The French Laundry, Yountville

Thomas Keller's The French Laundry in the Napa Valley town of Yountville has held 3 Michelin stars continuously since the California guide launched in 2006, and was named the World's Best Restaurant in 2003 and 2004. The 9-course prix fixe menu — never repeating an ingredient within a tasting — costs $350 per person and operates from a converted 1900 laundry building with only 16 tables. Keller is the only American chef to simultaneously hold 3 Michelin stars at two different restaurants (The French Laundry and Per Se in New York). Its tasting menu is nearly three times as intricate as the average 3-star restaurant, with only 16 tables compared to the typical 40 or more, serving 200% fewer diners per night than Mirazur.