MICHAEL SYMON TALKS FAST, sleeps little, and pushes hard. He starts work at 8 a.m. and finishes up at midnight, if he’s lucky. But the award-winning chef wouldn’t want it any other way.
Since he started cooking professionally, Symon has been on a rapid trajectory toward culinary fame, earning recognition from publications like Food &Wine, Gourmet, and Bon Appétit. He’s been a poster boy for Calphalon cookware and Vita-Mix blenders and regularly shows up on the Food Network, 
most recently competing against famed Japanese chef Morimoto on Iron Chef America in 2005. He’s also running three restaurants — Lola and Lolita, both in Cleveland, and a new upscale Greek-themed spot in New York called Parea. So he’s really going to need marathon endurance.
Asked about his nonstop schedule, Symon jokes that he’s demented as well as driven, but says the challenges suit his personality. “I have no patience. I can’t even stand to wait for a joke’s punch line. The best part of being a chef is the instant gratification, and I’m going to be getting plenty of that. I’m also very competitive, even with myself. I hate to lose — and that’s what keeps me going.”
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Pan-roasted red mullet with crispy shaved artichokes, a popular dish served at Lolita |
Symon is definitely a winner with Lolita (900 Literary Road, 216.771.5652). The intimate, stylishly casual Tremont spot is always busy. It opened last year on the original site of Lola, Symon’s first upscale restaurant (a new Lola location opened downtown in June). Lolita’s constantly changing menu features lots of small plates along with heartier entrées. Dishes take their flavor cues from rustic Greek and Italian cuisine, with a dash of Symon’s inventive and playful style — lobster grape leaves, fried smelts with orange aioli, butternut squash ravioli with brown butter, and duck confit gyro, to name a few. Fanatic about making everything from scratch, Symon and his crew even cure their own meats, serving a selection of charcuterie that includes fennel soppresatta, red wine
lomo, veal tongue, and lamb
hiromeri.
To complement the menu, Symon’s wife and business partner, Liz, has put together an exciting wine list featuring 28 Greek imports plus labels from Italy, Spain, and France, with many available by the glass.
“We wanted to do a place like this for a long time — friendly, affordable, with an emphasis on Mediterranean cuisine,” Symon says. “It’s a perfect fit for the neighborhood.”
— Laura Taxel
»1. Fahrenheit Rocco Whalen serves up dishes like portobello goat cheese pizza and fabulous crispy sesame fried oysters. 2417 Professor St., 216.781.8858
»2. Fire Douglas Katz’s menu includes organic salmon with spring pea sauce, and for dessert, a chunky peanut butter chocolate tart. 13220 Shaker Square, 216.921.3473
»3. Flying Fig Contemporary American cuisine infused with Mediterranean and Asian attitude. 2523 Market Ave., Ohio City, 216.241.4243
»4. Moxie A city-slick atmosphere and well-prepared, creative renditions of steaks, seafood, and poultry. 3355 Richmond Road, Beachwood, 216.831.5999
»5. Giovanni’s Ristorante popular place offers a classic and classy Italian dining experience. 25550 Chagrin Blvd., 216.831.8625
— L.T.
