First off, as a Xenia native I did eat in my hometown over the weekend. On Saturday, I had Los Mariachis for dinner. Instead of getting a regular meal, I ordered off the lunch menu because that is always more than enough food for me. I went with my usual order of a chicken chimichanga, rice and lettuce with pico and sour cream. My fiancé had a steak burrito wrap.
Fun fact: Los was where we had our first date, so it holds a special place in our hearts. We love Los so much that they are catering our party when we return from our elopement.
My evening in Xenia ended with a stop at Devil Wind Brewing where we met my best friend and her family.
Italian restaurant, new bar coming to Xenia
Troni Brothers Pizza in Kettering is opening a second restaurant in Xenia with a focus on adding additional pasta dishes to the menu, said co-owner Dave Keen.
He told me Troni Brothers Italian Restaurant will open in the former space of Xenia China Inn at 417 W. Second St.
Keen, his wife, Gina, and sons, Dylan and Riley, took over operations at Troni Brothers Pizza, located at 4654 Wilmington Pike, in May 2022. The new restaurant will be owned by Keen and some of the Troni family.
An opening date is not available at this time as the restaurant is in its early stages.
A neighborhood bar with beachy décor is bringing a little piece of paradise to the city.
Waydo’s Sand Bar, located at 109 Cincinnati Ave., is expected to open in the next month, according to owners Chrissy and Jeremiah Waydo.
The full bar will feature two pool tables, two dart machines, leagues, board games, karaoke and a limited food menu. The owners said they are expecting to start off by opening 10 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
Jeremiah, a Xenia native, told me he wanted to open a bar so he would have a place to play pool. Chrissy, a Florida native, said her number one priority is making sure the bar is a safe place for women.
As shown in the photo, the bar is handmade featuring a beach scene. I thought this was super cool! For more photos of the bar, click here.
Xenia has several other establishments with plans to open sometime soon, click here for a list of eight new restaurants coming to the city.
New bakery to open in former space of Evans Bakery in Dayton
Baker Benji’s is continuing the legacy of Evans Bakery at 700 Troy St. in the Old North Dayton neighborhood.
Owner Benjamin “Benji” Stuckey told me he plans to offer the bakery’s traditional menu with favorites like doughnuts, cream horns and cannoli with a little bit of Baker Benji’s influence, including the baker’s brownies, cakes and cupcakes.
He said he is especially excited to begin making doughnuts and adding new flavor profiles. This could include specialty doughnuts around the holidays like a Cadbury Creme Egg doughnut for Easter or an Irish Creme doughnut for St. Patrick’s Day, he explained.
Jennifer Evans, who previously owned the bakery with her partner, Matt Tepper, is planning to train Stuckey to keep the bakery’s original recipes.
Stuckey has been a home baker since 2011. He is also the official baker for the Ohio Renaissance Festival.
Culp’s Café reopens at Carillon Historical Park
A café giving guests a glimpse back into the early 1900s has reopened at Dayton’s Carillon Historical Park, located at 1000 Carillon Blvd.
Culp’s Café is a one-of-a-kind eatery paying homage to small soda fountains, lunch counters and the Culp family.
The restaurant began a soft opening to test the kitchen and service team a few weeks ago. Brady Kress, president and CEO of Dayton History, said the restaurant is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays for preview days as they prepare for a grand opening on Tuesday, April 4.
If you have visited the restaurant before, you might notice a few changes. The café is now operating under a counter-service model where guests can place an order at the counter where they are then given a number. Guests take the number to a table of their choice and then a server will bring out their meal, Kress explained.
He also said some adjustments have been made to the menu including the addition of a smash burger. The restaurant will continue to serve “Rike’s” traditional pecan chicken salad and phosphate sodas.
Quick Bites:
🍽 KungFu BBQ opens spot at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: The business is located in Building 45 where Wright Away Cafe was previously located. This is in Area B.
🍗 Fricker’s to sell chicken wings at 1985 prices: Dine-in only customers can order up to 10 Fricker’s Frickin’ Chicken wings for $2.95 from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday at all 24 locations. Read more about the deal here.
🥯 Val’s Bakery opens near University of Dayton: The bakery opened Monday in the former space of Glo Juice Bar + Cafe on Brown St. in Dayton. A grand opening is planned for Saturday, April 8.
♥ Dayton restaurant partners with James Beard-nominated chef for special dinner: On Thursday, April 6, Executive Chef Jorge Guzmán of Sueño is hosting “Deeply Rooted: A Chef’s Dinner feat. Chef Jose Salazar” with seatings available from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. To learn more about the dinner, click here.
🍾 Dayton bottle shop to host non-alcoholic beer tasting: Advanced Cicerone David Nilsen will guide a tasting event on Friday, April 14 at Ghostlight Coffee’s bottle shop on Wayne Ave.
Tell Us:
Thank you so much for reading my weekly newsletter! If you see a new restaurant opening or are wondering when an establishment is expected to open up, feel free to email me here, and I’ll check it out.
Unfortunately, I did not go to Pizza Fest at the Yellow Cab Tavern last Friday, but from the photos here it looked like it was a great time! A special thanks to those who responded what type of food-specific fests they would like to see. Responses included a Rueben or corned beef fest, coffee fest and s’mores fest.
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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