So between the two of them, they ignited what I believe we have, the resurgence of the farmer, the fisherman, the gardener and the forager. Its extraordinary what we have available to us and how important our farmers have become. And we thought this location was just like the perfect location. When he was hired as chef de cuisine at La Reserve, he was the first American to lead one of New Yorks distinguished French restaurants. The Keller empire expanded to Southern California with the 2009 opening of Bouchon and Bar Bouchon in Beverly Hills. 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. I could only hope for the next 20 years that Im able to continue to dedicate and commit myself on a different level to our profession and to my teams and continue to offer them the ability, the platform to elevate themselves. 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. Keller took a $5,000 cash advance on his credit card to retain an attorney who helped him structure a private placement offering. Thomas Keller: Michelin announced that they were going to come to America. The peas were just so perfect. I spent a little time in college. And the kitchen that I was in was nothing like any kitchens that I had been in in America. We live by them day to day, not necessarily having written them down. You had your different areas for your knives, your forks, your spoons, things like that. Had they not, I wouldnt be here today. In the years that followed, Keller and Cunningham expanded their operations in a number of directions simultaneously with new restaurants and manufacturing ventures. Iconic Dishes Therefore you have to pay them. I had been reading about this restaurant for years. The sandwich resembles a typical BLT, with the addition of a fried egg. Very simple. Paul tells a lovely story about when he was a young man in The French Resistance being wounded and being taken to an American military hospital, American field military hospital and being given a blood transfusion. The entire pastry production, the entire pastry service, working with the chef de cuisine on the philosophy of the pastry. Rakel's refined French cuisine catered to the expensive tastes of Wall Street executives and received a two-star review from The New York Times. So at La Rive, which was a beautiful old farm on the side of a small creek, I planted my first garden. The success has motivated me and propelled me forward. 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. I mean thats it. The California-based chef has won nearly every culinary award imaginable; his cookbooks line the shelf of other chefs and passionate home. And we were so proud. That year it won three International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) awards for Cookbook of the Year, Julia Child "First Cookbook" Award, and Design Award. Made him a strawberry shortcake for dessert. In school, were there particular teachers you remember who had an impact on you? So he worked with a couple chefs in helping them raise money, organize their businesses. 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. My grandmother when I lived with my grandmother we had the milkman that came. He began his career at a young age working in a Palm Beach restaurant managed by his mother. My saving grace when I moved to Paris was my friend Serge Raoul, who allowed me to stay at his apartment. 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. It was such a daunting task, the things that I went through. I believe the book was called A Treasury of Great Recipes by Mary and Vincent Price. So we chose to stay in Paris because the phone call would have I mean to miss a phone call as being one of the first Michelin starred restaurants in America, being one of the first American chefs to receive potentially a Michelin star would have been too much of a I think of a moment in my life that Id want to give up. I had partnered with two male flight attendants who wanted to open a restaurant. All the men went to the war and the women went to work. He actually was my first mentor in this profession. Then the hard work of attracting investors began. No more than three days later (so you don't forget too much), take . It takes a village to build a great restaurant. 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.. Thomas Keller: I think its that way in most classy kitchens. Tell us about the Thanksgiving dinner you do at Bouchon. From there, he honed his skills at the heart of Thomas Keller's Restaurant Group, rising from a sous chef at Per Se to the executive pastry chef at both Per Se and Bouchon Bakery within a mere two years. So I became the chef, the second chef there. 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. With Paul Bocuses son Jerome and their fellow chef Daniel Boulud, Keller founded the Bocuse dOr USA Foundation (Mentor) in 2008 to inspire culinary excellence in young professionals and preserve the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America. Keller and the Bocuse family hoped to see young American chefs compete successfully in this competition, but a number of years would pass before American chefs would reach the winners circle. 