La Tête d’Or, Daniel Boulud’s First Steakhouse, Sets a Dramatic Scene

The dramatics unfold from the beginning, where a glistening Nancy Lorenz wall-mount beckons guests inside a cocoon-like vestibule gently illuminated by amber glass fixtures. They’re soon whisked into the lustrous barroom whose floor-to-ceiling centerpiece is clad in a decadent bronze. Its rich tones dance off sumptuous red leather TRNK armchairs aptly placed around tables in tête-à-tête arrangements—a sly nod to the steakhouse’s name. Sip on a signature cocktail (French Connection fuses blended gin, Campari, and cranberry nectar) or the quartet of house martinis (Burnt Velvet tickles the tongue with Pantalones Añejo tequila, Michter’s Rye, and spiced cherry) as anticipation—and appetite—builds for the opening act.

Around the corner, the curtain lifts to the main dining room, a cavernous, high-ceilinged epicurean playground that takes cues from the building’s Art Deco roots. “Our goal was to create a sense of occasion,” Rockwell tells Galerie, accomplished primarily through luxe accents like walnut paneling trim, cobalt velvet banquettes, and the room’s own symmetry. A metallic collage that Belgian artist Jesse Willems intended as an homage to Rockefeller Center’s landmark Atlas sculpture presides above a grand window into the open kitchen, where the mastery of Boulud’s techniques unfold for all to see, all focused on a wood-burning grill the chef custom-designed with Clay Oven.

At La Tête d’Or, Boulud pays close attention to sourcing. Cuts come from both Japanese and domestic suppliers, including Snake River Farms, which helped popularize wagyu in the United States. The remainder combines French cuts (queue de filet, or tail of a tenderloin) and American classics like a New York strip. Pair them with sauces like au poivre or horseradish cream, appetizers like creamy spinach and hazelnut gnocchi Parisienne, and a bold red from Bordeaux. For a close-up, opt for a prime rib trolley where American wagyu ribeye is sliced and served tableside. “It is quite a simple, universal pleasure, an excellent steak and a great sauce,” Boulud says, “but it needs to be executed with precision, and it needs to have soul.”

Fortunately, that’s easily achieved thanks to the ample nods to Boulud’s upbringing. La Tête d’Or is named after a park in Lyon, the chef’s hometown; illustrations of it grace the menus. There’s also the vision and momentum of Rockwell, who is fresh on the heels of designing like-minded local hotspots like the Corner Store and Coqodaq. His favorite seat in the house? “It’s either one of the curved banquettes in the back of the main dining room, where you can have an intimate experience but also see everything happening around you,” he tells Galerie. “Or a corner booth in the bar, where you can see beautiful slivers of the dining room and the Met Life Tower’s historic facade.” A scenic—and splurge-worthy—power lunch awaits.