Bramble & Rye, a new restaurant from married owners Anthony and Jeremiah Brooks, has opened in Bloomingdale at the former Établi space. Its “modern coastal” menu ranges from salmon crudo to wood-fired scallops, while a patio and four-dish menu for dogs give neighborhood diners a reason to bring their four-legged companions along.
Key takeaways
The opening pairs globally influenced cooking with a welcoming neighborhood focus, including a dedicated canine menu. Here are the essentials:
- Bramble & Rye is at 84 T Street NW, near First Street.
- The menu includes seafood, charcuterie, wood-fired vegetables and brisket.
- Dogs can order from a special “paw-tio” menu on the restaurant’s patio.
- The restaurant plans to host happy hour, Sunday brunch and the continuing Établi Wine Club.
A new chapter for the former Établi space
The restaurant opened last week, following Établi’s closure in August. Its former owners, Kathleen Davis and Thomas Boisvert, are silent partners in the new venture, and the Établi Wine Club will continue at Bramble & Rye. The Brookses, who live nearby, hope the restaurant becomes a comfortable local gathering place as well as a destination for diners from across the city.
A menu shaped by coastlines and global influences
Chef Jeremiah Brooks describes the approach as modern coastal cuisine, drawing on Mediterranean flavors and the Caribbean. The owners chose not to center the menu on pizza or pasta, mindful of nearby Bacio Pizzeria and The Red Hen, and instead put the kitchen’s large wood-fired oven to work across a broader range of dishes.
Guests can begin with customizable charcuterie boards, salmon crudo served with cantaloupe-and-serrano leche de tigre, or octopus carpaccio with white bean purée and preserved-lemon relish. Larger plates include fire-roasted scallops with celeriac and apple, wood-fired cauliflower steak, Creole shrimp scampi with Calabrian chili and cornbread, and coffee-rubbed brisket with charred leek chimichurri. That variety gives the menu an inviting mix of lighter seafood and more substantial options.
A patio designed for people and pets
The Brookses have three dogs of their own, and that experience helped shape the restaurant’s dog-friendly patio. Its “paw-tio” menu offers four house-made options for canine guests: wood-fired chicken and rice, puppy poke, peanut butter biscuits and a pup-sicle. It’s a thoughtful touch that makes the restaurant’s neighborhood-hangout ambitions feel especially welcoming to local dog owners.
Building a neighborhood destination
The couple brings years of restaurant experience to the project. They previously ran Hamilton’s on Main in Newark, Delaware, and Hamilton’s Tavern in Harpers Ferry; Jeremiah has also worked at Matchbox, while Anthony’s hospitality experience includes Rose’s Luxury and Barbouzard.
Alongside the wine club, the owners plan to offer happy hour and Sunday brunch. They hope Bramble & Rye can earn recognition beyond Bloomingdale, while keeping its focus on good food and a warm local atmosphere.
