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Duante Beddingfield

Duante’s Fond Farewell to his Favorite Dayton Foods – Part 2

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All things come to an end, and we knew at some point Duante Beddingfield would leave us. 

Duante Beddingfield

Many of you know him from his work covering arts and events over the years here at Most Metro or the local newspapers. Some of you may know him from his jazz performances, singing at venues like Gilly’s, Blue Note, and the Levitt Pavilion. Maybe you’ve listened to his Monday night jazz show, Equinox, on WYSO over the last three years, or attended Stivers School for the Arts with him, or salsa danced with him, saw him hamming it up onstage in a play or at a karaoke bar, or maybe he supported you as an artist or small business owner. Maybe he pissed you off at some point. Even if you’ve never met him, you probably knew Duante. 

We’re proud to be the first to announce he’s been hired to be the new arts and culture reporter for the Detroit Free Press. And proud to say we had him first! He’ll be leaving Ohio soon, but he asked if he could write one last thing on the way out. If you know Duante, you know he’s not only a major foodie but was also a professional restaurant writer in town for years, and so we’re presenting his list of the ten restaurants he’ll miss most when he moves to the Motor City. 

Duante was never known for keeping things short, so we’re posting it in two parts… You can find part one here, and part two is below.

 

5. The Oakwood Club (2414 Far Hills Avenue, Oakwood)

The Oakwood Club, and those ultra-comfy chairs.

You want the best steak in town? Don’t mess around. Welcome to The OC. Forget that other place that gets all the hype, and I’ll spare you my laundry list of reasons it’s overrated and one visit was more than enough for me. If you want a welcoming, quality fine dining experience that goes above and beyond for the customer, The Oakwood Club is here for you, providing top notch food and drink since 1962. 

I could go on about old-school steakhouses with dark wood paneling and the most comfortable dining chairs in the Valley, but instead I’m going to tell a personal story about why this place means something to me. The first time I came here, I was as poor as anyone could be. It was Christmas Eve, I’d lost my job, and I had about $18 in my pocket when a friend invited me to dinner as their guest. I almost declined because I felt I had no place in an upscale restaurant at that point in my life, but I eventually reasoned I was in no position to turn down a free meal, so I spiffed up and drove over. Here I was, this broke kid in my early twenties, feeling unworthy, not to mention self-conscious as hell as very much the only brown face in the room…but that evening, not only was I treated as welcome – I was treated as though I’d been there all along. 

When I returned later, under better life circumstances, I was remembered and greeted warmly. Outstanding service should be rewarded, and respect given makes for respect earned, so all these years since, I have made it a point to continue supporting The Oakwood Club as a regular. As I was shown in a time when I didn’t feel I deserved it, it’s a place where I’ve always belonged. 

Now, where food’s concerned, my last meal in Dayton will be the first thing I ever tried here. The garlic shrimp and linguine with twin filet mignons is one of the best deals around; for under $30, you get three large shrimp broiled in garlic, wine, and lemon butter, served with pasta tossed in a tomato vinaigrette, and they perfectly complement the twin filets cooked to order. (Little known fact, you can swap the shrimp out for scallops – I always do!) But there are some other can’t-miss items here, as well: their crisp salads, served in chilled metal bowls, and the killer creamy garlic-peppercorn dressing they still refuse to sell me the recipe for (jeez, I swear I won’t give it to anyone, help me out!!). The tower of thin, crispy onion straws (which reheat so beautifully in the air fryer or on a sheet of foil in the oven). 

And, another hidden gem of Dayton dining is buried here, where for $10.50, you can get the best burger for miles around, made from hand-cut steak trimmings. It’s no-frills, served on a fluffy bun with a thick slice of onion and tomato and a huge, crunchy slab of lettuce, and it’s everything you’ve ever wanted in a hamburger sandwich. And, now, I’m gonna hip to you probably THE number one biggest secret in the local restaurant scene. It’s not on the menu. If you’re there late in the evening, and it’s kind of slow, enough to where the kitchen can take its time with something one-of-a-kind…and you’re feeling adventurous…have Chef Nate come out to your table, and ask him about the West Side Burger. But first, you gotta ask yourself if you’re ready… (website | Facebook)

 

4. Amar India Restaurant (2751 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Centerville)

A host of delicious flavors awaits you at Amar India.

I’ve dined at some of the most respected Indian restaurants in the U.S., and I’ve never found better than what we have right here in the award-winning Amar India. What can you say? The food is just out of this world. The decor is spare, and the staff focus on their top priority: providing unforgettable meals in quantities that make you feel like someone’s gonna have to cart you out on a dolly. Who can be mad at that? 

I know many, many picky, unadventurous eaters who swear they hate Indian food despite never having actually tried it, and that’s a real shame, because they’re missing out on some of the richest flavor profiles in the known world. The most common base ingredients include rice, chicken, potatoes, spinach, tomato, onion, garlic, butter, seafood… I mean, we’re dealing in basics people from every country understand, they’re just spiced differently than you might be used to. Food, from culture to culture, rarely changes much in terms of what’s actually being cooked. What changes most tends to be the herbs, spices, and the method by which things are cooked. To look at food as a cultural pillar around the world is to see that we’re not that different; we’re all eating the same things, just tweaked a little. 

Amar India Restaurant

If you’ve never made an honest attempt at Indian cuisine, I challenge you to check out Amar’s extensive menu, find something with ingredients you understand, and try it with an open mind. Chicken tikka masala is a terrific entry point for newcomers, as is chicken curry. Vegetarians will go crazy for the saag paneer, homemade cheese cooked in spinach and cream. One of the sadder side effects of the Covid-19 era, for me, has been the loss of Amar’s glorious lunch buffet, which changes daily and is the best way to experiment and see what you like and what might not suit you, without spending much money. When coronavirus has passed and you hear the buffet has reopened – run, don’t walk! In the meantime, I highly recommend the aloo mater (potatoes and peas in curry sauce), dal soup, and garlic naan. And, most of all, my addiction, their aloo tikki. I don’t know what it is about these savory little herbed, deep fried potato patties, but I crave them constantly and could eat a whole platter of them. I’ve had them at many restaurants…no one else’s have ever come close. They’re one of the best menu items in Dayton. 

Something I really got into last year was ordering Amar on winter Friday nights when I’d had a really rough week and I was cold and angry and defeated and couldn’t bear the thought of cooking. I’d order Doordash from Amar and jump into a scalding hot shower, get out, put on pajamas, and right around the time I was knotting my robe, the doorbell would ring, and I’d have a steaming hot selection of comfort food. It felt like being hugged at the end of a very hard day. Maybe give it a try as we make that transition into the cold, dark part of the year. It was so rewarding each time. 

