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December 2009
Dayton dining: Who served the best of 2009?
So ….. What was your best restaurant meal or best dish of 2009?
For most of us, it was a year of cutting back. Trust me, your local food writer/restaurant reviewer was no exception. Nearly every week, I wrote about fabulous multi-course wine dinners and special restaurant events that sounded so tempting I had to strap on a drool cup just to finish typing. One thing is clear: The Miami Valley boasts a wealth of local chefs who know how to pull out all the stops when the situation calls for it.
Alas, I missed all but a tiny handful of those events, or I suspect this list of “Best Dishes of 2009” would be dominated by such one-time gustatory feasts. While the list does contain a couple of wine-dinner delights, it also contains some fabulous and easily accessible lunch dishes and even a couple of previous Restaurant Week menu surprises. (By the way, mark your new 2010 calendars for Winter Restaurant Week, Jan. 24-29).
Here’s my highly personalized “best meals of 2009.”
China Cottage, Kettering: Tiger Wang, whose small chain of Chinese restaurants includes locations in Kettering, Centerville, Springboro and Trotwood, threw one of the Miami Valley’s most lavish and satisfying parties of the year last Jan. 26-27, and may have singlehandedly resurrected the concept of the Chinese New Year’s celebration in the Miami Valley (He’s doing it again this year on Feb. 22-23 at the Centerville location). But I have a soft spot in my heart (and stomach) for the Kettering China Cottage’s “Asparagus Special,” which combines tender spears of asparagus, sliced carrots, thinly sliced garlic cloves and the meat of your choice in a rich sauce. It’s a stir-fried delight, and healthful . Portions are generous. At lunch, the chicken, beef, pork or veggie version costs a scant $5.95, shrimp or combo $7.95, while the dinner portions are $9.95/$11.95. Check for availability at the other locations.
The Meadowlark, Washington Twp.: Chef-owner Elizabeth Wiley does a lot of things right, and here’s one that has become a staple of Meadowlark’s lunch menu: The Portabella Pattymelt ($9.95). She starts with a large, fresh portabella mushroom cap, marinates it, tops it with caramelized onions and melted gruyere cheese, puts it between two slices of toasted rye bread, thus creating wonderful alchemy. Substitute the garlic frites for the French fries for $1, and you will create a lunch dish you just might become addicted to.
Coldwater Cafe, Tipp City: My wife and I found ourselves at this hidden gem of a restaurant in early December in the heart of a holiday rush and had a great experience that was highlighted by a daily special of perfectly cooked, generously portioned, soy-glazed sea bass fillet. Fresh, silken, prepared simply and correctly — sublime.
L’Auberge, Kettering: I’m betting this landmark restaurant puts together more special dinners and events than any other in the region, and I made it to only one: a memorable June wine dinner with Gordon Hullar and Doris Holzheimer, the proprietors of Mason-based wine importer and distributor Vintner Select. For his third course, then-executive chef Romy Jung served Guinea Fowl with Tarbais White Bean Marmalade of Golden Raisin, Sage and Foie Gras. Each bean had been hand-shelled, and the sauce that collected on the plate, pumped up by the foie gras, was transcendant, as were the Barolos and Barbarescos served over the course of the evening.
Rue Dumaine, Washington Twp.: Oh heck, while we’re on the topic of foie gras, Rue Dumaine served a Pan-Seared Foie Gras over a Crispy Sweet Onion-Black Pepper Rusk Sauced with a Local Quince-Armagnac Reduction at a special dinner in October that still gives me goose bumps .
The Winds, Yellow Springs: Last January, both of The Winds’ Restaurant Week entree options sparkled. Roasted duck — a leg and thigh — came to the table a deep mahogany color worthy of a magazine cover, and the meat was earthy, tender and succulent, accented by a cider sauce. Sauteed Skate with Mushroom Vinaigrette featured a lightly breaded, moist and mild fish pumped up by the tangy mushrooms sauteed with vinegar and fresh herbs. Three months later, the restaurant impressed again, this time at a wine luncheon next door to the restaurant, with a satisfying Rabbit with Mushrooms and Tarragon.
