I remember going to my late great-grandmother’s house off of Watervliet Avenue with my cousins in the summer and getting footlongs from The Root Beer Stande. This didn’t happen only one time, I remember several occasions.
Last week, my fiancé and I went there for dinner and even though there was a little wait, my footlong with ketchup, mustard, chili and cheese tasted just the same as it did over a decade ago.
Of course, I ordered a chocolate shake because I can’t go anywhere without getting some sort of ice cream concoction. My fiancé had The Hound Dog (a hotdog with bacon, onions, cheese and BBQ sauce), loaded fries and a root beer float served in a frosty mug.
Here’s a picture from our date night:
The carhop-style restaurant, at 1727 Woodman Drive, has been a staple of the Dayton and Kettering area since it first opened for business in 1961.
Tomorrow is Star Wars Day at The Root Beer Stande. Those who wear anything Star Wars will get a free float.
2023 Dayton Greek Festival canceled
The 2023 Dayton Greek Festival has been canceled, but its spring drive-thru event will continue this weekend.
“While the 2022 Dayton Greek Festival was very successful, we are currently facing challenges we are unable to meet for 2023,” festival organizers said in a post on the festival’s Facebook page.
I reached out to Christina Panagouleas-Stephens, public relations manager with the Dayton Greek Festival. She said no additional information was available at this time, but encouraged festivalgoers to keep tuned to the festival’s Facebook page for updates.
Area residents will get to have a taste of their favorite festival foods this weekend during a three-day spring drive-thru event.
Everything must be preordered and prepaid online at www.daytongreekfestival.com. Orders can be placed online now and throughout the weekend. Pick up will be available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, located at 500 Belmonte Park North.
Popular Springfield food truck moving into COhatch The Market
Chido’s Tacos, a popular food truck, is opening a brick-and-mortar operation in COhatch The Market in downtown Springfield.
The announcement comes days after The Painted Pepper and Cork + Board announced they were moving out of the space via their Facebook pages.
Armando Nunez opened Chido’s Tacos in March 2022 after building the food truck from the ground up with his uncle. He explained that after the coronavirus pandemic, he started thinking he needed to do something for himself because life is too short.
If you’re looking at the photo and are thinking that he looks familiar, that’s exactly what I did! I found out that Nunez has been working in the restaurant industry since he was 12. He told me that his family owns Los Mariachis, and he has learned every position from dishwasher to cook, all the way up to management. That’s exactly where I knew him from!
Chido’s Tacos is known for everything birria, which can be described as slow-cooked meat in a lot of spices. Nunez explained it became a trend in California about a year or two ago and eventually made its way to Ohio. He said he is planning to keep his current menu and add additional items like salads.
Chido’s Tacos plans to open in COhatch The Market in mid-June. Read more about Chido’s Tacos and what’s next for The Painted Pepper and Cork + Board here.
Remembering a favorite garlic-laced salad dressing
The search for Dayton recipes continues! A garlicky salad dressing fondly remembered throughout Dayton was one of the most requested recipes in this newsletter.
After a little bit of research in the Dayton Daily News archives, I found out the signature salad dressing at Dominic’s, which first opened on South Main Street in 1957, was made from a secret family recipe.
Dayton-area residents have requested the recipe since at least 1976.
Responding to a request, the late Dayton Daily News reporter Sally Batz wrote, “The manager of Dominic’s told me the owner would not want to divulge the recipe for their ‘house’ (garlic) salad dressing.”
Batz offered a recipe for a garlic dressing she had hoped readers would find similar:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 clove garlic (halved)
- 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
- 4 tbsp. wine vinegar
Directions: Mix the mustard, salt and garlic thoroughly. Add vinegar, stir. Add oil, then stir vigorously until all ingredients are well blended and keep jar in refrigerator.
In a 1984 Ask and Answer section, Bonnie Davis of Dayton shared the ingredients for her Dominic’s salad recipe, which included lettuce, sugar, accent, salad vinegar, olive oil and fresh pressed garlic. She said the recipe was given to her by a waitress at the restaurant, but she did not provide any amounts.
When I asked readers if they had the recipe for the salad dressing, Alicia Risko responded:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Small jar pimentos, drained
- 3 to 5 garlic coves, chopped
Directions: Break lettuce into big bowl. Mix together ingredients in another bowl. Pour mixed ingredients over lettuce and let it stand for one hour.
Risko said the recipe was given to her by a friend who knew someone who worked there.
In addition, Marsha Lucas shared a very similar recipe. She said she uses a “heavy” 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and five to six garlic cloves, grated. She offered a few additional tips including using extra virgin olive oil and a 2-ounce jar of pimentos, drained.
Read more about what I found in the archives here.
Quick Bites:
🌮 Dayton Taco Fest 2023 is Friday: A variety of food trucks will be serving all things tacos at The Yellow Cab Tavern from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is free to attend.
👨🌾 The outdoor farmers market returns to 2nd Street Market Saturday: Over 20 vendors will be set up outside of the market at 600 E. Second St. in downtown Dayton to sell produce, food and artisan goods.
🍦 New ice cream window to open in Washington Twp.: Goldies Flavored Soft Serve, located at 9352 Dayton-Lebanon Pike, is holding a soft opening from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday. For more details on what you can expect, click here.
☕ Caribou Coffee eyes return to Dayton area: The Minneapolis-based coffee company has announced the signing of several multi-unit development agreements to franchise over 300 new locations. Sixty are expected to open in the Dayton, Cincinnati and Columbus areas.
📆 Belle of Dayton Distillery releases the first bourbon made in Dayton since prohibition: Detrick Fine Whiskies Single Barrel Bourbon Batch 001 was released Monday at 1 p.m. with online sales only and was sold out in 60 seconds. This first batch is part of a quarterly release featuring some of the distillery’s oldest barrels of aging bourbon whiskey.
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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