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Home > Blogs > Taste: Dayton food and restaurants > Archives > 2011 > August
August 2011
38 restaurants offer ‘Taste’ at Fraze Sept. 1
KETTERING — At least 38 restaurants, catering companies and other food providers will offer samples of their dishes at The Taste 2011, a Kettering-Moraine-Oakwood Chamber of Commerce event that will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, at the Fraze Pavilion.
The Taste food samples are included in the admission price. Music will be provided by Chris Bowman. The event is sponsored by P&R Communications of Dayton.
Advance tickets are $20, and tickets purchased on the day of the event are $25. Admission for children younger than 10 is $10. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Fraze Pavilion box office, TicketMaster outlets or at the KMO Chamber Office at 2977 Far Hills Ave.
For more information, go to www.kmo-coc.org or call (937) 299-3852.
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New Italian restaurant coming to the Oregon District
DAYTON — A new restaurant called Roost Modern Italian is scheduled to open in early October at 524 E. Fifth St. in the Oregon Historic District, according to owners Dana Downs and Beth Hirschbach, who also operate the Black Rooster Pasta Bar in the 2nd Street Market in Dayton.
Roost Modern Italian will seat 40 inside and another 35 on its patio. It will employ about 10 people, Downs said. The projected opening is Oct. 4.
The site is the former Las Americas restaurant that closed July 30. The space previously housed John Henry’s and Blue Moon restaurants.
“It’s a nice space,” Downs said. “And I think it has the best patio in the district.”
Unlike earlier restaurant owners who utilized the market as a stepping stone to opening a restaurant elsewhere, Roost Modern Italian’s owners have no intention of closing their 2nd Street Market location.
“We’re doing well at the market, and we don’t want to leave our customer base,” Downs said. And the presence at the public market will serve as a marketing tool for the new restaurant, she said.
The Black Rooster Pasta Bar expanded its offerings at the 2nd Street Market earlier this year, “and we were maxed out there,” Downs said.
The new restaurant “will not be a pasta bar,” Downs said, but instead will focus on Italian dishes that go beyond traditional pasta and pizza, using fresh and seasonal ingredients.
Items on an early sample menu for Roost Modern Italian include an appetizer of Black Sea Salt-Crusted Scallops with Lemon Capers and Anchovy Crumbs, an entree of Bearnaise-Crusted Beef Tournedos with Demi Glace with Spinach Al Forno & Tuscan Fries, and desserts such as Pear and Gorgonzola Crostada, and Chocolate Pot de Creme with Balsamic Berries.
Roost Modern Italian will have a full liquor license. It will be open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. It will be closed Mondays.
Downs and Hirschbach also operate a catering company under the name Veritas Foods.
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Dayton gets its first ‘cupcake truck’
The selection offered by Go Cupcakes on Thursday
Jenny Cox of Kettering put her law career on hold to stay home and raise her children, and figured it was time to find a new career now that her kids are heading off to college.
She found one: her business venture entitled “Go Cupcake” is the first and only mobile cupcake truck in the Dayton area. Cox intends to take her homemade cupcakes to festivals, fairs, sports tournaments and parades, and extended her first full week of business Thursday by selling the tasty little pastries in the parking lot of Town & Country shopping center in Kettering. On Saturday, she’ll sell cupcakes at a soccer tournament in Old River Park in Dayton.
Cox — who worked as an attorney before having children and whose husband Jeffrey is an attorney for the Dayton-based law firm of Faruki Ireland & Cox — said she has been an avid baker all her life, and when her daughter, who lives in Chicago, told her that cupcake trucks were a hot new trend in that city, Cox decided she could ply her passion for baking, and her training as an attorney, into a business.
Besides, she says, “There’s something about cupcakes that is kind of magical.”
So now she is baking in her kitchen at home cupcakes with names such as Rockin’ Red Velvet, Irresistible Irish Mint, Peanut Buttercup Bliss, Caramel Pecan Perfection and Fluffy Lemon Love and selling them for $2.50 apiece.
The business is independent, not part of a chain, and Cox said she is not looking to build a franchise empire or expand in any way beyond her one cupcake truck.
“I’d like to do this for about 10 years or so,” she said.
Go Cupcake’s web site is still under construction, but it will announce its schedule on its Facebook page, Cox said.
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L’Auberge to remain open after reaching agreement with bank
KETTERING — Eleventh-hour negotiations between attorneys for L’Auberge restaurant and the Lebanon-based bank that foreclosed on l’Auberge’s property produced an agreement that will cancel Friday’s scheduled sheriff’s sale and will allow the restaurant to remain open, attorneys for both sides said late this afternoon.
“L’Auberge is open for business as usual, serving lunch and dinner,” said John P. Rieser, attorney for the restaurant.
William Kaufman, attorney for Lebanon Citizens National Bank, confirmed the agreement and said documents will be filed to cancel the sheriff’s sale scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Montgomery County Administration Building.
