Thomas Keller Is Opening His First Restaurant In Miami

Surf's up for one of the most famous chefs in the world. Thomas Keller, of Per Se and French Laundry, will be opening the as-of-yet unnamed Surfside, Miami restaurant in early 2018. The restaurant will be located in the formerly private club, The Surf Club. It be Keller's first "concept restaurant," thematically driven by the glitzy surf and beach clubs of yesteryear that drew celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Liz Taylor.

"What we're hoping to bring to Miami is the kind of restaurant where people can go out and celebrate," Keller told The Miami Herald. "It's going to be a tip of the hat to a time when America was the most optimistic, when the appeal in America, the pride in America, was at its peak."

The décor and theming of the restaurant have been five years in the making, but the food details remain a secret. He has hinted that they will represent America's "golden age," presumably with nostalgic culinary dishes of decades past combined with some of the freshest local ingredients and the modern gastronomic technique of all of Keller's restaurants.

Although it may sound glam, Keller's new eatery will not be too much of a monetary reach for beach-goers, locals, and tourists.

"I don't think I'll ever open another fine dining restaurant in America. Trying to replicate that energy, I'm not going to do that, not at my age," Keller, 61, told The Herald. "The Surf Club will not be about my personality."