CRE client Le Cavalier at The Green Room was recently featured by Philadelphia Magazine for the design inspiration behind the space! Check out the article below and read more on phillymag.com.

The Design Inspiration Behind a Revived 107-Year-Old Hotel Restaurant

Le Cavalier at the Hotel Du Pont respects its architectural past while providing smart upgrades for its future.

by ASHLEY PRIMIS

When Lance Saunders — the design director for Rittenhouse’s Stokes Architecture & Design — was hired to remake the 107-year-old Hotel Du Pont restaurant into a French brasserie, he knew the challenges would be many. “We wanted to make it attractive to a younger crowd without alienating the people who had spent their whole lives going there,” he says. The hotel, which was purchased by the Buccini/Pollin Group in 2017, is part of its multimillion-dollar investment in the area. BPG tapped Philly chef Tyler Akin, owner of Stock, to run Le Cavalier — the restaurant’s new name.

Saunders, who has done work for Starr Restaurants and La Colombe, started by updating the existing historical elements. Then he carefully layered in new seating and lighting and added a bar. “We didn’t want to make this look like Epcot by taking old details and replicating them,” he says. “We reinterpreted new elements in a slightly modern way to signify that this is an old space that’s progressing.”

Chef-Partner Tyler Akin, PM Hotel Group and The Buccini/Pollin Group announced the opening of Le Cavalier at the Green Room (Le Cav) in the iconic HOTEL DU PONT on September 1, 2020.

“Le Cavalier” (pronounced: luh-KAH-vuhl-YAY) honors the deep equestrian tradition in the Brandywine River Valley. In the early 20th century when the hotel opened, visitors would arrive by horse as often as they would by automobile or by foot. Further, the name offers a nod to the du Pont family's history of horsemanship, from William du Pont Jr. and Marion du Pont Scott to Frolic Weymouth.

Chef-Partner Tyler Akin’s opening menu draws influence from the South of France and North Africa. The seasonal menu showcases innovative riffs on French classics while emphasizing the abundance of Delaware’s foodways. Starters include Steak Tartare (filet, preserved citrus, white endive, tzatziki), Scallop Crudo (potato sabayon, brown butter, Urfa spice, orange), and the Salade Fin d’Été (grilled corn and peach, heirloom tomato, lemon tahini, garlic breadcrumbs). Entrees range from Poulet Frites (roasted half chicken, sauce meunière, olives) to Cheeseburger Louis Ballast (Le Cav’s signature burger - smashed with lettuce, tomato, onion and dijonnaise), and Trout Amandine (almond, Tunisian eggplant, espelette). Sides emphasize French classics including Pomme Purée, Frites, Haricots Verts, and Salade Verte.

For something sweet, guests can enjoy a fun and visually striking Sundae (brown butter caramel and sweet cream ice creams, warm chocolate ganache, Green Room macaroons, spiced walnuts and barberries), available for two or four, in addition to classics including Pavlova (mint meringue, peach c rème fraîche , berries) and Coconut Cake (rum crème anglaise, toasted coconut).

For the full Le Cav experience, the restaurant recommends its tasting menu ($42/pp) which culminates in a large format Rougette de Veau (veal shoulder, red wine, roasted maitake mushrooms, pomme purée, crispy garlic).

Le Cav’s beverage program will feature a curated list of wines, craft cocktails with an eye towards French classics through the lens of New Orleans as well as local coffee and tea service. The restaurant’s namesake cocktail is the Le Cav Kir, a playful riff on the classic Kir Royale with huckleberry crème, crémant, and vermouth. The wine menu features a strong emphasis on natural wines — one of the only programs in Delaware to do so — with a robust bottle list and carefully selected options available by the glass.

“This has been the most anticipated restaurant opening of my career,” Chef Tyler Akin recounts. “We are immensely grateful to be opening a restaurant two years in the making, in a historic room that was home to the Green Room for over 100 years — especially in this climate. This is the first time in my professional career that I’ve been able to connect with my French heritage through food and doing that in my hometown of Wilmington holds personal significance.”

The restaurant, designed by Stokes Architecture + Design, features a 118-seat dining room with an intimate 13-seat bar, and seasonal outdoor patio seating. Not all seating will be used during the COVID-19 pandemic; seating will be limited and spaced in accordance with CDC recommendations and local regulations. Director of Design for Stokes Architecture + Design, Lance Saunders, thoughtfully updated the space to create a more lively atmosphere while celebrating the room’s elegant bones. The dining room’s new decor includes luxe velvet and leather banquettes, contemporary French artwork and an expansive, marble bar that anchors the dining room. The most exciting piece to unveil, perhaps, is the intricate, mosaic tile floor that was discovered during construction which dates back to the original Green Room (circa 1913 and made by European craftsmen, well before The Green Room was last updated in the early aughts). The fumed oak paneling and ornate plaster ceiling The Green Room was known for remain intact.

“The Green Room was iconic to many generations of Wilmingtonians. We spent countless hours and energy thinking about what could possibly follow one of the country’s most beautiful, grande dame, special-occasion restaurants. Our objective was to celebrate the irreplaceable history and setting of the Green Room while creating an experience more relevant to today’s diners. After hundreds of meetings with community members, we had a sense of what direction to go. The next step, of course, was to team up with one of America’s most gifted young chefs, and we were blown away that our number one choice was also a native of Wilmington,” said Dave Pollin, co-founder and president of The Buccini/Pollin Group and chairman of PM Hotel Group. “We are thrilled to introduce a restaurant that pays homage to the past while leaning into a new era of culinary excellence.”

Le Cav will be open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Guests are invited to enjoy outdoor seating overlooking the heart of Wilmington. Limited indoor seating will be available in accordance with the CDC, state and local guidelines. Online ordering for pick-up and delivery will also be available on www.lecavalierde.com during these operating hours. In-room dining will be offered for all HOTEL DU PONT guests. Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and weekend brunch will begin in the weeks to follow.

The restaurant will be observing all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of its team, guests and the greater Wilmington community. All employees have restaurant-provided PPE and receive temperature checks daily. Sanitizing stations will be available for guest and employee use and features will be implemented to allow guests to control how much tableside service they prefer during their meal. All guests must wear masks except for when seated at their table and are asked to maintain social distancing throughout the dining room to ensure a safe and welcoming experience for all.

To make a reservation and learn more, please visit www.lecavalierde.com and follow on Instagram @lecavalierde.

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The Design Inspiration Behind a Revived 107-Year-Old Hotel Restaurant | Philly Mag

The Design Inspiration Behind a Revived 107-Year-Old Hotel Restaurant

The Table is Set: Le Cavalier at the Green Room is Now Open at the Hotel Du Pont