We’re lucky enough to get a lot of invitations at Engage! HQ, but some generate extra excitement when they drop into our inboxes. And when an evening is hosted by Marcy Blum honoring chef Daniel Boulud at the Manhattan showroom of Carine Krawiec of Maison de Carine, you don’t ask too many questions; you simply say yes!
Set within Maison de Carine’s New York showroom and intimate event space, the evening brought together a select group of guests – including some very familiar faces from across the industry – for the debut of Cuisine Boulud’s spring menu. In this beautiful space, candlelight flickered across a long, beautifully layered table, and the room hummed with energy and conversation. And like the best events, it was a moment designed to be experienced, not simply attended. (All Photos by the talented Allan Zepeda)
The Setting: Maison de Carine
To step into Maison de Carine is to encounter a space where detail is instinctive, not studied or overworked. It’s the kind of environment that feels as though it has come together organically, even though every element has been expertly curated.
Carine has built her world around the idea that a table can be transformative. With a background in luxury bridal and years spent sourcing and curating pieces from across New York and Paris, her approach is rooted in both expertise and intuition. Maison de Carine has never just been about beautiful objects (though you’ve seen hers at past Engages!); it’s about making beauty accessible, flexible, and expressive. Through the art of exquisite tables, Carine shows a way to create something layered and personal without the rigidity that often comes with traditional fine tableware.
It’s a philosophy that translates seamlessly into gatherings like this one. The space doesn’t feel like the usual showroom, nor quite like a private dining room. Instead, it sits in a warm, elegant residential-like zone somewhere in between. As a long-time friend of Engage!, Carine is a creative we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with in the past, particularly at Engage!25 Nemacolin. Those familiar with her work will recognize her signature immediately: bold, tactile, and designed to bring people together.
The Table: Spring, Reimagined
If the space set the tone, the table told the story. Instead of traditional florals or structured centrepieces, Carine leaned into something looser, more expressive. Potted herbs, seasonal vegetables, and soft, unfurling blooms were layered across the surface in a variety of vessels, creating a modern landscape that still felt closer to the French countryside than a New York studio.
Deep, almost wintry tones gave way to lighter, fresher elements, signalling a subtle transition from one season into the next. A cluster of tulips here, a scattering of produce there, the suggestion of something just beginning to bloom. Tableware was deliberately mixed, plates were layered, and glassware varied in shape and texture. Each piece contributed to a sense of effortless abundance. Candlelight brought warmth and movement, softening edges and drawing everything together. It was, in many ways, quintessentially Carine: a table that invites you in, encourages you to linger, and romanticizes the act of gathering.
Introducing Cuisine Boulud’s Spring Menu
Then, of course, there was the reason everyone had gathered in the first place. The evening marked the launch of Cuisine Boulud’s spring menu, with chef Daniel Boulud himself in the room. The presence of the maestro immediately changes the energy of a dinner like this, knowing the chef is not just behind the scenes, but part of the experience.
Boulud’s career hardly needs an introduction. From his early training near Lyon to building one of the most respected restaurant groups in the world, his name has become synonymous with a particular kind of French precision that feels entirely at ease in New York. His flagship restaurant, Daniel, has long set the standard, and his influence continues to shape the way people think about modern French dining.
The menu itself leaned into the season in a way that felt natural and unforced. Fresh, expressive, and confident, these were dishes that didn’t need explaining, only enjoying. And enjoy them we certainly did!
Around the Table
As the evening unfolded, what stood out most wasn’t any single detail or dish, but the feeling of the room. As we know very well at Engage!, there’s a particular kind of energy that happens when the right mix of people come together, from familiar faces to new introductions. An easy rhythm of conversation that builds without effort, and soon you look up and realize time has passed without anyone quite noticing.
Co-hosted by our dear friend Marcy Blum, and with a guest list that included the incomparable Martha Stewart, the atmosphere remained refreshingly unforced. Just genuine connection, good conversation, and a shared appreciation for the experience at hand.
Even among the many events we attend and host throughout the year, this was one that will linger. It was the kind of ‘pinch me’ evening that reminds you that great hospitality isn’t about doing the most. It’s about doing it well.
As the founders of Engage!, it also felt like a natural extension of the creative partnerships we value most. Marcy, chef Boulud and Carine’s work has always resonated in the way it brings people together. And in a room like this, that approach speaks for itself.
