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Home > Blogs > Taste: Dayton food and restaurants > Archives > 2008 > November
November 2008
Olympic champion Michael Phelps to shill for Subway
Step aside, Jared. Olympic champion extraordinaire Michael Phelps is about to blow you out of the water. Check out this Restaurants & Institutions Magazine web story entitled “Michael Phelps to represent Subway brand”.
So … first Subway subs help some guy shed beaucoup poundage, and now they help another dude become the fastest swimmer in the world? Amazing stuff, those subs …
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TweetPizza rules on Thanksgiving Eve
(Looking for restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving Day or to add yours to the list? Click here to go straight to it.)
By Mark Fisher
Staff Writer
Pity the poor Pilgrims.
How did they possibly prepare the first Thanksgiving Day feast without speed-dialing the local carry-out pizza joint from their cell phone to take care of dinner the night before?
We’ll never know. But we do know their descendants in the 21st Century will punch those pizzeria phone numbers plenty Wednesday night on Thanksgiving Eve.
“The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of our busiest days of the year,” said Roger Glass, CEO of Marion’s Piazza, which operates seven restaurants in the Dayton area. “People are busy focusing on preparations for Thanksgiving dinner and don’t have time to cook the night before.”
Vic Cassano Jr., CEO of Cassano’s that operates more than 30 restaurants across the Miami Valley, said his pizzerias also do gangbuster business on Thanksgiving Eve. “We know it’s coming, so we prepare ourselves” with additional staffing, pizza ingredients and supplies, Cassano said.
The Ann Arbor-based Domino’s Pizza chain will deliver more than 1.1 million pizzas to homes across the nation on Wednesday, Nov. 26 — a 50 percent increase over the typical Wednesday. That puts Thanksgiving Eve into the top five busiest days of the year, along with Super Bowl Sunday, Halloween, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, Domino’s officials say.
And while Thursday brings a holiday respite, the pizza-makers get right back at it on Friday, which for Marion’s pizzerias at least, is even busier than Thanksgiving Eve.
“A lot of people return home to Dayton from out of town for the holiday, and they need to have their fix before they go back,” Glass said.
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TweetHow to survive airport dining
(Looking for restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving Day or to add yours to the list? Click here to go straight to it.)
Just in time for the busiest travel period of the year: Check out the Food & Wine Ultimate Airport Dining Survival Guide, which comes complete with specific dining recommendations at 15 of the nation’s busiest airports, with insider tips such as which restaurants require a trip through security.
The web package also includes a slide show on “recipes to make ahead for the plane”. Seriously? Does anyone do this?
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TweetFood Fight: corn growers, grocers square off over high grocery prices
(Looking for restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving Day or to add yours to the list? Click here to go straight to it.)
What in the world prompted this catfight — or in this case, food fight? Here’s a copy of a news release I received today from the Ohio Corn Growers Association and ethanol producers:
Big Food’s Greed Comes at Expense of American Families
Grocery manufacturers continue to gouge consumers
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Food manufacturers that are reaping huge profits with skyrocketing food prices continue to look for someone to blame as corn prices and transportation costs continue their steady decline.
At a news conference today, representatives from Ohio’s agricultural and ethanol industries publicly called on big food companies to pass on savings to the consumer rather than gouge them in the grocery lines.
“For months, the Grocers Manufacturers Association (GMA) has spread misleading information about corn and ethanol while they lined their pockets with huge profits,” said Dwayne Siekman, executive director of Ohio Corn Growers Association. “Now that corn prices are down, which is what food manufacturers used as its scapegoat, why do Americans continue to suffer at the grocery store.”
Siekman was joined by Mike Wagner, of Buckeye Renewable Fuels Association, and Mark Borer, of Growth Energy, a coalition of responsible ethanol producers who have joined together to fight the misinformation put forth by large food manufacturers.
The cost of food has increased at a brisk 7.6 percent in the past year, the worst rate of the past 20 years, and has continued to increase while the cost of corn and other commodities have fallen in the past four months. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the price of basic foods in the United States is currently rising at twice the rate of inflation and is expected to continue to rise in the future. Here are a few examples of some of the drastic increases in food staples from March 2007 and March 2008:
— Milk prices - 13.3 percent
— Cheese - 12.5 percent
— Eggs - 29.9 percent
— Bread - 14.7 percent
Big Food is sowing profit growth from these higher prices. Kraft’s revenues increased nearly 20 percent from the year-earlier period and saw net income shoot up in the third quarter to $1.4 billion. Sales at Kellogg’s climbed 9.5 percent and third-quarter net income increased to $342 million, up from $305 million the year earlier.
Noting the rising food prices this past spring, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) planned an attack in a leaked PR memo (go to GrowthEnergy.org) to distract Americans from the rising cost of food by mounting a campaign against American ethanol producers. Their argument centered on the premise that biofuels production increased the demand and cost of corn, which forced food producers to raise food prices for consumers.
“With the current low corn prices and transportation costs, GMA’s flawed argument has been exposed,” Siekman said. “Ethanol has been proven as the most viable, homegrown alternative fuel right now to help us begin the process of reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”
Siekman said the economic impact ethanol production has on Ohio’s 2,000 corn growers, as well the overall U.S. economy, is remarkable. For example, in Ohio, the three POET facilities in Leispic, Fostoria and Marion employ about 120 local people, while The Anderson’s/Marathon plant boasts another 45 jobs. These four plants alone will produce almost 300 million gallons of ethanol.
