Member Center

October 2008 | Taste: Dayton food and restaurants
 

Home > Blogs > Taste: Dayton food and restaurants > Archives > 2008 > October

October 2008

Restaurant industry barometer falls to record low

By Mark Fisher | Friday, October 31, 2008, 11:54 AM

More bad news for the restaurant industry, this time from the National Restaurant Association news release entitled “Outlook for the Restaurant Industry Dampened as Restaurant Performance Index Fell to Record Low”. A secondary headline reads: “Majority of operators report sales and traffic declines; Expectations at an all-time low level.”

It’s not all gloom-and-doom across the board locally, however. My wife and I went to lunch at a restaurant a week ago Friday, Oct. 24, along Ohio 725 and snagged one of the last remaining tables at 11:50 a.m. Several parties were waiting for a table by the time we left. The person who oversees the restaurant is bracing for hard times, but says those hard times haven’t hit yet. That’s merely an anecdotal snapshot, to be sure, but perhaps it suggests that reality doesn’t always align 100 percent with perception.

Your thoughts on the National Restaurant Association’s news release?

Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant industry news

More free food on Election Day: Chick-fil-A sandwiches round out the menu

By Mark Fisher | Friday, October 31, 2008, 11:24 AM

The Election Day free-food bonanza continues: now, it’s Chick-fil-A’s Dayton-area restaurants offering free chicken sandwiches to those sporting an “I Voted” sticker on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

The sandwiches sell on the regular menu for $2.69. The free sandwiches are limited to one per voter, said Joel Green, unit marketing director for Chick-fil-A’s Dayton-area restaurants, which include two in Beavercreek, two in the Ohio 725 strip and one lunch restaurant in downtown Dayton.

The sandwiches introduce a new food group to two existing Election Day food giveaway promotions we told you about earlier this week: Krispy Kreme (a free donut) and Ben & Jerry’s(free scoop of ice cream).

Here’s a way to make the most of your election night freebies: a map that shows all of the Dayton-area Ben & Jerry’s, the lone Krispy Kreme, and the local Chick-fil-As (note that the Chick-fil-A Lunch Express restaurant at 10 W. Second St. in downtown Dayton, which doesn’t show up on the company’s web site and serves only at lunchtime, is also participating):

Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant promotions/giveaways

Hooters Restaurants offers its own ‘stimulus package’

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 30, 2008, 12:12 PM

The franchise group that operates the Dayton-area Hooters Restaurant has announced what it calls the “Hooters Economic Stimulus Package” — a bailout plan that offers certain domestic draft beers for $1 all day, every day, starting on Saturday, Nov. 1.

A manager of the only Dayton-area Hooters at 6851 Miller Lane confirmed this morning, Oct. 30, that her restaurant is participating in the promotion.

A news release from the R.M.D. Corp. franchise group’s Hooters Restaurants located throughout Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee — headlined “Hooters Announces, ‘I’ve got your stimulus package’” — says the $1 drafts are “for all people 21 years of age or over, regardless of their current or future tax bracket.”

“In an unprecedented display of bipartisan cooperation, Hooters Girls reached across the aisle, working with their beloved regulars to pass a stimulus package that is not only cold, refreshing, and in the words of Joe the Plumber, ‘a great compliment to the hot wings,’ but also fiscally responsible and undeniably patriotic,” the Hooters release says. “Preliminary poll results indicate strong public support, particularly among the independent and undecided swing-state voters.”

The $1 drafts are limited to certain domestic drafts and include Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light and Bud Select, R.M.D./Hooters spokeswoman Julie Ianke said.

The Miller Lane Hooters is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday.

Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant promotions/giveaways

Free ice cream awaits for those who vote on Election Day

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 30, 2008, 11:04 AM

We already told you about the free Krispy Kreme donut you can get just for voting.

Now, Ben & Jerry’s will give voters free ice cream from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Night, Tuesday, Nov. 4. This Google Maps link will give you Dayton-area Ben & Jerry’s locations, though it might be a good idea to call before you head out.

One free scoop, limit one per customer … looks like Tuesday is shaping up to be a sweet day, whether your candidate wins or loses.

Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant promotions/giveaways

Generous Ohioans choose their favorite restaurants, cuisine

By Mark Fisher | Wednesday, October 29, 2008, 09:09 AM

Sure, the 2009 Zagat “America’s Top Restaurants” Survey rates restaurants, but it contains many more fascinating nuggets about America’s dining habits, right down to the tipping habits of Ohio diners.

Here are some of the survey’s highlights:

— When asked what effect the weakening economy had on their dining habits, 33% said they are eating out less and being more sensitive to menu prices; 28% said they are eating in less expensive places, and roughly 20% said they are cutting back on alcohol, appetizers and desserts. Only 34% of surveyors report being unaffected by the economic downturn.
— Going Green and Health Conscious: Across the country, more and more chefs are using fresh, seasonal and sustainable ingredients. This trend spans high-end restaurants to casual local eateries. It’s a smart move, since 69% of our surveyors - especially those on the West Coast - say that locally grown fare is important to them, and 59% say they’d actually pay more for sustainably produced food.

In Ohio, by the way, 64 percent of Zagat’s surveyors said locally grown or raised food was either very or somewhat important to them, and 56 percent said they’d be willing to pay more for food that is sustainably raised. Zagat’s Ohio figures reflect a combination of Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

— If restaurants want a remedy for the slowing economy, they should teach their staffs to be nicer. When asked what irritates them the most when dining out, a staggering 68% of surveyors said service. Noise/crowds (13%), prices (6%) and food (6%) complaints follow. Despite poor service, diners in recent years have become increasingly generous. The nationwide average tip is now 19%, having inched up from approximately 17% ten years ago.

In fact, Ohioans surveyed by Zagat were more generous tippers than the national average, adding a 19.4 percent average gratuity to their restaurant bills. Of the 29 markets surveyed and reported, Ohioans’ average tip ranked fourth behind only Charlotte, Denver and Philadelphia.

More than one in four Ohioans surveyed — 27 percent — identified Italian cuisine as their favorite, followed by “American” cuisine (20 percent), and French (10 percent). Japanese and Mexican cuisines were tied at 9 percent, followed by Thai (8 percent), Chinese (6 percent) and Indian (6 percent). About 5 percent preferred “other” cuisines.

As for restaurant rankings and descriptions, Zagat’s guide reviews more than 1,500 eateries in 45 “major markets,” but the Zagat folks still apparently consider Dayton and Toledo proverbial chopped liver — or minor markets, anyway.

The closest restaurant to Dayton to make the guide’s Cincinnati-area list is Mesh in West Chester, which earned an impressive 25 (out of 30) score for its food. Mesh’s “decor” score of 26 was second only to Jean-Robert at Pigall’s among Cincy-area restaurants.

Cincinnati’s top five restaurants based on their quality-of-food rankings were: Jean-Robert at Pigall’s, Daveed’s at 934, Boca, Nicola’s and Bonberie.

Columbus’ top five restaurants based on their food rankings were: L’Antibes, The Refectory, Starliner Diner, Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse and G. Michael’s Bistro.

And on Ohio’s North Coast of Cleveland, Chez Francois came out on top of the food rankings, followed by Downtown 140, Three Birds, Johnny’s Bar and Lola.

The 2009 America’s Top Restaurants guide ($15.95) was edited by Bill Corsello and Shelley Gallagher and is available at bookstores and other retail outlets, through Zagat.com or by calling 888-371-5440.

Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant industry news

Vote, then get a free donut

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 02:44 PM

Next Tuesday, November 4 (um, there’s an election going on that day, in case you haven’t had your dinner or TV show interrupted), Krispy Kreme Doughnuts will give one free star-shaped doughnut with red, white and blue sprinkles to customers wearing an “I Voted Today” sticker.

Company officials confirm that the Kettering store at 2001 E. Dorothy Lane is participating in the promotion.

“While voters may not always agree on the best candidate, voters can agree on one thing: Celebrating one of America’s most coveted constitutional rights can be oh-so sweet,” the company said in an announcement of the giveaway.

