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Who’s behind it: Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse is a new endeavor from celebrated French-born, Monégasque chef Alain Ducasse, who owns Wine Spectator Grand Award winner Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse in Paris, among other leading restaurants. This is Ducasse’s first restaurant in Italy, and it is located on the ninth floor of the Romeo Collection’s Romeo Napoli hotel in Naples, which housed now-closed Restaurant Award winner il Comandante.
When it opened: June 6
The culinary approach: Leading the kitchen is executive chef Alessandro Lucassino, who has worked with Ducasse for 11 years at Paris establishments Le Jules Verne (on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower), Le Relais Plaza at Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Salon des Manufactures and Cucina. A representative of Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse described the cuisine as “elegant, subtle and daring,” using ingredients from Napoli (and the broader Mediterranean region) such as Paestum artichokes, Sorrento lemons and red mullet. Lucassino uses French techniques to prepare these, emphasizing the dishes’ healthful characteristics and vegetable elements.
Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse offers five-course and six-course “experience” menus ($184 and $205, respectively), with dishes such as Mediterranean blue crab with white beans from Controne (in Campania), Italian John Dory with a rockfish reduction and agretti, Laura Peri pigeon with cherries, and wild strawberries with mascarpone ice cream.
What’s on the wine list: Sommelier Bernard Neveu—who previously led the wine program at Le Bristol Paris and its Grand Award winner Epicure—oversees a list of 1,500 labels, representing a 16,000-bottle cellar. The program is global, with bottles from Burgundy’s Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne, Montrachet, Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée, for instance, including top names like Armand Rousseau, Méo-Camuzet and DRC.
Along with France, Northern and Central Italy are prime focuses, and there are verticals from leading wineries like Barbaresco’s Gaja, Barolo’s Aldo Conterno and Tuscany’s Masseto. The list was created to be “in harmony with the cuisine,” per the restaurant’s representative. “This explains the balance we’ve struck between Italian and French wines.” That includes a range of specific wine-and-food pairings as well as several grand cru wines offered by the glass.
The space: The restaurant’s vantage point and large windows allow guests picturesque views of Mount Vesuvius and the Port of Naples. Inside, Il Ristorante Alain Ducasse boasts an open kitchen and art pieces from contemporary Neapolitan artist Francesco Clemente.
Looking ahead: Ducasse is opening two more restaurants with the Romeo Collection at the new Romeo Roma (opening September 2024) and Romeo Massa Lubresne (opening on the Amalfi Coast in 2025). “The collaboration that began in Naples is very promising,” said the restaurant’s representative, “and we will approach the other projects with the same confidence and enthusiasm.”—Collin Dreizen
Ruth’s Chris Steak House Opens New Restaurants in Florida and Minnesota
Who’s behind it: Louisiana restaurateur and entrepreneur Ruth Fertel founded Ruth’s Chris Steak House in New Orleans in 1976, after a fire destroyed her earlier establishment, Chris Steak House. Fertel rapidly grew the concept into a leader in fine steak-house dining, and there are about 150 Ruth’s Chris restaurants across the globe today, including multiple Wine Spectator Restaurant Award winners. Since 2023, Ruth’s Chris has been part of Darden Restaurants, Inc., a major hospitality group that includes Restaurant Award–winning locations of the Capital Grille, Seasons 52 and Eddie V’s Prime Seafood.
The new locations: This month, the Ruth’s Chris family continues to grow with new restaurants in Florida and Minnesota. Just minutes from the beach, the Jupiter, Florida, location offers a relaxed, coastal atmosphere in a sleek and modern space featuring a central bar and a breezy outdoor dining area. Head chef Kendris Candelario, who has been with Ruth’s Chris for more than 16 years, leads the kitchen.
General manager Gena Cadman and executive chef Mitchell Chase lead the new Ruth’s Chris in Rochester, Minnesota. The restaurant is housed in the historic Kahler Grand Hotel, which was established in 1921. With floor-to-ceiling wine displays, leather seating and modern-style chandeliers, the new steak house is a fitting addition to the landmark luxury hotel.
When they opened: Ruth’s Chris opened June 3 in Jupiter and June 17 in Rochester.
