Scene flavor 2017

CLEVELAND

MAGAZINE

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CI | Recipes

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

MAGAZINE

F L AVO R

Group Publisher Chris Keating Publisher Andrew Zelman Associate Publisher Angela Nagal Editor Vince Grzegorek EDITORIAL Managing Editor Eric Sandy Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Web Editor Laura Morrison Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Copy Editor Elaine Cicora Intern Lawrence Neil ADVERTISING Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Davis Events and Marketing Coordinator Maggie Lilac CREATIVE SERVICES Production Manager Steve Miluch Layout Editor/Graphic Designer Christine Hahn Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace BUSINESS Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Dotson CIRCULATION Circulation Director Don Kriss EUCLID MEDIA GROUP Chief Executive Offi cer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Offi cers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP Digital Services Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon 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 Flavor is published by Euclid Media Group.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS All Photos by Barney Taxel | Taxel Image Group | taxelimagegroup.com

6 The dining trends we loved and hated this year ................................ 10 The new restaurants we’re looking forward to in 2018 .................. 12 Five easy local meals, one easy stop .............................................. 14 The best things we ate in Cleveland in 2017..........................................

Three businesses that evolved after the second generation got involved .................................................

16 Alt-cuts, they’re what’s for dinner ....................................... 18 Northeast Ohio’s Latin eateries will keep you coming back for more .............................................

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Dividing lines: On the appallingly low percentage of black chefs in local kitchens .......

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We’ve always adored Larchmere, there are just even more reasons to love it now ................

29 Local chefs and foodies dish on their favorite meals ............... 32 The year Cleveland reached peak donut ............................... 35 Why some restaurants have ditched pastry chefs, and why that trend may be reversing..............

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For four decades, Barney Taxel has captured and chronicled Cleveland’s evolving food scene ....

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Special Combo at Zoma | Photo by Barney Taxel

THE BEST THINGS WE ATE IN 2017

By Douglas Trattner

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nfortunately, every meal out is not going to be a homerun. But fortunately, it’s the best ones that linger, lodged in the brain like a compulsion on a string tugging you back to the source. For me, these are the meals of 2017 that I hope to never forget.

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Ribs and Brisket (Don’t Make Me Choose) at Barabicu Smokehouse

I’m still thinking about the beef brisket and baby back ribs that I enjoyed a full 11 months ago at Barabicu Smokehouse in Parma.

Barbecue should be rapturous (until the meat sweats kick in) and it should linger in the part of your brain reserved for glee long after it’s gone. The jiggly, mouth-wateringly juicy brisket

sits beneath a dark cap of spice and succulent fat. Those pig bones were meaty, firm and flavorful, kissed by fruitwood smoke and glazed with a thin, sweet crust.

Pad Krapow at Thai Thai

Why is it they never believe us when we say “spicy”? Why must we beg — and, likely, still be ignored — when we request our dish to be

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CLEVELAND

MAGAZINE

F L AVO R electric with chile pepper? That’s not the case at Thai Thai in Lakewood, where the standard-issue heat level for classically hot dishes is “Thai spicy.” If you’ve enjoyed what passes for Holy Basil elsewhere, the version served here will ruin you. The habit-forming ground-meat dish is spicy, savory and tart, and the steamed rice it comes with is crowned with a runny fried egg, as is the custom.

Grilled Octopus at Astoria Market and Cafe

No offense to Bold Food and Drink, which last year earned a spot on this very list thanks to their righteous octopi, but say hello to Astoria Market and Cafe in Detroit Shoreway. The version served here is as beautiful as it is delicious, with delectable coins of wine-braised, charcoal-grilled and sliced tentacles artfully arranged on a plate.

Kissed by lemon, olive oil and fresh oregano, they almost are too pretty to eat.

Special Combo at Zoma Ethiopian Restaurant

I didn’t expect the food at Zoma in Cleveland Heights to have such a positive lasting effect on my soul. In what world does a cuisine comprised largely of humble ingredients like lentils, chickpeas, cabbage and potatoes rise to such heights? Where else would a diner put up with eating food sans silverware from the same plate as their tablemates? Show me a place where the bread is spongy, cold and ever-so funky and I’ll show you a place destined for failure. That is, unless it’s an Ethiopian place called Zoma.

Lamb Tamales at Collision Bend

It’s pretty much a truism that the longer the menu, the more duds there are bound to be. Zack Bruell restaurants almost always contradict that rule thanks to notoriously lengthy rosters filled with wildly delicious variety. Still, I never expected an aging Jewish hippie to deliver some of the best lamb tamales ever to cross my teeth. At Collision Bend Brewing in the Flats, zesty ground lamb is tucked inside perfectly steamed masa dough and garnished with lively salsa verde.

Miso Ramen at Xinji Noodle Bar

I doubt I’ll ever achieve owner Shuxin Liu’s recommended fiveminute limit when it comes to consuming a bowl ramen, a time derived from the lifecycle of a bouncy noodle, but damn if I won’t keep trying. Bowls of chicken and pork-based broth contain fresh noodles, silky slabs of buttery pork belly, corn, scallions, mushrooms and, if you’re wise, a soft-cooked egg. If at first you don’t succeed in the five-minute drill, try and try again at this Ohio City noodle bar.

Corndog at Noble Beast

Corndogs, long the greasy fair staple-on-a-stick, get such an upgrade at Noble Beast Brewing that they almost have nothing in common with the classic, apart from the skewer. For starters, the bland wiener is replaced by a meaty smoked kielbasa. And the typical sweet cornmeal batter undergoes a savory transformation thanks to the use of spent grains from the brewing process. Dunk that baby in the accompanying beer honey mustard and boom! goes the dynamite.

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Tacos at La Casita

Hate to break it to you, but you’re out of luck: La Casita, a Mexican grocer in Painesville, only operates its outdoor kitchen from spring through fall. That’s when neighbors gather at plastic card tables beneath canvas tents to savor some of the best tacos in the tri-state area. Chorizo, tripe, tongue and al pastor are popped into warm homemade corn tortillas and garnished with roasted onions and blistered jalapeno peppers, along with your choice of salsas. Best $1.75 you’ll ever spend.

Double at Bob’s Hamburg

I drove 40 miles for a $4 hamburger and it was one of the soundest decisions I made all year. For more than 85 blessed years, Bob’s in Akron has been sizzling near-perfect smash burgers on the original coal-black griddle. They exit with a lacey, crisp edge, seasoned only by the ancient griddle and the grease left over from the morning ham and bacon. Mine lands in a toasted bun slathered with mayo and onion and it explodes with pure beefy flavor.

Rosemary Frycake with Lemon Glaze at Brewnuts

In the great debate between sweet and salty, I am firmly in the salty camp. Give me a plate of ripe, stinky cheese for dessert over some triple-layer death-by-chocolate belly bomb any damn day of the week. That’s why when it comes to donuts, you can keep your chocolate pudding-filled, gummy worm-garnished confection, thanks, but kindly hand over that old-fashioned cake donut infused with rosemary and gilded with a bracing lemon glaze.

Detroit-Style Pizza at Grey House Pies

I’ve been a happy customer of Grey House Pies for more than a decade thanks to their weekly appearances at the North Union Farmer’s Market at Shaker Square, where we’d grab a wonderful Quiche Lorraine or three for brunch. It was only after the owner opened up a shop around the corner on Larchmere that I fell in love with his Detroit-style pizza. This might look like standard-issue sheet pan pizza, but it’s not: This is the real deal, with burnt-cheese edges surrounding lighter-than-air dough beneath an inverted cheese/sauce cap.

Lamb Belly Meatballs at Hook & Hoof

Wherever they happen to appear — on a pizza, in a hoagie bun, atop a mound of pasta — meatballs tend to be one-dimensional, and that dimension is boring. By using well marbleized belly meat from flavorful lamb, the kitchen at Hook & Hoof in Willoughby already is two dimensions ahead of the curve. The dreamily textured balls are boosted still, by a zingy arrabiata sauce and layer of fragrant melted Taleggio.

Half Grilled Chicken at Flame Urban Grill

In the heart of Glenville, surrounded by Popeye’s, McDonald’s, Rally’s and a half-dozen Chinese takeaways, sits a culinary oasis in the form of freshly grilled — not deep-fried — chicken. Just $10 nets a flavorful half a bird, four warm corn tortillas, a bed of rice and beans, and two sauces of your choosing from a list that includes zesty curry, cilantro lime and a spicy hot that truly is spicy hot. ◆

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Buy: Plant-Based Foods

I still don’t fully grasp the distinction between “vegan” and “plant-based,” but I’m willing to explore the concept a little deeper if the food tastes at all like the Impossible Burger I enjoyed at B Spot. Unlike the typical dry and disappointing veggie burger, this plant-based patty has the look, feel and taste of real ground beef. The secret ingredient is heme, the ironcontaining molecule found in red meat and plants. Had we not ordered the burgers ourselves, we might never even have known that the patties weren’t meat, especially when covered in grilled onions, melted cheese and pickles.

Sell: Slushie Everything

I’m prone to sphenolopalatine ganglioneuralgia — aka brain freeze — so I admit that I’m not the most impartial judge when it comes to Slushies.

