16 Recipes to Make at Home for a Taste of Thomas Keller (2024)

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16 Recipes to Make at Home for a Taste of Thomas Keller? ›

He opened his first restaurant, Rakel, in New York City in 1986, then moved westward to California to work as the executive chef at the Checkers Hotel in Los Angeles. In 1994, Keller took ownership of The French Laundry in Yountville, quickly garnering nationwide acclaim.

He opened his first restaurant, Rakel, in New York City in 1986, then moved westward to California to work as the executive chef at the Checkers Hotel in Los Angeles. In 1994, Keller took ownership of The French Laundry in Yountville, quickly garnering nationwide acclaim.

He is the first and only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from the prestigious Michelin Guide, as well as the first American male chef to be designated a Chevalier of The French Legion of Honor.

Thomas Keller - The French Laundry Cookbook.

Thomas Keller is an American chef who has been awarded titles like best chef in America and California multiple times. His restaurants hold seven Michelin stars. He worked his way from kitchen apprentice to very successful and famous chef over many years.

Keller is the first and only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from the prestigious Michelin Guide and is the first American male chef to be designated a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, France's paramount honorary order.

Thomas Keller's quote, "Cooking is not about being the best or most perfect cook, but rather it is about sharing the table with family and friends," encapsulates the true essence of the culinary experience.

Early life and career

In his teenage summers, he worked at the Palm Beach Yacht Club starting as a dishwasher and quickly moving up to cook. It was here he discovered his passion for cooking and perfection of the hollandaise sauce. During summers, he worked as a cook in Rhode Island.

What does Thomas Keller eat? ›

In the introduction to Bouchon (2004), Keller writes, “Bistro cooking is my favourite food to eat. Roast chicken and a salad of fresh lettuces with a simple vinaigrette. Frisée salad with crisp, chewy lardons and a poached egg. A dense steak with lemon-herb butter and frites.

Thomas Keller was the first American chef to earn two three-star ratings from the Michelin Guide, though he never went to culinary school. Instead of attending culinary school, Keller studied under chefs at restaurants in the US and France, beginning with La Reserve in 1984.

On behalf of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Chef Paul Bocuse presented Keller as a Chevalier of The French Legion of Honor in 2011 in recognition of his lifelong commitment to the traditions of French cuisine and his role in elevating cooking in America.

With 10 properties and over 800 employees, the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group (TKRG) has grown from one restaurant to a large family of businesses. TKRG proudly represents The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon Bistro, Bouchon Bakery, Ad Hoc, La Calenda and The Surf Club Restaurant.

His influence on the culinary arts has placed him among the most decorated chefs in the world with accolades including Time magazine's “America's Best Chef,” The Culinary Institute of America's “Chef of the Year” Award and the James Beard Foundation's “Outstanding Chef” and “Outstanding Restaurateur” Awards.

Keller began his career as a professional cook at the Palm Beach Yacht Club in 1974. 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.

According to an often-repeated account that was first published in 1853, the first restaurant was opened in 1765 by a Parisian named Boulanger. Boulanger's establishment on rue des Poulies, near the Louvre, served mostly bouillons restaurants—that is, "restorative broths."

The White Horse Tavern is credit as being the first restaurant in the U.S. Learn about the history of the White Horse Tavern, America's Oldest Tavern.

In 1765, that all changed when a soup maker by the name of A. Boulanger decided to market a variety of soups and broths to potential customers on the street. He designated himself a soup vendor and opened a small establishment in downtown Paris, advertising his various soups as restoratives, or restaurants, in French.