Food Adventures

Food Adventures Air Fryer Recipe: Chicken Parm Balls

November 26, 2019 By The Food Adventures Crew

A Finished Parm Chicken Ball

Hey all you Miami Valley foodies!! The Food Adventure Crew is back at it with a last minute recipe for Thanksgiving. This time it is an Italian classic for all “youse guys”out there with air fryers!

Jackie recently got an air fryer and absolutely loves it. She felt compelled to share this easy and delicious recipe which is a perfect option for a unique Thanksgiving side, or a feature in an upcoming pasta meal you are planning.

This hungry Italian mom knows her parm, and now you will too!

Without further delay we present to you one of our favorites …

JACKIE’S CHICKEN PARM BALLS (The Air Fryer Edition)

INGREDIENTS: (makes about 10 Parm Balls)

Placing the cheese inside

1lb ground chicken
1 egg
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parm/Romano
1 tsp of dried parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of red pepper flakes

2 cups Panko bread crumbs (for rolling)
1 tbs Olive oil
2 mozzarella sticks cup up into chunks (5 each) and frozen

DIRECTIONS:

—Mix the first nine ingredients together and let sit for 10 minutes. It’s a wet mixture so the breadcrumbs need a few minutes to help give it more structure.

—Take a large spoonful of mixture and place a chunk of cheese in the middle. Roll the meat around it to form a ball.

Ready for the Air Fryer !

—Toss the Panko bread crumbs with olive oil and roll the balls in it. This will also be when you can better shape the balls as they won’t be as sticky.

—Air fry for 12 minutes (turning once half way) at 400 degrees.

There you have it. A cutting edge recipe for the new air fryer. If you are considering getting an air fryer, Jackie definitely recommends it. She uses hers often and has been experimenting with various foods and recipes. So far so good!

Read our Food Adventures articles each and every week, right here, EXCLUSIVELY on DaytonMostMetro.com.

Until then have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING from our Food Adventure Crew: Jackie, The Big Ragu and Jessie!

Rolling the balls in bread crumbs

Formed and ready to fry

Fried to a golden brown

Serve as an appetizer or with pasta !

One of Jackie’s first experiments with chicken parm balls was this batch..

Thanksgiving Recipe – Easy Peazy Peanut Butter Pie !

November 21, 2019 By The Food Adventures Crew

Easy to Make Peanut Butter Pie

Hey fellow foodies !

Looking for a quick dessert to bring to family Thanksgiving that will please the masses?

It is really easy, too! The old favorite “Peanut Butter Pie” is simple, fun to make, and fairly inexpensive.

Let’s dive into this Food Adventure head first, and waste no time getting into this scrumptious recipe.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

— One 9 inch prepared graham cracker pie crust in a foil pie pan

— One 8oz package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature

— 3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter

— 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

—1/4 teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

— Two 8oz containers of frozen whipped topping, thawed

— Small bag of miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and peanut butter together until smooth.
Fold in 1 of the whipped topping containers.
Spoon the mixture into the graham cracker crust.
Place the remaining whipped topping inside the 2nd container over the top of the peanut butter mixture
Garnish with the peanut butter cups.
Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Voila ! There you have it …

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from The Food Adventure Crew: JESSIE, THE BIG RAGU and JACKIE !

Enjoy Food Adventure EXCLUSIVE articles right here at Dayton Most Metro each week !

Flavors of Dayton

October 29, 2019 By Lisa Grigsby

Join Welcome Dayton and the Human Relations Council for a one-of-a-kind fundraiser! “Flavors of Dayton” is a series of 3 food events highlighting the talents, cuisines, and stories of foreign-born chefs. Each event will feature a different chef representing a different geographic region and immigrant community. Each chef will conduct a cooking demonstration showcasing several food items from their native country. Attendees will then enjoy food prepared by these amazing chefs!

