Scene Flavor 2015 by Chava Communications

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MRN Hospitality is a Cleveland born and bred company that manages some of the city's most prominent brands. we strive for a new level of excellence in food, beverage, and entertainment.

Bites | Beer | Bowling

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Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Chris Keating

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Associate Publisher Desiree Bourgeois Editor Vince Grzegorek Editorial Managing Editor Eric Sandy Music Editor Jeff Niesel Staff Writer Sam Allard Web Editor Alaina Nutile Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Contributing Dining Editor Nikki Delamotte, Annie Zaleski, Rachel Hunt Stage Editor Christine Howey Visual Arts Editor Josh Usmani Interns Xan Schwartz, Brittany Rees, Brandon Koziol Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Hunter-Davis, Joseph Williamson, Savannah Drdek Classifi ed Account Executive Alice Leslie Creative Services Production Manager Steve Miluch Layout Editor/Graphic Designer Christine Hahn Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace Business Asst. To The Publisher Angela Lott Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Circulation Circulation Director Don Kriss Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Offi cer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Offi cers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner Chief Financial Offi cer Brian Painley Human Resources Director Lisa Beilstein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon

Cover photo courtesy of Dante

very year when we sit down to start planning this issue there’s almost too much to talk about. That’s a credit to Cleveland’s amazing dining scene, which seems to mature and grow every time we turn the calendar. Just look at the Flats, an entire entertainment and dining district that exploded from the pavement seemingly in the blink of an eye. There’s much to digest. It’s a time to look back and remember what we enjoyed from 2015 and take stock of how much has changed in just 365 days. There are more restaurants than ever, more cuisines than ever, and a whole new brand of places that didn’t even really exist before across Northeast Ohio (think Banter’s update on the wine and beer shop concept, or The Grocery in Ohio City, the glut of cold-pressed juice shops). If you’ve been following along every week with Scene dining editor Doug Trattner and contributor Nikki Delamotte, you know it truly is an ongoing conversation, an evolution. In this issue, they and others take a step back in one sense (to catch up with Lakewood’s burgeoning dining scene, for instance, or to grade the trends that have proliferated among any number of restaurants) and took a look forward (to see how restaurants evolve with the times, for example, or to check in with what some notable names have on tap for 2016). They check in on long-awaited changes at the West Side Market, highlight Cleveland’s strong vegetarian and vegan offerings, and more. We could go on, but at this point you should just dig in and enjoy it all for yourself.

www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, voicemediagroup.com Cleveland Scene 737 Bolivar Rd, #4100 Cleveland, OH 44115 www.clevescene.com Phone 216-241-7550 Retail & Classifi ed Fax 216-241-6275 Editoral Fax 216-802-7212 E-mail scene@clevescene.com Cleveland Scene Magazine is published every week by Euclid Media Group. Verifi ed Audit Member Cleveland Distribution Scene is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader

Behind the line....................7 Small vs. big .....................44 Get to know the folks in the back of the house that really make kitchens move

And the winners are ........... 15 Hometown favorites............48 The best things we ate all year

Local notables share their favorite notable meals

Change is good .................. 21 Boom town ....................... 51 Listening, learning and adapting in the Cleveland dining scene

Looking ahead to even more new restaurants set to open their doors soon

Treasure hunt ................... 25

What’s next? ..................... 53

The joy of finding and sharing hidden gems

Copyright The entire contents of Cleveland Scene Magazine are copyright 2015 by Euclid Media Group. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above.

Lakewood rising ............... 27

Subscriptions $150 (1 yr); $ 80 (6 mos.) Send name, address and zip code with check or money order to the address listed above with the title ‘Attn: Subscription Department’

The meat-and-potatoes city has its veg moment

How Cleveland’s western neighbor became a food destination

Trending .......................... 31 Buy/sell/hold on 2015’s trendiest dining trends

More than salad ................ 35 Market watch .................... 37 Long awaited changes -- extra days, parking, longer hours -- are finally coming soon to Cleveland’s venerable West Side Market

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The ups and downs of standing pat or expanding in the Cleveland food scene

We ask the people who would know what’s around the corner for Cleveland food

At home ........................... 56 A handful of Cleveland chefs share some dishes you should be making at home this winter

Advertiser index ................ 61 Do support the businesses and restaurants that made this issue possible

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Behind the Line Meet the people in the back of the house that really make kitchens go By Nikki Delamotte

hile chefs capture the limelight, sous chefs and line workers are the unsung heroes of the dining kitchen. They’re second or third or fourth in command, providing a role that can simply be described as workhorse. They too often don’t get the love they deserve, which is why we sat down with six of them to talk about their jobs, their careers, their relationships with their restaurants and chefs, and more. Ryan Bennett, Sous Chef at Grove Hill In the kitchen, timing is everything. And that’s never been clearer for Ryan Bennett as he

works alongside a seasoned chef like Tim Bando, who has spent decades in the restaurant business long before he opened Grove Hill (25 Pleasant Dr., 440-247-4800, grovehillchagrin.com) in Chagrin Falls. It was Bando who gave Bennett his first break as sous chef at the Tremont bistro Theory after he graduated from the Culinary Institute of Pittsburgh. Years later the two reunited in the kitchen, with Bennett joining Grove Hill this year as Bando’s sous chef. Much like Grove Hill blends antiquity with the modern, Bennett has observed from Bando that time and time again

days is his passion for foraging. It was with Bebenroth that he went on his first forage for ramps. “You can just go out into the woods and get these amazing fresh ingredients whether it’s chanterelles or morels or chicken of the woods,” he says. “All these things are right here in Ohio and you have great access to them.” Bennett’s return to working with his former partner at Grove Hill, much like the Earth-to-plate cycle he built his career on, signifies that with time everything comes full circle. “Something’s never completely done,” says Bennett of what he’s taken away from Bando’s attention to food. “There are always things you can learn from it.”

perfection comes from meticulous practice. “He just never stops,” Bennett laughs. “In the past, we’ll make something, and for weeks he’ll think about it and make little tweaks until it’s the way he wants it.” It was a lesson he carried with him long after Theory when he landed at Marigold Catering. There he became acquainted with chef Ben Bebenroth, who was using Marigold’s facility for prep work. Bennet soon joined Bebenroth’s Spice of Life Catering as executive catering chef. “Meeting and talking to Ben was the first time I got a real understanding of what farm-totable really meant,” he says. “I just think it’s the best way to do things. You’re keeping money in the local economy and you’re using real quality produce from people who pay attention to it.” After years of the deep-rooted practice becoming ingrained in him, it’s no surprise that Bennett’s favorite culinary techniques these days are those steeped in tradition. “Making charcuterie and terrines is something I’ve always been interested in,” says Bennett. “They’re the kinds of things which I feel at one time were dying out but are coming back around.” Also among the experiences he’ll carry with him from his Spice

Ryan Bennett

Photo by Emanuel Wallace

Angela Dighero Sous Chef at Blue Point Grille Sometimes the greatest inspiration comes from finding your way home. It’s been a long road back to Cleveland, but in talking to Angela Dighero, you’d never guess the Flats-dwelling sous chef at the downtown seafood institution Blue Point Grille (700 West St. Clair Ave., 216-875-7827, bluepointgrille.com) ever left. Dighero always loved cooking and trained formally as a pastry chef. Then, in her young adulthood, she set out for the South and ended up working her way through Florida kitchens for a decade. “It was a lot faster paced,” Dighero recounts. “Like two different worlds.” An ambitious newcomer on the dining scene, she barreled ahead in her culinary career, receiving her first promotion to sous chef at age 24. Focusing on her passion for seafood, she began at Perry’s in Aventura, where she met a chef who taught her the ropes. “I helped open the restaurant and I was supposed to be their pastry chef,” she says. “All of the sudden, an employee left and I got moved to the hot line, which I had never done before. He taught me this is how you sauté, this is what you do for the grill.” She worked in restaurants throughout the region until life led her clear across the country to Colorado. It was there that

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Behind the Line, cont. she landed at an Asian fusion restaurant that continues to influence her tastes today. After returning to Cleveland four years ago, she transitioned right into her role as sauté cook at Blue Point. Since becoming sous chef, she’s been putting her own

made with brown sugar. A lobster pho complete with a sashay of garlic, onion and black peppercorn is also known to grace her menu. Though Dighero is a Clevelander through and through, her passion for seafood fostered

satisfaction. “Each day you get a chance to try to recreate, or create, something better than the day before using just the same four simple ingredients – flour, water, salt and yeast,” admires Evans. Though he found an early home on the line at Fire Food and Drink even before graduating Loretta Paganini School of Cooking, Evans soon began coming in at 7 a.m. to try his hand at making bread for the restaurant. Between morning

Photo by Emanuel Wallace

Angela Dighero

touch on daily specials, especially drawing on her Asian-cooking stint in Colorado. “I like the fact that we can get such a different variety of seafood and ingredients that come in for specials,” says Dighero. “We’re able to play around and see what we can come up with.” Part of that, of course, is Blue Point’s dedication to sourcing fresh and sustainably. “I talk to our suppliers every day,” says Dighero. “Now, you can pull up the information on who the fisherman was. It’s something a lot of places don’t see very often.” When Dighero is at the reins, it’s not unusual for her to create dishes like a shrimp paid Thai

in Florida and experiences with cuisines throughout the country shines in the center of the city. “I think I’ve brought back a little bit of what I’ve learned from everywhere,” she says. Brian Evans Managing Partner at On the Rise In bread making, as in life, contentment has never been an option for On the Rise (3471 Fairmount Blvd., 216-320-9923, ontheriseartisanbreads.com) executive chef and partner Brian Evans. For those like Evans, waking before daybreak to chase the perfect loaf through all its subtle variations is the only

and night shifts, Evans immersed himself in the weekly North Union Farmers Markets right outside Fire’s doors in Shaker Square. He would return to sell bread at the Market after being recruited for his bread-making talents by the original team of Dim and Dem Sum food truck. But as his passion for baking grew, advice from friends all pointed him in the same direction. “Everybody I talked to said if you want to learn, the place you go is On The Rise,” says Evans. Under the guidance of owner Adam Gidlow, Evans’ ambitions were fast tracked. Together, they introduced lunch for the first time in On the Rise’s 14-year history,

with Evans taking the lead. Evans relied heavily on the farmer connections he cultivated while shopping at the Market for Fire. For example: the roast beef sandwich served on a baguette, one of the most popular items, uses grass fed beef from Miller Livestock. Before it’s roasted in house, it is rubbed down with a peppercorn blend and served with horseradish aioli and pickled shallots. “I want us to be able to educate our customers as much as we make sure they enjoy what they’re getting,” says Evan. “I love hearing from the farmers that someone was in here, had a sandwich and found out we were getting our products from them and then they turned and around went to the farmer’s market and bought some of their meat from them.” For as much as he revels in simplicity, Evans is always up for the next great challenge. It’s why his favorite bread to work with is sourdough, made with only a trio of ingredients. His next challenge is helping On the Rise make a transition, when it takes over a neighboring space for sit-down service and an expanded menu. “Since I’ve been here five years, every day we’re trying to do something just a little different,” says Evans. “Maybe we start things five minutes earlier or try the oven being hotter. There is no complacency.” Daniel Tobin, Line Cook at Batuqui As the son of a mother who was both Brazilian-born and lived a substantial time in Italy, Daniel Tobin spent his formative years in the kitchen reconstructing meals from his mother’s past. So when the young chef was offered a line position at the new Brazilian restaurant on Larchmere, Batuqui (12706 Larchmere Blvd., 216-8010227, batuquicleveland.com), he brought with him ingrained experience passed down through generations. “She was proud I was discovering part of who I was through cooking,” he says of his mother. Tobin fondly remembers nights around the dinner table sharing feijoada, a beef and bean stew

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once considered a peasant dish that’s become a national tradition in Brazil. Years later, he now makes the popular entrée daily at Batuqui. “Every culture has a dish like that, where you take the throwaway parts of the richer folks and the cheaper cuts left over,” he says. “It becomes transformative.” It’s that ingenuity through resourcefulness that Tobin embraces most in his new role. “When you’re given these ingredients that are more difficult to work with, where people might look the other way, to turn that into something anyone can enjoy, to me, that’s real cooking,” says Tobin. It was after work one day when Tobin began experimenting

with ingredients laying around that he made his first dish that became part of the menu, Pasta de Mariscos, a seafood pasta with mussels and squid in a tomato and cream sauce. Still, it’s the less common ingredients that most engage Tobin. One of his favorite dishes is Batuqui’s moquecca, because he gets to work with the less frequently used items like palm oil and coconut milk. Working in the small kitchen, the staff has become family and a constant source of knowledge and support as Tobin develops new recipes. He remembers watching executive chef and coowner Gustavo Nogueira’s mother Ana, who was visiting from Brazil, spending hours making perfect

Joe Lang

Behind the Line, cont. little fried snacks by hand, each coming out uniformly. “One thing I like about this restaurant is it involves a lot of intensive work,” says Tobin. “Everything is made in-house. You don’t see that kind of work that often in commercial kitchens these days.” Tobin finds guidance in the industriousness that surrounds him at Batuqui. Thanks to the diverse influences of Brazilian food, which draws from Africa and Eastern Europe, the chef’s work is never repetitive. “It would take a lifetime just to master the cuisine of one state, let alone a whole country,” says Tobin. “I learn new things every day.” Joe Lang Chef de Cuisine at Flour Long after Joe Lang first had his eyes opened to scratch cooking at Mom’s Diner in Orange Village, his culinary training at Loretta Paganini School of Cooking led him to an apprenticeship at Boulevard Blue, where chef Matt Mytro was leading the kitchen. It was then and there that Lang learned that the right partner is indispensable. It took little time to feel the synergy between one another. So it was no surprise that as soon as Mytro landed an executive chef role at Flour (34205 Chagrin Blvd.,

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216-464-3700, flourrestaurant. (Located directly left of the Walmart parking lot & in back of Subway) com), he called Lang to join him. Now cooking together for nearly Coffeehouse • Indoor Playground a decade, they’ve become one of Gaga Ball • Sports Court • Party Rooms Cleveland’s most dynamic duos. Visit http://cafeoplay.com or “First and foremost we’re LIKE the Cafe O’Play Facebook page! friends,” says Lang. “We don’t have to talk to each other much about things because I already know where he’s going with Cafe 1/29/15 everything he wants to do. It’s soOPlay 4color ad_37188W X 24H.indd 1 important to have someone you’re comfortable with. There’s that trust.” It was while working with Mytro at Boulevard Blue that Lang began fostering his passion for butchering, especially seafood. And when Mytro moved on to become executive chef at Paladar Latin Kitchen, Lang followed as his sous chef, where his skill and appreciation for the workmanship of butchery grew even deeper. He built on those experiences when the two traveled to Florida to open Red, The Steakhouse in Whether you’re celebrating the holidays, a special occasion, Miami Beach. Today, at Flour, he’s or just the end of the workday, Bistro 185 is the perfect mastered the technique, a skill he place to unwind and enjoy outstanding dining and drinks. shows off in the porchetta, a laborCatering & Holiday Parties intensive dish that consists of a Enjoy your party and leave the catering to us! pork loin wrapped in pork belly that’s been cured and brined over Monthly Specialty Dinners three days. Creatively themed wine, beer & spirit pairings “I was immediately drawn to breaking down the big stuff,” he Social Hour Specials M – F 4:30 – 6:30pm says. “The skill involved is just unbelievable. The simplest factor of just having a sharp knife is so 991 East 185th Street 216.481.9635 bistro185.com important. It really boils down to

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Behind the Line, cont. the basics.” That regard for the fundamentals was gleaned from Flour chef-owner Paul Minnillo, who Lang admires for his attention to detail down to the straightforward practice of ensuring a fine olive oil rests on every table. “I’ve learned the most from Paul and I guarantee Matt can say the same thing,” says Lang. “I get to pick his brain every day. Paul’s become like a father to me.” And Lang has good reason for soaking in his mentorship. One day he hopes to follow in the footsteps of restaurateurs like Minnillo and others like him. “These guys are putting their entire livelihood into funding and getting these places going,” Lang says. “I love learning about that because one day that’s what I want to do. I love cooking, but I’d love to have a restaurant of my own.”

