Dayton937

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

Lisa Grigsby

Indulge Your Sweet Tooth Sunday!

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Sweet Treats Poster 2016Get ready to satisfy your Sweet Tooth at the Sweet Treats Festival this Sunday, March 20th.

This epicurean adventure will showcase over 20 of the area’s top bakeries, chocolatiers, pastry artisans or home-based businesses known for creating decadent desserts.  Attendees will be asked to help  select Dayton’s Best Sweet Treat by voting for their favorite at the event.  The line up for treats so far includes cookies,  cupcakes, candies, truffles, pralines, macaroons, chocolate dipped fruit, fudge, toffee, peanut brittle, cake pops, brownies, baklava and so much more!

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Cupcakes from Cake, Hope & Love

Held at The Coliseum at The Montgomery County Fairgrounds,  the event will run from 2 – 4pm.   Tickets will be sold for $25 in advance, $30 at the door.  There is even a special group ticket deal- buy a bakers dozen (13) for the cost of just 10 tickets ($250).

 

Admission covers 13 taste tickets, one vote for favorite festival sweet, a bottle of water and insights and lessons from the vendors on the Demonstration Stage.  Every booth will have a taste available, and many will have full size treats on sale, just in time to fill your Easter Basket.

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Cookies from Gracie’s Baking

Sweet Treats  was originally conceived as  an opportunity to showcase the growing number of small independent cup cake shops that have popped up in the Miami Valley in the last couple of years.    The first Sweet Treats Festival was held in 2013 and was a huge success with over 350 in attendance, but in 2014 we got snowed out and a little discouraged.  So many people asked about this event, we’re brought it back for 2016,” says Planned2Give organizer Jeff Jackson.  Jackson shares, “One of the best parts of the festival is helping small entrepreneurs expose their products to a larger market.” Purely Sweet Bakery owner Dawn Valor shares “Sweet Treats Festival is near and dear to my heart since it’s where I got recognized and got my spot at 2nd Street Market.”  For 2016 there will be bakers that will be offering up sugar free treats, gluten free goodies and even vegan  sweets .

 

Sweet Treats is made possible with support from Garland & Johnson Dental and Planned2Give and DaytonMostMetro.com  Hope LogoThe charity partner for the 2016 festival is  The Hope Foundation of Greater Dayton. Their mobile pantry provides food to those in need, distributing food to 1000+ families in Montgomery and Greene Counties.  They provide groceries that feed around 3,000 people EVERY MONTH!

 

Tickets can be purchased online or picked up at Cake, Hope & Love, Signature Confections and Fronana for $25.

Confirmed Vendors Include:

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French Toast w/Bacon (cinnamon cupcake, maple buttercream icing and topped with bacon) from Ella Bella

3rd Perk Coffeehouse & Wine Bar
Awesome Yogurt
Cake, Hope & Love
Communitea
Ella Bella Gluten Free
Fronana
Geau to the Moon
Ghostlight
Gifts Arranged
Ginniebug Creations
Gracie’s Baking
Maui Mae’s
Moore Dessert Please
Redémarrage Patisserie
Savorie Gourmet Café
Signature Confections
Sweet by Kristy
Tina’s Sweet Treats
Whole Foods Market

 

Chopped Style Chef Showdown at Home & Garden Show

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If you haven’t seen the TV show that challenges the culinary skills of  chefs against each other and the clock, you can see it live on Sat, March 19th on the Kroger stage at the Dayton Home and Garden Show at the Dayton Convention Center.

Here’s how it will work.  There will be three rounds of competition, hosted by Jim Bucher, with 3 competing chefs in each round.  Chefs will be presented with a basket of 4 mystery ingredients that will need to be used to create an appetizer in 20 minutes.  They will also have use of a stocked pantry of staples to assist them.  At the end of 20 minutes, Chefs will present their dish to the judges for evaluation.

Saturday at 11am

Chef Aaron Braun – Meadowlark

Chef Candace Rinke – Hawthorn Grill

Chef David Glynn – Dayton Country Club

Round1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sat 1pm

Chef Richard Roberts – De’Lish

Chef Crystal Coppock – Wheat Penney

Chef Mariah Gahagan – Lily’s Bistro

Round2.1

3pm
Chef Matt Hayden – Scratch

Chef Lee Anne House – HouseMade Sriracha

Sous Chef Nathan Vance – Salar

Round3

 

One chef from each round will advance to the Finals, to be held Sunday at 1pm.  In the final round the contestants will have 20 minutes to create an entree.  A panel of judges will decide the winner, who will walk away with  bragging rights and $500.  The Chef Showdown, produced by DaytonMostMetro.com, takes place at the Dayton Home and Garden Show.

Ticket Info:

General Admission: $8 At the Door
Children 12 and Under:  Free
Active duty service personnel admitted FREE with proper military ID
$6.00 Pre-Sale Tickets

Texas Beef and Cattle Company Opening In Wright Dunbar

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12803012_10153961277284800_5107880367906413969_nJames Nuñez just signed the lease and got the keys  today to open a bricks and mortar location for his Texas Beef and Cattle Company. He’s been serving up his smoked meats at festivals around town like GarlicFest and the upcoming Dayton Barbecue Rodeo on April 9th at Yellow Cab, while working his day job as a  ‎financial advisor for Agora Investments.

