On Friday I had lunch with my editor at Wheat Penny Oven & Bar on Wayne Avenue in Dayton. I had the Chicago Style Chicken Parmesan Sandwich with Jojos and my editor had The Lightfoot Sandwich (featuring Bowman Landes turkey) with Dressed Greens. Both of us were impressed with their extensive menu and loved the vibe in the space. We will be back!
Before my fiancé and I celebrated Valentine’s Day Saturday night, we took a trip to Springfield to check out a coffee shop located inside Richwood Bank on North Limestone Street. I saw several people talking about how good the coffee was on Facebook and had to give it a try. I had the Buckeye Snowbank at Richwood Coffee. The coffee was amazing and the fact that you get to make a donation to a local organization instead of paying for the coffee itself makes it even better.
For our night out, we went to Spaghetti Warehouse and Tender Mercy. I hadn’t had Spaghetti Warehouse in a long time and of course it lived up to my expectations. I ordered ravioli and my fiancé ordered a trio with lasagna, chicken parmigiana and fettuccine alfredo, but there is nothing better than their bread and garlic butter! Tender Mercy was such a unique experience. If you have never been, I highly recommend giving it a try. The cocktail bar is located directly below Sueño at 607 E. Third St. in Dayton. To get to the bar, you get to go down a set of subway stairs off of the sidewalk. It was a lot of fun!
In honor of Valentine’s Day yesterday, I want to know what’s your favorite date night spot in Dayton? Feel free to email me here and I’ll add it to my list of places to check out.
New wine spot coming to Dayton’s Fire Blocks District
Dayton native Lauren Gay is opening a new wine business this summer in downtown Dayton’s Fire Blocks District next to Salt Block Biscuit Company.
She told me the original concept was to simply open a wine retail shop downtown, something that has been missing since The Wine Gallery closed in 2018. Gay said she was looking for a spot about 900 to 1,000 square feet, but ended up falling in love with a space double that size. Due to the extra room she decided to add a bar and small bites to her plans.
The wine shop and bar, located at 117 E. Third St., will be called Joui (pronounced Joy). Gay said the name “comes from the French word jouissance meaning a feeling of physical and intellectual delight.” She went on to say it “perfectly encompasses why I like wine so much.”
The space is expected to be bright, fun, playful and laid-back. She said she wants people to feel like they can come in and ask questions.
The retail sector is expected to feature bottles that are $25 and under in addition to more expensive wines. Joui is expected to host wine tastings with different lineups on Saturday afternoons and a rotating list of specials and features.
Click here to read more about Gay’s new endeavor.
New series of food truck rallies coming to Fairborn park
A new series of food truck rallies will launch at Fairborn’s Hobson Freedom Park in April with a lineup of breakfast and dinner options.
Hunger Days Food Truck Rallies, organized by Cloudy Days Cotton Candy, will be held every Thursday starting April 6 and continue through Oct. 26. There will be a breakfast rally with three food trucks from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and a dinner rally with seven to eight food trucks from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Some of the food trucks expected to participate include Cloudy Days Cotton Candy, Poppy’s Smokehouse, Frios Gourmet Pops, Cupzilla, Mother Clucking Chicken Coop and Childers’ Chimney Cakes.
The rallies are expected to feature a different food truck lineup on a weekly basis with live entertainment, art and craft vendors and giveaways.
Hobson Freedom Park is located at 2910 Trebein Road.
Juice bar moves into Dayton cafe, Kettering bakery to take its space
As Glo Juice Bar + Cafe finished its last day at 1120 Brown St. in Dayton on Monday, a Kettering bakery announced it has plans to move into the space.
Paige Woodie, owner of Val’s currently located at 5860 Bigger Road, said in a Feb. 13 Facebook post this week will be the bakery’s last. Instead of being open for walk-in service, Woodie is posting a preorder menu on their website for pickup Friday.
She said they will spend this week getting organized to move into their new space.
Glo Juice Bar + Cafe is not closing. The cold-pressed juice and smoothie cafe has moved into Butter Cafe, located at 1106 Brown St. in Dayton, according to a Feb. 10 Facebook post.
The post explained customers will be able to order cold-pressed juice, smoothies and smoothie bowls along with vegan/gluten-free salads, soups and sandwiches at the cafe.
In July 2022 Butter Cafe and Glo Juice Bar announced plans to combine concepts into one space at The Flats at South Park, located at 619 Nathan Place in Dayton. Owner Amy Beaver previously said the project was expected to take about a year to complete.
As Val’s works to reopen on Brown Street, Woodie said they are planning to do weekly popups. The bakery’s first popup will be Saturday, Feb. 25 at Tony and Pete’s Groceries and Coldcuts, located at 129 E. Third St. in Dayton.
Quick Bites:
🍽 Owner of Azra’s Mediterranean Cuisine is retiring: Azra Kaurin’s last day as a vendor at 2nd Street Market will be Sunday. Read more about her journey here.
🍕 Father-daughter duo to open restaurant: Ardita Demnika and her father, Agron, will be taking over the space of Verona’s Pizza in Bellbrook to open a new restaurant called Veli’s Pasta and Pizza next month.
🍩 Dayton Donut Festival On Tour is in full swing: Donut lovers have until Monday to stop by all 12 participating shops. Read more about the fundraiser here.
🐟 The season of Lent begins next week: Here’s a list of place where you can find a delicious fish fry.
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.
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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