Featured chefs are:

Tuesday, October 15th: Rafael Santillan, Nelly’s: A Taste of Bolivia
Tuesday, October 22nd: Theresa Barnes, Eden Spice Restaurant
Tuesday, October 29th: George Daoud, CedarLand Bakery & Restaurant

Funds raised will support Welcome Dayton and help us ensure that we can continue to provide vital and effective services to our area’s immigrants and refugees. Our top funding priorities are Program Evaluation, Immigration Legal Assistance, and Immigrant Resource Specialists. We hope you will consider joining us at one of these events, so that Dayton can continue to demonstrate that it is inclusive, welcoming, and supportive of its newest residents!

NOTE: There are THREE different events. When purchasing tickets, please make sure that you select the date for the event that you are interested in from the dropdown menu.

Flavors of Dayton

October 22, 2019 By Lisa Grigsby

Featured chefs are:

Tuesday, October 15th: Rafael Santillan, Nelly’s: A Taste of Bolivia
Tuesday, October 22nd: Theresa Barnes, Eden Spice Restaurant
Tuesday, October 29th: George Daoud, CedarLand Bakery & Restaurant

NOTE: There are THREE different events. When purchasing tickets, please make sure that you select the date for the event that you are interested in from the dropdown menu.

Flavors of Dayton

October 15, 2019 By Lisa Grigsby

Featured chefs are:

Tuesday, October 15th: Rafael Santillan, Nelly’s: A Taste of Bolivia
Tuesday, October 22nd: Theresa Barnes, Eden Spice Restaurant
Tuesday, October 29th: George Daoud, CedarLand Bakery & Restaurant

NOTE: There are THREE different events. When purchasing tickets, please make sure that you select the date for the event that you are interested in from the dropdown menu.

35 Years of Penn Station * $35 Gift Card Giveaway *

September 26, 2019 By The Food Adventures Crew 11 Comments

Penn Station enters 35th year & you can win a $35 gift card

Penn Station is going into their 35th year of serving up East Coast style submarine sandwiches. To celebrate, we at Food Adventures are giving away a $35 Gift Card to this regional chain, whose roots are right here in Dayton.

For your chance to win, just comment below and tell us something you love about Penn Station. Here is a great opportunity for you to win some of those freshly grilled subs, freshly cut fries and freshly squeezed lemonade!

The Sandwich that made it all happen – Penn Station’s Philly Cheesesteak

Are you a sub lover? Than odds are, over the last 34 years, you have made it into a Penn Station restaurant in the Miami Valley for our own Food Adventure. Known for their flying spatulas, dicing up meat while grilling submarine sandwiches, the ordering process has evolved over the years. One thing that has not changed, is that they serve some of the most delicious subs in town.

HERE’S THE SKINNY on PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS:

Turkey Dagwood

Owner Jeff Osterfeld’s first started “Jeffrey’s Delicatessen” in the Dayton Mall in Dayton, Ohio.

— Jeff opened his first Penn Station in 1985 in Downtown Cincinnati. Today there are 313 Penn Station restaurants in 15 states.

— The sub bread is cooked in-house with a signature soft inside, and crunchy outside texture. This is perfect for holding up the sub structure with all of the hot ingredients. The bread is also delicious.

— Customers who walk in, order in a cafeteria type line, then watch their sandwiches get cooked and/or assembled and most get a ride to get toasted in a conveyor pizza oven. As you move down the line you are asked if you want some freshly cut fries, cookies, or drinks.

Fresh Cut Fries

— Most stores feature call ahead, drive-thru pickup windows.

Now you know what Penn Station is all about, let’s explore the best of the best on their menu…. our patented “Must Eats” section is below.

