Man of Stainless Steel

 As far as I'm concerned, Douglas Katz is a Cleveland Heights hero. He swept in just like the guy with the red cape to rescue the two vintage  dining cars first relocated to Lee Road by Steve Presser years ago. There have been various other owners and operators in the ensuing decade, but nobody got it quite right. If any one can succeed here it's Katz, skilled in both food and business, with a genuine respect for the real estate, the neighborhood and Presser's original vision.

The new venture, which opened at the end of May, is called The Katz Club Diner, and it's everything you want a real diner to be, and then some. The side devoted to eating is all silvery shine, with a traditional long counter and stools, and opposite, along the windows, are tables with comfortable chairs. I'd describe the three meals a day menu as New York City deli meets roadside diner (the kind always owned by Greeks on the East Coast). Of course, because it's Douglas, the ingredients are largely sourced locally and stuff is made from scratch.

   The choices are many. You can start the morning with omelets, pancakes, corned beef hash, or my personal preference lox, eggs, and onions with home fries. Coffee is from top shelf local roaster Rising Star. Bacon and sausage are made in house, as are the muffins, danish and Pop-Tarts you can buy from the coffee counter just inside the entrance.  Lunchtime offers all the sandwich classics: from tuna melt and reuben to burgers and dogs. Dinner options are heavy on all American home-style faves such as meatloaf and mashed potatoes, roast turkey with stuffing, and nightly specials: brisket on Wednesday, liver and onions on Saturday, spaghetti and meatballs on Sunday. I enjoyed the house's clever twist on chicken a la king, the creamy '50s concoction comes over a waffle.

  I watched one teen tuck into a bowl of mac 'n' cheese with a side of onion rings. The guy seated next to her was having a cheeseburger and fries. Clearly, health or nutritional balance were not factors for them. But for those who do care about such things, there's oatmeal, granola,  salads, fish, vegetarian and even vegan dishes.

   And then there are the Jewish staples such as matzah ball soup, stuffed cabbage, noodle kugel and latkes. If you don't have a blood relative or a dear friend to make these things for you, Katz's kitchen is the next best option. On the beverage side the list includes the requisite shakes, malts and floats ( plus a few spiked adult versions) but this East-Coast-born girl was tickled to see the drinks of her childhood on offer such as phosphates, egg creams and a lime rickey.

   The second dining car is another world entirely. It's a dark, swanky lounge with a '40s feel. You have to dial an old rotary phone at the entrance to get buzzed inside. There will be no toddlers with crayons or kids spooning up banana splits. This is the alter ego for the family friendly space on the other side of the door. Here, Sinatra reigns. Grown-ups will relax.  Ice will be shaved, cocktails will be shaken and small plates served.

   I've only eaten at Katz Club twice. But it's in my neighborhood, and I drive by often. Whenever I do, the parking lot is filled. This bodes well for our little metropolis on the hill. Thank you to our very own Man of Stainless Steel.

Artful Eating

It was late afternoon and cloudy when I got my first look at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s new atrium. The space, designed by architect Rafael Viñoly,is vast, dramatic, and truly awesome. It is an expression of talent, vision and the vitality of both the institution and this City. When the sun suddenly broke through, the grand glass hall glowed, awash with light and promise.

And it’s open to all, a public gathering place and private event site. Rest there between gallery visits. Book it for a wedding or a fundraiser on a grand scale. It also serves as the ad hoc “lobby” for Provenance Café and Provenance Restaurant, scheduled to open Oct 28. Both will feature menus created by Doug Katz, Chef/owner of fire on Shaker Square, who is also responsible for Provenance Catering.

A beaming Katz, clearly thrilled by the opportunity to partner with Bon Appetit Management, a food service company that shares his commitment to using fresh, local and sustainably produced products, and the Museum, was on hand to lead a small group behind the scenes and into the kitchens and dining areas still under construction. It was an impressive, if largely imagined, operation. The self-service Café will be outfitted with a tandoori oven, high-heat Robata grill, and Mediterranean stone oven. The plan includes food stations for soups, salads, paninis and cold sandwiches, and pizza. Behind this is a 200 seat banquet room with a wall of windows facing Wade Park and a landscaped grounds. Adjacent is what will soon be a 76 fine dining restaurant and lounge, open evenings only when the Museum is, with an excellent view of the atrium. Down the hall is another private dining area. The kitchens, prep and staging areas are a chef’s dream come true.

