Nottoway opens upscale restaurant in basement

Nottoway Plantation’s post-Gustav renovations gave Australian owner Paul Ramsey the chance to turn the antebellum home’s basement, once a bowling alley, into an upscale restaurant. Taking a slow, methodical approach to opening, Ramsey’s Fine Dining has hired Chef David Reyes of Chicago, who earned his chops at tourist resorts in Mexico; they brought in a grand piano in the lounge area and 120 dining seats, and are now serving breakfast, lunch and supper. “We’re trying to not unveil too quickly. We still have art work to hang, still redesigning the lounge and upgrading the wine list,” says Christopher Alexander (pictured playing piano), director of dining services. “We’re daily giving birth, and we think we’re going to do some good stuff.” Read the complete 225 Dine story about Ramsey’s here. (Photo by David Gallent)—Rebecca Breeden