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. Cooking wasnt the question, but could I lead a team better? You prepare for lunch. Visitors to Napa brought word back to San Francisco, where favorable mention in the press drew interest from even farther away. The Schmitts wanted $1.2 million for their business, and Keller had nothing resembling that kind of money, but they agreed to take $5,000 from Keller to hold in escrow while he returned to Los Angeles to raise the money he needed. We all have our own core values, and I think that we can identify them when pressed to find them. In France, Keller formed a friendship with the legendary chef Paul Bocuse, sponsor of the Bocuse dOr competition, the Olympics of international cooking. Youll find a job. I was very impatient, and I wanted to go out and explore. 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. 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. But each day, waking up each day finding some success kept me motivated to the next day. He is the only American chef to have been awarded simultaneous three-star Michelin ratings for two different restaurants. 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. 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. And what do you say to Paul Bocuse? We just received three stars. We can all cook. I went to move to Paris in 1983 so I had been cooking now for almost a decade. Thomas Keller, the master chef behind the Michelin-starred restaurant The French Laundry, is an unlikely champion for business and organizational excellence. It changes your life of course. And luxury to me is not having to make a choice, having somebody guide me through an experience thats going to result in something that is memorable. And Herb always wrote maybe two or three sentences about an experience he had that he wanted to share. On February 16, 2004, Keller's much-anticipated Per Se restaurant opened in the Time Warner Center complex in New York under the helm of Keller's Chef de Cuisine, Jonathan Benno. Hes that person thats going to support you, thats not going to let you fall and dont let him fall, and really its a team. I was four or five years old when my parents were divorced. And make sure that I had paid attention to how I cooked it. Again, just classic but just perfectly done. In the late 1980s he opened Rakel in New York, but left for California a few years later. So Im in his restaurant the next day, because every morning after the competition he does a breakfast for the winners. What better way to start a celebration than that? Saatchi & Saatchi, another huge advertising firm, opened their corporate headquarters down there. I learned that the ingredients were important. Now remember, a chef in France doesnt necessarily relate to the kitchen. Where were you when you decided to make this your career? 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. He took advantage of the traditionalstagiare system in which unpaid apprentices, called stages in English, learn the skills of the classic French kitchen one by one. And then we have to mentor them not just in their career, but in their lives. And I really have to thank those who nominated me: Daniel Boulud, Paul Bocuse, Jerome. Were you a good student? And of course, what does the rabbit do? It was a Frenchman, and he would bring me 12 rabbits beautifully dressed every week. So I set my sights high. One of them was off in the Navy. The following year he added two additional locations of Bouchon Bakery at The Venetian in Las Vegas while continuing to vary his commercial ventures. Before we get there, Ruth Reichls article, as important as that was, there was an article prior to that which very few people realize. Thomas was considered too young to work as a cook so he started as a dishwasher. 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 he said, Oh, and by the way, Bouchon got one.. Thomas Keller: Thank you. She became a restaurant manager. You have chef plumbers. Where else would you aspire to go if it wasnt the best? Thomas Keller: In 1992 I visited the Napa Valley from Los Angeles. When the hotel was sold, Keller clashed with the new owners and found himself again at liberty. Remember, it wasnt that long that we missed it. They become better than you. It wasnt a difficult decision for me. Thomas Keller, who had been inspired by classic cookbooks as a novice chef, published The French Laundry Cookbook in 1999. There was jubilation. Thomas Keller: Yeah. So we were one of the first restaurants to kind of fail. [17], In 2012 he announced he was at the point of his career when it was time to step away from the kitchen. 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. And during my time working for him and of course I was just a lowly cook so Im not sure why I was having this kind of conversations with him but the conversations were really about cooks and our career and our profession. Maybe in Chicago, L.A. a little bit. So it was one menu every day. Thomas Keller: Well, by the time they were divorced, my two oldest brothers were already out of the house. I mean if youre having dinner you should be thinking about what youre eating. Thomas Keller: It was a very difficult time in New York City. I caught my breath and I said of course I thanked him very much and I said, One of the things that I want to assure you of is, again, its great to achieve this recognition, but now its our responsibility to make sure that the guests that come to our restaurant have that experience. Were committed to one another. Of course you never know those things when youre doing it. It was here he discovered his passion for cooking and perfection of the hollandaise sauce. He loved wine. So for me, there wasnt really a lot of awareness about opportunities outside of learning the trade in a kitchen. I spent three summers there: 