La Pomme Rouge to Open in Chicago, June 2007

CHICAGO (June 2007) Partners Jerry Suqi and Jackson Miranda announce the creation of La Pomme Rouge (The Red Apple), an opulent salon nestled in the heart of Chicago’s entertainment district at 108 West Kinzie. Opening in June 2007, La Pomme Rouge will entice patrons with culture, cuisine, wit and wine.

Few things throughout history have been so laden with symbolism as the apple. The very apple that weighed so heavily on the mind of Eve served as enlightenment on the head of Newton. In La Pomme Rouge, the universal symbolic interpretations of the apple - knowledge, beauty and temptation - will become manifest.

APPLE AS KNOWLEDGE – THE SALON
La Pomme Rouge shall adopt the salon motto “to please and educate.” True to its slogan, La Pomme Rouge endeavors to resurrect the clandestine and dynamic atmosphere associated with La Belle Èpoque salons. Though it was indeed a social gathering, the parallel purpose of a salon was the cultural and intellectual refinement of its guests. It was not, however, a purely academic endeavor. In the salon, knowledge and spirits were imbibed with equal enthusiasm. To highlight this, La Pomme Rouge will host a Salon Series, La Pomme Privé, beginning at the end of June, in which artists, musicians and intellectuals will be invited to exhibit, discuss and celebrate their work.

APPLE AS BEAUTY- THE DESIGN
Designed by Suqi and Miranda, La Pomme Rouge exudes the decadent beauty of La Belle Èpoque. Weaving together Baroque exuberance, Victorian tension, and the sensuality of Art Nouveau, La Pomme Rouge envelops revelers in the folds of graceful indecency. Symbolist oil paintings, objets d’art, period furniture and architectural elements recreate the fin-de-siècle milieu in which creativity and depravity were cultivated with equal fervor.

APPLE AS TEMPTATION – THE FARE
Chef Jeff Mauro’s philosophy is one of food purity and integrity of ingredients. Chef Mauro’s minimal manipulation of ingredients creates dishes that are elegant, each component coaxed into a state of harmony. Complementary flavors make the barest of contributions, allowing the noble ingredient to shine. Examples include a poached filet of halibut with pork rillette and garbanzo bean mash; Traditional house-cured charcuterie; and hand-made pappardelle with wild mushrooms. Dessert offerings include sweet and savory options such as Asian pear tarte tatin and Carles Roquefort apple quiche. La Pomme Rouge also offers a selection of premium caviar to complement the extensive list of wine and spirits.


La Pomme Rouge is also available for private parties and offers three different options for gatherings of all sizes. Salon Paradis is a semi-private room where up to 25 guests can choose to sit in front of the fireplace or in one of many luxurious antique divans. La Salle à Manger, the main dining room, which includes an expansive bar, adorned with Art Nouveau sculptural panels, Louis Comfort Tiffany pendants and a 100-year old hand-carved mirror, provides unmatched elegance for up to 60 guests. And finally there is Salon Enfer, a lush pillow-strewn lair surrounded by rich red fabric walls. This den of iniquity can accompany up to 12 transgressors who are invited to languidly recline and gaze upon the trompe l’oeil sky.

HOURS OF OPERATION
La Pomme Rouge is open Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.; closed to public on Friday. Reservations are required by calling 312.245.9555.