Now Ive got this rabbit thats got a broken leg, and Ive got to kill it and dress it. Thomas Keller: I think the American Dream, what it means to me is we everybody in our country has an opportunity. I had now failed in two restaurants and a chef de cuisineposition or executive chef position at Checkers Hotel. Yes. So he has to be able to motivate them. Even though I hadnt spent a lot of time with my father growing up, in my early 20s I made a reconnection with him and certainly we rekindled our relationship and he was very supportive, even though he didnt understand what I did. Did you commit to purchasing it before you raised the money? Of course we had the Culinary Institute of America, which began in the mid-40s after World War II. He said, I just want to tell you, youre going to get a phone call tomorrow and youre going to be really happy. So I went home. World War II kind of shook that all up. The new restaurant got off to a good start, but the stock market crash of 1987 cut deeply into their business. Thomas Keller: We love to do Thanksgiving. One thing that is so fascinating about your biography is your lack of formal culinary education, the lack of a Cordon Bleu certificate. And typically in the day she would work at the Officers Club as a hostess or a waitress, working her way up to understanding how to manage a restaurant. Why was it produced in that part of Italy? We all have our own core values, and I think that we can identify them when pressed to find them. I have five siblings: four older brothers and one younger sister. I believe in you, but I need something. Keller served as a consultant on the feature film Spanglish, and in collaboration with restaurant designer Adam D. Tihany, created K + T, a collection of silver hardware and cocktail ware for Christofle Silversmiths. You have chef plumbers. Located down the street from The French Laundry, it serves moderately priced French bistro fare, with Bouchon Bakery opening next door a few years later (in 2006 Keller opened a branch of the bakery in the Time Warner Center in Manhattan). Born in America in 1955, Thomas Keller is a restaurateur and cookbook author, but first and foremost, a chef. Frise salad with . When I was in South Florida, I was working in a restaurant called the Caf du Parc. The kitchen was my comfort zone, and I was very successful in the kitchen, but outside of that I wasnt so much so. Chef Keller led a team from the U.S. to its first-ever gold medal in the Bocuse d'Or, a prestigious biannual competition that is regarded as the Olympics of the culinary world. Somebody will hire you. I wanted to make sure that I had somewhere to go to. I think that kind of sums up my life and what Ive been doing. You're science-oriented. If you didnt properly rinse or stack or sort the silverware or the dishes correctly, and you put them in the dishwasher, a minute-and-a-half later, when the machine opened, they would still be dirty. Its an externship, if you will. Keller spent the next three summers at La Rive in Catskill, where he learned to source produce locally, growing many of his own vegetables, and even trying to kill and dress small game, an experience that gave him greater respect for those who produce the food we eat. I stopped to see him, say hello, see how he was doing. So five days a week, my meals were paid for. The multiple Michelin-starred chef (The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon) spent the past five years . Its that social engagement, that interaction around a dinner table that to me is the most important. Chef Thomas Keller is renowned for his culinary skills and high standards. And he flew in from Paris with four other executives from Michelin and they had dinner at The French Laundry. At the same time, be able to do my homework when needed, be able to function as a young person and still keep busy. So we had to have a commercial bank loan. So when we started to think about Thanksgiving here at our restaurant, The French Laundry, when we first opened, we started thinking about that, serving that kind of meal, which was a meal that allowed you to interact with it. It was the first American restaurant to receive this honor. And I could have him pin the medal on my chest. Very simple. The sous-chef is literally under the chef. And a sous-chef would be responsible for a couple of different things depending on the role of that sous-chef. We have to give them training. Kellers 2012 cookbook,Bouchon Bakery, was on The New York Times bestseller list for nearly two months. I learned at that time that persistence is really one of those keys to success. Everybody did. Oh, what difference does it make? We have to be that much more determined, that much more committed to what we do every day. It comes out in a beautiful pan. Take the lobster, do this, this, and this, and add this and this and you have this is what lobster Bohemian is. And he said to me one day, he said, You know, Thomas, the reason cooks cook is really to nurture people. And at that moment that really resonated with me and I said, Wow, I want to become a chef.. I learned the importance of ritual, doing things at specific times of the day and having them leading up to those times, and being prepared for those times. By living frugally on his savings, Keller was able to undertake a series of unpaid apprentice positions in the citys finest restaurants including Guy de Savoy and Taillevent, Michel Pascuet, Gerard Besson, Le Toit de Passy, Chiberta and Le Pr Catalan. I chose to go into the kitchen. I break its leg. I became the chef of Raouls, which was, at the time an outpost in what became