Neil McLean in front of Brazen’s future home. (Photo by Mike Platania)
A veteran of the local restaurant scene goes his own way with a new concept.
Neil McLean is preparing to open Brazen in the former Lucky Whale and Olio space at 2028 W. Cary St. in the Fan.
McLean has worked in the back-of-the-house side of Richmond restaurants for over a decade, including at Tarrant’s, Max’s on Broad, Lunch and Supper and most recently at Pinky’s in Scott’s Addition. He said after seeking advice from Pinky’s owner Steve DeRaffele, with whom McLean has worked for years, he decided to finalize the deal for his own location on Cary Street.
“I’ve avoided the more serious side of the restaurant business (in the past). Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done management, ordering and all the kitchen stuff, but I never really wanted to commit 100 percent to something that wasn’t my own,” McLean said.
Although the name is spelled differently, Brazen’s menu focuses on braised dishes that are cooked slowly, usually over several hours.
“From a chef’s perspective, it’s food that’s interesting to prepare. It’s not something you just do quickly. It’s a long process and you have to take care of it,” McLean said.
One item on the menu that McLean is particularly excited about is braised short ribs with crispy polenta and a gremolata of roasted onions. He said there will also likely be beef bourguignon, lamb shank and oxtail, as well as salads, sandwiches and vegetarian and vegan options.
“The whole idea is that anyone can come here and find something that suits them, not just something that’s just an afterthought – something that was designed,” he said.
“We also want to do really interesting things with our daily specials. We’ll have a lot of sandwiches and a few main dishes, but the daily specials will be a focus of our restaurant.”
Brazen will be open for lunch and dinner and will feature a full bar. The 1,600-square-foot space will seat about 40 people indoors, plus a patio area with seating for 24.
McLean is currently clearing the space that became available earlier this year when Asian fusion restaurant Lucky Whale closed after about two years. McLean hired Mariya Boykova as interior designer.
Brazen is scheduled to open in October.
McLean said preparing for his solo performance was nerve-wracking, but he was confident Brazen would pull it off.
“I’ve done this my whole life and had a lot of friends who encouraged me,” he said. “And honestly, it was a moment where I thought, ‘If you don’t do it now, you won’t do it.'”
Other new restaurants on the way to the fan are Bar-Q, the Taking over the old Starlite roomand Susie’s, a Jewish and Mediterranean concept which goes a few blocks down Cary Street.
