Jonathan Sawyer

 

Chef and Restaurateur

 

 

Renaissance individuals strived to be the best versions of themselves and also to be the best in their fields. Although we were unable to interview Cleveland Chef Jonathan Sawyer in person, he is an ideal modern-day example of this belief.  Cher Sawyer has three restaurants in Cleveland: The Greenhouse Tavern downtown, Noodlecat at Public Square and the Westside Market, and Trentina in University Circle. Chef Sawyer was born in Chicago in 1980. He grew up in in Ohio, attended Strongsville High School, and then majored in engineering at Dayton University. Chef Sawyer, who attended the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts, has been recognized with several awards, including 2010 Food &Wine magazine “Best New Chef.” He was also a James Beard finalist in 2012 and 2013, an honor to recognize excellence in cuisine, culinary writing, and culinary education.

 

 

When you were younger, were you similar or different than you are now?
Different priorities wise; my wife and kids come first. But the same in that I’ve always liked to bike, listen to all types of music, love to read and immerse myself in subjects like culinary design and arts.

 

How did you first become interested in your career?
Inspiration came from watching my mom and both Grandmas in the kitchen cooking traditions with influences from Hungary and Germany; tons of positive fun memories. My mom, Mrs. Sawyer, cooks for the kitchen staff at Greenhouse Tavern every Saturday.

 

What is your favorite food to cook?
Fish

 

What is your favorite food to eat?
Ramen

 

What is a typical day like for you?
Cook breakfast and get my kids on the bus to school, make a few calls, ride my bike in to the restaurants, do a few media projects, listen to good music all day and try to make it home in time for dinner with my wife and kids. If I can’t make it home, sometimes they join me at the restaurants for dinner.

 

What inspires your work?
Learning from other chefs, biking around Cleveland, reading culinary editorial pieces

 

What is the best part of your work?
Cooking is an ultimate passion of mine, and I’m blessed to be able to do that every day as my “job.”

 

What is the most challenging part of your work?
Creating new menu items that don’t resemble other restaurants’ or chefs’ ideas.

 

Tell us more about your wife and kids.

My wife’s name is Amelia. She works in public relations, web design and social media. My son’s name is Catcher, he is 8, and my daughter’s name is Louisiana, she is 6.

 

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Amelia and I travelling internationally for Catcher’s soccer games and Louisiana’s cheer competitions.

 

What is your favorite thing about Cleveland?
You can get a good dose of worldly experiences and food without having to fly hundreds of miles.