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January 2010
Pork better than Viagra for sex, Argentine president says
Ohhhhhhh-KAY then, check out this story from Reuters.com headlined “Pork better for sex than Viagra?”, in which the woman president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez, is quoted as suggesting pork does wonders for the libido. And this belief is apparently based on personal experience.
Now of course, these comments came as she was addressing a group of … pig farmers. Is this a great politician or what?
So which is it: pork or Viagra? And before you answer, remember this one word: Bacon.
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TweetMadison’s probe widens, snags Arrow, Bonbright
The same state agency that raided Madison’s Bistro Jan. 14, seized alcohol and charged its owner with illegal sales of alcohol has issued a citation against Dayton-based beer distributor Bonbright Co. and has started potential enforcement action against Centerville liquor wholesaler Arrow Wine & Spirits for improperly selling alcohol to the restaurant, Julie Hinds, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Investigative Unit, said this morning, Jan. 28.
The citation against Bonbright and the recommendation for potential action against Arrow are not criminal charges, but could result in administrative sanctions, Hinds said. Companies that distribute beer, wine and liquor on a wholesale basis have a responsibility under Ohio statues to make sure the restaurants and bars who purchase the alcohol have a valid permit to sell it at retail, Hinds and other state officials said. Madison’s Bistro’s license to serve alcohol was revoked on Jan. 12, 2009, as a result of non-payment of state taxes, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control.
The state’s raid on the Washington Twp. restaurant at 5531 Far Hills Ave. came one year and two days after the restaurant’s attempt to renew its liquor license was rejected. Officials with Bonbright, which operates a warehouse and offices at 1 Arena Park Drive, could not be reached early today. Arrow Wine & Spirits co-owner Denny Freyvogel said today that he was looking into the matter and declined immediate comment.
Jada Brady, executive director of the Ohio Liquor Control Commission, said she has not yet received a citation against Bonbright. Such citations generally trigger a civil trial of sorts before the commission, which acts as a court, hearing testimony from agents involved in the raid and from the alcohol distributors themselves, Brady said. The commission examines the facts of each case, along with the record of the distributor, and issues a ruling that can include a maximum penalty of revocation of the distributor’s license or monetary fines, Brady said.
Matt Mullins, spokesman for the division of liquor control — an agency, separate from the Ohio Liquor Commission, that will have jurisdiction over the forwarded complaint regarding Arrow Wine & Spirits — also said his agency has not yet received the investigative report. In such cases, the division’s superintendent would decide what, if any, sanction a distributor would face. The maximum penalty would be the termination of the distributor’s license, although Mullins said he could not recall such a penalty since he joined the division in 2001.
Mullins said while wholesalers such as Arrow do have the responsibility of ensuring that bars and restaurants that buy from them have valid liquor licenses, there is no language in state statute mandating how often permits must be checked. Liquor license information is available on the state agency’s web site, but can be confusing in cases of licenses that have been suspended or revoked but the enforcement action is being appealed, or are otherwise in transition, he said.
The liquor commission’s Brady said distributors “have to be diligent” in ensuring their customers have valid licenses. “They have to check, period,” she said.
In the criminal case, Madison’s owner George Argue’s scheduled arraignment today in Kettering Municipal Court was canceled after his attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, a court spokeswoman said. Argue has been charged with one count of illegal sales of alcohol, a first-degree misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of $1,000 fine and six months in jail, and keeping a place where alcohol was sold illegally, a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a $500 fine with no jail time. A date for a pretrial conference has not yet been set, a court spokeswoman said.
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TweetBeer-loving women invited to tell their stories on camera
The Beef O’Brady’s restaurant-bar at 3347 Seajay Drive in Beavercreek will host a “Women and Their Beer” event from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30.
Women will be invited to tell their beer stories for a video series viewable on YouTube, the restaurant’s Facebook page and its website, www.beefstogo.com, according to Teri Cooper, social media director for the Beavercreek restaurant as well as the Centerville Beef O’Brady’s, which held a similar event last weekend.
Bill Defries, franchise owner for the Centerville and Beavercreek Beef’O’Brady’s, said, “There are plenty of women who would rather have a beer than a Bahama Mama. We want them to tell us why.”
Women can taste five beers for $5 and there will be special pricing on Miller Lite. The event is scheduled to run until 3 p.m., but will be extended if necessary to ensure everyone who wishes can make their video.
For more information, call the Beavercreek Beef’s at (937) 431-9050.
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TweetDayton cafe to offer 1940s prices on Groundhog Day
DAYTON — Culp’s Cafe, 1000 Carillon Boulevard at Carillon Historical Park, will offer some menu items at 1940s-era prices on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
Specials will include 10-cent coffee and soft drinks, 25-cent ice cream and 35-cent sandwiches and hot specials, according to Jeff Blumer, owner of Bellyfire Catering, which manages Culp’s.
The cafe is reminiscent of the original Culp’s Cafeteria, which was located in the Arcade in Downtown Dayton from the 1930s to the 1960s. The original Culp’s would serve as many as 5,000 customers a day, and diners could eat lunch for 35 cents, Blumer said.
Culp’s Cafe is open for lunch seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering soups, chili, salads, comfort foods, and sandwiches, and it has a soda fountain that offers phosphates, nectar sodas, milkshakes and sundaes. For more information, call (937) 299-2277.