But since when did we have to feed every alcoholic beverage through the Freeze-O-Matic machine? Perhaps it’s part of the maddening trend toward infantilism that includes leaving the house in pajamas and slippers, but if you ask most adults, rose tasted perfectly fine in its natural state of matter before it became frose. Nobody ever asked that their Bellini be churned into a drink so thick you could stand up a spoon in it. And if my mint julep comes as ice instead of with ice, I’m liable to set something on fire.

Buy: Hospitality

You know that warm, friendly feeling that comes from a service staff that genuinely puts the diner first? Yeah, neither do we, at least not with the frequency that we once did.

Whatever happened to good old-fashioned hospitality, where the customer isn’t made to feel like he or she is a burden to service staffers? “They came in 10 minutes before we shut down

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BUY, SELL, HOLD

The dining trends we loved, and hated, this year

By Douglas Trattner

the kitchen and ordered food!,” an incensed waiter announced on social media. The last we checked, that was precisely the function of a public restaurant.

If you don’t feel like serving people, perhaps you should close and lock the doors … for good.

Hold: Wood-Fired Pizza

It’s official: We now have very respectable wood-fired pizza within a short drive of every diner who wants it. Peak Neapolitan is upon us and we are thankful for its many-splendored delights, but any more and we risk squandering all that woodsy appeal. Whoever said, “There’s no such thing as too much of a good thing” has never suffered a five-hour erection. Let’s not push this wood-fired pizza thing to hour five.

Buy: The Maître d’Hôtel

At one point in time, every great dining room was under the careful watch and supervision of a maître d’. This professional was like the conductor of a symphony, managing everything that took place on this side of the swinging kitchen door. The maître d’ is the first person to greet an incoming guest and the last to say goodbye. The octopus of the operation, he or she could simultaneously whisk away one’s overcoat while jotting down a reservation and directing a server to a table in need with little more than an arched eyebrow. Because of the maître d’, special occasions are made more special thanks to earnest gestures, and no customer exits into a rainstorm without an umbrella. Sadly, the maître d’ has largely been replaced by a broody host and over-taxed head waiter.

Buy: Mid-Week Dining

Just as New Year’s Eve is the biggest Amateur Night of the year, Saturday night is its weekly equivalent. The overall

CLEVELAND

MAGAZINE

F L AVO R “Because of the maître d’, special occasions are made more special thanks to earnest gestures, and no customer exits into a rainstorm without an umbrella.” enjoyment of a restaurant meal is directly proportional to its distance from 8 p.m. on Saturday evening. If you want to up your odds for excellent service, perfectly timed meals and peaceful surroundings, dine on any other night of the week. Not only will the parking be easier, the loud and tipsy customers fewer, and the cocktails more on point, you will be appreciated by an owner who has all the business he or she can handle on Saturday but not Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Hold: Ice Cream Rolls

There’s almost no such thing as bad ice cream, but some delivery methods leave much to be desired. We only recently landed our first rolled ice cream shop, but given the product’s percolating trendiness, you can bank on new spots opening across town. For the uninitiated, this Thai treat, sometimes called “stir-fried ice cream,” is made by pouring a liquid ice cream base onto a zero-degree metal plate.

As the slurry is mixed, chopped, massaged and flattened into sheets, it begins to harden. At long last, the frozen concoction is scraped into perfect rolls and deposited in a cup. While the texture and flavor are wonderful, the four-minute process is a patience trier.

Buy: Concise Menus

At first, you experience a sense of glee at the near-limitless

possibilities. So. Many. Choices.

But soon that bounty becomes debilitating; plus, who needs four separate chicken dishes?

Short menus force chefs and diners to make hard choices, which isn’t a bad thing. There’s less likely to be a dud on a short roster and the diner is more likely to be forced out of a rut.

Trim menus translate to fresher ingredients because the kitchen moves through them quicker.

Most places that employ terse tomes also vary them more frequently, giving diners reasons to return again and again.

Buy: Incubator Space

Where is the next big thing in food going to come from?

It surely isn’t going to be the fifth location of that taco chain, or the 13th outpost of that grilled cheese conglomerate, or even from a stall in a food hall dominated by existing players in the local restaurant scene. What we need more of is cheap and available commercial kitchen space for budding food entrepreneurs. Cleveland Culinary Launch and Kitchen has spun out success stories like Randy’s Pickles, Cleveland Kraut, Saucisson, Brewnuts and more; just think what we could do with five more spaces and programs like it. We’re looking forward to the first class of the Galley Group’s food lab to launch next year in Ohio City, but why put all of our eggs in so few baskets? ◆

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A new year means new dining options in Cleveland

By Douglas Trattner

Jeremy Umansky

I

s the bubble bursting or just slowly leaking air?

After five to eight years of unabated growth, Cleveland’s frothy restaurant scene appears to be reducing to a simmer. What’s more, we’re starting to see restaurants – both old and not-so-old – close their doors at a quickening pace. Places like Gamekeeper’s Taverne, Rick’s Café, Graffiti, 811, Roxu, Hansol, Noodlecat and Portside all have left us.

But those losses have been countered by gains. Over the past year or so, Cleveland diners have welcomed a complex stew of eating and drinking establishments, from high-end debuts like Turn Bar and Kitchen at the newly renovated Ritz-Carlton to the uber-chill Xinji Noodle Bar. Those restaurants were joined by places like Astoria, Hook & Hoof, Boiler 65, Il Rione Pizzeria, Seafood Shake, Cru, Marble Room, Zoma Ethiopian, Puente Viejo, Smokin’ Q’s, LBM, City Diner and Otani Noodle. Familiar names like Crust, Barroco, Melt, Barrio and Luca all added new spots.

And let’s not forget the suds: Masthead, Noble Beast, Saucy Brew Works, Terrestrial Brewing, Boss Dog Brewing and BRIM all have been newly tapped.

Here are some other projects that we are following with anticipation: Larderr has been a slow burn. Since announcing the restaurant

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(originally as Schmaltz Delicatessen) nearly two years ago, chef Jeremy Umansky has been making concrete progress. He has secured a distinctive location – an old firehouse in Ohio City – and is hard at work converting it into a from-scratch Eastern European deli that will utilize techniques like koji culturing, fermentation and foraging to wow diners sometime this spring.

Larder’s neighbor over there in Hingetown will be Bigmouth Donut Co., a joint venture from former BonBon Café owner Courtney Bonning and Kelly Brewer, a team that promises to deliver “a truly unique donut experience never seen before by the donut-craving masses.” As the name implies, the doughnuts will be larger than life with respect to dimensions and flavor profiles.

Come summer, the space long operated as Massimo Da Milano Italian restaurant in Ohio City will become Ohio City Galley, y a food hall and restaurant incubation project from the Galley Group, the folks behind the popular Smallman Galley in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. A small class of aspiring restaurateurs will cycle through each year.

In terms of internet-breaking news, few stories topped that of Swenson’s Drive-In’s deeper push into Northeast Ohio. When it opens in University Heights in the coming weeks, it will shave 20 miles off the

drive to the nearest Galley Boy, onion rings and milkshake. We were equally intrigued by the news that Flip Side in the Flats was shutting down to make way for a ‘70s-themed club called Good Night John Boy, brought to us by the same folks behind Magnolia and FWD. The Farrah Fawcett posters should be hung by spring.

Speaking of Flip Side: That same crew is presently working to transform the former Rick’s Cafe space in Chagrin Falls to Bell & Flower, a concept still in the planning phase.

Out in Lakewood, Distill Table is a project that blends a farm-totable eatery with a grain-to-glass distillery. Chef Eddie Tancredi, formerly of Adega at The 9, will offer affordable, customizable small plates, shared items, sandwiches, pizzas and a handful of features. He’s joined in the two-headed venture by Kevin and Ann Thomas of Western Reserve Distillery. Just down the block, Rood Food will attempt

CLEVELAND

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F L AVO R to channel the eclectic cafes and restaurants of the artsy Wynwood district of Miami. When it opens in late winter, it will do so as an all-day cafe that straddles the line between breakfast and dinner, sweet and savory, classic and contemporary.

The team behind Barrio is not slowing down. They will open the fifth location of their popular tacoand-margarita chain in Willoughby this month or next, joining outposts in Tremont, downtown, Lakewood and Cleveland Heights.

They also are hard at work assembling Birdtown Brewery, a casual eatery and brewery taking shape in the old St. Gregory Catholic Church in Lakewood’s Birdtown neighborhood.

Bomba Tacos & Rum, which debuted two years ago in Rocky River and was joined last year by a sequel in Fairlawn, will open

a third spot this spring. Like the others, the new restaurant at La Place Center shopping mall in Beachwood will feature Latinthemed snacks and starters, chefdriven tacos, and a massive rum list set inside a smartly designed space.

The well-worn (original) Tavern Company space on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights is well on its way to becoming an elevated American tavern called Kensington Pub. When it opens this month, the restaurant will serve upscale pub grub and steaks in an unpretentious setting.

