Cafe Boulud

Happy Birthday to Mitch!

Despite little interest in visiting the country, Mitch loves French food.  Especially fancy French food (can't say I blame him).  So for his 29th birthday (you're welcome), I took him to Cafe Boulud.

Cafe Boulud is located on the Upper East Side in the Surrey hotel.  The dining room's sleek, modern decor is somewhat surprising for a neighborhood and clientele averaging over 50 years old. 

Cafe Boulud offers several dining options, from a la carte, to price fix to  a 5or 7 course tasting menu.  A wine paring option for the tasting menu is available as well.  The menu hops on the farm to table band wagon and places an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Make sure to arrive famished because there are so many mouth watering options at Cafe Boulud that it's worth ordering the tasting menu. 

Cafe Boulud, unlike most NYC restaurants, does not allow you to bring your own wine for a corkage fee.  But Cafe Boulud makes up for it by offering a ridiculously comprehensive wine list.  Note: be prepared for a markup of at least 4 times cost.

Celebrating my husband's youth, we opted for a bottle of sparkling wine.  But the bottle of bubbly was merely a side show to the experience ahead.

Our attentive  server allowed us to specify which foods we were adverse/allergic to.  Also, she checked with the kitchen to confirm that one diner's restrictions would not eliminate the dish from the other diner's dishes.

Immediately after placing our order, an amuse bouche arrived, consisting of a spring pea arancini over tasty unidentifiable crisps..  The arancini comes out piping hot so fight the urge to pop it in your  mouth.  Instead, cut it open and let it cool off for a minute.

Shortly after our amuse bouche arrived, a short man with an enormous bread basket stopped by our table, offering several options.  The freshly baked garlicky focaccia beat out the whole wheat raisin bread but I enjoyed both of them.







Because we ordered the tasting menu, another amuse bouche arrived, consisting of another arancini, a sliver of foie gras topped with a slice of peach, and dollop of lump crab meat wrapped in a slice of cucumber and topped with a cilantro sauce.  The foie gras was the standout of the trio.   

The only course from our tasting menu that was underwhelming was the eggplant ravioli (it wasn't bad, it was just very average). But each dish before we savored before and after the ravioli more than made up for it.  Daniel Boulud has done his namesake proud, providing top notch service, food, wine, and ambiance. 



What to Eat:

The Marinated Cuttlefish, which is sliced into thin, delicate strips resembling tagliatelle pasta, is marinated in an herb chimichurri sauce.  The thin strips give the cuttlefish, sometimes a bit tough, a softer consistency.  Make sure to dip the cuttle fish in the delicious spring pea emulsion.













I almost hugged our server with joy when the Cherry Glazed Duck arrived because I was dying to try it  My guess is that the staff at a classy place like Cafe Boulud might frown upon that sort of behavior. 

The thick, meaty slices of duck breast arrived medium rare on top of a bed of red quinoa.  Cafe Boulud's duck was incredibly juicy and tender (next time I would order this a la carte so I could have more!).  The duck was prepared with a hint of the cherry glaze (for cherry haters, you will still like this dish).  The plate was decorated with a pitted cherry and sweet vidala onion.  

If you looking for an entree from the sea, Daniel Boulud's signature dish happens to be the Striped Bass.  The thick filet of striped bass is cooked to perfection, wrapped in a fried, wafer thin potato slice, and then placed on a bed of mashed potatoes, which is surrounded by a decadent red wine reduction. This is the best fish filet dish I have had anywhere, ever.  I never crave fish but Daniel Boulud's striped bass?  Reason enough to return.












The tasting menu usually includes one fruit and one chocolate dessert but we requested only chocolate desserts.  I was hoping for the caramel brownie and the molten chocolate cake (we passed the cake on our way in and it took every bone in my body not to snag it off the diner's table).  We shot a 50%. 

The Salted Caramel Milk Chocolate Brownie was outrageous!  This deconstructed chocolate brownie could be up there in top 5 desserts.  The gooey caramel was layered onto a round bite of brownie, and then topped with sea salt and caramelized milk sorbet.  No description could do it justice.  I could have had 3.


Need an incredible experience for a special person? Cafe Boulud is your spot,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip: Save room for the warm, freshly baked madeleines at the end of your meal.  Also, Cafe Boulud is participating in restaurant week for lunch over the next few weeks, three courses for $24 at Cafe Boulud is a steal!