David Bouley, influential New York chef, dies at the age of 70

David Bouley, the American chef who was the first to translate French nouvelle cuisine into the New American style that shaped modern high-end cuisine, died on Monday. at his home in Kent, Conn. He was 70.

The death, due to a heart attack, was confirmed by his literary agent, Lisa Queen.

The simple but sleek kitchen of Mr. Bouley made a grand entrance in 1985 at Montrachet, the restaurant that put TriBeCa on the map as a culinary destination. It was one of the first modern French restaurants to receive three stars from The New York Times. At his restaurant Bouley, open from 1987 to 2017, he introduced New Yorkers to new ideas such as tasting menus, plant-based sauces and the value of locally grown ingredients, and trained influential chefs such as Dan Barber, Christina Tosi, Anita Lo and James Kent.

Mr. Bouley was born and raised in Connecticut, but his path was shaped by his mother's French heritage. At a time when French chefs ruled global gastronomy, Mr. Bouley's command of the language led him to the kitchens of chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Joël Robuchon, Roger Vergé, Gaston Lenôtre and Frédy Girardet. In New York City, Mr. Bouley also worked at renowned French restaurants Le Cirque, Le Périgord and La Côte Basque.

A full obituary will be published soon.

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