Neither of the attorneys nor l’Auberge owner Josef Reif would comment on the details of the settlement, but Kaufman said the agreement “does not resolve all of the legal issues” that exist between the restaurant and the bank, which foreclosed after claiming the l’Auberge defaulted on three mortgage notes and owed the bank more than $1.6 million.
Kaufman said the agreement is designed to allow Reif to stay in possession of the restaurant and to bring in investment partners in the coming months.
Rieser, the restaurant’s attorney, said the agreement “will give Mr. Reif the opportunity to recapitalize without a foreclosure hanging over his head, and without him having to declare bankruptcy.”
The Lebanon bank filed the mortgage foreclosure lawsuit in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court in June 2010, about four months after it received its last mortgage payment on three loans it had made to The Inn Inc., the corporate parent of l’Auberge. Reif is president of the corporation.
In May 2011, Judge Michael Tucker ruled in favor of the bank and ordered the property and building that houses l’Auberge at 4120 Far Hills Ave. in Kettering to be sold at sheriff’s sale, with the proceeds awarded to the bank to apply to the accrued debt of $1.6 million. The sale had been scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 26.
Reif and the late Dieter Krug founded l’Auberge in 1979, transforming a restaurant known as The Inn, best known for its fried chicken, into a fine-dining establishmen. L’Auberge earned a coveted and rare four-star rating from the Mobil Travel Guide the first year it was eligible for rating, and held the rating for 19 years through 2002. The restaurant has survived even as other highly credentialed fine-dining restaurants such as King Cole in downtown Dayton and the Maisonette in Cincinnati, once Ohio’s only five-star restaurant, have been forced to close.
L’Auberge has remained open during the foreclosure proceedings, serving lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, and is running several heirloom tomato specials through Aug. 31. For more information, go to the l’Auberge web site or call (937) 299-5536.
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Kettering restaurant appears to have closed; fourth in same building to shut its doors
KETTERING — The Gyros restaurant at 3020 S. Dixie Highway at West Dorothy Lane appears to be closed.
Although there are no signs on the doors indicating to customers whether the restaurant has closed temporarily or permanently, there were no signs of life at the restaurant this morning, and all of the tables inside the restaurant have been removed, leaving behind the chairs. Prices on an overhead menu inside the restaurant also appear to have been taken down. Phone calls to the restaurant rang unanswered this morning, and two Dayton Daily News readers reported the restaurant was not open for business Monday for lunch or Wednesday night for dinner.
If Gyros has closed permanently, it would be the fourth to do so in recent years in the same building, following CiCi’s Pizza, Quiznos sub shop and Baja Fresh Mexican restaurant. No tenants have replaced those restaurants.
Gregg Gorsuch, economic development manager for the city of Kettering, said he was unaware of Gyros’ apparent closing. But Gorsuch said the closing of other restaurants in the same building, and the absence of successor restaurants in those spaces, suggests that restaurant-retail may not be the best use of that site.
“That particular building might be better suited for commercial and office uses rather than restaurants and retail,” gorsuch said. “It may be time to step back and re-evaluate that.”
Representatives of Oberer, the commercial Realty that lists the properties for lease, could not be reached this morning, Aug. 25.
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Carvers to host Whiskey Dinner Friday
WASHINGTON TWP., Montgomery County — Carvers Steaks & Chops, 1535 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, will host a five-course dinner paired with whiskies at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26.
The menu includes Fresh Jumbo Lump Crab Meat, Cucumber Relish, Bacon and Horseradish, paired with Jack Daniel’s; Applewood-Smoked Indiana Duck with Sunflower Seed, Dried Pomegranate Cranberry and Parmesan, paired with Gentleman Jack; Bourbon Barbecue Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Dried Cherry Sauce and Sweet Potato Biscuit, paired with Single-Barrel Jack Daniel’s; Cajun-Rubbed Filet Mignon with Pepper Relish and Fresh Asparagus with Woodford Reserve- Spiked Hollandaise, paired with Woodford Reserve; and Maple Seared Sea Scallop with Bacon and Roasted Corn Risotto, paired with Old Forester.
The cost is $50, plus tax and tip. Reservations are required. For more information or reservations, call (937) 433-7099.
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C’est Tout to host ‘Neptune Nights’ Aug. 24-27
OAKWOOD — C’est Tout restaurant, 2600 Far Hills Ave., will replace its annual Lobster Fest with “Neptune Nights” and offer a special menu starting Wednesday, Aug. 24 through Saturday, Aug. 27.
