Inside Scoop's Paolo Lucchesi brings our attention to a new ad for American Express featuring French Laundry founder and Reese's Peanut Butter Cup lover, Thomas Keller. The commercial, drenched in music written by (the brilliant) Jay Wadley that sounds like it came out of The Hours, tells a story about Yountville (which, really, is just a gorgeous and wondrous place), French Laundry, and the power of seedlings and trees. (It also tells a story about you getting your ass deeper in debt. No offense to Keller or the fine people of Yountville, but don't get another credit card. They're ruinous.) more ›

A roundup of newsworthy items from Justin Herman plaza, the aftermath of the Oakland general strike and, of course, how this all affects the local restaurant industry. more ›

Noted French Laundry chef Thomas Keller's philosophy goes something like this, "To make people happy...that’s what cooking is all about." Which is why, in part, he now has his own brand of gluten-free flour on the market. You see, gluten allergies are not the restless leg syndrome of the food world. Nope. They're actually real. And a gluten-free diet can help save the lives and taste buds of those who suffer from maladies like celiac disease. Keller's new flour, Cup4Cup, will be a blessing for those who eschew gluten, and can be found at Williams-Sonoma stores for a whopping $20 a 3-pound bag. more ›

Instead of concocting the world's best fried chicken (and, let's face it, any kind of food product his hands touch), Thomas Keller could have been chewing spit tobacco and rearranging his crotch in front of thousands of adoring fans. In a recent interview with Foodie Chap, the lauded French Laundry/Ad Hoc chef admits that, if he weren't slaving behind a stove for a living, he would've like to have played shortstop. more ›

Yes, we know. Pop-ups are over, but as with most things at Thomas Keller's exemplary French Laundry, this tidbit is of a slightly higher quality than most. Today's update from the Keller-verse comes from Inside Scooper Paolo Lucchesi who notes... more ›

San Pellegrino, the fizzy bottled water located below the Vitamin Water and Lipton Brisk at our nearest corner store, revealed their annual World's Best 50 Restaurant awards today. The kicker? Annual favorite the French Laundry was nowhere on the list. (Somewhere in Yountville, in a dark and quiet corner, a plump sprig of thyme shrivels up and rises into the ether.) Grub Street reports: "This year's big snub has to go to Thomas Keller's French Laundry, which was relegated to the runners-up list. In fact, with the exception of Alinea (6), all of the rest of the U.S. picks are based in New York City: Momofuku Ssam Bar (40), Eleven Madison Park (24 — up from No. 50 last year), Le Bernardin (18), Daniel (11), and Per Se (10)." more ›

Did you attend the French Laundry's epic holiday party last night? Of course you didn't, you plebeian. Neither did we. Bunrab, however, did. They have loads of photos from last night's gastronomic gathering in Yountville to prove it, including girls dressed as extras from A Little Night Music, Thomas Keller and a bowl of What-Am-I-Chopped-Chicken-Liver (technically, that's not what it's called but wouldn't it be a goddamn scream if Keller started naming his dishes the Rachael Ray way?), brilliant Inside Scoop editor Paolo Lucchesi, and a block of super-fancy ice. [Bunrab] more ›

more ›

The bay area Michelin Guide 2008 is out, and there’s not much changed from last year: the French Laundry is the only place with 3 stars (the most) in the wider bay area. Aqua and Michael Mina are the only 2 stars in the city. Those Michelin guys are so stingy with stars, Chez Panisse’s Alice Waters still clutches her lonely one. Jean-Luc Naret, the director of the Michelin guide, was handing out press copie this morning at a brunch at Bloomingdale’s. He was ebullient. We asked him about last year belly dancers controversy, and he was like, but they were there, the inspector saw them! It was “a writing error,” he added, “not a rating error.” We do writing errors all the time too! We can totally relate. more ›

The new Michelin was stingy with stars for San Francisco: no 3 stars restaurants (the only one in the wider bay area being the French Laundry in Napa), two 2 stars (Aqua and Michael Mina), and a 12 one stars (Fleur de Lys, La Folie, the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, Rubicon, Bushi-Tei, Quince, Range, Acquerello, Masa's, Gary Danko, Boulevard, Fifth Floor). Alice Waters got only one tiny puny star for her Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Spanked! more ›