Amar is such a jewel, and this region is incredibly lucky to have it. A second location opened on Miller Lane in Dayton in 2017. (website)

 

3. Elsa’s Mexican Restaurant (3618 Linden Avenue, Dayton)

The original Elsa’s Mexican Restaurant, still in operation on Linden Ave. in east Dayton

Roll your eyes if you wanna, but there’s a reason this place is Dayton legend since 1979. There are now multiple locations around the region, but I love me a good hole-in-the-wall dive, and the O.G. Elsa’s over in the Belmont ‘hood still proudly wears that vibe. Their famous Bad Juan margaritas, so strong they limit them to three per guest, can take down even a heavyweight like me, so that warrants automatic respect. (And I’m not joking – please order them with caution. They can sneak up on you, especially after the second one.) Being perfectly honest, the chips and salsa are probably the worst in the city, and maybe even beyond, but their queso with chorizo is a winner (not gonna lie, I get it to go and eat it at home with better chips), and the ground beef tacos with Monterey Jack cheese are simple, perfect, and addictive. A semi-secret is their excellent chicken wings, which you wouldn’t expect from a cantina-type establishment. The fact is, for just a good, fun time unwinding with friends, you still can’t beat Elsa’s. The Bad Juan can’t be found anyplace else, and that’s something I will seriously miss. A lotta good memories. Well…the times I can remember, anyway. It’s a really good thing they stop you after three. (website)

 

2. Figlio Wood Fired Pizza (424 E. Stroop Road, Kettering)

My favorite date-night spot for over a decade, this hidden gem is tucked away in a back corner of Town & Country Shopping Center and is that place you’ve always meant to check out but always forget until you’re driving past on the way to eat someplace else. Make a plan. This warm, stylish joint is still, somehow, after 20-some years, the best-kept secret of Dayton’s dining scene. With the orange glow of the open kitchen’s giant oven and an ever-present soundtrack of breezy bossa nova and international jazz, the place has romance to spare, but what really elevates it to something special is the personal touch of the owners, Peter and Laurie, who personally choose the wines and write the descriptions for the specials. Each one ties the selected vintage to an experience from their life together, and after reading them for years, you feel you know the couple and keep coming back to hear more from them. 

Bonus: by popular demand, Figlio purchased the recipe for the Peasant Salad, the regionally famous signature from the long-gone Peasant Stock restaurant that formerly occupied the space. Elsewhere on the menu, while the pizzas are the stars of the show, I’ll tell you a secret – this place has the greatest spaghetti and meatballs you’ll ever find. As a rule, I never order spaghetti at a restaurant, because why pay for the simplest dish anyone can make at home? This is not your mom’s noodles with ground beef and doctored sauce from a jar. Trust me on this. Every person I’ve ever convinced to order it is now a believer. It’s next level. (website)

 

1. Sky Asian Cuisine (4090 Wilmington Pike, Kettering)

Sky Asian Cuisine

My home away from home the last year or so, I fell in love with this place during the summer of 2019. From the moment I entered with my group, we were treated like family. The second time we visited, they remembered our faces and called us by name, and we’ve returned again and again, often several times a week, to perch at the bar and enjoy the food, drinks, and conversation with the wonderful staff and regulars. The sleek interior provides a sexy, laid back setting for some of the best sushi options in the region, along with a full menu of delicious fare. Me, I’m a sucker for the teriyaki salmon. Don’t miss the happy hour treats, especially the tender gyoza – and last week, they debuted a seasonal Cajun seafood menu that’s been getting lots of attention. And a bonus, they offer their own delivery if you live within a few miles of the restaurant, which makes it significantly cheaper to order direct from them than via Doordash or similar. If you haven’t tried Sky yet, your new favorite awaits. Make a reservation! (website | Facebook)

Duante’s Fond Farewell to his Favorite Dayton Foods – Part 1

By

All things come to an end, and we knew at some point Duante Beddingfield would leave us.

Duante Beddingfield

Many of you know him from his work covering arts and events over the years here at Most Metro or the local newspapers. Some of you may know him from his jazz performances, singing at venues like Gilly’s, Blue Note, and the Levitt Pavilion. Maybe you’ve listened to his Monday night jazz show, Equinox, on WYSO over the last three years, or attended Stivers School for the Arts with him, or salsa danced with him, saw him hamming it up onstage in a play or at a karaoke bar, or maybe he supported you as an artist or small business owner. Maybe he pissed you off at some point. Even if you’ve never met him, you probably knew Duante. 

We’re proud to be the first to announce he’s been hired to be the new arts and culture reporter for the Detroit Free Press. And proud to say we had him first! He’ll be leaving Ohio soon, but he asked if he could write one last thing on the way out. If you know Duante, you know he’s not only a major foodie but was also a professional restaurant writer in town for years, and so we’re presenting his list of the top ten restaurants he’ll miss most when he moves to the Motor City. 

Duante was never known for keeping things short, so we’re posting it in two parts… Here’s part one – see part two here!

10. (tie) 

Chicken Head’s (aka The Chicken Spot) (3261 W. Siebenthaler Avenue, Dayton)

Decades from now, when we regale our great-grandchildren with stories of The Chicken Sandwich Wars of the Early 2000s – of the Colonel’s ridiculed surrender to General Lee’s, which led to the Donut Treaty; the fall of the Burger King during the Battle of the Black Bun; of the bloody Chick-Fil-A Crusades, which divided a nation and pitted brother against brother – one name shall ring out as the baddest mothercluckin’ in the buck-buck-buckin’, and that name is Chicken Head’s.

Opened just over a year ago as The Chicken Spot (only the name has changed, nothing else) in a tiny storefront on the northwest side in a time when businesses were closing left and right in that part of town, it was seen by many as a high-risk, sentimental move by chef-owner Anthony Head when a downtown or suburban opening would have all but guaranteed major success. And yet, success came quickly anyhow. 

The superiority of the product (which I’ll get to in a moment) was undeniable; that was never in question. What mattered is that it was standing up and providing for an underserved population. West Dayton has received national news coverage for years as one of the country’s largest per-capita food deserts. But not only are fresh groceries too often out of reach for west side citizens; dining options in the long-blighted area are extremely slim. Save for a few low-level fast food shops that have been in place forever, no new food-related businesses open doors in that part of town. I know because I grew up there in the prosperous eighties and nineties, and watched it rot and die around me before I finally pulled up stakes and moved to a more convenient neighborhood across town because I was tired of driving 45 to 60 minutes one way for not only my bougie artisan cheese, but for bread and jeans and movie theaters and someplace I could take a girl on a date. 

When The Chicken Spot opened, delivering a good product, made well, reasonably priced, right there in the hood City of Dayton leadership has firmly ignored and disserviced for years, two things happened among the people who live around there. It sent a message to them saying, “We’re here for you. This isn’t a chain – it’s one store. If other people want us, they’ll have to come to us. We’re here for you.” The other thing is the community recognized that and agreed, “We see you, and we love that you’re here for us. We’re gonna show up for you.” And they did. 

