Restaurant Revolution to open on June 4 in New Orleans' French Quarter

New Restaurant from Acclaimed Chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto to Debut at Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (April 17, 2012) ­- Restaurant R'evolution, the highly anticipated new restaurant project from award-winning chefs John Folse and Rick Tramonto, will open its doors to the public on June 4, 2012. The new 6000 square-foot, 200-seat restaurant and bar - the first project under the chefs' new restaurant development company, Home on the Range: Folse Tramonto Restaurant Development LLC - will be located at 777 Bienville St. at the Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans, in the heart of the city's historic French Quarter. Upon opening, the restaurant will offer dinner service, and soon afterward will add lunch and Sunday brunch; Restaurant R'evolution will begin taking reservations in June.

Offering modern, imaginative reinterpretations of classic Cajun and Creole cuisine, Restaurant R'evolution celebrates the cultural fusion of food and flavor that has shaped the culinary landscape of New Orleans over generations, as a succession of seven nations settled in Louisiana. This year, which marks the state's bicentennial, is an especially apt time to open a restaurant that will pay homage to New Orleans' rich culinary and cultural heritage, while evolving and pushing the boundaries of its widely admired culinary scene. The result will be a fresh and contemporary translation of Cajun and Creole cuisine, using Louisiana's abundant raw ingredients and building upon the history and traditions that define New Orleans.

"In many ways, Restaurant R'evolution is a living foodways legacy, showing the evolution of dining habits without sacrificing Louisiana's rich history and flavor," says Chef Folse, a celebrated Louisiana restaurateur, author, and culinary historian. "This restaurant is as much about what was on the plate 100 years ago as what is being served today. It's about the iconic foods of New Orleans, presented with new flair."

"John and I are eager to introduce Restaurant R'evolution to the world in the coming weeks," says Chef Tramonto, a James Beard Award winner who received numerous accolades during his 10 years as chef/partner of Chicago's ground-breaking restaurant Tru. "John and I are thrilled to be part of the positive rebuilding of the ‘new' New Orleans, as the city reinvents itself out of the tremendous adversity it has seen."

The Menu
Restaurant R'evolution's menu will reflect a melding of chefs Folse and Tramonto's distinct culinary styles. Steeped in the diverse historic and cultural influences of Louisiana, the menu will feature not only the chefs' interpretations of New Orleans classics such as gumbo, po' boys, and beignets, but also new creations highlighting ingredients from what Chef Folse refers to as "the swamp floor pantry." Tableside service components will play an important role in the dining experience, promoting guest engagement about the history and evolution of the food they are enjoying. Chris Lusk, whose previous tenure as executive chef of Café Adelaide made him a well-known presence in New Orleans' culinary scene, will lead the Restaurant R'evolution culinary team as chef de cuisine.

Soups such as Creole Loggerhead Turtle Soup and Death by Gumbo - quail gumbo served with a whole, semi-boneless quail stuffed with oysters, andouille sausage, and rice - will play on unusual presentations of these traditional dishes that date back centuries. Appetizers will feature items such as Abita Battered Crab Beignets with four rémoulades and Espresso-crusted Venison Carpaccio with black walnuts, shaved dark chocolate, and dried fruit.

Louisiana's renowned seafood gets its due in dishes such as a Gulf Shrimp and Grits "Villages del'Est," stir fried with chilies and ginger, with dried shrimp-enhanced grits; as well as Crawfish-stuffed Flounder Napoleon served with artichoke and Gulf oyster stew and crisp fried crawfish boulettes. Many of the restaurant's handmade pastas will also spotlight local seafood.

Signature meat dishes include the "Triptych of Kurobuta Pork," which will present grilled belly, smoked tail, and crispy ear, for a head-to-tail tribute to the Louisiana boucherie. A large selection of premium steaks and chops will be available, with an array of sauces, crusts, and toppers. Game will also figure prominently in dishes such as Brick Oven Barbequed Rabbit and Triptych of Quail, reflecting the important role that hunting and outdoorsmanship play in Louisiana.

