For Immediate Release
Contact - Joanna Linder/617.778.5753/www.kortenhaus.com

L'Espalier Makes Historic Move; Returns Home to Boylston Street

Back Bay landmark and sister restaurant Sel de la Terre announce openings side-by-side

Boston, MA, 05/17/2007 - Frank McClelland, executive chef/owner of L’Espalier, confirmed today that his restaurant will move from its current location on Gloucester Street in Boston’s Back Bay to Boylston Street within the new Mandarin Oriental Boston Hotel & Residences project opening in July 2008. This historic move comes with the exciting news that L’Espalier’s sister restaurant, Sel de la Terre, will also open a restaurant at the same location. McClelland makes this announcement on the heels of winning the prestigious James Beard Award for “Best Chef, Northeast” on May 7, 2007 in New York City.

“It is with enormous pride and great pleasure that we make this announcement,” says McClelland, who is also co-owner of Sel de la Terre. “We’re eager to begin writing the next chapter in our restaurants’ history at a world-class, luxury facility like the one on Boylston Street. This move will afford the L’Espalier and Sel de la Terre teams an opportunity to give more of ourselves to our guests and take our concepts to the next level of cuisine and service.”

L’Espalier

L’Espalier is often credited with being the first restaurant to bring “haute cuisine” to Boston and has been delighting diners since its inception in 1978. Countless accolades have been bestowed upon the restaurant throughout the years, including the “Number One” Food rating from the Zagat Boston Restaurant Survey and the prestigious “Five Diamond” Award from AAA. Today’s historic announcement brings L’Espalier back to its roots. The restaurant was originally located on Boylston Street between Arlington and Berkeley streets from 1978 to 1982 before moving to its current location on Gloucester Street. In 1988, after several years at the stove preparing his award-winning French-New England cuisine, Chef McClelland purchased the restaurant from its previous owner and has been at the helm ever since. L’Espalier’s current location, a historic Back Bay townhouse built in 1880, has provided an exquisite setting for the restaurant since 1982. McClelland and his team have made constant improvements and renovations throughout the years to take the restaurant to the highest level possible. “We’ve really done everything we can. However, only so much can be accomplished with a 127-year-old building,” adds McClelland. “The new location will make it possible for us to continue offering the elegance and panache L’Espalier is known for with the best physical amenities to support our concept.”

The new facility on Boylston Street will be truly world-class. With a state-of-the-art kitchen featuring the finest hand-crafted, European Bonnet cooking suite available, McClelland and his culinary team will have the ability to “wow” guests as never before. The beloved culinary traditions for which L’Espalier is known will remain firmly intact, and new luxuries like a dedicated pastry department, spacious kitchen and larger culinary team will ensure McClelland’s vision is executed with the utmost dedication.

Floating above Boylston Street on the second floor of the new development, L’Espalier will feature floor to ceiling windows and will embrace familiar, intimate elements from the restaurant’s current location alongside new, modern amenities. Guests will recognize L’Espalier’s signature wrought-iron gate as they enter the restaurant and are greeted by a welcoming host at street level. Rather than climbing the familiar flight of stairs at the restaurant’s current location, diners will instead step into a glass elevator lifting them luxuriously to the dining room as if they are being transported to another time. Upon entering the dining room, repeat guests may recognize familiar faces throughout the space, including L’Espalier maitre‘d and fromager for the past 25 years, Louis Risoli. “The L’Espalier team is staying firmly in place,” adds McClelland. “Louis joins current chef de cuisine James Hackney, beverage director Erik Johnson and our front- and back-of-house teams to ensure this move is a seamless one. We plan to completely dedicate ourselves to providing the best dining experience possible as we move forward with a firm respect for all that L’Espalier has meant to our diners in the past.”

The design of the new location is the vision of renowned architectural designer Martin Vahtra, founder of PROJECTS, a New York design firm with a focus on hospitality. After working with such well-respected chefs as Charlie Palmer in cities such as New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles, this will be Vahtra’s first project in the New England region. “With L’Espalier, we plan to bring a design sense to Boston, which is unlike anything else in the country,” says Vahtra. “Our goal is to give Chef McClelland’s vision the arena it deserves.” Prior to founding PROJECTS, Vahtra worked for Adam Tihany International. While there, he designed award-winning Aureole restaurant in Las Vegas, recognized by a James Beard Foundation nomination for best restaurant design in 2000. Vahtra has also worked in London and Asia as an associate at Powell-Tuck Connor Orefelt designing retail and hospitality environments.

