. He leaned back against his chair and turned to X. "Hey, X, can I tell you something?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"When I entered this competition, I was so sure of winning. I had it all planned out. The job in Vegas, the house, the money, everything. Chef Ramsay really threw us a curveball when he introduced you." He paused as he looked into the sunset. "Now, I'm wondering if I will ever get my shot at winning this thing."
X wanted to take off her mask so Samuel could see her sincere expression but the cameras were still rolling so she just held his hand. "Sam, I may be a great chef, but so are you! You're still in the running and there's no reason for you to stop. I've seen you cook, Sam, and honestly," she bit her lip, wondering if it was proper to say it. "I am afraid of you."
"You? Afraid of me? Why?"
"Like I said. You are an awesome chef, and easily one of my biggest competitions here."
Sam felt relieved that he wasn't the only one having doubts. "Who else do you think will make it to black jackets?"
"Hmmm..." X thought hard. "Nothing's concrete yet... so far it's you, Angela and Ben."
"Me too." Sam definitely thought of Ben and Angela as two of his top competitors. "We may be friends, but I won't be afraid to kick your ass out of that top-chef seat." His tone was playful, but X knew that he was serious. "And I don't want you to pity us, or down-play your game, alright? No funky business."
"Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way, my frenemy."
"Frenemy?" Sam chuckles while shaking his head. "What are you, 12?"
"Hey, that's the most...fitting thing I can call our friendship, and that's saying something!"
"Fine. Frenemies it is." There was a bout of silence before Sam broke it. "Hey, X let's make a pact!"
"Like a blood pact?"
"No, silly! Just a promise." Sam laughed as he poured himself and X a quarter of a glass.
"Seriously, I feel like I've drunk at least two bottles worth of wine since lunch." X giggled again and raised her glass. "I, X, promise Chef Samuel of New York, New York," She giggled again. "That's a lot of New Yorks..."
"Come get on with it!" Sam laughs as he raised his own glass.
"Alright. Alright. I promise... That I will do my best, no down-playing, no monkey business, no nada, against Chef Samuel of New York, New York, New York."
"And I, Samuel of New York, New York—" X snorts with laughter but Sam continues. " Promise to give my all in this competition. I won't hold back, especially against my frenemy, X of...?"
"Mars."
He gave her a questioningly look but conceded. "Of Mars."
They downed the sweet wine in one go and set their glasses down. "Oi, you two, get a move on, and sober up, we're leaving in 15 minutes." Baron handed them both grape teas that Aliyah, Kat's sister, had served.
Before they left, they were given two bottles each of the Monticello Vineyard specialty, estate-grown Syrah, each bottle valued at $100 a pop.
The ride home was quiet and peaceful, but they knew this was yet another calm before the storm of dinner service back in Hell's Kitchen.
A/N: Storytime!
Why the TheGreatestConWoman takes TOO long to update:
1. Netflix. No chill.
2. Research is hard. (A.K.A Googling stuff and using it on the story)
3. Business got busy.
4. I am a lazy, unimaginative bum.
But in all seriousness, thank you for reading this story and I hope I can continue writing it as long as I can.
All my love,
TheGreatestConWoman