Wednesday, May 28, 2008

IT'S OFFICIAL (FINALLY): One of the world's busiest top chefs, Alain Ducasse, plans to open his 23rd restaurant this fall in Washington. Adour at the St. Regis (923 16th St. NW; 202-509-8000) is expected to set sail in September in the extensively renovated St. Regis Hotel downtown. Through a press release, Ducasse says his goal for Adour is to "bring a different approach to pairing wine and food to an international city that shows a strong appreciation for the art of good living."

No chef has yet been assigned to the 60-seat dining room, which takes its name from a river in southwest France near where Ducasse was born (and which once housed the luxurious Lespinasse). But there's another boldface name attached to the project: David Rockwell, the internationally renowned architect. He's using a palette of silver, black, brown and gold -- plus wine vaults and hand-blown glass lights -- to set off the interior, which includes a 40-seat bar.

An estimated $53 million went into the St. Regis during its 16-month-long makeover, which was completed in January, according to Laura Schofield, the general manager.

Expectations for Adour run high. Three of Ducasse's restaurants have won three Michelin stars, the French dining guide's highest award. And one of the future restaurant's many siblings is Adour Alain Ducasse in the St. Regis Hotel in New York, which just last month drew a rare three-star rave from Frank Bruni in the New York Times.

-- Tom Sietsema