Bistro 83 executive chef Steve Stadnicar’s menus reflect an affinity for traditional cooking techniques and a love of global cuisines some patrons are just discovering. He lists three of his favorite culinary treatments and trends.
Confit. Stadnicar uses the ancient French method of slow-roasting meat and vegetables submerged in a quality fat to prepare duck legs and heavily herbed mushrooms for restaurant wine dinners and other special events. “I like the impactful level of flavor,” he says of the result. “I like how tender the product that I get out of it becomes.”
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. Stadnicar’s appreciation of a “finesse with spices” that creates “big, bold flavors” inspired Bistro 83’s popular mulligatawny, an Indian soup he makes with coconut milk, chicken, apples, mushrooms and a strong curry. “These [people] are balancing 15, 20 spices and trying to make sure they all show up in the dish,” he marvels.
Braising. The practice of searing a cut of meat, then finishing it in a covered pot with a variable amount of liquid yields a menu-staple pork shank that Stadnicar says derives much of its flavor from the broth in which it cooks. “It just produces a very tender, juicy product,” Stadnicar says. “And it’s almost foolproof — I mean, it’s hard to mess it up.”
36033 Westminister Ave., North Ridgeville, 440-353-2828, bistro83.com
