Conscious Cuisine: Downtown 140
By Maggie Busser
Descending from the sun-drenched street, my eyes adjusted to the dimmed lighting of the staircase that housed the impressive, clear-glass door to Downtown 140. The massive door yielded to me effortlessly, and I instantly felt transported for the second time in the few minutes that I had been in downtown Hudson, Ohio. Upstairs, I could easily have mistaken Main Street's turn-of-the-century historic setting for that of a New England town. However, the trendy and sophisticated Downtown 140 would have been just as well suited for Manhattan or London.
Owner and Executive Chef Shawn Monday, along with his wife Tiffany and his partners Kurt and Cindy Nygaard, have capitalized on the modest size of the space (it seats only 60 diners). Bathed in warm reds and golds, the petite room offers the coziness of a living room – comfy corduroy sofas, plush upholstered chairs, ornately-framed art and lamp-lit end tables. Sizzling sounds and savory aromas spill from the gleaming open kitchen into the luxurious dining room. Dim lighting casts shadows on the exposed limestone wall that runs the length of the space in this 19th century building, adding both drama and an earthy atmosphere to the timeless décor. Stylish and urbane, Downtown 140's unpretentious spirit may come as a surprise.
As in the tale of Alice in Wonderland when she “steps through the looking glass,” things at Downtown 140 are not quite as they first appear. In fact, the restaurant brims with contrasts, some of them so profound they seem nearly whimsical. For example, to say this tiny restaurant's wine list is immense is an understatement. Offering more than 360 wines by the bottle and more than 50 served by the glass or a two-ounce taste, Downtown 140 was recognized in 2005 by Food & Wine Magazine as having one of the top 10 best new wine lists in the country. The restaurant's gregarious, accommodating servers provide helpful guidance throughout the dining experience. They are intimately familiar with the food and wine offerings and assist in creating the perfect match.
Playing on the restaurant's small size, Shawn aptly has named the courses “Smallest Plates,” “Small Plates” and “Not So Small Plates.” The names present another acute disparity – although portioned to a handful of bites, the food packs a big punch in flavor and presentation, as well as a testimony to the ingredients used. “The most important thing to me is to support the local farmers,” Shawn shares. He features local and regional produce and cheeses, as well as natural and organic meats. Shawn explains, “When I wake up in the morning, I think about which farmers' market I am going to visit – Shaker Square, Lakewood, Peninsula – to go shopping for the restaurant. I look forward to talking to the farmers there.”
Shawn elaborates that, in addition to forming relationships while he is shopping, spending time at the markets allows him to discover new treasures and stay in tune with the growing season. Shawn's culinary creations harmonize with the seasons, and he distinctly changes the menu four times each year, but he also allows the selections to evolve through the season. To showcase the freshest ingredients, he often integrates his farm-market finds into the specials.
During my early spring visit to Downtown 140, the meal began with the classiest finger food I have ever seen. Served in a highball glass, the crispy tempura-battered asparagus was a delightful fried indulgence. Plucking them one-by-one from the glass, I alternated tastes of the accompanying dipping sauces: creamy garlic-herb aoli, orange ponzu vinaigrette and gingery Thai peanut. This “Smallest Plate” was a fabulous example of Shawn's integration of Asian influences and his personal artistic presentation skills.
Shawn also is inspired by French preparations, and the goat-cheese fondue on the “Small Plate” list is an excellent example of how he adds his own eclectic flair. Bite-sized pieces of toasted walnut-cranberry bread, grilled apples and peaches surrounded the bubbling pot of creamy, regionally produced goat cheese. With the skewer fork in hand, I dipped alternating pieces and marveled at the scrumptious combinations of flavors in each bite. The rich cheese was a little thinner than typical fondue, allowing it to deliciously soak into the bread and also coat the fruit perfectly.
Other Old World flavors and preparations also are common on the menu. For example, from the “Not So Small Plates” list, I sampled the rustic vegetarian offering of mezza luna (half moon) pasta. These tender pillows of fresh homemade pasta were bursting with the mighty combination of sweet pea, goat cheese and garlic. Sitting on a bed of roasted baby carrots, parsnips, peas, cipollini onions and scallions, this light and incredible pasta was bathed in an earthy morel mushroom broth. It was so delectable that I soaked up the last drops with bread crusts.
Upon Shawn's comment that the regional, organic lamb on the menu from Jamison Farm “is the best [he] ever had,” I next sampled the lamb rack. The meltingly tender and profoundly flavorful lamb was served with lamb sausage made by the farm exclusively for Downtown 140 from Shawn's own recipe. The spicy, salty perfection offered an interesting twist to the lamb dish's presentation. It was also served with a tasty, smoky eggplant, red pepper and zucchini tart and marinated olives. I agree with Shawn: this savory dish is the best lamb I have ever eaten. In addition, the unique preparation highlights and complements the pure flavor of the exceptional meat.
Too often, high-quality restaurants put all their energy and creativity into the main courses and do not give nearly enough attention to their dessert preparations. Thankfully, at Downtown 140, this is truly not the case. In addition to its extensive list of dessert offerings, the menu includes fresh French press Hawaiian Kona and Fair Trade coffees as well as a number of dessert wines and cordials. I highly recommend the freshly fried, raspberry-filled donuts. The warm donuts arrived flanked by a pool of rich chocolate dipping sauce and unadulterated whipped cream. Only Downtown 140 could make carnival food so classy.
With its chic yet comfortable ambiance and copious culinary options, Downtown 140 is a place you will want to visit often. The size of the portions encourages you to linger and graze your way through a variety of Shawn's amazing farm-fresh creations, possibly pairing a staff-recommended two-ounce taste of wine with each. Everything here – from the atmosphere to the food to the people – will make you feel right at home.
Downtown 140 is located at 140 North Main Street in Hudson. It can be reached by calling (330) 655-2940. More information can be found online at www.Downtown140.com.
