Although his restaurant, Dante, doesn’t officially open until this Saturday (9/29), chef/owner Dante Boccuzzi is already getting a lot of attention – and those that have been to Lockkeepers before it closed say the hype is true.
After exchanging several e-mails and getting to know Dante a bit better, one thing is clear about this Cleveland native – music is just as important to him as food. He sums it up on his Web site by saying, “In everything I do, I can always relate back to something musical. All through my culinary career there has always been a musical memory.”
1. The top 5 spices that are a must in every kitchen? coriander, nutmeg, cayenne, cumin, sumac
2. What is your favorite and least favorite thing to make? Favorite is sushi; least favorite would be coconut anything
3. If you could cook for one person, real or dead, who would it be? Sunday night pasta for Pearl Jam (I would love a seat at that table!)
4. You’re having a dinner party, what are the top 5 songs on your play list? Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh), Still of the Night (Whitesnake), Look what the Cat Dragged In (Poison), Seventeen (Winger), Achilles Last Stand (Led zeppelin)
5. Favorite restaurant in Cleveland? Lolita
6. What restaurant do you miss? Casa Mono NYC (One of Mario Batali’s restaurants)
7. What is your favorite thing about Cleveland and what drives you nuts? Favorite thing would be WMMS. I hate when customers put their napkins on their plate when they are finished eating.
8. Most famous person you have cooked for? Robert DiNiro, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, George Clooney, Neil Young, Michael Douglas, Paul Newman, Howard Stern, Giorgio Armani, Dolce and Gabana, Eddie Vedder and Pierce Brosnon. They are all equally famous to me.
9. Most unusual food you have ever tried? Rooster balls (and it’s bad luck to not eat them in pairs).
10. If you weren’t a chef, what would you be doing? Musician singing in a band.
11. What hidden café/restaurant have Clevelanders yet to discover? Not sure, haven’t found it.
12. What’s your elevator speech for the new restaurant? Use the stairs – it costs me a dollar each time the thing moves up or down.
13. You have worked/lived in some amazing cities. Why did you come back? From a culinary point of view, can Cleveland be compared to some of those cities? I came back because it’s less stressful, and there is better chance of opening a successful restaurant here than in New York. I think there are some great restaurants in Cleveland but it is tough to compete with New York, the culinary capital of the world.
14. Opening and main act of your dream concert? Tough question. Led Zeppelin with original Van Halen opening.
15. What’s your opinion of the Rock Hall? It was missing a lot of key information. For examples, there is NO heavy metal. Led Zeppelin should have their own room and what about Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Van Halen? There was not one thing about Eric Clapton – that is very sad. Not even one Clapton guitar. Too much Beatles. I know the items rotate but there are some staples that need to be there – always.
7 Comments
I can’t wait to get out there and try this when it opens. Two of his employees come to Lolita every Saturday night and have really been talking it up. If I remember correctly they have crews working 24 hours to get it done. Good Q&A, Matt
We booked our wedding reception there before the sale was announced, so I was initially pretty peeved when I found out the place was changing name, menu, and chef and it was too late for us to change venues. Way to yank the rug out, former owners.
Fortunately, the transition went smoothly and the food was incredible. After the tasting I was practically destroyed trying to decide which entree to choose!
Being a chef, though by no means an infamous one, I normally don’t get too excited about any restaurant. Soon to be moving to Cleveland from Houston, I told my significant other, that I wanted to try a few restaurants, one of them being Dante in Valley View. He tried to talk me out of it, as he feared it would be too much like the former Lockkeepers, that he never was impressed with. I educated him on the talented Dante, and yeah, I won out. Hard to argue with your girlfriend who knows her chefs, right? Well, now we both agree that there are not enough great words to describe our late lunch New Year’s Eve day at Dante.
Anthony Bourdain would even re-enact a scene from “When Harry Met Sally” like I did while feasting on a lovely slab of foie gras that was delicately pan seared to perfection served ontop a plump bed of the most tender French toast stuffed with a vanilla pear compote and puree with a caramelized onion bits to cut the sweetness. He needs to come back to Cleveland and dine here.
Our dinner was absolutely astounding, Our waiter and every staff member was terrific…making sure our dining experience was a fantastic one. Oh yeah…price? It was very reasonable….in fact, it shocked me that we paid so little. I loved the restaurant’s decor, and the whimiscal bread “basket” and guitar pick that came with the check. Dante got rave reviews to everyone we know, and in fact, my boyfriend now knows if he is ever in the dog house….which he knows is inevitable, all he has to do is take me to Dante, order the foie gras for me and all will be forgiven! You can bet that we will be dining there frequently! It truly is Cleveland’s best, and would even please the ever so tough Chef Gordon Ramsay!
Good job with your blog!
Jackie – thanks for checking out the blog and welcome to Cleveland! So glad you had a great meal at Dante. I agree, truly one of Cleveland’s best. I’m going on Thursday with my girlfriends and I can’t wait.
I live in San Francisco and worked there with him, good guy with talent, wish him all the luck, Greg
My girlfriend and I ate at Dante last night and must disagree with the rave reviews and hype surrounding this place. The decor looks like a slightly higher end Outback steakhouse (albeit with a higher ceiling) with the wait staff dressed accordingly in Outback style garb. The music was absolutely, maddeningly, unlistenable. True, the bread and butter were excellent and the amuse bouche of garlic soup was delectable. However, the taste of my fish (skate) was completely masked by the overuse of butter and the charcuterie plate (except for the fois gras)was immanently forgettable. My GF’s duck was good but had nothing to do with Peking duck, as the menu describes it. Also, the portion was, in classic American style, way too big. To top it off, the waiter overcharged us for an entree we didn’t order. C’mon people, go to NY, France or Italy and learn to be a little hipper and more critical. Sorry Dante, Table 45, The Flying Fig or Sans Souci are much more enjoyable dining experiences.
Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts. Unfortunately, not every meal is going to be perfect – I’ve definitely had my share. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth and often stops you from going back and giving a place a second chance. But in this case, I hope you will give Dante another shot because it really is wonderful. While I agree with you about the music (look at my post from Feast and you’ll see why) and sorta see your point about the decor (it’s nice, and I like some of the elements, but it does have a more sophisticated/corporate feel and I personally prefer cozy contemporary) the food usually is amazing and rather impressive. Don’t give up just yet – maybe go back when they launch the sushi and blues nights. I mean, he did work for Nubu so you know the sushi is going to be unbelievable.