Blue Door Café, Totally Baked get recognized statewide with Ohio Restaurant Association wins
The Akron area has two winners of the Ohio Restaurant Association Industry Awards: Blue Door Café and Bakery of Cuyahoga Falls for Best Restaurant in Northern Ohio and Totally Baked Pizza in Akron for Best Community Partner.
Both awards are chosen by public voting, with Best Restaurant awards also going to winners in Central and Southern Ohio. Public voting for Best Restaurant, Best Guest Experience Provider, Best Behind the Scenes Employee and Best Community Partner awards began 2022.
Best restaurant in Northern Ohio
Northeast Ohio winner Blue Door Café, owned by Michael Bruno, was recognized for extraordinary contributions to the restaurant industry, including leadership with innovative ideas, and passion for the industry and the community. The Falls restaurant recently added a concrete-top bar in a $70,000 first phase of its dining room renovation, with a second phase in February in which everything but the floor will be redone.
Renovations at Blue Door: Restaurant goes for more elegant, less brunchy vibe with new bar, 6 beers on tap
"I'm obviously quite pleased that that we were selected. And I mean even more so, because I know who the other nominees were" from Northern Ohio, including a number of big-name Cleveland restaurants, Bruno said. "It was quite a distinguished list."
Blue Door's Best Restaurant award comes nearly five months after celebrity chef Alejandro Najar, who won third place in "Hell's Kitchen" in February, resigned in a dispute with Bruno that went public.
The Falls eatery has long been known for its celebrated, scratch-made brunch items and European pastries and breads. In early August, Bruno brought back dinner service with new chef David Chin, who has developed a new dinner menu with Asian, Italian and Belgian influences.
Dinner service comes back: Blue Door in Cuyahoga Falls brings back dinner with new chef after Alejandro Najar exit
Bruno and his wife, Jenn, have talked about whether the restaurant's recent accolade may lead to a James Beard nomination.
"I think food-wise, quality-wise, absolutely. I think food creativity, sure. I think dining room so far, no. But that's coming," Bruno said.
Best Community Partner
Totally Baked Pizza of Akron, co-owner John Taylor, won Best Community Partner, by public vote. The award recognizes an individual or organization for their outstanding contributions through community service or charitable involvement.
Taylor was honored for his work founding and operating the charity Feed Your Neighbors, which he founded in March 2020, when the pandemic began. He now operates the charity, which has fed more than 50,000 Akron families since the pandemic, from Totally Baked, which he opened in 2021.
"We feed struggling families. I drop off food boxes" at families' front doors, filled with two weeks' worth of food that include dry goods, frozen meat and two large Totally Baked pizzas, Taylor said.
"I just do it because I don't want the children to struggle. I don't want families to struggle or not have anything," said the restaurateur, who said he's excited and honored to be recognized by the Ohio Restaurant Association.
The industry awards celebration will be held Dec. 4 in Columbus, where a total of 15 industry awards will be presented, including three inductees into the Ohio Restaurant Association Hall of Fame.
The other award winners chosen by public vote were:
● Best Restaurant Central: Little Italy Ristorante, Groveport
● Best Restaurant South: Boca, Cincinnati
● Best Guest Experience Provider: Brittnee Vermillion, Brewfontaine in Bellefontaine
● Best Behind the Scenes Employee: Nicole Cline, Sweets & Meats BBQ in Cincinnati.
Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Blue Door Café named best restaurant in Northern Ohio
