Daniel Boulud’s Le Pavillon, NYC

(5 out of 5 Stars!)

Story and photos by Christopher J. Davies

After such a dark and uncertain year covered by the veil of a global pandemic, 2021 has given us a lot to be thankful for. Lockdowns are now in the rearview mirror, vaccines are available everywhere, and travel steadily increases back to post-pandemic levels.

(L to R) Custom designed, blown-glass chandelier, by artist Andy Paiko, dinners enjoy Le Pavillon park like dinning décor, team in Le Pavillon’s modern kitchen.

Darcy and I departed this last June on our first flight in nearly two years. We were excited, to say the least! We boarded a United flight from Denver to New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Travel was hassle-free, but masks were still required throughout the airports and planes. The weather in New York was a balmy 95 degrees with insane humidity levels. Still, it was great to be back traveling. Several weeks prior, I had researched restaurants that I hoped we could visit. Sadly, several of Daniel Boulud’s restaurants were still not reopened. However, I was excited to learn about Daniel’s newest creation, Le Pavillon. I reached out to Daniel’s press agent via email and received a timely response. Luckily, she arranged a press visit for me to interview the restaurant’s Co-Executive Chefs and enjoy dinner with my wife and son. Le Pavillon is located in the newly erected One Vanderbilt Skyscraper, an office tower across from Grand Central Station that racked up a construction cost of over 3 billion dollars. The tower is 71 stories tall and is now New York City’s second-tallest office space, next to the One World Trade Center. It boasts 1.7 million square feet of office space, with toplevel LEED and Well certifications. The building was fifteen years in the planning. Boulud and his Dinex Restaurant Group were planning this restaurant for three and a half years. The original plan was to open at the end of 2020, but COVID-19 lockdowns delayed the opening for six months. The restaurant staff was not laid off; instead, they took part in a sixmonth comprehensive program of staff training, testing recipes, and cocktail development, all with an eye on the eventual launch to the public when it was safe. When I arrived at street level, the host escorted me up a stairway to the second floor. To my left was the spacious Bar Vandy, which features a seventy-five-foot-high ceiling and lengthy decorative glass chandeliers. The chandeliers were handblown by Andy Paiko, a Portland, Oregon-based artist. They illuminate the bar with epic window views of the Chrysler Building in the background - New York elegance at its finest. Co-Executive Chefs Micheal Balboni and Will Nacev are young protégés of Chef Boulud, with years of experience working several positions at Boulud’s flagship restaurant, DANIEL, in the Upper East Side. The host summoned them from the kitchen, and they joined me for a candid chat at the bar. The chefs were cordial, enthusiastic, and surprisingly calm on a Saturday night. Incredibly cool considering that the restaurant was opened just three weeks ago. They explained that the focus of the cuisine at Le Pavillon is divided equally between seafood and fresh vegetables. The two “partners in food” expressed admiration and pride for their suppliers. They procure fresh seafood and shellfish from northeastern waters and were drooling when describing their signature appetizer, Oysters Vanderbilt. The delectable oysters used for the dish are sourced from Johns River in the Maine Peninsula. These rare, slow-grown mollusks are the brainchild of former Lobsterman Dave Cheney in the bottom of Maine’s Johns River estuary, not far from the famed Pemaquid lighthouse. They are big and briny. When discussing vegetables, the chefs mentioned that they had a favorite supplier, fondly called “the Avocado Whisperer.” This supplier sources premium quality avocados from Mexico, one of the only year-long, consistent sources for avocados.

The chefs and I toasted with glasses of wine, and I took their portraits before they were whisked back to the kitchen. I took more photos in the bar and with the tall windows overlooking Grand Central Station and the Chrysler Building. Chef Will Nacev returned with a paper menu that had highlighted three signature dishes that would soon be delivered to me at the bar for photographing and tasting. The light emanating through the windows was soft and prime for showcasing the dishes in a natural light.

(L to R) Pavillon’s ground floor entrance, view of the Chrysler Building from Bar Vandy,

As I began to pack up my equipment, Chef Daniel quickly appeared in the flesh to thank me for visiting Le Pavillon. If I hadn’t known of him and his food for so long, his sudden appearance would have made me wonder how a chef could be so fit and still crank out spectacular food. Chef Daniel Boulud is a restaurant mogul with twenty-five or so restaurants around the globe, and as such, he is always moving. After a quick conversation, I handed Daniel a glass of wine and took several portraits of him before he uttered, “I got to go.” Off he went with his handler, presumably to make an appearance at another one of his restaurants to greet his other starstruck patrons. Fans of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown series will remember that Chef Daniel accompanied Tony on a tour of Lyon for an episode that was shot in 2014. They visited Boulud’s family home and made a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to visit legendary chef Paul Bocuse. There they enjoyed an epic culinary experience at the three-star Maison Troisgros. In my opinion, this was one of the best episodes of Parts Unknown. Bourdain told Eater that the Lyon episode is “the greatest food-centric show I’ve ever done.”