What’s on the wine list: With about 200 labels on each wine list, both restaurants share the core Ruth’s Chris program available across other locations. Napa Valley is a primary focus, with bottlings from Chateau Montelena, Cakebread, and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars. Though not as numerous as the domestic options, there are plenty of international selections, including wines from France’s Guigal, Australia’s Penfolds and Italy’s Castello Banfi and Santa Margherita. There is also a solid selection of bubbly, with well-known names like Champagne’s Veuve Clicquot, Louis Roederer and Taittinger.
The culinary approach: Like all Ruth’s Chris locations, the restaurants use a proprietary broiler to give steaks a 1,800° F blast, leaving the beef crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle. To keep the sizzle going, the restaurant teams serve the steaks on 500° F plates. You’ll find a range of cuts—including a bone-in New York strip, a bone-in filet, a tomahawk ribeye and a porterhouse for two—but there are also non-steak options such as garlic-crusted sea bass and lobster mac and cheese, as well as classic sides like garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. Both kitchens prepare their desserts, including cheesecake, bread pudding and crème brûlée, in-house.—Greg Warner
Restaurant Marc Forgione Reopens in a New Manhattan Location
A major move: Celebrated chef and restaurateur Marc Fogione has reopened his namesake Best of Award of Excellence–winning flagship in a new location in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood. Now located at 30 Hudson Street, it is just around the corner from the original location at 134 Reade Street (the move, which came after 16 years of operation, was due to a rent increase). The new location previously housed former Restaurant Award winners Danube and Brushstroke, both owned by late chef David Bouley.
When it opened: May 28
Who’s behind it: Forgione opened the original Restaurant Marc Forgione (lovingly called “Forge” by locals and regulars) in 2008; he soon achieved acclaim for his cuisine as well as his appearance as a competitor on “Iron Chef America,” bringing him to the national stage.
For the new location, he has teamed up with Apres Cru Hospitality, a hospitality investment firm founded by Master Sommeliers Dustin Wilson and Sabato Sagaria. Forgione and Apres Cru also own and operate Best of Award of Excellence winner One Fifth and Award of Excellence winner Peasant in New York. When considering where to move, the group apparently had no doubt that Forge should stay in Tribeca. “It’s a super unique neighborhood in the city. It’s a little enclave, and you don’t ever really need to leave,” Wilson told Wine Spectator. “Forge exemplifies what Tribeca likes: It’s a world-class neighborhood restaurant.”
The culinary approach: The first menus will look largely familiar to fans of Forgione’s cuisine. Alongside seasonal offerings, there are signature dishes spanning Forgione’s career: hiramasa tartare, which was on the original menu since day one, accented with a numbing Szechuan peppercorn button; charcoal-grilled “smoking hot savage blonde” oysters topped with pork fat and a fermented Fresno chile hot sauce; and Forgione’s chile lobster inspired by Singaporean chile crab, now served with a golden sesame bun so guests can create their own juicy lobster roll. Premiering dishes include a “New School/Old School” foie gras with green strawberries and pain au canard, as well as a dish of bucatini verde with Peconic escargot and nasturtium.
What’s on the wine list: The wine program has benefited significantly from the move, according to Wilson, who suggested that the cellar may be double or even triple the size of that at the previous location. Currently, the inventory sits at around 1,800 bottles from across the globe. Burgundy, the Loire Valley, the Rhône Valley, Piedmont and California are primary strengths, with solid verticals from the likes of Chablis’ François Raveneau, the Northern Rhône’s Vincent Paris and Napa Valley’s Corison. “We’re going to continue to grow and expand what currently exists in the form of deeper vintages on certain wines, growing some of those benchmark categories,” Wilson explained. “I think incorporating some more contemporary, exciting and up-and-coming producers from those regions, dipping our toes a little bit more into backwater areas, will refresh things as well.”
The space: Fans of the old Forge will already be familiar with some of the new dining room’s design as well. The space, planned alongside interior design firm 71 Collective, features memories of the Reade Street spot, including heirlooms and tchotchkes gathered from restaurant guests and loved ones over the years. Reclaimed wood and restored stone columns ground the space. There is also an expanded downstairs dining room, which Wilson foresees hosting private events such as wine dinners.—Julia Larson
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