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March 2010
Duke’s court-ordered closing will hit employees, community
Frustrated employees and neighbors of Duke’s Restaurant said Tuesday, March 30, that U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose’s decision Monday to close down the restaurant as part of a civil lawsuit will harm workers and leave a void in a struggling city.
The restaurant at 630 E. Dixie Drive stopped serving and recorded a voicemail greeting on its phone Tuesday saying: “Unfortunately, once again Judge Rose has closed our restaurant. We are aggressively seeking a remedy through the courts to stay this terrible decision. We hope to be open as soon as possible.”
The closing leaves Duke’s server Angie Weikert and her 20-plus fellow workers out of a job at a crucial time as the Dayton area’s economy struggles to recover from a deep recession.
“We were just getting on our feet again,” said the 23-year-old married mother of two children, ages 2 and 1, whose husband was laid off last September but recently found a new job. She’ll start searching for new employment right away, she said, “but it’s very hard to find a job right now, especially in this area.”
Autumn Riffle, a 52-year-old West Carrollton resident, said she does not know Duke’s owner Reece Powers or former Dominic’s restaurant owner Anne B. Mantia, who has won her lawsuit against Powers and two other defendants.
“But I know Duke’s was doing good things for the city of West Carrollton,” Riffle said. “Three restaurants tried and failed in that building that Duke’s is in, and the building sat empty for a long time,” Riffle said. “It’s a shame this has to happen in a small town that has struggled like West Carrollton has.”
Duke’s employed single parents, laid-off General Motors workers, teenagers and senior citizens, Riffle said, “and now they’ll all hit the unemployment lines, which are as long as kingdom come.”
John Scaccia, a Springboro attorney who is representing Powers in the restaurant owner’s personal bankruptcy-related matters, said he is exploring Powers’ options in challenging the outcome of the trademark-infringement and breach-of-contract lawsuit, in which the judge last week issued a default judgment in favor of Mantia. A hearing scheduled for May 20 will determine what damages Mantia will be awarded.
Permalink | | Categories: Local restaurant news
TweetNew restaurant coming to The Greene this summer
A new restaurant to be called Choe’s Asian Gourmet is scheduled to open in August at The Greene in Beavercreek, its developer said today, March 30.
The restaurant will be the third for Columbus-area restaurateur Charlie Choe, who operates Edamame Sushi + Grill at Easton Town Center and Asian Gourmet & Sushi Bar in Gahanna.
Choe’s Asian Gourmet will serve a menu that includes flavors from Thailand, China, Japan and Korea, according to a news release from Steiner + Associates, developer of The Greene. Choe said in the release that diners “can enjoy everything from our signature rolls to a variety of organic wines, gourmet hot teas and a full bar.”
The restaurant will be located at 4394 Juniper Way between Von Maur department store and Pasha Grill restaurant, and it represents a further opening up of that eastern section of the shopping, entertainment and residential development.
“It’s a perfect fit,” said Steve Willshaw, general manager of The Greene. “We’ve been slowly and steadily creeping into that area” that includes a MacTown store and a park and fountain. “The traffic has been pretty decent, but the more businesses we open up down there, the better off we’ll be.”
Visitors have been requesting Asian cuisine as well as fresh sushi, Willshaw said. The only Asian cuisine restaurant at The Greene is bd’s Mongolian Grill on the west side of The Greene, near its movie theaters.
Choe’s will seat about 200 guests, including 40 on a patio. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant will feature a main dining room, cocktail bar, sushi bar and upper mezzanine.
While the precise hours haven’t been set, the restaurant is expected to open shortly before the lunch hour and remain open late, Steiner officials said.
Permalink | | Categories: Restaurant openings
TweetDayton chefs to launch cooking classes
The Miami Valley Restaurant Association and Dayton-area chefs are teaming up to offer Sunday afternoon cooking classes at local restaurants.
“People love to watch chefs cook, and they love to learn new recipes — what better way to do it than to watch the Miami Valley’s finest chefs?” said Amy Zahora, the MVRA’s executive director. “Attendees will walk away with a full tummy and a recipe to prepare at home.”
The first session, “Cooking with Dominique,” will be held from noon to 2 p.m. April 25 at C’est Tout in Oakwood, with chef-owner Dominique Fortin, Zahora said. Five other restaurant chefs are scheduled to host the monthly cooking class in subsequent months (see below for a list of dates and restaurants).
Chefs will prepare a three-course menu. The cost of each cooking class will vary based on the dishes prepared. The C’est Tout class will cost $45 and is limited to 40 people, Zahora said. Menus will be posted on the restaurant association’s web site two to three weeks before each class, she said.
Those wishing to make reservations must do so on the MVRA web site, www.dineoutdayton.org, or by calling the restaurant association at 937-461-6872, Zahora said. Reservations must be paid in advance to guarantee a spot, she said.
Here’s the tentative schedule:
— April 25: C’est Tout, Oakwood
— May 16: Kohinoor Palace, Miamisburg near the Dayton Mall
— June 20: Bahn Mai Thai Cafe, Washington Twp.
— July 11: Coco’s Bistro, Dayton
— Aug. 22: Jay’s Restaurant, Dayton
— Sept. 25: The Caroline, Troy
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TweetWhich restaurant serves the best steak in Dayton?
Who serves the best steaks in the Miami Valley? Our ActiveDayton.com “Best of Dayton” would like to know. Voting extends through Monday, April 5.
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TweetFor third time, judge orders restaurant shut down
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose today, March 29 ordered Duke’s Restaurant in West Carrollton shut down for the third time in less than a year.
The action comes four days after Rose issued a default judgment against Duke’s Restaurant owner Reece Powers III and two co-defendants, effectively ending an 11-month legal battle in which former Dominic’s restaurant owner Anne B. Mantia filed a federal lawsuit against her stepdaughter Christie Mantia, former Dominic’s chef Harry Lee and Powers for trademark infringement and breach of contract.
