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.
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.
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.
The first course was thinly pounded yellowfin tuna with foie gras, chives, and extra-virgin olive oil.
Each course was also paired with a wine. The tuna was served with Bollinger Champagne, La Grande Année, 2014.
Our meal was served with the finest baked breads – not a crumb was left.
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.
As the langoustine was served, it was poured with a delectable sea urchin sauce table side – it was so delicious.
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.
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.
This dish was then poured with a citrus marinière sauce.
And paired with Puligny Montrachet, Les Charmes, Chavy-Martin, Burgundy 2020.
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.
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.
This course was paired with Château Magdelaine, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Bordeaux, 2001 – a deep, dark, ruby-red, almost opaque wine.
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.
And this is Le Bernardin’s “The Egg” – a milk chocolate pot de crème with caramel foam, maple syrup, and one grain of salt.
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.
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.
And here’s a photo of me and Maguy after our delicious meal.
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!
My newest project here at my Bedford, New York farm is my garden maze - and it's becoming more and more beautiful with the planting of each tree.
The three-acre lush pasture just outside my Winter House is the setting for my maze. Earlier this year I decided I wanted to create a maze of interesting hedges, espaliers and shrubs. I started with European beech, European hornbeams, boxwood, parrotias, and a variety of espaliered apple trees. I also planted several Liquidambar styraciflua 'Slender Silhouette' trees, American sweetgums. Most recently, I added a selection of handsome London planetrees, Platanus acerifolia 'Bloodgood,' a relative of the mighty sycamore. These trees are large shade trees with broad open crowns. They were the perfect choice for the center of my maze, where they will surround and shade an open space.
Here are some photos. And be sure to watch another original episode of "Martha Gardens" - it's now streaming free on The Roku Channel.
A few weeks ago I purchased a selection of Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ trees. The trees were quite tall, so they were all delivered on a flatbed truck to my farm.
Slowly and carefully, each tree was removed from the truck and transferred to my Hi-Lo…
… And then to the dump truck that would transport them to the maze field.
Meanwhile, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, begins to make the holes for the trees. He is using our dependable M4-071 tractor and backhoe. This tractor is one of the most important pieces of equipment here at the farm. It is used every day to do a myriad of jobs.
Special tractor stabilizing feet secure the vehicle to the ground while the backhoe is being used.
Chhiring digs one of the holes at a previously marked spot – we measured and spray-painted the grass to indicate exactly where the tree would be planted.
Pasang uses a shovel to help shape the proper hole and ensure it is deep enough for the trees. The holes must be pretty wide – at least two to five times as wide as the root ball.
Here is a row of holes dug across the field. The hole sides should also be slanted. Digging a wide planting hole helps to provide the best opportunity for roots to expand into its new growing environment.
As the holes are dug, each tree is delivered to the site. Platanus acerifolia ‘Bloodgood’ trees do best in an area that receives full sun. It should be watered regularly after planting to encourage a healthy root system, but then watering frequency can be reduced once established except during periods of extreme heat. Although the ‘Bloodgood” is not considered a drought-tolerant plant, this variety can tolerate short periods without water.
Here is a row of trees now ready for planting. Each hole is also fertilized. It is very important to feed the plants and trees. I always say, “if you eat, your plants should eat.” We use a quality food with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
And then each tree is slowly rolled into its designated hole. The crew rotates the tree on its root ball closer to the hole. When moving heavy trees, only hold it by the root ball and the base of the trunk – never by its branches, which could easily break.
Every tree is now in its hole. The crew measures each one again and makes sure each one is turned with its best side facing inward.
Next, the protective wrapping and any wire or rope are removed from the root ball. If left untouched, these wrapping materials could reduce the ability of a tree’s roots to grow out into the surrounding soil. Some gardeners will leave them in the ground, but I prefer to remove everything, so there is nothing blocking its root growth.
And then the holes are backfilled, and the trees are given a good drink of water.
The next day, the crew mulches the bed. We use a length of bamboo to maintain the proper width of the mulching area.
I am so fortunate that I can make mulch and compost right here at the farm.
Chhiring uses a hard rake to spread and level the mulch.
