Hubert Keller facts for kids
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| Born | 1954 (age 70–71) Alsace, France |
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| Cooking style | French |
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Television show(s)
Secrets of a Chef
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Hubert Keller is a very famous French chef. He is well-known for his special restaurants, like Fleur de Lys in San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Contents
Hubert Keller's Journey
Hubert Keller was born in Alsace, France, in 1954. He went to a special cooking school called École Hoteliere in Strasbourg. He started his career as a pastry chef, making delicious desserts.
He worked in many different restaurants around the world. These included places like Auberge de L'Ill and Moulin de Mougins in France, and La Cuisine du Soleil in Brazil. He learned from some of the best chefs, such as Paul Haeberlin, Paul Bocuse, and Roger Vergé. In 1982, he moved to San Francisco to help improve a restaurant called Sutter 500.
In 1986, Chef Keller became a co-owner and head chef of the first Fleur de Lys restaurant in San Francisco. He later opened a fancy Burger Bar in Las Vegas, Nevada. This place is famous for its "Rossini Burger," which costs $60! It's made with special American Kobe beef, cooked foie gras (a type of duck or goose liver), and thin slices of truffles (a fancy mushroom).
Soon after, he opened another Fleur de Lys restaurant at Mandalay Bay. Chef Keller also started a French-style steakhouse called SLEEK in St. Louis, which many people think is the best steakhouse there. He also helped out as a chef at Club XIX in Pebble Beach, California.
Hubert Keller has written a cookbook called The Cuisine of Hubert Keller. He also helped write another book called Eat More, Weigh Less with Dr. Dean Ornish. Chef Keller was the first guest chef ever to cook a dinner for a U.S. president (President Clinton) at the White House! He even helped train the White House chef in healthy cooking.
Awesome Achievements
Hubert Keller has won many important awards for his cooking.
- In 1988, Food & Wine magazine named him one of the "10 best new chefs in America."
- In 1997, he won a big award from the James Beard Foundation. This award recognized him as America's Best Chef in California. The James Beard Foundation awards are like the "Oscars" for chefs!
- In 2003, he received a special lifetime achievement award from the James Beard Foundation, called Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America.
- His restaurant, Fleur de Lys, was named one of the top 40 restaurants in the United States by the Gayot restaurant guide in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
- In 2006, Fleur de Lys earned one Michelin star. Michelin stars are a very high honor for restaurants, showing they have excellent food.
- Food & Wine magazine also listed Fleur de Lys as one of the top 25 restaurants in the United States.
On TV and Beyond
Chef Keller has been on many TV shows. He starred in Secrets of a Chef, a cooking show on the American public TV network PBS.
He also competed on Top Chef Masters in 2009, a cooking reality competition show on Bravo. He finished in third place. He decided to donate any money he won to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which helps children with critical illnesses. In one challenge, he even used a dorm room shower to cool pasta, which helped him win that round!
Before Top Chef Masters, he was a guest judge three times on the show Top Chef. He judged the first season's premiere and the finales of Season 1, Season 2, and Season 5. In Season 13, he judged a cooking contest held at his own restaurant, Fleur de Lys, in San Francisco.
He has also been invited to special food and wine events, like the First Annual Food and Wine Exhibition in Monterey, California, in 2008 and 2009.
Books He Wrote
- Hubert Keller, Penelope Wisner (October 2012) Hubert Keller: Souvenirs. ISBN: 9781449411428
Fun Facts About Hubert
Did you know that Chef Keller is also a big fan of music? He loves being a DJ and often plays music at food events. His friend, a DJ named "Frenchy le Freak," taught him how to DJ. In return, Chef Keller taught his friend how to cook!
