Thomas Keller’s fried chicken at Ad Hoc (Addendum) in Yountville

Thomas Keller’s famous buttermilk fried chicken at Addendum

Resident Foodies say: Thomas Keller is known for his 3 Michelin-star restaurants The French Laundry and Per Se. But his buttermilk fried chicken (click here for the recipe) is just as famous. One of the highlights of our year was making a trip to Addendum in the parking lot of Keller’s Ad Hoc restaurant in Yountville. The buttermilk fried chicken is so tender and juicy, our mouths water just thinking of it. The coating has just the right crisp, which gives way to the tender white meat when you sink your teeth into it. The taste is perfection.

Dessert at Farmhouse Inn (Russian River Valley)

Raspberry sorbet, with delicate wafers of hazelnut praline crisp and vanilla ice cream

Vanilla ice cream on surfboard wafer and rhubarb tart

Resident Foodies say: The Farmhouse Inn Restaurant is a delightful place, one Michelin-starred, tucked away in the Russian River valley in wine country in California. After a sumptuous meal of lamb chops, soft-shell crab, and halibut, we were treated with dessert. It was heavenly.

NYT article Thomas Keller last days with father + “Ad Hoc at Home” review

In anticipation of Thomas Keller’s latest cookbook Ad Hoc at Home, the NYT has a poignant article, “What the Last Meal Taught Him,” by Kim Severson. The article recounts Thomas’s reunion with this father in 2006 after the two hadn’t seen each other since his father left him at only age 5. After the reunion, Ed Keller moved to live next to Thomas, in a house next to the French Laundry–signalling the strong bond that the two had quickly formed. However, a tragic car accident in 2007 left Ed Keller a quadriplegic. Yet, for over a year, Ed, a former marine, battled on until his death in 2008.

Thomas Keller’s upcoming book “Ad Hoc at Home” is described in the article as more personal than his previous books. Can’t wait to take a look! It has just hit bookstores (at least Amazon!).

Resident Foodies reviewed Keller’s restaurant Ad Hoc–for which the book is named–back in 2007. This was our first restaurant review ever. Frankly, the video quality is not so impressive. But we weren’t trying to impress anyone. We made the video just for fun! Today, we’re a little bit more serious (and hopefully better at video editing), but we are so glad to have our start associated with Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc. For our start as Resident Foodies (TM) was truly ad hoc!

2007 Resident Foodies review of Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc

Review of Ubuntu restaurant in Napa

Review of Ubuntu Restaurant in Napa.

Owner:  Sandy Lawrence.

Executive chef:  Jeremy Fox.

Location:  1140 Main St. in downtown Napa (Map)

Phone:   707-251-5656

Website: www.ubuntunapa.com Yelp reviews: click here

Resident Foodies say:   Fantastic and fun in the heart of Napa.  Ubuntu means “humanity towards others.”  This yoga studio/vegetarian restaurant has a warm, cozy ambience, notwithstanding the X-files like statues standing in the center of the space.  The vegetarian dishes are clean, crisp, and creative–prepared from locally grown produce and Ubuntu’s own gardens.

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