The Emerilization of Keller?

[thezippy]

Sorry if I missed discussion of this... I searched the boards and didn't see anything...

Last week TIME magazine (in their INSIDE BUSINESS section) printed an interesting article on Keller's transformation from one of America's most celebrated chef's into a global "brand." (in fact the slugline for the article was "How does America's top chef expand his franchise without sacrificing his pursuit of perfection?")

Anyhow... I'm curious to get opinions the members of this esteemed community... With the launch of Per Se in NY, Bouchon in Vegas, a line of Limoges porcelain, etc, is Chef Keller "selling out?" Do you think the quality will suffer at the French Laundry (or Napa's Bouchon) as he spreads his wings? Or is it a good thing for mainstream America to be exposed to this man's genius (i.e. the coffee and donuts spot on TODAY)?

Not looking to stir up trouble... I'm really curious what people think...

Zippy

P.S. Long time lurker... this is my first foray into posting...

[Marrow Margin]

Good question. Hey, at least he's not out there hocking toothpaste and Sante Fe chicken sandwiches and cozying up to the ugly creatures that inherit the nether regions of the marketing machine. Limoges? Bouchon? Per Se? Come on.

Keller's too much of a control freak (plasma screen connect to the Per Se kitchen) to let his rep slide. He's too much of a vulcan in that respect. You know, I could be wrong and we could be seeing The Thomas Keller Variety Hour on CBS but I'd be willing to wager my next unemployment check that Keller tm is going to redefine the celebrity chef. Funny quote from the man..."If Per Se fails it'll be because the building failed." He's going into this new phase undaunted. Let's hope for the best.

[mongo_jones]

should we start brain-storming catch-phrases for keller?

[bourdain]

My best reading on the situation,based on what he said to me at one time and what he's expressed to others is this:

Keller's highest priority is ensuring the continuity and security of The French Laundry as one of the leading culinary "institutions" in the world. Long after he's gone. He has mentioned Taillevent as a model in that regard. "Do you know the chef's name at Taillevent?" he asks. I think he's doing the best he can to look after and provide for his baby well into the future. Like any working chef, he knows his days are (and should be) numbered. He's been living NEXT TO his kitchen for years, absolutely focussed on the details of every aspect of the business. And of course he has a crew of ridiculously talented and loyal chefs, cooks and proteges who he's worked with for ages who he would like to see move up--yet keep in the family.

In short, he's planning for the future--both as prolongued exit strategy and as a way of taking care of the people, places and institutions he cares about. (Remember, he must support a whole network of small farmers and purveyors as well). As far as the New York store, I guess (I hope) that there is an element of unfinished business. I say I hope so because Rakel was by most chef accounts, wonderful.

And as far as I know, he hasn't endorsed or branded any crap. Ever. California raisins--while not something I'd do--aren't in any way "bad". And I'm guessing the Limoges is good merch. The "Grey Kunz Sauce Spoon" is one my absolute favorite kitchen toys...so why can't Keller get in on the action.

That he shuttered the Napa store while he gets Per Se up and running is a measure of his commitment. Most other chefs, not wanting to slow the revenue stream, would likely have tried juggling it all.

So it's a little early to describe Keller's latest moves as "Emerilizing" or "Going Bayless". He's hardly the performer Emeril is--or defector like "BK".

I dearly hope it all works out brilliantly. And the thought of Keller and SO getting in two or three months of beach time is for me, always reason to smile.

[Marrow Margin]

It's just the nature of the feat he's trying to pull off that's got so many Keller supporters blinding their eyes. But you've got to know, and obviously we all do, that Keller has a strategy in place to combat the doubting Thomases. He's got a million highly trained and specialized oompa loompas in his stable to help him achieve his Willy Wonka dream (Charlie, having been playing by many a blue apron). And shit, the guy ain't gonna fail for at least 5 years, what, with the reservation lines frazzled from the influx. No, Chef Keller ain't of this world. He'll pull it off easily, unless he burns from the stress (which should be the real concern.)

[russ parsons]

i think tony's perspective is right on. as one of the "thomas agonistes" over the last year, i'll add one more perspective: the thing that's driving him in new york is the same crazed pursuit of perfection that makes the french laundry the restaurant that it is. you can't have one without the other. you can only wish him well.

[Bux]

I also find Tony's reading or Keller very interesting. At any rate, whatever Keller is doing, he's not becoming Emeril. If anything he's following where some three star chefs in France have led and what Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges Vongerichten have already started. Neither the French chefs, nor the New Yorker's I've mentioned have quite set a pattern to rigidly follow. I'll expect Keller to do it as well, if not better on his own terms. Still, it's a lot trickier to do it away from your home base a la Ducasse, than it is to have satelites near home like Daniel has done with Cafe Boulud and bistro db as reports from Palm Beach might indicate.

