Thomas Keller is one of the most decorated fine dining chefs in the world. His numerous restaurants, including three-Michelin-starredthe French Laundry, dominate the short stretch of Yountville’s restaurant row. But lately, his customers have had modest burgers on their minds.
Earlier this month, Keller resurrected Burgers & Half Bottles, his pandemic pop-up, at the site of his former Mexican restaurant, La Calenda. With just about a month down in its 10-week residency, Burgers & Half Bottles’ staff have kept busy making 3,000 of the premium wagyu burgers each week.
“It’s the heart of the menu and what our guests come back for,” Alex Laos, the regional director of the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, told SFGATE by email.
On a recent Sunday morning, my partner and I found ourselves among a group of about 30 individuals standing in line 20 minutes before the opening hour. Since the current Burgers & Half Bottles pop-up launched on Aug. 2, foodies have driven from every corner of the Bay Area to try Keller’s take on a classic burger. Unlike the French Laundry, which has a starting $425 tasting menu, the average price on the Burgers & Half Bottles food menu is about $18.
The core menu is simple: two wagyu burgers — a $14 hamburger and $15 cheeseburger — crinkle-cut fries, and drinks. There are also five sandwiches (the surf ’n’ turf can be served two ways), including a $29 lobster roll (that you can enhance with a $30 scoop of caviar) and a $14 spicy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich inspired by the one made at Ad Hoc just down the road, Laos shared. But at this pop-up, the wagyu cheeseburgers reign supreme — and for good reason…