The judge found Powers and Lee to be in contempt of court for their actions serving menu items outside the limited menu that Rose had ordered, and the judge issued a third injunction ordering Powers and Lee to “immediately cease and desist from the operation of the restaurant” at 630 E. Dixie Drive.
“I think it’s a travesty that this has happened,” Powers said late this afternoon as he prepared for Duke’s dinner service. He had not yet received or seen the judge’s decision.
“Who are we harming?” Powers said. “Mrs. Mantia chose to close her restaurant three years ago. We are just trying to run a restaurant.”
Powers — a third-generation restaurant operator whose grandparents operated an eatery in east Dayton in the 1930s and ’40s and whose uncle owned Duke’s Restaurant in Dayton — said the judge’s decision will throw Duke’s two dozen employees out of work. “These are not easy times for people to get jobs,” he said.
In boldface type in his decision, Rose threatened Powers with jail time if he ignored the judge’s order to close Duke’s: “Failure to comply with this order may result in further sanctions up to and including civil and/or criminal contempt proceedings, either of which may result in incarceration,” the judge wrote.
The default judgment issued last week means Anne Mantia has won the case, and the only thing left is to determine damages. A hearing has been scheduled for May 20. Rose has said he cannot force Powers to pay monetary damages because Powers and his wife have filed for personal bankruptcy, which blocks such damage awards while the bankruptcy is in effect.
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TweetPizza chain eyeing Dayton for expansion
Scott Gittrich hopes his second experience with Dayton is more rewarding than the first.
In 1991, Gittrich — founder and CEO of the Whitewater, Wisconsin-based Toppers Pizza, a mostly-delivery pizza chain that targets the 18-to-34 age group demographic — was offered the opportunity to become the franchise owner of a couple of Domino’s pizza shops, the large pizza chain for which he was working in Charlotte, N.C. Gittrich researched the offer, but didn’t like what he found about what were then a pair of low-volume, struggling stores.
“It wasn’t anything about Dayton, but it just didn’t fit with my own entrepreneurial spirit,” Gittrich said. “I’d prefer to do my own thing rather than try to reverse the fortunes of an existing franchise.”
So he went out and “did his own thing” by launching a brand new pizza venture that has spread to 26 locations in five states. Now, Toppers is poised to open its first Ohio pizza store in June on Calhoun Street adjacent to the University of Cincinnati, and is looking to expand to the Dayton market, Gittrich said. A spokeswoman for Toppers said the company would like to develop as many as 12 locations in the Dayton area.
Ohio is “a great population center,” the CEO said, and fertile ground for pizza restaurants, despite the large number of existing pizza chains in the market. Toppers officials have analyzed the Dayton area “to see what the competitive landscape is and how many stores fit into the market,” Gittrich said.
“We’ve done the advance work, and we’re ready to have serious conversations” with potential franchisees,” the CEO said. The Cincinnati franchisee has expressed an interest in expanding to Dayton, he said.
“We hope to open a store in Dayton in the next year and a half or so,” the Toppers CEO said. Finding a location near the University of Dayton would be preferable. “More often than not, we target university areas first,” Gittrich said, noting that Toppers stay open as late as 3 a.m. to cater to campus tastes. “It’s a no-brainer.”
Toppers sells pizza, grinders, Buffalo wings and a signature product called Topperstix, a sort of cross between cheesy bread and French Bread Pizza with various toppings. Specialty pizzas include the Potato Topper, Mac & Cheese and the “Hangover Helper,” which is topped by Canadian bacon, bacon bits, potatoes, green peppers and onions.
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TweetFree-pizza offers today at CiCi’s grand reopening
The reopening of the CiCi’s Pizza restaurant at 7631 Old Troy Pike, in Waynetown Plaza in Huber Heights that we told you about a few weeks back is scheduled for today, Monday, March 29, and the restaurant will mark the occasion with some giveaways.
CiCi’s Pizza spokeswoman Mele Telitz said in a press release that the first 100 guests in line on opening day will receive “free pizza for a year,” although I believe the offer calls for the winners to receive certificates good for one free pizza buffet per month for a year. “Also, residents of Dayton should be on the lookout for a ‘dropped’ wallet with a free buffet offer inside — more than 30 dozen can be found throughout the area,” Telitz said.
Some customers had already begun camping out outside the restaurant by 10 p.m. Sunday night, March 28, according to Frank Palmer, manager of the restaurant.
Suresh Balachandran of Centerville, the operating partner for the restaurant near Ohio 202 and I-70, said in the release that CiCi’s “is eager to bring 25 years of success in the fast casual segment and pizza industry back to the Dayton community.”
The new CiCi’s franchise is operated by RBK Partners LLC, which has no connection with the previous owners of Dayton-area CiCi’s locations, Marwin Management. Four Dayton-area CiCi’s, including the Huber Heights location, closed abruptly last May in an action that surprised both customers and many employees.
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant will seat 180 and will open with about 50 employees, restaurant manager Palmer said.
There are no current plans on opening any of the other three CiCi’s that closed last year, although if the Huber Heights restaurant is successful, franchise owners will look for a good location to open a second restaurant “from the ground up,” Palmer said.
Although the CiCi’s news release didn’t mention an opening time today, Palmer said two weeks ago that the restaurant would open at 11 a.m. on its grand reopening day.
Texas-based CiCi’s, which was founded in 1985, operates 650 restaurants in 33 states. For more information, call the Huber Heights CiCi’s at 937-236-2424.
Permalink | | Categories: Restaurant openings
TweetDining out on Easter: here are some options
Dayton-area restaurants want to help you keep your kitchen clean on Easter Sunday, April 4.
