The French Laundry

The French Laundry is a French restaurant located in Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley. The chef and owner of the French Laundry is Thomas Keller. The restaurant building dates from 1900 and is in the National Register of Historic Places.

The French Laundry
Exterior of The French Laundry
Restaurant information
Established1978 (1978)
Owner(s)Thomas Keller
Head chefThomas Keller
ChefDavid Breeden
Food typeFrench cuisine with American influences
Dress codeJacket required
Rating (Michelin Guide)
Street address6640 Washington St
CityYountville
StateCalifornia
Postal/ZIP Code94599
CountryUnited States
Coordinates38°24′16″N 122°21′55″W
Seating capacity60
Other informationPhone: 1.707.944.2380
WebsiteFrenchLaundry.com
French Laundry
Location6640 Washington St., Yountville, California
Coordinates38°24′16″N 122°21′50″W
Area0.4 acres (0.16 ha; 17,000 sq ft; 1,600 m2)
Built1900
ArchitectClark, Alexander (Gus)
NRHP reference No.78000728[1]
Added to NRHPApril 19, 1978 (1978-04-19)

History
French Laundry Restaurant Greenhouse

The building was built as a saloon in the 1900s by a Scottish stonesman for Pierre Guillaume.[2]

When a law was passed in 1906 prohibiting sale of alcohol within a mile (1600 m) of a veteran's home, Guillaume sold the building.

In the 1920s, the building was owned by John Lande who used it as a French steam laundry, which is the origin of the restaurant's name.[2]

In 1978, Don Schmidt, the mayor of Yountville, renovated the building into a restaurant. He and his wife Sally Schmitt owned the French Laundry for much of the 1980s and early 1990s.[3]

In 1994, Keller bought the restaurant.[4][5]

In 2004, the restaurant installed a geothermal heating and air conditioning system.[6]

In July 2014, the Napa Valley restaurant celebrated its 20th anniversary with a "six-hour feast for friends, locals, and luminaries"[7] and temporarily closed for renovations before the end of the year.[8]

In December 2014, while being temporarily closed for renovations, The French Laundry wine cellar was robbed of an estimated $500,000 of wine. Most of the wine was subsequently recovered.[9][10]

On April 7, 2015, the restaurant reopened following demolition of a number of buildings on the site. During the remainder of the renovation project, the staff worked out of a temporary kitchen.[11]

Cuisine
This vegetable tasting menu was one of three menus available for Sunday December 4, 2005

Every day, the French Laundry serves two different nine-course tasting menus, none of which uses the same ingredient more than once.[12] During the holiday season, the restaurant may offer special dishes. As of October 26, 2015, the prix fixe menu was US$310 per person, including gratuity for the base meal, although not including additional supplements such as Russian caviar and truffles.[13][14]

The food is mainly French with contemporary American influences, giving rise to such unique specialties as Cuisse de grenouilles sur un bâton (frog legs on a stick).

Staff

Notable alumni of the French Laundry's kitchen staff have included Grant Achatz of Alinea, Eric Ziebold of CityZen, Corey Lee of Benu, Jonathan Benno of Lincoln Ristorante, René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen, Clay Miller of Trummer's on Main, Ron Siegel of The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton, and Duff Goldman of Charm City Cakes. Previous Chef de Cuisine Timothy Hollingsworth[15] won the Bocuse d'Or USA semi-finals in 2008,[16][17] and represented the U.S. in the international finals in January 2009, placing sixth.[18]

The restaurant is open for dinner every evening, and lunch is normally also served Friday through Sunday, although Friday lunch was not offered during the renovation project. They also typically close for 1–2 weeks each winter and summer.

Other locations

In February 2004, Thomas Keller opened the East Coast version of his Yountville restaurant, which he named Per Se. The kitchens of both restaurants are connected via a real-time video feed on a television screen.[19]

Thomas Keller opened a pop-up restaurant in the Silverado Resort & Spa during the renovation of The French Laundry. The restaurant, which serves American classics, is called Ad Lib.[20] This is not the first pop-up restaurant that Keller has helmed, previously popping up at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong[21] and at Harrod's in London.[22]

Awards and accolades

The French Laundry has been frequently honored by inclusion in the annual Restaurant Magazine list of the Top 50 Restaurants of the World (having been named "Best Restaurant in the World" in 2003 and 2004).

