Do Dim Sum, Dummy!

Recently, a popular local blogger posted a list of 10 things she felt needed to be done before one considers themselves a "true Clevelander." To that list we would add: Eat weekend dim sum in Asiatown. If there is a more enjoyable way to spend a Saturday or Sunday noon than lazily sipping tea and nibbling on Chinese delicacies, we have yet to discover it.

February 3 marks the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year, a two-week celebration that ushers in the Year of the Rabbit. This year, resolve to cross this one off your True Clevelander list.

Though many Asiatown restaurants offer dim sum items throughout the week, only two offer the full-blown weekend experience: Bo Loong and Li Wah. Both are large enough to accommodate the large crowds that arrive on weekends, which can swell to upwards of 300 people. Dim sum regulars have their favorite, but we prefer Li Wah. Brighter, busier, and better geared to newbies, this place gets our vote for "Most Fun Dim Sum."

Dim sum is a lazy man's buffet, where instead of having to track down the food, the food finds you. All day, staffers make rounds of the room pushing stainless carts piled high with small steamer baskets. Other carts are tricked out for more specific tasks, like heating a huge wok of stir-fried mussels or frying turnip cakes to order. Deep-fried items like egg rolls and spring rolls are proffered in roving display cases, while porridge-like congee is ladled out of dedicated soup carts.

Fans of the small-plate movement will see that dim sum is the ultimate "small plate movement." Most dishes contain three or four fun-size pieces, perfect for sharing with the table. And priced between just $2.25 and $5 per plate, there is no reason to not be adventurous. In fact, fearlessness is almost a requirement here, at least in the sense of culinary exploration. While the beauty of dim sum lies in the ability to look, point and order items as they roll up to the table, it is impossible to know the full ingredient list of every dish. The servers do what they can to edify, but language barriers exist. Li Wah offers guests a pictorial menu that is very helpful but far from exhaustive.

In addition to spring rolls, both vegetable and meat, the most popular and accessible items are hargow and shu mai. The former are plump steamed dumplings filled with whole shrimp, while the latter are fluffy soufflés of minced shrimp, pork and veggies. As smooth and glossy as a baby's bum, BBQ pork buns are half-domes of poofy bread filled with sweet barbecued pork.

Though it looks exotic, bundled as it is in a large green leaf, lotus-wrapped sticky rice should not be missed. Inside, a large clump of slightly sweet rice is studded with various bits of minced pork and sausage. Fried rice that you eat with your hands – what's not to love? Roast duck fans will want to snag a plate of this honey-brown delicacy, which is hacked into small slices. A nearly identical version of chicken is also available.

People seem to go nuts for turnip cakes, gooey and sweet wedges with a crisp outer crust. A more challenging item – texturally speaking, anyway – is the steamed rice roll. Folded around shrimp, pork or beef like a crepe, this rice flour pancake is slippery as a raw oyster. If you can get past the idea of putting a whole chicken foot in your mouth, do it. Euphemistically billed as "phoenix claws," these little feet just explode with flavor. Just pop them in your mouth whole and spit the tiny bones out like watermelon seeds.

For dessert, snag a trio of the custard tarts, warm miniature pies with a flaky crust and lush eggy center. Also on the sweet side are fried sesame balls, pastry buns filled with a nutty bean paste.

This is but a tiny sampling of the myriad dishes served on a typical dim sum day. If you don't see something you really want, ask and you shall receive. Keep an open mind, have fun, and drink plenty of tea.

Dim Sum 101

Do your homework: It doesn't hurt to hop on the web to learn about some of the more popular dim sum items. That way when they roll around, you'll have a better idea of what they are.

Bring friends: While dim sum is fine for parties or one or two, it is even better for groups of four, six or eight. This way you can try many more dishes with minimal investment.

Go early to avoid crowds: For dim sum, it is first come, first served. By noon on Sunday, Li Wah had a line that rivals the Cheesecake Factory on prom night. Bo Loong is usually less crowded.

Be adventurous (but show restraint): The whole idea of dim sum is to try many different items, even those that appear exotic. That said, you should leave room for what's coming around the bend.

Say "No, thanks": Dim sum servers will approach you with everything they have. If something looks good, just point and shoot. If not, simply say "No, thanks" and the server will roll merrily away.

