For 11 years, Rick Tramonto was executive chef and founding partner at Chicago’s world-renowned four-star restaurant Tru, a Relais & Châteaux property, in partnership with Rich Melman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. Tramonto is president and culinary director of Tramonto Cuisine, Inc., which developed Tramonto’s Steak & Seafood and Osteria di Tramonto.
In 2010, Tramonto announced his partnership with Louisiana native chef John Folse and the formation of a new restaurant company, Home on the Range. Tramonto and Folse opened their first joint restaurant project, Restaurant R’evolution, in New Orleans’ renowned French Quarter in the Royal Sonesta Hotel in 2012. Their second project together was Seafood R’evolution in Ridgeland, Mississippi, which opened in 2014.
Tramonto is an accomplished author with eight titles to his credit. His memoir, Scars of a Chef, was published in 2011. His cookbooks include: Steak with Friends, Osteria, Fantastico!, Tru, Amuse-Bouche, Butter Sugar Flour Eggs and American Brasserie—finalist for the Julia Child Cookbook Awards.
Because of the respect he has earned in the culinary world, Tramonto has won numerous awards including: James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest, James Beard Award for Outstanding Service (Tru), Wine Spectator's Grand Award (Tru), Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chef (Trio), four-star reviews in the Chicago Tribune, four-star reviews in Chicago magazine and Best New Restaurant in New Orleans Magazine (Restaurant R’evolution).
Tramonto has apprenticed and worked with some of the world's greatest chefs, including Charlie Trotter, Pierre Gagnaire, Anton Mosimann, Michel Guérard, Raymond Blanc and Alain Chapel.
Tramonto has a long history of television work as well, appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Simply Ming and Iron Chef America. He was also a guest judge on Bravo's Top Chef and a contestant on season two of Top Chef Masters.