Topsy Turvy: Explore the Unexpected with Chef Andrew Wilk at Cuyahoga Falls' Cashmere Cricket
At Cashmere Cricket in Cuyahoga Falls, where you might expect savory flavors, you’ll get sweet. Where you might expect a sea of cream colors, you’ll get bright colors jumping off the plate. Chef Andrew Wilk serves up the unexpected.
The burrata ($15) is a perfect example. Although featuring the Italian cow’s milk cheese appetizer at the cocktail bar was inspired by his great-grandmother, who used to make the typically traditional dish in Italy, Wilk’s version offers some delightfully surprising flavors.
“Most people pair burrata with fresh basil and a Pomodoro or red sauce, marinara,” Wilk says. “I choose to pair mine with something a little bit sweeter.”
His dish has strawberry jam, purple dragon fruit and candied pecans alongside toast points and burrata, which is made by churning cream to keep the inside soft and the outer casing firm. Together, there are not only vivid colors but also contrasting textures.
“It kind of accentuates the texture profile. You get the sweetness from the bottom and then you get the crunchy from the pecans on top,” he says. “The dragon fruit pairs really well with the candied pecans. It brings out the nuttiness of the cheese.”
Another surprise comes with the la mer flatbread ($18).Translating to “the sea,” it’s based on Wilk’s favorite pasta dish. He found a flatbread complements seafood in an eye-catching way.
A Gouda cream made in-house from Gouda, garlic, cream and butter is put on the flatbread as a base, and it’s topped with fresh shrimp, crab meat, Asiago, goat cheese, mozzarella, provolone, scallions and Thai chili sauce.
“I really want the seafood to shine,” he says. “You can ...get the appreciation of the crab and the shrimp, and then still feel a bit of heat yet sweetness from the Thai chili.... The goat cheese adds a nice, creamy finish.”
It’s the most popular flatbread, and he often hears feedback about the presentation.
“With the blank canvas of the Gouda cream, you get to see the orange from the shrimp, while the colors from the seafood come through, the green from the scallions, the Thai chili drizzle being red,” he says.
Everything in the from-scratch kitchen is designed to pair with wine, beer and cocktails, as Cashmere Cricket has a large variety of each in the lounge-style spot.
“I left my menu for interpretation to be able to pair well with anything,” Wilk says. “It’s all about the pairing and molding all the flavors together.
Cashmere Cricket, 2235 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, cashmerecricket.com; Next Stop: The Workz arcade, 2220 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls, playattheworkz.com