Alain Ducasse

Ralph Lauren's Cars, Private Parrot Cay Villa & More in Bid to Save the Earth Auction - Part 2

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Charity, Celebrity Design

Parrot Cay Villa for auction in Bid to Save the Earth

Last week we reported on the host of international celebrities, creative icons, industry leaders and conservationists joining together with famed auction house Christie's to support the 2011 Green Auction, a momentous live event and companion online auction raising funds and awareness for the preservation and sustainability of the planet.

Christie's has partnered with luxury charity auction site charitybuzz.com to put more than 200 coveted auction packages online from now through April 7 to raise funds for Oceana, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Conservation International and the Central Park Conservancy. Supporters can make a Bid to Save the Earth at www.charitybuzz.com/BidtoSavetheEarth.

A companion invite-only event and live fantasy auction hosted by Seth Meyers will be held at Christie's New York on March 29 in partnership with Vogue's Runway to Green. The event will feature a fashion show sponsored by Tiffany & Co. on the night of the live auction, with designer collection selections available online through Net-A-Porter.com.

In part one of our report on the incredible experiences on offer, we focused on the big ticket items estimated at over $100,000 apiece, including a ride with Harrison Ford on his private plane. Now we're selecting some of our favorite lots across a range of expected prices (N.B.: Lagerfeld and Ducasse are being auctioned off live tonight):

Tags: Alain Ducasse, auctions, bid to save the earth, celebrity auctions, Chanel, charity, Charity Buzz, Christies, christies+bid+to+save+the+earth, christiesbidtosavetheearth, environment, Ferrari, Girard-Perregaux, green+auction, greenauction, Karl Lagerfeld, luxury travel, Paris, Parrot Cay, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren car collection, Robert F. Kennedy, Turks and Caicos

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Spend Valentine's Day at Benoit New York, Alain Ducasse's French Bistro

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Celebrate Valentine's Day at Alain Ducasse's traditional French bistro Benoit New York, the highly acclaimed French bistro and you just may end up winning a two-night stay at L'Andana, Ducasse's country hotel in Tuscany, Italy.

Indeed, Valentine's Day guests will be given a candied apple to take away, which will reveal the lucky winner of the giveaway. L'Andana represents Chef Alain Ducasse's passion for Italy and his interpretation of "l'art de vivre," the art of living. Formerly the Duke of Tuscany's hunting lodge, L'Andana is situated on the 1,240 acre Tenuta La Badiola estate. Ducasse envisioned L'Andana as a comfortable countryside inn with the spirit and atmosphere of a guesthouse, while also providing the finest hotel amenities and services to its guests.

On Sunday, February 13th, Benoit Executive Chef Philippe Bertineau will be offering the regular à la carte menu and a $65 prix-fixe menu. On Valentine's Day, Monday, February 14th, a limited à la carte menu will be served, along with the special $65 prix-fixe menu (with choice of appetizer, entrée and dessert).

Gallery: Alain Ducasse's Benoit New York

Tags: Alain Ducasse, Benoit, Benoit New York, french+valentines+day+menu, frenchvalentinesdaymenu, giveaway, how+to+spend++valentines+day, howtospendvalentinesday, LAndana, luxurious+valentines+day+menu, luxuriousvalentinesdaymenu, Philippe Bertineau, Truffle, truffles, tuscany, valaentines+day+menu+nyc, valaentinesdaymenunyc, Valentines Day, Valentines menu, valentines+day+french+bistro, valentinesdayfrenchbistro

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Alain Ducasse's Benoit New York Featuring Truffles Throughout February

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

Benoit New York, the highly acclaimed French bistro that is part of the Alain Ducasse restaurant empire, is offering fresh black Périgord truffles throughout the month of February. The truffles can be shaved over any dish offered on the menu that features classic French bistro cuisine for a supplemental cost of $9 for 5 grams, which is the actual cost to the restaurant. The truffle pairing will be available through the end of February.

Benoit Executive Chef Philippe Bertineau suggests enjoying the truffle garnish atop a selection of dishes. In addition to the Maine Lobster Salad and Tarte Flambée, the truffle shavings work well with the Filet Mignon and Hand-chopped Beef Tartare.

"One of the dishes I recommended serving with truffles is our Seasonal Local Vegetable Cookpot," says Chef Philippe Bertineau told Luxist. "The Cookpot is an oven-to-table porcelain dish that Alain Ducasse created with designer Pierre Tachon specifically for cooking and serving vegetables. It's a modern adaptation of the traditional cooking pot used in France's rural regions, and all of Chef Ducasse's restaurants around the world offer a seasonal vegetable Cookpot dish that's composed of local vegetables."