“We can’t guarantee that your candidate of preference will win on November 4, but we can guarantee that your right to voice your choice will be rewarded with a patriotic doughnut that will remind you just how tasty freedom really is,” said Krispy Kreme’s Chef Ron Rupocinski. “Krispy Kreme encourages everyone to take part in this historical election and vote.”

Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant promotions/giveaways

One customer can win free chili for a year today at new Skyline

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 11:05 AM

The Skyline Chili restaurant on Brown Street near the University of Dayton opens today, Oct. 28, 2008, and customers can enter to win free chili. Here are excerpts from a Skyline news release:

DAYTON, OH -On Tuesday, October 28 Skyline Chili will open its 14th restaurant in Dayton. The new Skyline Chili is located at 1153 Brown Street near the University of Dayton campus.
The new restaurant will be owned and operated by Tom Allen and Len Ours. The Brown Street location marks the first time Allen will lead a Skyline Chili. It is the second location for Ours, who also owns and operates a Skyline Chili in Batesville, Indiana. …
To help celebrate the grand opening of their brand new store, customers can enter to win Skyline Chili for year at the Brown Street location. The winner will be announced on December 1.
The Brown Street Skyline Chili will be open seven days week, Sunday through Wednesday from 10:30 a.m. to midnight and Thursday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. The restaurant will seat up to 120 guests and will offer a designated carryout area in the rear store entrance for students and business professionals on the go.
For more information about Skyline Chili, call the Brown Street location at 937-528-7900 or visit www.skylinechili.com.

About Skyline Chili

In 1949, Nicholas Lambrinides began serving his delicious secret recipes to appreciative customers. Since then, Skyline Ways, Coneys and fast table-side service have been enjoyed by generations. Skyline Chili serves its Cincinnati-style chili in close to 140 restaurants and thousands of grocery stores, making it one of the truly unique regional taste sensations in America. Skyline is dedicated to bringing friends and families together for an experience like no other. Skyline Chili is synonymous with Cincinnati-style chili throughout the world. For further information, please visit www.skylinechili.com http://www.skylinechili.com/ .

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant promotions/giveaways

If you own a restaurant, here’s one headline you never want to see

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, October 28, 2008, 06:51 AM

This did not happen in the Dayton area — in a stroke of irony, it happened in Hamburg, New York — and the most complete and accurate headline would read: Authorities close restaurant after they find employees butchering a deer in the kitchen.

The story concludes with: “The message on the restaurant’s answering machine Monday says it was closed because of ‘family emergencies.’ “

Indeed.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant industry news

Cookbook author Damon Lee Fowler to hold class at Cooks’Wares in Springboro

By Mark Fisher | Monday, October 27, 2008, 02:39 PM

Cookbook author Damon Lee Fowler will conduct a cooking class entitled “True Southern Hospitality” from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Cooks’Wares at The Marketplace at Settlers’ Walk, 756 North Main St. (Ohio 741) in Springboro.

The “menu” for the cooking class will include: Three Mushroom Consomme, Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Sage and Madeira, Walter Dasher’s Celery Root Mashed Potatoes, and Braised Broccoli, Georgia Style (with bacon and onions).

Fowler is the author of six cookbooks, including “Classical Southern Cooking: A Celebration of the Cuisine of the Old South,” which was nominated for two Julia Child cookbook awards and a James Beard Foundation award. He has a new cookbook coming out in May entitled “The Savannah Cookbook.”

The cost of the class is $70. To reserve a spot or for more information, call 937-748-4540.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: cooking classes & cookbooks

Wine dinners? Tastings? We’ve got them right here

By Mark Fisher | Friday, October 24, 2008, 08:06 AM

Every Friday, we post a list of wine tastings, dinners and other events on our wine web page Uncorked. Because many of those events are hosted by restaurants — and more Dayton-area restaurants are launching regular wine events, including another new one just this week — I thought it would be appropriate to “cross-post.” So feast your eyes, if you dare, on the kind of events we’ve been posting on Uncorked for more than three years now … and if you would like to get your events listed, email me at mfisher@daytondailynews.com and I’ll tell you how to submit events to the local wine listserv that compiles the tastings and dinners listed here. Mark

Getting juuuuuust a bit weary of polls and political commercials? Here’s a poll question someone should ask: Are you so sick of election ads that they’re driving you to drink?

Yes: 100 percent. No: 0 percent

Well, then, the Dayton area’s wine shops and grocery stores and restaurants — yes, especially restaurants — have an invitation for you …

A hearty welcome to Cena Brazilian & Mediterranean Steak House in front of the Dayton Mall to the wine-tastings list. Cena has launched Sunday late-afternoon wine tastings (3-6 p.m.), in which tasters can sample the restaurant’s selection of one white and one red with an appetizer for $10. Details below.

And last week’s inaugural wine-and-appetizers event at Mr. Lee’s Fine Asian Dining was a smashing success, with the restaurant serving up 15 or so appetizers accompanied by four wines to a robust crowd of more than 40 people.

Is it just me, or does it seem that restaurants are really jumping on the wine bandwagon? This wine list, compiled tirelessly by a Dayton-based wine listserv and reprinted here on Uncorked, just keeps growing and growing.

That’s a good thing — almost comforting enough to get me through the next batch of political ads.

(Please click on “continue reading” to view the list of wine tastings, dinners and events)

(For information regarding Cincinnati-area wine events, go to Michelle’s My Wine Education blog.)

Jay’s Kitchen Door

Friday, Oct 24, 2008 4-8 pm NV Hop Kiln Thousand Flowers 2006 JK Carriere Williamette Valley Pinot Noir 2003 Barolo Bussia Dardi La Rose 2003 Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Chateau Branda Saint-Emilion

Saturday, Oct 25, 2008 1-6 pm NV Gruet Blanc de Noir 2005 Bruno Colin Chassagne Montrachet Red 2003 La Poderina Brunello di Montalcino 2004 Chateau Branaire Ducru

RSVP 222-2892 for all Dinners and Luncheon 12:30 pm $65 Saturday, Dec 6, 2008 Merryvale Wine Luncheon

Note: During the parking lot improvements, Jay will deduct $5 from the bill for wine tasters who park in other lots.

Arrow Far Hills - Kettering

Saturday, Oct 25, 2008 11-5 pm Wines, Weenies, and Witches Sample 25+ Wines including: 2007 Shannon Ridge Chardonnay 2006 Gougenheim Malbec 2006 K Vintners Boom Boom Syrah Kopke 10 Years Old Tawny Port 2003 Grimaldi Barolo “Castello Di Novello” 2005 Lust Zinfandel 2006 Roogle Shiraz 2004 Muga Rioja Reserva 2006 Caymus Cabernet

and a selection of domestic and imported beers including: Becks Octoberfest Jacks Pumpkin Spice Ale Goose Island Harvest Ale Bud American Ale

and Chicago style Hot Dogs provided by Hearts Hot Dogs!

Dorothy Lane Market (DLM) Oakwood

Friday, Oct 24, 2008 5-8 pm Mud House ’06 Riesling Mason ’06 Sauvignon Blanc Laetitia ’06 Pinot Noir Baileyana ’05 Syrah Haut Medoc du Haut Beyzac ’05 Haut Medoc Tenuta Sette Ponti ’06 Crognolo Brown Bag

Saturday, Oct 25, 2008 2-6 pm Leitz Eins Zwei Dry ’07 Riesling Trocken Santa Barbara ’07 Chardonnay Mud House ’07 Pinot Noir Graff ’06 Mouvedre Caldwell ’06 Rocket Science Proprietary Red Quinto do Crasto ’97 Vintage Port Bonus Bottle

DLM Washington Square

Thursday, Oct 2, 2008 5-8 pm Fi Fi’s Halloween follies 2005 Beringer Napa Chardonnay 2006 Verget Pouilly Fuisse 2006 Las Rocas Garnacha 2007 El Seque 2006 Ponti Crognolo Encore Wine!

