YEAR: 1997
Many chefs will admit that their first food-related job was washing dishes in a restaurant. Not many will admit to actually liking it.
But Keller, who as a child accompanied his mother to her restaurant jobs and washed dishes, found pleasure in the repetitive nature of the task, and pride in turning dishware from dirty to sparkling clean. What appealed to him was the process, the system he used to soap, clean and rinse that always produced a satisfactory result.
That appreciation of rules and organization to accomplish a task remains a key feature of his kitchen and his cooking. The finesse he applies to every aspect of the dining experience at his debut restaurant, The French Laundry in California’s Napa Valley, from the ambience and the service (he hired a choreographer to ensure that the dining room staff moved in a pleasing and soothing flow) to the way the kitchen staff prepare dishes, has earned him the honor of the being the first American chef to win seven Michelin stars.
His dishes reflect his philosophy that less is more; each small plate is an intensely packed morsel of flavor, with ingredients that won’t be repeated again in the ensuing courses. Diners are often left wishing for one more bite, and that’s just how Keller wants it. Taste, he says, peaks after several bites, and Keller wants to leave diners on that gastronomic high.
IF I WERE TO DIE TOMORROW, I’D WANT TO EAT TODAY: “An ideal last meal for me would be a simple roast chicken and a lemon tart for dessert.”