Changes already are in place at the Brandywine Brasserie, the new name for the Brandywine Restaurant. In front is a dry-aged pork chop with celery root puree, tomato-bacon jam and pomegranate. Photo by Becca Mathias
In the Wilmington hospitality industry, the song lyric “Where you lead, I will follow” carries weight. A chef or restaurateur with a track record is a culinary Pied Piper.
Robert Lhulier
If you need proof, consider Robert Lhulier’s summer arrival at The Brandywine Restaurant in the 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue building— the old Michael Christopher’s site.
It is a few doors down from Santa Fe Mexican Grill in Wilmington.
The restaurant opened in November 2023, touting classic dishes—think steak Diane and beef Wellington—and an elegant ambiance that would please Truman Capote and his swans.
But many Wilmington-area residents—even Old Wilmington—want to rub elbows in a looser atmosphere—picture Columbus Inn, Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal Grill & Saloon and Buckley’s Tavern.
Within a month after Lhulier began managing The Brandywine, the dining room hummed with a gangs-all-here attitude. To be sure, Wilmington adores seeing a familiar face—or five.
On Sept. 24, The Brandywine Restaurant will become Brandywine Brasserie, with a new menu to pair with the relaxed vibe.
What’s in a name? A lot.
Changes in trim color and large art are part of the decor change for the Brandywine Brasserie. Photo by Becca Mathias.
Setting the stage
Lhulier, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, built a following at esteemed restaurants in the Wilmington area, including Deep Blue in Tonic Seafood & Steak’s current space and his Chef’s Table restaurant in New Castle.
However, the chef developed a particular mystique while at the tony University & Whist Club. His multi-course dinners, splashed across social media, attracted new members. When he left, so did many of them.
The Delaware native brought the same exclusivity to pop-up catering events that produced FOMO sighs from those not invited to the private suppers. If you wanted a salon-style dinner for eight but didn’t want to host it at home, you booked Lhulier.
So, when he became the executive chef at Snuff Mill Restaurant, Butchery & Wine Bar, his customers showed up, willing to spend money on juicy steaks and dishes that demonstrated his culinary creativity.
When a former pop-up dish hit the menu, there was a wink-wink and nudge-nudge on Facebook and Instagram from those who’d savored it first with seven friends.
Wilmington buzzed when Lhulier left the Independence Mall restaurant to pursue his own interests, which include Sardella Mediterranean Cantina in Avenue North, scheduled to open next year.
Meanwhile, Lhulier landed a consulting and management contract at The Brandywine Restaurant. He replaced former Snuff Mill partner Bill Irvin in a reality show-like scenario that is classic Delaware. (Irvin still owns the popular Snuff Mill.)
The new decor in the bar is aimed at making it less formal and more approachable. Photo by Becca Mathias
Making changes
Lhulier collaborated with chef de cuisine J. Thomas Edgerton and Edgerton’s team to develop a seasonally inspired menu that will go live Sept. 24.
There are some French connections, including steak tartare frites—raw beef with black truffle cheese fonduta—a warm mushroom and Comté cheese tartlet with lavender honey, and Brasserie poutine cheese curds and brandied mushroom gravy, served on French fries with braised beef short rib.
The French influence is unsurprising, given that Lhulier was a frequent customer at the recently shuttered Bistrot La Minette in Philadelphia. Moreover, French technique is pervasive in esteemed area kitchens.
But Lhulier knows that labeling a restaurant French in this town can conjure images of fern bars and 1980s fare. Moreover, Brandywine Brasserie’s ricotta gnocchi, carpaccio, crudo and pasta salute other countries.
New dishes and Lhulier’s presence are enough to attract his fans. One evening, for instance, I ran into three tables of friends before I sat at the bar to greet another.
The bartender recognized me from a recent outing to The Post in Forty Acres, where we’d sat near each other. It’s pure Delaware, which is what Brandywine Brasserie is selling.
With the name change, Lhulier wants to make it clear that this is not the old Brandywine Restaurant, a name that often confused old-timers who dined in the Hotel du Pont’s clubby yet elite Brandywine Room. (There was no connection.)
Brasserie symbolizes the move toward a cheerful, approachable establishment that welcomes diners more than once a month or year. In short, it’s not just a special occasion spot.
Admittedly, diners’ sentiment on that score may depend on their bank account. That said, you can easily make a satisfying meal by sharing starters, which is a growing trend.
Plus, the restaurant has reduced the prices on cocktails, wine and beverages and happy hour menu items, such as caviar on brioche, prosciutto-wrapped dates, Spanish Gilda (green olives and peppers), tahini green beans and raw bar items. (Happy hour is at the bar from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.)
Lunch service starts in October.
Salad Nicoise with seared tuna is one of the offerings at Brandywine Brasserie. Photo by Becca Mathias.
The right recipe
Lhulier is also tweaking the décor. To be honest, I appreciated Stephen Mottola and Irvin’s choice of Asian wallpaper, which features cranes gliding across a salmon-colored background. It’s an attractive option that cost a pretty penny. I also like the vaulted ceiling.
However, removing the white linens to give a more relaxed vibe is a good idea; there are now black walnut butcher block tops. A soft black hue replaces high gloss trim and soffit paint, and high-top tables near the bar add a convivial accent.
All this could add to the sound dilemma that most small, busy restaurants face, but new sound-dampening additions help—to a point. If you wonder why so many eateries get loud, it’s because a buzz is desirable in the 21st century.
Brandywine Brasserie boasts the elements of success with a range of small bites, a focus on from-scratch foods with a seasonal emphasis and an attractive bar.
It even has parking behind the building and in the garage. (A door in the garage leads to a hallway and front exit/entrance.)
Regardless of whether you enjoyed The Brandywine Restaurant, it’s worth checking out Brandywine Brasserie.
Change, after all, can be a good thing.
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