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Mariah Dobies, Pasty Chef at the Butcher and the Brewer Sometimes all it takes is stepping up the plate to find your true calling. Such was the case for Mariah Dobies, who while working at her first job at Blue Door Café and Bakery in Cuyahoga Falls was asked by then-chef Jimmy Pintiello to execute the desserts for a 50-plate party. As surely as opportunity knocked, doors flew open for Dobies, who had been studying science-related fields at Kent State University when she decided instead to pursue culinary training at the Western Reserve School of Cooking. The night of the party, Dobies realized that she was on the right path, one that eventually would lead to her current role as pastry chef at East Fourth Street’s Butcher and the Brewer (2043 E 4th St., 216-331-0805, butcherandthebrewer.com). Though she grew up surrounded by a family who loved to cook, Dobies needed that push from Pintiello to get rolling.

“At the time, I didn’t know anything about ‘The French Laundry’ or ‘Charlie Trotter’s,’” she says of the classic cookbooks. “He was wonderful with always recommending cookbooks and lending his own.” She soon moved on to Hudson’s Downtown 140, where as pastry chef she worked alongside chef Jim Blevins, who would become instrumental in shaping her career. Next up for the ambitious young chef was Lola, where she landed a coveted pastry position. There the former science student built on her knowledge of chemistry while learning about making ice cream, sorbet and petit fours. Though she eventually left to enroll at Cleveland State University, Dobies again found herself working on East Fourth Street and working with chef Blevins when he beckoned her to join his team at the Butcher and the Brewer, where he was executive chef. “I don’t have to force anything to match his flavors and style,” she says. “He’ll know when I start working on a new dessert menu and he’ll come up with an idea I had just been thinking about the day before. We’ll have similar ideas on where the pastry department should be going without needing to sit down and have a meeting. It just naturally goes in the same direction.” Inspired by her first cookbook from famed pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini, Dobies plays up familiar flavors of nostalgia while staying seasonal. For example, a peanut butter cheesecake is topped with concord grape, caramel and homemade Cracker Jack. And with chocolate flying out the door at Butcher, a pairing with peppermint is sure to come. “Getting a dessert should be an experience,” says Dobies. “And it’s a lot more fun when it reminds you of something. That’s the last thing someone’s going to eat in the restaurant; it has to be memorable.”

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shaved red onion, a few ripe tomatoes and some greens. Drizzle it with some fresh lemon and you’ll swear you’re dining at a seaside taverna.

Grilled Octopus

Bone-in Ribeye @ Cabin Club 30651 Detroit Rd., 440-899-7111, Westlake, thecabinclub.com There are loads of reasons to adore Cabin Club, from the easygoing roadhouse vibe to the evenhanded tariffs for food and drink. But we go to steakhouses for steak and the Club’s massive bone-in ribeye, cooked to perfection on the restaurant’s raging Top Fuel broiler. Grab the hefty shank, slice through the meat, and take a moment to savor a truly great steak.

Lemon Soufflé Pancakes @ Fire Food and Drink

And the Winners Are… The best things we ate all year By Douglas Trattner

o many meals, so few napkins. It’s never easy to single out the best dishes from a year full of eclectic dining experiences. Over the course of 12 months I’ve covered nearly 50 restaurants and sampled five to eight times that number of starters, mains and sides. Best, as you know, isn’t about fancy or expensive. And best is subjective. For the sake of clarity, we’ll call these the “Best Things I Ate,” but in truth they are the dishes that most stand out in my mind as being memorable.

13220 Shaker Sq., 216-921-3473, firefoodanddrink.com I never order pancakes for breakfast; compared to biscuits and gravy or corned beef hash, who would? And the truth is, I didn’t order Fire’s lemon soufflé pancakes either. But chef Doug Katz, fresh off a pancake competition where he took top honors, insisted that we try them. Hot off the griddle, these light, airy and golden brown cakes – kissed with lemon and tangy buttermilk – will never leave a brunch diner with buyer’s remorse.

Spit-Roasted Chicken @ Campus Grille 10 Seminary St., 440-243-4229, Berea, thecampusgrille.com Berea might not sound like the place one goes to score killer Latino and Puerto Rican food, but that’s where affable chef Luis Roman opened up shop. Day in and day out, a broad mix of regulars line up for large platters of mofongo, roast pork and beans, and crispy Cubanos. But the best dish is the marinated and spit-roasted chickens, hacked in half and served with lime-and-cilantro scented rice and black beans.

Oysters on the Half Shell @ Alley Cat 1056 Old River Rd., 216-574-9999, alleycatoysterbar.com The view, along with the company, has everything to do with the quality of raw oysters. That might sound apocryphal, but once you’ve sucked back a platter of raw bivalves on the water’s edge, all others

Falafel @ Café Falafel

Oysters on the Half Shell

Grilled Octopus @ Santorini 1382 West Ninth St., 216-205-4675, santorinitaverna.com This has been the year of the “octo,” with numerous restaurants offering one version or another of this oft-challenging sea beast. It’s not surprising that Santorini, a Greek restaurant, does it best. Firm, meaty and charred from the grill, the sliced tentacles are paired with

Photos by Emanuel Wallace

3843 Riveredge Rd., 216-688-0330, mycafefalafel.com Falafel is like guacamole in that everybody has his or her own way to make it. After trying Café Falafel, my favorite recipe currently belongs to owner Ehab Enaia. Take a bite and peer inside and you’ll see a shade of green so vivid and fresh, it can only come from heaps of fresh parsley and cilantro, which also serve to keep the patties moist and light. Small-batch frying in peanut oil produces the perfect golden brown shell.

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And the Winners Are, cont.

Photo by Emanuel Wallace

Bone-in Ribeye pale by comparison. That’s why the oysters at Alley Cat, which has unobstructed watery views, taste just a little bit sweeter than those shucked elsewhere.

Korean BBQ @ Seoul Hot Pot 3709 Payne Ave., 216-881-1221 Gather some adventurous friends around the grill tables at this recently revived Asiatown icon for some amazing grilled meats, namely galbi and bulgogi, spiral-sliced bone-in beef short rib and thin-sliced beef sirloin. Sure, it takes some work manning the grill, but the experience is so unique it more than makes up for it. When done, the flavorful meats are tucked into a lettuce leaf along with sauces and garnishes and popped whole in the mouth.

Gumbo @ Chow Chow Kitchen 14201 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-712-4126 Call it soup, stew or chowder, the gumbo served at this Southernthemed café and carry-out is one of the best ways to spend $4. Served atop a bed of fluffy white rice, the gumbo is smoky, spicy and deeply flavorful, with tender chunks of pork and okra bobbing in the rust-colored gravy.

Peddler’s Noodle Soup @ Phusion Café 3030 Superior Ave., 216-861-3399 Tainan is the culinary epicenter of Taiwan, and one of the most beloved dishes to enjoy while there is danzai mian, also known as Peddler’s noodles. New to the Asiatown scene, Phusion introduces local diners to this and other Taiwanese dishes previously unavailable in these parts. This complex bowl features chewy noodles, minced pork, boiled shrimp and crisp bok choy in a shrimp flavored broth.

French Onion Egg Rolls @ Graffiti Social Kitchen 2017 E. 9th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 | 216-331-6289 | adega9.com | @adegacle

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1261 West 76th St., 216-651-6969, graffitisocialkitchen.com High-concept food isn’t always worth the effort. Deconstructed, reconstructed or simply fooled-around-with, fun food sometimes just isn’t. That’s not the case with Okin and Bostwick’s French Onion Egg

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And the Winners Are, cont. Rolls, which have been a staple of the Graffiti menu since the start. Sliced on the bias, the slender rolls are filled with caramelized onions and gruyere cheese, so that when dipped into the accompanying broth, the flavors are a dead ringer for the classic soup.

Jerk Chicken

Slyman’s Fries @ Syman’s Tavern 6901 Rockside Rd., Independence, 216-642-0062, slymanstavern. com The guys at Slyman’s might have no idea what poutine even is and yet they managed to create a Cleveland-style version that is an instant classic. At its heart is a pile of crispy crinkle-cut fries, which serve as the base for heaps of fluffy chip-chopped corned beef, melted Swiss cheese sauce and a shower of green onions. Those snooty Québécois have nothing on us!

Jerk Chicken @ International Restaurant 7823 Cedar Rd., 216-339-4544 No two jerk chicken recipes are the same, which means that every new dish is an opportunity to be pleasantly surprised. I was blown away after finally making it to International Restaurant, a rough-hewn carry-out just a few blocks off the Cleveland Clinic campus. Dark as night from a cornucopia of spices, the meat is tender but not falling of the bone, with a deep, intense and mounting heat.

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Change, Change, Change Listening, learning and adapting in the Cleveland dining scene By Douglas Trattner

hen Jonathon Sawyer opened Trentina in University Circle, the concept was hailed as a game-changer for the Cleveland dining scene. The chef’s ambitious tasting menu-only restaurant, which compelled diners to submit to a three-hour, 15-course parade of provisions, was unique not only for Northeast Ohio, but also the country, where only a handful of well-regarded chefs were successfully pulling off the feat. But just a few weeks into the experiment it became clear that the model wasn’t working – for the chefs, for the restaurant, and for the dining populace. Sawyer, like numerous chefs before him, was forced to make a very public change of course. “I think it’s a mid-major market thing,” Sawyer says while sipping coffee on Trentina’s attractive front patio. “If we had opened Trentina in San Francisco, it would still be Trentina, you know? In smaller markets like Nashville, Portland,

Charleston, Cleveland, you only have three million people you can reach within an hour, so you have to adapt to the people, even if you don’t want to.” Observe a chef-owner during the lead-up to opening day and you’ll see a man or woman obsessed with details. From the menu to the stemware, every last facet of the operation is scrutinized, labored over, and reworked in the brain and on paper until it is just as it should be. But restaurants are like people, continually shifting

to adapt to changing trends, times and technology. Well, the successful ones anyway. “I think it’s change or die,” says Jonathan Bennett, chef-partner at Moxie in Beachwood, which is in the process of executing its first major conceptual overhaul in years. Very soon, diners at this 18-year-old East Side staple will begin to see a considerable transformation taking place on the pages of the menu. Gone is the small-, medium- and large-

plate format that “confused diners” and attempted to coerce them into eating more than they wanted. It has been replaced by a more straightforward roster loaded with salads, sandwiches and entrees built around smaller portions of protein that allow the restaurant to reduce prices. “The thought process behind it is that five to 10 years ago we ate out maybe two or three times a week as a general population,” Bennett explains. “Today, we eat out six, seven or eight times a week, but our

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budget for eating out has not doubled or tripled along with it. You have to accept that you just can’t have the menu price point that we used to have and expect to do 200 covers on a Wednesday night.” Whether he wanted to or not, Bennett changed the way he and his team have been doing things for almost 20 years because his customers changed the way they dine out. The restaurants that seem to last the longest are the ones that listen the closest to their clientele’s wishes. “You always had to listen to your customers, but nowadays even more so because everything seems to count more,” notes Ricardo Sandoval, owner of the nearly 20-yearold Tremont mainstay Fat Cats. “Thanks to social media everybody has a voice now, so if they don’t like something they are going to post it. If they do like something they are going to post a picture of it. In the old days you didn’t have to worry about shit like that.” When he first opened Fat Cats, the menu read like pretty much every other contemporary

Italian restaurant, where meals consisted of tortellini soup, steamed mussels with garlic sauce and huge plates of veal Parmesan. The only “vegetarian” dish around was the arugula and mozzarella salad. That’s hardly the case these days. “It used to be all about me and I made all of the decisions, and I never even thought about vegan, vegetarian or gluten-free dishes,” he says. “Nowadays you have to listen to what your customers want and make a change.” It’s not just the types of foods people eat these days that has changed, adds Sandoval, it’s the way they eat. He recalls needing to gently remind diners of his restaurant’s two-hour time policy, which aimed to free up the table for future diners. How positively genteel that sounds these days, he thinks. “In the old days people would dine and die at the table,” he says half-jokingly. “Now people are on their phones the whole time trying to decide on their next move.” The demand for quicker meals that still satisfy increasingly

Photo courtesy of restauranttrentina.com

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Change Change Change, cont.

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finicky diners has led to the proliferation of QSRs – or quickserve restaurants, which offer highly customizable food in a fast-casual operation. That was precisely the format Bac Nguyen was banking on when he dreamt up Ninja City, his Asian-fusion version of Chipotle in University Circle. While he ended up tweaking the concept to include a full bar and service staff, his menu stuck with the build-your-own-bites format, with diners selecting everything from the base (banh mi, rice bowl or bun) and protein (chicken, pork, shrimp, tofu) to the veggies (pickled carrot, bean sprouts, jalapeno) and sauces (ginger soy, lime aioli, roasted peanut). The result was a combination of chaos in the kitchen and remorse at the tables, reports Nguyen.