The Caroline, Troy, and Hickory River, Tipp City: It was a Miami County sweep in the September “Taste of Miami Valley” event at Riverscape in Dayton, with The Caroline’s Strawberries in Kahlua Sauce and Hickory River’s Barbecue Ribs tying for the “Best Dish” designation. The ribs were tender, smoky and flavorful, and the creamy Kahlua sauce accentuated but did not overwhelm the delicious berries.
El Meson, West Carrollton: Sure, you can pay less for Fajitas — here, the dish is $20 on the dinner menu, $12 at lunch — but you won’t find any better than El Meson’s. Available in beef, chicken or shrimp, the fajitas feature fresh, seasonal vegetables seasoned with tropical spices and served with rice, black beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and flour tortillas.
What about you? What were your favorite restaurant experiences of the year?
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TweetOne appeal dismissed, but hearing brings no changes to Duke’s
One of the two appeals filed by attorneys for Duke’s restaurant owner Reece Powers III has been dismissed, according to records filed today, Dec. 18, with U.S. District Court.
Powers is a defendant in a civil lawsuit alleging trademark infringement filed by former Dominic’s restaurant owner Anne B. Mantia, who obtained a preliminary injunction from U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose ordering Powers to shut down his West Carrollton restaurant pending the outcome of the case. Powers reopened the restaurant last Friday, Dec. 11, serving a menu of dishes served at the now-defunct Duke’s Golden Ox restaurant, based on language the judge included in a decision filed last week in the case.
Three days after the restaurant reopened, Judge Rose scheduled a “hearing on the record” for today, Dec. 18, and summoned the parties and their attorneys to be present. Powers’ attorney, Michael Botros of Washington Twp., and Mantia’s attorney, James Morris of Lexington, Ky., met with Rose inside the judge’s chambers for 75 minutes this morning, but no testimony or action was taken in open court. Both attorneys declined comment afterward. Powers said after the in-chambers session that Duke’s remains open.
Previously, Judge Rose strongly encouraged both sides to come up with an agreed-upon menu that could be served at the restaurant, but no such agreed-upon menu has been filed with the court for the judge’s approval.
Powers has filed two notices of appeal regarding the menu restrictions, but one of the appeals was ordered dismissed today because financial arrangements were not made for paying for the preparation of a transcript of district court hearings that would have been necessary for the appeal to move forward.
Christie Mantia, stepdaughter of Anne B. Mantia and the granddaughter of the founder of Dominic’s restaurant, is also a defendant in the trademark infringement and breach-of-contract lawsuit, along with former Dominic’s chef Harry Lee. She was not present in court Friday and was ordered by Judge Rose to provide the court with a telephone number so she can participate in a status conference by telephone that the judge set for Dec. 23.
Duke’s at 630 E. Dixie Drive is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. For more information, call (937) 866-1111.
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TweetSurvey reveals favorite fast-food restaurants
Check out this Nation’s Restaurant News story headlined “Chick-fil-A, Five Guys tops in QSR study” revealing the results of a survey of 3,000 consumers nationwide regarding their favorite quick-service restaurants.
Here are two excerpts from the NRN story:
When the more than 3,000 consumers surveyed were asked to name characteristics of restaurants they liked most, Chick-fil-A and Five Guys finished with the most and second-most citations of friendliness and cleanliness. Chick-fil-A also had the most citations for accommodating children, and Five Guys tied with Chipotle for highest quality of food.
Keeping in mind that the results were adjusted for market size, the story adds this:
Market Force also released figures for the survey in which market size was not taken into account. By that measure, Chick-fil-A still did well, tying quick-service giant McDonald’s with 11 percent of all votes. Taco Bell was third with 7 percent of all votes, followed by Panera Bread and Subway with 6 percent and a four-way tie among Burger King, Chipotle, Arby’s and Five Guys with 4 percent.
