The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mentor eatery unveils new vision
New direction, menu revealed for restaurant in Mentor’s Matchworks Building
Barely six months after its long-awaited opening in the historic red brick Matchworks Building in Mentor, patrons were greeted with a “Closed” sign at the entrance to Fourk Restaurant.
It’s no wonder some thought the place already had come and gone like other restaurants — Harry’s Hofbrau House, Matchworks Tavern, Wallaby’s, Blue Tip Grille and the Perfect Match — that, for varying lengths of time over the past few decades, had anchored the ground-floor space at 8500 Station St.
“We were closed to remodel the kitchen, and after two days, we reopened for both lunch and dinner,” said Pam King, newly named chief operating officer of what has been renamed Fourk at Matchworks.
Her job, and its title, are new ones. Also new to the Fourk equation is her son, 31-year-old Brad Reinhard, who is now executive chef at the newly organized restaurant. Both come to Fourk from long careers at Normandy Catering, a party center in Wickliffe. Reinhard, who was with the catering company for 14 years, learned to cook there, and King worked for Normandy as a manager for 37 years.
A chance meeting with building owner Marc Wertenberger as King and Reinhard helped King’s niece, Lydia Swaney, remodel the Matchworks Building space that was to become Vipassana Salon is what led to their new positions for Fourk, King recalled. After working with Swaney to establish the second-floor salon, King and Reinhard would join her for a meal at Fourk, then headed by Chef Ryan Scanlon.
“Marc sometimes joined us, and we would all end up talking about Fourk, its decor, its food and the direction it was taking,” King said.
To her, the operation seemed disorganized, she recalled.
The different directions Wertenberger and Scanlon had in mind for the place were cited by Scanlon for the parting of ways. After dissolving their business relationship, Scanlon sold his Concord Township home, moved back to Chagrin Falls and resumed his employment with Burntwood Tavern, which has several restaurant locations in Northeast Ohio.
“Marc wanted the food to be more approachable and better understood by Mentor folks,” said Reinhard, who was charged with developing a new menu. “After all, who knows what ‘frites’ are?”
Frites, French for french fries, and naan, the Indian flatbread, disappeared from the menu, along with goat cheese and preparations such as the cola-braised pork shoulder, which had become a menu favorite under Scanlon’s leadership.
But Wertenberger, who had no previous experience in the food business, turned out to be overly optimistic about the timetable for implementing changes, King said
“He wanted a new menu in place by Dec. 1, less than two weeks after Brad was hired,” King said.
New menus were printed before the chef and his staff had tested and tweaked them. As a result, those dining early under the new management had abbreviated menus. Dishes that were available were highlighted on the menu, while others served as teasers for what was to come.
Now that Reinhard’s kitchen staff has stabilized at five and six experienced
servers are working the front of the house, the new menu has rolled out in its entirety.
Both Reinhard and King know there is a great deal of difference between the catering world and that of operating a restaurant. Food quantities, costs and numbers served are more predictable in the catering world, while those elements can’t be easily determined in the restaurant business.
“But customer service is the same, and we’re doing OK so far,” King noted. “People loved our New Year’s Eve menu, and no one waited more than a half hour for their meal.”
Although major decisions still require Wertenberger’s OK, the building owner respects King’s professionalism, she said. Wertenberger requests the new team be accommodating to guests’ needs and be open to change
“We’re making all our desserts in-house, we have a kids’ menu and good-sized servings with a choice of sides,” King said.
She plans to eliminate booths in front of the kitchen and to use materials now enclosing the bar area to close off the partially open kitchen. The wall behind the hostess station will be decorated with forks, and high-top tables will go in the living room-style waiting area off the bar. The restaurant will have 220 seats.
Reinhard’s six-item “Kiddos” menu has been tested by his daughter, Maci Grace, 2-½, and her cousin, Cooper, 3. It includes a whimsical grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich ($5) with sides of black olives and deviled eggs. Kids 10 and under eat free on Saturdays until 6 p.m.
The chef’s sense of whimsy also shows in the date jam slathered on the menu’s Sweet & Smokey Burger ($12), with onion straws, gouda cheese and bacon aioli; the Buffalo cauliflower tacos ($9); and roasted spaghetti squash ($16), with arugula, roasted tomatoes, roasted red peppers and garlic vinaigrette.
The Build Your Own Mac & Cheese includes a housemade cheese sauce with a choice of three among bacon, grilled chicken, pulled pork, buffalo sauce, scallions, onions, red peppers and broccoli.
A choice of two sides is included with many items. They are roasted street corn, green beans, mashed redskins, fries, sweet potato casserole, carrot slaw, mac & cheese and steamed broccoli.
Happy Hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. daily with domestic bottled beers at half price, select wines at $2 off per glass and a half dozen appetizers at $6.