The Art of the Meal

For Chef Richard Cicic, food is the canvas and every dish he creates is a masterpiece. Diners from all over the Greater Cleveland area are making the trip to his Madd Chef’s Bistro to savor the dramatic results.

By: Ken McEntee
Date: 02/05/2008 You can’t rush art.

And at his Madd Chef’s Bistro in Brunswick, Chef Richard Cicic takes special care to make every meal a masterpiece.

And don’t expect a push out the door once your fork hits the plate.

“It’s about the experience here,” explains Madd Chef Richard Cicic, one of Northeast Ohio’s most popular chefs. “When you sit down, the table is yours for a couple of hours. We’re not going to be rushing you out the door to get the next party in.”

The Bistro is a reflection of Richard’s one-of-a-kind flair. “This is a truly unique dining experience,” he insists.
And he’s right.

With its white linen draped tables artfully arranged in a long, narrow New York Brownstone-style room, Madd Chef’s is unlike any other restaurant in the Greater Cleveland area.
The Bistro opened in October as a fine-dining addition to the more casual Madd Chef’s Café, which serves natural gourmet sandwiches, soups, salads and pasta prepared in full view, courtesy of Richard’s “open kitchen concept.”

Much the same as Picasso put color to canvas, the meals on the Bistro’s ever-changing fine dining menu of steaks, seafood, poultry and pasta are all meticulously served in courses. Every guest starts with the Mousse Bouchet—a one-bite appetizer that is destined to “amuse the mouth.” It’s also references “a gift from the chef.”

Each meal selection includes the evening’s soup, specially created by the Madd Chef. During a recent visit, Richard had carefully prepared roasted onion bisque thickened with heavy cream.

Every visionary must suffer for the sake of his art, but Richard is happy to make the sacrifice. “Other restaurants typically use standard artificial creams that costs a quarter of the price of heavy cream,” he explains. “But we never skimp on quality. Our soup has a substance to it that people notice immediately. They can’t believe what they’re tasting.”

The soup is followed by a specialty salad created by the chef from local, natural ingredients. Richard insists on using organic food as much as possible, to accentuate the natural flavors. The Madd Chef also seasons with natural sea salt, not iodized.

“You can taste the difference right away,” he says.

And you won’t see a delivery truck at the Madd Chef’s. That’s because Richard drives to local farmers’ markets and other suppliers a few times a week to pick out his own ingredients.
The entrée on a given evening may be a selection from his list of about eight carefully planned creations, like Maple Glazed Duck-pan seared duck breast with a maple balsamic glaze-or Herb Scented Lake Erie Walleye, lightly coated with an herb crust and served with a white truffle and caper remoulade sauce.

The Madd Chef’s All-American Steak features an aged New York Strip, hand-cut daily and seasoned with a blend of 15 spices, which is finished with a bistro reduction sauce topped with pomme fritz, that have been tossed in the pan juices.

“We take pains to make everything outstanding for the customer,” Richard explains. “The New York strips are hand trimmed to ensure their tenderness. We leave just the right amount of fat to optimize the flavor of the beef.”

A perfect presentation is his signature on every work.

“It’s about caring,” says Richard, who spent time studying under renowned organic chef Scott Uehlein, at Arizona’s Canyon Ranch Spa. “If you disrespect the food you are disrespecting your entire career, your background and everything that you have been taught.”

Richard’s efforts have been well recognized. As the executive chef of the Murphin Ridge Inn in West Union, Ohio, he was named best chef in Cincinnati, by Cincinnati Magazine. Before he opened Madd Chef’s Café, Richard was executive chef for the Cleveland Clinic and was the personal chef to the Clinic’s chief executive officer, preparing meals for numerous visiting dignitaries.

He served as the food stylist for “You Can Eat That,” a nationally distributed cookbook for kids with Diabetes.
And because Richard’s culinary exhibits always draw a crowd, reservations at the Madd Chef’s Bistro are strongly suggested, even for their fine dining breakfasts served every Saturday and Sunday morning.

By the way, if you love the Madd Chef’s Bistro and Café, here’s a little secret. Richard plans to add a retail wine store and a European coffee bar. All coffee will be custom-brewed using French presses.

Magnifique!

Madd Chef’s is located at 1091 Pearl Road in Hickory Ridge Plaza in Brunswick. Find out more at www.maddchefs.com or call 330-225-5544. Dinner is served at the Bistro from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and until 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. A brunch is offered on Sundays. For lunch, or more casual dining, try The Madd Chef’s Café, which is open Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

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