Thomas Keller, the master chef behind the Michelin-starred restaurant The French Laundry, is an unlikely champion for business and organizational excellence. Many residents and visitors to the area were lovers of fine wine and well-versed in contemporary trends in fine dining. Now I think it would be casual fine dining. The kitchen was my comfort zone, and I was very successful in the kitchen, but outside of that I wasnt so much so. Did your mother or father support your culinary ambitions? [14][15][16] On describing his reasons for accepting the Bocuse d'Or Team USA presidency, Keller stated, "When Chef [Paul] Bocuse calls you on the phone and says hed like you to be president of the American team, you say, Oui, chef. We just received three stars. You prepared it in the way you could at that time with the ingredients that you had, and the knowledge and skills that you had at the moment, and it evolved with you. And all you have to do is believe in yourself, be patient, be persistent. Of course you had your glass racks or specific racks. We have to give them training. The highest priority for us is that we are able to reach our own expectations. Everybody became more frugal during that time, as they do always in times of uneasiness and disruption in our economic climate. My first job in the kitchen was as a commis. 1. So at La Rive, which was a beautiful old farm on the side of a small creek, I planted my first garden. So of course the next week he showed up. Each time you made it it was yours, it was not necessarily his. So when they were divorced, that was her path. And I realized that thats not why I came to France. It would seem Chef Thomas Keller would have reason to be satisfied. So we had to have a commercial bank loan. So when I went to see Bob Sutcliffe, I had a 300-page business plan and a bottle of olive oil. But not only did I have to raise money from private partners, I had to buy the property. In our kitchen, for example, we have a sous-chef that would be what we call the A.M. [12], Keller is the president of the Bocuse d'Or U.S. team and was responsible for recruiting and training the 2009 candidates. Whats so great about that? Right? 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. I was very impatient, and I wanted to go out and explore. Thomas Keller: No. 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. In your book you tell a story about rabbits, and what you learned. He knew San Francisco in and out. At The French Laundry, Keller applied everything he had learned from his years as a chef and his own previous ventures. After World War II the men came back and the women stayed at work and that spawned the convenience food generation, which was us. 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. What It Takes is an audio podcast produced by the American Academy of Achievement featuring intimate, revealing conversations with influential leaders in the diverse fields of endeavor: public service, science and exploration, sports, technology, business, arts and humanities, and justice. There were no quantities. But the next summer, when spring came around, Ren called me and asked me if I wanted to come back to La Rive, and because that was such a bucolic experience for me, it was so familiar, they were like my second parents, I moved back to Catskill for that third summer. Lets go back to the beginning. 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. But now I had to actually act on it, that dream, and make it reality. Theres many ways to entertain yourself without spending a lot of money. And I really have to thank those who nominated me: Daniel Boulud, Paul Bocuse, Jerome. And what do you say to Paul Bocuse? So you know, I did different things in different kitchens, because each chef needed a stagiaire in a different way. So we had a gathering at the Per Se in New York where we invited the ambassador from France who came, and I thought of my colleagues of course, Daniel, Jerome, Alain Ducasse was there, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and it was a great celebration. I left because I was committed to fine dining and ultimately moved to L.A. And unfortunately Rakel failed or Caf Rakel failed two years later. 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. And they would just be, you know, they were 50 years younger than he was, and he would just be telling them stories and theyd just be like listening on the edge of their seats, and that was one of the favorite things that he did. And he flies the American flag above his restaurant. You have received the highest rating in Michelin, three stars. And I was just It was emotional. So if you dont want to be repetitive in what youre doing, you probably dont want to really be a cook. Made him a strawberry shortcake for dessert. Organization as a dishwasher really meant that you had to set up a template for the servers to, you know, where to put their dishes. Testosterone is raging and youre with all these its a group. Now, before I went to see Bob, you have to realize that I had worked on this business plan, right? If you kept after it year after year after year, that dish evolved into something else. Keller's mother was a restaurateur who employed Thomas as help when her cook got sick. So I want you to come to my restaurant with the attitude that youre going to have a great time because of the experience youre going to have with those that youre dining with. So I was focused on that. And I could have him pin the medal on my chest. There were not that many great chefs recognized other than some of the great chefs of France. He was always the kind of guy who wanted to save money. We are only as good as those who come after us. We did lunch and dinner. Cooking and food preparation are applied sciences, and chefs understand them fully to succeed at their job. This dish is featured on both the menus at Per Se and The French Laundry, a dish that has stayed on the menus since it was created and one we fully expect to remain there. It was a normal thing and it still is today. We built our new kitchen. We had The Greenbrier, which had a qualified externship program. I had only been there for a year, but I was determined. 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. Pierre ran the kitchen. Hes got his cage. You opened your own restaurant in New York in 1986. And if we do those three things right, what happens? Thomas Keller: Those were two of the greatest moments of my life. Everybody read Herb Caen whether you liked food or not. And it was one of those things that you try. 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. 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. 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. So I went to Bobs office with this idea of The French Laundry and hoping that he would be my attorney. Thomas Keller: Interpretation is a very, very important word. 