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September 2009
L’Auberge kicks off month-long celebration tomorrow with special menu
KETTERING — L’Auberge, 4120 Far Hills Ave., will celebrate its 30th anniversary throughout October with a special five-course tasting menu in its Dining Room featuring some of the favorite dishes of the last three decades. The menu will include Filet of Dover Sole with Caviar, Lobster and Sauce Hollandaise; Pheasant Quenelle with Shaved Truffle Baked in a Bread Crust; Beef Wellington with Mushroom Duxelles, Dauphinoise Potato and Sauce Perigueux; and Soufflé Grand Marnier. The menu is available in the l’Auberge Dining Room only. The cost of the special tasting menu is $65, not including tax or tip. For more information or to make reservations, call (937) 299-5536.
Here is a copy of the news release sent out by l’Auberge:
At your service….because I love you Dayton! Over the past 30 years, many changes have occurred at L’Auberge——changes in staff, in decor, in menus and in clientele. But one thing that has never, nor ever will change is our commitment to excellence. L’Auberge will always strive to improve our services. In 1979, Josef Rief, along with his friend and partner, Chef Dieter Krug, opened L’Auberge with a simple dream—-to transform the culinary habits of Daytonians, and so we started the long road to fame and success. “We started our restaurant with a firm belief that what we were doing was right, and that it was the right time to do it.”
This September, 30 years later, L’Auberge is a story of success. And while the dream was simple, the work involved to make it a reality was neither simple nor easy.
SETTING NEW STANDARDS… Is always a challenge when facing established conventions. The local restaurant scene was dominated by steakhouses and fast food chains, supper clubs, and the old classic King Cole where Josef and Dieter first started out 30 years ago. Dayton was a middle class driven food market that offered very little in the way of culinary originality. Transforming those tastes to appreciate the finer delicacies of Nouvelle Cuisine introduced by Emperor Chef Paul Boucusse , would require an education program. Lacking the volumes of written material available today, or the influence of the Food Network, the two entrepreneurs set out on a mission to personally educate the population.;
BACKED BY A MODEST BUDGET but a generous helping of enthusiasm, Josef and Dieter pressed on. When the doors opened, L’Auberge featured the simple, but tasteful decor of a French Country Inn——lace table cloths, green china with gold trim, large tapestries, feathery birds and a decor head above the stairway——a style in keeping with the 70’s Josef and Randy Webb handled the front of the restaurant and Dieter along with Chef Christini and his chefs, worked the back. At the same time Josef courted Dayton’s business and community leaders. Josef went knocking on doors of the industrial leaders in Dayton to convince them to try L’Auberge’s new cuisine and style. After a number of years of agony and sometimes no paychecks, thing started to fall into palce. In the months to follow, high profile community leaders became regular customers as interest in this different restaurant continued to grow, and most nights it looked like the Country Club of the South…..all regular customers.
THE NEWS SPREAD About L’Auberge’s fine reputation, attracting the attention of not only the community elite, but the news media as well. Dayton Daily News food critic Ann Heller reported with a full-page article announcing that L’Auberge has given us food we have never had in this city. The Columbus Dispatch followed saying “One of the very best restaurants in the United States.” Coverage from Cincinnati, Cleveland and around the state followed with guest appearances on TV shows and other special events.Finally, the ultimate recognition arrived….the coveted Mobil 4-star award! The award ceremony was broadcast live from L’Auberge and soon the mail box was crammed with invitations to join the elite Chef and Restaurateur organizations. The work, the sacrifice and the unending commitment had paid off as L’Auberge assisted in putting Dayton on the national map. But that was not enough for Dieter and Josef. In 1996 they sponsored the Bicentennial Culinary Olympics——an International event that drew participants from all over the world.
THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP Can be a difficult burden, but is a burden that L’Auberge gladly accepted. L’Auberge has produce many star chefs and front of the house professionals who now walk the kitchens and dining rooms of some of the top restaurants in the world. L’Auberge has provided trained restaurant personnel to local and regional restaurants helping to contribute to their success. It has been a long time goal for L’Auberge to, not only continue to reach for the stars, but to raise the culinary standards of Dayton and the surrounding communities.
RESPONDING TO THE TIMES…. Being open for thirty years L’Auberge has had to constantly reinvent itself not only with the culinary trends but through décor and expansion. L’Auberge started as just the elegant Main Dining Room then Josef added our stylish but casual Bistro when that wasn’t enough the beautiful showroom and bar followed a few years later, then came the outdoor patio which serves the Bistro menu. Last but not least The Main Dining Room went through a complete transformation in cutting edge decor.