Meanwhile, down in Tremont, another longstanding tavern is getting a makeover. When the Literary Cafe reopens sometime in spring as the Literary Tavern, it will do so as a neighborhood spot serving unpretentious but good food like small plates, panini,

sandwiches and a few entrees.

It wouldn’t be Flavor without a Michael Symon restaurant spanning two editions. Mabel’s was “coming soon” for more than two years and now we have Sherla’s Chicken & Oysters, which we first announced in spring of 2016. When the old Lolita space finally is put back together from the devastating fire, it will relaunch as a casual neighborhood spot serving raw oysters, smoked seafood boards, fried chicken, and wood-roasted chicken and veggies.

Last but not least is the panoply of new eat, drink and play options that will populate Pinecrest and Van Aken District when those developments start coming to life in spring. Names like Red, Flip Side, Shake Shack, Kona Grill, Mitchell’s Ice Cream, Restore Cold Pressed Juices, Rising Star Coffee, City Works and more will join even more local, regional and national brands not yet made public. ◆

E V E RY DAY I S

Something Special!

Weekday

FAST BREAK SPECIALS! 4UES 4HURS s PM Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken or Boneless Rib Sandwich with house made kettle chips & drink for

$

Taco Tuesday

Foodie Friday

Tacos topped with your choice of our smoked meat or boneless ribs with cheese, southern slaw & homemade BBQ

For all the self proclaimed foodies come enjoy one of our house made specials & shop our vendors on site while you wait for your food to arrive (vendors on site from 6-8:30pm)

Wing Wednesday

HARRY’S is a Casual Steakhouse serving Great Steaks, Chops & Seafood at an affordable Price.

Over 15 Different Cuts Of Steak!

10.00

Choose from our slow smoked or southern fried wings and enjoy one of our new house sauces!

Thirsty Thursday $5 Glasses of Wine! & $5 tall glasses of our local beer draft selection

Saucin Saturday Drink Specials All Day! Game Day

Grub Sunday

Join us as we cheer-on our favorite sports teams with smoked wings, ribs & drink specials! (vendors on site from 1pm-4pm)

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EAT LIKE A LOCAL Five easy meals, one easy stop

By Douglas Trattner

C

leveland is blessed with a broad and deep pool of local, independent food startups – from sauerkraut to hot sauce. One of the best spots in town to shop for many of those items in the same place is Tremont General Store, one of the closest things we have to an old-fashioned corner market. Since opening the shop in 2016, owner Kevin Kubovcik has worked to amass as many local food products as he can, displaying them in bins, on shelves and in reach-in coolers and freezers.

On their own, they are delicious morsels of native pride. Combined, they become complete – and completely Cleveland – meals.

“We are a true Cleveland-focused store because we seek out and stock as many locally made products as possible, and we’re always adding more,” Kubovcik says.

“Many of those products complement each other so putting together a complete meal is simple, quick and delicious.”

Fusilli with Spicy Italian Meat Sauce

Boil a large pot of water and prepare Flour Pasta Company fusilli pasta as directed.

Meanwhile, crumble, brown and drain the fat from a package of Dee-Jays Custom Butchering Italian sausage. Add a jar of Rust Belt Pepper Co. Spicy Pepper Relish and let simmer for a few minutes. Drain the pasta and top it with the meat sauce.

Garnish with Lake Erie Creamery crumbled feta and serve.

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Pasta with Chicken Truffled Cream Sauce

Boil a large pot of water and prepare Ohio City Pasta egg spaghetti as directed.

Meanwhile, crumble, brown and drain the fat from a package of Dee-Jays Custom Butchering chicken sausage.

Add Dante Truffle Crema and let simmer for a few minutes.

Drain the pasta and top with sauce. Garnish with Refugee Response Farm fresh thyme and serve.

Fully Loaded Hot Dogs

Grill Wolf Boy hot dogs over gas, charcoal or in a hot skillet. Slice a Stone Oven Bakery baguette to hot dog lengths, slice open and toast. Place the cooked dogs in the toasted buns, top with Duck Island Gourmet Chile Sauce, diced-up Sideburns style Randy’s Pickles and some Cleveland Kraut roasted garlic sauerkraut, and serve.

Sourdough Pizza

Bisect a loaf of Stone Oven Bakery roasted garlic sourdough

into top and bottom rounds and toast them. Top each half with a layer of Dante Pizza Sauce followed by a layer of sliced Miceli’s fresh mozzarella.

Sprinkle crumbled Lake Erie Creamery black pepper feta on top, broil until browned and bubbly and serve.

Pasta Puttanesca with Chicken

Boil a large pot of water and prepare Ohio City Pasta spinach fettucine as directed.

Meanwhile, dice and brown one Dee-Jays Custom Butchering chicken breast in a little vegetable oil. Add Ohio City Pasta puttanesca sauce and let simmer for a few minutes. Drain the pasta, top with sauce and serve. ◆

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Kiwi Wongpeng and family at Thai Thai

ALL IN THE FAMILY Three businesses that were transformed after the second generation got involved

By Douglas Trattner

K

ids these days, am I right?

Each new generation typically is denigrated as lazy, entitled and so self-centered they can’t see past the front-facing camera on their iPhones. But look around at some of Cleveland’s most notable food businesses and you’ll see an enterprising collection of young entrepreneurs who not only stepped up to help their parents run the family business, but propelled it forward in ways the previous generation never could or did.

Aladdin’s Eatery was doing just fine without Fares Chamoun, he readily admits. While he was off living and working in Boston, his father Fady was busy building his

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mini-empire of Lebanese eateries.

Since launching Aladdin’s in 1994, the older Chamoun had grown the business to include dozens of locations in multiple cities and states.

“It’s been pretty tough to make a difference in our company, mainly because my dad is a pretty bad-ass restaurant operator,” Fares notes. “Mostly, I have been playing catch-up these last 12 years.”

But, make a difference he has.

Since joining the family business at the urging of his father, Fares has helped to boost the brand into the modern age. The natural place to focus his attentions, says the younger Chamoun, was technology, a topic completely foreign to his father.

“I used to joke that I was the

only one in the company who knew how to use a computer,” he says. “Point-of-sale systems would go down weekly between the 20 restaurants. After a while, I started to understand what caused the problems and worked to prevent them from reoccurring.”

Admittedly behind the curve on this one, Fares soon equipped all Cleveland- and Columbusbased Aladdin’s restaurants with the ability to accept online orders via the website. The process is seamlessly integrated with existing point-of-sale systems, making it an easy transition for both customer and management.

Embracing social media marketing came next, says Fares, noting that two full-time employees are assigned to the task.

“I know that it’s the way we are

going to keep ourselves relevant and where we are going to gain better insight into what our customers think and want,” Fares explains.

Kate McIntyre launched Kate’s Fish at the West Side Market in 2001, but after a solid five- or six-year run, the business was floundering (pun intended). In fact, McIntyre had already made the decision to sell the venture when her son Tom stepped in to put the kibosh on the deal. Like most Market kids, Tom worked on and off at the stand over the years, but he had no intention of making it his career – until he did.

“My mom had built up a nice little business, but she was in trouble,” Tom recalls. “I said, ‘You’re not selling the company;

I’m moving home.’”

Since coming back, McIntyre the younger has taken on more and more responsibility, juggling the jobs of principal fish cutter and company manager. One of the first things he began doing was forging new relationships with wholesale suppliers to buy product direct. The practice not only nets fresher fish, it opens up a whole new world of products, a detail not lost on regular Kate’s shoppers. Also new has been a push to incorporate more prepared foods like smoked salmon, seafood salads, bouillabaisse and cook-and-eat crab cakes, all of which appeal to younger home cooks.

But his next play will be the biggest yet for Kate’s Fish. Tom recently purchased Stand H14 at the West Side Market. Long known as Dani’s Seafood, the prized corner space can accommodate a full kitchen, from which McIntyre plans to sell fresh, but casual, seafood dishes like peel-and-eat

CLEVELAND

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F L AVO R “My mom had built up a nice little business, but she was in trouble.

I said, ‘You’re not selling the company; I’m moving home.’”

—Tom McIntyre shrimp, fried clams, lobster rolls, fried fish sandwiches and cookedto-order lobsters.

“I want to change the way people think about seafood in this town,” he explains. “I want to make really good seafood approachable and affordable.”

Kiwi Wongpeng grew up in a restaurant family. Within a month of landing in Cleveland, her parents converted a small Chinese restaurant on Madison Avenue into Thai Hut, a typical-for-its-time mom-and-pop ethnic eatery.

That business was followed by

another eatery called Asian Grille, which enjoyed an eight-year run.

After it closed, Kiwi suggested that the family open yet another Thai restaurant, but one that completely bucked convention.

“We were making Thai food for Americans, it’s sad to say,” Kiwi explains. “I said, ‘Why don’t we do something different? Why don’t we make food like it is in Bangkok?’”

At Kiwi’s suggestion, Thai Thai shunned the customary pages-long laminated menu filled with dozens and dozens of trite dishes. Instead, the small

Lakewood eatery introduced a laser-focused one-sheeter built around Bangkok-style street foods and Thai restaurant classics. The concise, playful menu grabs a diner’s attention with snips like “Try me!” and “Very tasty!” and “Most popular street dish!” Nearly half of the menu is designated as either vegan or vegetarian.

