Meet The Owner
Matt Swingos (Executive Chef / Wine Director) is a life-long Clevelander and a third generation restaurateur, hailing from Cleveland's premiere restaurant family. Throughout his 35 years in Cleveland, and his 26 years in the Cleveland restaurant community, Matt has devoted his time, talent, and world-renowned expertise to bettering the communities in which he works and lives. He believes in promoting not only his businesses and passions, but also believes deeply in promoting and working with other local entrepreneurs, such as local growers, wine makers, restaurateurs and philanthropies. Mr. Swingos is dedicated to making Cleveland a world-class dining destination.
Mr. Swingos was born and raised in Brecksville, OH and at the ripe age of nine years-old, he began his culinary career, serving as the official waffle-maker for Swingos at the Statler brunch. A graduate of Brecksville High School, Mr. Swingos was involved in a number of athletic, cultural, and academic organizations. He played football all four years, serving as Captain of the team his senior year, during which time he was also awarded the Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Scholastic Football Team Linebacker Award, as well as an honorable mention for being the number one linebacker in the state of Ohio. Additionally, he was a member of the National Honor Society, was actively involved in his church, and was a supporter of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Cleveland.
Upon graduating from Brecksville High School, Mr. Swingos attended John Carroll University, receiving his BA in Business Managment. A member of the John Carroll football team all four years, Mr. Swingos served as team Captain, receiving a leadership award for his duties in 1993. He was also the team facilitator for the Special Olympics, which were hosted at John Carroll University. Additionally, during his four years in college, Mr. Swingos ran his own landscaping and cleaning business, and worked at Swingos on the Lake on the weekends.
In 1994, Mr. Swingos became President of Swingos on the Lake, which at the time, had a 24 bottle inventory of wine. In the 13 years since taking over the establishment, Mr. Swingos has single-handedly developed a world-renowned menu and wine program, with a list of 1,800 different bottles, and a wine cellar that boasts 20,000 bottles of wine. Additionally, under his leadership, Swingos on the Lake has won numerous national and international awards, including Sante Magazine' s Best Fine Dining Wine Program in the Mid-West seven of the last nine years, Restaurant Hospitality Magazine' s Best Wine Program in the United States from 2002-2006, Wine Enthusiast Magazine' s Award of Ultimate Distinction from 2004-2007, and Wine Spectator Magazine' s "Best Of" Award of Excellence from 1997-2007.
Recognized as one of the world's top wine minds and palates, Mr. Swingos consults internationally for various wineries and wine-makers. His consulting work has taken him to 5 different continents and over 50 wineries in an effort to educate budding wineries in the production and distribution of their wines. Additionally, he is considered by his peers to be a pioneer in the resurrection of wine in the Cleveland market. From 2003-2005, he hosted "Crush On Wine," a live radio show on WCLV-FM. He is a contributing editor for Sante Magazine, and sits on the Board of Directors of a prestigious wine panel sponsored by Cheers Magazine, where he rates wines monthly. Furthermore, he is a member of the elite French Wine Society, The Chaine Des Rotisseurs, and appears monthly on WKYC-TV Channel 3's, Good Company, as a celebrity chef.
From 1995-2003 Mr. Swingos was the Chairperson and Co-Host of fundraising menu and wine development for the Boys and Girls Club of America in Chicago, IL raising over $1.2 million for the foundataion. From 2005-2008, he was elected and served on the Board od Directors for the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce. In 2005 and 2006, Mr. Swingos was personally appointed by the Cuyahoga County Commissioners as a member of the Lakewood-Cuyahoga County Tax Review Council. In 2007, Mr. Swingos instructed culinary classes at the Lorain County JVS and in 2008 and 2009, Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines asked Mr. Swingos to conduct wine seminars for cruise guests.
In addition to his civic activities, Mr. Swingos is an endless contributor to various fundraising organizations, some of which include Providence House, the American Cancer Society, Our Lady of the Wayside, the Boys and Cirls Club of America, the Cleveland Wine Auction, the Cleveland and Lorain County Animal Protective Leauge, the Cleveland Public Theater, and the Cleveland School of the Arts.
In July 2006, Mr. Swingos opened Swingos Grand Tavern, fulfilling his long-time goal of bringing a new vision on dining to Cleveland. Without compromising the quality and service that Swingos restaurants are know for, he has redefined the casual dining experience. The Grand Tavern, located in Avon Lake,OH, is designed to be family-oriented and moderately priced, making it appealing to a wide variety of customers. In addition to being family-friendly, the Grand Tavern is also aestheically pleasing, earning the 2006 American Institute of Architects Award for Best Interior Design for a Business Along with the cellar at Swingos One The Lake, Swingos Grand Tavern boasts one of the finest cellars in the USA.
Putting his passion and expertise to good use, Mr. Swingos has partnered with local winery Laurello Vineyards to blend, produce, and bottle the Grand Tavern's own private label wine. The Tavern Riesling and Pinot Noir were launched in June 2007.
In keeping with his love and support of the city of Cleveland, Mr. Swingos has chosen to utilize local growers and businesses whenever possible for both restaurants. For example, sustainable seafood and produce is primarily purchased from Cleveland-area companies.
Married in 2002, Mr. Swingos and his wife, Melody, live in suburban Avon Lake, Ohio with their daughters Pamela and Bia.