From the green plates of the 70’s to the best Villeroy & Bach and Bernardaud china of the present, L’Auberge continues to set the trend. Today the satin tablecloths, fine glass ware, flowers and accessories create an ambiance that is first class. In the last 30 years over 2 million people have been served with a star quality——a remarkable achievement! Still the challenges of hiring and the supervision of quality staff, managing escalating costs and industry competition growing remains a constant challenge. This is a challenge that we are honored to continue to accept. Thank You to our friends, guests and industry cohorts for a special 30 years.
Josef, Brian and Chef Jared Whalen invite you to reminisce with us a we remember a wonderful 30 years by featuring a Fabulous five course tasting menu with some of our favorite menu items from our history. The menu will run through the month of October in the Main Dining Room and feature classics unique to L’Auberge. For information please contact Josef or Brian.
Brian DeMarke (GM and Sommelier), L’Auberge Restaurant Phone: (937) 299-5536 www.laubergedayton.com
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TweetRelocated Kettering Chipotle opens today
The Chipotle Mexican Grill at 3910 Far Hills Ave. closed after business Sunday night, Sept. 27, and Chipotle’s new location at 4329 Far Hills Ave. opens today, Sept. 28, at 11 a.m.
The new restaurant is less than a mile south on Ohio 48 from the former location, south of the East Stroop Road intersection.
Hours at the new Chipotle will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The restaurant’s phone number is (937) 643-9355.
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TweetFree drink, chips this week with newly unveiled Domino’s sandwiches
Starting today and extending through Friday, Domino’s stores are unveiling some new varieties of their Oven-Baked Sandwiches with a promotion they call “National Lunch Break Week.”
Here’s how Domino’s explains the offer:
From Monday, September 28 through Friday, October 2, customers who come into a participating Domino’s Pizza store between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. will receive a free bag of Lay’s potato chips and a 20 oz. Coke product with the purchase of any Oven Baked Sandwich at menu price, for carry-out only.
The sandwiches cost $4.99 as an introductory price.
Tristan Koehler, the franchise owner-operator for several Dayton-area Domino’s stores confirmed that his stores will participate in the promotion, although he added, “We do not carry 20-oz. soft drinks in this market, but will be offering a free bag of chips (or Doritos) plus a can of your choice of soft drink with every sandwich ordered.” He reiterated that the offer is for carry-out only and valid until 3 p.m.
Domino’s says it has introduced “four new bold varieties” of its sandwiches, and described them as follows:
— Italian Sausage and Peppers: sliced Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, green peppers and banana peppers, onion, provolone cheese and tomato basil marinara.
— Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese: all white meat chicken breast, creamy blue cheese, hot sauce, onions, cheddar and provolone cheese.
— Sweet and Spicy Chicken Habanero: all white meat chicken breast, sweet mango habanero sauce, pineapple, jalapenos, provolone and cheddar cheese.
— Mediterranean Veggie: roasted red peppers, banana peppers, feta, American and provolone cheese, spinach, onion and diced tomatoes.
Domino’s other oven-baked sandwiches include a Philly Cheese Steak, Chicken Bacon Ranch, Chicken Parm and Italian.
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TweetNew pizza shop opens on Far Hills Avenue
WASHINTON TWP. — Jet’s Pizza — the Michigan-based chain of restaurants that specializes in deep-dish, Sicilian-style square pizzas — that we told you a bit about in July has opened its first Dayton-area shop at 5843 Far Hills Ave.
This is the ninth Jet’s in Ohio for the Sterling Heights, Mich.-based company, but the first in Dayton — although more are planned if the concept goes over well here, according to Jim Miller, Jet’s Pizza business coach who this afternoon, Sept. 25, was manning the counter at the restaurant. The new Jet’s is located in a small strip shopping center between Caribou Cofffee and a Midas car-repair shop, near the recently opened Rumble Seat Wine bar and retail shop.
The restaurant offers carryout and delivery, with no inside seating. It is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.
The Jet’s Pizza phone number is (937) 434-4400.
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TweetBurger chain sets opening date for first Dayton-area restaurant
The Smashburger burger restaurant chain that my colleague Jennie Szink wrote about in June has set an opening date of Oct. 15 for its first restaurant in the Dayton area, at 2315 Miamisburg-Centerville Road at Kingsridge Drive in The Shoppes at 725.
The Miami Twp. restaurant will be the first Smashburger in Ohio. A second University of Dayton location will follow later this year, officials of the Denver-based company said in a news release today, Sept. 24.
Smashburger and local franchisee group Rodenkirch Management LLC are scheduled to open 12 restaurants in the Dayton and Cincinnati region over the next few years, company officials said.
“We are excited to enter the Ohio burger market and are certain that Smashburger will quickly become every Ohioan’s favorite burger place,” Smashburger founder Tom Ryan said in the news release.
Smashburger — which also offers “Smashchicken” sandwiches as well as hot dogs and salads — will offer a “Buckeye Smashburger” designed especially for the Ohio market. Company officials said the “Buckeye” version will start with a one-third or half-pound Angus beef burger and will be topped with fried pepper rings, haystack onions, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise on a toasted egg bun.