And so did everyone else. Chef Head is no fool. With a deep background in corporate business leadership, a long history in culinary education in the region at both the secondary and collegiate levels, and name recognition in the dining scene as a groundbreaker and rainmaker, he knew what he had, and he knew what he wanted. The shop is nothing to speak of. No tables, no dine-in. Carryout only. It’s a small commercial kitchen with a tiny lobby to wait for your food, which will be handed to you in the kind of greasy, nondescript paper bag that can only mean great times lie ahead. Very low overhead, maximum profit. Not even a website, just a Facebook page. Why pay for marketing when you have a product so good the word of mouth works for you? Head’s name and connections would do most of the marketing. I mean, look…here it is, happening in real time while you read this, and he doesn’t even know I’m writing this.

And the word took mere days to spread. Soon, people of every background and income level were driving in from the far suburbs (places I refer to as “The Deep South,” like Miamisburg, Washington Township, and Springboro) and Way Up North (y’all know who y’all are) to get this damn sammich. Everybody was talking about it. The menu was based around it, a very limited menu that focused on doing a few things and doing them best. 

So let’s talk about The Medusa.

Thick, marinated, breaded, fried chicken breast, on a sandwich bun, topped with home collard greens and mac and cheese, plus pickled onions. An entire soul food dinner on one sloppy, impossible sandwich. I don’t know what to tell you. It’s life-changing. Throw a slice of the pound cake in there for dessert, you got all you need. 

Chicken Head’s praises have been sung by every regional publication. They eventually, reluctantly, joined Doordash, and later expanded their delivery area to seven miles, so you can enjoy the Medusa or a bag of jumbo wings in your home as far away as WPAFB base housing, West Carrollton, New Lebanon, and Brookville. Go to them, bring them to you…it doesn’t matter. The Medusa is the single most talked about menu item of the last year in Dayton. If you haven’t had it yet, get on board. (Facebook)

Pasha Grill (72 Plum Street, Beavercreek)

When I think of Pasha Grill, no matter what I’m doing or how I’m feeling, a smile immediately comes to my face. Mediterranean food, with a heavy emphasis on Turkish, is the focal point of their menu, and it yields some of the most complex, gorgeous flavor profiles you can find within a day’s drive. 

Let me start by saying I have tremendous respect for this place because when it opened in 2008, it was the only locally owned restaurant at The Greene Town Center, Greene County’s sprawling, hotly contested outdoor mall development that opened in 2006 with a flight of chain restaurants, bars, and shops, delivering major blows to downtown Dayton, the Dayton Mall, and The Mall at Fairfield Commons all at once. We saw other locally owned restaurants come and go over the years, unable to keep up with The Greene’s high rent, and a couple of times over the years it’s looked like Pasha was all but done, but they’ve thrived over and over, and they’re still with us. Pasha Grill is a survivor, and that makes me rabidly want to see them supported indefinitely. 

The great thing about Mediterranean food is it’s equally rewarding for vegetarians and omnivores. There are great, delicious options to be had on all sides, and there’s plenty available for the vegan and gluten free. The same, honestly, is true of pretty much any non-American or UK-related cooking, ha. Let me tell you about the Shepherd Salad. Plum tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, bell peppers, and parsley tossed in red vinegar and olive oil. It’s dynamite. There’s a small and a large – but even the small is large, just FYI. There’s the vegetarian mousakka, basically a veggie lasagna with layers of eggplant, potato, carrot, zucchini, and mushroom with bechamel sauce, topped with mozzarella and tomato sauce. 

Mixed grill kebab from Pasha Grill

And for the true meat lovers, there’s the grill section of the menu. There are nine different types of kebab, all ranging from roughly $15 to $22, and depending on which one, they come with veggies and sauces and such. But if you order the Mixed Grill Kebab for $31.95, you get half portions of FOUR types of kebab (made from chicken, beef, and lamb, each with different seasonings and flavors), plus a bunch of pillowy fresh bread, rice pilaf, and grilled vegetables. It’s an absolute steal, enough to feed two or three (or four, if you’re light eaters or just kind of picking at it as tapas with wine), and is probably the best value in Dayton for the amount and variety of food you get. It’s worth it to pay a couple extra bucks and tack on an extra side of rice pilaf and an extra side of grilled vegetables. They literally bring you an entire, huge tray of just different meats. God, it’s glorious.

They’re also on Doordash. And, let me tell you…on a chilly evening, a delivery from this place can really light up your night. They deserve our support. (website)

 

9. Chiapas Mexican Grill (298 N. Main Street, Centerville)

Tacos at Chiapas Mexican Grill

When it comes to tacos around here, you simply cannot beat the ultra-authentic, soul-warming offerings made in-house by the folks at Chiapas. For five years running, downtown Centerville has been blessed with the flavor and value this place brings, and a new second location in Moraine will celebrate its one-year anniversary next month. They feature my favorite chorizo queso (they run a little small here; I always order two), and their chicken and al pastor tacos never fail to satisfy (though they also have steak, chorizo, carnitas, fish, shrimp, and tongue, if that’s how you get down). The tortas (super flavorful Latin sandwiches) and soups (don’t miss the pozole!) are wonderfully down-home in their approach, and as with any Mexican restaurant, there are a number of familiar dishes and combos…but make no mistake, this is not just any Mexican joint. If you’ve not been, do yourself the favor. Oh, and their chips are great! (website | Facebook)

 

8. El Meson (903 E. Dixie Drive, West Carrollton)

El Meson’s paella

When it comes to other forms of Latin cuisine, look to this popular regional destination that’s still got new things to say in 2020. “El meson,” in Spanish, can mean a country tavern, but it can also refer to an inn, or a large table. Any or all of those feel appropriate here, where the Castro family invite you in as gracious hosts to enjoy a meal with them. 

The staples remain over time, things like the overstuffed empanadas, addictive chicken tinga nachos, Cuban sandwiches, and famed tortilla soup. But the thing I’ve always had tremendous respect for is that El Meson never rests on its laurels, with the Castros complacent to keep a winning formula the same with the old “If it ain’t broke…” attitude. They’re always changing things up, always finding new ways for people to experience and interact with food and culture. Entrees rotate on and off the menu regularly. In non-Covid times, elaborate trips are organized annually to take groups of customers to Latin countries where they dine like citizens and delve into the lifestyles that gave birth to the dishes we love. Fun and informative, themed tastings and catered dinners are held almost weekly. They’re still among the only brick-and-mortar restaurants to take advantage of the food truck explosion, with vehicles traveling the area frequently. And this month, they’ll introduce Viva La Vida, A Recipe for Life, a video subscription streaming service where Bill Castro and chef Mark Abbott will provide monthly content about food, wine, cocktails, cooking techniques, and traditions from around the world. 

The paella, a time-honored Spanish dish, is the jaw-dropping, signature house specialty (and the tart and tangy, vegan-friendly aji dip, which can also be purchased by the container, is always a big hit). A favorite for me is the carne asada fries, a rich, messy, smoky pile of punch-in-the-mouth flavor priced for one, but big enough for two and leftovers. Have it with a big, bold Spanish or Argentinian red wine. 

