We were going to call the opening of Bar Boulud, Daniel Boulud's new restaurant opposite Lincoln Center, the smoothest opening of all time—from its New Year's Eve debut to a shrewd decision to leave the construction props up until hours before opening—but, now, there's a snag. The restaurant isn't open, and won't be until mid January, according to Boulud's chief spokeswoman Georgette Farkas (per a separate call to the mainline at the restaurant it will open on 1/7, but isn't yet taking any reservations). The private dining rooms are not yet finished and D-Biggity didn't want to have any sort of construction happening in tandem with dining. Further, there is more staff training to be done before the Bruni is getting anywhere near the place.
To the matter of why this news is contrary to all previous reports on the restaurant, according to Farkas it was always the plan to shut down for some time period following the New Year's debut—an industry opening party, for example, was long on the books for tomorrow. But it does beg the question of why everyone outside of Boulud's camp, ourselves included, was under the impression that open meant open.
· Adventures in Plywood: Bar Boulud Stays Covered, Opens Tonight on Own Terms [~E~]
