At nine am sharp I am by the telephone, receiver in hand. I dial and hold my breath. The phone rings three times before someone answers, “Good morning, The French Laundry.” I exhale slowly, trying to keep my excitement in check. We have reservations for dinner — in two months! It is a perfect introduction to Yountville, the Foodie Capital of America!

The French Laundry is the flagship restaurant of Chef Thomas Keller, who also owns another two restaurants (Bouchon Bistro and Ad Hoc) and a bakery (Bouchon Bakery) in Yountville, California, north of San Francisco. Between them, they were awarded four Michelin stars in 2012– three for the French Laundry and one for Bouchon. The French Laundry is regularly included on the list of Top 50 Restaurants in the World, having been named “Best Restaurant in the World” in 2003 and 2004. Another restaurant, REDD, named after chef Richard Reddington, also was awarded a Michelin star. Five Michelin stars in five blocks! Not bad for a tiny town with less than 3,000 inhabitants. And let’s not forget the numerous other restaurants that line Washington Street!

The day finally comes! Dressed to the nines, we arrive at The French Laundry to celebrate our daughter’s 21st Birthday. The rustic two-story river rock and wood house sits in a rose-filled garden across the street from a kitchen garden where ingredients used in the restaurant are grown. From the time we enter the hushed, elegant dining room until we stagger out four hours later, we are in food heaven. Every moment is perfection, from the decor to the service. Every dish on the nine-course tasting menu is a work of art from the plump oysters floating on a tapioca custard with a garnish of osetra caviar to the strawberry sorbet shortcake. It is the small touches we remember best — the “Happy Birthday Mimi” printed on the top of the menu, signed by the chef, and the wooden clothespins that we take away with us, recalling the building’s past as a steam laundry. In the words of Keller, “It is all about finesse.”

About two blocks away is the second Keller Michelin star restaurant — Bouchon Bistro. This is a much more casual restaurant where you can make reservations daily. The menu offers traditional French bistro food, starting with a raw bar and followed by Steak Frites or Gigot d’Agneau, Croque Madame and other food from the French countryside.

Every July 14, the parking lot at Bouchon Bistro is transformed for a giant Bastille Day celebration. Mounds of pearly, iridescent oysters on ice, frites in red and white paper cones, a whole roasted pig, Merguez sausages, savory crepes, rows of red, white and blue macarons, tiny pastries, tubs of beignets and a giant four-tiered iced cake emblazoned with a banner that reads “Let Them Eat Cake.” Giant glass jars of fresh lemonade as well as some of the locally grown red and white wines make this a merry party. There are activities for the children, including Thomas Keller himself, adorned with a mask and snorkel, sitting in the dunk tank waiting for a ball to unceremoniously deposit him in the water!

Walk further down Washington Street and you’ll find Keller’s third restaurant, Ad Hoc. This was originally supposed to be a temporary restaurant but it proved to be so popular that it has remained. It is much more casual, the four-course chalkboard menu (which changes daily) focuses on home-style cooking served family style. You can’t choose what you want to eat. Apart from small statues of pigs that decorate the table and shelves, the decor is purely functional. Menus come in brown file folders; waiters wear brown shirts, sneakers, and jeans. It is quite different from the French Laundry!

Of course, there are many other places to eat in Yountville that have given the town its reputation as a foodie paradise. It isn’t possible to name them all here. However, we would like to include one other restaurant — Bistro Jeanty, the only French-owned and operated restaurant in Napa Valley. Chef Philippe Jeanty, who was raised in Champagne, France, prepares the food of his homeland including cassoulet, coq au vin, daube de boeuf. From the striped red awning to the tables on the flower-festooned patio, you will think that you have been transported to France.

While we have not yet had the opportunity to dine at REDD, we look forward to sampling the wine country cuisine for which it has earned its Michelin star.

Whether you are lucky enough to get a reservation at the French Laundry or merely pick up a baguette and pastries at the Bouchon Bakery, a trip to Yountville will quickly convince you that the town clearly deserves its reputation as a foodie capital of America.

IF YOU GO

Yountville s located 9 miles north of the town of Napa on the St. Helena Highway (Highway 29), the main north-south road through the Valley
French Laundry: Reservations must be made two months to the day prior (e.g. on 1 April for a 1 June dinner). The restaurant is closed yearly from July 15-24 after Bastille Day celebrations. There are two 9-course prix fixe tasting menus every day for dinner. Wine pairings are also available. Lunch and brunch are available on weekends. (6640 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94999; Tel 707-944-2380).

Bouchon Bistro: Open Monday through Friday 1100 to midnight; Sat and Sun 1000 to midnight; weekend brunch is served from 1000 to 1200 (6534 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599; Tel 707-944-8037.

Ad Hoc:  Dinner is served from Thursday to Monday 1700-2200; Sunday brunch is served from 1000 to 1300 (6476 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599; Tel 707-944-2487.

Bouchon Bakery: Open daily 0700 to 1900 (6428 Washington St., Yountville CA 94599; Tel 707-944-2252.

REDD: Open 1130-0230 Monday to Saturday; 1730-2130 nightly; brunch is available on Sundays from 1100 to 1430 and the bar is open daily starting at 1130 (6480 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599; Tel 707-944-2222.

Bistro Jeanty: Open daily 1100 to 2200 (6510 Washington St., Yountville, CA 94599; Tel 707-944-0103.

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