Aaron Bludorn
Café Boulud | New York
February 2017
Aaron Bludorn attended the Culinary Institute of America before making his way to Seattle to work at the fine-dining institution Canlis. Moving from Seattle to the Napa Valley in 2006, Bludorn spent three years at Douglas Keene’s Cyrus, during which time the restaurant received two Michelin stars.
Keene encouraged Bludorn to visit Daniel Boulud’s kitchens in New York. Having seen what Dinex had to off er—a culture of excellence, high-quality everything, the opportunity for growth, and mentorship— Bludorn moved to New York after four days of trailing, observing, and interacting with the group’s chefs. He had found a new home in the kitchen of Café Boulud by 2009.
Working under the newly appointed Chef Gavin Kaysen, Bludorn worked his way up from the fish station to sous chef and onto chef de cuisine. Since 2014, he has served as the restaurant’s executive chef, making expressive, delicious food grounded in traditional techniques and cuisine.
Influenced by Kaysen’s ability to build a sense of community among his staff , Bludorn is deeply involved in the Careers Through Culinary Arts Programs, among other organizations, and welcomes C-CAP students and graduates into his kitchen. He judges the organization’s annual scholarship-granting competition, and through his work, Bludorn is building the next generation of culinary leaders. In 2016, he received a StarChefs Rising Stars Community Award for his work.
