Jonathon Sawyer to open Seesaw Pretzel Shoppe inside Quicken Loans Arena

CLEVELAND - Food & Wine Magazine’s best new chef/restaurateur Jonathon Sawyer will open his second venture in creating arena style food at The Q.

SeeSaw Pretzel Shoppe will showcase Sawyer’s ability to take simple, classic ingredients and present them in a new and exciting way.

The renowned chef’s various restaurants: The Greenhouse Tavern, Noodlecat, and Sawyer’s Street Frites have been recognized in most major culinary publication, including recognition as one of the top 10 best new restaurants in the country from Bon Appetit in 2008.

A news release states Sawyer drew inspiration for SeeSaw Pretzel Shoppe from Old World Bavarian style recipes and his drive to bring something different to The Q. The pretzel flavors will range from sweet cinnamon and sugar to tangy hot mustard and spicy marinara.

“The atmosphere downtown is electric right now,” said Sawyer. “Cleveland’s Historic Gateway District is seeing brand new life and it’s only going to continue to grow in the next couple years. It’s an exciting time to be apart of city like Cleveland that is seeing a complete rebirth when other cities in the Rustbelt aren’t as lucky.”

The menu for SeeSaw Pretzel Shoppe features classic soft Bavarian style pretzels accompanied by various unique dipping sauces and schmears. The appetizers include a Roasted Garlic and Parmesan pretzel with Porky garlic sauce for $5.50, a Traditional Bavarian Lye dipped pretzel served with Hot Hot Hot mustard for $4.75, and an Everything Bagel pretzel served with a Veggie Cream Cheese schmear for $5.50.

Sawyer says iIf you're hungry for something a bit more hearty, SeeSaw Pretzel Shoppe also offers a Cheese and Pepperoni pretzel roll served with Spicy Marinara for $7 and an Organic Hot Dog roll up served with Sir Kensington’s Fancy ketchup for $8.

For those with a slightly sweeter palate, there's a Cinnamon Toast pretzel with Sweet Cinnamon Icing for $6.50. Also on the menu is a German style Sausage with sauerkraut, Hot Hot Hot mustard and a buttered roll for $8.

If you want to try a little bit of everything The Jackpot Pretzels is a grab bag of yesterdays pretzels and bits for $4. Along with the great variety of pretzels, SeeSaw will also serve Real Ohio Buttered popcorn in two different sizes for $4.50 and $8. GHT lager and session stout will be available on draft, as well as red and white wine. You'll also see a condiment bar full of mustards, ketchup and relish to dress your pretzel up.

The design of the restaurant is inspired by the Bavarian history of the pretzel. Cleveland restaurant designer Scott Richardson, also behind Sawyer’s Street Frites, captured Chef Sawyer’s creative and boisterous personality while incorporating simplistic lines and historical themes. The stand displays bright, bold shades of blue that instantly draws attention from people passing through Quicken Loans Arena.

SeeSaw Pretzel Shoppe opens inside The Q in late November.