SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio – Paloma restaurant in the Van Aken District closed for a week in mid- September to refine their concept. When the dining room reopened, it had shifted from casual Tex-Mex to upscale Northern Mexico/Southern Texas steakhouse.
The shift was a natural progression for chef/owners Alyssa and Zach Ladner. They operate Paloma and co-own it with well-respected restaurateur Carl Quagliata.
The spark for reimagining Paloma was Alyssa’s desire to incorporate fine dining components. While she’s experienced in fine dining restaurants, adding upscale touches didn’t fit in the existing Paloma brand.
Zach was ready to make the changes as well. With his experiences — growing up in south Texas with a rancher grandfather and working as a butcher – a Northern Mexican/Southern Texas steakhouse concept came together.
The menu is 75 percent new, carrying over the most popular appetizers like shrimp ceviche as well as some side dishes.
Among the new entrees are six steaks, ranging from $35 to $75. All but the ribeye are Ohio-raised, grass-fed beef that has been cut by The Village Butcher in Mayfield Village, another enterprise the Ladners are partners in. The grass-fed ribeye is AngusPure from New Zealand.
Steaks are served sliced, topped with smoked tallow, roasted garlic, roasted jalapeno and lime. They come with two sauces – chimichurri and a mole-like salsa macha.
Non-steak entrees include Chicken Milanesa with, avocado, radish, lime, queso fresco, arugula, jalapeno, citrus vinaigrette and Cochinita “Pibil”, smoked pig face wrapped in banana leaves, with orange, achiote, onion, salsa verde, potatoes.
While steaks are the signature entrée, it’s easy to make a meal of sharable appetizers and side dishes. Dinner starts with an order from a guacamole bar lined with authentic molcajetes. Five guac choices include traditional and pineapple with charred jalapeno bacon. Each order is made with three avocados, enough to share with the table. Diners are welcome to watch the guacamole being made.
Appetizers include queso fundido, beef tartare and smoked bone marrow with escargot.
Accompaniments are large enough to share. Many are thoughtful executions of common dishes such as Mexican street corn salad or Frijoles Negro (black beans). The smoked “burnt ends” cauliflower is unique to Paloma. For that, heads of cauliflower are smoked for two hours, broken into florets, then covered with a fig-chipotle barbeque sauce. They’re savory and seem hearty enough for an entrée.
Tacos are still available at the bar. The craft cocktail program offers classics like a margarita and paloma as well as Paloma creations.
Diners finish with a surprise sweet.
The kitchen is managed by Chef Kytana Bradley.
Those who’ve been to Paloma before will see the changes when they walk in. The horseshoe bar and upholstered stools are the same, but the walls are now the same dark chocolate-color as the ceiling. A wall of shelves partitions the bar from the small dining and meeting rooms.
Side note: Zach Ladner has a handyman side. He made the countertop where guacamole is crafted. He also made the tortilla presses on display, the red wine cabinet and new the partition between the bar and dining room.
The shelves lining the walls contain empty wine bottles, a hint that wine will go well with dinner. And the wine program will be heavy on wine from Chile, Spain, Argentina.
As a personal touch, diners who finish their wine bottle get a label to add a message. Then, they can shelve their bottle on the wall.
While the marigold-colored booth benches are the same new dining room chairs are more comfortable.
Paloma is at 20041 Walker Road, Shaker Heights.
Send dining, drinking and culture story ideas to Paris Wolfe at [email protected]. Review her previous stories here. Follow Paris Wolfe on Instagram @pariswolfe.