"For the Cookpot at Benoit, we wanted to create a vegetarian dish using root vegetables---our version includes parsnips, carrots, potatoes, sunchokes, rutabaga, celery root, butternut squash and chestnuts layered over a mushroom duxelles and finished with fresh black truffle," adds Chef Bertineau, the former Executive Chef of Balthazar who joined Benoit in October. "All of the vegetables are cooked together and served in the Cookpot, and it's a wonderful dish for the wintertime."

Tags: Alain Ducasse, awards-main, bar+benoit+truffle, barbenoittruffle, Benoit, Benoit New York, black Périgord truffles, black perigord truffles, black truffles, fine dining, luxist-awards, Michelin, New York, nyc+truffle+dinner+2011, nyctruffledinner2011, Philippe Bertineau, restaurant, truffle menu, truffles

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Gwyneth's Favorite Female Chef Snags a Second Michelin Star

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Celebrity Shopping

Hélène Darroze (above), who runs the chic eatery in her name at London's posh Connaught hotel, has just been awarded a second Michelin star making her the only female chef in the UK with two of the coveted étoiles under her toque. Gwyneth Paltrow, who lived at the Connaught for a month and was a regular visitor to the restaurant while renovating her house in London, is one of Darroze's biggest fans. Reinforcing the legendary Mayfair hotel's 114 year old legacy of fine dining, Darroze, a protegé of Alain Ducasse, has established a loyal following among other notables and gourmets as well with traditional dishes from her native Southwest France combined with the best seasonal ingredients from the British Isles.

Gallery: Helene Darroze at The Connaught

Tags: Alain Ducasse, chef, Connaught, France, Gordon Ramsay, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hélène Darroze, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, London, luxury hotel, Mayfair, Michelin, UK

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The St. Regis New York Launches E-Butler App

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services

The St. Regis New York has just launched an innovative new E-Butler application, allowing guests to interact with the famed luxury hotel's butlers and concierge as never before, and featuring exclusive content including an Insider's Guide to New York City curated by some of NYC's most celebrated personalities. The St. Regis New York E-Butler app is a modern twist on traditional butler service, providing guests with the world renowned St. Regis service at the touch of a button. The app will offer guests the ability to "chat" directly with The St. Regis E-Butler in real-time via their iPhone or iPad, arranging all of the important details of their visit to the city instantly. In true St. Regis style, the hotel has tapped some of New York's most celebrated personalities including Andre Leon Talley, Jason Wu, Alain Ducasse, Danny Meyer, Michel Musto and Peter Som to share their insider info. on favorite shops, restaurants and city landmarks. Through St. Regis E-Butler, guests will have the ability to book these favorite spots directly, and the app will also feature a curated calendar of events for the season's most interesting and anticipated happenings around the Big Apple.

Tags: Alain Ducasse, Andre Leon Talley, app, apps, butler, Danny Meyer, iPad, iPhone, Jason Wu, luxury hotel, New York City, Peter Som, restaurants, St. Regis, St. Regis New York

Ukranian Billionaire Flys in Ducasse, Cirque du Soleil for $6 Million Birthday Bash

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Wealth

Ukrainian billionaire Viktor Pinchuk (above) is spending more than $6 million on an opulent 50th birthday bash for himself in the posh French ski resort of Courchevel tonight, flying in the Cirque de Soleil and superchef Alain Ducasse for the occasion. The steel magnate and contemporary art collector, whose has an estimated fortune of over $3 billion, is sparing no expense for the 300 guests invited to the event, the London Telegraph reports. It has taken 50 workmen two weeks "under difficult climactic conditions" to set up an enormous marquee to showcase the Cirque du Soleil, the world-renowned Canadian circus troupe, the paper notes.

Ducasse's haute cuisine will be accompanied by oceans of the finest champagne, vodka and top grand cru vintage wines. The evening will end with a spectacular fireworks display before guests retire to the resort's 11 five-star hotels, all booked out for the occasion. Pinchuk, who owns one of London's most expensive houses, has his own private museum in Kiev housing major works by Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Louis Vuitton collaborator Takashi Murakami. He has a number of philanthropic projects and arts sponsorships in the works with the likes of Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Steven Spielberg, George Soros and Bill Clinton, all of whom could turn up at the birthday blowout.

