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A citrusy shrimp ceviche amuse-bouche shooter immediately sets the tone at Valley’s Edge — this will be a meal served with luxury and finesse.
Nestled into an icy blue-gray high-back booth, it’s easy for my husband and I to forget we’re just steps away from the flashing neon lights and chiming video lottery terminals inside MGM Northfield Park. With an illuminated Don Drumm sculpture behind us, the reimagined 180-seat steakhouse is sleeker and more sophisticated than its predecessor — the football-themed Kosar’s Wood-Fired Grill. Opened in August, Valley’s Edge serves Midwestern corn-fed wood-fired steaks and global seafood from a largely reinvented menu — aside from holdovers including Kosar’s crab cakes and house-smoked prime rib.
Live-edge wood planks over the hostess booth set the rustic tone that’s inspired by its proximity to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, as do rippling metal wall panels imitating the Cuyahoga River. Local art impresses — from unique fused glass mosaic lights by Akron artist Lisa Kane to three-dimensional natural wall hangings by Westlake artist Paul Johanni. Between the first and second courses in our whirlwind tour, we snack on savory mishmash rye rolls with everything seasoning slathered in whipped half-salted butter. Lavash crackers with herb garlic oil are a delicious partner to creamy, rich lobster bisque ($15) with sherry broth, generous chunks of lobster and fresh herbs.
Served under a glass dome filled with clouds from the smoker, the smoked Old Fashioned of the Western Reserve ($15) with Buffalo Trace bourbon and dehydrated orange slices — as well as the smoked Towpath Bramble ($14) with Hendrick’s gin, blackberry brandy, dehydrated lime slices and fresh blackberries — create intrigue as they arrive. As the dome is lifted, applewood-scented smoke billows out, spotlighting the oakiness of the bourbon in the old fashioned. The surprises don’t stop there. Each cocktail has an organic raw sugar rock candy stirrer, adding sweetness for however long you let it dissolve.
“The rock candy … really helps add complexity to your drink,” says executive sous chef Lee Cooper. “As you start, it’s a little more bitter and then that rock candy melts away.”
Next, we turn to the charcuterie platter ($23). It delights with balsamic onion cheddar, baby Brie wheels, blue cheese, baby gherkins, duck sausages, slices of prosciutto and capicola, lavashes, fig jam and grapes — plus dried mangoes, blueberries and cranberries, offering welcome bursts of juicy sweetness. The onion cheddar evokes French onion soup and the fig jam is scrumptious with lavashes.
Off to the side of our table, we can see chefs busily cooking in the open kitchen. A rack of firewood is piled in front of the massive wood-fired grill — regulated by two overhead wagon wheels instead of gas.
“You get that nice campfire taste on your steaks,” Cooper says.
That smoky flavor comes through in the 8-ounce center-cut filet of the surf and turf (market price). Slightly charred, it’s mouthwatering with an herb demi-glace. The hefty broiled lobster tail with smoked paprika is succulent with squeezes of a half lemon and dips into clarified butter — so much so that my husband and I fight over it.
The pork osso bucco ($39) is Cooper’s signature dish — an elevation of the Sunday roast he had growing up. The classic meal has evolved into a pork shank with microgreens, herb demi-glace, roasted carrots and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. It’s cooked sous vide for 12 hours — sealed in a hot water bath with salt and pepper — then flash-fried, giving it a delectably crispy exterior and juicy interior. The fall-off-the-bone dish stuns as it arrives taller than our water glasses.
“Being sealed in the bag, all the fat kind of cooks into the pork, and it gets very tender,” says senior general manager Tim Swan. “A couple of regulars — that’s all they have.”
A meal this indulgent needs a decadent ending, and it comes with a heavenly red velvet cheesecake ($12). Two New York-style cheesecake layers sandwich red velvet cheesecake in a crunchy chocolate crust. Artfully surrounded by a swirl of raspberry puree, the cheesecake also comes with whipped cream, raspberries and a marbled white and dark chocolate triangle garnish. The bonbons and buckeyes plate ($11) complements the cheesecake well — it has the same garnishes but adds buckeyes, chocolate truffles from Northfield’s Cake and Candy Center and chocolate-covered espresso beans. A to-go box of buckeyes and locally made F-bomb white cream-centered chocolate cake balls adds a sweet ending to the lavish night.
Although it boasts the white tablecloths and attentive servers of fine dining establishments, Valley’s Edge has no stuffy dress code. Anyone looking to make their dinner out an experience is welcome, and there’s plenty more within footsteps to complete your memorable evening.
“Whether you are gambling, going to a show or gonna go over to the sportsbook, it’s an entire night out without moving the car,” Swan says. “It creates extra energy and excitement.”
MGM Northfield Park, 10777 Northfield Road, Northfield, Wednesday-Sunday 4-9 p.m., mgmnorthfieldpark.com