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TweetNew restaurant opens today in Beavercreek
City Views Diner, the new restaurant we told you about back in July, will open today at 3979 Indian Ripple Road, in a strip shopping center east of The Greene.
City Views Diner owner Paul Mussolino said this morning, Sept. 23, that he expects to still be “ironing out some wrinkles” today — including a newly installed fryer that isn’t working properly — but the restaurant will open on schedule at 11 a.m. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The full-service, sit-down restaurant seats 76 diners.
Mussolino, a native of Brooklyn who lives in Dayton, has extensive food-service experience: he served as a manager of U.S. Air Force clubs, including officers clubs, in the U.S. and overseas for 20 years before he retired in 2004.
For more information, call the restaurant at (937) 320-4637.
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TweetSubway poised to overtake McDonald’s
Subway is within a few months of eclipsing McDonald’s in the number of restaurant locations worldwide, according to this story from AdAge.com.
Jared outlasting Ronald? Whod’ve thunk?
Mickey D’s apparently still enjoys a big lead in total sales, however.
My enduring memory of McDonald’s comes from childhood (naturally). I grew up in Beavercreek, but my parents belonged to a church on Salem Avenue in north Dayton, so every Sunday morning, my older brothers and I would climb into the back of the station wagon (no car seats, no seat belts) and head into town on Linden Avenue (U.S. 35 East through east Dayton wasn’t yet built, and yes, I’m dating myself here, big-time).
Our “reward” for not complaining all through the service and Sunday School was to stop at the McDonald’s on Linden across from Carroll High School on the way home. I loved the Fillet of Fish and, of course, those fries, most of which were consumed before we ever left the parking lot. Nothing like French fry grease on wool pants.
My memories of Subway are … nonexistent.
You?
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TweetQuiznos closes three Dayton-area sub shops
KETTERING — At least three Quiznos Sub shops in the Dayton area have closed in recent weeks, including restaurants in Kettering, Centerville, and Sugarcreek Twp.
Closed restaurants include outlets at:
— 3030 S. Dixie Highway in Kettering,
— 995 S. Main St. in Centerville
— 5812 Wilmington Pike in the Sugarcreek Twp.-Centerville area.
The restaurants’ franchise operators could not be reached immediately for comment. Ellen Kramer, spokeswoman for the Denver-based restaurant chain, was traveling and said she did not have immediate access to details about the closings, but added in an email, “… (W)hen a Quiznos closes, there are customers left craving toasted subs, and it is for them that we endeavor to reopen every Quiznos as soon as we can find a franchise owner.”
An employee of a Kettering business who alerted me via email to the closing and who had been a regular customer of the sub shop on South Dixie Highway said he spoke to the franchise operator on Monday, Sept. 21, and was told the economy and the declining number of local businesses — including the loss of NCR’s headquarters — contributed to the decision to close.
The now-closed Kettering Quizno’s is two doors down from the CiCi’s Pizza restaurant that closed in May in the Hills and Dales/Governor’s Square area, and it’s within a few hundred yards from a KFC restaurant that closed in June.
But the same corner of East Dorothy Lane and South Dixie/Kettering Boulevard has also welcomed new restaurants in recent months, including Figaro’s Pizza and Hot Head Burritos, and the Gyros restaurant next door has a “now hiring” sign in its window as of this morning, Sept. 22.
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TweetSteakhouse that closed 10 days ago may reopen
GERMANTOWN — Rudy’s Churrascaria, which closed 10 days ago on Sept. 12, may be resurrected at a new location.
“We definitely haven’t given up on Rudy’s … Rudy’s is not gone,” said Dr. Rudy Mejia, the Germantown chiropractor and co-owner of the restaurant that bore his name.
Mejia said he is looking for a new home for the South American steakhouse that served rotisserie meats carved tableside. “We would like to stay in Germantown,” Mejia said.
The poor economy and the lack of a patio contributed to the decision to close Rudy’s, Mejia said. An El Rancho Grande Mexican restaurant replaced Rudy’s at 42 N. Main St. late last week.
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TweetCaffe Anticoli to roll back the clock this weekend
CLAYTON — Caffe Anticoli, 8268 N. Main St., will host a Nostalgia Weekend Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25-26, with rollback prices and special menu items from the 1980s from the former Anticoli’s restaurant on Salem Avenue.
The menu specials will include Shish Kebob and Chicken Giuliano; a price rollback on the Half Spaghetti, Half Ravioli with Two Meatballs dinner to $6.95; and glasses of Chianti and Lambrusco wines for $2.50. Strolling violinist Al Colombo will play from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. both nights.
Gloria Anticoli will join her brother Leo and nephew Chris for the celebration. For more information, call (937) 890-0300.