Tags: Alain Ducasse, billionaire, Cirque de Soleil, contemporary art, Courchevel, Damien Hirst, events, france, Jeff Koons, museum, oligarch, parties, Paul McCartney, Russian billionaires, Takashi Murakami, Ukraine, wealth

Prince Harry Celebrates at the St. Regis New York

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events, Charity, Sports

While in New York to play in the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, England's Prince Harry stopped in at the storied St. Regis hotel on June 25th for an event honoring Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006. The soirée was hosted by Paul James, Global Brand Leader for St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Paul Nash, General Manager at the St. Regis New York and Nacho Figueras (above left with the Prince), renowned polo player, St. Regis Connoisseur and friend of Sentebale. The event celebrated the charity's connection with New York City at one of its most iconic locations, amidst Prince Harry's much anticipated second visit to the city. Noted chef de cuisine Didier Elena, of Adour Alain Ducasse at the St. Regis New York, created an exquisite menu in honor of the occasion. Sentebale's mission is to transform the lives of African nation Lesotho's orphans and vulnerable children. The charity was founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso from the Lesotho royal family.

Tags: Africa, Alain Ducasse, charity, Nacho Figueras, New York, polo, Prince Harry, Sentebale, St. Regis, St. Regis New York

New York Celebrity Chefs Serve Up Street Food

by Carrie N. Culpepper (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events

On Monday, Feb. 8, 500 lucky New Yorkers will get a chance to taste gourmet fast food of sorts from some of the city's most popular chefs. It'll be the street cart equivalent of New York City Ballet dancers doing pirouettes on a subway platform, or Broadway actors singing karaoke in a dive bar. In other words, a rare treat.

Four top chefs - Daniel Boulud, Alain Ducasse, Paul Liebrandt and Michael White - will be operating street carts and in four top secret locations around Manhattan. The lunches will be free, but you know what they say about free lunches.

Tags: alain ducasse, AlainDucasse, celebrity chefs, CelebrityChefs, daniel boulud, DanielBoulud, michael white, MichaelWhite, new york chefs, new york street food, NewYorkChefs, NewYorkStreetFood, paul liebrandt, PaulLiebrandt, south beach food wine festival, SouthBeachFoodWineFestival

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Ducasse's 1st Caribbean Eatery to Open at W Vieques

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Famed French chef Alain Ducasse will open his first restaurant in the Caribbean at the new W Retreat & Spa: Vieques Island this November, called "miX on the beach." At the eatery (above) Ducasse will offer a sophisticated menu, exploring "colorful Latino Caribbean flavors with an artful French twist and refreshing dishes that highlight only the finest ingredients from land and sea, expertly prepared and creatively presented." Both indoor and outdoor dining will be available with impressive ocean views on all sides. The first W Retreat & Spa in the Caribbean, the resort is located just off the Southeast coast of Puerto Rico on the peaceful 55-acre island of Vieques. In addition to miX on the beach, Ducasse's team will also manage the entire food and beverage program for the resort.

Tags: Alain Ducasse, AlainDucasse, beach, Caribbean, celebrity chef, CelebrityChef, chef, Puerto Rico, PuertoRico, resort, spa, Vieques, W hotel, W Retreat Spa, WHotel, WRetreatSpa

Prince Harry to Play in Manhattan Polo Match

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine, Events, Charity, Sports

On May 30 Britain's Prince Harry will play in the second annual Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic during his first official visit to the U.S. Last year we told you about the launch of the Manhattan Classic, the first polo match to be played in NYC in 70 years. For this year's event the famed St. Regis hotel is offering an Aficionado package, including a stay at the ultra-luxe hotel, VIP seating at the match for two guests, and brunch the next day with Nacho Figueras, captain of Ralph Lauren's Black Watch polo team (and a Ralph Lauren model).

The St. Regis will feature its renowned Afternoon Tea at the polo match, and Sandro Micheli of Adour Alain Ducasse at The St. Regis New York has created a special menu for the occasion. At the match taking place on Governor's Island, the Prince will play opposite Black Watch on a team captained by Nick Roldan. Veuve Clicquot is donating proceeds from the event to American Friends of Sentebale, a charity supporting at-risk children in Lesotho, Africa, founded by Prince Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Alain Ducasse, AlainDucasse, British royalty, BritishRoyalty, champagne, Manhattan, polo, Prince Harry, PrinceHarry, Ralph Lauren, RalphLauren, St. Regis, St.Regis, Veuve Clicquot, VeuveClicquot

Benoit's Le Officine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Dining at Chef Alain Ducasse's bistro Benoit in New York City is an excellent place to go with a group of friends but to make it even more posh you might want to reserve Le Officine, a private dining salon inside the restaurant. The restaurant mirrors the original Benoit in Paris, which opened in 1912 and serves French bistro classics drawn from Benoit's repertoire of 50 to 100 year old recipes.