Overall, Ohio’s ethanol plants invested over $700 million in the state employing 210 people and spurring local economic activity with growth in rail sectors, improvement in local roads and tax investments into communities while giving Ohio farmers another market for their corn and less reliance on federal help.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that for every one billion gallons of ethanol produced, 10,000 to 20,000 jobs will be added. In 2007, the ethanol industry contributed $47.6 billion to the nation’s GDP, created more than 200,000 jobs and generated an estimated $4.6 billion in revenues for the federal government.
About Ohio Corn Growers Association
The Ohio Corn Growers Association represents the interests of more than 20,000 corn growers in the state. OCGA works in Washington and at the Ohio Statehouse to ensure government participation in legislation is beneficial to Ohio’s growers. Farmers provide food, feed and fuel to power Ohio. For more information, go to http://www.ohiocorn.org.
About Growth Energy
Growth Energy is a group committed to the promise of agriculture and growing America’s economy through cleaner, greener energy. Growth Energy members recognize America needs a new ethanol approach. Through smart policy reform and a proactive grassroots campaign, Growth Energy promotes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, expanding the use of ethanol in gasoline, decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, and creating American jobs at home. More information can be found at GrowthEnergy.org.
But what in the world is going on? Well, my reporting colleague Laura Bischoff did find this little kernel from the grocery manufacturers association web site that may explain some of the garment-rending:
July 10, 2008
(Washington, D.C.) - Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Vice President for Federal Affairs Scott Faber today testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works regarding Federal food-to-fuel policies and their negative impact on the environment.
“Congress should carefully evaluate the environmental impacts of food-to-fuel policies, said Faber. “Diverting food crops to our fuel supplies has artificially increased the price of commodities, accelerating the conversion of pasture and forest lands to crop production at home and around the globe, releasing carbon into the atmosphere and reducing the availability of carbon ‘sinks’ that help sequester carbon. In addition, increased production of row crops has increased water pollution, compounded water shortages, and contributed to the loss of habitat for wildlife. In particular, increased fertilizer use has increased the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous being washed into rivers and bays, including the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and will increase ground level ozone in some regions. Increasing the use of distiller’s grain - a byproduct of ethanol production that is fed to animals but has less nutritional value than feed - also increases the amount of phosphorous reaching waterways.
“We urge Congress to freeze federal food-to-fuel mandates, restructure food-to-fuel policies to reduce the use of food to produce fuel, and accelerate the development of advanced and cellulosic bio-fuels that do not pit out energy needs against the needs of the hungry and the environment.”
Laura called the Grocery Manufacturers Association for comment on the charges leveled in the press conference, and received the following from Scott W. Openshaw, communications director for the GMA:
“Over the last few years commodity prices have been extremely volatile. Until Congress facilitates the rapid development and delivery of second generation biofuels that don’t pit our energy needs against our food and feed needs, this volatility will only continue. Commodity prices rose dramatically between 2005 and 2008. Even after recent declines, farm-level corn and soybean prices have more than doubled since 2005/06. Retail food costs continue to reflect record commodity prices and volatility.”
Anybody else have any insights about (or beyond) this brouhaha?
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TweetNew restaurant opens in Kettering
(Looking for restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving Day or to add yours to the list? Click here to go straight to it.)
Siam Pad Thai has opened at 3027 Wilmington Pike in Kettering.
The 30-seat restaurant opened in the location that formerly housed the China Chef restaurant. Siam Pad Thai offers Thai dishes as well as an extensive menu of sushi and sashimi. It is owned and operated by Pakawan “Fon” Christman, who helped introduce Thai cuisine to the Yummy Burger, a downtown Dayton diner, and who also was co-owner of Ban Thai restaurant (now House of Thai) in the Beaver Valley Shopping Center in Beavercreek.
The restaurant is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and carryout is available. For more information, call (937) 293-9606.
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TweetChicken Louie’s ‘temporarily closed’
(Looking for restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving Day or to add yours to the list? Click here to go straight to it.)
Chicken Louie’s has “temporarily closed” its restaurant at 865 N. Main St., just north of downtown Dayton.
A hand-written sign posted on plywood covering the restaurant’s carry-out window reads, “Temporarily Closed,” and offers a phone number and a first name for those who wish to call for more information.
Phone calls to that number on Wednesday, Nov. 19, and this morning, Nov. 20, were not returned.
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TweetRestaurants turn to wine to ferment ideas, attract new customers
(Looking for restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving Day or to add yours to the list? Click here to go straight to it.)
The cover story in tomorrow’s Dayton Daily News Go! section is all about restaurants and how more of them are turning to wine tastings, dinners and other wine events to help them fashion their menus and wine lists — and to attract new customers.
Before we offer up a “sneak peek” at the story, you should know about the latest restaurant that didn’t make it into this story, but which is launching its first monthly wine tasting next weekend (after Thanksgiving). Boosalis Baking & Cafe at 9486 Springboro Pike in Miami Twp. will host a Holiday Wine Tasting from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, featuring ” an eclectic collection of unique French and Italian wines,” owner Matt Boosalis said. The cost is $15, which includes appetizers. For more information, call (937) 424-0636. Now, here’s what will be published Friday:
Some are searching for new customers. Others are looking for a test market for new appetizers or entrees. Others want customer feedback on which new wines to add to the wine list.