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TweetC’est Tout hosts LobsterFest tonight, tomorrow
OAKWOOD — C’est Tout Bistro, 2600 Far Hills Ave., is hosting its final Lobster Fest of the year tonight and tomorrow (Sept. 18-19). The event features the combined efforts of C’est Tout chef-owner Dominique Fortin and Chef Dieter Krug, both of whom once served as executive chef for l’Auberge. The C’est Tout menu includes Mesclun Salad with Tomatoes our soup, a clambake consisting of Maine lobster, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, corn on the cob, onions and red potatoes. The cost is $42. For more information or to make reservations, call (937) 298-0022.
Krug, by the way, has another chef-collaboration stint next week with Savona Restaurant and Wine Bar chef-owner Keith Taylor. Savona, 79 S. Main St. in Centerville, will feature an Oktoberfest menu Sept. 24, 25, and 26 with a menu including Wiener Schnitzel, Beef Rouladen, Sauerkraut and smoked pork, Barbecued cabbage Rolls, Wurst Salad and Apple Strudel.
To make reservations or for more information, call Savona at (937) 610-9835.
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TweetPacchia to close Jan. 1 for remodeling, reopen with new concept
The owners of Pacchia at 410 E. Fifth St. in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District say they plan to close the restaurant for renovation for about six weeks starting Jan. 1, and reopen with a “completely new concept,” said Pacchia owners Stephen Ramsey and Carla Carnahan.
“Our goal is to produce a friendlier, more approachable and relaxed atmosphere to better accommodate the reintroduction of a vibrant music schedule,” the owners said in an email response. “The menu will be altered to reflect the more relaxed and casual atmosphere.”
Saturday and Sunday brunch will remain intact, but plans call for relocating and expanding the bar as well as construction of a staging area for live music, Ramsey and Carnahan said.
One victim of the concept change will be the “Pacchia” name, which the owners said was “well-established” for more than 14 years, but said it “is time to retire” Pacchia to clear the way for the establishment’s new focus.
The owners are considering the name “The RR Bar,” pronounced “The Double R Bar.”
Pacchia has gone through many concept “tweaks” and multiple renovations in recent years. It was founded by Glen Brailey, who sold his majority ownership of the restaurant in April 2008, as primarily a wood-fired pizza restaurant and later moved into fine dining during a period when it was split into two businesses, with the upscale restaurant called “Pacchia Prima.”
Ramsey and Carnahan said they are still refining the new concept, but said, “With such a prominent location in the neighborhood, we feel it is important to bring the space alive with a warm and inviting atmosphere where everyone feels welcome.”
Until Jan. 1, though, Carnahan stressed that it will be “business as usual” at Pacchia.
“Our patrons may rest assured their expectations will continue to be met and surpassed throughout the remainder of 2009,” she said.
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TweetRudy’s closes; new restaurant opens today in its place
GERMANTOWN — Rudy’s Churrascaria has closed its doors in Germantown but will be replaced, perhaps as early as today, by an El Rancho Grande Mexican Restaurant & Cantina.
Rudy’s, owned by Germantown chiropractor Dr. Rudy Mejia and his brother German Mejia and their wives, opened last summer at 42 N. Main St. as a South American steakhouse featuring rotisserie meats carved tableside. It ceased operations after business Saturday night, Sept. 12. The Mejias could not be reached for comment.
But their former restaurant was a beehive of activity Wednesday night, under the watchful eye of Garibaldi Rodriguez, district manager for El Rancho Grande, a small chain with more than a dozen restaurants in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas.
“We like this community,” Rodriguez said of Germantown. “We got the opportunity to open here because Rudy was going to close his restaurant … I think the community needs something like this.”
The restaurant hopes to open this afternoon for tonight’s dinner service, Rodriguez said.
El Rancho Grande specializes in Mexican dishes such as fajitas and quesadillas but also has extensive chicken, seafood, and steak offerings. “We are also known for our margaritas, our prices and our service,” Rodriguez said.
The new restaurant will be open daily for lunch and dinner, although it may adjust its hours later this fall, Rodriguez said.
For more information, call (937) 353-7375.
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TweetNorton’s to relocate to Lincoln Park
Norton’s, a Kettering mainstay sports bar-restaurant for nearly 24 years, will relocate this fall from its current Wilmington Pike location to the former Lincoln Park Grille adjacent to Fraze Pavilion, Norton’s co-owner Fred McGhee confirmed this morning, Sept. 16.
“We think it will be a fun move,” said McGhee, who owns the sports bar with his wife Sandy and who grew up in the neighborhood.
The new Norton’s will nearly double in size: it will seat 278, up from 110 at its current location at 2505 Wilmington Pike. McGhee said he will add nine or 10 employees during the transition, bringing Norton’s employment to about 28.