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TweetWinter Restaurant Week 2010: your reviews, and ours
Updated Friday, Jan. 29
As we’ve done in previous Restaurant Weeks, we’re going to share some of our Winter Restaurant Week 2010 experiences, while inviting you to tell us about yours as well by posting a comment.
Remember, you can read the Restaurant Week menus on this Miami Valley Restaurant Association page to help you decide where to go this week.
Thursday night I dined at another first-time Restaurant Week participant — one that created a buzz over its menu even before Restaurant Week started, based on emails I received. The offerings from Tickets Pub & Eatery in Fairborn leaned decidedly toward fine dining for a pub that has more of a sports-bar atmosphere. Could this be another Bosco’s, which for years until its closing in 2009 turned out dinner specials and inventive cuisine that far exceeded the customary sports bar fare?
In a word, yes.
While the crab-stuffed mushroom appetizer and Greek and house salads were well-made, the real stars of the Tickets Restaurant Week menu were the entrees. We tried three out of the four offerings, and will go back for the one we missed: the House Steak.
The “Four 4-ounce Lamb Chops” arrived grilled to medium rare and begged to be picked up and gnawed upon. The Marinated Pork Tenderloin is one of the pub’s signature dishes, with the marinade adding just the right background note to the butterflied tenderloin. The Grilled Salmon was grilled perfectly, until just barely cooked through, then finished with a quick brush of lemon and olive oil — a nice touch. And the Garlic Smashed Redskin Potatoes were the best potato treatment I tasted all week.
Savvy restaurants, whether they’re first-time or long-time participants, view Restaurant Week as an opportunity to shine, and hopefully, to attract a few new customers in the process. Tickets put forth a lot of effort in its first Restaurant Week, and it showed on the plate.
Wednesday night brought the circuitous route to Mr. Lee’s Fine Dining, on Poe Avenue east of I-75 near Miller Lane. The restaurant was described by the MVRA as as a first-time participant in Restaurant Week, although when we asked for Restaurant Week menus, we were given a “Taste of Dayton” menu that was similar to the Restaurant Week concept. But the menu options had to be ordered for two people — leaving our third dinner companion shut out of Restaurant Week entirely — and cost $41.80 rather than the $40.20 that a Restaurant Week for two should have (although it was a four-course, rather than three-course, meal). Five menu options were offered, and our server made it clear to us that no substitutions were allowed between the menu options.
Once we pondered and digested all of the restrictions, we ordered “Option 5” and shifted focus to the food — and here, Mr. Lee’s excelled. The restaurant’s hot-and-sour soup is thick and robust, and may be the best in town, although the chicken-and-corn soup was also satisfying. The appetizer course included generous portions of well-made, spicy Szechuan dumplings, and a colorful, flavorful volcano roll, with tuna, salmon and a touch of cream cheese, rolled and flash-fried.
Our entrees included Peking Pork — shredded pork stir-fried with plum sauce topped with shredded green onion, served with additional plum sauce — and Peppercorn Fish, robustly spiced medallions of delicate fish coated with szechuan peppercorns and sauced with a fiery red-pepper sauce, served atop sauteed cabbage. The “Sesame Sweetheart” dessert consisted of stuffed balls of dough rolled in sesame seeds — faintly sweet and good for putting out the Szechuan burn.
Diners may not like Mr. Lee’s Restaurant Week rules, but fans of Asian food will depart fully satisfied, and in all likelihood, carrying plenty of take-home cartons.
Took a break from Restaurant Week Tuesday night. But I CAN tell you that the Mettwurst I ate at the concession stand at UD Arena would have tasted a lot better if the Flyers hadn’t lost by 1 to the University of Rhode Island … .
Monday night brought a blustery, snowy trip to Troy (What IS it about I-70 that makes it such a weather system boundary line?) to visit Kent’s Wood Fired Steaks, a relatively new restaurant that is also a first-time participant in Restaurant Week. The restaurant is located on the west side of the I-75-Ohio 41 interchange (exit 74), near the Hampton Inn.
The delightful incense of hickory smoke welcomes diners on the short walk from the parking lot to the front door.
Kent’s Restaurant Week special menu offers a choice of soup or salad. On our Monday night visit, the soup choice was “Loaded Baked Potato,” and the creamy, rich soup delivered on the promised flavors and was a better choice on a winter night than the house salad.
Entree choices included a “Princess Cut” filet (six-ounce, choice cut), its beefy flavor enhanced but not overwhelmed by the hickory-smoke grill, topped with thin-sliced, crisply fried, onion rings. It’s a better choice than the straightforward crab cakes. Sides included perfectly cooked, al-dente asparagus, but the overly tart Horseradish Mashed Potatoes missed the mark.
Kent’s includes dessert in its Restaurant Week menu, and both the sweet-tart Key Lime Pie and the decadent Chocolate Cheesecake were thoroughly satisfying.
There’s plenty here to warrant a return trip for steak lovers — I’m intrigued by Kent’s offering of both choice and prime options of the same cut, such as New York Strips ($31 for prime, $22 for choice). And Kent’s delivered fine value during its first-ever Restaurant Week.
My first stop Sunday night, Jan. 24, was Bonefish Grill, which is a first-time participant in Restaurant Week.
The appetizer choice is Bonefish’s excellent signature dish, the Bang Bang Shrimp — lightly fried, bathed in a creamy (and sneaky-spicy) sauce — or fried Calamari. Portions are large and built to share. The House Salad — lightly dressed in a citrus vinaigrette and topped with black olives, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts — is a better choice than the Caesar Salad.
