Katherine Gage Boulud is a chef by trade, restaurateur by marriage, and on a mission to improve America’s health through nutrition education and fresh foods. Pull up a chair for our exclusive chat with one of our favorite foodies at Restaurant Daniel in NYC.
Katherine Gage Boulud is a fan of summertime. Sitting at the elegant bar of Daniel on the Upper East Side, the mother of two shares what makes the season special for her. “It’s the perfect time to get outside with your children and grow something,” she says. “It’s so rewarding. Go to the local farmer’s market, give your kids something to take care of. If they can learn how to nurture something else, it resets everyone’s priorities.”
While she might be known by some as the wife of Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud (she’s the brand ambassador for his Dinex Group), Gage Boulud is also a food policy advocate, hat designer, and philanthropist.
She’s involved in various charities, including Spoons Across America, where she serves as vice president of the board for this national nonprofit that’s committed to educating children, teachers, and families about the benefits of healthy eating. Gage Boulud was raised in New York and initially pursued a career in political fundraising.
She graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, before following her passion for food, which she inherited from her mother. This led her to enroll in the Florida Culinary Institute, where she sharpened her skills. In 2007, Gage Boulud brought her talents to the kitchen of her future husband’s famed Café Boulud in Palm Beach.
When she isn’t busy fundraising, Gage Boulud is working on plans for regenerative agriculture and her involvement in food policy. She’s a proud supporter of the “Food Is Medicine” movement, which has a mission to manage a nutritious diet.
“It’s important to educate people to become more mindful of the foods they’re buying and where they are buying from,” she says. “You vote with your dollars. If you want to improve the quality of your food, buy locally sourced food.”
Above all else, Gage Boulud is a proud mom. She understands the day-to-day challenges that parents across the country are facing.
“Our communities are founded in the home,” she says. “We’re raising the people who will lead our future. I realize it’s a struggle. The key is to practice what you preach.”