Taillevent is an interesting choice of example. It's the one gastronomic restaurant in Paris that's owner driven as opposed to chef driven. It's a restaurant where perfection is achieved in the kitchen, but direction is from outside the kitchen

[Bux]

Let me add one thing to counter critics of chefs who dream big, or who dream like entrepreneurs. Keller has lived the dream of the old fashioned artisan chef. He's created as perfect a restaurant as anyone in the US and did it in line with the romantic image of a chef at home and tied to his kitchen. It's a restless society and a restless time in which we live. Where does one go from where Keller is, or was a year ago?

[mongo_jones]

1. i think you're onto something here bux. i think it is important to some of those who subscribe to a particular ideology of the artisan-chef to resist what they see as a move to being a businessman, a franchiser. but keller is already a business-man, as are most artisan-chefs. as such this is a logical progression, not some qualitative change in philosophy.

2. posing the question in the form of "where does one go from here?" is interesting, however. can restlessness only be answered in the form of expansion? why not in the form of shifting style or genre?

i'm more persuaded by looking at it the first way than the second. these are academic questions for me though since i can't afford to eat at the french laundry; and personally from what i've read (and seen on "a cook's tour") of both if i had to choose i'd pick a day eating street-food in thailand over a day at the french laundry (though of course in an ideal world i'd be able to do both).

Edited February 14, 2004 by mongo_jones (log)

[Bux]

Why not? Why not any direction. The challenge of creating and maintaining a top restaurant has been met. For some, maybe many, the challenge and reward would just be in keeping it going forever. For others the challenge might be to do something entirely different.

I think there's one path that deserves criticism perhaps and that's selling out. It's clear Keller isn't captializing on his success by charging more for cheaper copies. He's creating new restaurants and stretching the breadth of his control. That he will have two fine haute cuisine temples means that he won't have the same type of control he had in the French Laundry, but it doesn't mean they both can't be excellent and world class as well as good value in their price range. Time will tell how successful he is, but his direction and his effort is as valid of that of any other chef I know today. I think it's a lot about not compromising in one way or another.

[thezippy]

That he will have two fine haute cuisine temples means that he won't have the same type of control he had in the French Laundry, but it doesn't mean they both can't be excellent and world class as well as good value in their price range.

Just a quick point/question... Keller's diversification goes beyond just opening a NY partner to The French Laundry... back in Napa he's opened a bistro (Bouchon) and a bakery. He's also planning to open an Inn in the neighborhood later this year (according to TIME).

Opening a Vegas incarnation of Bouchon at the Venetian is probably the one item, of all of these, that seems the sketchiest... that said, I'm not sure if that's just because we're talking Vegas here.

I honestly don't think I have an opinion beyond "Let's wait and see if he pulls it all off," but have really appreciated the opinions of this group.

Zippy

P.S. Total non-sequitor, but on the topic of celeb chefs, I read in another thread that Tony B. has severed his relationship with FOOD net... that accurate? (damn shame, if so)

[mongo_jones]

Why not? Why not any direction. The challenge of creating and maintaining a top restaurant has been met. For some, maybe many, the challenge and reward would just be in keeping it going forever. For others the challenge might be to do something entirely different.

bux, the key word in my second point above was "only". i was wondering if the implication of your musing was that expansion was the only release for restlessness.

[russ parsons]

1) it's instructive that thomas opened bouchon in vegas, not another french laundry. bouchon is bistro food that is almost by definition reproduceable by any talented chef.

2) it's impossible to separate chef/artisan from businessman. any chef who is not a businessman is no longer in business.

3) the need for expansion is not just personal restlessness. people who haven't worked in a restaurant line probably can't appreciate how physically strenuous it is. it's not like the nba, but it is like other forms of manual labor, involving being on your feet for 12-14 hours a day. i know thomas has had two knee operations and i know other chefs have had the same. thomas has to tape up before hitting the line. as someone his age who is fortunate enough to make a living sitting down, i certainly appreciate his desire to move into a situation where he is more of a coach than a quarterback.

[bourdain]

Like the man said.

[robyn]

Perhaps I can add something. I saw a writeup for the Keller Raynaud china in some food magazine - and I was interested in it (not only do I eat at high end restaurants when I get out of town - I buy high end tableware too).