“We keep our options open because we know that 40 percent of our customers are vegetarian or vegan,” says Kiwi.

Within a few months, the shop was being inundated by both Asian and non-Asian diners, who were going nuts for authentically cooked and spiced dishes like gai yang, som tum, kra praow and duck noodle soup.

“When Thai people come in a lot, we know that we are doing something good,” Kiwi reports.

Which is precisely what happens when you hand the keys over to the next generation and let them do their thing. ◆

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’

By Douglas Trattner

1.

Frenched Rolled Beef Short Rib

Short ribs come in various iterations like English-cut, flanken-style and common bone-in short ribs. For this dramatic presentation, the meatiest portion of the rib primal is extracted, trimmed and wrapped around a frenched-rib flagpole. The laborintensive process results in a large, flavorful and expertly trimmed piece of beef that is best seared and braised with aromatics.

4.

Pork Coppa Roast

2.

We typically see whole pork shoulders or boneless butts smoked into meltingly tender pulled pork. A great butcher can pull out the very best portion of that unwieldy hunk of meat – the coppa – for use on its own. “It’s the Cadillac cut out of the pork shoulder and it’s one of the most versatile cuts on a pig,” Lambert promises. If you don’t feel like salting and hanging it to dry for six months, consider searing it and popping it into the slow cooker for the better part of a day. “Thanks to a ton of inter- and intra-muscular fat, it’s really hard to overcook the meat.”

Pork Flank Steak

“This cut of meat is often called ‘pork secreto’ because it’s really hard to find in butcher shops,” says Ohio City Provisions’ Adam Lambert. That’s probably because the butcher keeps them all for personal consumption.

Treat this special cut like you would a beef skirt or flank steak, he suggests, by giving it a good marinade and grilling it over high heat to medium (not mid-rare). Most importantly, slice the meat against the grain to ensure a tender chew.

3.

Beef Coulotte

“If you like the flavor and texture of a strip steak, you’ll love the Coulotte because it not only looks and cooks like one, it costs half the price,” says Lambert. This prized cut is extracted from the sirloin cap, which is known more for its choice flavor than texture. But this particular piece is an exception. Season it, grill it and serve it just as you would a pricy steak (but not much past medium-rare).

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ow that we’re blessed with butcher shops like Ohio City Provisions, Sa aucisson and NaKyrsie Meats, three new w fangled shops that join a host of longstanding g neighborhood favorites, we’re starting to see exotic new products in the display coolers. Unlike grocery store shelf-stockers, who simply open boxes of pre-cut meat, today’s craftspeo ople start with whole animals or large primals and fabricate

them as they wish.. Some of these cuts go great on the grill, while others require a long, gentle braise to reach the eir potential. Any way you slice it, these butcher’s cuts offer a tasty alternative to the same-old, sam me-old.

“There’s more to o buy from the butcher shop than just strip, filett , ribeye and T-bone steaks,” says Ohio City Pro ovision’s Adam Lambert. “Not everything needs to eat like filet mignon.” ◆

5.

Bone-in Beef Chuck Roast

Beef chuck is a large, complicated primal that comes from the shoulder. “A traditional butcher shop would just rip these on the band saw into thick slices for sale as blade roasts or grind it into burger meat,” says Lambert, adding that the term “roast” is misleading since that cooking method isn’t recommended. This jaw-dropping centerpiece should be cut into manageable lengths, seared and braised (pot roast or beef bourguignon would be nice) until fork-tender.

6.

Beef Merlot Steak

You wouldn’t want to grill up the cut of meat called beef round, which responds best to moist, slow cooking. But deep inside this juggernaut of silverskin and sinew lies the elusive merlot steak, so named for its wine-colored hue.

“This is one of the harder cuts to pull off because of all the seaming out of connective tissue required,” Lambert explains. If you’re lucky enough to score one out of the two per steer, season and sear it over high heat just past rare for a truly special butcher’s treat.

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Pupuseria Katarina

W

e here at Scene have always had a soft spot for out-of-the-way ethnic eats, those affordable mom-and-pop spots that open our eyes, minds and hearts to new cuisines. Lately, we’ve been pleasantly awash in the flavors of Latin America, from El Salvadoran pupusas to Guatemalan garnachas. Here are some of our new (and not-so-new) favorites.

El Salvador

We first became hip to the addictive qualities of pupusas about eight years back thanks to Pupuseria La Bendicion (3685 West 105th St., 216-688-0338), a no-frills establishment that still crafts some of the best – and most affordable – pupusas around. We lost this establishment’s westside twin, La Casa Tazumal, a few years back, but we’ve since made back the ground. For the uninitiated, these dreamy street eats are thick griddle-fried corn pancakes filled with cheese and other ingredients. A hot, crisp exterior gives way to a moltencheese interior. Pupusas are

always served with a bright and crunchy cabbage slaw, an ideal accompaniment to the warm, doughy corn cakes, and a thin, mild tomato sauce. In addition to the pupusas, Bendicion also prepares wonderful Salvadoran tamales, corn dough stuffed with shredded chicken and steamed in a banana leaf for a lush, puddinglike texture.

Pupuseria Katarina began life three years ago as a spare Salvadoran eatery in Old Brooklyn built largely around a roster of great pupusas.

After relocating to a larger, more comfortable spot (1409 Brookpark Rd., 216-331-6624,

pupuseriakatarina.com), they unveiled an expanded menu featuring those same great pupusas, of course, but also hearty main dishes like shrimp in tomato sauce, grilled steak and onions, whole fried fish and one of the best breakfast-allday platters around. This one combines housemade chorizo scrambled eggs, rice, refried beans, a fresh farmer’s cheese and a pair of warm, thick tortillas.

Colombian

El Arepazo y Pupuseria (22799 Lorain Rd., 440-716-1961) in Fairview Park offers guests the best of both worlds when it comes to Latin American specialties. In addition to exceptional Salvadoran pupusas, the menu here extends to cover Colombian dishes like arepas, empanadas and the classic Bandeja Paisa, an appetite slaying platter loaded down with rice,

beans, plantains, meaty pork skin, sausage, steak, avocado, arepa and an egg. El Arepazo’s arepas are crisp, corny and overstuffed with fillings like chorizo, onions, green peppers and cheese. They are served with fries and a trio of sauces. In addition to tamales, the restaurant prepares crispy fried empanadas filled with cheese, pork or beef.

Dominican

A newcomer on the nearwestside, La Morenita (3156 West 25th St., 216-350-6633) is a cheery little eatery that dishes up home-style Dominican fare for breakfast, lunch and early dinner. A heated display is filled with quick-serve foods like golden brown empandillas filled with ground beef, chicken or cheese, and tostones, crunchy, creamy fried plantains. Los Tres Golpes, a Dominican breakfast platter, contains fried eggs, fried

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The fast-casual craze has co-opted nearly every other cuisine, so it might as well have appropriated Puerto Rican food as well. Mofongo Latin Grill (11621 Lorain Ave., 216-4155323, clevelandmofongo.com), which opened last spring, offers a stripped-down menu of Latin favorites in typical fast-casual fashion. The namesake mofongo â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fried, mashed and seasoned plantains â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is mounded high and topped with a choice of meats, seafood or veggies.

Delicious roasted pork shoulder is shredded and paired with fragrant yellow rice studded with pigeon peas and runny beans. The chicharron served here as an entree with rice and beans is more meat (and fat) than skin, and the golden-brown empanadillas are hot, ďŹ&#x201A;aky and perfectly spiced.

Caribe Bake Shop (2906 Fulton Rd., 216-281-8194) isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t new, but Clevelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Home of the best Cubanoâ&#x20AC;? recently moved into a new building on the same property and demolished the old one. Step into Caribe today and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re greeted by a bright, open and modern space outďŹ tted with 20 feet of hot and cold food stations. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heavenly roast pork, a stew of meltingly tender chicken, carrots and potatoes, pitch-black morcilla (blood

sausage), and some of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crispiest fried chicken. A small heated display case is ďŹ lled with crispy empanadillas and plenty of new seating welcomes hungry guests.

Mexican

For the past couple years, eastside Mexican food fans have tolerated cramped quarters, a confusing process and strict cash-only policy at Las Americas (25626 Aurora Rd., Bedford, 440439-9378) in return for delicious and affordable tacos, burritos and quesadillas. This summer, the business relocated to a new space in the same plaza that features a greatly expanded Latin foods market and attached restaurant. Fans will recognize the same menu and pricing as before, but with options for takeout or full-service dining. Burritos are stuffed to the breaking point, quesadillas are cooked on a ďŹ&#x201A;attop until hot and melted, and those authentic street tacos are as good as they get.

