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Daniel Boulud

Chef Daniel Boulud Closing His Vancouver Restaurants

Filed under: Dining

daniel bouludStar chef Daniel Boulud is closing his doors in Vancouver. The French chef who has restaurants in New York City and opened a London outpost last year will be closing Vancouver's Lumière and db Bistro Moderne on March 13.

The Vancouver Sun reports that the restaurants were open a little more than two years and that Boulud was the "first international superstar chef" to open a restaurant in Canada. Some local critics speculated that the Boulud's fine dining was a bit too formal to connect with Vancouver's laid-back foodie scene. The restaurants, which took inspiration from Boulud's New York City triumphs were perhaps an inexact fit for the market. The staff from both restaurants will likely be easily reabsorbed into Vancouver's still-flourishing restaurant community.

He also had a restaurant at the Wynn resort in Las Vegas but that restaurant is now the Lakeside Grill. Boulud meanwhile, continues to thrive in New York City. Last year he won the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award for his multi-starred restaurant named simply, Daniel.

The Surrey Hotel Debuts a Rooftop English Garden

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Surrey Hotel's English Roof Garden
The Surrey Hotel
, the boutique hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, has opened a spectacular private roof garden complete with expansive views of the Manhattan skyline and Central Park. The roof garden features lounge seating amidst seasonal florals, ranging from brilliant purple Salvia East Frieslands to pink, yellow and orange Lantana. There are lovely box trees that are framed by rows of English dwarf lavenders. Located on the Penthouse level of the hotel, the rooftop garden is available seasonally and exclusively to hotel guests.

The 2,200 square foot terrace is a serene escape and can only be compared to a penthouse terrace found on the top of some of the most exclusive apartment buildings in Manhattan. The roof was completely resurfaced, and features Ipe Brazilian decking and trellises, with ivy and box trees growing throughout the garden. It was designed by Lauren Rottet, the renowned interior and architectural designer who spearheaded The Surrey's recent renovation.

Daniel Boulud Opens First European Restaurant

Filed under: Dining

Daniel Boulud London
Famed French chef Daniel Boulud, most well known for his influence and restaurants in New York City (including his flagship named simply 'Daniel'), has opened his first restaurant on his home continent. Called Bar Boulud it opened in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London just a few weeks ago on May 6th. The bistro seats 169 guests and features a retro and wine theme (including stylized wine-barrel light fixtures and black and white photos from his hometown of Lyon, France) and a charcuterie-heavy menu cooked up by a dozen chefs in an open kitchen. Guests have their choice of traditional 'in season' French dishes or Yankee styled burger and fries. The Bar Boulud in London is an outpost of the original Bar Boulud that opened in New York in 2008.

James Beard Award Winners 2010: Marea, Daniel, Craft and French Laundry

Filed under: Dining, Events


It's no surprise that New York and Napa Valley restaurants dominated the top spots at Monday night's James Beard Awards held at Lincoln Center. Foodies of every stripe -- from Food Network stars to French Laundry chefs -- were in attendance at the black-tie event. A red carpet was even set up in the new courtyard outside Avery Fisher Hall so the truly food-obsessed could catch a glimpse of chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Lidia Bastianich and Alton Brown, the evenings co-hosts. (Pictured above is Brown, JBF president Susan Ungaro, Bastianich and Ted Allen arriving on the red carpet.)

The big awards of the evening went to New York's Marea for Best New Restaurant; Tom Colicchio of the Craft restaurants (and a regular "Top Chef" judge) won the Outstanding Chef Award; Daniel Boulud won the Outstanding Restaurant Award for Daniel, another New York restaurant; the Outstanding Pastry Chef award went to Nichole Plue of Redd in Napa Valley; and Timothy Hollingsworth of Napa's famous The French Laundry, won the Rising Star Chef of the Year Award.

Backstage, talk turned to to food trends -- something fine-dining chefs don't look kindly on -- and the seemingly omnipresent locavore movement. And we even found out where these top chefs are excited to eat.

Where to Eat Now: James Beard Award Finalists Announced

Filed under: Dining, Events

Chefs, sharpen your knives, the food community is abuzz with news of the 2010 James Beard Award nominations, which were announced earlier this week. Aside from Michelin stars and positive restaurant reviews, these awards are the biggest recognition in the food world. Chosen by a non-profit made up of food and wine enthusiasts, the awards take a nationwide look at the dining scene pulling out the stars of today and tomorrow. What that means to you is: Make your reservations now -- especially at Robert DeNiro's latest New York restaurant, Locanda Verde (right) -- these places are about to get hotter.