Our server steered us to the seafood Restaurant Week entree choices — salmon, or grilled shrimp and sea scallops — and both dishes satisfied. My companion’s salmon arrived cooked medium, which we didn’t specify, and which I prefer — though I suspect some diners don’t. The shrimp and scallops were cooked perfectly, until just done. The seafood entrees come with a choice of sauces: the mango salsa is cloyingly sweet — a squeeze of lime juice would be welcome — while the chimichurri was properly robust and added a punch of flavor.
One side dish that is served on every plate was a particularly pleasant surprise: a blend of tender young soybeans(edamame), sweet corn and red bell peppers, sauteed with a bit of bacon and onion. This is a side dish that was much more than an afterthought, and it was delicious. Among the vegetable choices, the perfectly cooked Haricots Vert green beans were a far better choice than an astonishingly salty serving of broccoli.
The restaurant on the Dayton Mall’s front porch was plenty busy but not overwhelmed, and service was proper and attentive. And I couldn’t help noticing that parking lots of other Restaurant Week restaurants we passed on our way to Bonefish were packed as well. A very fine start indeed for Winter Restaurant Week.
Let us know about your Restaurant Week experiences by clicking on “Post Your Comment.”
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TweetRestaurant week: Here’s what you need to know
Here’s an early draft of a story scheduled to run in Sunday’s Dayton Daily News, followed in the “jump” by a list of restaurants that will be participating, their addresses and phone numbers. For menu information, click on this Miami Valley Restaurant Association web page. At most of the restaurants participating in Restaurant Week, reservations are a must. Owners and managers strongly recommend calling to check on availability and hours. Be aware that some restaurants are closed Sunday or Monday — or in some cases, closed both days — so calling ahead will avoid disappointment. And remember that tax, tip and beverages are not included in the $20.10 price.
Like many of her fellow restaurant and tavern owners, Tammy Jackson was searching for any way possible to drum up some new business for her Springs Bar & Grill in Springboro.
She thinks she found one such way in Winter Restaurant Week, which kicks off tonight, Jan. 24, and extends through Friday, Jan. 29. The Miami Valley Restaurant Association promotion allows diners to enjoy a three-course meal for $20.10, with participating restaurants donating $1 for each special meal sold to local charities (and this winter, an extra 10 cents for Haiti earthquake relief). One new recession-related wrinkle this winter: several sports bars, taverns and casual-dining restaurants have joined the promotion and are offering dinner for two, rather than for one, for the same $20.10 price. Many other cities’ Restaurant Week promotions charge well more than $20 for a single meal.
“With the economy the way it is, and people’s money tight, I’m looking for any avenue I can find to bring new people through the front door,” Jackson said. “My thinking is, why not try to bring people in and give them a good value, and if they like it, they just might come back.”
Winter Restaurant Week has attracted a record number of participating restaurants this winter, reaching about 75, said Amy Zahora, the restaurant association’s executive director. And most of the increase is attributable to pubs and casual restaurants offering a “Two-for-$20” special.
“When Restaurant Week first started (in 2004), it was like pulling teeth” to persuade restaurants to participate, Zahora said. “Now I have members calling me and asking to be a part of it. Everybody wants to be on board.”
A handful of restaurants find ways to get some extra mileage out of Restaurant Week, by extending the special offer through the weekend or into next week, or by offering both single-meal and “two-for” special menus. This winter, the charities that will benefit are Blue Star Mothers, Camp Emanuel and Family Violence Prevention Center of Greene County.
Restaurant Week Participants*
— Amar India, 2751 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Miami Twp., (937) 439-9005
— Amber Rose, 1400 Valley St., Dayton, (937) 228-2511
— Amelia’s Bistro, 129 West Franklin St., (937) 310-3040
— Bahn Mai Thai Cafe, 725 Lyons Road, Washington Twp., (937) 435-0624
— Barbie’s Bistro, 1122 E. Dorothy Lane, Kettering, (937) 262-7300
— Barleycorns, 6204 Wilmington Pike, Sugarcreek Plaza/Centerville, (937) 848-6999
— Beef O’Brady’s (2 locations), 953 S. Main St. in Centerville, (937) 433-9400, and 3347 SeaJay Drive, Beavercreek, (937) 286-4324
— Benham’s Restaurant, 209 Warren St., Dayton, (937) 228-7041
— Bolt’s Sports Cafe, 910 South Main St., Englewood, (937) 836-6634
— Bonefish Grill, 2818 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Miami Twp., (937) 436-3802
— Boosalis Bakery, 9486 Springboro Pike, Miami Twp., (937) 424-0636
