.....I used to worship Thomas Keller. But I need to eat at the French Laundry to wipe out bad memories from Per Se, which was the biggest disappointment for that kind of money from a chef with that reputation. It pains me to say this, but the most impressive thing in that restaurant was the flatware and china. Don't get me wrong, I still like Keller...
Hands down, my pick would be Eric Ripert. For me he's one of the few chefs who hasn't been ruined by the whole celebrity phenomenon which has been damaging the food industry (imo, the focus on FOOD has shifted to the money alone.) He still works every night at Le Bernardin, which btw, has never lost a star over the years, and the focus is still on the food, not just about numbers. We had a 9 course tasting which lasted nearly three hours, it was never rushed and everything was absolutely perfect and the consistency astounding. Its the only time I've spent that much money and thought it was worth every single penny. Believe me, all our pockets were empty, but I plan to return there again and again, because I trust that place.
On the professional side, I trailed in the kitchen there some years ago and I've never seen a kitchen team work like that in my entire life. When service started, the entire line moved over to the garde manger station to set up the plates. The passion for the food and cooking is indubitably there. From a professional and consumer point of view, that's the way it should be.