Sel de la Terre

Perched above Boylston Street alongside L’Espalier, Sel de la Terre will offer Back Bay diners its signature taste of Provence. The creation of a partnership between co-owner Frank McClelland and co-owner/executive chef Geoff Gardner in 2000, Sel de la Terre features warm, rustic French cuisine in a sophisticated yet unpretentious setting. Sel de la Terre’s first location on Boston’s thriving Waterfront has won rave reviews and recognition throughout its history.

“We are constantly striving for perfection and this new Sel de la Terre will be the culmination of years of hard work,” says Gardner, who will continue to provide culinary direction for the Sel de la Terre brand. “The idea that we can position L’Espalier and Sel de la Terre together on Boylston Street allows us to offer two complimentary concepts side-by-side. We will now be able to cater to all of our customers’ needs in one location, providing a luxurious evening out or an afternoon of fine wine and charcuterie.”

The new Sel de la Terre location on Boylston Street, also designed by Vahtra, will welcome guests at street level with an alluring bar. As is customary in bistros across France, the bar at Sel de la Terre will serve coffee and pastries early in the day, lunch fare in the afternoon, and serve as a wine and cocktail bar in the evening, changing with the atmosphere of the restaurant throughout the day. Just past the bar, guests will encounter the restaurant’s signature boulangerie, a bustling space selling Sel de la Terre’s beloved breads, sandwiches and French pastries. Diners will then be invited to ascend a spacious, winding staircase to the restaurant’s main dining room featuring a warm and natural ambiance overlooking Boylston Street. This latest incarnation of Sel de la Terre will bring the restaurant’s familiar Provencal feel to the Back Bay with several new features to compliment the restaurant’s thriving wine and cheese programs.

“Frank McClelland is much loved locally and much admired internationally as a premium chef who brings innovation to his work,” says Robin Brown, partner, CWB Boylston, developers of The Mandarin Oriental Boston Hotel and Residences. “We are thrilled to bring his two extraordinary restaurants to the Mandarin Oriental Boston development. The addition of these establishments will offer our visitors and residents choices throughout the day that reflect the very highest levels of service and cuisine.” Brown adds, “The addition of beloved favorites L’Espalier and Sel de la Terre to our development helps complete the revitalization of one of Boston’s grand boulevards in the Back Bay, and marries unique Boston traditions with the innovation reflected in the entire Mandarin Oriental Boston development.”

This news comes on the heels of several exciting announcements by the restaurant company in recent months. In June 2007, L’Espalier and Sel de la Terre will launch a combined catering company named Au Soleil Catering serving the fine cuisine of both restaurants. In addition, Sel de la Terre has a suburban location opening at the Natick Collection in September 2007.

About L’Espalier
L’Espalier is a culinary exploration featuring Chef Frank McClelland’s signature French-New England cuisine in the heart of Boston's Back Bay. Considered by many to be the first restaurant to bring “haute cuisine” to Boston in 1978, L’Espalier has been honored with countless accolades over the years including the number one rating for food in the Zagat Boston Restaurant Guide and the prestigious Five Diamond Award by AAA. L’Espalier was also the first restaurant to receive four stars by The Boston Globe’s food critic Alison Arnett and Food & Wine magazine named Chef McClelland one of the top 25 chefs in the nation. In May 2007, Chef McClelland received the honor of being named “Best Chef, North East” by the distinguished James Beard Foundation.

L’Espalier serves lunch Monday through Friday and dinner seven days a week. Reservations can be made by calling 617.262.3023 or by visiting www.lespalier.com.

About Sel de la Terre
Sel de la Terre Boston is located at 255 State Street next to the New England Aquarium and serves lunch, dinner, brunch and late-night French Provencal fare. Chef Geoff Gardner and the restaurant have received numerous accolades since opening in 2000 including being named one of the “Hottest 100 New Restaurants in the World” by Conde Nast Traveler and one of the “Top 22 New Restaurants in the Nation” by Esquire. Sel de la Terre has also won consistent praise for its bread and wine programs from Boston Magazine’s annual “Best of Boston” issue. The restaurant is open seven days a week and reservations can be made by phoning 617.720.1300. For menus and other information, please visit www.seldelaterre.com.

For more information, please visit the Mandarin Oriental website at www.mandarinoriental.com or the residences website at www.mandarinresidences.com.