SoHo on Prince Street, and it was a classic, classic, French bistro in every way, and it was wonderful. And of course at that time I was very young in my profession and I said, Well, how can I make pasta green? Jean-Luc Naret was coming to San Francisco himself because he wanted to have an after party to celebrate to introduce the Michelin Guide in 2007. Thomas Keller is the first American chef to receive consecutive three-star Michelin ratings for two restaurants. Thomas Keller: On a trip to Napa Valley one spring day, Jonathan Waxman, who is a friend of mine who had opened a restaurant in New York and now is opening a restaurant here in Napa Valley. But it wasnt because I wanted to have a career in the profession, in the culinary profession. So when I got there, I had a good foundation of technique, a good understanding of classic cuisine, certainly the understanding of the vocabulary in a French kitchen. We can all cook. And that was my room. In everything that we do, we have to understand that our expectations have to be of the highest. Thomas Keller: I think its helped me understand and analyze what I do, and try to attach other examples of other professions to what I do, in trying to understand and elevate our profession. And that became part of our and it changed, not every day. So typically, artisanal work or work that youre doing with your hands, manual labor, would have a chef. Of course, when it tries to jump forward, Im holding a leg. Then I think thats what makes our culture so strong. [7] Keller spent nineteen months raising $1.2million from acquaintances and investors to purchase the restaurant, then re-opened it in 1994. [8], After the success of The French Laundry, Thomas and his brother, Joseph Keller (currently owner/chef of Josef's in Las Vegas), opened Bouchon in 1998. After the failure of Rakel, you persisted with haute cuisine but you moved to Los Angeles. You had to get the glassware to the bartenders so they could do their job. Thomas Keller: Fortunately, for those three years I was trying to find somebody to commit to giving me a job, I was also saving my money. And I think thats very important, certainly in a kitchen as well as other places in many professions where theres this instant command response. The ignorance allowed me to do it. Before we get there, Ruth Reichls article, as important as that was, there was an article prior to that which very few people realize. Iconic Dishes Were committed to one another. What we call a stage in an American restaurant, or a stagiaire in a French one, does that literally mean a stager? And all you have to do is believe in yourself, be patient, be persistent. Michelin came in 2006. The following year he added two additional locations of Bouchon Bakery at The Venetian in Las Vegas while continuing to vary his commercial ventures. And Herb always wrote maybe two or three sentences about an experience he had that he wanted to share. I was four or five years old when my parents were divorced. Thomas Keller: Per Se opened in 2004. No problem. So we were always trying to fill the books in with his reservations. Not necessarily. Shortly after, he opened a second Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay. And you know, it really goes back to when I was a young child and that was one of the meals my mother would cook would be Thanksgiving. Oh wow, what just happened? Working on the film Spanglish, Keller designed and taught star Adam Sandler to cook what is often called "the world's greatest sandwich", as a plausible example of what a talented bachelor gourmet might cook for himself. So he was very proud to be able to talk to our suppliers and get them to either give us extra or to reduce our price. And in his own way he enlightened us in the same way that Alice did in being able to encourage chefs to reconnect to the suppliers that are bringing us those extraordinary ingredients. Mr. Keller is 61, an age when other. 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. Pierre was in the kitchen Ann-Marie was in the dining room and I became his sous-chef. Well offer a four-course menu and a five-course menu. So we started out with a menu that had up to seven or eight choices in each category. sous-chef. So, our morning sous-chef is responsible for really the beginning of the day and setting the tempo for the rest of the day, which means that he has to work with a lot of the commis, which are typically the youngest, of course the least skilled, the least experienced. Our job as chefs and as restaurant owners today is not just about our restaurants. Its going into someone elses kitchen and actually becoming part of that kitchen. So when they were divorced, that was her path. What did you learn working at Taillevent? It was on West 45th Street in West Palm Beach, right next door to the jai-alai fronton. It was camaraderie. How old were you when you received it? How did you come to take over The French Laundry? And they wanted hot dogs and hamburgers. And those six disciplines are what we do every day as cooks, and I embrace that. [20] Other cookbooks that he has written or contributed are The Food Lover's Companion to the Napa Valley, Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide, Ad Hoc at Home (2009) and Bouchon Bakery (2012). Just go. The California-based chef has won nearly every culinary award imaginable; his cookbooks line the shelf of other chefs and passionate home. The peas were just so perfect. Its really refreshing to see how much thats changed in a short period of time, in 35, 40 years. 