1980, 81 and 82. I had already closed two restaurants. Thats just what you do. For three years he wrote to restaurants all over France. Not just in the kitchen but in the management positions, in the ownership positions, everywhere that I kind of struggled in the past. It didnt matter if you were doing fine dining, family dining. What influence do you think his Marine background might have had on the discipline with which you approach your craft? There was that true connection to our suppliers, to those people who produced our food. Chefs understand how cutting, heating and cooling food change its composition. He likes a spoonful of Skippy peanut butter (Natural) before hitting the gym, and he believes chefs can find. Again I told him how proud we were of that, and that was our responsibility to make sure that we lived up to the reputation. Thomas Keller: In 1977 I met my mentor, Roland Henin, who really enlightened me about what cooks do: we nurture people. 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. And of course, I make the critical mistake of only being able to grab one of the hind legs of the rabbit. Thomas Keller: Its funny. Thats the system that has been in place since Escoffier codified The French kitchen in the early 1900s. It was a restaurant that was extraordinarily consistent. And of course the chefs. In everything that we do, we have to understand that our expectations have to be of the highest. Its the stamina, the commitment, the dedication to the craft is unparalleled. Thomas Keller: I began my humble career as a dishwasher. You, as a dishwasher, even though you may have been perceived as the lowliest position in a kitchen, you touched everybody, and your job was critical in their ability to be successful. Thomas Keller: It was a junior college. The chef was highly regarded, three Michelin stars. So we have a sous-chef thats responsible for canaps and fish for example. Its like, Wow, I can choose any one of these pillows. But which one really is the best? [1], In April 2009, Keller became engaged to longtime girlfriend and former general manager at the French Laundry, Laura Cunningham. Keller still believed that to become the chef he wanted to be, he needed to study French cuisine at the source by working in Frances great restaurants. [4] Four years after his parents divorced, the family moved east and settled in Palm Beach, Florida. So in 1980, I planted my first garden. But nonetheless I built my own little smoker out of an old refrigerator and cured and smoked my own salmon. 1. I could go anywhere in the world and be a cook. Thomas Keller: Yes. And there was another friend of mine in Los Angeles who taught me how to use a computer. Youve done a lot of beautiful service for veterans here in this area. 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. And yet you have risen to the highest of stature of culinary greatness. So the morning sous-chef is a very, very important position, somebody that typically has had great experience in the restaurant that hes working in. We were able to expand our staff. 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. I was committed. 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. If you could be more efficient than the person next to you, then you could have more time to learn what you wanted to learn, to continue to grow and continue to evolve, continue to progress. You had to get the glassware to the bartenders so they could do their job. What culinary values and service values did you learn? Thomas Keller: I was working at a restaurant. The second cookbook that I received, which was from my mentor Roland Henin, was Ma Gastronomie by Fernand Point. Thomas Keller: In the beginning, when Don and Sally Schmitt had the restaurant, there was one menu. Was it a restaurant that was progressive and contemporary? His restaurant was La Pyramide in Valencin (Vienne), France. His flagship restaurant, The French Laundry, has been called the best in the world (twice), he's created an empire but maintained his impermeable brand and he's the only American chef to have been simultaneously awarded three Michelin Stars at two different restaurants. So he wrote a check to the New York tax authorities to clear us up, which allowed me to get a bank loan. 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. And as time went on we realized that we started selling more and more tasting menus. 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. Not even butter, and then he would buy 20 pounds of it to store in his freezer so that he could have it whenever he needed it. 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 stopped to see him, say hello, see how he was doing. And Michelin first launched in New York City. It was a perfect meal to celebrate a perfect moment with the best people in the world. Thomas Keller was born in Oceanside, California. Its an externship, if you will. All of them loved the idea but turned me down. In 1999, Thomas Keller published The French Laundry Cookbook, which he considers his definitive book on cuisine. At the same time, be able to do my homework when needed, be able to function as a young person and still keep busy. We had an extraordinary dinner. Thomas Keller: Well, we all learn that. He has also attached his name to a set of signature knives manufactured by MAC. To be there for a long time, to be impactful for a long time, to have a team that continues to evolve, to have guests that continue to come to your restaurant, to have that