Starting next week you’ll be able to stop by 1101 West Third Street in the Wright Dubar Village to attend a perspective membership night and tasting.  Nuñez explains he’ll be using a model similar to the Fifth Street Brewpub co-op, where BBQ lovers can become members and receive discounts, special member only pricing and invitations to special events.  More information will be posted on their web page.

While James was waiting on the lease paperwork, he took some time to answer some of our questions:

 

What brought a Texas boy like you to Ohio?James Nunez

JN: I moved to Ohio back in June of 1994 My wife (at the time) had enlisted in the Air Force. She was an Ohio native so this was her first and last duty station. (Not Common by any stretch) that amount of time in one place allowed me to establish my profession as an investment professional and my kids had an opportunity to grow up in one place.

You’ve been catering in town since for years, what made you decide to open a restaurant?

JN: I’ve been smoking BBQ for most of my adult life. I joined the Navy back in 1984, I was stationed in Virginia and they really had nothing like what we grew up with in South Texas, in Norfolk Virginia, or Mayport, Florida for that matter. Being a certified welder in the Navy, I built a smoker and began smoking meats. We’d bring mesquite back from Texas in large quantities (But not by today’s standards) to have on hand until our next trip home on leave. That’s how it really started. Most of my friends were from Texas so we hunted, fished and hit the beach together and we ate a lot of BBQ and seafood. When we moved here in (94’ and a few years had gone by (lots of BBQ in those years) we had friends over one Easter and I smoked up a brisket and a couple other meats for the gathering. After appreciatively listening to all the reviews my oldest asked why I didn’t sell it among a few other notable observations. So that’s kinda how that started the ball rolling we did some festivals at The Fraze, Swamp Romp Blues Fest the Fiesta Latino event they used to do. And we expanded from there with word of mouth and referrals. The past three years we have had significant growth to the point that last year I more than doubled the capacity of our smoker which then led us to the next stage needing, a commercial kitchen and while visiting that realization, figured some seating would be cool too.

What’s the secret to good BBQ?12208650_10153707817184800_327014361332515446_n

JN: You mean great BBQ? I don’t know what others do around here for good BBQ, I mean I have tried it all and I can pinpoint what the issues … well let’s leave it at that for now. If you want GREAT BBQ there are a multitude of variables that affect the outcome. Time and temperature are key but 30+ years of experience and making large quantities is not the same as throwing a brisket flat on the back yard smoker. The right equipment and the experience to know how to use it is pretty important. Using the right spice set with the particular smoke source. I could go on for quite a while but you get the idea. Here is an analogy, It’s a lot like brewing beer! You have to have a passion and some talent and a lot of patience to create products that are appealing to many people. In their (the brewers) case, they start with water, in my case I start with a slab of beef or pork and other select cuts. From there, well, it’s an artisans pallet, you’ll have to come and decide for yourself whether it’s a painting or a work of art. I’ll let the public decide. I just know it is an absolute pleasure sharing a little bit of where I come from with the community I have lived in for the past 20 years and formalizing the next step in this process is really exciting. I’m humbled at the responses we have received over the years and really appreciate all the support and encouragement that has led us to this next step. We hope to be all you expect and more.

What can we expect to find on your menu?TexasBeef

JN: We’re going to start with what we do best a simple menu will allow us to enter the marketplace and get really good on our service as quick as possible. One of the things we complain about in our own dining out experiences is the lack of quality service…We’re fixin’ to change that! At least at my place.  Most likely we will start with lunch and dinner where we will feature our Mesquite Smoked beef brisket, our Mesquite smoked pulled pork, our Mesquite Smoked Texas Sausage  We will have our sides which are Borracho beans (we’ll select a local brewery for this beer) our Tejano arroz (Mexican rice) our yellow tater salad and we’ll probably do green beans to start. These are our signature items and what brought us to the dance so we’re hitching our cart to this horse.

From there we can begin to expand our offerings., we’ll probably compliment that with a free range chicken offering and we will incorporate pork ribs (not baby backs) and we’re bringin’ a South Texas staple to Dayton! Mesquite smoked beef ribs!. The ribs and chicken offerings will be limited offerings and we will ease ourselves into these as the staff and I get comfortable with the new digs. Being from the Texas Gulf coast I grew up on seafood so make no mistake gulf coast seafoods will see their place on our menu in the not too distant future. They’ve already made their appearance at our tents. We are also the only BBQ place that is doing Bison Brisket! It’s raised, harvested, and processed in the Greenville area and is an exclusive offering. We’ll incorporate that in on some of our days in a few weeks after opening. Breakfast and Sunday brunch will also be incorporated. We have a limited offering in store for you and again it will be what brought us to the dance first and then we’ll expand it a bit but it will still be a limited short menu. Stick with what you know and what you do great!

