5 minute read
SUSHI JUNKI Get your raw fix at this Chagrin
FORAGE FEAST &
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KENT'S HISTORIC BREWERY
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REVIEW: DOUGLAS KATZ'S ZHUG
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DINING GUIDE: PIZZA
FR E S H F IND
RAW FIX
SUSHI JUNKI, which opened in December in Chagrin Falls, melds centuries-old styling with modern tastes to offer suburbanites an adventurous and accessible menu. Hitting the middle of that Venn diagram is the standout spider roll ($15). This mega roll (technically called a futomaki) pops with cheerful colors and competing consistencies. The star is tempurabattered soft-shell crab, delicate and gooey inside and perfectly crispy outside, poking out the ends of the roll. It’s paired with crunchy slivers of cucumber and smooth avocado cream cheese, then wrapped in a full sheet of nori, covered with sweetened rice and speckled with bright red fish roe. “The whole thing is a really nice contrast of textures,” says chef Eric Stout. “You’ve got a slew of different tastes as you’re making your way through it.” sushi-junki.com
FOOD TRIP
For Beer the Bell Tolls
Kent’s Bell Tower Brewing Co. is bringing back the tradition of the European-style neighborhood brewery.
Kent is more than just a place for college kids to party. Forty minutes south of Cleveland, the town is famous for politics and rock ‘n’ roll. Visitors hike Cooperrider-Kent Bog Nature Preserve, shop Main Street’s Acorn Alley and dine at long-standing eateries Ray’s Place or Taco Tontos. It even has a community of engaged residents, like lifers Ryan Tipton and Jennifer Herman. Yet, the craft beer wave, which washed over Ohio since the 2000s, took a while to get the memo. “I’d say there was a hole,” Herman remembers.
Consider that hole filled. In October, Tipton and Herman, general manager and head brewer, respectively, co-founded Bell Tower Brewing Co. with designer and Ryan’s wife, Bridget. The trio created a staggering two-floor temple of brew across a 9,000-squarefoot, 150-year-old cathedral in the West River neighborhood. Visitors commune over traditional beer made from fresh, local ingredients and elevated brewpub food, such as grilled cheese on house-made focaccia, in pews transformed into booths.
“I didn’t want to ruin what was already good about it,” says Bridget. “I wanted legibility between the things that are old and new. The things that we added aren’t fake old.”
After first meeting at a homebrewers’ event, Tipton, a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, ran into Herman, a homebrewer. She was giving a speech to the chamber about why there was no fresh beer in Kent. Nearby North Water, a trendy artisan brewery, hadn't yet opened, though MadCap Brewery, a ‘40s machine shop on Crain Avenue, had in 2016.
“I had a bunch of partnerships fall through,” says Herman. “Then I almost died in a car accident.”
The near-tragedy gave her a renewed sense of purpose. “I told myself, You are here to brew beer.” Years earlier, the homebrewer failed when she first tried, but she was fascinated and resilient. Today, she's a certified beer judge, a cicerone (like a sommelier for beer) and former employee of Market Garden Brewery. All that was left was to paint her own masterpiece.
Yet, Herman's approach to brewing is more about science than art. Total control of process converges with the chaos of yeast, a substance about as mysterious to scientists as the human brain.
“The magic of fermentation is absolutely invigorating,” says Herman.
Other breweries attract clientele with fruit-forward beer or hard seltzers. Bell Tower is doing it with tradition. Across 12 drinkable options, Herman shows a dedication to the classics, such as lagers, saisons, Schwarzbier and ales.
The Spirit of the Bell ($6) is a straw-colored, low-alcohol pilsner that shows Bud Light drinkers what they’re supposed to be drinking. The team gets adventurous with the Decembre ($6), a farmhouse saison seasoned by French rye and freshly grated Indian peppers. A California common, a maltier and even more fermented style, rolls out this spring. Meanwhile, Herman continues to celebrate the magic of fermentation with spirited and non-alcoholic cocktails from house-made kombucha. Try it in a seasonal margarita ($9).
Herman believes beer brings people together and kombucha can cure what ails them. Maybe the world would be a better place if more churches and breweries shared this principle.
“Old-school beers were enjoyed with that semblance of celebration,” says Herman. “That was lost a little bit. The craft beer movement pushed style and flavor instead of paying attention to the four ingredients that actually make the beer.”
WHEN YOU GO
Bell Tower Brewing 310 Park Ave, Kent 330-663-2255 belltowerbrewing.com
Laurie Torres, Owner
1390 West 9th Street Cleveland Ohio 44113 in the beautiful Warehouse District 216-687-9494 • mallorcacle.com
Downtown Cleveland’s most awarded restaurant
A 25 year old Legacy Restaurant located in the heart of downtown Cleveland’s Warehouse District. Home to the same chef and floor staff for over 20 years.
Mallorca is known for the friendliest staff in Cleveland and for serving generous portions from the Iberian Peninsula-Spain and Portugal. Paella-saffron rice with lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, chicken and chorizo “Cabrito” Baby Goat-Braised for four hours in a Port wine reduction “Pulpo” Fresh Octopus-served Spanish style with smoked paprika And other dishes like, shrimp in garlic sauce, rabbit in saffron sauce, as well as a number of pastas and steaks including our “Monster” 32 oz T-Bone steak. No Spanish meal is complete without trying our award winning SANGRIA or any of our Spanish wines that are unique to us. Ask about our unique dining experience
-a sexy, sensual experience in the DARK ---with food. A beautiful place for weddings, rehearsal dinners, anniversaries, birthdays, showers and more.
There is no restaurant as unique as Mallorca.
You will feel the love of our Spanish home as soon as you walk through the door. We love our Mallorca home, we love each other and we love all who walk through our doors to become our family. Come be a part of our history while honoring us to be a part of yours. Hours (Subject to change after COVID) Monday Temporarily closed
Tuesday-Thursday
Lunch: Noon-2:30pm, Dinner: 2:30pm -10pm
Friday
Lunch: Noon-2:30pm, Dinner: 2:30pm -10pm Saturday- Dinner all day 2:30pm -10pm Sunday- Dinner all day 1pm -9pm