Anyone can attend the black-tie Chef and Restaurant Awards which take place on May 3 at Lincoln Center in New York. Tickets are $450 for non-members and include the awards ceremony hosted by The Food Network's Alton Brown, Wolfgang Puck and PBS chef Lidia Bastianich (whose cookbook "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy" is up for a nomination). But the best part will be the gala reception afterward where guests can sample food by notable chefs from around the country who were chosen by a past Outstanding Chef winner.

And the nominees are ...

Tell Us Everything, Chef Daniel Boulud

Filed under: Dining, Tell Us Everything



In an era of celebrity chefs and big food personalities with TV shows, magazines and books, blogs and cookware lines, French chef Daniel Boulud is in some ways a throwback. A trained chef with farm roots and a fine-dining pedigree whose built a string of successful restaurants, now being replicated all over the world. Boulud is best known for his eponymous Manhattan restaurant Daniel, which this year earned him three Michelin stars – the Academy Award for Best Picture equivalent for a chef – it's considered the highest honor a restaurant can earn.

LuckyRice Announces New York City Asian Food Festival

Filed under: Dining, Events


Tickets went on sale yesterday for a new festival in New York City. LuckyRice, a media and marketing company honoring Asian culinary culture, has created the LuckyRice Asian Food Festival which will run April 29 to May 2. The event will benefit City Harvest and the Asian American Federation and is presented in partnership with the LuckyRice Culinary Council and Conde Nast Traveler, Time Out New York and Edible Manhattan. The Culinary Council includes some top names like Daniel Boulud, Anthony Bourdain, David Chang, Michael "Bao" Huynh, Masaharu Morimoto, Eric Ripert, Marcus Samuelsson and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

The festivities include grand tastings, cocktail parties and other epicurean events including a Night Market and a Sunset Luau. Following the festival will be the LuckyRice Restaurant and Bar Week, which will offer prix-fixe lunches and dinners at participating restaurants. Ticket prices vary per event. One can't-miss talk on April 30 is on Buddhist cuisine and features Eric Riper and David Chang in conversation with noted Buddhist authority Robert Thurman. Night owls might enjoy with sake and karoke night with Iron Chef Morimoto which starts at 11 pm. Lisa Ling will host the Grand Feast of Asian Flavors at the Mandarin Oriental NY. A list of all events and ticket information can be found on the LuckyRice website.

New York Celebrity Chefs Serve Up Street Food

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.

Luxury Spa Opens in New York's Surrey Hotel

Filed under: Spas

Are you in search of an escape from a bustling life in Manhattan? Or will you be traveling to New York and looking for a luxurious boutique European-style hotel with a spa? Look no further than the recently renovated Surrey Hotel and its beautiful new day spa on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Luxist visited this delightful gem and found it to be the consummate place to rejuvenate the skin and soul.

Spa at the Surrey is a perfect getaway for mothers and daughters looking for a little bonding time, as well as for couples or best friends wanting to relax in a tranquil environment. For New Yorkers, a few hours spent in this spa will have you feeling like you've left the city.

Consider booking a "Half-Day Escape," which is three hours of personalized treatments including a massage, facial, manicure and pedicure. Those seeking a little more "me" time, might consider a "Full Day Escape" which includes five and a half hours of personalized treatments. Guests can order a gourmet lunch from the Café Boulud, which is located on the ground floor of the Surrey.

D'Artagnan Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary with a 32 Star Progressive Dinner

Filed under: Dining


True foodies think nothing of spending exorbitant sums on their passion. Fine wines, and four star meals, often in foreign countries, are their version of luxury. The names they drop are not Prada or Manolo but Keller and Ripert. Twenty-five years ago Ariane Daguin from France and her partner George Faisan started D'Artagnan. It was really the first company to focus on providing consumers in the United States with food products from Ariane's native region of France, Gascony. It has become the premier supplier of specialty food products from the foie gras to truffles to high end American restaurants and gourmet shops.

This February the company celebrates its 25th anniversary with a week long celebration in New York starting on February 17, 2010. The highlight of the festivities is a "32 Star Progressive Dinner" on Saturday February 21rst. The special event features celebrated chefs from the Gascon region of France in various four star kitchens around Manhattan. The evening kicks off with cocktails at 5pm after which the participants will board the "Armagnac-fueled" bus to experience each course at a different 4 star restaurant.

