The French Laundry is a fine dining restaurant located in Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley. It is owned and operated by chef Thomas Keller, who acquired the property in 1994. The restaurant is housed in a two-story stone building that dates to 1900 and originally operated as a French steam laundry, from which it takes its name.
The French Laundry holds three Michelin stars, a distinction it has maintained since the Michelin Guide began covering California. It has also been named the Best Restaurant in the World by Restaurant magazine in 2003 and 2004. The restaurant is a member of the Relais & Chateaux association.
The dining format consists of two tasting menus: the Chef's Tasting Menu and the Tasting of Vegetables, each comprising approximately nine courses. Menus change daily and are designed so that no single ingredient is repeated across courses. The kitchen emphasizes classical French technique applied to the highest-quality American ingredients, many sourced from the restaurant's own culinary garden located directly across the street.
Thomas Keller's culinary philosophy prioritizes the "law of diminishing returns," presenting small, precisely executed portions to maintain peak flavor impact throughout the meal. The French Laundry's kitchen has served as a training ground for numerous chefs who have gone on to lead acclaimed restaurants of their own. The tasting menu is priced at approximately $350 per person before tax, service, and optional wine pairings. Reservations are released online and typically sell out within minutes of availability.
Eleven Madison Park
brand
Eleven Madison Park is a fine dining restaurant located at 11 Madison Avenue in the Flatiron District of New York City. The restaurant occupies a ground-floor space within the Metropolitan Life North Building, an Art Deco landmark overlooking Madison Square Park. It opened in 1998 under restaurateur Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, with the original concept created by chef Kerry Heffernan.
In 2006, Swiss-born chef Daniel Humm and general manager Will Guidara assumed leadership of the restaurant, subsequently purchasing it from Meyer's group in 2011. Under their direction, Eleven Madison Park underwent a series of transformations, culminating in its being named the World's Best Restaurant by The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2017. The restaurant holds three Michelin stars.
In 2021, Eleven Madison Park reopened after pandemic-related closures with an entirely plant-based tasting menu, making it one of the most prominent fine dining establishments to eliminate animal products. The menu draws on seasonal produce and employs techniques traditionally associated with classical fine dining, including extensive use of fermentation, smoking, and elaborate multi-component presentations. The shift to plant-based cuisine generated significant attention within the culinary world.
The restaurant's dining room is characterized by its soaring ceilings, large windows facing Madison Square Park, and minimalist interior design. The tasting menu is priced at approximately $365 per person before beverages, tax, and service. Guidara departed the ownership in 2019, leaving Humm as the sole proprietor and executive chef.