Chef Matt Harlan, aka Chatty, might be one of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. We’ve been fans of his since he was head chef at Lolita, and he continues to impress at Bar Symon. He’s just one of the good guys – and he’s a great chef, too – which makes me like him that much more.

Now here’s a fish recipe I know I can make and my husband will eat:

Roasted Walleye w/carrots, beets, shiitakes and fennel

• 4 – 8 oz walleye filets, skin on
• 1 small yellow onion
• 6 shiitake mushrooms, julienned, stems saved
• 1 fennel bulb, julienned
• 2 red beets, 1 julienned, 1 medium diced
• 750 ml Dogfish Head Pangaea, 375 ml to cook with, 375 ml to drink
• 3T blended oil
• 6T butter, unsalted
• 1 bunch organic carrots, blanched and quartered
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves picked off of stems
• 3T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

The Sauce

Over medium heat sweat the onion.  Add the mushroom stems, 1/4 of the fennel and the medium diced red beets.  Get a good carmalization on them and then deglaze with 375 ml of beer.  Let simmer for 30 minutes and strain.  Reserve the liquid.

The Preparation

Season the walleye with salt and set aside.  Get a sauté pan hot over medium heat; add the blended oil and 2T butter.  Put the walleye in skin side down and continue to sear until the skin is nice and crispy.  Flip the fish over in the pan to finish cooking.  Set the walleye aside and add the mushrooms, fennel and beets to the pan.  Season well and get some good color on the veggies.  When they are cooked set aside in separate bowl with the picked parsley.  Add the carrots to the pan.  Once the carrots have good color, add the sauce to the pan to help deglaze.  Add the remaining butter and 2T extra virgin oil and whisk it altogether.  Put the carrots on the plate, the walleye over the carrots, the sauce over the walleye and the salad over the fish.

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This post was sponsored by Heinen’s. Of course, like Harlan share, you can have the Dogfish Head Pangaea. Or, as Dominique Elmelliti suggests, the wine consultant for the University Heights store, try a French white Bordeaux. She likes the Chateaux Lamothe de Haux ($14.99). She explains, that its refreshing acidity and fruity flavors of this wine make it a great complement to the Walleye, and the well balanced acidity and fruit pair well with the sweetness of the red beets as well as the fennel. This sauvignon will also bring the pepper/spiciness of the parsley to an overall well balanced dish. In other words the sweetness of the fish and its vegetables with the refreshing citrus, apricot and peachiness of the wine, will bring up all of the aromas and spiciness together to a well-balanced dish.

While working on a piece for Cleveland Magazine about another topic, I had a quick chat with Symon this morning (hello giddiness) and took the opportunity to ask him about B Spot. He shared that they plan to open in mid November and offer 10 burgers, 20 beers, brats and basically, as he put it, a lot of beef.

The themed burgers, as he described them, will be meat on meat with toppings like bacon, fried bologna, Philly cheese steak (yes please),  pastrami and corned beef. He said it’s ridiculous how good these burgers are.

I’m just glad that both my house and office are all within two miles of the restaurant. This way I can pull a Costanza and grab a quick nap after what’s sure to be many lunches here.

Since I had him on the phone, I took a minute to tell him personally just how impressed we were with Bar Symon – both the food and incredibly reasonable prices (read more here). He shared that one of his favorite things about Bar Symon is that he can dress how he likes to at one of his restaurants and fit right in – in concert tees and jeans (followed up with his trademark laugh).

Everyday should start with a call from Michael Symon.

Situated in Avon Lake, it’s about a 40 minute drive. The distance doesn’t phase us. I have two sisters that live out that way so I’m used to the trip, plus we’ll gladly travel for good food.

First, the decor. I’ve said it before: Those Symons have good taste. Situated in a strip mall, there is nothing strip mall-ish about this restaurant. Upon entering, you are greeted by lots of school house lights (a personal favorite), a never-ending bar donned with countless beer choices on tap plus a stainless steel counter and a mix of stone tiles and barn-wood siding. All of which help make this American Brasserie very casual and cool (the glass along the back with etched pigs is a fun element, too). It’s quite a contrast from Symon’s other restaurants, which are much more cozy, sophisticated and warm overall. But for this type of establishment it works, and works well. The only thing I miss which is consistent in his other Ohio restaurants, is the open kitchen (it’s a bit odd knowing the very talented and friendly chef Matt Harlan was in the back and we couldn’t see him,  like we were used to at Lolita).

The bulk of the menu centers around a wood-fire grill (its aromas greet you from the parking lot). Since it was his birthday, Jamie decided to indulge and try the fried organic chicken with truffle honey and rosemary. I opted for a bit of everything, including one goat taco, one duck confit slider with cilantro, pickled carrot and spicy mayo, the famous fried Brussels sprouts and a single order of the pork and fennel grilled sausage.

As Jamie put it, the fried chicken was the best he’s ever had – even better than his moms. And he was equally as happy with the creamed corn, which was super fresh and quite flavorful (though he felt it could have used a bit more bacon).

As for mine, I couldn’t have been happier. The  goat taco, a Tuesday night regular special, was wonderful – I practically inhaled it. Great pairing with all the cilantro. The duck confit slider was equally as satisfying. In fact next time, I’m ordering two. As for the sprouts, that classic Symon side dish, is always consistently good.

The only dish I wasn’t overly wowed with was the pork and fennel sausage. I enjoyed the presentation and accompaniments (three different mustards and grilled sourdough bread) but wasn’t impressed with the sausage itself. I ended taking the majority home.

Despite a freezer filled with Jeni’s Ice Creams (sweet corn might be a new fav), we couldn’t resist the molten chocolate cake. Decadent, rich and the perfect temperature.