There is no target date for opening, but McGhee projected the new Norton’s will be open by the end of October at at 580 Lincoln Park Blvd.
“We’ve already painted, and we’re putting in new carpet and new kitchen equipment next week,” he said.
McGhee said he’ll add some televisions to the facility but won’t make major changes in the menu or concept. This has been the best year so far in the nearly nine years he has owned Norton’s, McGhee said. “Nothing’s broken in what we’re doing or how we’re doing it,” he said.
Lincoln Park Grille restaurant closed Jan. 1. Its patio was a popular destination during concerts at the nearby Fraze Pavilion but sat unused during this summer’s concert season.
“We are moving across the street from one of the best — if not the best — music venues of its size in the country,” McGhee said. “With the Fraze, the (Fairmont) football field down the street, the neighborhood and buildings around us — that will be our lunch and happy-hour crowd.”
Gregg Gorsuch, the city of Kettering’s economic development manager, said the summer concert series should complement Norton’s business, which tends to peak during fall football season and slow down over the summer. “It might just be a perfect fit,” Gorsuch said. “We feel great that Norton’s is moving in there.”
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TweetRibbon-cutting tomorrow for new Kettering sports bar
All Stars Sports N Wings, the new sports bar-restaurant that we told you about two weeks ago, will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, according to the Kettering-Moraine-Oakwood Chamber of Commerce.
The new sports bar is located at 4139 Wilmington Pike in Kettering, in a building that housed a Grindstone Charley’s restaurant until early 2008. Todd Hicks serves as general manager and owner, chamber officials said.
All Stars Sports N Wings is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week. For more information, call (937) 299-1100.
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TweetKettering restaurant to relocate on Sept. 28
KETTERING — The Chipotle Mexican Grill at 3910 Far Hills Ave. will close after business Sunday night, Sept. 27, and Chipotle’s new location at 4329 Far Hills Ave. will open the following day, Sept. 28, Chipotle officials announced today, Sept. 14.
The new restaurant is less than a mile south on Ohio 48 from the existing location, and is south of the East Stroop Road intersection.
Hours at the new Chipotle will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The restaurant’s phone number is (937) 643-9355.
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TweetWinning restaurants announced in ‘Taste of Miami Valley’
It was a Miami County sweep in the best-of-show category for the Taste of Miami Valley event held Friday at RiverScape in downtown Dayton.
In the category that organizers called dubbed the “Best Damn Taste,” Hickory River in Tipp City (BBQ ribs) and The Caroline in Troy (Strawberries in Kahlua Sauce) tied for the best dish served to the Taste of Miami Valley’s hungry attendees.
A five-member judging panel — consisting of Kylie Conway and Erin Meyer, both part of the Fox 45 news team; Alexis Larsen, arts and entertainment editor for the Dayton Daily News, and her Lounge Lizards blogging partner Craig Schrolucke; and me — munched its way through two dozen dishes to identify winning entries in several categories and the best overall. And speaking on behalf of the entire panel, let me say: we were impressed. Restaurants brought their “A game” to the Taste this year.
In addition to winning for its ribs, Hickory River also won in the “Best BBQ” category for its Pulled-Pork Sandwich against one other entry. In the soup category, the hearty Clam Chowder from Jay’s Restaurant and the creamy, decadent Tomato Bisque from Coco’s Bistro tied for first, while El Meson won the five-entry “Best Appetizer” category for its zesty Empanadas Filled with Chicken.
Jay’s Blackened Fish Tacos triumphed in the “Best Seafood” category, with a generous portion of properly seasoned fish nestled in a soft taco and accented by a drizzle of tomatillo sauce.
The aforementioned Hickory River Smokehouse BBQ Ribs won a hotly contested entree category. The ribs are smoky, meaty and tender, and benefitted from a tangy, not-too-sweet sauce.
And The Caroline’s Strawberries in Kahlua Sauce beat out four other entries for best dessert. One of the judges commented, “I usually don’t like to put anything on strawberries, but that sauce made the berries taste even better.” The Hog Heaven Chocolate Torte from Amelia’s Bistro, which paired chocolate with bacon, won praise for creativity, but the strawberries were just too good.
The Miami Valley Restaurant Association event drew an enthusiastic crowd, many of whom used the Taste as a launching point for an evening of Urban Nights activities in and around downtown Dayton. The restaurants certainly held up their end of the bargain.
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TweetFree samples today at Panera Bread
Panera Bread restaurants are offering free samples of select items from their new fall menu throughout the day today — Thursday, Sept 10.