Easter is the fifth-most-popular holiday to dine out, behind Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day and New Year’s, according to the National Restaurant Association. So we invited restaurants to let us know of their special holiday plans and Easter menus. Restaurants that are doing something special for Easter but that didn’t make the initial list should feel free to “post a comment” by clicking on that link below.
— Amelia’s Bistro, 129 W. Franklin St., Bellbrook, 937-310-3040. Easter Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Reservations recommended. Specials: Buffet, including ham, prime rib, salmon, omelettes, biscuits and gravy, rolls and desserts. Adults $24.95, $9.95 for children under 10.
— L’Auberge, 4120 Far Hills Ave,, Kettering, (937) 299-5536. Easter Hours: noon to 7 p.m. Reservations requested. Specials: Duo of Rack of Lamb and Leg of Lamb, Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms, Mustard-Crusted Salmon with Lentils, Amish Chicken in Riesling with Spinach Spatzle.
— Barleycorn’s, 6204 Wilmington Pike, Sugarcreek Twp., 937-848-6999. Easter brunch hours: Brunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., restaurant will remain open until midnight. Specials: buffet will include breakfast items and entrees such as fried chicken and roast beef.
— Barbie’s Bistro, 1122 E. Dorothy Lane, Kettering, (937) 262-7300. Easter hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., reservations accepted. Specials: In addition to the regular menu, a lunch/dinner special of Ham, Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Beans and dinner rolls.
— Benham’s Restaurant, 209 Warren Street, Dayton, 937-228-7041. Easter hours: Seatings 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Reservations recommended. Specials: A seated meal with a menu that includes Classic Eggs Benedict, Baked Ham, Grilled Pork Loin, Grilled Filet of Beef, Lamb Chops, Almond Tilapia, Spinach Quiche or Ham and Bacon Quiche.
— Caffe Anticoli, 8268 N. Main St., Clayton, 937-890-0300. Easter hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Specials: Baked Sugar Cured Easter Ham, Roast Leg of Spring Lamb.
— The Caroline, 5 S. Market St., Troy, 937-552-7676. Easter Hours: 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Reservations accepted. Menu includes Sliced ham, roast beef and lamb; Biscuits and Sausage Gravy; French Toast Bar; Baked Tilapia; Grilled Chicken Breast; Smoked Salmon; Fresh Fruit; and assorted salads.
— Carver’s Steaks and Chops, 1535 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp., (937) 433-7099. Easter Brunch hours: noon to 4 p.m. (restaurant remains open until 9 p.m.) Brunch reservations recommended. Specials: Carver’s Eggs Benedict, Filet Mignon Medallions, Maryland Crab Cakes, Lamb with Lavender Champagne Sauce.
— C’est Tout Bistro, 2600 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood, 937-298-0022. Easter Hours: noon to 8 p.m. Specials: Rack of Lamb, Prime Rib in addition to the regular menu.
— Coco’s Bistro, 515 Wayne Ave., Dayton, 937-228-2626. Easter hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations recommended. Specials: Filet Mignon Eggs Benedict, Breakfast Frittata, Blackened Tuna Melt. • The Dock, 250 W. Main St., Enon, (937) 864-5011. Easter hours: Noon to 6 p.m. Specials: Grilled Rosemary Lamb Chops, Filet Oscar, Scallop & Shrimp Pasta Alfredo, Grilled Ham Steak.
— Duke’s Restaurant, 630 E. Dixie Drive, West Carrollton, 937-866-1111. Easter hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations accepted. Specials: In addition to regular menu, a three-course Easter Dinner with your choice of Turkey and Dressing ($15.95), Glazed Ham ($15.95), or Prime Rib ($24.95), served with choice of salad and dessert.
— Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 4432 Walnut St. at The Greene in Beavercreek, 937-320-9548. Easter Brunch hours: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Three-course brunch for $29.95. Specials: Entree choices include Filet Benedict, Beef Tenderloin and Vegetable Frittata, Smoked Ham Chop, and Lump Crab and Asparagus Frittata.
— Golden Jersey Inn, 6880 Springfield-Xenia Road (U.S. 68), north of Yellow Springs, 937-324-2050. Easter Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. No reservations accepted. Specials: Honey Glazed Ham with sweet potato casserole and choice of side, $10.95.
— Holiday Inn Dayton Mall, 31 Prestige Plaza, (937) 434-8030. Easter Brunch Hours: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. $18.95 for adults. Reservations recommended. Specials: Carved roast beef and ham, omelet and waffle stations, bacon, sausage and fresh fruit.
— Holiday Inn Fairborn, 2800 Presidential Drive, (937) 426-7800. Easter buffet hours: seatings at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Adults $20, Seniors $17, children 6 to 12 $12, Children 5 and under free. Reservations recommended. Specials: Buffet includes salad bar, Omelet Station, Eggs Benedict, Honey-Glazed Ham, Carved Top Round of Beef, Citrus Tilapia, and Fresh Fruit with Chocolate Fondue.
— McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, 4429 Cedar Park Drive at The Greene in Beavercreek, 937-431-9200. Easter Brunch hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (restaurant open until 9 p.m.). Brunch reservations recommended. Specials: Traditional Eggs Benedict, Mushroom Omelet, Crab and Cheddar Omelet, Smoked Salmon Benedict.
— El Meson Restaurant, 903 E. Dixie Drive, West Carrollton, 937-859-8229. Easter Brunch hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Adults $26, children 7 to 12 $12, children 6 and under free. Reservations required.
— Michael Anthony’s at The Inn, 21 West Main St., Versailles, 937-526-3020. Easter Brunch hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Adults $22.95/, children 4 to 10 $9.95, 3 and under free. Specials: Buffet style with breakfast and lunch items, carving stations, salads, and dessert table.
