The shop moved from its former Centerville location and in January was open for business at 409 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, in the Normandy Square shopping center in Washington Twp.
The meat is all high quality — Choice 3 and Prime. Plus, no preservatives, no hormones, no antibiotics, no steroids, no fillers. Co-owner Melissa Metzger used to be a nurse, so she says it’s important to sell only quality food. “All the diseases I’ve seen in the nursing field, a lot of that is what people have put in their bodies,” she said. “You need to put the right things in your bodies.”
Metzger’s husband, co-owner Dave Hoffer, is in charge of the meat. “It’s the freshest in town!” he boasts. “Nowhere else can you come to a place and say, ‘I want you to grind up some sirloin and cook it for me.’”
The meat is grain-fed and delivered to the store daily. Even if you haven’t been to Zinks’ new location, it’s likely that you’ve enjoyed meat that’s come from the store. Zinks is a supplier for a number of restaurants in the Dayton area, including Archer's Tavern, Chappys Tap Room and Grill, O’Leary’s Pub and Grub, and Lock 27 Brewing.
The deli offers a variety of meats, plus sides like cole slaw, potato salad and pasta salad. “We make all of our salads,” Mezger said. “They’re all family recipes.”
Lunch options look good, such as chicken wings and the Pulled Pork and Reuben sandwiches. Plus, the barbecue sauce is made back in the kitchen. Round out the meal with giant Kosher-style deli pickles and a slice of homemade cake.
Zinks will be offering specials in March. For St. Patrick’s Day, look for the Reuben along with corned beef brisket. The store will also offer Easter hams from Schad’s Meats in Cincinnati — just be sure to order ahead of time.
There’s a display of items that would make great food gifts, such as Chub Rub and Jump’s Peanuts, both locally produced.
The other half of the store is devoted to wines. Zinks offers a few staples, but you won’t find most of the labels in a grocery store. “I taste every bottle that comes in here,” Metzger said. “I like our diversity.”
She says she offers good bottles of wine at $10, $20, $30, $150 — whatever is in your budget. “You can find a good bottle of wine at every price point,” she said.
Every Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. Zinks offers a wine tasting. Reservations are recommended. The tasting changes every week, and the price varies between $15 to $30 per person for the entire flight. The price is one-tenth the price of the bottles of wine. So for $15, you can try $150 worth of wine.
Charlie DeArmon, CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine), hosts the tastings and will answer your questions about the wines.
What advice does Metzger offer for someone who wants to get started and learn about wines? “They should go to wine tastings and take notes,” she said. She has her own tasting notebook, a wine diary, if you like, and she loves showing it off.
Zinks is a comfortable, unpretentious place to learn about wines. “It’s real people being with real people,” Metzger said.
Want to go?
WHAT: Zinks Meats and Fine Wines
WHERE: 409 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Dayton
HOURS: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday
INFO: zinksmeats.com | Facebook | 937-435-4980
WHAT: Zinks Meats and Fine Wines
WHERE: 409 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Dayton
HOURS: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday
INFO: zinksmeats.com | Facebook | 937-435-4980
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