Tag Archives: Thomas Keller

Bouchon (Beverly Hills, CA)

Posted on by January 28, 2018

Bouchon Beverly Hills
238 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Dining date: 12/18/17

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Bouchon’s Beverly Hills location closed at the end of last year after eight years. I came here for one last meal, coinciding with the restaurant’s last Ad Hoc fried chicken Monday. The restaurant holds a special place with this blog. My two visits during the restaurant’s opening weekend was the first post on this blog, ever, and it’s also the place that I sat next to Thomas Keller for dinner.

For this final meal, we ordered the fried chicken dinner for two (which came with three sides), adding a favorite side – pommes frites with black truffles.

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Per Se (New York, NY) [3]

Posted on by July 9, 2017

Per Se
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019
Dining date: 6/18/17

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This was my third time dining at Per Se, Thomas Keller’s Michelin three star restaurant in NYC’s Time Warner Center. My last visit was at the restaurant’s lounge having an abbreviated menu, but I returned to the dining room for the formal tasting menu on this visit. The tasting menu is currently priced at $325 (service-included) and we opted for the wine pairing at the $200 level.

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Per Se (New York, NY) [2]

Posted on by October 9, 2016

Per Se
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019
Dining date: 9/25/16

Blue Door

I’ve dined in Per Se’s dining room once, but this was my first time dining at the restaurant’s lounge, called the Salon.  In the Salon, right outside the main dining room, the restaurant offers an a la carte version of that day’s tasting menu. Desserts are also offered a la carte, as well as a dessert tasting menu priced at $70 for 5 courses. I picked out a few items from the evening’s menu – one appetizer, a fish, a meat and a dessert.

The Salon offers the same view as the main dining room.

Columbus Circle

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Ad Hoc (Yountville, CA) [2]

Posted on by July 17, 2016

Ad Hoc
6476 Washington St
Yountville, CA 94599
Dining date: 7/2/16

Ad Hoc

There’s plenty of good restaurants in the Napa Valley, but for me a trip just doesn’t feel complete without a stop at a Thomas Keller establishment. There would be no French Laundry on this brief trip, but a stop here at the more casual Ad Hoc was in order. The restaurant serves a 4-course fixed menu for $52, although there’s regularly a supplemental dish offered as well. Since the menu isn’t published until the morning of the meal, it’s a little bit of a crapshoot depending on what you’re looking for. We lucked out this time as this evening’s menu featured steak – a ribeye to be exact.

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Per Se (New York, NY)

Posted on by September 27, 2015

Per Se
10 Columbus Circle
New York, NY 10019
Dining date: 9/8/15

Door

While traveling in New York, a few coworkers and I had one free night to have a dinner together. They left it up to me to choose a restaurant for the four of us. It didn’t take too much deliberation to pick Per Se. This would be my first time dining here and the first Thomas Keller restaurant for the rest of the party.

Dining Room

Dining Room

Generally regarded as one of the best restaurants in the city (America and the world), Per Se holds three Michelin stars, is rated 4 stars by the New York Times, and is ranked #40 in the latest best restaurants in the world list (holding a top 10 spot for an impressive 8-year streak from 2005 to 2012).

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Ad Lib (Yountville, CA)

Posted on by September 13, 2015

Ad Lib
Silverado Resort
1600 Atlas Peak Rd
Napa, CA 94558
Dining date: 8/30/15

Silverado

When The French Laundry closed this past winter for a remodel, Thomas Keller partnered with Napa’s Silverado Resort to open up a temporary restaurant on the grounds. The primary reason was to keep the TFL team employed while the restaurant was closed, which was only supposed to be about 3-4 months. The French Laundry did reopen in April, but Ad Lib’s run has been extended through October when the resort will host a PGA Tour event.

While I am a huge Thomas Keller fan, I was a little apprehensive about trying Ad Lib. The restaurant had received somewhat mixed reviews and The French Laundry staff had already departed in April back to their home restaurant. Furthermore, one of the most popular dishes from the original run, a short rib beef wellington, was no longer on the menu. However, I figured I might as well give the restaurant a try during its limited run.

Interior1

Interior2

Temporarily situated inside the resort’s Royal Oak restaurant, Ad Lib was one of the dimmest restaurants in recent memory. The focus of the decor was primarily on the large windows peering out onto the resort grounds and its golf course. While it was dark by the time of our reservation, we observed a striking moonrise over the mountains.

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