— Boulevard Haus, 329 E. Fifth St., Dayton, (937) 824-2722
— Brixx Ice Company, 500 E. First St., Dayton, (937) 222-2257
— Buckhorn Tavern, 8800 Meeker Road, Butler Twp., (937) 890-3261
— Bunker’s Bar & Grill, 893 E. National Road, Vandalia, (937) 890-8899
— Bullwinkles Top Hat Bistro, 19 N. Main St. Miamisburg, (937) 859-7677
— Cadillac Jack’s, three locations in Beavercreek (2760 Towne Drive, 937-431-0240, , Centerville (9400 Springboro Pike 937-610-3200) and Fairborn (1156 Kauffman Ave., 937-754-1061)
— Caffe Anticoli, 8268 N Main St., Clayton, (937) 890-0300
— The Caroline, 5 S. Market St. Troy, (937) 552-7676
— Carvers Steaks & Chops, 1535 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Washington Twp., (937) 433-7099
— Cassano’s Pizza & Subs, multiple locations, (937) 294-5464
— C’est Tout, 2600 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood, (937) 298-0022
— Champp’s Americana, 7880 Washington Village Drive, Washington Twp., (937) 433-2333
— Chappy’s Tap Room & Grille, 2733 West Alex-Bell Road, Moraine, (937) 299-7427
— The Chop House, 7727 Washington Village Drive, Washington Twp., (937) 291-1661
— Christopher’s, 318 E. Dorothy Lane, Kettering, (937) 299-0089
— Coco’s Bistro, 515 Wayne Ave., Dayton, (937) 228-2626
— Dark Horse Tavern, 209 Byers Road, (937) 866-6960
— Duke’s Restaurant, 630 E. Dixie Drive, West Carrollton, (937) 866-1111
— El Meson, 903 E Dixie Drive, West Carrollton, (937) 859-8229
— Figlio, 424 E. Stroop Road in the Town & Country center, Kettering, (937) 534-0494
— Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 4432 Walnut St. at The Greene, Beavercreek, (937) 320-9548
— Franco’s Ristorante Italiano, 824 E. Fifth St., Dayton, (937) 222-0204
— Fricker’s, eight locations, including Vandalia, Dayton (Woodman Drive), Miller Lane, Centerville, Springfield, Huber Heights, Troy and Middletown
— Funny Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant, 88 Plum St. at The Greene in Beavercreek, (937) 429-5233
— Giovanni’s Pizzeria and Ristorante, 215 W. Main St., Fairborn, (937) 878-1611
— Grub Steak, 2098 Alex Road, West Carrollton, (937) 276-4193
— Hickory River Smokehouse, 135 S. Garber Drive, Tipp City, (937) 669-2271
— Jay’s Restaurant, 225 E. Sixth St., Dayton, (937) 222-2892
— Joe Kiss’s Hickory Bar-B-Q, 1082 Brown St., Dayton, (937) 228-5252
— Kent’s Wood Fired Steaks, 1750 West Main St., Troy, (937) 335-3407
— Kohinoor Palace, 38 S. Springboro Pike across from the Dayton Mall, Miamisburg, (937) 723-9014
— L’Auberge, 4120 Far Hills Road, Kettering, (937) 299-5536
— La Piazza, 2 North Market St., Troy, (937) 339-5553
— McCormick & Schmicks, 4429 Cedar Park Drive at The Greene, Beavercreek, (937) 431-9200
— McGillicutty’s Grub & Pub, 1980 E. Whipp Road, Kettering, (937) 436-0057
— Meadowlark, 2094 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Miami Twp., (937) 434-4750
— The Melting Pot, 453 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Washington Twp., (937) 567-8888
— Michael Anthony’s at the Inn, 21 W. Main St., Versailles, (937) 526-3020
— Michael’s Dining & Jazz, 40 N. Main St., Dayton, (937) 331-9188
— Mr. Lee’s Fine Dining, 7580 Poe Ave. Vandalia, (937) 898-3860
— Norton’s Sports Bar & Grille, 580 Lincoln Park Blvd., Kettering, (937) 294-2278
— The Oakwood Club, 2414 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood, (937) 293-6973
— Oscar’s Sports Bar & Grill, 320 N. Dixie Drive, (937) 890-8655
— Pasha Grill, 72 Plum St., The Greene, Beavercreek, (937) 429-9000
— Rue Dumaine, 1061 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Washington Twp., (937) 610-1061
— Savona Restaurant and Wine Bar, 79 S. Main St., Centerville, (937) 610-9835
— Spinoza’s Gourmet Pizza & Salads, 2727 Fairfield’s Common Blvd., Beavercreek, (937) 426-7799
— Springs Bar & Grill, 80 Edgebrook Drive, Springboro, (937) 748-4649
— Sweeney’s Seafood, 28 W. Franklin St., Centerville, (937) 291-3474
— Thai 9, 11 Brown St., Dayton, (937) 222-3227
— Tickets Pub & Eatery, 7 W. Main St., Fairborn, (937) 878-9022
— TJ Chumps, two locations, 2 E. Linden Ave. in Miamisburg, (937) 859-4000 and 559 S. Main St. in Englewood, (937) 836-4300
— Treasure Island, 4250 Chief Woods Lane, Moraine, (937) 299-6161
— Wellington Grille, 2450 Dayton-Xenia Road, Beavercreek, (937) 426-4600
— Welton’s Catering & Dinners to Go, 10 W. Franklin St., Bellbrook, (937) 848-3333
— Winds Cafe, 215 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, (937) 767-1144
— Wine Gallery, 5 W. Monument Ave., Dayton, (937) 224-9463
— The Wine Loft, 21 Greene Blvd., Beavercreek, (937) 429-4424
*There are often last-minute changes and additions to the list of participating restaurants, so you may want to check www.dineoutdayton.org or call your favorite restaurant to confirm.
Source: Miami Valley Restaurant Association web site (www.dineoutdayton.org); MVRA Executive Director Amy Zahora
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TweetKettering Pizza Hut closes
The Pizza Hut pizza shop at 3141 Far Hills Ave. in the Fountain Square center in Kettering has closed.
