Ad Hoc becomes permanent

by Nicole Weston, Posted Jan 23rd 2007 @ 3:01PM

Ad Hoc is the name of Thomas Keller's comfort-food restaurant in Yountville, California, just down the street from Keller's other restaurants, French Laundry and Bouchon. The restaurant opened about six months ago with the intention of providing a "Sunday dinner atmosphere" to diners, with a focus on seasonal ingredients and comfort foods, as opposed to the seasonal by upscale offerings at the French Laundry. It offers only one fixed price menu and everything is served family style. When it opened, Keller declared that the restaurant would be temporary, as he really wanted to open a burger restaurant in the location and needed something to occupy the space while the plans for that upscale fast food venture were ironed out. Ad Hoc has become so popular, both with diners and with staff, that Keller has decided to lengthen its stay. Permanently.

He is not, however, giving up on his "burgers and bottles" idea of a gourmet fast food restaurant that complements its offerings with high quality wines from the surrounding vineyards. He is simply looking for yet another location in which it can be realized. For the time being, Keller says that he might add a burger to the menu at Ad Hoc just to get the ball on the idea - which Keller has been keeping on the back burner for 15 years - rolling.

Source

Filed Under: Ingredients, Chefs & Restaurants, Restaurants
Tags: ad hoc, AdHoc, comfort food, family style, french laundry, goumet, keller, restaurant, restaurants, thomas keller, west coast, yountville

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

1-23-2007 @6:41PM Jake said... Better he would give up with "burger idea". Family restaurant is that restaurant that is needed now. There are many fast foods and almost no family restaurants. He don't have competitors, that's why Ad Hoc is popular. If it will be transformed in fast food it loses all customers. No guarantees fast food will be popular
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1-23-2007 @8:17PM Sara said... I'm so happy to hear it's permanent because it's at the top of my list of Napa restaurants to try, I just haven't made it over there yet!
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1-24-2007 @1:35AM GhaleonQ said... It's, frankly, my idea of a terrific restaurant. As soon as I get out of the CIA and get my graduate degree at the University Of Chicago, I'm hoping to establish a similar kind in Wisconsin with the focus on the Midwest.
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