The French Laundry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The French Laundry |
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Exterior of The French Laundry
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1978 |
| Current owner(s) | Thomas Keller |
| Head chef | Thomas Keller |
| Chef | David Breeden |
| Pastry Chef | Jamie Houghton |
| Food type | French with Californian cuisine influences |
| Dress code | None |
| Rating |  (Michelin Guide)*AAA Five Diamond Award (2005-present) *Forbes Five Star Award (1999-present) |
| Street address | 6640 Washington St |
| City | Yountville |
| State | California |
| Postal/ZIP code | 94599 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 38°24′16″N 122°21′54″W / 38.40444030°N 122.36497120°W |
| Seating capacity | 60 |
| Website | |
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French Laundry
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 6640 Washington St., Yountville, California |
| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha; 17,000 sq ft; 1,600 m2) |
| Built | 1900 |
| Architect | Clark, Alexander (Gus) |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000728 |
| Added to NRHP | April 19, 1978 |
The French Laundry is a super famous restaurant in Yountville, California. It's known for its amazing French and Californian food. This restaurant has earned three Michelin-stars, which is a very high honor in the food world!
A talented chef named Sally Schmitt opened it in 1978. She was one of the first to use fresh, local ingredients from California. Since 1994, the restaurant has been owned by another famous chef, Thomas Keller. The building itself is quite old, built in 1900, and is even listed as a historic place.
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Discovering The French Laundry's Past
The building where The French Laundry is located has a cool history. It was first built in 1896 as a place called a saloon. A Scottish stonemason named Pierre Guillaume built it.
Later, in the 1920s, a man named John Lande owned the building. He used it as a French steam laundry, where clothes were washed and pressed. This is how the restaurant got its unique name, "The French Laundry"! Locals still called it that, so when the restaurant opened, they kept the name.
Founding and Early Days
In 1978, Sally Schmitt and her husband Don bought the old laundry building. They worked hard to turn it into a restaurant. The French Laundry became one of the first places to serve what we now call "California cuisine." This style of cooking uses fresh, local ingredients. The Schmitts ran the restaurant for 17 years.
Thomas Keller's Vision
In 1994, Sally and Don Schmitt sold the restaurant to Thomas Keller. He continued to make The French Laundry one of the best restaurants in the world.
In 1999, Chef Keller released a cookbook called The French Laundry Cookbook. It won several big awards, including "Cookbook of the Year."
Recent Events and Renovations
In July 2014, The French Laundry celebrated its 20th birthday with a huge party. After that, the restaurant closed for a while to get some major updates.
During these renovations in December 2014, some valuable wine was stolen from the restaurant's cellar. Luckily, most of the wine was found and returned later!
The restaurant officially reopened on April 7, 2015, after some parts of the building were rebuilt. The staff even worked in a temporary kitchen during the rest of the renovation.
Like many places, The French Laundry had to close and reopen several times during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also had to follow rules like having fewer tables.
What's on The French Laundry Menu?
Every day, The French Laundry offers two special nine-course tasting menus. A "tasting menu" means you get many small dishes to try.
- One menu is called the "Chef's Tasting Menu."
- The other is a "Tasting of Vegetables" for people who prefer vegetarian food.
Both menus cost the same amount per person. This price usually includes the tip for the meal. However, special additions like caviar or truffles cost extra. The restaurant might also offer unique dishes during holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
The food is mostly French, but it also has modern American touches. For example, one famous dish is smoked salmon cornets, which were inspired by a trip to Baskin-Robbins!
Talented Chefs from The French Laundry
Many amazing chefs have worked at The French Laundry before becoming famous themselves. Some of these chefs include:
- Grant Achatz from Alinea
- Corey Lee from Benu
- René Redzepi from Noma in Denmark
- Duff Goldman from Charm City Cakes
One former Chef de Cuisine, Timothy Hollingsworth, even represented the U.S. in a big international cooking competition called the Bocuse d'Or.
Other Restaurants by Thomas Keller
Chef Thomas Keller has opened other restaurants besides The French Laundry.
Per Se in New York
In February 2004, he opened a restaurant called Per Se in New York City. It's like the East Coast version of The French Laundry and has also earned three Michelin stars. The kitchens of both restaurants are even connected by a live video screen!
Pop-Up Restaurants
Chef Keller has also opened temporary restaurants, sometimes called "pop-ups." For example, he opened a pop-up called Ad Lib during The French Laundry's renovations. He has also had pop-up restaurants in places like Hong Kong and London.
See also
- List of Michelin 3-star restaurants
- List of Michelin 3-star restaurants in the United States
