San Francisco Mayor London Breed attended French Laundry birthday dinner 1 day after Gov. Gavin Newsom

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ByAlix Martichoux KGO logo
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
SF mayor dined at French Laundry 1 day after Newsom
London Breed's press office has confirmed the San Francisco mayor attended a birthday dinner at swanky Yountville restaurant French Laundry, just one day after Gov. Gavin Newsom did the same.

SAN FRANCISCO -- London Breed's press office has confirmed the San Francisco mayor attended a birthday dinner at swanky Yountville restaurant French Laundry, just one day after Gov. Gavin Newsom did the same.

"On Nov. 7, while taking a few days off after the election, she attended a small family birthday dinner for a friend at an open-air table at the French Laundry. There were eight people in total, including herself," press director Andy Lynch told ABC7 News after the San Francisco Chronicle broke the news.

RELATED: San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo apologizes for disregarding COVID-19 regulations on Thanksgiving

The dinner took place in the same "partially enclosed room" as the now-infamous Newsom gathering, the Chronicle reports.

Lynch went on to say the mayor paid for her own meal and emphasized that, at the time, San Francisco was in the yellow tier, with lower COVID-19 transmission. Napa County, where French Laundry is located, was in the orange tier. Both indoor and outdoor dining were allowed at the time. (Both counties have since moved into the purple tier, banning indoor dining.)

RELATED: Gov. Newsom says he shouldn't have attended birthday party at French Laundry amid COVID-19 surge

"Now, with cases rising, and Bay Area counties moving back into the purple tier, she is once again limiting her actions and is encouraging all San Franciscans to do the same," Lynch said.

Since his dinner at the French Laundry, and the criticism that followed, Gov. Newsom has apologized for the outing, calling it a "big mistake."

"The spirit of what I'm preaching all the time was contradictory, and I've got to own that," he said.