It’s cool that El Meson always delivers the things you love, exactly as you remember them. But what’s even cooler is that the Castros use that consistency and comfort as a platform to continue pushing themselves and the restaurant forward, and to bring us along with them, so that while you’re never let down, they never give you the same experience twice. Mad respect. (website | Facebook)

 

7. Zombie Dogz (Food truck)

Damn, damn, damn. One of the first, and certainly one of the most seismic, casualties of the Covid-19 among the local restaurant scene was Zombie Dogz, which operated in brick and mortar form on Brown Street after rocking the region since 2012 as a food truck that cultivated a monster following for its premium hot dogs with wildly inventive toppings and horror-themed names. (The Dogz boast over 40,000 Facebook followers, equivalent to around 30% of the City of Dayton’s population; the Dayton city government itself has fewer than 35,000 followers on Facebook). 

Though the restaurant has closed its doors, the beloved truck still preys by day and stalks the night, appearing at all corners of the metro area to serve long lines of customers, some of whom drive in from other counties or cities to carry back stacks of dogs for friends and relatives. I’ve waited for hours in freezing temperatures and pounding rain to scratch that itch that only the Dogz can, and I know many of you will continue to. 

I’ve got a soft spot for my early favorite, the Dead Dixie, with diced green apples, barbecue sauce, bacon, and bleu cheese hitting an insane four-points combination of sweet, sour, salty, and umami. And I love the Waking Dead, a breakfast dog with bacon crumbles, sausage gravy, a fried egg, and maple syrup drizzle, taking the trophy for messiest meal in the Valley. But the big winner is the seasonal Germanator, a stunner topped with garlic-crusted beef, homemade beer cheese, and fried onions. And keep an eye out for the holiday season, when the Poultrygeist becomes available for a limited time. A giant hot dog heaped with white meat turkey, Stove Top stuffing, homemade gravy, and drizzled with original cranberry sauce? That’ll make your heart and your stomach grow three sizes, trust! 

Follow the food truck on Facebook to keep up with its locations and times. (website | Facebook)

 

6. Old Scratch Pizza & Beer (812 S. Patterson Road, Dayton)

Old Scratch Pizza

A giant from the moment it opened, this place slings high-quality, creative pies that keep people coming back again and again. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve picked up from them for family nights during the pandemic. Old Scratch’s team of master pizzaioli take great pride in their work and can be seen from anywhere in the main dining hall as they work their craft in tandem,  like a fine tuned machine. Beer on tap, wine by the carafe, and a full bar with bartenders who are always fun and highly skilled make this as great a place to stop in for a happy hour with friends as it is for dinner with your household. Winning appetizers are the meatball tray and the whole roasted cauliflower. You can’t go wrong with any of the pizzas, but – and this is surprising coming from a red-sauce junkie like me – the white pizzas are where their innovation really shines, with options like the prosciutto arugula, which basically comes with a huge arugula salad on top of an already sumptuous pizza, and the Brussel Crow, with brussel sprouts, wilted shallot, taleggio cheese, bacon, and an apple cider reduction. The salads are massive meals unto themselves (not joking – they’re very, very big), and a soft-serve machine by the door sends kids home smiling. A Centerville location recently opened in addition to the original. (website | Facebook)

 

Check back tomorrow for Duante’s top five restaurants he’ll miss most.

‘Get Out’ Star Thrown Out of Popeyes, Threatened With Police Call After Staff Error

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Los Angeles – Get Out star Lil Rel Howery, star of Fox’s upcoming Rel, slated to premiere this fall, shared a live Instagram account of being booted from a Popeyes Chicken location in Hollywood around 3 a.m. Saturday morning over a dispute following an order mistake made by Popeyes staff.

Footage can be viewed at Howery’s Instagram page.

Howery placed, according to footage, a $12 order, for which he displayed the receipt on camera. When the live feed began, the comedian was in a dispute with staff, saying his order was placed into another customer’s bag after a staff member assumed they were together. Howery asked for the food he paid for, and was refused. After he insisted, the staff told him to “come back tomorrow” to receive his order. He demanded his money back instead, and was told he was “trespassing” and ordered to leave.

Howery remained in the restaurant and demanded a refund, while management threatened to call the police.

“Call them!” he replied.

“Call the f**kin’ police – please! If you f**k me up, it’s gonna be a news story,” he said. “I didn’t do s**t wrong! You didn’t give me my f**kin’ food!”

When staff attempted to calm him, he shouted, “Y’all not black in America!”

“She told me to leave and come back tomorrow,” he yelled in outrage.

The Instagram story video was viewed around the world as dawn broke on the East Coast.

Howery finally agreed to leave when a young, black, female employee offered to pay him $12 from her pocket, concerned LAPD would be called in and escalate the situation. The comedian and actor declined her offer and left, citing fear of repercussions for the employee.

Howery had words for the fast food chicken chain.

“Popeyes, can I warn y’all right now? I have a f**kin’ TV show.”

He implied that the scenario might be portrayed in an episode of his sitcom this fall.

“This is a f**kin’ episode. You gave my food away. Give me my money back!”

Around 3:30 a.m. Pacific time, Howery returned to Instagram Story with more thoughts on the matter.

Prior to his breakout role in Academy Award winning horror film Get Out, Howery starred as the younger brother of fellow comedian Jerrod Carmichael on NBC’s short lived The Carmichael Show.

Carmichael serves as an executive producer of Rel, a multi-camera sitcom recently ordered to series by Fox.

5 Questions with Phone Booth Lounge owner Jack Wilderman

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The Phone Booth Lounge is back in business! Last Friday, the neighborhood favorite Kettering bar, which closed in its old Stroop Rd. location January 20, reopened for business in its new home at 1912 E. Whipp Rd. The location was formerly home to Dog’s Breath Tavern, which shuttered at the end of January. After a successful opening week, owner Jack Wilderman sat down with us for a chat about the relaunch.

DAYTON MOST METRO: What led you to choose this space? It was surprising that you were able to move the business and reopen less than a month after you closed the old space.

JACK: We were very fortunate. [Wife and co-owner] Betty and I couldn’t come to an agreement with the people who owned the building on Stroop. We’d bought the business itself, and we wanted to buy the property, but it just didn’t work out and we didn’t want to keep paying rent when that money could be spent improving the bar. But we didn’t even have time to look at new locations, really – as soon as word got out that we were looking to buy a bar somewhere nearby, five different bars in the Kettering/Centerville area called us immediately and asked us to buy them out! I won’t give any names, but these were each large bars with long histories. (Laughs) Everybody’s trying to get out of the bar business but us! We came to a deal with Dog’s Breath, and worked out a deal that suited everybody, then got to work.

DMM: For those who’ve not been yet, what changes has the new space brought?

JACK: We’ve got a much bigger stage and dance floor. There’s really good room to dance here, and room for bands to fully set up. On the old stage, a lot of their sound equipment would have to sit on the floor and take up space there, but everyone should be able to get all their equipment onstage with them now, which gives even more dancing room.

