In case you haven’t stopped by in a while, longtime downtown Delray Beach standout restaurant Brulé Bistro underwent a bit of a change over the summer.
Featuring a new, refreshed look both inside and out, an expanded menu and an evolved name, Brulé Bistro is now Brulé Gastro-Kitchen.
The much-loved Pineapple Grove restaurant’s metamorphosis began in late June and by mid-July they had emerged with a new look and expanded offerings.
General manager and beverage director Taylor Wuennemann said that the updates were sort of “keeping up with the times… an evolution.” That has been part of their theme since opening in 2007. He said the spot actually began as a gourmet market before transitioning into a French bistro.
Wuennemann said the move was a way to avoid “being pigeonholed with just French bistro vibes.” It was a way to allow them to expand from that format and keep things fresh while still keeping the items that their customers have come to love over the past 18 years.
Careful consideration was given to the new name and concept.
Wuennemann expounded by saying that though there are a lot of “gastropubs” out there, they wanted something to express their approach food, their focus on preparation and using only the freshest ingredients they can source. He said what separates them is their “sophistication and ensuring that our dishes are really well crafted and making sure that everything is innovative.”
If you’re a regular and worried your favorite dish has gone away, don’t. Chef and owner Suzanne Perrotto said that “there are staples that we could never take off the menu and they’re going to be there forever.” That includes the grilled avocado with roasted tomato, tuna poke, their house-made brioche, their cookie ( it’s just chocolate chip, but with “a few secret ingredients”) and their pistachio creme brulé, which she said is all about crafting with the right technique.
Perrotto said that even before the change, they would bring in a chef de cuisine every few years to help shake things up and maybe tweak an item or add to their menu. She said she always has the final word, but that she “gives them space to be creative.”
For the new menu, they brought chef de cuisine Cory Willard.
Some of the new standouts include the Florida snapper, the paella, pineapple grouper tacos and a slight reworking of a popular grilled pork chop entrée — a dish much-loved by Perrotto’s father.
As far as the restaurant’s new look, Perrotto credits her general manager.
He “kept that rustic feel, but added some warmer tones… it’s stunning,” she said.
One thing she wasn’t asked to sign off on: a painting… of her.
Wuennemann explained that “a local artist, a good friend of ours… did a portrait of chef Suzanne.” “It was a surprise… it was something that had to be done,” he said. The artist’s name is Cody Parker, who Wuennemann and Perrotto say is a good friend and friend of the restaurant’s.
The beverage menu also got a revamp.
“I created 11 brand new cocktails,” Wuennemann said. Some of these include the Guava Lemondrop featuring house-made limoncello, guava jam and fresh lemon with a salt & sugar rim; and John Daly’s Son made with Tito’s Vodka, fresh tea, Chinola pineapple and mint.
Perrotto said they are proud to be a part of the red-hot Delray Beach restaurant scene. “We are a very small privately -owned restaurant, we have no partners. It’s just Taylor and I.” “We try really hard.”
Brulé Gastro-Kitchen
Where: 200 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday; 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Information: brulebistro.com
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
Dining and Cooking