1906 RESTAURANT AT LONGWOOD GARDENS REOPENS TODAY IN A SPECTACULAR NEW HOME AS PART OF THE $250 MILLION 'LONGWOOD REIMAGINED'

1906 Restaurant, Bar & Lounge, and New Events Space, The Fountain Room, Will Open in the Main Conservatory With a New Chef at the Helm

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa., Oct. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the highly anticipated debut of the brand new 1906 restaurant at Longwood Gardens, one of the world's greatest centers for horticultural display. In addition to its new home adjacent to The Fountain Room – a new large-scale events space with one of the world's most recognized gardens as the backdrop – the restaurant also welcomes George Murkowicz as 1906's new Executive Chef.

Longwood Gardens was founded in 1906 by Pierre S. du Pont, and has been recognized as one of "The Most Beautiful Botanical Gardens in the US" by Conde Nast Traveler, and one of the "Most Spectacular Fountains in the World" by CNN Travel. The property's first restaurant opened in 1985, and this iteration is set to offer something truly remarkable, remaining a focal point of Longwood Reimagined, the $250 million development project being designed by award-winning architecture firm, WEISS/MANFREDI.

MENUS
1906 serves upscale American fare with a focus on seasonal ingredients, much of which are grown at the "Ornamental Kitchen Garden" on site. While restaurant gardens are common today, 1906 takes it further with over 200 rotating fruit, vegetable, and herb crops and twice-weekly meetings with horticulture teams, to discuss and taste how the fresh produce is being incorporated into dishes, cocktails, and fermentation experiments.

Lunch and dinner menus are divided into Flora, Fauna and Funga, an ode to the Kennett Square heritage. Highlights include Flower Salad with sunflower sprouts, bee pollen, and honey vinegar; Wellington with cremini duxelles, porcini, and petite greens; Spaghetti Alla Chitarra with blue crab, saffron, and green goddess herbs; and Roasted Green Circle Chicken with garden lavender brine, wildflower honey, brussels sprouts, foie gras and cognac. The chicken is initially presented whole, then taken to the kitchen and transformed – breast meat is sliced, pulled dark meat is coated in an orange honey vinaigrette, and a side of foie gras and golden raisin stuffing is served with a small pot of chicken jus, which is then brushed over top with lavender and rosemary – before being presented back to the table. Seasonal desserts on the new menu include Apple, a whimsical take on the classic caramel apple, with caramel mousse, green apple sorbet and bourbon Dulcey chocolate; the Tolstoy-inspired Caramelia with chocolate mousse, espresso caramel, and cocoa soil; Vacherin, a citrus meringue with elderflower sorbet and chantilly; seasonal sorbets, and more. And for those dining with little ones, 1906 offers a children's menu as well. 

Unlike the former space, the new 1906 offers a full-service bar. The Bar & Lounge features abbreviated versions of dinner and lunch menus, along with a menu of snacks, including Lobster Beignets with smoked tomato and chive; Heirloom Root Vegetable Chips with French onion dip and Warm du Pont Donuts in seasonal flavors, taking their cue from the du Pont family recipe archives.

BEVERAGE
The cocktail program at 1906 mirrors the natural rhythms and abundance of Longwood Gardens, and will change seasonally with the garden's harvest. The opening fall menu features drinks including the Celestial Beet with mezcal, Bonal, beet juice, celery, and lime; Harvest Festival with rye whisky, chai tea, and sweet potato; and Autumn Bree's with aged rum, fall herbs, and champagne. An evergreen offering on the beverage menu will be 1906's Garden Tonic Collection, featuring housemade tonics made from Cinchona bark, juniper, allspice, lemongrass, and balanced with kosher salt and black pepper before being steeped with lemon zest. Each tonic pairing within the collection combines key botanical syrups and spirits, linking the garden's flavors to the glass. 1906's wine list will be a departure from anything seen at Longwood Gardens to date. Designed to offer a pairing with each dish on the menu, wines span from the bright and aromatic to the rich and complex.

CULINARY TEAM
Longwood Gardens' F&B is managed by Restaurant Associates, under the leadership of CEO Chef Ed Brown, who played an integral role in the development and launch of the new 1906 restaurant and The Fountain Room event space. He continues to inspire and work closely with the on-site culinary team as they evolve the menu through collaboration, seasonal influences, and the garden's bounty.

Overseeing the full gamut of culinary offerings on-site at Longwood Gardens is Will Brown, the Director of Culinary. At the helm of 1906 is the new Executive Chef, George Murkowicz, formerly of Outstanding in the Field, an organization known for its unique farm-to-table dining experiences. Chef Stephen Aleckna heads the culinary program at The Fountain Room. Stephanie Carney, Executive Chef of the Café and Beer Garden and Cecelia Gaudioso, Executive Pastry Chef, round out the culinary team. Tying the culinary and hospitality teams at 1906 and The Fountain Room together is Senior Vice President of Restaurant Associates Ken Warner, Director of Food & Beverage Michelle Bach, and General Manager Brooks McKinley.

SUSTAINABILITY 
Longwood has a long legacy of stewardship and the tradition continues with Longwood Reimagined. To help save energy, a Geothermal Ground Source Heat Pump System has been installed to aid in heating and cooling The Grove education and administration building, as well as both 1906 and The Fountain Room. The system utilizes a geothermal well field under the staff parking lot - 127 wells averaging 350-360' deep - that allows heat to be drawn from the earth in the winter and rejected to the earth in the summer, resulting in 25-50% energy savings. Both spaces also maintain a green roof – an allée of 28 yellowwood trees planted on the Conservatory Overlook and used by guests to enjoy the Main Fountain Garden

Reservations can be made via Tock for both 1906 and the Bar & Lounge. For more information, call 610-388-5290, email [email protected], or visit https://longwoodgardens.org/1906.

Press Inquiries || Bolster Media
Nicole Albano, [email protected]

SOURCE Restaurant Associates