About Café Bruges
The cuisine of Belgium is distinctive, but instantly recognizable. Strategically situated along the coast of northwest Europe, Belgium became both a prized target for foreign invaders and a center of international trade. This multicultural past has brought both a French refinement and a German heartiness to traditional Belgian dishes, many of which date back to the Middle Ages. At its heart, though, Belgian cuisine has a simplicity which relies on fresh, local ingredients to deliver tasty, healthy meals.
Café Bruges is a joint venture, combining the talents of four partners who between them have close to 100 years of experience in the restaurant world. Garret Hosler has helped to launch restaurants in cities across the country, including Philadelphia, Washington DC, Las Vegas, and Beverly Hills. With culinary expertise spanning three continents, Omar Taghi spent years working in Morocco, France, and around the United States before settling in central Pennsylvania. Ryan Twigg’s talent for organization comes from his years working in both the restaurant and the IT worlds. A fixture in the Carlisle restaurant scene for more than two decades, Ross Morris brings both the culinary talent and business acumen that made à la tarte and Piatto so successful.
The Building
Café Bruges is located at 16 North Pitt Street in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a site that has long catered both to weary travelers and hungry local residents. It was first constructed as the St. Charles Hotel at the turn of the twentieth century to accommodate passengers from the train station next door. The building was then home to the St. Charles restaurant for more than 60 years, and most recently housed the Red Devil.