Under Chef David Burke, Fromagerie Is A 'Horse' With A New Name

RUMSON, NJ - New Jersey local and culinary extraordinaire David Burke is bringing back his acclaimed fine-dining restaurant in Rumson. The establishment formerly known as Fromagerie will reopen as Red Horse by David Burke on March 24.

Burke, a Hazlet native, initially worked as a line cook at the fine dining restaurant, going on to run the operation from 2006 to 2015. New owners took over for a brief period following Bruke’s absence under the name Rumson House. It closed in 2019.

“It’s a landmark property in a really great community,” Burke said in a news release. “It’s a part of the fabric of the community without a doubt, and I’m very happy to bring it back to the highest level of dining in New Jersey.”

Bruke graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and studied at Ecole Lenotre Pastry School in Plaisir, France. Nationally recognized from reality food shows such as Iron Chef America and Top Chef Masters, the chef owns 12 restaurants in New York, New Jersey, Colorado, North Carolina, and Washington D.C., including Sea Bright’s Drifthouse and Beach Haus Bar & Grill in Belmar.

In the release, the chef and avid art collector said the name Red Horse was inspired by a painting of a red horse he purchased in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

"It was at the beginning of the pandemic and all the panic was setting in,” he said. "I loved the painting and my dad’s name is Big Red. Then it hit me. That’s going to be the name of my next restaurant: Red Horse.”

The new restaurant is slated to be a modern American steakhouse drawing influences from Asian cuisine under the direction of Burke and executive chef Andrew Riccatelli.

Riccatelli, who grew up in Marlboro, is a self-proclaimed farm-to-table advocate and says he is looking forward to working with local farmers and fishermen. “I really value working locally and sourcing the best ingredients possible,” he said. “Jersey produce is the absolute best. And we are super close to the shore for seafood, so being able to pull from those sources is fantastic.”

The main dining room is set to seat 60 diners, with a full-service bar and lounge seating built to accommodate an additional 40 seats. A second-floor sushi bar, dubbed The Loft, can also seat up to 40 diners.

The restaurant is currently undergoing cosmetic changes, with plans for additional outdoor dining in the works. The news release calls the venture a “a superior, sexy and exciting dining experience” with displays of artwork by five contemporary artists, including paintings by a Rumson artist. Red Horse will be open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, including fun theme nights like “Red Carpet Wednesday”, which will “invite guests to glam-it-up up for an indulgent dining experience in the main dining room.”

“We’ve been dressing and hunkered down for a long time,” said Burke. “We want people to splurge for a night and in an exquisite, sexy setting. We will roll out the red carpet with a step and repeat; so, ladies get your hair done, put on your jewels, lipstick and heels; and men, it’s time to take your jackets out of the closet and don those cufflinks.”

The restaurant will be available for private parties on Sunday. Plans for an American-style Dim Sum Sunday brunch are also being explored.

The establishment is currently hiring for all positions. Interested parties should email jordan@davidburke.com.