For eleven years, Rick Tramonto was executive chef and founding partner at Chicago's world-renowned four-star restaurant Tru, a Relais Chateaux 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 additional 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 is 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; 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 -Best Chef Midwest; James Beard Award- Best Service (Tru); Wine Spectator Grand Award (Tru); Best New Chef in Food & Wine magazine (Trio); Four Star reviews in Chicago Tribune; Four Star reviews in Chicago magazine; Best new restaurant in New Orleans magazine (Restaurant R’evolution).

Tramonto has a long history of television work as well, appearing on Oprah, The Today Show, CBS This Morning, Simply Ming and Iron Chef America. He was a guest judge on Top Chef, and he was a contestant on Season 2 of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters.

Vollrath Chef Series: Featuring Rick Tramonto

Vollrath Chef Series: Rick Tramonto (Full Interview)

Kyle Cherek, former Host of Emmy Award-winning PBS television show Wisconsin Foodie, sits down to interview esteemed American chef Rick Tramonto to talk about what makes great kitchen design, going from fast food to fine dining, skills vs. equipment, and more.