TK & ME
In 1994, the same year I graduated from Monterey High, Thomas Keller took over as the Chef and new owner of The French Laundry. He had felt an immediate connection to the property, “It was this magical place, and I just felt an instant connection to it. And I thought, “Wow, this may be a great opportunity for me. It may be my last chance.” I was in my mid-thirties, I thought, “If I’m going to do this, I need to do it now.” Keller had found himself at a crossroads; his two previous restaurant ventures had failed; he had been fired from his most recent chef job and he was selling olive oil to keep himself afloat. It’s hard to imagine our heroes ever failing but it’s within that bitter space of failure that they often find the fuel for their success. Stepping into that “magical place” had given Chef Keller a sparkling new vision of his future – he just needed $1.2 million dollars to make it happen. What transpired over the course of the next 18 months can only be described as a scene from The Alchemist, “When you want something, all the Universe conspires in helping you achieve it.” Chef Keller maxed out his credit cards, found 52 people who were willing to invest in him and made up the rest in bank loans. The French Laundry and the future would now belong to him.
I first heard the name Thomas Keller in 1996. Two years out of high school, I had managed to secure a waitressing gig at Montrio, a restaurant that had recently been named by Esquire Magazine as the Best Restaurant in America. During a pre-shift meeting, our Executive Chef, Brian Whitmer, was regaling the staff with stories from his recent trip to Napa Valley, including a “mind-blowing” dinner at a place called The French Laundry. Brian said a chef by the name of Thomas Keller was doing things he had never seen before and it had been one of the best meals of his life. I was barely 19 years-old at the time and didn’t know much about food or really anything, for that matter, and recall thinking to myself, “he went to a restaurant located in a laundry?” Like I said, I didn’t know much but I was hungry to learn more and Montrio would be the place that would awaken my passion for food and launch my career path to becoming a Master Sommelier.
Thomas Keller would go on to establish what the late Anthony Bourdain described as, “the best restaurant in the world – period.” He would become the first American chef to be awarded the coveted 3 Stars from the Michelin Guide. He now has 7, more than any other American chef in history. The name Thomas Keller is synonymous with greatness and a chance to work in one of his kitchens is akin to being accepted into an elite military training unit. Equally as impressive as Chef Keller’s culinary legacy, is his ability to mentor and foster new talent. The roster of award-winning chefs who have passed through his restaurants reads like a culinary Who’s Who: Grant Achatz (Alinea), Brendan Sodikoff (Hogsalt Hospitality), Corey Lee (Benu), Curtis Duffy (Grace, Ever) and Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson (Frasca) to name just a few. For Chef Keller, mentorship is just as important as the food he creates, “It’s like a sports franchise. We need to make sure the teams are cohesive. Then the training process begins and goes on for as long as the person is with us. The third thing is the mentorship process. We make sure we mentor the young people both in their professional and personal lives.”
I have never dined at The French Laundry but I have eaten at Chef Keller’s other restaurants. I was lucky enough to visit the kitchen at Per Se and was immediately struck by the lime green tape that was used to secure the mise en place in each station. It was cut and lined up with surgical precision. Our tour guide had noticed me tracing the edge of the tape with my finger and said, “Yes, Chef wants the tape cut, never torn.” All the cooks had white water bottles in their stations, the kinds you see Tour de France cyclists using to douse themselves during an arduous ride. Our tour guide once again, “Yes, Chef doesn’t like the guys drinking from deli containers.” I’ve also made enough Thomas Keller recipes to understand that how he does anything is really how he does everything: with exact meticulous precision.
I had seen the advertisements for Chef Keller’s MasterClasses and a little voice told me to sign up for a subscription. It would make for an interesting writing project and if anything, I would pick up a few lessons. I had forgotten about the idea when out of the blue, a very kind Instagram friend offered the other half of his BOGO MasterClass subscription. The Universe had spoken and I thought, okay, this is my sign, let’s do this. Each time I make a Thomas Keller recipe, I learn a new technique and I become a better home cook. And now I have an opportunity to learn from one of the greatest culinary teachers ever, how can I say no to this? Due to the fact that I’m wired a little differently, all Master Sommeliers are, I want to dive deep and chronicle my journey through each episode. This is my version of Julie and Julia (but hopefully, less annoying – yeah, I said it.) I’m curious to see what I can learn from Chef Keller, both in terms of food and ultimately about myself. By all accounts, I won’t be joining Chef Keller as a member of his elite culinary team but can he still mentor me through the medium of a video lecture series? Can he inspire me to become a better version of myself by showing me how to make hollandaise? They say when the student is ready, the teacher will show up. I’m definitely ready, so let’s get cooking.
Quote Sources:
https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/article/people/thomas-keller-the-french-laundry-alumni
https://www.achievement.org/achiever/thomas-keller-2/