MUST EATS AT PENN STATION EAST COAST SUBS:

Chicken Teriyaki

— DAGWOOD WITH TURKEY ONLY AS THE MEAT ADD TERIYAKI SAUCE:
This first one is a super secret sandwich, not on the menu as is, but a discovery of the Big Ragu. You order a “Dagwood with Turkey only as the meat.” Ask them to add extra meat – it is worth the 1 to 2 bucks, Ask then to grill it in Teriyaki sauce and ask them to the grill onions, mushrooms, and banana peppers and add provolone cheese. After it is grilled tell them to add mayo, lettuce and tomato. The result is an amazing “Turkey Teriyaki Cheesesteak.” It is a Food Adventure original and the workers always compliment us on how good that sandwich looks. Try it, it will change your life…

— THE CHEESESTEAK:

We loaded up this Philly cheesesteak

The sandwich that anchors the establishment, the Philly cheesesteak. Get extra meat, always with this option. May we suggest asking them to grill the onions, mushrooms and banana peppers. Then add provolone, oregano and mayo.

Our pal and Penn Station Regional Manager Randy suggests getting the Cheesesteak with “extra meat, extra cheese, with honey mustard, Parmesan cheese and oregano.”

Artichoke Sub

— CHICKEN TERIYAKI SUB:
For those who love chicken, this sub is for you. The chicken is cubed and not shredded like the Turkey, which is why we prefer the turkey, but this sandwich is excellent as well. May we suggest trying it this way: Get extra meat, then ask them to the grill onions, mushrooms, and banana peppers and add provolone cheese to the teriyaki chicken “well done”. After it is grilled tell them to add mayo, lettuce and tomato.

— THE GRILLED ARTICHOKE SUB:

Fries made to order

We had heard from many friends that this sub was great, but it took us years to try it. Guess what? It was shockingly good! Artichoke Hearts mixed with grilled onions, grilled banana peppers and grilled mushrooms, covered in cheese. It was a velvety bite in each sandwich, and tasted very close to a chicken sub. That’s the part we couldn’t figure out… why?

Lemonade – freshly made

— FRESH CUT FRIES:
It is very hard to resist the freshly cooked “cups” of fries. Not a fan on how they serve them in cups, but hey they taste so good we soon forget. They slice them using this wall contraption and take trays full of raw. sliced fries over to the fryer. Served with a bit of salt, vinegar or ketchup and you are home free. Always cooked perfectly and some of the best fries in town.

— FRESH SQUEEZED LEMONADE:
Hand squeezed daily. For some reason, the combo of the lemonade deadening the grilled onion breath is a perfect combo. The lemonade so cold and flavorful and free refills on a hot day is a bonus. Heck the refills are great no matter what the weather is like outside.

Cheesesteak Extra Meat and Extra Cheese

**** NOW – who wants to win a $35 Gift Card to Penn Station and try some great East Coast Subs ? ****
To enter, just type in a comment below on one of your favorite things at Penn Station or why you should win. The winner will be drawn at random next week. ONE COMMENT PER PERSON or you will be disqualified.

Food Adventures is a Dayton food blog with weekly articles EXCLUSIVELY on Dayton Most Metro.

Are you a Dayton Foodie? Then join the 8,000 Dayton Foodies on Food Adventure’s Facebook page and like them by clicking HERE.

Turkey Teriyaki Dagwood

Turkey Dagwood

Chicken Teriyaki

Cheesesteal

Cheesesteak add lettuce and tomato and pickles!

Our pal Randy makes his Cheesesteaks with extra meat, extra cheese and oregano with honey mustard sauce

Chocolate Chunk Cookies at Penn Station

Philly Cheesesteak

10 inch Tuna Sub

Inside the Cheesesteak Sandwich, the grilled onions are amazing

Turkey Sub

The bread is crunchy on the outside and soft inside

Cheesesteak

Those fries

Cheesesteak Extra meat and Extra cheese

Cheesesteak extra meat and extra cheese

Outside Penn Station

Turkey Dagwood and fries

Chicken Teriyaki and Fries

Philly Cheese steak with extra toppings

Chicken Teriyaki

Turkey Teriyaki

Fishes & Big Dishes at NEW Tokyo Grill & Hibachi

September 12, 2019 By The Food Adventures Crew Leave a Comment

Do you love seafood of all sorts? How about Japanese Hibachi Dishes? Even Sushi?

