David Bouley facts for kids

David Bouley (born May 27, 1953 – died February 12, 2024) was a famous American chef. He also had French citizenship. He owned and cooked at several restaurants in Tribeca, a neighborhood in New York City. He was best known for his main restaurant, Bouley. This restaurant was famous for its very high standards. It offered a new kind of French cooking, focusing on healthy and nutritious food.

Biography

Early in his career, David Bouley worked in restaurants in places like Cape Cod and Santa Fe. He also spent time in France and Switzerland. While in Europe, he studied at the Sorbonne university. He also got to work with some of the world's most famous chefs. These included Paul Bocuse and Joël Robuchon.

Bouley later returned to New York City. He worked in top restaurants like Le Cirque. In 1985, he became the chef at Montrachet. This restaurant quickly earned three stars from The New York Times. In 1987, he opened his own restaurant, "Bouley," in TriBeCa. It received a four-star review from The New York Times. It also won over six James Beard Foundation awards. These awards included Best Restaurant and Best Chef.

In 2015, Bouley's restaurant was named the "Best Restaurant in the United States" by TripAdvisor. It was also ranked 14th in the world. For many years, it received a very high rating of 29 out of 30 from Zagat.

In 1997, the Bouley restaurant moved and reopened as the Bouley Bakery. In 1999, Bouley opened Danube. This restaurant was inspired by Viennese food. He also wrote his first book, East of Paris.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, Bouley Bakery helped a lot. It became a place to prepare food for rescue workers at Ground Zero. This effort was called The Green Tarp. Working with the Red Cross, they prepared over one million meals. Bouley Bakery reopened to the public in 2002.

Bouley Bakery earned four stars from The New York Times. It also received two Michelin stars. Later, it changed locations and was renamed Bouley Restaurant. His other restaurant, Danube, also received two Michelin stars. The Danube location later became a new restaurant called Brushstroke.

Brushstroke Restaurant was a team effort between Chef Bouley and the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan. They wanted to share Japanese food culture. They also used American ingredients. It earned two Michelin stars. It became a leader in Kaiseki cuisine, a traditional Japanese multi-course meal.

Bouley Botanical was an event space in TriBeCa. It focused on growing nutrient-rich plants. These plants were used in the main Bouley Restaurant. It also hosted educational talks. These talks helped people learn about healthy eating.

From 2005 to 2020, the Bouley Test Kitchen was a private space. It was used by guest chefs and for creating new recipes. The American team for the Bocuse d'Or cooking competition used its facilities in 2011. In 2018, the Test Kitchen moved and became Bouley at Home. Here, guests could watch how Bouley's dishes were created.

In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bouley Test Kitchen closed. Bouley at Home moved back to TriBeCa. It became a studio for his upcoming book.

David Bouley was one of the first chefs in America to offer "Tasting Menus." These menus let customers try many small dishes. He focused on healthy ingredients. He was known for remembering what customers ate years later. People with health challenges often sought him out. He received Lifetime Achievement Awards for his focus on health. These awards came from Columbia University and the Rogosin Institute.

In 2015, Bouley became the first non-Japanese person to receive the Japanese Cuisine (Washoku) Goodwill Ambassador award. Washoku means "harmony of food." It is about respecting nature and using natural resources wisely. A 2019 documentary showed Bouley's search for healthy, long-lasting foods. He worked with farmers, doctors, and nutritionists. The documentary showed how fermented foods can benefit health.

From the start, Bouley wanted to use pure ingredients. He aimed to create food that promoted "unbreakable health." He was a pioneer in using organic, wild-caught, and grass-fed products. He worked with farmers to grow nutrient-rich herbs and vegetables. He even helped develop new types of fingerling potatoes in the 1980s. He was invited to speak at the University of Connecticut. He also received an honorary degree from them.

In 2020, the French Government honored Bouley. They made him a Knight in the Order of the agricultural Merit. This is a very high honor in France. It is given for great contributions to food and agriculture. Bouley believed that nature helped him share gifts of joy and health.

David Bouley died from a heart attack at his home in Kent, Connecticut. He passed away on February 12, 2024, at the age of 70.

Restaurants

Bouley Bakery earned two Michelin Stars. It later changed locations and became Bouley Restaurant. His other restaurant, Danube, also received two Michelin stars. The Danube location was later changed into Brushstroke Restaurant.

Brushstroke Restaurant opened in April 2011. It was a joint effort between Bouley and the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan. It aimed to share Japanese food culture. It also used American ingredients.

Bouley Test Kitchen was a private space for events and learning. Guest chefs used it. It was also where new recipes for Bouley's businesses were developed. The American team for the Bocuse d'Or cooking competition used its facilities in 2011. It moved from TriBeCa to the Flat Iron District in October 2017.

Bouley Botanical was another space in TriBeCa. It was used for events. It focused on growing nutrient-rich plants. These plants were served in the main Bouley Restaurant. It also offered educational talks. These talks helped people learn about healthy eating.

Bouley at Home was a fine dining restaurant. It was Bouley's first restaurant venture north of Canal Street in Manhattan. It was a partnership with Bulthaup Kitchen Design group.

Awards

• Gohan Society's Washoku Ambassador Award (2015): Washoku means "harmony of food" in Japanese. It is about respecting nature and using resources wisely.
• Officier de Bouche from Confrerie Gastronomique de la Marmitr d'OR (2007)
• Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University
• Honorary Ph.D. From the University of Connecticut
• Knight in the Order of the agricultural Merit (2020)
• James Beard Awards:
  • Outstanding Restaurant (1991)
  • Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America (1991)
  • Best Chef in America Award (1994)
  • Outstanding Chef (2000)

Books

• East of Paris: The New Cuisines of Austria and the Danube (2003). Authors: David Bouley, Mario Lohninger, Melissa Clark.