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Change, cont.

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Change Change Change, cont. “People were making just horrible combinations, like putting spicy aioli on their noodles,” he says. The scene behind the swinging kitchen doors wasn’t much prettier. Imagine a ticket for a table of four, with each diner getting two dishes, each with numerous variables, and you begin to get a sense of the bedlam that befell the cooks. A complete reformatting of the menu followed, one which replaced unfettered customization with more traditional entrees. “Now we have more composed dishes where you just pick a protein, which makes the kitchen operate much smoother and guides customers towards combinations that make a lot more sense,” Nguyen says. Sawyer’s Noodlecat restaurant has experienced

market was ready for his take on similar tweaks and adjustments an authentic ramen shop. since opening four years ago, “I thought because of the but the most dramatic one was success of Greenhouse Tavern saved for last. Long gone are the days when a diner had his or I could do the most Japaneseinspired, neo-Tokyo ramen her a choice of nearly a dozen shop,” Sawyer explains. “I noodle soups, more than 30 thought, let’s do a slurp shop add-ons, plus a roster of salads, that takes starters, steam buns, sides and “I cannot bring myself Japanese street food seriously. specials. to buy something That was a silly In a move decision by me.” that pushes that I wouldn’t But for Sawyer’s operators noodle bar want to serve to my like Sawyer, ever closer to friends. Bennett, fast-casual, Sandoval, the downtown Nguyen and restaurant others, there exists a limit to recently unveiled a menu that how much a person will alter dramatically limits options core beliefs to cater to public while still giving the diner a considerable measure of choice. demand. “The one thing I can’t bend The change was a sort of mea on is what we bring in the back culpa from Sawyer, who at the door,” Bennett says. “I cannot time of opening believed the

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bring myself to buy something that I wouldn’t want to serve to my friends. And with some of the labor crunches of the day, it’s tempting, but my ego will not let me go there.” Sawyer refuses to budge on sourcing, too, saying that no amount of pressure will compel him to veer away from using the best quality local, sustainable and humanely raised products that he can track down. At some point it’s no longer about dollars and cents; it’s about common sense. “Our decision-making process has nothing to do with anybody else but us,” he says. “Is this something our kids will be proud of us for, is this something we can be proud of, will it help us to attract more talent, and will it get more people to come in our doors. That’s our mentality.”

Treasure Hunting The joy of finding and sharing a hidden gem By Douglas Trattner

hen an article I wrote on a tiny barbecue/hot dog stand in Lakewood called The Gorilla ran in early spring, the response was swift and strong. Illustrated with a food-porn pic of a smoked beef brisket slider called the Prime King, all drippy with horseradish cream sauce, the short news item racked up thousands of hits in no time. One frustrated visitor who had made the trip after reading the piece tweeted out a picture of a hand-scribbled sign in the window that read “Bobo’s is sold out.” (FYI: Bobo’s Smokin BBQ is no longer part of the Gorilla but they promise to resurface somewhere and sometime soon.) One can never accurately predict which stories will resonate with the readers, but it’s safe to assume that socalled hidden gem places like Bobo’s will strike a chord with the food-obsessed masses. I’ve experienced similar responses to articles I’ve written on burgers, tacos, pupusas, falafel, oxtail stew, Cubano sandwiches and Asian noodle soups, to name a few. Discovering joints like these is always a thrill, and unearthing them is a bit of an obsession, a nice diversion from the usual two-meals-and-done weekly reviews. You’d think I get “hot tips” from readers all the time, but, chalk it up to human nature, most people only reach out when they’re pissed off about something. Don’t believe me? Take a gander at the comment section of any online publication. The point I’m trying to make is, it’s surprising how infrequently readers offer up suggestions to places I’m unfamiliar with. Even new owners, sidetracked with the endless challenges of opening a business, rarely reach out. My own personal discovery

process usually boils down to a combination of tactics that range from friendly tips to lucky discoveries. Barroom ramblings, rattled off when the sun is low but hunger is high, often lead to notebook-worthy leads worth tracking down in the light of day. New, old or something in between, these off-the-troddenpath places might be familiar to some but they generally are not familiar to many. Surely some local food scribe had devoted a few lines of prose to the infamous Ruby Burger, I assumed, which has been the specialty of the “house” at the shabby Payne Café for some time. But after a friend who works in the area talked it up I found no mention of it in the foodie firmament, so off I went for lunch. Like most great “finds,” the success of any story relies on intangible nuggets of color above and beyond the food. In the case of a day-drinking dive where the owner pours drinks with one hand while flipping burgers with the other, well, there’s no shortage of color. I owe a debt of thanks to the pal who tipped me off to

the oxtail stew at tiny Ocho Rios, a Jamaican joint in South Collinwood. The dish – and pretty much everything else served here – blew me away, so I was flabbergasted that the place was a virtual digital media ghost despite the fact that the place had been open for about six months. Of course, the weathered façade doesn’t foster much confidence, but I’ve been to enough Jamaican shops to know that one should never judge a jerk by its cover. One of my all-time favorite reporter experiences landed me in a back-alley tortilla-making factory where a giant Rube Goldberg-like contraption spit out a continuous stream of warm and fragrant corn tortillas. The minority-owned food startup had recently launched, selling only to a handful of Mexican groceries and restaurants, including Orale Mexican foods stand in the West Side Market. In fact, it was owner Roberto Rodriguez who tipped me off to the product and the operation. The business, La Bamba Tortilleria, has since expanded and relocated. I have a sort of directive that guides my discovery process. The farther away something is, the more unique it needs to be to get me there. That’s why I was in no hurry to drive across town to a small Middle Eastern place, hardly a rarity in Cleveland. But at the urging of a food-obsessed friend I made the trip to Café Falafel near the Fairview Hospital, where I found Cleveland’s best falafel, proving once again that surprise waits around every bend. It’s not just hole-in-the-wall spots that grab and hold my attention. When I first reached

out to the people behind Choolaah Indian BBQ, they told me the same thing they told every other reporter who had been watching the lengthy construction unfold: Thanks, but we’re not ready to talk. And why would they? More than five years in the planning, the genre-bending concept still was undergoing final tweaks when I approached the owners for a scoop. In the end, after multiple visits and a lengthy exclusive, the owners credited the published piece as an invaluable asset that helped clear up misconceptions about the restaurant and help get them off to a strong start. A similar thing happened after I wrote about the delectable fried chicken at V’s Gourmet over on Lakeshore Blvd. When it comes to fried chicken, being told that there will be a wait is a very good thing. It usually means that the chicken will be fried to order. That’s definitely the drill here, where even those wise enough to call ahead end up twiddling their thumbs. But the result is quite possibly the best fried chicken in the city. I heard from plenty of converts after I mentioned the place, and a during visit by some Scene staff members, the owners said they were tickled with new customers that had made the trip based on our recommendation. Almost as much fun as shining a bright light on a promising new spot or overlooked outpost is hearing how well the destination is doing in the wake of the press. Too bad that only happens once in a blue moon because, as we already discussed, most people only reach out when they’re pissed off about something.

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Lakewood Rising How and why Cleveland’s western neighbor is becoming a dining destination like no other

eagan’s Kitchen & Bar opened in downtown Lakewood in 2010 in a space occupied by a string of prior businesses that never really lasted. From the start, the gastropub distinguished itself from other eateries in town by offering an ever-evolving, carefully curated beer and cocktail list, a thoughtful menu featuring upscale bar food, and weekly specials such as Taco Tuesdays and Vegan/Vegetarian night. In hindsight, it’s clear that the arrival of Deagan’s lit the fuse on a Lakewood dining explosion. During the last five or so years, nearly 40 new restaurants or food-first establishments have opened in the city. Gone are the days when Lakewood was considered a dive bar mecca. Today, “it’s become an area where great chefs want to be,” says Deagan’s owner Dan Deagan. In some ways, that desirability is a function of geography. Lakewood’s close proximity to I-90 and the Shoreway makes it an accessible destination for both east and west siders. The city is a manageable place to maneuver thanks to abundant (and often free) parking and a bike-friendly and walkable landscape. There’s also the matter of changing demographics; Lakewood has experienced an influx of families and young professionals, which Dru Siley, the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Lakewood, says has

Photo by Emanuel Wallace

By Annie Zaleski

Dan Deagan led to “demand for restaurants that happen to have a bar.” Eric Williams, the chefowner of the Lakewood-based modern Mexican restaurant El Carnicero (as well as Ohio City’s Momocho), also has noticed evolving dining habits within the local food scene. Ohio City is now known as a “beer destination,” while the Flats and E. 4th Street have evolved into the city’s entertainment districts. However, he says, “What the majority of chefs and

restaurateurs that are moving into Lakewood are doing, either as their second or third location—or their first location—is diversity.” Indeed, Lakewood diners now have a dizzying choice of ethnic cuisines, from Asian fusion (Roxu Fusion and Voodoo Tuna) to Indian (Namaste) and LatinAmerican (the Colombianinspired Barroco). Burgers 2 Beer recently opened to please carnivores, while Southern comfort food

outpost Chow Chow Kitchen and sustainability-minded gastropub Forage offer unique, adventurous menus. Perhaps more important to the success of many of these new high-quality places is that they’re reasonably priced, says Barrio owner Sean Fairbarn. “People want to dine out, and when you want to have affordable food—[and] all of these restaurants in Lakewood are very affordable—you can go out,” he says. “You can go out a few nights a week, too.” Of course, Lakewood’s stubborn iconoclastic streak, which manifests itself in fierce pride and a desire to champion local businesses, also has contributed to the dining scene’s growth. “I think the residents of Lakewood see what’s going on in Lakewood and want to support it,” adds Fairbarn. “That’s important.” Barrio, which opened on Madison Avenue in mid2013, not only adds another affordable option to the mix, it gives diners another reason to support the local food scene. “We’re here to complete the neighborhood,” Fairbarn says “We’re not here to compete. We want more people coming out of their houses. The more people out on the streets, and the more people coming to this area, that’s what Lakewood’s all about.” It’s worth noting that Lakewood’s veteran eateries are very much keeping pace with the newbies: Lakefront

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Lakewood Rising, cont.

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Machaca Tamale from El Carcinero seafood staple Pier W opened a rooftop patio in 2013, while the venerable Players On Madison recently reinvented itself as Sarita following an ownership change. Many of the operators that Scene spoke to also praised what the city has done to cultivate a community where restaurants can flourish. Specifically, they cite Lakewood’s reputation for safety and cleanliness, as well as its involvement in keeping the infrastructure in top shape. “The city takes care of the city,” notes Deagan. “They put all that money into downtown Lakewood to make it look better. They just completely repaved all of Madison. Having the city be really interested in taking care of the infrastructure helps a lot. It’s a city who wants businesses and people to move in. The city makes it very easy for businesses to succeed.” Indeed, before Deagan opened Deagan’s Kitchen, he met with then-councilman, now-mayor Mike Summers to “get a sense of how the city would perceive us, and how the city would welcome us.” He came away satisfied: “Everyone that we talked to went out of their way to make us feel

comfortable, to give us what we needed.” Unrolling this welcome mat is something upon which Lakewood prides itself, according to Siley. “We know that these restaurateurs are going to make a big investment in our community. They’re going to bring new food, but they’re also bringing jobs and they’re making major investment in our 100-year-old buildings. Our mantra has been, ‘We want you to invest in your project, not City Hall’s process.’ So to streamline that process and make it easy for them to open a business has been crucial for us.” As a result, the city has simultaneously positioned itself as a repository of useful information about buildings that might be for sale, as well as tips about restaurant-friendly landlords or other businessrelated matters. (Williams says he’s even been given recommendations for parking lot resurfacing or where to get new windows.) One of the city’s newest restaurants, Cleveland Vegan, benefitted in a more tangible way when a portion of its building renovation was grant funded through the City’s Commercial Property

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Revitalization Program. That was “very helpful, especially when we had just opened,” says Cleveland Vegan co-owner Laura Ross. “We had a very positive experience with the city.” That sense of camaraderie and positive interaction trickles down to the restaurant community itself, which seems to operate more like a family than a cut-throat enterprise. When Deagan’s Kitchen was still new on the scene, Melt Bar & Grilled owner Matt Fish often sent overflow business his way, recalls Deagan. Newer kid on the block Williams, in turn, states that Deagan has been just as supportive. “I can just call him and ask him a question, like, ‘Hey, last year you did Taste of Lakewood. They asked me to do it this year. What should I expect?’” he says. “And [he’ll tell me] every detail.” Can Lakewood’s dining renaissance be replicated in other communities? Perhaps. It all depends on a variety of factors: population density; the presence of an ambitious community development group; and whether or not a city government is committed to investing in its own infrastructure or willing to work with prospective

business owners. “I have friends who have opened restaurants in other cities that have had nothing but trouble with the council, the building department, stuff like that,” Deagan notes. Having a strong network of community support also helps. Siley notes he works in tandem with LakewoodAlive and the Chamber of Commerce to ensure “there’s no wrong door into Lakewood.” “You’ll hear other communities talk about collaboration as though it might be a new thing for them,” Siley says. “My role, and my peers at City Hall, we’re part of that continuum that collaboration is the way things are done in this community. We’re naturally geared toward being inclusive and welcoming.” Lakewood’s distinctive confluence of geographic and economic factors and dedication to collaboration have certainly proved a boon for Dan Deagan: Five years in, he says, Deagan’s Kitchen is thriving, while sister establishment Humble Wine Bar, which opened down the street in 2013, is “doing fantastic.” In fact, he doesn’t mince words about his love for the city. “If I could open 10 places in Lakewood, I would.”

The Trend Report

Grading this year’s dining fads, trends and duds By Douglas Trattner

he dining scene is constantly evolving here and afar. Trends emerge and ideas are borrowed; when something works for someone, others try to adopt it. Sometimes that’s a good thing. Other times, that’s a bad thing. It’s a shifting landscape and thankfully some stick around while others disappear. We’re thankful, for instance, that cold-pressed juice is now readily available in Cleveland, and that Cleveland’s barbecue scene is heating up. We’re also thankful, on the other end of the spectrum, that some trends of years past are slowing down -- putting an egg on everything, adding bacon to every dish just because, using mason jars instead of pint glasses.

