Top Chefs Remember David Bouley
More than an award winning culinarian, Bouley was a master mentor
David Bouley, the American-born chef who introduced New Yorkers to nouvelle French cuisine died this past Monday at the age of 70. Though many would be justifiably convinced that Bouley was a French native, he was actually born in Connecticut. After attending the University of Connecticut, Bouley, inspired by his Grandparents’ French background, studied at the Sorbonne in Paris.
A gifted chef, his first major foray into fine dining at Montrachet earned him a three-star review from the New York Times. The accolades — all well deserved — kept coming. His eponymous restaurant, Bouley, won several James Beard awards including Best Restaurant and Best Chef. Bouley’s star would further rise and he would rack up Michelin stars for his various endeavors. The chef was never one to rest on his laurels, though. Always evolving, Bouley opened Home in the Flatiron district, a health-forward restaurant in a world of indulgent eateries.
Bouley’s biggest culinary achievement might be the chefs he brought up and mentored including Anita Lo, Eric Ripert, Christina Tosi, and more. His influence was never felt more than in these last few days, with his peers sharing memories.
Daniel Boulud shared his memories on Instagram, saying: “Very sad news spread across the Chef world, as one of the most influential and inspiring NYC Chefs passed away today. David was a close friend for a very long time. He was the one who welcomed me in New York for the very first time, cooked me a fantastic brunch and convinced me to move to NYC. He was an incredible mentor to his team. He was a genius and we are so lucky to have him as part of the New York legacy of chefs. He was passionate about technique, French and Japanese cuisine, and was an early pioneer of the farm to table movement. He created a lot of magic in his restaurants and the people who experienced it will always carry memories of the pleasure he gave.
There were two major DBs in the culinary world of New York- one uptown and downtown. People used to always confuse the two of us and we always had a laugh about how many people called me David and him Daniel. We rose up in this city together and I will never forget all the incredible memories I have with him. In 2011, David, a group of chef friends, and I embarked on a mission to cook in a remote village on the coast of Japan for people who were displaced by the tsunamis. This trip was a great bonding moment for us and the generosity and team spirit of David really shined through. We had so many wonderful trips and opportunities to cook together. My condolences to his lovely wife Nicole, his family and his team and I will miss him dearly. RIP my friend, and we will never forget the welcoming smell of the apple that connected everyone to nature.”
Jean-Georges Vongerichten shared the following memory with Broken Palate: “I remember the great tasting menus at Montrachet then Bouley’s. The smell of the apples at the entrance and the arched ceiling. Danube was the most beautiful restaurant in New York City at the time. David was a great food philosopher and n=brought a lot of produce from France specifically groen for him and other chefs — it was the precursor to the organic food movement. David was more French than any other French chef in New York . He spoke the language perfectly and he had a great knowledge of wines — a great Francophile!”
And Eric Ripert shared Bouley’s love of food — and its source - with Broken Palate: “I remember going to Union Square Market with David and stopping almost everywhere. He knew all the farmers and was one of the first to go periodically. After speaking to basically everyone — smelling and touching and tasting so much — we would bring everything back to the restaurant — a lot of great produce — in a small Volkswagon convertible that Melissa, his girlfriend that worked the room at the restaurant — owned. The car was packed and would sit in the back making sure that we wouldn’t lose some of our “harvest” we would arrive just before lunch in the kitchen and David would start to improvise ideas. Those are very fond, inspirational memories.”