A sign on the carryout-only shop’s door reads, “This location will be closing on Jan. 18” and directs customers to locations on Whipp Road, Indian Ripple Road, Linden Avenue and in West Carrollton.
An email and phone call to Pizza Hut corporate headquarters seeking additional information about the closing were not immediately returned.
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TweetUno Chicago Grill chain files for Ch. 11 bankruptcy; Dayton location ‘not affected’
The parent company of Uno Chicago Grill has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to restructure its debts, according to this story from the Chicago Tribune web site.
The chapter 11 filing will have no impact on the Uno Chicago Grill at 126 N. Main St. in downtown Dayton, said Joe Ellis, president of Ri-El Investment Group, which owns the franchise restaurant.
“It’s not going to affect us whatsoever,” Ellis said. “We will continue to operate and will remain in business. … We’re going to stay downtown.”
There are also Uno Chicago Grills in Union Square in West Chester and in the Anderson Towne Center in Cincinnati. The Ri-El Investment group has no ownership interest in those two restaurants, Ellis said.
In a press release from the company, Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation President and CEO Frank Guidara said, “Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a new era for Uno wherein the Company will no longer be saddled with a burdensome debt load. Accordingly, we will now be able to leverage our operational strength which, combined with the substantially improved cash flow expected to result from our restructuring, will put us in a position to make long-term investments in the future of Uno’s core businesses, Uno Chicago Grill restaurants, Uno Due Go, Uno Express and our Uno Foods Consumer Products Business.”
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TweetRestaurant owner charged with selling alcohol illegally
George Argue, co-owner of Madison’s Bistro at 5531 Far Hills Ave. in Washington Twp., has been charged with selling alcohol illegally in connection with a raid on his restaurant last week during which more than 130 bottles of liquor and 230 bottles of wine were seized, according to Kettering Municipal Court records.
Argue was issued a summons to appear in court Jan. 28 on one count of illegal sales of alcohol, a first-degree misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of $1,000 fine and six months in jail, and keeping a place where alcohol was sold illegally, a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a $500 fine with no jail time.
The charges follow a Jan. 14 execution of a search warrant by agents of the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Investigative Unit who were acting on a tip that Madison’s Bistro was serving alcohol without a license. The restaurant’s license to serve alcohol was revoked on Jan. 12, 2009.
An affidavit filed by a state agent in Kettering Municipal Court to obtain the search warrant says undercover officers purchased beer at the restaurant’s bar on two occasions, on Dec. 29 and Jan. 12.
During the Jan. 14 raid, agents seized five boxes of records, 136 full and partial bottles of liquor, 237 bottles of wine, 14 bottles of beer, $205 from a safe, and $96 in cash from a cash register behind the bar, according to court records.
Argue could not be reached this morning, Jan. 20. His wife Harriet Argue, co-owner of Madison’s Bistro, declined comment.
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TweetCaptain D’s is up for sale
The Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen restaurant chain is up for sale, according to this story from Tennessean.com.
I live fairly close to the Captain D’s in Kettering, located in a high-profile piece of real estate at the corner of East Dorothy Lane and Wilmington Pike, but haven’t eaten there in quite a while. The Captain D’s web site also lists other locations in the Dayton area and southwest Ohio, including 109 North Springboro Pike near the Dayton Mall, 6380 Brandt Pike in Huber Heights, and in Middletown (804 South Breiel Boulevard) and Fairfield (490 Nilles Road) as well.
The Nashville-based chain has 537 locations, according to The Tennessean. There’s no indication whether the company has potential buyers in mind or what impact a sale of the chain could have on Dayton-area Captain D’s.
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TweetState agents seize alcohol from Madison’s Bistro; charges ‘pending’
WASHINGTON TWP., Montgomery County — Agents from the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s Ohio Investigative Unit on Thursday, Jan. 14, executed a search warrant at Madison’s Bistro, 5531 Far Hills Ave., and seized all of its wine, beer and spirits on suspicion that it was being sold without a license, Julie Hinds, the unit’s spokeswoman, said this morning, Jan. 15.
“They were operating for about a year without a liquor permit,” Hinds said.
The unit has not completed its investigation, but, “We anticipate charges being filed” in Kettering Municipal Court in connection with the raid, Hinds said. Officers were acting on an anonymous tip, Hinds said.
Reached at the restaurant this morning, George Argue — who owns Madison’s Bistro and its companion business, Truffles Catering, with his wife Harriet — initially acknowledged that the restaurant had been operating without a liquor license, but later said he misspoke, saying that when agents entered the restaurant Thursday, “They said, ‘Do you have a liquor license?’ and I said, ‘I have an appeal in process.’ “
Madison’s Bistro’s license to serve alcohol was revoked on Jan. 12, 2009. Matt Mullins, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of Liquor Control, said the restaurant’s bid to renew the license was rejected because it was in arrears on state taxes — most commonly, state sales taxes that it collected but failed to forward to the state and/or payroll taxes withheld from employee paychecks but not forwarded to the state, Mullins said. The division’s records do not show an appeal pending, he said.
Argue said, “I’ve been undercapitalized here (at the restaurant) from the get-go. I fell behind on my taxes … . We’ve done everything possible to keep this thing afloat.”
Argue said he is consulting an attorney and knows nothing about pending charges. He said he in unsure whether the restaurant will remain open. “We’re reviewing our options,” Argue said.
