Bruneaux Restaurant, a French-influenced American fine dining spot, has opened on Beaver Street in Sewickley in the space that was formerly the Sewickley Café. Bruneaux features an open kitchen, VIP chef’s table and large three-season patio.
Much of the menu will contain locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. The dinner menu covers seafood and poultry with a special emphasis on varieties of steak—diners can choose their cut and preparation such as filet mignon with Béarnaise sauce. There will be a special late-night menu featuring small plates.
The building at 409 Beaver St. was updated with a fresh façade by Studio St. Germain, a boutique architectural firm in the village with a focus on projects that use less energy. Studio St. Germain worked with owner Robin Fernandez to completely update the interior including a 46-foot-long custom banquette and energy efficient Seguro pendant lighting.
Building owner Robin Fernandez was looking for an efficient, modern design that incorporates design themes related to the restaurant concept. “I really wanted to work with them because they’re local, and I was impressed with their work on local business buildings,” says Fernandez, who already owns and operates two successful restaurants, LULA and Mambo Italia, in the rapidly growing Sewickley business district.
“Overhauling the old café space allowed us to give the space a big update to reflect the more upscale content of the menu,” says Aimee St. Germain, who designed the renovation along with her husband Nathan. “Along with that, we were able to do a number of things to improve the building’s performance.”
The three-season patio has been totally redone with outdoor tables as well as a lounge area designed around a large stone fireplace. The concrete slab has radiant heating so the patio can be open during colder months. It’s more energy efficient than the usual outdoor heat lamps.
A brand new façade gives way to a vestibule area to help maintain the temperature in the dining room. The renovation also allowed for sustainable stone wool insulation in the walls made of volcanic rock.
Working with Michael Ventresca of Food Facilities Concepts, the existing kitchen equipment was completely redesigned and upgraded with more energy efficient options. The kitchen can be viewed from both the dining room and bar and the VIP chef’s table is a truly “immersive experience,” says Nathan St. Germain.
Bruneaux Restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 to 2 p.m. for lunch, 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner, 10 to 11 p.m. for the late menu and from 12 to 3 p.m. for Sunday brunch. For reservations call (412) 741-9200.