David Bouley, the American chef who first translated French nouvelle cuisine into the New American style that shaped modern high-end cooking, died Monday at his home in Kent, Conn. He was 70.
The death, from a heart attack, was confirmed by his literary agent, Lisa Queen.
Mr. Bouley’s simple but sleek cuisine made a grand entrance in 1985 at Montrachet, the restaurant that put TriBeCa on the map as a culinary destination. It was one of the first modern French restaurants to receive three stars from The New York Times. At his restaurant Bouley, open from 1987 to 2017, he introduced New Yorkers to new ideas like tasting menus, vegetable-based sauces and the value of locally farmed ingredients.
“This was even before the Union Square farmers’ market,” said Bill Yosses, the former White House pastry chef, who worked at with Mr. Bouley at Montrachet and Bouley for almost 20 years. “We never used caviar and truffles,” he said. “David was much more interested in Tristar strawberries.”
He also trained influential chefs like Dan Barber,. Christina Tosi, Anita Lo and James Kent.
Mr. Bouley was born and grew up in Connecticut, but his path was shaped by his mother’s French heritage. At a time when French chefs ruled global fine dining, Mr. Bouley’s command of the language led him into the kitchens of chefs like Paul Bocuse, Joël Robuchon, Roger Vergé, Gaston Lenôtre and Frédy Girardet. In New York City, Mr. Bouley also worked at the landmark French restaurants Le Cirque, Le Périgord and La Côte Basque.