Guatemalan

We got a quick, delicious taste of El Rinconcito Chapin at its previous location in Old Brooklyn before it shut down in preparation for a major relocation (3330 Broadview Rd., 216-795-5776). When it opens this month or next, diners will get a taste of Guatemalan-style tamales called chuchitos, crispy rolled taquitos guatemaltecos, and dobladas, Guatemalan turnovers that are closely related to pupusas. But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the garnachas that we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get out of our heads. Imagine a plate of nachos that swaps the thin and crispy chips for silver dollar-size corn tortillas. Each sturdy base is topped with seasoned ground beef, a dollop of bright salsa, raw red onion and a sprinkling of salty cheese. â&#x2014;&#x2020;

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S

ince launching Dinner in the Dark in 2010, Brian Okin and his partners have hosted monthly culinary events like clockwork. At each one, no fewer than six area chefs are invited to prepare a course for the crowd’s enjoyment. Over the years, Okin estimates that more than 100 different names have graced those now-familiar multi-course menus. So, how many of those names belonged to people of color, I asked him.

Chef Willy Jackson

DIVIDING LINES On the appallingly low percentage of black chefs in local kitchens

By Douglas Trattner

“Probably 10 to 20,” he responds.

It’s not for a lack of trying, Okin promises.

The appallingly low percentage of black sous chefs and chefs who have taken part in Dinner in the Dark is a merely a symptom of a larger condition. And that condition is an industrywide imbalance when it comes to the presence of black kitchen leaders.

“It’s never been a focus one way or another, it’s just who’s available,” Okin says. “If you asked me to name 12 black sous chefs or chefs in Cleveland, I couldn’t do it.”

If Brandon Chrostowski had his way, African Americans would be running restaurant kitchens at roughly the same percentage as they exist in the general population. Each year, he turns out another class of graduates over at Edwins Leadership & Restaurant Institute, a nonprofit that gives formerly incarcerated adults a solid foundation in the restaurant industry. Despite the fact that 95 percent of his charges land jobs after graduation, very few of them have risen to the upper echelons of the culinary profession.

“I would press you to walk in the back of a restaurant and see who’s leading and see who’s washing dishes,” Chrostowski asserts. “Black and brown are at the sink, and maybe some guy who’s prepping is of color, but the people on the line are white. The sous chef is white.”

Chrostowski attributes some of the blame to long-standing stereotypes about black workers held by people in positions of power. When it comes time to move someone up in the ranks, the chef might subconsciously — or with malice aforethought — be thinking that the white cook is going to work harder and thus will make his or her life easier.

“It’s a busy industry and people want to put individuals in spots where they feel like they won’t have to work harder,” Chrostowski theorizes. “An owner might think, ‘I can plug this piece in here and things will work fine.’

I think there’s this perception that someone of color may not work as hard, or other generalizations which are preventing people

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CLEVELAND

MAGAZINE

F L AVO R from moving up.”

These same biases, by the way, often get applied to Hispanic and female staffers.

Willy Jackson isn’t one for excuses. As executive chef and kitchen operations manager for Zanzibar, Stonetown and Angie’s Soul Cafe restaurants, he oversees a large, diverse crew of employees. But when he started in this profession 38 years ago, all he supervised was tub upon tub of dirty dishes.

“I was kicked out of high school and probably not headed down the right path,” Jackson says. “My first boss changed my life. I’ve never seen an African American command that kind of respect from people like he did. He took me under his wing and my sights were immediately set on becoming a chef.”

Over the years, Jackson has worked for demanding chefs like Zack Bruell and Sergio Abramof, and when he was hired on as kitchen manager at Cheesecake Factory, he was one of the only African American mangers in the entire chain at that time. All along the way he’s heard the same old stories about black folks getting passed over for a promotion at the hands of white bosses.

“I’ve joined kitchens where guys who have been there for eight, nine or 10 years would say to me, ‘This company does not advance black people,’” he recalls. “I don’t buy into that. You just have to work and let your work ethic stand on its own. It may not happen as quickly as you want it to, but nothing does.”

Jackson would be the first to admit that his level of commitment and enthusiasm for the work is a rarity these days, and as an employer he’s seen no shortage of lazy, undisciplined and unreliable employees regardless of skin color. But he thinks that part of the problem, as it applies to young

African American people, is a lack of exposure to and excitement for food and dining.

“I think there’s a lack of understanding about what this could mean as a career,” Jackson explains. “Most African American kids aren’t exposed to food diversity. Most are not in a position where their parents are going to be able to take them to Ruth’s Chris. You’re eating at home or McDonald’s. That curiosity is not being stoked.”

As a matchmaker, Chrostowski is always on the lookout for employers like Jackson, who will put in the time and effort necessary to train eager, but green, graduates of Edwins.

Not every one of your cooks will possess the spark and drive required to forge a path to the top, but for those who do, that corridor should at least be free of obstacles.

“When someone hires somebody, they’re still clay and they need to be molded,” says Chrostowski. “We try and pair them up with people who will embrace them, no questions asked, and move them up.”

One such pairing recently took place when Gregory Allen, a recent graduate of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Program at Edwins, landed a job at Black Pig as a line cook. Working alongside chefs Mike Nowak and David Kocab, Allen currently is absorbing new skills like wholeanimal butchery, charcuterie and fresh pasta production. He’s in no hurry to leave, he says, because knowledge like this will only help him on his path.

“I’m going to stick around here until I learn more,” he says. “I want to go all the way; I want to be chef de cuisine at a restaurant. If you don’t love it, you won’t go far with it. But if you have a passion for it, there’s a lot of work out there for you.” ◆

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TIPPING POINT There’s always been a lot to love in Larchmere. There’s just even more of it now

By Douglas Trattner

F

or years, it seems, the Larchmere neighborhood that straddles Cleveland and Shaker Heights has been perched a few pounds light of the tipping point. Online and in print, enthusiastic articles have christened the eclectic district “the next hot thing” or “the best-kept secret” or “where to live next.” And for good reason: The dense urban community is attractive, walkable and diverse. Residents here have access to affordable real estate, public transportation and a varied roster of commercial amenities that include antiques shops, bars, restaurants and a bookstore, to name a few.

But for each step forward, as the story goes, the neighborhood would take a half step back. Just as one new businesses would open and begin showing promise, another would fall, halting any significant forward progress.

That narrative began to shift in earnest over the past few years as newer independent spots

like Batuqui joined long-running institutions like the Academy Tavern, Larchmere Tavern and Big Al’s Diner. More recently, the progress has only accelerated, with a trio of fresh food-based businesses building even more momentum.

Since opening a little more than two years ago, the charming Brazilian restaurant Batuqui

(12706 Larchmere Blvd., 216-8010227, batuquicleveland.com) has really settled into a nice groove.

On warm evenings, diners sip caipirinhas on the umbrelladotted front patio while tucking into hearty bowls of feijoada or platters of meaty churrasco.

One fan happens to be Barroco owner Juan Vergara, who fell so hard for the neighborhood that he decided to open a second location of his popular Colombian restaurant here.

“It reminds me a lot of what Birdtown is like,” says Vergara, referring to the original Barroco’s native turf. “A really nicely kept secret neighborhood that just needs a little more love. We just fit.”

Since opening the Lakewood spot six years ago, the Vergaras have cultivated an incredible

following, one that extends clear across town. But Juan wagered that those eastside customers would frequent a nearby location with more regularity. He was right. Only a few months in, the Larchmere Barroco (12718 Larchmere Blvd., 216-9389301, barrocoarepabar.com) is jumping with the energy of a more seasoned establishment, one like its neighbor, the lovely Felice Urban Cafe (12502 Larchmere Blvd., 216-791-0918, feliceurbancafe.com), which has represented the western edge of Larchmere’s hospitality quarter for nine years.

But that border was nudged closer to the setting sun thanks to the recent addition of two tasty and unique newcomers.

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Big Al’s Diner

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F L AVO R 477–2078, poisonberrybakery. com) is proving to skeptics that “vegan treats” is not an oxymoron. Every delectable cookie, cupcake, muffin and cake is made without milk, butter, eggs or even honey, if you can believe it. Nearly next door, Grey House Pies (12204 Larchmere Blvd., 216-810-6111, grayhousepies.com) absolutely flies through wholesome ingredients like free-range eggs, whole butter, organic whole milk and others while crafting its fresh fruit pies, creamy quiches and gooey brownies. For a real treat, grab a thick slice of Detroit-style pizza or three.

Fans of Big Al’s Diner (12600 Larchmere Blvd., 216-791-8550) got a scare earlier this year when it appeared as if their beloved greasy spoon was down for the count. But rise again it did, following a renovation that greatly spiffed up both the interior and exterior, including a

dramatic storefront renovation project.

With more than 150 years in service between the pair, the Academy Tavern (12800 Larchmere Blvd., 216-2291171, academytavern.com) and Larchmere Tavern (13051 Larchmere Blvd., 216-7211111, thelarchmeretavern.com) continue to attract diners of all stripes thanks to warm-hearted service and comfort-food menus. But relative “newcomer” Flying Cranes Cafe (13006 Larchmere Blvd., 216-7951033, flyingcranescafe.com) often flies under the radar.

