ref=”https://thinktasty1.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/jeff1.jpg”>Cleveland, Ohio definitely has plenty of options, but the farm-to-table menu of AMP 150 delivers high-quality food with every option. You can feel good about eating the local and seasonal fare, especially because flavor is absolutely not sacrificed. Executive chef Jeff Jarrett focuses on quality ingredients to produce the best-tasting food, placing emphasis on locality and seasonality. The casual, modern atmosphere provides the perfect setting for your meal.

I was able to speak with Chef Jarrett about the specific ingredients he loves.

JL: What types of foods do you grow in your garden?

CJ: We are currently growing lettuce, beets, carrots, parsnips, six types of tomatoes, zucchini, squash, wax beans, and will soon be planting hard squash and another round of tomatoes for late fall harvest.

JL: Are there any seasonal items that you are growing/using right now?

CJ: We are currently using lettuce and beets from the garden and in the next week or so will be harvesting zucchini, squash, and wax beans for use on the AMP 150 menu.

JL: How do the seasons influence your menu choices?

CJ: Seasonality is the biggest factor in determining what menu items to
put on the AMP 150 menu. We aren’t going to serve a fresh tomato salad in February when tomatoes are not in season. We just ran an asparagus salad all spring. But as soon as that season is over, we have to remove it and move on. Seasonal and local as much as we can.

JL: Which fresh-grown ingredients inspire you most?

CJ: I think any chef would be lying if they didn’t say that tomatoes inspire them. From all the different shapes and sizes to colors and textures, they are a thing of beauty. They are quite versatile too, from sauces to soups, salads to salsa. All in all though, just the awesome colors and versatility of all veggies are inspiring. That’s why I chose veggies for my tattoo!

JL: What atmosphere do you aim to create in your restaurant?

CJ: We aim for business casual at AMP 150. We are inside of the Cleveland Airport Marriott, so our guests range from in-house hotel guests to local foodies, so it is a wide spectrum. We want an atmosphere that accepts all types, just as our food does.

JL: Any particular favorite menu items?

CJ: Love our mussels! And anything with pork is going to be a hit. For me personally, I always have to have pork belly on.