Saturday, Oct 25, 2008 12-5 pm “Around the World with Ardie Bonanno” Ardie is one of the area’s best wine personalities with a wealth of knowledge. Ardie will be pouring: 2007 William Fevre Champ Royaux Chablis (France) 2007 Fritz Russian River Chardonnay (USA) 2005 Le Fonti Sangiovese (Italy) 2006 Cimicky “Trumps” Shiraz (Australia) 2006 Bon Anno Cabernet Sauvignon (USA) 2003 La Gerla Vigna gli Angeli Brunello di Montalcino (Italy)

Dorothy Lane Springboro

Friday, Oct 24, 2008 La Piece Sous le Bras Blanc 2005 Cani Cuvee NV Poggiopiano Rosso di Sera 1999 Mystery Wine

Saturday, Oct 25, 2008 12-5 pm La Vieille Ferme Blanc 2007 Culler Griffin Lair Syrah 2005 Perrin Vin Sobres 2005 John Duval Eligo Shiraz 2005

Cuvee Wine Bar and Cellar

4457 State Route 725 Bellbrook 848-2161 Tuesday - Thursday 11:30 - 7 pm, Friday 11:30 - 8 pm Saturday 11:30 - 7 pm www.cuveewinebar.net Wines for Oct 24 - Oct 30, 2008 Zmor Gewurztraminer Lulu B Pinot Noir Cosentio 2005 The Cab Familia Mayol 2005 Malbec Quinta do Noval 2000 Vintage Porto

Beer: Shiner Bock Saturday Food: Feta and Roasted Garlic Spread, Charcuterie Plate

Arrow Centerville

937-433-6778 615 Lyons Rd Centerville Saturday, Oct 25, 2008 11 am-5 pm Wine Tasting Riondo Prosecco… Norman Chardonnay Norman Cabernet Sauvignon Norman “Monster” Zinfandel Norman Methistopheles Chateau La Grange

Sunday November 16 6:30-8:30 pm Arrow Wine & Spirits Holiday Wine Tasting 937-433-6778 RSVP $50

Rue Dumaine

www.ruedumainerestaurant.com Tuesday, Oct 28, 2008 5-7 pm Michael David Symphony, 2006 Mark West Pinot Noir, 2007 Martin Ray Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

The Wine Gallery and Cafe

Corner of 3rd and Wayne Saturday, Oct 25, 2008 10:00 am to 2 pm Dracula’s Blood Merlot, Dracula’s Blood Cabernet Sauvignon, No 8 Merlot and No 8 Cabernet Sauvignon

Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008 5:30-8:30 pm D’Arie Southern Exposure Syrah (Highly Limited), D’Arie Amador County Zinfandel and McManis Pinot Noir

Trader Joe’s in Kettering.

Tastings Thursday 6:00-8:00 and Sunday 4:00-7:00. King Shag Sauvignon Blanc (2008) Marlborough, New Zealand. Condessa de Sarabella Viura (2007) DO Calatayud, Spain. Condessa de Sarabella Garnacha (2007) DO Calatayud, Spain. Novella Zinfandel (2005-2006 blend) AVA Paso Robles, California. Covey Run Winemaker’s Collection Syrah (2003) AVA Columbia Valley, Washington.

A Taste of Wine

90 S. Main St Miamisburg, OH 937.247-1120 www.atasteofwine.org This week’s wines: Vampire Chardonnay Pure Platinum Spiced Apple Wine Dracula’s Blood - Pinot Noir Dracula’s Blood - Merlot Dracula’s Blood - Cabernet Sauvignon 11/20 - Beaujolais Nouveau tasting 12/4 - Prohibition Party Tasting 12/11 - Biltmore Wines Tasting

Bruning’s Wine Cellar

Wednesday, Oct 29, 2008 5 - 8 pm Santa Rita Wines of Chile: 120 Series Chardonnay Medalla Real Chardonnay Reserve Carmenere 120 Series Cabernet Reserve Cabernet Medalla Real Cabernet

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant

RSVP Stephanie Clemens 937.431.9765 Wednesday, October 29, 2008 6:30 pm $65 Wine dinner featuring Lodi’s Michael David Wines, 5 courses with 5 wines

Cena Restaurant Wine Tasting

Sunday, Oct 26, 2008 3-6 pm Red - Trapiche Malbec White - Markham Sauvignon Blanc

Bella Vino Wine Merchant & Bar

Springboro, OH 45066 Thursday, October 23, 2008 One Year Anniversary! Featuring Chilian wines from Undurraga and new Art from Donna Rogers.

Friday, Oct 24, 2008 6-8 Charles Coniglio of Coniglio Winery in Napa will be pouring his wines: Sauvignon Blanc, 2004 Cab Franc, 2005 Napa Cab, and Diamond Mt and Atlas Peak Cabernets

Little Sonoma

6078 West Chester Road, West Chester, OH 45069.513-942-9463. Located two blocks north of Union Centre Blvd. at the corner of Muhlhauser and West Chester Roads www.LittleSonomaWines.com Friday, October 24, 2008 7 pm Chateau Ste Michelle Estate Wines

Saturday, October 25, 2008 3-6 pm Wines that go “Woof”!

Jungle Jim’s International Market

www.junglejims.com 513-674-6000 to RSVP Saturday,Oct 25, 2008 1pm-3pm $30 Solera XV

Inn at Versailles

Wine dinner Nov 7, 2008 7 pm $85 RSVP

Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc Nantucket Bay Scallop Ceviche with spicy Asian Slaw

TAZ Chardonnay Organic baby greens with smoked salmon, La Fin Du Monde (a yummy Belgian craft micro brew beer) sugared onions and a tarragon and goat cheese vinaigrette

Etude Pinot Noir Smoked duck breast and rubarb salad with pumpkin ravioli and spicy Maple syrup

Stag’s Leap Petit Sirah Fort Loramie Lamb Chop with black lentils and a cool mint pesto

Srbagia Zinfandel almond crusted pork medallions with carmelized pears and fennel with a brandy cream sauce

Srbagia Cabernet Sauvignon braised beef short ribs with roasted organic root vegatables and a baby beet jus

Beringer Cabernet Port Pumpkin bread pudding with a cranberry coulis and Maple whipped cream

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Local restaurant news

Miami Valley School students learn breadmaking skills, put them to good use

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 23, 2008, 03:05 PM

What happens when you put 150 elementary and middle school students into a room for a hands-on breadmaking demonstration? We’ll tell you here, and we’ll show you here. Fun stuff, and thanks to the staff at the Miami Valley School for an entertaining morning.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: food and kids

Free burritos today at new Chipotle in Huber Heights

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 23, 2008, 07:08 AM

A new Chipotle Mexican Grill will offer a “Free Burrito Day” today, on Thursday, Oct. 23, and will officially open on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7767 Old Troy Pike in Huber Heights.

The food giveaway will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, Oct. 23. Customers can receive a free burrito and a soft drink of their choice, with, as a Chipotle press release puts it, “no strings attached.”

Starting Friday, Oct. 24, the restaurant’s hours will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The Huber Heights Chipotle’s phone number is (937) 242-6900.

The Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill chain operates 775 restaurants nationwide, including seven others in the Dayton area.

Permalink | Comments (15) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant promotions/giveaways

Bonefish back open, but not J. Alexander’s, after separate fires

By Mark Fisher | Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 02:45 PM

Bonefish Grill at 2818 Miamisburg-Centenrville Road is poised to reopen for dinner tonight after a minor fire forced it to close for one night on Tuesday, Oct. 21 — but the outlook is a bit more grim for J. Alexander’s, according to this story filed this afternoon by my reporting colleague Katherine Ullmer.

A fire official tells Ullmer that the restaurant at 7970 Washington Village Drive will be closed “for at least a week and a half or two weeks.”

The fire that broke out suddenly on Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 21, forcing a quick evacuation of diners and employees (click here for a dramatic photo of the fire), started “definitely in the hood duct work,” Washington Twp. Fire Marshal Mike Long told Ullmer.

I have a feeling a whole lot of restaurant owners are doing to be checking and cleaning their hood ducts and vents this week …

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Local restaurant news

Restaurateur closes restaurant to join Christian mission

By Mark Fisher | Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 10:42 AM

Well, we knew the warning signs were there. Now, Francesco Farinola has confirmed in a phone interview that his restaurant, Trattoria Da’ Francesco in Germantown, is closed for good.

