FORT WORTH, TX (October 30, 2023) – Fort Worth’s first luxury property, The Crescent Hotel, will unveil its coastal Mediterranean-inspired dining venue – Emilia’s – in tandem with the hotel’s opening on November 8, 2023.
Emilia’s in name pays homage to its Italian sister city — Reggio Emilia — with signature flair and a vibrant, inviting ambiance, with seasonally focused menus featuring flavors and sun-kissed ingredients of the Mediterranean. Dishes like fresh crudos, house made pastas, wood grilled steaks and seafood are prepared simply and inspired by Italy, France, Spain, Greece and Morocco, and imagined here by way of local, Texas ranchers and purveyors. Seamlessly blending elegance and approachability, Emilia’s will take Fort Worth locals and hotel guests on a culinary journey using the best locally sourced produce and prime cuts available, delivered with warm personality, as if they are visiting the home of a friend in the Mediterranean.
Emilia’s refreshing ambiance and energy, brought to life by Rottet Studio and with menu concepts developed by AvroKO Hospitality Group, serves as the inviting backdrop to relish in the light, bright flavors of dishes thoughtfully developed by the restaurant’s Executive Chef Preston Paine. This space, with its open kitchen, seasonal patio and windows onto Fort Worth’s Cultural District, is an effortless choice for breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch.
Hand-crafted items on Emilia’s curated menu are simply prepared and influenced by Chef Paine’s international culinary experience along the Adriatic Sea and his time as a finalist on Food Network’s “Ciao House.” Mediterranean meets Texas with menus featuring fresh pasta made with Texas grains, fresh fish on Texas white oak and local wood-grilled steaks dry-aged in house. Guests will find large and decadent dishes have a refined sensibility – fresh, ingredient-focused and with low intervention.
Nestled just inside the main dining room and opening late November 2023, The Blue Room at Emilia’s provides an elevated, sought-after dinner destination, primed for longer, more indulgent meals. A custom Brindisi Trolley invites guests to begin their experience in a special way with creative cocktails and paired tastes. Guests can enjoy traditional caviar service and shellfish towers, and items like Wagyu Beef Tartar, Creste de Gallo with blistered tomato and rock shrimp fra diavolo, and Whole Grilled Fish served tableside.
“I look forward to bringing the bright and sunny flavors of the Mediterranean to Fort Worth,” said Chef Paine. “At Emilia’s, I’m incorporating the techniques I learned from multi-generational chefs throughout my time competing on Ciao House to create a wide selection of authentic Coastal Mediterranean cuisine that will satisfy well-traveled visitors and culinary enthusiasts alike. The foresight, direction and passion the Goff family has for the concept is truly inspiring, and I’m confident our guests and locals will feel that as soon as they enter the restaurant.”
Taking cues from the statement wine wall, Emilia’s wine collection is robust yet approachable to satisfy connoisseurs and the curious alike. In addition to the selection of world-renowned wines, patrons will delight in a variety of creative and classic cocktails with a med twist like the Camp Boulevardier, Olive & Herb Martini, Raspberry Limoncello, and Thyme Gin and Tonic. Cocktails were created by Jamel Taggart, Director of Food & Beverage, who has over 15 years of luxury industry experience including working at Aria Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, and Omni Dallas Downtown.
Located just off of the hotel lobby, locals and guests can gather at The Circle Bar, paying homage to the Fort Worth Circle, a progressive art colony that started in the 1940s. A famous work ¬– called “Three Virgins, 3 Giraffes and a Turtle” – which was etched by a Circle artist serves as inspiration for restaurant logos. The Circle Bar champions the Mediterranean mood and mindset by seamlessly transitioning from morning espressos to afternoon aperitivos with a rich variety of cocktails, wines and more into the evening. Here guests will enjoy Seasonal Crudités, an Emilia’s Burger and Dry-Aged Beef Tartar. In addition, Emilia’s offers two private dining rooms, both featuring thoughtfully curated menus from Chef Paine.
