WILMINGTON — Tyler Akin, the chef and one of visionaries behind the Le Cavalier at the Green Room, will be departing for Philadelphia by the end of August.
Akin, who grew up in Wilmington and became the restaurateur behind Stock and Res Ipsa Cafe, returned to his hometown in December 2019 when he was hired by the Buccini Pollin Group and PM Hotel Group to reimagine the dining experience at Hotel du Pont in center city.
The chef has moved back to Philadelphia with his wife and his two children, and plans to focus his time on new restaurants Bastia and Caletta, both at Hotel Anna & Bel in Philadelphia. Bastlia has already been named on Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America as well as the top restaurant in Philadelphia by Philadelphia Magazine.
In a prepared statement, Akin described his five years at turning the famed Hotel du Pont’s restaurant Green Room into a new French brasserie as “truly an honor.”
“I’m proud of how we persevered through the trying times of the pandemic, which coincided directly with the restaurant’s opening, and I’m equally proud of how we modernized the cuisine, style of service, and design of the storied Green Room space in creating Le Cav,” he said in the prepared statement. “It feels now like the restaurant is built to prosper for many more years of helping guests make memories and to remain an institution in Wilmington.”
In a social media post, the Le Cavalier at the Green Room said that it will continue to be left in the “capable hands of our talented culinary team.” Dave Pollin, the chairman of PM Hotel Group, said that the existing culinary team would continue plating the French cuisine the brasserie is known for.
“We’re grateful for Chef Tyler’s important role in transforming Le Cavalier at the Green Room into the vibrant French brasserie it is today, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors,” Pollin said in a prepared statement to DBT.
Akin himself had created many memories at Hotel du Pont’s storied Green Room, which had heavily relied on bookings at the hotel as well as Wilmington’s corporate business as well as bookings from the local arts scene like the Playhouse on Rodney Square.
In 2019, he was tasked to reimagine the space as a relaxed but professional-service restaurant with an inspired menu from North African cuisines as well as a new take on French dishes.
But the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the opening of the Le Cavalier for months, in addition to delays with goods being shipped from Europe as well as work from subcontractors on the site.
After braving COVID-related indoor dining requirements as well as hosting private events for President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, the restaurant eventually opened on Sept. 1 2020 for an abbreviated dinner service to start.
Today, the 118-seat restaurant with a bar is now open seven days a week and remains a steady institution in the Wilmington dining scene as professionals return to the office three days a week. Le Cavalier at the Green Room and Hotel du Pont could also stand to benefit from runoff hotel bookings related to the FIFA World Cup next year.
Dining and Cooking