Whatever their reasons, more restaurants in the Dayton area are using wine tastings and wine dinners to try to get new, fresh faces to cross their doorsteps.
A decade ago, diners could easily count on one hand the number of restaurants that held regular wine events. Now, the number exceeds a dozen and is growing.
Cena Brazilian/Mediterranean Steakhouse, in front of the Dayton Mall, is one of the most recent to join the trend, launching a late-afternoon tasting on a day not yet taken by any other restaurant: Sundays.
“We decided to do something fun for a Sunday afternoon for little money,” Cena owner Eva Christian said of her event that offers tastes of two wines for $10 served with free appetizers. The event allows Cena to introduce wines that are not on its regular wine list, and to test-market new appetizers and wines, Christian said.
In Vandalia, the inaugural wine-and-appetizers event in October at Mr. Lee’s Fine Dining was a smashing success, with the restaurant serving up 15 appetizers accompanied by four wines to a crowd of more than 40 people. The restaurant had intended to cap the attendance at 25, but the surge in reservation requests prompted a change of heart, as well as plans for similar events in early 2009.
Keith Taylor, chef-owner of Savona Restaurant and Wine Bar in Centerville, holds a monthly wine tasting in the restaurant’s bar. He launched the idea shortly after the restaurant opened a year ago, figuring it would be a “great way to get people to try new wines for a good price.”
Now, the tastings “really have grown and become like a party,” Taylor said. “People drinking, eating and talking to one another, making new friends.
“One of the benefits we have noticed is that people are staying for dinner after the tasting. On a couple of occasions people have met other couples and stayed and had dinner with one another. I have also experimented with dishes for the appetizers, and then gotten feedback from the guests.”
Jay’s Restaurant in Dayton’s Oregon District was among the trailblazers — along with restaurants such as l’Auberge in Kettering, The Winds in Yellow Springs and Anticoli’s/Caffe Anticoli in Harrison Twp., among others — in using wine to attract customers. Today Jay’s hosts wine luncheons, dinners and weekly Friday night tastings in Jay’s Kitchen Door behind the restaurant. While reservations are required for luncheons and dinners, the Friday tastings are drop-in events in which wine samples are priced based on the wine’s expense, and complimentary appetizers are served.
Amy Haverstick, co-owner and general manager at Jay’s, said customers have benefited from the knowledge of visiting winemakers at the restaurant’s special dinners — and they’ve also boosted sales of wines sold at retail.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, which launched weekly wine tastings with appetizers in its bar just after opening at The Greene in Beavercreek, also hosts wine dinners with visiting winemakers and in conjunction with local charitable organizations such as CultureWorks. Seth Brown, operating partner for the restaurant, said the commitment to wine events “shows we’re not your typical steakhouse.”
The weekly after-work-Wednesday tastings allow the restaurant’s chefs to exercise their creativity in devising appetizers that pair nicely with the wines offered and allows them to find local sources for ingredients for those one-time appetizers, Brown said. Fleming’s tries to make the atmosphere as non-intimidating as possible, putting wine-tasting notes in writing on each table and having the restaurant’s wine manager, Diana Morrison, mingle with guests to answer questions, Brown said.
Sometimes, wine-tasting events can blur the distinction between wine bars and restaurants. On most Saturdays — and on other occasions when visiting winemakers arrange to host a public tasting of their wines at Cuvee wine bar in Bellbrook that he co-owns — chef Chris Cavender will put together a menu of small-plate appetizers to accompany the wines. The appetizers could include, as they did for a visiting winemaker’s appearance last month, cold poached salmon with chardonnay sauce or cider-roasted rack of pork chop with squash puree.
Art and Carol Chin held wine tastings and dinners frequently at the now-defunct Chin’s restaurant in downtown Dayton — and that tradition continues at their Tipp City restaurant, Chin’s Ginger Grill, which hosts monthly wine (and occasionally beer) tastings paired with test-drive appetizers.
“Our initial reasons for starting the tastings were to market ourselves and bring diners in,” Carol Chin said. “But we also do frequently use the tastings to try out new menu items.” (A wild mushroom dumpling I sampled several weeks ago at one of the restaurant’s monthly wine tastings “made the cut” and is now on the menu.)
In the end, though, Chin said the restaurant has continued the tastings “because they’re really quite fun for our customers and our staff, and they’re also a great way to make wine more approachable for a wide variety of wine drinkers, including novices.”
For a list of restaurants that have frequent or regular tastings, click on “continue reading” …
RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE REGULAR OR FREQUENT WINE DINNERS/TASTINGS
— L’Auberge, 4120 Far Hills Ave. in Kettering, holds frequent wine dinners. (937) 299-5536, www.laubergedayton.com
— Cena Brazilian/Mediterranean Steakhouse, 2854 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Miami Twp., holds weekly tastings from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, (937) 438-2362, www.cenarestaurant.com
— Chin’s Ginger Grill, 965 W. Main St., Tipp City, holds monthly wine tastings with appetizers, (937) 667- 6664, www.chins-ginger-grill.com
— DiSalvo’s Deli, 1383 East Stroop Road in Kettering, offers a monthly wine tasting in conjunction with a special dinner. 937-298-5053, www.disalvosdeli.com.
— Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 4432 Walnut St. at The Greene in Beavercreek, holds weekly tastings on Wednesday after work, and frequent wine dinners. (937) 320-9548, www.flemingssteakhouse.com
— The Inn at Versailles, 21 West Main Street, Versailles, holds frequent wine dinners, (937) 526-3020, www.innatversailles.com
— Jay’s, 225 E. Sixth St. in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District, holds weekly drop-in tastings after work on Fridays and frequent wine luncheons and dinners, (937) 222-2892, www.jays.com
— McCormick & Schmick’s, 4429 Cedar Park Drive in The Greene in Beavercreek, holds occasional wine dinners, (937) 431-9200, www.mccormickandschmicks.com
— El Meson, 903 E. Dixie Drive in West Carrollton, holds frequent wine dinners, (937) 859-8229, www.elmeson.net
— Mr. Lee’s Fine Dining, 7580 Poe Ave., Vandalia, holds occasional monthly tasting/dinner, (937) 898-3860, www.mymrlees.com
— Pacchia, 410 E. Fifth St. in Dayton’s Oregon Historical District, holds occasional wine dinners, (937) 341-5050, www.pacchia.com
— Rue Dumaine, 1061 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Washington Twp., holds weekly wine tasting with appetizers on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., (937) 610-1061, www.ruedumainerestaurant.com
— Savona Restaurant and Wine Bar, 79 S. Main St. in Centerville, holds monthly after-work wine tasting and appetizers on the second Wednesday of the month, (937) 610-9835, www.savonadayton.com
— The Winds, 215 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, holds frequent wine dinners and luncheons, (937) 767-1144, www.windscafe.com
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TweetAnother new restaurant to open at The Greene
(Looking for restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving Day or to add yours to the list? Click here to go straight to it.)
Signs are posted at The Greene in Beavercreek announcing that a new Mexican restaurant called Rojo is “coming soon.”
Mike Duffey, Columbus-based spokesman for The Greene, said this morning, Nov. 18, that the signage should be considered a “teaser.”
“I cannot go into further detail, except to say we expect to make a formal announcement by the end of the year,” Duffey said in an email.
Duffey had said earlier this year that the shopping-and-entertainment complex’s owners were looking for an “upscale Mexican” restaurant to locate there.
The sign is located on a storefront on the eastern edge of the complex, east of Adobe Gila’s and the newly opened Pasha Grill.
The Greene’s “Rojo” has no connection to a restaurant of the same name that opened just yesterday, on Monday, Nov. 17, in Novi, Michigan, an owner of that restaurant said.
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TweetRachael Ray coming to Dayton
Author and Food Network cooking show host Rachael Ray will visit Books & Co. at The Greene on Wednesday, Dec. 10 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. to promote her new cookbook entitled Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Book, according to Sharon Kelly Roth, public relations director at the bookstore.
Books & Co. at The Greene is located at 4453 Walnut St. in the shopping and entertainment complex at I-675 and Indian Ripple Road in Beavercreek.
Here’s what Publisher’s Weekly said about Big Orange Book:
Dedicating whole chapters to kosher and vegetarian meals, meals for one, burgers, holiday menus, starters and appetizers, her trademark 30-minute meals and more, Ray covers the gamut in this tome named after her favorite color. Recipes are designed for cooks of all levels, and meals with more than one course are marked so that cooks can maximize time and effort. Dishes range from the familiar, such as a weeknight pot roast, to the more ambitious lemon and garlic chicken with grilled prosciutto-wrapped asparagus served with a pesto three-bean salad.
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TweetWhich restaurants are open on Thanksgiving Day?
Over several days earlier this month in both the newspaper and on this web site, we invited restaurant owners to let readers know if they were open on Thanksgiving Day. Here are the replies we’ve received from restaurants by noon Monday, Nov. 24, in order of when they posted their responses (this story will also appear in Tuesday’s Dayton Daily News Life section):
— Caffe Anticoli, 8268 N. Main St., Harrison Twp., (937) 890-0300: “We will be serving our traditional Turkey dinner, including dressing, homemade cranberry relish, giblet gravy, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, buttered peas, homemade pumpkin pie; also, many of our more popular entrees will also be featured, pastas, steaks, chops, seafoods. Open 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reservations are accepted.
— McCormick & Schmick’s at The Greene in Beavercreek, (937) 431-9765: “(We) will be open from noon to 9 p.m. We will serve our regular dinner menu plus “Turkey Two Ways.” Turkey dinners are $18.95 with a choice of Traditional or Cajun-Rubbed. (Reservations recommended).”
— Carvers, 1535 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp., (937) 433-7099: “Carvers is open from noon to 8 p.m. serving the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings as well as our full menu.” Reservations recommended.
— Kohinoor Palace, 39 S. Springboro Pike in Miamisburg (Ohio 741 at Ohio 725 near the Dayton Mall), (937) 838-3767: “Kohinoor Palace will be open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will serve turkey in our lunch buffet, then will reopen for regular dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
— Golden Corral (three area locations at 6611 Miller Lane in Vandalia, (937) 264-3300; at 2490 Commons Blvd. in Beavercreek near the Mall at Fairfield Commons, (937) 431-7300; and at 8870 Kingsridge Drive near the Dayton Mall in Miami Twp., (937) 312-2400): “Golden corral open on Thanksgiving also” (Call for times and menus).
— Stagecoach Restaurant, 1238 E. Central Ave., Miamisburg, (937) 847-0789: “We will be open at 7 a.m. Thanksgiving Day beginning with breakfast followed by the Thanksgiving buffet at 11 a.m. Cost is $8.95 for adults and $5.95 for children ages 10 and under.”