Anything else you’d like to add?10985531_10153050251424800_6227234382517744221_n

JN: As you know I have always been a supporter of the downtown community. My office has been located downtown for most of the past twenty years. Over the years I have been involved in various nonprofits, their boards, various committees and have supported the revitalization efforts here for most of that time. Part of what we want to do with Texas Beef and Cattle Company’s next phase is to further support our community. Our Co-Op style format (look for news on our Facebook page) will be driven by members that will buy a little part of their own smokehouse, we will have a member committee that will be elected every couple of years or so, we will have exclusive member events, we will offer our members a program that they can feel is a tremendous value to themselves for their support of our enterprise while We organizing events in our neighborhood and encourage various groups to make us a pit stop, but we also want them to be part of how we support our community we want to source locally sure but at the same time a community garden is even better! sharing in the farming chores will be great, reaching out to our members to share their skills and their talents and bringing them to bear on our own communities needs. We want our place to be a gathering place for all to enjoy and all to receive and all to give and take a little as needed. We want our employees to be partners in our efforts, to be paid good wages to have opportunities and benefits so that they can feel great too! If we can start with this small endeavor we can begin to make a difference all over. At the very core of this is my desire to share a little bit of my culture and flavors from where I grew up. It’s the least I can do for all that Dayton has given me.

This is our vision this is how we see this process unfold and this is what we feel is going to be a worthy enterprise. We hope ya’ll feel the same way!

We Wanna Hear From Miami Valley’s Raktakvists!

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random-acts-logo-revised-300x300This week is Random Acts of Kindness Week, and DMM wants to help  celebrate! We want to hear from Raktavists. RAKtivist is short for ‘Random Acts of Kindness activist’. Think of RAKtivists like kindness ambassadors – and, like all ambassadors, they’re a part of an active, global community. 

Anyone who believes kindness can change the world, who reminds everyone around them how much love there is in the world, who inspires hope and generosity with their actions as much as their words… they’re a RAKtivist.

SKOUT recently conducted a survey among more than 2,700 people to uncover trends when it comes to unexpected kindness. The most heartwarming finding in the survey was that 65% of people say they perform a random act of kindness every day! A Random Act of Kindness (RAK) can take many different forms:

rak

To celebrate Random Acts of Kindness week  DMM wants  you to share your stories in the comment below!

Why share your RAK story?

Kindness is contagious! As you share and read RAK stories, you will inspire others and be inspired to take small actions that can help make someone else’s (and your) day a little better.

whyrak

Think about the RAKs you’ve experienced and how they may have affected you, even on a small scale. Share your stories throughout from now until Sun , February 21st by  commenting below. Don’t have any to share yet? Use these next few days to observe how someone’s unexpected RAK impacts you. We look forward to reading your stories and you never know, we might even reward a few Raktavists with a RAK of our own!

 

 

7 Places to Celebrate Fat Tuesday in Dayton

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Fat Tuesday.inddMardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) is a Christian holiday that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites. Also known as Carnival, it is celebrated in several nations across the globe — predominantly those with large Roman Catholic populations — on the day before the religious season of lent.

For most, Fat Tuesday conjures images of beads, beer, and the Big Easy. Historians believe the first American Mardi Gras occurred on March 3, 1699 when French explorers Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville and Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville landed in what is now Louisiana.  The relatively small festivities were held just south of the present day Mardi Gras capital, New Orleans. In the ensuing decades, New Orleans and other French settlements took to marking the holiday with masked balls, lavish dinners, and wild street parties.

In Dayton, we celebrate the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season with small feasts at local eateries.   Click on the links below to get specific details.

Tuesday February 09, 2016
Buck-A-Bone Event Buck-A-Bone Event

City Barbeque
Tuesday February 09, 2016 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Fat Tuesday Celebration Fat Tuesday Celebration

Mudlick Tap House
Tuesday February 09, 2016 4:00 – 10:00 PM
Abita Mardi Gras Party Abita Mardi Gras Party

South Park Tavern
Tuesday February 09, 2016 5:00 PM
Mardi Gras Celebration Mardi Gras Celebration

Rue Dumaine
Tuesday February 09, 2016 5:00  – 9:00 PM
Mardi Gras Dinner Mardi Gras Dinner

The Hawthorn Grill
Tuesday February 09, 2016 5:00 – 09:00 PM
Mardi Gras Specials Mardi Gras Specials

Amber Rose
Tuesday February 09, 2016 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Fat Tuesday Fat Tuesday

Chappys Tap Room & Grille
Tuesday February 09, 2016 All Day Event

Another Mardi Gras tradition is the King Cake. The King Cake is baked with a small plastic baby hidden inside, the person who gets the slice with baby in it has various privileges and obligations.  Often times when you find the prize, you are responsible for planning the next celebration.  You can pick up a king cake at many local bakeries, including Dorothy Lane Market.  I noticed Whole Foods has a display of them for abut $20 each yesterday.  

As a slight twist you can stop by the grand opening of Tasty Measures at the corner of 5th & Jefferson on Fat Tuesday and get a free King Muffin with purchase.  If you find the baby you’ll win free meat pies for a year!