For nearly a decade, this cute little cafe quietly has been pleasing neighbors, with an eclectic menu that combines Asian rice and noodle dishes with American soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. Like the neighborhood all around it, the lush secret garden in the rear is a pleasant surprise. ◆

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PICKS FROM THE PROS Local chefs and foodies dish on their favorite meals

By Douglas Trattner

Chef Vishawatej at Bombay Chaat

Vishwatej Nath Executive Chef, Urban Farmer

When he’s on the hunt for a little comfort food, Vishwatej Nath heads over to Bombay Chaat, an excellent Indian spot near the Cleveland State University campus. If he’s there at midday, he can’t pass up the expansive buffet. “For lunch they have a delicious buffet that touches both South and North

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Indian dishes,” he says. “It’s simply divine.” But if it’s closer to dinnertime, Nath is all over the masala dosa. “It’s a thin, crispy rice and lentil pancake served with spiced potatoes, sambar, coconut chutney and tamarin chutney. It reminds me of my grandma cooking it for me on Sunday mornings. It’s so close to how she made it for me growing up.”

Jill Vedaa Chef-Owner, Salt

When she’s not preparing small plates with huge flavors at Salt in Lakewood, Jill Vedaa is out seeking new and interesting dishes all over town. One that convinces her to drive clear across town is the feijoada at Batuqui on Larchmere. “If you could imagine listening to some of the coolest, most down-to-

earth, soul satisfying blues tracks – and then eating it, that’s what this dish is like,” she says of the savory meat and bean stew. “It wraps you up and pleases all the senses completely. It makes my soul sing!”

Tricia McCune CLEfoodies

Over at her IG account, @ clefoodies, McCune tempts her

legion of followers with snaps of some of the most tantalizing bites in town. One restaurant that keeps her coming back for more is Tay Do Vietnamese Restaurant in Parma. “I’ve been a decadelong loyal customer because of the incredible lemongrass chicken,” she says. “Tender chunks of chicken coated in a garlicky lemongrass marinade that’s been caramelized and slightly charred on the tips mixed with sweet onions softened and soaked in sauce. I’ve searched the nation far and wide for something to rival it and nothing’s come even close. Cleveland doesn’t know how lucky they are to have a gem like Tay Do.”

CLEVELAND

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F L AVO R can sneak away, they grab stools at the bar of Crumb & Spigot in Bainbridge. “The sweet pea falafel is one of my favorite dishes in Cleveland,” he says. “The falafel, which has a rustic look, is formed into large, flat patties, which allows more surface area to get crispy. It’s served atop well-seasoned, filling cauliflower tabbouleh, roasted zucchini and a creamy lemon-yogurt dressing.

If I lived closer, I would order this every day – and I’m not even a vegetarian!”

Bac Nguyen Chef-Owner, Bac and Ninja City

Andy Himmel Founder & CEO, Paladar Restaurant Group

When Himmel isn’t taking care of business at one of his many Paladar and Bomba eateries, he’s likely sleeping. But on the rare occasion that he and the missus

and sweet buns are great, the one I get most often is the almond and coconut bun. You really can’t go wrong.”

Nguyen knows a thing or two about sandwiches: The banh mi that he makes and sells over at Bac in Tremont is one of the best of the bunch. So when he recommends a sandwich, we should pay heed. “The Italian

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Mike Nowak Chef-Owner, Black Pig

Like most chefs, Nowak regularly scours Cleveland’s Asiatown neighborhood in search of compelling markets, restaurants and ingredients. One of his earliest discoveries remains one of his most visited. “I really love the different baked buns at Koko Bakery on Payne Avenue,” he says of the decade-old business. “While both the savory

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Not only has Barber anchored the Collinwood neighborhood with her iconic live music venue, she’s been an unwavering supporter of other businesses in the area. So it comes as no surprise that her lunch and dinner needs are often met close to home. “Usually once a week I find my way to Bistro 185, not far from the Beachland, for their Field Greens salad (mixed greens, bleu cheese, dried cherries, and candied walnuts) and I always add grilled salmon to the top,” she says. “Their salmon is always wild caught and perfectly cooked – a little crispy outside but moist and juicy inside. I can feel the Vitamin B-12 helping recharge my system right away!” ◆

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TO THE DONES 2017, or the year we achieved peak doughnut

By Douglas Trattner

I

t’s like they were patiently waiting for somebody to invent Instagram. All rainbows, sprinkles and bubble gum-pink glazes, doughnuts jump off of our social media feeds and into our consciousness like a delicious earworm, setting in motion an unstoppable craving for the airy confections.

Sure, doughnuts have been around in some form or another for eons, rising to obsessionlevel bingeing in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s largely thanks to brands like Krispy Kreme

and Dunkin’ Donuts, but their stock declined precipitously after that. Credit places like Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Federal Donuts in Philly, and the inevitable birth of the “cronut,”

perhaps, for kick-starting the modern trend of new-wave doughnut shops.

Like most present-day food trends, the doughnut craze follows a familiar tack: Some crafty individual takes a wellworn classic and updates it through use of skilled techniques, fresh ingredients and innovative flavor profiles – think maple-bacon, Cap’n Crunch, or in-season blueberry.

It might have taken its good, sweet time in finding us, but the doughnut wave is beginning to crest in Cleveland and it shows no signs of letting up anytime soon.

Though it only recently opened its doors in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, Brewnuts (6501 Detroit Ave., 216-600-9579, brewnutscle.com) has been a going concern since 2013, when owners Shelley and John Pippen began peddling their “dones” at fleas, pop-ups and special events. Latching onto two hot trends – craft beer! doughnuts! – the Pippins decided to marry the two by lacing their confections with local and regional beers.

“There was this perfect storm going on with the beer boom that was happening in Cleveland and all of these great artisan food businesses starting up,” Shelley says of the concept’s

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“I think it’s really difficult,” explains pastry chef Erica Coffee, who runs the shop with owner Barbara Fazio. “They can be finicky; how long do you proof the dough? How many times do you proof it? You can run the same batch 100 different times and they come out different each time.”

Plus, she adds, a lot of labor goes into the frying, filling and glazing of every batch.

That’s often why pastry chefs are the brains behind many of today’s best doughnut shops. Like barbecue and

“You can run the same batch 100 different times and they come out different each time.”

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genesis. “Our idea was to come up with a Cleveland version of something really unique to do with doughnuts.”

Of course, they couldn’t predict that it would be another four years before their doughnut bar would open its doors to the public. But ever since it did, this past September, the 1,200-square-foot corner space at the bustling intersection of West 65th and Detroit has been mobbed by adoring and supportive fans who gobble up doughnuts like the maple-bacon bourbon ale, coffee porter

—Erica Coffee with toffee, and the classic glazed made with Great Lakes Dortmunder. On a busy day, the shop flies through literally thousands of doughnuts, each and every one of them hand rolled, hand cut, fried and glazed by a human.

In a delicious twist of fate, City Girl Donuts (20253 Lake Rd., 440-799-4083, citygirldonuts. com) in Rocky River opened the very same week as Brewnuts.

And like that sweets shop, City Girl is a craft, small-batch doughnut shop that puts a fresh spin on an old-fashioned notion.

Case in point: an “everything” bagel doughnut with cream cheese icing garnished with fresh chive. Since opening in September, the shop almost daily depletes its inventory of cake and yeast-raised doughnuts, which begs the question: Why has Cleveland lagged behind the curve when it comes to new-wave doughnut shops?

brewing beer, the vocation requires a level of skill that rises above the workaday. Based on those standards, it makes perfect sense that Cleveland’s next doughnut shop will be “manned” by Courtney Bonning, the proprietress of the former Bonbon Pastry & Cafe in Ohio City. The erstwhile winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars will open Bigmouth Donut Co. in the Hingetown area of Ohio City. As the name subtly implies, these doughnuts will be a wee bit fatter and a wee bit louder than the average treat. No date is yet set for an opening.

Of course, these groovy new spots join other Cleveland favorites like Jack Frost, Amy Joy, The Doughnut Pantry, Peace, Love and Little Donuts, Becker’s and the nomadic Donut Lab. Now, all that’s left to decide is whether you prefer a tender cake doughnut, a chewy yeastraised doughnut, or two of each. ◆

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Emily Marin, Spice

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PASTRY CHEF? Why restaurants have taken the easy way out with breads and dessert, and why that trend might be changing

By Douglas Trattner

I

n the not-too-distant past, every great restaurant meal began with a basket of warm, house-baked bread and was capped off by a sweet, elegant flourish, both of which sprang forth from the hands of a skilled in-house pastry chef. These days, that bread and dessert more than likely began life as a frozen product that arrived on the back of a truck, says Ben Bebenroth, chef and owner of Spice Kitchen, Spice Catering, and Spice Acres farm.

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“Probably 90 percent of Cleveland restaurants are using premade products,” he estimates.

“It’s a position that you can easily cut up, reassign and reallocate your spend as opposed to spending it on a talented, dedicated professional. I don’t think it’s a craft that’s as highly prized anymore because there are easy

workarounds.”

Those workarounds, he reports, range from using frozen par-baked breads and Sysco brand cakes and pies to simply relying on local businesses who do it for a living.

Thanks to bakeries like Stone Oven, On the Rise, and Blackbird, ice cream shops like Mitchell’s and Mason’s Creamery, and a whole

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host of cottage dessert providers, restaurant owners manage to cobble together an employee-free solution to their sweet and savory pastry needs.

