Trentina, Jonathon Sawyer's new tasting menu restaurant in University Circle, has had a change of leadership in the last few weeks as former executive chef Matt Danko has stepped away from the helm. In the meantime, Sawyer himself is stepping back up to the plate pending further decisions.
Though he didn't return our calls for comment, according to Sawyer, Danko "took some time off" and is not currently cooking. It's a surprisingly common practice among managing chefs who are involved in the opening days of high-profile restaurants such as Trentina.
We're hopeful that Danko will return, if not to Trentina then at least to the general Cleveland dining scene. His accolades — a 2013 James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef
nomination, a 2013 Food & Wine Magazine Best New Pastry Chef nomination and a 2012 Eater Young Gun
award — warrant the assumption that Danko was born to cook. But before starting out in Cuyahoga Falls' Sheraton Hotels, Danko earned a master’s degree in fine art with a minor
in education, briefly working as a teacher.
"It's unfortunate with all the success that's coming right now," says Sawyer of the transition. "But we left the door open [for him]."
Trentina, 1903 Ford Drive, Cleveland, 216-421-2900, restauranttrentina.com
Garlic is one of those fundamental ingredients, a thing no cook can do without. I love the taste-from biting to sweet depending on how it's handled but never thought much about the kind of garlic I was using or where it came from. Then I started buying locally grown heirloom varieties and discovered how much better- and more varied- it can be. A few years ago the husband got interested in growing our own, in part because the neighborhood deer were devouring everything we planted and he'd heard this was one crop they didn't find appealing.
Thaxton's garlic, Taxel's photo
He bought and planted a starter selection from Thaxton's, a certified organic garlic farm in Hudson. The results were so fantastic and the effort so satisfying that garlic has become his new enthusiasm and the mainstay of our backyard kitchen garden. Which is why we recently found ourselves in Fred and Chris Thaxton's aromatic garlic barn.
It was time for new seed stock. The choices- hard necks and soft necks, big heads and little ones, pure white skinned and some kissed with purple, in 12 distinctive varieties- were hung in bunches, long stems still attached, row after row on racks that stretched from floor to ceiling. The couple, who started growing garlic on their property 15 years ago for their own use and to share with family and friends, now tend to three acres of the stuff and operate a thriving business, delivering to area chef's, and selling at the Hudson Farmers Market, directly from the farm (by appointment only) and online. They guided us towards a mix that included a peppery Spanish Roja; Khabar that's hot when raw and goes mellow with cooking; the robust Extra Hardy German White; and Georgian Crystal, that Chris told us is excellent for roasting.
She still teaches at Hudson High but Fred retired from his science teacher job at Cleveland Heights High School last year to give the venture his all. Business is booming. What started as hobby landed them on the pages of the New York Times in May (and brought the paper's food writer Julia Moskin to their house for a picnic dinner that Fred says it was one of the best nights of his life). He gives Chef Jonathon Sawyer, a longtime customer and fan, a lot of the credit for pushing them onto a national stage. And Sawyer's doing it again by featuring Thaxton's Music garlic in a pasta dish he's serving at The Greenhouse Tavern through Oct 31 as part of the James Beard Foundation’s (JBF) Taste America® Local Dish Challenge. The restaurant will donate $1 from each dish sold to the JBF Taste America® Education Drive, which supports the foundation's educational programs.
Now that I've got you thinking about garlic, its a good time to mention the Cleveland Garlic Festival, sponsored by the North Union Farmer's Market, happening this weekend, September 7 and 8, on Shaker Square. Lots of garlic laden foods to try, garlic products to buy, live music, chef competitions, and a chance to pick up some "stinking roses" from the Thaxton's.
This week Adiletta is taking the students on a tour of the city as she teaches them about sustainable foods.
“The title of the course is Taste of Cleveland," explains Adiletta, who is also a chef at Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret, Conn. "So not only will they get a taste of the food and the stuff that’s growing around Cleveland, they’re also getting to experience the culture that really makes Cleveland unique.”
A few places on their packed itinerary include the Flying Fig, Greenhouse Tavern, and Spice Kitchen & Bar, where they will be treated to chef-led talks and tours. They’ll also get right into the source of their meals by visiting the Culinary Vegetable Institute in Milan, Ohio, and West Side Market’s urban farm.
Adiletta's history with Cleveland (she graduated from Case Western Reserve University and also worked as an editor at Cleveland Magazine) influenced her decision to use it as an example for her course, but the city's emerging focus on sustainable food also caught her eye.
