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Dayton Dining

Dayton at Work and Play: Kate Rivers-Twist Cupcakery

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Kate Rivers worked as an engineer for a business that makes medical devices. Now she makes gourmet desserts for her own business – Twist Cupcakery (25 South St. Clair).

“I started baking from home” she told me. “People raved about the desserts I made, and asked if they could buy them from me. Five years ago we decided to move out of the house and operate out of this spot downtown. We’ve gotten a lot of support from the community, and business has grown steadily. We’re closed for walk in service currently, but people can order cupcakes and other products on our website and then do a curbside pick up.”

“Cakes for weddings and other special events are an important part of our business, but that ‘s not happening now. To boost sales we developed a new product that’s doing well. It’s called Cupcakes in a Jar. Each jar has two of our gourmet cupcakes. We can mail them out nationwide. It’s a great way to celebrate a special occasion with people that we can’t be with.”

“We’ve been sending our cupcakes to hospitals, testing stations and other places where people are doing so much to help the community – our way of spreading happiness and joy. Everybody need to pitch in during these tough times. We like to do it with cupcakes.”

Condado Tacos Now Open At The Greene

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Last night’s full house at the Sneak Peek event at Condado Tacos was well received, with folks appreciating the variety of options for tacos, frozen drinks and attentive customer service.  The mural filled walls are amazing, all created by local artists.  Pictured below Tiffany Clark has included so many Dayton celebs- we just love this! Other local artists featured include Adam Hernandez, Alexandra Wood, Bryan Brady, Alex Linton, Joshua Redmond, Nicole Gangwer, AC Eckely, Maggie Reckers, ETCH, Rachael Kaufman and Amy Kollar Anderson!

Today to celebrate the grand opening, guests can enjoy a free taco with purchase and half-priced house margaritas all day!  In addition, guests who post their taco photo to Instagram with #condadothegreene will also be entered to win one of 25 $100 gift cards. The Dayton restaurant is the 17th in the Columbus based  build-your-own-taco concept that started in 2014.

The concept is all about choices, there are 9 different margaritas, and even more choices when you mix and match the flavors.  Draft and bottled beer as well as Sangria options are also available. House Horchata, lemonade, tea and fountain drinks are also available. The menu suggests you ask your server for tequila and whiskey options. Chips and Dips are your next set of choices, starting with four salsa options, five kinds of queso and of course guacamole.

We started our meal out with chips with 1/2 portions of Queso with  chorizo, pico de guaco and corn salsa queso (dips are $4-5 for 1/2 portions) or 3 for $12.

And then it’s time to build your own taco. The menu walks you through the process, which begins with your selection of a shell or a bowl.  You then pick your protein from the 11 options, then onto toppings, cheese, salsa and sauces.

 

And don’t worry, you can also choose from a list of taco suggestions, like the BUBBA KUSH -Peezler shell, pulled pork, jackfruit BBQ sauce, cilantro + onions, jicama + cabbage slaw, Middlefield smoked cheddar, and pineapple salsa which runs $4, THE HEATER – Sweet Lucy shell, tequila-lime steak, jicama + cabbage slaw, pickled jalapeños, cilantro + onions, pepper jack cheese, Mexican chimichurri, and cilantro-lime aioli for $5 or the vegetarian MANTIS = Sweet Lucy shell, pulled jackfruit, cilantro + onions, tomatoes, pepper jack cheese, and habanero-mango sauce.

Her’s a build your own taco  featuring tequila lime steak, cilantro lime dressing, pineapple salsa in a  peezler shell (flour soft + corn hard + bacon refried beans + sour cream + guac)

One of the options that may come in very handy is the online wait list– you can check to see how long the wait is, add yourself to the list and shop until it’s time for your table

 

Condado Tacos

4482 Glengarry Dr.
Beavercreek, OH 45440.

Hours:

Sunday-Thursday from 11 am to 11 pm

Friday and Saturday from 11 am – midnight

 

 

 

Quest for the best of Black Owned Eateries

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I know my way around the Dayton food scene. At least the affordable food scene. I am not one for fancy dinners or $30 lunches, but I like to eat and I like to see and eat what Dayton has to offer.

