Chef Keller led a team from the U.S. to its first-ever gold medal in theBocuse dOr, a prestigious biannual competition that is regarded as the Olympics of the culinary world. And if we do those three things right, what happens? Thomas Keller: I dont know the literal translation of it, but its an observer. Its not just about getting something to eat. And we thought this location was just like the perfect location. It was the Americans on the podium. So if you can give me $5,000, then Ill take on the project, and if its successful, well take our money on the back end. I said, Great. So for the next two weeks I went to the ATM machine, and on my credit card I took out $500 until I got $5,000, and I took $5,000 in cash and gave it to him and he started to modify the business plan and produce a bona fide business plan that I could then present to partners, which we did. And then of course we had foie gras, poached foie gras, warm with turnips spring turnips peas, and a beautiful consomm of duck, rich but at the same time light, right. Or we could stay in Paris, maybe get a phone call, but miss the celebration in New York. So that they could plate the food. They were of age. So he worked with a couple chefs in helping them raise money, organize their businesses. Had I known everything that I was going to have to do over the course of the next 18 months, I would have given up right away. He has established a collection of restaurants that sets a new paradigm within the hospitality profession, including The French Laundry, in Napa Valley, and Per Se, in New York, among others. It was really about price points. Then of course, I think it was 1988, when we had Black Monday and that was kind of the demise of that era of spending. You learn from the mistake of doing the bad job that you learn that you needed to either stack your dishes differently, rinse them differently, sort the silverware differently, or whatever it was that critical feedback taught you, thats what you needed to do, so you modified your behavior to be successful. What do you say to any chef? And it was interesting, because at the time of the announcement, Laura and I were in France for I believe it was a Traditions et Qualit conference, which is a French association that we belong to. For other people named Thomas Keller, see, Restaurant Magazine list of the Top 50 Restaurants of the World, International Association of Culinary Professionals, Restaurant Magazine's Top 50 Restaurants of the World, "Thomas Keller and The French Laundry Awards", "Le chef amricain Thomas Keller reoit la Lgion dhonneur", "MICHELIN Guide Reveals Inaugural Florida Selection", "The Thomas Keller Interview, II: On Benno, Bouchon and Brooklyn", "Prix fixe to the people: Thomas Keller goes populist with his new restaurant, Ad Hoc", "TK SET - Thomas Keller Limited Edition Set", Competing at the Bocuse dOr: Team USAs Unbeatable Recipes, Chef Timothy Hollingsworth Wants to Bring American Pressure to the Bocuse dOr, High Hopes for American Team in Bocuse dOr Cooking Competition, "Chef Thomas Keller:'Preparing myself to let go', "75 notable NYC restaurants and bars that permanently closed since 2020", "French Laundry chef talks about celebrity life", "Who cooked that up? Were putting our were composing our dishes in a way theyre going to be compelling for people, but we also have the ability to modify anything we do for somebody who has a dietary restriction or who just doesnt like something. Cooking wasnt the question, but could I lead a team better? Keller loved the location, and thought the little town in the heart of Californias wine country would be the perfect place to practice the fusion of tradition and innovation he had long imagined. Thomas Keller: We became friends. I wanted to see new things. Im the first owner. It was something that made him really comfortable. I guess it was a much safer position for me around the dishwasher, whether it was at that early age, or more importantly, when I began to realize that I wanted to cook, at the Palm Beach Yacht Club. In the same way that our U.S. Olympic athletes represent our country, we feel the same way in our profession. We invite those from our veterans home here in Yountville down to experience a meal around a table in a familiar place with food that is nourishing in every way. We converted the restaurant into Caf Rakel. I understood it. And so in conversations with the dining room, the course of a persons experience there was they would come in and they would ask they finally got into The French Laundry, it was a great it was a wonderful moment for them. Keller has joked in the past that the motivation for Bouchon's opening was to give him somewhere to eat after work at The French Laundry. Our job as chefs and as restaurant owners today is not just about our restaurants. Thomas Keller: It was a very difficult time in New York City. I was working as a young cook in a private club in Narragansett, Rhode Island called the Dunes Club. But not only did I have to raise money from private partners, I had to buy the property. And he said, Oh, and by the way, Bouchon got one.. Im looking at this rabbit hanging on the side of the barn, and 11 rabbits in the cage. But Paul Bocuse, who has been an icon in our profession, someone who Ive always looked up to, somebody who changed the way our profession is perceived, somebody whos changed the way we eat, literally changed the way we eat, started a competition, international competition 30 28 years ago to bring the world together on an international level for a culinary competition that resulted in relationship building, in teaching, in awareness and camaraderie, and helping to expand the awareness of our profession around the world. Jan Birnbaum was the first. Keller plans to continue this movement at the art deco-themed TAK Room on the firth floor New Yorks Hudson Yards complex. It could be as short as two paragraphs. I could feel I have the ability to learn and to kind of expand. In 1994, Keller closed the deal and set about renovating the facility. I had partnered with two male flight attendants who wanted to open a restaurant. And I could have him pin the medal