Merchant Street Embraces Fall With This Unique Dish
Executive chef Tim Crandall reinvents his dad's favorite meal: acorn squash.
It’s easy to get scooped up in a fall frenzy with all this talk of hot apple cider, big cozy sweaters and football. At Tremont’s Merchant Street, executive chef Tim Crandall embraces the brisk season by utilizing another autumn fave: acorn squash. “My dad used to always eat acorn squash during the wintertime,” he says. “Everyone else in the family hated it.” Inspired by that memory, Crandall set out to create a dish that everyone can enjoy — a stuffed acorn squash and a warm Himalayan rice salad ($12). After roasting the squash with butter, brown sugar and salt, Crandall fills each half with a rice salad of arugula, roasted wild mushrooms, roasted bell peppers and dried dark cherries that’s tossed in a lemon thyme vinaigrette. Each squash, served on top of a beurre blanc dotted with Ohio heirloom cherry tomatoes, is like a mini cornucopia of flavors. “You’re not just eating something soft or crunchy,” Crandall says. “It’s also the mixture of hot and cold.” 2399 W. 11th St., Cleveland, 216-465-1000, merchantstreetcle.com
Astoria's executive chef went from touring musician to culinary standout. Now, he channels that same creativity into Mediterranean-inspired dishes and shares the Cleveland spots he can't get enough of. By Christina Rufo
Owner Issa Elkhatib says the new Detroit Avenue shop will ease growing pains, expand catering and allow Battr to serve an even wider audience. By Douglas Trattner
The Lyndhurst location of Wild Mango will close at the end of this month, as Saffron Patch prepares to open its third Northeast Ohio restaurant this fall. By Douglas Trattner
