CHICAGO.- The Art Institute of Chicago is pleased to announce James Beard Award-winning Chef Tony Mantuano as executive chef and managing partner of the Modern Wing Restaurant at the Art Institute of Chicago. The yet-to-be-named, 140-seat dining facility is scheduled to open in May 2009, in conjunction with the new Renzo Piano-designed building for the museum, and will be Chef Mantuano's fourth venue in Chicago after the acclaimed Spiaggia, Cafe Spiaggia, and the Private Dining Rooms of Spiaggia. Chef Mantuano will collaborate with the Art Institute's food service provider, Bon Appétit Management Company, on the new space. Currently, the restaurant is scheduled to be open seven days a week for lunch, and discussions are underway to add dinner service for Thursday and Friday.

This Italian-Mediterranean themed restaurant will be situated on the third floor of the West Pavilion of the Modern Wing, with spectacular views of Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park. Seating will be available inside and outside on the Bluhm Family Sculpture Terrace, and guests will have access to the restaurant through the Art Institute as well as via the Nichols Bridgeway--a pedestrian bridge connecting the third floor of the Modern Wing to the southwest corner of the Great Lawn in Millennium Park.

Chef Mantuano is in the process of developing the menu and hand-selecting the restaurant's staff, including a chef di cucina and general manager, among other positions. In addition, wines will be selected by wine expert and author Cathy Mantuano. "With this new restaurant at the Art Institute, I will continue to create my signature Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, but with a greater emphasis and focus on local, organic and sustainable foods," said Chef Mantuano.

"We are immensely pleased to have Chef Mantuano on board. He made his reputation in Chicago for traditional Italian hospitality and food with a contemporary twist--exactly the marriage of the classic and modern that we are striving for with the Modern Wing project as a whole," said James Cuno, President and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute of Chicago. "We believe that Mr. Mantuano will open up a unique and exciting dining experience for visitors and Chicagoans alike."

"Our philosophy is based on a deep connection with the farmers, the land, the oceans, and the rivers that produce our food." said Fedele Bauccio, CEO of Bon Appétit Management Company. "Chef Mantuano's culinary passion is the perfect match for our commitment to responsible sourcing. "

Chef Tony Mantuano's Modern Wing Restaurant at the Art Institute of Chicago is located at 159 East Monroe, Chicago, Illinois, 60603-6404.

Chef Tony Mantuano is the chef/partner of Chicago's Spiaggia, the city's only four-star Italian restaurant. In 2005, Mantuano received the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef Midwest Award for his innovative take on Italian cuisine. Under his guidance, Spiaggia received the James Beard Foundation nomination for Outstanding Restaurant in 2006 and 2007 and Outstanding Service in 2008. Prior to opening Spiaggia, Mantuano worked in several Michelin starred restaurants in Italy including the three-star Dal Pescatore in Lombardia. Chef Mantuano has co-authored two books with Cathy Mantuano, "The Spiaggia Cookbook--Eleganza Italian in Cucina" (Chronicle Books) and "Wine Bar Food" (Clarkson Potter).