By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
“Devin, he’s been cooking since he was standing on a stool with a plastic knife cutting Velveeta cheese,” Amy Colclough said of her son, Devin Colclough.
By junior high, Devin was accompanying his parents to the CNY Regional Market to select fresh produce and combining flavors in creative ways for his family in Baldwinsville. He went on to study culinary arts and service management at Paul Smith’s College and has worked as a chef in the Lake Placid area as well as at Kasai Ramen in Syracuse and The Chef & The Cook, which recently closed in Baldwinsville.
Now, the Colclough family is continuing their culinary adventure with the Brick-n-Barrel gastropub, located in The Chef & The Cook’s former spot in the village. Brick-n-Barrel features a revolving menu of classic American dishes — burgers, chicken sandwiches, macaroni and cheese — with influences from Korean, Jamaican and Italian cuisine.
“I just pull a lot of influences from all over the place. I just like to put food out there that is recognizable but in a little bit different of a way,” Devin Colclough said. “People might try bulgogi beef but they might not go to a Korean restaurant. If you put it in a cheesesteak, they might be willing to try it.”
Amy Colclough works in communications and her husband Bill works for a metal fabrication company. Amy said she and Bill understand how difficult the restaurant business can be and wanted to help their son share his culinary talents with the community.
“We’re really not restaurant people, but we’ve done our homework and we’re learning,” she said.
Just as Brick-n-Barrel was preparing to open, the coronavirus pandemic hit. Amy said the family rewrote their business plan several times before opening May 7 for takeout.
The response from Baldwinsville and beyond has been promising.
“Most people are from Baldwinsville area and they tell us, ‘We try to rotate what the takeout is and it’s nice to have another option. A lot of people know Devin and they know he’s a pretty good yummy chef,’” Amy said, adding that Brick-n-Barrel has had customers from as far away as Sherrill, Oneida, Munnsville and Rome.
The Colcloughs have been sourcing items from Upstate New York: coffee from Shamballa Café in Baldwinsville, bison from Glenwood Farms in Ithaca and beef from Shults Family Farm in Canajoharie. The family has been working with local contractors to revamp the historic building on Syracuse Street as well.
“It’s important to our family to do as much business locally as possible,” Amy said.
Syracuse-based photographers Mike Sweetman and Jen Hudson have been capturing Brick-n-Barrel’s dishes.
“We let him eat whatever he takes a picture of,” Amy said of Sweetman’s work.
Brick-n-Barrel is hoping to give back to the community as well. The Colcloughs recently donated wishlist items to the Baldwinsville VFW to help local veterans in need. Devin used to work with the Samaritan Center in Syracuse, so Amy said the family is hoping to partner with that agency in the future. And once the patio can open, Brick-n-Barrel is planning to host meet-and-greets with local adoptable pets.
Takeout orders are keeping the Colcloughs busy, but they are looking forward to opening the dining room and patio when it is safe to do so.
“I’m hoping that we can start seating people soon. We’re looking forward to providing people with a unique dining experience,” Devin said.
Amy and Devin both have gluten sensitivities, so they are hoping to dedicate part of their kitchen to gluten-free operations.
“I’ve got five or six people that have celiac that are consulting with me. We try to put one or two things on the menu that we can adapt,” Amy said. “A lady messaged me on our website and said, ‘I don’t live near you, but I can’t find good gluten-free food anywhere. I’ll drive to you.’”
The menu includes vegetarian options as well.
Devin’s goal is to refresh the menu regularly, especially as the seasons change, but some dishes are already gaining a following.
“I’m going to try to keep things fresh and new, but for the most part there will be a couple mainstays,” he said. “I tried taking the chicken sandwich off the menu and people were ready to riot.”
“He loves to make people happy with his food,” Amy said.
Brick-n-Barrel is located at 7 Syracuse St. in the village of Baldwinsville. Visit brick-n-barrel.com or facebook.com/BricknBarrel315 to check out the menu. Call or text your order to 315-720-3859 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Curbside pickup takes place between 4 and 8 p.m.