The bar here was not convenient; it was very difficult to move and work behind it, so we tore all that out and redid it, and now it’s a space where people can work without crowding and blocking each other. On Stroop, one of the things that drove me crazy was we only had room for three taps. I’m proud to say we’ve more than doubled that and we now have eight beers on tap, and room for more if we need more. So, along with the standard beers, we have Great Lakes, Goose Island, IPAs, and we have Warped Wing on tap now, too. We’re so happy about that.

We’re not even close to being done [with renovations]. We wanted to accomplish so much more before we opened, and we’ll still be working on those things. When I announced our reopening, I didn’t realize how much time it would take for all the permits we needed to clear with the City. One thing is we’re going to gut the bathrooms and renovate those. We’re not happy with them at all. We cosmetically fixed them for the time being, but they’re still not to our standards.

DMM: What about the kitchen? Any new menu plans?

JACK: There are two phases ahead for the kitchen. Starting hopefully this weekend, we’ll have a limited menu available. That’s phase one. Burgers, wings, and appetizers. It won’t be open tonight, but we’re hoping tomorrow.

Once we get the permits, we’ll run gas lines to the kitchen and get a ventilation system in place for our deep fryers and grills. That’s phase two. We’re probably looking at five or six months before we’re fully operational in the kitchen, and then we’ll expand the menu. We were going to do it at the old place, but it

got paused because we were in negotiations. You gotta change up your menu once in a while; people get tired of the same old things.

We’re also building a relationship with Cousin Vinny’s Pizza next door (1916 Whipp Rd.). People can buy pizzas over there and bring them into our bar. There’ll be a small fee, two or three bucks, to be able to do that, but we’re even going to continue allowing it once the kitchen is fully operational – no more of those Tombstone pizzas we used to heat up at the old place! (Laughs)

DMM: And what traditions have you brought with you to the Whipp Rd. Location?

JACK: The Phone Booth Lounge has always had live music and dancing on Friday and Saturday nights, and has never charged a cover. We stand by that, and it remains that way in the new bar. The rest of the schedule remains the same, as well: Sunday euchre tournaments, the Monday night Wii bowling that usually brings in between 12 and 16 people, trivia with Rob D’Agostino on Tuesdays, karaoke on Wednesdays.

Also, for a good while, the Dayton Jazz Orchestra was playing here once a month when it was Dog’s Breath. They’re big band-type jazz, and they had a huge following here when it was Dog’s Breath. I came to their last show here before Dog’s Breath closed, and the place was packed. That’s been very popular, so we’d like to continue giving them a home one Thursday a month like before. We’re seeing if we can work that out. If people want to come out and support music of any sort, and the band can fill our bar, then we’re happy to talk with them, and the Dayton Jazz Orchestra is a class act that performed very well for the previous owners in this space.

The most important thing in this business is finding something that works and staying consistent with it. Even if two or three years go by, people want to know that if they come back to The Phone Booth on a Tuesday night, they can still do trivia. If they grew up here and live somewhere else now and come back to visit on a Friday night, we want them to know that they can still come in and hear a good band and do some dancing. We say we’re open until 2:30 a.m. every night, and we mean it. There are a lot of places that don’t stick by their hours. If we say we’re there, we’re gonna be there for our customers.

DMM: You said earlier that everybody’s trying to sell their bars and get out of the business except you and Betty. Why is that? What keeps you in the game?

JACK: It’s the people we’ve met. Our customers. We have met so many great people in our bar. They give us the drive to continue with this. It’s not the money. It’s not a lot of money; we’re never gonna get rich doing this. And it’s an exhausting job; Betty and I haven’t had a vacation in five years – the whole time we’ve owned the place – and we’re kind of starting over again now. The customers, thankfully, are all coming with us, but as far as moving into a space and making it home and getting it where we want it again, we’re starting all over. It’s the people we see every day.

And we’re too young to retire. What are we gonna do, go get nine-to-fives somewhere? I served 25 years in the Air Force. I met Betty when I was retiring, and we decided we wanted to work for ourselves. Her father was in the bar business for many years. He’d never owned a bar, but he’d worked in them for a long time, and he guided us in what to do. We’d never run a bar before The Phone Booth, but it’s been something really special for us.

And the clientele has even expanded, which we really enjoy. We’ve got young kids who are regulars, we have 40- and 50-year-olds, we have people in their 70s, so we’ve gotten a really broad crowd of interests. Everybody knows everybody here. The Phone Booth Lounge has to be one of the oldest bar establishments in Kettering. It opened in ’64 at that location on Stroop, and it stayed there until last month. It’s like Kettering’s Cheers. When we bought the business of The Phone Booth Lounge, we made very sure we also bought the rights to the name.

We may be in a new location, but we’re still a family, and The Phone Booth most definitely lives on. – DB

The Phone Booth Lounge (1912 E. Whipp Rd.) is open from 2 p.m. – 2:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 p.m. – 2:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. This weekend will feature the Just N Tyme Band tonight,

February 23, and The Elderly Brothers on Saturday, February 24. The bar can be reached at 937-979- 1497.

Dayton’s Best Wine Tasting for Singles

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Dayton-area wine lovers know that the region has no shortage of tasting events throughout the year (or during any given week!), but one of the newest is poised to distinguish itself as the best setting for singles to meet new people who share a common interest.

Planned2Give will host its quarterly Grapes of Gratitude event Thursday, May 25, at the Normandy Banquet Center (507 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd., Washington Twp.), from 6 – 8 pm. The team-based, comepetitive wine tasting focuses on a different varietal each time; the winter installment featured merlot, while this week’s spring outing is timed to coincide with National Chardonnay Day. 

“This has turned out to be a great event for singles,” Lisa Grigsby of Planned2Give said, “because of the relaxed environment and everyone already having one common thing to discuss and really get into the details. And it’s a perfect opportunity: at our last event, the participants were probably 80% singles, and 75% women, and the ages ranged from 21 to about 45-ish. Talk about great odds for a gentleman looking to meet a lady–this would be it.”

The casual, after-work event works by the “rule of three,” which requires teams of one to three participants to each bring three bottles of the same varietal. (For instance, three bottles of 2005 Lindemans Bin 65 chardonnay). For each team, two of the three bottles are bagged to hide the label, tagged, and then poured for tasting and ranking by each contestant during the course of the evening. Each team’s third bottle is set aside, unopened. At the end, the unopened third bottles are divided and taken home by the teams that brought the five highest ranking wines–except for the lowest ranked wine, which is returned to the team that brought it.

Worried about bringing the same wine as another team? Not a problem. Year, batch, temperature, length of time since the bottle was opened, and other factors can all affect the flavor and bring different rankings.

The “three for three” format used here is gaining popularity around the country among wine enthusiasts and novices alike, including Cincinnati’s Bacchanalia Society events. One of the goals of the event is to change perceptions and challenge biases people might have toward certain varietals.

