Thomas Keller

After-Party Report: The James Beard Awards

Thomas Keller of Per Se squinted at a monitor at last night's James Beard Foundation Awards as it aired a live feed of the stage at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall just before Daniel Humm announced the award for Outstanding Chef. "I see two medals," Keller said. "It must be a tie!" If anyone cou ... More >>

Want Another Warm Croissant? Here Are a Few More.

Bouchon Bakery -- The croissant is lighter than most at Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery, with an open texture and a slightly sweet aftertaste, you could easily eat two or three of these. 10 Columbus Circle, 3rd Floor, 212-823-9366 Fork in the Road ate loads of croissants in pursuit of the 5 Best ... More >>

Blogroll Gazette: Wedding Food and Creme Brulee Donuts

This week in food blogs.. Wedding food doesn't have to suck. Tips on how to how to avoid serving bad food on the big day. [Food Republic] Coffee is really good for you but scientists have no idea why. [The Salt] Black chickpeas. They're basically the same as regular chickpeas except they're blac ... More >>

Pastry Chef Elwyn Boyles Conjures Desserts in the Sky

The sweet taste of success

Under the Toque: Zak Pelaccio's Upstate Restaurant Plans, David Chang on Kitchen Microbiology

Dale Schnell, formerly of Setai New York and Artisanal, will be the new executive chef of KTCHN, which will open in Hell's Kitchen in June. [Grub Street] Zak Pelaccio is planning to open a restaurant in Old Chatham, New York, which will be independent of the Fatty chain. [Capital New York]

Under the Toque: Bagel and Lox Creations, Art Installations

Mario Batali and artist Jim Dine teamed up to make a super fancy, limited-edition cookbook up for auction on eBay with a minimum bid of $1,200 a copy. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Lunchbox Fund. [Eater] For the annual conference of the International Academy of Culinary Professionals, chefs ... More >>

Jamie Oliver Pulls a Thomas Keller and Installs Closed Circuit TV Cameras in His Kitchens

Smile.​In what the British press is calling a "somewhat Orwellian move," Jamie Oliver is installing closed-circuit TV cameras in his restaurants throughout England.

Thomas Keller Will Serve You Cornflakes, If You Really Must Insist

​"I don't think the question is, "Is the customer always right?" but rather, "Do you want to make your customer happy?" The paramount goal is to make the customer happy. So if a customer comes into my restaurant and wants cornflakes, is it right for him to eat cornflakes at The French Laundry? ... More >>

Where Was I Eating? Per Se

Lauren Shockey​And how quickly we come to the end of this week's Where Am I Eating? It was a relatively easy one this week, with the pictured dish being none other than the famed oysters and pearls at Per Se. The dish, a Thomas Keller classic, is a menu staple at the luxe restaurant located ... More >>

For Peels' Shuna Lydon, Baking Consistently Is Only a Small Part of the Job

Shuna Lydon​ When we spoke with Shuna Lydon last week, the Peels pastry chef was in the midst of planning her Thanksgiving menus. Premature as that might sound to those outside her profession, Lydon told us that dedicated bakeries - as opposed to restaurants that happen to sell baked goods - ... More >>

Thomas Keller Will Bestow the French Laundry Upon London

The French LaundryIf you were Thomas Keller, you'd be laughing too.​Having conquered New York with Per Se and Bouchon, Thomas Keller is taking his seven Michelin stars even farther east, clear across the Atlantic.

Foie Gras Protestors Find a New Target, Miss the Greater Issue

How to draw a headline​Having presumably tired of Manhattan's fine-dining scene, foie gras opponents have taken their rhetoric over the East River to Bedford-Stuyvesant.