Farinola said a combination of difficult economic conditions and his desire to join a Christian ministry and missionary group and do mission work overseas led to his decision to close the restaurant, which opened in early 2009.

Farinola said he will likely go abroad for mission work in spring 2009.

“I’ll still be cooking, but I’ll be cooking for orphans, probably in Africa,” Farinola said.

Asked about the “Closed for remodeling” signs on the door of his restaurant, Farinola said a friend had been mulling the possibility of taking over the business and continuing it as an Italian restaurant, but ultimately decided against it because of current economic conditions.

“It was a good experience. I made a lot of friends and acquaintances,” Farinola said. “But I would work hard each month, make just a little bit of money, then start from zero again the next month.”

Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant closings

Bonefish Grill, J. Alexander’s both closed because of fires

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 04:29 PM

Bonefish Grill at 2818 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in front of the Dayton Mall was closed Tuesday night, Oct. 21, because of a small fire that occurred overnight the previous night, according to restaurant officials and Miami Twp. fire officials.

Restaurant officials said they anticipate the restaurant will reopen today, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, for dinner. The fire was contained in a trash can inside the restaurant.

Meanwhile, my reporting colleague Katherine Ullmer, wrote a story Tuesday afternoon about a fire at J. Alexander’s that forced a quick evacuation. Witnesses reported hearing a loud “boom” and then seeing flames from the kitchen area.

No word yet on when that restaurant, which had water and smoke damage, will be able to reopen.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Local restaurant news

Stolen base? Free taco!

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 10:45 AM

Taco Bell is celebrating the World Series with a Steal a Base, Steal a Taco promotion.

No purchase is necessary, but you can’t just go running down to the local Taco Bell as soon as the base is stolen. There are, as they say, certain restrictions that apply. Here’s just a small portion of the fine print that explains how the promotion works:

If a base is stolen during regulation or extra innings play by any player for either team during any Game, Taco Bell will offer every person in the U.S. the opportunity to obtain one (1) free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco (the “Free Taco”) (Approximate Retail Value of each Free Taco: 91¢, prices may vary) at participating Taco Bell® restaurants in the United States on the date designated herein. No product substitution, cash redemption or alternative will be allowed. Only one (1) Free Taco will be permitted per person, regardless of how many bases are stolen during the Games.
…

HOW TO OBTAIN A FREE TACO: If an eligible base was stolen during the Games, Taco Bell will make an announcement through selected media channels, including a press release and its Web site (www.tacobell.com), that eligible consumers can obtain their free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 (if base is stolen in Games 1-4 on October 22, 23, 25 or 26), OR Monday, November 3, 2008 (if base is stolen in Games 5-7, October 27, 29 or 30), (“Redemption Date”) only. To obtain the Free Taco, consumers must visit any participating Taco Bell® restaurant in one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (local time) on the Redemption Date only and request a Free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco. Free Tacos will not be offered on any other date or time, regardless of circumstance. Limit one (1) Free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco per person. Participating Taco Bell restaurant manager reserves the right to deny Free Taco to any person he/she reasonably believes has already received a Free Taco or has engaged in any other fraudulent activity.

So it has to be on a certain day, during certain times, etc. etc. etc.

But hey, a free taco is a free taco, right?

Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant promotions/giveaways

Survey shows Americans eating out less, choosing less expensive restaurants

By Mark Fisher | Monday, October 20, 2008, 10:57 AM

Surveys of American households are confirming what many Dayton-area restaurateurs already suspected: Americans are eating out less, and when they do go out, they’re choosing less expensive restaurants. That’s according to this news release from Booz & Co., which conducted the survey entitled “Consumer Spending in the Economic Downturn”. Researchers surveyed 1,00 households around the country, the company’s news release says.

Here’s an excerpt of the survey’s key findings:

Consumers are reducing “away from home” spending, primarily by changing their dining habits.
Of those polled, 43% of respondents are eating out less, 39% are choosing less expensive restaurants, and 35% are packing their own lunch for work, compared to six months ago.

Is that the case here in the Dayton area? Are YOU eating out less, or choosing less expensive restaurants? Let us know by clicking on the “post your comment” link below …

Permalink | Comments (14) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant industry news

Wing Zone restaurant to open Monday

By Mark Fisher | Friday, October 17, 2008, 03:56 PM

MORAINE — Wing Zone will open its second Dayton-area location at 5744 Springboro Pike (Ohio 741) on Monday, franchise owner Ramzi Anubtawi said today, Oct. 17.

The success of the first Wing Zone — located in Riverside at 5568 Airway Road — prompted Anubtawi to look for a second location, he said.

A grand opening celebration is planned for Nov. 20.

The menu of the Atlanta-based chain includes Buffalo wings (boneless or original), chicken fingers, burgers, sandwiches and salads.

The hours for the restaurant will be 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to midnight on Sunday. Carryout, delivery and indoor seating are available. The Wing Zone’s phone number is (937) 294-9663.

Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant openings

Bagel Cafe to close Centerville-area location

By Mark Fisher | Friday, October 17, 2008, 12:03 PM

Bagel Cafe will close its location at 1057 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp. after the close of business Sunday, but the original Bagel Cafe in Kettering will remain open and is not affected by the closure, owner Nancy Madewell said this morning, Oct. 17.

“Our lease is up in Centerville,” Madewell said. “With the lease and the overhead and with the economy what it is, it is just not beneficial to keep it open … We’d rather focus all our attention on Kettering.”

Madewell opened the Kettering restaurant at 4001 Far Hills Ave. at Stroop Road 17 years ago, and “it has always done well,” Madewell said. A third Bagel Cafe in Beavercreek closed about five years ago.

“We try to keep our prices down, and that’s hard to do when you’re paying high rent,” the restaurant owner said.

The Washington Twp. Bagel Cafe’s hours on its final day of business Sunday are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Permalink | Comments (41) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant closings

Tipp City restaurant relocates to former bank building

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 16, 2008, 03:05 PM

Coldwater Cafe, a family-owned and independent fine-dining restaurant in Tipp City, has moved a few doors down from its previous location.

The “new” restaurant is located in a former bank building — most recently a Fifth Third branch — at 19 E. Main St. It seats about 90 diners, up from about 54 on two floors of the previous rented space at 35 E. Main St., according to Nick Hoover, who serves as chef and who owns the restaurant with his mother Betty Peachey.

The owners purchased the building a year ago and began renovations six months ago, Hoover said. The restaurant opened at its new location Tuesday, Oct. 14. It now has a full liquor license, whereas it could serve only beer and wine in the previous location, Hoover said. The restaurant now has a temperature-controlled wine room, he said.

The menu is essentially the same, with a few dishes added, the chef said.

Coldwater Cafe is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information, call (937) 667-0007 or link to the restaurant’s web site.

Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: Local restaurant news

Flying Pizza celebrates homecoming

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 16, 2008, 11:57 AM

DAYTON — The Flying Pizza restaurant in downtown Dayton has returned home in style.

The restaurant was forced to move a year ago from its location at 223 N. Main St. to make way for construction of a seven-story parking garage. Flying Pizza set up temporary shop around the corner at 24 W. Monument Ave. Now that the ground-floor portion of the parking garage, which has spots available for retail businesses, is complete, Flying Pizza has moved back into the same spot — though in much nicer digs, its owners say.

The new Flying Pizza increased its square footage from 700 to 1,700 and its seating from 30 to 65, owner Frank Graci said. The restaurant also now has a license to serve beer, which it will begin doing around Nov. 1, Graci said.

The restaurant has scheduled a grand opening celebration for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, Graci said.

The Flying Pizza serves New York style pizza from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call (937) 222-8031.

Permalink | Comments (30) | Post your comment | Categories: Local restaurant news

Skyline Chili sets opening date for UD location

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 16, 2008, 11:20 AM

The owners of the Skyline Chili franchise near the University of Dayton have set an opening date of Oct. 28 for their 120-seat restaurant.

The new Skyline will be located at 1153 Brown St., in a spot that housed a Nothing But Noodles restaurant.