“Last time,” said organizer Lisa Grigsby, “we had a lot of people who weren’t merlot fans, but by the end of the night, everyone had found one they liked, and then it was, ‘Wow, I never would’ve bought or ordered this, but now I know there’s one I really enjoy,’ and that’s because they got to try it without commitment. Everyone was surprised about the differences among the tastes and complexities of the wines.”

Teams can contain no more than three participants, so a group of four will be considered two teams, and must bring six bottles of the featured varietal to gain entry. However, said Grigsby, people needn’t worry if they plan to come alone.

“We had plenty of people who came by themselves as one single-person team. Only the person at the sign-in table knows who’s together and who’s not, so once you’re inside, no one has to know if you’re with a group or not. Everyone was very friendly. It’s very low-key and not snobby in any way. When we revealed the restults, a lot of people were surprised; one of the most expensive wines did not place in the top three, and one of the winners was a very inexpensive wine. The blind tasting takes that name brand association away, so it’s all about taste.”

Each Grapes event benefits a different local charity, and May’s proceeds will go to Wagtown, a new organization working toward the goal of making every city dog-friendly in the interest of creating stronger, more vibrant communities that attract people, spur economic growth, and foster loyalty.

“We try to support grassroots organizations,” said Jeff Jackson, Planned to Give co-owner, “smaller nonprofits where the attention can put new eyes on them and the money raised can really be impactful. Our last charity partner was Bogg Industries, which focuses on feeding the homeless all around the region through their Mobile Meals program. We raised enough money to feed 1,200 people, and that feels good. While we’re open to any charity, we’re really looking for the ones we can help expose. Wagtown’s ‘animal-friendly community’ concept really appealed to us, and they’re a new organization, so we wanted to showcase them in a meaningful way.”

Snacks will be on hand at the event, including pizza from Mack’s Tavern and chardonnay-infused sweets. The first half-hour of the evening encourages socializing and sampling the foods offered while event staff log and bag the various wines and register arriving guests. The early part of the evening will also include information about Wagtown, as well as presentation to Bogg Industries of the funds raised at the winter installment.

“It’s very casual,” Grigsby said. “People can come from work, come in jeans… There’s nothing formal about this event. It’s not an all-night commitment on a weeknight; it ends at 8 pm, though last time, a lot of groups ended up going somewhere for dinner afterward. It’s something different, something fun, a way to try a lot of wines on someone else’s dime, and then maybe get to take a bunch home.”

Tickets for participation in Grapes of Gratitude are $10 in advance and $15 at the door; advance tickets (with online handling fee) are available for purchase at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/may-grapes-of-gratitude-tickets-34094527650  or you can pick them up at the nearby Arrow Wine store on 725, while you’re grabbing your 3 bottles of Chardonnay.

Music of the Mad Men Era with Dayton Philharmonic

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mad-men-logoTonight, February 21, you have one more chance to catch the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Music of the Mad Men Era concert–and by ordering online with promo code DMM, you’ll receive 50% off your tickets!

Fans of AMC’s swank, swinging masterpiece set in the boardrooms and bedrooms of 1960s New York will love this weekend’s offering, the fourth concert in the 2015-2016 Kettering Health Network SuperPops Series, featuring 1950s and ’60s pop and jazz hits like “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Feeling Good,” “Moondance,” “Sway,” and of course, the Mad Men theme. From Tom Jones and Nancy Sinatra to Mancini, Bacharach, and Esquivel, prepare to be immersed in the rapturous sounds of a bygone time.

This concert is a triumphant homecoming for guest conductor Stephen Reinke, currently serving as music director and conductor of the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Principal Pops Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Reinke, a Tipp City native, is also a graduate of Miami University of Ohio and the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.

Reineke and the DPO are joined by accomplished guest vocalists Janet Dacal and Ryan Silverman. Both seasoned Broadway performers as well as recording artists, Dacal has starred in In the Heights and recorded with many chart-topping singers, and Silverman is currently starring as Billy Flynn in the Broadway production of Chicago.

Tickets for Music of the Mad Men Era range from $27 to $78 and are available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630 or online at www.daytonperformingarts.org. Senior, teacher and student discounts are available at the box office. And, don’t forget, with your Dayton Most Metro discount code DMM, you’ll receive 50% off!

Happy Hour Sliders at Jay’s Seafood A Hit!

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jaysslidersOne of Dayton’s best deals is also one of its best kept secrets: happy hour at Jay’s Seafood on Sixth Street in the Oregon District. Introduced over the summer to entice more early evening guests, happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 5 – 6:30pm  and features $4 domestic craft beers, $3 domestics, $4 house wines, $4 well drinks, $6 martinis, and 25% off all appetizers.
But the real gems of this new program are the sliders, small burger sandwiches served two at a time. “Small” is relative, though — together, any two of the sliders equal to more than a normal-sized burger. I went in on an empty stomach and couldn’t finish the second slider on my plate. There are three kinds: kobe beef with white cheddar is the most popular, and tuna and salmon are available as well. An order of sliders is just $5, or for $8 you can get a sampler plate with one of all three varieties.

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“There’s been a really good response to the new sliders,” owner Amy Haverstick said of the tuna and salmon, which were added last month alongside the popular beef offering. “One of our chefs has been with us for 34 years, and another has been here for 31. We sat down together and they came up with the happy hour menu items. We’ve gotten great compliments on them all.”

Jay’s also offers a monthly 3 course meal deal  and here’s what’s on the menu for October for $27:

First Course
Beef Barley Soup -or- Herbed Ghost Pepper Créme dressing on grilled Romaine with roasted beets and walnuts

Second Course
Pumpkin Seed-Crusted Salmon with a spicy pumpkin curry sauce served with roasted redskin potatoes or vegetable du jour  -or-    Pan Seared New York Strip steak with au gratin potatoes and herb butter

Third Course
Almond Pear Tar  -or-  Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Ganache

Jay’s is also know for their quarterly wine luncheons, and there’s one coming up this Saturday:

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This historic bar dates back to the 1870’s, when it was Ritty’s Pony House.

Italian Wine Luncheon, October 10, 2015 12:30 pm

With Guest Chef Michael Tenore and
Wines with Michael Freeman

Linguine Al Frutti Di Mare
2012 Fiona Di Avellino

Caprese Salad
2012 Greco Di Tufo

Wild Boar Boneless Chop with Roasted Vegetables And Polenta
2012 Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Calderarra Sottana

Butter Poached Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Ragu and Truffle Fries
2010 Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello

Almond Cake
2005 Lucignano Vin Santo

For more information about Jay’s Seafood or to make reservations call 937-222-2892.

Saturday is SMAG’s Spring Fling!

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Contemporary dance lovers should make their way to the Dayton Playhouse (1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton) this Saturday, May 23, for SMAG Dance Collective’s annual Spring Fling performance at 4 and 8 p.m.

Artistic director Michael Groomes founded the nonprofit troupe in 2003 to fill a void in Dayton’s artistic community.

