on Mar 23rd, 2010Rick Tramonto
Rick Tramonto, Culinary Director
Chicago’s Rick Tramonto, recognized in 1994 as one of Food & Wine’s Top Ten Best New Chefs and in 2002 as Best Chef: Midwest Region by The James Beard Foundation, has garnered international attention and a host of prestigious awards for his Relais-Gourmand restaurant Tru, including Four-Stars from Mobil and Five-Diamonds from AAA.
“Tramonto is a blend of mad scientist and magician in the kitchen. He is innovative, creative and somewhat an illusionist,” described Pat Bruno of the Chicago Sun-Times, which awarded four-stars to Tru as did the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine.
An acclaimed cookbook author, Tramonto has four titles to his credit, including his most recent “Tru: A Cookbook from the Legendary Chicago Restaurant” as well as “Amuse-Bouche”. He has also co-authored “American Brasserie” and “Butter Sugar Flour Eggs” with culinary partner Gale Gand, and has a history of television work as well, appearing on “Oprah”, “Today”, “CBS This Morning” and the Food Network.
Most recently Tramonto opened his Italian concept, Osteria Via Stato and the Enoteca at Osteria Via Stato, with Rich Melman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Tramonto’s hotel restaurant history, with Gand, include cooking at the Strathallen Hotel in Rochester (where they met) under the tutelage of Chef Greg Broman. After a move to Chicago, they were asked by the legendary Bob Payton to transform the kitchen and cuisine at his award-winning country-house hotel, Stapleford Park, outside London. They received the coveted Michelin Guide’s Red “M” after only a year at Stapleford, a feat not accomplished by an American in five years. When they returned to Chicago in 1993 after this three-year experience abroad they worked at Chicago’s famed Pump Room and also at Hotel 21.
Michelle Coulerman writes commentary for Food World and designs wedding and (http://prom-dresses.net/)prom dresses in her spare time.