French Chef Daniel Boulud named Officer in the Order of Agricultural Merit [fr]
On December 6, 2023, French Chef Daniel Boulud received the insignia of Officer in the National Order of Agricultural Merit from the Consul General of France in New York, Jérémie Robert. This prestigious distinction is the expression of France’s deep gratitude to Daniel Boulud, a personality whose talent, notoriety as a Chef, but also openness to others, contribute greatly to the exceptional image of French gastronomy in the United States. The ceremony took place at the Chef’s Café Boulud New York which is reopening this month on the Upper East Side.
Chef Boulud’s talent was evident from the start of his career, which began at the age of fourteen as an apprentice to Chef Gérard Nandron, before becoming the Best Apprentice Chef in France in 1972. Daniel Boulud worked with some of the greatest French chefs such as Georges Blanc, Roger Vergé, and Michel Guérard before leaving for Denmark to work at two of the most prestigious restaurants in Copenhagen.
Chef Boulud moved to the United States in 1981 as a private chef for Roland de Kergorlay, before moving to New York, where he quickly became known as the chef of some of the best restaurants in the city: The Westbury Hotel, Le Régence, and Le Cirque. In 1993, Chef Daniel opened his namesake restaurant, Restaurant DANIEL to bring innovative, modern French cuisine to New York City. Today, Chef Boulud’s Dinex Group has expanded to own and operate fourteen restaurants in New York, eight others across the United States, bu also at international locations including the Bahamas, Toronto, Montreal, Singapore, and Dubai.
Through numerous cookbooks and culinary shows on radio and television, Chef Boulud promotes the French culinary tradition, which he has taught at prestigious institutions such as Cornell University, the Culinary Institute of America, and the French Culinary Institute.
Beyond his exceptional talents as a chef and entrepreneur, Chef Boulud is a man of heart: numerous charitable works have benefited from his prestige and generosity, such as the nonprofit Citymeals On Wheels or the association Food 1st. He also created the Hand in Hand association to support his employees who were in financial difficulty.
Chef Boulud remains dedicated to providing support to the French community of New York, demonstrated during the construction of the Lycée Français de New York, where he personally and graciously designed the kitchen plans. In 2009, the legendary Paul Bocuse, nicknamed the “grandfather of French cuisine”, invited Chef Boulud to become one of the three co-directors of his foundation in the United States, which selects, prepares, and supports chefs who wish to participate in the culinary competition “Bocuse d’Or” held twice a year in Lyon. Under supervision of Chef Boulud, the USA team obtained the silver medal in this competition for the first time in 2015, and the gold medal in 2017.
Chef Boulud’s culinary accolades include James Beard Foundation awards for Outstanding Restaurant; Outstanding Restaurateur; Best Chef, New York City; and Outstanding Chef of the Year. He has been named Chef of the Year by the Culinary Institute of America and Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government. In 2015 the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awarded Boulud the Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award for his success as a restaurateur, businessman, and “chef who is revered as one of the world’s finest.” In 2021, Les Grandes Tables du Monde named him Best Restaurateur in the World.
Learn more about Daniel Boulud’s exceptional career by listening to the 6th episode of our podcast, where he talks about his journey as a Chef and a businessman, from a family farm in France to the Big Apple: Daniel Boulud: Food And Business Stories Of A French Chef in New York