THOMAS: There are less than 10 members of this association in America, and two of them sponsored The French Laundry to become a member.

HATTIE: Oh. Have they been to eat here and they...

THOMAS: They've been to eat here, and several of the members from around the world have been here to eat. So at their last congress in Paris, which was back in November last year, there was a outpouring of recommendation by several people, not only our sponsors which were here in America, but several people from around the world. There was a gentleman there from South Africa, a gentleman from Switzerland, a woman who owns a restaurant in Florence, who are all members of this association who said, `Yes, yes, yes, yes, The French Laundry should part of our association.'

HATTIE: (Voiceover) Customers rave. Unidentified Man: He keeps this level of excitement high.

HATTIE: He keeps it going. . .for nine courses.

Unidentified Woman: That's right ...

Man: Yeah, for nine courses. I don't know if we're going to survive this. We're used to just three courses.

HATTIE: What are you getting?

Woman: I don't know yet.

MISTY JOHNSON (Restaurant Reservationist): I have people calling me from Europe...

HATTIE: (Voiceover) Employees rave. This is reservationist Misty Johnson.

MISTY: They want to eat at The French Laundry because the food it wonderful, it is excellent. And when it passes through Thomas Keller's hands, it's just not the same. It's just--it's transformed. It's just wonderful.

HATTIE: (Voiceover) The press raves. `Wow! Wow! Wow! Thomas Keller's brilliant food attains another level of hedonism. Do the French ever get this lucky?'

Gourmet magazine has written about The French Laundry, and Gail Zweigenthal, a writer and editor-in-chief, talked to me about Thomas Keller.

GAIL ZWEIGENTHAL: (Voiceover) He is clearly passionate about what he does. He wants the people in his restaurant to love his food, and so there he is. There he is, making sure everything is wonderful.