Core Strength

If your restaurant just happens to be located on a 100-acre apple farm, you'd better know how to peel, core, dice, slice, bake and cook with the plentiful fruit. When Scott Kuhn opened the Orchard House at Mapleside Farms in January, he instructed his chefs to make good use of the popular Melrose variety. So you'll find it in dishes such as rolls baked with sauteed apples and apple butter, as well as the applewood-smoked pork shank ($18) with cheesy grits and sliced roasted apple and autumn vegetable medley. "Melrose apples are right in the middle — they're not too sweet and not too tart," says Kuhn of the dish. "The pork just falls off the bone and warms you up." 294 Pearl Road, Brunswick, 330-225-5576, orchardhouseohio.com