One other thing worth noting – the menu is ridiculously reasonable, even more so than Lolita. Our total bill was $44! I even did a double take. And to round it all off was wonderful service – from everyone. Prompt, friendly, knowledgeable and pleasant all around. And if you happen to have little diners like us, incredibly accommodating for families.

Speaking of little diners, our trip to Bar Symon tonight now completes Natalie’s tour de Symon. At just 8 months old, she’s been to all of his Ohio restaurants. And if Jamie has his way, we’ll be heading to Roast soon, by way of a quick stop at the casino.

Soon he’ll be lending his name, formidable imagination and precise execution to a fourth restaurant — this one planned for downtown Cleveland’s restaurant row on East Fourth Street. Look for Chinato to open this fall, at Fourth and Prospect Avenue.

“It will be an Italian restaurant — or, at least my take on Italian,” says Bruell.

By the way: If you’re curious about the name, chinato is an Italian wine that’s fortified with herbs, spices and various kinds of bark, producing a drink used as a digestif.

Food editor Joe Crea also included information on tomorrow’s opening of Bar Symon:

Casual is king on the menu, too. Grilled sausage platters, appetizers, a raw bar and bar snacks are major categories, with dishes as simple as feta- and oregano-laced popcorn ($3) or some really tasty Spicy Pork Cracklings ($4) to more upscale options like Duck Confit Sliders ($6 each) and Roasted Bone Marrow With Parsley and Chile ($8). I tore into a basket of really delicious Crispy Fried Organic Chicken lightly coated with fragrant truffle honey and strewn with crunchy rosemary sprigs ($15). Delicately sweet Bacon Creamed Corn ($4), its flavor intensified by simmering the kernels in a stock rendered from whole cobs, was a perfect side. But I loved what’s maybe the menu’s unlikeliest dish — Fried Brussels Sprouts ($5), an addictively tasty combination of quartered sprouts fried golden, then dressed with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, capers, Fresno chile, walnuts, parsley and anchovies.

Nothing on the menu exceeds $18, with the exception of the large-cut, spit-roasted prime rib ($24; the small portion is $17) served Friday nights only. Matthew Harlan is executive chef, Jason Bryson serves as sous chef, and pastry chef Cory Barrett will produce desserts for all of Symon’s local restaurants from the kitchen.

Good luck, Michael and Matt! We’ll be in soon for what will no doubt be the first of many visits (I have family in Avon so I’m excited for this location!).

It’s a combination of the food, atmosphere, crowd and incredibly reasonable prices that have made us loyal customers. And this past Thursday, Lolita earned one more. Natalie can now add this Tremont staple to her ever growing list of fine dining experiences.

This trip was on behalf of Metromix, which surprisingly the site has yet to review. So for anyone out there who has yet to check out Lolita, my full recap should appear in a few weeks.

We started off with the roasted dates and beet salad with honey and ricotta, then moved onto the buccatini with carbonara, big chunks of pork belly and pancetta and the duck prosciutto pizza with rosemary and egg. But the highlight of the dinner – a quick chat with the super friendly chef Matt (Chatty) Harlan, who made Jamie’s day by bringing out the restaurant’s famed burger with egg and bacon (thanks again, Matt – I know how much you love making those!). By the way, chef Harlan, who has been there for the past 12 years (Lola then Lolita), has a little less than two months left there before he heads over to Avon Lake to lead the kitchen at Bar Symon.

As usual, everything was delicious – especially the beets (hands-down best beet salad in town – I know I always include that, but it’s true) and the burger. That burger is so deliciously messy and juicy; I can’t wait to see what other burger creations Michael Symon unveils at The B Spot.

Thankfully, Natalie was a picture perfect diner throughout the entire meal. Nonetheless, we still ate fast, paid within seconds of the server dropping off the main dishes, and were headed out before the dinner rush made its way in.

On our way out, I noticed Lolita is hosting a lamb dinner on May 6 with Jamison Farm. It’s short notice, but I’m willing to bet this would be worth checking out.

According to Joe Crea, Symon is taking over Swingos Grand Tavern in Avon Lake as well the former Cold Stone Creamery in Woodmere, which is part of the Eton Collection (this will replace the bakery he was originally planning).

Here’s more from the article:
Bar Symon, an American bar and brasserie, will occupy the site of Swingos Grand Tavern, which closed suddenly in February. The restaurant, at 32858 Walker Road, is scheduled to open in June.

“Everything on the menu will range from $9 to $18,” said Symon, adding that “most of the menu will be built around live fire cooking” and may feature custom-built rotisseries similar to the ones boldly displayed at his most recent restaurant, Roast, in Detroit.

“Very casual, American-driven, very comfortable — that’s what we’re aiming for,” Symon said, describing the vibe he and his wife, Liz, and their business partner Doug Petkovic are seeking. In addition to 100 beers from around the globe, 40 of them artisinal brews available on tap, Symon anticipates a comparatively modest wine list featuring about 25 bottles. Matt Harlan, executive chef at Lolita, will take over the kitchen in Avon Lake.

Once the doors open at Bar Symon, the partners will kick into overdrive to open the other restaurant.

The B Spot — “pretty much just great burgers and beer,” Symon said — will bring upscale casual fare to the tony Eton Chagrin Boulevard shopping center. It replaces a bakery concept he originally envisioned.

“We just wanted great, simple food,” Symon said of a menu that will feature “maybe 10 burgers plus fries, milkshakes, a couple of salads and around 20 beers on tap.”
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Congratulations, Michael, Liz and Doug! And good luck to Chatty – although we’ll miss you at Lolita.