Photos courtesy of Neal Santos/Hotel du Pont
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A Wilmington native and Philadelphia acclaimed restaurateur will be at the helm of Hotel du Pont’s new restaurant concept, officials announced.
Chef and partner Tyler Akin of Philadelphia concepts Stock and Res Ipsa Cafe will lead the progressive, French brasserie, PM Hotel Group and The Buccini/Pollin Group, Inc. stated in a news release. The new restaurant is set for a spring 2020 opening.
The companies also partnered with Christina River Exchange, LLC for this project.
Akin grew up frequenting the award-winning Green Room on special occasions and for family celebrations throughout his childhood. Some of the chef’s earliest food memories were formed within the dining room and stayed with him throughout his career. His personal ties to the Hotel du Pont and larger Wilmington community, coupled with his impressive professional career, made Akin the obvious choice for the role, the companies said in a news release.
“I am humbled to help re-imagine this legendary restaurant,” said Akin. “This team has so much respect for the history. We want to deliver a lively French restaurant to the community that will maintain the integrity of this institution.”
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Photos courtesy of Neal Santos/Hotel du Pont |
The restaurant will be a French brasserie open daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The restaurant’s cuisine pulls influences from Provençe and North Africa served in an approachable atmosphere that is both contemporary and nostalgic.
Akin will design menus that showcase innovative riffs on French classics, from steak frites with bone marrow salsa verde to bouillabaisse with scallops, octopus, monkfish and head-on shrimp with handmade Moroccan couscous, alongside seasonal offerings that showcase the vibrancy of Delaware foodways, according to a news release.
Guests can expect entreÌes like swordfish aÌ€ la Grecque, expertly roasted heritage chickens, gnocchi Parisienne with jumbo lump crab, and large-format options like the rougette de veau, a red wine-braised cut of veal shoulder glazed and served with roasted maitake mushrooms.
Locally roasted coffees, natural wines and craft cocktails will complement the dishes.
Green Room classics will not be forgotten by including the famed almond macaroons, high tea service three days a week and holiday and special occasion menus that bring back some of guests’ favorite dishes from over the years, according to a news release.
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Photos courtesy of Neal Santos/Hotel du Pont - Advertisement -
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The restaurant, designed by Stokes Architecture & Design, includes 125 seats with a 14 seat bar, a private dining room and seasonal outdoor patio seating on Rodney Square.
Director of Design Lance Saunders looked to update the space to create a more convivial atmosphere while still upholding the room’s elegant bones. The fumed oak paneling, ornate plaster ceiling, gilded chandeliers and wall sconces will remain, while the addition of oak-framed stained glass window screens, an expansive bar, intricate mosaic tile, and new banquette seating upholstered in classic brasserie materials like leather and velvet will bring a new feel to the space.
“We look at our ownership of the Green Room as a public trust,” said Dave Pollin, co-founder and president of The Buccini/Pollin Group and chairman of PM Hotel Group in a news release.
“Every decision is a direct result of extensive conversations with the community, frequent Green Room diners and our super talented culinary team. Our job is to allow the Green Room to continue evolving, as it always has, into something reflective of the community’s sophistication and today’s dining pref- erences. Everything we do starts with showing reverence to the celebrated history of the Green Room.”
