Unfortunately, Bloody Marys not included.
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When I lived in New York—and even in the years before and after that—one of my favorite times in the city were the weeks surrounding Labor Day. The hot garbage smell of August is beginning to subside, as cooling breezes lap the city while summer sunlight still persists well into happy hour. And as a tennis fan as well, there’s an energy to the city as the US Open rolls on in Flushing and the calendar turns over to September. I spent many days at Billie Jean King Tennis Center to take in matches, gathered at pop-up watch parties around the city like in Madison Square Park or lounged in my own home flipping between grand slam tennis and the start of the football season.
I’m on the West Coast now, still partaking in the sports, but missing that particular New York vibe. While nothing can replace that feeling, it’s nice to have a little taste of the city with me in LA as I zone out in front of the TV for wall-to-wall sports. That’s where Daniel Boulud comes in.
The Frenchman that’s spent the last few decades turning himself into a New York mainstay is currently shipping “Brunch of Champions” boxes nationwide. The Gallic chef partnered with the coffee company Lavazza in celebration of the US Open for the package that features a mini-brioche with whipped chive butter, a pair of decadent almond croissants, four coffee-infused caneles, 8 oz. of lox, two bags of Lavazza and a moka-style espresso pot by Carmencita.
The little Italian coffeemaker lets you brew espresso the old-fashioned way in a boiler on your stovetop. The resulting coffee is smooth and rich, and takes well to lengthening it a touch with hot water for a nice Americano to pair with your caneles, lox and croissants. And while this box is a limited edition package associated with the US Open, Boulud still has other options so you can have him cater your lazy Sunday grazing year-round.