Here’s the schedule for the promotion:
— Open to 9 a.m.: Breakfast Power Sandwich
— 9 a.m.-11 a.m.: Breakfast Power Sandwich, Pumpkin Spice Latte
— 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad, Napa Almond Chicken Salad
— 2 p.m -5 p.m.: Brownies & Blondies, Pumpkin Spice Latte
— 5 p.m.-7 p.m.: Brownies & Blondies, BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad, Napa Almond Chicken Salad
In addition, Panera Bread will donate a percentage of proceeds from bread loaves and bulk bagel sales from this day to the Children’s Hunger Alliance, according to an email news release from Jennifer Davidson, account coordinator for Columbus-based RMD Advertising and spokeswoman for Panera. The statewide nonprofit organization fights childhood hunger in Ohio.
Davidson said all Dayton-area Paneras are participating in the promotion. It’s never a bad idea to call your local Panera to make sure it’s part of the giveaway before making the trip, however.
You can click here to find the Panera closest to you or if you’d prefer, you can view a list of all Dayton-, Cincinnati- and Columbus-area Paneras here.
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TweetHas Mickey D’s contracted the Dominic’s lawsuit virus?
There must be something terribly contagious about this trademark-infringement virus.
The fast-food giant McDonald’s is embroiled in a couple of trademark-infringement lawsuits that have made the news in recent days.
First, McDonald’s is the defendant in a new lawsuit filed by a family-owned Minnesota restaurant, according to this Nation’s Restaurant News story. The Lion’s Tap has filed a complaint U.S. District Court in St. Paul against McDonald’s alleging trademark infringement, statutory unfair competition, false designation of origin and unjust enrichment, according to NRN.
McDonald’s is the plaintiff, not the defendant, in another case involving the Malaysian restaurant McCurry, which serves Indian food — and this time, it appears to have lost an eight-year legal battle, according to this Associated Press story carried by Forbes.com.
I don’t know about you, but that phrase “eight-year legal battle” sends a chill up my spine … .
Lasagna, anyone?
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TweetTwo (almost) new restaurants open in Dayton, Fairborn
Two restaurants opened in Dayton and Fairborn recently enough to still have their “Now Open!” signs up, but long enough ago to work out their opening jitters.
Roscoe’s Pizza & Ribs is located at 940 Troy St. at Leo Street near Kiser school, in a spot in which a few other eateries have come and gone. Kevin Harris — co-owner with partner Craig Marvin and Craig’s wife Charmayn — said the restaurant opened in early May, and the first few months have “been like a roller-coaster,” although the eatery is building a more steady clientele from among neighborhood residents and Dayton city workers.
The Roscoe’s menu includes pizza — it’s currently offering a $5 special for medium one-topping — along with ribs (whole slab for $18.95, and Harris said his racks include the rib tips), submarine sandwiches (including a house specialty cheesesteak sub), burgers, wings, lasagna and spaghetti.
Roscoe’s offers eat-in, carry-out and delivery, including to downtown Dayton. It’s open from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and is closed Sunday. For more information, call (937) 225-3901.
In Fairborn, the J.Y. Bamboo restaurant opened about six weeks ago at 609 N. Broad St. in a building that previously housed a payday lending company. It offers a wide variety of Asian dishes, including Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietenamese, as well as a teriyaki grill and a sushi bar. Beer and wine are served as well.
The Asian restaurant is open Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. For more information, call (937) 754-9912.
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TweetWine Gallery moving, will expand into restaurant
The Wine Gallery and Cafe at 424 E. Third St. will move this fall into the first floor of the Beerman Building annex at 5 W. Monument Ave., overlooking RiverScape, Wine Gallery owner Brian Linnean said today, Sept. 8.
“We’re pretty ecstatic,” said Linnean, who signed the lease on the new location today. “We’ve been working on this for six months.”
The move will allow the Wine Gallery to install a hood ventilation system, which will allow it to greatly expand its menu offerings, Linnean said. Long-term plans call for renting the second floor of the building and offering a full-service restaurant, Linnean said. Ultimately, the name of the establishment may change, although Linnean said the term “Wine Gallery” will still be a part of any new restaurant name.
“We’re becoming more food-oriented, because that’s what our customers are asking for,” Linnean said. “We’re evolving into more of a restaurant-wine bar than a wine bar-restaurant.”
The Monument Avenue location “will have better amenities for customers,” Linnean said. The first-floor space on Monument will be to about 4,000 square feet, up from about 3,000 at the current facility at East Third Street and Wayne Avenue, and seating will increase to 140 from the current 80. In addition to an expanded wine-retail section and the ability to serve a broader food menu, “Parking will be a lot better — you won’t have to worry about getting towed anymore,” he said.
Renovation of the new space will begin quickly, though the timetable for opening isn’t yet set. “We would love to be in before our anniversary party on Nov. 10, but that may not be realistic,” Linnean said. He projected a probable December opening.
Linnean said he signed a four-year lease with an option to buy the building at the lease’s conclusion.
“We want to be a focal point for downtown. We’re here for the long haul,” he said.
