PHILADELPHIA - Chef, and restauranteur Brett Naylor and his wife, Nicole Barrick, will open their newest venture in Philadelphia. The married couple will be opening a new restaurant The Wilder in Rittenhouse Square. The two will serve a modern, American-style menu, a wide variety of small plates, and a cocktail list that includes zero-ABV drinks. Besides their signature cocktails, Wilder will also offer a pizza kitchen, raw bar, crudo station, and full bar with a zero-ABV cocktail list.
Brett Naylor and His Wife, Nicole Barrick, Open Wilder in Philadelphia
The couple brought on longtime friend Bob Truitt as executive chef. Chef Truitt, a Food & Wine "Best New Chef" (pastry, 2013) with extensive experience in some of the world's best kitchens. This includes El Bulli, Corton, and the Altamarea Group, which will prepare creative seasonal cuisine that draws on these experiences.
Naylor says that the restaurant will be focused on seasonal American fare with European influences. It will also have an extensive raw bar and wood-fired pizzas.
The intimate third-floor private event space includes an open kitchen, a bar, and a 25-seat communal table. Once inside, guests will sit beneath antique gilded chandeliers, each one unlike the other. The use of colorful hexagonal tiles for flooring and dark wood, all combined adds warmth and depth to the space.
At the bar, a black-and-white stone countertop is complemented by 12 colorful leopard print bar stools. The adjacent lounge area offers an additional 14 seats for guests to enjoy as they wait for their table or casually enjoy a bite and drink.
Velvet teal banquettes and walnut tables line the main dining rooms on the first and second floors, offering seating for more than 120 guests. The space is adorned with brass accents, and a custom refinished antique mirror, placed along the wall in a creative tiled pattern.
Wilder will be open Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Later this spring, lunch and brunch services will be added
