At Daniel Boulud's eponymous restaurant in Manhattan, a brigade of chefs works in unison every night to cook Dover sole with green asparagus or roasted veal tenderloin with a gorgonzola emulsion. The artfully crafted dishes call to mind the old Julia Child quote: "It's so beautifully arranged on the plate, you know someone's fingers have been all over it." This quote does not apply to Boulud's new venture in Boston, Spyce. Four MIT robotics students approached the legendary chef with an idea of creating a restaurant in which robots--not chefs--make the food. Impressed with the technology the MIT guys showed him, Boulud became an investor and culinary director.

Forget about the stereotype of the short-fused chef barking orders to a team of frazzled cooks. At Spyce Food Co., the robot kitchen is wired to achieve culinary perfection without making much of a peep or breaking a sweat. The fast-casual, yet futuristic restaurant, which opened its doors in Boston's Downtown crossing Thursday, is the robotic brainchild of four MIT grads and a Michelin-starred chef. The menu consists of seven bowl-style options including Indian, Latin, and Thai -- all "internationally-inspired and vegetable-centric," according Spyce CEO and cofounder Michael Farid. Meat, fish, and vegan options are all available.