People ask me all the time, where are the best wings, best burgers, best this, best that. I always have an answer.

Until recently. People started asking me about Black owned restaurants. I only knew of the two immigrant owned spots I frequent Nanyea Cafe (North Dixie) and Eden Spice (Central Ave in West Carrolton) as well as a food truck I hit up downtown on occasion (Courtland’s Mobile Grill).

So I had to ask, poke around Facebook a little and what I found is a bit surprising. There aren’t as many as I had thought. Also, one place I thought was Black-owned wasn’t. Still a favorite but not what I was looking for this time.

Here are the six Ill be visiting in the coming days!

The Chicken Spot
This place is more than chicken. Salads and a variety of sandwiches are on the menu. Pulled chicken thighs on a bun with mac and cheese as a topping? Yes. The Back Yard Medusa is an entire backyard bbq in one bite. This joint will add Collard Greens as a topping to the sandwich! I am not one for crazy sandwiches, but this one has my attention. Located on Siebenthaler near Philadelphia. Give them a follow on Facebook for hours and specials.

Twist Cupcakery
One of the sweetest spots in the Fireblock District is Twist. My afternoons are always made better with one of these cupcakes. Located on St. Clair, just south of Third Street. $2.50 wont buy you happiness, but it will buy you a cupcake, and that is pretty darn close. They have curbside pickup and deliver a “CupCake in a Jar” nationwide. Brownies, cookies and other treats can be found as well.

Fat Boyz BBQ

Today’s BBQ popularity can be attributed to African Americans solely. From Texas to Kansas City to Memphis, BBQ history starts with African Americans turning the less desirable cuts of meat into something delicious.

Their menus is pure bbq and they do something that few BBQ spots do, ribs by the bone. Pork Spare Ribs and Beef Ribs on the menu as well as something they call a Turkey Rib. I have to try it. Burgers and a turkey burger also make the menu. Southern sides round the menu, mac and cheese, collard greens, yams and grilled corn are great accompaniment to any entree.

Find them on Kipling Dr in Dayton Wednesday through Saturday. Check Facebook for weekly specials.

Stuffed Enuff

Soul Food joint doesn’t do them justice. With wraps and stuffed burgers on the menu, Stuffed Enuff is more than soul food. This is legit home cooked food with something for everyone. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all accounted for here

You gotta check out the stuffed breakfast burger! Imagine waffles or pancakes as the bun and let your imagination run wild.

Located on N Dixie, Stuffed Enuff is on my must eat list.

Alematic Artisan Ales

Dayton is a brew town, but did you know up north in Huber Alematic Brewery is Dayton’s only Black owned brewery? With 7 creations on tap, there is sure to be something you’ll like. Ive got my eye on the Hawaiian Passion Fruit Wheat, I like a good Wheat beer and this one sounds delightful. A few IPA, Stouts and Pale Ales round out the list. Grab food from from TJ Chumps delivered right to your table.

Alematic can be found at 6182 Chambersburg Rd. in Huber.

 

Grind House Coffee and Tea

Dayton has no shortage of coffee shops, but few have a legacy and history like Grindhouse. Bill Miller took his families passion for coffee and tea and made it a reality by importing single source coffee and tea from around the world. His shop is located inside the Meijer department store in Huber and is not to be missed. Grind House has iced coffee, teas, lemonades and every drink is hand crafted.

Grind House also leads the way in flavored coffees. My wife prefers something with a little sweetness, so their Apple Pie, Blueberry Muffin and Creme Brulee coffee blends really hit the spot. Check them out and all their merch at Meijer, 7150 Executive Blvd in Huber.

