FSR February 2023

CHEFS & INGREDI ENT S NOW SERVING

FrenchCuisine Goes Casual BY CALLIE EVERGREEN Can a more relaxed version of the typical French restaurant attract a new generation of guests?

DANIEL BOULUD’S LE GRATIN STILL SERVES FANCY DISHES LIKE CÔTE DE BOEUF (PICTURED) BUT IN A MORE LAIDBACK ENVIRONMENT.

BILL MILNE

ONCE CONSIDERED the pinnacle of fine dining, traditional French restau rants have fallen out of favor in the past decade or so as consumers seek lesser known cuisines and more laidback expe riences. But, a new era of French dining may be on the horizon. NextGen concepts take inspiration from the tried and true but leave behind the unnecessary gatekeeping associated with fine dining. What emerges is a more casual approach that keeps high-quality French cooking at its core, and allows

space for chefs to make creative twists. “I think today when we talk about seasonal restaurants, where cuisine is locally and seasonally driven, this is the French concept. e DNA of French cui sine was based on that,” says Daniel Bou lud, revered French chef and owner of 20-plus restaurants spanning New York City, Miami, Palm Beach, Florida, and international destinations, such as the Bahamas, Canada, Singapore, and Dubai. Hai l ing from Lyon, France, Bou lud has been celebrated for advancing

French culture and cuisine. And though the chef comes from a fine-dining back ground, he has taken care not to alien ate his neighbors. “Sometimes a restaurant becomes so famous that locals don’t go anymore,” he says. “French restaurants thrive on stay ing local and being part of the fiber and social life of people.” Boulud still sees value in full-ser vice concepts in markets like New York, where customers expect “to be pam pered more than ever, and want special

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FEBRUARY 2023