Rona Boyer

The 87-year-old “Chef of the Century” left his beloved Lyon to officially launch the Bocuse Restaurant at the Culinary Institute here in Hyde Park last week. He was greeted by “Merci Bocuse” banners; the school’s staff, faculty and student body; and an impressive list of famous chefs, including Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten,, Thomas Keller, Charlie Palmer, David Burke, and  Michel Richard . “The restaurant has officially opened,” announced Tim Ryan, the school’s president, as Paul Bocuse cracked the crust of a giant “soupe aux truffes,” an oversized CIA rendition of the signature truffle soup that Mr. Bocuse created for a 1975 state dinner at the Elysée Palace presided over by Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the then president of France. Dr. Ryan toasted M. Bocuse as “the greatest chef in history” because he “set the standard for culinary excellence, business acumen and media savvy that generations of chefs around the world still aspire to.” Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Daniel Boulud are both former Bocuse apprentices.

On Saturday, April 20, the Hudson Valley Honor Flight will leave from Stewart Airport to transport our local veterans of World War II and the Korean War for a day-long visit to our nation’s capital. Veterans are flown, fed and cared for, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis. The Hudson Valley chapter, part of the national Honor Flight Network, recognizes American veterans for their achievements and the sacrifices they made by flying them to Washington, DC, “to see THEIR memorial” and to visit Arlington Cemetery at no cost to them. Top priority is given to World War II veterans and to terminally ill veterans from all U.S. wars.  

I am going to try not to use too many superlatives in recounting our evening at the new restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) inHyde Park. Too often when people rave too much about a movie, play or restaurant, my expectations are so high that even if I like it, it ends up disappointing me. So let me preface this report with the comment that as at all of the CIA restaurants, the meals are prepared and served by student chefs under the supervision of their chef-instructor, Sergio Remolina, a Franco-Mexican who is as charming as he is talented. The ingredients are selected and bought with an affordable price level in mind—so I am not telling you that it is as good as Le Bernardin, Per Se or Daniel. But I will say that it rivals the very best restaurants in theHudsonValleyand many of the trendyNew York Cityeateries that charge twice the price.