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TweetHow clean is your favorite restaurant? Inspection reports now available online
Do your favorite restaurants and grocers follow proper food-handling procedures? How do they perform on health department inspections?
Until this week, the only way to find out the answers to those questions was to travel to the health department — the offices of Public Health — Dayton & Montgomery County — and ask to see the written inspection reports. No more. As of this week, the health department has put those inspection reports online.
“This is done in other areas around the country, although I think we’re the first in the region,” said health department spokesman Bill Wharton.
Public Health officials wanted to give Montgomery County residents convenient access to reports that were already public record on the conditions inside local food-service operations, Wharton said. A side benefit, he added, may be heightened compliance by businesses because the reports will be easily accessible by their customers.
Amy Haverstick, president of the Miami Valley Restaurant Association and co-owner of Jay’s Restaurant, said, “Restaurateurs shouldn’t fear this, because we shouldn’t have anything to hide.” But she did express concern that some of what restaurant inspectors write in such reports could be misconstrued by those not familiar with myriad health regulations.
And even health officials acknowledge that the reports should be read with — well, a grain of salt. Here’s an excerpt of a news release that the health department sent out:
It is important that those looking at the online reports understand that any inspection report is just a snapshot in time. It shows only the conditions of the facility at the time of inspection. A single inspection report should not be used to judge a business. Looking at a facility’s inspection results over a period of time gives a more accurate picture of that facility’s commitment to proper and safe food handling.
The health district’s web site also points out that most violations are “non-critical” and can be corrected while health inspectors are on site, and that violations are found at all types of facilities, from fast-food to fine-dining establishments.
You can search for restaurant and grocer inspections here.
In 2008, Public Health sanitarians conducted more than 7,400 inspections at more than 2,700 facilities, including restaurants, grocery stores, school cafeterias, daycare centers and more, according to the health department’s web site. Food-service establishments in Oakwood are not a part of the database because they are not part of the Public Health district, which covers the rest of Montgomery County.
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TweetRestaurants seeing sign of a turnaround
Check out this story from this morning’s Dayton Daily News print edition headlined “More customers filling Miami Valley restaurants/Owners hoping it’s a sign of an economic rebound” … it’s based on a national survey of restaurateurs and the experiences of at least a couple of Dayton-area restaurants.
Could it be that the worst is over?
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TweetSports bar to open at former Grindstone Charley’s location in Kettering
KETTERING — More than 20 months after a Grindstone Charley’s closed at 4139 Wilmington Pike, a new restaurant and sports bar is poised to open in that location.
All Stars Sports N Wings is “shooting to open by next Friday,” Sept. 11, according to its general manager, Todd Hicks of Beavercreek. It will offer a sit-down restaurant service with an extensive menu of chicken wings, burgers, wraps, ribs, salads, pizza, pastas, and beef and seafood entrees, as well as 25 televisions for sports viewing, Hicks said. OSU fans can congregate in a separate “Buckeye Room” for games, he said.
Hicks was drawn to the location in part because he was a former customer of Grindstone Charley’s, the restaurant that opened there in 1994 and closed in January 2008, a victim of increased competition.
“I had a good experience here, and I think it’s a great area,” Hicks said. “I thought, why not open a restaurant here?”
Hicks estimated the new restaurant and sports bar will employ 35 people. The business “was inundated” with applications after it posted a “now hiring smiling faces” sign in front of the restaurant earlier this week, he said.
All Stars Sports N Wings will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week. For more information, call (937) 299-1100.
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TweetEmployees suffer in Duke’s court fight
Eric Hainline of West Carrollton — married father of two children, ages 2 and 5 — said he was on the verge of foreclosure after the first time a federal judge ordered Duke’s restaurant to close for more than a month earlier this year.
But Hainline’s situation improved greatly when the restaurant that is at the heart of a federal trademark-infringement lawsuit was allowed to reopen in late June and remain open throughout the summer. Hainline, a server at the restaurant, said he was able to save enough money to plan a vacation with his family.
Now, the restaurant has been ordered to shut down again indefinitely by a federal judge who ruled that Duke’s owner Reece Powers III and its chef, Harry Lee, are in contempt of court for violating a court order regarding what dishes they could serve. The closing will affect 35 to 40 employees, Powers said.
Hainline said today, Sept. 2, that he and his fellow restaurant employees will be hit hardest by the shutdown. “Finding another restaurant job is going to be impossible,” he said. The 32-year-old father lamented the upcoming conversation when he’ll have to “look into my kids’ faces” and tell them their vacation is canceled.
Hainline has a part-time job outside of the restaurant, but said most of his fellow servers are “single moms or young moms who are trying to provide for their kids, to put food on the table.”
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose ruled Tuesday that Powers and Lee must “immediately cease and desist from the operation of the restaurant at 630 E. Dixie Drive in West Carrollton.” Rose said Powers acknowledged in testimony that he was violating the judge’s order that Duke’s serve only the menu submitted as that of Duke’s Golden Ox, the now-defunct Dayton restaurant that was operated by Powers’ uncle, Raymond “Duke” Morris.
