Hayes, 49, was more casual in a black t-shirt and blue jeans with brown slides.
The writer won the National Book Award in 2010 for his collection of poems titled Lighthead and was a recipient of a MacArthur fellowship and a Guggenheim fellowship.
Date: The couple's PDA took place outside the Top Chef host's Manhattan apartment building after walking her dog
Eye-catching: Lakshmi, 50, looked lovely in a flirty white outfit and wedge sandals. Her sleeveless dress had ruffles and a thigh-skimming hemline and she wore it with a brown belt
Writer: Hayes, 49, was more casual in a black t-shirt and blue jeans with brown slides. He won the National Book Award in 2010 and has received MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships