"A collection of the world's finest hotels and restaurants," Relais & Chateaux's swanky properties let you kill two birds with one stay: sleep surrounded in finery, and chomp through an unforgettable meal from a top-notch chef like Daniel Boulud or Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Now the association is offering a doggie bag, so to speak, in the form of not one, but two new cookbooks. 85 Inspirational Chefs and Chefs at Home mark the first occasion that each and every chef within Relais & Chateaux's North American purview has worked together.

Back in '09, restaurateur Daniel Boulud gave us some advice on shopping in markets for his slew of upscale, New York restaurants (Daniel, Bar Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne, and DBGB). And now it seems that the charming Frenchman is on the market himself.

Daniel Boulud is one of a handful of people who can claim ownership of four stars from the New York Times' restaurant critic. His modest roots in Lyon, France, instilled his understanding for local produce, and anyone who has visited one of his restaurants (Daniel, Bar Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne, DBGB) understands his love for a decadent burger. The New York-based chef will also be sharing his culinary mastery with supporters of the Le Fooding d'Amour event on September 26-27.

As one of the many talented cuisiniers participating in Le Fooding D'Amour (September 25-26 at at New York's P.S.1), Julie Farias knows a thing or two about a good cut of meat. The Texas-born chef—who recently moved from Brooklyn's Beer Table to The General Greene—worked for Daniel Boulud for five years (at Café Boulud, db Bistro Moderne, and Daniel), but attributes much of her culinary know-how to her southern upbringing and family influence (her clan owns a tortilla factory inside a San Antonio meat market). Farias tells us about working in kitchens on both coasts and how Le Fooding is going to taste for New Yorkers. In her case, it's going to taste like tacos made from 40 cow heads.

A while back the often maligned but generally easy guy to deal with Jon B of Home/Guesthouse fame was looking for a new spot to hang his hat. I steered him into what is now the Greenhouse space. I had been designing the property for the shelter crew of Timmy Regisford and Merlin Bobb, and it turned out they needed a partner. I felt strongly that the space, which has been a nightspot since pre World War II, was ideal -- an easy-to-get-to cabaret downtown with few neighbors. A home run. Jon told me I was nuts for a couple of months, but then moved in.

On Tuesday night, assistant editor Foster Kamer and I had one for the books, the blogs, etc. After interviewing famed New York-based chef Daniel Boulud, we were invited for an evening of decadent sampling at Boulud’s newest LES resto, DBGB. Unlike Boulud’s pre-established (and more famous) kitchens in the city (Daniel, Bar Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne), DBGB's a bustling, loud affair, the kind you can just stumble in from off of the Bowery, and throw yourself into the bar room of. Yes: it's the Pastis of the East Village. Deal with it.

Since 1978, Tihany Design has held the champion title for worldwide restaurant and hospitality design. The company namesake, architect, and restaurateur, Adam Tihany is the creative force behind Aureole New York and Las Vegas, La Fonda Del Sol, Daniel, Charlie Palmer at The Joule, Le Cirque, and Per Se among other fine-dining establishments. His design work in hotels includes One&Only Cape Town, Mandarin Oriental Geneva and Hong Kong's Mandarin Oriental Landmark. The top name in hospitality design shares a look inside his boutique agency and list of posh accomplishments.

The French food magazine's inevitable takeover of America.

Formerly executive chef at the decadent GILT restaurant, chef Christopher Lee recently re-opened Charlie Palmer's legendary at its new location in the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park (that's him in the photo above at right, Palmer smiling paternally at left). The Top Chef Masters competitor talks about manning the kitchen as executive chef at Aureole, his modest perspectives, and having a green thumb. Aureole will beoffering a 15% discount on all menus until the grand opening benefit gala for Citymeals-on-Wheels on September 15.

Laurent Tourondel has passed a gastronomically reputable torch to Chef Ed Cotton to run BLT Market, Tourondel's kitchen of the Upper West Side’s Ritz-Carlton-based restaurant. A fresh blend of market-inspired delights is what this Boston-bred chef brings to the table. After years creating delectable dishes at Daniel and Veritas, as well as working the ovens of the lightening fast-paced Kitchen Stadium on Iron Chef America, Chef Ed’s dishes brings new meaning to your average food shopping at the market.