San Francisco: The French Laundry (May 2009)

My spouse and I dined at The French Laundry for lunch on a Friday in late May 2009. We were so lucky to get this reservation! At first, we were placed on a waitlist because of lack of availability, but several days before we departed for California, we received a call that a spot had opened up! This meal began a culinary quest that would last for years to come!

Chef Thomas Keller visited Yountville, California, in the early 1990s to find a space to fulfill a longtime culinary dream: to establish a destination for fine French cuisine in the Napa Valley. In his travels, he came across a rustic two-story stone cottage. As he walked into the restaurant’s quaint courtyard, he knew it was where he had been headed throughout his career. The French Laundry, a 1,600 square-foot structure constructed of river rock and timbers, was built as a saloon in 1900 by a Scottish stonemason. The building later served as a residence, and during the 1920s operated as a French steam laundry. In 1978, town mayor Don Schmitt and his wife Sally renovated the structure into a restaurant, which Keller then purchased in 1994. The French Laundry has received numerous honors and accolades. Most recently, the Michelin Guide San Francisco awarded The French Laundry their highest rating of three stars for the sixth year in a row, making Thomas Keller the only American-born chef to have two three-starred Michelin restaurants. In 2006, the James Beard Foundation gave The French Laundry the highly coveted “Outstanding Restaurant Award” and awarded Chef Thomas Keller “Outstanding Restaurateur” in 2007. The French Laundry is a member of French-based Relais and Chateaux, Relais Gourmands, and Traditions and Qualite; organizations recognized for their dedication to maintaining the highest international standards for hospitality and culinary excellence. Through The French Laundry’s menu, which changes daily, the restaurant commits itself to creating classic French cuisine with the finest quality ingredients, along with a similarly intense focus on impeccable guest service. In 2007, the Michelin Guide came to San Francisco and The French Laundry received its first 3-star rating, which it has maintained every year since 2007. Chef Keller received the "Outstanding Restaurateur" award from the James Beard Foundation. Since 2003, The French Laundry has remained on "The World's 50 Best Restaurants" "Best in the Americas”.