The restaurant’s hours haven’t been set yet, but the UD Skyline will probably stay open until at least 1 a.m. on weekdays and until 3 a.m. on weekends, said Tom Allen of Loveland, one of the franchises four founding owners. The restaurant will be managed by Justin Thacker of Dayton, who became the fifth partner in the franchise ownership and who has spent seven years working for Skyline restaurants in various capacities, Allen said.

The restaurant will employ about 50 people, Allen said. The franchise owners have plans for additional Skyline locations in the Dayton area, he said. The Brown Street location will be the 14th in the Dayton area, according to the Cincinnati-based company’s web site.

The Brown Street corridor had a Skyline Chili in the late 1990s, but the restaurant suffered from a lack of parking and closed, Skyline officials said.

Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant openings

Former Pacchia owner to open new upscale pizza restaurant inside mall

By Mark Fisher | Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 10:12 AM

BEAVERCREEK — Local restaurateur Glen Brailey — founder of Pacchia who sold his majority ownership of the restaurant along with the building in April — will open a new upscale pizza restaurant inside the Mall at Fairfield Commons this winter.

Brailey said today, Oct. 15, that he is shooting for a mid-December opening for the as-yet-unnamed, 120-seat restaurant that will serve “California-style gourmet pizza and artisan salads.” The restaurant will be located in the mall space that once housed California Pizza Kitichen, which closed in November 2006.

“I wanted to get back to my roots,” said Brailey, who was co-founder of the Pizza Factory and whose Pacchia restaurant specialized in wood-fired gourmet pizzas when it opened.

Brailey said he recognized the current economic conditions are not ideal for opening a new restaurant. But he added, “Pizza is a good segment of the restaurant industry to be in right now. The economy is such that pizza is a popular food, it’s a social food, and the price points are right.”

The restaurant “will utilize fresh, natural, and often organic ingredients sourced from local and specialty purveyors to create innovative, avant-garde pizzas and salads,” Brailey said. The restaurant will offer several choices of sauces and varieties of cheeses and other toppings, and will cook in gas-fired brick ovens, he said.

The 5,000-square-foot space near the Sears entrance to the Fairfield Commons mall has an interior mall entrance as well as a separate outside entrance which will allow the restaurant to stay open later than regular mall operating hours, Brailey said. It will also have a patio dining area. A full bar will be available, and there will be live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Brailey thought he had a name picked out for his new restaurant, but a federal trademark search uncovered a restaurant in South Carolina with a similar name. So it’s “back to the drawing board,” Brailey said.

The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant openings

Casual dining chains struggle for customers

By Mark Fisher | Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 06:52 AM

USA Today has published a story headlined “Casual Dining Chains Hunger for Change” which details the falling sales and traffic in the restaurants and some of the strange tactics employed to reverse the trend.

Noting the drop in same-store sales and traffic, the USA Today story says, “And that was before the economy really went south. Now, who’s got dough to blow at a sit-down restaurant with prices rising at a rate that will make you sit up?”

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant industry news

Would you use caffeinated chewing gum?

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 03:25 PM

Would you use a caffeinated chewing gum? The folks at VE2 Energy Gum believe you would. They sent me a news release that I’ve shared with you on the “jump” below.

Two pieces of this gum are said to contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee of an 8-ounce energy drink. Yowzah.

My body and caffeine don’t coexist well at all, to the point that I can’t even tolerate decaffeinated coffee, which I can attest isn’t totally decaffeinated. So you’ll get no guidance from this food writer on this one.

Is this new product something you would try?

Here’s the news release:

Caffeinated VE2 Energy Gum Announces First Online Retailer
High-Energy Sugar-Free Chewing Gum Now Available Online via ChemicalEvolution.com
Miami, FL (October 14, 2008) - VE2 Laboratories is proud to announce that its signature product, VE2 Energy Gum , is now available online via ChemicalEvolution.com .
Two pieces of sugar-free caffeinated VE2 Energy Gum are equal to a cup of coffee or an 8oz. energy drink, and the gum is crammed with energy-sustaining ingredients like vitamins B6 and B12, niacin, ginseng and guarana, delivering increased alertness and endurance without the “crash” of other energy products.
“We knew from the very beginning that VE2 Energy Gum was an edgy product, so we wanted to make our first splash into the online arena with a website that had the same mindset as we did,” said John Katsoulis, co-founder of VE2 Laboratories. “Chemical Evolution has long been regarded as one of the premier websites for trendsetting energy products, and we are enthusiastic about working with them to bring VE2 to online customers across the country.”
Previously available in nine states, VE2 Energy Gum has already made a splash among local consumers searching for a safe, sustained energy burst. The product was also named a finalist in Convenience Store Petroleum Magazine’s “Best New Packaging” category for its environmentally-friendly, sleeveless design, which reduces paper usage by 50 percent.
“As soon as we spotted VE2 Energy Gum, we knew that it was a perfect fit for our site,” said Zach Wagner, owner of ChemicalEvolution.com. “We’ve always taken great pride in providing our customers with only the best energy products on the market, and we are excited about being the first retailer to distribute VE2 via an online channel.”
To purchase VE2 Energy Gum online, please visit www.chemicalevolution.com.
About VE2 Energy Gum: VE2 Energy Gum was created by Emergency Room doctor Andres Sasson and entrepreneur John Katsoulis, who recognized a need in the marketplace for a great tasting, sugar-free product with a unique delivery system that did not land you in the restroom after consumption. After two years of market research and packaging R&D, Sasson and Katsoulis launched the VE2 brand at the 2008 All Candy Expo in Chicago. VE2 is the first sugar-free energy gum to boast great taste and eco-friendly packaging. Two pieces are the perfect pick-me-up when you’re partying late, working hard or playing sports - or any time you need a boost. Throw some in your pocket, purse, glove compartment or desk - so you’re always sharp when you need to be.

Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: New food items

New Chipotle restaurant to give out free burritos

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 12:17 PM

HUBER HEIGHTS — A new Chipotle Mexican Grill will offer a “Free Burrito Day” on Thursday, Oct. 23, and will officially open the following day at 7767 Old Troy Pike in Huber Heights.

The food giveaway will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 23. Customers can receive a free burrito and a soft drink of their choice, with, as a Chipotle press release puts it, “no strings attached.”

Starting Oct. 24, the restaurant’s hours will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The Huber Heights Chipotle’s phone number is (937) 242-6900.

The Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill chain operates 775 restaurants nationwide, including seven others in the Dayton area.

Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant openings

Phone now disconnected at restaurant ‘closed for remodeling’

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, October 14, 2008, 10:55 AM

Francescos closed sign6.JPG

Francescos sign7.JPG

Does anyone in the dining community know what’s going on with Trattoria da’ Francesco, the Italian restaurant at 3 E. Market St. in Germantown?

Earlier this month, a voicemail greeting on the restaurant’s phone advised callers that Francesco’s was closed for remodeling but would reopen. Now, that same phone number is not in service, apparently disconnected. Phone calls to the restaurant’s owner, Francesco Farinola, have not been returned.

A visit to the restaurant on Monday, Oct. 12 didn’t clear up the mystery definitively but was not encouraging. Potential diners encounter a pair of weathered, hand-written signs saying Francesco’s is “Closed for remodeling.” A peek in the windows showed no apparent remodeling activity going on, and in fact tables inside are still set with plates and silverware. The mailbox was jammed full of mail.

Randy Bukas, Germantown’s village manager, said he had been under the impression that Francesco’s was closed for remodeling, “but there have been rumors circulating that he’s not going to reopen the restaurant … he had a very good restaurant, and I enjoyed eating there.”

Does anybody know anything about Trattoria da’ Francesco?

Permalink | Comments (20) | Post your comment | Categories: Local restaurant news

Local restaurant association to eliminate executive director’s position

By Mark Fisher | Monday, October 13, 2008, 05:28 PM

The governing board of the Miami Valley Restaurant Association has decided to eliminate the position of executive director, meaning that Lisa Grigsby, who has served in that position since Jan. 1, will soon be out of a job.