— The Golden Lamb Restaurant and Inn, 27 S. Broadway, Lebanon, (513) 932-5065: “The Golden Lamb will host its 145th Thanksgiving dinner for residents across the Tri-state area. Thanksgiving menu will be available from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27.”
— Wilbur’s at the Dayton Airport Hotel at the Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, (937) 898-1000: “(We) will be serving a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with all the trimmings from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27. Prices are $12.95 for adults, $10.95 for seniors, $7.95 for children 12 and under. Space is limited.” Call for reservations.
— Amelia’s Bistro, 129 W. Franklin St. in Bellbrook, (937) 310-3040: “We will serving traditional Thanksgiving meals from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations.”
— Frisch’s, multiple area locations, open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., call for menu and other details.
A couple of bar-restaurants, Bar Louie’s at The Greene in Beavercreek and Norton’s Grill at 2505 Wilmington Pike in Kettering, also responded saying they were open on the holiday.
Restaurant owners, if you’re serving on Thanksgiving Day, you can still let our online readers know about it by posting a comment that includes your restaurant name, address, phone number, hours on Thanksgiving Day and a menu of what you’re serving that day. Diners, keep checking this page for updates that will help you plan your holiday meal. Please click on the “comments” link below to view the full list of restaurant responses and diners’ comments. Some of the restaurants that have posted a reply recently may not be included in the list above.
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TweetNew restaurant opens at The Greene
Pasha Grill has opened its doors at The Greene.
The new restaurant is located at 72 Plum St. in the site that once housed Cafe Istanbul and later Estilo Mediterranean Grill.
The owner and executive chef of the 3,200-square-foot restaurant is Fatih Gunal, who owns the current Cafe Istanbul in the Easton shopping and entertainment complex in Columbus. Gunal was not the original owner of either Easton’s or The Greene’s Cafe Istanbul, but helped turn around the Easton eatery, a spokesman for The Greene said.
Pasha Grill offers a $9.95 three-course lunch special that includes choices such as lentil soup or smoked eggplant puree with tahini, olive oil and garlic as appetizers, entree choices such as chicken kebab or a gyro sandwich, and dessert. The dinner menu includes several kebab choices ($12.95 to $13.95) as well as house specialties such as stuffed eggplant, vegetable stew with lamb, and mousakka (all $12.95).
The restaurant does not yet have its license to sell alcohol — but it’s close. Alex Saki, a manager of Pasha Grill, said he expects to be able to offer beer, wine and spirits early next week. Plans for a grand opening are not finalized, Saki said, but there will be belly dancing and a special menu for New Year’s Eve.
Pasha Grill is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (937) 429-9000. The restaurant’s web site, www.pashagrill.com, is under construction.
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TweetRestaurant reopens after fire
J. Alexander’s, 7970 Washington Village Drive in Washington Twp., has reopened three weeks after a fire damaged the restaurant.
J. Alexander’s will serve lunch today for the first time since Oct. 21. As the lunch rush was winding down that day, diners heard a “boom” and were forced to evacuate as flames could be seen shooting from the roof from a fire in the kitchen vents.
The restaurant used the time it took to make repairs and get clearance to reopen from health, building and fire inspectors to make some renovations, including the installation of new carpet in the lobby, Sean Wiseman, the restaurant’s general manager, said this morning, Nov. 12.
J. Alexander’s is open for luch and dinner seven days a week. For more information, call 435-4441.
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TweetBBQ restaurant changes owners, expands menu
That BBQ Place, 282 W. Central Ave. in Springboro, has changed ownership, phone number and menu.
The independent restaurant opened two months ago under the ownership of Bob and Jill Weiland, who formerly operated the Ron’s Pizza and Ribs franchise at that location since 2000, Bob Weiland said in September.
The restaurant is now called “That BBQ Place and More” and is owned by Bob Weiland’s mother, Brenda Weiland of Miamisburg, who said she came out of retirement after running bowling centers, restaurants and bars for 40 years.
The new menu assures diners that, “All soups and lunch specials are hand-made by Grandma.”
“Everything is made from scratch,” Brenda Weiland said. “We offer homemade bread with meals, and hopefully, we’ll start desserts next week, including homemade cookies.”
In addition to the ribs, pulled pork and other BBQ menu, the restaurant offers regular menu items such as beef hotshots and smothered steak, and lunch specials that include chicken fettucine on Thursdays and cabbage rolls with mashed potatoes on Fridays.
The restaurant is located at the corner of Park Avenue and Ohio 73. It’s open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The restaurant’s new phone number is (937) 514-7900.
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TweetNew Chick-fil-A near Miller Lane to give away $26,000 worth of free food
A new Chick-fil-A that is scheduled to open this Thursday morning, Nov. 13, at 3339 Benchwood Drive near Miller Lane will give away one-year supplies of Chick-fil-A meals (52 coupons) to the first 100 people in line when the restaurant opens between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Chick-fil-A officials say.
The coupons for free once-a-week Chick-fil-A Meals will be awarded to “each of the first 100 adults, age 18 and older with identification,” and the line can begin forming up to 24 hours prior to the opening, Chick-fil-A officials said.
