Balanced Living Magazine

Maggie Busser Walls the color of roasted pea pods and hanging lights festooned with a drape of wine-colored fabric lend a comfortable glow to the narrow, deep space of Bar Cento (pronounced “chen-to”). Located in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland, its glistening expanse of a reclaimed barn-wood bar spills into an open kitchen housing a team of chefs working in a synchronized hum of activity. Vinyl records spin out favorite tunes, adding an inviting aspect to the atmosphere. Stacked behind the bar lie the inspiration for the restaurant’s name – “cento” (meaning “100” in Italian) varieties of old- and new-world wine. Glistening, stemless wine glasses line nearby shelves, begging to be filled. Chef and partner Jonathon Sawyer scurries between the kitchen and bar area, simultaneously prepping food and calling out “hellos” to his guests and other folks he knows in the crowd at the bar. Vibrant, tattooed ink images wind their way up his arm, and his boyish grin graces a face framed by a mop of scruffy hair. Jonathon has plenty of reasons to smile. He has helped to create Bar Cento, a hip dinner joint, comfortable in both atmosphere and price-point. Plus, he is three years into the planning of his pet project, Greenhouse Tavern. Replete with intensive environmental initiatives and farm-to-plate food concepts, it is slated to open this fall on East Fourth Street. Everyday food Filling a niche in the neighborhood, Bar Cento features local foods at midrange prices. Jonathon explains, “We want people to view it as everyday food.” He puts in every effort to not only find the best uses for foods available locally and seasonally, but also to keep the price-point reasonable. He explains, “Our biggest challenge is to determine what to source locally, how to get it and how to make it more affordable.” Jonathon has found that the local-foods movement has grown in recent years. He has relationships with farmers, but also appreciates Bar Cento’s across-the-street proximity to the West Side Market for certain artisan items. In addition, Jonathon supports Northeast Ohio’s two new farm-to-restaurant distribution systems, Local Crop and Fresh Fork Market. He is happy to be a part of growing the fresh-foods distribution network in our area and to take on environmental issues, too. The back of Bar Cento’s menu provides a clue to Jonathon’s emphasis on local foods and environmental practices. In addition to recognizing specific area farms and artisans that supply Bar Cento, it describes the restaurant’s commitment to “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Uncooked kitchen scraps are composted rather than sent to a landfill. Clear wine bottles are used to serve carbon-filtered water, and paper, plastic and glass are all recycled. Paper products, such as napkins and pizza boxes, are made from post-consumer recycled paper. Jonathon and his wife, Amelia Zatik-Sawyer, plan to take environmental commitments even further when their Greenhouse Tavern opens this fall. At Bar Cento, local foods and eco-consciousness are not the only themes. As the Italian name implies, it specializes in Roman recipes – brick-oven pizzas, meatballs and cured meats, to name a few. The restaurant also serves Bier Market, a Belgian beer bar that offers 100 varieties of beer (which also are available at Bar Cento). Its menu also includes pomme frites (French fries… but even better…) and other foods that complement beer, such as burgers and mussels. Plenty to share Bar Cento is the type of place that lends itself to sharing – partly because the idea of tasting a little bit of everything is so tempting. I began my meal with an herb salad – peppercress, mint, parsley, scallion and crushed whole coriander seeds – topped with pieces of salt-baked konpachi, a type of fish similar to yellowtail. Vibrant and spicy in one bite, savory and salty in the next, this salad burst with fresh, strong flavors that managed to complement, rather than compete with one another. I then sampled the wild ramp pizza from the “modern” pizza list (a “traditional” list also is available). The wild ramps had personally been collected by Jonathon and his toddler son earlier that day. Ramps, also known as wild leeks, are extraordinarily underappreciated and underused in typical cuisine because they have a very short spring growing season and tend to be found only in the wild. The flavor, similar to onion and garlic, bit at my tongue. And then the slow burn of the pepperoncini (banana peppers) took over moments later. These magical ingredients topped a thin, crispy crust sprinkled with rich olive oil and a light layer of provolone. Moving on to an entrée, I was compelled to try the braised Ohio pork, which came with fiddlehead ferns and dry saddle mushrooms, items also foraged by the Sawyer boys. The pork reminded me of a roast that my mom used to make, but leagues ahead in flavor and texture. (Sorry, Mom!) The rich pork, which melted under my fork, was bathed in a velvety sauce. The crunchy, almost asparagus-like flavor of the fiddleheads and the tender but hearty mushrooms brought the flavors of the deep forest right to my plate. On the side I ordered the pomme frites (I really do not know if I can go there without ordering them). These sizable sticks of crunchy outside, soft inside potato scream out “fresh!” and “real!” For me, it is hard to find a better flavor than freshly fried potatoes. Oh yes, the fact that Jonathon uses duck fat in the fryer certainly helps, and he throws in cloves of garlic and stems of leafy rosemary for good measure. Just when I thought things could not get any better, I was given a trio of flavored Belgian mayonnaises for dipping – curry, garlic and spicy. I also highly recommend checking out the seasonal sides. For my visit, Bar Cento had whole grilled pea pods, which can be eaten similarly to edamame – simply slide the pod through the teeth and the peas pop right into the mouth. The fresh, crunchy pearls of peas had a slightly salty, fired taste. The caramelized fennel bulb was similarly spectacular. Somehow, Jonathon coaxed the most amazing sweet, slightly licorice flavor and supple texture out of nothing more than fennel, olive oil, salt and pepper. For dessert, I looked no further than the ice cream once I heard it was from Jeni’s, a small-batch shop with only a few locations in Columbus. With flavors that will make your head spin with wonder and glee, Jeni’s specifically ships to Bar Cento because Jonathon (like me) has an affection for this decadent delight. I decided on the sampler dish so I could try each flavor available that day — mango lassi, salty caramel and coffee ice creams, as well as raspberry sorbet. Offering an array of steadfast favorite dishes and others that change with the season, there always is something intriguing – not to mention packed with flavor – to order at Bar Cento. The menu, wine and beer selection appeals to neighborhood folk – young professionals and families as well as people headed to Ohio City before an Indian’s game or a night on the town. Although Jonathon says that the goal is not to be a destination dining spot, I highly recommend you put it on your radar. As he says, “Food here is treated lovingly.” Knowing that it also is sourced locally, what more could you want?