Thomas Keller

Biography

Thomas Keller is renowned for his culinary skills and his exceptionally high standards. He has established a collection of restaurants that set a new paradigm within the hospitality profession. 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, the highest decoration in France. He has received countless accolades, including 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 culinary career at a young age, working in the Palm Beach restaurant managed by his mother. He relocated to France in 1983, where he worked in several Michelin-starred houses including Guy Savoy and Taillevent. 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. His French bistro Bouchon debuted in 1998, with Bouchon Bakery following five years later, both within walking distance of The French Laundry. The other restaurants in the group include his family-style restaurant Ad Hoc, also located in Yountville, Per Se and Bouchon Bakery & Cafe in the Time Warner Center in New York City, and outposts of Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. In November 2009, he opened Bouchon in Beverly Hills and introduced his newest concept, Bar Bouchon, in an adjacent space. In May 2011, Keller opened Bouchon Bakery in New York City’s iconic Rockefeller Center, followed by another unveiling of Bouchon Bakery in Beverly Hills later that August. In December 2012, he simultaneously opened two additional locations of Bouchon Bakery at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

Keller is the author of five cookbooks, more than one million copies of which are in print. His award-winning “The French Laundry” cookbook debuted in 1999, followed by “Bouchon” and “Under Pressure,” a cookbook dedicated to sous vide preparations. He also authored “Ad Hoc at Home,” a book of family-style recipes that received awards from IACP and the James Beard Foundation, in addition to appearing on The New York Times Best Sellers list for six weeks in 2009 and 2010. His most recent project, The New York Times best selling cookbook “Bouchon Bakery,” was on The New York Times Best Sellers list for nearly two months after its release in October 2012.

Valuing genuine collaboration, Keller has successfully assembled an expert staff that shares his philosophy and vision, enabling him to concentrate on his many varied interests, including his Napa Valley wine label Modicum and bi-annual lifestyle magazine Finesse. His relationship with All-Clad Metalcrafters is more than a decade old, and includes collaborations such as the All-Clad Copper Core and the All-Clad Bocuse D’Or Cookware. Together with restaurant designer Adam D. Tihany, he developed K + T, a collection of silver halloware and cocktailware for Christofle Silversmiths. His collaboration with Raynaud and design firm Level has led to a sophisticated collection of white porcelain dinnerware called “Hommage.” He also consulted on the films "Spanglish" and "Ratatouille," the latter winning the 2007 “Best Animated Feature Film” category at both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards.

In August 2011, in collaboration with Lena Kwak, then the research and development chef of The French Laundry, Keller launched Cup4Cup, a gluten-free flour blend that substitutes for all-purpose flour in home recipes. Distributed nationally at retailers like Whole Foods, Wegmans and Williams Sonoma, as well as Bouchon Bakery locations, Cup4Cup provides an alternative new ingredient to home cooks nationwide and continues Keller’s legacy of setting industry standards. In addition to the multi-purpose flour, new products include a non-dairy and non-GMO wholesome flour, pancake and waffle mix, brownie mix and pizza mix. In January 2015, Keller and Kwak introduced a nutrient-dense, dairy- and gluten-free Wholesome Vanilla Cake to the Cup4Cup line of baking mixes.

In addition to the international and national acclaim Keller ’s fine dining and casual dining restaurants consistently receive, including seven stars in the 2016 Michelin Guide, Keller’s personal influence on the culinary world has placed him among the most decorated chefs in the world. In 2001, Keller was named “America’s Best Chef” by Time magazine. In 2003, Johnson & Wales University conferred upon him the honorary degree of Doctor of Culinary Arts for his contributions to the profession. He is consistently recognized by respected media outlets, the James Beard Foundation and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), which honored him in 2013 with “TK Day at the CIA”—a day dedicated to culinary curricula of America. In 2010, he was elected to the CIA’s Board of Trustees, contributing his unique perspective and leadership to furthering the school’s educational mission.

In 2008, at the behest of Chef Paul Bocuse, he, along with Chefs Daniel Boulud and Jerome Bocuse, established the Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation, where he currently serves as president. The Foundation is devoted to inspiring culinary excellence in young professionals and preserving the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America. 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. In January of 2015, as President for the Ment'or BKB Foundation, he lead Team USA to a historic silver win in the Bocuse d'Or competition in Lyon, France. Realizing Paul Bocuse's dream, it the first time ever that the United States placed on the podium.

During the summer of 2013, Keller opened his first retail store in Yountville, Finesse, The, Store, offering an array of hand-selected kitchen tools, apparel, gifts and accessories. As with Keller’s menus, the product selection changes seasonally, but stay true to Chef ’s Essentials, Garden Essentials, Pastry Essentials and restaurant keepsakes.