The Bald Headed Bistro is a popular spot for celebrities. Pictured here are “Leave It to Beaver” cast members, from left, Ken Osmond (Eddie Haskell) and Tony Dow (Wally Cleaver”, with Janie Jones, Jerry Mathers (Theodore Beaver Cleaver) and Bistro owner Allan Jones.
Located at 201 Keith St. in the Village Green Town Center, the Bistro has become known in recent years for more than its upscale food and drink – the Bistro is also a favorite with some high-profile celebrities.
While the most recognizable visitors to the Bistro were the cast of the popular television program, “Leave It to Beaver,” other notables include Peyton Manning, Pat Summitt and Phillip Fulmer.
Additional celebrities who have dined at the restaurant include television reporter Orlando Salinas, Bruce Pearl, Marla Maples, comedian Willie P. Richardson and David Oreck.
Over the last seven years, the most loyal guests have been those who live in Cleveland and the surrounding areas, but on any given night it isn’t a surprise to see a famous face walk in,” says Josh Weekley, Bistro general manager.
“While regulars are used to seeing sports icons like Peyton Manning or Coach Fulmer stop in, we also have prominent Hollywood actors and other big names from the music industry who love to eat at the Bistro, but have asked us to keep their identities private so they can enjoy a low-key meal without worrying about photographers.”
The restaurant is the inspiration of controversial entrepreneur Allan Jones, a Cleveland native who has received national attention for his outspoken nature, generous philanthropy and unapologetic love of his hometown.
Jones says he has been approached about opening other Bistro locations in places such as New York and Los Angeles, but has no plans to broaden his culinary focus outside of the Ocoee Region.
“When I decided to create the Bistro seven years ago, my intent was to offer an elegant menu that infused the flavors and style of one my favorite areas of the country – Jackson Hole, Wyo.,” said Jones.
“I had no idea so many newspapers and magazines would rank the Bistro right up there with nationally known restaurants like Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami and Peter Luger’s Steakhouse in New York as the best in the nation. We are honored by the praise and try to live up to the expectations people have for us every day.”
While Jones is aware the Bistro’s status as a celebrity hotspot contributes to the big crowds that gather at the restaurant each evening, he says quality ingredients are also key to the establishment’s seven-year success.
“From day one, I made it clear to my team that only the best ingredients, including prime grade meats – or meat that represents the top 1 percent of the cow — as well as fresh fish flown directly from locations including Hawaii are served,” Jones said.
“We also offer an exclusive Bone-In Filet available in only one other place, which is the Blackberry Farm in the Great Smoky Mountains. You just can’t get that at any normal restaurant and that’s why we have legions of fans across the nation.”
Jones conducted a nationwide search to find the Bistro’s executive chef, William “Bick” Johnson, who has been a fixture since opening day and draws as much fanfare as many of the celebrities who fly across the country to dine at the restaurant.
Johnson formerly served as executive chef for a Caribbean restaurant on the island of Saba in the Dutch West Indies and has also helmed kitchens in British Columbia, Seattle, and San Francisco.
Jones says Johnson’s creativity keeps Bistro patrons coming back again and again. To commemorate the Bistro’s seventh anniversary, Johnson has prepared a dish called “Beef Wyoming,” that consists of buffalo sausage-encrusted beef tenderloin served with lobster home fries, corn-fennel salsa and chipotle balsamic jus.
Johnson also created another popular dish at the Bistro that has been drawing rave reviews – the “Red Snapper Veracruz,” which includes blackened red snapper with Mexican rice and red beans, complemented with chorizo sausage and an adobo butter sauce.
The restaurant’s signature dish remains the “BHB Filet,” which is prime tenderloin rubbed down with a secret blend of herbs and spices and then placed on a hickory, wood-fire rotisserie for 45 minutes. The tenderloin is then cut into 6 or 8-oz. portions, placed in a double broiler and cooked to a guest’s specifications. The filet is topped with beurre monte prior to serving.
Other team members who have been at the Bistro since opening night include bartender Laura Hudson Click and kitchen manager Seth Taterinowiz.
The unique décor of the Bald Headed Bistro is inspired by the Wyoming countryside, as evidenced by the 283 logs salvaged from the Crescent H Ranch following the Green Knolls Forest Fire in 2000 that now make up the interior and exterior of the restaurant.
“A night at the Bald Headed Bistro is a dining experience unlike any other,” said Weekley.
“We take pride in our guests enjoying a full-range of senses, from the unique western ambiance of the Bistro to the elegant dishes carefully crafted by our executive chef and staff. It has been a pleasure serving the Cleveland area – and the rich and famous - for almost a decade.”
The Bistro’s full menu is available online at www.baldheadedbistro.com.
The restaurant’s reservation line is 423-472-6000.