Beware the big dish: Occasionally, servers will walk around with special dishes, like a big plate of spicy prawns. While delicious, these items are often two or three times the price of other items.

Order what you want: If you don't see something you want, just ask for it and someone will bring it around. Likewise, feel free to order items off the regular menu.

Drink tea: Dim sum is as much about eating as it is sipping tea and chatting. When your teapot runs dry, simply flip the lid to the open position. That's code for a server to replace it with a full pot.

Pay up: The check remains on your table the entire time, with servers simply ticking off boxes every time they drop a dish. When done, simply ask the server to tally the tab for payment.

Istanbul Grill Brings Turkey to Tremont

It took our table of few moments to process the music playing over the restaurant sound system. At once familiar and exotic, the tune toyed with our memory until we finally nailed it: Hotel California by the Eagles. Only this version was instrumental, and the instrument was a Turkish folk guitar.

In hindsight, there may be no more appropriate anthem for Istanbul Grill, a new Turkish restaurant that took the place of a gritty working man's bar. All that remains of Hotz Valley View Café, which managed to survive in property-hungry Tremont for 80-odd years, is the sturdy wood bar. Elsewhere in the joint, all traces of the former tenant have been duly expunged, giving the perky storefront a cheery new disposition.

Time was when Cleveland made do with just one Turkish restaurant. Those times are over thanks to two additional entries in the genre plus a fourth on the way. That doesn't surprise us one bit seeing as the cuisine is far more approachable than its exotic-sounding pedigree might have one believe. The simplicity and straightforwardness of the food all but demands fresh ingredients and deft technique. And when it comes to value, it's tough to compete.

Istanbul's menu will offer few surprises to fans of the cuisine – at least fans of the American restaurants that specialize in it. The cast of characters includes the usual suspects: creamy dips and spreads, garden-fresh salads, juicy grilled meats, and highly seasoned spit-roasted specialties. Vegetarians are well taken care of, too, with meat-free options appearing in every section of the menu.

Most tables begin their meals hunched over a platter of mixed appetizers. Warm, floppy wedges of fresh-baked pita are dragged through nutty hummus, smoky baba, and refreshing dill-scented yogurt. For a bit more zip, try the ezme dip, a chunky salad of chopped tomatoes, peppers, walnuts and zippy spices.

When it comes to hot starters, it's pretty much impossible to sidestep the addictive sigara borek, slender deep-fried pastry tubes filled with parsley-scented feta. An appetizer that combines savory cubes of spice-dusted calf's liver, sliced red onion, parsley and lemon is far, far better than it might sound. Appetizers are priced between $5 and $7 and include a seemingly bottomless basket of pita. Mixed platters for two ($13.50), three ($18.50) and four ($24) will satisfy numbers greater than advertised.

The majority of entrees served here fall into two categories: kebabs consisting of whole meat and those comprised of seasoned ground meat. In the former are dishes like chicken shish ($13), lamb shish ($14) and filet mignon shish ($15), skewers of marinated chunks of meat that are seasoned, grilled and served alongside rice. These items are simple, delicious and filling. Diners who prefer a bit more kick in their kebabs tend to go the adana route. Finely ground chicken ($12) or lamb ($12) is heavily seasoned, pressed around a skewer, and grilled. Ground meats tend to have more fat, leaving these items juicier than their whole-meat counterparts.

Better still, we believe, is the doner, the Turkish version of the gyro that is sliced from a twirling vertical spit. The incredibly toothsome house-made concoction is served simply with rice ($12), or more elaborately, in a dish called iskender ($13), with tomato sauce and yogurt. The cool yogurt melts into the hot tomato sauce, forming a velvety sauce. Pita pieces on the bottom of the plate soak it all up. Far from the belly bombs of other kitchens, the stuffed cabbage rolls ($13) prepared here are light, airy and heavenly scented. A dollop of yogurt brightens the rich gravy while cutting through the richness.

Lunchtime is a tasty bargain, with hearty meals consisting of lentil soup, meat-filled pita sandwiches and fries going for $11.

What is most fascinating about Istanbul is how, despite the transformation from dive bar to Turkish restaurant, the joint never ceased to be a welcoming neighborhood hang. Sure, the food and beverages have changed, but not the sense of that wonderful Tremont kinship.


