Here is the story with all the photos from the recent Lakewood Observer, Volume 14 Issue 9.
You can read the entire LO, and find out how you can win a free meal at Melt, or other Lakewood restaurants!
http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewt ... =7&t=24754
We Sneak In The Back Door At Melt For A Peek And Talk With Cleveland Restaurant Royalty, Matt Fish
by Jim O'Bryan
Perhaps no single business or restaurant has done more for building the Lakewood brand and our name as a destination for food and entertainment than Matt Fish’s Melt Restaurant.
Not only is it the go-to place in the city with its unique menu, but Matt Fish and his team are just promotional machines. From the moment Matt put his twist on Melted Cheese in what was Bud’s White Door, it has become the darling of the Food Network, Cooking Network, Playboy Magazine, Esquire Magazine, Cleveland Magazine, TV, Radio and on and on and on.
Whenever I have a friend or client stopping in Lakewood, no matter where they are from they always have one request, “Can we go to Melt?” As I mentioned it has become a nationwide obsession, and the crown jewel in Foodwood. For decades it was Pier W and their upscale dining, (see article next page) but now Melt is the one.
Matt was just added to the very prestigious group of Cleveland Culinary Royalty this year by Noelle Celeste’s “Cleveland Eats” publication. And it is well deserved.
Starting from a small but new idea in a tiny bar, he quickly expanded next door, and has reluctantly expanded the concept to 13 locations. I say reluctantly because when he first opened he had no desire to do anything but grow and get better in Lakewood. But anything this good with this amount of press brings on imitators and wannabees. So Matt bit the bullet, and has taken this award-winning concept on the road.
Never one to rest on his laurels, this rock drummer turned chef with wife and soon to be mother Jessica on his arm has increased not just the number of stores but even dabbles in publishing. Recently he entered the book world with Publishing 1984, creating a must-have coffee table book with longtime poster and former Lakewoodite artist John Greiner. The best seller is called, “Sandwich Anarchy;" it was featured last year as a must-buy Christmas gift for anyone who loves Melt, or great graphics.
Which brings us to why we are writing this piece. Taking a breath, and sitting in the restaurant, Matt decided it was time to go back to the beginning, the original Melt Restaurant in the heart of Lakewood, a city and community he loves. “When we started this we never thought it would get this big. It blew up. Before we knew it, there were long waits for tables, and then people trying to copy our menu. So I started the other Melts, which now feature 13 places you can get Melt sandwiches including Jacob’s Field and Cedar Point. I kind of got sidetracked.” He shook his head as he looked back over the past 10 years. “So I came back to Lakewood, and built a better kitchen, nicer bathrooms, and a better plan. I really did it for the community that gave it the start, and my staff and friends.” Seating has not increased, but it features a better kitchen and a nicer layout for the customers. Which should make the “entire experience nicer for staff and patrons."
Matt promises to continue to serve the food we have all come to love. I then walked in the back door with my camera to take a sneak peek while the build-out was happening.
It will be open again this Friday.
Melt is at:
14718 Detroit Avenue
216.226.3699
Hours:
Sunday - Thursday 11am - 10pm
Friday & Saturday 11am - 11pm
Matt at the back door, where workers are cranking around the clock to get finished.
Before "Melt" it was Bud's White Door, owned by longtime Lakewood Family, the Bud Vinich Family. It had the oldest continually operating beer license in the city of Lakewood, Ohio. Here is the sign from Bud's White Door.
A massive Jake Kelly mural, as you walk in the door. Matt worked with Jake and John Greiner on the very successful coffee table book, "Sandwich Anarchy." Published by Jake's publishing company "Publishing 1984."
The Matt in the old kitchen right after they first opened up.
Yes that is the entire kitchen.
The new kitchen is twice as large, and laid so the cooks have better flow and access.
The original "West Room" after Matt finally took over from the sewing machine shop that had been there for decades.
The new West Room...
Check in check out area...
Entry way off of Detroit Ave.
The bar is in the same location, but features updates including better access for servers, and a better layout for their selection of craft beers.
"When we started craft beers were just catching on, a couple important ones, now you need room for dozens, and we have that now" Matt said with a smile
And the icing on the cake, the East Room, home to the original Melt.
It features the original sign from the Detroit Theater, which was located farther west on Detroit. "I have wanted to give that sign a good for for years, and finally I have the space, the wall, and made the promise that it stays in Lakewood forever." Fish said. "I have been wanting to get this to someone that would appreciate it, and now restored to its former glory, with all the neon, and a couple stars it has found a permanent home." said O'Bryan
John Greiner's book, "Sandwich Anarchy" with all of his art for the world famous Melt Restaurant.
Matt thank you for the tour, and this upgrade underlines "Cleveland Eats" adding you to a very illustrious list of restaurateurs that make up "Cleveland Restaurant Royalty."
Stop by and support another great Lakewood business, that has grown to far outside our borders, but with an owner that has never forgotten his roots, where he came from, and where it all started. So much so he came back, dropped a ton of cash, not to make it bigger, not to cash in, but to make the entire experience better for the customers, and his staff. Matt Fish deserved the seat at Restaurant Royalty and deserves the support of the community.
You can read the entire LO, and find out how you can win a free meal at Melt, or other Lakewood restaurants!
http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewt ... =7&t=24754
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