Rehearsal Dinner & Brunch Suggestions

• By Nick Hofstadter
• Published Winter 2006

Café Gray

Superlative French food, particularly Daniel Boulud's at his restaurant Daniel, is an occasion in and of itself (60 E. 65th St.; 212-933-5261). Two large grommet-laden doors at the end of the plush lounge lead to the private Bellecour Room, which holds up to 80 seated guests in its warmly lit gold-and- blush-colored parlor (from $120 per person for a three-course dinner, plus $500 for the room). Start with passed hors d'oeuvre that could include eggplant caviar with tomato confit and morel arrancine with pea shoots, and an open bar with top-shelf liquors, fine wines, and champagne ($25 per guest, per hour; $35 per guest per hour, respectively). Boulud crafts the menu according to seasonal ingredients and the couple's tastes, making each one different from the next. For past events, he's served dishes like rack of lamb with Meyer-lemon crust and lobster with carrot purée and cilantro emulsion. Expect white-glove service from a gracious staff, and revel in the culinary adventure before embarking on an even bigger journey the next day.

Up to sixteen guests can sit at the kitchen's Chef's Table at Café Gray ($120 per guest), where Gray Kunz prepares a five-to-six-course brunch menu, featuring Asian-inflected, Eastern European modern cuisine (10 Columbus Circle, third fl.; 212-823-6332). Larger parties of up to 70 are better off in the Lavender Room, where the visible kitchen and sweeping views of Central Park compete for guests' attention ($80 per guest). The dark-wood, leather, and mirrored art deco dining room can be rented to seat 180 guests for the most lavish of brunch send-offs, entailing caviar scrambled eggs, pastries, and cornflake-crusted French toast (price upon request).