I smeared my crisp grilled baguette with pan fried bone marrow and bacon date jam, squirted a wedge of lemon and placed a pinch of flaky salt on top. The burst of savory, salty, beefy flavors was one of the most exquisite tastes I’ve ever experienced. It was just one course of an extraordinary meal that will long remain in my memory. So where was I for this feast: New York? San Francisco? Los Angeles? None of the above. Try Cleveland.
Slowly and stealthily, Cleveland has morphed into an impressive culinary destination that startles visitors out of their previous low expectations. In large part the movement has been led by a high energy Golden Boy with an infectious laugh who rides a motorcycle, practices yoga and loves pork so much he has pigs tattooed over his heart: the effervescent Michael Symon.
The well-loved James Beard Award-winner has built a white-hot career elevating heritage-based family foods into mouthwatering masterpieces that remain as unpretentious as they are delicious. And, aside from culinary school, he’s done it all without leaving his hometown.
“It wasn’t like I had these culinary aspirations, like ‘I’m going to move back to Cleveland and I’m going to change the culture’ and all that,” said Symon. “After culinary school, I basically was homesick. I missed my family and my friends and felt like I could come here and start my journey. I wanted to try to do it in Cleveland first.”
From humble beginnings, Chef Symon’s trajectory has mirrored that of the city’s dining scene. “When I took my first job as a cook, there were really at that time only three, or maybe four upscale restaurants,” said Symon. “It was almost impossible to get fresh salmon, I mean things we take for granted now. You’d order salmon and it would come cut into a steak, frozen in a box. And that was only 30 years ago.”
Recent years have seen a blossoming of the region’s farmers and artisans, who partner with independent restaurateurs to offer locally sourced, nose-to-tail bounty for daring dishes that garner national press attention and industry awards.
“Back in the 90’s the only thing people knew about Cleveland was the Flats. Now people come here to eat. How much it’s changed is truly crazy,” said Symon. Tourism has surged by 25% over the past four years alone, fueled in part by more than $2-billion in downtown development. Friendly locals and an affordable price tag certainly play supporting roles in the town’s renaissance. But for foodies, cool walkable neighborhoods like Tremont, Ohio City and Little Italy beckon with innovative meat-centric, farm-to-table comfort cuisine.
Chef’s Weekend in Cleveland
If you want to take a weekend to see what you’ve been missing, Chef’s got you covered. For starters, “West Side Market is a must. It’s a 100 year old market with butchers doing things old style. Every stand is owned by an individual, not a chain. Unless you’re a vegetarian you’re really going to enjoy yourself.” Open Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, you can grab a bite and head up to the balcony to take in the colorful spectacle below.
Next Symon recommends the city’s top attraction, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Two hours is the minimum amount of time to take in six floors encompassing the history of popular music. Afterwards you’ll be ready for an early dinner at Mabel’s BBQ before an evening with the Cleveland Orchestra. “We’re really proud of our orchestra, it’s one of the best in the entire country,” said Symon.
For Day Two, Symon says head east. “I’d start my day with a donut at Presti’s Bakery in Little Italy before visiting the Cleveland Museum of Art.” Fresh off a $350-million expansion that was the largest cultural project in Ohio’s history, you can enjoy its 43,000 general holdings free of charge, thanks to a generous trust established by the museum’s founders.
Then it’s on to lunch. Symon is known to frequent Red the Steakhouse, Fahrenheight and Momocho for savory meat dishes and inventive sides. “After lunch I’d go to the Metroparks to walk and see all the fantastic green space,” said Symon. “If I had time, I’d also do the Cleveland Botanical Garden. And then, because we’re doing so many green things that day, I’d have dinner at Flying Fig.”
Some Final Q & A’s
What’s one thing you wish more Americans knew about cooking?
Americans get intimidated by a recipe or a process or what if it’s wrong. I tell people all the time what’s the absolutely worst thing that could happen? You try to make a meal, it fails miserably, you order a pizza. That’s the worst case scenario. So don’t get too caught up on the exact recipe. Learn a technique so that you can make a million different things. Make the flavors fit to your palate and go from there.
Where did you learn your appreciation for good food?
My greatest lessons in life were learned around the family table. My mom cooked dinner every night, and we sat down and we talked about the day. My mother is Sicilian so there was a lot of emotion around that table!
I think that’s something that’s been pulled out of the American fabric a little bit, with both parents working. People have so much going on these days, so I take my responsibility very seriously. I teach Americans how to cook every day. Whether it’s through meat or vegetables or whatever it is, I hope that I’m inspiring someone whether it’s the parents the children. Food is obviously a very important part of my life. It has been since I was a kid and my goal is to make it an important part of other lives also.
What excites you about where food in America is headed?
I’m excited that people are becoming more aware of how the food is handled before it gets to the grocery store. And I think we are starting to cook from scratch again realizing that low fat diet foods are probably bad for you because of all the junk that’s in them. At the end of the day the best food you can eat is food that’s grown fresh and produced with care.
Barbara Wayman is the author of Living An Extraordinary Life: 9 Transformational Strategies to Live Your Best Life Now.
Click here to see her latest book: https://amzn.to/32lthPX