This new fast-casual charcuterie franchise serves brunch, snacks and 'girl dinner' | Local Flavor

The hardest part of adulthood is figuring out what to eat for every meal until you die.

My mom told me this often growing up, but I never understood it.

We ate homemade chicken and dumplings, stuffed peppers and pot roast on a regular basis. How hard could it really be? Provided I have a slow cooker on hand, of course.

Turns out, like most moms, she was completely right.

Neither of us would have guessed that the solution is a social media trend taking shape in Stow restaurant and catering service Graze Craze, which serves what may just be the ultimate form of a “girl dinner."

What is 'girl dinner?'

It’s this brand of decision fatigue that’s led to the popularity of “girl dinner,” a low-effort meal optimized for grazing instead of something that must be cooked. Since women do the majority of the cooking in most households — which often include a partner and/or children — according to NPR, girl dinners offer a much-needed break at mealtime.

The term was coined by Olivia Maher, who shared a TikTok video of her dinner in May. In the video, she pans over an assortment of bread, cheese, grapes and cornichons.

Since then, the phrase has garnered its own TikTok sound and filters, with national fast food brands even joining the trend. For example, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen came out with an online-only (pickup or delivery) Popeyes’ Girl Dinner of mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, Cajun fries and two biscuits.

On its heels are the “girl math” and “boy dinner” trends, but those are a whole different story.

Graze Craze brings girl dinner to Ohio

At this point, you might be thinking, “Girl dinner sounds an awful lot like charcuterie.”

You would be correct. My mother is convinced that the younger generations’ love of charcuterie comes from us devouring Lunchables back in elementary school. It’s a solid hypothesis.

That’s why Graze Craze, a national franchise that specializes in customizable fast-casual charcuterie boards, fits the girl dinner bill so well.

Since Kim and Josh Leeser opened Ohio’s first Graze Craze location in Stow Oct. 13, the pair have sold over a dozen charcuterie boards, but nearly a hundred grab-and-graze plates — miniature charcuterie boards designed as a small meal for one.

Almost all charcuterie sizes, from a grab-and-graze to the largest boards, come in one of four variations: classic, vegetarian, keto and dessert. Their char-cutie-cup and specialty boards, such as the brunch and game-day boards, are the only menu items that are more limited.

What to get at Graze Craze

My friend Lillie and I gave Graze Craze a try, though it was for lunch and not dinner.

We ordered the classic picnic box ($75), which easily feeds two people or can be shared as a snack between four grazers. It would be the perfect size for a small picnic, date night or game night.

“This reminds me of something that you would take to a winery or a brewery,” Lillie said. “It’s filling, but you don’t feel overly full.”

The box comes with a variety of spreads, breads, meats, cheeses, crackers, fruits, vegetables and nuts, although Lillie and I asked for more meats and vegetables instead of cheese.

One of Kim Leeser’s favorite aspects of the business’s boards is the variety and versatility of their cheeses, especially since they come garnished with crumbled pistachio and drizzled in honey.

“The way that you can take a piece of brie — that I'm honestly not a huge fan of — but you can elevate that by placing a blueberry on it, drizzling with honey, and it totally changes the flavor profile,” she said. “It's amazing.”

We were impressed with the number of spreads we were given. Of the box’s seven spreads and dips, I liked the lemon dill mayo best. Lillie fell in love with the raspberry jam and was pleased at how well it paired with the dessert bread and rosemary crackers.

The fennel-spiced ham was also one of our top picks. I need a shank of that at Thanksgiving this year.

But my most delightful bite came when I made a mini open-faced sandwich out of the sourdough bread, lemon dill mayo and peppered salami.

“For me, it’s the meats,” Josh Leeser said about his favorite element of charcuterie. “They really lined up some incredible makers. They're not your typical meats that you're going to find it at Acme deli or even some of the better delis.”

Another of his favorites is the chocolate pistachio bark made by Bedré Fine Chocolate in Davis, Oklahoma, a business owned by the Chickasaw Nation.

Graze Craze history and aspirations

Army National Guard veteran Kim Leeser previously owned a cleaning business, but she always enjoyed hosting and entertaining guests.

She and her husband wanted to run a new business that would give Kim an outlet for her creativity and wouldn’t be as physically demanding. After considering (and getting talked out of) running a Little Caesars and putting the dream on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, they finally settled on Graze Craze.

Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, it made sense that they’d stick to the area they’re most familiar with. The Leesers plan to open locations in Stark and Medina counties as well.

The franchise was founded by Air Force veteran Kerry Sylvester and her partner J.A. in Oklahoma in 2018. It was bought by United Franchise Group, which also owns The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Signarama and many other businesses, in 2021.

Got a restaurant recommendation? Contact Beacon Journal reporter Tawney Beans at tbeans@gannett.com and on Twitter @TawneyBeans. And follow her food adventures on TikTok @akronbeaconjournal.

Details

Place: Graze Craze

Address: 3732 Darrow Road, Suite 10, Stow, OH 44224

Phone: 330-382-3701

Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday and Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday

Website: www.grazecraze.com/north-stow-oh

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Graze Craze offers on-the-go charcuterie, 'girl dinner' in Stow