If you said yes to any of those three questions, you may be thrilled about Centerville’s newest buffet and hibachi hybrid called Tokyo Grill Sushi and Hibachi Buffet. This restaurant has recently opened in the old Rue Dumaine location near Sams Club on 725 near Lyons Rd.

Part of the Buffet Bar

The Food Adventures Crew was impressed with the all you can eat sushi roll choices made constantly and replaced on the bar. We also loved the service of their hibachi grill. You pick the ingredients, they cook it and bring it to your table. This place is a cross between Mongolian Grill and a Chinese Buffet with good sushi. To us the best part was the Sashimi (raw sushi with no rice).

Let’s give you the scoop – you gotta try this place….

HERE’S THE SKINNY on TOKYO GRILL SUSHI and HIBACHI BUFFET:

Vanilla Pudding (left) and Tuna and Salmon Sashimi (right)

—Tokyo Grill Sushi & Hibachi Buffet is located at 1061 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp.

— They are open seven days a week from 11am to 10pm.

— This is considered an upscale, “high end buffet.” Lunch is around $12.99 and Dinner is around $18.99. Drinks are not included.

—This is one of the few times we suggest you go for dinner instead of lunch and here is why: a) more sashimi offerings on the bar b) Shrimp and more seafood included in the raw meat section of the hibachi grill. These 2 reasons alone are worth the price difference. You eat 2 pieces of sashimi and you have made up the difference price wise.

Nigiri section

— The restaurant seats 90 and they pack them in, sometimes tightly. If you go on “off hours” it is not as busy.

—The owner has a couple of other locations in different states and decided to invest in a Dayton location because he was told it is a “friendly market.”

— The restaurant consists of 4 bars –
Bar 1 is desserts and raw sashimi (sushi with no rice)
Bar 2 is cooked and raw sushi rolls and nigiri (sliced sushi on top of rice).
Bar 3 is Chinese Food, Appetizers and soup
Bar 4 is the Hibachi Grill with meat and vegetable choices.

Sushi Roll Section – they have about 20 kinds of rolls

There are so many dishes here – but we are going to tell you the best of the best …

THE MUST EATS at TOKYO GRILL SUSHI and HIBACHI BUFFET:

—THE SASHIMI (Raw sushi with no rice):
The raw Salmon is amazing.
The raw Tuna is a treat, this is a rare chance to load up. There are White Tuna, Octopus and sometimes Mackrel and Yellowtail slices in the sashimi section as well.

Typical sushi

—THE SUSHI ROLL BAR:
There are dozens rolls with crab, salmon, tuna, eel and more in them with avocado, cream cheese and other ingredients. Some are even deep fried sushi rolls.
The Salmon and Tuna Nigiri (slices of raw meat on top of rice) are incredible.

—THE HIBACHI BAR:
Choices of meat include salmon, scallops, steak, chicken, shrimp, calamari, imitation crab meat and tofu. The vegetable selection is huge! You can choose to have your ingredients stir fried and served with brown rice, white rice, thin noodles, or thick noodles (udon).

Hibachi Meats

—THE VANILLA PUDDING CUPS:
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the vanilla pudding cups on the dessert bar with a vanilla wafer on top. A perfect end to a night of indulgence.

If you are a hibachi or sushi fan at all, or if you love seafood, this place is worth a visit. Heavily

Hibachi Veggies

stacked with seafood from calamari, to cooked and raw fish, there are a lot of high quality items on this buffet not usually found in an “all you can eat environment.” In other words, if you are one of those people who spends $20 on two sushi rolls and walks out of the restaurant hungry, this could be your new favorite place. Take advantage of the hibachi grill, soup area and all the amenities.

