Food lovers are getting more and more options out in the suburbs these
days too. In fact, Wheeling is quickly becoming a hot spot for high-end
dining and one famous Chicago food duo has a big hand in this exciting
dining scene.
The names Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand are well-known in the Windy
City as the pair behind the famed TRU. It's easily one of the finest
dining rooms in the city. Now, they have teamed up once again for
an ambitious project inside the Westin Chicago North Shore. They
have launched not one but four different restaurants and there is
something for everyone here!
For two real heavyweights in the Chicago food business., you have
to wonder, why Wheeling?
"It was an opportunity to do something really high quality 5 minutes
from my house," said Rick.
And so Rick and Gale set out to bring their city brand of culinary
success to the northwestern suburbs.
"When we came into design, we didn't say we're in Wheeling. We
said we're building our spirit, our concept, our food," said Rick.
Just off the hotel lobby, you see the first eatery -- Gale's coffee
bar. It's a French country grab and go spot serving up gourmet sandwiches
and salads and, of course, the sweets that Tru Executive pastry
chef, Gale Gand, is famous for!
Just steps away is Rick's rustic Italian restaurant -- Osteria
Di Tramonto. The menu here is a contemporary melding of some of
the cuisines from his parent's homeland.
"I travel to Italy twice a year and I love the cities -- the Florences,
the Venices, the Milans. I said, 'how can we take Milan meets Tuscany,'"
said Rick.
Diners sit beneath the spectacular brick arches and chandelier
to watch all of the action in the restaurant's open kitchen.
"We do pastas and risottos and wood burning pizzas and salads,
a whole slew of meats and chicken," said Rick.
One of Tramonto's signature dishes is a wood-fired pizza he dreamed
up years ago topped with olives, parmesan, fontina and mozzarella
cheeses then garnished with a fresh arugula salad. Osteria Di Tramonta
serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Wine lovers will have no problems here! With more than 10,000
bottles, they have the largest selection on the North Shore.
On the other side of the impressive wall of wine is a more high-end,
dinner-only locale where meat is king. It's Tramonto's Steak and
seafood.
"It's a lot of glass, very contemporary, my spin on steak," said
Rick.
And Rick's favorite cut coming out of the kitchen is the Kansas
City strip. His favorite side-dish to serve with the strip is a
creative twist on one of his breakfast favorites!
"I gotta admit, I'm a Krispy Kreme donut fan so for me, it was
like how do we make donuts into onion rings. These beautiful light,
fluffy onion rings that are stacked up a beautiful pole that we
bring to your table. They are just outrageous," said Rick.
Perched just above the opulent steakhouse is a locale sure to
lure a late-night crowd -- simply called the RT lounge. Here, the
cocktails flow and the menu is packed with predominantly raw offerings
from sashimi to raw oysters. And the feel is sleek and sexy!
"We thought you know, let's make it hip. They play rock and roll,
its very hip, very casual with cocktail waitresses and its plush
couches and chairs," said Rick.
For now, Wheeling is the first to enjoy this new take on Tramonto's
and Gand's cuisine but if the momentum continues, their names may
be making waves in the dining world in more cities like New York,
Miami and Vegas.
"There absolutely is a chance for expansion, we just kinda have
to play the wait and see game," said Rick.
It may take you awhile to try all that is here -- especially with
the growing popularity. But between the four locales, you'll have
no problem finding a favorite or two or three.
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