Dining at Bistro 131; New Phila’s newest hot spot is “grandma meets Julia Child”
Living in the Cleveland area and having two daughters who graduated from Ohio University, I know New Philadelphia primarily as an exit on I-77. Occasionally my wife and I would stop at that exit for a barbecue sandwich and a cold drink on the way home from Moms’ Weekend or an OU football game.
So when the Bargain Hunter staff invited me to review New Phila’s newest restaurant, Bistro 131, I prepared myself for yet more bar food, you know, chicken wings and Charlie Daniels on the juke box. (I grew up in south Georgia, y’all. I can say that.).
What I got instead was a sensory surprise, a gastronomic oxymoron. Bistro 131 juxtaposes comfort food and gourmet nuances. It’s grandma meets Julia Child.
The Crispy Jumbo Chicken Wings, for example, are not what you expect. These are fresh wings, brined, then slow-roasted in rendered chicken fat for two hours until they are fall-off-the-bone tender. They’re flash fried when you order them then coated with a sweet and sour bell pepper jam. You can get them with buffalo sauce and Ranch dressing, but why? A week later and my laptop keyboard is still sticky with the utterly amazing goodness.
Believe it or not, everything on the menu at Bistro 131 is taken this seriously.
Owner Jason Geissinger is the son of a preacher man. He was born in Canton but spent 10 impressionable years of his
childhood in Kentucky. He’s a former golf pro who developed his restaurant skills by traveling the country fixing troubled Olive Gardens. He also owns Lighthouse Bistro at Atwood Lake.
He gets it.
“We serve diverse, casual, comfort food done well,” Jason offers. “And everything is made from scratch.”
The Reuben, $8.50, for example, isn’t made from the pre-sliced Hormel corned beef popular at so many bars and restaurants. Instead, the Bistro’s corned beef is homemade—brined for 10 days in clove, juniper berries, cinnamon, and more.
The young man in front of the stove at Bistro 131 is also a surprise. He goes by “TJ,” but he’s actually executive chef Anthony Hamilton who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He was chef de cuisine at the famed Moxie the Restaurant and Red the Steakhouse, both located in the east coast-leaning Cleveland suburb of Beachwood. But TJ hasn’t let all of this education and experience go to his head. Instead, he stays true to his roots.
Geno’s Meatballs, now available at Bistro 131, are made from his grandfather’s original recipe. “My grandfather’s meatballs are the stuff of legend,” TJ smiles. “He never wrote down the recipe so when I was old enough I watched his every move for three hours and captured the recipe. To this day I use his recipe verbatim, including the pecorino Romano. He was Italian and he cared about food, family and quality.”
These meatballs are $7.50 at lunch and $10 for the dinner portion and are served with rigatoni, marinara and pecorino Romano.
Other Bistro 131 favorites include the Chopped-up Greek salad. It’s romaine lettuce, feta, olives, fresh cucumber, tomato, onion, crispy pita with an olive oil & vinegar dressing, $6.50/$8.
For the bigger appetite, try the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with white gravy and Low Country slaw, $8/$13. Fresh chicken is brined and braised in buttermilk before frying. As a result, it’s crispy on the outside and moist and tender inside.
The Pork Shoulder is also brined and marinated, then slow roasted for eight hours and shredded. It’s served with rosemary hash browns and pan-dripping gravy, $9/$13.50.
The 12-ounce New York strip is aged Angus Reserve beef. Similar steaks sell all over Cleveland for $34, but the Bistro offers it for around $20. Lower prices are one of the advantages of dining away from the city.
For seafood, try the Maple Roasted Atlantic Salmon. It’s fresh and served with mashed sweet potatoes, pecans and chives, $15.
Jason and TJ insist on multiple sources for their ingredients, including local and organic whenever possible. They even offer exclusive bread selections from a local bakery.
The ambience at Bistro 131 is clean and modern, elegant but casual. In fact, it’s one of those rare places where you can enjoy a fabulous meal while wearing your favorite blue jeans.
You know, like chicken wings.
Bistro 131 is located at 131 Blue Bell Drive S.W. in New Philadelphia (I-77 at SR 39 exit). The phone number is 330-365-1172. Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.bistro131.com or look them up on Facebook.
