Besides eating Mexican food, I will be making a visit to Jet Freeze in Beavercreek for my birthday. My grandparents used to live right down the road from the ice cream shop and I have so many fond memories of getting chocolate soft serve with rainbow sprinkles (as you can see below). My husband loves their seasonal Girl Scout Thin Mint flurry.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
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Chick-fil-A to open mobile drive-thru during temporary closure
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
A Chick-fil-A restaurant in Beavercreek will close this week to begin four months of renovations.
In the meantime, the restaurant at 2360 N. Fairfield Road plans to partner with their sister store at The Mall at Fairfield Commons to develop a new drive-thru experience.
The drive-thru will be located in the parking lot at The Mall at Fairfield Commons between Macy’s/Dick’s Sporting Goods and the Regal movie theatre. It will offer two lanes:
- The mobile-thru lane is a full-service drive-thru where guests must order via the Chick-fil-A app. Team members will fulfill the order at The Fairfield Commons Chick-fil-A and bring it out to the guest.
- The express lane will offer a limited menu with items such as the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Waffle Potato Chips, Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Bottled Drinks.
The drive-thru will be open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday starting March 4. There will be no breakfast service.
Greek Street in Centerville adds beer, wine and cocktails
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Greek Street is now serving beer, wine and a seasonal cocktail to compliment the Centerville restaurant’s authentic Greek cuisine.
The restaurant offers local craft beer, Greek beer, single pour wines and half bottles or full bottles of Greek wine. The signature cocktail is the Santorini Sunrise featuring fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, blood orange vodka, campari, simple syrup and mint.
Owner Chris Spirtos opened Greek Street at 101 E. Alex Bell Road Suite 186 in the Cross Pointe Shopping Center in May 2022 after operating a food truck for six years.
>>>WATCH: Behind-the-scenes at Greek Street in Centerville
Franco’s Ristorante Italiano to close in March
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Franco’s Ristorante Italiano in Dayton’s Oregon District is closing its doors after business on March 16.
Here’s what we know:
- General manager Nick Germano, his mother Barbara, and his sister Gina, started working with a realtor to sell the property five to six months ago.
- Germano said it’s time for his mom, who is now 75, to retire since she has been working at the restaurant since his late-father, Franco, opened it 47 years ago. In addition, Germano could not commit to being at the restaurant all the time because he wants to spend time with his wife and two boys.
- The family is selling the Fifth Street property to Mo Jusufi, the owner of Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen located at 3002 Woodman Dr. in Kettering. Jusufi plans to open his second restaurant location in May.
>>>READ MORE: Italian restaurant to close: ‘Our customers are what made Franco’s’
Battle of the Bartenders returns tonight
The ninth annual Miami Valley Restaurant Association’s Buckeye Vodka Battle of the Bartenders is tonight from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Steam Plant in Dayton.
Defending Champion Thomas Morris, bar manager at Wheat Penny, and reigning People’s Choice winner Nicole Wilson, bar manager at Smith’s Boathouse in Troy, are gearing up for a face-off a year later.
Other bartenders participating are from Amber Rose, Corner Kitchen, Dewberry 1850, The Florentine, Manna Uptown, Meadowlark, Mr. Boro’s Tavern, Rip Rap Roadhouse and El Meson.
Dayton Daily News writer Alexis Larsen will once again be a judge and will have a full recap following the event.
Quick Bites:
🍣 Tokyo Grill & Sushi Buffet opens in Beavercreek: The all-you-can-eat sushi bar and hibachi grill, is located near the main entrance of The Mall at Fairfield Commons.
🍴 Outback Steakhouse announces opening date for Centerville restaurant: The restaurant, located at 5181 Cornerstone North Blvd. near Interstate 675 and Wilmington Pike, is set to open on March 12, despite the chain’s parent company shutting down dozens of “underperforming locations.”
🍺 Fifth Street Brewpub in Dayton restarts program that supports nonprofits: On select Thursdays, the brewpub will donate 10 percent of its net sales plus 100% of raffle proceeds to a local nonprofit organization. CLICK HERE
🐟 Dayton Fish Fry Guide: Here are some of the best opportunities to enjoy a fish fry in the next few months.
Dish of the Week: Breakfast from Cherry House Cafe
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Each week I’m planning to feature a dish, drink or sweet treat from restaurants in the Dayton area that I’ve tried and loved.
This week we’re starting off with breakfast from Cherry House Cafe, located at 1241 Meadow Bridge Dr. in Beavercreek. If you’re always on the go like I am, the restaurant has a drive-thru only menu.
For $8, you can get a breakfast sandwich, potato cakes and coffee. I had the ham, egg and cheese sandwich on a croissant and it was delicious. I’m not a huge fan of hashbrowns in general, but the potato cakes surpassed my expectations. This meal was just what I expected from an independent, family owned and operated restaurant.
Cherry House Cafe also has a lunch/dinner drive-thru special that includes a double cheeseburger, fries and a soda for $8.
Tips from a Chef: How to make scallops
Credit: Submitted Photo
Credit: Submitted Photo
Lily’s Dayton owner Emily Mendenhall and her executive chef Don Warfe are celebrating one of their favorite ingredients — scallops — this week.
The restaurant, located at 329 E. Fifth St. in Dayton’s Oregon District, will feature a variety of scallop specials alongside its full dinner menu tonight through Sunday.
Warfe said scallops are one of his favorite things to cook, but searing them is a process of steps.
“When done correctly and with the right amount of heart, the final result is an incredible combination of caramelization, buttery, seafood-y goodness,” Warfe said.
Here’s how he cooks scallops:
- Pull the scallops out of the refrigerator and set them on a paper towel for a few minutes to take some of the chill off. Pat dry on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat skillet to medium high heat and add oil just to smoke point (preferably a higher smoke point oil like canola or avocado oil). Gently add seasoned scallops to sauté pan and displace the oil by gently rocking the pan.
- Let the scallops cook long enough before you try to turn them over. Cook to release. If you have to pull on them, they need a minute longer. Don’t forget to watch the temperature, the heat may need to be turned down. The scallops should be a golden brown.
- Cook both sides. Side two probably won’t take as long.
- Take the scallops out and let them sit on a plate for a minute or two before serving. Like most things, we want them to rest after cooking them.
Warfe said if the scallops are rubbery, that means they are overcooked.
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