1996 - 2023 American AcademyofAchievement. I came up. Thomas Keller: At 4:00 in the afternoon, we were on the West (Left) Bank, in front of one of the department stores over there I think Samaritaine or some one of the great department stores of Paris and the phone rings. And three days later I packed my bag early in the morning and I snuck out the door and caught the train and went to Paris and ended up staying at a friends apartment for almost two years and literally knocking on peoples doors for a job. We did everything from the pats to the desserts, and he taught me a great deal. I mean it was such an emotional experience I didnt know what to do, because the rabbit screamed so loud that Paulette, the wife of the owner, came out of the house their house was just maybe 50 yards away thinking something had happened. And thats how we define success, thats giving people those memories. "[18] He permanently closed his restaurant TAK Room, located in Hudson Yards, during the coronavirus pandemic. So that was really the beginning for us of our success in Northern California. Thomas Keller: We used to think about luxury as choices, right. In 1994, he set his heart on a converted laundry building in Yountville, in the heart of Californias Napa Valley wine country. So between private placement, commercial bank loan, and an SBA loan over the period, and with the help of Don and Sally Schmitt and Bob Sutcliffe, my attorney, as well as the 52 partners, we were able to put together enough money to buy The French Laundry, and on May 1, 1994 we finally closed on the deal. Is there a connection between the fact that you got a book of recipes from the worlds great restaurants and then decided to go and apprentice in France, in the worlds great restaurants? And we were so proud. On my makeshift desk was I clipped out of The New York Times during this time during this period in my life there was an article which was titled Having a Dream Is Hard. That was at the beginning of that relationship with Serge Raoul. Now Fernand Point was at his time in his era, which was the 30s and 40s he was the greatest chef in France, and therefore of course, the greatest chef in the world. 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. So I was shuffled between very loving, dedicated, committed women, and it was really a wonderful childhood, if you will. So I passed by out of curiosity. They served me pigeon and peas with morel mushrooms. If Im going to raise money from a lot of different people so it doesnt impact if Im not successful, its not going to impact their lives. So that was the process with the private placement business plan. A lot of other people might have said, Maybe I was too ambitious.. TIME magazine named him Americas Best Chef in 2001. I think thats more of what I meant. Thomas Keller: I began my humble career as a dishwasher. Were they going to come from France? Herb Caen came to dinner at The French Laundry. Most of the kitchens that I worked in always have the chef, the sous-chefs, the chef de parties, the commis, and thats a very hierarchical system where everybody looks at the chef for the direction, the sous-chefs to implement it, you know, the chef de cuisines to perform it, and the commis to support it. Thomas Keller Chef & Proprietor of Restaurants by Thomas Keller and Founder of Regiis Ova Caviar "Success, for me, is not about fortune or fame. And Rakel was in an area that wasnt really supported by a community or a neighborhood around it. Youve mentioned the value of consistency, but nothing says it like that. So that was a mistake I made that I never made again, and I learned from that. So we made him barbeque chicken and cooked up some mashed potatoes because thats what he wanted. Everybody became more frugal during that time, as they do always in times of uneasiness and disruption in our economic climate. Thomas Keller: In the beginning, when Don and Sally Schmitt had the restaurant, there was one menu. It was a normal thing and it still is today. So at La Rive, which was a beautiful old farm on the side of a small creek, I planted my first garden. Hello, my name is You know, I have this idea of and Id like you to consider it. When you won your first three Michelin stars, you celebrated at Taillevent in Paris. Alice Waters had opened Chez Panisse, and since then the influence of that sort of sourcing, that farm-to-table cuisine, has spread far and wide. So that they could plate the food. We converted the restaurant into Caf Rakel. This was the year before I went to Caf du Parc. Thomas Keller: Mentor is its interesting because, again, these things have happened in my life kind of by coincidence or by some divine plan. What does the chef think I should choose? I went to work at another restaurant in New York called Raphael, and this was theres a lot of Rs in my restaurant history. Thomas Keller: It was. And you know, waste became a really important part of that learning experience, making sure that you know what? She served me one of the best sandwiches I ever had, which was beef tongue. 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. He said, No matter how good of a cook you are, unless theres people in your seats, youre going to fail. Of course I read that after we failed. He thought that would be the perfect kind of place for me, small, manageable, in a beautiful community here in Napa Valley. We try to limit the choices, relieve the anxiety, and give somebody an experience that then, when they leave the restaurant, its memorable. 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? And to reach the podium for the first time, Daniel, Jerome and I felt that we had finally been able to give Paul what we promised. 