December 09, 2009

Written by: Joe Harvey

Cleveland is becoming the culinary hotspot on the Great Lakes.

This distinction comes, in part, from renowned chef and restaurateur Michael Symon who was awarded the title "Iron Chef" from the Food Network's televised competition by the same name. Cleveland is home to ethnic eateries, trendy bistros and bars, and even a combination bowling alley/martini bar. Food critics are beginning to take notice - Cleveland's culinary prowess has been featured in The New York Times, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Oprah and Esquire. Other cities are noticing, too. In January, 2008, the Chicago Tribune declared, "Cleveland has quietly become the epicenter of the Midwest food scene."

I joined Chef Rocco Whalen of Fahrenheit in Tremont,Cleveland Foodie blogger Michelle Venorsky, food critic and Crop Bistro Marketing Pro Elaine Cicora, and chef and entrepreneur Matt Mytro of StoveMonkeys as they discussed and debated the impetus behind the rise of the Cleveland food scene. Janet Nguyen, MetroMix, moderated the discussion.

First, thank you to the The Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club for hosting the event. The food and hospitality was certainly reflective of the event topic... Cleveland knows how to handle a visitor...

I'd guesstimate the crowd at about 50+ people, some local bloggers, some foodies, some chefs, some local companies/organizations that have a vested interest in Local Restaurants succeeding, and some Cleveland locals.

Why does that matter? Because the crowd was as diversified as the tastes of Cleveland. I won't ramble on reporting on each question asked and answered during the chat, but I can sum up key points that I think are worth reporting on...

The culture of Cleveland food is defined by...(not direct quotes, but close, I hope)

Working Class folks that roll their sleeves up and dig in to get the job done - Rocco Whalen

A culture where there is little or no pretentious dining. There is a blue collar passion and strong sense of community here. Tavern / comfort food is not only welcome, but encouraged. However, because some do not consider us a major market, and we want to be, we will not accept mediocrity.   - Elaine Cicora

Short talk about Farm-to-Restaurant / Sustainability and how many restaurants WANT to provide as many local and seasonal ingredients as possible, but there are cost and logistical challenges yet to be resolved.

Two that are trying are LocalCrop.com (utilizing SYSCO) and Fresh Fork Market. (Community Delivery) Kudos to both for supporting local farmers.

Some names were thrown in to the chat regarding the best new and upcoming talents in the biz. Like:

Jonathan Sawyer of the Greenhouse Tavern,

Eric Williams of Momocho,

Matt Harlan of Bar Symon.

A new-to-Cleveland guest asked where all the Mobile Carts were in Cleveland... Potential exists, there are some issues locally, however. An article from June will shed some light on this topic...

There was some discussion over the different types of cuisine / restaurants and the chefs that make them successful, as well as the challenging question of "what is YOUR favorite place" and "what would be YOUR last meal".

Consensus seemed to be, as summed up by both Michelle and Elaine, "for what cuisine, for what daypart?", indicating the level of choices offered make it too difficult to make that call. Well, except for Chef Rocco, who along with mentioning Tremont 463 times, also selected his own Double-Cheeseburger as his last meal. Now THAT'S passion. He gets it.

I won't even get into the Foie Gras discussion. Matt and Rocco can box it out someday, perhaps. :)

If you were there, please sign in (free) and add your take, especially if I missed something or someone... If you weren't there, sign up anyway and throw your 2 cents in... favorite place? favorite chef? What do YOU think makes the Cleveland food scene so dynamic?

Lastly, for Chef Rocco.. Go to Tremont. He loves the place. And he says he's approachable and wants to meet you at his spot, Fahrenheit.