Look who was hanging on the patio at Bin 8945 last night: Daniel Boulud, late, with Grace chef/owner Neal Fraser. We heard whispers that Boulud was in town, and turns out he's filming the second season of After Hours, which airs on the HDTV network Mojo. We have a good old-fashioned TV, so this show isn't on our radar, but it sounds pretty entertaining, and not in that Gordon Ramsay-screaming kind of way. Each episode features Boulud and the host chef of some high-profile restaurant (last season it was in NYC), plus a dinner party of about eight guests, which includes other chefs, celebrities and media personalities. Season 2 is all about LA.
Yesterday they taped at Grace with guests Harry Shearer, actress Connie Britton, Bon Appetit's managing editor Laurie Buckle, plus chefs Fred Eric and Michael Wilson. (Neal Fraser must be exhausted. We saw him at two events this weekend, and then he tops it off with a long day of filming and late-night carousing with Boulud?) The last taping in LA is tonight at Simon, with host chef Kerry Simon, and guests Joel Stein, actor Willie Garson, and chefs Josie LeBalch (Josie), Kris Morningstar (Blue Velvet), and Brandon Boudet (Dominick's). They also taped segments at Ford's Filling Station, Mozza, Jaochim Splichal's home, Hatfield's, Sona, and Providence. We're unsure when the show airs, but we'll keep you posted. The bigger question is: Where will they go after After Hours tonight?