Among the specials that will be offered over those four days, according to chef-owner Dominique Fortin, are:
— Lobster Salade with Mesclun, Papaya, Mango and Hearts of Palm with Citrus Peppercorn Vinaigrette, $26.95;
— Cold Crab Meat Trio with Corn Salade and Three Sauces, $24.75;
— Steamed Alaskan Crab Legs with Rice, Bell Peppers, and Scallions with Melted Butter or Country Mustard Mayonnaise, $42.50;
— Broiled Lobster Tail with Basmati Rice, Shiitake Mushrooms and Peas in Teriyaki-Sweet Chili Sauce, $39.95;
— Steamed Main Lobster - Corn, Potatoes and Onions - $26.95
— Roasted Florida Spiny Lobster with Couscous and Vegetables and Lobster sauce, $29.95;
— Duo Plate of Alaskan Crab Leg and Roasted Lobster Tail, with Rice, Bell Peppers, and Scallions, served with Lobster Butter Sauce, $49.75.
For more information or to make reservations, call (937) 298-0022.
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Midwest Living magazine honors Meadowlark, Rue Dumaine, Desserts by Ann
Midwest Living magazine, in a story entitled “60 Restaurants Worth the Trip, has singled out for praise Meadowlark restaurant as a breakfast destination spot, and Rue Dumaine for World Cuisine, and Desserts by Ann in the 2nd Street Market in downtown Dayton for one of the best places in the Midwest for pie.
A note at the end of the online story notes that, “A version of this story appeared in Midwest Living May/June 2009. The website version was updated in March 2011.” All three of the Dayton-area establishments were mentioned in the 2009 story, and all apparently survived the March 2011 update.
Rue Dumaine was selected for its “French huitre (fat oysters in a bacon-y sauce spiked with anise-flavor Pernod),” according to the magazine. Meadowlark was honored for “Shrimp in a tangy tomato sauce over creamy cheddar grits, with sesame-seed toast.” And Desserts by Ann impressed with its “Strawberry-rhubarb (pie) with a hint of almond.”
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Monkeez Grill & Tavern reopens after power problems force two-week closure
KETTERING — The Monkeez Grill & Tavern that we first told you about back in January has reopened following heat-related power problems.
Owner Michael Robbe said the bar at 3808 Wilmington Pike in Kettering was closed most of the time from July 24 until Aug. 8 due to a partial power outage that forced the sports bar to repair and replace compressors on its cooling units.
The sports bar is at the end of a residential energy grid. “When the intense heat arrived, we were not receiving enough power to operate our cooling units at full strength, leaving us scratching our heads as to why our freezers, coolers, and AC units were either sluggish or inoperable,” Robbe said. A newly installed transformer should prevent future disruptions, he said.
Monkeez spent some of its down time coming up with new menu items. Robbe said five new sub sandwiches will soon be added to the sports bar’s menu.
For more information, call (937) 723-7888.
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Tips from the pros on making great BBQ at home
In today’s Dayton Daily News Life section, I wrote a story entitled “BBQ Fever: Award-winning local restaurants offer tips for great home barbecue” in which I include some excerpts of tips from two local restaurants.
Oh, but that story only scratches the surface of the advice and wisdom that the folks at those two restaurants — Company 7 BBQ in Englewood, and Hickory River Smokehouse in Tipp City — had to offer. So here is the full text of what they had to say about making great barbecue at home, starting with Company 7:
7 Home BBQ Tips to make you a family hero—
When most people say to come over this Saturday Night for a BBQ, they envision Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, and maybe some steaks but purists will tell you that is “grilling” not BBQ. Steaks and Hamburgers require hot and fast cooking to sear in juices and flavors, which means a person has very little time invested. Grilling may make for a good meal, but real smoked BBQ is a GREAT meal and it can be done at home (with patience and our 7 key tips).
Real BBQ is an art form, the Art of Low and Slow cooking with aromatic and seasoning woods. Real BBQ requires a significant investment in time, both in preparing and marinating the meats, and in monitoring the meats at lower temperatures for long periods of time. Meats like Brisket, Boston Butts, and Pork shoulders require 12-16 hours of slow smoking, this does not include the 5-10 hours invested in preparing the meats, so in total you will have 17 hours to 26 hours between the time you start the process, and you eat. But the effort is worth it, and with our 7 tips the process can be far from painful.
Typically the meats being used for traditional BBQ, like Brisket and Pork Butts are the tougher, fattier, and less flavorful cuts of beef, compared to a Filet Mignon or Pork Tenderloin. This is why these meats require the low and slow cooking method, as it takes time to render that fat and tenderize the meat to create the bliss that is slow smoked BBQ.
Since BBQ meats are, also, typically not the most flavorful cuts of meat “au naturel”, an expert BBQer’s pantry is typically filled with exacting and finely designed rubs, marinades and recipes to prepare meat before putting it into the smoke. Rubs, Marinades, Brines, injections all are used separately or together to help tenderize and flavor meats. Rubs (a mix of seasonings) is the most popular method used to flavor BBQ and in professional circles is almost always used; the meat is then further prepped with marinades, brines or injections.
So, 17 hours to 26 hours before you want to eat, you start to prepare your BBQ feast by preparing the meat for slow cooking, and to maximize your chances of success you take these 7 tips to heart.