The judge noted that Duke’s owner was unable to reach an agreed-upon menu with the attorney for former Dominic’s restaurant owner Anne B. Mantia, who filed the lawsuit against Powers and Lee. The judge’s preliminary injunction limited the menu strictly to the Duke’s Golden Ox menu unless both sides could agree to modifications. Mantia’s attorney sought a contempt-of-court ruling against Powers and Lee, and the judge agreed.
Today, Powers’ attorney, Michael Botros, filed a motion urging Judge Rose to reconsider his ruling, the first step toward appealing the decision. Botros argued that Rose overstepped his authority by issuing a harsh penalty for a civil, not criminal, contempt-of-court finding, and erred in not giving Powers a chance to resolve the menu dispute and reopen his restaurant.
Duke’s was open for lunch today but will not reopen for dinner service tonight, Powers said this afternoon.
Powers said his employees “all live in the area, and they stayed with us before” during the previous forced shutdown. “But many of them won’t be able to stay with us this time because they cannot afford to.”
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TweetThe Taste comes to The Fraze tomorrow
KETTERING — More than 30 local restaurants will provide samples of their dishes for The Taste, the Kettering-Moraine-Oakwood Chamber of Commerce event that will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at the Fraze Pavilion.
The restaurant food samples — which will include steak, seafood, barbecue, pizza, subs and desserts — are included in the admission price. The event also will feature a silent auction, and attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a chance drawing for several gift baskets with values of more than $1,000 each, organizers said.
You can take a look at the list of participating restaurants here on a KMO chamber page.
Advance tickets are $20, or $25 on the day of the event, and admission for children younger than 10 is $10. Children 2 and under are admitted free, although strollers are not permitted. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Fraze Pavilion box office (937) 296-3300, TicketMaster (937) 228-2323 or at the KMO Chamber Office at 2977 Far Hills Ave. (937) 299-3852.
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TweetDuke’s restaurant must close again, judge rules
A federal judge on Tuesday, Sept. 1 ordered Duke’s restaurant in West Carrollton to close “immediately” because its owner and chef were in contempt of court for violating earlier court orders regarding the restaurant’s menu.
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose ruled that Duke’s owner Reece Powers III and the restaurant’s chef, Harry Lee, are in contempt of court after they were unable to reach an agreement with the attorney for former Dominic’s owner Anne B. Mantia by Friday on a menu for the restaurant. Mantia has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Powers and Lee and was successful in obtaining a preliminary injunction against the Duke’s owner and chef limiting the menu they could serve at the restaurant at 630 E. Dixie Drive.
Powers, reached at his restaurant at about 6 p.m. Tuesday in the middle of dinner rush, said he was not aware of the judge’s order and would consult his attorneys about closing and about deciding whether he would appeal the ruling. Powers already has filed one notice of appeal with the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding Judge Rose’s menu restrictions
“Unbelievable,” Powers said of the judge’s most recent ruling.
Powers said Mantia’s attorney, James Morris, was insisting in negotiations last week that Duke’s remove lasagna and manicotti from its menu. Both items had been listed on the former Duke’s Golden Ox menu — a restaurant operated by his uncle, whose menu the judge had ordered the new Duke’s to serve until the case was resolved.
“We’ve done everything we can to distance ourselves” from the former Dominic’s restaurant, Powers said. Customers have been very supportive, he said, “but at some point this is going to run us out of business.”
In his ruling, however, Judge Rose said it was clear that Powers was in violation of the preliminary injunction that limited the Duke’s menu to that of the former Duke’s Golden Ox, and that the failure to reach an agreed-upon menu with the plaintiffs resulted in the order “to immediately cease and desist from the operation of the restaurant.”
This is the second time in the case that Rose has ordered Duke’s to close. The restaurant opened May 1, was ordered to close on May 14, allowed to reopen with a limited menu on June 25, and has been operating since then.
The most recent order will cost Powers and Lee more than just restaurant receipts: The judge also ruled they must pay attorney fees to Morris for the work he did on the contempt-of-court motion. A similar, previous order by the judge required the defendants to pay nearly $20,000 in legal fees to Morris.
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TweetBeavercreek pizzeria offers buy-1-get-1 special
The Roc-A-Fellas pizza restaurant at 4021 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek is offering a buy-one-get-one special today, Sept. 1.
The offer will be repeated every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday the rest of the month, ending Sept. 29, according to an email from the pizza restaurant. Customers can buy any pizza and get a second pizza of equal or lesser price free. The offer is for whole pizzas only, not for individual slices.
Roc-A-Fellas offers dine-in, carryout and delivery. For more information, call (937) 431-8669.
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