Tokyo Grill Sushi and Hibachi Buffet is a fun treat when your hungry for a seafood feast! If you do not like seafood you can load up on steak and chicken at the hibachi buffet and a couple of chicken dishes at the Chinese bar.

Hibachi Bowl

Please share your comments of your Food Adventures to Tokyo Grill below !

This place is a great chance to sample delicacies like Octopus, Squid, and other seafoods you might not ever try. Give it a shot!

For more Food Adventures, like us on Facebook and join 8,000 foodies in Dayton in the discussion.

Browse our gallery below of more Tokyo Grill Sushi & Hibachi Buffet photos.

One of our plates

All you can eat sushi !!

Miso Soup All Day Long

This hibachi bowl was spicy with salmon, tofu and fake crabmeat

Seared Ahi Tuna and Mango

BUSY BUSY

About 1/4 of the bar

Hibachi Bowl is cooked for you !!!

So many sushi rolls

Seared White tuna and sauce

Cooked Octopus Sashimi

OHHH That Salmon !

Veggies at Hibachi

Dining Room

SUSHI !

Freshly prepared- all you want

Kani – imitation crab

Here is your bowl for hibachi raw ingredients to be placed into

Tuna and Salmon

Deep fried rolls , salmon and tuna -its like paradise

Spicy Crab Roll and salmon Nigiri for days ….

Tuna and Squid

dessert bar

We went overboard …AGAIN

Jalapeno Sushi

Chinese and Japanese Appetizers

More Veggies at the Hibachi

Vanilla Pudding

The sushi is terrific

Hibachi Stir Fry ! – Shrimp Scallops, Squid and more

Do you have bigger plates? How about a cookie sheet ?

View of a bar

Boozy Milkshake Recipe for End of Summer

August 15, 2019 By The Food Adventures Crew Leave a Comment

Ingredients for Uncle Jims Milkshake

The Food Adventure Crew has a treat for you. A long standing family secret, tweeked to a boozy delight.

The Big Ragu has been making his “Uncle Jim’s Famous Milkshake Recipe” since his early teens. It is time to pass along the legend with an adult twist. This recipe is perfect for end of summer sipping on the patio, or a dessert for a special homemade meal.

Here is the recipe. This will change your life.

UNCLE JIM’S BOOZY MILKSHAKES: (Serves 4)

Pouring Boozy Milkshakes

Ingredients:
2/3 Gallon of Chocolate Ice Cream (You may substitute a Vanilla or Butter Pecan)
1/3 Gallon of milk
3 TBS of Peanut Butter
1 Banana
1 to 1.5 cups of Baileys Irish Cream (You may substitute Kahlua or any rum)
2 TBS Chocolate Syrup

Directions:

—In a blender put a half to 2/3rds a gallon of chocolate ice cream, or until it almost reaches the top of the blender

—Fill the blender halfway up with milk

—Add the Banana, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Syrup

—Add the Alcohol.

—Start mixing slow pressing the low powered buttons first, and build to the maximum. Then slow speed down again to lowest setting.

—Mixing should take about 60 seconds.

—Serve immediately in a medium sized glass.

There you have our suggestion for a delicious summer delight. Uncle Jim’s famous milkshakes are sure to make you smile. Enjoy and let us know how you liked them — with or without alcohol, they are great !

Food Adventures is Dayton’s Food Blog since 2008. Like us on Facebook by CLICKING HERE.
Find our new articles each and every week, exclusively on Dayton Most Metro.

Feel free to browse the gallery below.

Try one of these tonight

Happiness is a Boozy Milkshake

Let’s get this party started

Using Vanilla Ice Cream

The Oregon District – 19 “MUST EATS”

August 6, 2019 By The Food Adventures Crew 1 Comment

Manicotti from Francos

In wake of the events this week, there are no words. Food Adventures suggests we all take some time and show continued support and love for the Oregon District, by eating at some of the places in and around the area on Fifth Street. We humbly suggest some of our favorites. Here’s to keeping Dayton strong.

