Last night, The Buzz got a chance to catch up with Daniel Boulud at the black-tie benefit for the Culinary Insitute of America at NYC's Pier 60. Boulud said he had been in the kitchen at Daniel earlier that day when he got a phone call from his staff at db bistro telling him that Wolfgang Puck was dining there. The friends briefly chatted over the phone and Boulud promised to come to the benefit, at which Puck would receive an Auggie for Chef of the Year. "I'm here to honor my friend," Boulud told us.

That wasn't the only thing that brought Boulud out last night – he also has a connection to the incredible Brennan family, who were being inducted (yes, as a family) into the CIA Hall of Fame. The Brennans, who operate 11 popular restaurants, welcomed Boulud and his After Hours television crew into Commander's Palace, their legendary Creole in New Orleans, not too long ago. Look for this episode to air soon on MOJO HD.

So what's next for the Lyonnais chef who always seems to have something under his hat? He told us that he's breaking new ground in Canada, but not in francophile Quebec. Nope, Boulud's headed to Vancouver where he'll turn the former Feenie's, a West Side hip joint known for its burgers, into db bistro. And, he's taking over chef Rob Feenie’s Lumière, a fancy French that rated as the Vancouver Survey’s Most Popular. The name will stay the same but Boulud will be overseeing the kitchen. He'll reopen both places in August.