Episode 41: Daniel Boulud

Daniel Boulud is a world renowned chef and restauranteur hailing from a farm just outside Lyon, France. He is chef and owner of several of the top restaurants around the globe, including Daniel, the 3 Michelin Star New York City restaurant. Daniel has been in the restaurant industry since he was a teenager, learning and apprenticing in France. He left his home at 14 to become a chef and moved to the city of Lyon to live with his uncle. He did a three year apprenticeship in Lyon before moving to Paris, and later coming to the States. In 1980 he took his first job in America in Washington D.C. as a chef, and later moved to New York City to be a part of the restaurant culture here. On this weeks episode of Chef’s Story, Daniel Boulud relays to us an overview of his culinary journey, beginning in France and through his move to Washington D.C. to New York. He lets us in on the secret to the success of ‘Daniel’ and the importance of being mentored and trained, as well as the rigor and dedication needed to become a successful chef and entrepreneur. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market.

“Winning is having someone come in for the first time and discovering the restaurant and having them hooked, thats what counts. Even 20 years later, when somebody comes for the first time to the restaurant and discovering the restaurant” [02:30]

“It’s very difficult for a casual chef who has only worked in casual places to be come a master chef”. [31:35]

“It’s really rewarding, because it feels like a family. And people come to the restaurant not only for me, but for the family as well”. [41:00]

–Daniel Boulud on Chef’s Story