First Review: Bar Symon
Posted on 09. Sep, 2009 by Jeff Budzowski in Bars, Midwestern Snacks
Cleveland’s food scene may not be recognized nationally like New York’s or Chicago’s, but it is steadily pumping out great food that I am pleasantly surprised by and extremely proud of. The strong pulse at the heart of this movement is a man who needs no introduction. A chef who has helped drive Cleveland’s food scene from obscurity to the limelight. Someone who, like me was born to love this city, and wants the whole world to know about it. I am talking about Cleveland’s own Iron Chef and recent James Beard Award recipient Michael Symon. So naturally I felt it appropriate for our first review to be on his new venture Bar Symon.
Tucked neatly into the corner of an Avon Lake strip mall Bar Symon is a gem that will entice your more primal foodie side. With a veritable selection of grilled “meat in tube form,” great but far from simple bar snacks, and the sophistication that I have come to expect from Symon this place is definitely worth the drive.
The interior, highlighted by décor that reflects the proprietor’s addiction to pork, has a warm glow that is inviting like a good bar should. On your way to the table you will pass a line of taps that stretch nearly the length of the bar, which excited the beer drinker in me. Upon receiving the menu you notice the entire back side is dedicated to beer. The thing I really enjoyed about the beer menu is the fact the different beers are separated into sections distinguished by their type and shade, which makes pairing the great selection of beers with your meal a much simpler task.
The food menu featured items that were exciting, classic, and best of all cheap. I ordered the pork crackling, roasted bone marrow, and the Tuesday special goat tacos. My partner in cuisine ordered the chicken wings and the grilled sausage sampler. The food was awesome! The marrow was my favorite appetizer. The melt in your mouth fatty goodness of the marrow was sprinkled with pickled onion and lemon, and served with grilled bread. It was like the best bread and butter you could ever have times a thousand. The goat tacos were my entrée and surely didn’t disappoint. The goat was well-seasoned soft and tender. The cilantro and pickled chilies gave it a very authentic feel. However, the star of my entire experience was the sausage I was able to snag from my partner. She ordered three different types of sausages: the spicy lamb and mint, the smoked kielbasa, and the veal bratwurst. They came out on a large wooden cutting board with pickled vegetables and different mustards. Simply perfect! The sausages were well cooked and seasoned. Everything from that menu item I put in my mouth from her plate/board seemed like it had a specific purpose, to make me happy, very happy ! My favorite was the veal bratwurst dipped in a tiny bit of the whole seed mustard, and washed down with my ice-cold German beer. This was such a classic dish for me, and I can’t wait to go back and try the other types of sausage.
I urge you to get out to Avon Lake and experience this restaurant for yourself, or try one of Symon’s other restaurants that are closer to home, and equally exciting (Lola and Lolita). I urge you to eat Cleveland try new things and see what it has to offer.
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[Bar Symon]
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Jeff Budzowski