— Paragon Supper Club, 797 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Washington Twp., (937) 433- 1234. Easter hours: 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations accepted for parties of five or more. Specials: Chicken Cordon Bleu, Bacon-Wrapped Twin Filets and Tristan Lobster Tail, Veal Vierra over Noodles.
— Rob’s Restaurant, 705 Arlington Road, Brookville, 937-833-3310. Easter hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Adults $9.65, senior citizens $9.05, children 10 and under $5.45. Reservations accepted. Specials: Ham, Turkey, Chuck Roast, Homemade Chicken and Dumplings, salad bar including homemade broccoli salad, cole slaw and Waldorf salad, dessert bar including homemade apple dumplings.
— Savona Restaurant, 79 S. Main St., Centerville, (937) 610-9835. Easter hours: Seating from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations recommended. Specials: Course options include Roasted Prime Rib, Pan-Fried Ruby Red Trout, Sauteed Maryland-style Crab Cakes and Leg of Lamb.
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TweetJudge issues default judgment against Duke’s restaurant owner
A federal judge on Thursday, March 25 issued a default judgment against the owner of Duke’s Restaurant in the nearly year-long court dispute between the West Carrollton eatery and the former owner of Dominic’s restaurant.
The full impact of the decision won’t be known until after May 20, when U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Rose conducts a hearing that will set damages in the case. Rose acknowledged in his ruling, however, that he “will not award monetary damages” against Duke’s owner Reece Powers III, because Powers has filed for personal bankruptcy.
Duke’s, at 630 E. Dixie Drive at Alex Road, remains open for business. Although Powers’ attorney in the federal lawsuit, Steven Coffaro of Cincinnati, could not be reached Thursday, John J. Scaccia, Dayton attorney who is representing Powers on bankruptcy matters, said late Thursday he is optimistic the restaurant will continue to operate after the May 20 hearing because he believes former Dominic’s owner Anne B. Mantia, who filed the lawsuit, won’t be able to show Duke’s damaged the former restaurant or its name.
Mantia’s attorney — James Morris of Lexington Ky., who had asked the judge to issue the default judgment — said he “strongly disagreed” with Scaccia’s assessment. The judge “has determined that the defendants have lost,” Morris said, and the only issues are what monetary and non-monetary legal remedies will be assessed against Powers and his two co-defendants in the copyright-infringement and breach-of-contract lawsuit. The other defendants include Dominic’s chef Harry Lee, who later became chef at Duke’s; and Christie Mantia, who was a business partner with Powers in the initial stages of the Duke’s venture, but who left before the restaurant opened shortly after telling the Dayton Daily News in an interview that the restaurant would be serving the “original recipes” from Dominic’s.
Christie Mantia is the granddaughter of Dominic’s founder Dominic Mantia and once co-owned Dominic’s with her stepmother, Anne Mantia, until accepting a $460,000 buyout in 2005 to relinquish her ownership stake. The restaurant on South Main Street in Dayton was a mainstay of the Dayton dining scene for five decades before it closed in July 2007.
In his decision, Rose cited defendants’ “numerous instances of failure to follow this court’s orders” and failure to meet court-imposed deadlines. The judge previously had found Powers to be in civil contempt of court and twice ordered Duke’s to shut down over disputes regarding Duke’s menu.
Powers, reached at the restaurant late Thursday, said he had just received the judge’s decision and had not yet spoken to his attorneys, but added, “We’re just trying to run a restaurant. Where is the crime? What are we doing wrong?”
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TweetSonic seeks to reverse sagging sales
Check out this story from Nation’s Restaurant News entitled “Sonic outlines plan to reverse falling sales”.
The Sonics in the Dayton area are franchise restaurants, not corporate-owned, and sales in franchise restaurants nationwide were slightly better than the majority-corporate-owned stores, the NRN story says.
I can’t imagine any burger chains that operate in the Dayton area were too thrilled when both Smashburger and Five Guys Burgers and Fries chose Dayton as expansion sites last year. And now a new burger restaurant, EO Burgers, has opened at The Greene.
The Burgers Wars are heating up, and burger lovers certainly have plenty of choices.
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TweetBullwinkle’s not affected by bankruptcy of Franklin location’s former corporate owner
A bankruptcy filing this week by the former corporate parent of the Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro in Franklin will have no impact on the operations of either that restaurant or the flagship Bullwinkle’s in Miamisburg, the owner of the Miamisburg bistro and the manager of the Franklin Bullwinkle’s said today, March 24.
The Chapter 7 liquidation filing by Moose Holdings Inc. in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dayton Tuesday lists assets of $14,816 and liabilities of $367,507. John Forman of Kettering — the majority owner of the Miamisburg Bullwinkle’s who his listed in the bankruptcy filing as a minority shareholder and part of a four-person partnership in Moose Holdings — said the company has sold the Franklin Bullwinkle’s to new owners and is working on a franchise agreement. Forman said the Franklin restaurant, located at 6485 Culbertson Road, will continue to operate under the Bullwinkle’s name.
Forman said the bankruptcy filing has no connection to the Miamisburg Bullwinkle’s, which is located at 19 North Main St. in Miamisburg and had separate ownership.
Dale Hall, manager of the Bullwinkle’s in Franklin, also said today that the restaurant is operating as usual under new ownership.
Permalink | | Categories: Local restaurant news
TweetGrand opening set for restaurant employing 130
The Logan’s Roadhouse restaurant at 2148 Miamisburg-Centerville Road that we told you about last November has set its grand opening date: March 29.
The 6,336-square-feet restaurant — located on Ohio 725 just east of the Dayton Mall in Miami Twp., where a former Bravo Italian Kitchen once stood — will employ about 130, according to a Logan’s Roadhouse spokeswoman. It seats 237 diners. The menu includes more than 30 entrees, including steaks hand-cut on the premises, grilled chicken, baby-back ribs, seafood and other items.