Five Guys is new to the Dayton area, and just opened its second location in Beavercreek just this week. The other three highly rated chains — Chick-fil-A, Chipotle and Panera — have multiple locations in southwest and west-central Ohio.
I’m less familiar with Chick-fil-A than I am the other three chains. What’s your take on these consumer survey results?
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TweetHere’s a list of restaurants open on Christmas Day
Here is a list of some of the Dayton-area restaurants that are open on Christmas Day and which responded to a solicitation published last week in the Dayton Daily News. In addition, several sports bars, taverns and lounges are opening late Christmas afternoon for their regular evening hours.
If you know of a restaurant open on the holiday but which doesn’t appear here, please post a comment and let us know!
— McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant, 4429 Cedar Park Drive at The Greene in Beavercreek, will be open Christmas Day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (937) 431-9200.
— Mister Lee’s Fine Dining, 7580 Poe Ave., Vandalia, will be open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Christmas Day. (937) 898-3860.
— Palermo’s Restaurant, 2667 S. Dixie Drive in Kettering, will be open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Day. (937) 299-8888
— Pasha Grill Mediterranean Restaurant at The Greene in Beavercreek will be open Christmas day from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. (937) 429-9000.
— Pop’s Diner, 7430 Miller Lane in Butler Twp./Vandalia, will be open Christmas Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (937) 264-3201.
— Stagecoach Restaurant, 1238 E. Central Ave. in the Miamisburg Plaza, will be open Christmas Day from noon to 7 p.m. (937) 847-0789.
— Starlite Diner Restaurant, 4090 Wilmington Ave. across from Meijer’s gas station in Kettering, will be open Christmas Day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (937) 293-4000.
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TweetDomino’s to overhaul its pizza recipe
Check out this USA Today story headlined “Domino’s Pizza delivers change in core pizza recipe” that suggests Domino’s is poised to change a few teensy little things — such as the crust, the sauce and the cheese — about its pizza.
Now THAT’S an overhaul.
I confess it’s been a while since I’ve ordered a Domino’s pizza, so help me out here:
Domino’s fans, what’s your reaction to the pizza chain overhauling its recipe?
And for those who were NOT fans of Domino’s pizza: Will the overhaul make you more likely to try the “new” version of Domino’s?
Click here for the Domino’s news release about the changes to the pizza recipe.
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TweetNew Five Guys Burgers opens in Beavercreek
Five Guys Burgers and Fries has opened its Beavercreek restaurant at 3286 Pentagon Blvd. in the Fairfield Crossing center.
This is the second Five Guys to open in the Dayton area, following the opening of the small chain’s first restaurant at 1057 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp. Next up is a location near the University of Dayton campus. Chris Mastin, co-owner of the Dayton-area Five Guys franchise restaurants, said the UD-area Five Guys could open in February or March.
The newest Five Guys opened Monday, Dec. 14, with nearly 40 employees, Mastin said. The restaurant seats 76. Click here for a review of both Five Guys and Smashburger, another burger chain in the process of opening new restaurants in the Dayton area.
The new Beavercreek Five Guys is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and can be reached at 937-427-6590.
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TweetEx-downtown restaurant reopens on Salem Ave.
Mary Ann’s Southern Kitchen and Catering, which operated at 33 N. Ludlow St. in downtown Dayton until early 2009, has reopened under the same name in the former CJ’s Pancake House at 3651 Salem Ave. in Harrison Twp.
“Business has been good, and we’ve been enjoying it,” said Erica Peterson, who co-owns the restaurant with her mother, Ann Person. “We’ve got a lot more space to park, and we get a lot of traffic going by on Salem.”
