BEST RESTAURANT IN NAPA COUNTY
T HE FRENCH LAUNDRY
By Janet Perry
T he French Laundry is dizzyingly well known and respected as an exquisite fine dining restaurant. The three-Michelin star French and Californian cuisine restaurant is located in Yountville. Its website speaks of the importance of building relationships with purveyors for their best and freshest ingredients and emphasizes the responsibility of chefs to highlight and elevate the fruits of the laborers behind those ingredients. With chef and proprietor Thomas Keller at the forefront, The French Laundry has risen to that challenge again and again. The restaurant has collected several accolades and has been honored at home and abroad. It came as no surprise that our readers voted it the Best Restaurant in Napa County. Since the late 1970s, The French Laundry has been wowing guests. Currently the restaurant is offering two different nine-course tasting menus to dazzle your tastebuds: the Chef’s Tasting Menu and the Tasting of Vegetables. “We’ve always believed that the success of The French Laundry lies in our commitment to excellence and our desire to make unforgettable experiences for our guests,” says Laura Cunningham, chief creative officer and founder of Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. “It is the dedication and care of every team member that allows us to continue to
The French Laundry is among Thomas Keller’s most renowned restaurants.
refine and elevate the standards of what we do.” Adds Cunningham: “We’re incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such a talented team, and it’s this collective spirit that makes The French Laundry so special.” v thomaskeller.com
BEST RESTAURANT IN SONOMA COUNTY S TARK’S STEAK & SEAFOOD T he Stark name is synonymous with great food, hospitality and even better business. Terri and Mark Stark are experienced restaurateurs, their flagship restaurant Willi’s Wine Bar opened in 2002. The husband-and-wife duo founded Stark Reality Restaurants in 2006. The couple now owns a slew of Sonoma County’s favorite eateries including Augie’s French, Bird & The Bottle, Willi’s Wine Bar, Bravas Bar de Tapas, Stark’s Steak & Seafood, Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar, Monti’s Rotisserie and Grossman’s Noshery & Bar. Stark’s Steak & Seafood has earned the restaurateurs the title of Best Restaurant in Sonoma County in this year’s readers’ poll. Though they make it seem easy, the Starks say it would surprise people how difficult it actually is to run successful businesses. The only simple thing about their process is their mindset. By Ismael Ramos
“We just strive to be as good as, or better, than the day before,” say the Starks. When asked how they do it, they borrow a line from Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder: “We change by not changing at all.” It’s their passion for the culinary arts and the commitment they have to each other and the community that propels them forward. “We pride ourselves in providing an enjoyable place of work
Mark and Terri Stark
which, we feel, promotes creativity and a rewarding sense of inclusivity,” say the Starks. v
starkrestaurants.com
Best of the North Bay 2025
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