Three decades after Thomas Keller reinvigorated The French Laundry in Napa, California, the eatery still remains one of the best in the world. Michael Minnillo, the restaurant's oldest employee turned general manager, explains why.
Forty-six years ago, Don and Sally Schmitt opened the doors of their Napa Valley family restaurant The French Laundry with a culinary mantra that spurred the farm to table movement across California—and the world at large. Julia Child, Richard Olney, Marion Cunningham, Alice Waters, and Thomas Keller all sat at Sally's tables inside the 19th century saloon deep in the heart of Yountville, California, gazing out into the bucolic hills of vineyards and soil, downing glasses of her husband’s favorite vintages, and devouring her interpretation of whatever the current season’s finest crop was at the time.
When Keller acquired the restaurant from the Schmitts in 1994, the transition was not without its challenges—he recently recalled its July evening opening as a “catastrophic disappointment”—but the chef, just 38 at the time, firmly believed in continuing his predecessors’ philosophy of cooking locally and with your heart. He kept on. Five years later, Ruth Reichl described Keller’s The French Laundry as “the most exciting place to eat in the United States” in her official review for The New York Times. (It didn’t hurt that Keller has just been voted the best chef in America by the James Beard Foundation.) That same year, three International Association of Culinary Professionals awards kicked off a stream of accolades that restaurant has maintained ever since, including three stars in the Michelin Guide and a co-sign by Anthony Bourdain that annotated Reichl’s statement to the globe.
Nearly to date, this month marks Keller’s 30-year-anniversary of owning and operating The French Laundry, and the comments section holds true—it’s remarkable. On a recent early summer evening, a Sunday dinner inside the stone cottage encased in shrubs proved beyond belief. The several-course tasting menu, which still updates every day and lasts a surprisingly good amount of time, was substantial but not pretentious. The chef’s iconic spoonfuls of small pearl tapioca, oyster trimmings, and cream topped with poached fresh oysters in a silky butter sauce and a handsome amount of caviar were light and intoxicating. While a bottomless bowl of mac and cheese slathered in crispy parmesan and preserved black white truffle and calotte from Snake River Farms made perfect with whole grain mustard ensured there was no room left for leftovers afterward.
But the food, though undeniably important, is just one reason why a night at The French Laundry, which can easily span four to five hours of service, goes by in a blink. It’s a standard of excellence that befits the white table cloth but is not bound to it. Marked by warmth, earth, and people, you feel it from first greeting—a chilly clink of Krug—to the moment it's finally time to say goodnight, as you depart into the courtyard with your printed menu pressed tightly to your person and take one last look at the 30-year-old Bay Laurel tree Keller planted when he first took over the restaurant. Integral to this is Michael Minnillo, who started at The French Laundry as a kitchen chef de partie in 1998 before transitioning to the dining room. In 2004, he moved to the restaurant’s New York counterpart, Per Se as a captain, before rejoining The French Laundry in 2012 as general manager, a role he still is in today. Twenty six years into his career with the iconic restaurant, Minnillo talks about its impact.
Joshua Glass: You started off with an apprenticeship at The French Laundry, and are now running its operations. What does the restaurant mean to you?
Michael Minnillo: The French Laundry is more than a job to me; it is the place where I grew from a Cleveland kid to the man I am today. Starting as a commis peeling potatoes and progressing to the leader of this restaurant 26 years later has been deeply fulfilling. My story of transformation is not just singular; it’s a familiar experience to current staff and alums, all of whom have been profoundly influenced and mentored by individuals at The French Laundry.
JG: You joined in 2018, four years after the restaurant opened. Do you have any memories of it before that?
MM: My father, Paul, a restaurateur, first met Chef Keller at Rakel in New York City. After Chef Keller opened The French Laundry, my dad dined there several times and always talked about the fantastic meals and dining experience. I remembered my dad’s words when I was ready to work in a kitchen outside of my father’s Baricelli Inn. I sent a letter to Chef Keller requesting a stagiaire, and started in December 1997. From that moment forward, I truly fell in love with the profession and knew I had found my place. What a ride it’s been.
JG: The French Laundry is lauded today because of your team and Thomas Keller, but before he took it over the restaurant was run by Sally Schmitt. What does that history mean to you?
MM: Sally left an incredible mark on The French Laundry with her nurturing and caring nature. Her influence is deeply ingrained in our history, and she created the essence of what The French Laundry is today. Her approach to cooking, which focused on fresh, local ingredients and simple yet elegant preparations, was an early guiding principle. She was one of the early pioneers of California Cuisine, alongside Alice Waters, and her place in our culinary history is special. Now, 30 years later—after Chef Keller took over the restaurant—we still offer kitchen tours because Sally did. And during kitchen renovations, Chef Keller chose to paint the restaurant’s front door the same shade of blue as Sally’s stove hood in the original kitchen. Bear in mind that The French Laundry was booked every night when Sally was at the stove, too. She was an amazing chef, ahead of her time. Her influence is still felt today.
JG: How has your collaboration with Chef Keller evolved over the past three decades?
MM: When I started in Chef Keller’s kitchen and worked the line daily with him, I developed my culinary skills to the next level. Later then, when I joined the dining room team and was mentored by [former General Manager] Laura Cunningham, I learned firsthand about the choreography of service and how to train and manage people. Their dedication to pushing boundaries in culinary and service excellence has continued to influence and inspire to this day. We have built on a foundation of mutual respect and trust, and together, we have faced and overcome numerous challenges, from wildfires to a pandemic, always prioritizing the well-being of our team and guests. Our shared dedication has continuously pushed The French Laundry to the edge of what a restaurant can do. It’s this continuous growth and risk-taking that keeps our journey exciting and dynamic.
JG: What are some important milestones for you after 30 years?
MM: The Michelin Guide was absent in the United States when I started. We took pride in the four stars awarded to us by the San Francisco Chronicle. Achieving the No. 1 restaurant in the World's 50 Best and eventually earning three Michelin stars when they arrived in California was a great honor and recognition. But celebrating our anniversaries is always incredible, especially witnessing our alums’ achievements and our current team’s dedication. Thirty years is an eternity in a restaurant, and I look forward to the next chapter.
JG: How is the restaurant celebrating such an important moment?
MM: We always celebrate important moments by remembering that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. We will look to the future and push the envelope of what cuisine and hospitality can achieve, always remaining open to evolution and seeking to blaze new trails.
To celebrate our anniversary, we will host a party for our longtime guests, team members past and present, and the community, who have always been our biggest supporters.
JG: Napa Valley, California is pivotal to The French Laundry. How has it in turn helped influence the region?
MM: The Napa Valley food scene has evolved significantly over the years, and The French Laundry and Chef Keller’s Yountville restaurants have played a pivotal role in that transformation. The Napa Valley is now a world-class destination where people come specifically to celebrate food and wine. We’ve been lucky to have witnessed the emergence of outstanding restaurants and chefs like Christopher Kostow (The Restaurant at Meadowood) and Kyle Connaughton (Single Thread), who have earned three stars.
JG: The French Laundry has been called the best restaurant in the world by many, including Anthony Bourdain. How do you maintain that for 30 years and how do you do so for the next?
MM: Each day, we strive to be better than the last. Drawing on 30 years of history, we aim to make tonight’s service the best it can be—and it will be, but only for a day. Then, we will reset, and tomorrow will be even better. We constantly evolve, seeking new means of inspiration to enhance the property, cuisine, and guest experience. There is always something to look forward to.