Starting next year, Angelenos hungering for Thomas Keller's Michelin-starred cuisine will no longer have to drive to Napa (or Vegas): The L.A. Times reports that the chef will open a Beverly Hills restaurant in 2009. Bouchon, and an accompanying Bouchon Bakery, will occupy 11,000 square feet on two stories, and be manned by Rory Herrmann, currently the private-room chef at New York's Per Se. Unlike that locale (but like the NoCal Bouchon and the NYC bakery), the menu will feature traditional bistro fare: Expect classic roast chicken and steak frites, says the chef. Given that it's Keller, you can also expect near-perfection—and epic backlogs of reservations. Best of all, the prices, though not cheap, won't be at Per Se's CEO-expense-account level, either.

[LAT via Eater L.A.]