This is the second Logan’s in the Dayton area. The Nashville-based chain also operates a restaurant that opened in 2006 at 2819 Centre Drive near the Fairborn-Beavercreek border, just east of the intersection of North Fairfield Road and New Germany-Trebein Road. In all, the chain oversees more than 200 company-owned and franchise restaurants in 23 states.
Hours for the new Logan’s will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Permalink | | Categories: Restaurant openings
TweetPepsi to pull sodas off school shelves worldwide by 2012
PepsiCo plans to remove its full-calorie, sugar-sweetened sodas and drinks from schools around the world by 2012, according to this PepsiCo news release and this Associated Press story. Also, The Consumerist has an interesting piece about it.
The AP story notes that, “The move, aimed at fighting childhood obesity, follows the success of similar changes in the U.S. by PepsiCo and rival Coca-Cola,” apparently in 2006.
Did I miss that entirely? Are there no “regular” Cokes and Pepsis available in local school vending machines?
Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Food and health, food and kids
TweetRestaurant owners/managers: let us know if you’re serving a special Easter menu
Let us know whether your restaurant will be open Easter Day. We’re looking for special menus and events — Easter brunches and dinners with special menus, for example — rather than businesses that are regularly open on Sundays and which are not doing anything out of the ordinary for the holiday. But those who are open and serving a special menu should email their information to me at mfisher@daytondailynews.com by noon Monday, March 22 with their restaurant name, address, phone number, the hours they’re serving on Easter Sunday, details about their special menu and prices, and whether reservations are accepted/required.
We’ll put together a list for this Taste web page and also for a news story in the March 26 Go! section of the Dayton Daily News.
Thanks for your help.
Mark Fisher
mfisher@daytondailynews.com
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TweetMiamisburg bar unveils new BBQ menu
MIAMISBURG — The Dark Horse Tavern unveiled a new barbecue menu this week.
The bar at 209 Byers Road has installed “an old-school style wood smoker” and is now “serving some top-notch barbecue,” Steve Jones, kitchen manager for Dark Horse, said today, March 16.
The new menu items include hickory-smoked brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken, sausage, salmon and chicken wings, Jones said. The brisket Dark Horse serves has been smoked for 16 hours, he said.
A full-slab babyback rib dinner costs $16.50, while a brisket dinner is $11.99, and a pulled-pork dinner is $8.99. A “Brisket Melt” sub sandwich costs $7.50, and a pulled-pork sandwich is $6.50.
Dark Horse “is still a bar first,” Jones said, but the new barbecue offerings reflect a significant expansion to the menu. The bar has added a parking spot for customers picking up carryout orders and has installed a cash register near the front door just for to-go business, he said.
Dark Horse’s kitchen hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. It is closed Sunday. For more information, call (937) 866-6960.
Permalink | | Categories: Local restaurant news
TweetJay’s hires exec chef with plenty of Dayton experience
DAYTON — Chris Cavender — chef, former restaurant owner and current owner of Cuvee wine shop in Bellbrook — has been hired as executive chef at Jay’s Restaurant.
Amy Haverstick, co-owner and general manager of the restaurant at 225 E. Sixth St. in Dayton’s Oregon District, confirmed the hiring late this afternoon, March 15, and said Cavender’s first official day in his new position will be Monday, April 5 — the day after Easter.
“I feel it’s going to be a partnership moreso than just hiring an employee,” Haverstick said. “I feel I’m going to learn a lot from him.”
Cavender, 49, served as executive chef at TomKatz restaurant in Springboro and was co-owner of TW’s Restaurant in Miamisburg. His other Dayton-area restaurant stints include The Florentine in Germantown, the Blue Dog Cafe, Legends, and NCR Country Club, as well as early experiences at Peasant Stock and l’Auberge.
“I think I’ll be a good fit at Jay’s, in part because of my experience in seafood,” said Cavender, who has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales in Providence, R.I. Cavender was the guest chef for a German wine dinner earlier this month at Jay’s.
Cavender replaces Justin White, who left Jay’s in late 2009 to take a position at the Dayton Country Club. Cavender said his hiring will have no immediate impact on Cuvee, which will remain open, but he said the wine bar’s future is uncertain.
Both Haverstick and Cavender said they foresee resuming popular cooking classes and hosting more wine and beer dinners and luncheons.
Haverstick — whose oversight of the restaurant grew after her father Jay died while hiking and taking photographs in Death Valley last year — said she also foresees a “revamping” of Jay’s menu.
“There will be some menu changes, definitely, while keeping the staples that are most popular with our guests,” she said.
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TweetVote for “Best Fine Dining” in Dayton
This week’s ActiveDayton Best of Dayton online voting is for “fine dining,” with a veritable plethora of restaurants listed — so many, it’s difficult to vote for one.
Still, you should.
Voting just started today, and will extend through noon next Monday, March 22. You can vote here and return to the same link to check results (the “view results” link is just below the list of nominated restaurants).
Just as in politics, no whining is allowed from anyone who didn’t vote!
Permalink | | Categories: Restaurant reviews
TweetLocal Paneras to post calorie counts by fall
Panera Bread restaurants are gearing up to become the first nationwide chain to voluntarily post calorie information for all of its menu items in its restaurants.
Dayton-area customers will have a wait a bit longer than Panera diners in many other cities to peruse posted calorie counts, however.
This Associated Press story reports that calorie counts will be posted by March 24 at all 585 company-owned stores, but the Dayton-area Panera restaurants are franchise-owned. Judy Ketner-Dollison, Columbus-based marketing director for Panera Bread/Breads of the World franchisee for the Miami Valley’s Paneras, said all Dayton-area Panera Bread locations will be posting calorie information “by early fall, approximately September.”
Some restaurant industry officials have opposed requirements to post calorie counts, but some cities have approved laws mandating such postings, and proposals to do so are pending in city and state legislative bodies.