“Back in 2003,” he recalled, “I was teaching dance at Sinclair Community College, and so I met lots of dancers, and it seemed like there were a lot of dancers in the area looking for opportunities to perform in styles outside of classical technique–hip-hop dancers, belly dancers, different types who weren’t getting a chance to be exposed to audiences. The [local] arts organizations, back then, were more performing at audiences as opposed to trying to engage them and get them to understand the capabilities of this abundance of artists we have in Dayton and the messages they want to get out.”

So Groomes made a promise to his children. To that end, SMAG is an acronym culled from the names of Groomes’ sons, Sean-Michael and Gavyn.
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“I promised my kids that by the time they were 12 years old, I would have a company in their name. In September 2003, my son was due to turn 12, and that August, I felt like it was the right time. We incorporated hip-hop dancers onstage with modern and ballet dancers…all of it, together. That was something new in Dayton.”

One of SMAG’s defining aspects has been unexpected artistic partnerships. Fueled by Groomes’ restless drive to constantly turn audiences’ concept of “art” on its head to create new ideas, SMAG has combined in the past with visual artists, fashion designers, live musicians improvising new works, and more.

“That’s something else that wasn’t really happening back when we got started,” Groomes said of the collaborations that have become a hallmark for the ever-evolving troupe. “I thought we could bring a different perspective to the table, and keep reforming that perspective.”

Expect more of these creative fusions as SMAG looks ahead to its 12th season.

“We’re working on a September fundraiser with K12 Gallery, a huge event with DJs and house music, and live performances in multiple styles. We’ll be working with the Dayton Metro Library’s outreach program. We’re trying to get to a Lakota-Sioux reservation in South Dakota to work with the youth there and learn how to fuse Native American dance style with contemporary.”

Internationally acclaimed painter Mike Elsass, a Dayton native who remains based here, has joined forces with SMAG in past years to create live works of visual art–at a previous Spring Fling show, dancers writhed and swayed across a giant canvas spread out on the stage floor as Mike wove among them painting both bodies and canvas. Groomes says Elsass will return to the fold next season for a new venture.

smagAdditionally, fall will see a new edition of SMAGmare, the collective’s yearly Halloween-themed performance typically held outdoors in the Oregon Historic District. SMAGmare began as a pop-up event to engage arts tourists wandering Fifth Street during October First Friday festivities, and was so successful that it’s become an anticipated annual feature. Going further in the spirit of multi-discipline collaboration, this year’s performance will pull in a local theatre group.

Outreach efforts like these have resulted in an incredibly diverse following for the group; SMAG performances routinely draw some of the most diversified audiences in the Dayton arts scene.

“You look at the U.S. census for Dayton, and that’s more or less what you’re gonna see when you look around at our dancers and audiences,” said Groomes. “It’s amazing to see the different types and faces and economic backgrounds that come together when we perform, and we’ve been extremely blessed to have that kind of support from across the board, and we’re looking forward to seeing more of that at the Spring Fling.”

SMAG’s Spring Fling show will serve as a platform for new works from both emerging and accomplished choreographers, including Groomes, whose entry is a civil rights-influenced piece.

“My piece in the show,” he said, “is inspired by the lives and works of three women: Ruby Bridges, the first black female child to be integrated into public school in New Orleans; Viola Liuzzo, the first white woman to die in her efforts to achieve civil rights; and Mahalia Jackson, who spent a lot of time traveling with Martin Luther King and served as kind of a hype man for him with her rousing gospel songs before his speeches. These were three incredible women who left a great legacy, and I wanted to honor that.”

The concert also features diverse and challenging works by SMAG associate ­artistic director Taiesha Green, Renee MeClendon of the McClendon Institute, Shonna Hickman-Matlock of DCDC, and Jordan Daughterty of DCDC2.

“We encourage the audience to be active,” Groomes said. “If you see something you like, speak up. Shout and cheer, because when the dancers get that feedback, they continue to step it up, and the audience gets back what they put into it. We want our audience to feel like they have the freedom to express themselves.”

Tickets for SMAG’s Spring Fling can be purchased at the door, or at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/754467; prices are $10 for students and seniors, $15 general admission, and $25 VIP seating. VIP ticket holders will also receive a gift upon entry.

Dancers interested in auditioning for SMAG’s upcoming season, or community artists interested in working with the troupe can call Michael Groomes at 937-329-6948, or email [email protected].

From Elvis Tribute Shows To Touring Elvis

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It sounds like the beginning of a joke, or some impossible showbiz fairy tale: “Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl photoPerkins walk into a recording studio…”

 

And yet, on December 4, 1956, at Sun Records in Memphis, it happened, and they jammed on record together for the first and only time. Perkins, riding the success of “Blue Suede Shoes,” was in with his band to cut some new material. Cash, a fellow Sun artist and a fan of Perkins, dropped by to listen. Sun’s owner, Sam Philips (“The Father of Rock and Roll”), added Lewis to Perkins’ session in search of a more rockabilly sound. Presley, with a girlfriend in tow, stopped by to say hello. And then, magic happened.

 

Before they were famous, it wasn’t unusual for several of these guys to play together at rent parties, in after-hours joints—but this was the only time any such summit was preserved for history.

 

Million Dollar Quartet, the 2010 Broadway musical that dramatizes this meeting, will rock the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center starting tonight and running June 17 – 22 as part of Victoria Theatre Association’s Premier Health Broadway Series. A litany of classic hits including “Hound Dog,” “I Walk the Line,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Fever,” and many more are performed with electric gusto by an unbelievably talented cast of actor/musicians playing their own instruments.

 

The tour cast includes H. Bradley Waters as Carl Perkins, John Countryman as Jerry Lee Lewis (a role that won Levi Kreis a Tony Award), Scott Moreau as Johnny Cash, and Tyler K. Hunter as Elvis Presley.

 

Hunter, a country singer who began doing Elvis tribute shows in his youth, has been part of the M$Q tour for a year and a half.

“I’ve never done any acting before,” he said, “or anything like that. I do country music, but they called and asked if I wanted to audition, so I took a bus to New York.”

 

“It’s a blast,” he said of the show’s process. “When we come into rehearsals, our musical director—Eric Schaeffer, a very talented, smart guy who works the ‘theatre’ side of things—tells us to pick up our instruments and start jamming, like a regular band. Then we throw in the dialogue, and there it is. We’re a band. These guys become like your family, like best friends. It’s a really tight bond.”

 

When the show premiered on Broadway in 2010, New York Magazine called it “a dazzling raucous spectacle that sounds like a million bucks,” but Hunter downplays that, painting a down-home portrait of four scrappy young fellas as regular joes on the cusp of igniting the world.

 

“You get an idea of who these guys are and where they come from, ‘50s Memphis. These are buddies just coming in and hanging—real guys, you know? No different from you or me or anybody else.”