Here is the Chick-fil-A press release, in its entirety, that provides details of the “First 100 Fans” promotion:
Dayton’s Newest Stand-Alone Chick-fil-A Restaurant Opening Nov. 13
Chick-fil-A, Just Named Best Drive-Thru in America, Will Give Away Free Year’s Supply to First 100 in Line
DAYTON, Ohio (Nov. 13, 2008) - Chick-fil-A, newly named best drive-thru in the country in a national industry study, will reward those willing to wait in line for Dayton’s newest stand-alone Chick-fil-A restaurant opening on Nov. 13 by giving away $26,000 in free Chick-fil-A food to the first 100 adults in line that morning with Chick-fil-A Inc.
A one-year supply of free Chick-fil-A Meals (52 coupons) will be awarded to each of the first 100 adults, age 18 and older with identification, at the new stand-alone restaurant located at 3339 Benchwood Drive. The line can begin forming up to 24 hours prior to the opening, with the prizes being given away on Nov. 13 sometime between 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. The restaurant will open afterward.
The First 100 Fans promotion was launched in 2003 to mark the opening of the chain’s first stand-alone restaurant in Arizona. Five years later, the event continues to draw Chick-fil-A raving fans from all over the country. Armed with tents, computers, games and even swimming pools, campers turn the grand opening event into an all-night tailgate party.
“When we started the First 100 Fans promotion we were stunned when someone arrived 18 hours in advance and asked where he could wait in line,” said Cathy, who has camped out at dozens of openings. “Five years later, we’ve given away more than $8.5 million in free Chick-fil-A food across the country to raving fans who’ve braved snow, wind, rain and triple-digit temperatures to help us celebrate the opening of each new Chick-fil-A.”
Chick-fil-A was recently named Best Drive-Thru in America by QSR magazine after a three-month industry study of 25 quick-service restaurant chains in all 50 states. This is the fifth time Chick-fil-A has topped the annual industry survey which measures order accuracy, speed of service, menu board appearance and speaker clarity.
Chick-fil-A, which had the busiest drive-thru with an average of more than three cars in the lane, topped the competition in the category consumers reporting caring about most - order accuracy. According to the newly released data, Chick-fil-A drive-thru orders placed during the lunch and dinner test periods were accurate 97 percent of the time, an improvement of nearly two percentage points from 2007 when Chick-fil-A was again top in order accuracy.
Helping Chick-fil-A get those orders correct was its speaker clarity which the study found to be best in the quick-service industry. And despite having the busiest drive-thru, the study found that Chick-fil-A’s average service time was just under three minutes per vehicle. In all, the study reviewed almost 6,000 orders for accuracy and more than 11,500 service times when comparing the various chains.
Kevin Weaver has been selected as the franchised Operator of the new Chick-fil-A where he will employ approximately 65 team members.
“Since its first chain restaurant opened more than 40 years ago, Chick-fil-A has become synonymous with freshly prepared food and ‘my pleasure’ customer service,” said Weaver. “My team and I are eager to continue that legacy at Dayton’s newest stand-alone location.”
The Chick-fil-A on Benchwood Drive features a 4,227 square-foot interior that seats 134 and has warm colors and wood accents as well as an indoor play area for children that includes an interactive section for toddlers. Chick-fil-A’s award-winning drive-thru offers a convenient way for Chick-fil-A customers to get their freshly prepared food on the go. The new restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving a full breakfast menu until 10:30 a.m.
Chick-fil-A recently announced it has eliminated artificial trans fat from its entire menu and is among the first national quick-service restaurant chains to offer a complete menu - from entrées down to condiments - with zero grams of trans fat.
The menu at the new restaurant also will include several enhancements rolled out chain wide in May. These include a new Chick-fil-A® Chargrilled and Fruit Salad with Harvest Nut Granola topping, Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips® that are 50 percent larger than the previous offerings and are complemented by a new proprietary dipping sauce called Chick-fil-A Sauce™, Chick-fil-A® Chicken Salad Sandwich served on a new premium wheatberry bread with green leaf lettuce, and Cool Wraps selections come in a new multi-grain flatbread.
About Chick-fil-A Inc.
Truett Cathy developed the original Chick-fil-A boneless breast of chicken sandwich in his 24-hour Dwarf House® diner near Atlanta in the early 1960s, opening his first Chick-fil-A restaurant in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall in 1967. The chain has grown to more than 1,405 locations in 37 states and Washington, D.C. Chick-fil-A, Inc. reached more than $2.64 billion in sales in 2007, resulting in a 16.09 percent increase over the chain’s 2006 performance and included an 8.47 percent same-store sales increase. It is the 40th consecutive year of sales growth for the chain which plans to add 88 locations this year, including 70 stand-alone restaurants. Information about Chick-fil-A is available on the chain’s websites, located at www.chick-fil-a.com or www.chick-fil-apressroom.com.
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TweetCarvers breaks free from chain, goes independent
The Dayton area’s newest independent restaurant is Carvers Steaks & Chops, the spacious steakhouse at 1535 Miamisburg-Centerville Road (Ohio 725) in Washington Twp.
Ron Taylor, managing partner for Carvers who has served as general manager for the restaurant for more than nine years, said he plans no immediate changes to a formula that has served Carvers well over the last 12 years. The staff and management team remain the same, Taylor said.
Until this month, Carvers was affiliated with a relatively small national chain of restaurants, Paragon Steakhouse Restaurants Inc., which has no connection to the independent Paragon restaurant located just down the road from Carvers. But the San Diego-based Paragon chain that owned Carvers declared bankruptcy in May 2008, and essentially dissolved last week, Taylor said.
