I’ve been going to Jay’s for years, and this was the best meal I’ve had there, which is saying something. Owner Amy Haverstick, head chef National Young and Brian DeMarke of Cutting Edge Selections, who paired the wines with the meals, achieved the equivalent of passing for 500 yards in an NFL game. The meal was well worth the $100 (plus tax and tip) per person.
Diners, in impromptu short speeches, paid tribute to Jay’s and its founder, Jay Haverstick, who died in 2009 while hiking and taking pictures in California’s Death Valley National Park.
“He started the restaurant in 1976, and I’ve got to tell you, he loved what he did every day of his life,” his daughter Amy Haverstick said.
I’ve listed the wine’s per bottle price below and you can see nothing exceeds $35, so you don’t need to break the bank for a nice bottle. I also appreciated that the staff didn’t over pour. Six wines are a lot in any afternoon, and I didn’t want to be (too) tempted to drink everything in my glass.
Welcome drink: Colli Euganei extra dry prosecco ($15). I’ve never been a big bubbles person but this prosecco was dry and tannic with fresh apple, a nice choice to get the tastebuds moving,
First course: Blackened shrimp with a teriyaki glaze served over seaweed salad, with a 2024 La Cana albarino from Rias Baixas, Spain ($30).
I’m a fan of albarino wines because they’re dry without much acidity. The La Cana was light and crisp with just enough pear and lemon so that it didn’t take away from the teriyaki glaze on the plump, large and juicy shrimp. People can have a negative reaction to seaweed salad but don’t.
There was just enough of the slightly sharp salad to complement the shrimp. It was delicious.
Second course: Seared salmon salad with avocado vinaigrette, with a 2024 Ken Wright pinot noir from Willamette Valley in Oregon ($30) and a 2022 Hedges Red Mountain cuvee, Columbia Valley ($35).
I like albarino as much as I dislike pinot. My wine friends make fun of me because I don’t care for the light berry, often strawberry, I get out of pinots. (I find wines from Burgundy far more approachable.) The Ken Wright was different, soft with darker fruits, smooth and few tannins.
It’s a bottle I’d buy and drink regularly.
The Hedges, to me, had more pinot qualities, with some strawberry and light cherry and served as a nice contrast to the pinot, which I preferred with the salmon salad.
I’m one of those people who knows what he likes and will try almost anything. I know I don’t like avocado. Never have and they were a staple in my apartment when I was growing up. This dressing, though, was creamy and absorbed some of the taste of the delicious salmon, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.
The pinot and salmon were a home run (as I continue my sports metaphors) but the Hedges would have been fine, too. The wine selections show that white wine isn’t the only choice for fish. And I learned the a good pinot and a well made avocado dressing suit me just fine.
Third course: Surf and Turf with sliced angus beef served with chimichurri sauce and Chef Nate’s seafood stew with a 2023 BonAnno cabernet sauvignon ($35).
I like a good fillet, especially when it comes with something other than a mushroom sauce, and the chimichurri was an excellent choice. The parsley and garlic starred and there was just enough olive oil to hold it together. Sometimes, the oil can separate when it’s not properly emulsified.
This version was spot on. The cabernet, with its berry and cherry flavors has the weight to compliment the meaty fillet was good too.
But Chef Nate’s seafood stew was, as my aunt used to say, “Oh my good goodness.” It had a light tomato base, mussels, bay scallops and fish. Bay scallops are so small they can overcook easily, but the kitchen kept these favorable.
How good was it? A friend at my table didn’t want his, so I ate that, too. This should be a staple on the menu.
Dessert course: Flourless chocolate torte with cream and berries with a Sulin malvasia di casorzo voulet ($15).
I didn’t think I could be blown away after the seafood stew, but the torte is the best dessert I’ve had so far this year and will likely have a place on my “best of 2026” list. Deeply chocolate on chocolate with light cream. The voulet’s raspberry and strawberry, light and refreshing, balanced the dessert’s richness.
I know I took a picture of the dessert but can’t find it. Or maybe I ate it so fast I only thought I took the picture.
Have you been to Jay’s Seafood Restaurant? Let me know what you think.
Ray Marcano’s Fine Wine and Dine column explores the best wine and dining options in the Dayton region. He can be reached at winedineddn@gmail.com.
The review
What: Jay’s Seafood Restaurant, 225 E. Sixth St., Dayton
Food: 5 out of 5. Chef Nate’s seafood stew and the flourless chocolate torte were the diamonds among gold
Wine: 5 out of 5. Every wine was one I would have at my home
Ambiance: 5 out of 5. An old school, unpretentious vibe
Service: 5 out of 5. The servers did an excellent job with a packed house
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