Newsletter: Where to get strawberry-jalapeno BBQ wings and other restaurants worth the drive🍗

MIXX 165, located at 165 W. Sandusky St., has a small-town vibe with classic American food and elevated bar food.

I had full intentions on ordering the Chicken Parmesan Chefmade Tacos, but the table beside us ordered the restaurant’s Mac-N-Cheesy topped with meat. I had to follow suit because it looked so good. The penne noodles were tossed in a three cheese sauce sprinkled with bread crumbs and I ordered BBQ pork to go on top. This was by far the best loaded mac and cheese that I’ve had.

With my meal, I did get a side. I had the Texas Taters, which are similar to Taco Bell’s Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes.

My husband (and almost his entire family) ordered the Boneless Strawberry-Jalapeno BBQ Wings. The sauce was sweet with a very settle kick. They were delicious and my husband is still raving about them.

MIXX 165 is owned by the Winner Family of Urbana, who also owns the Winner’s 1 Stop. When the Village Inn Tavern closed in 2017, the family bought it and renovated it into the beer kitchen that it is today. Besides great food, MIXX 165 has live music and a craft beer selection with new offerings weekly.

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Slim Chickens franchise could be coming soon to region

Slim Chickens, a southern acclaimed fast casual chicken franchise, signed a 25-unit deal to bring restaurants to Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton.

Restaurant operator, Big Star Chicken, who currently has Slim Chickens stores in the Austin and San Antonio, Texas markets, will be spearheading the new Ohio stores, a news release said. No locations have been secured just yet.

In early discussions, Big Star Chicken was planning to break ground on their first store in Columbus, said Dan McGrath, president of Big Star Chicken. Since then he has received a lot of sites available in Dayton, so either market could be a possibility for their first store.

McGrath hopes to open the first store around 18 months from now and proceed to open a couple each year.

The restaurant’s menu features chicken tenders, fresh salads, sandwiches, chicken and waffles, mac bowls, chicken wings and unique side items such as potato salad and fried okra. They also have 17 house-made dipping sauces including the slim sauce, cayenne ranch, gravy, Korean BBQ and sweet red chili.

Slim Chickens did have a restaurant location in the Cincinnati area, but that store has since closed. McGrath said his restaurant group was not involved in this store.

Ohioans plan trip to Indiana bakery for popular Cherry Thing-A-Lings

After seeing a social media post about people driving more than an hour to get Cherry Thing-A-Lings, I reached out to the owners of the small town bakery in Indiana that makes them to see what the hype is all about.

Schmidt Bakery in Batesville, Indiana, originally opened its doors in 1963. Since the 1970s, Schmidt Bakery has been known to make Cherry Thing-A-Lings during President’s Day weekend.

Cindy Todd and Ginger Puente, who are now part-owners of the bakery with their sister Kim Atkinson, said their dad found a recipe for Cherry Thing-A-Lings on the back of cherry flavoring they used at the bakery and after tweaking the recipe, he made it their own. The idea of having a cherry-flavored item during President’s Day weekend commemorates the story of George Washington cutting down a cherry tree.

So what is a Cherry Thing-A-Ling? It’s a warm, gooey, crispy-type fritter. The sisters said they take donut mix and add real cherries to it. The dough goes into a proof box where it rises and then they fry it and top it with cherry glaze.

Last year, the bakery made 232,380 donuts (19,365 dozen).

Cherry-Thing-A-Lings will be available 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 through Monday, Feb 19. The owners said the best time to come is Thursday before 7 a.m., Sunday before 9 a.m. and sometimes even Monday morning.

>>>WATCH: How Cherry Thing-A-Lings are made

Check out this Italian restaurant near the Miami University campus

Our friends at the Journal-News in Butler County are talking about Paesano’s Pasta House, a fixture in Oxford for a long time. Since opening in November 2004 near Miami University’s campus, Paesano’s has served everyone from Miami students and their visiting families to Oxford residents, and owner Mike Patterson is motivated to keep going forward.

Reporter Ginny McCabe writes: Like many Italian restaurants, Paesano’s has a cozy atmosphere and the usual staple dishes like spaghetti, pizza and caprese salad. What sets Paesano’s apart is the “create your own” approach, which is one of the prides of the menu. Patterson also notes the inclusivity of dietary restrictions and the quality of the ingredients.

“We do not take short-cuts, and therefore do not serve deep-fried food at any of our restaurants,” Patterson said. “We pride ourselves in making almost all of our dishes from scratch, with an emphasis on individual made-to-order sauces, and we do like to brag about our alfredo.” READ MORE

Quick Bites:

🍳 Tudor’s Biscuit World closes in Fairborn: After serving breakfast and lunch for nearly five years, the restaurant closed its doors on Jan. 25.

🥩 Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway transforms restaurant: The Skybox restaurant is turning into a Final Cut Steakhouse between Friday, Feb. 9 through Sunday, Feb. 11. Click here for more details.

🧋 OH! Boba expands to Dayton: The boba tea shop is opening soon at 1120 Brown St. near the University of Dayton in the former space of Val’s Bakery.

🍴 New Middle Eastern grill to open near Wright State University: BABA BBQ Middle Eastern Grill & Cafe is coming soon to the former space of Crazy King Burrito in Fairborn.

Campbell’s Casseroles: Beefy Pasta Casserole

During the week, I look for easy, quick recipes I can make on the go. Between my husband playing indoor soccer and me coaching bungee fitness, there isn’t much time to make dinner after work. This casserole was super easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

Directions: Cook the beef and oregano in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the beef is well browned, stirring frequently to break up meat. Pour off any fat.

Stir the soup, water and pasta in a 13 by 9 inch shallow baking dish. Add the beef mixture and ricotta cheese and stir to coat. Cover.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Makes six servings.

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.

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