David Bouley

[StephanieL]

Too young.

I'm sorry I never got to go to any of his restaurants.

[Sneakeater]

??????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[backyardchef]

😥

[MitchW]

My first "fancy" meal after moving back to NYC and enrolling in cooking school. It had to be fall, because I'll never forget the smell of the apples he had in baskets in the entranceway.

RIP, Chef.

[Mitchell101]

One of the 1st high end restaurants I took my wife to. I also remember the apples.

And one of Chef Dave's spots where he worked. He said a lot about it on a recent podcast. 

Edited February 13, 2024 by Mitchell101

[AaronS]

my ex and I went on an early date there too.

[bloviatrix]

I remember my brother raving about Montrachet in the early days. It was one of the few places expressly forbidden in my expense account days.

[bloviatrix]

I just remembered - I used to see him on occasion at USGM making the morning rounds. He'd hit some of the same farmers that I would which made me feel so smug.

[Wilfrid]

That’s a very sad surprise. I met him at, of all places, the big Miami food and wine event years ago.

But more personally, all those meals at Bouley with many good friends from Mouthfuls (and before) and the amazing chefs who came through his kitchen (you know who you are).

A huge part of my New York dining memories.

[Sneakeater]

2 hours ago, bloviatrix said:

I remember my brother raving about Montrachet in the early days. It was one of the few places expressly forbidden in my expense account days.

I had a prix fixe there for $25 when it first opened — which, believe me, was cheap even then.

Did your boss think it wasn’t expensive enough?

[Wilfrid]

14 hours ago, bloviatrix said:

I remember my brother raving about Montrachet in the early days. It was one of the few places expressly forbidden in my expense account days.

When I was working in London, the boss put out an express instruction that I wasn't allowed to choose the restaurants for business dinners. Of course, that just meant I whispered my choices into his secretary's ear.

Remember secretaries?

[bloviatrix]

15 hours ago, Sneakeater said:

I had a prix fixe there for $25 when it first opened — which, believe me, was cheap even then.

Did your boss think it wasn’t expensive enough?

I think by '93 it was more expensive than $25. My boss created a strange list of what wasn't allowed. I definitely put some four figure meals on my corporate card.

[Sneakeater]

You know, 39 years later, I STILL can't believe that $25 David Bouley prix fixe.

[bloviatrix]

How did I not know that Eric Ripert was at Bouley before Le Bernadin?

[Wilfrid]

I did not know that, but now I look at the list there are countless surprises. A ridiculous academy for chefs. Not least the people who staged there.

[MitchW]

11 hours ago, Wilfrid said:

When I was working in London, the boss put out an express instruction that I wasn't allowed to choose the restaurants for business dinners. Of course, that just meant I whispered my choices into his secretary's ear.

Remember secretaries?

Secretaries?!

 

I hardly remember ears.

[MitchW]

10 minutes ago, Wilfrid said:

I did not know that, but now I look at the list there are countless surprises. A ridiculous academy for chefs. Not least the people who staged there.

Yeah - the guy was kinda...the guy.

[MitchW]

15 minutes ago, Wilfrid said:

I did not know that, but now I look at the list there are countless surprises. A ridiculous academy for chefs. Not least the people who staged there.

Yeah - the guy was kinda...the guy.

The '90 - '96 era was kinda great. Right when I entered school. 

Edited February 15, 2024 by MitchW

[MitchW]

Shit, didn't Eric Blauberg have this really good restaurant in the American Thread Building?

 

[Sneakeater]

Haven’t thought about THAT place in a while.  

[Sneakeater]

Or that chef for that matter.   

[small h]

11 hours ago, Wilfrid said:

Remember secretaries?

Well, yeah. I used to be one.

[Wilfrid]

1 hour ago, small h said:

Well, yeah. I used to be one.

I worked my way through college as one. Then when I was out of college I had one (or several).

[StephanieL]

Did not know that Kurt Gutenbrunner worked at Bouley.  I always enjoyed my meals at Wallsé.

[Wilfrid]

At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if Ferdinand Point worked for him.