Desserts by Pastry Chef Erin Swanson, a protégé of famed Pastry Chef Gale Gand, will showcase classical New Orleans sweets done in new and contemporary ways, including "Coffee and Beignets," chicory mocha pots de crème with coffee-infused beignets and black fig jam. Bittersweet Plantation Creole Cream Cheese Panna Cotta pays homage to the New Orleans' tradition of dairy-based desserts, using Creole cream cheese produced by Chef Folse's own Bittersweet Plantation Dairy.

Restaurant R'evolution will boast extensive charcuterie and cheese programs.

Wine and Spirits
Wine Director Molly Wismeier will maintain a world-class selection of 10,000 bottles of wine from around the world, with a special emphasis on the seven nations that originally settled Louisiana and make up the backbone of Creole cuisine.

Restaurant R'evolution's comprehensive wine-by-the-glass program will not only highlight white and red Burgundy, Bordeaux whites, and California reds, but also the resulting finds from Wismeier's explorations of the wine regions of Slovenia and Portugal. Since France, Germany, Italy, and Spain are foundational to Creole cuisine, the bottle list will focus heavily on these countries, including classics such as Burgundy and Rhone varietals. Vintage wines, such as 1865 Madeira and 1982 Bordeaux, lend extra prestige to the wine program. In addition, the list will feature an impressive selection of options representing emerging wine-producing regions in Lebanon, Greece, and South Africa.

In homage to New Orleans' pivotal role in cocktail history, the Restaurant R'evolution bar team looks forward to adding another unique voice to the city's vibrant cocktail conversation. Bar R'evolution will offer chef-driven, seasonal cocktails inspired by modern takes on "gilded age" libations from the pre-Prohibition era. Reinterpretations of classic drinks such as the Presse, the Cobbler, and the Absinthe Cocktail will incorporate small-batch spirits, house-made Creole bitters, and chef-crafted ratafias, the French-influenced fruit cordials that have been produced in Louisiana kitchens for generations.

Bar R'evolution will also feature an array of seasonally rotating craft beers from local breweries including Abita Brewing Company, Heiner Brau Microbrewery, and NOLA Brewing.

Design
Restaurant R'evolution's exciting, historically inspired design is the work of The Johnson Studio in Atlanta, led by Bill Johnson, AIA, who is lauded for his vision and personalized designs.

Diners will enjoy chefs Folse and Tramonto's cuisine in a setting that melds the antique architectural details of the grand homes and properties in the historic French Quarter with contemporary accents. Custom Creole pocket doors will open to reveal seven unique dining spaces, each depicting a different room within a Creole mansion.

The design of the Market Room, with its gleaming exposition kitchen, is inspired by Solari's Delicatessen, which was an institution in the French Quarter for nearly 100 years. The formal Storyville Parlor will showcase a magnificent 1840s chandelier and hand-painted murals by Grahame Menage depicting scenes of Louisiana's rich culinary and cultural past. Even Bar R'evolution nods to the fundamental French Quarter carriageway, featuring custom gas lanterns and cypress wood ceiling beams.

The restaurant will offer numerous distinctive options for private dining. Five dining rooms within the restaurant can be privatized to accommodate groups from 6 to 40. The Wine Room is the ultimate retreat for vinophiles, set within the restaurant's custom-built wine cellar, with an up-close view of the spectacular selections and access to drop-down flat-screen televisions for entertainment or presentations. The Wine Room also boasts its own private entrance off of Bienville St., allowing those who have booked it to access it directly. For the ultimate experience, guests can reserve the Chef's Dining Room, an intimate room with seating for six, overlooking the restaurant's main kitchen line, all done in custom "R'evolution Red" by Viking Range. In this private room, culinary enthusiasts have an exclusive bird's-eye view of the cuisine in action.

Restaurant R'evolution will open serving dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m., with lunch and Sunday brunch service launching soon after. Garage parking will be available during all business hours. Reservations are recommended, and can be made beginning in June via OpenTable.com or by calling the restaurant at 504.553.2277.

For more information about Restaurant R'evolution, please visit www.revolutionnola.com or follow the Facebook page, Twitter feed, and restaurant blog for behind-the-scenes updates, news, and contests.

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For more information, or to schedule an interview, please contact Wagstaff Worldwid, 312-943-6900