Keller's Napa Laundry Room

Thomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. He is the owner and chef of the three-Michelin-star French and Californian cuisine restaurant, The French Laundry, located in Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley. The restaurant was founded by Sally Schmitt in 1978 and was purchased by Keller in 1994. Since then, it has won multiple awards, including from the James Beard Foundation and the Michelin Guide. In addition to The French Laundry, Keller also owns several other restaurants, including Per Se in New York City and Bouchon in Las Vegas. He has also authored several cookbooks, including The French Laundry Cookbook and The Bouchon Cookbook.

Thomas Keller bought a $1.95 million home in Napa in 2024

Thomas Keller, the Michelin-starred chef and owner of The French Laundry in Napa Valley, has added to his property portfolio in the region. In September 2024, Keller purchased a 1960s ranch home in Napa, California, for $1.95 million. The four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom property sits on a 2-acre lot and was bought for $55,000 above the asking price.

The home, which was built in 1968, is located between the Silverado Trail and St. Helena Highway and is surrounded by vineyards and wineries. While the interior décor is somewhat outdated, it features wood-paneled walls, linoleum tile, pastel wallpaper, and emerald-green carpeting.

Keller has strong ties to Napa Valley and has established several businesses in the region. In addition to his renowned restaurant, The French Laundry, he has also opened Bouchon Bistro, Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc + Addendum, all on the same street in Yountville. Furthermore, he launched Finesse, a store for home cooks located close to his Yountville restaurant.

Keller's plans for the newly acquired property remain unknown. Speculations are rife as to whether he intends to reside there, establish another culinary venture, or pursue an entirely different path. Listing agents have been tight-lipped about Keller's intentions, leaving the local community and his fans curious about the future of this prime piece of Napa real estate.

Thomas Keller, the acclaimed chef and restaurateur, has added another Napa property to his portfolio with the purchase of a $1.95 million home in 2024. This new acquisition adds to his already significant presence in Napa Valley, where he has built a highly successful culinary empire.

Keller's new home, a 1960s ranch, is located in the heart of wine country, surrounded by vineyards and wineries. The property boasts four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, offering ample space and potential for development.

The chef's deep-rooted love for Napa Valley is evident in his extensive business ventures in the region. His flagship restaurant, The French Laundry, put him on the map and has garnered numerous accolades, including multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation and three Michelin stars.

In addition to The French Laundry, Keller has expanded his culinary empire in Napa with the openings of Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc + Addendum, all located in Yountville. His connection to the region extends beyond his restaurants, as he also launched Finesse, a store catering to home cooks in the area.

With this latest real estate purchase, speculation mounts about Keller's intentions. While the property could become his private residence, there is also the possibility that he will leverage the land's prime terroir for a new food or wine-related venture.

Only time will tell what this renowned chef has in store for his new Napa property, but one thing is certain: Thomas Keller continues to leave his indelible mark on Napa Valley.

The French Laundry is located in Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley

In 1978, Sally Schmitt and her husband Don purchased the building and renovated it into a restaurant, keeping the name "The French Laundry" because locals still referred to the building as such. The French Laundry was one of the first restaurants to offer what would become known as California cuisine. The Schmitts ran the restaurant for 17 years before selling it to Thomas Keller in 1994.

Thomas Keller is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry, have won multiple awards, including several from the James Beard Foundation. The French Laundry has also been awarded three Michelin stars and was called "the best restaurant in the world, period" by Anthony Bourdain in 2005.

Keller has opened several other restaurants in Yountville, located on the same street as The French Laundry, including Bouchon Bistro, Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc + Addendum. He has also opened restaurants in other cities, such as Per Se in New York City and Bouchon in Las Vegas.

The French Laundry was founded by Sally Schmitt in 1978

The French Laundry, a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley, was founded by Sally Schmitt in 1978. Schmitt and her husband, Don, bought the building, a former French steam laundry, in 1978 and converted it into a restaurant. They kept the name, as locals still referred to the building as the French Laundry. Sally Schmitt was a visionary chef and a pioneer of California cuisine, designing her menus around local, seasonal ingredients.

The French Laundry was one of the first restaurants to offer what would become known as California cuisine. The Schmitts ran the restaurant for 16 or 17 years before selling it to Thomas Keller in 1994. Keller spent 19 months raising $1.2 million from investors to purchase the restaurant, then re-opened it in 1994. Over the next few years, the restaurant earned numerous awards, including from the James Beard Foundation, gourmet magazines, the Mobil Guide, and the Michelin Guide.

In 1999, Keller published The French Laundry Cookbook, which won three International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) awards for Cookbook of the Year, the Julia Child "First Cookbook" Award, and the Design Award. In 2005, he was awarded three stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide for New York City for his restaurant Per Se, and in 2006, he was awarded three stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area for The French Laundry.

Despite the success of The French Laundry under Keller, Sally Schmitt never achieved much fame. She died in March 2022 at the age of 90 and is remembered as a pioneer of California cuisine who never sought the spotlight.

Thomas Keller has been the chef and owner of The French Laundry since 1994

Thomas Keller has been the chef and owner of The French Laundry, a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Yountville, California, since 1994. The restaurant is located in the Napa Valley and is known for its French and Californian cuisine.

Keller's journey to becoming a chef began in his teenage years when he worked at the Palm Beach Yacht Club, starting as a dishwasher and quickly moving up to cook. He discovered his passion for cooking and perfected his hollandaise sauce during this time. After working under the guidance of French-born Master Chef Roland Henin, Keller learned the fundamentals of classical French cooking. He then worked at various restaurants in Florida and New York, including La Rive in the Hudson River Valley, before returning to America in 1984 to take on the role of chef de cuisine at La Reserve in New York.

In 1992, Keller came across a restaurant in Yountville, California, founded by Sally Schmitt, that would become The French Laundry. The building, constructed in 1900, was originally a saloon and later served as a French steam laundry, inspiring the restaurant's name. Keller spent nineteen months raising $1.2 million to purchase the restaurant, reopening it in 1994.

Since taking ownership, Keller has transformed The French Laundry into a highly acclaimed and award-winning establishment. The restaurant has received numerous accolades, including multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, five stars from the Mobil Guide, and three stars from the Michelin Guide. It has also been recognised by Restaurant Magazine as the "Best Restaurant in the World" and has consistently ranked in the Top 50 Restaurants of the World.

In addition to his success at The French Laundry, Keller has expanded his culinary empire with other notable restaurants, including Bouchon, Per Se, and Ad Hoc, located in close proximity to The French Laundry in Yountville. He has also authored several cookbooks, including "The French Laundry Cookbook," which won multiple awards in 1999.

The French Laundry offers two nine-course tasting menus daily

Chef Thomas Keller is the owner of The French Laundry, a three-Michelin-star restaurant located in Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley. The restaurant was opened in 1978 by Sally Schmitt, who designed her menus around local, seasonal ingredients. In 1994, Keller took over The French Laundry and has since earned multiple awards for the restaurant, including from the James Beard Foundation, gourmet magazines, the Mobil Guide, and the Michelin Guide.

The French Laundry serves two different nine-course tasting menus daily: the Chef's Tasting Menu and the vegetarian Tasting of Vegetables. Both menus cost $390 per person, including gratuity for the base meal, although additional supplements such as caviar and truffles are not included. The restaurant is careful to never repeat a single ingredient throughout the meal. The food is primarily French with contemporary American influences, such as smoked salmon cornets, inspired by a trip to Baskin-Robbins.

The building that houses The French Laundry has a long history. It was constructed as a saloon in 1896 by a Scottish stonesman for Pierre Guillaume. In the 1920s, the building was owned by John Lande, who used it as a French steam laundry, which is how the restaurant got its name. In 1978, Sally Schmitt and her husband, Don, purchased the building and converted it into a restaurant, retaining the name as it was still commonly referred to as the French Laundry by locals. The restaurant has been located in this historic building since Keller took over in 1994.

Frequently asked questions