Grand Opening Specials for Tasty Measures

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d69473ecd47fa48d422af62ea1ee0f78At the corner of 5th and Jefferson Streeta, in the building that formerly housed Chin’s, Elbo’s and Sa Bai, Tasty Measures quietly opened a couple of weeks ago.  Named for the way you order your food, measured by the ounce, this breakfast and lunch place will let you build your sandwich and pay by the weight (45 -65 cents depending on the meat), or cruise through the salad bar and pay 35 cents per ounce.  Their breakfast offering include the option to customize your 3 egg omelette, grab a sweet or savory pastry with your coffee, cappuccino or espresso or enjoy a breakfast taco or a breakfast meat pie.

Meat pies, made popular by Aaron & Bethany Horn at the Cheeky Meat Pies booth at the Second Street 9bc3abf550e2677a0a81d816255c76ffMarket were the inspiration for Tasty Measures.  They brought these New Zealand puff pie pastries back to the states, had a food truck (which they have sold)  and have been quite successful with them.  Horn wanted to expand on the pies and have a kitchen were they could mass produce them for frozen sales and shipping.  The facility on Jefferson gives her the space to do that as well as use half the space for the diner.

Grand Opening Celebration Specials:

 Mon, Feb 8th – first 50 guest starting at 10am will receive  a free Cheeky Meat pie.

Tues, Feb 9th, get a free King Muffin with purchase- find the baby and win free meat pies for a year

Wed, Feb 10th, Free Vegetarian breakfast pies for the first 50 customers

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Free covered parking is available behind the building and there’s free wifi too. Tables and small soft seating area’s make it easy to host a small meeting at Tasty Measures. Can’t make the grand opening, don’t worry, Tasty Measures delivers to the downtown area for $1/order.

Visit Tasty Measures at 200 S. Jefferson Mon – Fri from 7am – 3pm.  Call them to cater your next lunch or breakfast meeting at 937-220-9224 or reach them by email at [email protected].

 

McCoy on Movies: The Finest Hours

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THE FINEST HOURS
Disney’s latest is an adequate but not awe-inspiring telling of Coast Guard heroics

“OK, so if I pull this hard enough, I get to be the next Batman after my brother?” Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) attempts to keep his ship, the SS Pendelton, from sinking in a scene from Disney’s THE FINEST HOURS. Credit: Claire Folger. © Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.



WATCH THE TRAILER(S) HERE: 


 




 
 
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Chris Pine, Holliday Grainger, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Graham McTavish, John Ortiz, Abraham Benrubi, Rachel Brosnahan, John Magaro, Michael Raymond-James and Eric Bana
 
WRITER(S): Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson (screenplay); Casey Sherman and Michael J. Tougias (book on which the movie is based).
DIRECTOR(S): Craig Gillespie
 
 
60 SECOND PLOT SUMMARY (OR AS CLOSE TO THAT TIME AS ONE CAN MAKE IT): Based on true events taking place on the evening of Feb. 18, 1952, The Finest Hours stars Chris Pine as Bernie Webber, a rather unassuming member of the U.S. Coast Guard’s station in Chatham, Mass. Despite his rather quiet nature, there’s something about Bernie that appeals to Miriam (Holliday Grainger), a woman who takes a quick liking him to enough to propose to him. Being a member of the Coast Guard, however, Bernie takes his job very seriously, which is why he will be sure to ask his commander, Cluff (Eric Bana), before he can actually tie the knot with Miriam.


He quickly discovers his request will have to wait, however, once a distress call comes in across the radio saying an oil tanker, the SS Mercer, has been split in two by a colossal storm just off the coast. Of course, that would be a problem in and of itself if it weren’t for the fact that a second oil tanker, the SS Pendleton, has suffered a similar fate – and taken its captain down to the bottom of the ocean’s depths in the process. Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck), has a plan to keep the ship from sinking – but he’s running out of time to do so. Going out to save the crew of the Pendleton in these conditions is seemingly nothing short of a suicide mission, yet Cluff – who has yet to win the hearts of his unit – sends Bernie out in the storm anyway. And being the company man determined to always do the right thing, Bernie goes, taking volunteers Richard Livesey (Ben Foster), Andy Fitzgerald (Kyle Gallner) and Ervin Maske (John Magaro) with him. 


What follows is what constitutes what is widely considered the greatest small boat mission in the history of the Coast Guard to this day …

WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST? People who like movies with strong female characters; people who enjoy endurance pictures; those who love a classic Disney ending; Casey Affleck fans; those who enjoy 3D films where the special effects are an enhancement, not a distraction
 
WHO WON’T (OR SHOULDN’T) LIKE THIS MOVIE? Chris Pine fans coming in expecting him as a young Captain Kirk on the high seas; people who hate hokey endings; those who would rather watch a documentary about a historical event than a Hollywood novelization; Eric Bana fans; anyone with a fear of boats or easily gets seasick; anyone not interested in another boat movie after In the Heart of the Sea 
 
SO, IS IT GOOD, BAD OR ABSOLUTELY AWFUL? Ever seen one of those movies where for the first 30 minutes or so, you’re not emotionally invested in the story at all even though you can tell the filmmakers are building towards something that might be decent? If your answer is “no” or it’s been a while since you have, The Finest Hours will serve as a quick study in this phenomenon as the cliché idea of a film being a mixed bag has rarely been so fitting.