Brad Haber, immediate past president of the MVRA and a member of the organization’s board, said the decision was a difficult one, and was made for “strictly financial” reasons. Grigsby has “made great contributions to the MVRA,” Haber said, but the organization’s financial condition did not allow it to continue to employ two people after the end of the year. Amy Zahora, director of sales and new business development, oversees membership sales and other functions at the restaurant association.

Grigsby said she believes the board’s decision was “short sighted” at a time when “restaurants need a voice advocating for them and for the need to support local restaurants.”

Grigsby said the organization’s membership, level of service and visibility have increased during her tenure, “but the bottom line has not increased to the satisfaction of the board at this time.”

The MVRA’s “Taste of the Miami Valley” event at Riverscape, held the two days before the September windstorm wreaked havoc on the region, was affected by poor weather and brought in $15,000 to $20,000 less than the organization projected, Grigsby said.

She added, “Having spent 30-plus years in the hospitality business, whether my paycheck comes from them or not, my heart is still there and I will continue to do all I can to help promote these small business owners.”

The MVRA’s current president, Amy Haverstick, is out of the country and could not be reached.

The MVRA has 235 member restaurants representing 270 dining locations.

Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Local restaurant news, Restaurant industry news

Beef, other food price hikes will likely boost restaurant menu prices in 2009

By Mark Fisher | Monday, October 13, 2008, 05:04 PM

The Associated Press is reporting that restaurants may change menus, hike prices in 2009 because of rising costs of beef and other commodities that put the squeeze on restaurants.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant industry news

Cold Stone Creamery adds cereal bar and opens for breakfast

By Mark Fisher | Monday, October 13, 2008, 11:43 AM

The Cold Stone Creamery at 6815 Miller Lane has partnered with Cereality Cereal Bar & Cafe to add a cereal bar, and has begun opening earlier for breakfast.

Cold Stone now offers 16 choices of cereal from major national brands such as Kellogg’s, General Mills, Quaker and Post that can be blended in various combinations with Cold Stone’s line of toppings and mix-ins. One popular mix, for example, is called the “Devil Made Me Do It” that consists of Cocoa Puffs and Lucky Charms with milk and topped with malted milk balls, Cold Stone officials said. Or customers can choose a hot cereal such as “Banana Brown Betty” which consists of Quaker Oats, banana syrup and brown sugar, topped with streusel and bananas, company officials said.

Dave Burrows, who owns the Miller Lane store as well as a Cold Stone Creamery in Troy, said the Miller Lane shop is the only store in the area that offers the cereal options. Burrows said there are no plans in the coming months to add the Cereality offerings to any other Dayton-area Cold Stone stores.

The Miller Lane Cold Stone has begun opening at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The store was recently renovated and added leather couches and other seating, as well as a 50-inch plasma television, Burrows said.

Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Local restaurant news

Meal-assembly kitchens offer alternative to dining out

By Mark Fisher | Monday, October 13, 2008, 05:58 AM

Miami Valley restaurants — already forced to deal with stiff competition among themselves for diners’ dollars — may face additional competition from Dayton-area meal-assembly kitchens as well.

The folks who run those kitchens say their make-‘n’-take meals, prepared by their customers from their ingredients, and their take-‘n’-bake dinners, prepared by the kitchens themselves, are cheaper than eating out and offer an economical alternative to restaurant dining. They make their case in today’s Dayton Daily News, suggesting that their businesses may benefit from the slump in the economy as families search for ways to reduce grocery and dining-out costs.

What’s been your experience with meal-assembly kitchens? Do you think their business will increase at the expense of restaurants in this poor economy?

Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Local restaurant news

Here is definitive proof of global warming

By Mark Fisher | Sunday, October 12, 2008, 04:10 PM

tomatoes1.JPG

Okay, like, I’m no scientist, and I know this is, what do they call it? Anecdotal evidence only, yeah, that’s it … But these cherry tomatoes were freshly picked today, on Oct. 12, here in frigid ol’ Dayton, Ohio. Here’s to a summer that never ends … now, where’s my olive oil, fresh basil and sea salt?

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |

Amelia’s Bistro off to an impressive start

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 9, 2008, 04:43 PM

Here’s a copy of a restaurant review that will be published in Friday’s Dayton Daily News Go section:

BELLBROOK — Make no mistake: Amelia’s Bistro is an ambitious undertaking.

The new restaurant that took over the spot formerly occupied by Garstka’s Tuscany Grille at 129 W. Franklin St. in Bellbrook serves lunch and dinner six days a week, and breakfast Friday through Sunday; on marathon Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m. Breakfast service Tuesday through Thursday was dropped after the first few weeks, but that’s still a demanding schedule for any restaurant, especially a new one with fine-dining aspirations. Amelia’s owner Sharon Bistrek hired Greg Fitzgerald, former chef-owner of the Blue Moon and most recently the executive chef at Madison’s Bistro, as executive chef to help establish a cuisine that Bistrek describes as “gourmet comfort food.”

Fitzgerald has incorporated some favorites from his Blue Moon days into the dinner menu; those and other dishes suggest Amelia’s has the potential to become a destination restaurant — worth the drive to Bellbrook — especially if it shakes off some unevenness and establishes an identity.

From the dinner menu, two appetizers stand out. The Wild Mushroom Cappuccino ($5) does indeed look like a generous and frothy bowl of cappuccino, but dip a spoon past the white porcini foam to find a delightfully thick, rich mushroom soup beneath. It is a generous portion, bargain-priced and worth a special trip — you may find yourself mopping up the remnants with a slice of bread. Pair it with the Almond-Crusted Goat Cheese Salad ($6) for a light, inexpensive, but soul-satisfying meal.

The Crab Raviolis ($9) appetizer is also a winner, consisting of three large raviolis — cooked to a perfect al dente on our visit — stuffed with crab meat and topped with a vanilla lobster sauce.

Among the dinner entrees, the Frenched Pork Chop ($17) is hand-cut and brined, and served with a fig jam that complements the chop’s flavors. And the servers ask diners how they’d like the chop prepared, a welcome trend in cooking pork. A companion ordered it medium rare, and it was served as ordered.

Fitzgerald has resurrected the beef tenderloin dish from the Blue Moon, here simply called The Filet ($25), stuffed with saga blue cheese and green peppercorn sauce, topped with “moon ring” onion rings. And it’s every bit as good as it ever was.

The dinner menu’s most expensive entree, Kobe Sirloin ($29), was a disappointment. Served with caramelized shallots and blue cheese butter and cooked to the ordered medium rare, the meat was nevertheless dry, with little beefy flavor.

Curiously, the menu description for Shrimp and Scallops Absolutely ($21), with the seafood sauteed and served atop lemon-pepper fettuccine in a vodka sauce with spinach and fresh mozzarella, makes no mention of the handful of dried chile peppers that injected the sauce of my dish with noticeable heat. The flavors work, but diners deserve fair warning.

Desserts, all prepared in-house, are built to share, especially the breathtaking “Big-Ass Cake” ($6) — yes, that’s the restaurant’s name for it. It’s a chocolate lover’s fantasy with three layers of dense chocolate cake, studded with chocolate chunks, with chocolate frosting and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Slices are rumored to weigh more than a pound, and they’re not exaggerating. Plan on taking some home even after sharing.

The restaurant has a strong wine list, and some well-selected wines by the glass, including Chateau Sansey, a white Bordeaux from Graves that blends sauvignon blanc and semillion ($7 per glass, $30 per bottle); Razor’s Edge Unoaked Chardonnay from Australia ($7/$29); Castle Rock Pinot Noir ($8/glass) and El Coto Crianza Rioja ($8/$31). Draught beers include Bare Knuckle Stout, Goose Island 312 and Blue Moon, $4 a glass.

Renovations have spruced up the restaurant’s interior. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, although the use of brown grocery-sack-like paper atop black tablecloths seems curiously inconsistent with the rest of Amelia’s decor.

There are encouraging signs at Amelia’s Bistro — especially on the plate.

CONTACT this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@DaytonDailyNews.com.

how to go

WHAT: Amelia’s Bistro

WHERE: 129 W. Franklin Street (Ohio 725), Bellbrook (in a small shopping center across from Dot’s Market, just west of downtown Bellbrook)

HOURS: Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. (limited dinner menu on Sundays)

COST: Dinner entrees range from $14 to $29, with most in the range of $17 to $21.

