![]() And when he’s in town, he’s at the restaurant, impeccably dressed in in his custom-made chef jacket, tailored black pants and shiny black clogs.ĭuring the flurry of a recent dinner service, Keller’s guiding hand was at work plating caviar, making artful, final touches on dishes, instructing waiters on the details of each course and even helping out in the dishwashing area. Keller has not cooked full-time in years but is still very much the face of the French Laundry, which is inside an old stone cottage in the heart of California wine country. The 62-seat restaurant is typically booked solid weeks in advance. But a meal for two with wine and a vintage after-dinner cognac could easily top $1,000. The 9-course prix fixe menu, which changes every night, costs $310. ![]() “We call him the omnipresent chef,” said Breeden, who described Keller as a master craftsman who guides by example in his “search for that constant improvement, constant refinement and reflection.” The attention to detail is typical of Keller, says Breeden. Now they’re embedded in the ceiling with infrared sensors that gauge the appropriate speed, rather than whirring at high all day long. There’s a “ventilated ceiling” that does away with the typical noisy overhead hoods. The countertops were raised several inches from the standard height to avoid backaches. It was designed with attention to ergonomics, acoustics and ease of cleaning, including all walls and counters made of an anti-microbial material. Keller describes it as “more feminine than most kitchens” because of its soft lines and curves. It has swooping vaulted ceilings meant to mimic draped linen. Gone is the stainless steel austerity of most restaurant kitchens, this one is white, spacious and sunlit by skylights and wraparound windows overlooking a garden. It’s absolutely amazing,” says 36-year-old chef de cuisine David Breeden, who has worked for Keller at the French Laundry and Per Se for 12 years. “To actually stand in the new kitchen is the ultimate reward. Final touches on landscaping are wrapping up this summer. The restaurant stayed open during the construction, but the culinary staff relocated to a temporary kitchen built inside four shipping containers. Keller teamed up with Snohetta, an architecture and design firm that spearheaded the recent three-year renovation of the San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art. Pei and one after - to capture the essence of his vision. And the French Laundry kind of represented that for me,” said Keller, who even presented his architect with two pictures of the Louvre - one pre-I.M. Pei’s 1989 addition of the glass pyramid added a modern statement to a historical site. Cook your way through this collection of dishes for a taste of celebrated chef Thomas Keller at home.As a measure of his ambition, Keller compares the French Laundry’s remodel to the renovation at one of the world’s great museums, the Louvre in Paris, citing how I.M. ![]() The recipes he's contributed to Food & Wine span the styles found at his various outposts: We have comfort food recipes in the vein of Ad Hoc inventive, elevated dishes like the ones found at The French Laundry and even a Bouchon-inspired quiche. Thomas Keller is known for applying American flavors to French classics. Keller went on to open several more restaurants, including Bouchon, Per Se, and Ad Hoc both The French Laundry and Per Se hold three Michelin stars. By 20, The French Laundry ranked number one among the World's 50 Best Restaurants. The James Beard Foundation named Thomas Keller the Best California Chef in 1996 and the Best Chef in America in 1997. It wasn't long before Keller learned about a certain restaurant space for sale in Napa Valley in July of 1994, The French Laundry opened its doors. Keller left Rakel for California in 1990 when his business partner decided to take the restaurant in a different direction amid an economic downturn. At that time, he was cooking at his first restaurant, Rakel in New York City Andrew Zimmern was a line cook there, and Tom Colicchio was a sous chef. Food & Wine began naming Best New Chefs in 1988, and Thomas Keller was among the first group to receive the honor.
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