For years and years I was a Bouchon Bakery junkie. Every time I went to New York or Las Vegas (Beverly Hills!) I had to stop by a Bouchon Bakery to get my favorite TKO (“Thomas Keller Oreo”).
But then we didn’t come to Napa for a long time, and then there was this pandemic . . . Needless to say, it had been YEARS since I’d had one of my favorite cookies.
So, we decided to revisit multiple Thomas Keller destinations this time. We stopped by Bouchon Bakery for coffee and cookies. We still think the coffee at Bouchon Bakery is very average, but the TKO was tasty, just like I remembered it.
We also booked brunch at Ad Hoc.
We'd gone once before (back in 2012!). Even back then I vowed to try the fried chicken. I can't believe it took me this long to come back. They only serve a set a menu, so you pretty much don’t have much choice in what you eat when you go.
Their fried chicken is super famous, but they don’t offer it every day. The day we went, the corned beef hash was the main course (in a homage to St. Patrick’s Day). You could get fried chicken as an “add-on” for an extra charge of $35.
EVERYBODY around me ordered the add-on. I highly suspect most people were there for the fried chicken, but had to get the set menu in order to access the fried chicken (smart business strategy, not so great for the consumer).
Bryan decided to try their Bloody Mary, which had a nice kick!
The first course, the Staube Farm’s Yogurt with kiwi, kumquat, blackberries, and granola was refreshing and nice (though just a tad sweet for my personal taste, since I usually eat yogurt unsweetened).
The corned beef hash was HUGE
It came served with home fries and poached eggs. I could only eat a small amount. It was good, but definitely on the heavy side. We ended up taking the rest in a take away container.
The fried chicken was AMAZING. Seriously one of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. I have no idea how they are able to keep the chicken sooo tender. The outside breading was fantastic. I’m not sure what kind of batter they use, but the result was extra crunchy, dry, and not at all greasy. I loved it.
The dessert, bread pudding, was likewise fantastic. At first I thought I would be too full and I’d only try a bite, but it was so good I ended up eating basically the whole thing. Bryan doesn’t really like sweets (he only had a bite), and I literally ate both of our portions (!!!!).
Thomas Keller Ad Hoc + Addendum - General Thoughts
What can I say? I am a fan of this restaurant. The fried chicken is out of this world. I don't often love dessert, but I ate THE WHOLE THING here (even though Bryan and I were supposed to share it . . .oops!). The yogurt was nice, though I personally wished it was unsweetened yogurt.
I didn’t love the corned beef hash, but then maybe I was already too full from the fried chicken? I’m sure there would be days where I would enjoy the main course more. I don’t know if they ever put the fried chicken as the main dish on the menu. It’s so good, I think if they did people wouldn’t order anything else, and then maybe the kitchen would get bored?
I know that Addendum use to sell takeaway fried chicken, though I believe it is currently in “hibernation.” In fact, the website for Ad Hoc is now named "Ad Hoc + Addendum." It looks like you can still order buckets of their famous buttermilk fried chicken from Ad Hoc for take out. I really just might have to do that the next time I am in Yountville!
Thomas Keller Ad Hoc + Addendum Yountville
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