Istanbul Grill
2505 Professor Ave., Cleveland
216.298.4450

Battery Park "Wine" Bar

There is no question that Battery Park Wine Bar makes a wonderful addition to that up-and-coming corner of town. But whether or not it fits the classic definition of a "wine bar" is largely up for debate. Industrial to the core, scantily decorated, and occasionally boisterous, this is no snug and cozy wine cave to be sure. And don't get us started on the pool table and Journey tunes.

But if, as owner Mike Graley tells us, the goal was to create an "upscale place to have fun, enjoy a bottle of wine, a few appetizers, and escape the madness of everyday life," well, who can quibble with that? Indeed, the unofficial moniker of this joint is Y.O.L.O., as in: You only live once (so relax and have fun).

Since its inception in 2006, the Battery Park development has sold over 60 pricey new townhomes. Its proximity to Detroit Shoreway, Lake Erie, and downtown make it one of the most desirable new addresses going. At the epicenter of that development is the historic Eveready Powerhouse, a red-brick building that sports the now-iconic neon-clad smokestack. Inside is where you'll find BPWB and, before summer, another restaurant.

As a longtime wine buyer for Heinen’s, Graley has made a living turning regular folks on to delicious juice. While bona fide oenophiles may find the selection too heavily geared towards approachability, there can be no objection to the pricing structure. All bottles are sold at just $12 over retail, making it downright foolish to not go big often. Some 150 wines are sold by the bottle, with the majority coming in between $25 and $45. By-the-glass folks have less flexibility, with about 15 whites and 15 reds priced largely between $7 and $10.

Opened in mid-November, it can be said that the wine bar still is a work in progress. But there is no reason it should look like one. Housed in a stark brick shell, Battery Park has an uphill battle when it comes to comfort. The choice of poured concrete floors didn't help. But it's the conspicuous absence of rugs, art, drapery or a fireplace that leaves the room feeling unfinished, not to mention loud and cold. And rather than outfit the roomy adjoining space with cozy low-slung seating, management opted to fill it with a clanging billiard table.

In appropriate wine-bar fashion the menu offers a nice blend of grape-friendly snacks, starters and sharable items. Entrees have been wholly excluded from the menu in favor of meat-and-cheese boards, Mediterranean flatbreads, and a host of creative tapas-size dishes. Chef Dimitris Ragousis, formerly of Opa!, just needs to do a better job executing what could be a very appealing roster of foods.

During one visit the issue was temperature, with a full half of our items arriving less than warm. A cold and doughy crust spoiled an otherwise pleasant braised lamb and feta pizza ($11). Fragrant cumin-scented lamb-and-veal meatballs ($9) were marred by tepid cores. Perhaps those items were waiting on the chef to finish our toasted cheese ($8), a perfectly crisp and buttery sandwich oozing with fig jam and melted camembert. I'd normally recommend pairing that sammie with the smoked tomato bisque ($5), but we found the smoke flavor bitter and artificial tasting.
On another visit our issues centered less on temperature than timing. Silver dollar-size potato pancakes ($6) arrived hot and crisp outside but raw and crunchy within. A towering cone of sweet potato frites ($5) had all the right salt and spice – just none of the snap. The kitchen apparently solved the pizza predicament by formulating a new model, this one square and svelte as opposed to round and puffy. A tiny portion of buttery seared scallops goes down fast, but mostly because the 13-dollar dish contained only four quarter-size bivalves.

Budding wine buffs will be happy to know that Graley intends to launch regular wine tastings. A roomy island countertop, located directly in front of the retail wine display, will serve as his delicious classroom. Here's hoping that the kitchen soon catches up to the wine.


Battery Park Wine Bar
7524 Father Frascati Ave., Cleveland
216-631-9463

Brit Brings Cider back into Vogue

In Richard Read's version of the American dream, Northern Ohio is transformed into Cider Country, a destination-worthy attraction akin to Napa's famed Wine Country, only with apple orchards instead of vineyards. Read has already begun the process by launching Griffon Cider Works, a producer of Ohio hard cider that is quickly gaining traction in the competitive drinks field.

As a Brit living in the States, Read was pining for the types of ciders he favored back home. Rather than settle for inferior American-style knock-offs, the self-described tinkerer opted to engineer his own. He befriended the owner of a homebrew and wine-making supply store, who provided the necessary guidance, support and supplies. Before long, Read was producing a cider that the shopkeeper thought was good enough to market.