Had to dig to find out that the only place you could buy the stuff was at Gump's in San Francisco. I live in Florida. So I looked at the Gump's website. There's nothing there about it (although there is a small conceptual piece on the French Laundry website). I called the Gump's general number - and they didn't know beans either. So finally I called the china department at Gump's in San Francisco and - after the phone rang a million times - I spoke with a salesperson. Said I was interested in the stuff. Please send me a brochure - plus a "china schematic" (it's the kind of thing china salespeople keep in a big fat book - a photocopied page showing the different things you can buy - place settings - individual pieces - services for 4 - whatever - and the prices).

Today I got in the mail a vey nice arty little brochure. But it doesn't tell me diddly about what I can actually buy - and how much it costs. Plus all the sizes are in centimeters only (I buy a lot of European stuff so I can work with the metric system - but it's not exactly a US friendly kind of brochure).

Perhaps this isn't supposed to be a money making operation - but selling china is a little different than taking care of small numbers of diners in a small restaurant - especially when there are many more people interested in eating in the restaurant than there are tables to seat them.

I think the decision to go with a single store in a single rather small city is a mistake. If I were going to go with a single store - I'd probably do Bloomingdales for china - it does a nice job with Raynaud. It has just introduced the new Kate Spade line - a first at Bloomingdales. Kate Spade is getting a front page promo on the Bloomingdale's wedding web site - and it will probably sell more of that stuff in a day than Gump's will sell of Keller's stuff in a year. Maybe I might use Neiman Marcus if I didn't want to sell as much as Bloomingdales would sell. But Gump's? I don't think so.

When someone like me wants to buy a set of china (and I have 4 sets now) - you want to see the stuff. Even take home a couple of plates on spec and see how they look on your table with your flatware and glassware. And that single store doesn't seem to be all that interested in selling the stuff even when someone like me is interested in it.

This isn't the first time I've seen this recently. When Oneida reissued the Russel Wright line (famous midcentury modern line) a couple of years ago - it did such a lousy job of marketing that most of the stuff wound up remaindered in Oneida factory outlet stores. It was a shame. Because it was a well priced reissue of a truly classic series.

Anyway - some of you seem to know Chef Keller. You might pass this along. He may be a great chef - but I'm not convinced he knows anything about marketing fine china. If he's interested in making a profit on this venture - maybe funding his retirement account (and that is certainly a worthy goal in my opinion) - he might consult with the promotional people who put out the Vera Wang line for Wedgewood. Robyn

[Marrow Margin]

Maybe his target market is restaurants (though at first kick it seems a rather narrow idea). I think it'd be odd for David Bouley or Terrance Brennan to be serving food on Thomas Keller china but who knows....

Or maybe he's only interested in the boutique Helen Turley--small batches, word of mouth cottage industry. Look what he did with EVO, his olive oil and vinegar line. As big as he's become he never once put EVO in major markets. The guy's rhyme has a reason, which, at first glance seems to be counter-intuitive but usually proves to be highly thought out.

Who knows.

[robyn]

Maybe his target market is restaurants (though at first kick it seems a rather narrow idea).  I think it'd be odd for David Bouley or Terrance Brennan to be serving food on Thomas Keller china but who knows....

Or maybe he's only interested in the boutique Helen Turley--small batches, word of mouth cottage industry.  Look what he did with EVO, his olive oil and vinegar line.  As big as he's become he never once put EVO in major markets.  The guy's rhyme has a reason, which, at first glance seems to be counter-intuitive but usually proves to be highly thought out. 

Who knows.

Narrow is putting it mildly. Besides - restaurant people aren't going to deal with a bunch of part time salespeople at Gump's in San Francisco. If they're high end enough - they design their own stuff - and get someone to make it for them. If they're not at that very high end - they'll deal with commercial distributors.

And china that will probably wind up costing maybe $200-300 for a place setting isn't exactly a bottle of olive oil (no matter how high the quality of the oil). There are definite ways to market the stuff - and I don't think this is one of them.

By the way - the "boutique" side of the high end china business - as I see it - is from high end modern designers - who do stuff for outfits like Alessi - which are then sold in places like Moss in New York and similar stores throughout the world. I don't know that someone who's a chef - as opposed as to a designer - could break into this niche. But we're still not talking about selling through a single non-trendy store in a relatively small city.

Perhaps Keller has thought it out - but not necessarily in a way that's calculated to try to maximize commercial success (commercial success being no crime in my book). And if I had 2 knees that wouldn't hold me up on the line - I'd be thinking about funding my retirement - about getting the dollars that would allow me to become "an elder statesman" of my craft. Robyn

[Marrow Margin]

Perhaps Keller has thought it out - but not necessarily in a way that's calculated to try to maximize commercial success (commercial success being no crime in my book). And if I had 2 knees that wouldn't hold me up on the line - I'd be thinking about funding my retirement - about getting the dollars that would allow me to become "an elder statesman" of my craft. Robyn

Sounds like it comes from someone who doesn't quite get the whole Keller dynamic. I don't think commercial success is that important to the guy. He's on some cosmic all-encompassing search for the elusive muse, or at least that's what he puts out there via interviews, television and on paper. I mean read Soul of a Chef. He ain't huntin' the cash cow. Keller, as passe as it sounds, is on a different kind of trip.

