Chef Daniel Boulud Talks Restaurant Business, Nutrition

Summary

Bloomberg Talks

Episode: Chef Daniel Boulud Talks Restaurant Business, Nutrition
Date: May 29, 2026
Host: Bloomberg
Guest: Chef Daniel Boulud

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Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with renowned chef Daniel Boulud. The discussion delves into the restaurant industry's resilience post-COVID, the challenges and changes the industry has faced, current trends like collaborations and farm-to-table, and Boulud’s personal views on nutrition, home cooking, and launching new dining projects. Charity work, global expansion, and maintaining high standards in hospitality also feature prominently.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Resilience and Transformation Post-COVID

• [01:07] Daniel Boulud describes the pandemic as a “train wreck” for restaurants, acknowledging both the devastation and the resilience shown in moving forward:
  • “It was a train wreck. But it sounds so far away already since I think since COVID we have really pivot to create new business to definitely move on with some business that we didn't feel that was good to keep. And we double up our business in Scoville in five years.” — Daniel Boulud [01:07]
• He highlights how his organization streamlined operations and focused on ventures with long-term value.

2. Premium Ingredients, Costs, and Value

• [01:44] When asked about the high price of steak and the importance of sourcing:
  • "We buy the most expensive meat because we are always looking for the finest suppliers and someone that we can trust the source. We can trust the way they raise...it can vary from $15 per pound to easily $150.” — Daniel Boulud [01:44]
• Emphasis on trust, traceability, and the variability in ingredient cost and quality.

3. Collaborations & Brand Partnerships

• [02:29] On expanding through partnerships after COVID:
  • New Blue Box Café with Tiffany in Costa Mesa, California, opening soon.
  • Collaborations extend to American Express’s Centurion Club, BMW, Evian, Air France, and charitable organizations.
  • "Many of them were also collaboration but also partnership...important to be able to cross help each other through that.” — Daniel Boulud [03:11]
• Integrating fine dining into luxury retail spaces is noted as an industry trend (Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman).

4. Advice for Home Cooks & Nutrition

• [04:11] Biggest mistake home cooks make:
  • "First is to have the wrong equipment. You've got to have the right pots and pans. You've got to buy the right ingredients..." — Daniel Boulud [04:11]
  • Stresses quality ingredients, good tools (especially knives), and following reliable recipes.
• [04:45] The Mediterranean diet:
  • Praises its balance, especially the role of olive oil, but advises that no single diet fits all:
    • “Life is not about one diet only. I think it's about being able to balance your diet with things that are maybe not healthy driven but delicious once in a while. And things that are healthy driven.” — Daniel Boulud [04:56]
  • Highlights the importance of a good breakfast for overall health.

5. Farm-to-Table & Ingredient Sourcing

• [05:48] Maintaining credibility and quality:
  • Close, decade-long relationships with local farmers and trusted suppliers.
  • "We have an incredible decade of relationship with them and we can't wait for them to bring things to us. But otherwise we have suppliers that are very real and they know the source of their ingredient.” — Daniel Boulud [05:48]

6. Nutrition Challenges in America

• [06:18] On America’s struggle with nutrition:
  • "Sugar. It's bad...my wife Catherine is really studying nutrition and are really fighting about the addition of terrible sweetener in product. And I think it's. It's not good for your health. But with moderation, it's okay to have a wonderful dessert.” — Daniel Boulud [06:18]
  • Advocates moderation rather than deprivation, even in the enjoyment of desserts at his restaurants.

7. New Ventures & Accessible Dining

• [06:49] Upcoming projects:
  • Brasserie Boulud on the Upper West Side, replacing BouleSud and BarBoulud; reopening after 20 years this July.
  • Launch of Cuisine Boulud New York, a new catering company offering both high-end and more casual, affordable options:
    • “We can definitely offer at all level, even a P.series blue where you can have a sandwich and a salad from me for a very reasonable price.” — Daniel Boulud [07:04]
• Strives for versatility between fine dining and everyday meals.