Which brings us to 2015 and trends we’d like to see go away, and some others that we’d like to see started. Buy: Artisan Butchery God bless the butcher without whom we’d all be pale vegans. That’s why we’re thrilled that established butcher shops like Mr. Brisket, Jaworski Meats, Raddell’s and the Sausage Shoppe are being joined by sustainably minded startups like Saucisson, Ohio City Provisions, Butcher and the Brewer and, hopefully, others. Bring on the meats! Sell: Fast-Casual Concepts Every other day, it seems, we learn of yet another attempt to create the next “Chipotle version of X.” Thus far, we’ve had way more misses than hits, proving that not everything is suited to the sideways-shuffle model of dining. Tacos, sushi, Indian, ramen, pizza and even burgers all are getting the QSR treatment. I forget; was the old way of doing things broken? Sell: OpenTable Sure it’s convenient, but did you know that for every reservation you make through the website the restaurant owner pays $1? That might not sound like a lot but it can add up to $10,000 per year – and that’s on top of the pricy

annual fee for the system that manages reservations. You know what also works? The telephone. Buy: Bubble Tea Who doesn’t love sucking chewy tapioca balls through a giant straw into one’s mouth? Okay, maybe we didn’t sell it as well as we could have, but bubble tea is refreshing, delicious and a welcome change from the same-old potions. A staple of the Asian community, this sweetened tea beverage is blended with milk and augmented by add-ons like tapioca pearls, fruit jellies and bean pastes. Hold: Poutine A few years ago, almost no shops around here served poutine. These days, everybody is doing it. The bad news: most of it stinks. There’s more to poutine than simply using french fries as a base for whatever else you feel like eating. Chili cheese fries is not poutine, even if you call it that. Unless you can deliver perfect fries (double-fried), rich, flavorful gravy (meat-based is best) and fresh, squeaky cheese curds (not too cold), please don’t call it poutine. Buy: Wine on Tap Wine on tap made its first appearances in Cleveland about five years ago, but the

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The Trend Report, cont.

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trend has barely made it out of the starting gate. Draft wine provides the freshest possible product at the lowest possible price while boasting the smallest carbon footprint of its kind. Yes, there are more places than ever to get a glass of tap wine, but that number should be much, much higher. Buy: Nashville Hot Chicken If you cross Southern fried chicken with Buffalo-style chicken wings you end with Nashville hot chicken, a spicy concoction that is sweeping the nation. Like poutine, the dish keeps popping up in and around town. But as with poutine, few of those places are doing it right. The secret sauce is a quick post-fryer bath in molten fat mixed with thermonuclear spices that leave the bird crispy and hot as Hades. Hold: Hot Dogs Move along; nothing to see here. We’ve got just enough hot dogs banging around, thank you very much. While we all lament the untimely demise of Steve’s Lunch, no amount of newfangled (or old-fangled) hot dog joints will ever make up for it. Until something truly new and different – or old and special – comes around, we’ll stick to the ones we already

know and love. Or we’ll have a burger. You can never have too many good burgers. Sell: Sabrage Whoever came up with the idea of sabering a bottle of Champagne should himself be sabered. For the uninitiated, the process involves using a large saber (who even has a saber these days?) to open a bottle of bubbly by removing the entire neck, collar and cap with a swift upward swipe. To some, it’s celebratory. To the rest of us it just looks like a waste of perfectly good champagne with a glass-shard kicker. Buy: Wedge Salads Order a wedge salad and your tablemates look at you like you’re a Ben Carson supporter. And that’s if you’re lucky; most restaurants stopped selling the darn things in the ‘90s. With layer upon layer of appealing texture, I’d argue that iceberg is the croissant of lettuces. Cloaked in a puddle of creamy 1,000 Island or bleu cheese dressing and capped off with bacon, maybe some ripe tomatoes and chopped red onion, the Wedge shouldn’t be a wedge issue among friends.

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– AN EXCERPT FROM THE SPICE FOUNDING MANIFESTO, 2005

It’s no coincidence that the growth of Cleveland’s economy corresponds with the rise of our local food scene. Thanks to your commitment, this community is changing for the better. We’re proud to take part.

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egetarianism, once seen as a lifestyle choice synonymous with animal rights activists fresh off the bus from Lilith Fair, is now attracting new disciples, with plantbased diets being touted by celebrities like President Clinton and Beyoncé, and high-end grocery stores Whole Foods and Earthfare carrying more organic specialty items than ever. “Ten years ago when I went to restaurants in Cleveland, no one had any idea what I was talking about,” says vegan restaurant owner Austin Ruesch, whose Helio Terra Vegan Café has attracted notable customers like Awolnation and Lauryn Hill. “Now, every server, bartender, manager, and cook knows what vegan means.” Shelley Underwood of Johnny Mango World Café also has noticed a sea change during her 19 years in business. “People know about juices and tofu now,” she says. “When we first opened, people didn’t know what these things were. When we put ‘juice bar’ up on our

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The meat-and-potato city has its veg moment By Rachel Hunt window people thought that we were going to be a strip club because you couldn’t serve alcohol in those establishments back then so they would call them juice bars.” How vegan terminology wound up in the Cleveland vernacular, a city that seems to cling to tailgating staples like burgers and brats or ethnic meals built around pork is anyone’s guess, yet it could have something to do with that meat-and-potatoes diet we’re known for contributing to many a natives’ demise.

“I don’t have any health issues but my father did,” notes Joseph Joseph, vegan co-owner of the plant-based cafe Beet Jar. “People say it’s family history, but I think that’s reversible.” Along those same lines, chef Anna Harouvis of Good To Go Café seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of her customers by providing access to wholesome choices. “I lost my father really young. He had diabetes, leukemia, cancer, and heart disease. My legacy is to leave a healthy one for him. I’m

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Raw Burger at Cleveland Vegan

just trying to change the way that we see fast food and add a healthy option.” In addition to selling a full lineup of her Anna in the Raw cold-pressed juices to professional athletes, Harouvis offers up an equal amount at no charge to Cleveland Clinic cancer patients. After all, she’s witnessed first-hand the benefits. “You start meeting these athletes and they tell you how much better they are performing or that they cut out dairy and they don’t get sick as much and have longer seasons.” No matter what the impetus is for choosing a healthier diet, veganism has evolved in recent years and increased accessibility to plant-based foods has made it easier than ever to sample the lifestyle. The creative cuisine served at the above restaurants as well as staples like Pura Vida, Tommy’s Restaurant and The Root Café are living testaments that vegan and vegetarian offerings need not (and should not) be limited to bland tofu. “The issue is that you can’t just take out meat, dairy, and cheese and then expect it to taste good,” explains Laura Ross of Cleveland Vegan. “There has to be some thought process into flavoring the food. Sometimes I’ll go out and see a vegan offering and the idea of it sounds really great, but it’s not always executed well.” Jodi Rae Santosuosso of Daily Press could not agree more. Santosuosso, who grew up working in a family restaurant known for its meat dishes, now manages to please picky diners – including her father – without using any. “Yes, you can make a burger vegan by taking the patty out, but it takes a creative person to recreate the flavor of the patty with nuts or beans. My dad is obsessed with the chili and the seitan pulled pork. He’s amazed that there’s no meat in it and it’s so cool to see him share it with his friends, but it wasn’t always that way. “

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One of the newer health food trends is “raw food,” or unprocessed foods that have not been heated above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Raw food is said to retain all of its natural enzymes and nutrients, and that’s why Ruesch has made it a staple of his menu at Helio Terra. Good To Go Café boasts a menu that is roughly 60-percent and strives to be 100-percent non-GMO. Cleveland Vegan tempts their customers with a variety of raw treats including a pumpkin pie tart, date chocolate bar, and lemon lavender cheesecake. Daily Press swaps out raw specials like zucchini pesto pasta for cauliflower risotto. In addition to raw and oilfree foods, many of these businesses provide a large if not entirely, gluten-free menu. Take it one step further and consider all of the ingredients that adventurous highend chefs are now feeling comfortable using in their own kitchens: weeds like dandelion, foraged mushrooms and truffles, nut milks and the possibilities are endless for dehydrated raw foods. “No one was really taking it seriously, but as national chefs were recognizing it the more people were getting excited,” says Harouvis, who staged at Grace, a Michelin three-star

restaurant in Chicago, with renowned chef Curtis Duffy. “If you see it going to that level where people paying up to $700 for a [vegan] tasting it’s not going away.” Harouvis recently presented a sold-out raw-vegan, gluten-free dinner at the Culinary Vegetable Institute of America with Farmer Lee Jones priced at $130 a seat. Now, restaurants all over the city are cashing in, offering vegan nights on statistically slow weekdays. TownHall (1909 W 25th St), Deagan’s Kitchen & Bar (14810 Detroit Rd., Lakewood), and even dives like Now That’s Class (11213 Detroit Rd.) have dedicated vegan menus one evening of the week. It has left longtime vegetarians scratching their heads after feeling like black sheep for so long at family gatherings. With more options to choose from, each specializing in something a little different and many opening their doors within the last year, is there enough business to go around for all of these vegan-friendly eateries? “The vegan places seem to be the ones that are doing alright,” says Harouvis. “It’s funny how it’s switched. The vegans are the breadwinners and everybody else is trying to figure it out.”

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Market Watch

From paid parking to extra days, the long talked about changes at the West Side Market are closer than ever to happening. But plenty is still up in the air By Annie Zaleski

rior to the West Side Market’s 100th birthday, the Ohio City Near West Development Corporation (now known as Ohio City, Inc.) oversaw a West Side Market Centennial Commission organized at the behest of Mayor Frank Jackson. In March 2011, this commission released a lengthy report analyzing the Market’s current operations and areas of need, and recommended a comprehensive series of changes for everything from the parking lots to lease structures to the building itself.

This document preceded a flurry of centennial-driven 2012 discussion about the future of the West Side Market, which is owned and operated by the City of Cleveland. Although an early 2013 fire dampened the conversation, chatter about parking lot construction started back up in fall 2014 and again this summer; schedule modifications once again also seemed imminent. In fact, as 2015 draws to a close, many of the long-discussed possible West Side Market changes finally seem likely to happen.

Really. “A lot of the changes have to do with the how the City of Cleveland administers the lease of the property,” says Joe Cimperman, city councilman for Ward 3, which includes the West Side Market’s Ohio City neighborhood. “So we’re the landlord. And so figuring out the hours we’re going to be open, the days, how everything’s going to work. We’re getting really good feedback from some of the market vendors about things that would work really well for them, and we’re reviewing them. “We’re hoping that by the time the lease has to be reviewed by the vendors that the stuff we have been talking about will be more solidified,” he continues. “But we’re absolutely moving forward with the things we had talked about earlier this summer.” These include two gestures that reflect—and acquiesce to—modern grocery shopping habits: having the West Side Market be open an additional day, Sunday, and keeping it open later on Wednesdays. Other potential changes include signing up vendors to multi-year

leases (currently, they’re renewed on a yearly basis) and loosening open container restrictions in the Market. Separately but simultaneously, long-discussed plans to merge the parking lots behind the West Side Market also appear to be all systems go. “The City received multiple bids on the project earlier this month,” Ken Silliman, Mayor Jackson’s Chief of Staff, tells Scene. “The next step is for our Board of Control to authorize a contract with the lowest responsible bidder.” This construction, which Cimperman estimates would begin at the end of the first quarter of 2016, would create one larger lot, creating over 100 additional parking spaces. And after this project is complete, paid parking is likely on the horizon as well. The exact scope and timeline of these West Side Market operational changes and parking lot adjustments are still being worked out. (In fact, any changes to Market hours or days must be written into tenant leases, which at press time weren’t yet available.) What’s clear, however, is that these changes represent far more than just extra parking

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Market Watch, cont. or another day in the week to buy groceries. “Basically, what the reforms are all grounded in is, ‘How do we completely integrate the life of the Market and the neighborhood and the city?’” Cimperman says. That’s easier said than done, however. Because there are so many different stakeholders involved, any proposed changes to the West Side Market reverberate well beyond the building walls. In fact, about the only consensus is that all parties involved want what’s best for the West Side Market and Ohio City, and want to see the both thrive and grow for years to come. How that happens—and how best to make that happen—is where things diverge.

he West Side Market was founded in 1840 and moved to its current location in 1912. It’s come a long way since then: In fact, the Market has become a must-see tourist attraction and a nationally recognized landmark. In 2010, Food Network magazine named it the “Best Food Lovers’ Market” in the country, while the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern included several vendors in its Cleveland guide, and the Cooking Channel’s Pizza Masters visited the market in early 2015. This heightened profile has coincided with the exploding popularity of the Detroit Avenue, Lorain Avenue and West 25th Street corridors, which have become a haven for beer aficionados and restaurant-goers alike. In fact, Ohio City Inc. executive director Tom McNair says the commercial vacancy rate in the area around the market currently stands at below 2%, down from around 40% in 2009. However, boosting the surrounding commercial corridor is just one facet of the strategy in play to support the Market and foster growth, McNair says. Increasing residential