Making this list, and finding these hidden Dayton Gems isn’t easy for a white guy from the Suburbs. But, you can tell that these are spots and menus not to be missed. I follow Te’Jal on Instagram and YouTube for her show What’s The Biz. Whats the Biz is a web series that highlights the stories of black entrepreneurs. Check it out!

This episode tells the story best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnL12Ai10ME

Check her out on Instagram too: Instagram.com/whatsthebiz_

Bryan

New Ownership for Tipp City Restaurant

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Chef Rob Scott worked as the sous chef under Art Chin at Greenfire Bistro for about 3 years. Then Art retired in 2019 and turned over the restaurant to a new owner.  But things didn’t go quite as planned and Art grudgingly ended up running the restaurant again.  Then came the mandatory shut down brought on by the pandemic. And that  became an opportunity for Chef Rob Scott to own his own restaurant.

Today, July 7th is the first day that Greenfire Fresh will open it’s doors.  Chef Scott took a few moments today to share with us his vision for what the business will look like under his ownership. He says he’ll keep about 10 of  the top sellers from the Chin regime.  “We are doubling down of the the seafood, we’ve added Chilean sea bass to the menu and will have a new take on fish tacos,” shared Scott. “We’ll feature house made Crème Brule and key lime pie for dessert.”

Chef Rob Scott in front of his new restaurant.

Here’s a sneak peek of the menu:

Appetizers

Crab Rangoon
Greenfire Classic Wings
Shrimp Bruschetta

Salads

Classic Greenfire Salad
Antipasto Salad
Smoked Salmon Salad 

Entrees Beef

10oz Greek New York Strip
Beef Kabobs
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Kabobs
Street Fish Tacos
Classic Greenfire Pan Fried Walleye
Coconut Shrimp
Honey Dijon Crusted Salmon
Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass

Greenfire Classics

Chicken Tikka Marsala
Garlic Brown Sauce Stir Fry
Fish and chips
20 ingredient BBQ Ribs

Desserts

Classic Greenfire Key Lime Pie  or Crème Brule

 

Greenfire Fresh
965 W Main St
Tipp City, Ohio 45371

 937-506-7207

 

Tues – Thurs 4:00 – 9:00pm

Fri & Sat 4:00 – 10:00 on

Reservations are helpful, but not required

FREE Breakfast at Archer’s Tavern in Centerville

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As a thank you to the community for ten years of support at this location and to introduce you to their newly added morning hours, Archer’s Tavern at  9496 Dayton-Lebanon Pike in Centerville will be offering a FREE  breakfast from 7am – 11am on Monday, July 13th through Friday July 17th.

We just checked with the GM Johnny, he says there’s no catch, the only stipulations are you need to make reservations at (937) 401-1015 and the offer is for dine in breakfast only.  Here’s then menu so you can plan your meal.

 

 

Dayton At Work and Play: Big Sky Bread Company

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Mari Gallenstein of Big Sky Bread Company Dayton, Ohio. (3070 Far Hills Avenue). You can see her husband Phil baking in the background. They’ve owned and operated this local business for over 20 years.


I’m a regular here because I’m addicted to their blueberry crumbles. The last time I stopped in I asked Mari how the pandemic had affected her business.

“We’ve done everything we can to make this a safe place to shop. Our employees wear masks and we spend a lot of time cleaning everything. We’ve added barriers and changed the layout so there’s a safe distance between the customers and between customers the staff. Business is down from our normal levels but we’re doing OK. A few of the restaurants that sell our products have recently opened back up, which should help.”


“When the pandemic first hit we were contacted by Catholic Social Services. There was more demand than ever for the food that their Choice Food Pantry hands out, but their regular suppliers couldn’t get them any bread. We had decided to close on Saturdays because business was down, so we decided that Saturday would be our time to bake for the pantry. Some customers saw that we were working and stopped in, so we decided to stay open for a half day on Saturdays after all.”


