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If you were to drop me blindfolded into what is now Brandywine Prime Seafood & Chops @ Chadds Ford Inn, I would have no idea where I stood. Not to say that’s a bad thing – in fact the building is remarkable. Light now inhabits all floors, where once were tiny, slanting corridors careening in between various dining rooms. I remember the last time I visited the original Chadds Ford Inn; author Charles Adams was there on Halloween telling tales of local unrest. It was an enjoyable evening however it did take me about ten minutes to find my way back from the bathroom and it wasn’t because of the wine.
These days the restaurant is reborn, newly taken over by Owner/Chef Dan Butler of two rather successful Wilmington restaurants; the posh Deep Blue and the Toscana Kitchen and Toscana Takeout spot. To this day Dan’s still amused at how he fell in with the restaurant business, he started out washing dishes at the DuPont Hotel as a teenager and worked his way up “the ladder” as he termed it. No real thought at the time of owning his own restaurant, in his own words he “thought the chefs digs were kind of cool.” By the time he was eighteen he was enrolled in culinary school and over the next decade or so he traveled and cooked from Switzerland to Miami. Finally he landed back in Wilmington and with that move came the opening of the delicious Toscana Kitchen which expanded to the Toscana to Go. His next project was Deep Blue…..very modern with fantastic seafood and (oh the irony) right next to the DuPont Hotel where he caught his first glimpse of that cool chef hat. Seems Chef Dan is a big believer in “cooking for the community” as he says – cook what fits and they will come, and eat, and bring their friends.
Chef Dan Butler is actually a Chadds Ford native – and as fate would have it, a bicycling enthusiast. One day a few years back he went for a ride and stopped at the Chadds Ford Inn to scam a drink from the hose bib. As he was swilling away he was approached by a gentleman who asked “so if I come to your restaurant can I drink for free?” Said gentleman turned out to be an immensely talented builder by the name of Joe Grace, who not only recognized Dan immediately (turns out he’s a big fan of Dan’s other restaurants) but who had also just purchased the Chadds Ford Inn with big things in mind. Dan admits he wasn’t really up for such a big project at first but Joe finally persuaded the good Chef to become part an integral part of those plans.
The sprawling Brandywine Prime Seafood & Chops @ Chadds Ford Inn has what Dan considers “the longest restaurant name in the history of man”, but the lengthy moniker does a good job of setting expectations and letting you know (literally) where you’re going because otherwise you probably wouldn’t recognize it. Outside is a nice big stone patio for warm weather dining and for our purposes we actually entered past the patio and through the kitchen which was unbelievably huge and just gleaming, “believe it or not it used to be bigger” Dan commented as we wound our way through to the front foyer where our tour starts.
Directly in front of your face is “Angus” a commanding painting that I’ll bet is 6’ wide by 4’ tall, it’s a close up of a group of blowing black bulls, just kind of standing there looking at you, red tags hanging, their breath steaming in the frigid air. Actually it’s rather startling but I like that. That particular piece and quite a few others like it adorn the walls throughout, vignettes of much larger paintings done by both W.C. and Andrew Wyeth. The paintings were blown up like that specifically for the walls of Brandywine Prime. Funny story – Dan Butler had attended Chadds Ford Elementary as a child and actually got first place in a first grade art show which was judged by Andrew Wyeth himself.