Unlike most of his colleagues, Bebenroth does happen to employ a fulltime pastry chef. Emily Marin grinds the ancient grains that go into the long-fermented breads, she bakes English muffins from scratch for weekend brunch, she makes the tartlet shells that are filled and passed at bucolic Plated Landscape dinners, and she crafts the attractive plated desserts that are served at the farm-to-table restaurant in Detroit Shoreway.

Thanks to his multi-faceted enterprise, Bebenroth is able to justify and subsidize the added expense.

“If we didn’t have the additional revenue streams, there would be no fucking way we could do it,” he says.

But we can’t pin the decline of the in-house pastry chef solely on the backs of parsimonious restaurant owners. If you want to know why so many restaurants began ditching their highly skilled pastry chefs in the first place, simply look in the mirror and ask yourself what you’d like for dessert.

“Unfortunately, when it comes to desserts, people just want you to play the hits,” says Ange Lupica, an industrious pastry professional who splits her time between Cleveland Bagel and Sweet Tooth Confections, her own wholesale sweets business. “If, at the end of the day, your customers are only asking for cheesecake, brownie, cookie, pie … do you really need to pay someone to do that?”

In what might seem an odd contradiction of spirit, the very same diner who just devoured a progressive meal of fried chicken livers with wild-berry compote followed by braised heirloom pork belly garnished with foraged chanterelles will demonstrate no such pluck when it comes to dessert. For him or her, the time for bravery has passed and only a slice of old-fashioned apple pie

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“I think that desserts are so deeply rooted with childhood foods that you’re always competing with these amazing things that they had as a child,” Lupica proposes. “We are competing with Grandma’s pies.

They want the purest form of what they remember and they want us to make it just like that.”

For restaurants that hope

them in a more sophisticated and refined way that is sometimes cheeky but always delicious, comforting and something you’re really going to enjoy.”

Although she was referring specifically to the dessert program, Genetti’s description would be equally accurate with respect to the savory side of things, proving her point about symmetry of character. What is

and even legit doughnut shops are becoming more prolific, and that is only a good thing for the pastry community at large.”

Genetti sees it as a long game, one in which both pastry chefs and diners play equal and equally important parts.

“My hope is that if I do everything to the best of my abilities then somebody is going to come in, who maybe didn’t understand what a pastry chef and plated desserts are all about, and will leave with a higher appreciation of those things and

“Every restaurant has a vibe, a personality, and the pastry should correspond with that, otherwise it’s really disjointed.”

— Summer Genetti

to stand out from the crowd, premade pastry from a thirdparty provider will never suffice, regardless of how much care and attention went into crafting them. If the restaurant down the block can purchase the very same desserts, how in the world will that practice differentiate you from your competitors?

“Every restaurant has a vibe, a personality, and the pastry should correspond with that, otherwise it’s really disjointed,” explains Summer Genetti, Lola’s pastry chef for the past five years. “At the restaurant we try to take classic American flavors that you might have grown up with but present

a beef cheek pierogi, after all, if not a classic American flavor presented in a more sophisticated and refined way?

Genetti might be Cleveland’s best hope when it comes to the future of the local pastry chef.

Unlike numerous doubting Thomases, she believes that the worst is behind us and the future is looking very sweet indeed.

“The pastry chef is starting to come back,” she says. “People are becoming more interested in artisan breads, more interested in single-origin chocolates. ... While pastry jobs have been slower to manifest themselves, artisan bakeries, patisseries, chocolaterias

will then demand better, which will then make everyone else have to rise up and address it and hire someone to make desserts,” she argues.

Along those same lines, Lupica sees the process as a two-way street, one that requires a solid foundation of trust.

“We need to give our customers more credit and our customers need to trust us, because we can do more than just brownies and cookies and cheesecake,” she urges. “If you’re going out and spending money and having this whole experience, then let us give it to you all the way to the end.” ◆

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Sergio Abramof and Carl Quagliata

Barney Taxel, 1970s

Michael and Liz Symon

A FEAST FOR THE EYES For four decades, photographer Barney Taxel has captured and chronicled Cleveland’s evolving food scene

By Douglas Trattner

S

crolling through the photographs on Barney Taxel’s laptop is like viewing a pictorial encyclopedia of Cleveland’s culinary awakening. There’s a shot of the Godfather himself, Carl Quagliata, looking dapper in a suit and tie. Young brothers Patrick and Dan Conway are snapped inside Great Lakes Brewery in 1988, the very year that it opened. Dressed in crisp chef’s whites, Paul Minnillo looks ready for dinner service at the old Baricelli Inn. A babyfaced Michael Symon and his new bride Liz are captured in situ at the newly opened Lola Bistro. Sergio Abramof, Marlin Kaplan, Zack Bruell, Karen Small, Doug Katz, Dante Boccuzzi and Sanford Herskovitz – aka Mister Brisket – are all represented in what could serve as an archeological record of our restaurant-rich past and present.

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Over the decades, Taxel has been there every step of the way, documenting each delicious bite for local publications like Cleveland Magazine and Northern Ohio Live and national outlets like Gourmet and The New York Times (and in this entire issue, for which he took every single photo).

He never intentionally set out to be a food photographer after

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Sanford Herskovitz

graduating from Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelor of Arts in photography, it just sort of happened, he says.

“In the late ’70s I was doing a lot of commercial work for [the industrial design firm] Nottingham Spirk, shooting packaging images for their bakeware and other products,” Taxel explains. “We would use food as props and that’s how I became familiar with food stylists and their routines. That work eventually led to my decision to build a full kitchen in the studio.”

Long before it was the hip (or, frankly, prudent) thing to do, Taxel set up shop in a 3,000-squarefoot studio on Prospect Avenue, behind the Agora Ballroom – before it was the Agora Ballroom.

The year was 1976 and, while not totally unheard of at the time, the idea of an in-studio

The Conway Brothers of Great Lakes Brewing Co.

kitchen typically was reserved for photography firms that handled large commercial food, cooking equipment or tableware clients.

Four decades later, you can still find Taxel working in the same studio.

Somewhere along the way, Taxel and his wife Laura had fallen into parallel and complementary careers, a partnership of sorts that would span the years. Interestingly enough, it all grew out of a thin wallet and a fondness for ethnic food and restaurants. Together, the thrifty diners would uncover exotic gems like Empress Taytu Ethiopian, Minh Anh Vietnamese, Balaton Hungarian and Seoul Hot Pot, back when the menu was still split between pizza and Korean food.

“We were always poor, so we searched out unusual and off-

Barney Taxel, 2000s

the-beaten-path places to eat, which drove us to many ethnic restaurants,” Taxel recalls. “That turned into Laura’s monthly column for Avenues Magazine focusing on ethnic restaurants and markets of Cleveland, which eventually turned into the book Cleveland Ethnic Eats.”

Taxel describes those early years as a “slow burn, like a good cigar,” he says. “Things didn’t really start breaking until Michael took over that little spot in the Caxton Building. That kitchen was like a closet and we had to shoot in it, but he was hilarious.”

“Michael,” of course, is Michael Symon, and that “little spot” was the Caxton Cafe, a supernova of a restaurant that helped propel Cleveland into the dining big leagues and send Symon down his path toward celebrity chef status.

Just three years later, Taxel would shoot Symon again, this time at his own spot, Lola Bistro, a seminal moment for the local food scene if ever there was one.

Laura moved from Avenues to Northern Ohio Live, where she had a beat reviewing the most noteworthy restaurants of the day.

But rather than dine anonymously in some dark corner of the dining room, dispatching a photographer to shoot the meal at a later time, the Taxels would make a date out of it.

“We would ask for the table that had the best lighting and they would send out course after course for us to eat and shoot,” Taxel recalls. “That was only possible thanks to digital photography becoming more accessible, because you could sit at a table and photograph what’s

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Cell phones, social media and foodie culture have actually helped in that regard, he thinks.

“I think it’s great for our profession because people know what quality is, so it helps us rise to the top of a medium that’s full of everything from the sublime to the ridiculous,” he says, adding that our current obsession with food all but guarantees him job security.

“Eating out has become a form of entertainment as opposed to something you do on the way to the theater or movies,” he explains. “With competition comes marketing and with marketing comes the need for a visual message that tells the story. Part of my job is to discover what that viewpoint is and bring it into a twodimensional, one-shot reality that tells that story. These observation and implementation skills are things that I’ve worked a long time to acquire and they’re not going to leave me anytime soon.” ◆

Michael Symon, Karen Small and Dante Boccuzzi

being served at fairly low light levels and know that you were capturing something usable.”

The next course up for the Taxels was Feast, a glossy food-themed magazine under the umbrella of Great Lakes Publishing. Laura served as editorial director and Barney as contributing photographer. “It was a real labor of love for both of us,” Taxel says of the project, which had a too-short five-year run. A few years after that publication was put to bed, the Taxels teamed up on Cleveland’s West Side Market: 100 Years and Still Cooking, a well-researched hardcover that chronicled the history of the iconic public market.

