The United States of America is known as a cultural melting pot. Formed from citizens of countries throughout the entire world, America is a unique blend of everything. This is especially true with the Yountville, California restaurant in Napa Valley, The French Laundry. As one of the best restaurants in the world, The French Laundry appears from the outside as a small, 2-story cottage or bungalow.

With vines running up the structure's face and clinging to the rails of the terrace, the middling exterior gives the impression that the food served inside is run-of-the-mill at best. However, Thomas Keller, the head chef and owner, proves that no book should be judged by its cover.

Thomas Keller is a renowned American chef and restaurateur. His landmark restaurant, The French Laundry, has won multiple awards from the James Beard Foundation, including the Best California Chef, and Restaurant Magazine of Britain listed the restaurant among the world's top 50.

The Michelin Guide also awarded The French Laundry a three-star rating, and the Mobil Guide awarded it five stars. The unique look of the restaurant comes from its humble roots. In the early 1900s, it was erected as a saloon by a Scottish immigrant, and in the 1920s, it was used as a French steam laundry - hence the name - by John Lande.

The former saloon and Laundromat has been known as The French Laundry since 1978 when the mayor of Yountville renovated the building. During the 1980s and 90s, Don Schmidt and his wife Sally owned the restaurant until Keller purchased it in 1994, agreeing to keep the name.

Keller worked to raise over a million dollars to renovate the restaurant and hired a very notable staff to deal with serving the food. As of today, many stars of the culinary world have roots in The French Laundry, including Duff Goldman of the Food Network's Ace of Cakes.

The menu of the restaurant is relatively simple, even if the food is not. There are two main menus with a nine course “prix fixe” served daily. Prix fixe is a French phrase used in the restaurant world, basically meaning a fixed price for a chef's selection of dishes.

There are two choices, each costing $240, and nine small courses are served. Keller serves a wide array of food, including local fruits and vegetables, seafood, fowl, meats, and wines. There are also expensive foreign delicacies like white truffles and Wagyu beef. Some of the food is very pricy, like the truffle tasting menu for $995.

The food is known as contemporary American with a heavy French influence. Thomas Keller uses these same techniques in his other restaurant, Per Se, which is also an award-winning, world-class establishment. Reservations for the restaurant can be accepted up to two months in advance, and The French Laundry is available to be rented by private parties. It holds up to 62 diners.