“I’ve been following the local food in Cleveland for years, really ever since I started cooking,” she says. “I jumped on the opportunity to highlight Cleveland and the food scene that’s brewing there.”
Many of the students Adiletta will be taking around the city are international, so this trip is an opportunity to show those kids there is more to American food than drive-thru fare.
“I want the kids to ask where their food is coming from,” she says. “I want to be an ambassador to American food culture and say we’re not all about McDonald's hamburgers.”
The local food education doesn't stop with the students. Adiletta and her students are using social media to engage with the community about what they learned. Follow along through Twitter with the @eatloCLE handle and #eatloCLE hashtag and a website made for the trip, eatlocle.com.
Chef Jonathon Sawyer is ambitious in a good way. He’s always got something new going on, striving to advance his reputation, build his career and get people in the doors of his two restaurants, Greenhouse Tavern and Noodlecat. And he’s committed to bringing the whole city with him into the spotlight.
That’s why he organized a tweetup to coincide with his appearance as a competitor on Iron Chef America Jan. 22 at 10 p.m. Instead of a simple watch party, attendees are being asked to tweet about the action. The idea is to turn Sawyer into a trending topic on Twitter with Cleveland coming along for the coast-to-coast promotional ride. The free event to be held at Greenhouse Tavern booked-up fast, so another one was offered at Noodlecat. There’s no space left for this one either. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the experience. Invite friends over. Get takeout from either place or make something wonderful to eat while watching and tweeting (use the hashtag #teamsawyer) at home. Pop corn, toss with melted butter, salt and Parmesan and just enjoy the show, without worry about greasy fingers.
The culinary cook-off pits Sawyer against Geoffrey Zakarian, winner of The Next Iron Chef Season 4. The gray-haired contender, who heads up multiple dining establishments in New York City, Miami and Atlantic City, looks more like a natty businessmen than a stove jockey. And he definitely had his work cut out for him going up against the Cleveland team, which included Sawyer’s talented right- and left-hand guys, Jonathan Seeholzer and Brian Goodman.
Abiding by his ironclad contract, Sawyer isn't breathing a word about the secret ingredient or the final outcome of his Food Network battle, but he still has plenty he can say.
“It was hard to portray the entirety of the Tavern style in just five courses,” he says. “There was so much we wanted to do, but we only had an hour and had to keep it simple. Even so, I am absolutely pleased with the food we produced and how it defined us and the restaurant.”
And, the chef continues, it should be big fun to watch.
“We were super entertaining, loud, laughing and enjoying ourselves in the kitchen just like we always do," he says. “I hope that comes across to the viewers.”
Noting that he’s been in the hot seat before as an assistant when Michael Symon took on the challenge, he adds, “It is awesome and humbling to be the actual competitor instead of the sous chef.”
Another thing Sawyer’s doing for his hometown’s dining scene is hosting pop-ups. He’s using his national connections to bring in really great chefs from other cities to cook in his kitchen and making room for locals to shine too. Three of these one-night-only experiences are scheduled for January and February at Noodlecat: Lee Anne Wong returns to prepare a lunar new year feast on Jan. 21; Fresh Street of Columbus makes Japanese street food on Feb. 2; and Cory Barrett, a trained pastry chef now serving as executive chef at Lola does desserts on Feb. 13. Reservations for Bricks and Mortar Pop-Ups required.
TV3's Good Company asked us to come up with a quick list of 10 Things We Love about Cleveland. Easy, right? You bet.
Every month, the Cleveland Magazine is filled with things to love about our town, so the only problem was limiting it to 10 (we cheated a little and dropped in a few cameos of old faves). We take pride in bringing our readers what's new and interesting about the city -- or at least seeing old favorites in a new way. So, our list might surprise you -- but that's the point. Feel free to add your own, oft overlooked reasons to love Cleveland as well.
10. Accordion Museum — Every knows and loves the Rock Hall, but not as many know about Jack & Kathy White, whose love of the accordion, turned their Rocky River basement into the largest collection of accordions in the world (more than 450). Cleveland has a rich musical history with the accordion, where Frankie Yankovic was the polka king and in the 1920s and '30s, Cleveland was home to four accordion manufacturing companies. Polka not you kind of music? Hit the Beachland Ballroom or NightTown for great live gigs.
9. Jonathon Sawyer’s Crispy Chicken Wings Confit — We all love Michael Symon’s infectious laugh and his food, but Sawyer’s wings (and his Greenhouse Tavern) make us really smile.
