Daniel Boulud Has to Pay $1.3 Million For Serving a Metal Wire In Food

A jury slapped famed French chef/restaurateur Daniel Boulud with a $1.3 million fine on Thursday after one of his restaurants served a metal wire in a dish. According to the Post, retired lawyer Barry Brett nearly died of an infection after swallowing a one-inch piece of metal wire in a coq au vin at Midtown restaurant db Bistro Moderne last year. Brett’s attorney argued that it had fallen off a cheap metal brush used to clean a grill — against the Center for Disease Control’s recommendation to avoid using wire brushes in kitchens. The jury awarded Brett $300,000 for his injuries and an additional $1 million to warn other restaurants about the practice.

The restaurant’s executive chef Kendall Linhart said on the witness stand that he did not know how the wire ended up in the chicken dish, the Post reports. The offending wire brush cleaned a cast-iron grill, but the chicken for the coq au vin is cooked in a totally different pan. The restaurant plans to appeal the decision.

• Celeb chef hit with $1.3M fine for serving metal wire in dinner [NYP]
• All Coverage of db Bistro Moderne [ENY]