The restaurant has been open for about three months, and is still tweaking the hours and menu, which is similar to the menu at the downtown Dayton restaurant, Peterson said. Mary Ann’s has launched an all-you-can-eat whiting fish dinner for $9.99 on Fridays, and a Sunday buffet for $13.99 includes items such as meat loaf, ribs, greens, yams, macaroni and cheese and pig’s feet, Peterson said.
The restaurant serves breakfast all day and is open seven days a week, although Peterson said she and her mother are considering closing on Mondays after the first of the year. For now, Mary Ann’s opens at 7 a.m. every day and is open until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 8 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (937) 281-1478.
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TweetDuke’s restaurant reopens for third time
Duke’s Restaurant in West Carrollton, which was ordered by a federal judge to close on Sept. 1 as part of an ongoing civil lawsuit, reopened for business today, Dec. 11.
The restaurant was seating diners over the lunch hour, and the restaurant’s owner, Reece Powers III, said he planned to be open regular hours today, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and for lunch and dinner going forward.
Powers said he is serving a menu limited to that of the now-defunct Duke’s Golden Ox restaurant — which was owned by Powers’ Uncle, Raymond “Duke” Morris — to comply with a judge’s order limiting his menu. Powers and his restaurant’s chef, Harry Lee, are defendants in a federal trademark-infringement lawsuit filed by Anne B. Mantia, former owner of Dominic’s Restaurant in Dayton.
Mantia obtained a preliminary injunction against the Duke’s owner and chef limiting the menu they could serve at the restaurant at 630 E. Dixie Drive. Powers thought he had reached agreement to reopen in October, but no agreed-upon menu was ever filed with the court, and his restaurant remained closed.
Powers said his decision to reopen was based a decision filed by U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose last week, on Dec. 3, which read in part: “The Court is and has been agreeable to … permitting the Restaurant to open using an agreed menu. However, Powers and DRI (Powers former corporation, entitled “Dominic’s Restaurant Inc.”) were unwilling to operate under the Duke’s menu that they submitted and have been unwilling and/or unable to agree to another menu. Thus, the restaurant remains closed. Powers’ and DRI’s Motion To Amend this Court’s latest Order that the Restaurant remain closed until if and when the Parties can agree to a different menu or until the menu used is the menu submitted by Powers, Lee and DRI known as the Duke’s Golden Ox Steak House menu is OVERRULED.”
Powers said he believes the restaurant can reopen as long as he limits his menu to the former Duke’s Golden Ox menu, which includes steaks, sandwiches, barbecue ribs and Italian dishes. He estimated that since he first opened eight months ago, he has only been able to serve for about eight weeks. The forced closings have “cost me everything financially,” Powers said. “It’s the worst thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“But we’ve gotten a lot of public support, our vendors have hung in there, and so have our employees,” Powers said.
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TweetLandmark Dayton restaurant now serving food again
DAYTON — Angie’s Firehouse Tavern, which opened in July as a bar but was unable to serve food, has completed its extensive kitchen renovations and has launched lunch and dinner service, including cabbage rolls that was a signature dish of one of its predecessors.
“We’re now a restaurant with a bar,” said retired Dayton Fire Department captain Pat Reed, who owns Angie’s, located at 703 Watervliet Ave.in a facility that once housed Angi’s Restaurant and Kelly’s Corner Cafe.
Angi’s Restaurant was a staple in the Belmont neighborhood through the 1980s and ’90s, and was widely known for its cabbage rolls. Cabbage rolls are back on the menu at Angie’s Firehouse Tavern, along with dishes such as chicken & dumplings, roast beef and turkey hot shots and a huge burger known as the “Bad Lieutenant.”
“We specialize in comfort foods,” Reed said. “And so far, the feedback on our cabbage rolls has been very positive.
Reed said he had to patch holes in the roof above the kitchen, replace several appliances and repair a walk-in cooler and freezer before starting food service.
Angie’s will host a “Blessing of the Restaurant” event at noon Saturday, Dec. 12, with a priest from Immaculate Conception, Reed said.
