Star chef Daniel Boulud has been the talk of D.C. this week as he prepares to open his first restaurant, DBGB Kitchen and Bar, at CityCenterDC Saturday.
I had the chance to sit down with Boulud a couple of weeks ago to chat about the project as contractors put the finishing touches on the buildout. The French-born chef who lived in D.C. for two years when he first moved to the U.S. talked candidly about his business — including a few missteps— as well as his ties to the Washington market.
We have a longer profile on Boulud in this week’s print edition, but there were a few tidbits that didn’t make it into the final product, which I’ve listed below:
On food critics:“I think we care about what a critic can say — we care about everyone’s opinion. But that does not mean you should be driven by someone else’s opinion. I think you still have to do what you believe you do best, and what you like. And maybe then, being a tour de force in complexity and creativity isn’t always the goal. Coq au vin, for example, is a simple dish based on chicken and wine. That has to remain in its classic form.”
On the future of fine dining: “Fine dining will continue to exist, because there is no Four Seasons turning into a Ramada Inn. Fine dining is healthy in many cities. It’s a question of the commitment of the chef to do it. There’s absolutely no bargain in dining in a steakhouse in Washington, and I think fine dining is equal to that. It’s also no easier to do a more affordable concept.”
On D.C. beer: Note to D.C.’s burgeoning brew scene: send Daniel Boulud some beer. Beer is a cornerstone of DBGB, but the chef’s knowledge of local brews, at least when we spoke in August, ended with Capitol City Brewing Co. “Do they love their beer in D.C.?” Just a bit.
On having multiple reasons to visit the District: Boulud has been no stranger to D.C. over the years, coming into town for fundraisers and other appearances. But now he’ll have “10 times more reason to visit,” he said when we talked. That’s because his daughter, Alix, is moving to D.C. from San Francisco to work in tech.
On vacationing in the Hamptons: The tail end of my talk with Boulud revealed a funny coincidence — he has vacationed in my hometown of Hampton Bays, on the east end of Long Island. He started renting a house there when Southampton got too expensive, he said. Small world. I’m guessing he didn’t spend Sunday afternoons at The Boardy Barn, but you never know.
