Rick Tramonto’s 25-year restaurant career has been a climb to the stars. With the stellar success of Tru, open since May 1999, Tramonto is a star in his own right. “Tramonto is a blend of mad scientist and magician in the kitchen. He is innovative, creative and somewhat an illusionist,” describes Pat Bruno of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Tru is an acronym for “Tramonto” and “unlimited.” Tramonto’s goal when opening Tru was to remain true to his art, keep flavors true, use unlimited creativity and have access to unlimited resources from around the world. Critics agree—Tramonto has remained true to this vision—a vision born when Tramonto partnered with legendary restaurateur Rich Melman and Executive Pastry Chef Gale Gand.

“Rick Tramonto and Gale Gand are back (in partnership with Rich Melman) with Tru, which is every bit the fine-dining shrine that one would expect from these culinary heavyweights. Not since Everest or Charlie Trotter’s had there been a Chicago restaurant that so thoroughly articulates its philosophy—and so unerringly executes it,” said Phil Vettel of the Chicago Tribune.

Thanks to Tramonto’s unbridled creativity, Tru has garnered international attention and a host of prestigious awards. The four-star Mobil restaurant Tru was named a Relais-Gourmand property by Relais & Chateaux in fall 2002, Tramonto being one of the youngest chefs ever inducted to the coveted list. Four-star Tru (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Magazine) was recently named the most popular Chicago restaurant by the Zagat Survey while Chicago Magazine awarded Tru Best Restaurant in their 2002 and 2004 Dining Awards.  While Tru was being included for its third consecutive year as a AAA Five Diamond restaurant, Tramonto was named Best Chef: Midwest Region in 2002 by The James Beard Foundation, following up on a Best New Restaurant nomination from The Foundation in 2000. Tru was also nominated for Outstanding Service by The Foundation in 2004.   In 1995, Tramonto was recognized as one of America’s Rising Star Chefs by Robert Mondavi. In 1994, Food & Wine recognized Tramonto as one of the Top Ten Best New Chefs in the country, one of the highest culinary achievements that a new chef can attain.  Tru was the recipient of the 2003 IVY award by Restaurants & Institutions and inducted into Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2004 Fine Dining Hall of Fame.  Most recently Tru was honored with the 2004 Wine Spectator Grand Award, one of the most highly coveted acknowledgements in the food and wine industry.

Because of his star quality, Tramonto has been praised everywhere from newspapers including USA Today, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and People magazine to international lifestyle publications such as Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Wine Spectator and Conde Nast Traveler. He has a history of television work as well, appearing on “Oprah”, “Today”, “CBS This Morning” and the TV Food Network.  He has also worked extensively with PBS, having appeared on the “Chicago Great Chefs” series, the “Great Chefs Great Cities” series and most recently the forthcoming, “At the Chef’s Table”.
 

A spokesperson and consultant for many well-known companies and products including Nestle, Sunkist, the Chef’s Catalogue, Calphalon, Prosciutto di Parma for the Italian Consortio, Illy Coffee and ISI North America., he is also a board member of the Culinary Vegetable Institute and is on the National Board of Chefs of the American Culinary Institute.

 

BACKGROUND
A Rochester, New York native, Tramonto was disinterested during his teen years in traditional academics, choosing instead to enroll in a vocational tech program where he learned the skills of cooking.

He then went to work full-time at Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers to help out his family, earning $200 for a six-day workweek. He left after two years becoming grill/sauté cook at The Scotch & Sirloin, which led to his first real culinary experience at the Strathallen Hotel. Under the tutelage of Chef Greg Broman, Tramonto learned the techniques of classic French cuisine in the hotel's first class kitchen. He met partner Gale Gand at Strathallen.

 

Young and ambitious, Tramonto moved to New York in 1985 where he worked at the legendary Tavern on the Green. From there he joined Chef Alfred Portale as line cook at Gotham Bar & Grill and was part of the brigade awarded three stars by The New York Times. He also worked under Chef Gerard Panguad at Aurora. Tramonto was brought to Chicago by Richard Melman in 1987 to work at his popular Lettuce Entertain You restaurants Scoozi! and Avanzare. He then went on to open and work at several other Lettuce Entertain You establishments.

 

After moving to Charlie Trotter's in 1989. Soon he received a call from Bob Payton, who operated 14 American-style restaurants in London (My Kinda Town, Ltd.) and 17 other venues across Europe. Payton asked Tramonto and Gand to transform the kitchen and cuisine at his award-winning country-house hotel, Stapleford Park, in Leicestershire, outside London. They accepted the opportunity to live and work in England, France and Spain. Their proudest moment was receiving the coveted Michelin Guide's Red "M" after only a year at Stapleford, a feat not accomplished by an American in five years.

Reopening The Criterion Brasserie in Picadilly Circus, London, the restaurant made famous in a Sherlock Holmes novel, with Bob Payton and Rocko Forte of the Trusthouse Forte Hotel Group, Tramonto was allowed to work with some of the world's greatest chefs including Chef Pierre Gagnaire, Chef Anton Mosimann, Chef Michel Guerard and Chef Raymond Blanc. He returned to Chicago in 1993 after this three-year experience abroad.

 

Tramonto’s passion for food, unique culinary style and his proven track record at home and abroad provided him a solid foundation to partner in a successful restaurant. When he and Gand opened Trio in 1993, the restaurant was an immediate triumph, earning Chicago Tribune restaurant critic Phil Vettel's first four-star rating in six years. The two sold their partnership in 1995 after opening the popular Brasserie T, which they closed in 2001 to fully focus on Tru.  In 2004 Tramonto opened his Italian concept, Osteria Via Stato, with partner Melman.

Tramonto has injected a true sense of fun into the fine dining experience and according to Chicago Magazine’s Dennis Ray Wheaton, the restaurant is a “spin off of a solid French foundation…creations dazzle with witty juxtapositions—going for the ohmigod! surprise… those who long for a true sense of fun behind the art on their plates will adore Tru.”