Before ceasing operations, however, the chain sold off a dozen restaurants that have been healthy and profitable, including the Ohio 725 eatery, which is now a stand-alone, privately owned restaurant, Taylor said. With a dining room that seats 220 and a lounge that seats 75, Carvers becomes one of the largest independent restaurants in the Dayton area ((Do any readers know of any that are bigger in terms of seating capacity?).
Taylor said being affiliated with a financially struggling parent chain “kept us from progressing,” but he said he plans no immediate changes to the menu. The restaurant recently installed new carpet and new televisions, and is planning on increasing the number of wine dinners during 2009, he said.
Carvers “already has a great reputation, and we hope to enhance it,” Taylor said.
While increased competition from large chain restaurants at The Greene and from other Dayton-area restaurants that have opened in recent years has brought challenges, Taylor said Carvers is meeting those challenges. “We’re not breaking any records, but we’re profitable,” he said. “The difference is our staff.”
A sign at the restaurant’s reception area notes that because of the restaurant’s change of ownership, Carvers is not able to process gift certificates purchased before May 2008. But Taylor said holders of such gift certificates should talk to him about their options.
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TweetJag’s chef to compete in ‘Top Chef’ reality show
My blogging colleague Craig Schrolucke, of Reality Bytes fame, reports that Lauren Starling Hope, apparently a chef at Jag’s Steak and Seafood in West Chester, has been named one of the contestants in Season 5 of Bravo TV’s hit series, “Top Chef.”
Nice to have a hometowner to root for …
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TweetLincoln Park Grille restaurant to close Jan. 1
Lincoln Park Grille, 580 Lincoln Park Blvd. in Kettering, will cease operations on Jan. 1, 2009, its owner, Bruce Comisar, said this morning, Nov. 7.
The restaurant has operated under Comisar’s ownership for 10 years, and its patio is a particularly popular spot during concerts at the neighboring Fraze Pavilion.
Comisar said a combination of slow business, a poor economic outlook and difficulty in trying to renegotiate a lease with his landlord prompted the decision to close. But he also wanted to give customers ample notice.
“We have parties scheduled before the end of the year, and we have gift cards out there, and I wanted to honor the commitments I’ve made,” Comisar said.
Comisar said he searched for alternatives to closing, including approaching potential investors both locally and nationally and trying to contact his landlord to renegotiate his lease, but the efforts were not successful. He said he does not anticipate changing his decision regardless of what happens between now and Dec. 31.
“I can’t do it anymore,” Comisar said. “I have no intentions for a new facility or anything like that … I’ll be looking for work. Maybe I can help someone.”
The closing will mark an end to an era: Either Comisar, 66, or his father Max — who was founder of the King Cole restaurant in downtown Dayton and its predecessor, the Seville — has operated a restaurant in the Dayton area since 1928.
Comisar encouraged Dayton-area residents to support independent restaurants such as the eateries he and his father operated for eight decades.
“I hope that to the extent they can, local people will support local restaurants, because local restaurants are the fabric of the community,” he said.
Jay Haverstick, owner of Jay’s Restaurant, has spent 51 years in the industry and got engaged at the King Cole in the early 1970s, when the restaurant was owned by Comisar’s father. Haverstick said he was saddened by the closing announcement, and said it was a sign of the difficult times.
“Business is tough, the toughest it’s been in all the years I’ve been doing this, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get better anytime soon,” Haverstick said. Expenses keep climbing, while customer counts are dropping, he said.
Lincoln Park Grille will be open on Thanksgiving Day from noon to 6 p.m. On New Year’s Eve, it will feature music from the Termite Band. For more information, call the restaurant at (937) 293-6293.
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TweetRestaurants adapt to leaner times
The Philadelphia Inquirer has published a story headlined “Restaurants adapt to leaner times”. This paragraph sums up the dilemma faced by restaurant owners in Philly, Dayton and nationwide:
As their high season approaches, restaurateurs are fighting a harsh economy, higher food costs of more than 15 percent over the last two years, shrinking profit margins, and heightened competition for fewer diners.
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TweetBellbrook restaurant launches dinner service
My reporting colleague Jeremy Kelley has written a story for today’s Dayton Daily News Neighbors section about the Blue Berry Cafe in Bellbrook launching dinner service.
The restaurant has served breakfast and lunch for more than four years and began serving dinners a couple of weeks ago.
Between Blue Berry Cafe and the relatively new Amelia’s Bistro, Bellbrook residents have quite an expanded menu of dinner options, wouldn’t you say?
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TweetForget about winning Burger King’s $1 million
Abandon all hope that the $1 million grand prize in Burger King’s Indiana Jones “Reveal the Secret” Game will become your own personal Massive Bailout Plan: It’s been taken, according to this Burger King news release, by a woman in Colorado.
Harrumph. Another potential retirement plan goes up in smoke.
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TweetSonic lowers boom on White Castle, moves ahead with Miami Valley expansion plans
The former White Castle in Kettering is being demolished to make way for a Sonic
Sonic is poised to open its tenth Dayton-area restaurant later this year in Xenia and will add three more in the coming months in Eaton, West Carrollton and Kettering, according to Rick Fee, who oversees the restaurant chain’s local franchises.
Demolition has begun on the former White Castle restaurant at 2890 Wilmington Pike in Kettering, paving the way for a Sonic to open at the site in January or February, Fee said.