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development is another: Ohio City has approximately 10,000 residents, but there are over 800 units of housing currently under development, McNair notes, which will increase the neighborhood population. The idea is to create proximity shoppers, “the types of people who would shop at the market on a consistent basis, as opposed to, say, being one of those people who comes in and shops once a month at the market,” he says. “The more people we can add to this neighborhood, the more likely it is that there will be people who want to shop at the market, because it’s a very special place.” That it is: With over 100 vendors, the Market itself is its own self-contained business district offering everything from produce to pierogi to pasta. Many of these vendors have been at the market for decades, creating a familiar, family-like atmosphere that’s been passed on to multiple generations of shoppers. However, the Market’s traditions are also one reason why enacting change is so difficult: In fact, its current Monday-Wednesday-FridaySaturday schedule is a holdover from the time when it was open on opposite days as the Central and East Side public markets. Both of these, however, closed in 1988. “I work with my mom, and she’s been there 45 years,” says Ryan Sheppard, the owner of Frank’s Bratwurst and the current president of the West Side Market Tenants’ Association. “You know, creature of habit. After 45 years, when somebody wants to change something, everybody gets nervous about it. I see it first-hand. It’s hard— because I’ll stand there, and people will come up [and] they’re like, ‘Oh, it’s so slow today’ or it’s this, or that. It’s really easy to complain, but when you try to come up with a solution to fix the business or the problem, and

then they complain about that. It’s like, ‘Well, make up your mind already.’” Sheppard says he’s proposed some things to ease the transition, such as a trial period where rent would stay the same even with the extra day open, so people can then “re-evaluate the situation next year to try gauge people’s business and their opinions and the customers’ opinions and how convenient it is for everybody.” (Rents aren’t necessarily increasing, he clarifies—the possibility of a boost just worries vendors, since it’s unclear whether having the Market open another day might involve higher costs to accommodate additional staff.) Plus, vendors won’t be required to work on Sunday; the day is completely optional. Cimperman suggests these operational alterations won’t all roll out at once, which should also make changes easier. “We’re going to take this thing in steps,” he says. “There’s a way to do this, and it doesn’t have to be all at once. It doesn’t have to be jumping into the freezing shores of Lake Erie.” He estimates that the Market being open on Sunday would happen first, “in the next few months,” with some form of extended Wednesday hours coming after that. “That may not be every Wednesday,” Cimperman says, “but that’s definitely something that the Mayor’s looking at, in terms of how would that work for staffing. “As much as we want to get all this stuff done, we recognize completely that there’s an infrastructure in place—a human infrastructure—that you don’t want to put everything so much at once that it ends up failing, because it was overload,” he adds. Of course, not every vendor is resistant to progress. “I would love to see more parking, because the neighborhood has grown,” says Don Whitaker, owner of D.W. Whitaker Meats,

which is celebrating 25 years at the Market in 2016. “I’m not knocking the growth or anything—it’s nice to see people down there. The hours—I think we need to address them. Sundays, I’m not against it. We will open. And it would relieve the parking stress, too, if you had more choices to go on the weekend. I know a lot of people are working during the week. “I can’t speak for everyone in the market—I know there’s a lot of people very passionate about not opening on Sundays,” he adds. “But if it happened to Whitaker Meats, we would adhere to the lease and do it, because if the customers want it, we will know if it’s a success. There’ll be people there.” Indeed, changing consumer habits are a major reason for the proposed changes: People are often still at work during the current West Side Market operating hours, while weekend days are popular grocery shopping days. According to McNair, the market attracts over 10,000 shoppers on a Saturday and draws 1.8 million visitors annually. That’s a healthy number, but it’s a far cry from the 4 million shoppers that visited in 1950, when Ohio City’s population was greater than it is now. “The truth is, food is a multi-billion dollar industry in Cleveland,” Cimperman says. “The West Side Market happens to be the Vatican of food, in terms of our city. It’s very holy and respected and sacred. And if we only adjusted it a little bit, I think the amount of commerce that we could get there would be incredible, and I think the people who would benefit most from it would be the vendors.”

o many vendors, one of the biggest deterrents to West Side Market growth is the lack of parking in the neighborhood. “Overall, the biggest concern is, business is slow because there’s

Market Watch, cont. no parking,” Sheppard says. “Anybody you talked to, they’ll say the same thing.” However, it’s not just Market patrons and vendors feeling the strain: As anyone who’s attempted to park in the lots on a day when it’s open will attest, it’s often a challenge finding a space. Complicating matters is the fact that these lots aren’t populated exclusively by Market visitors. Parishioners of Saint Emeric Catholic Church, which was reopened by the diocese in 2012, park in that lot when they attend mass. And, to the chagrin of many, plenty of non-Market patrons use the lot as a parkand-ride outpost for the nearby RTA routes, or leave their car there when they go to ballgames downtown or head to nearby St. Ignatius. And then there’s the separate issue of Ohio City residents feeling squeezed— after all, many depend on street parking because they have no driveways. (To combat this, Cimperman says a residential permit system could be in play as soon as summer 2016.) Consolidating the lots behind the West Side Market—which will be managed by the City of Cleveland—should help ease some of this daytime crunch. But even that’s fraught with complexity and controversy: Although it’s likely this combined lot will no longer have free parking, it’s yet to be determined how much this might cost. Several options are being considered, although the most likely direction seems to be free parking for a certain amount of time—possibilities include 30, 60 or 90 minutes, or even two hours—and then a charge after that. (Cimperman says Mayor Jackson is currently reviewing the various parking proposals.) Ohio City restaurateur Sam McNulty feels “strongly” that there needs to be a parking charge, but says “we want to be an example of best practices. We very much want the parking

fee to be very affordable for all. We don’t want there to be any financial barrier to entry. We want all walks of life—folks from all socioeconomic levels—to be able to park and visit the neighborhood, be it the market or the other businesses.” In this, everyone seems to be in agreement. Cimperman says West Side Market vendors have told him maintaining some amount of free parking time is important, because for some of them, “up to 30% of their business are individuals who come there on food assistance.” Furthermore, the councilman also assures that Mayor Jackson is on the same page in terms of affordability: “[He] has been very clear that this is not downtown parking—meaning, if the NCAA Championships come here, we’re not going to be charging $50 per car. It’s something that’s going to be affordable.” Much more contentious is how the resulting revenue is going to be distributed. The combined lot comprises two separate lots: the smaller Hicks lot, located directly behind many of the Ohio City businesses and restaurants, and the larger West Side Market lot. Silliman tells Scene revenue generated from the latter lot is earmarked for parking bonds and “must be sent to the bond trustee,” under the terms of a 2006 agreement. The Hicks Lot, however, is another story. Because it was purchased with Community Development Block Grant funds, what the City does with the revenue is much more flexible. In fact, Silliman says they “intend to apply net revenues from the Hicks portion of the consolidated lot to West Side Market capital and operating needs.” McNulty, however, would like to see this non-bond-dedicated revenue be used as a tool for economic development, a way to sustain both the West Side Market itself and the surrounding areas. “Half goes

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Market Watch, cont.

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till, there’s anxiety around when tenants will have a concrete idea of how to plan for 2016 from a financial and employment standpoint. Whitaker in particular says if the Market hours and day changes go through, they’d have to hire more people. “My full-time staff is working 40 hours plus overtime already now with our current hours,” he says. To some, this uncertainty is exacerbated by a lack of communication. “I’m pretty open to any changes,” says Emma Beno, owner of the Pork Chop Shop. “The only thing I really feel strongly about the changes is there should be a better open discussion on them, and less us finding out through the newspaper. I pretty much don’t know anything that someone who doesn’t read The Plain Dealer would know. We don’t know any extra information.” Beno stresses that any friction isn’t necessarily a City of Cleveland vs. tenants adversarial situation—but a byproduct of the complicated nature of any proposed changes. “Like anything else, when you’re discussing really major changes, you’re going to have some very

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to the West Side Market for physical improvements, basically to improve both the physical structure of the market and to market it, brand it, promote it, etc.,” he says. “And the other half of the money stays in the MDIC [Market District Improvement Corporation], and goes to improving the neighborhood.” According to Silliman, this scenario is hampered by existing legislation. “We cannot legally split Market parking lot net revenues with a private entity because the Ohio Constitution specifically prohibits sharing municipal revenues with a private organization.” Moreover, McNulty isn’t convinced that having the City of Cleveland oversee this new combined lot is the best course of action. He’d rather see the MDIC manage the parking. “They’ve done a brilliant job cleaning the streets, having ambassadors out, painting over graffiti, walking people to their cars,” he says. “They’ve done a tremendous job improving the neighborhood.” Silliman says this also isn’t an option. “The net revenues from the main lot are pledged to bond repayments,” he says. “The net revenues from the Hicks lot are public moneys, not private moneys. Moreover, a report prepared by Ohio City prior to the Market Centennial urged the City to make the West Side Market self-sufficient. Allocating the Hicks lot net revenues to Market capital and operating needs furthers this purpose.” How the parking charges and revenue dissemination shake out is still up in the air—and out of all the changes, neither clarity nor implementation are likely anytime soon. “There will be no charge [for parking] until the [construction] project is done,” Cimperman says. “My gut is it’s an 11 to 12 month construction project, meaning we won’t even be thinking about fees for parking until spring of 2017.”

opposing opinions,” she says. “And that’s going to cause friction between anybody. That would cause friction between a brother and a sister, or a mother and a father. “It doesn’t have to do with the fact that they’re the city and we’re the tenants. It’s just that these are major topics that are going to take a bit of time to really work out all the details and get the best options for the market and the neighborhood in general, to make sure that…we do the best job of accommodating everybody.” A desire to have input into these changes informs why McNulty and a small group of Ohio City business owners and other stakeholders have been meeting for the past year on their own separate, independent proposal which addresses both the potential parking lot changes and future revenue distribution. “As a group, [we] have invested tens of millions of our own money in the neighborhood, have spent many, many years of our lives living and working—and playing!—here, and employ many hundreds of people in the Ohio City neighborhood,” McNulty

says. “All three aspects of our involvement in Ohio City would be directly and tremendously impacted by decisions made in City Hall without any of our input whatsoever.” According to him, their group has also been dogged by a lack of communication: Once the city caught wind of these meetings, McNulty says Silliman “reached out and said, ‘Hey, we want to have a meeting of neighborhood leaders.’ So we all got together at the Ohio City Incorporated office. It was folks from inside the market and outside the market, business leaders. That was meeting number one. Ken said, ‘Hey, the discussion starts now— we want to be transparent, we want to work with you.’” However, according to McNulty, there have been only two meetings since that initial one with Silliman. (“Despite requests” for additional ones, he notes.) One meeting involved West Side Market business owners, while another— separate—gathering was with Ohio City business owners. “We were all perplexed as to why, [because] the conversation was very much collaborative with both groups,” McNulty says.

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Market Watch, cont. “We all agree that what’s best for one side of the market wall is best for the other side of the market wall,” McNulty says. “And when we all discussed afterwards, the two groups were told very different stories.” In response, Silliman says, “Sam sought a meeting with the City for the express purpose of reversing our decision regarding the Hicks Lot net revenues. We declined to meet on this purpose. That said, City officials are willing to meet with Sam and any other interested merchants at any time to discuss any other aspects (e.g., parking rates) of the operation of the new consolidated parking lot.” And as for the reason for the separate interviews? According to Silliman, “Councilman Cimperman asked us to meet with each constituency—the

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Market tenants, the West 25th merchants, Saint Emeric Roman Catholic Church—according to a schedule, and we followed that schedule.” As a business owner who’s been involved in the Ohio City neighborhood for over 20 years—and has been both witness to and a partial cause of its explosive growth— McNulty understands more than most the complexities involved with all of the proposed changes. “We all benefit from a more vibrant neighborhood,” he says. “It just so happens that the businesses inside the market have the city as a landlord, whereas outside the market it’s the private sector. “My only concern is that we do what’s best for the neighborhood,” he adds. “I want to do what’s best for both the residents and the business

owners of Ohio City.”

hat other solutions might there be to alleviate the parking crunch? One option might be using the Lutheran Hospital parking lot down the street, which tend to empty out at night, for overflow. “Lutheran has been very good about working with the neighborhood and offering up their lots for events,” McNulty says. “And they’ve indicated they’re willing to talk about some kind of a shared-use. During peak hours for breweries on the street would be off-hours for Lutheran, let’s say. If we could work out some way that works for everybody, all of a sudden we access so much parking, and the neighborhood has plenty of surplus.” (In response to a query about

the possibility of this, a Lutheran Hospital spokeswoman told Scene, “Our parking lots at Lutheran Hospital are currently used for patients, visitors and employees to ensure they have convenient access to the hospital. While we continue to make our lots available on a case-by-case basis to Ohio City, Inc. for select nights and weekends, our focus remains on the parking needs of our patients and visitors.”) Another option being talked about is turning on the Market District parking meters on weekends. To do so would require special legislation to go up for a vote via Cleveland City Council, Cimperman says, but that would free up 150 more spots on the weekend, traditionally a busy time for the area surrounding the Market, since meters typically turn over faster. This is also something

Market Watch, cont. in the works: According to Cimperman, there’s “a draft of legislation” for this proposal. However, McNair points out that “we’re never going to park our way out of that problem” of having too few spaces. “There’s never going to be enough parking for everyone to park.” As a result, he and Ohio City Inc. are “comprehensively looking at different ways to better connect people to the Market.” This includes collaborating with the RTA to implement a discounted pass program for Ohio City workers, so they can utilize the nearby W. 25 - Ohio City Rapid Station or one of the nine bus routes in the neighborhood. (This program looks likely to appear in the spring, Cimperman says.) Bike accessibility is another option; in fact, McNair says the city planning commission just adopted a proposal to place the city’s first two-way

protected bike lane on Lorain Avenue, which would link the Market District more directly to downtown. Above all, the West Side Market changes are representative of a cultural shift not just internally, but also within the neighborhood and society as a whole. If there’s cold comfort, however, it’s that public markets all across the country are navigating how to transition into the 21st century. Take Cincinnati’s Findlay Market, Ohio’s oldest continuously operating public market. Like the West Side Market, it’s proud of its tradition and history; in fact, Communications and Program Director Karen Kahle says they have a sixth-generation merchant whose family has had a presence there since 1855. However, Findlay Market is also located in what Kahle calls a

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“shifting sands” neighborhood (Over-the-Rhine) and faces parking challenges. In recent years, Findlay Market extended its hours into the evening, and added things such as live music and a seasonal weekend beer garden. But after it decided to add Sunday hours in 2009—a move Kahle said “had a lot of resistance” from merchants—it ended up being an incredible boon for business. “You would not find a merchant in our market who would give up Sundays,” she says. “It’s our second-busiest day. During our peak season, eight, nine thousand people come through here on a Sunday. It’s also pretty amazing in that our Sunday hours are 10 [a.m.] to 4 [p.m.], and our Saturday hours are 8 [p.m.] to 6 [a.m.]. So in four fewer hours, we get eight, nine thousand shopping visits, where a busy Saturday is like

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ten to twelve [thousand]. So we probably, per hour, have more shoppers on Sunday now. “Some of the merchants say they make as much on Sunday as on Saturday, in four fewer hours,” she adds. Will changes to the West Side Market reap similar dividends here in Cleveland? That’s the million dollar question. “I think there’s no way to know [if the changes are good] unless you try,” Sheppard says. “They could be good; they could be bad. But if you don’t try something, how are you going to know? I’ve done plenty of things with our food truck that ended up failing, but now I know a lot better now than I did before of things to pick and choose from, and all that stuff. So it’s a gamble. And people don’t want to take risks. “I guess if you don’t try something, you’ll never know.”

