“How do you want to spend the next 30 years of your cooking career?”

Long-time Chicagoan Chef Rick Tramonto asked himself that question recently after an established career of excellence in the Windy City. He spent the last 10 years cooking at the four-star restaurant Tru, which to that point was the pinnacle of a career that started in the kitchen cooking for Dave Thomas at Wendy’s.

According to Chef John Folse, Tramonto called him to talk. The two had developed a friendship over the years, and Tramonto came to Louisiana two days after Hurricane Katrina to help Folse cook for those who needed meals. “What service could I offer?” Folse asked. “I suggested he come to Louisiana.”

Today at a press conference at The Cabildo, Folse and Tramonto shared these stories as they announced two new ventures: Home on the Range and R’evolution.  The former is a restaurant development company to help restauranteurs update existing properties and investors develop new restaurants, and the latter is a new restaurant that will open in the Royal Sonesta “May or June-ish,” according to hotel general manager Al Groos.

The focus of Folse and Tramonto’s presentation was their relationship, and the process of deciding on these new ventures. Folse recalled taking Tramonto frog gigging and driving the “Boudin Trail,” as well as listening to Tramonto “thinking out loud.”

Tramonto spoke of his need to give back, and that “the peace for me was still missing.” He recalled Folse’s role as one of the mentors in his life along with Dave Thomas and Chicago restauranteur Richard Melman.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu was at the press conference to welcome Folse and Tramonto’s R’evolution, and to celebrate their addition to the New Orleans hospitality industry. “We’ve learned how to make money making other people happy,” Landrieu said. “What’s so hard about that?”