Daniel Boulud and David Bouley cook up some Manhattan Real Estate

Manhattan Real Estate: Celebrity Chefs

Two Manhattan chefs are looking to stir up their real estate recipe: According to The Real Deal, there is “a bunch of evidence” that a 610 Park Avenue condo on the market for $6.5 million belongs to French restauranteur Daniel Boulud, and the New York Post is reporting several courses of problems for David Bouley (below).

Boulud's condo has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

Manhattan Real Estate: Daniel Boulud

It’s 2,500-square-foot with three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 120 square foot kitchen(!). Boulud wanted to expand the kitchen onto the terrace but the board put that plan in the compost bin. Is the move prompted by problems with his restaurant or is it just time to serve up another place to call home? Hanging in the balance as well is clarity around the apartment’s annual common charges of $4,712 that cover catering service from Daniel, Boulud’s downstairs restaurant. Will it be Daniel’s for dinner much longer or time for take-out?

Manhattan Real Estate: David Bouley

Dessert has not tasted so sweet for celebrity chef David Bouley. The New York Post reports that the former toast of the town is being served a plate full of bad financial news, including possible foreclosure on his TriBeCa condo ($2.5 million) and over $80,000 in debt on his restaurant in the ground floor of the same building. In addition, Bouley owes $105,004 on a federal tax lien and around $18,000 in back state taxes.

Bouley’s purchases came during the height of the market, buying his condo in 2007 and two units on the ground floor where he moved his restaurant in 2008. The Post reports that Bouley’s controller, Mark Stiel, asserts that it’s all a bit misunderstanding. According to Stiel: Bouley is renegotiating his condo mortgage and was “blindsided” by the foreclosure, the retail unit debt is part of an ongoing dispute with the landlord over a certificate of occupancy, the federal tax lien is canceled out by an incoming tax credit, and any outstanding state taxes are from a paperwork error.

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