What's Happening This Week: Bastille Day, Good Beer

As you may know, our weekly dining and drinking newsletter features all the coolest epicurean events in the city. Sign up for it here! Bastille Day Bouchon Bakery Thursday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. Thomas Keller invites you to celebrate Bastille Day with his take on French-boulangerie fare and music by ... More >>

Lady Gaga 'Goo' Diet Sends Baby Food Sales Through the Roof; Mark Zuckerberg Kills His Own Meat

​Rumors that Lady Gaga maintains her svelte figure while on the road by eating baby food have sent sales of the stuff, including Heinz Mum's Own Creamed Porridge, rocketing 100 percent. [Sky News] Food Network star Sandra Lee has just signed a five-book deal, including two food-themed novels, ... More >>

Bouchon Bakery Opens, Thomas Keller Loves Everything There

Bouchon BakeryThe cookie everyone loves to love, and loves to hate​Thomas Keller's new branch of Bouchon Bakery officially opens today at 1 Rockefeller Plaza (212-782-3890) and will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., ensuring that Midtowners will be able to get their fix of cookies, cakes, pastrie ... More >>

The Palates Behind the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restos; Newsflash: Some Restaurateurs Hate Groupon

​Ever wonder who picks the San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants? 27 panels of journalists, chefs and restaurateurs, and food lovers worldwide do the judging. [NY Times] Foodies at 41 is a club at P.S. 41 where kid members get to make ice cream at Grom Gelato, pizza at Keste, and pal aro ... More >>

Jason Hall 'In' at The Lion; Patricia Yee 'Out' at Aureole

​Jason Hall, previously of Gotham Bar & Grill, Anthos, and Mia Dona, has been running the kitchen at The Lion under John DeLucie. [Eater] Colin Alevras, formerly of The Tasting Room, DBGB, and Momofuku, has joined the staff at Andrew Carmellini's forthcoming The Dutch. [Eater] Aureole's exec ... More >>

Thomas Keller to Be Recognized by French Legion of Honor; Subway Now Bigger Than McDonald's Worldwide

​Thomas Keller will be named Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor, joining the ranks of Julia Child and Alice Waters as the only Americans in the food world to get the honor. [Diner's Journal] More good news about the Mediterranean diet: a new Greek study found new evidence that it helps i ... More >>

Gael Greene Asks Us to Remember Craig Claiborne

​When the Barneys' holiday windows went up last November, Gael Greene took exception to the absence of Craig Claiborne from the display, which featured food innovators and "personalities" past and present. Today, she uses her Fork Play newsletter to elaborate upon her displeasure, and to make ... More >>

Kosher Cocktails; $835 Thomas Keller Dinners

​L'Chaim is a new kosher vodka imported from Israel just in time for kosher holiday cocktails. [NY Daily News] The 415 spots available at six dinners by Thomas Keller in Hong Kong were all snapped up six months in advance at $835 per person. [Wall Street Journal] The recession in Europe has ... More >>

The Barneys Food (Network)-Themed Holiday Windows: Some Pictures

​Mario Batali's decapitated head is surrounded by a garnish of Crocs. On Tuesday, Barneys unveiled its much-anticipated food-themed holiday windows. Inscribed with the command "Have a Foodie Holiday," the three tableau offer an assemblage of 70 Food Network "personalities," chefs, and assort ... More >>

Chef James Kent Talks Bocuse d'Or

Keith Ferris, CIA​Mimi Sheraton has a "Talk of the Town" piece in this week's New Yorker about chef James Kent's preparations for January's Bocuse d'Or. Kent, who is a sous-chef at Eleven Madison Park, will head up the American team for the renowned culinary competition. Monkfish and lamb are ... More >>

Thomas Keller to Open a Second Bouchon Bakery at Rockefeller Center

Coming soon to Midtown.​Today brings excellent news for fans of Bouchon's monolithic and life-altering Nutter Butter: Thomas Keller will open a second location of the bakery in Rockefeller Center. Flo Fab reports that it will replace Dean & Deluca, and will have 45 outdoor tables and no waiter ... More >>

Fat Pants Friday: Bouchon Bakery's Nutter Butter

Open wide.​ After a couple of underwhelming Fat Pants Friday forays, we're happy to report that Bouchon's Nutter Butter has completely restored our faith in the healing powers of sweet, fatty baked goods.

Food Truck Spats; The 22nd-Century Burger & Will Tom Colicchio Be the Next Top Chef Master? (Unsurprising Spoiler: No.)

