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CARY, N.C. — The Umstead Hotel and Spa is pleased to announce that its on-property fine dining and 2021 Forbes Five-Star restaurant, Herons, will return to a Five-Star dining experience with a reimagined seasonal Spring Menu on Thursday, March 25.

As part of hotel-wide improvements, Herons renovations included state-of-the art kitchen modifications, refreshed dining room details such as beautiful new place settings, furniture, and newly commissioned art. Fans of the restaurant can also expect an array of new offerings on the dinner menu, which will consist of a customizable four-course prix fixe experience for $120 per person with beverage pairings for $90. The full menu offerings can be found here. The return of Herons’ renowned tasting menu will be announced at a later date.

“It’s been a challenging year for the hospitality industry, and we are excited to be able to gradually come closer to a sense of normalcy,” says Executive Chef Steven Devereaux Greene. “We took this time to rethink the menu and do some extensive research and development with our farmer, Alyssa Campo, to get our creative minds flowing. We’re looking forward to returning to a place for hotel guests and Triangle residents to again celebrate, relax and create new memories”.

Also new to Herons is Executive Pastry Chef Lia Benedetto, who joined the team from The Peninsula Beverly Hills. Lia brings more than 10 years of experience to the kitchen and works alongside Chef Greene to create desserts that complement the elevated experience of the savory dinner menu.

Herons has gained national recognition for its progressive American regional cuisine since opening in 2007. Located in the heart of North Carolina’s flourishing Piedmont region, rich in culture and natural beauty, Herons draws the inspiration for seasonal menus from its surroundings, under the guidance of Executive Chef Steven Devereaux Greene. The hotel’s signature restaurant has earned the sought-after Forbes’ Five-Star rating, most recently for 2021. It has been named one of the “101 Best Places to Eat in the World” by Newsweek, one of the “Thirty Best Restaurants in America” by USA Today, “Restaurant of the Year” by Raleigh’s News & Observer in both 2009 and 2019 (the first restaurant to ever be named a second time), as well as high praise by Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Food & Wine. Chef Greene has been named a 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020 James Beard Award “Best Chef: Southeast” semifinalist, one of the most coveted accolades in the restaurant industry.

The restaurant will be serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner to hotel guests and visitors. Reservations are currently available and can be booked online via Open Table or by calling the restaurant at 919-447-4200.

The safety of guests and staff continues to be of utmost priority to the restaurant upon reopening. The management team at The Umstead Hotel and Spa has committed to following increased safety standards through the guidance of Share Care, which can be found here.

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CONTACT:

Lauren Ferguson
lauren@sprouthouseagency.com
205.383.8450