And as Tony pointed out, he's got to be realizing he's nearing his twilight years and he wants his legacy to be "institutions" that are recognized for their full devotion to the culinary ideals set forth by Point in Ma Gastronome, a gastronomic shrine to perfect food.

Great coach analogy. I just can't see Thomas being a jet chef however. Man.

[mongo_jones]

3) the need for expansion is not just personal restlessness. people who haven't worked in a restaurant line probably can't appreciate how physically strenuous it is. it's not like the nba, but it is like other forms of manual labor, involving being on your feet for 12-14 hours a day. i know thomas has had two knee operations and i know other chefs have had the same. thomas has to tape up before hitting the line. as someone his age who is fortunate enough to make a living sitting down, i certainly appreciate his desire to move into a situation where he is more of a coach than a quarterback.

well, hopefully for the sake of foodies he won't start sporting jimmy johnson style hairdos.

your take on it is different from bux's however--you suggest this may be more of a segue to a less physically involving future rather than creative restlessness.

i don't have any moral or personal qualms about any of this though--i'm just interested in how all this works, and the kinds of stories that circulate around it.

though as i think about it the more he diversifies the greater the chance that there will one day be a thomas keller food brand that i will be able to justify sampling. hopefully he won't have been pucked over by then.

[Mabelline]

I think the decision to go only with Gump's was a carefully thought out decision. Gump's has been in San Francisco since before the Civil War, and where'd you get the idea that the Bay Area is small? I suppose he knows his clientele from fl, and believe me Gump's is no Bloomie. They've made fortunes on Oriental antiques ever since they opened. At the breakdown of the Chinese Empire, Gump's acquired the Lion's Share of the treasures of the Imperial family, and Forbidden City. Do not take my word for it-go to Gump's, Asian Art, and the first item is two antique ancestor scrolls for 3,800. That's not small time store stuff. I'm sure if you enter jade, you will find as expensive and exclusive as you want to get.

Edited February 15, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[Bux]

Why not? Why not any direction. The challenge of creating and maintaining a top restaurant has been met. For some, maybe many, the challenge and reward would just be in keeping it going forever. For others the challenge might be to do something entirely different.

bux, the key word in my second point above was "only". i was wondering if the implication of your musing was that expansion was the only release for restlessness.

Then we're on the same page here. While this may be what Keller "has to do" for himself, I didn't mean to imply it's what any chef in his position would do. I also don't think Russ and I are on different sides here. Most of our lives, even those of the less glamorous of us, are fairly multifaceted and we're driven by many needs and urges at once and these are often conflicting. Perhaps a career or a life can be ploted as a diagram in the way one can plot the forces acting on a beam or structure. What Russ and I have mentioned are the forces that work in conjunction with each other. A less successful chef may want to get off his feet just as much as Keller, but he may not have the options Keller has at this point. I think everything Russ said is valid and if any assumption I've made is not valid, it's not because it doesn't support Russ' contentions.

[chromedome]

He's hardly the performer Emeril is...

No shit.

Have you seen the video segments of the "California Raisins" thingie on the CIA website? Compared to Keller, Keanu Reeves looks like Robin Williams.

But really, folks, come on. He's been doing the French Laundry for how many years? Anybody with that much talent has to be looking for a new outlet. Or perhaps, a new order of magnitude.

[Bux]

He's been doing the French Laundry for how many years? Anybody with that much talent has to be looking for a new outlet. Or perhaps, a new order of magnitude.

That he has to be looking for a new outlet, or that you'd even suggest it, is a reaction to our times. Generations of successful chefs died at their stoves. Times are different, and in a way, he's not really breaking ground that's all that new.

[Mabelline]

Whatever his motivation or reasoning for engaging in this different direction, his execution of his plan smells like success to me. He seems to have a firm grip on the production of his style, whether or not he is in attendance. The Emeril bashers who don't like his show anymore need to keep in mind that his restaurants are doing just fine, and he's certainly turned people loose to execute for him. But there's a definite vibration of forceful and thoughtful planning. Just wait and see.

Edit to add:Welcome to eGullet. You sure jumped straight into the deep end of the pool!

Edited February 15, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[Andy Lynes]

The acid test will surely be if Keller ever appears in "Chef's Theatre".