This week in food blogs... Eater got excited about the apex of ramp and hot dog mania: The Shake Shack Ramp Dog. Grub Street asked Thomas Keller what he thought of animal rights protesters gathering outside his restaurants. His answer: Gofoieyourself. Feast asked Tom Colicchio if he would ever ap ... More >>

The Fuss Over Foie Gras: Thomas Keller Accused of Animal Cruelty

daveness_98/flickrDe-liver me.​The question of whether or not foie gras is torture earned our own Sarah DiGregorio a James Beard Award nomination. But her writing chops would probably be lost on the folks from the Animal Protection & Rescue League. The organization and several other animal rig ... More >>

Sam Sifton Offers Diet Tips; Thomas Keller Talks Shop

​Sam Sifton reveals how he manages to stay healthy while eating five meals a day: "I walk everywhere... I take the stairs when I can. And on days off, I make salads and pretend they're good for me." [NY Times] Thomas Keller talks about how French Laundry differs from Per Se. Apparently not mu ... More >>

En Route to Deification, Alice Waters Will Make a Pit Stop at Book Court Tonight For a Cookbook Signing

"So, I told him, that kumquat souffle may fly in Oakland, but it's not coming anywhere near my compost heap, boy-o."​Given how much she's been in the news lately for things having little to nothing to do with the actual preparation of food, it's not entirely surprising that plenty of folks hav ... More >>

Hugh Acheson Coming to NYC; Benihana Gets a New Exec Chef

​Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn has plans to open outposts of his D.C. restaurant Good Stuff in, Arlington, Virginia, and Georgetown, and maybe in "Chicago, L.A., even London and Tokyo." [Bloomberg] Hugh Acheson, the chef-owner of Five & Ten in Athens, Ga. and a James Beard nominee, has just ... More >>

Anne Burrell Wants Back Into the Restaurant Biz; Nate Appleman Seeks Skilled Pizza Makers

​Pierre Schutz has been named the executive chef at the forthcoming Jean-Georges at the Mark hotel, set to open in March. He was formerly at the now-defunct Vong. [NY Times] Famed Gascon chef Thierry Marx will cook a special $350 meal at Le Bernardin on Feb. 20, as part of d'Artagnan's 25th a ... More >>

Under the Toque: Fabio Trabocchi Eyes The Capital; Jake Wolf Leaves Zum Schneider, the City

​ Fabio Trabocchi, who is out at the Four Seasons after just three months, is eying opportunities in D.C., among other options, if Washington Post food critic Tom Sietsema's tweets (no relation to Our Man's) are to be believed. [Eater] The new restaurant by Jimmy Bradley, who owns The Red Cat ... More >>

Gourmet Dining at the Symphony; Brooklyn Restaurant Staffers Underpaid; the Cannabis Cafe

​Mimi Sheraton will host a series of dinners beginning early next year that combine a concert by the New York Philharmonic and a meal prepared by such chefs as Alain Ducasse, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Lidia Bastianich, and Daniel Boulud. [Reuters] More than 200 workers at 25 Brooklyn restaur ... More >>

Top Chef: His Protein Was Perfect. His Garnish Was Weak.

Bravo​ Last night's deadly serious episode was the last to take place in Vegas, and it was about time. How many more shots of the McRanch at sunrise can viewers take?

Thomas Keller Discusses Plans for Video Omnipotence

Deborah Jones/LA Weekly​FiTR's sister site, LA Weekly, caught up with Thomas Keller yesterday to talk with him about his new Los Angeles outpost of Bouchon and his new cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home. Among other things, Keller discussed his plans for total video transparency between his far-flung ki ... More >>

Under the Toque: Batali to Be a 'Dick-Tater' for Halloween; Ramsay Fed Up with 'Kitchen Nightmares'

​Jason Neroni, who recently left 10 Downing to be replaced by Jonnatan Leiva, has resurfaced in Solana Beach, just north of San Diego, as the new executive chef at the three-year-old Blanca. [North County Times] Centro Vinoteca, which the city shuttered for a few days, has a new chef named Be ... More >>

If You're a "Competitive, Skilled Chef," the Bocuse D'Or Wants You

​The Bocuse d'Or, the food world's version of the Olympics, has put out a call for a few good chefs to represent the U.S. in the international competition that will take place in 2011. Sixteen applicants will be chosen by none other than Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, and Jerome Bocuse to compe ... More >>

The Blogroll Gazette: Hot (And Not) Cappuccinos; Is a Momocart On the Way?

