Had a chance to dine at the new restaurant Dewberry 1850 today, inside the Marriott at the University of Dayton Hotel. The re-design is beautiful, bright and airy with several different areas conducive to working meeting with power even wired into the tables, as well as window tables of two and three for more intimate dining. They feature New American Cuisine with locally sourced ingredients,, a large selection of regional craft beers as well as spirits. While they’ve just barely opened, they already have scheduled their first beer dinner with Yellow Springs Brewery for Thurs, Sept 28th from 6-8pm.

The name of the eatery is directly tied to the University history, as explained on their website;

In the middle of a cholera epidemic, the Bishop of Cincinnati sent Father Leo Meyer, S.M., to minister to the sick at Emmanuel parish in Dayton. Here, he met John Stuart, whose little daughter died of cholera the year before. Mr. Stuart wanted to sell his Dayton property and return with his wife to Europe. Father Meyer gave him a medal of St. Joseph and a promise of $12,000 in return for Dewberry Farm — 125 acres of vineyards, orchards, a mansion and farm buildings

On July 1, 1850, St. Mary’s School for Boys, a frame building that not long before had housed farm hands, opened its doors to 14 primary students from Dayton. Known at various times as St. Mary’s School, St. Mary’s Institute and St. Mary’s College, the school assumed its present identity in 1920.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, they bill themselves as the perfect place to Eat, Drink & Gather.

We started with the Divvy & Split section of the menu, which offered standards like pretzel, wings, tacos and as well as bruschetta BLT’s, Flying Pigs, and what we ordered: Mac-N-Cheese Croquettes, -panko crumbs l cheddar l mascarpone l roasted garlic sour cream, $11 for 3.

On to the Tossed & Assembled portion of the lunch menu, which offers five sandwiches and five salads. I had the M Burger– Angus beef l bacon l cheddar l LTO l toasted brioche $14

My lunch companion ordered the Brown Street Club – Legrand poblano aioli l carved turkey l smoked bacon l shaved romaine l tomato l raisin bread $12

Food was good, atmosphere very welcoming and looking forward to going back and trying both lunch and dinner. If you’ve been, let us know what you think in the comments below: