Kate Krader is the restaurant editor for Food & Wine. She’s well-respected, well-known, and the envy of many (ok, at least one – me).

How do you discover best new chefs? How are they vetted? What’s the criteria? What was it about Jonathon Sawyer? It’s a year-round process. There aren’t any age requirements, except that a chef has to have been in charge of a kitchen for at least five years (not necessarily in a row). We look all around the country, from big to small cities. We have a network of people who nominate chefs, from professionals in the industry, to food writers, bloggers, and previous winners.

I came to Cleveland in January to see Jon. I instantly loved him! When you walk into Greenhouse, there’s just something about the energy. It was very inviting. I instantly felt comfortable. I can’t articulate it, but I just really liked it. Not that that is part of the BNC criteria, I just think it’s worth sharing. Jon has that same energy and passion. And he has a fun point of view on food and with his menu. I’ve never seen clams and foie gras – it’s one of the best dishes I’ve had all year. I still think about how good and smart it is. And his fries – it’s the best new version of hash browns. I just love it.

Jon executes food really well. He’s creative, like his Death Row Dinners. Love this – what a great idea! And he’s geeky about certain things, like the vinegars. We’re just really happy with him. I didn’t have anything at Greenhouse that I didn’t love. He’s a genius at work. It’s just a great place and we love all that he’s got going on – and is green, and is Ohio’s first green restaurant. What an accomplishment.

What else did you do in Cleveland? What’s your culinary viewpoint on Cleveland? What can we continue to improve? What Cleveland restaurant do you wish was in NYC? I wish Greenhouse was in NYC! While I was there, I also went to Dante. Thought it was a really cool restaurant and loved the space, look of the menu.  I had some good dishes and some so so dishes but felt it had potential (she acknowledged she was there shortly after opening and that may have had something to do with it). Overall, Dante (Boccuzzi) has a great reputation and I’m sure he’ll do well. Went to Lucky’s, thought it was awesome (went with Laura Taxel). Liked the homegrown aesthetic and energy – such a great, fun place. I went to school in Ohio (Kenyon College in Gambier) so I’m loyal to the state, even though I haven’t been back in awhile – but I plan to come back this summer. Also went to B Spot with Michael and Liz, who are just awesome. What crazy milkshakes he has – if someone is counting calories, look out!

Here’s my personal plea to Cleveland – open on Sundays! There were so many other things that I wanted to do and see but couldn’t because they weren’t open. Like the (West Side) Market and The Sausage Shoppe. I also didn’t get a chance to do the The Velvet Tango Room – that’s one of the great bars in the country.

Michael Symon really raised the profile of Cleveland and the market in general. If there’s any silver lining to the down economy, it’s that a lot of chefs are thinking – why work in NY, too expensive. Instead, they are going home, often to the Midwest, and opening their own place in their hometown utilizing the skills they learned here – the native kids coming home. I think you’re seeing that a lot, especially in cities like Cleveland. Cleveland really does have a lot of talented chefs.

Personally, I think the Midwest is the most exciting food destination in the country right now. Chicago is good, of course, but because of the high interest on knowing farmers and purveyors and where your food comes from, Midwest, especially Cleveland, is huge right now. There are so many good producers; it’s a great opportunity for Ohio. The chefs know exactly where the food comes from and are sharing that on the menu and telling you their stories – people want to know that. You guys have been doing great things for so long now, and it’s really creeping up on the national radar.

There is something about your city on many, many levels. I’ll be back!

What are the trends in food right now? What restaurants do we need to be on the lookout for when traveling? In NYC, there’s a big Italian trend. Seeing lots of regional Italian, and people focusing on one specific area. Also veggies. Mario Batali had been leading this in many ways, with the focus on moving protein to the side of the plate and focus more on vegetables. It’s an interesting time right now. People are more ambitious and cooking what’s in their heart, and we’re seeing it pay off. It’s also a big year for dessert – the year of the pastry chef.

One restaurant Kate mentioned was Locanda Verde in the Greenwich Hotel in NYC. She said it’s among her favorites and highly recommends checking out. The chef, Andrew Carmellini, is from Cleveland and Robert De Niro is part owner.

Complete this sentence: ______________ is the new black. Vegetables.

What’s the first thing you notice when you walk into a restaurant? I’m really sensitive to the energy. Are people talking? It’s weird when no one is talking and you see a couple just staring at each other. Not that that is the restaurant’s fault, but you notice it. There’s an X factor to a restaurant. And there’s something about a restaurant putting you in a good mood and creating a feeling. I can’t help but notice the level of conversation – this makes me happy.  I like when the staff presumes a level of interest and intelligence.  I saw this at The Greenhouse – extra special credit for them.  For example, if someone isn’t familiar with the wine or comfortable making a good wine recommendation, I like when they get someone who is. If you don’t know, fine, but go that extra step to have people that do know and can pass the information on.

Frank Bruni of The New York Times said once if he opened a restaurant, he’d install a super nice front of the house person as well as someone who answers the phone.  I agree. If a hostess is rude and makes me wait while they chat about their personal lives, I get annoyed. Be nice and friendly. It’s probably not as much of an issue in Cleveland as it is in NY.

If you could be one chef for a day, who would it be? Mario Batali. He’s someone who came up with me while I was starting out at F&W and I had always idolized him. It’s something to see him in action. But I’d only want to be him for one day. I also like chefs that just focus on one restaurant and would want to be one of those chefs for a day. I can appreciate the empire that some chefs have built, like Batali, but I also like those chefs that are obsessed with their one restaurant.

(This answer is why I really liked her – Mario Batali is my chef crush)

Can Cleveland host a season of Top Chef (this was a reader question)? I think if LeBron can take you to a championship, it will raise your profile. You’re still a little bit away, but could get there.

Do you shop at farmer’s markets or buy directly from farmers (another reader question)? I don’t get to cook much at home (though she admits she makes the best brownies in the world and is good with pasta), but when I do I like farmer’s markets.

Last song(s) downloaded? Kate shared that she has a habit of downloading a song or two and then playing them over and over. She said she’s been playing One Below by The Watts (discovered on Pandora), The Good Life by Kanye West and Just Say Yes by Snow Patrol – over and over.

Last meal on Earth? Cheese fondue, something super spicy – maybe an Ethiopian dish, pasta and chocolate chip cookie dough.

I’ve seen the looks. I’ve heard the comments. We’ve felt the tension as we walk past your table and our party of three is seated next to you. You’re out for a nice evening and the last thing you want is some screaming kid about to ruin your night out. Or worse, we are seated in your section and you’re stuck waiting on us and left picking up the mess that our daughter will enthusiastically leave behind. Or so you think.

From the time Natalie was three weeks old, we’ve taken her out to dinner with us. She’s been everywhere, from Lola to Momocho to L’Albatros to Valentine’s dinner at Fahrenheit last week (Natalie loved Rocco’s short ribs) — she is well on her way to taking over this blog someday. We decided before she was born that we were going to incorporate her into our life and our routine as much as possible. And we believed the more we exposed her to early on, the better off we’d be in the long run. Granted we’ve only been parents for 14.5 months, but so far so good.

Sure, there are plenty of times when we get a sitter and dine sans toddler, but for the most part, we like keeping the band together. Our goal when dining out as a family is to have an enjoyable night out and maybe make a new memory; not to ruin your evening in the process. So when Natalie is with us, we plan ahead so that we can avoid being that family. We eat early (last week at Fahrenheit we made rezzies for 4 and were out by 4:45 before the rush), we ask for the check as soon as our food arrives (you never know when the meal could be to go), we have snacks handy (and when we leave we  make sure all goldfish are accounted for, it’s not a server’s job to clean up after our kid – I was a server once and am very consciousness of this) and always bring table toppers so she can be a neat little diner. And if Natalie should cry, and it’s one of those cries, we’re outta there in 60 seconds flat (we have an escape plan and to date have only had to execute it twice). Like I said, we do not and will not ruin anyone else’s meal.

I will say this though, most of the looks we’ve had have been from fellow customers, but once we’re well into our meal and they see  how well-behaved and happy-go-lucky our daughter is, and just how ridiculously cute her chubby cheeks are, people are won over. And for the most part, restaurants are extremely accommodating and welcoming. Parallax encouraged us to bring our daughter, the staff at Lola oohed and aahed, Greenhouse Tavern and Momocho are simply fantastic for families and when Natalie met Rocco Whalen, he looked at our daughter with a big smile and told her how excited he was to cook for her for the next 20 plus years. And we know he meant it.

Our daughter truly is a foodie in the making. Saying she loves food is an understatement. We have yet to find anything she won’t eat – from Indian to Thai to Mexican to Italian, she’s an equal opportunity eater. And boy can she put it away. Just this morning at Vine & Bean, she enjoyed a plate of waffles for breakfast and fruit (I was a mean mommy and refused to share my pecan-crusted bacon). And at B Spot, she ate half a Plain Jane burger and helped us finish a shake. But her favorite dish just might be short ribs of any kind (the kid’s got good taste). If we order them out or make at home, look out – she will throw down her bib and fight you for every last bite.

So if you’re part senior citizen like us and are eating out before 5 and see us coming, don’t worry – I guarantee you won’t even know we’re there. And if you’re a family with little ones and have been sticking to the chains when dining out as a family for fear of what might happen, give one of our many local places a shot. With a few modifications, you can have a great family night out – and a much better meal in the process (and pay just the same, sometimes less – hello Lolita, Bar Symon, GHT, Sunday Supper at Momocho just to name a few). And if your kids are older than mine, you may not even have to alter a thing. Happy eating!

