Music fans had their Rock Hall inductions; food fans got their first
taste of the Greenhouse Tavern (2038 E. 4th St., 216.393.4302,
thegreenhousetavern.com).
The restaurant, which officially opens April 13, will be Ohio’s first
to be LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
By going local with everything from food purveyors to bar-top
fabricators, the restaurant has shriveled its carbon footprint small
enough to fit in a baby shoe. Walls are clad in antique barn siding,
the back bar is assembled from science-lab cabinets and the spectacular
light fixtures are made from old bicycle wheels, spokes and all. All
these elements come together in a polished, seamless fashion. “We want
the restaurant to feel like it has been here a long time,” says
chef-owner Jonathon Sawyer. Though large in scale, the
restaurant feels like a cozy bistro, thanks to its unique layout.
Broken up into sections, no area seats much more than 25 guests. The
main dining area is devoted to the long bar and communal high-top
seating. A back mezzanine offers sweeping views of the entire room. The
front mezzanine looks out on East 4th Street. In the future, a rooftop
bar and dining area will open, along with the namesake greenhouse. If
“local” is watchword one, then “French” is close behind. “Our approach
is a lot like it was at Bar Cento,” explains Sawyer, referring to his
previous kitchen in Ohio City, “but with the south of France, not
Italy, as our inspiration.” Sawyer has a gift for making high-quality
foreign-inspired fare approachable and casual. French breakfast
radishes are sliced in half and slathered with butter and salt.
Hand-ground beef tartar is topped with a poached egg and garnished with
local ramps. Ohio chicken is roasted and served with bread heels to sop
up the juice. A magnificent piece of Ohio hangar steak frites rings in
at $17. The bulk of the menu comes in at far less than that. “We want
to show people that good local food doesn’t have to be expensive,” says
Everest Curley, beverage director. Sawyer and chef-partner
Jonathan Seeholzer are crafting their own vinegars, making their
own cheese and preserving their own pickles. Many of the wines, spirits
and beers are exclusive to this restaurant. Perhaps the sweetest room
in the house is the basement, home to the open kitchen. Seating is
available at the kitchen counter and a handful of tables. The nearby
vintage jukebox and turntable will come in handy when the crew fires up
the popular Rock and Roll Wine Projects.
This article appears in Apr 8-14, 2009.
