PRESS RELEASE: M Bistro & The Davenport Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton

Posted by  mark

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 4, 2010

Contact:
Char Thian
Director of Public Relations
The Ritz-Carlton Hotels of New Orleans
921 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70112
Cel: 504-913-4114
E-Mail: char.thian@ritzcarlton.com

REQUEST FOR PROMOTION/APPEARANCE
M BISTRO AND THE DAVENPORT LOUNGE- 1ST RIBBON CUTTING OF 2010

Join us on the third floor lobby level of The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans for the VIP grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony for M Bistro and The Davenport Lounge, the two newest hospitality venues to open in 2010. Hospitality partners, celebrity chefs and dignitaries will be on hand to cut the ribbon and celebrate the official return of Chef Murphy and the opening of his new namesake restaurant, M Bistro (formerly Mélange Restaurant). As part of the ribbon cutting ceremony, the lounge adjacent to M Bistro will officially be renamed The Davenport Lounge (formerly On Trois/Lobby Lounge) in honor of the hotel’s headline entertainer Jeremy Davenport.

As of January 15, 2010, patrons can meet Chef Murphy and enjoy his celebrated cuisine in M Bistro while listening to the stylings of jazz aficionado Jeremy Davenport in the adjacent Davenport Lounge. Davenport has been with the hotel since it opened in 2000 and Murphy has been with the hotel since 2002. M Bistro and The Davenport Lounge debut on Friday, January 15, 2010.

WHO: The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
Interviewees: Executive Chef Matt Murphy and Entertainer Jeremy Davenport

WHAT: M BISTRO AND THE DAVENPORT LOUNGE- 1ST RIBBON CUTTING OF 2010

WHEN: Ribbon Cutting: Friday, January 15, 2010 from 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Open for Lunch and Meet Chef Murphy & Jeremy Davenport: 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, 921 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA, 70112

About The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans is situated on world famous Canal Street on the edge of the French Quarter. The hotel offers a sense of place, incorporating the best that New Orleans has to offer from classic culinary creations and libations to live jazz. Originally opening in 2000, the hotel was shuttered for fifteen months post-Katrina to undergo a $150M historic renovation and restoration. Since reopening in December of 2006, the hotel has reclaimed its title as the Crown Jewel of the Crescent City. The Ritz-Carlton Hotels of New Orleans (Ritz-Carlton, Maison Orleans and Iberville Suites) continue to garner accolades. The three-hotels-in-one complex features 757 rooms, one restaurant, two lounges, free live entertainment and a spa. The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans is located at 921 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70122. For additional information, please go to www.ritzcarlton.com or call (800) 241-3333.

2009 Year in Review

Posted by  mark

Here are some highlights from 2009:

Theresa Andersson performed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. She toured all over the US, Canada, and Scandinavia making thousands of new fans. Her online videos have been seen by over 1,000,000 people, and she just released a brand new video for Birds Fly Away, off of her Hummingbird, Go! CD. And KCRW named her appearance on Morning Becomes Eclectic one of their top 10 performances of the year!

Dr. Michael White received the NEA’s National Heritage Fellowship award and continues to receive accolades for his 2008 release, Blue Crescent.

Kermit Ruffins put out 2 fantastic albums (Livin’ a Treme’ Life and Have A Crazy Cool Christmas!) and hit the Billboard Jazz Charts with both of them. He began work on HBO’s new series, Treme. In addition, Kermit completed a new video for his hit single from his Christmas CD, A Saints Christmas.

Jeremy Davenport released a highly acclaimed new CD, We’ll Dance ‘Til Dawn, and continues to make new fans every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the Davenport Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans.

Irvin Mayfield’s new club, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, opened and is thriving in the Royal Sonesta Hotel, bringing Jazz back to Bourbon Street. Although they released it on another label, the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra received a Grammy nomination for Book One. Irvin will finish up 2009 and kick off 2010 on NPR’s Toast of the Nation from the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, MN.

Jon Cleary performed all over the world with John Scofield and the Piety Street Band.

Henry Butler received his 9th Blues Award nomination and made a move from Denver to New York.

Mark Samuels, President of BSR was honored with his inclusion in the coffee table book, How They Did It by Sally Forman profiling New Orleans’ great entrepreneurs of the past, present, and future. He and his wife also had a new son while sending one off to college. Mark’s alma mater, University of Texas is 13-0, and the New Orleans Saints are 13-1 and on their way to the Superbowl. Whodat.