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| - Bar Symon is (and this probably goes without saying) some of the best eating in Lorain County. Of course, the bar is likely set a little higher for Iron Chef Symon than it would be for your average strip-mall bar opening.
The main problem with this establishment (and most of the Symon empire) is that demand far outstrips supply. We had to wait 100 minutes for a table for six... on a Tuesday! They seem to be preparing a party room in the adjacent space. I suggest finding out what the rent would be on the abandoned Giant Eagle in the plaza!
The decor is a mash-up of Symon's character - pigs, butcher's diagrams, metal ceiling tiles (perhaps architectural savage from somewhere closer to Tremont?) and - of course - two flat screens above the bar. One shows ESPN (sure to encourage Browns fans to order another to drown their sorrows) and the other - the Food Network. It was a little strange to have Rachel Ray going as we noshed on pork cracklins and drank microbrews, but I guess that goes with the territory.
The beer list is phenomenal. There are over a hundred beers, with 40 draft selections. Bell's Oberon and Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout (both personal favorites) were on tap, as was the perennial house special - $1 PBR.
You'd do well to come in for a drink and tack on a cocktail shaker of the infamous (but perhaps tired?) Lola fries (think upscale McDonald's shoestrings with rosemary and salt) for $3. You'd do even better if you were there between 4 and 6 for happy hour, because that same serving of pommes frites would be only a buck. Another happy hour special is the Bar Symon burger, served on an English muffin with a fried egg, cheddar and bacon - for $5. That's right, we've got your recession extra value meal right here - Bar Symon burger, Lola fries and a PBR for $7.
We started off with the love child of popcorn and bacon, or (as the menu puts it) pork cracklins. Symon's version of the gas station staple pork rinds is served in a wooden pig with malt vinegar. And they do crackle!
The entree list includes a great riff on Barberton Chicken. About the only thing BS's abundant portion of fried chicken has in common with the crap at Belgrade Gardens is that you get four pieces - a leg, a thigh, a wing and a breast. Beyond that (thank god) Symon's honey-touched chicken is a HUGE step up from the "real deal" down in Barberton.
The locals are serious about BS. The woman sitting to our left at the bar had scrambled in for the Tuesday night goat taco special. She'd been there on a previous night when they sold out - apparently this normally happens by 7! The guy on our right couldn't stop waxing lyrical about the grilled cheese. (We tried one - good, but nothing to write home about. Stick with the meat at BS, just like you should at any of Michael's restaurants. The only place he wants a vegetarian, as far as I can tell, is possibly on the menu!)
The complimentary basket of perhaps overly chewy bread is served with high-quality salted room temperature butter - yes, I mean they've taken a handful of Kosher salt and thrown it on each pad before it leaves the kitchen.
All of the side dishes were a big hit with our group - creamed corn with bacon chief amongst them. The polenta brought us back to Theory (oh how we miss you!).
The chicken wings are a pretty big departure from the Sriricha-drenched scorchers at Lolita. They have a really light citrus sauce - maybe even just an orange juice marinade. They're impossibly moist and tender, but aren't spicy at all.
Two members of our party went for the pork butt, and both were very pleased with it. Neither of them, however, cared for the slaw - citing heavy horseradish overtones.
The sausage menu is worth exploring, particularly for the mustards and pickled delights on the side. But there's no need for the big board - a single sausage is plenty large enough to share, and there will be no shortage of carnivore's delight later in the meal!
The grilled meatloaf is enormous, and is unfortunately a bit heavy on something along the lines of China five spice. It wasn't what we were expecting, and isn't something we'd probably go for again.
The concrete floor leads to a fairly noisy atmosphere (as one might expect from a bar - do not come here for a quiet conversation.)
The service (once they find you a place to sit!) is great, drawing on a few veterans from Lolita and adding a crew of enthusiastic newbies. They gladly seperated our checks, and clearly communicated (on the credit card slip) about the automatic gratuity due to our party size.
We were all stuffed by the time we were able to take a look at the dessert menu, but felt a Yelply duty to check it out anyhow. It looked like it might be Cory Barrett's crowning achievement, so we made sure to return the next day before we had to head back to the airport. And boy were we glad! The PB&B (peanut butter & banana bread ice cream sandwich) is absolutely not to be missed!
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