PRESS RELEASES

For Immediate Release
July 15, 2009

Contact: Jennifer Crisp, PR Manager
804-283-1594
Email: jennifer.crisp@jeffersonhotel.com
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The Jefferson Hotel Opens New Lemaire Restaurant
Discounted lodging package available through December 30, 2009

Richmond, VA. (July 15, 2009)---The new Lemaire Restaurant at The Jefferson Hotel brings a fresh, modern culinary experience to one of Virginia’s most iconic attractions. Under Chef Walter Bundy, the restaurant will celebrate the natural culinary assets of Virginia, presenting a “farm to table” philosophy in both the menu and in the innovative cocktail program that makes use of the regional bounty of seasonal produce and herbs. The restaurant has undergone a complete renovation adding a new bar and lounge. The bar will serve as both a greeting point and as the “energy center” of the restaurant, inviting guests to linger for casual drinks or experience a creative new cocktail as a preface to an evening of outstanding dining. The restaurant will open for dinner only, with plans to add breakfast and lunch service in the fall.

“The original Lemaire restaurant was from its inception a leader in creative fine dining,” says Jefferson Hotel Director of Restaurants Ben Eubanks. “By putting the Lemaire name on our newest restaurant concept, we are honoring The Jefferson’s culinary past while looking to our future as a premier dining experience in Richmond.”

Chef Bundy, a Richmond native, has served as the executive chef of the original Lemaire for the past six years. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, Bundy has worked with some of the nation’s finest chefs, including Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in California’s Napa Valley. Bundy’s focus on local and regional ingredients has been a key factor in the development of the new Lemaire dining experience.

“We are so thrilled to introduce a new generation to The Jefferson Hotel by presenting a contemporary dining experience under the beloved Lemaire name,” says Bundy. “By being inspired by comments and suggestions from our loyal guests who have dined at the Jefferson Hotel over the years, we believe that we have created the perfect culinary experience for modern diners.”

A rich mahogany and granite bar greets guests as they enter the new Lemaire’s spacious lounge. A muted color palette of golds, tans and creams in a variety of textures is accented with pumpkin and showcases the attention to details in the finishes of the room. Bare wood tabletops and newly laid wood flooring provide additional warmth to the space. The dining rooms feature beautifully restored historical architecture enhanced by magnificent lighting fixtures. Whimsical nods to the alligators that roamed The Jefferson’s Palm Court lobby until 1948 can be discovered throughout.  The restaurant seats a total of 139, with 16 seats in the bar, 33 in the lounge and 90 in the dining rooms.

In celebration of this new dining tradition, The Jefferson Hotel is offering a Lemaire Dinner Package through December 30, 2009.  The package includes deluxe overnight accommodations, three fabulous courses from Lemaire’s new dinner menu, traditional Southern breakfast for two, dinner and breakfast gratuities and valet parking.  Taxes are additional.  The cost is $350 per night, per couple.  Advance reservations are required and package is subject to availability.

Since 1895, The Jefferson Hotel, located at 101 West Franklin Street, has been recognized by discerning travelers as Richmond's grandest hotel and one of the finest in America. Known for its gracious and friendly service, luxurious guestrooms, breathtaking architecture and Victorian décor, The Jefferson Hotel is reminiscent of an elegant era. 

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