The Best of Thymes

In a dramatic move to make his award-winning restaurant even more affordable, Thyme the Restaurant owner Chef John Kolar has reduced the prices of existing selections by at least 20% on weeknights.

By: Ken McEntee
Date: 04/01/2009
So the value of your home has dropped and your 401k isn’t as fat as it was a year ago.
But you still enjoy eating out, don’t you?

Notwithstanding the federal government’s infusion of $1.8 trillion dollars that it doesn’t have, many people agree that the best way to stimulate the economy is to support local businesses.
And there is no Thyme like the present.

As part of his own economic stimulus package, Chef John Kolar, owner of Medina’s Thyme The Restaurant, says he will meet you halfway. On his end, he has embellished his menu with a group of creative new entrées at reduced prices to save you some cash. Plus, he has knocked 20-percent off the prices of many of his regular entrees on Monday through Thursdays, along with daily specials.

All you have to do is stop in for a great, homemade gourmet meal planned by an award-winning chef.

It sounds like that deal leans decidedly in your flavor.

John, one of just 16 Greater Cleveland chefs to be honored by Cleveland Magazine as a Tastemaker for 2008, has added three brand new pasta selections and four creative flatbreads—or gourmet pizzas—to the menu.

“My goal was to offer meals that people can enjoy on a casual night out before catching a show,” John says. “The flatbreads are perfect either as an appetizer for the table or as an individual entrée. By starting out with some simple ideas and adding my own creative twist, I think we have hit some home runs. They are all very dynamic and very affordable.”

Like the rest of the menu, the new flatbreads and pasta entrees feature an eclectic combination of subtle ingredients that reveal big flavors.

The new flatbreads include:

Shrimp Creole:
Spicy shrimp Creole in a chunky tomato Creole sauce with Manchego cheese, all for $15.

Grilled Portobello Mushroom:
Grilled Portobello mushrooms, caramelized onion, rosemary, pine nuts with brie cheese for $12.

Quattro Fromage:
A four-cheese pizza featuring Parmesan, goat cheese, fresh Mozzarella and smoked Rambol, for $11.

Chicken Cordon Bleu:
Grilled chicken breast, Prosciutto, spinach
and a Fontina and Swiss cream sauce, for $13.

The new pasta selections, which include two Thyme-tested favorites, feature six dishes, each for $18 or less.

Seafood Diablo features red pepper fettuccine, shrimp, scallops, grouper, walu, New Zealand Greenlip mussels, Ricotta salata cheese and paper tomato sauce, for $18.

House-made Porcini Gnocchi includes sautéed wild mushrooms, spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Porchi cream sauce, for $16.

House made ravioli. This is the dinner version of Thyme’s popular appetizer, featuring pesto and fresh mozzarella filling, tomato basil sauce and pine nuts, for $15.

The newly created pasta specialties are:

Lobster Newberg, featuring Fettuccini, chunks of fresh lobster, grape tomatoes, roasted red peppers and shaved asparagus, all in a brandy cream sauce, for $18.

Penne Pasta with smoked Gouda, aged Cheddar and Asiago cheese, with grilled chicken, roasted red peppers and fresh rosemary, for $15.

Orecchiette pasta with tiger prawns and asparagus, served with Brie cream and sun dried tomato pesto, for $16.

The new menu and special prices aren’t the only reason to spend some Thyme with John. The chef’s menu is seasonal and he is about to introduce his exhilarating new spring fare.

“Spring is a time of renewal and rejuvenation, and that is reflected in our menu,” he explains. “I selecting the freshest ingredients from local farmer’s markets to emphasize bold flavors that burst with energy, like fresh asparagus, English peas and delightful local berries that come into their own during springtime.”
Spring compels a lighter approach to cooking, with more grilled items and delicate sauces.

“Alaskan fishermen are about ready to start pulling halibut out of the water,” John says. “I will feature fresh Alaskan halibut all season long, utilizing a variety of preparations to take advantage of seasonal ingredients like Morel mushrooms and asparagus.”

Along with the always-welcome beginning of spring, John has more good news: Beginning in May, Thyme will re-open for lunch.

“We took some afternoons off to dedicate to the creation of an exciting lunch menu,” he says. “But we are planning a huge reopening for lunch and for our outdoor patio.”

Devoted lunch patrons will be elated to know that one of Thyme’s signature lunch favorites—the triple grilled cheese and smoked tomato bisque—will be on the menu.

And what better way to spend a quiet summer night than enjoying a one-of-a-kind dinner, like grilled pork tenderloin, with spinach spaetzels, asparagus and apple mustard pork jus, under the stars?

“Thyme is charming, but our strength is our food,” John boasts. “You can’t get food like this anywhere else around here. We live by our mission statement: To exceed people’s expectations for food, service and atmosphere on a consistent basis.”

John’s high expectations may be one reason why he and Thyme The Restaurant have been featured in the Continental Airlines Magazine.

John and his wife, Kathy, opened Thyme three years ago. It’s become a delicious fixture on the local dining scene ever since.

Thyme boasts a relaxing interior, decorated in the style that only an eclectic, independent restaurant can pull off. It is tucked just far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of North Court Street to retain a luxurious appeal.

John is doing his part to support the local economy.

“We’re a small, independent business and we try to do business with other small businesses,” he says. “In addition to buying produce from the local farmer’s market, I also make it a point to stock wines from lesser-known wineries.”

Thyme is the perfect spot to host a power lunch or prepare for an afternoon of shopping on Medina Square. The restaurant is even equipped with wireless Internet service.

Thyme The Restaurant is located at 716 North Court (Route 42), in Medina. Hours are Monday-Saturday, from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. for dinner with the bar open until 1:00 a.m. And keep watching for Thyme’s new lunch hours, beginning in May. The phone number is 330-764-4114 and the website is www.ThymeTheRestaurant.com.

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