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TweetFree lunchtime burrito & drink today at Troy Chipotle
The new Chipotle restaurant at 1934 W. Main St. in Troy that we told you about last week is on schedule for their lunchtime burrito & drink giveaway from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, Jan. 14, and then a separate fund-raiser event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight in which attendees pay $5 and will receive a burrito and a soft drink, with all of the proceeds benefitting the Troy High School yearbook fund. The public is welcome to attend both events, a Chipotle spokeswoman said.
The restaurant opens with full hours on Friday, Jan. 15 and will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, call (937) 339-7403.
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TweetJudge issues warning in Duke’s/Dominic’s case
A federal judge today warned the owner and the chef of Duke’s Restaurant and their co-defendants in a civil lawsuit that he will halt the case and rule against them unless they comply with court orders and deadlines that they have missed.
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose said in a court order filed today that he would enter a default judgment in favor of former Dominic’s Restaurant owner Anne B. Mantia — who filed a trademark-infringement and breach-of-contract lawsuit in April against Duke’s owner Reece Powers III, chef Harry Lee and her stepdaughter Christie Mantia — unless the defendants “show cause” by Feb. 15 that he should continue the case.
Powers, Lee and Christie Mantia have failed to respond to some legal motions filed by Anne Mantia’s attorney, skipped a mandatory pretrial conference and have failed to comply with discovery deadlines in which parties in a case disclose a list of witnesses and expected evidence that will be presented at trial, the judge wrote in his ruling.
Rose said even though factors “weigh heavily in favor of default judgment” at this time, he would refrain from issuing the ruling that would halt the case to give the defendants a last chance to respond and comply.
Compliance may have been made more difficult by the fact that Powers has changed attorneys at least five times, most recently last week, and Christie Mantia has no attorney of record and has not participated in recent legal proceedings.
The case is scheduled for trial on Sept. 27. Duke’s Restaurant at 630 E. Dixie Drive in West Carrollton was twice ordered to shut down by Judge Rose in a dispute over the restaurant’s menu, but reopened Dec. 11 and is currently serving lunch and dinner seven days a week.
The lawsuit revolves around written agreements that Anne Mantia had with her stepdaughter and one-time business partner Christie, who is the granddaughter of Dominic’s founder Dominic Mantia. Christie Mantia was once a business partner with Powers in the restaurant venture, but left before the restaurant opened. Powers had set up a corporation entitled “Dominic’s Restaurant Inc.” in connection with the new restaurant but later dissolved the corporation.
It’s not clear how a default judgment against Powers and the other defendants would affect Duke’s restaurant, but Anne Mantia asked for monetary damages against Powers, and has obtained two court orders for attorneys’ fees under which Powers must pay Mantia’s attorney more than $20,000.
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TweetYoung’s Dairy offers anniversary specials this weekend
YELLOW SPRINGS — Young’s Jersey Dairy, 6880 Springfield-Xenia Road north of Yellow Springs, will celebrate the 141st anniversary of the founding of the farm on which the business sits with a “souvenir glass” Sundae and special prices on kids’ meals Friday, Jan. 15, through Monday, Jan. 18.
All kids’ meals are $1.41, as are cheeseburgers, at The Dairy Store and at the adjacent Golden Jersey Inn restaurant. Customers can order a three-scoop sundae with three toppings and whipped cream for $3, and can keep the reusable glass. There are also special prices on games of miniature golf, on cheese samplers from Young’s Farmstead Cheese and on other products and menu offerings.
The Young family traces its roots at the southern Clark County location to 1869, when the red barn adjacent to U.S. 68 was built by relatives of the Young family.
For more information, go to www.youngsdairy.com or call (937) 325-0629.
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TweetFormer Pacchia coffee shop reopens Monday; new restaurant coming soon
»Photos: Coffee shop reopens
The coffee shop in the former Pacchia at 410 E. Fifth St. will reopen Monday, Jan. 11, and a new restaurant will follow in the coming months, Oregon Arts District officials and the coffee shop’s new owner announced today, Jan. 9.
Brian Higgins, owner of Sidebar cocktail lounge and wine bar at 130 W. Second St. in downtown Dayton, is the owner of the new venture, and will eventually move Sidebar to the former Pacchia location in the Oregon District, according to an arts district news release.
Customers will help choose a name for the new coffee shop, Higgins and arts district officials said.
Word of the new venture comes just four days after the building’s owner, Dr. Michael Ervin, said Pacchia would not reopen in February as Pacchia restaurant owners Stephen Ramsey and Carla Carnahan had said in September 2009. The business partners said at that time that Pacchia would close for renovation for about six weeks starting Jan. 1, and reopen with a new name and a “completely new concept” that would have made it more of a tavern than restaurant. But the Pacchia owners were not able to reach agreement with building owner Ervin on the new concept or on the renovations that would have been necessary.
The timetable for Sidebar’s move to the former Pacchia has not been determined, Higgins said, and until the relocation, it will be business as usual at the West Second Street bar.
“We have been very successful at Sidebar’s current location, but unfortunately we aren’t able to expand,” Higgins said in the news release. “Now, customers have a few cocktails and, while they don’t want to leave, they tell us they have to get something to eat. All we can do now is order them a pizza.” The expansion, Higgins said, “will allow us to up the ante with our bar offerings while providing a great selection of food.”