 

He uses that approach to inform his portrayal of Elvis, going for an evocation as opposed to an impersonation. Hunter, who does not resemble Elvis offstage, pulls a transformation onstage and presents a stunning take that evokes The King’s presence.

 

“A wig, some makeup…I dunno,” he said casually. “There are a few guys out there whoreally look like Elvis, but no one’s going to sound exactly like him. I try to do just enough so if you’re sitting back in your seat and catch a glimpse of me, there’s a split second where you think, ‘Wow, that’s Elvis.’ That’s all it takes, that split second. Then they’re on board with you even if you go somewhere they don’t completely expect.”

 

“You know, we think about Elvis, probably one of the most famous people since Jesus Christ, and we forget that he was a real person. These were all real people. They had their feelings hurt, they laughed, they did all the same things as us—they just had really cool jobs. When I’m up there, I try to capture that aspect. At this point, he’s 21 years old. He’s a kid. You remember how you were at 21? That’s what I try to capture.”

 

In Million Dollar Quartet, Hunter-as-Elvis performs songs like “Long Tall Sally” and “Peace in the Valley,” but Hunter dreams of singing his own material someday.

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“I’ll always be an Elvis fan, but I would love to do my own thing. I’ve been writing songs for a little while now, and country music is what I grew up on. It comes naturally when I sing. I’m from Nebraska and kind of a redneck, and it’s just who I am. We’ve got some good people coming together to hopefully make a great album of original country music.”

 

But for now, he knows, The King still reigns.

 

“I definitely am very grateful and fortunate with the job I have, and the fantastic people I work with. We’re playing live music, which is a blast, and we get to pick up our instruments and play every single day. I really enjoy it, especially the finale. That’s when we get to rock out, just let it all hang out for ten or so minutes.”

 

Talented musicians jamming together—that’s what Million Dollar Quartet is all about.

 

“It’s got that raw, bluesy feeling that comes with rockabilly. You get that experience of being a fly on the wall and seeing this really cool moment. It’s not your typical Broadway show. We’re recreating a one-time thing with real people who were just buddies hanging out.”

Performances run from Tuesday, June 17 to Sunday, June 22. Group sales are underway for groups of 20 or more. Groups may call Betty Gould at 937/228-7591 ext. 3074. Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at Ticket Center Stage, located in the Wintergarden of the Schuster Center, by phone 937-228-3630, toll-free at 888-228-3630 or online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.  For information on the production, visitwww.MillionDollarQuartetLive.com

 

 

Local Entrepreneur Celebrates 2nd Anniversary In A Fair Trade City

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images-4Within a two-week span this summer, Dayton became a Fair Trade City and a Fair Trade Town.

 

Many are still unaware of this, as well as what it means to individual citizens, the region, and the world. Fair trade promotes methods of commerce that eliminate slave labor and unfair working conditions to provide a fair living for the people behind the products we buy.

 

London Coe, owner of fair trade store Peace on Fifth (508 E. Fifth St., Dayton) has made this her passion.

 

“Chocolate is the easiest example to explain why fair trade exists,” she said. “There are six companies that control 56% of all the chocolate production in the world. Hershey’s is the smallest of those with 6%, Mars is the largest with 14.6%. Chocolate is actually very expensive. It’s a huge international industry, traded on floors in New York and London, and is one of the world’s most demanded commodities along with things like corn, soybeans, orange juice concentrate, and cotton.

 

“It trades for so much money, but we all want to feel we’re part of this special class of people who get to enjoy this luxury item. So the chocolate companies sell it to us – but they have to strike a balance, they need us to feel we’re getting enough of what we want, but they need to make a profit. So you end up with people like Herhsey’s, who include just enough chocolate to flavor what they’re making.”

 

This allows one pound of chocolate to make exponential amounts of candy bars that can then be sold for cheap. Even more money is saved because the chocolate is harvested using slave labor.

 

“Chocolate is harvested,” said Coe, “by children who are kidnapped as early as age seven. They have no access to school or play or safety precautions and spend all day harvesting cacao pods with machetes and being sprayed with pesticides. Remember when you were in seventh grade and your arms and legs got longer, and your hands and feet got bigger, and it made you awkward? And you ran into things and hit yourself with things? That happens to these children, except they’re holding machetes.

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“When I learned this,” she said, “I realized I was eating the result of this inhumanity. I no longer wanted my hands or my money on a company that felt this was the way to treat children. Chocolate was what led me down the path to opening a store. I have this desperate idea that says you don’t sacrifice your community for yourself; contributing to community, be it local or global, is how you pay your rent on this earth. So Peace on Fifth is my thumbs up to Dayton, to a place that supports a value system that says no matter where you come from, you can be a part of something you believe in.”

 

Peace on Fifth, which celebrates its second anniversary on November 25, sells only fair trade items, including chocolate which can be traced all the way back to the farms where the cacao originated.

 

For each dollar spent on a fair trade product, roughly 50 cents goes back to the producer (farmer, artisan, etc.). If the producer has an official fair trade label through a certification board, a percentage goes there. Money goes toward stabilizing the producer’s community, often in a third world country, and promotes education in these remote areas, which people within the communities then use to fight against human trafficking to eradicate slave labor.

 

“By supporting fair trade,” Coe said, “you’re working against slave labor. And you’re also supporting animals and the environment. If you are overharvesting animals in a space that’s too small, that’s harmful to the environment. Fair trade products that come in some way from animals are produced in ways that ensure quality treatment for the animals involved.”

 

An exemplary leader on this principle is popular ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s, which earlier this year became the first fair trade company in the U.S., using cocoa, vanilla, sugar, coffee, and bananas (for the Chunky Monkey fans) from certified farms. The dessert purveyor even hosted a fair trade music festival in Boston this August.

 

Just a few weeks before that festival, Dayton threw its hat into the fair trade ring officially. On July 31, the City of Dayton declared itself a Fair Trade City, an informal resolution meaning the city will look closely in future purchasing decisions to ensure support for safe practices and sustainable and eco-friendly means of production.

 

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Mayor Leitzell & London Coe

On August 9, international organization Fair Trade Towns USA certified Dayton a Fair Trade Town, joining Dayton with cities across the globe that stand together to fight for a world with better work environments, better wages, and a cleaner environment.

 

 

“Mayor [Gary] Leitzell was supportive even before I started this,” she said. “He said, ‘I think you should run with this. It’s good for the city.’ The resolution I sent and the resolution that got passed were very different in that the resolution that got passed is actually much more aggressive. The city wants to be supportive of this concept.”

 

Mayor Leitzell commented, “It normally takes two to three years to get an initiative like this passed, but it happened in ten weeks. I gave London a few tips, she connected the dots and got the doors opened, and the next thing I knew, it was happening. Something like this doesn’t have to be political, it’s something that should just be. It says that we not only respect our community, but yours, wherever that happens to be, and it ties in with our whole ‘immigrant friendly’ message and being fair to all people. Hopefully Dayton will become recognized globally as a place where everyone’s got a fair shake.”