Inside Per Se's 20th Anniversary Celebration

On February 15, one of New York City’s most glamorous dining rooms got a little bit more sparkly. That’s because Per Se, the three Michelin star restaurant run by Chef Thomas Keller, celebrated its 20th anniversary with a party that brought together some of the food world’s biggest stars, as well as friends, family, and alumni chefs.

Guests including Ruth Reichl, Waris Ahluwalia, Daniel Boulud, Grant Schatz, Simon Kim, Michael Lomonaco, Mario Cantone, Noor Tagouri, Tom Colicchio, and more were on hand to enjoy Casa Dragones tequila, wine by Modicum, and La Grande Dame by Veuve Clicquot, as well as some serious snacks including cornet of marinated Atlantic salmon with sweet red onion crème fraiche, Wagyu corn dogs, truffle popcorn, and a very impressive caviar station. (T&C could be found near the sweets; the Per Se peanut butter cookies being a particular weakness.)

Partygoers who weren’t glued to the windows admiring the view of Central Park circulated through the restaurant, peeking into its cozy nooks and even setting up camp in the kitchen, which was, of course, serving up some special bites of its own.