| Bistro Joseph-Beth finds cookbook-inspired menu items a novel approach
Cleveland, OH –
Some describe it as a gourmet eatery with its own bookstore. Others
call it a spacious yet homey independent bookstore with its own
restaurant. Regardless of how it is characterized, Bistro Joseph-Beth
has carved a novel niche. While its’ competitors offer cafes where
guests can order coffee and pastries, Joseph-Beth Booksellers has a
full-service restaurant featuring eclectic menu items from cookbooks
that sit on the store’s nearby shelves.
“This is truly a unique concept. If you like what you’re eating,
you can walk a few steps, buy the cookbook and make your own variation
at home,” said Roger Ranalli, who heads Joseph-Beth Booksellers Café
Operations. Based in Cincinnati, the independent bookstore company has
seven locations across the Midwest and Southeast, six of which have
full-service restaurants and wine bars. “Every time I tell someone
about us, they are intrigued and want to learn more.”
Specializing in sophisticated comfort food, about 90 percent of
the menu items at Bistro Joseph-Beth at the Legacy Center in Lyndhurst
are derived from cookbook recipes, Ranalli says. Some items are
constant while others change from month to month. In January, for
example, chef specials include Hearty Golden Mushroom Soup from the
Gourmet Cookbook, Crab-Stuffed Portabello from Rachael Ray’s Cooking
Around the Clock, and Provencal Salmon served with tomato-basil sauce
and mixed greens from Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy. Grilled Mahi Mahi
with sautéed red and yellow peppers and a balsamic reduction served
with roasted redskin mashed potatoes; and Grilled Chicken or Steak
Salad Chef’s Style, are the other special selections.
Each month, Bistro Joseph-Beth’s menu boasts an array of items
from a featured cookbook available for sale in the bookstore. In March,
for example, restaurant and home cooking met in acclaimed New York chef
Michael Lomonaco’s book, Nightly Specials: 125 Recipes for
Spontaneous, Creative Cooking at Home.. For April, Bistro
Joseph-Beth is hosting a Wine, Dine and Sign with Giada De Laurentis.
Her cookbook, Everyday Italian, will be featured. Tickets are $49.99
and include a copy of the book. A special menu from her recipes
includes a caprese salad, vegetarian lasagna with cheese and rosemary
breadsticks, and fruit salad with cannoli cream. Lunch begins at noon
followed by a book signing at 1 p.m.
Fueled by the unique concept, Bistro Joseph-Beth is hosting a
growing number of parties and meetings in the events room located on
the second floor. The Bistro also has a full catering menu, which is
another rapidly escalating division, Kimberly Dawson, the Bistro’s
General Manager, says.
In an industry dominated by major players like Barnes &
Noble and Border’s, Joseph-Beth Booksellers is a unique success story.
Founded in 1986 by Neil Van Uum and his wife, Mary Beth started
Joseph-Beth with a location in a Lexington, Ky. mall. Joseph-Beth,
which is derived from the co-founders’ middle names, started with an
expansive 6,000-square-foot space at a time when many independents were
only one-third that size. Now, the locations range from 20,000-48,000
square feet. The strategy of building large stores has given
Joseph-Beth the flexibility of featuring full-service restaurants. The
cafe division composes about 10 percent of the company’s $50 million
annual revenues and employs approximately 40 percent of the
organization’s 500 team members. Each restaurant showcases menus mostly
consisting of standing items from cookbooks and selected recipes each
month from featured cookbooks.
At Bistro Joseph-Beth in Cleveland, the recipes of every
featured cookbook are brought to life by chef Joe Dawson, who operates
the restaurant with his wife, and the Bistro manager, Kimberly Dawson.
Even though dishes are created from cookbook recipes, the Bistro
Joseph-Beth concept allows creative freedom for its chefs.
“Cookbook recipes are written for smaller portions, and not the
number of guests that we serve on a daily basis, so you have to make
adjustments to ensure the perfect flavor ,” said Joe Dawson, who has a
diverse background that includes stints at Middle Eastern, Italian and
French restaurants in northeast Ohio. “Each dish is reflective of the
chef’s distinct creative artistry. Two of us will have different
approaches to the same recipe.”
Dawson has attracted a following of loyal patrons who flock to
the restaurant just to have his homemade soup. Butternut Squash, Wild
Mushroom, Italian Wedding, Chicken Florentine and Creamy Artichoke are
among the specialty soups that he prepares from scratch.
Appetizers such as Baked Brie, with caramel sauce and walnuts served
with fresh pears and sourdough baguette rounds; and spinach artichoke
quesadillas; salads like Pacific Rim Salmon, flank steak and blackened
chicken; and entrees such as red chicken chili enchiladas, wilted
spinach sauté and eggplant strata are among the standing menu items.
Even the sandwich menu is eclectic with choices like smoky pesto
portabella, black and bleu chicken, the bistro burger stuffed with
gouda cheese and the turkey cranberry rollwich. For breakfast, the
morning burrito and the quiche de jour are popular selections.
Of course, with a menu that includes rotating chef specials and
a monthly featured cookbook, customers are enticed to taste the latest
delicacies.
“Two of life’s simplest pleasures are relaxing with a good book
and enjoying flavorful cuisine with a glass of fine wine,” Kimberly
Dawson explained. “You can experience both at our restaurant.
“You never get bored with our menu because it is consistently
updated with new recipes,” Dawson added. “People look forward to coming
back each month to experience the selections from the featured cookbook
first-hand. It’s something they can’t do anywhere else.”
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