That sums up Grist.
When you walk through the front door, you see fresh pastas, breads, various desserts and other items displayed in small cases. It has a more classic Italian market feel, reminiscent of Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, NY.
But that feel changes when you enter the small but well-appointed dining room with an open kitchen and farmhouse tables and chairs. Don’t expect white table linens or silverware on cloth napkins. Grist doesn’t even have traditional servers. Customers can place their orders via QR code or at the cash register at the front of the store.
And don’t expect a massive menu, which I’ve never liked anyway. I prefer a restaurant that sticks to what it does well.
I wasn’t sure about the wine pairings because, unlike larger venues that carry recognizable labels, the list here was carefully curated with brands I only had a passing familiarity with. I asked, what pairings would you suggest?
I hadn’t met Grist co-owner Casey VanVoorhis, so I had no idea she was the one excitedly providing a detailed explanation of every item on the menu and the wines she thought were best. It was the type of depth and detail that’s hard to find at local restaurants, and she talked with the passion of an artist explaining the missed nuances on a painting.
In trying to determine which wines to have with the appetizers, I found, on the QR code, that Grist offers flights (3, two-ounce pours) of white and red wine for $14 each. Even better, I could pick the wines I wanted to try. I wish more establishments would offer flights because it provides an opportunity to taste a number of different varietals.
I left the wine selection up to the restaurant. The three white wines consisted of a Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc, White Clay Catena, and the Raeburn Chardonnay Russian River Valley. The red flight had Muriel Rioja, the Martin Ray Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Bezel Pinot Noir. (At some point, it’s going to be worth a return trip to do a deeper dive into the wines).
For appetizers, my table ordered the meatballs with the slightly spicy Calabrian tomato sauce. The light, airy meatballs dusted with Parmigiano Reggiano and basil paired perfectly with the somewhat fruity cab. The cow’s milk Burrata with caramelized pears, spiced hazelnuts, speck, watercress, Verjus grapes and toasted crostini could have been a meal. It’s a masterpiece of appetizers. For me, the Catena, with its citrus and peach, made such a good pairing I should have purchased a bottle at $37.
We also sampled the light, airy focaccia. Do yourself a favor. Take home a loaf.
Then we had dinner. The Scarpinocc di Manzo caught my eye. The menu description — braised beef and ricotta-filled pasta, bone marrow jus, pecorino Romano and chive — doesn’t adequately describe the complexity of the dish. The kitchen braises the beef for six hours, whips it into a paste and pipes it into the pasta. They then use the reduced braising liquid and bone marrow butter to complete the sauce. The finished product is a deep, rich, beefy sauce with a hint of the marrow, perfect for a winter’s night.
The pasta was also cooked to a perfect al dente, which is harder than it may seem. With dry pasta, you can cook it a minute or two too long and not kill it. With fresh, just 10 or 20 seconds can turn your meal to mush. The Grist kitchen has this down.
With dinner, we had the Spinelli Montepulciano, a light but flavorful and dry wine with black cherry and vanilla notes. It reminded me of the table wine served throughout Italy. It was a good compliment to the Scarpinocc, made even better by its price: $22 a bottle.
My dish was terrific, but if it’s on the menu when I go back, I’m getting the Tortelli di Zucca, butternut squash-filled pasta with brown butter, crispy sage, and apple mostarda. The dish explodes with flavor. Brown butter can sometimes be a problem if it’s overcooked and piled on the dish. Not here. The pasta absorbed the butter perfectly and the butternut squash flavor was a home run.
Grist has plenty of dessert offerings, but I was so stuffed I could only have a few bites of the lemon tart with the buttery crust (yummy).
Grist is a small restaurant with big flavors, a terrific wine list and a staff that knows how to pair their offerings for the best experience. Amazing.
THE REVIEW:
What: Grist, 46 W. Fifth Street, Dayton.
Appetizers: 5 out of 5. If you order one thing, make it the cow’s milk Burrata.
Dinner: 5 out of 5. The Tortelli di Zucca blew me away.
Dessert: 5 out of 5. Loved the lemon tart.
Service: 5 out of 5: Not traditional, but you get all the help you need.
Ambiance: 5 out of 5: The dining room reminds me of an Italian farmhouse.
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