Newsletter: New coffee bars ☕ & hidden gems 💎

Hey Dayton!

Welcome to our weekly Dayton Food & Dining Newsletter! We are officially two days away from St. Patrick’s Day 💚🍀 and the Dayton area has a lot to offer. From The Dublin Pub celebrating its 25th anniversary to the Troll Pub holding its annual Lucky St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl throughout the Oregon District, there are several places to celebrate. For a full list of events, click here.

I’m celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by going down to Cincinnati on Saturday for a much needed weekend getaway. When I am not exploring the Dayton food & dining scene, I’m often in Cincinnati seeing what they have to offer. My fiancé and I have FC Cincinnati season tickets, so I’m there quite a bit during soccer season.

In honor of Pi Day yesterday, I wanted to share this photo of a Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza from Donatos.

The pizza features pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, crushed pepper and Mike’s Hot Honey. The pizza was absolutely delicious! It did have a nice little kick for those who like spicy food. I’m a big fan of Donatos Pizza and this will be my new go-to for as long as they have it.


2 new coffee bars open this week

The owners of Alematic Artisan Ales in Huber Heights are opening a new coffee bar and kitchen this week in the former space of The Heights Café, located next door to the taproom.

A soft opening is planned for Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by a grand opening on Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Jerrod Fisher, who owns the brewery and now B-Side Coffee Bar with his two business partners, Mike Meholick and Greg Cason, said they talked for years about the possibility of adding coffee to the taproom. However, they couldn’t determine how to do it in terms of space.

When The Heights Café, located at 6178 Chambersburg Road, closed in August after 12 years in business, Meholick said it was a “very serendipitous moment.” Fisher explained it was the perfect opportunity for them to acquire a kitchen space, more seating and a place to serve coffee.

B-Side Coffee Bar will feature everything from drip coffee, pour overs and cold brew to espresso, lattes and teas. The bar will also have a large wine selection in addition to baked goods, bagels, breakfast sandwiches and more. The owners noted they will have a limited food menu as they get started.

Fisher explained having a full kitchen allows them to have elevated bar food during taproom hours featuring chicken from Chicken Head’s and pizza and cookies from The Cookieologist, among other options.

Customers will be able to move between both spaces through a newly added doorway. For a sneak peek of the space, click here.

The news of the Huber Heights coffee bar comes just after Ghostlight Coffee announced the opening of its new coffee bar and bagel shop inside Dot’s Market at the Cross Pointe Shopping Center in Centerville.

The coffee bar opened Tuesday featuring coffee, tea, espresso drinks, cold brew and pour-over coffees. A bakery case at the shop features made-from-scratch pastries, muffins and GhostTarts.

In the coming weeks, a breakfast and lunch sandwich menu will be added to the shop featuring beer-boiled bagels and handmade breads.

Dot’s Market, a locally owned and independently operated grocery store, opened its newest location at 101 E. Alex Bell Road in late February.


Hello Thai opens today in Beavercreek

If you’re a fan of Thai Kitchen in Miami Twp. or Thai Table in Washington Twp., the owner and her sushi chef have a new concept that opened today at 11 a.m.

Owner Suwapat “Sue” Whitted described Hello Thai as a Thai and sushi restaurant with a full bar and family-friendly, casual atmosphere.

The restaurant will have starters like fried calamari, chicken potstickers and spring rolls, soups, salads, chef specials, entrees, cooked and uncooked sushi rolls, among other items. According to the menu, customers will be able to choose between noodles, fried rice, curry or a dish from the wok with their preferred meat, tofu or veggies.

Hello Thai is located in the former Rapid Fired Pizza location at 3301 Dayton Xenia Road in Beavercreek.

Whitted previously said they were hoping to open in June or July 2022, but they ran into issues with a contractor.


3 hidden gems in Springfield foodies don’t want to miss

As a former Springfield News-Sun reporter who used to work downtown in the Champion City, I couldn’t have been more excited to write about three hidden gems in the community. All establishments are tucked inside another entity and are worth highlighting.

From a restaurant serving a bigger purpose to a coffee shop located inside a bank and a student-led restaurant, here are three hidden gems you don’t want to miss:

  • Fresh Abilities — a quick-service restaurant located at Clark State College’s Leffel Lane Campus.
  • Richwood Coffee — a full-service coffee shop with Wi-Fi located inside Richwood Bank’s North Limestone Street location.
  • The Jaguar Room — a student-run restaurant located in the Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center (CTC).

All three establishments serve a bigger purpose and are worth checking out next time you’re in Clark County. For more information about each restaurant, click here.

If you know of a hidden gem in the Dayton area that you think is worth checking out, email me here.


Quick Bites:

🍽 Champaign County Restaurant Week is in full swing: 17 establishments are participating by featuring special dishes and discounts. Click here for a full list.

🍝 New restaurant to open in Bellbrook next week: Veli’s Pasta and Pizza is opening Monday, March 20 in the former space of Verona’s Pizza at 18 E. Franklin St.

🍕 Construction underway on new Little Caesars in Harrison Twp.: The new carryout location is in the Dixie Square Shopping Center after the pervious store was destroyed in the 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes.

♥ Dayton natives team up to open commercial kitchen space: Blazin’ Dayton and Uncle Boof’s World Famous Pancake Mix are opening a commercial kitchen space called The Ugly Duckling at 115 Springfield St. in Dayton as they work to expand their businesses.

🍺 New restaurant, bar opens inside Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway: Barstool Sportsbook features a full-service bar, food service, VIP space, 35 TVs and a 34-foot-wide jumbotron. Read more about what you can expect here.


Tell Us:

Thank you so much for reading my weekly newsletter!

As Easter approaches, my co-worker Alexis Larsen will provide a list of restaurants in the Dayton area offering special meals for the holiday.

Whether it’s gourmet three-course meals, simple family feasts, buffet-style indulgence or carryout dishes, we want to know what you have planned! If you are a restaurant owner, fill out the survey here or email details here.

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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