Tip #1 for the Home BBQer-A perfect “Rub” is like perfect love (elusive but worth the effort)
The rub is a key ingredient to a perfect finished product, and should start your prepping process. Professional BBQers spend decades, and considerable sums of cash, tweaking their rubs to perfection. You can’t really have perfect BBQ , without an amazing rub. If you haven’t spent decades developing your own rub, you would probably be well advised to buy a rub. Most BBQ restaurants sell their rub at very reasonable prices. If you like a certain restaurant’s BBQ, buy their rub and you will have done much to increase the quality of your finished product. Oh, a word to the wise, don’t expect to get a professional BBQer’s recipe for their Rub, they may give you a portion or even 75 % of the real recipe, but I guarantee that the other 25% will be accidentally, on purpose, erroneous or omitted. Your rub recipe is considered sacrosanct in the BBQ world. We will, however, tell you how we make our Company 7 BBQ Rub —- 1/2 Cup of Love and 1/2 Cup of Passion!! Expect that kind of response from all professional BBQers, their rub is almost like another child in the family!!
Tip #2 for the Home BBQer-Never under-estimate the value of a yellow mustard prep.
Now that you have the rub acquisition under control, let’s talk about using the rub. A great BBQ secret/tip that many competition BBQ cooks use is a “yellow mustard prep.” Before putting the rub on your meat, slather the meat in yellow mustard. The Mustard helps the Rub to adhere to the meat, creating a good crust while cooking. Also the acidity of the Mustard helps to tenderize the meat.
Tip #3 for the Home BBQer-To Marinate, to Brine or to Inject (read closely, beer can be involved)
Most professional BBQers today marinate brine or inject their meats as well as put rub on. A simple marinade or injection can help increase and enhance the flavor of beef and pork. Be sure you don’t use a product that is so strong that it hides the natural flavor of beef or pork…. It should only compliment the meat. Brines and Marinades are also available commercially but you can make simple and effective marinades with product that you probably have in your Kitchen already.
Here is a simple Beef Marinade: 1 Cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of Olive Oil, 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce, 4 cloves minced garlic, 2 Tbl paprika, 1 Tbl Kosher Salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper. Here is an even simpler Pork Brine: If you have a can of your favorite beer —- Makes a great Pork Brine! Whether you marinate, brine or inject; plan on leaving the meat to “set” for at least 4 hours and ideally up to 10 hours.
Tip #4 for the Home BBQer-A propane grill is not a smoker, and Liquid Smoke is not Smoke
You’ve tenderly prepared the meat for cooking, show the same care in choosing how you cook the meat. Propane grills are for grilling. For BBQ, ideally you would use a smoker, but if that is impossible use a charcoal grill with small pieces of wood added among the charcoal to provide smoke (apple wood, hickory and oak are among the best). And if you have Liquid Smoke, throw it away if you want your meat to taste like it does at your favorite restaurant. Liquid Smoke is a great product and can be used in many recipes for great effect but it can never replace the wondrous seasoning capacity of real wood on meat. Tip #5-Go low and slow, also a good time to enjoy cold beverages, fish stories, cigars, card games and yarn spinning. Believe it or not, now you have done the hard work. The rest is patience. Try to keep your smoker internal temperature at about 225F AT ALL TIMES not just now and then, and then be patient.
Tip #6-Do not clothe your masterpiece in rags, or hide your light under a bushel basket.
You have done all this hard work (well it looks hard to someone who did not watch you play cards while the meat cooked), don’t dishonor your wonderful meat with a bad sauce. PLEASE, do not use a supermarket sauce filled with preservatives and fake food ingredients. You can make your own sauce but again the pros have spent lifetimes and fortunes developing perfectly balanced sauces, validated by national expert reviews and ratings. A balanced sauce will enhance the taste of your meat, a junk sauce will hide those wonderful aromas and tastes that you have spent hours coaxing from the meat. Most BBQ restaurants offer their sauces at very modest prices, so find one you like and purchase it. If you are considering asking for a professional BBQer sauce recipes, please see comments above about asking for rub recipes, and save your breath.
Tip #7-Steel yourself for fawning admiration and a cult following.
People love good BBQ, you will be much appreciated. But BBQers are humble people, so maybe you should practice your “aw shucks” now. And whatever you do, DON’T GIVE UP YOUR RECIPES or they will know you are not a true BBQer.
Try it, you will like it, BBQ is not just cooking, it is recreation. And BBQers love to help other BBQers. If you have a favorite BBQ restaurant, visit (please, outside the lunch and dinner rush) ask to talk to the Pitboss. BBQ masters love to talk BBQ, you will have made a new friend, and you will always have a BBQ resource.
Best to you in BBQ!!
And here are Tips for Grilling Ribs from Hickory River Smokehouse:
“How much seasoning?”- Be conservative. Ribs have great flavor by themselves. Too much seasonings will cover up the wonderful flavor of ribs. So put a light coat of rub or seasoning on both sides of the ribs just prior to grilling. Some ribs may come with a thin silver skin on the bottom of them. Make sure to take this off, as the seasonings will not penetrate it.