on my chest. Oh wow, what just happened? It was such a daunting task, the things that I went through. This was the area that was going to become the next advertising center of New York City. You set up for dinner, then you have dinner. He grew up in the Depression, was a Marine for 23 years of his life. I learned six disciplines at the dishwasher which have, I think, become a foundation for my career, and I think for many people who aspire to have success in their careers. So that organizational aspect allowed you to be more efficient, which was kind of the second discipline that I learned is efficiency was really, really key in doing things well. I mean thats it. The new restaurant features intimate dining rooms with a fireplace, live music, lush greenery, a glass-enclosed conservatory room, an outdoor terrace and a lounge, with a Bouchon Bakery on the same floor. Talk about Rakel. And really, they are the true superstars of our profession. And were watching Philips name being inserted into the walkway that leads up to the front door: Philip Tessier, U.S.A.. Theres now 13 rows of gold, silver, bronze plaques with peoples names on them. What are we going to do? Thomas Keller: Mentor is its interesting because, again, these things have happened in my life kind of by coincidence or by some divine plan. And in San Francisco we had Herb Caen. And some friends of mine, who were very influential in my move, were moving to California and they said, Come to California and try it out. At the same time a gentleman named Bill Wilkinson, who I had a brief conversation with about four years earlier, he was opening a hotel in L.A. called Checkers. He joined forces with his friend Serge Raoul to open a restaurant whose name combined the first letters of the partners last names: Rakel. Thats what really we want to be able to instill, to teach our young staff is that the person standing next to you is your colleague. Of course his son went to school here in the Culinary Institute of America and now lives in America. We got on a plane the next day and came back to New York and of course celebrated again. One of the things that I dont believe we do enough of is to help our veterans, our servicemen and women. It was because of the excitement of working with a team of peers and that physical activity of being on a team. After two years, he moved to Rhode Island, working first as chef de partie at the Clarke Cooke House, and the following summer at the Dunes Club in Narragansett. So he reached in the cage, pulls a rabbit out, both legs, has one of those little baseball clubs, knocks it on its head, pins the rabbit to the side of the barn, slits its throat, dresses the rabbit in about five minutes. In 1997, The New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl called The French Laundry the most exciting place to eat in the United States. We had a choice of getting on an airplane and missing the phone call, because it was going to come at 10:00 in the morning New York time, which was 4:00 in the afternoon in Paris. So everybody relied on your ability to be organized, to be efficient, to have your job done thoroughly, to understand repetition, rituals, and give them what they needed to do the job. Not just in the culinary profession, not just in the hospitality profession, but in anything. Sixth place. And Im very thankful for all of them. The more choices you had, the more luxurious it was. You prepare for lunch. But it wasnt about the team that won gold. Where were you when you decided to make this your career? You know, where did the dish come from? You had to sweep the floor at these specific times. So I set my sights high. And certainly receiving the Legion of Honor from President Sarkozy was beyond anything I could ever dream of. So typically, artisanal work or work that youre doing with your hands, manual labor, would have a chef. He likes a spoonful of Skippy peanut butter (Natural) before hitting the gym, and he believes chefs can find. Take the lobster, do this, this, and this, and add this and this and you have this is what lobster Bohemian is. That was something that was fascinating. It was kind of this magical place, and I just felt an instant connection to it. So Per Se was in the forefront of that first launch in New York. The fourth discipline I learned was the repetition, right? And theres no choices on the menu, so its a problem for us. So I thought, Well, when I open The French Laundry, well extend hours of operation and well offer choices in each category. Hes gone. Thomas Keller: Per Se. Everybody did. So I passed by out of curiosity. What was school like for you? He began his career at a young age working in a Palm Beach restaurant managed by his mother. Thomas Keller: Its funny. My sights to go to France and work in specific restaurants were already defined. We changed every day. At the same time he has to be able to maintain the standards of their preparation and also the ingredients that are coming in. He was very, very fascinated with cooking. Thomas Keller stands in front of the original exterior wall of the French Laundry in Yountville. You have received the highest rating in Michelin, three stars. And I was just It was emotional. It was part of our culture, part of our philosophy, part of the philosophy that we had embraced from Don and Sally Schmitt. And it was really about Marines and their ability to stalk, their ability to be calm, their ability to pounce quickly and seize their prey. Thomas Keller, the master chef behind the Michelin-starred restaurant The French Laundry, is an unlikely champion for business and organizational excellence. Its an extraordinary event, extraordinary undertaking. So you always had a bread and butter plate in one spot, a service plate in one spot. So thats where I chose to go. She became a restaurant manager. I understood that there was a lot of competition, because not only did I want the vegetables, so did the deer and the beavers and any other wildlife that would come into the fray. And Herb always wrote maybe two or three sentences about an experience he had that he wanted to share. So living that dream became one of the hardest things