Good enough indeed. Just three months in and Read's ciders already have landed on the shelves of Heinen's groceries, in area wine shops, and on the menu of the Greenhouse Tavern. Expansion and new products are just around the bend, he promises.

"My microbiology background certainly helps," explains Read, who by day is a medical laboratory scientist at the Cleveland Clinic. "Making alcohol in a brewery is a lot like working in a lab. I understand bugs pretty good and proper."

The "bugs" in this case, however, are yeast strains as opposed to the infectious disease agents Read tinkers with in the lab. And the lab in which he works is the cellar of JW Dover, a long-running Westlake winery that now focuses on beer and brewing supplies. Read toils alone in the 50-degree cinder block basement, handling everything from fermentation and filtering to bottling and deliveries. On his own, he can produce approximately 5,000 to 7,000 bottles per month.

Whether or not there is that much demand has yet to be determined, of course. Unlike Great Britain, which boasts the highest per capita cider consumption, the United States is still beer and wine country. But it hasn't always been this way, notes Read.

"Hard cider was the alcoholic drink of choice in the States during Colonial times," he explains. "Johnny Appleseed wasn't planting apple trees for eating, after all, it was for cider making." But apples are highly perishable, making grain-based beverages like beer cheaper to produce. German-led breweries all but wiped out cider production, and the Prohibition finished it off.

But if ever there was a time for hard cider to make a comeback, argues Read, it is now. "People are into local, small-batch, handmade products," he says, citing the explosion of the craft beer and spirits markets as proof. "Consumers are eager to try something interesting that isn't the norm."

That is precisely why Kevin Wildermuth, bar manager at Greenhouse Tavern, was eager to place Read's products on his beverage list. "To have something local, to have something quality, to have something interesting is a great way to expand our beverage listings," Wildermuth says. The restaurant is the first to serve Read's Lolo Romy, a specialty cider unlike anything on the market. "This is very different from, say, a Woodchuck. It's a great way to bring people into the cider fold."
Named after his late father in law (Lolo is Filipino for grandfather), Lolo Romy drinks more like a fine dessert wine that a traditional draft cider. An infusion of fresh mango gives the drink a tropical sweetness, which is balanced by nice acidity and a relatively high alcohol level. The non-carbonated beverage is best sipped as an aperitif or paired with a late-meal cheese course.

Read's Griffon Original, which will be available any day now, is more along the lines of a traditional pub-style cider. Carbonated, lower in alcohol, and fruity but dry, the cider is served in a pint glass and enjoyed like beer. Both the Lolo Romy and the Griffon Original have the unambiguous perfume of autumn in Ohio.

Read says that he selected the griffon, a mythical half-eagle, half-lion creature, because it combines the American bald eagle with the English lion. "I am an Anglo-American Ohioan who makes British-style cider with Ohio apples," says Read, whose own dream is as American as apple cider.

2010 Year in Review

They say if you don't like the weather in Cleveland, wait a minute, as it will surely change. The same can be said of our city's dynamic restaurant scene, which continues to undergo constant adjustment. So, as we do every year, we offer a gastronomic look back at the newsmakers of the past 12 months. No surprise that 2010 provided plenty of flux to snack on.

Big Buzz

For the local restaurant scene to maintain a pleasant sense of equilibrium, notable losses must be countered by equally notable gains. That was the case in 2010, when entries in both categories seemed to be held in check. While Cleveland diners lamented the passing of One Walnut and Baricelli Inn, institutions with some 35 years of combined history, we were made whole by the buzz-worthy openings of Dante and Chinato. The former earned the nod "Best New Restaurant" from this mag's editors, while the latter earned a mention in Esquire magazine’s annual roundup of “Best New Restaurants in America.” Greenhouse Tavern's Jonathon Sawyer, meanwhile, earned a spot in Food & Wine's 2010 class of Best New Chefs.

When it comes to sheer enthusiasm, it was tough to top Dim and Den Sum. Thanks to infectious staffers, fun and funky food, and mastery of social media, this moveable feast enjoyed a meteoric ride since crashing the local food scene. The same can be said of Melt Bar & Grilled, which continues to capture the attention of the national media, not to mention Eastsiders thanks to a splashy new outpost.