“Charcoal or gas grill, does it matter?”- You can make perfect ribs with either style grill. The key is to keep the ribs off of the direct heat and see tip #3. With either style grill, just make sure to keep the ribs on the opposite side of the coals or flame. “Low and Slow is key!”- The number one mistake with grilling ribs is too much heat too fast. Indirect heat at a temperature of 200 to 225 degrees F is ideal for perfectly grilled ribs. Based on the size of the ribs, cook for 1 1/2 to 3 hours, with the cover on. You will want to keep an eye on them to make sure that they do not burn.
“They smell great, are they done yet?”- Use a cooking thermometer and make sure that the ribs are above 165 degrees F. It is not easy to get an accurate temperature from ribs since the meat is so close to the bone. Once you think that you have reached the 165 degrees F, use a pair on tongs and pick up the ribs from one end. If the slab is close to breaking in half, the ribs are done.
“The Perfect Sauce”- Sauce should be put on at the very end of grilling. Many store bought and homemade sauces have sugar in them. Sugar can cause the ribs to burn, even with indirect heat. Once the ribs are completely cooked, give them a light coat of your favorite sauce (Hickory River Mild or Hot Sauce is a must!!) and cook them for a couple more minutes.
“They’re ready” - Serve with your favorite cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans, or corn on the cob - and enjoy!!
There you have it — tips from some pros on home barbecue.
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New sub chain entering Dayton market
The Rochester, N.Y.-based DiBella’s Old Fashioned Submarines will enter the Dayton market before the end of the year with the scheduled opening of a restaurant at 1191 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp.
“We’re thrilled to be coming to Dayton,” Dan Carducci, DiBella’s director of real estate in the Midwest, said in a news release this morning, Aug.19. “With the combination of a great community with excellent demographics, a prime location and superb landlord, we really think DiBella’s is poised for success here.”
DiBella’s signed a 10-year lease for approximately 3,800 square feet in the Township Square shopping center, which also houses FedEx Kinko’s, Concord Cleaners and a branch office of PNC bank, DiBella’s officials said.
DiBella’s sub shops offer hot and cold subs, ranging from traditional Italian cold-cut sandwiches to buffalo chicken subs in an atmosphere that evokes a 1940s-style corner-restaurant theme, the chain’s officials said. Sub rolls are baked in each store throughout the day.
The DiBella’s chain includes 23 locations across four states: New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio, including one recently opened store in suburban Columbus. Company officials called Dayton one of its “key growth markets” and said they are exploring expansion opportunities in Cincinnati and Indianapolis.
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New restaurant in downtown Dayton opens today
The new restaurant in downtown Dayton called Mr. Hyman’s Fine Dining that we first told you about Aug. 1 is scheduled to open at 11 a.m. today, Aug. 19 at 40 N. Main St., Suite 110.
The Kettering Tower location once housed King Cole restaurant and most recently Michael’s Dining & Jazz, which closed in April 2010.
Hyman operates a catering business and provides food service for three charter schools and one after-school program. He moved those operations from 3630 N. Dixie Drive in Harrison Twp. to the downtown Dayton restaurant kitchens in early July.
Mr. Hyman’s Fine Dining will open for lunch on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed Saturdays, although the space is available for special events on Saturdays, owner Leroy Hyman said. After the restaurant obtains a liquor license later this year, the hours will expand to include dinner service and Saturday evening hours, Hyman said.
The restaurant seats about 200. For more information, call (937) 275-9505.
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Kettering restaurant to celebrate grand opening, unveil new patio
Toscani’s restaurant, 5900 Bigger Road in Kettering, will host a grand opening this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 19-20.
During the grand opening, all dinners will be 10 percent off.
The restaurant opened its doors in February in the former location of Bosco’s sports bar and restaurant. The grand opening will showcase Toscani’s new deck, and there will be music Friday and Saturday starting at 7 p.m.
Toscani’s is open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, call (937) 291-9200.
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Dewey’s Pizza plans new Centerville restaurant
CENTERVILLE — Dewey’s Pizza has purchased three properties in downtown Centerville and is planning a restaurant that could open in late 2012, according to Chuck Lipp, chief operating officer of the Cincinnati-based pizza restaurant chain.
The properties are at 35 N. Main St., 39 N. Main St. and 45 N. Main St. in Centerville. Montgomery County property records show that Dewey’s Pizza’s parent company purchased the properties for $265,000 on Friday.
“We have closed on the properties,” Lipp said. “We have some permit issues and zoning issues we will continue to work out.” If all goes as planned, a restaurant could open “sometime in the second half of next year,” the Dewey’s COO said.
There is no specific design available yet of the Centerville restaurant, but Lipp said the typical Dewey’s is 3,000 to 3,500 square feet and seats about 100 diners. He anticipates the restaurant will be similar in design and scope to the Dewey’s Pizza at 131 Jasper Street just off Brown Street near the University of Dayton. The restaurant will employ 40 to 50 people, Lipp said.