Ive ever done, but also one of the most gratifying things Ive ever done in my life. Soon, he started taking up chef positions at various restaurants in Rhode Island, where he met his mentor and French Master Chef Roland Henin. We built our new kitchen. Did your mother or father support your culinary ambitions? The sandwich resembles a typical BLT, with the addition of a fried egg. And that became part of our and it changed, not every day. In the process I did really I wasnt really privy to the process that you go through but I remember receiving the letter from the President of France telling me that he was proud of the work that I had done in my field and that I deserved to be recognized by the people of France and to receive the Medallion de Legion dHonneur was their way of expressing their gratitude and asking me if I would like to be hosted at the lyse Palace in Paris later that year to receive the medal from him, or to receive the medal from an officer of the Legion dHonneur that was of a higher rank than I was. Thomas Keller was born in Oceanside, California. They feel the responsibility to them. Where I ended up having the commitment from was a one-star Michelin restaurant in Arbois which is in the Jura, which is in eastern France just below Alsace a place I had never heard about before, a restaurant I had never heard about. They didnt want to make the wrong choice, so they would ask the captain, So, what should I eat tonight? Well, we have this and we have this. And so 80 percent of the guests were choosing the tasting menu. For three years he wrote to restaurants all over France. So it was really I was in a comfortable position in my living quarters, and I wasnt really spending a lot of money. Thomas Keller: We opened Bouchon. Now remember, a chef in France doesnt necessarily relate to the kitchen. It wasnt a difficult decision for me. After his second summer at La Rive, he decided to try his luck in New York City and was hired as chef at Raouls. The two would work so closely together that within a year she had moved in with him in the house behind the restaurant, and the couple have become partners in life as well as business. Mr. Keller thinks, at least for him, a change may be in order. You opened your own restaurant in New York in 1986. What about books that you read growing up? Those things. Apart from his innovative restaurants, ThomasKellers books and above all his dedication and imagination have brought his informed and inventive cookery intohomes from coast to coast and around the world. Best Restaurant in the Americas (French Laundry), Best New Restaurant (Per Se), James Beard Foundation, 2005, Outstanding Restaurant (French Laundry), James Beard Foundation, 2006, Michelin Guide Bay Area, 3 Stars for The French Laundry, 2006 Current, Michelin Guide Bay Area, 1 Star for Bouchon, 2007 Current, Michelin Guide Bay Area, 1 Star for The Surf Club Restaurant, 2022 Current, Gayot Top 40 Restaurants in the US (French Laundry) 2004 2010, Gayot Top 40 Restaurants in the US (Per Se) 2010, Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor, presented by Chef Paul Bocuse on March 29, 2011, in NYC, Lifetime Achievement Award (French Laundry), This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 18:37. How did you get started in the restaurant business? It was familiar to him. We are the first chefs, first American chefs in America to receive three stars. So I thought, What better place to celebrate than Taillevent, my first three-star work experience? So I called Taillevent, and of course Jean-Claude Vrinat said, Please, welcome. Living It Is Harder. And that became my inspiration every morning, because I had a dream to buy The French Laundry. Thomas was considered too young to work as a cook so he started as a dishwasher. Recently, Keller started marketing a line of signature white Limoges porcelain dinnerware by Raynaud called Hommage Point (in homage to French chef and restaurateur, Fernand Point) that he helped and a collection of silver hollow ware by Christofle. Paul Bocuse said it very well. All of them loved the idea but turned me down. In 2004 he published "The Bouchon Cookbook," although he gives most of the credit to Bouchon chef Jeffrey Cerciello. Thomas Keller: In 1977 I met my mentor, Roland Henin, who really enlightened me about what cooks do: we nurture people. I was four or five years old when my parents were divorced. Come over. And we went and it was an amazing moment to be able to walk into Taillevent, which had such a profound impact on my career, on my philosophy, on the culture that we have, on my skills, on everything in my life. I had committed myself since 1977 to make this my career. In the early 70s, when I really started cooking, for me it was really about the process. Theres sous-chefs responsible in pastry in the same way. Thomas Keller: Restaurants are used in so many different ways. We had a beautiful foie gras to start, and we had I forget the dessert. Pierre was in the kitchen Ann-Marie was in the dining room and I became his sous-chef. Thomas Keller: I think its that way in most classy kitchens. And of course he was the one who took the medal out of the box and pinned it on my chest, and it was one of the most it was the most I think extraordinary moment of my life to receive that kind of recognition from a country that has defined for me what great cuisine is. Following the failure of the Cobbley Nob, Keller became sous-chef at Caf du Parc in West Palm Beach. He wanted America to have a better representation at the Bocuse dOr. But you know, just standing there watching this beautiful, elegant, ferocious animal was something that was very captivating. Again, just classic but just perfectly done. [23] Keller served as a consultant for the 2007 Pixar animated film Ratatouille, allowing the producer to intern in the French Laundry kitchen and designing a fancy layered version of ratatouille, "confit byaldi", for the characters to cook. I think that is really the essence of hospitality, is that you want to give people something that makes them happy, makes them feel good, nourishes them.
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