Crop Bistro & Bar
Seats: Up to 16 Location: This long counter runs the entire length of the main kitchen,
with a view of the action, but is situated in the dining room itself. What you get:
"You're really seeing everything going on," says chef and owner Steve Schimoler.
"People love it, we love doing it, and this space was just screaming for it to have
this open kitchen with people lined right up against it. It becomes so interactive.
People get really connected to the food, and my chefs love it because they get to
be on stage." Guests can order off the Crop menu or request the Tour de Crop. Fun
for foodies: During the six-course Tour de Crop, Schimoler and his chefs are cooking,
plating and serving for their chef's table guests themselves. "We make the menu
up literally on the fly," he says. 2537 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, 216-696-2767, cropbistro.com
Dante
Seats: Up to 10 Location: Inside the kitchen What you get: "It's very interactive.
That's definitely the point of it," says chef and owner Dante Boccuzzi. "If I'm
not there, we don't seat the chef's table. I always give them a great performance."
Typically, the menu is created at the spur of the moment, unless a larger tasting
course is requested (he's done up to 24 courses in one sitting, he says). Fun for
foodies: Guests who partake in a longer tasting menu (14 or more courses) receive
dessert on a special glass table. "We pull a cart up to the table, and we build
the dessert right on the glass — no plates," says Boccuzzi. The chefs fill indentations
in the glass with scoops of sorbet and garnishes. In the center, Boccuzzi creates
an interactive dessert, such as a chocolate bridge with chocolate dirt. 2247 Professor
Ave., Cleveland, 216-274-1200, restaurantdante.us
Momocho
Seats: Two Location: At the end of the chef's line, this 20-inch granite counter
overlooks the second-floor kitchen. What you get: "It's almost like a front row
seat to all the action," says chef and owner Eric Williams. "It's literally part
of the kitchen." And, he notes, it promotes conversation. "You're talking about
food, you're talking to each other, you're talking to the chef," he says. "It really
brings a different entertainment value to going out to eat." What you don't get
at this informal VIP spot is a different menu. Guests simply order off the regular
menu but often ask for a bite of whatever the chefs are whipping up. Fun for foodies:
Williams has encouraged regulars to book the chef's table for their kids, so the
kids can watch a show and the parents can sit nearby and enjoy an adult dinner.
1835 Fulton Road, Cleveland, 216-694-2122,
momocho.com
