Make a Date to Pair Up

   

There's a lot of fine cheese being produced all around Ohio. Using cow, sheep and goat milk, small mom-and-pop operations are crafting American original versions of Euro-style classics and turning out fresh and aged, hard and soft varieties from funky blues to creamy boucheron and brie. Some have taken home prizes in national competitions. These artisans recently banded together as the Ohio Cheese Guild to promote their products. To that end, and in celebration of other local makers, the guild is hosting The Great Cheese Challenge Nov. 15.

 
A panel consisting of Sam McNulty, proprietor of Market Garden Brewery and more; Ed Thompkins, wine expert with Heinen’s; and Shannon Welsh, ACS-certified cheese professional from Heinen’s, are running the show. Their task is to guide the audience in a tasting to tease out the best combinations of six Ohio wines, beers and cheeses. Once everyone has found their favorites, there will be hot-out-the-oven-pizza for all along with plenty to drink.

It's happening in Cleveland at Miceli's Dairy on East 90th. This is a fundraiser for the organization and tickets for non-members are $75 per person.

Brewing Up More Neighborhood Development

Sam McNulty calls him the "Donald Trump of Lorain." The guy who's successfully built his own food and drink empire on W. 25th Street is referring to his friend and fellow entrepreneur Justin Carson. The three of us were chatting at Platform Brewhouse, which opened in Ohio City this summer. Platform Beer Co., the name of the parent organization, is featured in this month's Best of Cleveland feature. Carson owns the building, along with a few others along the block, and moved the offices of his company, JC Beer Tech, from Medina to space on the second floor. A massive clean-out — the previous owner was reputedly quite the hoarder — and a complete gutting and rehab created the ground-level setting for the brewery and tasting room he and Paul Benner partnered to create.

Photo by Barney Taxel

The tanks are integral to the decor of the sprawling brick-walled room, and the taps feature an ever changing lineup of beers made on the premises and representing a variety of different styles. Flights and growler fills are both available for the asking. Patrons have recently had the chance to weigh in on criteria — types of yeast, style, alcohol content — for a Platform recipe that will be released during Cleveland Beer Week Oct 15.

There's a long bar and multiple communal tables, an old bowling machine and a high-tech jukebox, and a patio where dogs and smokers are welcome. The vibe is hyper-casual and organized around drinking. Management is focused on its hop-powered mission, so no wine or spirits. And rather than prepare food, they let various area restaurateurs and vendors set up shop — one per night — and sell their stuff.

Photo by Barney Taxel

The guys are also positioning this location as beer business incubator. With their brewmaster (and co-owner) Shawn Yasaki, they offer free training for beer-making hobbyists who dream of going pro. And the suds students can even try out their lagers and ales on Platform's customers and solicit their feedback.

The Cleveland Brew Shop, another Benner venture, which stocks beer-making supplies for the home enthusiast, is moving at end of this month from West 14th Street to another piece of Carson property right across the street from Platform. At the risk of inducing a sigh for my punning, I have to say things are really hopping on Lorain.

Burgers, Beer and Bikes

  I recently  stopped by Nano Brew in Ohio City for a bite. The brewpub, located in the former Garage Bar, is a small space, all exposed brick and reclaimed barn wood, has a 24 seat bar and about 8 high-top tables. For decor, there are some vintage bicycles on display, a nod to owner Sam McNulty's favored mode of transportation, and a couple of shiny fermenting tanks. The place feels like it's always been here, a relaxed, friendly corner bar only with better food and beer.

The microbrewery, another project from the passionate and prolific Sam McNulty, an entrepreneur, suds aficionado and neighborhood developer responsible for Bier Markt, Bar Cento, and Market Garden Brewery. The focus here is on ultra small batch production that allows brewmaster Andy Tveekrem and his team to experiment with techniques, styles and flavors.

Billy Crompton,who developed his cooking skills working for Susie Porter at the much missed Town Fryer, is top dog in the kitchen, overseeing four line cooks. He brings an eclectic, quirky style to the menu, which pays homage to his former employer in the form of two deep fried delights: Oreos and balls of  mac 'n' cheese. I asked him a few questions about burgers, brews and bikes.

Cleveland Magazine: Who came up with various burger combos?
Billy Crompton: I collaborated with Andrew Bower and Maggie Schwenk (Chef and Sous Chef of Market Garden Brewery, respectively) to develop the menu. I'm happy that my ideas, such as the PB & J (a burger topped with peanut butter, bacon jam and arugula)  and the Chicken and Waffles salad (fried chicken thigh, apples, bacon, waffle croutons, maple-balsamic vinaigrette, and iceberg lettuce) made it onto the line up along with Bower and Schwenk's contributions, such as the Acid Trip, Fun Guy, (blue cheese burger with mushrooms, onion rings, arugula and staeak sauce) and Bibb Salad.  The Warm Hummus, Wake 'N Bake (a burger topped with cheddar, bacon, sunny-side-up egg, and "redeye" mayo- mayo, sriracha, and coffee- on an English muffin), and BLT, with house-made pork belly  were a  group effort.

CM: Do the burger selections stay the same or change?
BC: The bulk of the burger and sandwich menu will stay the same. However, some items (such as the house specials, soups, and salads) will change seasonally. I also came up with "The Daily Double," which is a two-patty burger that pairs with our  20-gallon batch, one-off beers. Nano Brew releases a new firkin every Thursday, and I create a burger special that pairs with it.