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Every step of the way – from that pivotal bistro in Tremont to the very magazine you’re holding in your hands – food photography has been the silent partner of success. Working behind the scenes and behind the lens, food photographers, along with stylists and other support crew, have been documenting this city’s culinary transformation for consumption in print and online media. Along with the clever scribes who paint pictures with words, a talented photojournalist has the ability to make the sights, smells and flavors of food spring forth from a two-dimensional image. Savvy chefs know to seek out skilled shooters who will present their

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Agostino’s/ Sushi Rock 15607 Madison Ave. Lakewood, OH 44107 216-905-5941 agostinosevent.com Astoria Café 5417 Detroit Ave. Cleveland, OH 44102 216-266-0834 astoriacafemarket.com Barabicu Smokehouse 5767 Ridge Rd. Parma, OH 44129 440-481-3057 barabicubbq.wixsite.com/smokehouse Barrio Tacos Multiple Locations barrio-tacos.com Barroco Arepa Bar Lakewood 12906 Madison Ave. Lakewood, OH 44107 216-221-8127 barrocoarepabar.com Barroco Arepa Bar Larchmere 12718 Larchmere Blvd.

Cleveland, OH 44120 216-938-9301 barrocoarepabar.com Billy’s Martini 7338 Industrial Park Blvd, Mentor, OH 44060 440) 585-8815 billysacappellimartinibar.com Bistro 185 991 East 185th St. Cleveland, OH 44119 216-481-9635 bistro185.com Bubba’s Q 820 Center Rd, Avon, OH 44011 (440) 937-7859 bubbasqdining.com Brasa Grill 1300 W 9th St, Cleveland, OH 44113 (216) 575-0699 brasagrillsteakhouse.com Bywater Tavern 12703 Lorain Ave. Cleveland, OH 44111 216-675-0081 bywatertavern.com Cantine Bar + Bottle Shop 1100 West Royalton Rd. Broadview Heights, OH 44147 440-877-9399 cantinebottleshop.com

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Cedar Lee District cedarlee.org CLE Urban Winery 2180B Lee Rd. Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 216-417-8313 cleurbanwinery.com Club Isabella 2175 Cornell Rd. Cleveland, OH 44106 216-229-1111 clubisabella.com Coastal Taco 1146 Old River Rd. Cleveland, OH 44113 216-727-0158 coastaltacobar.com Crop Bistro & Bar 2537 Lorain Ave. Cleveland, OH 44113 216-696-2767 cropbistro.com Crostata’s Rustic Pizza 558 Bishop Rd. Highland Heights, OH 44143 440-449-7800 crostatas.com Crust-Tremont 2258 Professor Ave. Cleveland, OH 44113 216-583-0257 crusttremont.com Crust-Downtown 3000 St. Clair Ave. Cleveland, OH 44103 216-589-9711 crusttremont.com DD Catering 440-339-1342 ddcateringohio.wixsite.com/ddcatering D’Agnese’s Italian Restaurant 1100 West Royalton Rd. Broadview Heights, OH 44147 440-237-7378 dagneses.com

Dave’s Cosmic Subs 1842 Coventry Rd, Cleve Heights, OH 44118 (216) 320-0330 davescosmicsubs.com Dave’s Cosmic Subs 20660 N Park Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44118 (216) 320-9866 davescosmicsubs.com Dave’s Cosmic Subs 180 Market Street Westlake, Ohio 44145 (440) 835-1500 davescosmicsubs.com Dave’s Cosmic Subs 6139 Kruse Dr, Solon, OH 44139 (440) 394-8511 davescosmicsubs.com Dave’s Cosmic Subs 9 River St, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022 (440) 247-9117 davescosmicsubs.com Dave’s Markets Multiple Locations davesmarkets.com El Taco Macho 1613 Mentor Ave. Painesville, OH 44077 440-350-8226 eltacomacho.com Fairmount Martini & Wine Bar 2448 Fairmount Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106 (216) 229-9463 thefairmount.net Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon 24581 Lorain Ave. North Olmsted, OH 44070 440-801-1001 fatheadscleveland.com Fat Head’s Brewery & Taphouse 18741 Sheldon Rd. Middleburg Heights, OH 44130 216-898-0242 fatheadsbeer.com/taphouse.html

Dave’s Cosmic Subs 1918 E 6th St, Cleveland, OH 44114 (216) 861-4199 davescosmicsubs.com

Fears Confections 15208 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107 (216) 481-0888 fearsconfections.com

Dave’s Cosmic Subs 2547 Lorain Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113 (216) 795-5878 davescosmicsubs.com

Geraci’s 2266 Warrensville Center Rd, University Heights, OH 44118 (216) 371-5643

Dave’s Cosmic Subs 14813 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107 (216) 221-1117 davescosmicsubs.com

Greek Village Grille 14019 Madison Ave. Lakewood, OH 44107 216-228-4976 greekvillagegrille.com

Grumpy’s Café 2621 West 14th St. Cleveland, OH 44113 216-241-5025 grumpys-café.com Harry’s Steakhouse 5664 Brecksville Rd, Cleveland, OH 44131 (216) 524-5300 harryssteakhousecleveland.com Hatfield’s Goode Grub 16700 Lorain Ave. Cleveland, OH 44111 216-417-1056 hatfieldsgoodegrub.com House of Blues Restaurant & Bar East 4th St. Cleveland, OH 44114 216-523-2583 houseofblues.com/cleveland/restaurant India Garden 18405 Detroit Rd, Lakewood, OH 44107 (216) 221-0676 indiagardencleveland.com Le Petit Triangle Cafe 1881 Fulton Rd, Cleveland, OH 44113 (216) 281-1881 lepetittriangle.com Lina Wines 5248 Lee Road, Rear Building, Maple Heights, OH 44137 (216) 246-2899 linawines.com MadTree Brewing Co. madtreebrewing.com MANCAN mancanwine.com Mallorca 1390 W 9th St, Cleveland, OH 44113 (216) 687-9494 clevelandmallorca.com Market Ave Wine Bar 2521 Market Ave, Cleveland, OH 44113 (216) 696-9463 marketavenuewinebar.publishpath.com Matteo’s Casual Italian North Royalton 13570 Ridge Rd. North Royalton, OH 44133 440-628-9800 matteosnr.com

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©A D V E R T I S E R L I S T© Matteo’s Casual Italian Pierre’s Ice Cream Co Olmsted Falls 6200 Euclid Ave, 8072 Columbia Rd. Cleveland, OH 44103 Olmsted Falls, OH 44138 (216) 432-1144 | pierres.com 440-427-5400 Prosperity Social Club matteoscleveland.com 1109 Starkweather Melt-Lakewood Cleveland, OH 44113 14718 Detroit Avenue 216-937-1938 Lakewood, OH 44107 prosperitysocialclub.com 216-226-3699 Raw Trainer meltbarandgrilled.com rawtrainer.com Melt-Independence Senorita Bonitas 6700 Rockside Road 6000 Enterprise Pkwy.

Independence, OH 44131 Solon, OH 44139 216-520-1415 440-498-1067 meltbarandgrilled.com senoritabonitasofsolon.com Melt-Cleveland Heights Seafood Shake 13463 Cedar Road 1852 Coventry Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 216-965-0988 216-417-4830 meltbarandgrilled.com seafoodshake.com Melt-Mentor Skye LaRae’s 7289 Mentor Avenue Culinary Services Mentor, OH 44060 (216) 254-2808 440-530-3770 skyelaraes.com meltbarandgrilled.com Sky Mediterranean Melt-Akron Lounge & Cuisine 3921 Medina Rd 6405 Pearl Rd, Akron, OH 44333 Parma Heights, OH 44130 330-983-0015 (440) 345-5007 meltbarandgrilled.com Taste of Jamaica Melt-Avon 5104 Mayfield Rd. 35546 Detroit Road Lyndhurst, OH 44124 Avon, OH 44011 440-565-7230 440-390-3850 tasteofjamaica5104.com meltbarandgrilled.com Ty Fun Thai Bistro Nauti Mermaid 815 Jefferson Ave. 1378 W. 6th St. Cleveland, OH 44113 Cleveland, OH 44113 216-664-1000 216-771-6175 tyfunthaibistro.com thenautimermaid.com Vino Veritas Cellars Old Angle Tavern 4103 Memphis Ave. 1848 W 25th St, Cleveland, OH 44109 Cleveland, OH 44113 216-650-9877 (216) 861-5643 vinoveritascellarscle.com Parker’s Downtown Warren’s Spirited Kitchen 2000 East 9th St. 14614 East Park St. Cleveland, OH 44115 Burton, OH 44021 216-357-2680 440-273-8100 parkersdowntown.com warrensspiritedkitchen.com Pearl of the Orient, Rocky River Yard House 19300 Detroit Rd. 160 Union St, Rocky River, OH 44116 | 440-333-9902 Westlake, OH 44145 pearlwest.com (440) 808-8403 yardhouse.com Pearl of the Orient, Shaker Heights Yuzu 20060 Van Aken Blvd.

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1613 Mentor Ave. | Mentor, OH | (440) 320-8226

6000 ENTERPRISE PKWY SOLON, OH (440) 498-1067

SCENE | FLAVOR 47