The co-owner of the popular Snuff Mill restaurant is opening a dining spot at 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue, the mixed-use apartment, retail, and restaurant complex at the edge of the Little Italy neighborhood and a short hop to the Forty Acres area
Bill Irvin said he remembered a time when some of the best restaurants were located in department stores, often for “ladies who lunch.”
“It was the best Cobb salads and Dover sole — luxury dining,” he said.
Irvin has seen a revival of classic dining and wanted to bring back some of those items with a contemporary and French twist. The Brandywine Restaurant, which faces Pennsylvania Avenue, will open in late October, according to Irvin, who co-owns Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar off Concord Pike.
The new restaurant will have 40 seats, including those seated at an L-shaped bar and additional outdoor seating.
According to Irvin, The Brandywine Restaurant is named for the Branadywine Valley – not the Hotel DuPont’s one-time dining room. There’s also the Brandywine Diner on Concord Pike and further north Route 202, Brandywine Prime, a steakhouse.
Irvin’s Snuff Mill partner, Robert Lhulier, designed the 1,700-square-foot floor plan and kitchen, and Salisbury, MD-based Fisher Architecture created the blueprint. GGA is the contractor for the project.
Stephen Mottola helped design the interior décor. “Many people know Stephen for his real estate skills, but he’s also an extremely talented designer,” Irvin says.
Lhulier, the culinary advisor, is working with Chef de Cuisine Andrew Cini to craft a menu for lunch, dinner and late night.
Like the décor, the menu will have a French flair – roast chicken, saumon en croute, steak Diane and flounder with crab imperial bound with mousseline. Items for two will include beef Wellington, a rarity in this area and grilled whole branzino.
The Brandywine Restaurant’s burger version, the Royale with cheese, will have Cooper sharp cheese house-made pickles, lettuce, finely minced onion and a special sauce.
The bar will carry a selection of fine bourbons, Irvin stated.
Brandywine Restaurant Week returns for eighth time
The eighth annual Brandywine Valley Restaurant Week will take place October 2-6. This year’s lineup has also been expanded, featuring 20 dining spots.
The restaurant collaboration enables guests to sample items at special price points — prix-fixe lunch for $20; prix-fixe dinner for $35 or $55.
“Connecting with friends and family over a meal remains a top activity for visitors and residents alike,” added Jennifer Boes, executive director of the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We are thrilled to be able to continue promoting the fine dining scene in the bucolic Brandywine Valley.”
Sponsorships and partnerships include Chase, Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mix 99.5FM, In Wilmington, Out & About Magazine, Heineken Silver and Standard Distributing.
This year’s featured restaurant are: Back Burner, Bardea Steak, Bar Reverie, Brandywine Prime, Café Mezzanotte, Ciro Forty Acres, Ciro Riverfront, Columbus Inn, Dorcea, El Camino, Krazy Kat’s, La Fia Bistro, Merchant Bar, Piccolina Toscana, Taverna (north Wilmington), The Market Kitchen, The Quoin, Tonic Seafood & Steak, Walter’s Steakhouse and Wilma’s.