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. After The Dunes Club, Keller worked various cooking positions in Florida and soon became the cook at a small French restaurant called La Rive in the Hudson River valley in Catskill, New York. Were you a good student? 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. Im the first owner. Was it a restaurant that was breaking new ground? With more than. Thomas Keller: This was a time in my life when I started to embrace the idea of doing things myself outside of the kitchen, having a garden. Paul Bocuse said it very well. Thats just what you do. And this olive oil was a small olive oil company I began to kind of keep me solvent in some ways, but also keep me motivated and keep me busy and have kind of I wouldnt even call it plan B. I had partnered with two male flight attendants who wanted to open a restaurant. I spent three summers there: 1980, 81 and 82. Jonathan Benno was our chef at the time. 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. I had been fired from another. The businessmen who had constituted the base of their clientele went looking for lower-price, more casual dining options until the economy recovered. A chef in France is the head of a specific area. Youre supporting the chef de partie. So your mom raised all six children by herself? Its Jean Luc Naret, who is the director of Michelin. What an impact that must have had! Now people who are interested in food and wine, theyll read the food section of The New York Times or the Chronicle or the L.A. Times or any newspaper. Chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller says his mother was his first mentor. Oh wow, what just happened? The second summer I decided to go to New York City to try my hand in Manhattan, and that was when I met Serge Raoul. He wrote his social column every day. He told me. And I arrived at the front door and a large matronly woman met me and she was very harsh, and she took me up to my room, which was this small cubicle with a window, but the window was covered with dust, which I thought was dust. All this was a mystery until the day that you get a phone call. 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. I said, Jonathan, youre the first chef de cuisine. Expectations do get in the way. At this time newspapers still had a social columnist. Two years later, Keller opened Bouchon Bakery in Yountville and started his own wine label, Modicum. He holds an honorary Doctor's in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America. You learn a lot from your mistakes. And it was just one of those magical moments. To get by, he started a small business, EVO, importing Italian olive oil. You know, this is truly an extraordinary moment in American culinary history. I was thinking that, I dont know, fireworks. And those are his two chefs. I graduated high school. And that really, typically, as much as males have nurturing genes, I think really comes from mostly females and the act of being a parent, being a mother. It takes a village to build a great restaurant. Its like, Wow, I can choose any one of these pillows. But which one really is the best? World War II kind of shook that all up. And it really truly is a learning, a place of learning. Thomas Keller, who was named "America's Best Chef" in 2001 by TIME Magazine, among countless other accolades, has taught a generation of restaurateurs how to not only be like him, but to be even better. How do we respond to that? Thats what he wanted. I was also developing my relationship with farmers, with foragers, with gardeners, with fishermen from around the area. You have dinner. 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. In school, were there particular teachers you remember who had an impact on you? And I went to his restaurant, had lunch on my way to Arbois and I left thinking, Wow. As a teenager, he fell in love with the art of French cooking and learned his craft working in restaurants up and down the East Coast before moving to France to complete his training. You started quite young, didnt you? Thomas Keller: My father was a Marine. We had an extraordinary dinner. Thomas Keller: My mother passed away, unfortunately, by the time I went to France. Can I send you a copy? Right. French kitchens are very delineated, arent they? We had a beautiful time on the back porch of our house, and that Monday night, the next night, he passed away. And still, it wasnt necessarily something that was recognized as a true profession. But I think his favorite thing to do was really to share time, share moments with the young staff and just tell stories. I was working as a young cook in a private club in Narragansett, Rhode Island called the Dunes Club. Where else would you aspire to go if it wasnt the best? Were you primarily raised by your mother? Culinary Skills & High Standards He is known for his meticulous attention to detail, which he says is necessary for creating a memorable dining experience. Youll find a job. AllRightsReserved. I was committed. The first time U.S.A. is there, Im standing at the pass in Pauls kitchen, Im standing next to him and Im just telling him how proud I am, how much I love what hes done, how much I love him. He was that kind of came from that kind of generation. But Gourmet magazine picked it up and they thought it was very important. They believed in me. So I had been focused on working in and Ive chosen French cuisine and haute cuisine as my metier. Its always been an important part of our culture, that consistency. When you won your first three Michelin stars, you celebrated at Taillevent in Paris. Maybe it was a plan D as an olive oil purveyor. I had committed myself since 1977 to make this my career. Or we could stay in Paris, maybe get a phone call, but miss the celebration in New York. So at that time, cooking wasnt as recognized or as popular as it is today. 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. So I went to different banks, several banks. Thomas Keller: Michelin announced that they were going to come to America. A typical person who wants to be a chef might think, Im going to go study with a really good person in Chicago or New York, or even a really good person in Paris. One of the most moving little notes on your website is easy to miss, but its just the fact that The French Laundry has had three stars since 2007, and Per Se has had three stars since 2006. Ill dye it green. So, food color came out, we dyed the pasta green. In the late 1980s he opened Rakel in New York, but left for California a few years later. Somebody will hire you. I wanted to make sure that I had somewhere to go to. I believe in you, but I need something. I enjoyed it. Thank you, Chef. And then we have to mentor them not just in their career, but in their lives. Very few people in our country even knew that there was an American culinary team representing our country in Lyon every two years at this competition of 23 other nations. Fortunately, my persistence paid off and I had eight different stages in observation, permission to have observation at a restaurant. We did everything from the pats to the desserts, and he taught me a great deal. Im not sure which one. What college did you attend for that short while? Armed with his investors contributions, Keller secured a bank loan and a federal small business loan. It was a young chef from The French Laundry, Timothy Hollingsworth. You should be thinking about those who youre with. I learned how to share with them. 