Perhaps the hype was too hot. Per Se, Thomas Keller’s much anticipated “French Laundry on the east coast” suffered a kitchen fire on Saturday (NY Times link). It was a small electrical fire, put out in 15 minutes, but among the casualties may be the $85,000 custom made Bonnet cooktop and oven which was completely doused with water. Open only six days prior, Per Se now has the unfortunate task of informing diners that their coveted reservations will not come to fruition. The estimated time to reopening is “at least” two weeks, with the famed perfectionist tendencies of Mr. Keller no doubt playing a large role in the uncertainty.