Opening early 2024, an exclusive rooftop cocktail lounge, Ralph’s, will offer sweeping views and an unparalleled luxury experience with a special selection of dishes, including exceptional caviar service, seafood platters, oysters, and a signature mini lobster roll. This glamorous and bold environment will be Fort Worth’s destination for celebrating and connecting, with views onto lush greens and nearby museums.
Reservations for The Crescent Hotel, operated by HEI Hotels & Resorts, are now open for stays starting November 2023, with reservations for Emilia’s Restaurant available soon on Resy. For more information visit thecrescenthotelfortworth.com and Emiliasfortworth.com.
About The Crescent Hotel, Fort Worth
Located at the crossroads of downtown, the world-renowned Cultural District and surrounding historic neighborhoods, The Crescent Hotel is an extension of these unique areas, serving as the new social center of Fort Worth. Mirroring the unique history, diversity and character of the city, The Crescent Hotel offers luxury amenities and unmatched refinement in every detail. With 200 masterfully designed guest rooms (including 12 suites), two restaurants with culinary offerings curated by Executive Chefs Preston Paine and Andrew Bell, a sophisticated lobby bar, the exclusive rooftop bar, 14,000 square feet of available event space, and Canyon Ranch Wellness Club (set to open in Oct. 2023), the hotel’s architecture, design and amenities offer an inviting, timeless, and community-focused experience as the living room of Fort Worth. To learn more about the property, please visit thecrescenthotelfortworth.com.
About Rottet Studio
Rottet Studio is an international architecture and design firm with an extensive portfolio of corporate, hospitality, residential and maritime projects for the world’s leading companies and brands and widely regarded as one of the finest design practices in the world. Founded in 2008 by Hall of Fame architect and designer Lauren Rottet, the WBE-certified firm has more than 70 million square feet of built design experience and is celebrated for their ability to deliver stunning, functional, timeless and unique places which promote a better way of life through the built environment. Rottet Studio is recognized as one of the Top 3 Most Admired Design Firms in the World by a jury of our peers and has an extensive list of top award-winning projects, furniture and product designs. The firm consistently ranks among the Inc. 5000 Private Companies and Interior Design magazine’s Top 100 Corporate and Hospitality Design Giants and is an outspoken advocate for Be Original, a national non-profit committed to informing, educating and influencing design-industry professionals and consumers about the economic, ethical and environmental value of authentic design. Rottet Studio’s principals have worked together for over 35 years and have gathered a talented group of long-term associates and industry-leading design professionals. The staff includes a large percentage of registered Architects and Interior Designers as well as specialists in concepting and ideation who offer a broad range of services including building architecture; interior architecture and design; site planning and landscaping; product design; graphic design; branding; and art curation. With best-of-class design professionals in Austin, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York, Rottet Studio is ideally positioned, both geographically and professionally, to help achieve your design and financial goals.
About AvroKO Hospitality Group
AvroKO Hospitality Group is the hospitality arm of the AvroKO Group that develops and licenses hospitality concepts and consults on hospitality projects globally.
PUBLIC restaurant opened in NYC in 2003 and marked the beginning of AHG’s restaurant and bar journey. Over the past 20 years, AHG has developed dozens of award-winning hospitality concepts, in addition to consulting with restaurateurs, hoteliers, developers, and operators on hospitality strategy, concept development, F&B master planning, and more.
About HEI Hotels & Resorts
HEI Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., is a leading hospitality investment and management company that owns or operates 100+ luxury, upper-upscale and upscale independent and branded hotels and resorts throughout the United States. HEI’s branding partners include Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Choice and Wyndham. The company is renowned for its commitment to its associates under the culture of HEI Loves, its revenue management, profit contribution and empirically based real estate value creation, driven by a full complement of proprietary software tools to set and exceed targets on a fully integrated basis. HEI works hand-in-hand with institutional capital partners on existing assets under management as well as sponsored acquisition opportunities. The company has ample equity capital and strategically co-invests with its partners on many transactions. To learn more about HEI, please visit www.heihotels.com.
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