This week in food blogs... The Food Section discovered Rate My Rosetta, the "Hot or Not" of pro and amateur baristas' foamy creations. Eat Me Daily called out the LA Times for showing love to fake food-loving Hungry Girl, who is "like Sandra Lee, but worse." The Feedbag stuck to its guns after Th ... More >>

Under the Toque: Keller to Set Up Shop on the West Side; Chefs on Drugs

Thomas Keller is rumored to be opening a new restaurant on the West Side. One of the new high-rise buildings in Chelsea is the alleged location for the Per Se chef-owner's new venture, which is expected sometime in the fall. [The Feedbag] The latest in the Mr. Chow saga comes from his attorney, Ala ... More >>

Under the Toque--Forgione At Monkey Bar, But Not For Long; Benno To Leave the Nest After All

Anthony Bourdain, Alice Waters, and Duff Goldman were on the panel for the sold out "Food for Thought" forum. Bourdain and Waters clashed on some issues, while Goldman marveled at being a celebrity chef. [Eat Me Daily] Top Chef Radhika Desai may soon be the chef de partie under Floyd Cardoz at Tabl ... More >>

Under the Toque--Gordon Ramsay Swears His Butt Off; Jonathan Benno May Be Leaving Per Se

Angelo Sosa, the former executive sous-chef at Jean Georges, is about to open an Asian sandwich shop called Xie Xie ("Thank You," in Chinese) in Hell's Kitchen, and hopes to turn the eatery into a nationwide chain. [Eater] Gordon Ramsay said the F-word 115 times in the first 40 minutes of a two-hou ... More >>

Under the Toque--Thomas Keller to Get Hitched; Mercadito Goes Nationwide

Thomas Keller is reportedly engaged to Laura Cunningham, former general manager of French Laundry and former director of operations for all Keller's restaurants. [Food Gal] Rick Laakkonen, who has worked at The River Cafe and Ilo, is heading up the kitchen at Delmonico's. [The Feedbag] Mercadi ... More >>

Study--The Fatter We Are, The More We Pollute

Using ascorbic acid, glucose, citric acid and 4-O-a-glucopyranosyl-D-sorbitol, the Michelin-starred French chef Pierre Gagnaire has created what he calls "the world's first entirely synthetic gourmet dish," a recipe comprised entirely of chemical compounds. [London Times] We all know that maintaini ... More >>

The Chicken Diary, Day 1

With snow in the forecast for tomorrow, I found myself thinking of a maybe final round (for the season) of winter soup-making. So I bought a whole roasting chicken over the weekend, even though I didn't really want to eat roast chicken. I wanted chicken carcass and organs to make stock. Thirteen dol ... More >>

Thomas Keller Dropping Tables

While Thomas Keller isn't doing anything crazy like three course, $35 recession tasting menus at his restaurants, the famed chef is feeling the pinch. Corporate reservations for the private dining room at Per Se have reportedly all but dried up, and it's getting easier to snag a table at the French ... More >>

America Gets Sixth

Hollingsworth In Happier TimesWith high hopes, and Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and even Paul Bocuse himself rooting for him, Timothy Hollingsworth came in a disappointing sixth place in the Bocuse d'Or today. Hollingsworth, a sous chef at Keller's The French Laundry, had been training since Octobe ... More >>

Winter (Culinary) Olympics

America's Hopes Rest on This Guy: Not Mickey, Timonthy HollingsworthWith the Bocuse d'Or, the Olympics of the culinary world, starting tomorrow both Time and the Los Angeles Times look at the chances for Team USA this year. America's hopes rest on Timothy Hollingsworth, a 29-year old sous chef at Th ... More >>

Top Chefs Get Down With Beer

Top chefs from Daniel Boulud to Thomas Keller are deigning to add beer to their menus as their customers look to spend a bit less.[Crain's]Minneapolis and St. Paul are the latest American cities to consider banning trans fats and requiring restaurants to list calorie counts on their menus.[Star Trib ... More >>

Keller vs. Achatz

Now Hiring: Cesare Casella, Laurent Tourondel, and some "crazy, sexist crookz"

Goodbye, Columbus

Takayama tweaks it on the 4th floor of Time Warner Center