8. Cleveland Museum of Art’s Chalk Festival — Coming up in mid September, the chalk festival is the perfect place to express yourself & a great excuse to see the museum’s new galleries. More than 40 are on view including the new East Wing. Or just make a day of it and hang out in University Circle.
7. Danielle DeBoe’s Made in the 216 Events — Proof that you can be creative and succeed in Cleveland. She had about 60 Cleveland-based designers at the June event and even timed them up with the Discover Gordon Square Days and Parade the Circle (you could take a trolley to University Circle and vice-a-versa) and partnered with Happy Dog (another thing we love — ½ off dogs during happy hour all month long) for after parties, etc.
6. We used to be rural. — Our proximity to farms gives us access to an abundance of farm-fresh delights, everything from the Chef’s Garden in Huron, where Farmer Jones ships his produce across the U.S. to some the country’s best restaurants, to Mackenzie’s Creamery in Hiram, where they make artisan goat cheese, to creative brews at Great Lakes Brewing Co., where locally grown pumpkins are used in the pumpkin ale. Yes, we have great farmers markets too.
5. Festivals that help us rediscover our town — Ingenuity Festival — annual festival of music, art and technology — is moving to the lower level of the Detroit-Superior Bridge this September, to take inspiration from the architecture of the bridge and the fascinating ruins of the W. 25th subway station. Their preview party, Speakeasy 2.0, is July 23, next Friday night, in the bridge and subway. Also, the Burning River Fest, next weekend, July 24-25, at the old Coast Guard station at Whiskey Island, another underused landmark. Green living, bands, and Christmas in July: Christmas Ale.
4. Green City Blue Lake movement — Whether its our pursuit of wind energy and green manufacturing jobs or the efforts of Entrepreneurs for Sustainability or the push to add a special lane for bikes and pedestrians to the proposed Inner Belt Bridge, the shift in mentality from old industrial to looking at a more sustainable future for our town. And since we’re on the topic …
3. Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park — We’ve got a lake, a completely awesome body of water, enjoy it. The Fairport Harbor beach is smaller that Mentor Headlands or Bay Village’s Huntington Beach, but there’s an open water swimming lane, dog swimming area, kayak rentals and plenty of places for the kids to play.
2. Towpath Trail from Brecksville to Peninsula — Manageable distance (about 12 miles) with a lot of different terrain all squeezed in between. Stop about half way at the Boston store for and continue on to the finish for your reward at the Winking Lizard in Peninsula. Don’t overindulge though, you’ve got a 12 mile trek back.
1. Dan Gilbert — While we may not completely agree with his “open letter,” he expressed what we were all feeling in the wake of “The Decision.” And no one is going to question his will to win.
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.
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.
Beer and baseball seem made for one another. An Indians pre-opening day party April 11th from 2-11 p.m. at the Greenhouse Tavern celebrates both with a limited edition ale created by Buckeye Brewing Company in collaboration with restaurant owner and chef Jonathon Sawyer specially for the occaision.
The label on the bottles is special too and I‘m proud to take some of the credit for that. Here’s why.
In January, Sawyer posted a picture on Facebook of a possible label for Saison de Maison, another joint project with his Lakewood brewing pals. He asked for comments on the image which featured an unclothed and buxom lass in all her busty glory. So I weighed in with this opinion: “Ditch the tits. So old, so done. How 'bout a nice tasteful full frontal of a guy?” Another person (a woman of course- the guys were, well- more universally uncritical and enthusiastic) added: “I'm with Laura. Jonathan, why don't you be the model? I'd BOOK back to Cleveland to have that beer.”
He didn’t respond online or any other way. I thought maybe my remark- half serious, half jokoing- had annoyed or offended him. And then I forgot about the whole thing. Imagine my surprise when Sawyer called me at the end of last week to tell me about the cool label for the latest Buckeye/Greenhouse suds. Turns out that he took my suggestion to heart.
The label you see here is the work of Kyle Roth of Epstein Design Partners. There was a rumor that Sawyer’s wife Amelia was prototype for the lovely lady on the Saison bottle. So I just had to ask Sawyer if he was the inspiration for the batter with the strategically placed foot. “Absolutely not,” he assured me. “It’s one of our bartenders.”
Whoever stepped up to the plate for this, did his part for gender equity. And my response is Ladies- this one’s for you!
Mark your calendars, make your reservations, and get your tickets. There are places to be, things to do, and stuff to see for foodheads and culture connoisseurs coming up in the next couple of weeks. Some of it’s free and all promises to be good fun.
