The end of an era for Cafe Bretton?

Nearly three decades since its opening, the chateau-like exterior of Cafe Bretton at 849 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard has become something of a Severna Park landmark. Its conical tower, hipped and gabled roofs, pediment topped windows, rustic touches and garden setting are reflective of the French countryside and of the fine French cuisine on the restaurant’s menu.

For multiple generations of local diners, stepping through the entrance to be greeted by Cafe Bretton’s welcoming general manager and head chef Victor Ledezma has been a lovely experience . The chef has been with Cafe Breton for more than 20 years. If the restaurant’s walls could talk, they’d have much to share. But so has Ledezma.

Cafe Bretton closed its doors for dining this Wednesday so renovations could begin. Its future is yet to be determined though the property may be sold. Regardless, Ledezma took the time to share much of its interesting history with us.

Though not in the U.S. during the 1970’s and early ’80’s, he learned that the building on the property at the time was called Brown’s Tavern, Talk of the Town.

Severna Park resident and well-known publisher Pat Troy recalls that the Talk of the Town had become quite run down by the late 1980’s when the tavern changed ownership. It was remodeled and transformed into a restaurant called Conrad’s which had a French chef. Troy remembered celebrating a birthday there in 1989. She said the exterior of building was painted blue at the time but retained its house-like characteristics.

According to Ledezma, when he arrived in the United States from Bolivia in 1984, he was sponsored by Severna Park resident Edward Dyas who owned and operated area restaurants including Bolongo Bay and Piccolo Roma. He worked for the Dyas family for six or seven years starting as a busboy and working his way up to waiting on tables.

“They were very good to me,” he said.

Ledezma subsequently moved to Baltimore and worked at a restaurant in Little Italy for six or seven years gaining valuable culinary experience.

After the death of Conrad’s owner in the early 1990’s, Dyas became the restaurant’s proprietor. In 1998 he invited Ledezma to come back to Severna Park to run it for him as Cafe Bretton – a fine dining establishment with a French menu, fine wines, white tablecloths, flowers and candles, art on the walls and a dedication to serving customers the best way possible. The young chef studied everything he could about French cuisine and he and Dyas picked out dishes for the menu together.

Meantime, Cafe Bretton’s new owner had been remodeling the restaurant, transforming its exterior to resemble a French chateau and creating a spacious indoor addition featuring beamed ceilings and an ornate fireplace. There were many unique touches inside and out.

At the same time, a courtyard dining area was added along with a terraced garden with additional tables above it – areas that served the establishment well on spring or autumn afternoons and came in handy when COVID protocols mandated outdoor dining only.

Typical of chateau-styled buildings, there are unique architectural elements along with fountains, statuary and a garden initially designed to provide the restaurant with fresh fruits and vegetables.

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Over the years Ledezma was assisted by a succession of other chefs. For their benefit and his own, Cafe Bretton hired a talented gardener named Bobby Riay to plant fruit trees and create a series of picturesque garden beds.

“Our gardener planted cherry trees, an apple tree, a pear tree, a peach tree, a fig tree and a persimmon tree which were wonderful. In the garden beds, he raised salad greens and green beans and squash and other vegetables and many herbs and flowers,” he reminisced. “It was great for us to have access to that fresh produce.

Sadly Riay passed away a few years ago. Without his supervision, the help hired wasn’t skillful and the garden deteriorated. Most of fruit trees, some of the flowers and a number of herbs are still productive but, of late, the restaurant sourced organic produce to guarantee the freshest possible ingredients.

Cafe Bretton has had a loyal following over the years. Pat Troy dined there many times and enjoyed taking visiting guests there. She fondly recalled one cozy evening there watching snow come down from their table by the window.

Severna Park native Lauren Garber remembers dining at the restaurant with her family from a young age.

“Cafe Bretton has long been our family restaurant. My grandmother Violet Weems and my uncle Stewart Weems discovered the place and fell in love with it. Before long, it became a frequent gathering place for my mother Valerie Garber’s side of the family,” she said.

Garber’s plain-spoken uncle liked fact that you could count on the food, wines and service to be first class every time you dined at Cafe Bretton. Dishes like Beef Bourguinonne and Duck Breast A La Bretton or desserts like Creme Brulee or Raspberry Crepes never failed to please.

In Garber’s grandmother’s case, Victor made all the difference.

“He always made her feel like a million bucks…especially as she grew older and had to use a wheelchair,” she said. “As soon as we’d come in through the little bar entrance, Victor would greet her warmly, grab her hand and give it a kiss and make her feel so special. Our whole family appreciated that.”

Garber likes that Cafe Bretton has been a place where you’ll see 20 and 30 somethings having a dressed-up date night along with generations of family having dinner together and enjoying each other’s company. She also liked that the restaurant exhibited art from local artists that you could buy and held special events like wine dinners.

Teresa Hales Tudor, who has been going to Cafe Bretton since 2000, has equally fond memories of the restaurant.

“Our family has celebrated many special occasions and birthdays at Cafe Bretton and we absolutely love it. Victor and his team make everyone feel like family. We’ve had baby showers and bridal showers there and its been phenomenal. We have many friends who’ve held their family events there as well,” she said.

She added that it’s a place you can take out-of-town guests to and know that the food and service will always be top notch.

“They’re so cordial and can’t do enough for you,” Tudor said. “The food is, I think, the best anywhere and certainly in Severna Park. We love everything they serve and would hate to see them go. ”

Indeed, many people, throughout the county, would hate to see Cafe Bretton go. As with other restaurants, COVID-19 took a financial toll. While it’s rumored the restaurant may change hands, we’ve had no confirmation it’s definitely for sale.

As for Victor Ledezma, he’s often thought of opening his own small restaurant with a formal yet intimate atmosphere and fine dining, Only time will tell what his future holds.