For a film that wants you to be enthralled with the idea of perseverance and romance, The Finest Hours sure doesn’t seem to be concerned with actually delivering it on a compelling level until very late in the film. Chris Pine nails being a working schlub so much that he, well, feels like a working schlub you have a hard time investing in emotionally. Sure he’s a nice enough guy it seems, but there is nothing inherently compelling – either on a surface level or deep-seeded in his emotions – that really makes you go “I feel him.” This wouldn’t be such an issue if Holliday Grainger wasn’t so fully committed to her role that she becomes the most intriguing figure in the film – and her only time on the water comes early and uneventfully. She steals the film as its emotional center even though her character is essentially reduced to being a headstrong woman who pines for her guy’s safe return home, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s fairly disappointing, really, that Pine’s understated performance actually, well, drags. Throw in Bana’s rather banal, maybe-it’s-supposed-to-be-comic-relief? performance as the overmatched Cluff and the only thing compelling about the finest hours is watching how things play out versus caring about why.


Casey Affleck fortunately provides a compelling character with subtle nuances to make him a guy you want to root for, making sure Sybert doesn’t fall victim of the trope of “he’s forced into this, now let’s heavy-handedly show you how he responds.” He provides a much-needed dosage of testosterone-fueled gumption, which is sorely lacking. The visuals of the film also do a solid job of keeping your attention as you watch the events unfold, which in turn give Affleck the best scenes to move things along. 


Other than that, though, you have too many elements that feel a bit stale to make the film rise above (no pun intended) “average” filmmaking. There’s the happy ship guy, the near-mutiny guys who have to learn the hard way to let the level-headed guy (Affleck) take charge, there’s the aforementioned guy who’s in charge who shouldn’t be (Bana) and just a general sense of 50s camp that doesn’t feel like nostalgia, but just pure camp. Sure, your grandparents will likely love it, but unless you’re a hopeless romantic, it’s not exactly Titanic or The Poseidon Adventure that they’re crafting here. I don’t mean to make it sound like I’m knocking the movie as it is quite watchable … It’s just that once you’ve finished the voyage, you can’t help but feel like there was something more that could have been.


A pure Disney movie at its best and worst moments, The Finest Hours isn’t exactly the best two hour jaunt into the dangerous seas, but it’s got enough solid components to entertain the average moviegoer once the tide starts to come in. 


OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):

 

First Anniversary For Craft Beer And Fine Wine Bottle Shop

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12439249_1015360635168835_8560929092162583745_nWe first wrote about The Barrel House – Coming Soon To Third And Wayne in January 2013.  At that time, Olive owner Kimberly Collett had recruited her cousin Jeff Heater to move from Maine to come to Dayton as her partner and manage this coffee shop for beer.  Jeff jumped write in to oversee the remodel of the building as the GM & Chief Beer Geek.

It took a while, to maneuver through some construction and lease obstacles and The Barrel House officially opened on Jan 30, 2015.  On the eve of their first anniversary celebration on Sat, Jan 30th,  Jeff took some time to talk with DMM:

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The picture that started it all.

While this is your first anniversary, when did planning for the BH start?
It really all started with a text picture of Chimay White, mid March, 2012.
When I lived in Columbus my favorite bar always had the beer on tap and I would tease my cousin with it. This particular time I was living in Maine and celebrating with a Chimay from my local bar. The reply text was “I have an idea if you want to come home”, and that got the ball rolling. The Olive had been open nine months or so and Kim saw the potential. Originally the idea was that by the time I actually made the move back, the store would be ready to open. I could live upstairs in the apartment, it would be perfect. We all know that didn’t happen!

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the first year of business?
Facebook is a tool. No, seriously! A business tool. Social Media is an entirely different beast as a business. Alga-rhythms, paying to boost, who sees what, and on and on… One doesn’t want to be annoying yet it’s the way we keep up these days. It can be a double edged sword. Liking and sharing posts does a huge amount to spread the word. I’m trying to be better about tagging local breweries when we tap their beers or receive new package product.
We have such solid reviews, many sites contact us asking that we take it up a notch and pay to play.

barrel-house

What’s the biggest surprise you’ve had about the business?
We are not a brewery! We leave that to the other guys. We get so much mail trying to sell us forklifts and spill kits and all kinds of fun stuff, however, we will not ever need any of it!

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If you had it to do again what one thing would you change?
Absolutely nothing. I’m a firm believer in the here and now. All the what-if’s in the world wouldn’t result in the same end product. Part of our whole logic was to open when it was finished, nothing we had explain away. I distinctly remember the day i realized it was ready. Still, when we see necessary changes needed, we have evolved. We adapted to the needs of the customer. We will continue to evolve.


What can we expect new or different in year two?
More controlled events. My goal from the beginning was to have one wine and one beer event each month. However big or small. It’s time to focus on that. I want people to know that the second Thursday of the month is some11822570_10153532885514314_1360217017406453574_nthing at the BH.
When we were the new kid, breweries and distributors were throwing stuff at us so fast, we were not in a position to say no. Now I know to be patient. Maybe it’ll come back around? Maybe it’s not worth the hassle?  As I say this, I’m already eating my words because the Ohio Craft Brewers Conference is hot on the heals of our Anniversary party. So five long days later we will have a Fatheads Meet and Greet event.