Participating chefs include:
  • Daniel Boulud with Jean-Marie Gautier, M.O.F. of Hotel du Palais, Biarritz
  • Jean-Georges Vongeritchen with Michel Trama of Aubergade, Puymirol
  • Daniel Humm with Jacques & Laurent Pourcel of Le Jardin des Sens, Montpellier
  • Thomas Keller with Hélène Darroze of Restaurant Hélène Darroze, Paris
  • Eric Ripert with Thierry Marx of Cordeillan-Bages, Pauillac and Philippe Urraca, M.O.F.

The above list is just for the main course! There are others chefs cooking their native cuisine for the other courses. Wines from top producers including Chateau Lynch Bages will be featured and Trou Gascon Armagnac will be served on the bus between courses.

The finale occurs at Le Bernadin where all the chefs will celebrate after dessert. Seating is limited and costs $600 per person for the evening.

Hot Tickets at the SoBe Wine & Food Festival

Filed under: Dining, Events


Just as the winter chill is setting in, food lovers everywhere will take to the sun for a four-day respite from moderation at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Some of the world's biggest culinary personalities will be in Miami Feb. 25-28 for the festivities, including Daniel Boulud, Emeril Lagasse, Rachel Ray and more.

The weekend's filled with dinners, seminars, parties, tastings and more. We've combed through the calendar and pulled out the festival's top events. Here are the hottest tickets of the weekend:

Celebrity Chefs Announced For Marina Bay Sands Resort

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels


The celebrity chef lineups for the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore has been revealed and they are taking no chances at the $5 billion resort, bringing out some of the world's culinary big guns. The resort will feature restaurants by famous chefs from around the world. The six chefs announced include Mario Batali (New York), Daniel Boulud (New York), Wolfgang Puck (Los Angeles), Santi Santamaria (Barcelona), Guy Savoy (Paris) and Tetsuya Wakuda (Sydney). Chefs Santi Santamaria, Guy Savoy and Tetsuya Wakuda will have their restaurants on the mezzanine layer of the casino while Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud and Wolfgang Puck will have signature restaurants situated near Marina Bay Sands Theatres. Each of the six chefs is personally involved in the concepts, menus, and interior design of the six different restaurants.

When completed, Marina Bay Sands will feature have approximately 2,500 luxury hotel rooms, the rooftop Sands SkyPark, a museum, Las Vegas- style gaming, the Paiza Club for premium players, theatres, entertainment, an outdoor event plaza, and shopping and dining venues. In a press release, Batali calls the resort "the most exciting project I have ever been involved with" but the most philosophical quotes come from the European chefs. Santi Santamaria ponders the possibilities of "culinary poetry" saying he wants his cuisine to "delight the senses and awaken emotional memories with a cuisine of wisdom." Guy Savoy expresses a similar view saying that" cuisine is the art of instantaneously turning produce suffused with history into happiness." They sound like perfect fits for a city that prides itself on the quality and infinite variety of its food.

[via NY Daily News]

The $15,000 Wine Locker

Filed under: Dining, Wine, Charity

A hedge fund banker recently paid $15,000 to rent a rather tiny piece of Manhattan real estate for a year. That's the price for a three-cubic-foot wine storage locker at chef Daniel Boulud's new restaurant, Bar Boulud which will open later this year. There are 15 storage spaces total and each has a 36 bottle capacity. The first spot was sold at a charity auction for Citymeals-on-Wheels, and the fee will provide 3,000 meals for home-bound elderly people in New York City.

Felix Salmon did the math
on the pricey lockers and actual found that they are a bit of a deal for those who shop at the deep end of the wine list. He points out that if you are regularly drinking wines for that sell for $400 on a restaurant wine list you can probably buy the same wine for $150. At those prices you would only have to drink five bottles per month to justify the expense of the locker rental. Suddenly, the fee seems, dare I say it, reasonable.

Daniel Boulud Brasserie @ Wynn Las Vegas

Filed under: Dining


I just returned from a well needed getaway to Las Vegas and had the most wonderful experience of dining at the fabulous Daniel Boulud Brasserie in Wynn Las Vegas. After a day of flying and getting to Las Vegas, the last thing I wanted was a strenuously formal dinner at any of the other gourmet rooms in town. Instead, the casual atmosphere of the Brasserie fit perfectly. The food is phenomenal while the environment is soothing and relaxed. I enjoyed the legendary DB Burger, the $29 burger from Bistro Moderne in New York, while my sister dined on Penne with Truffles and Chanterelles. Dessert was indulgent with my Valrohona Chocolate Souffle and my sister's Chocolate Turtle Coupe. Each dish was perfect and served by a team who made sure everything was to our liking. The entire experience was remarkably priced and a great value for such divine food and wonderful service. In fact, the entire Wynn Las Vegas property is a study of refined luxury and my new favorite in Las Vegas.

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