On Seeing, A Journal. #312

July 30th, 2019

On Seeing, A Journal. “ABOVE and BEYOND: Interviews and Portraits of Extraordinary People in Our Time”,

Daniel Boulud, Master Chef, Restaurateur

In my ongoing search for greatness for my project “Above and Beyond,” I invited the master French chef Daniel Boulud to come to the studio for photos and an interview. Creativity has no boundaries, and can be found in the kitchen as well as on the stage, in the pages of a book, or on a canvas. Boulud, 62, is the owner of 15 restaurants, five in New York and is the author of eight books, including “Letters to a Young Chef.”


Raised on a farm outside of Lyon, France, and trained by renowned French chefs, Boulud made his reputation in New York, first as a chef and most recently as a restaurateur. His company, The Dinex Group, currently includes his restaurants and gourmet groceries (Epicerie Boulud) and Feast & Fêtes Catering. His restaurants include Daniel, Café Boulud, and Boulud Sud.

Not long after opening, restaurant Daniel was rated one of the top ten restaurants in the world by the International Herald Tribune. Boulud, 1992 winner of the James Beard Award for New York City’s Best Chef, the Beard Foundation also named him Outstanding Restaurateur for his restaurant, Daniel.

In 2006, the President of France made Boulud a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in recognition of his contribution to the advancement of French culture.
Click on the arrow to watch and listen (3 minutes and 50 seconds).

The participants in this project have been selected for their exceptional achievements; they include scientists, authors, playwrights, designers, musicians, artists, philosophers, etc.

For your interest, the complete library for all of the weekly On Seeing missives can be found here.