Surprise Harvest
Chef Michael Longo's unusual creations spark the interest of suburban taste buds.
The typical chain restaurants in Solon underwhelmed chef Michael Longo, and he had a hunch he wasn't the only one. "Solon was ready for something like this," he says, referring to Harvest Kitchen and Lounge's menu of sustainable seafood and heirloom breeds of pork. He drew classic inspiration from his 22 years of experience at well-known Cleveland hot spots like Piccolo Mondo and from dishes your grandma might have made. Then, Longo threw in a few surprises that have been, well, surprisingly successful.
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Santa Barbara Sea Urchin ($7): Longo pours ponzu (lemon wine) over uni (sea urchin roe) and tops it with quail egg yolk and Sriracha, all in a shot glass. The resulting dish, of which he sells about 30 a week, offers a creamy texture with salty, mushroom flavor. "It just has that over-the-top umami thing going on where it leaves your mouth watering for more," he says.
Squid Ink Linguine ($24): An emulsion of sea urchin roe, garlic, chicken broth and butter create a creamy sauce that smothers Ohio City Pasta linguine, Dungeness crab and gulf shrimp. "I thought, OK, we'll see how long this one stays on the menu, and it's kind of become a signature dish that I really don't want to take off. It defines what we're doing here," he says, adding that means using the best environmentally responsible ingredients.
Roasted Pat LaFrieda Marrow Bones ($10): Two 8-inch-long beef bones split lengthwise provide a canoe for marrow topped with herbs, Parmesan cheese and panko for texture. "I know that you see it in restaurants in Tremont and downtown, but in Solon, I thought, Well, this might be the one that may not make it, but we sell enough of it to keep it on the menu," he says, which is roughly 20 pounds a week. "It's something that we're willing to experiment with, and the best part is our clientele's willing to experiment with it."
