Le Bernardin Turns 50
Le Bernardin, the legendary Michelin three-star restaurant owned by my friend, Chef Eric Ripert, and his business partner, Maguy Le Coze, is 50 - what a milestone!
This week, I attended a wonderful dinner marking the special golden anniversary. The event was held at Le Bernardin's New York City location, where it has been since 1986. I fondly remember dining at the original Le Bernardin seafood restaurant after it opened in 1972 in Paris, France. And, 50-years later, it is still one of the finest dining establishments in the world. The celebratory dinner included six courses, highlighting some of Le Bernardin's most iconic dishes. We enjoyed yellowfin tuna, langoustine, halibut, monk fish, and of course two different desserts. It was an incredible party. Here's to another 50, Chef Eric and Maguy!
Enjoy these photos.
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- Few restaurants hold the distinction of being open 50-years. Le Bernardin has not only turned 50, but has remained one of the most celebrated restaurants in the world. Maguy Le Coze and her brother, Gilbert, first opened Le Bernardin in 1972, then relocated the restaurant near the Arc de Triomphe before moving to the United States and its present mid-town location in 1986.
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- Chef Eric, who has served as co-owner of Le Bernardin since Maguy’s brother, Gilbert, passed away in 1994, addressed all the guests and thanked everyone for attending the anniversary dinner in Le Bernardin’s Privé space.
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- The first course was thinly pounded yellowfin tuna with foie gras, chives, and extra-virgin olive oil.
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- Each course was also paired with a wine. The tuna was served with Bollinger Champagne, La Grande Année, 2014.
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- Our meal was served with the finest baked breads – not a crumb was left.
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- The second course was sautéed langoustine over fennel compote. Langoustines, also known as Norway lobsters, Dublin Bay prawns, scampi, and cigala, are essentially small lobsters averaging about eight inches long and fished from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
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- As the langoustine was served, it was poured with a delectable sea urchin sauce table side – it was so delicious.
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- With this course, guests enjoyed Grüner Veltliner, Smaragd, Rotes Tor, Franz Hirtzberger, Wachau, Austria 2020. This white wine has a delicate tobacco spice flavor with juicy yellow apple fruit and hints of herbs and orange zest.
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- The next course was steamed halibut with a dollop of Osetra caviar. Osetra is one of three sturgeon species and Osetra caviar is known to be one of the finest caviars in the world.
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- This dish was then poured with a citrus marinière sauce.
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- And paired with Puligny Montrachet, Les Charmes, Chavy-Martin, Burgundy 2020.
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- The fourth course was a pan roasted monk fish served with a truffle sunchoke purée and baby vegetables. If you’re not familiar with sunchokes, it is a Jerusalem artichoke – a species of sunflower native to central North America. It is cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable and has a distinct starchy taste.
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- The monk fish was finished with a bordelaise sauce – a classic French sauce named after the Bordeaux region of France. The sauce is generally made with dry red wine, bone marrow, butter, shallots, and sauce demi-glace.
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- This course was paired with Château Magdelaine, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, 2001 – a deep, dark, ruby-red, almost opaque wine.
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- And look at the first dessert – a warm Peruvian chocolate tart with a scoop of toffee ice cream at the base of three chocolate covered cookies.
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- And this is Le Bernardin’s “The Egg” – a milk chocolate pot de crème with caramel foam, maple syrup, and one grain of salt.
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- Magazine editor and television personality, Nilou Motamed, Becca PR founder Becca Parrish, and co-owner of Le Bernardin, Maguy Le Coze, stopped for this photo I took from across the table.
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- Here I am with Jay McInerney Jr. Jay is a novelist, screenwriter, editor, and columnist. Among his books is “Bright Lights, Big City.” He is also the wine critic for the magazine, Town & Country.
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- And here’s a photo of me and Maguy after our delicious meal.
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- Congratulations Maguy and Chef Eric. I am so happy for you, and for Le Bernardin! For those of you who haven’t yet been to Le Bernardin, the next time you’re in New York City, please consider a visit – you will love it!
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