CLEVELAND, Miss. – Cleveland’s own James Beard Award semifinalist chef Cole Ellis will open Bar Fontaine, a European-style Delta-focused restaurant, in the city’s newest hotel, Cotton House, in June 2019. Ellis’ Bar Fontaine has an awe-inspiring vantage point of the Mississippi Delta sunset from the rooftop patio, a cocktail program with clever notes from the kitchen, and small plates that are decidedly Italian, prepared in a Southern vernacular. The menu at Bar Fontaine is a snapshot of the regional culture with plates such as Risi E Bisi with rice middlins, stewed field peas, preserved lemon and aleppo pepper; and Polpette alla Bologna with pork meatballs and raisins. Pastas such as Cacio e Pepe Fusilli and Ricotta Gnudi are paired with craft cocktails, wine by the glass and bottle, and an extensive bourbon collection.
Bar Fontaine’s interior features industrial, metal-plated walls and contemporary furniture in earthtones and reclaimed wood, setting the tone for an intimate dining experience. With an open juke box and a nearly endless selection of blues albums, Bar Fontaine is Cleveland’s newest spot to sit back and relax. Bar Fontaine seats approximately 100 guests; 70 seats inside and 30 seats on the outdoor patio.
A Culinary Institute of Charleston graduate with a Bachelors of Culinary Arts in Baking and Pastry, as well as a Bachelors of Restaurant and Hotel Management, Cole Ellis spent 13 years in Charleston and Nashville under the tutelage of Tom Colicchio and Sean Brock. Ellis worked in some of Charleston’s most acclaimed kitchens such as Magnolia’s, Hominy Grill, and Carolina’s, as well as Voysey’s Pub and The Tides, both Colicchio properties, located on Kiawah Island. He left Charleston to work with chef Tyler Brown at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, where he took on the chef de cuisine post, and was responsible for raising livestock and running the vegetable garden for the property’s Capitol Grille. In 2013, Ellis returned to his hometown of Cleveland, Mississippi to open Delta Meat Market, a butcher shop and boutique grocer of fine Southern foods. He was nominated as a semifinalist in 2017 for the James Beard Award “Best Chef South,” and Delta Meat Market has been recognized for its butchery program in Bon Appetit, Delta Magazine, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, and more.
In June, Delta Meat Market will join Ellis’ new Bar Fontaine at Cotton House, Cleveland, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel. Guests will enjoy expanded hours of operation as Delta Meat Market will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Cotton House is a proud member of the Marriott Tribute Portfolio and part of the Southern Living Hotel Collection. Cotton House is located on the Mississippi Blues Trail, at the doorstep of The GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi, Delta State University, Dockery Farms, and Belmont Plantation. For more information on Bar Fontaine, Delta Meat Market, or Cotton House, please visit: https://www.cottonhousecleveland.com/eat-drink.