Nicolas Houlbert has been appointed as Executive Chef at Copper Grouse Restaurant & Bar at Kimpton Taconic Hotel
y bringing to life a modern, sophisticated New England stay, is pleased to announce the appointment of Nicolas Houlbert as Executive Chef for the hotel's Copper Grouse Restaurant & Bar. In this role, Chef Houlbert will create and implement seasonal restaurant menus favoring local farmers and growers while also overseeing the hotel's food and beverage programming for social and corporate events, and weddings hosted at Kimpton Taconic in scenic Manchester, Vermont.
During his career, Chef Houlbert who hails from France, helped two Parisian restaurants - Maison Mavrommatis and Ze Kitchen Galerie - obtain their Michelin stars. Upon arriving in the United States in 2015, he settled in New York City to work along side legendary Chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud in two of his iconic restaurants, Bar Boulud and Epicerie Boulud. Working aside Boulud and taking the helm as Executive Chef, Houlbert utilized his extensive French training while honing a keen understanding of American cuisine. He now brings his French upbringing to Vermont, where he is eager to showcase farm-fresh and local, seasonal ingredients across Copper Grouse's breakfast, brunch and dinner menus. Most recently, Chef Houlbert served as an Executive Chef consultant for several restaurants in New Jersey and New York including La Rocca Osteria, Faubourg, and Bluebird London NYC.
Like so many Vermonters, Houlbert is excited to source product from local farms and markets in an effort to create menus that balance familiar ingredients with exciting new flavors and tastes. Especially since his passion for cooking sparked at an early age while watching his mother whip up delicious meals every day using straight-from-the-garden vegetables and meats from local farmers. Houlbert has trained at the School of Alain Ducasse and the Ecole de Boucherie de Paris.