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Small vs. Big

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ine years ago Matt Fish unveiled Melt Bar & Grilled in a tatty Lakewood bar that barely accommodated 50 guests, and that’s counting the folks sandwiched in at the bar. Jump to today and that number lands somewhere around 800 when you tally up all the seats found throughout Melt’s six locations spread across two cities. If bigger is better, then by

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all outward measures Fish is a restaurant success story, a paradigm to be analyzed and emulated by every ambitious new restaurant owner out there. In the restaurant industry there seems to exist this belief that the measure of a chefowner is determined by the number of seats and units under his or her control. But along with increased revenue and, hopefully, profits

often come diminished food and service quality, additional labor headaches, crushing debt and the reduced likelihood that you will be doing something you love in a place that feels like home. “There are parts of me that wish I had never expanded because life was a lot easier, it was simpler,” Fish admits. For 16 years Karen Small has, as numerous deferential

chefs have expressed, “kept her head down and worked.” Throughout her tenure as chef and owner of Flying Fig, Small says that she never once seriously considered opening another restaurant. Of course, in the beginning an operator is too focused on the day-to-day tasks to look down the road, but it didn’t take long for Small to recognize and accept her path.

Small vs. Big, cont. “As time went on it became pretty clear to me that the way to maintain quality and maintain consistency and maintain the vibe that I wanted to have in a restaurant personally was to keep it small and single-unit,” she says. “When I talk about quality I’m talking about being able to make sure that everything that goes out on a plate is the way we want it, and I think that’s difficult to do if you’re extended too far.” Call him a control freak, but chef and owner Nolan Konkoski is not comfortable – or even familiar – with the concept of delegating much responsibility at his 75-seat Southerninfluenced eatery SOHO Kitchen. Throughout his career Konkoski has only worked in small restaurants, absorbing everything he needed to know at previous places of employment like Lopez, Momocho and Tartine. “I don’t know how some of these guys do it; it’s hard enough to run this one small place,” Konkoski says of his multi-unit colleagues. “The more things that me and Molly [Smith] can have a hand in and touch, keep an eye on and control, the better our restaurant is going to be.” We keep hearing about the

talent crunch that is affecting the local restaurant industry, and those issues only seem to get exacerbated with each additional linear foot of kitchen line and square foot of dining room space. Odds dictate that the more employees one is compelled to hire, the more incompetent staffers one is bound to bear, says Konkoski. “You’re always at the mercy of other knuckleheads,” he states matter-of-factly. “Whether it’s on the line, serving tables or bartending, this business is populated by a lot of people who aren’t very good. The bigger you are, the more people you have to have on staff, the more issues you will have because the talent pool is only so big.” Lean operators like Konkoski, Small and others also are less reliant on multiple partners, investors and lenders, all of whom can muddy the waters when it comes to quality, efficiency and peace of mind. “To open a restaurant is a lot of money, but it’s a lot easier to open a small place from a financial standpoint, in terms of the amount of equipment you’re going to need, decorations, seating…,” says Konkoski. “You always hear nightmare stories about bad partnerships in this business.

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To open a 300-seater, I can’t even imagine.” Matt Fish can. To the outside world it must look like Fish is rolling in dough, what with his soaring celebrity status and vast, expanding empire of grilled cheese restaurants. But the truth is that each of those shiny new eateries cost mountains to erect, the type of investment that will take years to recoup. “My life from day one was if this fails I walk away basically free and clear. I tried, it didn’t work and I can bounce back and start over again,” Fish says of his humble beginnings. “But now I’m so far in debt that I would need 10 years to dig myself out of the hole. That weighs over my head in ways that it never did.” For owners, restaurants are

places, it always came back to small. The nice thing about a small space is it doesn’t take a lot of people for it to feel like something cool is going on in there, and that makes people want to be there.” What’s more, adds Oryszak, when that small space begins to show its age, it will be a much more manageable endeavor to refresh and revive it compared to a 300-seat beast. “If you’re around long enough, everybody is going to have to do it eventually,” Oryszak says. “So in 10 years from now when Punch Bowl Social starts to look dated, are you going to renovate the entire place? If our place looks dated 10 years from now it will be a lot easier to renovate because it’s small.”

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“When you have a restaurant that operates on its own because of very good people who have been there a very long time it does become enticing to put your energies into something else.”

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not merely homes away from home; they are your home. The amount of time spent at the shop compared to those few, blessed hours of slumber back at the crash pad are so lopsided that you might as well make sure your surroundings match your preferences. That was the mindset of Jonah Oryszak, who designed his intimate 50-seat Ohio City bistro The Plum around the notion of personal comfort. “If you’re going to open a place, to spend this much time and uproot your whole life working on a place, it should be the kind of place you would want to go,” Oryszak says. “When we sat down and started thinking about all of the coolest places we’ve ever been and what we like about those

All of the above is not to say that small, successful restaurants don’t have their share of shortcomings. If you are lucky enough to make it as long as Karen Small, you too might have cobbled together a reliable staff of veterans who can function just fine in your absence. For creative folks like chefs, stagnation is its own kind of suffering. “When you have a restaurant that operates on its own because of very good people who have been there a very long time it does become enticing to put your energies into something else,” Small admits. “In a successful restaurant there are not a whole lot of avenues for change. When people like you how you are, you don’t want

Small vs. Big, cont. to be completely different tomorrow.” Konkoski concurs, but says that he and partner Molly Smith always manage to talk themselves off the ledge. “When you’re creative people you can’t help think about what’s next; there’s always chatter, your wheels start spinning,” he says. “But then it always comes back to staffing, and that’s more terrifying than the financial aspect of growing.” For all of his honest impressions about what it’s like to be the very public face of a large, unstoppable restaurant chain that began life as a neighborhood bar and grill, Matt Fish says that he wouldn’t have done it any other way. “I don’t have regrets – I don’t want to live that way. That’s why I opened up Melt in the first place.”

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Hometown Favorites

Where some of our notable residents are eating when they’re not being notable By Nikki Delamotte

Jackie Zabielski When Jackie Zabielski isn’t preparing you for your local rush hour as traffic anchor on WEWS, she might be hanging out at her favorite place to unwind and grab a bite: local taco joint Barrio. “In fact,” says Zabielski, “when I moved from the east side to the west side, one of the benefits was I’d be closer! I love the guac and queso, but the endless combo of taco creations is what makes it my favorite.” What She Gets: It’s hard to choose just one favorite – and in her defense, Barrio does have more than 30 choices of topping – but for Zabielski, regardless

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what’s on the plate, it’s a family affair. “When my dad visits from New York he does so to come to Barrio – and to see me,” she jokes. “My favorite taco is a combo he says he invented and I give him credit. It’s braised beef with cheddar, red cabbage and cilantro lime aioli and chipotle honey sauce on a hard shell. It’s delicious.”

Deidre McPherson As the Curator of Public Programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Deidre McPherson spends most of her days planning ways to connect the community to art in the

middle of bustling Uptown. That doesn’t mean she can’t find time to steal away to the heart of University Circle for a little fine dining. “My list of favorites is long, but my go-to when I’m feeling fancy is L’Albatros Brasserie,” says McPherson. “The food, service and indoor/outdoor dining atmosphere make it one of Cleveland’s best restaurants in my book. “ What She Gets: “I love the duck confit; it’s an earthy and savory entree, great with a red wine – my favorite,” she says. “The duck is crispy, but tender, and it’s served with sweet potato puree. For an appetizer, I love

the roasted artichoke with lemon aioli. If you’re there for happy hour, get the L’Albatros burger with fries – oh, sorry, pomme frites – and a beer. For the cheese heads, the selection is amazing, so spend another $11 or so on the fromage experience. Someone comes to your table to tell you about cheeses from different regions of the world and the presentation is always impressive.”

Steve Presser As you might expect, Steve Presser, the owner of Big Fun toy store, has made Coventry Village his home for the two decades he’s been in business – and then

Hometown Favorites, cont. some. So there’s no surprise that you can find him at Tommy’s for regular breakfast meetings or at Pacific East, where he nets “the best sushi in town.” But when he does venture off campus, you might find Presser putting himself up to what might be Cleveland’s greatest food challenge. “I can eat two Slyman’s [corned beef sandwiches],” he says. “I tell anyone if they don’t believe me: I will order two and if I consume two, you can pay for them. If I don’t, I’ll pay for them.” And when he’s looking for something a little less meaty? Presser always makes time for a quick visit to hidden gem Szechuan Gourmet when making his regular shopping trips to the attached Asian grocery, Tink Holl. What He Gets: “I love their garlic eggplant,” says Presser. “They use the baby eggplants. It’s so properly prepared from a flavor and sauce standpoint. It’s so tender.”

Valerie Mayen Between sketching, stitching and piecing together fabrics for some of Cleveland’s hottest threads, Valerie Mayen, the designer behind the Yellowcake clothing line, loves to escape to a tucked away corner in Tremont. “For me, it’s Lava Lounge,” the fashionista says of the equally stylish bar. “They’re open late and they have some of the best cocktails in town. The food is a huge staple of Cleveland. Their bartenders and staff are fun people too. I’ve gotten to know each of them personally from going so often and they do a great job!” What She Gets: “For savory, I prefer their pomme frites,” says Mayen. “For sweets, I die over their bread pudding. It’s the right amount of sweet and sugar and warm goodness. I love it so much that I call ahead just to make sure they have any

left before I come.”

Mark Nolan You might hear Mark Nolan dish about the latest and greatest in Cleveland on morning radio at Majic 105.7 and as TV anchor on WKYC, but to him, some of the best parts of the city are right outside his doorstep. Since recently moving to W. 6th St., Nolan has been busy indulging in visits to all his new neighbors. “So now it’s down the step, across the street and ‘Oh look, there’s a beer!’” laughs Nolan. “If I decide I want to get adventurous, I just go an extra block away. If I decide to go high end – in my world – I’ll go to Cleveland Chop and they have great steaks. If I just want pizza and beer, it’s Map Room over on W. 9th.” What He Gets: “Barley House is my neighborhood bar,” he says. “I spend so much time over there that I’ve worked my way through their menu. Since they started a new menu, they’ve bumped it up. I like the New Orleans Shrimp Bowl; it’s a little spicy.”

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Andrew Samtoy Long before he served as a producer and host at WCPN’s Civic Commons, Andrew Samtoy has been living and breathing all things Cleveland. Then he fell in love with a girl in London, got a spousal visa to live in the UK and bought a one-way ticket from Cleveland to Heathrow. “I quickly realized that I suddenly had two months – two short months – to enjoy Cleveland as much as I could before the move,” says Samtoy. “I made a list and it consisted almost entirely of people I wanted to see and places I wanted to eat.” As he prepares for the move, Samtoy looks back fondly on the ways his memories of Cleveland will always be tied to food.

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“I was apparently the first person to order Mia Bella’s shrimp saganaki when they opened and I want it to be the last thing I eat in Cleveland,” he says. In a true test of human limits, he‘s always up for a good food challenge. What He Gets: “I can eat three quarters of a large Mama Santa’s sausage, hot pepper and mushroom pizza in a single sitting, and I want to work up to an entire pie by the time I leave,” says Samtoy. And as any burger aficionado will tell you, there’s nothing quite like the quintessential Swenson’s. “I grew up with In-N-Out and Four-By-Four Fridays,” he recounts. “And sorry, California, but the Galley Boy or the fried chicken sandwich beat a double-double any day of the week.”

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Hometown Favs, cont.

A Mama Santa’s sausage, hot pepper and mushroom pizza

Heidi Robb As a premiere food stylist, Heidi Robb spends plenty of time traveling, whether it’s teaching a workshop in Denmark or working on a photoshoot a few hours south in Columbus. Whenever she does make it back to Cleveland, you can usually find her dining close to her Tremont

home at Lolita or near two of her busiest studios in AsiaTown. But lately, The Black Pig in Ohio City has been Robb’s go-to. “Everything tastes clean and local and beautifully sourced and it looks impeccable on the plate,” say Robb, doling out high praise from someone who’s made a career out of making food look dazzling. “I love the

ambiance; it feels cozy and cottagey.” Though she’s not a heavy meat-eater, it’s the restaurant’s fresh approach that captured Robb’s affection. “When I eat there, I feel like I went and shopped at the farmer’s markets myself and handpicked everything that’s on my plate,” she says. What She Gets: “There’s a braised pork collar dish that I absolutely love, particularly because it utilizes a not very popular cut,” says Robb. “I love the accompaniments, the little French lentils and roasted Tokyo turnips and braised greens.” And on a night out when she craves lighter fare, there’s no lack of options. “I love the vegetables just as much and I’ll sometimes order just sides of vegetables because they’re so lovely,” she says. “And they have an amazing beet salad.”

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Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop The restaurant boom shows no signs of abating By Douglas Trattner

n terms of new restaurants opening up around town, 2013, 2014 and 2015 all were banner years. In that time we’ve welcomed countless new bars, breweries, bistros and food-forward markets. But there’s still more to come. We’ve rounded up a few projects that offer proof that the boom still is in full bloom.

Mabel’s BBQ We promise that this is the very last time Mabel’s BBQ will find its way onto a “Coming Soon” list of any kind. We’ve been following this project – Michael Symon’s “Clevelandstyle” barbecue joint on East Fourth Street – for what seems like an epoch, but the end is in sight. According to the boss, we’ll be digging into applewood-smoked brisket, meaty beef ribs, pulled pork and crispy pig ears and tails by the end of January. Or February.

– are artisan butcher shops and locally sourced food markets. OCP is both in one. Due to open this holiday season, the concept combines the butchery talents of chef and charcuterie master Adam Lambert with the

local sourcing skills of Fresh Fork founder Trevor Clatterbuck. The Lorain Ave. storefront will feature a fullservice butcher shop and a retail market selling local produce, grains, meats and dairy.

811 Prospect (Working title) Since it was built in the late-‘90s, the Gateway District structure at 811 Prospect has hosted exactly zero commercial tenants. The first will be a new concept from Red Restaurant Group, the quality-focused team behind Red Steakhouse and Moxie. Unlike those highticket temples to gastronomy, 811 will be decidedly more egalitarian, with a large Photo by Emanuel Wallace

Arcadian Detroit Shoreway residents have been following this project since spring of 2013, when it was announced that chef Cory Hess and partner and architect Robert Maschke had claimed the old City Grill property at West 65th and Detroit. Opening this winter, the 100-seat, twin-level bistro will feature a casual lower-level pub and more refined secondlevel dining room. Diners can look forward to American bar snacks, modern pizzas, sandwiches and entrees.

Ohio City Provisions Two of the hottest trends these days – trends that show no sign of abating, fortunately

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Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, cont. menu of affordable salads, sandwiches and entrees hailing from around the globe. Tribe time will be 811 time.