Two other notable openings – Menu 6 and Zinc Bistro – failed to gain immediate traction and are undergoing modifications in hopes of securing long-term futures.

Fine Goes Fine-Casual

The major theme in dining these days continues to be the shift from "fine" to "fine-casual." Hyde Park Restaurant Group shuttered the decade-old Metropolitan Café to make way for Metro Bar + Kitchen, its more laid-back alter ego. Chef Shawn Monday voted for fine-casual with his feet by walking away from Downtown 140 after seven years to open the decidedly hipper One Red Door. Just down the road, Hospitality Restaurants transformed the once-stuffy Inn at Turner's Mill into the oh-so-chic Rosewood Grill. In a setting that evokes Currier & Ives meets Ralph Lauren, Burntwood Tavern gives Chagrin Falls folks an informal new roost in which to sip and snack. Marlin Kaplan traded in buttoned-up One Walnut for the loose-fitting Roseangel. And taking the place of destination-worthy Baricelli Inn is the neighborhood-pleasing Washington Place Bistro. While she isn't ditching fine dining, chef Karen Small has chillaxed a bit with her new gourmet market, Market at the Fig.

Pubs, Gastropubs and Wine Bars

Booze-themed eateries continue to open thanks to the unrelenting popularity of classic cocktails, craft beer and fine wine by the glass. Offering a tasty example of what a gastropub is supposed to taste like, Deagan's Kitchen and Bar in Lakewood sets the standard for the category. Across town in Cleveland Heights, the newly opened Fracas hopes to generate the same positive attention for its gastro-fare. Classic cocktails partner up with retro steakhouse fare in a sleek lounge setting over at Ohio City's new Dragonfly Lounge. Oversized martinis brimming with booze and chocolate continue to generate smiles at the Chocolate Bar. Wine Bar Rocky River owner John Owen opened the splashy sports bar Market just down the block. In the wine bar category, plusses include the Clifton Martini & Wine Bar, which so far is beating the hex of a cursed locale, and Battery Park Wine Bar, a contemporary saloon in the former Eveready powerhouse. The fine folks behind Market Avenue Wine Bar branched out to the Theater District, where they opened Corks PlayhouseSquare. Longtime spirits pro Joe DeLuca offers imbibers a hip place to sip at Apothecary, home to handcrafted cocktails. Over in the Gateway District, the old Boneyard space stepped up its game when it reopened as City Tap.

Ethnic Eats

As with recent years past, much of the new-restaurant activity is playing out in ethnic enclaves. Until this past year, Clevelanders had to make do with just one Turkish eatery, Anatolia Café. But 2010 introduced us to Tremont's Istanbul Turkish Grill, and Avon's Dervish Mediterranean Grill. Similar in style, the Middle East Grille opened in Shaker. Asian gains include Bac Nguyen's popular Tremont eatery Bắc, Ohio City's new Thai restaurant Banana Blossom, and new suburban outposts of small local chains Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse and Pacific East. Indian food fans have been raving about University Circle's new Indian Flame, while Detroit-Shoreway denizens have been beating feet to Indian Delight. Taking root on a Little Italy corner was Mia Bella, an Italian eatery, naturally. Denajua, everybody's favorite Frenchified crepe-crafter, revived the Oui Oui Café. A member of the Angie's Soul Café restaurant family, Zanzibar Soul Fusion brings Soul food specialties to Shaker Square.

Right on 'Cue

The steady uptick in barbecue-themed restaurants, catering companies, and cable TV shows continues, as evidenced by three new CLE entries in 2010. Fat Casual BBQ in Macedonia is single-handedly increasing traffic along Rt. 8, while Eastsiders are busy feeding their barbecue jones at Hiroshi's Pub. Also in Beachwood is the too-new-to-know barbecue bazaar The Pit.

Thank You, Come Again.

In addition to One Walnut and Baricelli Inn, we said goodbye to Henry’s at the Barn, Verve, Vue, Bar Symon, Darna Moroccan, Sportsman and Somer's Diner.

