A Return to Daniel, by Daniel Boulud

Food

Audio By Carbonatix

There’s a reason food lovers wait all year for October in Manhattan. The first crisp evening arrives, the leaves in Central Park hint at amber, and suddenly every bite, every sip feels richer, warmer, and more alive. On the Upper East Side, tucked into East 65th Street, sits a place that transforms those autumn feelings into a living dream: Daniel, the flagship restaurant of chef Daniel Boulud.

I went last night with a guest whose professional life is spent inside one of the world’s most beloved confectionary houses. My goal was simple: create a night that captured Manhattan at its best. But Daniel has a way of doing what the host alone cannot. It turns the evening into more than a meal — into memory.

A Beginning That Feels Like a Celebration

We chose the three-course prix fixe. On paper, that sounds restrained. In practice? It’s an odyssey. By the time the amuse-bouches, warm rolls, petit fours, and final mignardise appeared, it became clear that even Daniel’s “modest” menu is a master class in abundance.

The opening bites were symphonic: a green olive slice hiding an anchovy center, followed by the cleanest shot of tomato gazpacho you’ll ever taste. A golden croquette. A tiny tomato tar-tartlette. A foam dotted with hearts of palm, crowned with a solitary piece of uni. These weren’t just starters — they were invitations to lean in, slow down, and savor.

Courses That Whisper and Then Sing

First course: Fluke. Delicate and pure, set against two cabbages — strands of pickled purple and green alongside tender young Brussels leaves, barely steamed. The flavors balanced like a watercolor painting — bright here, soft there.

Second course: Wagyu striploin, medium rare. It spoke for itself, rich and reverent. Paired with a glass of Les Olivets from the Rhône Valley, it became the heart of the evening — deep, confident, unforgettable.

Third course: Apple Tarte Tatin. Crisp pastry shattering under the fork, filled with apples touched by cinnamon and lemon zest. Dessert as memory, dessert as art.

Cocktails as Conversation Pieces

Boulud’s bar program shines as brightly as the kitchen. I began with his famous White Negroni, clean and aromatic. My guest opted for the White Cosmopolitan, its orchid frozen inside a clear ice globe — equal parts drink and sculpture. Later came the Palm d’Or, a playful bourbon-peach delight that danced between refreshment and indulgence.

The Keepsake

Even after the petit fours, Daniel offered one more gesture: a mignardise box, no bigger than a jewel case, complete with a magnetized clasp. It was a tiny treasure meant to be discovered again the next morning with espresso. A reminder that meals like this don’t end when you leave the table.

Why Daniel Matters

Dining here is like stepping into a dream you hope never to wake from. The staff call you by name, the room glows with art and light, and the food — every bite — feels carefully designed to lodge itself in memory. It’s no surprise that Daniel continues to hold two Michelin stars and sits among Manhattan’s most beloved fine-dining institutions.

If you love food, if you love travel, if you love the way a city can seduce you with flavor — Daniel belongs on your passport.