NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — As summer winds down, Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ: MHGC) has launched a new, coastal Italian restaurant aptly named Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar at Mondrian SoHo, opening August 3. The restaurant’s food and ambience are both inspired by the Amalfi Coast, Italian Riviera and Sicily, and with a native Sicilian at the helm, Executive Chef Victor LaPlaca, the region is reflected in every bite. Capturing the spirit of these Italian provinces, Isola serves high quality, seasonal ingredients, prepared simply and presented with casual elegance within Mondrian SoHo’s 5,000-square-foot greenhouse space.

Isola’s regional Italian menu and contemporary crudo offerings feature market-fresh and locally sourced ingredients, prepared by Chef LaPlaca in collaboration with Morgans Hotel Group’s Executive Chef and seafood specialist, Steve Paterson (Joel Robuchon, Michael Mina). LaPlaca, a native of Sicily, grew up cooking home-style cuisine and preparing food using ingredients plucked from his very own property. He has spent the last 17 years opening restaurants with Todd English, both domestically and internationally, embracing the same farm-to-table approach he cultivated as a young cook, while honing in on his love for Mediterranean cuisine. At Isola, this is most evident through LaPlaca’s signature selection of crudos, where he pairs the freshest fish available with high quality olive oils, salts, seasonal fruits and citrus.

Isola’s crudo offerings include Tuna with White Balsamic, Jalapeno, Watermelon and Pine Nuts; Snapper with Cantaloupe, Fuji Apple and Pickled Red Chile; Hamachi with Salsa Verde, Avocado and Crispy Shallot Shallot; and Fluke With Meyer Lemon, Radish and EVOO. Signatures off Isola’s trattoria menu will include Cuscinetto with Goat Cheese and Black Olive, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes and Mint; Burrata Pizza with Squash Blossom Pesto and Roasted Tomato; Dry-aged Maremma Steak on the Bone with Creamy Mushroom Polenta and Truffled Lardo; and Branzino with Braised Escarole and Limoncello Sauce.

The design team at Morgans Hotel Group drew inspiration for the restaurant space from the famously lush landscape of the Boboli Gardens in Florence and the private Italian estates that line the country’s coast. An iron-framed entrance with an outdoor garden, wooden benches and a two-seat porch swing leads guests to the greenhouse restaurant space. Chandeliers and an oversized glass sculpture crafted by contemporary artist Beth Lipman suspend over the dining room’s high-top communal tables, which are made of dark wood paired with plush leather seats. The restaurant’s glass walls and roof juxtapose the opulence of the hanging crystal features, creating an enchanting evening environment. The 11-seat zinc-top bar has a functional wine display including a library-style ladder where the bartenders can be seen climbing to pull bottles for guests.

The beverage program at Isola was curated by Steve Olson, one of the world’s foremost spirits experts. Olson compiled an extensive but highly selective list of 36 wines by the glass from Coastal Italy, Sicily, Greece, Spain, and Southern France, as well as over 100 selections by the bottle. With several rare and reasonably priced options by the glass, guests will be able to sample many flavors and regions along their culinary journey.

Olson’s cocktail program is anchored by a rotating selection of market fresh cocktails. Isola is proud to offer traditional Mediterranean sweet vermouth on draft along with multiple interpretations of the Negroni and Aperol Spritzer. Signature cocktails include the Frizzante di Ciliegie with Prosecco, Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, Fresh Cherries and Lemon and the Isola Bellini made with Prosecco, White Peach and Raspberry. The well-selected beer list will feature American micros from local New York breweries and European craft-brews served in short, chilled Mediterranean style beer glasses known as Cañas. Isola will also offer non-alcoholic daily pressed juices from Liquiteria.

Isola Trattoria & Crudo Bar at Mondrian SoHo, located at 9 Crosby Street, opens Friday, August 3. For more information please visit http://isolasoho.com/ or call 212.389.0000 for reservations for parties of 6 or more.

ABOUT ISOLA TRATTORIA & CRUDO BAR

Hours of Operation: Breakfast: Everyday: 7:00am – 10:30am; Lunch: Everyday: 11:30am – 2:30pm; Dinner: Sunday & Monday: 5:30pm – 11:00pm, Tuesday & Wednesday: 5:30pm – 12:00am, Thursday – Saturday: 5:30pm – 1:00am.

ABOUT MORGANS HOTEL GROUP

Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ: MHGC) is widely credited as the creator of the first “boutique” hotel and a continuing leader of the hotel industry’s boutique sector. Morgans Hotel Group operates Morgans, Royalton and Hudson in New York, Delano and Shore Club in South Beach, Mondrian in Los Angeles, South Beach and New York, Clift in San Francisco, Ames in Boston, Sanderson and St Martins Lane in London, and a hotel in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Morgans Hotel Group has ownership interests or owns several of these hotels. Morgans Hotel Group has other property transactions in various stages of completion, including Delano and Mondrian in Marrakech, Morocco; Hudson and Mondrian in London, England; Delano in Cesme, Turkey; and Mondrian properties in Istanbul, Turkey; Doha, Qatar and Nassau, The Bahamas. Morgans Hotel Group also owns a 90% controlling interest in The Light Group, a leading lifestyle food and beverage company. For more information please visitwww.morganshotelgroup.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS

This press release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the operating performance of our investments and financing needs and prediction of certain future other events. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate” “believe,” “project,” or other similar words or expressions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause our actual results or other future events to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Important risks and factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to economic, business, competitive market and regulatory conditions such as: a sustained downturn in economic and market conditions, particularly levels of spending in the business, travel and leisure industries; continued tightness in the global credit markets; general volatility of the capital markets and our ability to access the capital markets; our ability to refinance our current outstanding debt and to repay outstanding debt as such debt matures; our ability to protect the value of our name, image and brands and our intellectual property; risks related to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanoes and hurricanes; hostilities, including future terrorist attacks, or fear of hostilities that affect travel; and other risk factors discussed in Morgans Hotel Group’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, and other documents filed by Morgans Hotel Group with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. All forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, based upon information known to management as of the date hereof, and Morgans Hotel Group assumes no obligations to update or revise any of its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes show that indicated results or events will not be realized.

SOURCE Morgans Hotel Group Co.