The concept and menu of the new Sidebar restaurant also are not yet determined, although Higgins said he plans to offer tapas and small plates that will allow diners to choose appetizers or a complete dinner.
But plans for the coffee shop, which shut down earlier this week, are far more immediate: it is scheduled to reopen Monday morning and will offer one free eight-ounce cup of drip coffee per customer each day next week, starting Monday. Most of the employees from the previous Pacchia coffee shop have been hired to work in the new shop, Higgins and arts district officials said.
The coffee shop will offer breakfast items such as muffins, scones and bagels starting next week, and will add deli offerings such as soups, sandwiches and smoothies for lunch service in the coming months. Although it won’t be a Boston Stoker shop, the new coffee shop will serve Boston Stoker coffees, and the Dayton-based chain of coffee shops will assist in training the new coffee shop’s staff, Higgins and arts district officials said.
Sidebar currently has six employees. When the new restaurant is up and running fully, employment at the new venture could reach 30, Higgins said.
Higgins pointed to a $500,000 street improvement project and an $850,000 upgrade to the free parking lot at the west end of East Fifth Street, as well as the opening of several arts-related businesses in the last two years, as signs of the Oregon District’s vitality.
“I wouldn’t consider expanding outside the downtown area,” he said. “I believe in downtown, and this location is one of the most recognizable corners in the Oregon Arts District. With this space and traffic, we have big plans to become a great destination for the City of Dayton and entire region.”
Pacchia was founded in the mid-1990s by Glen Brailey, who operated the restaurant until he sold his majority ownership in April 2008.
»Photos: Coffee shop reopens
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TweetWho has the best sushi in town?
This week’s “Best of Dayton” poll poses the question: “Where can you get the best sushi in town?”
So by all means, click here to cast your vote on best sushi in the Dayton area.
Feel free to leave a comment here if you’d like, but make sure to cast your vote on the ActiveDayton site, where comments also are accepted. Voters have until noon Monday to cast their ballot in this category.
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TweetKettering Burger King closes
The Burger King at 4125 Wilmington Pike — just south of the Meijer store in Kettering — has closed.
A sign on the door directs customers to a nearby Burger King at 1431 E. Dorothy Lane.
Burger King spokeswoman Denise Wilson confirmed the closing this afternoon, Jan. 7, and said, “In the course of normal business, we continuously review our worldwide restaurant portfolio and make strategic decisions based on many factors including development opportunities, market conditions, restaurant profitability, lease length and overall brand presence.”
Although she did not say how many employees were affected by the closing, Wilson said employees who wanted to be relocated were transferred to other Burger King restaurants in the area.
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TweetWhich restaurants are open for dinner tonight?
Restaurant owners and managers: Let us know if you plan to be open or closed for dinner tonight, Jan. 7. I imagine most of you will remain open, since this snowstorm isn’t exactly the Blizzard of ‘78, but just in case …
If you do plan to remain open, please let us know your hours tonight and any other information you think diners should know by clicking on “Post Your Comment.”
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TweetWilmington Pike chicken restaurant closes
CENTERVILLE — The Popeye’s Chicken & Biscuit restaurant at 5800 Wilmington Pike near I-675 has closed.
The closing has no impact on the Popeye’s restaurant at 3796 Salem Ave., which remains open and will continue to operate, according to a man who declined to identify himself and who answered the phone at the Wilmington Pike restaurant and confirmed its closing. The man said he manages the Salem Avenue Popeye’s but was at the Wilmington Pike restaurant to take inventory. He declined to identify the franchise owners of the Popeye’s.
A spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen said in an email today, Jan. 7, that she had no information on the closing, saying she “cannot comment on the personal matters of a franchisee and their location.”
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TweetDairy Queen closes UD-area location
The Dairy Queen/Orange Julius shop at 1105 Brown St. near the University of Dayton campus has closed.
A sign taped to the door tells customers, “We are sorry to say that this location has been closed due to lack of business” and directs them to locations at 2613 S. Smithville Road and 4812 Airway Road, where coupons and discounts will be honored.
Dean Peters, spokesman for the Minneapolis-based chain of restaurant-ice cream shops, said he had no information on the closing. All Dairy Queens are independently owned and operated franchises.
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TweetChipotle to give away burritos as part of store opening
The new Chipotle restaurant at 1934 W. Main St. in Troy that we mentioned in November will open officially on Friday, Jan. 15, but Miami County burrito enthusiasts may want to get an early start.
That’s because the day before its official opening, the new Chipotle will celebrate its arrival to Troy by giving away free burritos from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14th. “Customers need only bring their appetites and will receive a free burrito and a soft drink,” according to a company news release.
And later, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, the Mexican restaurant will host a “pre-opening fundraiser” that will benefit Troy High School’s Yearbook Fund. Attendees will pay $5 and will receive a burrito and their choice of a soft drink. All of the proceeds from the event will benefit the yearbook fund.
A Chipotle spokeswoman said new restaurants typically open with 30 to 35 employees. The chain operates 900 restaurants nationwide.
The Chipotle opening follows by about three weeks the opening of a Hot Head Burritos restaurant on 1287 S. Dorset Road at I-75 and Ohio 55. Ray Wiley — owner of the eight-unit, Dayton-based Hot Head chain of Mexican restaurants — said the Troy location, the chain’s first franchise restaurant, opened on Dec. 23. “We’ve been doing fantastic business,” Wiley said. Hot Head is open for lunch and dinner daily, and can be reached at (937) 552-7741.