I like to think this is the end of the longest, toughest year of my life. I know it’ll never get easy, there will always be stress, and I’ll never really get a day off. But with the support of my wife, family and friends, I’ve…, we’ve made it this far. There is a great community of support here and I am certainly happy to be a part of it. We have a great staff, delivery a great product, and are committed to making our mark in the local beer scene. Here’s to many more years, Cheers!


We hope you’ll check out the 20 taps which include  17 craft beers, one gluten free cider a red and white wine at The Barrel House at 417 E. Thirds Street in downtown Dayton.  You can fill a growler or howler,  enjoy a flight of beers or pick a bottle of wine  off the shelf, use the insta-chill cooler  to chill your bottle in 5-7 minu10151196_847038572001043_8316600365813678939_ntes  while you lounge in the comfy chairs and use their free wifi. You can even carry in your own food, or have it delivered.

HOURS OF OPERATION:
Tuesday-Thursday 3p-10p
Friday & Saturday  12p-1a
Sunday                   1p-7p
Closed Mondays

Bravo Beavercreek Opens Thurs, Jan 28th

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12070835_890349217709512_1816700586_nBRAVO! Cucina Italiana, a “polished casual” restaurant offering classic Italian food, offered a sneak peek last night of their newest location at The Mall at Fairfield Commons, which officially opens this Thursday, Jan 28th.  Located on the east side of the mall, in the space that was formerly one of the two Elder Beerman stores, now a newly created restaurant row, with  the recently opened Chuy’s, and the soon to open BJ’s Brewhouse.   I was welcomed at the door by a bevy of smiling  hostesses,  and quickly escorted to my table.  The brand new building is decorated to give you the feeling of an Italian bistro, elegant with white table cloths, but yet not stuffy. The high ceilings and large columns dividing the dining room into three sections, give the restaurant a very open and large feeling.  The new Beavercreek eatery has seats  for about a 120, with a small private dining room that can accommodate 20 guests,  according to Lisa Marie, one of the managers who’s transferred from the Dayton Mall Bravo, where she’s worked for 12 years.  Come spring you’ll also be able to enjoy patio seating.

IMG_2521

My meal started with manager Samantha delivering an appetizer to the table.  She shared that it was her favorite and it quickly became one of my new favorites, too.  Arancini Fritters are delicious little balls of cheesy risotto served with a spicy davolo sauce and a more mild pomodoro sauce.  Here’s some helpful info, you won’t find these on the dinner menu, but they are on the bar menu, but you can indeed order these at your table and at $3.95 they are a MUST ORDER!  Looking forward to going back and sitting at the beautiful bar, which runs across the front of the restaurant with a brilliant lighted bottle display, lots of bar stools and some comfy booths.  Be sure and take advantage of happy hour with a small plates menu starting at $3.95.

After appetizers, the Bravo! Chopped Salad with cucumbers, red onions, tomatoes, olives, Feta, red wine vinaigrette is a  crisp,fresh option. The Caesar is a classic and never disappoints.  If you’re a Lobster Bisque fan, they have one of the best! And the bread- that rosemary foccacia served fresh from the oven with a basil, thyme, and rosemary olive oil dipping sauce, I can actually make that a meal!

 

The menu is full of IMG_4133choices, with pizzas, pasta, selections from the grill like the Filmet Mignon Toscano, pork chops or jumbo shrimp and chef specialties like Veal or Eggplant Parmesan, Crab and Shrimp Cakes, and Chicken Scaoppini.  There’s even a selection of light entrees and gluten free pasta options.  I choose the Pasta Fra Diavolo with shrimp tossed in a mildly spicy tomato cream sauce with campanelle pasta.  The portions at Bravo are always generous and there were  about a dozen good sized shrimp in my dish.  It you like some heat with your pasta, you can ask your server to have the kitchen spice this one up. Speaking of kitchens, it’s an open kitchen in the back of the restaurant where you can actually see and hear the crew working on your meal.  It’s authentic without being obtrusive.

Another thing I’ve learned is if you’re getting full,  let them pack part of your dinner to go so you can order dessert.   My favorite is the decadent chocolate cake layered with white and milk chocolate mousse, iced with fudge ganache frosting. Of course there’s also the traditional Italian Tiramisu of lady fingers soaked in coffee liqueur, layered with creamy Mascarpone filling and finished with cocoa powder or a New York style cheesecake with a shortbread cookie crust, dusted with sugar and caramelized to order served with vanilla IMG_4132bean anglaise.  Or share the dessert trio of  vanilla bean crème brulee, cannoli crumble and warm chocolate peanut butter brownie.

 

And while the staff is all brand new, the 5 five weeks of training managed by a team of 13 trainers in town from other units makes for service that was on point, without being obtrusive.  My iced tea was replaced with a fresh glass several times, always before my glass was empty, a touch I truly appreciate.  Teamwork was spot on with nearby servers clearing glasses, and dishes as they were emptied. Samantha Woods, the service manager who moved from a North Carolina to open this Bravo, shared that the company has grown a lot since she’s been working with them for five years, and explained that the while the Bravo and Brio concepts are similar, Brio features a more tuscan grilled menu as opposed to the more pasta friendly Bravo menu. The company also has a third concept, Bon Vie Bistro, that’s only at Easton in Columbus, so far.

