While on our trip to Napa Valley with Hestan Culinary, we had the pleasure of a behind the scenes Tour of The French Laundry restaurant, kitchen, and gardens.
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Location
6640 Washington Street. Yountville, California, 94599
The Setting
Nestled in the heart of Napa Valley, Chef Thomas Keller’s restaurant, The French Laundry is located in a charming 19th century stone building, surrounded by beautiful gardens. The restaurant’s exterior, with its iconic blue door and ivy-covered façade, exudes a sense of timeless elegance. Upon arrival, the ambiance feels inviting and cozy, setting the stage for a memorable experience.
The building was originally a saloon, but in 1906 Prohibition measures prohibited the sales of alcohol and a year later the Eagle Saloon was sold and became a steam laundry – The French Laundry.
The intimate 1600 square foot interior has 17 tables and 5-6 outdoor tables from May 1st to September 30th.
Inside the French Laundry
Thomas remodeled the kitchen seven years ago. It was very exciting to get behind the scenes to see where the magic happens! The laser focused chefs were all working on the mise en place for the dinner later that day during our visit. With some veggies and flowers picked from their garden across the street. The attention to detail was impeccable!
As proud Hestan Culinary and Hestan ambassadors it was amazing to see their cookware and appliances in used in this Michelin starred kitchen!
Thomas Keller Cookware
You can shop the Hestan Culinary – Thomas Keller Insignia collection here and Hestan appliances here.
The French Laundry Wine Cellar
The cellar has an expansive collection of wines from all over the world. With the menu changing daily, it is a sommeliers dream to pick from such a vast variety of wines for their guests.
Check out their oldest bottle from 1820!
There is not a bar in the restaurant, so one of the dining room houses rare and special bottles of liquor which are visible to the guests dinning.
Impeccable Service
Although we did not actually have a reservation to experience the world-class dining service, we did experience the world-class service with our tour guides:
Regina, the Maître d’, guided us through the tour, with grace and expertise. We were not surprised to hear that Regina represented the US and competed in the Young Chef Young Waiter – World Competition in Monaco in fall of 2023.
James, was our TFL Culinary Garden guide. James was very informative and passionate about the gardens. He guided us through the history of the gardens and their recent renovations this past spring and summer. The fresh samples that he picked for us to try was an added bonus!
TFL Culinary Garden
Directly across the street from the French Laundry Restaurant, you will find their recently renovated gardens. When Thomas bought the land in 1999, there was some intention to potentially build a hotel. In the interim the chefs started throwing down seeds to see what they could grow. The small vegetable plot eventually grew and expanded to the point it was a productive garden for the restaurant. However, it didn’t match the aesthetics and overall look and beauty of the restaurant across the street. So, in May 2023, they leveled it out, expanded and created clearly defined pathways and garden beds.
In consultation with the chefs, they grow various vegetables, microgreens, flowers (edible and decorative), fruit trees, they have chickens and a new to their gardens are bee hives. They even have a very unique tree stump that they converted into a beehive.
The French Laundry is not just a restaurant, it’s a culinary destination for those who seek the pinnacle of fine dining.
We look forward to returning to Napa with a reservation so we can add to this blog post!
After sampling a few of Chef Thomas Keller’s restaurants in Yountville, we found ourselves inspired by the Michelin starred chef. So, we decided to recreate this simply elegant and harmonious-balanced Ora King Salmon with Spinach & Chow-Chow recipe of his. Simple enough for a weeknight meal but elevated enough to serve to guests.
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