Saul Bolton
Chef and owner of Saul at the Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn
From Bolton’s wife, Lisa Bolton: “We cooked a three-course Christmas dinner together when we first moved to New York City. We were living in the studio of two fresco artists (lots of dust), the bathroom was in the kitchen, and there was a college-size refrigerator and two burners and a Crock-Pot. Somehow we made a beautiful butternut squash soup, pureed potatoes, a guinea hen and chocolate mousse. Saul always made a really great chocolate mousse.
Or there was the Valentine’s Day dinner he prepared when we lived in Boston. It was a five-course tasting menu. My father showed up out of the blue and joined us! A little uncomfortable at first, but since my dad lived in Maine, it was not like we could turn him away. Saul readjusted. The meal began with oysters, then beet salad (because that was my favorite), some sort of fish, then meat and a sabayon with berries for dessert.”
Graham Elliot
Owner of Graham Elliot Bistro and Primary Food & Drink
Chicago
“It was a chilled Spring Pea Soup, lavender creme fraiche, pink peppercorns and edible flowers. The dish hits on all the senses: visually stunning, aromatic and tastes like springtime, which signals our budding love.”
Anthony Martin
Executive chef of Tru
Chicago
“When my wife Elaina and I first met, we were both working at Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas. I made her a pasta dish of hand-rolled trofie pasta (a specific short, round, twisted length of dough) that I finished with a super simple sauce of 36-month-old parmesan and white truffles. Since she owns her own boutique catering company and I am the chef of Tru, we have very complicated schedules and often only get to spend time together on Sundays, so food plays a huge role in our time together. Sunday mornings often involve champagne at home and then brunch out with friends.”
Andrew Zimmerman
Chef of Sepia
Chicago
“The first time I cooked for Lindsey, it was a couple days after we met and she came into the restaurant I was working at, which was not very big and had an open kitchen with just me and the chef. She was still a vegetarian, so I made her a roasted mushroom risotto with shaved black truffles…not a bad first move.”
Ben Pollinger
Executive chef of Oceana
New York
“Back when my wife and I first started dating, we had a weekly lunch date where I would cook for her at my place. One of her favorite dishes was my pasta primavera. I would make fresh fettuccine and a nice light vegetable medley with some white wine, olive oil and a little cheese—but no butter or cream. The best part of the dish was the white mushrooms—I would carve the tops into little hearts. She loved it.”
