The Master Returns to LA (?)

So the dear foodies at EATER LA recently reported with some inside intel that Thomas Keller, the master behind The French Laundry, Per Se, and Bouchon is planning a return to the LA dining scene. The report mentions that the LA outfit will be like Bouchon (Keller's much less expensive but still delicious bistro), with some small adaptations to the scene.

My first thought was, "Is LA ready for Keller?" People by and large come to Napa just to drink and eat with purpose, meaning those who usually eat at Keller's establishments have well developed palates and an affinity and knowledge of good food. In a way, the audience Keller cooks for is a self-selecting one.

The way dining seems to me to work in LA is that everybody's looking for the next hot place. Where are the celebs eating? Is a Food Network star opening an outfit in town? (those in the know are familiar with the fact that Keller is not exactly the most media savvy chef there is). So I really wonder if Southland diners are really ready for a Per Se or French Laundry, with its nine-course, three-hour meals. A restaurant like Bouchon is a little easier for eaters around here to put their hands on.

The first Bouchon I ate at was the one in the Venitian in Las Vegas. While I enjoyed the food immensely, I was somewhat perturbed by the couple sitting next to me, which consisted of a 35-year old man and his comely, shapely female companion, who I imagine he took to the restaurant just to impress her. He had no interest in the specials, scoffed at the waiter, and didn't take interest in any of the creative stuff on the menu, and, seemingly turned off by his ignorance, his date asked ME to describe my dessert of warm chocolate bouchons. Now, sharing the joy of Keller's food with the other patrons is a trademark of Thomas' restaurants, but doing so at the expense of this woman's knucklehead date is just pathetic.

Some I'm hoping this LA outfit won't have such diners, and that the Southland's foodies will come to appreciate what makes Bouchon's Yountville outfit the neighborhood favorite it is, with local residents filing in each week and weekend for a satisfying yet simple meal. My advice to you dear diners is that the exuberant experiences provided by The French Laundry and Per Se are only best appreciated if one is well eaten in the simple yet elegant aspects of haute cuisine. In this respect, Bouchon is a great place to start.