Chef Daniel Boulud
Originally from Lyon, Chef Daniel Boulud is widely celebrated as one of America’s leading culinary authorities. Since arriving in New York City in 1982, he has continually evolved his cuisine and expanded his reach to properties across the U.S., as well as Toronto, Montreal, Dubai, Singapore, and The Bahamas. His culinary empire has brought him many accolades, yet his inspiration remains grounded in the rhythm of the seasons. From his flagship, DANIEL, to his properties across the globe, Boulud’s signature remains the contemporary appeal he brings to soulful dishes rooted in the French tradition.
Chef Daniel shares his first memories of cooking, his favorite spots in his hometown of Lyon, and answers the Proust Questionnaire.
What were your first memories of cooking and cuisine? Cooking was a hobby I did with my grandmother. She would garden and harvest shallots, and I would shell and clean the peas, jobs that kids could do, and feel like they participated in dinner. We cooked for a large family every day, so it was important to have a menu that was constantly changing all the time. The ritual of seasonal cooking and having the same recipe every year. Many of my memories of food come from the fact that you live every year, and keep enjoying and going back to the classics rather than creating new recipes.
When did you know you wanted to be a chef? From a young age, I wanted to do something more active, I wanted to be a cook, and I started at a cooking school. From there, I went to an apprenticeship, which was my start in the “big league.” It was almost like being a young soccer player, coached by the major league.
What are your favorite childhood dishes? My favorite dish from childhood was le gratin dauphinoise or potatoes dauphinoise, cooked in cream, it’s something we had so often, every celebration at home in the family. And saucisson. The first thing I do when I go home is open the refrigeration and find a typical dry lyonnaise sausage. I always go for that and ask my mother to make a gratin dauphinoise to go along with it.
What dishes do you serve at your restaurants that are inspired by your childhood? Quenelles de Brochet, a special recipe I learned when I was 14 and am still in love with. Our new restaurant in New York, Le Gratin, is inspired by a typical Lyonnaise Bistro. Fun and delicious.
Favorite Hotels in Lyon? Lyon is not exactly known for palaces like Paris, which is part of the history and charm of the city, grand architecture, which has endured centuries, and keeps reinventing itself. I don’t usually stay in hotels, but there is the new Hotel Dieu and the Relais & Châteaux property La Villa Florentine is perched on a hill, below the cathedral, overlooking the whole city, and stunning. Not easy to access if you’re scared of driving up hills, but not bad once there!
Favorite Restaurants in Lyon? La Muniere— There is a fantastic chef there that exemplifies what a classic Lyonnaise Bouchon is. He is also fun— the kitchen is next to the dining room, which is small, but filled with lots of love, and portions are generously served in large bowls. You can serve yourself as much pate, terrine, salads, as you wish. There is a sense of abundance and a charming ambiance, a truly quintessential lyonnaise bistro.
La Supreme— Chef Gregory and his wife worked for me in the past, and I helped them open the restaurant.
Auberge Bocuse— I never go to Lyon without visiting Bocuse during my stay. They are family to me and I always pay them a visit. I used to visit Paul, but now I visit friends that work there and maintain the house.
La Mere Braziere— For fine dining, a small bistro with great energy and food, inexpensive, local.
Chez Hougon
Le Bistro de Fille
What must everyone try when visiting Lyon? When I go back home, I always have salad de pieds de mouton or “lambs feet salad.” It is like chewing on rubber, but with a collagen-like chewiness, it’s delicious, usually well-seasoned with mayo, herbs, vinegar, and shallots.
All charcuterie is also a must. Last weekend a friend brought me lyonnaise sausage from Gilles Verrot, it was perfect, like a dream, it took me right back home. In Lyon, there is also Charcuterie Reynon and Charcuterie Bonnard.
Patisserie Bernachon— They make their own chocolate, from bean to bar, and were one of the first to make it that way, over 60 years ago. Maurice Bernachon would travel the world to find beans to make chocolate. His daughter is married to the son of Paul Bocuse. Power Couple of Lyon. His son Philippe now runs the business.
Why did you decide to leave France for the U.S.? I had an offer in Washington D.C. and made a quick decision. I had no idea why I was coming to America, but I had more time then. I was 25 years old and I had some freedom in life. No girlfriend, no mortgage, no problems! I was in D.C. for 2 years, and then came to NYC. It was challenging and scary, but very good for me as a young chef. I like the power of NYC, and the power struggle. You know it’s a struggle, but you’re going to meet amazing people, and they will make your life, your investment, and your experience worth it. Today, I’m sad to see that some people have left NYC for tax or other reasons, but that won’t happen to me, i’m not going to quit or leave. I have a love and admiration and respect for the people that stayed strong in NYC.
Tell us about your love for Brazil and why you chose Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld to design Le Pavillon and Brazilian artist Vik Muniz to decorate Bar Boulud? My love for Brazil started 30 years ago when I began to visit in the late 80s and early 90s. I went with Charlie Palmer and we did a big charity dinner at the Copacabana Palace organized by Claude Troisgros. His son worked with me at DB Bistro. I went many times for different reasons, including the opening of a cooking school between Rio and Sao Paulo. I am also blessed with loyal customers that visit New York, but live in Brazil, and come to see me. They are always fun and generous. I went to the Fasano Hotel when I would visit, at that time it was the first boutique hotel. Ian Schrager and others in the 80s were inspired by Fasano. The designer was Isay Weinfeld, and I met Isay through Brazilian friends and customers. It was great to be able to work with him on the design of Le Pavillon.
