Of course, because it’s Thomas Keller, even comfort food, however casually delivered, comes with expectations, the promise of a sprinkling of magic dust. Occasionally, such hopes are met. Monkfish, pan roasted and perfumed with thyme, drifted in on a platter laden with romesco sauce and saffron rice. Amid the fillets were large hunks of leek, slow-cooked sous vide to a melting texture without an overdose of butter. You could spend a lifetime searching for a better dish.

Just as often, though, Ad Hoc presents a Keller that the skilled home cook can imitate, as with sautéed duck breast with the pedestrian pairing of autumn squash and Brussels sprouts. Tender but lacking gamy flavor, the meat offered little but a blast of butter. The dish’s saving grace was a bed of crunchy black rice.