OREGON DISTRICT “MUST EATS”

Pickle Soup at Blind Bobs

CHEESE MANICOTTI at FRANCO’S RISTORANTE ITALIANO:
The pasta filled with ricotta cheese and blanketed with sauce and mozzarella. Franco’s wonderful marinara, makes the dish and use that bread to sponge up the goodness.
824 E. Fifth St.

PICKLE SOUP at BLIND BOB’S:
Sounds crazy, tastes incredible. If you like cream of broccoli soup. you will love this. It is kicked up a notch with a hint of pickle flavor. Not overpowering, just perfect and creamy. A couple of shakes of pepper and you are in the drivers seat, ready to roll.
430 E. Fifth St.

The Hearse Burger from Lucky’s Taproom

THE HEARSE BURGER at LUCKY’S TAPROOM:
Keener Beef starts the burger out and it is topped with BBQ pulled chicken, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, applewood smoked bacon and red cabbage slaw. It is a 1/3 pound burger and more than a mouthful. Did we mention they have incredible fish dinners where you pick the beer to batter your fish? Now you know, visit there soon.
520 E. Fifth St.

Lilys Bistro has Fried Chicken on Sundays

FRIED CHICKEN at LILYS BISTRO:
On Sundays they have a treat for you! Get a choice of a 2 piece dinner, half a chicken dinner, or a whole chicken, cut up into pieces and deep fried. The golden brown Free-Range Fried Chicken is from a local farm. The result is a delicious taste in every bite. Get a bread basket and mashed potatoes to fill the table !
329 E. Fifth St.

MUSSELS AND FRIES at THE CORNER KITCHEN:
These delicious shellfish are steamed and served in a buttery wine sauce with tomatoes. The mussels are cooked perfectly and these bites will melt in your mouth. Served with a side or fries for dipping away and sopping up the sauce.
613 E. Fifth St.

Mussels and Fries from the Corner Kitchen

THE HERITAGE PORK CHOP at ROOST MODERN ITALIAN:
A huge grilled pork chop served alongside creamy goat cheese polenta, charred scallions and candied applewood bacon. Chef Dana Downs has a fantastic gourmet menu, and this is just one of many hits.
524 E Fifth St

The Heritage Pork Chop at Roost Modern Italian

PEPPERONI ROLLS at 416 DINER:
You normally don’t see these unless you are in a big city or upstate New York. This Italian delight is so good here because of the taste of the homemade bread. Try a pepperoni roll today !
416 E. Fifth St.

PECAN AND SAGE ENCRUSTED SALMON at SALAR:
So delicate and tasty, this baked dream is the perfect dinner. Excellent flavors and a generous serving of salmon. Salar knocked it out of the park with this one. If you don’t like fish, go for the filet mignon, it is remarkable.
400 E. Fifth St.

Salar’s Pecan and Sage Encrusted Salmon

FISH WITH CHILI SAUCE at THAI 9:
With such an extensive menu, they have terrific food from pad thai to sushi. We are addicted to the huge fish with chili sauce. A giant fish filet, deep fried and topped with chili sauce. The spices in the fish and the sauce toppings are mouth watering. This dish is so good, it is hard for us to order anything else.
11 Brown St

LOADED POTATO SOUP at THE DUBLIN PUB:

Loaded Potato Soup at the Dublin Pub

A creamy, cheesey bowl of potato soup topped with bacon crumbles and scallions will have you jumping for joy. This is warm comfort food at its best. The pub is also a great place to pair the soup with a brew. Get lost in the flavor and stay for a second pint.
300 Wayne Ave.

THE SMOKED CHICKEN WINGS at SMOKIN BBQ:
Perfectly cooked, perfectly crispy wings are found here. The smokey taste is great and the spices are good. But they have some sauces you need to put on the side for dipping. They got BBQ sauce and a hot sauce. Use them individually or mix them, but whatever you do use them every other bite for a true BBQ experience.
200 E. Fifth St

Smoked Wings from Smokin Bar-B-Que

EGGPLANT FRIES at WHEAT PENNY OVEN and BAR:
Served with a yogurt dipping sauce, these are absolutely addicting. Did we mention they have incredible pizza and pasta dishes? Yeah, get in here….
515 Wayne Ave.

