The Magic of Riverstone

Flavors seem to come alive at the Riverstone Taverne & Bistro in Valley City—a Mimi Restaurant Tour must this summer season.

By: Paula Singleton
Date: 06/21/2009
Imagine a quaint rural town where your neighbor mows your lawn because he knows you’re busy. And when you offer to pay him for it, he refuses your money but will call it even for a piece of fresh-baked pie.

No, you’re not in Mayberry. You’re in Valley City and the pie is from the Riverstone Taverne & Bistro, a gem of a restaurant about 10 minutes from Brunswick, Strongsville and Medina. Its exterior is tidy and unassuming, but a bit of magic happens once you walk through the doors and experience the creative cuisine found inside—everything from Mediterranean Mahi-Mahi served with artichoke hearts, calamata olives, tomatoes and roasted redskin potatoes in lobster broth, to expertly prepared comfort food including mile-high meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  

The Riverstone Taverne & Bistro has been serving inventive, quality cuisine for the last two years under the ownership of husband and wife team Joyce Hicks and
Bruce Iacovelli. “Joyce and I have always had a passion for food,” smiles Bruce. “And we’ve always wanted to be in business for ourselves. So when we found this building, we fell in love with it along with the quaint town of Valley City.”

Built in the 1860s, the restaurant has been many things since then, including a hardware store, a general store, and a bar. “Before we bought it, it was a bar that served food,” smiles Joyce. “But now we’re a restaurant and bistro that happens to have a bar.”

“The atmosphere is comfortable and casual and our food is American with a twist that’s influenced by all of the great food capitals of the world,” explains Bruce. “We offer fine dining without the fuss in a casual, country setting with something for everyone, from the most discriminating foodie to the person who loves good soup and salad or a great burger.”  

Riverstone’s chefs are some of the most talented in the area. John Bateman, trained at the New England Culinary Institute, has studied food throughout Europe and brings an Italian influence to the party. Before joining Riverstone’s staff, he spent 10 years as a chef at the highly acclaimed Battuto Ristorante in Little Italy. Bill Parker calls on his background as the former managing chef of The Oaks Lodge in Chippewa Lake and brings traditional fine dining dishes to the mix but with a contemporary influence that makes each dish his own.

At Riverstone Taverne & Bistro it’s all about freshness. Freshly roasted chicken, turkey and corned beef for sandwiches are served along with the freshest seafood. The culinary team visits local farmer’s markets whenever possible to get the best local seasonal fruits and vegetables. Joyce even grows her own herbs.
The menu is reasonably priced ($6 to $14 for lunch and $6 to $20 for dinner) and all dinners include soup or salad.
The soup is made fresh daily and the house made salad dressings are so good that customers often
buy them to enjoy at home.

Riverstone features three different weekly lunch specials for only $6 each between 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. So rather than a soggy fast food burger and fries from a chain restaurant, you could enjoy a freshly made salad, sandwich or wrap with coleslaw or house-made potato chips.  

Riverstone’s wine list includes many niche wines from California that have been specially selected by a local wine aficionado. Visit on Wednesday evenings and enjoy all wines by the bottle for half price. About a dozen wines are offered by the glass and creative drink specials are always on the menu. “Our bartender makes a banana split
martini that people will drive miles for,” Bruce smiles.
 
A Riverstone favorite is the Hanger Steak, for just $16, which includes a potato and vegetable. Inspired by the French Quarter in New Orleans, it is super tender, grilled to order, and served with a bourbon sauce. If you’re in the mood for pasta, try the Linguini all’Amatriciana—crispy pancetta, onions and garlic, with chilies and diced tomatoes over Ohio City Pasta for only $13.

Each week a different cut of steak is featured. The beef is fresh Black Angus—never frozen. Many customers insist that Riverstone’s steaks rival those of the finest restaurants, but are offered at a fraction of the cost.

After dinner, relax with a yummy dessert. “We like to be creative so tonight we’ll serve a sundae with a special sauce, ice cream, and peanut butter cookies that one of the chef’s daughters helped make this morning,” smiles Bruce.

The interior of Riverstone Taverne & Bistro is a cozy mix of wood and pressed copper. If you like dining al fresco, you’ll definitely want to take advantage of outdoor dining on the patio, complete with special lighting, flowers, and the gentle splash of a stone waterfall. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing lunch or dinner with excellent food on their patio or a cozy meal on a rainy night, not to mention the beautiful rural countryside—dining at the Riverstone Taverne is well worth the short drive. Oh, and be sure to try the pie.

Visit the Riverstone Taverne & Bistro at 6757 Center Road in Valley City. It’s less than 10 minutes from Brunswick, Strongsville and Medina and just six miles west of I-71 on Route 303, the Riverstone’s kitchen is open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Call 330-483-9900 to find out more, or visit  www.RiverstoneTaverne.com to view the complete lunch and dinner menus as well as the list of featured wines. Parking is located behind the building with an additional lot across the street. Riverstone is a featured location on the Mimi Restaurant Tour.

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