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TweetBuffalo Wild Wings teams up with Children’s Medical Center for March Madness
Dayton-area Buffalo Wild Wings have teamed up with the Children’s Miracle Network for the rest of the month of March to help raise funds for The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. Through March 31, Buffalo Wild Wings’ customers can purchase a paper basketball for $1, with the proceeds going to CMC of Dayton, according to medical center spokeswoman Betsy Woods.
The following Buffalo Wild Wings locations are participating:
— 1900 Brown St., Dayton
— 6210 Wilmington Pike, Centerville
— 2082 S. Alex Rd., West Carrollton
— 2776 Centre Drive, Beavercreek
— 7875 Waynetown Boulevard, Huber Heights
— 774 N. Main Street, Springboro
— 891 S. Main Street, Engelwood
— 262 E. Stroop Road, Kettering
— 4661 National Road East, Richmond, IN
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TweetCiCi’s Pizza poised to reopen under new ownership
CiCi’s Pizza will reopen at its former Huber Heights location at 7631 Old Troy Pike under new franchise ownership.
The tentative target date for the opening of the pizza buffet restaurant is March 29, CiCi’s manager Frank Palmer said this afternoon, March 11, between job interviews. The restaurant will open with about 50 employees, Palmer said.
The new CiCi’s franchise is owned by a partnership led by Suresh Balachandran of Centerville, and has no connection with the previous owners of Dayton-area CiCi’s locations, Marwin Management, Palmer said. Four Dayton-area CiCi’s closed abruptly last May in an action that surprised both customers and many employees.
“We plan on making it a lot better this time,” said Palmer, who was a CiCi’s manager for Marin Management. “We are more focused on cleanliness, and on accountability.”
There are no current plans on opening any of the other three CiCi’s that closed last year, although if the Huber Heights restaurant is successful, franchise owners will look for a good location to open a second restaurant “from the ground up,” Palmer said.
Restaurant officials are planning a special offer for the opening day for the first 100 customers through the door, but details and a confirmation of the opening date are still to come.
But Palmer is encouraged by the response of passers-by who notice the activity going on inside the restaurant and the “opening soon” sign on the door. “People are very excited,” he said.
The new CiCi’s will seat about 180. For more information, call the restaurant at (937) 236-2424.
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TweetL’Auberge hires new executive chef who launched his own career there 3 decades ago
KETTERING — David Lease’s 30-year culinary career has spanned the globe. Now he has returned to l’Auberge, where it all started.
“I have come full circle,” said Lease, who has been hired as l’Auberge’s new executive chef. “This building is filled with memories for me, every square inch of it.”
Lease, 52, was a 17-year-old Centerville High School student when he started working at l’Auberge busing tables. He worked his way up to line cook for the restaurant’s co-founder and executive chef, the late Dieter Krug, who saw promise in young David and sent him off to a restaurant in Chicago to hone his skills. His career then took him to Germany, Italy, San Francisco, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines and Belize over the next three decades.
The chef returned to the U.S. to explore opportunities here and was visiting his parents in Washington Twp. when he ran into l’Auberge owner Josef Reif at Dorothy Lane Market. Reif invited him to stop by the restaurant and talk. Within a week, Lease was hired.
“He stayed in touch with us as his career went up the ladder,” Reif said of Lease, who returned to l’Auberge to cook for a one-night “culinary olympics” event in 1996, when he was working in Thailand. “A restaurant like ours needs a chef with worldwide experience. He has the talent to create and to make a difference.”
Lease will replace Jared Whalen, who has accepted a position of executive chef at the Kenwood Country Club in suburban Cincinnati. The two are working together for this weekend’s Opera Guild of Dayton Masterpiece Ball: An Evening with the Great Chefs, for which the l’Auberge chefs will serve Chef Dieter’s signature dish, Veal Orloff, Lease said.
Lease said Whalen has established relationships with several local growers, and he’s looking forward to putting his own touch on some of those local ingredients. He also is looking forward to getting back behind the stove, after supervising large staffs and performing administrative duties at luxury hotels in some of his international positions.
“I’ve got a plethora of flavors floating around in my head,” the new executive chef said.
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TweetCaffe Anticoli looking for new home
CLAYTON — Leo Anticoli, owner of Caffe Anticoli, is pondering his next move — literally.
Anticoli said he has chosen not to renew the lease on his restaurant at 8268 N. Main St. in Clayton and is now looking for a new home for Caffe Anticoli. The move will likely occur on or shortly after Aug. 31, the restaurant owner said.
Until then, “We are open for business as usual now and will continue to be as we anticipate a move in the fall when our current lease agreement expires,” Anticoli said.
Next year, 2011, will mark the 80th consecutive year Anticoli’s/Caffe Anticoli has been in business in the Dayton area, but Anticoli noted that the eight decades included three different locations: from 1931 to 1951, on East Fifth Street in the St. Anne’s Hill District of Dayton; 1951 to 2000 on Salem Avenue in north Dayton; and from 2000 to 2010 at its current location in Clayton.
“Although our fourth location is yet to be determined, we are confident we will find the perfect spot to continue what has become an 80-year restaurant odyssey spanning 3 generations of my family,” Anticoli said.
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TweetNew-concept Fazoli’s opens today
The new Fazoli’s restaurant that we wrote about last week opens today at 2419 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, across from the Dayton Mall in Miami Twp.
The prototype restaurant’s hours will be Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, call (937) 439-4645.
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TweetCenterville pizzeria relocates
CENTERVILLE — Johnny’s Slice of New York Pizzeria has relocated to 57 W. Franklin St., around the corner of sorts from its original location at 298 N. Main St.