I met Vik Muniz through a common friend in the arts, 15-16 years ago. When I was opening Bar Boulud, a bistro and wine bar near Lincoln Center, I thought it would be fun to make the art centered around wine. We started to collect corks and labels, but instead, we ended up having dinner and drinking the bottles of wine, which left stains and red rings, which Vik turned into the art prints. With Vik, you never know…
Tell us about your upstate home in Bedford? Martha Stewart brings us vegetables and eggs. Hopefully, this year we will get organized and prepare the field, make a garden, and throw a party.
What do you cook for your kids? We love to cook eggs every Sunday, we have fun cooking brunch together. Their favorite is toad in the hole with brioche from Epicerie Boulud. Thank god they like smoked salmon, the DB smoked salmon. The kids eat everything— they like fish, meat, and Katherine has done some nutritional classes, and balances the meal. They eat everything, except Julien doesn’t like potatoes. I told him once, ‘if you eat your potatoes, I’ll eat a banana.’ He ate the potatoes, but I couldn’t eat the banana so I owe him! Gigi loves to bake with her mother, especially cookies for friends, there is always something going on at home— a holiday or a birthday, Christmas is the biggest, they bake cookies with Katherine for the all the staff of Daniel Boulud restaurants.
What projects or openings do you have coming up in 2022? We just opened Le Gratin in the Beeckman Hotel downtown. We are also looking at the West Coast, Florida, the Middle East, and a private club.
The secret to keeping fit in the restaurant industry? I appreciate wine, but I don’t drink a lot, only good wine.
What would your last meal be? In Lyon with my loved ones. The splurge would be tete de veau served with my grandmother’s lamb and potato stew and my father’s smoked salmon, and the cheese we used to make— the goat cheese, fromage blanc. And for wine, a very old Chateauneuf de Pape.
PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE
What is your idea of perfect happiness? To be totally disconnected— no phone, no wifi. Or to be connected and disconnected— connected with family, and disconnected from the world.
What is your greatest fear? We all have our fears. This is a hard one, when you have a busy life, you try not to have fears, worries yes, but not fears.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Not being of the computer generation. I would love to be ‘techy’ enough to not depend on too many people.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Pretention.
Which living person do you most admire? My daughter Alix who just had twins.
What is your greatest extravagance? “I think it’s to live above the store” as they say or in my case above Restaurant Daniel. It’s extravagant, i didn’t need to live at Park and 65th, but it connects me to my family. But I don’t have a private plane or luxury cars… some nice watches though!
What is your current state of mind? To definitely continue to excel and strive for excellence with Restaurant Daniel, Not retire, but grow. Also to be a good New Yorker, it is important to be here, and support New York, especially through City Meals on Wheels or new business.
On what occasion do you lie? Maybe when I’m late.
What do you most dislike about your appearance? There is too much to list… my nose and the fact that my hair is not curly.
What is the quality you most like in a man? Trust.
What is the quality you most like in a woman? Trust.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Tout va bien.
What or who is the greatest love of your life? Well, my wife and kids, Kat, Julien, and Gigi.
When and where were you happiest? I will say, of course, back home with my family around the table, spending hours eating, drinking, talking, and laughing. And, of course, with my family here in the country, making eggs.
Which talent would you most like to have? I would have loved to be a singer and a musician, maybe one of my children will be. My favorite is Eric Clapton. Grab a guitar and have the ability to sing solo, there is nothing cozier than when you’re at a party or country around the fireplace and someone starts to sing. The ability to have a guitar and play or sit at a piano and play, it’s a gift I don’t have.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My size and too much vanity, we struggle with our weaknesses. Punctuality. Discipline. Find more leisure time, less work, and more play.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? To still be relevant in the biggest city in the world and in my business. To be one of the best restaurateurs in the world- le grand table du monde.
Where would you most like to live? Paris, two hours by train from Lyon.
What is your most treasured possession? A lot of watches. My great-grandfather's ring, he gave it to me, but it doesn’t fit so I will pass it on to one of my children. My father wore it for quite a while, not valuable, but the connection. It’s a small gold ring with chevalier initials.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? The Covid-19 pandemic.
What is your favorite occupation? Still to read about food, in cookbooks, and to work around food. My most absolving occupation is to build new restaurants. Not my favorite, but time-consuming.
What is your most marked characteristic? Charming! I like to charm. And to be the most hospitable, which comes from being in the restaurant business.
What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty.
Who are your favorite writers? Bill Buford. We wrote things together and he wrote Dirt about Lyon.
Who is your hero of fiction? Tin Tin because he was always traveling the world, and you traveled with him.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? Paul Bocuse, not that I want to be him, but because of where he came from and the impact he had.
Who are your heroes in real life? If we asked my son, who is 8 years old, he would say Elon Musk because he is the richest man in the world (laughs). I don’t know how he figured that out! I would say, rather, because he preempted change in the world.
What are your favorite names? Julien because that is the name of my father and my son.
What is it that you most dislike? Bananas. And sea cucumbers.
What is your greatest regret? I was asked by François Pinault to open a restaurant in Paris and I didn’t do it. I also didn’t go to college, but I would have never been a chef if I went.
How would you like to die? Peacefully and surrounded.
What is your motto? Keep dreaming.
Text: Veronica H. Speck