By Brian Griffin
Normally when I sit down to write an article on a restaurant, I will tell a quick story, and then dive into the menu items that I sampled. I want to do something a little bit different this time. I’m not going to dissect every item of the menu. I do want you to know that everything was excellent, but mostly, I want tell you a story.
The little blinking line on your screen when you are writing a document is called a caret. I always just called it a cursor, and I guess both are technically correct. I have a special and growing relationship with it, so I thought I may as well learn its name. Whenever I am writing an article, it is always there. Staring back at me like a doubting mother, tapping her foot as if to say “what have you got? Let’s go.”
There is a large contingent of enthusiastic consumers driving the streets of the Tri-Cities, looking on like a flashing caret. They are waiting for the next restaurateur to introduce something new and exciting into our culinary scene. They are unmoved by bottomless fries, and never ending pasta bowls.
It is almost an axiom that there is a type of establishment that is quintessentially Tri-Cities. There seems to be a formula. Combine yellow cheeses with a microwave and a Coronarita, and you have a hit on your hands. In the last few years, though, there have been several local restaurants that have arrived and held their own. I feel more optimistic about the culinary scene of the Tri-Cities than I have at just about any time in the past. Right this moment, there are more locally born establishments offering up a wide range of cuisines than ever before. And yet, the platitudes persist.
The reason that the major chains thrive so effectively here is that there is a demand for them. We are largely a community of family oriented, socially conservative people. You know what you are going to get before you walk in the door at places like (burger juggernaut with bird mascot) and (half priced appetizer giant, now serving dishes under 1500 calories.) As long as we are known as one of the best places in the country to raise a family, the chains aren’t going to go anywhere. And we should be happy for that. It is wonderful. It is the very reason that our economy is so strong in the first place.
There is a growing and insatiable demand for something exactly like The Bradley, but I can’t help but wonder when will we feel like we no longer need to describe any restaurant that sets up shop here as a place you might find in Seattle or Portland. What’s so great about Seattle and Portland? Every fifteen feet you catch a whiff of what smells like urine. And it is probably urine.
Steak Tartare. (GF) Center cut filet, capers, basil, quail egg, shallot, chive emulsion, & balsamic
All of that said, walking into The Bradley truly did have the feeling of a restaurant from somewhere else. They have established an atmosphere that immediately felt conversational. Intimate seating combined with warm, clean aesthetic touches of exposed brick, wood and piping create an inviting environment when you walk in the door. The aesthetic is a contemporary brand of rustic minimalism that is equally parts uplifting and upscale intimidation that lends itself as well to relaxed professional gatherings and solitary brooding. There is a part of me that is attracted to the idea of being that mysteriously well dressed man in the corner of a cocktail bar with subdued lighting.
What is he up to? Who hurt him? Who is he going to hurt? Who wears a pocket square?
Bacon & Eggs. (GF) Crispy braised pork belly, The Bradley potatoes, quail eggs, chef’s hot sauce, micro basil
All of these feelings came before I had any food set in front of me. I’m not going to dig into how I felt about every dish. I have already waxed poetic enough. The food is exquisite and ambitious. I loved every bite of what was brought to the table. The bacon and eggs was hands down my favorite dish that I have had in recent memory, and the scallops were simply remarkable. Rather, what I want to convey about the Bradley is the sense of enthusiasm that I felt during my visit from beginning to end. There is more to this place than great food and atmosphere. There is promise.
Seared Sea Scallop. (GF) Seared wild scallops, rosemary & Longship rose’ wine infused goat cheese mousse, chives.
The Bradley is another step in the right direction for Richland and for the future of the Tri-Cities. It occupies a space that few have successfully attempted to fill. I hope that there will be a day when we stop comparing ourselves to our metropolitan cousins, as if they have something that we lack. What we are fortunate enough to be witnessing is a developing culture in its infancy. The Bradley, in many ways, is an indication of just that.
VIBE The Bradley Facts- Bradley is located at 404 Bradley Blvd next door to Longship Cellars, at end of Howard Amon Park. They are open Tues thru Sat 3pm; closed Sunday & Mondays. Their menu is very Gluten Free & Vegan friendly which is so refreshing! Happy hour is Tues thru Fri 3pm to 6pm (menu here) & every Weds is 1/2 priced bottles of wine. The wine list is STELLAR everyone! Their menu changes & is updated often so don’t dilly dally to get in there. Possible bar / happy hour food menu coming soon. Text club text: BRADLEY to 78816 to be the first in the know.