BrickTop's Press & Reviews

“I hope you won't take my next statement lightly: I had the best crab cake I've ever had in my life. And I've been around the crab cake block, if you know what I mean!”
–Naomi Reiter, Naples Sun Times

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“Finally, I'm seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in what I call the re-gentrification of Waterside Shops. …It fact, BrickTop's scored a trifecta, winning in the categories of innovative cuisine, ambience, and affordability.”
–L.G. Gordon, Naples News

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“That small-world coziness is the unique advantage of BrickTop’s.”
–Carrington Fox, N’Focus Magazine

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“BrickTop’s is lively décor with fabulous food.”
–Sam Moser, Bonita Living

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Excerpts from the Kay West Review in The Nashville Scene:

Brick House
Published on October 12, 2006

“A small sign, framed like a family photograph and discretely displayed behind the host station, earned a check in the positive column for BrickTop’s before a single word was spoken or morsel of food tasted. An illustration of a cell phone encircled in red, with a slash through the middle—the universal code for “No”—tells visitors to West End Avenue’s newest restaurant what should be obvious: a dining room filled with folks gathering to share a meal and conversation is not the place for loud, one-sided dialogues…”

“…The restaurant abounds in warm hospitality and decorum…”

“The squared horseshoe bar, topped with mirrors angled down on guests’ heads, has already lured a slew of regulars for solo dining…”

“The bar—smoke-free like the rest of the restaurant and patio—is a pleasant place to meet friends for a drink or a meal.”

“The decor features brick-hued leather, rich maple, warm lighting, tall vases filled with whole fruit or palm fronds, and whimsical paintings of playful monkeys…”

“…a craving for deviled eggs, a side item that is already a calling card for BrickTop’s…”

“…the menu is yet another nod to civility…Its content is equally simple and straightforward: American bistro with uptown style and upscale accoutrements. A stack of wood piled up against the rear wall of the building fuels the wood-burning rotisserie—where the juicy chickens are hatched—and a wood-fired grill, which handles much of the entrées. The latter is key to the artichoke starter. The prickly treat is halved, oiled, cooked on the grill and presented, nicely charred, with ramekins of drawn butter and remoulade. Also of note is a classic shrimp cocktail, five large crustaceans steamed pretty pink and perched atop crushed ice, and the beef carpaccio—very rare shaved slices of tenderloin, fanned on a plate and topped with Reggiano curls and a tangle of peppery arugula, all lightly dressed with olive oil and citrus. Flatbread is an ancient execution of flour, water and salt, but BrickTop’s versions attract new fans to the crackly crust, delivered on triangular pewter trays.”

“BrickTop’s is not reinventing the wheel, or breaking culinary ground, but it is doing exactly what this team set out to do: create an independently owned restaurant with a personality and comfort zone that beats the chain gang at its own game. That’s called winning.”

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