Katz, who has been serving consistently excellent fare at fire for eleven years, will draw inspiration from the cultures, collections and special exhibitions in the galleries. This will insure that the Cleveland Museum of Art will be an exciting as well as a beautiful place to eat.

When our three sons were young, I took them to the Museum often for classes and picture gazing. I always included a stop in the old café for either lunch or dessert. I thought it could lead to a lasting and positive kind of association. When Katz took the microphone to welcome us, he told a similar story about his own experience going there as child. No doubt, with his help, Museum goers of all ages are soon going to be forming some very positive associations of their own.
photos by Barney Taxel, Taxel Image Group

Chefs on Exhibit

There’s nothing new about our local chefs showing up to help other organizations. They are the backbone of benefits, generous contributors to every kind of charity gig, and the reason that many are willing to purchase tickets and attend these events. But it’s the food rather than the inspired, conceptual thinking behind it that usually gets all the attention. But it was quite a different story last Saturday night in the galleries at the Palate/Palette fundraiser for MOCA Cleveland.

The artistry of five chefs was the centerpiece of the evening rather than the backdrop. Each had chosen one of the five senses to express and fashioned a unique presentation environment for their dishes. Instead of just grazing mindlessly, we encountered intentionally designed sensory worlds that awakened and heightened perceptions, challenged assumptions, and engaged the mind in the act of eating. All the chefs seemed thrilled with the opportunity and clearly had fun with it. “Creating experiences and stimulating the senses is what we do,” Brandt Evans told me. “It’s wonderful to see that being celebrated.”

I was totally taken with the idea and wowed by the execution. Here’s a brief chef by chef recap of their food-meets-art offerings.

Brandt Evans, Blue Canyon, Sight:
Knowing that we eat with our eyes first, Evans hung big food photos behind his table, cuing up anticipation by adding a word to each image: luminosity; lush: stimulating. Big glass vessels willed with asparagus, limes, and basil decorated he staging area. So we were primed and ready for his scallop ceviche with lime and ginger. There was a kind of visual trick to it- the burst of flavor, full of exciting unexpected elements, was so much more than the sum of what could be seen.

Karen Small, The Flying Fig, Smell:
We entered a small windowless dimly lit room with seating for 20, 25 people at tables arranged in a squared-off u-shape. Each place was set with two small cups: in one a ricotta dumpling with onions, chives, and scallions; in the other slivers of grass fed beef short ribs and mushrooms. As we watched, steaming broth was poured on top- smoked pork for the meat, something gingery for the dumpling. Small urges us to inhale deeply before we open our mouth or pick up a spoon. It is a revelation- so much information coming in through the nose.

Jonathon Sawyer, The Greenhouse Tavern, Touch:
We filed in eight at a time, sat down, removed our shoes, and stepped up to the bar, as instructed, positioning ourselves on a marble square. Heat flowed up through the soles of our feet as Sawyer passed us a bowl of warm miso based broth. We cupped it in our hands and drank. Then we moved to the other side and stood on icy cold stones to sip chilled ramp vichyssoise. For both, Sawyer told us to close our eyes. It was like kissing- blocking out visual impressions intensified what the body felt.

Sergio Abramof, Sergio’s and Sarava, Sound:
He’s got a passion for percussion, so Abramof brought some drumming pals in to create beats to back up his Brazilian shrimp and rice. But instead of their usual selection of instruments, these pros pounded out rhythms using kitchen equipment: whisks, spoons, pots, strainers, skillets. It was impossible to hold still. Sergio was swaying and sautéing, people waiting to snag a plate looked like an impromptu conga line. The dish had a mouth music of its own- together they made a dance party.

Doug Katz, fire food and drink, Taste:
His chocolate truffles were the good bye gift. Four were packed in a clear box divided into sections with a paper insert featuring a different photo to accompany the list of primary ingredients and character descriptions for each bite. It was fun, clever, inventive. Like what the best chefs do. The candies were equally original- bittersweet chocolate peppercorn; white chocolate tarragon; milk chocolate rhubarb; and my personal favorite unsweetened chocolate laced with sea salt.

The event looked like a financial success. There was a nice sized crowd that paid $250 per ticket and big bucks were bid for original artwork during the live auction. But staying true to its mission of exploring contemporary culture, looking beyond the conventional and acceptable, and showcasing originality, MOCA is to be commended for also using their fundraiser as a vehicle for raising awareness of the exceptional talent in our culinary community.