This is the kind of touch Symon has, combining simple and regional cuisine with higher levels of cooking, and at his flagship Lola – where he won his James Beard Best Chef Award – one of my favorite standout dishes was his take on an old Cleveland favorite, the pierogi. This doughy eastern European dumpling is a hearty staple in the region, but hardly considered gourmet fare, until Symon upscales it with lighter dough and a filling of beef cheek and wild mushrooms, slathered in a horseradish creme freche, and it is one of few such attempts to turn comfort foods gourmet that really works.
Browse the rest of the list here.
This article appears in Dec 30, 2015 – Jan 5, 2016.


Way to go!