DISHES TO TRY: Wild Mushroom Cappuccino ($5), Crab Raviolis ($9), Almond-Crusted Goat Cheese Salad ($6), Frenched Pork Chop ($17), The Filet ($25), “Big-Ass Cake” ($6)

MORE INFO: (937) 310-3040 or www.eatatamelias.com

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant reviews

Best Bets for this weekend & next week: Dayton food and dining events

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 9, 2008, 07:08 AM

These Dayton-area restaurants’ special dinners and other food-related events would be the envy of any city, of any size. But we’ve got ‘em right here in the Gem City. How cool is that? Here’s a short list of events that will appear in Friday’s Dayton Daily News Go section (if we’re able to cram ‘em all in, that is), and if you know of anything else going on we should know about, post a comment and tell us!

Shellfish weekend at DLM

Dorothy Lane Markets will hold its first Shellfish Festival from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, at each of its three stores in Oakwood, Washington Twp. and Springboro. At each store, two Sinclair Community College culinary arts students will compete for “best shellfish dish” using mussels, clams and oysters harvested from the Atlantic Ocean off of New England. Recipes will be available, and the winning students will receive a DLM gift card.

Cuveee hosts wine event

BELLBROOK — Cuvee Wine Bar & Cellar, 4457 Ohio 725, will host a drop-in wine tasting with food from co-owner and chef Chris Cavender from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Scott Woodward, national distributor for Baileyana Winery, Paraiso Vineyards, Tangent Winery and Graff Family Vineyards, will pour his wines with a menu that includes Cold Poached Salmon with Chardonnay Sauce on Mixed Greens, Cider Roasted Rack of Pork Chop with Squash Puree and French Style Beef Soup. (NOTE: A second event for the following night that was to include Camille Seghesio of Seghesio Winery has been canceled.) The Tuesday night event is a drop-in tasting, and food and wine samples are sold a la carte. For more information, call (937) 848-2161.

Jay’s pairs lunch with Italian wines

DAYTON — Jay’s Restaurant, 225 E. Sixth St., will host an Italian Wine Luncheon on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 12:30 p.m. The menu will include Salad of Roasted Pear, Prosciutto and Spiced Pecans; Sausage, Lobster and Mushroom Canneloni with Saffron-Tomato Sauce; Braised Lamb Shanks with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Braised Root Vegetables; and Pumpkin Creme Brulee. The cost of the luncheon is $65. For reservations or more information, call (937) 222-2892.

Fleming’s to host bourbon dinner

BEAVERCREEK — Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar at The Greene in Beavercreek will host a bourbon dinner at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13. The menu — each course to be paired with a different bourbon — includes Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin Atop Sweet Potato Crisps Drizzled with Wild Cherry Sauce; Mesculin Greens & Goat Cheese Stuffed Figs Wrapped in Bacon Tossed with Lemon Vinaigrette; Duck Confit with Pomegranate Bourbon Reduction Accompanied with Morel Couscous; Beef Tenderloin topped with Pineapple Bourbon Glaze Served over Cilantro, Spinach & Toasted Almond Potato Cakes; and Cinnamon and Pumpkin Bread Pudding Topped with Pumpkin Brittle & Bourbon Demi-Glace. The cost is $75, not including tax and tip, and reservations are required. For more information, call (937) 320-9548.

Mr. Lee’s pairs wines with appetizers

VANDALIA — Mr. Lee’s Fine Asian Dining, 7580 Poe Ave., will host a wine-and-food pairing at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, featuring four wines and 10 appetizers. The cost is $48 per person or $90 for two. The restaurant is located north of Little York Road and east of I-75. For more information or to make reservations, call (937) 898-3860. (This event may already be a sellout, but keep an eye out for more such wine-related events at this Asian restaurant…

In addition, you should know that Cena, the Brazilian steakhouse on the Dayton Mall’s front porch, is launching a wine-appetizer pairing from 3-6 p.m. on Sunday afternoons starting Oct. 19. Details coming later this month.

What’s going on at your favorite restaurant that we should know about?

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |

Second Dayton-area Baskin-Robbins opens

By Mark Fisher | Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 02:39 PM

This is news that will make my wife a very happy person. Can you say “One scoop of mint chocolate chip on the bottom and one scoop of Baseball Nut on top, on a sugar cone”? She can.

Baskin-Robbins has opened its second Dayton-area location at 4100 West Town and Country Road in Kettering.

The ice cream shop, located adjacent to W.G. Grinders sandwich shop on the south side of the shopping center, will hold a grand opening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, but it is open and serving ice cream now, a B-R spokeswoman said.

The ice cream shop franchise is owned by Jim Powers, who also owns the Grinders franchise. The two will share a seating area.

Town and Country shopping center had a B-R franchise for decades on the east end of the complex, but it closed four or five years ago, Powers said.

The new Kettering Baskin-Robbins joins an existing shop at 7777 Springboro Pike near the Dayton Mall as the only two B-Rs in the area.

The new store’s hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. For more information, call the Town and Country Baskin-Robbins at (937) 567-8823.

Alas, the store doesn’t have the baseball nut ice cream, which is seasonal, but is offering the Quarterback Crunch. Don’t they know the baseball season isn’t over yet?

Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant openings

Gender bias in restaurants: real or imagined?

By Mark Fisher | Wednesday, October 8, 2008, 11:48 AM

The best dining-related read on the web today has got to be Frank Bruni’s New York Times piece entitled “Old Gender Roles With Your Dinner?” (free subscription required, I believe). The exploration of gender differences in seating, serving, and everything dining-related is well worth your time, even if it focuses on NYC restaurants. So, are we “past all that” here in the heartland that is Dayton, Ohio?

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant industry news

Meijer launches online ‘groceries-by-the-case’ service

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 10:35 AM

Meijer, the Michigan-based grocery and dry-goods chain that operates 185 stores in the Great Lakes region including several in the Dayton area, has launched an online “groceries-by-the-case” service that sells items in bulk amounts and offers free shipping for orders of $150 or more.

I’m in the process of trying to find out from other grocers how this compares to or differs from services they may offer. Anybody have any thoughts on that topic?

Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment |

Italian restaurant closes after only a few months in business

By Mark Fisher | Monday, October 6, 2008, 03:55 PM

Rigali’s Italian Restaurant, a family-owned eatery at 742 W. National Road in Vandalia, has closed after being open less than six months.

Rigali’s opened in late spring/early summer in a spot that once housed Hong Kong Buffet. It closed four to six weeks ago, according to Will Roberts, director of the Vandalia-Butler Chamber of Commerce.

The owners of the restaurant could not be reached Monday afternoon, Oct. 6.

Roberts said the restaurant “came in at a tough time … I think it was just the wrong time.”

Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant closings

Consumer Reports rates best and worst kids’ cereals

By Mark Fisher | Monday, October 6, 2008, 05:58 AM

Consumer Reports magazine has rated kids’ cereals based on nutritional value, declaring a few winners but also finding some cereals marketed heavily to children are more than 50 percent sugar by weight.

Cheerios, made by General Mills, topped Consumer Reports’ ratings with three grams of dietary fiber per serving and only one gram of sugar, according to a news release sent out by the consumer magazine. CR used dietary fiber and sugar as the two most important factors in assessing the nutrition of breakfast cereals. Kix, Honey Nut Cheerios and Life cereals also were relatively lower in sugars and higher dietary fiber. All four cereals rated “Very Good.”

But the magazine also found two cereals, Post Golden Crisp and Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, that are more than 50 percent sugar, and nine more that are at least 40 percent sugar, the magazine’s news release said. That means there’s at least as much sugar in those cereals as there is in a glazed donut from Dunkin’ Donuts, the magazine said.