Michele Rivera, the pizzeria’s co-owner, said this afternoon, March 8, said the move was a good opportunity to get closer to the heart of town and to locate to closer proximity of nearby schools. The new Johnny’s is located in a 200-year-old brick two-story building adjacent to Centerville Insurance. The restaurant seats 30, about the same as the previous location, and has two rooms, one of which will be a student lounge, Rivera said.
The restaurant’s menu includes pizza, calzones, sandwiches and salads. Rivera said she intends to add two pasta dishes within the next month.
Hours of the new Johnny’s are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 8 p.m.
The phone number remains the same: (937) 567-8840.
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TweetEO Burgers now open at The Greene
EO Burgers, which had to postpone its opening at The Greene in Beavercreek earlier this week until Greene County health inspectors made sure everything in its new kitchen was up to code, opened today, March 5, at 5 p.m.
The restaurant’s hours starting tomorrow will be 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (937) 431-1242, or check out the EO Burgers web site.
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TweetJudge evicts Miami Twp. restaurant, orders liquidation
A U. S. Bankruptcy Court judge in Dayton ruled Thnursday, March 4, that the assets of Cena Restaurant, 2854 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, will be liquidated, and the restaurant property itself reverts back to the landlord, Glimcher Properties.
The order — agreed upon by attorneys for Cena’s owner, Eva Brcic-Christian; Glimcher, which also owns the Dayton Mall; and PNC Bank, successor to National City Bank, which was a creditor of Cena’s — calls for Cena to “immediately surrender the leased premises” to Glimcher, and allows the company to “take any an all necessary actions to compel eviction.” Some of the restaurant’s contents considered collateral for the bank loan will be surrendered to PNC Bank, according to the order, which was effective immediately.
Brcic-Christian said Thursday she was “devastated by the situation that caused the ultimate closure of Cena. Had the break-in not happened, I’m sure we would have pulled out of bankruptcy by the end of the year.”
The restaurant owner said she has not received insurance money that would have allowed her to make timely repairs to the steakhouse. “It is really unfortunate because of the 20 staff members who have been displaced because of this criminal act,” she said..
Cena, which opened in late 2007, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in August 2009 and continued operating through Christmas Eve. It has been closed since a burglary, vandalism and fire Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. No one has been charged in the incident.
Click here for the Feb. 24 story entitled “Creditors push for liquidation of Cena”.
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TweetEO Burgers’ opening at The Greene postponed
The EO Burgers restaurant at The Greene that we mentioned on Monday was “tentatively scheduled” to open yesterday (Wednesday, March 3) is in fact not yet open and is awaiting final approval by Greene County health inspectors, Michael Gibbons, president of Ann Arbor-based Mainstreet Ventures, said this morning, March 4.
“We worked all night correcting things,” Gibbons said, but at this point, the opening is on hold until health inspectors give their final approval.
Whenever it does open, EO Burgers’ hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (937) 431-1242.
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TweetNew Five Guys Burgers opens Monday in Dayton
The Miami Valley’s third Five Guys Burgers and Fries is scheduled to open Monday morning, March 8, at 1143 Brown St. near the University of Dayton, franchise owner Chris Mastin said this afternoon, March 3.
The previous two openings of Five Guys restaurants in Washington Twp. and Beavercreek generated long lines during the opening weeks, and Mastin said he is bracing for the same at the UD location.
“People have been coming to the door all day long, thinking that we’re open,” Mastin said. “We’re looking forward to it.”
The new restaurant seats 43, and will open with about 40 employees, Mastin said. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, although Mastin said he will consider staying open later on weekends if there is customer demand for later hours.
After opening three Dayton-area locations in six months, Mastin said there will be a pause before a fourth Five Guys opens locally. He is looking for a location in northern Montgomery County, perhaps in the Huber Heights or Miller Lane area, the franchise owner said. He’d like to open a fourth restaurant in late summer or early fall.
The new restaurant’s phone number is (937) 222-2325.
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TweetHere’s why they call it AleFEAST
My colleague Katie Wedell has written a story entitled “A fine food feast awaits beer lovers at winter tasting festival” about the 2nd Annual AleFeast to be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, March 6, at the Dayton Masonic Center.
Why is this event an ale feast rather than an ale fest? We’re glad you asked. Here’s an excerpt from Katie’s story summarizing the eats that will be available to AleFeast attendees:
Chefs David Glynn and Mike Wilhelm: Jambalaya and seaweed salad with scallops
Bellyfire Catering: Italian sausage with caramelized peppers and onions.
Chappys Tap Room & Grille: Pulled pork sandwiches and homemade chips.
Culinary Company: Smoked beef brisket, Culinary Company Signature Cole Slaw, baked beans and cheesecake.
Dayton Nut Company: Fancy whole cashews.
Dorothy Lane Market: Chipotle chicken mac & cheese and an assortment of artisan cheeses.
Foremost Seafood: Blackened Tilapia fish tacos with roasted potatoes
Friesinger’s Fine Chocolates: Light and dark locally made gourmet chocolates.
Thai 9: Shrimp Blanket and Shrimp Salad
The Pub: Yankee Pot Roast
That’s one fine food menu. I wonder whether we’d be able to find a beer to wash it down?
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TweetL’Auberge warms up for Oscar Night with Julia Child menu
L’Auberge will feature a Julia Child tasting menu this Friday and Saturday, March 5-6, to put diners in the mood for Sunday night’s Academy Awards ceremony, in which “Julie and Julia” is nominated.
The restaurant originally had scheduled a Sunday night bash to coincide with the televised awards program, but has canceled that event and is offering the tasting menu instead. Here are the details from a l’Auberge email:
Due to a number of scheduling conflicts this coming Sunday, l’Auberge will be canceling the Oscar Party but we will be featuring the Julia Child tasting menu on Friday March 5th and Saturday March 6th in The Main Dining Room
Oscar’s Weekend at L’Auberge
Friday March 5th & Saturday March 6th
To celebrate this years Academy Awards L’Auberge will proudly Feature a 5 course tasting menu in The Main Dining Room from the recipes of the Oscar Nominated movie Julie & Julia.