The Xenia Sonic drive-in will open shortly after Thanksgiving at 1956 Harner Drive, Fee said. It will employ 40 to 50 people. A Sonic at 1719 N. Barron St. in Eaton will open in December, to be followed by a West Carrollton restaurant scheduled to open in January at 801 E. Dixie Drive, Fee said.
Fee, who serves as director of operations for Bowling Green, Ky.-based Houchens Industries, said his company’s agreement with Oklahoma-based Sonic calls for the Dayton area to have 29 Sonic drive-in restaurants within four years. Other Sonic drive-ins slated to open in 2009 include one each in Sidney, in Huber Heights at 7888 Brandt Pike, and in Fairborn near I-675 and Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, Fee said.
Customers have responded enthusiastically to the restaurants that have opened so far, including the most recent at 3970 Colonel Glenn Highway in Beavercreek, Fee said.
“We’ve been accepted very well in the market,” he said.
Sonic attempts to re-create the feel of 1950s-era drive-in diners and offers a menu that includes hamburgers, chili-covered hot dogs, onion rings and ice cream shakes.
(Photo by Mark Fisher/Dayton Daily News)
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TweetHere’s where you can find free food on Election Day
A chicken sandwich, a cuppa joe, a donut, and a scoop of ice cream, all free, all just for turning out to vote. Is this a great country or what?
Here’s a map that shows the Dayton area’s Chick-fil-As, Ben & Jerry’s and Krispy Kreme. For the locations of local Starbucks, click on this Starbucks store locator link.
And here’s a story that ran in this morning’s (11-4-08) Dayton Daily News:
Call it a progressive dinner, Election Day-style.
At least four restaurant chains have confirmed that their Dayton-area eateries will be handing out free food today, Nov. 4, to those who voted.
For your entree, Chick-fil-A’s Dayton-area restaurants are offering free chicken sandwiches to those sporting an “I Voted” sticker today only. The sandwiches sell on the regular menu for $2.69. The free sandwiches are limited to one per voter, said Joel Green, unit marketing director for Chick-fil-A’s Dayton-area restaurants, which include two in Beavercreek, two in the Ohio 725 area and one lunchtime-only restaurant in downtown Dayton.
For a beverage (or, perhaps, a pre-dinner libation to keep you awake for the drive around town), voters can enjoy a free cup of coffee from any area Starbucks. All that’s required is for guests to tell the Starbucks folks that you voted, according to the offer described on www.starbucks.com.
And on to the dessert course: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts will give one free star-shaped doughnut with red, white and blue sprinkles to customers wearing an “I Voted Today” sticker. The Dayton area’s only Krispy Kreme is located at 2001 E. Dorothy Lane in Kettering.
Finally — or, the finale — Ben & Jerry’s is giving out free scoops of ice cream, one to a customer, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. tonight. The free scoops are not limited to voters, but rather, are being given out to “celebrate democracy,” according to the ice cream maker’s web site, www.benandjerrys.com.
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TweetNow you’ll have some free coffee to go with your free Election Day food
The Election Day Freebies just keep on comin’: this time, it’s a free cup of coffee at Starbucks if you walk in on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and tell ‘em you voted.
A chicken sandwich, a cuppa joe, a donut, and a scoop of ice cream, all free, all just for turning out to vote. Is this a great country or what?
Here’s a map that shows the Dayton area’s Chick-fil-As, Ben & Jerry’s and Krispy Kreme. For the locations of local Starbucks, click on this Starbucks store locator link.
And here’s a story that ran in this morning’s (11-4-08) Dayton Daily News:
Call it a progressive dinner, Election Day-style.
At least four restaurant chains have confirmed that their Dayton-area eateries will be handing out free food today, Nov. 4, to those who voted.
For your entree, Chick-fil-A’s Dayton-area restaurants are offering free chicken sandwiches to those sporting an “I Voted” sticker today only. The sandwiches sell on the regular menu for $2.69. The free sandwiches are limited to one per voter, said Joel Green, unit marketing director for Chick-fil-A’s Dayton-area restaurants, which include two in Beavercreek, two in the Ohio 725 area and one lunchtime-only restaurant in downtown Dayton.
For a beverage (or, perhaps, a pre-dinner libation to keep you awake for the drive around town), voters can enjoy a free cup of coffee from any area Starbucks. All that’s required is for guests to tell the Starbucks folks that you voted, according to the offer described on www.starbucks.com.
And on to the dessert course: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts will give one free star-shaped doughnut with red, white and blue sprinkles to customers wearing an “I Voted Today” sticker. The Dayton area’s only Krispy Kreme is located at 2001 E. Dorothy Lane in Kettering.
Finally — or, the finale — Ben & Jerry’s is giving out free scoops of ice cream, one to a customer, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. tonight. The free scoops are not limited to voters, but rather, are being given out to “celebrate democracy,” according to the ice cream maker’s web site, www.benandjerrys.com.
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TweetVote on Dayton’s Signature Dish
We asked you for nominations for Dayton’s “Signature Dish,” online and in the newspaper a couple of weeks ago, and you delivered. Thank you to those who responded! After tallying up the suggestions, we’ve narrowed down the nominations to four choices.
Don’t see your favorite listed here? Submit a “write-in vote” by posting a comment. And check back for results! We’ll keep the voting going for several days, then write a story about the results in the Dayton Daily News.
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