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. Today we have executive chefs as well. But it wasnt about the team that won gold. 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. We live by them day to day, not necessarily having written them down. And we were so proud. So for me, there wasnt really a lot of awareness about opportunities outside of learning the trade in a kitchen. You had to check the soap every three hours. Right. 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. You had to have the silverware to the servers so they could set the tables. I thought, If Im going to do this, I need to do it now. And I went back to Los Angeles. 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. Oysters and Pearls. So, we werent away from it for too long, but long enough that so many of us forgot how important it was. Why was it produced in that part of Italy? The opening of her debut restaurant, Core by Clare Smyth, marks an important milestone for Smyth, who trained under world-renowned chefs Thomas Keller and Alain Ducasse and made headlines as. It was really only on Saturday and Sunday that I kind of had to support myself through eating and/or entertaining myself. And there was another friend of mine in Los Angeles who taught me how to use a computer. You just never know. Otherwise it wasnt going to be good. He loved food. 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. And so you have a pastry chef who is responsible for the entire pastry station, right? With his first book, the chef of D.C. restaurant Kith and Kin takes readers through his childhood in the Bronx, where he learned to cook from his mother who ran her own catering company, to an. Of course his son went to school here in the Culinary Institute of America and now lives in America. As a consultant for All-Clad Metalcrafters, Keller advised on the creation of the All-Clad Copper Core Bocuse DOr Cookware. And about midnight he finished about midnight and he came back to the kitchen and I was standing in the box in our little office in the kitchen, the chefs office, and I was cleaning, doing my nightly cleaning rituals. After the failure of Rakel, you persisted with haute cuisine but you moved to Los Angeles. From the beginning, did you have the idea of doing a tasting menu, rather than a long menu of choices? I had now failed in two restaurants and a chef de cuisineposition or executive chef position at Checkers Hotel. Theres a chef de partie in every different station thats in a kitchen. She would spend it seems like days preparing Thanksgiving dinner. To expand his knowledge, he joined Compagnons du Devoir, an artisans' organization that offers technical education through tours and apprenticeships with masters. You made him a real last supper, didnt you? Im very proud to have been part of this. [1], In 2005, he was awarded the three-star rating in the inaugural Michelin Guide for New York City for his restaurant Per Se, and in 2006, he was awarded three stars in the inaugural Michelin Guide to the San Francisco Bay Area for The French Laundry. The first and most important thing, he said, was to make sure that when you reach into the cage, that you grab both the hind legs simultaneously. Thomas Keller: Every morning there was a ritual where I would wake up and I would call my list of people asking them for money. I wasnt convinced that I was just going to travel to France and knock on somebodys door, but in reality thats actually what happened. He actually was my first mentor in this profession. 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 stands in front of the original exterior wall of the French Laundry in Yountville. I said, Im never going to do that again. Why didnt I choose to go to school? I think thats more of what I meant. The second cookbook that I received, which was from my mentor Roland Henin, was Ma Gastronomie by Fernand Point. 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. So you have chef electricians. Its an extraordinary event, extraordinary undertaking. How did you come to take over The French Laundry? And you know what, it was okay, either one. And I realized that my window wasnt covered with dust. So I passed by out of curiosity. [1], In April 2009, Keller became engaged to longtime girlfriend and former general manager at the French Laundry, Laura Cunningham. Theyll pick up the food guides. He loved wine. Thomas Keller: Its funny. I mean thats it. So Im in his restaurant the next day, because every morning after the competition he does a breakfast for the winners. What influence do you think his Marine background might have had on the discipline with which you approach your craft? I became a consultant, which paid me more money than I ever made before, but which was so unrewarding to do that that I was just miserable. We sat in their kitchen in their house next door. 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. 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. Thomas Keller: The Schmitts, lovely people, had agreed to sell me their restaurant for $1.2 million. 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 that was the moment, July 1977, that I decided to make this my career and pursued that with determination, with commitment. It was such a moment for us because we represented our country. So that was a mistake I made that I never made again, and I learned from that. It was a perfect meal to celebrate a perfect moment with the best people in the world. You had to empty the garbage can three times a day. And of course then to finish the meal was the famous marquise au chocolat, the chocolate marquise with pistachio sauce, something that I made almost every night during my time at Taillevent. The Cobbley Nob has to do with woodworking, because one of our partners was an amateur he was a hobbyist. I had left Checkers. No. So we were producing if it was five, we were producing 40 items, 40, 45 items a day. Chef Thomas Keller takes a seat just outside the wall of windows enclosing his new kitchen, the centrepiece of The French Laundry's $10 million renovation, while inside about a dozen cooks smoothly begin preparations for evening service, when the performance will begin all over again, as it has for 23 years.
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