Since 2006, it has been awarded three stars in the Michelin Guide to San Francisco. It received a favorable review in The New York Times[23] and was called "the best restaurant in the world, period" in 2005 by Anthony Bourdain.[24]

Since 2007, the restaurant has been the recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award.[25]

  • 2012, Culinary Hall of Fame Induction[26]
  • 2007, Wine Spectator, Grand Award[25]
  • 2006, Michelin Guide, Three Stars[27]
  • 2006, Outstanding Restaurant Award, James Beard Foundation
  • 2005–2008, "Best Restaurant in the Americas", Restaurant magazine Top 50
  • 2004–2006, 2008 Top 40 Restaurants in the US Andre Gayot Guide
  • 2003–2004 "Best Restaurant in the World," Restaurant magazine Top 50
  • 2003, Outstanding Service Award, James Beard Foundation
  • 2002, Awarded the honor of World Master of Culinary Arts 2001, a 1st annual award given by Wedgwood
  • 2001, Outstanding Wine Service Award, James Beard Foundation
  • 2000, "Favorite Restaurant in the U.S.", Food & Wine Restaurant Experts' Poll
  • 2000, Inducted into "Who's Who in Food & Beverage", James Beard Foundation
  • 1999–2009, Five-Star Award, Mobil Travel Guide
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References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Alexander, Pat (2009). Yountville. Arcadia Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 9780738569659. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  3. "Donald R. Schmitt". Napa Valley Register. Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises, Inc. February 10, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  4. "The French Laundry: Thomas Keller". Los Angeles Magazine. 45 (8): 136. August 2000. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  5. Woolever, Laurie. "Chef Talk: Thomas Keller". Wine Spectator Online. M. Shanken Communications, Inc. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  6. Friedman, Gabe (February 8, 2004). "Famed eatery seeks alternative energy source". Napa Valley Register. Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved September 24, 2011.
  7. Robinson, Joanna. "Truffled Grilled Cheese and In-N-Out Burgers: Celebrating the French Laundry's 20th Anniversary". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  8. Carson, L. Pierce (April 7, 2014). "French Laundry will close temporarily for expansion". Napa Valley Register. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  9. https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-wine-stolen-20161221-story.html
  10. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/french-laundry-wine-stolen
  11. "French Laundry reopens, reveals renovation plans". Napa Valley Register. April 7, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  12. "Menus & Stories". Retrieved August 18, 2010.
  13. "Chef's Tasting Menu – 26 October 2015" (PDF). The French Laundry. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  14. "Tasting of Vegetables – 26 October 2015" (PDF). The French Laundry. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  15. Forbes, Paula. "Timothy Hollingsworth Is Out at French Laundry; Per Se's David Breeden Is In". Eater.com. Vox Media Inc. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  16. Wells, Pete, The New York Times (September 28, 2008). French Laundry Sous Chef Will Represent U.S. in Bocuse d’Or
  17. Cowin, Diana, Food & Wine (February 2009). Competing at the Bocuse d’Or: Team USA’s Unbeatable Recipes
  18. Sciolino, Elaine, The New York Times: Diner's Journal (January 28, 2009). The American Chef Comes in Sixth
  19. Zimmer, Erin (May 29, 2009). "Per Se's Kitchen, Still Well-Stocked and Watching the French Laundry on Flat-Screen TV | Serious Eats : New York". Newyork.seriouseats.com. Retrieved February 6, 2012.
  20. Lucchessi, Paolo (January 12, 2015). "Thomas Keller to launch temporary restaurant at Silverado: Ad Lib". insidescoopsf.sfgate.com. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  21. Stolerman, William (November 2, 2010). "Mandarin Oriental HK Welcoming Chef Thomas Keller". Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  22. "The French Laundry at Harrods: Thomas Keller interview". telegraph.co.uk. September 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  23. "The French Laundry – Reviews and Ratings of Restaurants in Napa Valley – New York Times Travel". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 21, 2008. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  24. "Las Vegas". Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Season 1. Episode 7. October 17, 2005. 7 minutes in. His Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry, is in my opinion, the best restaurant in the world. Period.
  25. "The French Laundry". Wine Spectator. January 1, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  26. Culinary Hall of Fame Induction
  27. "San Francisco 2013 Michelin Guide; Michelin Travel & Lifestyle". Michelinguide.com. Retrieved April 10, 2013.

Bibliography
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