Julie & Julia Menu
Amuse Bouche
First Course Quenelles of Halibut Lobster Essence and Caviar
Second Course Potage Veloute au Champignon “A very fine rich mushroom soup for our grand occasion made with 5 differnet European mushrooms” Served with Creme Fraiche
Third Course Moules Parisiienne “Mussels with Fennel” Curry, Sauce Bernaise
Fourth Course Escalopes de Veau Chasseur “Veal Scalopinni” Eggplant, Haricot Vert, Tomato
Fifth Course Souffle Julia
Bon Appetite
$85.00 per person
Reservations are required so call Josef or Brian at 299-5536
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TweetFazoli’s chooses Dayton to launch new restaurant concept
Fazoli’s has chosen Dayton to roll out its new concept stores — starting with a new restaurant that will open next week across from the Dayton Mall — and is investing $750,000 total in its five Miami Valley restaurants.
“We think Dayton is a great market for us,” said Carl Howard, president and CEO of the Lexington, Ky.-based chain of 243 Italian restaurants across 30 states. “Our restaurants have performed very well there, and they’ve held their own through the recession.”
Despite relatively high unemployment and foreclosure rates and some high-profile business departures, the Dayton area remains an attractive market for restaurant operators, especially casual restaurant chains. In 2009, upscale burger chains Smashburger and Five Guys Burgers & Fries opened the first of what chain officials say will be several locations across the Miami Valley, following on the heels of a rapid expansion of Sonic drive-thru restaurants. And EO Burgers, a first restaurant of its kind for a small Ann Arbor-based chain, is scheduled to open this week at The Greene in Beavercreek.
The newest Fazoli’s is scheduled to open to the public Tuesday, March 9, at 2419 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, across from the Dayton Mall in Miami Twp. The restaurant will open with 50 employees, and Fazoli’s total employment in the Miami Valley has grown to 160. The other four Fazoli’s are located in Sugarcreek Twp., Moraine, Huber Heights and Troy.
All of the Miami Valley Fazoli’s are among the first in the chain to adopt upgrades that are likely to spread to other restaurants in the coming months, Howard said. Plates, glassware and silverware have replaced plastic and paper, and servers now deliver meals to guests’ tables orders are placed at the counter, replacing the former self-serve style.
While the experience may be a bit more formal, Fazoli’s CEO deflects the idea restaurant chain is going upscale, pointing out that its menu in some cases reduced prices. All salads and sandwiches are now $4.99 or less, Howard said. “It’s a very affordable place to eat,” the CEO said.
And it will be a homecoming of sorts for Howard when he comes to Dayton next week for the grand opening ceremonies Tuesday: He grew up in Kettering and is a 1983 graduate of Fairmont East High School.
“My dad still lives there, so I’ll see plenty of family and friends when I come back,” he said.
The newest Fazoli’s will be open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, call (937) 439-4645.
Permalink | | Categories: Restaurant openings
TweetNew restaurant poised to open at The Greene
BEAVERCREEK — EO Burgers, a specialty burger restaurant with a full bar that we told you a bit about back in August, is tentatively scheduled to open at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 3 at 4482 Glengarry Drive at The Greene, Michael Gibbons, president of Ann Arbor-based Mainstreet Ventures, said this morning, March 1.
EO Burgers — the EO stands for ExtraOrdinary — will open with about 50 employees, Gibbons said. Located between The Greene’s movie theaters and the town square fountain, the new restaurant will seat 124.
Gibbons — whose Mainstreet Ventures operates three restaurants in the Toledo area and a dozen others in Michigan and West Virginia, all more upscale in concept than EO Burgers — said this is the first restaurant of its kind in the small regional chain. It’s aimed, he said, at “people who grew up with McDonald’s and Wendy’s” but who are looking for more.
“We’re going to kick it up a notch,” Gibbons said.
Gibbons said Yaromir Steiner — CEO of Steiner + Associates, developer of The Greene — approached him with the idea of developing a specialty burger restaurant at the Beavercreek shopping, entertainment and residential complex. Gibbons was already familiar with the region — his son attended the University of Dayton, and his niece is enrolled there — and when he visited, he liked what he saw.
The Mainstreet Ventures president and his colleagues got busy testing dozens of food products such as various beef grades and blends, multiple varieties of potatoes, different frying oils, dipping sauces and sandwich buns, to determine which would work best for the new restaurant.
The beef in EO’s burgers is 100 percent USDA prime grade, Gibbons said. The burgers come in six-ounce size ($5.99, or $6.99 for a cheeseburger) or nine-ounce size — slightly more than a half-pound ($7.99/$8.99). A Kobe beef burger is also available for $9.99. Other options include chicken sandwiches, a Portabello Burger ($8.99) and the Gobble Burger, made from ground turkey ($7.99).
The menu’s Hand Cut Yukon Gold Fries come in regular ($2.99) and large ($4.99) sizes and are served with a choice of dipping sauces, including chipotle and mango.
Asked what will distinguish EO Burgers from two other upscale burger restaurant chains that opened in the Dayton-area market in 2009 — Smashburger and Five Guys — Gibbons pointed to the full-service bar, the use of USDA prime beef, and high-quality cheeses and toppings. The restaurant will serve a dozen bottled beers, including craft beers such as Buckeye, Goose Island and Great Lakes, and its wine list includes two dozen wines by the bottle, including a Wold Blass “Gold Label” Cabernet Sauvignon and a Perrin et Fils Reserve Cotes du Rhone.
EO Burgers’ hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
For more information, call (937) 431-1242.
Permalink | | Categories: Restaurant openings
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