Local Chef Doug Katz is currently running a deal called Sunday Suppers from his ghost kitchen in Cleveland Heights. Each week, he puts together a multi-course menu that feeds two people for $45. It's an excellent value.
Katz was known by many for his first restaurant, the Shaker Square mainstay, Fire Food and Drink. Fire opened in 2001 and closed in August of 2020, sadly another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, Katz has had plenty of restaurant projects, both new and established, to keep him busy since then.
- Zhug, a "Middle-Eastern Mezze" concept restaurant in Cleveland Heights' Cedar-Fairmount District, opened in late 2019 and was voted one of Esquire Magazine's Best Restaurants of 2020. Though it closed temporarily during the pandemic, Zhug is currently open for both take-out and dine-in. The 28 small plates on the menu make it stunningly difficult to choose, but fortunately, you can order several and share them.
- Chimi, a South American ghost kitchen (takeout-only) concept on Lee Road in Cleveland Heights, opened in June 2020. Chimi features small plates such as grilled Peruvian chicken and jackfruit tamale, with options for meat-lovers and vegetarians alike.
- Amba, the latest addition to Katz's roster of restaurants, is presented from the same ghost kitchen as Chimi. Amba offers Indian-inspired fare including the chickpea fritters that were once popular at Fire.
- Chutney B, which opened in June 2019, is a fast-casual bowl-oriented restaurant in Shaker's trendy Van Aken District.
While it has been closed during the pandemic, Katz is also the chef-partner of Provenance, the upscale restaurant in the Cleveland Museum of Art. In addition to its regular menu, Provenance features a prix-fixe menu that changes to compliment the museum's rotating exhibits. (I had the opportunity to sample the menu associated with Yayoi Kusama's stunning Infinity Mirrors installation and it was pure perfection.)
The regular menus at Chimi and Amba are not available on Sundays, but since April, Katz has been offering Sunday Suppers, a multi-course dinner serving two people for $45, available to order in advance and pick up on Sundays between 4 and 7 p.m at 1745 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights.
You can check out the Sunday Supper menu for the upcoming week by going to https://chimicle.com/, clicking the Order Online link, and then selecting Sunday as your pickup time. Alternately, if you join the email list, you'll get the menu sent to you in advance.
When my husband and I ordered the Lee Road Deep Dish Pizza Sunday Supper, we had enough food for a generous dinner plus leftovers the next day. The pickup process was easy and efficient.
This week's Sunday Supper theme is "Feeling Saucy in the Cucina", an Italian-inspired offering that includes the following:
- Garlic toast with mozzarella, fonduta, and parmesan
- Simple salad with romaine lettuce, Italian dressing, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes
- Cavatelli, featuring Flour Pasta Company pasta, red sauce, butter, and Romano cheese
- Meatballs made with organic beef, roasted garlic, and herbs
- Ricotta cheesecake bars with fig preserves
Katz told FreshWater after Amba's opening weekend in November 2020 that while the ghost kitchen space has room to support one more concept, his ultimate goal is to find brick and mortar spaces for Chimi and Amba and rotate new ideas into the ghost kitchen to test.
Katz has always been an avid supporter of local farmers and his LinkedIn page touts his focus on community:
"Our success comes from providing the best guest experience and our business model is based on our relationship with and the support of those in our community. We buy from local farmers, artisans, and businesses and enjoy the personal connections we have built."
Given that I'm a proud Cleveland Heights resident, the ghost kitchen is only about a mile and a half from my house, and Zhug is a 15-minute leisurely stroll. I'll be excited to see what comes next for Chef Katz. Meanwhile, I'll happily enjoy the Sunday Suppers as often as I can.