The restaurant kitchen’s hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, and until 10 p.m. on weekends — although if the tavern is busy, those hours may be extended, Reed said.
For more information about Angie’s Firehouse Tavern, call (937) 252-5125.
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TweetRadio personality opens Cajun restaurant
TROY — Local radio personality Don LeDoux has opened LeDoux’s restaurant at 3006 North County Road 25A, north of Troy and near Upper Valley Medical Center.
LeDoux’s opened in late October — “We wanted to keep the opening low-key,” LeDoux said — and now employs 23 after recently hiring three additional employees.
“Business has been much higher than my expectations for the first month,” LeDoux said.
The restaurant’s signature specialties include jambalaya, crab cakes, sea scallops and Black Angus steaks, LeDoux said. The menu includes a variety of Cajun and American seafood and chicken dishes. LeDoux’s has a full bar.
LeDoux has worked in various radio positions, including most recently as the “Prize Guy” on the Nancy and Kerrigan Morning Show on K99.1-FM. LeDoux continues to operate Cajun Specialties, a catering and concessions company, which can be reached at (937) 216-6907.
LeDoux’s restaurant hours are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. It is closed Sunday. For more information about LeDoux’s, call the restaurant at (937) 875-2000
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TweetBob Evans offers 20% off today and other ‘Merry Mondays’
Dayton-area Bob Evans restaurants are offering a “Merry Mondays” promotion in which diners can download a “20 percent off for friends and family” coupon valid today, Dec. 7, and on the three subsequent Mondays in December, through Dec. 28.
The coupon is good for dine-in only, not for carryout. Dayton is one of only three cities — Charlotte and St. Louis are the other two — to be offered the “Merry Mondays” promotion.
Asked why Dayton was selected, a spokeswoman for the Columbus-based Bob Evans said in an email, “With the new Xenia prototype (restaurant), Bob Evans wants to continue the commitment to the community, especially during these challenging financial times.”
Bob Evans Senior Vice President for Marketing Mary Cusick said in a news release, “We know this is a busy season of planning holiday meals, entertaining friends and family and feeling a pinch to the wallet because of holiday shopping. With 20 percent off every check every Monday with the ‘Merry Mondays’ coupon, family meal deals and catering options, Bob Evans has something to satisfy any budget and every family this holiday.”
A list furnished by Bob Evans officials of restaurants participating in the “Merry Mondays” promotion includes 29 restaurants extending well beyond Dayton and its suburbs to include locations in Springfield, Troy, Piqua, Sidney, Eaton, Bellefontaine, Greenville and Richmond, Indiana. Still, it might be a good idea to call ahead to make sure your restaurant is part of the “Merry Mondays” 20 percent off promotion. The downloadable coupon must be presented at the checkout register to receive the discount. Click here for locations of Bob Evans restaurants. The discount applies to dine-in food and beverages.
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TweetDolcessa closes, but its gelato lives on
Dolcessa has closed its retail gelato and sandwich shop at 1106 Brown St. near the University of Dayton campus, but its gelato will live on in area restaurants and cafes, according to Dolcessa owner Jules Opperman.
Opperman said she wanted to focus on the wholesale side of the business, including developing custom flavors for restaurants. “We wanted to concentrate on what we do the best, which is making gelato and sorbetto,” she said.
Dolcessa was founded in late 2006 on a narrow storefront on East Fifth Street in Dayton’s Oregon District. In November 2007, it moved to its Brown Streeet location near UD.
Opperman said Dolcessa will continue to supply gelato to independent restaurants and cafes in the area, and when warm weather arrives, will sell gelato from a cart at local festivals, fairs and other outdoor events. But there are no current plans to reopen a retail store, she said on the Dolcessa Facebook page.