Looking Ahead

Ohio City stands to reap big rewards in 2011 thanks in no small part to Steve Schimoler, Sam McNulty, and Chris Hodgson, who will be opening Crop Bistro, Market Garden Brewery, and Dim and Den Sum, respectively. Over on Public Square, Brandt Evans will open Pura Vida, while in Detroit Shoreway the ABC folks will double up with XYZ. Michael Symon will honor Strongsville with a B Spot, Chris DiLisi and Paul Minnillo will grace Moreland Hills with Flour. Jeff Jarrett will open Palate, and Fabio Mota will resurrect Club Isabella. Add to that Palookaville Chili, Sweet Moses soda fountain, Rockefeller's in the Heights, and one, two or three new Jon Sawyer restaurants, and 2011 is looking mighty tasty.

Burntwood Tavern: More Shine Than Substance

If diners were holding out hope that the Burntwood Tavern would help remedy the fine-dining deficiency dogging Chagrin Falls, they likely will be disappointed. If, on the other hand, residents are hungry for yet another cozy neighborhood saloon to toss into the rotation, they can declare themselves winners.

When it comes to sheer style, it's tough to top Burntwood. This ruggedly handsome tavern has the lived-in appeal of a place centuries – rather than months – old. Reconstructed from the earth up using salvaged timbers, the dining room is hunting lodge-chic, with rough-hewn floors, post-and-beam cathedral ceilings, copper-top bar, and wrought iron fixtures. A pair of crackling fireplaces add to the Currier & Ives meets Ralph Lauren vibe. To say that this is an improvement over the shabby (not chic) Chag-Town era is an understatement.

Open a few short months, the restaurant already is attracting a gaggle of doting locals. The wrap-around bar buzzes with activity, while folks waiting for tables scramble for spots in the small but well-appointed lounge. Thankfully, a newly initiated complimentary valet service largely solves the mad-cap vehicle shuffle that has plagued the cramped parking lot.

Despite the tavern's undeniable appeal, it's doubtful that Burntwood will manage to attract much of a following beyond the neighborhood given the character of its food. This is not destination-worthy fare, but rather time-worn comfort food designed less to impress than merely satisfy. Many of the starters are deep fried, and if there is a unique item on the menu, I have yet to discover it.

When a full half of the appetizers are fried in fat, it might be a good idea to not serve them in brown paper bags. By the time items such as chicken wings ($8), fish sticks ($8), and calamari ($9) arrive at the table, their craft-paper containers are fully soaked through with grease. Fresh cod elevated the fish sticks, but their outsized heft disqualifies them as finger food. The fried zucchini strips ($6) have a lovely vegetal flavor, and we had few quibbles about the crisp calamari, cut into wide bands and served with marinara.

If you enjoy classic wedge salads ($5), those shatteringly crisp iceberg quarters garnished with bacon, egg and tomato, you should enjoy the version served here. Our complaint? Swapping out the conventional blue cheese dressing with parmesan peppercorn.

On the whole, Burntwood does a great job in the sandwich department. The kitchen's French dip ($11), made with smoky prime rib, is a meat-lover's treat. The beef is shaved thin and piled into a thick hoagie bun with Swiss and horseradish. The accompanying au jus is pleasantly salty. Burntwood's sliders ($9/3), which ooze American-style cheese, are fun to devour, but they tend to be overcooked. A thick mantel of cheddar cheese, applewood bacon, and honey mustard do a decent job injecting flavor to an otherwise bland blackened chicken breast ($9).

Entrees are moderately priced in the $14 to $18 range, and given the quality and degree of difficulty, those amounts are largely fair. A dinner portion of the beer-battered fish and chips ($15) includes house-cut fries and a barely spiced jalapeno tartar sauce. Pastas come with salmon ($15) or chicken and ham ($14), both in creamy sauces. At $24, the rack of lamb is the priciest item on the regular menu. Four double chops arrive a perfect medium-rare, sporting a nicely charred and seasoned exterior. A smattering of roasted root veggies garnish the plate. Sadly, a side of sautéed sugar snap peas ($4) had clearly lost its snap.

After more than 20 years in the restaurant business, much of that time working for the Bravo/Brio group, owner Bret Adams knows how to run a tight ship. Service in the dining room is quick-paced and attentive. The bar, however, can be a different story, where on busy nights wine glasses sit empty and food orders get misplaced.

Still, given the crowds and long wait times, a seat at the bar is much preferred over no seat at all.


