It isn’t every day that the dean of American chefs dines at a Houston restaurant, but that’s what happened Sunday, October 18 when culinary superstar Thomas Keller visited Baso in the Heights.
Best known for his restaurants The French Laundry in Yountville, California and Per Se in New York City, both of which hold three Michelin stars, Keller has won multiple James Beard Awards, including the highly covered prizes for Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Restaurateur. The French Laundry held the No. 1 spot in the World’s 50 Best in both 2003 and 2004. Netflix documentary series Chef’s Table profiled him in a 2025 episode.
Baso co-executive chef Max Lappe tells CultureMap that Charles Carroll, executive chef of the River Oaks Country Club, sent an email to let the restaurant know that Keller wanted to visit while he was in town.
“I slapped my laptop shut and my heart sank into my ankles,” Lappe says “I felt like I was going to collapse. It was a feeling I rarely experience, just the mail, how much excitement it brought me.”
“I didn’t believe it for the first 10 seconds. How could this be real? He’s the most important American chef of all time,” Baso owner and co-executive chef Jacques Varon adds. “I’ve had people I admire and respect greatly dine with us but never someone like this come into the restaurant.”
Rather than throw the restaurant’s entire menu at Keller and his friend, the chefs let him order most of his meal, including sweet shrimp, pepper toast, okra, maitake mushroom, endive salad, and the signature pork chop with pork jowl condiment. The chefs sent Keller two roasted oysters — he liked them enough order to two more — and a tomato dish. He had a slice of Basque cheesecake for dessert.
“We discussed, how do we take care of him, especially for someone who’s traveled so much and eaten at the best restaurants in the world,” Lappe says. “I imagine there’s — maybe burden isn’t the right word — but it can be selfish to take over a meal and feed someone like your grandma tried to feed you.”
According to Lappe and Varon, Keller was an excellent guest. He posed for pictures with the staff (see above) and praised the experience. The staff signed a Baso hat as a souvenir.
Keller’s visit is only the latest accolade for Baso, a live fire restaurant that applies Basque culinary techniques to Texas ingredients. In the spring, Varon and Lappe earned their first James Beard Award semifinalist nomination in the Emerging Chef category. More recently, not only did Baso retain its Recommended status in the Michelin Guide, Varon and Lappe earned the Young Chef Award. Still, Keller’s compliments moved both chefs.
“As best as you can do when Thomas Keller is in your restaurant, I was pretty calm and collected,” Lappe says about the moment when he delivered one of Keller’s dishes to his table. “I could feel my lip quivering. As soon as I walked back to the kitchen, I walked into a closet and had to let it out a little bit.”
“He told Gus [Valenga, one of Baso’s captains], ‘I didn’t know restaurants like this exist in Houston,’” Varon says. “That sent me to the moon. That’s one of the most complimentary things I’ve ever been told in my life.”
