Four years after opening his second restaurant on Richmond’s Bridge Street, restaurateur Gabriel Firman has closed the Big Spruce to focus on his original Hatchet, which will unveil a new menu this week under culinary director Christian Kruse.
Firman, 51, hired Kruse, a 2022 James Beard Foundation semifinalist in the Best Chef: Northeast category, earlier this year as Big Spruce’s executive chef. Kruse, 40, works closely with chef de cuisine Chase Dunbar, who came with him to Big Spruce from Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling in Essex.
Hatchet’s revamped offerings focus on “tavern-style fare with a wide range to speak to our community,” Firman said. Dishes include fried Brussels sprouts with lemon-garlic aioli; mushroom bao buns; a pulled-pork sandwich; and New York strip steak with potato purée and red wine jus.
For now, the former Big Spruce restaurant will remain empty, though Firman, who owns the building, promised that the popular creemee window will reopen in May. Firman and Kruse are taking the time to design a new restaurant for the location, which they expect to open in 2025. The concept is still under development, but Firman described it as “destination-level dining.”
This article appears in Oct 16-22, 2024.
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