Sally Schmitt (1932–2022), chef who co-founded Napa Valley’s French Laundry
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2 min readSally Schmitt was a chef who co-founded the Napa Valley restaurant French Laundry and pioneered California cuisine.
- Died: March 5, 2022 (Who else died on March 5?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in Philo, California at the age of 90.
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Culinary innovation
Scmitt and her husband, Don Schmitt, founded the French Laundry in Yountville, California in 1978. Prior to the French Laundry, Schmitt had run a sandwich shop and the Chutney Kitchen, featuring daily punches and a monthly reservation-only dinner. When they found a vacant building that had once house a French steam laundry business, they began making plans for the restaurant that would become a Napa Valley staple, anchored by Don’s wine list and Sally’s cooking. She focused on simple, classic dishes made with fresh, local ingredients, pioneering the style that would come to be known as California cuisine. The Schmitts built the French Laundry into a destination restaurant before selling it in 1994. Latyer, Schmitt ran a bed and breakfast.
Notable quote
“I didn’t have a mission. I wasn’t trying to prove anything to the world about simple, fresh, local food. It was just the way I cooked. I didn’t really have a statement to make. I just put food on the table.” —from a 2020 interview for the Los Angeles Times
Tributes to Sally Schmitt
Full obituary: San Francisco Chronicle
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