CHICKEN, BACON, FETA and CILANTRO PIZZA from OREGON EXPRESS:
It is like the 4th of July for your taste buds. You gotta try this. In a place with fantastic pizza, this one stands out. Good bar selection too, but the pizzas are off the chart good. Fun atmosphere and sometimes there are live bands.
336 E. Fifth St.

Oregon Express – Great Pizza

FARM FRESH CHILI from THE TROLLEY STOP:
Made with Keener Farm grass fed beef, fresh onions, peppers & red beans, and topped with your choice of cheese or onions; or both. A nice, hearty bowl of chili made with local beef. Slap a squirt of hot sauce on top and you are in business.
530 E. Fifth St.

THE CLAM CHOWDER at JAY’S SEAFOOD:
A Dayton icon and family tradition. Imagine the creamiest broth in the world, riddled with potatoes and plump clam meat. Just a dash of black pepper and maybe some crackers to seal this deal. We are talking childhood memories here or great tastes for the first time. Either way, this appetizer is the tip of the iceberg of good eats here.
225 E. 6th St.

TOXIC BLONDE at TOXIC BREW CO.:

Beers at Toxic Brew Co.

Take a break from the heat with a cold one at Toxic Brew. They are pushing the envelope on uniqueness and brewing here. Like hops? This is a place for you. We prefer the light ale, Toxic Blonde for an easy drink on a hot summer day. The atmosphere is fun and the bartenders have a lot of personality.
431 E.Fifth St.

DRUNKEN CHEESECAKE at THE TROLL PUB:
Time for dessert? How about some cheesecake? Rich and drizzled with caramel is the way to go. Thank goodness that is how they serve it. Big menu with lots of big tastes, but this item is special. Indulge yourself and let your troubles slip away.
216 Wayne Ave.

Drunken Cheesecake from the Troll Pub

RAW OYSTERS at DISTRICT PROVISIONS /GLASZ BLEU OVEN/ JACK LUKEYS OYSTER SALOON and CAVIAR BAR:
Slurp! Enjoy a taste of fresh raw oysters, just shucked. Sprinkle a little lemon and or hot sauce on the top and your experience is all that and more. Three business share a home in this spot. Wander and browse them all. Don’t forget a nice craft beer to wash it down.
521 Wayne Ave

Oysters at Jack Lukey’s Oyster Saloon

ONE OF 60 BEERS at CRAFTED AND CURED:
They have 60 crafted alcoholic drinks on tap, yes that’s right. At the posting time of this article two beers stuck out for us to choose today: Witbier from Mother Stewart’s Brewing Co. in Springfield and Stay Golden Blonde Ale from Steetside Brewery in Cincinnati. Check out the list of beers currently on tap by clicking HERE.
531 Wayne Ave.

Make sure you continue to support these places and more in their time of need. Remember all of these

Special “CROWLER Cup” at Crafted and Cured

eateries are locally owned by families just like yours. Best of all, they have great meals to offer. Take this time to plan your own Food Adventure at the Oregon District. See you there !

About Food Adventures: We are three Dayton foodies with a local blog and a weekly column exclusively here on Dayton Most Metro. Since 2008, we have been highlighting the Miami Valley’s best restaurants, hosting dinner events, cooking classes, and partnering with festivals. We have a ton of content and you can get more info by liking us on FACEBOOK by clicking HERE.

Feel free to browse the gallery of photos below…

Comment on any other Oregon District foods that are spectacular.