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There’s just something romantic sounding about a European-style wood-fired bakery. Fueled exclusively by wood, the 20-ton masonry oven at this Brimfield, Ohio, bakery will turn out naturally leavened breads like epi, baguettes, rye sourdough pretzels and focaccia. In addition to breads, pastries and coffee, the shop eventually will offer sandwiches and host wood-fired pizza nights. December can’t come soon enough.

The Plum The Plum isn’t even open yet (though it very likely will be soon after you read this), but already it has amassed a sizeable following. That’s because the guys behind this Ohio City café have been regular fixtures at their neighbor’s establishment Platform Beer, where frequent pop-up dinner events have been very well received. Look for coffee and pastries in the morning, soups, salads and sandwiches at lunch, and fullservice farm-to-table American food come suppertime.

Banter One part neighborhood bottle shop, one part casual bistro, this Detroit Shoreway concept promises to be one of the most unique food and drink ventures to hit Cleveland in some time. Guided by some of the brightest minds in the local food and drink scene, this bright and breezy storefront will offer a large selection of beer and wine to go – or you can enjoy all of it in house along with some butcher-built sausages and Quebec-style poutines.

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More beer is one thing. More good beer is something else entirely. When Market Garden Brewery opens its new 35,000-square-foot production facility in Ohio City, beer lovers throughout the region will rejoice. That’s because up until now if you wanted to enjoy a refreshing Pearl Street Wheat, Progress Pilsner or Citramax IPA, you had to visit the source. A dedicated brewhouse

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For two years, Shelley Fasulko and John Pippin have been peddling their delicious and addictive beer-flavored donuts at the Cleveland Flea, local coffee shops, and from a temporary storefront in Tremont. Sometime in late winter, Brewnuts will open up a donut-themed bar in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. Way more than just the corner bakery, Brewnuts will offer donuts, beer and cocktails, and a comfortable space for neighborhood folks to hang out.

means more good beer for all, regardless your zip code. Tours will offer visitors an eagle-eye view of the entire process, while a taproom will offer post-tour refreshments.

Hansa Import House

Two years of construction might soon give way to a Laško-sanctioned brewery, beer garden, restaurant and rooftop patio at this Ohio City fixture of 40 years. Long the destination for those seeking specialty European foods and beverages, not to mention a travel agency to get them back to the real thing, this quaint Old World operation will further help establish the OHC as Beer City, Ohio.

What’s Next?

The future of Cleveland’s dining and brewery scene according to the people who would know By Nikki Delamotte

hat’s next? It’s a question on the top of everybody’s mind – as it applies to neighborhood development, dining, beer and cocktail trend, even food trucks and catering. We checked in with stakeholders in all those fields to ask them, with all the growth and development their areas have seen in recent years, “What’s around the corner?”

Cindy Barber, Beachland Ballroom As co-owner of the Beachland Ballroom, the 15-year old music venue and anchor of the Waterloo district, Cindy Barber has seen firsthand the transformation within the North Collinwood neighborhood. The recent addition of the nearby Millard Filmore Presidential Library and Packy Malley’s takeover of the former Waterloo Brew space already are adding to the nightlife, Barber notes. New dining options, including a farm-to-table bistro from Luxe owner Melissa Cole and a Mexican concept in the former Key Bank Building will help make Waterloo even more of a destination. And of course, Barber has eagerly followed the progress of Citizen Pie, the wood-fired pizza kitchen directly across the street from the Beachland. “They’ve been bringing pizzas over to sample as they experiment and get closer to opening,” she says. Small batch coffee roastery Six Shooter is another eagerly anticipated development in

Barber’s world. Throughout the build out phase of the storefront, owner Peter Brown has been invited to serve and sell his brews during the Beachland’s freshly debuted lunchtime service. Naturally, Barber says, it’s become a communal location for a growing group of restaurateurs and artisans pushing the neighborhood forward. “We’re seeing those people coming in and gathering and talking to each other,” says Barber. “And that’s really kind of exciting.”

Roberto Rodriguez, Orale! Contemporary Mexican Kitchen The bustling West 25th strip of Ohio City is very different today than it was in 1999, when Roberto Rodriguez opened his contemporary Mexican restaurant Orale! The lightning fast evolution of his neighborhood is not unlike the one we’re currently watching take place in the Flats, which while great for the city, illustrate the cyclical nature of the business, he says. “We don’t have as many people as we used to on 25th,”

he says. “The restaurants in the Flats are really bringing people, which is good. They’re great, awesome chefs. Here, things are slowing down a little bit.” Over his decade and a half in the heart of it all, Rodriguez has witnessed the ebb and flow of Cleveland’s dining scene from neighborhood to neighborhood, from the Warehouse District to E. 4th to Tremont to W. 25th. Now, the Flats are back again and, in his opinion, that’s a good thing. “I think they’re going to do very well,” he says. “It’s great food and if you have a good product people are going to follow you no matter what. Eight or nine years ago there wasn’t much on W. 25th. That’s the nature of the business.”

Michael Ruhlman, Author “There’s nothing but goodness and light in the culinary scene in Cleveland,” gushes best-selling author Michael Ruhlman, who just hours earlier happened to enjoy a fried chicken sandwich washed down with an IPA at Market Garden Brewery. “This is stuff you didn’t used to see at a brewpub,” he says of his lunch. “They can’t get by selling these basic cheeseburgers that you used to expect at such a place. You have to have really good food or people won’t go there.” That change, he says, was led by chefs in the mid90s. 20 years later, Ruhlman

explains, “We don’t have the concentration of restaurants that, say, New York City does, but the caliber of the restaurants is every bit as good as your basic two or three star level.” The aftermath that momentum set in motion is a wave of mid-level restaurants becoming more creative to keep up pace. “They’ve definitely upped their game not only because they’ve had to but because they’ve wanted to,” remarks Ruhlman. “Just walk down W. 25th, it’s fabulous.”

Will Hollingsworth, The Spotted Owl “For the first time since we’ve been open, people are becoming less loyal to a particular liqueur and they’re really ordering drinks based on flavor profiles,” says Will Hollingsworth, owner of Tremont cocktail bar The Spotted Owl. “That starts with a bartender who knows what they’re doing and a customer who’s excited to experience something new.” When Hollingsworth and his team of bartenders developed their new drink menu, they designed it with this in mind, with each of its three sections reflecting the viewpoints of leading voices in cocktail culture. In one corner, he says, some purists like “Imbibe” author David Wondrich argue that drinks developed in the post-

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Prohibition era should be ignored completely. In another corner are bartenders like Jeffrey Morgenthaler, who favor reinvestigating the “cult classics,” as Hollingsworth refers to them on his menu. Think Blue Hawaiians, Amaretto Sours and Long Island Ice Teas. Their third section, “modern classics,” is for cocktail enthusiasts willing to try new drinks, such as those created with olive oil or even charcoal. “Whether a bartender is making super progressive cocktails or pouring shots of Jack Daniels, the thing you do as a bartender is the same,” says Hollingsworth. “You see drunk people cry sometimes and you tell them jokes to cheer them up. That’s the job.”

Tricia McCune, Wok n Roll “The big challenge for food trucks right now is that competition is getting stiffer and the amount of trucks is growing faster than the customer base,” reports Tricia McCune of Asian mobile operation Wok n Roll. “Trucks are going to have to work harder, get smarter, and keep improving their food to survive.” It seems like every week a

new food truck rolls into the regular rotation. The solution to finding a way to stand out, says McCune, could be found in the boom of new evening events cropping up around town, fests like Edgewater Live, Night Market Cleveland and the like. “I see a future of more of a nighttime food truck culture on the rise,” McCune says. “Getting more creative and finding ways to branch out rather your standard lunch event is really going to be necessary.” There’s also opportunity to be had as more and more bars without kitchens call on food trucks to feed swelling crowds, she says. The result is often more experimental options from chefs who are able to step outside their comfort zones. “Events at night are more relaxed and give us a chance to play with our menu,” she says. “We don’t have to worry about the speed of serving people on their hour lunchbreaks, so it gives us that freedom.”

Karl Spiesman, Brick and Barrel Brewery IPAs are here to stay, says Spiesman, head brewer at Flats-based Brick and Barrel. But while beer trends come and go, the true craft explosion

What’s Next cont. is going nowhere thanks to a mounting demand for locally brewed beer. It’s what has allowed Brick and Barrel to find its footing. “I think with the direction we’re going, the community is getting craft savvy and they’re really learning about beer styles,” he explains. “I think you’ll be seeing a lot more craft beer bars that will be holding more local beers. The small breweries like us will have a lot more showcasing because they have the opportunity to get out there in the market.” Even larger, more established breweries have been monumental is supporting new ventures in the name of raising interest in local brews. This summer, Great Lakes Brewing Company invited Brick and Barrel to their home to help host a Brewmaster’s Dinner. It’s a harmonious competition, says Spiesman, and that’s only going to grow. “There are a lot of small breweries opening up that maybe back in the day wouldn’t be able to compete because of the size,” Spiesman say. “But now the market just wants good beer and if that means just six to eight brews on tap, they’re happy.” And as enthusiasts are trying more and more beers out of their comfort zone, it opens the doors for brewers to toy with new ideas too. “It’s fun to see the community taste beers that are kind of unusual and just love them,” he says.

Joan Rosenthal, Marigold Catering For the last decade and a half, Joan Rosenthal and the crew behind her Marigold Catering have been responsible for hosting some of the finest bashes in town. So when it comes to knowing the latest party pleasers, Marigold has always been on the bleeding edge. These days, Rosenthal says, it’s all about small plates. What’s typically done on a traditional large buffet is being crafted into smaller individual entrees, each with a starch, a protein and a vegetable. The trend is in high demand for any occasion that isn’t a sit-down affair but where there’s still requires robust fare, especially cocktail parties. “They’re chef-attended and people love the action station feel of it,” she adds. “It’s a great way to serve a heavy appetizer or dinner menu.” On the other end of the spectrum is the growing interest in grand family-style dinners, which often come with requests for comfort foods like cheesy grits topped with short ribs and fried onions. “If people want to have a communal feeling with the dinner, we’ll oftentimes do a centerpiece that’s all food so people can jump on that simultaneously,” she says of the sprawling set-up that makes for conversation-sparking shareables. “If they’re at a long, rectangle table, instead of doing flowers, we’ll do breads and tapenades and cheeses and skewers. It creates that warm, co-existing dining feel.”

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At Home

Cleveland chefs dish on the recipes you should be making this winter

e love eating out. This whole issue is basically dedicated to that idea, and boy oh boy, are there just endless options. But the vast majority of meals we’ll consume this year will be served at home. There are now more venues than ever to discover a new recipe or upgrade an old classic, and that’s just super. But very few of those will be taken from the menus and home kitchens of the folks delighting you across Cleveland’s glorious dining scene. Which is why we asked them to share some of their favorites with you. There are 10, because 10 is a nice round number, and that’s how many we have. Bon appetit. Tater Tots Chef Matt Mytro of Flour 5 Idaho potatoes, scrubbed 6 tablespoons butter ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese 3 springs rosemary, stemmed and chopped ½ tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon potato starch

1. Cook the potatoes in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. 2. Allow the potatoes to partially cool for 15 minutes (they still should be pretty hot). 3. Grate the potatoes with skins on. 4. In a large bowl combine potatoes with all ingredients and blend. 5. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Porchetta, see recipe on next page

6. Use a one-ounce scoop to portion tots. 7. Fry in batches in 350-degree oil until golden brown. Season immediately with salt and pepper.

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Wild Mushroom Consomme Chef Matt Mytro of Flour 1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned 2 portabella mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned 1 cup shitake mushrooms, stemmed and cleaned 1 cup chopped red onion 2 garlic cloves, sliced 3 sprigs of thyme 1 sprig of rosemary 1 gallon cold water White truffle oil

1. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and leave for 2 hours. 2. Strain and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 3. Ladle into warm bowls, garnish with white truffle oil, and serve.

and blend red pepper flakes and fennel seeds. Stir in the chopped sage. Season the fleshy (non-skin) side of the pork belly with the spice mixture. 5. Position the pork belly skinside down in front of you. Place the pork loin in the middle of pork belly. Roll the pork belly around the pork loin to form a tight log. Tie every two inches with butcher’s twine to secure it. 6. Place porchetta on a cooling rack-lined sheet tray and refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours. 7. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees and continue cooking for one hour or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees.

Porchetta

8. Remove from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes. Slice and serve.

Chef Matt Mytro of Flour

Brine

1 pork loin, fat trimmed 1 skin-on pork belly 1 cup salt 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons toasted and ground fennel seeds 6 sprigs of sage, stemmed and chopped

1. Submerge pork loin in cold brine (see recipe below) and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove pork from brine, rinse under cold water, pat dry with paper towels and set aside. 2. Lay pork belly skin-side up on counter. Score the skin every half-inch or so with a very sharp knife. 3. Season both sides of the pork belly and pork loin very liberally with salt, which helps to draw out excess moisture. Let dry uncovered in the refrigerator for 24 hours. 4. In a spice grinder combine

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2 gallons water 2 cups sugar 2 cups salt 6 star anise 2 handfuls coriander seeds 1 small handful juniper berries 1 pound of mixed herb scraps (whatever you have on hand) 1 peel-on orange, sliced in half

1. Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot, bring to a boil and heat until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from the heat and add two large scoops of ice to cool.

Baileys Chocolate Truffles Chef Matt Mytro of Flour 1 ½ cups heavy cream 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 ounces granulated sugar 1 pound semi-sweet chocolate chips ¼ cup Baileys Irish Cream 1 cup finely grated semi-sweet chocolate

1. In a medium saucepan over

medium-high heat combine heavy cream, butter and sugar. 2. Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a large bowl. 3. When the cream and butter mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips and stir. Add the Baileys and stir to combine. 4. Pour the mixture into a large shallow tray and allow to cool in the fridge until firm. 5. Use a small scoop to form balls. Roll in grated chocolate.

Grilled Salmon with Moroccan Spices and Cucumber Michael Symon, from “5 in 5 for Everyone Season,” courtesy of Symon and Clarkson Potter Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ras el hanout spice blend 4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon 4 tablespoons olive oil Juice of 1 lime 2 cups thinly sliced cucumber ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

1. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. 2. In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon salt and the ras el hanout. Season the salmon on both sides with this spice mixture. Drizzle the salmon with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and put on the grill. Cook until nicely charred and the fish releases from the grill, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until medium-rare, about 2 minutes (For more well-done fish, cook covered) 3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add the cucumber,

onion, and mint and toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. 4. Put the salmon on plates, top with the cucumber salad, and serve.

