An exquisitely inimitable urban dining experience has arrived in Mason, and with it brings a host of intricately created dishes and cocktails to the suburbs. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provision & Spirits opened just off Snider Road in April and is co-owned by husband and wife Scott and Erin Schmidt. According to Erin, because Scott was the general contractor, they also physically built the restaurant along with the chef team and call it “more than a labor of love.”
S.W. stands for Scott and chef Will (Wadsworth), and Clyborne is a nod to the first restaurant that Scott opened in Chicago off Clybourne Avenue. With 35 years of industry experience, Scott likes to tie his restaurants’ concepts to history.
“We wanted to hit some of the historical ties to Mason, which was a provision stop for stagecoaches and trains,” Scott says. “So that’s how we came up with ‘provision and spirits.”’
From the outside, one would never guess that such a refined restaurant resides inside the suburban plaza space. But upon crossing the threshold, it’s like you’ve been transported to a downtown metropolis. The inside is reminiscent of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea coupled with chic refinement. The space is filled with a plethora of hand-crafted and custom-made decor such as a porthole window on the door separating the massive bar room from the dining room, a gargoyle street lamp in the middle of the dining room, metal gear steampunk-inspired side tables and much more.
“We wanted to do something different than anybody else was doing right now,” Scott says. “So we created a Victorian Postindustrial design.”
Each detail and intricacy of the decor was a collaboration between Erin and architect Ron Novak from Drawing Dept. The bread plates are actual china sets from estate sales dating pre-World War II, and each dining room table’s set is unique. Other highlights include the four unisex bathrooms that are decorated completely differently and the Tiffany-style lamps and crystal chandeliers that are scattered throughout the restaurant.
But the decor isn’t the only unique aspect; the expansive and ever-evolving menu and dining experience are also distinctive. For example, their bestselling entree is Southern gluten-free buttermilk-marinated fried chicken. And even more, 90 percent of the menu can be prepared gluten-free upon request.
Clyborne also boasts a chef’s table in the middle of the open kitchen where guests can interact with kitchen staff and view the entire cooking process.
“You’re literally elbow-to-elbow with the chef so you can ask questions, engage and see everything in the kitchen before it goes to the table.” –Erin Schmidt
Six guests can take part in a five-course, off-the-menu dinner with wine pairings.
“There is no chef’s table in the northern suburbs where you can have a fully immersive and individually prepared chef’s dinner,” Scott says.
All food—including the pasta—is made from scratch daily by chef team Will Wadsworth, Mark Bodenstein and Alessandro Urbisci. The restaurant does not have a freezer, yet another indication that Clyborne’s takes freshness seriously. Not a small feat for having a full brunch, lunch and dinner menu.
“One of the rules we have is that we all work collaboratively together and no one was going to own one particular dish,” Scott says. “The intent is that when having four or five great minds together; you’re going to get the best result.”
And with that, certain dishes have already become fan favorites like the goat cheese ravioli and the Queen City poutine appetizers.
From the nine signature cocktails designed by Scott (who is also a level two certified sommelier) and the seamlessly crafted menu to the level of hospitality, Clyborne’s creates a relaxed and upbeat fine dining experience. The restaurant seats 172 people inside and 24 outside and is available to rent out for private events and gatherings. The private dining room that seats 24 people can also be reserved with a specialized menu.
“Every guest who walks through the door, they’re our friends, our neighbors, people we don’t know yet,” Erin says. “We’re inviting them into our dining room, to our home. And we will take care of them.”
5948 Snyder Road, Mason, Ohio, 513.204.7922, Clybornes.com