-Feb 2 Not content with being known as an extraordinarily accomplished-and cool-chef, Jonathon Sawyer decided to get into beer making. He partnered up with Buckeye Brewing in Lakewood to ferment something special for Greenhouse Tavern customers. They made a Belgian style farmhouse ale, and selected Groundhog Day, Feb 2, to tap the first seven barrels of Saison de Maison. To make it even more of an event, Punxsutawney Phil will be on screen all day and Groundhog burgers (don’t ask) are on the menu.
photo of Groundhog Jay courtesy of Greenhouse Tavern
-Feb 8 TV celebrity Guy Fieri came to town many months ago and filmed a lot of footage. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives segment spotlighting Melt Bar and Grilled, the place that has redefined the word sandwich, airs on the Food Network Feb 8. Owner and big cheese Matt Fish, dubbed one of Cleveland Magazine’s Most Interesting People, will host a viewing party at the Detroit Avenue restaurant. Check the website for details.
behind the scenes photo courtesy of The Food Network and Melt
-Feb 9 The husband and I are having our second annual Taxel Creative Group Loft Party- Food for Thought- to benefit the Cleveland International Film Festival at our Prospect Avenue studio. We’ve invited three great chefs- Michael Annandono of Michaelangelo’s, Matt Mathlage of Light Bistro, and Jonathan Bennett of Moxie and Red –to come talk about the "ah ha" food moments and experiences that put them on the culinary career path. They’ll share stories about what made them realize that food is wonderful and cooking the thing they wanted to do and then answer questions from the audience. Not only are the guys generously giving us their time, they’re bringing food too, and we’ll have beverages on hand so no one will go thirsty. We start pouring and passing at 7 PM . Ticketing info at the Festival website
In my post on 7/8, I wrote about the upcoming Bastille Day fundraiser at Jonathon Sawyer's Greenhouse Tavern and my anxiety about making a dish that would have to share buffet space with food prepared by some of Cleveland's best chefs. To protect myself from embarrassment, I chose not to reveal what I was making for the potluck. So imagine my pleasure when I read an item in yesterday's edition of Scene about the Monday event that gave my stuff a thumbs-up shout out. The only problem is that the reporter, Aaron Mendelsohn, got the facts wrong. After singling out a variety chefs to compliment, he wrote:
But it was Sawyer and his staff that prepared the most memorable dishes: Foie gras, served in sake size cups and spread tastefully across French baguettes, raw oysters, beef carpaccio and pomme frites.
It wasn't foie gras in those little cups, it was a chicken liver and cognac pate, and I made it.
So now that I've set the record straight, I can say thanks for the compliment and hold my head high. For one night I got to run with the big dogs.
Chef Jonathon Sawyer has a soft spot for French food, wine, and holidays. So he’s partnering with the local Slow Food convivium to throw a Bastille Day party at his restaurant The Greenhouse Tavern downtown on East 4th Street. For $60 (gratuity and cash bar not included), you get to storm the buffet table and dine on Gallic inspired fare on Monday, July 13 from 6-9 pm. It’s a potluck with all the dishes prepared by a stellar line up of Cleveland chefs. Well, almost all the dishes. I’m making one. Sawyer sweet talked me into it. How he got me to agree remains a mystery. I started having serious second thoughts the minute I said yes. I’m a rank amateur, a dabbler, a guppy among whales in this undertaking. How could something I cooked be put side by side with stuff made by the likes of Paul Minnillo, Dante Boccuzzi, Steve Schimoler and Sawyer himself? Was I crazy? Was I prepared to be utterly humiliated? My only protection was to be anonymous. I extracted a promise that there’d be no little sign with my name on it affixed to my contribution. I assumed he understood that meant I wanted to maintain a very low profile. Apparently not: he included my name in the list of participants on the restaurant’s blog .
Photo: a dish from last year's celebration
Following our phone conversation, thinking about what to prepare occupied far too many of my waking hours. But I’ve finally decided that my best bet is to give up any notion of attempting to impress anyone. I'm opting for something relatively uncomplicated that I’ve made many times before. I’m not saying what it is just in case my dish ends up the being the night’s wallflower, the one nobody chooses, still there after every other serving platter and bowl is picked clean. Now I’m struggling with the question of garnish…my usual sprig or two of parsley hardly seems sufficient. But my team didn’t get high marks for presentation during my one- and only- week of training at the Culinary Institute of America’s boot camp for beginners.
No matter how my dish turns out, this is sure to be great event. Reservations required, 216.393.4302
Photo: Sawyer check's out what's left on the Bastille buffet, 2008
