Showing posts with label Thomas Keller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thomas Keller. Show all posts

Monday, June 23, 2014

Family Style at Ad Hoc

Yountville is Thomas Keller country.  And rightfully so.  French Laundry, Bouchon, Ad Hoc, Addendum - all highly talked about and highly loved.

If you want a casual but quality family dining experience, Ad Hoc is the place for you.  On Easter Sunday, we landed a lunch reservation on Open Table.  We were hoping to get fried chicken on the menu, as Addendum was still hibernating.  But you only find out the menu for the day on the day itself.  And what is on the menu is all that you'll get.  It's fixed family style that increases in quantity depending on how many people are at the table.

For our particular menu, we had an Endive Salad, Fish and Chips, Ribeye, a cheese course, and Sundaes.  I was really impressed with the fish and chips - the best fish and chips I've eaten so far.  Perfect batter around a light white fish.  This kitchen does magic with fried dishes.  The salad was a bit underwhelming and the ribeye wasn't too special either.  But everything was fun, quality, and the service was excellent.  They even accommodated with an extra cheese plate when one person at our table couldn't eat the goat cheese.  This is what service is about, and these are the memories you take with you.  The sundaes were a fun ending, especially with kids at the table.  It's admittedly easy to prepare as it was deconstructed.  But, these were some of the tastiest sauces ever - caramel, chocolate, and strawberry.  You can taste the thought put into these toppings.

I'll definitely find myself at Ad Hoc again.  If I really want the fried chicken, though, I'll make it out back to Addendum since it's finally during these warmer months.  It's a fun idea that you don't know the menu until that day and it's family style.  It creates an opened minded dining experience with the warmth of sharing everything with your table.

Apple and endive salad

Fish and chips

Ribeye with Yorkshire puddings and creamed spinach

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Thomas Keller's Addendum

When Thomas Keller first opened Ad Hoc in Yountville, people could not stop talking about the Sunday fried chicken.  Reservations were hot and the weekend special was often the reason to go.  Fast forward a few years later, and with a great business concept, enter Addendum.

Located in the back parking lot of Ad Hoc, Addendum only serves two choices - Fried Chicken and a rotating special.  It's open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11am to 2pm.  Any of those days and during the whole 3 hours, the line is constant.

The setting is perfect for the wine country.  Outdoor eating on benches surrounded by a park-like setting.  It's perfect before and in-between wine tasting.  Plus, you can keep drinking with a choice selection of beers and wines that pair nicely with this American comfort food.

The verdict on the fried chicken?  Soo worth the hype.  Wow, the brine, the batter, and the fried execution is all worth the price, the wait, and the drive.  While critics say the price is steep, I argue that this is Thomas Keller quality that's worth paying for.  You're paying for the whole experience.

If you can't see the slide show here, check out my Flickr album: Addendum