Burntwood Tavern
504 E. Washington St., Chagrin Falls
440-318-1560

Pig in a Poke at Fat Casual BBQ

As evidence of barbecue's ballooning popularity, Scott Slagle offers this bit of anecdotal testimony: "Five years ago there were 100,000 contestants taking part in barbecue competitions across the nation," he notes. "Last year that number rose to 400,000."

Whether or not those figures are accurate is irrelevant; even the casual observer will notice the steady uptick in barbecue-themed restaurants, catering companies, and cable television shows. That doesn't surprise Slagle, who for the last decade has operated the Solon-based Now We're Cooking catering. "Barbecue is wholesome homestyle comfort food," he says.

Slagle says that over the past few years he noticed that his catering customers were ordering less and less chicken parmesan and more and more barbecue. Pig roasts, if you haven't heard, are the hottest thing in backyard blow-outs.

That was enough motivation for Slagle, who along with Walter Hyde opened Fat Casual BBQ in Macedonia. The name is a clever and fitting twist on the phrase "fast casual," as it accurately describes the operation. Though barbecue is one of the most time-consuming cooking procedures there is, it's all done ahead of time, meaning customers don't have to wait long for food.

While Slagle was running his catering company, Hyde was manning the stoves at various Cleveland restaurants, including Swingo's, Giovanni's and Crazy Horse. The pair opened their casual eatery on 10-10-10 in a plain-jane brick building reminiscent of great side-of-the-road barbecue joints. Tables are topped with paper towel dispensers, squeeze bottles of barbecue sauce, and the familiar red-and-white checked plastic. Ordering is done at the open-kitchen counter.

Because Ohio doesn't claim its own distinctive style of barbecue, Slagle says he decided to bring together in one place regional tastes from across the country. Texas is represented by beef brisket, the Carolinas by pork, the Southwest by smoked sausage, and Memphis by dry-rubbed ribs. To further complement the world tour of regional barbecue, Fat Casual offers about a half-dozen house-made sauces. Fans of Carolina-style cue will doubtless reach for the tangy mustard-based variety, while beef brisket eaters might opt for the robust and spicy Texas gravy. Memphis-style barbecue sauce is what we typically see at rib cook-offs – sweet, thick, mildly spicy. Fat Casual's house brew is mellow and sweet, featuring Ohio honey.

But don't expect your ribs – or brisket, or chicken, or pork – to come slathered in sauce. Hyde treats barbecue sauce like a chef would a demi-glaze: as a condiment rather than main component. "We don't want to hide the flavor of the meat," Hyde says. "Sauce, like smoke, is just an ingredient. The meat always has to come first." Plus, he adds, he wants diners to be able to see the pink smoke ring, a sign of barbecue done right.

With meat this good, it would be a crime to eclipse it with an overpowering sauce. After spending 12 hours in the smoker, the thin-sliced brisket is meltingly tender, profoundly beefy, and not overly smoky. Whole turkey breasts languish for eight hours in the pit, resulting in some of the finest deli meat in town. Fat Casual ignores ubiquitous pulled pork in favor of lean shaved pork loin, and diners likely won't miss a thing. Flecks of red pepper in the house-smoked beef sausage are a clue that the links have heat, but they don't portend the amazing flavor to come.
Fans of flabby fall-off-the-bone ribs may not appreciate the meaty tug of Fat Casual's St. Louis-style ribs ($9.99/half, $17.99/full). But that's only because non-barbecue restaurants have mislead diners, says Hyde. "People are used to the tenderness that comes from boiling ribs," he explains. "But that process also boils out the flavor. That's why they have to cover them up with big sauces." My only complaint with the ribs was the presence of papery silverskin on the underside of the bones.

Platters come in Snack ($6.99), Dinner ($13.99), Family ($24.99) and Pit Boss ($36.99) sizes, featuring various quantities, meat combinations, and side dishes. Sides include zesty chili, creamy mac and cheese, baked beans, cole slaw, cornbread and a delicious and unique warm sweet potato salad, with bacon and onion. Some platters include sliced mini pretzel buns that are perfect for building sandwiches with sliced meat. Fat Casual also fries up its own killer seasoned potato chips. Desserts are simple and fresh.

Like brewing beer, making wine, and caving cheese, smoking barbecue can be done at home – but the results rarely match those of the pros. That's why we need places like Fat Casual, that do it right so we don't have to.


Fat Casual BBQ
223 E. Highland Rd., Macedonia
330.748.4690