Bronwyn Review

Overall rating: 88

Food rating: 90

Bronwyn: Wonderful food, casual atmosphere

It took us an entire 11 days to make it to Bronwyn, the new restaurant from Tim and Bronwyn Wiechmann of T.W. Food. We love T.W., and so were both eagerly anticipating this new restaurant. We were also somewhat hesitant, as German cuisine, with a restaurant focused on beer and wurst, isn't really our typical preferred dining.

Where T.W. is understated, elegant, and a perfect place for a quiet date, Bronwyn early on a Saturday evening was energetic, loud, and filled with large groups, families with children, and couples. There is a bar as you come in with additional bar seating at an external window, and more seating in the bar area on tables reportedly made by Chef Tim Wiechmann. They plan to open an outdoor biergarten in the near future.

We sat in the restaurant area. Despite being newly opened and completely full, service was quick, friendly, and accurate with Bronwyn Wiechmann watching carefully to keep things running smoothly. Unlike T.W., there are drinks in addition to beer and wine, but the focus is clearly on German wines and beer. I got a rye-based cocktail (eins on their numbered list of five cocktails) that was excellent, and my wife got a Riesling Brut (I didn't know there were sparkling Rieslings) that was also very good.

There's been lots of buzz about Chef Wiechmann working on pretzels for the restaurant, so we ordered a pretzel rather than the assorted breads, which also sounded wonderful. The pretzel was enormous, wonderfully textured, and golden on the outside. It comes with a very spicy roasted apple mustard that was delicious. One pretzel was more than two of us could finish, though we came close.

For appetizers, we got the borscht, which they serve hot. The borscht was the first clear sign that while this is "German" cuisine, they are updating and putting their own stamp on traditional recipes. The borscht was served hot, but was not a typical hearty hot borscht. It was light and subtle and just wonderful. We also got the smoked kale pierogis served with an egg remoulade that was moderately spicy and perfectly complemented the pierogis.

For main dishes, my wife got the roast chicken served with grilled pineapple. I'm not sure how the chicken was prepared, but it had a soft texture unlike most roast chicken, and the flavor of the pineapple made for a really nice combination. I got the jägerschnitzel, made with veal and served with wild mushrooms, walnuts, and honey. This was a truly amazing dish -- as tasty as anything I've had at T.W. or anywhere. The thin pieces of pounded veal were perfectly cooked and browned, and the mushrooms and walnuts enhanced the flavors without overpowering them.

For dessert, we split a piece of "German chocolate cake" served with whipped cream. This wasn't what I would usually think of as German chocolate cake, and was instead a fairly dry cake without layering. It was very good, though we were quite full by that point.

Apparently part of the thought behind Brownyn is that it's a lower price point than T.W. Our meal came to about $120 before tip for two people, which was a perfectly reasonable price for the superb quality food, but not inexpensive. However, this is clearly a place you could go and order beer and appetizers with a group and have wonderful food and drink at more a moderate price than  T.W.

Overall, the food was wonderful. Whatever lingering concerns we had about "German cuisine" were laid to rest early in the meal and we loved the dinner. All that said, T.W. Food, with its relaxed quiet elegance, is much more our style for a date night out. Bronwyn intentionally has an almost rowdy feel to it, but clearly works well for families as well. We live too far from Bronwyn to stop in for drinks and appetizers, so it's a place we'll come back to more often with groups and with children than for a night out for two. We also love eating outdoors, and once the biergarten is open that could be a great way to enjoy this food. If you're looking for a place with spectacular food and a casual energetic atmosphere, this has to be one of the best options in the Boston area.