Farm Fresh Chili from The Trolley Stop

Eggplant Fries from Wheat Penny Oven and Bar

Pepperoni Rolls from 416 Diner

The Big Ragu bites into Thai 9’s fish with chili sauce

Food Adventures Have Noticed Changes at Taco Bell

July 10, 2019 By The Food Adventures Crew 6 Comments

They don’t stuff tacos like they used to …

Okay, so 95 out of 100 articles we feature locally owned eateries. Also, very rarely will we publish a negative slant in our stories on the Food Adventures Blog. Today, however, we have taken notice of a situation, that has caused the Big Ragu some frustration.

In the land of fast food, there was a fave that set itself apart. But now it seems after a slow slide over the past 10 years, this old standby, is now a new spot of pitfalls and disappointments. Has anyone else notice this change or is it us?

So we ask ….

Familiar site – you could listen to a Beatles album by the time you get to the pay window.

What has happened to Taco Bell ?

Back in the 80’s and the 90’s the successful chain was using the 59, 79 and 99 cent menus to the delight of fans. There was the “Yoquero Taco Bell” Bell Dog, and the “Run for the border” campaign highlighting the late hours. There was decent food and decent service late into the night, sometimes 4am !

They changed the burrito wrapper for the better, making it thicker and less breakable. They came up with new menu ideas, maybe this is where the downfall started. Maybe they offer too many menu items to crank things out like they used to….

Don’t get us wrong, Taco Bell still shows some magic. The Big Ragu still absolutely loves the Mexican Pizza (although they stopped adding black olives on top), and we love the Nacho Bell Grande. We applaud them for bringing back the nacho cheese fries. But there are lot of changes that we have noticed locally over the past 10 years. Is it just us? Do other fast foodies in Dayton notice this around town?

This was the actual filling in our burrito supreme -mostly tortilla

— Smaller fillings: Have you noticed they don’t stuff a taco or a burrito like they used to? Every once in a while you will get an employee in the back that will be making some nice sized burritos and tacos, but for the most part they are partially stuffed and lots of times weighed.

— Slower Drive Thru Service: They used to be great on this, but now we have noticed you can watch an episode of The Big Bang Theory while waiting on your drive thru order.

— Poor Service: No friendly greet, no thank you’s and lots of times

The Mexican PIzza is still a winner

the order is wrong. But the worst. and we mean ABSOLUTE WORST thing they do is close 15 minutes early and the employees hide inside and won’t come to the window because they know they are in the wrong. They also close much earlier now than they have in years past, especially during winter months.

Is it just us, or have you noticed the change as well?? And if you ask for hot sauce they now give you 2 packets. If you ask for 8 sauces they will give you 4. We don’t know when this started but it seems they purposely short us now on sauces.

Can you spare a sauce?

Yeah we know, we took a weekly article to write about a chain. Some of you may care, some may not, we just felt it worth mentioning since we think the decline is noticeable.

Suggestion:

One thing we suggest they do is bring back a simple menu item – BRING BACK THE BELLBEEFER.. This was Taco Bell’s version of a burger. It was pretty much a sloppy joe with taco meat on a bun. No frills, easy and quick to serve.

WE ASKED LOCAL EMPLOYEES:

Bring Back the Bellburger

Since this isn’t our first rodeo at the drive thru window – over the past 5 years, we have asked the employees at the window what the problem has been. Of the various local Taco Bells they all say the same thing. “We are greatly understaffed and it is hard to find good workers.”

It sounds like they are short on workers, but trying to address the problem with no success do to the work force,

At any rate, until they fix it , we will be in that long drive thru line on occasion for a Mexican Pizza or Nacho Bell Grande.

Kudos for adding Nacho Fries to the menu

But we are in line there much less these days.. cutting our visits by about 75%. Until then, here is hoping they make a change in size of servings, customer service, and drive thru times. Is it too much to ask for that and some hot sauce?

PLEASE COMMENT BELOW AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK….

Food Adventures is a local food blog with a weekly article here on Dayton Most Metro. We also have a great presence on Facebook.