8. Philanthropy and Global Presence

• [07:59] Ongoing charity work, notably Citymeals on Wheels in New York and a major fundraising event at Cipriani Downtown:
  • “In Montreal this coming Monday...we have a charity fundraising at Cipriani downtown for City Milan Wheels where there'll be 50 chefs, thousand people.” — Daniel Boulud [08:08]
• Presence in international markets, including restaurants in Montreal, Toronto, and a total of 12 locations worldwide.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It was a train wreck. But it sounds so far away already..." — Daniel Boulud [01:07]
• "We buy the most expensive meat because we are always looking for the finest suppliers and someone that we can trust..." — Daniel Boulud [01:44]
• "Life is not about one diet only. I think it's about being able to balance your diet..." — Daniel Boulud [04:56]
• "Sugar. It's bad...But with moderation, it's okay to have a wonderful dessert." — Daniel Boulud [06:18]
• "We have about 12 restaurants across the world." — Daniel Boulud [08:29]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Post-COVID restaurant business: [01:07]
• Ingredient costs and sourcing: [01:44]
• Brand partnerships & collaborations: [02:29]
• Advice for home cooks: [04:11]
• Mediterranean diet & nutrition: [04:45]
• Farm-to-table approach: [05:48]
• On sugar and American nutrition: [06:18]
• New Brasserie Boulud & catering business: [06:49]
• Charity efforts & global locations: [07:59], [08:29]

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Conclusion

Chef Daniel Boulud shares candid reflections on the recovery and transformation of the restaurant business after COVID, candidly addressing both high-end and accessible dining, health and nutrition, and the importance of quality—whether at home or in a Michelin-starred kitchen. His enduring commitment to philanthropy and enthusiasm for new ventures reflect both adaptability and a deep-rooted passion for culinary excellence.

Transcript

[Daniel Boulud]

Indiana University strengthens tomorrow's workforce with practical, real world experience. IU grads make a difference in your community, serving as teachers, nurses and engineers who rise to tomorrow's challenges and meet them. Learn more at iu.edu impact,

[Host 1]

Bloomberg Audio Studios, Podcasts, Radio News.

[Host 2]

I'm very scrupulous about anything I do with clients and add in relationships and all that closure. I've darkened the door, Pavion held down the bar. Service was okay. Cafe Ballou. I'm a frequent attendee on 63rd Street. It is exquisite, intimate, little quiet bar. We do the whole thing there. Daniel Ballou joins us right now. I want to go back here so that we remember in this boom, stupid economy. I think of Maria Loy Loy on 58th Street. I think, Daniel, of what you did during COVID which was to survive. How far are you beyond the absolute train wreck that that pandemic was for the restaurant business?

[Daniel Boulud]

Absolutely, Tom, you're totally right. It was a train wreck. But it sounds so far away already since I think since COVID we have really pivot to create new business to definitely move on with some business that we didn't feel that was good to keep. And we double up our business in Scoville in five years.

[Host 2]

I mean, you're competing here with Jimmy kimmel. Bon appetit. 7.3 million viewers. A YouTube video on how to cook a steak. To begin with, steak is expensive. The steak you buy, how much is it a pound?

[Daniel Boulud]

We buy the most expensive meat because we are always looking for the finest suppliers and someone that we can trust the source. We can trust the, the way they raise and meat vary so much. It can vary from 15, $15 pound to easily 150, which is what you charge me.

[Host 2]

Thank you. Jump in here with Daniel Bluth.

[Host 1]

Danielle, talk to me a little bit about, you know, the collaborations, you know, that you have had in the past with Tiffany for the Blue Box Cafe or Evian and some of the things that you and Dynex, your firm are getting involved with. Those collabs are amazing. What can your audience look forward to?

[Daniel Boulud]

Well, we, of course, I think after Covid, like I said, we double up our business. And many of them were also collaboration but also partnership. For example, with Tiffany, we are partner in their Blue Box Cafe at Tiffany and they are opening a new one in California in Costa Mesa, and we will be also managing that one opening this summer. And. But I mean, do you, you know,

[Host 1]

we're right across from Bloomingdale's right here, the flagship Bloomingdale's 50th and Lex. They have like all these little restaurants on different floors that have popped up in there. Is that like the hot new thing like inside Bergdorf Goodman? And some of these, you know, whatever's left out there to partner with, some of them bring that high quality.

[Daniel Boulud]

And I think it's an extension of service to their clients I think is inevitable. And we do that also with American Express at the Centurion Club as well. But also Avion, I mean, all those partners, BMW, Avion and Air France, they're also very generous with charity. And I support Citi, Milan, we'll here in New York and such as Bloomberg as well have been very generous. And I think it's important to be able to cross help each other through that.

[Host 2]

Daniel Ballou for this, folks. Of course, so many different efforts at Danielle's and of course the Pavilion and the Vanderbilt and of course Cafe Ballou tucked away with Mason Bard's, quiet and intimate on 63rd Street. Alexis Christopher with a question for Mr.