Lipp knows the Dayton and Centerville markets well: he is a native of Centerville, a 1987 Alter High School graduate and a 1991 graduate of UD.
Dewey’s Pizza had planned to build a restaurant on Far Hills Avenue in Kettering, but those plans were put on hold in 2009. Lipp said the Kettering project is now “less than likely” to be built.
In addition to the UD-area store and restaurants in the greater Cincinnati area, Dewey’s operates restaurants in Columbus, Cleveland and St. Louis.
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Free fries today at Penn Station restaurants
All Dayton-area Penn Station East Coast Subs restaurants are participating in a “Free Fries Wednesday” promotion in which customers who dine in can obtain one free small order of fries, no purchase necessary, today (8-17-11) only. The offer is not valid for to-go orders.
The promotion is “in recognition of Penn Station Customer Appreciation Day,” a Penn station spokeswoman said in an email news release.
Click here to locate your nearest Penn Station sub shop.
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New independent restaurant to open in former Applebee’s location
TROTWOOD — A new, independently owned restaurant called Taste is scheduled to open Sept. 17 in a former Applebee’s location at 2555 Shiloh Springs Road near Ohio 49 and Salem Ave., according to the new venture’s owner, Jason Thomas of Englewood.
Trotwood Mayor Joyce S. Cameron and the city’s economic development administrator, Rhonda Finley, said they welcomed the new restaurant, which they said could serve as a catalyst for retail and commercial development in the area. The former Applebee’s building has been vacant for at least five years, and “was turning into a blight on our main corridor, Cameron said. “This will be a huge boost for the area.”
Taste will seat about 160 and will employ 20 to 25, Thomas said. The former Applebee’s building required extensive work: “We renovated everything on the inside of the restaurant,” Thomas said.
Thomas, a Dayton native, works for LexisNexis and has traveled extensively as part of his job. He said he found the lack of non-chain restaurant options in the Trotwood and Englewood areas frustrating. “There is a need for fine dining in this part of town,” Thomas said.
Family members — including a cousin, Roger Smith, who has worked in the dining industry for 25 years as a chef — will help run the restaurant, Thomas said.
The Taste web site describes the new restaurant’s cuisine as “gourmet Soul Food, Cajun and Creole cuisine.” Thomas said the focus will be on tapas and entrees made in a health-conscious way — “creative cuisine and an array of meals that cater to everyone,” he said.
The restaurant also will feature live music — jazz, blues and R&B — that will be a focus on weekend evenings, and is also planned for weekday evenings, Thomas said.
Taste will have a full liquor license, Thomas said. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday “for a jazz brunch,” the new restaurant’s owner said.
For more information, call (937) 854-7060.
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New restaurant to open Saturday in Beavercreek
BEAVERCREEK — The new CBCB Bar & Grill at 2495 Commons Blvd. near the Mall at Fairfield Commons that we first told you about in January is scheduled to open at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, according to the restaurant’s owner, Bob Byers.
CBCB Bar & Grill will seat about 100 inside and an additional 40 on a newly constructed patio, Byers said. It will employ about 25. The location was formerly a Moe’s Southwest Grill that closed in July 2010.
Byers borrowed elements from other restaurants he owns — Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers and Carmel’s Southwest Grill — and added a few new enhancements to create the new restaurant’s menu, which will include a dozen 8-ounce burgers made from certified Angus beef, a half-dozen quesadilla choices, fajitas, fish tacos, salads, sandwiches and vegetarian options. CBCB Bar & Grill has a full alcohol license, and will feature 100 beers by the bottle, including several craft beers, as well as a martini menu, Byers said.
The other three restaurants that Byers owns — two Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers and Carmel’s — are located in the city of Dayton. Byers said the new restaurant’s location will accommodate customers who work or attend Wright State University, work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and live in the Beavercreek area.
The restaurant was originally scheduled to open in the spring. Byers said a credit crisis in the local banking industry and the unwillingness of local financial institutions to lend earlier this year were factors in the delay.
CBCB Bar & Grill’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday. For more information, call (937) 426-3287.
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Jay’s Crabfest luncheon is Saturday
DAYTON — Jay’s Restaurant, 225 E. Sixth St. in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District, will host a Crabfest Wine Luncheon at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, August 20.
The menu includes Red Crab Chimi with Garden Green Salsa, Peeking Toe Crab Taco with Southwest Slaw, Blue Crab Creole Salad, Baked Jonah Crab-Stuffed Tomato with Dungeness Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms, Steamed Alaskan King Crab served with fresh vegetables and Snow Crab Hash, and Mixed Berry Pastry Cup. Each food course will be paired with wine.
The cost is $80, which includes tax and tip. Reservations are required and may be made at (937) 222-2892.
