David Bouley, the American chef who first translated French nouvelle cuisine into the New American style that shaped modern high-end cooking, died on Monday at his home in Kent, Conn. He was 70.
The death, from a heart attack, was confirmed by his wife, Nicole Bartelme.
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, which operated in several locations between 1987 and 2017, he introduced New Yorkers to new ideas like Japanese-style tasting menus, vegetable-based sauces and the value of locally farmed ingredients. “We never used caviar and truffles,” said Bill Yosses, the former White House pastry chef, who worked with Mr. Bouley at Montrachet and Bouley for almost 20 years. “David was much more interested in Tristar strawberries.”
Mr. Bouley persuaded diners to put themselves in his hands, with no printed menu or specific number of courses. He wielded sorbets, juices and vinegars to brightening the profile of restaurant food, which he considered overly dependent on butter, cream and stock.
“He got modern three-star Michelin dining to make sense to Americans,” said Dan Barber, the chef at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, who worked under Mr. Bouley for two years. “He had an otherworldly ability to create and capture flavor, and he did it without menus or recipes, night after night.”
Bouley’s entrance was perpetually stacked with ripening apples, reminding guests that they were far from the cut flowers and crystal vases of Midtown’s classic temples to French cuisine: Le Cirque, Le Périgord and La Côte Basque. Earlier in his career, Mr. Bouley had worked in all three. He also trained influential chefs like Christina Tosi, Anita Lo and James Kent.
