This week, FORA.tv launched a partnership with TimesTalks, premier programs presented by the New York Times, that features top journalists in conversation with some of the most famous names in art, music, film, sports and more. The first series, Celebrity Chefs, presents well-known names in food and dining, including several famous New York City restaurateurs.
Chefs Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Michael White
Frank Bruni, an op-ed columnist and former chief restaurant critic for the New York Times, sat down with three restaurateurs and chefs, Daniel Boulud, Jean-George Vongerichten and Michael White, to discuss their experiences in the restaurant business, including encounters with celebrity diners, how food television has influenced customers, and which menu items they recommend to order and why.
Even celebrity chefs must cater to other celebrities. Boulud once hosted former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu all in the same dining room, and felt nervous that he would accidentally “poison Arafat” and undermine the entire Middle East peace process. Lady Gaga left Boulud most star-struck especially after she visited his DBGB Kitchen and Bar in the Bowery District, which happened to be the same night she appeared on Saturday Night Live with Madonna. Luckily, Boulud said, Gaga “had a healthy appetite for a skinny girl.”
Dining at gourmet restaurants is a unique part of New York City culture, and many establishments such as Le Bernardin, Per Se and Masa attain mythical status as patrons vie for a reservation. Once inside, the menu choices can be daunting. For guests of his widely acclaimed Italian restaurant Marea, White suggests first-timers should pick three or four menu items they can’t find at other establishments. “The market dictates what we offer,” he said, and certain dishes may only be available once a season.
That said, Vongerichten has tried to remove certain dishes from the menu at his Michelin-rated Jean Georges restaurant, but keeping popular items is part of what makes a restaurant great. “Part of the business isn’t just innovative menu ideas, but also maintaining consistency,” Vongerichten said.
Has the popularization of gourmet cuisine on television and in the media created hardship or headaches for celebrity chefs? White believes that business has improved because of specialized programming. “More Americans are now exposed to different types of cuisine than they were 10 years ago because of the Food Network,” White said. “And the sincerest compliment is to have someone compare my food with something they may have tasted on a gourmet food tour or seen on the Food Network, which is something that may not have happened 10 years ago.”
Watch TimesTalks: New York’s Star Studded Chefs on demand at FORA.tv