Le Officine seats just ten people and is a small room covered in walnut paneling. According to the NY Sun's article on this room, it is a reconstruction of a French herbalist's shop, circa 1830. The entire dismantled shop was bought by Ducasse who had it restored and reassembled. The original porcelain nameplates on the cabinets identifying the herbs are still in place and Ducasse has added his own touches including a collection of old salmon poachers and an arrangement of white porcelain apples and garlic plants. The room's ends are anchored by mural sized photographs of Paris.

Gallery: Le Oficine

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Tags: alain ducasse, AlainDucasse, benoit, le oficine, LeOficine, new york, NewYork

L'Andana, Ducasse Under the Tuscan Sun

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Great food always benefits from great scenery, so I can only imagine how dinner is at L'Andana, Chef Alain Ducasse's Inn in the Maremma region of Tuscany, Italy. The property is located in Tuscany's hills and groves and has 33 guest rooms, a Michelin-starred restaurant Trattoria Toscana, a 6,000 square foot ESPA spa, three pools, tennis court, /opportunities for yachting excursions, horseback riding and other jaunts through the scenic countryside. When it opened in 2004, the inn was named to Travel + Leisure's list of hot new places to stay. Even the reviewers at Trip Advisor have found little to complain about.

What goes perfectly with Tuscan food and Tuscan scenery? Tuscan wine of course. This year they are offering the Super Tuscan experience (ranging from €3.052 – 3.658, low to high season) which includes three nights (with buffet breakfast each morning), and two days visit and wine tasting in the famous Tuscan Omellaia, Sassicaia, Michele Saita with Mercedes transfer and Tognoni in the small medieval village of Bolgheri as well as dinner for two at Trattoria Toscana. Due to the current exchange rate the inn has implemented a guaranteed dollar rate program, meaning regardless of the weakness of the dollar at the time of your vacation, L'Andana will honor the rate at 1.45.

Gallery: L'Andana

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Tags: alain ducasse, food, italy, landana, supertuscan wine, SupertuscanWine, tuscan, vacation

The Eiffel Tower Gets The Star Chef Treatment

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's been my experience that restaurants with an amazing view are a mixed bag. Some are nothing special, assuming that you aren't there for the food as much as you are for the view, others go all out. The Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower takes a move into the latter category with the announcement that star chef Alain Ducasse will be opening the newly updated restaurant next month. The restaurant has a view of Paris from the second level of the tower. The challenge for Ducasse was to create a restaurant that both tourists and locals would love. He also had to deal with the unusual requirements of the setting including furniture that met the tower's weight limits and a kitchen that cannot use gas that would produce flames.

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Tags: alain ducasse, AlainDucasse, eiffel tower, expire-images:2008-11-18, jules verne, paris, restaurant

The World's Most Expensive Tasting Menus

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Tasting menu's don't come cheap, but the range of flavors and the chance to experience more of the chef's repertoire is worth it for many. Some of the best restaurants in the world have gone to serving nothing but tasting menus, Charlie Trotter's in Chicago for example, and others simply offer them as a luxury for those who can afford it and want something a little different. So where to go if you're really looking to drop some cash and enjoy the great tastes of the best tasting menus? Well the single most expensive tasting menu in the world belongs to L'Arpege in Paris and runs $466, with the second and third most expensive also going to restaurants in Paris: Alain Ducasse Plaza Athenee ($437), and Guy Savoy ($402). Masa, in NYC, comes in at 4th with their tasting menu priced at $400 for 25 courses.

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Tags: Alain Ducasse, AlainDucasse, Charlie Trotters, CharlieTrotters, chef, dine, dining, food, gourmet, Guy Savoy, GuySavoy, l'arpege, masa, menu, menus, most expensive, MostExpensive, paris, Plaza Athenee, PlazaAthenee, restaurant, restaurants, tasting, tasting menu, tasting menus, TastingMenu, TastingMenus

Forbes' Most Expensive Restaurants 2006

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Using data compiled by the Zagat survey, Forbes has produced two lists naming the year's most expensive restaurants. One list deals with only US restaurants, while the other compares the prices (in US dollars) of places all over the world. For the global list, the final cost was considered to be the price of one main course, one (alcoholic) beverage and tip, while the US list was not limited to a single main course and included options such as prix fixe tasting menus. Both only priced dinner for one person, but due to the difference in standards, there are many prix-fixe only restaurants that didn't make the global list but might be a good deal more expensive, but here are the top three from each list as they stand: