A European-inspired cafe and wine bar is set to open in Philadelphia’s Washington Square West neighborhood.
Scarlet on Pine, owned by Beth DeBruyn, will debut at 1108 Pine St., across the street from Louis Kahn Park.
“I love the location. I love the neighborhood. The building itself is so charming. There’s a tree and gas lantern out front. It has this herringbone brick patio in the back, and it fronts out onto these little alley streets, so you feel like you’re in the heart of a neighborhood,” DeBruyn told Whatnow Philadelphia.
DeBruyn has always had an affinity for cooking and baking, previously running a cottage baking business called Cakezilla from her licensed home kitchen, where she made special occasion cakes. Still, she always aspired to do more.
After her children grew up and she and her husband became empty nesters, DeBruyn attended culinary school before completing an externship at Michelin-starred New York City restaurant Dirt Candy. She also worked at Philadelphia’s Irwin’s and Rosemary.
“George Sabatino, he’s a phenomenal chef. He had moved over to Rosemary and was like, ‘I have a job for you.’ He had really been mentoring me before that, so I went to work for him. While I was at Rosemary, my dad passed away. He left me some money. I was like, ‘I want to try and do this on my own,’” she said.
With her background in baking and love of pastry and wine, paired with her husband’s background as a sommelier, the concept for Scarlet on Pine was born.
The interior will have a vintage feel with subtle nods to a classic French cafe.
“I want it to feel like it’s been there forever. I want it to feel comfortable and cozy. There will be woods, antique mirrors and objects that aren’t super modern,” she said.
The name Scarlet captures a sense of nostalgia and draws inspiration from a song.
“I was walking my dog one day, and this song came on my headphones. I was just listening to the lyrics, and it took me back to this time in my 20s when I was young and in love, and that is what I want to evoke from the space and my food,” she said.
Scarlet on Pine will operate all day, serving coffee and pastries in the morning before transitioning to lunch and dinner. The menu will reflect DeBruyn’s varied life experiences.
“My culinary degree was in health supportive culinary arts, so there will be a lot of vegetable focused dishes. My husband is a meat and potato guy, so we’ll have that. We got married in Boston and lived there for 10 years, so I have to have clam chowder on the menu, and I also love to make homemade pasta. It’s really a variety of everything,” she said.
Guests will also be able to stop by the restaurant to pick up bottles of wine, cheeses and homemade breads, including sourdough and focaccia, to enjoy at home.
DeBruyn is eager to see her culinary vision come to fruition.
“It’s been a long process, and it’s been in my head for a while now. What I’m most excited about is the first day of opening the doors and welcoming people in on a daily basis, people enjoying and celebrating with us,” she said.
Scarlet on Pine plans to open in Spring 2027. Stay tuned!
