Sorry in advance for getting the song stuck in your head, but it sums up some of the latest restaurant news. Not familiar with the song? Listen to it here.
Over the weekend, I met my co-worker Brooke Spurlock at The Wing Warz Competition where Steven Earnest, owner of Lord of the Wings, and Michael Baxter, owner of Mother Clucking Chicken Coop, battled it out to find out who had the best wings.
Baxter won the judge’s vote and Earnest won the people’s vote.
The competition, held at The Arena Sports Bar on Salem Avenue, covered five categories: Hot, BBQ, Plain, Garlic Parmesan and Lemon Pepper. The judges, along with the audience, tried two wings in each category — without knowing which business they were from — and voted on their favorite.
Out of all of the wings, my favorite sauce was a honey garlic sauce from Mother Clucking Chicken Coop, which was featured in the hot category.
If you like chicken wings, the Miami Valley Restaurant Association is bringing back its Kickin’ Chicken Wing Fest at Fraze Pavilion in early July, along with several other food fests. This comes a few days after the Yellow Cab Tavern announced its monthly food fests.
From pizza, tacos and hot dogs to chicken wings, pineapples and seafood, there are several food fests coming to the Dayton area. Click here for a list of 14 events you don’t want to miss!
New restaurant, lounge to open in downtown Dayton
An upscale restaurant and lounge is coming to Dayton’s Fire Blocks District on the corner of East Third and Jefferson streets.
LIV Presidential, expected to open this summer, will feature a variety of dishes from classic American fare to exotic international cuisine, a full bar and an extensive wine list, owner Tieasha Davis said.
She told me she wanted to bring an upscale restaurant to downtown Dayton to help revitalize the area and provide people with a high-quality dining experience.
The venue will also offer private event rentals and a variety of packages to suit any budget.
LIV Presidential, located at 100 E. Third St., joins another new business with plans to open this summer in the Fire Blocks District. Joui, a wine shop and bar with small bites, will be located at 117 E. Third St. next to Salt Block Biscuit Company.
Coffee shop holds grand opening today in Centerville
ContempoRoast, a family-owned coffee shop in Centerville focusing on sustainability, education and inclusivity, is holding a grand opening today from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The coffee shop is owned by Mindy Hoffbauer and her son, Andy, who are hoping to create a wine bar-esque atmosphere.
Andy previously told me they want to focus on the subtleties and the tasting notes of the coffee for those who want to dive deeper into improving their palate. To achieve this, the coffee shop will feature a coffee lab where guests can order flights and attend tastings or classes.
If you’re not interested in diving deeper into coffee, they have seasonal flavored lattes, affogatos with ice cream, espresso drinks, drips, pour overs, cold brews, teas, lemonades and more.
The coffee shop is located at 967 S. Main St. For a sneak peek inside, click here.
Bar with upscale craft cocktails opens in Oregon District
Now this was a pleasant surprise when I was in the Oregon District over the weekend. After the chicken wing competition, my fiancé and I stopped by Newcom’s to dance the night away. As we were leaving, I saw that NextDoor was open.
The new bar features upscale craft cocktails and is located at 454 E. Fifth St. near Rebel Rebel Tattoo and Brim on Fifth. The bar’s soft opening to “iron out some kinks and get situated” began Friday, March 3.
The opening comes less than two weeks after I confirmed with Denver Williams, a zoning specialist with the City of Dayton, that a building permit was under review by the city’s building division for plans to re-establish occupancy. The permit has since been “finaled.”
According to the commercial building permit, the applicant, Austin Smith (Mandj Inc.), desired to reestablish occupancy of the two-story building. The project description of the permit states the kitchen will not be used.
The bar said they will be in a soft open status for the next couple of weeks. They told me they are working on getting the top patio bar up and running for this summer.
The space previously housed Tumbleweed Connection, a fixture in the Oregon District for over 40 years. The space sat empty for nearly a year after the former bar owners said they had been locked out of the establishment on social media.
Quick Bites:
🍵 New bubble tea shop opens: Chatime, located at 4458 Brandt Pike in Dayton, offers a variety of milky, fruity and frosty drinks. Customers can order milk teas, lattes, juice coolers, fruity teas, smoothies, coffee and more.
🍷 Pequeños Tapas and Wine Bar to open this month in Urbana: The bar will feature Spanish and Portuguese inspired small plates and wine. Read more about what you can expect here.
🍽 Oakwood Club to resume pre-COVID hours: Beginning March 20, the restaurant will once again open on Mondays.
🖤 First African American Master Blender coming to Dayton’s Wright-Dunbar district: W. Social Tap & Table is celebrating Women’s History Month by hosting “An Evening with Victoria Butler” on Tuesday, March 14 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Click here for more information about the event.
Tell Us:
Thank you so much for reading my weekly newsletter!
As Easter approaches, my co-worker Alexis Larsen will provide a list of restaurants in the Dayton area offering special meals for the holiday.
Whether it’s gourmet three-course meals, simple family feasts, buffet-style indulgence or carryout dishes, we want to know what you have planned! If you are a restaurant owner, fill out the survey here or email details here.
Also, remember to follow Dayton Daily News on Facebook or search our Food & Dining section for the latest stories. I’ll have continuous updates on my Facebook or Twitter pages.
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