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L’Auberge alumnus credits restaurant for his success
The recent story regarding a foreclosure and scheduled sheriff’s sale of the building and property of l’Auberge Restaurant in Kettering — the restaurant remains open, and owner Josef Reif is seeking a resolution that would keep the restaurant operating into the future — prompted an email from one of the many l’Auberge “alumni” who are working at restaurants all over the globe. It came from Eddie Nickell, owner/operator of FMI Restaurant Group in Orlando, Florida.
Here’s what Nickell had to say:
“I have many fond memories of l’Auberge. I worked as a captain for many years there back in 1989 until 1993. I learned so much about fine dining, and Josef used to let me have it if service wasn’t flawless.
“Now I own five very successful restaurants and a retail wine store in Orlando, and I also serve as president of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association in central Florida, so I consider myself a success story and attribute a lot of that to what I learned at l’Auberge. I really loved that place and hope somehow it will survive this. We need restaurants like this, especially in Dayton.”
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17 restaurants to offer ‘Taste of The Greene’ tonight
BEAVERCREEK — At least 17 restaurants will offer samples of their menus at a “Taste of The Greene” event from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. today (Thursday Aug. 11) on the Town Square of The Greene in Beavercreek.
The event will feature a beer truck and live music, and proceeds from the event will benefit the Victoria Theatre Association and the AIDS Resource Center (ARC) Ohio. Tickets are available at the event for $20. The local band “Spungewurthy” will be performing.
Participating restaurants include Adobe Gilas, Pasha Grill, Cheryl & Co., Panera, Yoba Yogurt, Caribou Coffee, The Pub, BD’s Mongolian Grill, McCormick & Schmick’s, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Choe’s Asian Gourmet, Noodles & Co, That Crepe Place, Brio, The Wine Loft, Chipotle and Subway. For more information please visit www.thegreene.com.
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New frozen-treat shop opens in Kettering
KETTERING — A new frozen-treat shop called Sweet P’s Handcrafted Ice Pops has opened at 22 W. Stroop Road in the Castle Hills Shopping Center.
The ice-pop shop — which is not part of a national chain — is owned by Pam Bertke of Sugarcreek Twp., who has worked in the graphic arts and mortgage industries before launching her business. Bertke said she researched her idea of selling ice pops based on the Mexican frozen treats known as paletas for eight months before deciding to open Sweet P’s.
That research included road trips to Nashville, Tennessee and locations in North Carolina that sell the frozen treats, as well as taste-tests in her home that she dubbed “Popsicle tasting parties” modeled after wine-tasting sessions.
Bertke said paletas are made from fresh ingredients and are known for their vibrant flavors. They come in two types: dairy-based and water-based. Sweet P’s will rotate flavors, but earlier this week was offering dairy-based choices such as chocolate-raspberry, coffee latte and key lime pie; and water-based pops such as kiwi-lime-ginger, peach and watermelon-blueberry.
The frozen treats can include savory and spicy ingredients. Bertke has a pineapple-chili pepper ice pop on her menu, and plans on flavors that include strawberry-basil and lemon-rosemary bases, she said. All of the Sweet P’s ice pops are made in the retail store’s kitchen, where they are flash-frozen, Bertke said.
When winter comes, Bertke may continue to serve the ice pops — “People eat ice cream year-round,” she said — and may add items such as Mexican-style hot chocolate and hot apple cider to the menu.
The ice pops are $2.50, and the store is cash-only. Sweet P’s is open Wednesday through Saturday noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Monday and Tuesday. For more information, call (937) 985-7086.
(photo by Mark Fisher, Dayton Daily News)Tweet
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New restaurant replaces Artisans Cafe
CLAYTON — Plate O’ Noodles has opened in the former Artisans Cafe space at 8351 N. Main St. in the Randolph Plaza, according to co-owner Pam Heintz.
Artisans Cafe closed in late July due to slow sales, Heintz said July 11. She and her husband Joe decided to close the existing fine-dining restaurant and reopen as Plate O’Noodles, a more casual, less labor-intensive restaurant. James Shipley, who served as chef for Artisans, serves as chef for the new restaurant. Overall employment dropped from 16 to four, Heintz said.
Plate O’ Noodles features noodle dishes from Asia, Italy, America, and elsewhere. The menu includes Mac ‘n’ Cheese and Pad Thai as well as Italian pasta dishes such as spaghetti and fettuccine with marinara, Bolognese, alfredo, Parmesan and other sauce choices. Whole wheat pasta is available for the Italian dishes. The most popular dish in the restaurant’s first few days has been Vegan Pad Thai, Heintz said.
Plate O’ Noodles seats 42. Carryout and delivery are available.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. For more information, call (937) 890-5250 or go to the Plate O’ Noodles Facebook page.
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Papa John’s offering $6 pizzas today and Wednesday
Dayton-area Papa John’s Pizza shops are offering a “Guest Appreciation Days” special offer today (Aug. 9, 2011) and Wednesday: a large one-topping pizza for $6. The regular menu price of a one-topping large pizza is $13.99.