Sunday and yesterday, the James Beard foundation announced their annual awards for 2006 in a posh ceremony. We (a) did not win for our excellent food coverage; and (b) were not invited, which is fine, because we would not have been able to go to New York. Keep not inviting us, as long as you don't give your hardware in our backyard, we don't even care. Losers. Whatever. Even our Gothamist siblings were (a)-and-(b) snubbed, despite holding home court, so at least we have a shoulder to cry on. Or vice-versa. more ›

The Michelin Guide will release its first San Francisco edition next fall. This follows in the footsteps of the New-York guide, whose first edition they released late last year. We can't hardly wait to put our hands on this. Which places will have the 3 stars rating, the one which means a restaurant is a trip destination on its own? The French reviewers are fussy, so the down-to-earth Chez Panisse might be out of favor. The French Laundry definitely checks in, especially since its little sibling, Thomas Keller's New-York restaurant, Per Se, got its *** already. more ›

Boulevard has been a SF favorite for many years. It has long reigned over the Zagat list of best restaurants in San Francisco, and its popularity never seems to diminish. Our last meal there left us with the impression of bee's nest bustling with a seemingly chaotic activity, which somehow delivered highly structured and tasty dishes. more ›

Reading that Daily Dish feed on the 'gate is always such a guilty pleasure. And today is no exception! Top on the Dish is the revelation that Not Britney Spears (i.e., Christina Aguilera) and her fiance Jordan Bratman are getting married in Napa this weekend. Those of you loopily wine-biking up and down Silverado Trail this weekend, be on the lookout for a tent on the edge of a forest, or a pair of buttcheeks flapping up and down out the window of a white Rolls Royce with a big JUST MARRIED sign. Aguilera and Bratman are having a rehearsal dinner tonight at "an acclaimed local restaurant." (How much you want to bet it's French Laundry? And they're staying at the Auberge du Soleil?) And please, Xtina begs you, no gifts: donate money to Katrina relief instead. Free SFist t-shirt to any reader who sends in a picture of Fred Durst in Napa this weekend! more ›

Likely to start throwing chairs if he hears the words ‘Virgin Pina Colada’, Barrespondent Drew continues his quest to find a bar so seedy and unscrupulous that they’d spike your kid’s Shirley Temple given half a chance. more ›

It is no wonder that, when stealing the word amuse-bouche from the vocabulary of French cuisine, Americans commonly take only the first part, and unceremoniously dump its trailer. The First Amendment covers the freedom to butcher the French language, we cannot let old Europe's silly traditions straight-jacket the American idiom into a convoluted and elitist language. So amuse it is. more ›

In the movie Barbershop, Isaac is this white guy who talks, dresses and acts like the other characters, even though they all are African-Americans. And we were thinking of him when we got our hands on Thomas Keller's latest cookbook, Bouchon: here is this American chef who talks about France's culinary traditions, who cooks according to century old French recipes, who even bears an Alsatian name. more ›

In tech news, stoned graphic designers were stunned when they realized that they had no idea that Adobe was going to swallow Macromedia whole. South Park laughs to keep from crying. more ›

Alder Yarrow has written up the results of the UK-based Restaurant Magazine's top 50 list. You can set aside your obligatory "English food sucks" jokes, as The Fat Duck in the village of Bray, Berks, England has claimed the top spot, besting El Bulli in Spain (foams are soooooo 2004). Coming in at number three? Yountville's The French Laundry, winning best restaurant in the Americas. Berkeley's Chez Panisse was the "Highest Climber," rising to thirteen, and the South Bay got some love with Manresa of Los Gatos making the list at number 38. more ›

Organic satsuma oranges made for a nice snack as we shopped at Tuesday's Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, but we thought we'd mention the mandarins at Everything Under the Sun's [PDF] stall. These brittle, bitter wheels aren't exactly an accessible snack on their own, but a moment in our spice grinder turned them into a flavorful powder with a multitude of uses. more ›