Speaking of growing, right after opening the Beavercreek store, Grand Rapids, Michigan gets their first Bravo next week. Chief Training Officer Diane McLaughlin shared that “we were impressed when it came to staffing, this location had great applicants and we had over half the positions filled in the first couple of weeks.  I can’t say the same about the Michigan store.  Of course it may have something to do with the fact we already have established a good reputation in the market.”  And if my visit last night was any indication, Bravo has another hit on their hands with the Beavercreek location.

 

 

BRAVO! Cucina Italiana   (937) 431-5460500bravobrunch

2727 Fairfield Commons

Sun -Thu: 11am -10pm
Fri & Sat: 11am -11pm

BRAVO! Brunch  is served Saturday and Sunday until 3pm.

5 Tips For A Great Restaurant Week

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dayton-restaurant-weekOriginally started in 2005 Restaurant Week has become a major event in Dayton Dining.  The original concept was a 3 course meal for a set price that related to the year, say $20.16 with $1 being donated to local charities.   Since I left the helm of the MVRA, the program has morphed and now includes multiple price points, chains restaurants and more casual eateries, which offer meals deals for two at various price points.  I’m not sure if they still do the $1 to charity, I could find no reference to that on the MVRA website or in the promotions for this years event. They have added a night, giving you more chances to sample some of the Miami Valley’s restaurants at a discount.  It kicks off Sun, Jan 24th and runs through Sun, Jan 31st.  Take some time and peruse the menu’s, some eateries offer 4 courses, some add beer or wine to the offering, and be aware of the restaurant’s hours, some are closed on Sunday & Monday.

Here are our suggestions to get the most out of Restaurant Week:

 

1. Reserve Early

Popular Restaurant Week choices will be booked up quickly, so the sooner you get on the phone to make your reservations, the better. Reservations for dinner early in the week (Monday – Wednesday) tend to be easier to get than Friday and Saturday.  Some of the more casual restaurants don’t take reservations, so arriving before or after the dinner rush will minimize your wait.

2. Manage Your Expectations

It is Restaurant Week and most restaurants offer fairly limited choices on the Restaurant Week menu, so if you’re a very picky eater, it might not be the best option for you. Menu’s are predetermined for price, volume and ease of service, so don’t be surprised if substitutions aren’t possible. Frequently, the Restaurant Week menu won’t include a restaurant’s “signature” dishes, but you can often order them a la carte if you’d really like to give them a try. Some menu’s may actually differ from what’s listed here, due to product availability.

3. Understand the Price

The $20.16 – 35.16 prix-fixe meal doesn’t include beverages, tip or tax. Beverages can add up quickly,  so if you’re concerned about your budget, ask about prices before you order. On the other hand, since your meal is discounted, this might be the best time to splurge on a bottle of wine. Many restaurants offer multiple price points options, so you can decide how much to spend.  For the more budget challenged, check out the eateries offering to feed 2 for a set price, like Bunkers, Chappy’s, Hickory River Smokehouse and The Dublin Pub.

4.  Vegetarians  Beware

Some of the menu’s don’t offer a lot of options for you, but you’re probably not surprised by that.  On the other hand places like Christopher’s and Meadowlark always offer creative and tasty options.  The tilapia or mushroom options offered by many aren’t much of a restaurant week deal.

5. Tip Your Server Well

Just because you’re getting a discount on your dinner doesn’t mean that the waiter or waitress is getting a break on their rent this month, so tip generously if you get good service. And as a former waitress, let me remind you 20% is the baseline for good service these days.

 

Restaurant Week menus are courtesy of the MVRA Site:

Amber Rose      Price Point $20.16

First Course:

Choice of  Butternut Squash Soup or Home-style Cream of Potato Soup

Second Course:

Choice of   Apple Cinnamon Glaze Bone in Pork Chop served with Garlic Rosemary Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes   or  Shrimp Etouffee Semi Spicy Seafood Stew served over Dirty Rice

Third Course:

Choice of   Mini Maple Bacon Apple Turnovers  orPeach Cobbler

basils-tour

Tour of Basil’s on Market

Lobster Shells and cheese, our homemade smoked gouda sauce tossed with lump lobster meat and finished with a seared shrimp.  Filet of beef; fire roasted to perfection on a bed of mushroom ragu, layered on a seared redskin potato and, drizzled with our house made basil pesto sauce finished with crispy prosciutto. Pork Tostada; fried wonton topped with shredded 16 hour roasted pork accented with our house made chili lime slaw accented with homemade sriracha sauce.

