Chain Leader

David Farkas

Science and Art Meet at Crop Restaurant
October 10, 2007

I had the good fortune to eat in a restaurant named Crop, in Cleveland, a couple weeks ago. I say good fortune because not only was the food very good, it was—and this is something diners do not find every day—very different. Yet not in a Ferran Adria kind of way, i.e., there’s no frozen gin with hot lemon fizz or Spanish omelets stuffed in sherry glasses.

But there is the aptly named Cherry Bomb, a spicy appetizer that arrives disguised as a whole Roma tomato wrapped in crispy wonton. Inside, it oozes a molten bundle of chorizo and mozzarella. And what is one to make of a plate of popcorn liberally seasoned with Asiago cheese and balsamic glaze?

The unusual menu surprisingly boasts a dish you’re likely to find in a chain restaurant: skewered shrimp over rice with a vegetable medley. Only here, the rice is basmati, the shrimp perfectly grilled and the vegetables greaseless.

Who cooks with such wit and daring, I wondered.

It turns out that former Research Chefs Association President Steve Schimoler is behind the menu, having opened Crop this summer after a stint as director of culinary innovation at Nestle, in nearby Solon, Ohio.

The RCA, by the way, is largely made up of culinarians and food scientists who work for food manufacturers, chain restaurants, hotels and colleges. They aspire to practice “culinology,” a term that alludes to the intersection of culinary arts and food science.

Schimoler, who also owns a product-development company, practiced his version of it with a device that marinates proteins in minutes instead of hours by spinning meat in an airless container. His grilled chicken dish is the result of that process, and I, for one, can vouch for the machine’s ability.

I learned this by calling Schimoler a few days after my visit to Crop. The chef is developing products by way of his menu. Although I haven’t sampled it, Crop’s Vermont Mac and Cheese with Braised Beef (a lunch item) is a dish he believes can be developed and sold to a manufacturer.

Schimoler, a graduate of Paul Smith’s College, turns out to be a blend of entrepreneur, restaurateur, cook and food scientist. He’s also a nifty food writer. For a look at his stuff, click here.

Posted by David Farkas on October 10, 2007 | Comments (0)