Vegetarian Meatloaf Chef Demetrios Atheneos of Forage Public House, Bold, Oak Barrel Serves 4-6 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup lentils 1 small onion, diced 1 cup quick-cooking oats 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup tomato sauce or bbq sauce (you can also mix the two) 1 teaspoon garlic (powder or fresh minced) 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a loaf pan. Add salt to water and boil in a saucepan. Add lentils and simmer covered about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of water is evaporated. Remove from heat. Drain and mash lentils. Add to mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. Stir in onion, oats and cheese until mixed. Add egg, tomato/barbecue sauce, garlic, basil, parsley, seasoning salt and pepper. Mix well. Smooth top with back of spoon. Here is where you can add bacon to the top. Bake for 30 35 minutes until top of loaf is dry, firm and golden brown. Cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes

Recipes, cont. Butternut Squash Soup Chef Demetrios Atheneos of Forage Public House, Bold, Oak Barrel Serves 6-8 Roast 3 butternut squash after cutting and cleaning at 325 degrees for 2 hours Cool and remove skin In a pot, sauté 1/4 large onion, 2 legs of celery, 1 carrot in 1/3 cup of oil Add 2 cups of water Add 1 can coconut milk Add 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1/4 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper Add the butternut squash and simmer for 20 minutes Puree and serve

Apple Sauce Chef Doug Katz of Fire Food & Drink 8 local apples (heartier variety, like Jonathons) Juice of 1 Lemon 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup water 1 pinch salt 2 T Butter To taste local honey or maple syrup To taste cinammon

Directions Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Working quickly: Peel, core/ seed, and quarter the apples; do not soak in water. Toss the apples in lemon juice. Combine the sugar and water in a wide medium-sized pot and heat on medium heat. Do not stir, but just gently move the sugar around by tilting the pot. When you reach an even light brown (like honey) color, place apples in the pot. Cook

for 5 minutes over low heat. Transfer the pot, uncovered, to the oven. Cook in the oven for 10-15 minutes, allowing the tops of the apples to brown. Making sure they are tender after 10-15 minutes, remove from oven. Place the salt, hot apples, and liquid in a food processor and process until smooth. Drop the butter one tablespoon at a time into the processor, while running. Taste the apple sauce and season with cinnamon, local honey, or maple syrup, to taste. Cool and serve.

- Lucky’s Mission Statement To provide the people of our community with crafted food, made by hand with care and attention to quality, using only the freshest of ungredients.

AS SEEN ON DINERS, DRIVE-IN’S AND DIVES

Macaroni and Cheese Chef Jonathon Sawyer of Greenhouse Tavern, Trentina, Noodlecat 1 cup homemade chicken or vegetable stock 1½ cups milk (nonfat) ½ cup flour (more for thicker sauce) 1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese (finely grated) ½ -1 cup part skim ricotta cheese 4 tbs grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbs bread crumbs 1 tsp olive oil 1 lb. elbow macaroni olive oil cooking spray

OUR FAMOUS MENU SERVED FROM 9AM TO 3PM 777 Starkweather Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113 (216) 622-7773 | luckyscafe.com

Preheat over to 400 degrees Combine stock, butter, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add flour and ricotta cheese to thicken. Reduce heat to medium, simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir to combine. Set aside or freeze for later use.

12113 MAYFIELD RD. | 216.421.1500

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and add salt. Cook noodles according to package instructions or until al dente. Drain noodles and transfer to a large bowl; stir in sauce and 2

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Recipes, cont. tablespoons Parmesan. Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top. Serve immediately.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Chef Michael Slater, Paladar 2 bunches flat leaf parsley 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, stem removed 2/3 cup rice wine vinegar Skirt Steak Ingredients 4 skirt steaks (8oz.) 2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper 4 tablespoons kosher salt

Pick parsley leaves off the stem, reserving stems and dividing them from the leaves. In a blender, combine garlic, parsley stems, half of the jalapeno, and rice wine vinegar. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour in the oil. Once all the oil has been poured in, turn the motor off. Transfer to a container. Next, chop the parsley leaves very fine. Add the parsley to the mixture and whisk together. Season to taste with salt. Season the steak generously with 1/2

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tablespoon of kosher salt on each side, as well as 1/4 tablespoon of black pepper per side, and place on a large plate. Preheat a grill to medium heat. Set the steak on the hot grill. Cook for 6 minutes on the first side. Rotate the steak 45 degrees and cook another 6 minutes. Turn the steak over

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Once cooked, place the steak on a clean cutting board and allow it to rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing across the grain into 2-inch wide strips. Serve atop your choice of rice and beans, and top with the Chimichurri sauce.

A great restaurant satisfies all of the senses, provides an ambiance and environment that pleases, relaxes, stimulates, fulfills, and imparts a feeling of intense, yet controlled, indulgence. Each element, from touch to sight, must be as much of an attraction as the food. Today, dining out should be as entertaining as an evening at the theater.

216.707.4045 tbl45.com

CALL FOR RESERVATIONS VISIT US ONLINE AT

Contact Craig Campbell at 216.707.4180 or craig.campbell@ihg.com

and continue to cook until the steak is done (about 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare).

9801 CARNEGIE AVE, CLEVELAND, OH 44106

11/12/14 10:20 AM

Restaurants

East, West, and All Points In Between 100th Bomb Group 20920 Brookpark Rd.; 216-267-1010; 100thbgrestaurant.com

Briquettes Smokehouse 405 Morton Dr., Ashtabula; 440-964-2273; briquettessmokehouse.com

Adega Modern Mediterranean 2017 E. 9th St.; 216-331-6289; metropolitancleveland.com

Burntwood Tavern Various locations; 440-318-1560; burntwoodtavern.com

Amp 150 4277 W. 150th St.; 216-706-8787; amp150.com

Byte Cafe 3615 Superior Ave. E; 440-289-9604; bytecafecle.com

Barrio Various locations; 216-999-7714; barrio-tacos.com Beachland Ballroom & Tavern 15711 Waterloo Rd.; 216-383-1124; beachlandballroom.com Berea Union Depot Tavern 30 Depot St., Berea; 440-243-6169; bereadepot.com Bhelwala Indian Street Food 15036 Pearl Rd., Strongsville; 440-268-6755; bhelwalaindianfood.com Billy’s A Cappelli Martini Bar 7338 Industrial Park Blvd., Mentor; 440-585-8815; billysacappellimartinibar.com Birdtown Brewery 2035 Quail St., Lakewood; 216-226-7714; birdtownbrewery.com Bistro 83 36033 Westminister Ave, North Ridgeville; 440-3532828; bistro83.com Bistro 185 991 E. 185th St.; 216-481-9635; bistro185.com Bliss In a Bottle 26300 Cedar Rd., Beachwood; 216-378-0959; blissinabottle.com Bold Food and Drink 1121 W. 10th St.; 216-696-8400; boldfoodanddrink.com Brasa Grill Brazilian Steakhouse 1300 W. 9th St.; 216-575-0699; brasagrillsteakhouse.com

Café Falafel 3843 Riveredge Rd.; 216-688-0330; mycafefalafel.com Catering by Verba’s 5025 Mill Rd., Broadview Hts.; 216-749-6232; cateringbyverbas.com Cedar Lee District 216-561-3530; cedarlee.org CleSeats.com Coming January 2016, a local restaurant reservation and deals website Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen 2800 Euclid Ave. #150; 216-314-7196; cleculinarylaunch.com Cleveland Pickle 850 Euclid Ave., Suite 100; 216-575-1111; clevelandpickle.com Coquette Patisserie 11607 Euclid Ave.; 216-331-2841; coquettepatisserie.com Corner Alley Downtown 402 Euclid Ave.; 216-298-4070; thecorneralley.com Corner Alley Uptown 11409 Euclid Ave.; 216-678-9256; thecorneralley.com D’Agnese’s 1100 W. Royalton Rd., Broadview Heights; 440-2377378; dagneses.com

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Danny Boys Pizza 8158 Broadview Rd., Broadview Heights; 440-5265454; dannyboyspizza.com

Hard Rock Café Cleveland 230 W Huron Rd; 216-830-7625; hardrock.com

Der Braumeister 13046 Lorain Ave.; 216-671-6220; derbrau.com

Hard Rock Café Rocksino Northfield Park 10777 Northfield Rd., Northfield; 330-908-7625; hardrock.com

Diner on Clifton 1637 Clifton Blvd.; 216-521-5003; dineronclifton.com

Helio Terra Vegan Café 619 Prospect Ave. E; 216-664-0929; facebook.com/helioterravegancafe

Dulcelicious Cupcakes 22368 Lorain Rd. Fairview Park; 440-385-7706; facebook.com/dulceliciouscupcakesandmore

Jack Flaps 3900 Lorain Ave.; 216-961-5199; jack-flaps.com

Fahrenheit 2417 Professor Ave.; 216-781-8858; chefroccowhalen.com Fairmount Martini & Wine Bar 2448 Fairmount Blvd.; 216-229-9463; thefairmount.net Fat Head’s Tap House 18741 Sheldon Rd., Middleburg Heights; 216-898-0242; fatheadsbeer.com Fear’s Confections 15208 Madison Ave., Lakewood; 216-481-0888; fearsconfections.com Ferrante Winery and Ristorante 5585 N River Rd W, Geneva; 440-466-8466; ferrantewinery.com Flannery’s Pub 323 Prospect Ave. E.; 216-781-7782; flannerys.com Flip Side 1050 W. 10th St.; 216-938-9266; flipsideburger.com Forest Hill Kitchen and Ballroom 3099 Mayfield Rd.; 216-505-1345; foresthillkitchen.com Gabe’s Deli 10435 Clifton Ave.; 216-471-8578; gabesdelicle.com Grind Burger 5604 Wilson Mills Rd, Highland Heights; 440-421-9721; grind-burger.com Great Scott Tavern 21801 Lakeshore Blvd.; Euclid, 216-417-3019; greatscotttavern.com Grumpy’s Cafe 2621 W. 14th St.; 216-241-5025; grumpys-cafe.com 62 SCENE | FLAVOR

Jack Flaps Luncheonette 530 Euclid Ave., Suite 10; 216-303-9175; jack-flaps.com Jack’s Deli and Restaurant 14490 Cedar Rd., Beachwood; 216-382-5350; jacksdeliandrestaurant.com Kernels by Chrissie 530 Euclid Ave.; 216-664-0638; kernelsbychrissie.com Kosta and Vic’s 10300 W. Sprague Rd., Parma; 440-885-3663; kostaandvics.com La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant 5115 Wilson Mills Rd., Suite 1, Richmond Heights; 440-442-1445; lafiestacleveland.com La Petit Triangle Café 1881 Fulton Rd.; 216-281-1881; lapetittrianglecafe.com La Taqueria 5115 Wilson Mills Rd., Suite 2, Richmond Heights; 440-442-1445; lataqueriacleveland.com Local Sol Kitchen and Cantiki 38257 Glenn Ave., Willoughby; 440-918-1596; localsol.us Lucky’s Café 777 Starkweather Ave.; 216-622-7773; luckyscafe.com M Italian 22 W. Orange St., Chagrin Falls; 440-247-7474; mitalian.com Mallorca 1390 W. 9th St.; 216-687-9494; clevelandmallorca.com

Manhattan Deli Bar and Grille 34601 Ridge Rd., Willoughby; 440-585-1177; mymanhattandeli.com

Santos Italian Restaurant 7565 Pearl Rd.; Middleburg Heights; 440-234-6480; santospizzaandpasta.com

Market Avenue Wine Bar 2521 Market Ave.; 216-696-9463; marketavenuewinebar.com

Shinto 17070 Pearl Rd., Strongsville; 440-878-3868; shintoexperience.com

Maxi’s 12113 Mayfield Rd.; 216-421-1500; maxisinlittleitaly.com

Spice Kitchen and Bar 5800 Detroit Ave.; 216-961-9637; spicekitchenandbar.com

Molisana Italian Imported Foods 8037 Broadview Rd.; 440-526-4141; facebook.com/molisanafoods

The Stray Goose Grill & Tavern 37040 Detroit Rd., Avon; 440-937-1816; facebook.com/gooseavon

Murray Hill Market 2072 Murray Hill Rd.; 216-791-1900; murrayhillmarket.net

Sugar Me Desserterie 49 W. Orange St., Suite 5, Chagrin Falls; 440-2477228; sugarmedesserterie.com

Nauti Mermaid 1378 W. 6th St.; 216-771-6175; thenautimermaid.com

Table 45 at the InterContinental Cleveland Hotel 9801 Carnegie Ave.; 216-707-4045; tbl45.com

Nora 2181 Murray Hill Rd.; 216-231-5977; noracleveland.com

TOMO Hibachi and Sushi 293 W. 9th St.; 216-696-4444; tomohibachiandsushi.com

Paco’s Tacos 6140 Som Center Rd., Solon; 440-600-2010; pacostacossolon.com

Twiisted Sushi Grill & Bar 985 Boardman Alley, Medina; 330-661-0606; twiisted.com

Peace, Love and Little Donuts 3786 Rocky River Dr.; 216-862-9806; peaceloveandlittledonuts.com

Valenti’s Ristorante 3365 Richmond Rd., Beachwood; 216-464-4665; valentisitalian.com

Perk Cup Café 561 W. Bagley Rd., Berea; 440-234-2233; perkcupcafe.com

Weenie A Go Go 1836 W. 25th St.; weenieagogo.com

Pizza 216 401 Euclid Ave.; pizza216.com The Plum Cafe and Kitchen 4133 Lorain Ave.; 216-258-9947; theplumcafeandkitchen.com Red Lotus Foods Various locations; 216-939-5127; redlotusvegan.com

Western Reserve School of Cooking 2800 Euclid Ave. #100; 330-650-1665; wrsoc.com Zocalo Mexican Grill & Tequileria 2071 E. 4th St.; 216-781-0420; zocalocleveland.com Dessert at Nora’s

Rocket Fizz Cleveland 530 Euclid Ave. #22B; 216-505-5225; rocketfizz.com Roxu Asian Fusion 15607 Madison Ave., Lakewood; 216-920-5060; roxufusion.com Santorini Greek Taverna 1382 W. 9th St.; 216-205-4675; facebook.com/ santorinitaverna

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PIZZA • PASTA • PINTS WWW.DANNYBOYSPIZZA.COM ROCKY RIVER • NORTH CANTON CHESTERLAND BROADVIEW HEIGHTS • SANDUSKY COMING SOON

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