Bouley's Bread

The Infamous Bread! Courtesy of David Bouley's Website

I couldn't have been sitting on Bouley's plush banquettes for more than three minutes before noticing their bread cart. I had already admired the vaulted ceiling, spied on what our neighbors were enjoying, and taken notes on the waitstaff's impeccable service. And that's when the glorious bread cart, patiently awaiting its next assignment in a corner of the room, caught my eye. I gasped and brought it also to my dad's attention, and immediately we both felt intense anticipation for the cheese course. Luckily, we only had to wait a few courses before the cart payed us a visit. I gawked at the hefty loaves, specked with nuts and dried fruit and spices. I gave in to a slice of olive, fig, and French sourdough. To my surprise - but serious pleasure - I found the bread to be soft, moist and pillowy. My grandmother might have said it was undercooked, but I found it perfect. Perfect with my asparagus soup, perfect with the gorgonzola piccante, and perfect on its own.

After such fond bread memories, I was curious to read about Eric Ripert's Breadbasket Philosophy on the Food & Wine website. Turns out he also thinks that having a selection of breads to choose from to complement your different courses is an integral aspect to any dining experience. And, which I find particularly interesting, Ripert declares that the varied breadbasket is a phenomenon that flourished in America thanks to their innovative and non-conformist mentality freed from the bounds of tradition.

"In France they have had great bread for a long time, but the French are very simple in their demands. They have a good baguette or a good country bread. But here, I think people didn’t have a tradition of a good baguette on their table, therefore they were more curious and more like, “Why not? Let’s do it! Let’s be more creative with it.”"

I'll be telling you more about my lunch at Bouley in a later post! Let's just say my mouth still waters at the thought of one amuse bouche where cheese-laced mashed potatoes and black truffles topped a thin, salty crisp...