Inside Michael Schwartz's Simple, Wood-Fired Approach

Michael Schwartz cuts right through the fat to get to the heart of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink. “It’s simple, honest food in an unpretentious setting,” he says. In April, the James Beard Award-winning chef opened the first Midwestern expansion of his Miami restaurant in the Van Aken District. For much of his cuisine, Schwartz relies on a wood-fired oven hearth to infuse complex flavors. “It forces you to think differently about how you’re cooking and it reinforces this notion of simplicity,” says Schwartz. Take the wood-roasted cobia ($28), which comes nestled in a thick and earthy chickpea stew made from vegetable stock, tomatoes, roasted fennel, onion and spices. “It’s steaming from underneath and roasting from the top,” says Schwartz. “It totally simplifies it.” Topped with shaved radish, parsley and olive oil, it’s a wonderfully dense, semi-sweet and acidic dish that’s packed with flavor. “It is a fish people might not have had before, but if you like fish, you like fish,” says Schwartz. 3427 Tuttle Road, Shaker Heights, 216-230-8022, michaelsgenuine.com