Therapy Cafe in Dayton’s Cannery Arts District has begun serving Dolcessa gelato-infused martinis, including a Chocolate Gelato Martini Swirl, according to Duante Beddingfield, Therapy Cafe’s public relations director. And Dolcessa’s gelato is being served at Caffeine, the coffee shop at the 2nd Street Public Market at 600 E. Second St. at Webster Street in Dayton. Restaurants such as Jay’s, Rue Dumaine, Christopher’s and Franco’s Ristorante Ristorante Italiano also are serving or have served Dolcessa’s gelato in recent months, Opperman said.
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TweetHarrigan’s to expand into second location
Harrigan’s Tavern will open a second location in the former Fox & Hound in the Washington Park Plaza sometime after the first of the year, Harrigan’s owners Dave Haig and Mike Haley III said.
The new tavern and restaurant to be called Harrigan’s South will be located at 671 Lyons Road, just off Miamisburg-Centerville Road near Old Time Pottery Barn and Arrow Wine & Spirits. Harrigan’s has begun renovations on the space, which has been vacant since Fox & Hound closed in September 2008.
Haig said he and Haley have “absolutely no intention” of closing the existing Harrigan’s at 4070 Marshall Road in Kettering, which the business partners have owned since 1999. “This is just a second location,” Haig said.
The 8,790-square-feet Harrigan’s South will employ as many as 50 people, Haig said.
Haig and Haley said they will likely expand the menu at the new location to include items such as Irish stew, shepherd’s pie and steaks to the staples such as burgers, pizza and wings.
The tavern owners said they were approached by acquaintances connected to commercial real estate about moving into the vacant space, examined it, and decided to take the plunge.
Workers are installing kitchen equipment and furniture at the site now, and Haig said he expects to open sometime in January.
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TweetHot dog chain opens restaurant in Springboro
A Sam’s Hot Dog Stand restaurant has opened at 54 Hiawatha Trail in Springboro.
The hot dog shop, which opened last week, is located in the rear of a strip shopping center off Ohio 73, in a location that previously housed the Ragamuffin Cafe. It is the sole Ohio location of a 44-restaurant chain headquartered in Waynesboro, Virginia. The other restaurants are located primarily in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky.
Mary Davis, who lives in Montgomery in suburban Cincinnati, is the owner-operator of the franchise. Davis and her daughter, Pam Malpass, are the sole employees.
Davis said she operated four Sam’s Hot Dog Stand restaurants in West Virginia before moving to Ohio seven years ago. She worked in retail jobs in the lat seven years, but found that she missed the restaurant business.
“I figured I’d look for a location here and do it again,” she said of becoming a Sam’s franchisee. “I plan on opening more, although I’ve got to get this one going well first.”
The initial reception “has been good, given that people are probably not familiar with the chain and don’t yet know we’re here,” Davis said.
Sam’s Hot Dog Stand offers all-beef hot dogs topped with mild or spicy meat sauce, pork barbecue sandwiches, soups and peanut butter fudge. It is open from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. For more information, call (937) 550-9528.
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TweetNew restaurant opens today on Ohio 741
MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — The new Indian restaurant named Namaste India that we told you about Nov. 5 is set to open today, Dec. 1, according to its owner, University of Cincinnati college senior Sunny Thakkar.
“It has been a busy week,” Thakkar said in an email Monday, Nov. 30. “Finally, after all of our inspections and preparations, we are set to open Tuesday.”
The 1,700-square feet restaurant has seating for about 36 people and is located at 9632 Springboro Pike (Ohio 741) in the strip shopping center that also houses a Scrambler Marie’s restaurant.
Namaste India’s goal is to “provide our customers with the best tasting and largest varieties of Indian food without the long wait and high prices,” according to its web site, which says it will offer “North Indian, South Indian, Gujarati, Indo-Chinese, Chaats and even our exclusive Indian Wraps.” Click here to read the restaurant’s menu.
Thakkar is being aided by his parents and sister in the restaurant venture.
Namaste India’s hours are Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday noon to 9 p.m. For more information, call the restaurant at (937) 433-0101.
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