Meet The Team

Our team is comprised of more than 100 staff, representing 25 countries, with a shared passion for hospitality. We strive to deliver the highest quality of service to you and ensuring that you enjoy your experience at Bar Boulud. We’re family and treat you like you are as well.

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Daniel Guzman
Executive Chef
Courtney Bratton
Pastry Chef
EDUARDO MANZANO
General Manager
Daniel Guzman
Executive Chef

At fifteen years old, Daniel Guzman began his career working as a dishwasher in a restaurant kitchen to save enough money to buy himself a car. After school, he would go to work and while there observing and learning the basics of the kitchen. From peeling vegetables to cleaning the grease trap, he fell in love with the atmosphere of a kitchen and the camaraderie with his fellow cooks. Attending culinary school became the obvious next step for Daniel. He received a B.S. in Culinary Arts from Walnut Hill College. In this time, Daniel was exposed to the talent of some of Philadelphia’s best chefs.

After graduating at age twenty-one, Daniel set out to pursue his dream of working in a Michelin-star restaurant. At Restaurant DANIEL, he worked under the mentorship of Chefs Daniel Boulud, Jean Francois Bruel, and Eddy Leroux for six years. Daniel notes how influential this time in his career was, moving up through the kitchen at Restaurant DANIEL, and, eventually, being promoted to Sous Chef. Following his time at Restaurant DANIEL, Daniel was part of the team who opened Le Pavillon with Chef Michael Balboni and Chef Will Nacev.

Now, in his new role as Executive Chef at Bar Boulud, Daniel is excited to pass on the skills and lessons that were taught to him at an early age. For Daniel, the guest experience is the most important part of working at the Dinex Group. Supported by a great team, he hopes to continue growing both as a chef and as a leader in the kitchen.

 

Courtney Bratton
Pastry Chef

Courtney Bratton grew up in a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where there was always a surplus of local produce to cook and experiment with, fostering her appreciation for gastronomy at a young age. After taking a culinary skills course in high school, Courtney made her way to the Culinary Institute of America where she was introduced to classical French Pastry. Realizing there was nothing she wanted to do more besides pastry, Courtney graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2012 with an Associates’ Degree in Baking and Pastry Arts and later went back to finish her Bachelors’ Degree online in Baking and Pastry Arts and Food Service Management from Johnson & Wales University.

Pastry had always appealed to Courtney’s sense of creativity and she quickly found her knack at mastering the detailed precision required to achieve each piece. Courtney became well-versed in many different niches of the pastry industry through her experience working in both retail and wholesale bakeries, where she learned to perfect large-scaling baking as well as fine dining pastry.

Courtney joined the Dinex family in 2017 at Café Boulud in Palm Beach, Florida. From there, she transferred to Restaurant DANIEL as a pastry cook in 2019 until the start of the pandemic. She was reacquainted with Dinex family in 2021, serving as a Pastry Sous Chef at Café Boulud Palm Beach. The challenge of working with a larger team and creating classic French pastries with local ingredients from the New York area ultimately brought Courtney over to Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud in 2022, where she currently works as Executive Pastry Chef.

Through working with and learning from acclaimed chefs such as Chef Julie Franceschini and Chef Ghaya Oliveira of the Dinex family, Courtney has not only refined her skillset but found her place in the restaurant industry. Now, at Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud, Courtney looks forward to putting her creativity and pastry skills to work, tackling the challenge of creating new desserts with unique spices and ingredients for the guests.

EDUARDO MANZANO
General Manager

General Manager

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Daniel
Boulud

Chef / Owner

Chef Daniel Boulud is widely recognized as one of America’s premier chefs and restaurateurs, revered for his contemporary approach to French cuisine. Since arriving in the U.S. in 1982, Boulud has expanded his culinary reach with restaurants in New York City and internationally in cities like Toronto, Singapore, and Dubai. His restaurant group includes celebrated establishments such as Restaurant Daniel, Café Boulud, Le Pavillon, Blue Box Café, and Épicerie Boulud. Boulud’s accolades include James Beard Awards for Outstanding Restaurant, Best Chef: NYC, and Outstanding Restaurateur, as well as France’s Legion of Honor and the 2021 Best Restaurateur in the World by Les Grandes Tables du Monde. His Michelin-starred venues include Le Pavillon and Jōji (one star each) and Restaurant Daniel (two stars). Beyond the kitchen, Boulud co-founded Food1st to fight hunger and serves as Co-President of Citymeals on Wheels, dedicated to delivering meals to homebound New Yorkers. His nine cookbooks and tireless advocacy for culinary mentorship have solidified his role as an influential leader in the culinary world.

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