The original Inn goes back to the 1700’s, and what Dan Butler and Joe Grace have done with that building is an oceanic breath of fresh air, Dan says “we gave it new charm” but that’s a major understatement in my eyes. “Some of the hardwood floors are original” Dan said, and the matching trim is beautifully brought out by subdued blues and greens, most of the walls are exposed stone – and what isn’t lit by large windows or completely open floors above is gently illuminated by a diminutive series of burnished silver drop lights. Several bars and Dining Rooms run throughout; some are quite large while others are sized for private parties and such. The Main Bar features a large Raw Bar across from which is a stone wall with a cutout “barndoor” window looking into one of the other rooms. In the Dining Room towards the front of the building is a painting which you may recognize as the golden weeds from “Christina’s World”, look closely at the bottom right hand corner and you’ll see where Andrew Wyeth, I guess he just couldn’t resist the temptation, whipped out a marker and signed his painting while having lunch one afternoon. The wall of “Shadow Portraits” at the other end reflects the works of three generations of Wyeths. The main staircase has been completely opened up and ascends into the upper level which houses a huge gorgeous Dining Room, the “Chase Room” named for Dan’s father and the
two-story atrium style Mill Room, named for overlooking the old windmill by the Brandywine River Hotel.
Brandywine Prime Seafood & Chops @ Chadds Ford Inn is open for dinner and favorite menu items include weekly specials: $5 Prime Rib Sandwiches on Thursdays, ½ price Best of Philly Burgers on Fridays, and Sunday night House-Roasted Prime Rib. Try the Tuna Carpaccio from the raw bar, Appetizers like Cream Butternut Squash Risotto, Prime Filet Tartare and Shrimp Tempura. Steaks are impressive in stature; choose from Angus New York Strips, Hereford Filet Mignon or Prime Delmonico. All steaks can be “customized” with Shrimp, Scallops or Crab. Offerings from the Sea are equally tasty; try the Brandywine Prime Crab Cake, Oven Roasted Atlantic Salmon, and Linguine with Crab or just go for the gold and order the Brandywine Prime Seafood Sampler consisting of ½ Maine Lobster Tail, steamed clams, shrimp, mussels, rice and snap peas with a tomato saffron broth. Wine is by the glass, Beer is draft and bottles and they have a nice Cocktail list including a drink called the Chadds Ford Inn Ghost. Dan pooh poohed the thought of a haunt and I didn’t say anything at the time, but I’m pretty sure that chair was NOT in the middle of the room when we first came upstairs.
Dan says Friday nights at the bar are really hopping. In part because of the half priced Best of Philly burgers offered. That was General Manager Michael Majewski’s idea, Dan (showing his Chef colors) was initially horrified at the notion but it turned out really well….good call Mike. Dan commented “you’ll find people at the bar you wouldn’t think you’d see.” Hmmm, sounds intriguing. He’s also been surprised at the amount of people utilizing online reservations at www.opentable.com.
As intricate as renovating the old Inn was, readying the space next door for a cozy French Bistro was conversely as simple. Bistro on the Brandywine, directly across the parking lot is open for lunch and serves a fine array of shared plates, soups and salads, entrees and side dishes. They also have a lively business of freshly prepared and made to order gourmet takeout. That’s right, dishes you’d love to pass off as your own if you thought you could get away with it. Bistro on the Brandywine’s palate comforting menu include Moules Frites mussels steamed with saffron cream (they’ve gotten rave reviews), Kennett Square Mushroom Soup, stone hearth pizzas like Roasted pears with gorgonzola, mozzarella, pine nuts and truffle honey. Entrees run the gamut from Braised beef short ribs to Chilean Salmon and Coq au vin, and all can be complemented by delicious sides like Crispy truffle parmesan fingerling potatoes, Grilled Asparagus with oven dried tomato relish and a delicious Wilted spinach, garlic and white wine. Paul Bouchard is Managing Partner of Bistro on the Brandywine and Chef de Cuisine is Seth Harvey who was the Sous Chef at Deep Blue. Chef Butler wanted to bring something new to the area and people have found Bistro on the Brandywine to be unexpectedly casual and inexpensive; waitresses run about in blue jeans and the bustling lunch crowd is a cheerful reflection of Chadds Ford’s many walks of life.
Both Brandywine Prime and Bistro on the Brandywine does event catering, stop by for lunch, dinner or just grab some takeout if you can’t hang around. Just remember that whatever your plans are, it’s always prime time in Chadds Ford.
