Bates Farm Kitchen deals out delicious dishes

PERKINS TWP. — Clint Bates picked up an appetizing addiction he's dishing out to those craving a food fix.The Huron resident, who's in long-term recovery, stays sober by whipping up tasty treats inside his new Perkins Township restaurant, The Bates Farm Kitchen.The Bates Farm Kitchen offers vegetarian options such as the barbecue tofu sandwich, which features locally sourced and made from scratch ingredients. Debuting this past weekend, Bates already has community members hooked on his homemade meals. He served near-capacity crowds on Saturday and Sunday.Among the more popular items: buttermilk biscuits drenched with house-ground sausage gravy; spicy mayo-infused fried chicken atop Texas toast; and corned Angus beef brisket smothered in cabbage, Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing all sandwiched between rye flatbread."There seems to be a lot of local support for us," said Bates, who partnered with several companies, including partnerships formed with Storm Mountain Coffee Roasters and Mulberry Creek Herb Farm, for his new venture. "We've had such a good turnout so far, and I hope it continues."About five years ago, Bates, who suffers from alcohol abuse, checked into The Lantern Center for Recovery in Cleveland. He was homeless shortly before entering the rehabilitation facility.Clint Bates stands next to his fiancée and business partner, Ashley Zanath in their new restaurant, The Bates Farm Kitchen, in the Colonial Plaza at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Strub Road in Perkins Township. Bates, upon leaving the center, perfected his culinary capabilities at two popular Cleveland restaurants. He worked as an executive sous chef at The Greenhouse Tavern and earned the lead cook position at Urban Farmer Cleveland's Steakhouse in the Westin Cleveland Downtown. Shortly after his mother, Rebecca, died in 2015, Bates moved into her Huron house next to his farm, Bates Heirloom Farms.The two-acre farm yields tomatoes, peppers and other organic vegetables Bates plans on introducing into his restaurant's recipes once a new season starts.It's been Bates' lifelong dream to own a restaurant."I've always wanted to have my own breakfast and lunch spot and to be my own boss," Bates said. "I've cooked my whole life but could never excel at it until I got into recovery."Rebecca's legacy lives on in Bates' restaurant. Decorations from her home, ranging from farming tools bolted on the walls to a Thomas Edison lamp decoration, enliven the cozy dining space.Decorations from owner Clint Bates' mother's Huron home hang on the wall on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 at The Bates Farm Kitchen in Perkins Township. Bates employs a couple of his family members as workers.Additionally, his fiancée and business partner, Ashley Zanath, also cooks. She even inspired Bates to offer vegetarian-style options, including smoked barbecue tofu, into the menu. She recently gave birth to their 5-month-old son, Waylon."We want to make good food and have it affordable, too, for everyone around here," Zanath said.The made-from-scratch meals, ranging from $6 to $8, incorporate locally sourced products."I try to get all the meat from Ohio," Bates said. "I buy local or grow my own vegetables. I need fish that is sustainable from the ocean. I will only serve the finest products. And when I get rid of food, I'll recycle and compost it to be eco-friendly."Bates and Zanath believe any diner, no matter how picky, can find a delicious dish to enjoy."If you want to get fat, we have pulled pork sandwiches," Bates said. "If you want to eat healthy, we have salads, tofu and sandwiches. Just give us a try."A new restaurant, The Bates Farm Kitchen, is now open in the Colonial Plaza at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Strub Road in Perkins Township. Want to go?What: The Bates Farm Kitchen, a restaurant offering eat-in and carryout service for breakfast and lunchWhere: 3708 Columbus Ave. in the Colonial Plaza at Columbus Avenue and Strub Road behind the BP stationWhen: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays; closed MondaysCost: Full meals cost between $6 to $8;Signature dishes: Among the more popular items:• Biscuits and gravy: buttermilk biscuits with house-ground sausage gravy; $8• Chicken and waffle: yeast waffle, boneless fried chicken thigh, local honey butter, honey sauce; $7• Smoked barbecue tofu: radish slaw, peanut, Korean barbecue, flatbread; $6 Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.Homemade buttermilk biscuits drenched with house-ground sausage gravy is a breakfast item offered at a new restaurant, The Bates Farm Kitchen, in Perkins Township.