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.

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.

We were seated in the main dining room, flanked with wood shelves of ingredients and used dishes of Boulud's contemporaries, as Radiohead and The Cure blasted above us. Soon after, Boulud blasted us away with the full comp.

● Ward III (Tribeca) - Custom cocktails? They know what you like.
● Piccola Cucina (Soho) - Studio apartment-sized space, but there's nothing small about the flavors.
● DBGB Kitchen & Bar (East Village) - This ain't no Mudd Club or CBGB. Boulud classes up the Bowery with a tavern/brasserie.