Chef John Kolar recently opened Thyme2 in Medina. The new dining spot replaces the original Thyme which Kolar closed in late winter.
"We just outgrew the space," Kolar says of the converted Red Barn that served him well for five years. "I always knew it wasn't my final resting place. When this building became available I jumped. It's a beautiful two-story building just off the square. It fits our style of food better."
The two-story space allows the chef to deliver twin concepts: fine dining upstairs and a casual pub down. This way, he explains, he can offer both more and less adventurous food than he was serving at the old digs. Downstairs, diners can relax over burgers, pulled-pork sandwiches and pizzas hot out of the wood-burning oven. Upstairs, in an elegantly appointed dining room, guests can enjoy foie gras, pork belly and eggs, and cedar-plank salmon.
"I'm a big believer in fate, and this just seemed right," Kolar says of the move.
Find the new Thyme2 at 113 West Smith Rd., in Medina. For more info call 330-764-4114, or visit thymetherestaurant.com. — Douglas Trattner