Tasted At the Vandy Bar:

Dish One Huitre| “Vanderbilt”

Le Pavilion’s answer to Oysters Rockefeller. “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt (shipping and railroad magnate) and John D. Rockefeller (oil and its derivatives) were business titans of their time. Ironically, Vanderbilt and Rockefeller had a symbiotic business relationship. Vanderbilt acquired railroads to extend the distribution of Rockefeller’s Kerosene Oil that helped light America’s homes. Oysters Vanderbilt features Johns River Oysters Gratinées, Hazelnut, and Parsley-Seaweed Crust. Taste: Creamy and delicious!

Dish Two Avocat| Fines Herbes

Grilled Avocado, Castle Valley Einkorn Berries, Kale, and Harissa with Yogurt Green Goddess.

This dish took me by surprise. The grilled avocado reminded me of a rare steak, the berries and kale provided a great texture, and the Yogurt Green Goddess dressing provided great flavor with less fat than traditional Green Goddess dressing that uses mayonnaise as its base. Taste: Decadent and flavor-packed.

Dish Three BAR|Courgette

Baked Black Sea Bass, Zucchini Byaldi, Tomato Vinaigrette A Baldi is a typical Provençal dish that is similar to a very fancy ratatouille. Taste: Fresh, delicate, and tender. The vinaigrette adds a perfect dose of acidity. The fish was cooked perfectly.

Darcy and Blaine met me at the bar, and we were led into the dining room to our table. The room was lined with twenty-foottall olive trees and lush green foliage. It is warm in tone and gives you the feeling that you are dining at a private table at an outdoor park.

We ordered a bottle of sparkling water and three Negronis. Our waiter named off several top gin selections that we could pick for a cocktail. We picked Bombay Sapphire. Our cocktails were delicious, sweet, and sour with a slight bitterness—the perfect digestive before dinner.

Our server was cordial and very knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. The wine list had something to offer for everyone. It featured a 650-bottle selection, with over twenty wines that are available by the glass.

The by the glass list included an incredible array of value wines. Here are my standouts:

Sparkling: • Ployez-Jacquemart “Cuve Marie Weiss”, Champagne Brut NV $28.

White: • Joseph Drouhin Macon-Bussi res “Les Clos”, Burgundy 2018 $19

Red:

• Domaine U Stilliccionu Sciaccarello “Antica”, Corsica 2017 $24 Sweet: • Chateau Guiraud Sauternes, Bordeaux 1998 $30

Bottle Shock:

Daniel Boulud’s Wine Director Daniel Johnnes and his sommeliers have crafted a whimsical wine list compiled of wines that complement Le Pavillon’s menu. The list is weighted 75% French but surprisingly has handpicked gems at different price points.

For example, under Bordeaux, Margaux, you will find four fabulous value wines:

• Chateau La Tour de Mons “Marquis de Mons” 2015 $ 70 • Chateau La Tour de Mons 2014 $ 85 • Chateau du Tertre “Les Hauts du Tertre” 2015 $120 • Chateau Labegorce 2011 $135

• Are you looking for a more refined wine experience? • Check out these Margaux Classics:

• Chateau Palmer “Alter Ego” 2011 $300 • Chateau Margaux “Pavillon Rouge du Chateau” 2010 $675 • Chateau Margaux 1959 $3,500

Note: Prices are based at the time of this writing and subject to change without notice.

Le Pavillon offers a Three-Course Prix Fix at $125 per person, which is surely a fantastic value considering this fine dining experience.

My wife, son, and I enjoyed the following menu items at our table:

Terre

Petit Pois|Romarin Chilled Pea Veloute, Rosemary-Bacon Royale

Poulet| Champagne

Rotisserie Chicken, Green Asparagus, “Champignon Farci”, Spinach, Champagne Sauce

Agneau| Oregan

Lamb Chops, Sweet Garlic, Anson Mills Polenta, Swiss Chard, Oregano jus

Boeuf| Poivre

RR Ranch Grilled Strip Loin Pommes Boulangère, Celery Heart, Sucrine, Blue Cheese, Tellichery Pepper Sauce

Garnitures $16 (extra) Pommes Pont Neuf, thick-cut, fluffy French fries coated with Chili Aioli

Everything was cooked, seasoned, and sauced to perfection. If we could have licked our plates, we would have.

The Grand Finale-Dessert

Noisette Chocolat

Pastry Chef Sébastien Rouxel has invented his Noisette Chocolat, featuring milk chocolate crémeux, praline croustillant and hazelnut nougatine. It is so beautiful; it resembles a large chocolate egg rested on praline crumbs.

At the end of our meal, management invited us to visit the kitchen. It is massive and filled with the latest state-of-the-art professional equipment. I was impressed with its size and the large number of staff members cooking and preparing all of the components of the Le Pavillon menu.

Daniel Boulud and his team have given us a delectable new hotspot that marks an exciting turn in the road for New York’s Fine Dining Scene! Get there soon, and you will be raving about the whole experience!

Le Pavillon One Vanderbilt Ave New York, NY 10017 www. https://lepavillonnyc.com/ Tel. 212 662-1000