Thomas Keller, the world-renowned chef behind the three-Michelin-starred French Laundry, is leading a high-profile campaign against a planned affordable housing project in the wealthy Napa Valley enclave of Yountville.
The celebrity chef joined local business owners to challenge “Yountville Commons,” a 120-unit apartment complex intended for workers, arguing that the development is a poor fit for the community and that officials failed to consult the town's major employers. The confrontation took place during a recent town council meeting, where the chef — dressed in his white culinary jacket — criticized officials for a lack of transparency.
