Overview

BRONWYN is a restaurant and bar located in Union Square, Somerville, MA, featuring the cuisine of Central and Eastern Europe. BRONWYN will be open for dinner seven nights a week, and in fair weather an outdoor biergarten overlooks the bustling square.

The owners are Tim Wiechmann, chef-owner of T.W. Food Restaurant in Cambridge, MA, and his wife, co-owner, general manager and the restaurant's namesake, Bronwyn Wiechmann.

The cuisine at BRONWYN is inspired by the chef's own German heritage and it's surrounding regions: Austria, Northern Italy, Poland, Romania and Hungary. Chef Wiechmann spent much of his time as a young man living and traveling throughout Germany, Switzerland, and France, as well as greater Europe and Asia. The menu reflects his ancestry and love of German and Central-Eastern European cuisine.

Food

The style of cuisine that Wiechmann holds close to his heart is reflected in many of the Central and Eastern European countries whose borders interlock. While regional specialties do exist, there is a commonality binding them together: fresh, hand twisted sausages, many recipes of which are near-forgotten; breads, baked in the BRONWYN bakery, made of in-house-milled whole grains; a sour-chewy giant Bretzel with sea salt flakes and proper accompaniments; and tender variations of the versatile noodle that span the varied regions. It is Wiechmann's mission to bring these hand-crafted specialties that have given him much joy to his patrons.

Although surrounded by the authenticity of the German-influenced cuisine and surroundings, one will not forget the time and place, the seasonality and locale, of this urban New England establishment. The Northeast influence simultaneously and seamlessly plays a role in Chef Wiechmann's cuisine, and his close ties to local farms will provide much produce for the restaurant. Close attention is paid to the sourcing of ingredients, and the dishes will wax with the seasons, as the New England climate closely mirrors that of Central Europe.

Design

The rusticity of a European tavern, coupled with the handcrafted treasures of the Wiechmann's travels, embodies the ambience at BRONWYN. Upon entering the restaurant, one is reminded of the artistic spirit that imbues the neighborhood of Union Square. Family heirlooms, such as his great-grandparents' iron chandeliers, hand stitched "heimatwerk", and copper reliefs, represent the Wiechmanns' own collection of travels throughout Europe. In the dining room, gothic hand crafted chairs, cushioned with plush velvet, stand prominently around slatted wood tables, with period hutches serving as both decoration and utility. Re-claimed wood from the beaches of Maine forms the base of the biergarten tables, while the zinc bar, rescued from salvage and hand polished by the BRONWYN team, now glimmers upon entering the space.

Bar

BEER The Bier list, the perfect counterpart to the food, categorized by type: Lager, Pilsner, Hefeweizen and Special. Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic have given rise to and mastered these styles. An extensive selection of both European and homegrown authentic versions are represented on tap and in bottle.

WINE The "weinstube", or German wine tavern, is a cellar-like enclosure that is known for pouring regional wines. At BRONWYN, the wines are imported from the ancient vineyards of Germany, Austria, and the hills of the Alto Adige of northeast Italy. Rarely exported varietals, as well as the most noble and notorious grapes of the region, comprise the list. One can sip and swirl the classics or experience a totally new encounter.

COCKTAILS The cocktails are non-classical; each one is inspired from the spirits, traditions and flavors of Central and Eastern Europe. After dinner, one can sip rare schnapps made with fruit from the valleys and forests of Austria and Germany.