Daniel Boulud Hosts the Dinner Party of All Dinner Parties
Last night, we co-hosted a dinner party with Nest—one of the first in our new 1 World Trade Center digs—featuring an insane spread laid out by none other than superstar chef Daniel Boulud. The cheeky chef and his team crafted a menu inspired by vintage French cookbooks, and the result was as impressive as it was kitschy. Oysters with caviar. Parades of crayfish towers. Giant joints of lamb cooked rotisserie. Ain't no party like a BA party! **
Instagram/bonappetitmag1/14Wild, Man
Boulud hams it up for the camera with one of two giant joints of rotisserie-cooked lamb.
Dustin Askland2/14Team Work
Most of the time, Boulud brings a team from one specific restaurant to events like these, but for this occasion he enlisted an all-star roster of the most trusted chefs from his NYC empire. Here, one of his lieutenants putting the finishing touches on hors d'oeuvres.
Dustin Askland3/14Room With a View
A dusky view of downtown Manhattan from the brand spanking new BA Kitchen at 1 World Trade Center. Could be worse. BA Editors and Nest curated their favorite housewarming gifts, which were on display during the dinner.
Dustin Askland4/14Right Bite
Tiny cubes of fresh tuna "Niçoise" got the evening going. And, check out that fancy hand-lettering on all the hors d'oeuvres.
Dustin Askland5/14Catch the Vibe
Design details furnished by Calvin Klein Home creative director Amy Mellen made the two month-old space feel a lot more homey and intimate than a corner on the thirty fifth floor of an office building has any right to.
Dustin Askland6/14Gilding the Lily
Uhhhhhh, yeah, those are oysters with uni AND caviar. Boulud's hors d'oeuvres game is out of control.
Dustin Askland7/14Open Sesame
Is it any surprise that restaurant and drinks editor Andrew Knowlton gives schmancy bottle openers as housewarming gifts?
Dustin Askland8/14Look Smart
Dancer and renaissance man Marlon Taylor-Wiles enjoying a pre-dinner drink.
Dustin Askland9/14Cocktailing
Athena Calderone (@eyeswoon) and Katherine Gage (wife of Boulud) sipped on a cheeky Suze and Champagne-based cocktail Boulud calls "Suzette Torcheé," which apparently translates to "Suzette is Wasted." Cheers!
Dustin Askland10/14Le Menu
Boulud's menu celebrated the first signs of spring—crayfish, lamb, peas, morels, and more—but the classical preparations were delightfully obscure and arcane. "We've never done these dishes before," he smirked."We have never done any of this before!"
Dustin Askland11/14Old Pals
Editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport and Boulud yuk it up before the expectant crowd chows down. The pair have a relationship that spans close to 20 years—a fact they realized with some dismay. "I've got PG-13, R, and NC-17 stories about Daniel," Rapoport joked.
Dustin Askland12/14Tower Power
The seated portion of the dinner started with these crazy-decadent crayfish towers. Guests plucked the little guys off the ornate sculptures, fished out their meat, and dunked them in either a delicate lovage mayonnaise or a bowl of, as Boulud described it, "fancy thousand island."
Dustin Askland13/14Very Decorated
Mellen enjoying the fruits of her labor. "I was so flattered that BA wanted Calvin Klein represented in this space," the designer gushed. "It's such a great space, and our brands work so well together."
Dustin Askland14/14Pastry Power
These elegant red berry and rhubarb mille-feuilles were things of beauty when they hit the table; less so after the guests went at them with the electric knives they were given for cutting them. No fancy people were harmed in the slicing of these desserts.
