Fahrenheit Reviews
National Press
Rising Stars | Restaurant Hospitality,
October 2004
"After graduating from culinary school and while barely out of his
teens, he left his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio to continue his education
with professor Wolfgang Puck..."
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Puck: It's Not Luck | Restaurant Hospitality,
November, 2006
In an interview with Wolfgang Puck, Restaurant Hospitality invoked the words
of our own Chef Rocco in the following question posed to the world renowned
chef:
"Rocco Whalen, chef at Fahrenheit in Cleveland and a veteran of three of
your restaurants, once observed: 'Even when Puck is not at one of his
restaurants, it still feels like he is there.' How do you create a culture
that sustains itself?"
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Picking Esquire's Best New Restaurants | Esquire,
December 2002
"There are so many young chefs out there doing fine work-many of whom made
my list of "Chef's to Keep Your Eye On," like...Rocco Whalen at Fahrenheit
in Cleveland-all of which make me very sure that there will be plenty to
praise next year." --John Mariani
Cleveland | Gourmet, October 2002
"Fahrenheit, the new darling of the bohemian Tremont district, has all the
puppyish appeal of a young starter restaurant. Chef Rocco Whalen knows how
to coax big, vital flavors from fresh materials, whether in a baby-artichoke
pizza or lemon brushed roast chicken with buttermilk mashed potatoes and
onion strings."
Fahrenheit Cranks Up The Heat | Restaurant
Hospitality, October 2002
"If you believe that demographics are destiny in the restaurant business,
it's a little hard to explain everything that's going on in Cleveland's
historic Tremont district. Granted, you can find scattered..."
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Local Reviews
"To Die For" The 25
Restaurants Cleveland Can't Live Without
Cleveland Scene, February 16, 2011
" 'I live, breath, cook, love, and respect Cleveland — and especially
Tremont,' announces Rocco Whalen, one of the city's most passionate chefs
and ardent supporters. Opening Fahrenheit in 2002, Whalen became every bit
as central to the Tremont food scene as Michael Symon (though still without
his own street sign). Boisterous, as all bistros should be, this
nine-year-old mainstay seems to get better with each passing year. The
chef's bold American cuisine never fails to impress, in terms of
ingredients, preparation, and presentation. Many of Fahrenheit's dishes have
become classics that Whalen is near-powerless to pull from his menu:
Vietnamese chicken spring rolls, bacon-wrapped chorizo-stuffed dates, Kobe
beef short ribs, and coffee-crusted pork tenderloin, to name but a few. But
it may be Whalen's fly pies that have drawn the most buzz over the years.
Crisp and chewy with a hint of sweetness, the pitch-perfect pizzas are proof
that Whalen loves Clevelanders as much as Cleveland itself."
Fahrenheit: Your favorite dishes, only a little more extravagant, at Rocco Whalen's spot | Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 15, 2011
Speakeasy dark, with flashes of elegance, Fahrenheit turns up the heat on the critical mass of good restaurants in Cleveland's Tremont neighborhood. Expect inventiveness on the plate.
Call it Tremont noir, that shadowed light of seduction in the dining room. Farhrenheit's got it, along with skylight slits over the streamlined metallic banquettes. Best of all, no amount of low light can dim the big flavors on the plate or the speed and precision of the serving staff. Chef Rocco Whalen worked with Wolfgang Puck and then came home to Cleveland for a few start-up ventures before this big sweep. You might find the gregarious guy schmoozing around the room or the drapery-slung bar. read full article
Kobe Beef Short Ribs |
Cleveland Magazine, May, 2010
"Since chef Rocco Whalen created Fahrenheit's Kobe Short ribs ($29) nine
years ago, the dish has gained fans, wowed bloggers and appeared on
Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels. But like any celeb, that beef doesn't just
wake up perfect. Whalen marinates it a few days then braises it at 220
degrees for 12 hours. The result is impossibly tender meat infused with
ginger and soy flavors. "When we tried to remove it from the menu years ago,
it was like getting death threats," Whalen
says. We're sure he's joking... Then again, if this dish vanished, there's
no
telling what we'd do."
The Gosple According to Rocco |
Cleveland Foodie, September, 2007
"In my short chat with Rocco, which took place during Fahrenheit’s happy
hour, you can’t help but get the feeling like you’ve known him forever.
Maybe that’s because he is a local."
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Hot Stuff: Fahrenheit | Cleveland Magazine
"A trip to Fahrenheit, chef Rocco Whalen's restaurant in the Tremont area,
could leave diners of a certain age humming a popular tune from the '50s:
Little Things Mean a Lot. This is a place where the tiniest details..."
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5 Favorites
(2006 Silver Spoon Awards)
| Cleveland Magazine, May 2006
Fahrenheit, Tremont — With Chef Rocco Whalen forming a new owner-ship group
with the guys from the Blind Pig and Southside, big things may be in store
for this popular Tremont eatery. The room is vibrant yet comfortable. And
Whalen’s cuisine — whether his widely touted, Puck-inspired pizzas or more
trendy dishes such as the rare beef carpaccio rolls, Chinatown chicken
spring rolls or tempura-battered chicken and waffles with truffle honey — is
upscale yet approachable. Plus, Fahrenheit’s martinis are some of the
biggest and best in the city.
A Temple to Temperature and Timing | Cleveland Live
"One lesson Whalen learned early from Wolfgang Puck, when he worked for
'Wolf,' (initially as a sous chef at Obachine in Phoenix in '97), was the
importance of using the finest, freshest ingredients..."
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Hot Spot: Fahrenheit restores faith... | Scene Magazine
"Just when diners were fretting that Cleveland's restaurant renaissance was
running out of steam, along came Fahrenheit, a charming little bistro in
Tremont, with outstanding food, engaging atmosphere, and enthusiastic
service..."
Fahrenheit in Tremont has high... | Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Sometimes you can just walk into a new restaurant, drink in the
surroundings, sit down, read the menu and wine list and say to yourself
"this place is going to be a big hit..."
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