This year marks the 10th anniversary of the prestigious award that celebrates the extraordinary achievements of chefs from around the globe at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards.
Daniel Boulud, originally from Lyon, earned his first professional recognition at 15 years of age when he was a finalist in France’s competition for Best Culinary Apprentice. Boulud then worked with some of France’s most renowned chefs including Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc and Michel Guérard.
Boulud went on to build his own reputation in New York, first as a chef and then also as a restaurateur. Soon after moving to New York City, Boulud opened the Polo Lounge at The Westbury Hotel, then Le Régence at the Hotel Plaza Athenée. He also spent six years as Executive Chef at Le Cirque.
In 1993, Boulud set out on his own and opened Daniel in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The menu at Daniel is defined by a conscious progression of taste experiences that build upon the first moments of brightness, acidity, and delight, through to the more developed, spiced and textured courses.
The cuisine of Daniel is firmly rooted in the history of French gastronomy, while paring it down to a more modern, elegant, and seasonal presentation. Wine is at the heart of the experience, and progresses with the courses. Daniel boasts one of New York’s most impressive wine lists with over 2000 international selections including rare Bordeaux and Burgundy, unique vertical vintages of Château Latour, Château Mouton Rotschild and Domaine de la Romanée Conti.
“I have always tried to create a dining experience for guests that are completely memorable,” says Boulud. “When you enter Restaurant Daniel, you really feel you have left the world behind and entered into an intimate, pleasurable cocoon of fine cuisine.”
Stretching across the globe…
Today Boulud’s restaurant group stretches across the globe with restaurants in New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Palm Beach and Miami in the US; internationally his restaurants can be found in Toronto, Montreal, London and Singapore. “The challenge – and I would hope, my ultimate success, or what I should be judged by – is the creativity, and level of detail and service that is achieved, in every one of my restaurants,” says Boulud. “This, along with mentoring chefs, is my life’s work and what I am proudest of.”
William Drew, Group Editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said, “We are delighted to be able to present this prestigious award to one of France’s and America’s most accomplished chefs. Daniel’s classic cooking style has evolved to incorporate modern techniques and international flavors. This award is recognition of his extraordinary talent and a celebration of his success as both a chef and restaurateur.”
Great traits of a legendary chef
Commenting on Boulud’s nomination, Eduardo Tobon, President of Diners Club International, said: “Daniel Boulud bears all the great traits of a legendary chef. His unique vision for French cuisine, his relentless creativity, and the many accolades of his global restaurant empire all contribute to a storied legacy that’s still in the making. We are proud to honor Chef Boulud and his lasting impact on fine dining the world over.”
As well as being awarded The Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award, Boulud has received a number of other accolades including the James Beard Award for Best Chef in New York City in 1992, Outstanding Chef of the Year in 1994, Outstanding Restaurateur in 2006 for Daniel, and in 2013 he was inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame. Outside of this, Boulud also hosts ‘After Hours with Daniel’; a behind the scenes look at late-night dinners with chefs and for chefs.
As a winner of The Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award, Daniel Boulud joins a long line of celebrated chefs from across the world to have been honoured over the last decade, including France’s Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse and Jöel Robuchon and America’s Thomas Keller and Alice Waters.
The selection process
The Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award is voted for by almost 1,000 international restaurant industry experts and well-travelled gourmets who make up The Diners Club World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy. The Academy comprises 27 separate regions around the world, each of which has 36 members, including a chairperson. None of the event’s sponsors has any influence over the voting process.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards
This year’s results will be announced at the annual awards ceremony, held in London’s Guildhall on 1st June and published live on Twitter and later on www.theworlds50best.com. The awards will also be streamed live courtesy of the main sponsor, S.Pellegrino & Aqua Panna via their content hub www.finedininglovers.com