(Natalie sportin' a chocolate mustache)

This week marked two firsts for Natalie: her first burger and shake.

While her parents scarfed down the Lola burger, she enthusiastically enjoyed part of the Plain Jane and we all happily slurpped away the chocolate banana shake with toasted marshmallows at B Spot (turns out, kids really do scream for ice cream).

The bar has been set pretty high.

By the way, is it me or do Natalie’s cheeks sorta resemble Brando in Godfather?

B Spot may not be coveted by area heart docs, unless of course you find one that regularly encourages consuming beef, brats, beer, bologna and cooking  in lard.  Nonetheless, this latest Michael Symon restaurant will do just fine. I’ve been there twice so far (even tried a salad – so it’s not all meat, all the time), and am personally thrilled to have this type of restaurant so close to my office and home. My first trip was on behalf of Metromix. Here’s part of the review:

B Spot, the latest restaurant from Iron Chef Michael Symon, is perhaps the one restaurant out of his collection that is the best representation of him. It’s a casual, no nonsense kinda place with a cool vibe, killer burgers and one hell of a beer list.

Food: The B in B Spot stands for: bar snacks, big salads (six total), bad a** shakes, burgers, bratwurst (five variations) and bologna. It could also stand for budget-friendly, because there is nothing on the menu more than $11, with most items coming in between $4-$8.

Those familiar with Symon’s perfectly-salted and crisp Lola fries with a hint of rosemary ($7) will be happy to see them on this menu too. Or you could top those same delicate fries with chili cheese and cheddar ($5). We tried the thick potato chips with parmesan fondue and rosemary ($7). But consider yourself warned—both the chips and fries are wonderfully addicting. The portions are on the large side at B Spot and you need to save as much room as you can for the main attractions—the burgers and bologna.

If you’re looking for that bologna sandwich Mom used to pack in your school lunches, you won’t find it here. Unless, of course, that sandwich was a beautifully sloppy concoction of one-inch thick bologna, fried, with Russian dressing, sweet and crunchy hot pickles, pickled onions and a fried egg. Or as Symon calls it, New School ($6). This is a must-try sandwich. All the flavors work so well together that you almost don’t mind just how much of a mess you’re making (which is why there’s a roll of paper towels on each table).

If there’s one thing you try at B Spot, make sure it’s a burger, because these are possibly the best burgers in town. Perhaps that’s because Symon uses only naturally-raised beef he flies in from Pat La Frieda, a family-run meat purveyor in NYC. It’s custom blended just for this restaurant and is a combination of 40 percent chuck, 40 percent sirloin and 20 percent brisket. There are 14 different burgers with a wide-range of toppings, like bologna (Symon says), pastrami (fat Doug), corned beef (the breuben), fried salami (yo!), flip steak (the philly witt), pulled pork (red hot), beanless chili (chilly willy) and, of course, all the usual suspects in terms of toppers. There’s even a veggie option, which is humorously called the Why??? (they’ll even add bacon, free of charge!).

We tried the Lola, his famous burger with fried egg, bacon, pickled red onions, cheddar and mayo ($9). Cooked medium, it’s a beautiful thing. Juicy and messy, this burger is ridiculously good and just may ruin all other burgers for us.

If you can possibly squeeze in one more item, the shakes, using Mitchell’s ice cream, are worth a try. Each priced at $5, they are extra thick and big enough to share. We tried the rich chocolate espresso with bits of espresso goodness. There’s even a shake with bacon. Take any of the shakes from kid-friendly to adult-only for $3.

Libations: Speaking of adult-only, the final B stands for beer with almost 40 different craft brews sectioned off from light bodied to tart and funky, to hop-driven and dark. There are also a handful of wine options.

Décor: B Spot was previously a Cold Stone Creamery, and the only thing remaining from its ice cream days is the location. If you’ve been to any of Symon’s other restaurants, you know each restaurant is beautifully and carefully designed. B Spot is no exception. It’s casual cool with its warm palette of contrasting glass and matte finish subway tiles, open kitchen and funky antler chandelier. One wall even features classic beer cans to make a “B,” kind of like what your dad used to have in the basement when you were a kid. But perhaps the coolest feature of this space is the structure hanging above the bar. Meant to resemble a sheet of plastic parts from a kid’s toy model, actual motorcycle parts have been split in half and arranged in an interesting collage. These interior elements actually say a lot about Symon. Even with all of his success, he doesn’t take himself too seriously and knows how to have fun.

Service: The B Spot does not take reservations and since people now come to Cleveland just to eat at one of Symon’s restaurants (this is a good thing), expect to wait if you want to dine during peak hours. And like you are warned upon entrance, the staff “already assumes you know Michael, Liz, Doug, the mayor and President Obama…” They will seat people in order of arrival and only complete parties. Also, keep in mind all food comes to the table together (though the shakes do come out first). In general, food is served promptly and the service is fun and friendly.

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.