“When people heard what we were doing, some of them gave us money to help cover our expenses. That helped a lot. Recently the regular bread suppliers to the Choice Food Pantry have worked through their problems, so we don’t need to do that baking. But we’re still baking for two other programs – Good Neighbor House and Kettering Backpack. We’ve gotten a lot of support from this community over the years. Helping people get through this difficult period is something we want to do.”

(937) 643-0300

3070 Far Hills Ave # c, Dayton, OH 45429

Hours

Mon: 10am – 6pm
Tues-Fri: 7am – 6pm
Sat: 10am – 2:30pm
Sun: Closed

Old Dayton Pizza at Riverside Hideaway Now Open!

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Owners Steve & Sherri Zelen purchased the old Green Lantern Bar on Old Troy Pike in Riverside last October.  Then they started working hard to transform the building to match their vision for what would become  Old Dayton Pizza at Riverside Hideaway. As they describe it, it’s a “Fun time sports bar …where locally sourced shenanigans pair with pizza.”  Their signature pizza features a Roman Style pizza crust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve’s famous Roman Style pizza dough goes through a bulk fermentation process for 24 to 48 hours.  “Just the right amount of crunch to chew”, as he describes it.

There is also a full bar with 12 taps of ice cold beer!

 

 

 

 

They’ve totally remodeled the inside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As well as the outside:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now all they need is you to visit them and enjoy some pizza!

Old Dayton Pizza at Riverside Hideaway
3490 Old Troy Pike
Riverside, OH 45404

937-23303490

Hours:  Mon- Sat 11am to midnight

 

Online Ordering will be available soon

Melt Introduces New Happy Hour Menu

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Melt Bar and Grilled launches a new Happy Hour menu at all locations on July 1st.  The new menu consists of old favorites and delicious new items – only available 3pm – 6pm Monday through Friday.  Come on, get happy!

Happy Hour Beer, Cocktails & Wine Specials

  • Bud Light & Miller Lite – $2.00 off 16oz & 22oz draft
  • $1.00 off all other draft beers – 16oz & 22oz
  • $1.00 off all can & bottled beer
  • $2.00 off all Signature Cocktails
  • $2.00 off all Spiked Seltzers
  • $3.00 off glass – house red or house white wine
  • $2.00 off all single serve wines
  • $4.00 off all half bottles

Mac & Cheese Crocks

  • Classic Cheesy Cheddar / Cheddar, romano, american, panko crumb crust. V, VG
  • Buffalo Mac / Cheddar, signature buffalo sauce, blue cheese. V, VG
  • Sweet & Smokey / Cheddar, caramel port onions, smoked gouda. V, VG
  • Bacon Ranch – Bacon, cheddar, ranch, scallions. VA, VG
  • Cheesy Tortilla – Roasted corn salsa, onion, tortilla crumbs, sweet chipotle, sour cream, scallions. V, VG

Melt Quesadilla / Grilled chicken, cheddar cheese, roasted corn salsa, sautéed onions, jalapeno, scallions, sour cream, house-made salsa picante. VA

Happy Corndogs / Happy size house-dipped corn dogs, chipotle ketchup & sweet mustard for dipping.

Chips & Salsa / Fresh fried tortilla chips & house made salsa picante. V

Melt Nachos / Fresh fried tortilla chips, cheddar cheese sauce, fire-roasted corn salsa, scallions, pickled jalapenos, house-made salsa picante, sour cream. V (chicken or ground beef extra)

Cheese Bacon Fries / Fresh-cut fries, cheddar cheese sauce, crisp bacon crumble. VA

Buffalo Chicken Tenders / Hand-breaded chicken strips tossed in our signature buffalo sauce with ranch dip.

Happy Bruschetta / Toasted bread, mozzarella, grilled tomato, hickory bacon, sweet balsamic, fresh basil. VA

V = Vegetarian Item
VA = Vegetarian Available
VG = Vegan Available

4 Course Porterhousre Dinner for Two at Lily’s

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Lily’s Bistro, in the Oregon District, will host Super Dad’s Backyard BBQ Porterhouse for Two this Friday, July 3rd.  This special event will feature a four course, summer themed, menu with Executive Chef Don Warfe grilling up the main course, a 22oz porterhouse for two, on their back patio.

