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What restaurants do former Daytonians miss the most?

Marion's Piazza is a favorite of many in Dayton.

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By Mark Fisher, Staff Writer Updated 10:15 AM Friday, December 23, 2011

We asked our online readers — many of whom are “ex-pat” Daytonians who have moved out of the area and now live elsewhere — what they miss most about the Miami Valley, and what they do about it when they return home to visit family over the holidays.

We got an earful — or rather, a mouthful. Nearly all of the nostalgia that readers reminisced about and waxed poetic over involved local restaurants. The meals we eat as kids and young adults must somehow infiltrate our DNA and guide our taste buds for life — especially if it’s pizza cut into tiny squares.

Our ex-pats mentioned several favorites, as you’ll see across the page, but if this had been a contest — which it most certainly was not — the Dayton-based pizza chains Marion’s Piazza and Cassano’s Pizza King would have triumphed. Square-cut pizza has emerged as Dayton’s signature dish, and the taste buds of those who have departed pine for their favorites and eagerly anticipate a holiday homecoming to satisfy their urges.

This came as no surprise to Roger Glass, president and CEO of Marion’s Piazza.

“The day before Thanksgiving, the weekend after Thanksgiving, the couple of days before Christmas, the entire week between Christmas and New Year’s — a good one-third of our business is from people who are coming in from out of town,” Glass said. “It’s people who are coming in to get their Marion’s fix, and it ends up becoming a part of their families’ holiday tradition.”

Chris Cassano, president of Cassano’s Pizza King, said the style of pizza that his family developed here is not replicated. “When you leave here, you’re not going to find anything like our pizza anywhere else,” he said.

Cassano’s ships pizzas, and every year it gets “a ton” of calls prior to Christmas for delivery just after the holiday, Cassano said. “We give them the experience of home away from home.”

But those who are returning to the Miami Valley in the coming days to visit their families won’t have any shipping charges to pay at Cassano’s or at any of their other favorite local haunts, such as Frisch’s, El Greco or Bill’s Donuts. Read on to find out what makes a Dayton-area homecoming special — and delicious.

Here are some of the email responses we received:

“My name is Melodie Stickrath, I’m 55 and used to live in the Belmont area of Dayton. When I’m back for a visit I have to hit Marion’s and Cassano’s for pizza! No place else has pizza like Dayton, and those two places personify Dayton pizza. When I’ve traveled alone I’ve been known to stop at one or the other on the way to the airport for a pizza to bring back to Colorado for my husband. My other favorite is Frisch’s for a burger with extra sauce and a bowl of chili! This email is making my mouth water! Merry Christmas!” — Melodie Stickrath, 55, of Aurora, Colorado

“I am a 60-year-old Las Vegan who grew up in the Dayton area. My Mom lives in Tipp City and I lived in downtown Dayton before I moved to Las Vegas. My must visits when I come back to Dayton are:

1) Visit the Second Street Market — a true Dayton Gem. It is a great place to reconnect with friends and get some good food at the booths.

2) I have to have a Marion’s Pizza. Sausage and pepperoni is my favorite.

3) Go to Wayne Avenue and visit my favorite “gal” Esther Price, and then get a hamburger at Tank’s Bar & Restaurant.

4) “Get a peanut butter pie at the Covered Wagon in Englewood” — Dennis Folkerth, 60, of Las Vegas, who graduated from Centerville High School and the University of Dayton and who taught at the Upper Valley JVS in Piqua for 30 years

“Our two oldest sons live elsewhere. When our oldest, Michael, 41, comes back from Pittsburgh, Marion’s Pizza is a must, although his New-York born wife (Marian, ironically) sneers at it as ‘Ohio Flatbread’ and doesn’t really accept it as pizza. Skyline is also obligatory, and White Castle, if there’s time. Marian thinks those two are a bit peculiar but she’s fine with them. Middle son Rik, 39, of Asheville, N.C., tries to make a pilgrimage to Young’s Dairy. His wife Elizabeth and their 9-year-old son Art are just fine with that. Who doesn’t like ice cream ... or goat-petting, for that matter!” — Larry Lain of Kettering

“I LOVE Marion’s Piazza – I can’t find any pizza that is comparable. Marion’s is definitely a gem in Dayton; I miss it! I also enjoy Esther Price candy; but I can get it shipped pretty easily.” — Meghan Musgrave, 29, formerly of Kettering, now lives in Charlotte, N.C.

“This time of year, in particular, I find myself missing good old Dayton. I grew up in Kettering, went to medical school with my wife at Wright State and we plan to retire back to Dayton (from Florida) some day. I usually like to take my 9-year-old daughter to Clifton Mill around Christmas and I really, really miss Marion’s Piazza. Marion and my grandfather were best friends. There is much to be said for the Miami Valley. Dayton is a wonderful place and only after living away from what I still consider my home have I come to realize that the ‘grass is not always greener’ elsewhere.” — Dr. Mark Moon

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