relationship with your partners or your suppliers, those are really, really important things for me in a restaurant. And then the second half of the book were recipes, but not recipes like we recognize today. Each time you made it it was yours, it was not necessarily his. A year later your skills your experience were increased, and if you made that same dish, it would be different. Its just breathtaking to look at, very classic, the aromas, the butter, and of course you have a tin of caviar and beautiful glasses of champagne. With the porcelain manufacturer Raynaud and the design firm Level, Keller created the Hommage collection of white porcelain dinnerware. The Cobbley Nob has to do with woodworking, because one of our partners was an amateur he was a hobbyist. Pierre ran the kitchen. In 2006, the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group continued to expand, adding the family-style restaurant Ad Hoc in Yountville, as well as outposts of Bouchon Bakery in Las Vegas, and Bouchon Bakery & Caf in New York. What college did you attend for that short while? Our first year was 2009. 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 hes tasked with many different things and having to juggle many different things. You were actually born on the West Coast. So he has to be able to motivate them. How do we respond to that? So if you dont want to be repetitive in what youre doing, you probably dont want to really be a cook. He was a woodworking hobbyist. Thomas Keller: Yeah. Paul Bocuse said it very well. Everybody became more frugal during that time, as they do always in times of uneasiness and disruption in our economic climate. His grandson is American. It was the Americans on the podium. You should be thinking about those who youre with. Thanksgiving is one of those moments thats truly about that experience around the table, that family, friends. It was like it was it just shocked us all. Was it a restaurant that was breaking new ground? He wanted to have chicken, barbeque chicken. I became the first American chef to be at one of the great La Le restaurants in New York City. In your book you tell a story about rabbits, and what you learned. Hello, my name is You know, I have this idea of and Id like you to consider it. Thomas Keller: I think the American Dream, what it means to me is we everybody in our country has an opportunity. So I was focused on that. Otherwise it wasnt going to be good. Even though I didnt have a father present, I had some great, great women that helped form and focus my childhood. I chose to go into the kitchen. Its still hard to believe that we are considered on the same level as those great restaurants in France that have inspired me and so many of my colleagues and so many others to try to achieve greatness. Soon, he started taking up chef positions at various restaurants in Rhode Island, where he met his mentor and French Master Chef Roland Henin. I thought, If Im going to do this, I need to do it now. And I went back to Los Angeles. When I started to cook, the first cookbook that I received was from my mother, and she gave me a cookbook called A Treasury of Great Recipes. The former French Laundry Chef de Cuisine Timothy Hollingsworth won the Bocuse d'Or USA semi-finals in 2008, and represented the U.S. in the world finals in January 2009 under Keller's supervision where he placed 6th, equaling the best performance of the U.S. in the contest to date. And all you have to do is believe in yourself, be patient, be persistent. Everybody did. What are your core values? And it wasnt something I had thought about before, but within a half an hour, I defined what they were, just because thats how I felt, and thats how most people are. 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. And to be able to walk into that restaurant as the first American to receive three Michelin stars and be embraced by Mr. Vrinat, who I have until the day he died had such a profound respect for. She served me one of the best sandwiches I ever had, which was beef tongue. And of course that catapulted us to again be financially successful, which allowed us now to commit our resources in so many different ways. A California native, and a renowned perfectionist, Chef Thomas Keller is apprentice-trained, and one of America's most well-known and successful chefs the only American-born one with two restaurants that have received three stars from the Michelin Guide. And so it just didnt go with our proteins, it went with everything, because every ingredient that we receive in our restaurants or you receive at home as a consumer, somebody has spent part of their life producing that for us, and we have to be respectful of that and make sure that we are able to nourish ourselves with the food that they supply us. In the introduction to Bouchon (2004), Keller writes, "Bistro cooking is my favourite food to eat. It was in the era of Chez Panisse, you know. We could only hope that we can achieve that. Of course it became one of those stories that, if it was today, it would have gone viral, but back in those days we didnt have what we have today. So at that right moment, in that right period of time, I was able to put my application in and be approved for an SBA loan. Today, Thomas Keller and Laura Cunningham make their home in a house behind The FrenchLaundry, while they operate fine dining establishmentsas well as casual bistros, cafs and bakeriesin New York, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills and the Napa Valley.