Mitch Allen is the editor of Mimi Vanderhaven, a Cleveland-area magazine.
So when the Bargain Hunter staff invited me to review New Phila’s newest restaurant, Bistro 131, I prepared myself for yet more bar food, you know, chicken wings and Charlie Daniels on the juke box. (I grew up in south Georgia, y’all. I can say that.).
What I got instead was a sensory surprise, a gastronomic oxymoron. Bistro 131 juxtaposes comfort food and gourmet nuances. It’s grandma meets Julia Child.
The Crispy Jumbo Chicken Wings, for example, are not what you expect. These are fresh wings, brined, then slow-roasted in rendered chicken fat for two hours until they are fall-off-the-bone tender. They’re flash fried when you order them then coated with a sweet and sour bell pepper jam. You can get them with buffalo sauce and Ranch dressing, but why? A week later and my laptop keyboard is still sticky with the utterly amazing goodness.
Believe it or not, everything on the menu at Bistro 131 is taken this seriously.
Owner Jason Geissinger is the son of a preacher man. He was born in Canton but spent 10 impressionable years of his
childhood in Kentucky. He’s a former golf pro who developed his restaurant skills by traveling the country fixing troubled Olive Gardens. He also owns Lighthouse Bistro at Atwood Lake.
He gets it.
“We serve diverse, casual, comfort food done well,” Jason offers. “And everything is made from scratch.”
The Reuben, $8.50, for example, isn’t made from the pre-sliced Hormel corned beef popular at so many bars and restaurants. Instead, the Bistro’s corned beef is homemade—brined for 10 days in clove, juniper berries, cinnamon, and more.
The young man in front of the stove at Bistro 131 is also a surprise. He goes by “TJ,” but he’s actually executive chef Anthony Hamilton who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. He was chef de cuisine at the famed Moxie the Restaurant and Red the Steakhouse, both located in the east coast-leaning Cleveland suburb of Beachwood. But TJ hasn’t let all of this education and experience go to his head. Instead, he stays true to his roots.
Geno’s Meatballs, now available at Bistro 131, are made from his grandfather’s original recipe. “My grandfather’s meatballs are the stuff of legend,” TJ smiles. “He never wrote down the recipe so when I was old enough I watched his every move for three hours and captured the recipe. To this day I use his recipe verbatim, including the pecorino Romano. He was Italian and he cared about food, family and quality.”
These meatballs are $7.50 at lunch and $10 for the dinner portion and are served with rigatoni, marinara and pecorino Romano.
Other Bistro 131 favorites include the Chopped-up Greek salad. It’s romaine lettuce, feta, olives, fresh cucumber, tomato, onion, crispy pita with an olive oil & vinegar dressing, $6.50/$8.
For the bigger appetite, try the Buttermilk Fried Chicken with white gravy and Low Country slaw, $8/$13. Fresh chicken is brined and braised in buttermilk before frying. As a result, it’s crispy on the outside and moist and tender inside.
The Pork Shoulder is also brined and marinated, then slow roasted for eight hours and shredded. It’s served with rosemary hash browns and pan-dripping gravy, $9/$13.50.
The 12-ounce New York strip is aged Angus Reserve beef. Similar steaks sell all over Cleveland for $34, but the Bistro offers it for around $20. Lower prices are one of the advantages of dining away from the city.
For seafood, try the Maple Roasted Atlantic Salmon. It’s fresh and served with mashed sweet potatoes, pecans and chives, $15.
Jason and TJ insist on multiple sources for their ingredients, including local and organic whenever possible. They even offer exclusive bread selections from a local bakery.
The ambience at Bistro 131 is clean and modern, elegant but casual. In fact, it’s one of those rare places where you can enjoy a fabulous meal while wearing your favorite blue jeans.
You know, like chicken wings.
Bistro 131 is located at 131 Blue Bell Drive S.W. in New Philadelphia (I-77 at SR 39 exit). The phone number is 330-365-1172. Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.bistro131.com or look them up on Facebook.
Mitch Allen is the editor of Mimi Vanderhaven, a Cleveland-area magazine.
Published: April 6, 2011
