I was lucky enough to be invited to Napa Valley for a private tour and tasting of Bouchon Bistro, Bouchon Bakery and The French Laundry early this spring.
As a little girl growing up with a four-star chef for a grandfather trained in French cuisine, my international palate started early. Traveling through France as a model, at the young age of 17 is where I first was truly inspired not just by fashion but also by the art and flavors of French cooking. There is nothing like bread in France, it’s just not the same French bread that you buy in your local market. I think this was where my journey for culinary perfection began. When I returned home from France nothing tasted quite the same again.
There are thousands of reviews about the world-renowned Thomas Keller. His restaurants have won numerous awards, including the 2009 Ivy Award, and he is the only one with two restaurants with three-star ratings from the prestigious Michelin Guide. You may already know that American chef Thomas Keller is acknowledged to be one of the greatest in America. Everyone seems to write about the same thing it seems, typically reporting their take on Keller’s creations and the finished product. More importantly, what were these people wearing?
What can I say that hasn’t already been said…? What about the inspirations and the detail of what you see and what it takes on a daily basis to create such perfection? I just love it when I can use that word, “perfection” It makes me ridiculously happy.
BOUCHON BISTRO
When I first walked into the elegantly designed room wearing my Vanessa Bruno dress and my Yves Saint Laurent Cage boot in patent leather, I knew I had chosen the perfect outfit! It seems the French were calling my name from my closet that morning. As I looked up, the staff was not only smiling, but seemed genuinely happy. Weird, I thought to myself. I don’t think I visited one restaurant this last year in Los Angeles where I actually got a real smile. I wasn’t expecting it; I giggled. There is a vibe in the air that screams confidence, elegance and was accessorized with a hint of mystery. I simply looked around and understood. All of the articles and photos I have seen over the years about Thomas Keller all came together and made sense.
Keller enlisted renowned designer Adam D. Tihany to create Bouchon’s interior. The restaurant features a French zinc bar, a vibrant mosaic floor and antique light fixtures. Tihany and Keller also collaborated and created the Christofle, hollowware used in all of the restaurants as well as sold on line. You may have seen Adam’s interior design at Fred Leighton Rare Collectible Jewels, an intimate Madison Avenue boutique. Feast your eyes on the sophisticated and innovative works of French artist Paulin Paris adorning the Bouchon Walls. His expansive, hand-painted mural features a shoe and hat no less. Food definitely meets fashion and, in this case, art. Paulin is well known for his interior design, fabrics and wallpaper, furniture, canvas paintings, sculptures and murals. To see the work of these two artists is a joy in itself.
The service was impeccable from start to finish. The presentation of the dishes was beautiful, perfection. There I go smiling again. Let’s just say Keller is to food as Luis Vuitton is to fashion. I could have eaten just the bread alone and I would have been thrilled. The fresh lobster from my salad had obviously just come out of the ocean, and you can’t get much fresher than that. I suggest the steak frites, pan-seared flat iron steak served with maitre d’ hotel butter and French fries. As I bit into my steak I suddenly felt like Anton Ego in Ratatouille. I think my life actually flashed before my eyes. I was 17 again. Like Mr. Ego, “ If I don’t love it, I don’t swallow.”
Bouchon has obviously been left in capable hands. As Chef de Cuisine Philip Tessier walked me through the busy kitchen, the first thing I noticed was there is no pass-over with heat lamps. I love it! I wanted to break out in song and dance and probably would have if I weren’t wearing four-inch heels! Why? Food should be served when it’s hot. What a concept! There was no yelling or people running around bumping into each other. Was I really in a restaurant kitchen? I have worked in many kitchens and have never seen such organization and calmness in my life. How refreshing! To see the execution, love, care and attention to detail in both ingredients and presentation was enlightening.
“Respect for food is a respect for life, for who we are and what we do.” THOMAS KELLER
BOUCHON BAKERY
Inspired by the boulangeries of France , the original Bouchon Bakery was originally built to bake bread for Keller’s nearby restaurants before later opening to the community and expanding to Las Vegas and New York. After walking through Bouchon Bakery and receiving my goody bag of treats, I fell in love all over again. Meet my new BFF: the TKO. It looks like a giant Oreo cookie, but it is nothing of the sort. Nothing against the classic Oreo, but this is the Thomas Keller Oreo, AKA, TKO. Chocolate cookie on the outside, creamy on the inside. I would travel thousands of miles just for those cookies. From breads, viennoiserie, pastries, muffins, tarts, cookies, chocolates, soups, salads, quiche, packaged specialties, pet treats and now doughnuts, make this stop a must.
THE FRENCH LAUNDRY
A few steps down the road is where you will find Corey Lee, Chef de Cuisine of The French Laundry preparing for the evening service. Being that it is an old steam laundry, which is how it got its name, there are many different little rooms. Each room is designated for one purpose; whether it be a prep room or wine storage, supply room, etc… The organization excited me just a little bit too much. As I looked over the kitchen, the staff was prepping and creating. Corey explained each individual room and it’s purpose, it was obvious that he is passionate about what he does. When seated in the upstairs dining room, wearing your little black Channel dress, you will feel like you are eating in a small quaint home. There is a sense of comfort as the doors open to the balcony where you can sip on wine and overlook the courtyard below or culinary gardens across the street, which supplies specialty produce to all of the restaurants. Keller is committed to sustaining the economic viability of local farming, as well as taking a unique and progressive approach to ensure his restaurants are moving toward more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly systems.
Nordaq FRESH®, a Swedish-based, water purification process has been installed in several of Chef Keller’s restaurants. In addition, Keller’s flagship, The French Laundry, utilizes the Ground-Source Heat Pump, a unique geothermal heating system to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels to heat and cool the entire restaurant.
Bouchon Bistro and Bakery, Beverly Hills is set to open in Fall 2009. The restaurant will be in the city of Beverly Hills' Garden Building between Beverly and Canon drives, just north of Wilshire, next to the new Montage hotel and of course Hermès, Valentino and Christian Dior. Chef Rory Herrmann, previously at Per Se in New York City, currently divides his time between the kitchens of Bouchon in both Yountville and Las Vegas in preparation for the Beverly Hills opening. Do I recommend visiting a Keller restaurant? If you get the opportunity, consider yourself lucky not only to be a part of perfection, but a part of history and something much more than just a meal.
http://www.bouchonbistro.com/
http://www.bouchonbakery.com/
http://www.frenchlaundry.com/