The offer is good on both pick-up and delivery orders. There are no limits on the number of pizzas that can be ordered for $6, and no promotion code is needed, according to Cresta Lewis of Cincinnati-based Sunrise Advertising, a spokeswoman for Papa John’s in the region. And all Papa John’s stores in the Dayton, Springfield, Hamilton and Middletown areas are participating, Lewis said.
The offer is good for Aug. 9-10 only. Customers can call their local Papa John’s location or order online at www.papajohns.com.
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New 300-seat restaurant opens today in Kettering
KETTERING — The Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet at 1760 E. Stroop Road that we first told you about in April will open at 11 a.m. today, with a ribbon-cutting planned for 11:30 a.m., the restaurant’s owner, Sheng Li, said this morning as employees filled containers at the buffet restaurant’s steam tables around him.
The new restaurant’s location is the former Ryan’s Steakhouse that has been closed since 2007, just east of the Kettering Post office. The restaurant seats in excess of 300 people. It opened with 20 employees, Sheng Li said.
The restaurant is open daily: Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, call (937) 643-3333.
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Tipp BBQ restaurant wins three 1st-place awards at Ohio State Fair
TIPP CITY — For the fourth consecutive year, Hickory River Smokehouse has won the top award for “Best Pulled Pork” at the 2011 Ohio State Fair and also scored two additional Grand Champion awards for “Best BBQ Sauce” and for “Best Ribs,” according to this news release from the Ohio Pork Producers Council and this announcement from the restaurant.
The competition was held Tuesday, Aug. 2 and is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Producers Council. Winners receive cash prizes and commemorative banners and silver serving trays.
The honors for Hickory River Smokehouse carry added significance this year because the restaurant changed ownership in January. Dan Davis, nephew of Hickory River Smokehouse founders Brad and Krista Bowman, and his Davis’ wife Maria bought the Tipp City location from the Bowmans. This is the first time Hickory River captured the top prize for “Best Ribs.”
The Tipp City restaurant is located at 135 S. Garber Road just off I-75. There also are six Hickory River locations in Illinois.
For more information about the Tipp City Hickory River Smokehouse, call (937) 669-2271.
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Restaurant Week: a few random thoughts …
A few random observations about the newly expanded Restaurant Week, which covered eight nights from July 24 through July 31 and offered multiple price points — $20.11, $25.11 or $30.11 — for restaurants (and thus diners) to choose from.
— Chilled soups are in — and they’re wonderful.
— Very, very few restaurants jumped up to the $30.11 tier — and that kept meals at bargain levels.
— Several eateries took full advantage of the flexibility by offering multiple options — a $20 and a $25 option, or a two-dinners-for-$25 menu, for example. Others distinguished themselves from their competition by adding a fourth course or by opening their restaurants on nights that they’re usually closed.
— While final counts aren’t yet in, the ol’ eyeball method suggests that diners turned out in pretty strong numbers.
— Restaurant Week is still a great way for restaurants to present themselves to brand new customers — and to try to impress them enough to return.
Please let us know about YOUR Restaurant week experiences by emailing them to mfisher@daytondailynews.com (please include your first and last name and place of residence) or by posting on our Facebook page.
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New 200-seat restaurant to open in downtown Dayton
DAYTON — Leroy Hyman, who has operated catering and food-service operations in the Dayton area for 13 years, will open a new full-service restaurant called Mr. Hyman’s Fine Dining on Aug. 19 at 40 N. Main St., Suite 110 — the location that once housed King Cole restaurant and most recently was Michael’s Dining & Jazz.
Mr. Hyman’s Fine Dining initially will be open for lunch only on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will be available for special events on Saturdays, Hyman said. After the restaurant obtains a liquor license — possibly as early as September — the hours will expand to include dinner service and Saturday evening hours, the restaurant owner said.
The restaurant seats about 200 and will employ 20 to 22 people when it opens in August, Hyman said. The projected opening date of Aug. 19 “is as firm as I can make it barring a catastrophe,” he said.
Hyman operates a catering business and provides food service for three charter schools and one after-school program. He moved those operations from 3630 N. Dixie Drive in Harrison Twp. to the downtown Dayton restaurant kitchens in early July.
Hyman, of Tipp City, worked in food service for the Marriott and Holiday Inn hotel chains and for Wright State University. He said he has always wanted to open a fine-dining restaurant, and the “opportunity presented itself” to move to the downtown Dayton location that would accommodate a full-service restaurant in addition to providing the kitchen facilities for his catering and school food-service operations. The space has been vacant since Michael’s Dining & Jazz closed in April 2010.
The new restaurant’s menu will include items such as Blackened Salmon with Cajun Sauce, Chicken Chesapeake stuffed with crabmeat, Sliced Roast Beef with Fresh Vegetables and Smothered Pork Chops.
For more information, call (937) 275-9505.
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