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. My saving grace when I moved to Paris was my friend Serge Raoul, who allowed me to stay at his apartment. So yes, I primarily lived with my mother, and my grandmother for a little while as well, and my great aunts. He enjoyed nothing more I think what he enjoyed the most when he would come out here with us and spend summers here, and ultimately moved here, was actually getting in line for dinner with the team every night at staff meal. And if you appreciate it, great. And he was always the one who was out there getting reservations for the restaurant. Thomas Keller: The first had an odd name, so dont laugh. And it was my expectations that got in the way of my experience. It all goes back to the rabbit. And rituals are very, very, very important. Therefore you have to pay them. Could you tell us that story? With more than 1.5 million copies of his cookbooks in print, he is the author of six cookbooks, including the recently released,The French Laundry, Per Se. And there was another friend of mine in Los Angeles who taught me how to use a computer. And I really have to thank those who nominated me: Daniel Boulud, Paul Bocuse, Jerome. Maybe in Chicago, L.A. a little bit. All this was a mystery until the day that you get a phone call. Cooking and food preparation are applied sciences, and chefs understand them fully to succeed at their job. Traditionally, in France, is that an unpaid position? On its list of 50 Best Restaurants in the World, Restaurant magazine named The French Laundry Best Restaurant in the World for two years running. His old friend, Chef Paul Bocuse, presented Keller with the Legions medallion in a 2011 ceremony in New York City. At the height of this you had La Cte Basque, La Caravelle, Le Cirque, La Grenouille, La Reserve, Le Perigord. And the level of the success or the result of the recipe was based on your current ability. What do you say to any chef? And thats where youre there supporting. You know, working with a group of other young men in a line, in a high-stress environment where its very intense and youre cooking food. What culinary values and service values did you learn? And of course the next morning he called me and he told me that The French Laundry again had received the highest recognition from Michelin Guide, three stars. Theres also the idea of a restaurant meal as a special event, rather than just getting something to eat. I became the chef de cuisine of La Reserve, which is on 49th Street. The entire pastry production, the entire pastry service, working with the chef de cuisine on the philosophy of the pastry. So there was just the three of us and then along came my younger sister when she remarried. So when I was doing my research and asking people in the Valley what they thought about The French Laundry, they all loved it. What happens? I dont know why, I guess because of the age difference, my brother Joseph was allowed to handle a knife, therefore he was allowed to work with the cooks. And of course Bill Wilkinson was very influential in the hotel world because he opened the first boutique hotel in our country, which was Campton Place in San Francisco. In our kitchen, for example, we have a sous-chef that would be what we call the A.M. I wanted to see new things. This is perhaps one of chef Keller's most famous dishes, a sabayon of pearl tapioca, beau soleil oysters and white sturgeon caviar. I spent three summers there: 1980, 81 and 82. He holds an honorary Doctor's in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America. How did you come by that vision? Ren and his wife would come to South Florida in the wintertime because they would close their restaurant, and he was looking for a chef for the following summer and Pierre recommended me, so I moved to Catskill. Following the failure of the Cobbley Nob, Keller became sous-chef at Caf du Parc in West Palm Beach. So we were producing if it was five, we were producing 40 items, 40, 45 items a day. I was at work so I didnt have to spend any money entertaining myself. Once again, things got off to a good start, and Keller enjoyed making friends with colleagues in the West Coast restaurant scene. So hes tasked with many different things and having to juggle many different things. So Im in his restaurant the next day, because every morning after the competition he does a breakfast for the winners. The highest priority for us is that we are able to reach our own expectations. It changes your life of course. And I always say my biggest asset at the time was my ignorance. 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. Were they going to be Americans? Entertainment was going to the Beaubourg and taking a French lesson in the audio class downstairs, or going to the museums or walking around Paris. Could I interact better with those around me who influence our restaurants? I explained my intentions. Over the next few years the restaurant earned numerous awards, including from the James Beard Foundation, gourmet magazines, the Mobil Guide (five stars), and the Michelin Guide (three stars). How could we be worthy of a Michelin star or two? In the same way that our U.S. Olympic athletes represent our country, we feel the same way in our profession. But Gourmet magazine picked it up and they thought it was very important. He also holds an honorary doctorate in culinary arts from The . I mean its actually performing, and its a function, and its physical. And he would always tell me he would save me a dollar on a basket of strawberries, or he would be able to get an extra couple quarts of milk.