[Alexis Christopher]

I'm a huge fan of your restaurants, but I have a question about the home cook. I'm an avid home cook. What is the biggest mistake we make when we're trying to cook at home?

[Daniel Boulud]

Well, first is to have the wrong equipment. You've got to have the right pots and pans. You've got to buy the right ingredients. My wife extremely, extremely careful on the ingredients she buy for our children. Catherine, she really want to buy organic. She want to buy something that is really responsible. But also after that, you got to follow good chef with good recipe. If you don't have your own in your mind or your grandmother's videos and

[Alexis Christopher]

we follow them also. Good knives, right? You can't underestimate a good knife.

[Daniel Boulud]

Absolutely.

[Alexis Christopher]

But what about the Mediterranean diet?

[Daniel Boulud]

Because I love it.

[Alexis Christopher]

I mean, it always comes up as being like one of the healthiest diets out there. Why is this? Is it based in olive oil?

[Daniel Boulud]

Yes.

[Alexis Christopher]

Is that what it's all about?

[Daniel Boulud]

But life is not about one diet only. I think it's about being able to balance your diet with things that are maybe not healthy driven but delicious once in a while. And things that are healthy driven. I think breakfast is something important that one should care for what they eat at breakfast, I think because that's a

[Alexis Christopher]

meal that I was telling my kids that very much.

[Host 1]

Chef Ballouud, you know, the big, the big trend of farm to table.

[Host 2]

Right.

[Host 1]

And I mean, you say you buy the best ingredients, everyone's going to say we get all natural. Exactly like, and so my question is, we go to these farm to table places and you don't really know, you know, where it's coming from. Sometimes you don't even taste the quality. But at your establishments, oh my goodness, you taste everything. So talk to us a little bit about keeping that vibe, keeping that brand intact. You know, who do you partner with? How do you do that?

[Daniel Boulud]

Of course, and especially now, springtime is here. We want to work with all our farmers, local farmers, of course. We, we have an incredible decade of relationship with them and we can't wait for them to bring things to us. But otherwise we have suppliers that are very real and they know the source of their ingredient. So it's important.

[Host 2]

The videos out on corn syrup. I honestly, I've learned so much about my lousy diet. Why are Americans fat?

[Daniel Boulud]

Sugar. It's bad. I mean, my wife Catherine is really studying nutrition and are really fighting about the addition of terrible sweetener in product. And I think it's. It's not good for your health. But with moderation, it's okay to have a wonderful dessert. We do make delicious desserts.

[Alexis Christopher]

Oh, you do?

[Host 2]

I did not know that.

[Daniel Boulud]

Oh, yes.

[Host 2]

You're killing me.

[Daniel Boulud]

No.

[Host 2]

What's your next project nationwide?

[Daniel Boulud]

Well, locally, we are opening Brasserie Bouleau on the Upper west side. And that was where Boulesud and Barbullu was. And we, after 20 years, we redid the entire space across from Lincoln Center.

[Alexis Christopher]

I see that under construction, very exciting.

[Daniel Boulud]

Happening at the end of July. And that will be a fantastic place where you can come from two to 20 people there. And, you know, we created a new catering company called Cuisine Boule New York. And that's encompassing because the interesting part is that I just don't have fine dining like Danielle or Cafe Bouleau, Le Pavillon or at the top. But I also have casual restaurants like Brasserie Boulu or Le Grata and Cuisine Bouleux. So we can definitely offer at all level, even a P series blue where you can have a sandwich and a salad from me for a very reasonable price.

[Host 2]

We're out of time. I'm doing. Sorry, doing a rehearsal for my new show Today in Scarlet. We're catering at McDonald's is catering as well. Next time. We'll do better next time. And again, for all of us in New York, your charity efforts during the pandemic, extraordinary.

[Daniel Boulud]

Well, we continue to do. Absolutely.

[Host 2]

Daniel Boulud with us in many different locations across this nation and truly worldwide as well.

[Daniel Boulud]

In Montreal this coming Monday, the six or the eight, I think. Yeah. We have a charity fundraising at Cipriani downtown for City Milan Wheels where there'll be 50 chefs, thousand people. So there's few tickets left.

[Host 2]

Very good. Remind me, did I eat at a Daniel Ballude in Montreal?

[Daniel Boulud]

Yes, of course. Montreal and Toronto. We have Ritz Carlton, I think in Montreal. We have about 12 restaurants across the world.

[Host 2]

We tried them. Thank you. Go away, Daniel Ballard. Greatly appreciate it. Here.

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