Starting Jan. 15, the Troy Chipotle will be open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more information, call (937) 339-7403.
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TweetWilliams-Sonoma to close Beavercreek mall store
The Williams-Sonoma cookware and luxury foods store at the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek will close Jan. 17.
A manager at the Beavercreek store referred all questions about the closing to the company’s San Francisco headquarters. Williams-Sonoma spokeswoman Suki Mulberg confirmed the closing and said, “In our ongoing course of business we evaluate our real estate strategy to make sure that we are reaching our customers in the best locations possible. As a result, we have made the decision to close the store at the Beavercreek location.
“There are a number of factors that may go into a store closing. The terms of the store lease, store performance, surrounding stores, and alternate real estate availability are just a few. I can’t speak to the specifics behind this store closing.”
Mulberg said she could not address questions regarding the number of employees affected or whether they would be offered jobs elsewhere. “Continued employment decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, so I can’t speak to the specifics of this store,” she said in an email response to questions.
The Beavercreek store’s posted signs directed customers to the Williams-Sonoma store at the Kenwood Towne Center in suburban Cincinnati. The company’s web site also lists two stores in the Columbus area: at Easton and on Polaris Parkway.
Displays at the Beavercreek store offered sales of 75 percent off selected copper cookware, 50 percent off select sauces and condiments and 25 percent off select All-Clad and Le Creuset cookware, although the selection for some sale items was sparse. Spokeswoman Mulberg did not respond directly to a question regarding store-closing sales, saying that, “I’m sure there will be some benefit from visiting the store in person.”
Williams-Sonoma opened the Beavercreek store in 2004.
Sharon Robertson, manager of the Cooks’Wares store at The Marketplace at Settlers’ Walk on Ohio 741 in Springboro, said she was sorry to hear of the closing of the Williams-Sonoma mall store, although both stores sell high-end kitchen equipment. “The more players there are, the more it expands the market,” Robertson said.
“We have every intention of continuing in this location,” Robertson said. “We’ve been doing fine — not great, but fine. We’ve gotten a lot of good response from the south Dayton market.”
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TweetPacchia will not reopen; building owner says location will remain a restaurant
Pacchia will not reopen in February as previously announced, and the building’s owner is searching for new tenants for the building at 410 E. Fifth St., Kristin Wicker, coordinator of the Oregon Arts District, announced this morning, Jan. 5.
Pacchia’s owners, Stephen Ramsey and Carla Carnahan, had announced in September that Pacchia would close for renovation for about six weeks starting Jan. 1, and reopen with a new name and a “completely new concept” that would have made it more of a bar-music venue than restaurant. But the Pacchia owners were not able to reach agreement with the building’s owner, Dr. Michael Ervin, on the new concept or on the renovations that would have been necessary, Wicker said.
Neither Ramsey nor Carnahan could be reached this morning. Ervin — who bought the building that houses Pacchia in 2008 — said in an interview this morning that there’s been a great deal of interest in the location, and predicted that a new restaurant and coffee shop will reopen soon with a new concept that will fit well with the Oregon District’s mix of dining, retail and entertainment.
“I’ve been talking with proven, high-quality operators who want to be part of this renaissance” in the Oregon Historic District, Ervin said. “There will be a great coffee shop and a great gathering place that includes food and a restaurant, with a decor and ambiance that people will really enjoy.”
He declined to identify any potential tenants, saying no agreements have been completed.
Pacchia’s coffee shop, which originally was to stay open for the first few weeks of the renovation, was closed this week by Pacchia’s owners, Ervin and Wicker said. Wicker said she did not know how many employees were affected by the closing.
Pacchia has gone through many concept “tweaks” and multiple renovations in recent years. It was founded in the mid-1990s by Glen Brailey, who operated the restaurant until he sold his majority ownership in April 2008.
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TweetLocal chef makes national ‘Top 100’ list
Anne Kearney, co-owner and chef of Rue Dumaine restaurant at 1061 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp., has made the The 2010 SAVEUR 100 List put out by Saveur magazine.
Check out what Greg Holtkamp, of Braintree, Massachusetts, had to say about Kearney for the top 100 list, in which the magazine invites readers to submit ideas, inspirations and favorite food finds.
This chef is my culinary hero. … because she returned to her roots in Ohio, her native state. When she left New Orleans and came back to her family’s farm in the small town of Lebanon she started raising organic produce, taught at the Midwest Culinary Institute in Cincinnati, and got diners interested in Ohio’s local and artisanal food products. In 2007, she opened Rue Dumaine, a bistro in Washington Township, a suburb of Dayton. … (Rue Dumaine is) a hidden gem where Anne continues to make magic.
The Saveur magazine shout-out follows on the heels of this Dec. 21 story in the Times-Picayune of New Orleans that showered some additional love on Kearney. It’s quite a story.
And this isn’t the first time Saveur has shined a spotlight on the Dayton area’s food and dining scene: a year ago, Jungle Jim’s International Market in Fairfield earned a spot in a similar Top 100 list, this one focusing on home cooking, and in a summer 2008 issue, Saveur sang the praises of two Dayton icons, Mike-Sell’s Potato Chips and the Pine Club restaurant.
As for Anne Kearney’s continuing national recognition, three nights ago, I spent New Year’s Eve dining at Rue Dumaine, and simply put, the attention is well-deserved.
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