CM: What can you tell me about the ingredients you use?
BC: Nano Brew gets meat from Vince's Meats at the West Side Market. Vince sources his meat (U.S.D.A Choice Beef) from Mahan Packing in Bristolville, Ohio. We season our fresh, never frozen burgers using a house recipe and hand-patty them to order. We work with the Pork Chop Shop at the West Side Market. Emma and Alexia make the area's best chorizo, which we use in our Namber Chili, and we have also teamed up with them to make our bratwurst. They put our Nano Namber Ale in their bratwurst. We get as much produce as we can from the Ohio City Farm and Refugee Response Farm during the warmer months.

CM:  Nano has both sidewalk seating and an enclosed back patio. Anything else I should know about that area?
BC: Yes! We have both. There are two tables out front and communal tables on the side and on the back patio, where we'll have a full bar including all of our 24 draft beers [a mix of Nano Brew and Market Garden selections plus others from a variety of American craft brewers] during the warmer months. Our back patio "cross-polinates" with The Black Pig's second story patio, and we play our classic rock/old school punk soundtrack on the outdoor speakers to keep the party going. Nano Brew's side patio also has Cleveland's first and only "Bike Box," [for storing your two-wheeler], and we have a bike repair station inside if anyone needs to fix their bike while out and about.

Nano Brew is Ohio City's third brewpub and a fourth, the Hansa Brewpub, breaks ground today. Not surprisingly McNulty, an Ohio City booster with a supportive and generous spirit, is hosting the after-party for the event at 5 p.m. today at Market Garden Brewery.

In the Market for Something Good

I was at Market Garden Brewery in Ohio City Thursday night. The size of the after-work crowd — inside and out — suggested they were giving away beer. (To be clear, they weren’t.) But obviously word had spread quickly about this long-awaited spot that has been in the works for two years but open only a few days. It looked like half of Cleveland had come to check out what idea man and founder Sam McNulty and brewmaster Andy Tveekrem have accomplished.

The pair started with two empty and unexceptional buildings. Now, after major renovations and thanks to help from a veritable army of others, they’re presiding over a microbrewery that turns out a dozen different beers, a sprawling brew pub and a restaurant, and they'll soon be distilling onsite and pouring their own spirits as the first place in Ohio licensed to do both. Leave it to McNulty, a relentless beverage entrepreneur who already operates Bier Markt, Bar Cento, and Speakeasy (all directly across the street) to hit upon the trendy concept. According to an article that appeared in USA Today in May, pairing craft brewing and distilling is a nationwide phenomenon.

It was a glorious evening — blue skies, warm but not hot and a bit of balmy breeze — so the husband and I wanted to be in the beer garden, an appealing and convivial patio. It faces the alley running parallel to the West Side Market. (Equipped with a wood burning fireplace, it should be equally nice when cold weather returns.) By the time we arrived at 6:30, it was packed, but luckily our son Nathan had gotten there earlier and secured a corner and three stools at a long communal table that encourages conversations between friends and strangers alike. There wasn’t an empty seat out front either on West 25th Street and few unoccupied spots in the two interior rooms, each with its own bar. Sliding glass doors seamlessly connect patios and dining areas. The layout, with spaces flowing seamlessly together, makes it seem as if everyone is part of one big party, no matter where you are.

Amongst the curious and the thirsty, the husband and I saw quite a few people we know, which reinforced that impression. On our personal who’s who was Kevin Scheuring, of Spice Hound and manager of the Coit Road Farmer's Market (spotted but not greeted); Samantha Fryberger, director of communications for Jumpstart, who was with a friend from Positively Cleveland, her former employer; Natalie Ezzie, who is with St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, and her sister Nadine Ezzie, an attorney; Josh Taylor with Twist Creative; Joe Mosbrook of Cleveland State University; and Kurt and Barbara Zoss, owners of Zoss the Swiss Baker and our Cleveland Heights neighbors. They make the excellent soft pretzels on the brewery menu. The timing of their arrival was perfect; they stopped by to say hello just as we were polishing off an order.

I went there for a professional peek and some social time with my son and husband. I got both plus something more: a sense of community and an infusion of excitement. I felt happy for myself and for my town, happy to have a new business investing in the neighborhood and the city, happy for the energy and activity it brings to the street. I’m glad when good things happen here. I take it personally. And the opening of Market Garden Brewery definitely makes me want to celebrate.

photos by Stephanie Sheldon

First Sip: Market Garden Brewery

As Market Garden Brewery gears up to open the first week of July, owner Sam McNulty invited us over for a sneak peak tasting last night. We sipped five handcrafted beers created by brewmaster Andy Tveekrem, formerly of Dogfish Head. In all, McNulty says there will be about a dozen house-crafted brews offered (10 will be regularly on tap with two to rotate seasonally). Plus expect nods to other local microbreweries such as The Brew Kettle and Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.

If the first five (which included ales, stouts and IPAs) are any indication of what's to come at Market Garden, then we can't wait for the taps to open — not a bad brew was sampled last night. Here are three of our favorites:

Test Market Ale: This is what we caught McNulty drinking last night, and for good reason. It's Market Garden's first brew, amber in color with a malt meets hops feel for a crisp finish.

St. Emeric Stout: Guinness drinkers (myself included) will love this stout. It's full bodied and dry but without a bitter finish. It goes down velvety smooth.

Wallace Tavern Scotch Ale: Light brown in color, it's got all the makings of a traditional Scotch ale with a malty caramel flavor and a bit of a roasted kick.