A lot has changed since Flying Fig opened in 1999.
The Market at the Fig, the restaurant’s sandwich and quick-bite shop, opened next door; chef and owner Karen Small picked up her first James Beard Award nomination this year; and the farm-to-table trend came and passed.
Yet when it comes to a dedication to fresh, local and sustainable ingredients, the Ohio City eatery has never wavered.
“We swing with the seasons,” says Small. “Rarely will you see a tomato in here before the farmers market stand.”
That dedication pays off brilliantly on the plate. Dishes such as the pickled beet salad ($12) with whipped goat cheese, pistachio and fennel highlight the power of fresh veggies.
But the ingredients also serve as elevation in entrees such as the baked rigatoni ($15) with pickled chilies and tomato sauce made from last year’s harvest or the rhubarb barbecue-braised pork ribs ($24) with spicy cabbage slaw. It makes the Fig a darling among the neighborhood crowd.
But the menu’s constant unpredictability keeps even regulars craving more. “It’s a year-round, honest commitment,” Small says. “The passion here doesn’t really die.”
Try This:
Don’t pass up any dish with locally grown peaches, including the peach and Serrano ham salads and peach BLTs. “I don’t care what anyone says, we grow the best peaches in the country,” says Small. 2523 Market Ave., Cleveland, 216-241-4243, theflyingfig.com
25 Best Restaurants: Flying Fig
Still focusing on sustainable ingredients, Flying Fig continues to forge its own path after nearly two decades.
