Following Swensons Drive-In’s electric collaboration with Cordelia in June, Ohio City’s Larder Delicatassen & Bakery is spicing things up — literally.
From Aug. 1 through Aug. 31, the smoky, savory and earthy flavors of Larder’s famous pastrami will meet the hearty goodness of a limited-edition Deli Burger. While Larder’s specialty meat won’t make its way to the menu, co-owner and James Beard-nominated chef Jeremy Umansky has churned out over 40 gallons of the shop’s pastrami spice blend to create a delectable seasoning for each Swensons patty. After being crusted in deli spice, the burger will be topped with brown mustard, Beet Red kraut from local purveyor Cleveland Kraut, sauteed onions and Swiss cheese.
“Our pastrami spice is a little bit different than the normal format,” Umansky notes. “The normal format's going to be black pepper, a little bit of juniper, a little bit of onion and garlic and coriander. But we embolden and richen that out with coffee and chocolate and dried mushrooms in ours. It's fun to work with a dish where their default heat is maybe a hot sauce, and kind of have another different expression of it.”
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The same ingredients will also don a Loaded Deli Fries special which drenches Swensons fries in pastrami spice, shredded American cheese, Thousand Island dressing, grilled onions, spicy brown mustard and kraut. It’s what reuben dreams are made of.
Swensons’ specialty menu will round out with a pineapple upside down milkshake and a chocolate cherry whip, mixing Dr. Pepper with flavored ice cream for a tangy, creamy sip — one that a Dr. Pepper lover like Umansky is particularly excited about.
As for Larder, it will honor its traditional rotating menu format and update guests on Instagram with specials informed by Swensons dishes throughout the month.
“Nature's seasons are how we buy ingredients,” Umansky says. “This is really great timing because I get to work with really good tomatoes, for example. It's really nice to be in the middle of summer and have access to all and any of the ingredients we want.”
Ideas circulating for Umansky include Galley Boy-inspired sandwiches, deli pasta salad and a special version of fried mushrooms — Umansky’s go-to side dish when he visits Swensons.
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“My mom is from the Cleveland area, and my dad is from Akron,” he says. “Growing up, every other weekend, we were going down to Akron to my uncle's house to play with our cousins, hang out, and we always got Swensons. So, as long as I can remember, Swensons was a part of my life. Especially, too, growing up and coming of age in the ‘90s, Swensons hadn't expanded yet. So it was still a real treat and a destination; you had to go down to Akron and Cuyahoga Falls. But now, there’s over 20 stores across the state. We're there at least once a month with my kids.”
And each of those locations will celebrate this collaboration throughout the month of August. While Umansky won’t don the curbside server uniform and run the food himself, he may appear at a location or two to witness his and Swensons’ creations.
“I was just head over heels with the idea,” Umansky says. “How wonderful it is in the Cleveland market that a bigger partner like Swensons would want to work with a small business like us? I just think it attests to our greater culture here. We want to see everybody who's up here and from here just lift it up.”
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