 

“We’re very fortunate to have three patios at Lily’s that allows us to spread people out in a safe way.” said Emily Mendenhall, Partner and Managing Owner. “We wanted to use these patios as an opportunity to throw a special event and grilling out seemed to fit the season!”

 

Guests are invited to enjoy a summer centric menu for two that includes Buffalo Deviled Eggs, Antipasto Salad, 22oz Grilled Garlic Herb Porterhouse Steak, and a “Super Dad Brownie.” Cocktail and wine specials will be available for purchase at the event.

 

“We brought on Chef Don Warfe right before all businesses were shut down,” Mendenhall said. “He was incredibly helpful to get us through our transitioning phases with carryout and delivery but we’re excited to start showcasing his creative skills. This event will focus on his love of summer ingredients and cooking techniques.”

 

Super Dad’s Backyard BBQ Porterhouse for Two will happen this Friday at Lily’s Bistro with two seatings, 6:00pm and 8:30pm.

First Course:  Buffalo Deviled Eggs
Blue Cheese, celery and spicy tangy buffalo sauce.

Second Course:  Antipasto Salad
Pepperoncini, grape tomato, red onion, kalamata olives, ham, salami, artichoke hearts, feta, fresh parsley, with red wine herbed vinaigrette over chopped romaine.

Main Course:  22oz. Grilled Garlic Herb Porterhouse Steak
Flame grilled to temperature Porterhouse Steak with garlic basil compound butter. Served with roasted Cajun potato salad, and a side of Mexican street corn.

Fourth Course:  Super Dad Brownie
Double chocolate stout brownie, house made vanilla ice-cream with amarena cherries, topped with a Caramel drizzle.

Tickets are $85 for two people (tip included) and seating is limited to 20 tickets total. Tickets can be purchased at lilysbistro.com

Corner Kitchen Shuts Its Doors

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After just having reopened with a quick-serve concept earlier this month, the husband and wife owners who opened  Corner Kitchen five years ago have decided against operating during the pandemic and posted this on their Facebook Page today:

 

It is with a profoundly heavy heart that we write this, but we cannot ignore the situation in which we find ourselves. We are officially closing Corner Kitchen indefinitely.

Throughout the Miami Valley, we have felt so much love and support from the day we opened five years ago. We know that the passion of our hard-working staff provided so many memorable dinners and led to many, many friendships. However, the challenges of the current pandemic and the affect that it has on restaurant businesses has made us analyze the viability of continuing to operate. While we reopened with a change to our concept, we realize that we had to make a departure from what has come to be expected of us and the Corner Kitchen dining experience.

A restaurant operates with a tacit public trust that the top priority is the health and well-being of the guests that they serve and the staff that they employ, and that has always been paramount for us. Neither our new model nor our previous model can survive in this current climate with our expense load and reduction in volume. We simply cannot find a financial model in any iteration of the dozens of scenarios that we have explored without either operating in an unsafe environment or incurring insurmountable debt.

Although this is the hardest decision that we have ever made, it is one that would be irrational to delay or foolish to ignore. Our initial hiatus and reopening planning during stay-at-home provided us with precious time as a family, a challenge for all restaurant owners, and that perspective has also made us rethink and focus on our future at home.

We implore you to continue to support our local, independent restaurants. They need you more than ever.

We shall cherish all of the memories that our community shared with us. We are sorry that we couldn’t do more, and we are utterly heartbroken, we will miss all of you – we will miss the joy that you brought to our lives. Thank you for helping make our dream come true.

With great regret we say goodbye to Corner Kitchen,
Jack and Natalie

 

We can’t imagine what an agonizing decision this must have been, and we wish the Skilliter family the very best for their future.  A true loss for the Dayton culinary world.