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In the old Township Grocer space adjacent to Cleveland-Heath, in Edwardsville, Ill., Ed Heath and Jenny Cleveland will soon open a new place. We caught up with Heath yesterday to learn more about the yet-to-be-named spot, which he hopes will be ready for the public in eight to 12 weeks. (Private dinners have been hosted there for the last two months.)
Part-bar, part-lounge, the new space will also serve “fun, upscale snack food.” When asked about the concept, Heath said that “guests dictate where you go with concept,” preserving some mystery, while noting that plates will be small. Although the new place will be physically connected to Cleveland-Heath (below) via a door in the dining room, and both Cleveland and Heath, as well as their chef de cuisine Rick Kazmer will be cooking, the food will be different.
At an economical 50 square feet and without a hood (think immersion circulators and induction cookers), the new kitchen can only accommodate two chefs at a time. The smaller venue means the menu will change every day, Heath explained, and especially during the summer, he plans to run almost exclusively local products—something that’s impossible right now given Cleveland-Heath’s immense popularity (as in 3500 people a week). We wondered about specifics. Shrimp and grits, he answered. We became temporarily distracted.
Central to the new venture are the cocktails, which will allow them to push the current bar program at Cleveland-Heath further. Luckily, Kazmer, whom Heath called “one of the smartest chefs” he knows, also has bar experience, so the three chefs will develop the drink menu and then recruit someone to take over. Heath said they’re “interested in classic cocktails but also in creativity,” and mentioned dehydrators as one gadget that will help them stay current and tie the food and drinks together. “We’ll hit a bit of the trends but keep the Cleveland-Heath signature on it”: “comforty, not too sterile or clean.”
Rotating taps—five to six—for beer will also be available along with a house brew (currently unestablished). “Edwardsville is blowing up like crazy,” Heath enthused, naming Recess Brewing Company and Hendricks Smokehouse and 10 other projects “rumored to be approved,” with another 5 in development. Throughout the conversation, we returned to Chicago—a destination recently visited by Heath. Sure, most think of Chicago as the city in Illinois, but given all of the development in Edwardsville, anchored by Cleveland-Heath and its new sister-spot, Main Street might be the new Randolph.
A "before" image of the space is below. We'll make sure to get one "after."
