WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Dante Bocuzzi is known for his popular downtown restaurants like Dante, Ginko and Goma, but his latest venture Dukes 'N Boots is bringing the country to Lake County and bringing his talents out east for the very first time.
"I mean, if I wasn't working, I could see myself just sitting in the corner eating a bucket of chicken and listening to music and drinking," Bocuzzi told 3News' Kierra Cotton.
Bocuzzi says the inspiration for the country-themed spot came from his love for traveling and for music.
"We were down in Nashville, seeing Pearl Jam and it just all kind of clicked," he recalled. "And then my wife, Simone came up with the name right on the spot - Dukes 'n Boots. I was like, that's perfect."
Bocuzzi says his latest concept, located on downtown Willoughby's Erie Street, is a chance to continue to reinvent his restaurant empire.
"I think it's important to be relevant and a lot of it seems like a lot of people look to me and look up to me and just to be that leader and in being relevant, just staying ahead of the curve, coming up with new ideas."
And that includes a fresh new menu, featuring a signature fried chicken.
"It's everything that you want. When you get that first bite, that crunch, everything comes together," head chef Emily Campion explained. "You feel it the entire way through your mouth. It's fantastic."
Campion says the menu focuses on reimagined southern classics.
"I try to reuse and revitalize and bring new flavors that some people may not have experienced, but they're going to grow to love," she said. "It's like a new twist on things, but still casual."
There’s also a full bar featuring frozen margaritas and slushies, and plenty of specialty cocktails. And as General Manager David Kowalski points out, the sixty-seat patio and live music will have everyone putting on their dancing shoes.
"[We'll have] a lot of country, this is a country bar. That's our focus, that's our heart and soul. So we're kind of keeping up with that."
A honky tonk hangout with a little something for everyone.
"We want to kind of be really inclusive, but everyone can come here, feel comfortable, get something," Kowalski said. They walk away with a full belly and a full heart."