And Domi creates a straight and neat edge all the way around the row of trees.
Here it is one side once it is complete. These trees will grow so nicely in this space – the center of the maze, where one will be able to take a brief rest while navigating the maze’s many turns.
The maze is looking so great – I am very pleased with how it is turning out. And we’ve gotten a lot done in several months. I think it will be finished sooner than expected – I can’t wait. For now, please see our newest episode of “Martha Gardens” now streaming on The Roku Channel. In this show, I’ll take you to my Christmas tree farm in one of the back fields and show you how to properly move an established tree into my pinetum, an arboretum of rare and unusual conifer trees.
There's always a new project being completed here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Now that it’s autumn, all my tropical plants must be stored indoors and safe from the cold. I use hoop houses designated specifically for these warm weather specimens. The hoop houses are constructed from steel frames and polyethylene panels. This year, it was necessary to build another structure to accommodate my growing collection of plants. I decided the best place was in front of my vegetable garden across the carriage road from one of my existing hoop houses. It was a big project - there were many steps involved to get it built properly, but now it's up and already being put to good use.
Enjoy these photos.
Over the summer, I decided we needed an additional greenhouse to store my many potted plants for the winter. The best location was right here in front of my vegetable garden right off the carriage road. We started work on it a few weeks ago, so it would be ready before the first hard frost.
After measuring and marking the space, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring, uses a motorized sod cutter to remove the grass.
All the sod pieces were neatly rolled and then carefully removed. We don’t waste anything here at the farm, so whenever possible, we always repurpose and reuse.
This thick gravel bed helps to level the ground and ensure good drainage.
Here are the pipes that make up the framework of the hoop house. The entire structure is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing.
Pete, who is an excellent builder and helps with many of the projects here at the farm, measures the footprint several times to make sure everything is even and square.
Meanwhile, the propane tank that will fuel the heater is installed. These hoop houses are temperature and humidity controlled. They work by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment.
The pipes are laid out on the gravel, so the team can assemble them properly and efficiently.
Here, Pete and Doug my property manager begin hammering the first of many base posts. The removable metal cap at the top of the base post protects the hollow pipe while being pounded.
They are positioned several feet apart and will hold the upright frame supports.
Pete and Fernando, another longtime member of my crew, build each of the overhead frame pieces. This framework shape is known as gothic style. It is the style I use for all the hoop houses on the farm. I chose it because of its high peak which can accommodate my taller plants.
Doug, Pete, and Fernando put the last arch up. The steep roof slope of this structure will also prevent snow accumulation during the winter months.
Fernando and Pete secure the horizontal wood boards that will support the side framing.
The back of the hoop house is framed for the twin panel walls.
And next is the fabric cover. The fabric comes in two rolls – one is a heavy-duty, woven polyethylene that features an anti-condensate additive to reduce moisture buildup and dripping. The other side contains UV additives that allow the fabric to maintain its strength through the seasons.
The team hoists one roll on top of the frame and then the second on top of the first. The two sheets are well labeled, so there is no confusion as to what side faces up and what side faces down. The fabric is pulled taut at the ends of the framework and secured.
In the back, Doug installs the twin polycarbonate clear wall sheets. Significantly lighter than glass, these sheets are east to install and will insulate the structure from both the front and back.
This Polyethylene fabric is designed to stand up to just about any climate. It also resists rips and tears, so it could last up to 10-years depending on the weather.
Another large sheet of twin polycarbonate paneling is ready to be cut. This will be one of two sliding doors.
Pete trims the clear sheet to fit the end wall doorway.
Screws and bolts secure the panels to the metal frame.
A metal track is installed at the top and bottom for the doors.
The best part about these 10-foot tall doors is that our tractor can roll right in through the opening with the heavy potted plants. It will make storing them faster and easier.
The space between the two layers of plastic is filled with air to keep the hoop house taut, smooth and insulated. The air layer prevents heat loss at half the rate of single-paned glass. On the sides, these manual roll-up curtains can be raised and lowered for ventilation purposes. The finished hoop house is now ready for storing my tropical plants – and just in time. By the end of this week, night temperatures here are expected to dip into the 30s.
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