The full report on cereals and nutrition ratings is available in the November issue of Consumer Reports, on sale Tuesday, Oct. 7, or online at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |

Ohio author of ‘300 Sensational Soups’ will lead DLM cooking class

By Mark Fisher | Friday, October 3, 2008, 12:31 PM

Soups book cover.jpg

Carla Snyder, co-author of the newly released 300 Sensational Soups cookbook and a resident of Hudson, Ohio, will lead a cooking class at Dorothy Lane Market School of Cooking from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 at the school adjacent to DLM’s store at 6177 Far Hills Ave. (Ohio 48) in Washington Twp.

Snyder is the author of four cookbooks and has had a 30-year career as a caterer, cooking school teacher and co-owner, baker, food writer, corporate culinary event planner and author.

Snyder will start by showing attendees how to make stock and will move on to recipes that include Provencal Vegetable Soup with Pistou; Black Bean and Rice Soup with Chorizo; Curried Butternut Chowder with Sage Butter; Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup; and Frozen Pina Colada Soup with Caramelized Pineapple, according to the DLM cooking school web site. The cost of the class is $65. For more information, go to the DLM School of Cooking web site.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: cooking classes & cookbooks

Miamisburg restaurant closes, will focus on catering

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, October 2, 2008, 10:22 AM

The Chimneys Inn restaurant in Miamisburg has closed, but will continue its catering business and will have special events in the facility at 67 S. Main St., according to chef-owner Matthew Hayden.

Hayden, who is also co-owner with several family members of the Pourhaus restaurant and bar at 536 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, said he closed The Chimneys Inn to spend more time on his catering business and other business ventures, and with his family.

“We put a lot of thought into our decision,” Hayden said. The restaurant in downtown Miamisburg “had slow growth,” but it “represented most of my expense but the least amount of revenue,” he said.

The Chimney’s Inn, located in a spot that once housed TW’s Restaurant, opened five years ago, closed nine months later, then reopened in September 2006. It has hosted musical acts and other special events, and was open for dinner Thursdays through Saturdays, featuring a Cajun and southern-inspired menu.

For information on catering, go to The Chimneys Inn catering web site or call (937) 847-0800.

Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Restaurant closings

New cookbook, fall tomatoes, shelf-stable milk and other food and kitchen tips

By Mark Fisher | Wednesday, October 1, 2008, 12:36 PM

Here’s a little something we cooked up for tomorrow’s (10-2-08) Dayton Daily News Life section, after combing the grocery store shelves, food and consumer magazines and cookbooks, and even our gardens to alert you to some new products and savvy tips — all designed, in the end, to make your tummy (and your family’s) a happier place.

— Taste of Home magazine has just released a “revised second edition” of “The Taste of Home Cookbook (Readers Digest, $29.95), with a few new wrinkles. More than 300 of the revised cookbook’s 1,395 recipes are designated as “lifestyle recipes” that can be cooked four different ways: “classic” for traditional preparation techniques, “time-saver” for what the book’s editors call “minimum effort,” “light” recipes that trim calories and fat, and “serves two” for scaled-down versions of dishes for smaller households. The book is a five-ring binder that lies flat when you cook. More than 400 of the recipes are new since the first edition was published. The book’s editors say every ingredient in those recipes “comes from regular grocery stores.”

— I’m looking for a way to freeze time so that Ohio’s glorious tomato season just keeps going and going. My “driveway” cherry tomato plants are still happily producing bowlfuls of tomatoes, but I know their days are numbered. Here’s some advice from gardening.about.com on two strategies to get the most out of your tomato plants that are filled with green tomatoes as the first frost approaches (the second tip I’ve tried and it works fairly well; the first I’m going to try this year):

Lift the entire plant from the ground, roots and all, and store it in a dry, sheltered location, such as the garage. The fruits will continue to ripen, and you’ll keep some of the benefits of ripening on the vine.

Wrap individual green tomatoes in newspaper and place them in a box, no more than 2 layers deep. Place the box in a dark, dry spot and check frequently for progress. It may take three to four weeks for the green tomatoes to ripen — check frequently and remove any fruits that show signs of rotting. When ripe, these tomatoes don’t match the flavor of a mid-season tomato, but they sure beat what you’ll buy on a grocer’s shelves.

— The October issue of “Prevention” magazine sings the praises of the humble Macadamia nut, noting that the rich, round Macadamias “may have a bad rap because of their high calorie count, but a moderate serving can help keep your arteries clear.” Research shows that adding 1 1/2 ounces (305 calories’ worth) of the nuts daily to a typical diet lowered total cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol by about 9 percent each after five weeks, the magazine said. Prevention recommends crushing the Macadamias to sprinkle on salads, vegetables and yogurt. We found a 3-ounce bottle of Mauna Loa Dry Roasted Macadamias for $5.39 at Dorothy Lane Market locations.

— Parents who want to pack a more nutritious lunch for their children can ditch the sugar-rich sodas and juices and opt for a healthy serving of organic milk.

That’s right: No refrigerator is required for Horizon Organic’s single servings of milk. The milk is vacuum-sealed and pasteurized, and therefore will stay safe in a lunchbox, backpack or locker for hours at room temperature. The 8-ounce servings are available in a variety of flavors, including reduced-fat plain, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. We asked a mom and her 4-year-old preschooler to test the milk, and they put the vanilla and chocolate flavors to the test against the same flavors in regular milk (they added a splash of vanilla extract to regular 2 percent milk). Neither mom nor preschooler noticed a real difference in taste (and happily, nobody became sick, either). And the 4-year-old especially enjoyed the expandable straws that are included.

Consider chilling the milk before serving strictly for better taste. If you’re packing a school lunch, refrigerate the milk overnight and maybe include a freezer ice pack in the lunch box to keep it cool.

These single-servings are very practical if you want to pack milk to avoid the lunch line. These also would be convenient for travel. The drawback? The price. A case of 18 single servings is currently available at www.amazon.com for $22, with a list price of $28.47 — well over $1 per serving. We found them at Kroger for $1.25 per single-serving box. For more information, visit www.horizonorganic.com.

— The November issue of ShopSmart, a magazine published by the same folks that bring you Consumer Reports, offers advice on the dos and don’ts of sushi, “so you can enjoy raw fish but reduce your chance of being exposed to mercury, nasty parasites and bacteria that can make you sick.” The magazine suggests that those who are pregnant, nursing or of child-bearing age should avoid certain fish that can be high in mercury, such as tuna, king mackerel, shark, swordfish and tile fish. ShopSmart also suggests not making sushi yourself, since the Food and Drug Administration requires sushi restaurants to freeze fish to minus-4 degrees or colder for varying lengths of time — something most diners can’t do at home. And if you buy take-home sushi, eat it right away (“No leftovers — we mean it!” the magazine says). And wash your hands before and after handling the fish.

— It probably comes as no surprise that the Ohio Soybean Council would like all of us to eat more soy products. It may come as a surprise that we already do. Soy isn’t just tofu — not that there’s anything wrong with tofu — but is widely used in products such as protein bars and salad dressings. Now, there’s a collaborative effort called Soy Oil Ohio that promotes soy oil to health-conscious consumers. Substituting soy oil from the newest soybean varieties for other kinds of cooking oil can reduce or eliminate trans fats. And replacing cream cheese or mayo with firm silken tofu makes for a healthier — and still quite tasty — artichoke dip. For soy recipes, go to the Ohio Soybean Council’s recipe web site.

— When it comes to ginger ale or ginger beer or ginger brew, we don’t pay much attention to the root’s supposed health claims — we ginger lovers just go for full-throttled flavor. And that means Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew, the robust and quite refreshing carbonated drink that is available in four-packs of 12-ounce bottles at local health-food stores and some grocers for anywhere from $3.49 (Trader Joe’s) to $6.79. And if you find yourself hooked on the ginger flavor, consider a relatively new product from the soda maker, Reed’s Ginger Candy Chews. They’re more likely to be found in health-food stores — check your local natural-foods store first, but they’re also available online at www.reedsgingerbrew.com, though in minimum orders of 20 packs. Each pack contains 10 chewy candies that start sweet, then bring a strong dollop of spicy heat. The 20 packs cost $18 (90 cents per pack), plus shipping.

Dayton Daily News Staff Writer Michelle Fong contributed to this report.

Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Kitchen tips

 

Things to do