$25.16

Buckhorn Tavern

Choice of Appetizer

  • French Onion Soup –
    Sauteed sweet onions, simmered in seasoned beef broth, covered with mozzarella cheese
  • Portobello Fries –
    Chunky slices of Portabello Mushrooms in seasoning breading with Lemon Garlic Aioli with Truffle oil
  • Shrimp Bruschetta –
    Crusty French Bread with Baby shrimp, Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese with a Classic Bruchetta topping of Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Garlic and Olive Oil
  • Maple Blueberry Salad –
     Romaine chopped, dried Blueberries, toasted Walnuts, Feta Cheese tossed in Maple Vinaigrette, garnished with Apple shoestrings
  • Glass of Wine –
    Choose Red or White from our discoveries

$20.16 Entrée Options

  • Bar Harbor Blueberry Ribs –
    The state of Maine coastal hangouts created a sauce recipe that combines Blueberries and BBQ. Our version is a half slab of Pork Ribs cooked long and slow until it’s falling off the bone tender smothered with house made fresh Blueberry Sauce
  • Shrimp Alexander –
    Large Shrimp marinated in Garlic, Herbs and Butter, pressed in Panko Crumbs, flash fried with a side of L’orange sauce
  • Walleye –
    Fresh Walleye lightly coated with herbs and breading, pan fried, served with a side of citrus lemon tarter sauce

$25.16 Entrée Options

  • New York Strip French Onion Style –
    Huge hand cut 12 oz with French style sauce, melted Mozzarella, Provolone and Parmesan cheese. Served over a bed of our own breaded Onion rings
  • Prime Rib Encrusted –
    Slow cooked seasoned Prime Rib 12 oz, with a savory horseradish sauce and parmesan cheese crispy panko crumbs
  • Side Choice for each Entrée –
    Baked Potato, Mashed Potatoes, Steak Fries, Grilled Mixed Veggies, Skillet Apples or Vegetable of the Day

Choice of Dessert

  • Turtle Cheesecake or Double Chocolate Cake

Bunker’s Bar & Grill

Dinner for 2 – $25.16

Choice #1

  • Choice of appetizer to share
    Traditional Pizza
    (Up To 5 Toppings)
    Choice of any two desserts

Choice #2

  • Choice of appetizer to share
    Choice of any two quesadillas: Beef • Chicken • Cheese
    Choice of any two desserts

Choice #3

  • Choice of appetizer to share
  • Choice of any two: Chicken Chunks • Chicken Strips
  • Choice of any two desserts

Available Appetizers

Jalapeno Bottle Caps Jalapeno Poppers Birdies Nest Fried Mushrooms Pretzel Sticks Poe Anna Cheese Sticks Potato Skins Seasoned Fries Loaded Fries

Available Desserts

  • Chocolate Cake
  • Lemon Cake
  • Cheesecake  – Choice of: Strawberry • Caramel • Chocolate

The Caroline         From Jan. 25 to the 30th

Choice Of:
Glass Of House Wine –Redwood Creek-Chardonnay-Pinot Grigio-Cabernet-Merlot-Pinot Noir-White Zinfandel
Craft Beer On Tap –Guinness—Stella Artois—Bells Seasonal—Fathead IPA, or a Soft Drink

  • Tossed Salad with Dressing
  • Shrimp Teaser: Three shrimp cocktail over mixed greens with remoulade
  • Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with basil and Parmesan cheese
  • Chipotle Roasted Pork
    with BBQ mashed potatoes and escalloped apples. – 22.16
  • Coriander Rubbed House Steak
    10oz Certified Angus Beef top sirloin with cinnamon rice, Thai chili sauce and pickled red cabbage. – 26.16
  • Sauteed Tilapia
    With pearled barley, sweet potato cream, spiced walnuts and asparagus garnish. – 23.16

  • Vanilla New York Cheesecake
    Topped with salted caramel peanuts and Bailey’s sea salt caramel cream.
  • Triple Chocolate Cake
    With Irish cream ganache.
We’re accepting call ahead reservations!

Carvers Steaks & Chops

Salad Course

Fresh baked bread and your choice of Soup of the day or one of our Signature Salads (below)

  • Romaine Salad
    Bleu Cheese Crumbles, Bacon, Roasted Onions & Red Peppers in a Balsamic Vinaigrette Carvers Spinach
    with Apples, Glazed Almonds & Dried Cranberries in a Honey Dijon Dressing
  • Mixed Baby Greens
    with Goat Cheese, Glazed Walnuts & Cherry Tomatoes in a Pinot Noir Vinaigrette
  • Classic Caesar
    Romaine tossed in a Caesar dressing, with toasted croutons and shaved parmesan cheeseAnd your choice of:
    Mashed potatoes, au gratin potatoes, baked potato, rice pilaf, French fries
    Or Seasonal vegetables

Three course entrees for $20.16

  • Beef Tenderloin Au Poivre
    Filet tips, onions, mushrooms, garlic, and whiskey peppercorn sauce
  • Tilapia
    Lemon Caper Butter, Garlic
  • Portobello Mushroom Chicken
    Boneless breast, with a caramelized onion mushroom sauce

Three course entrees for $25.16

  • Grilled Atlantic Salmon
    Roasted filet with fresh basil mustard seed marinade
  • Prime Rib
    7oz herb crust, slow roasted
  • Filet Mignon
    House blend seasoning, Hand cut
  • Y. Strip Steak
    10oz House blend seasoning, Hand cut

Three course entrees for $30.16

  • Surf & Turf
    Hand cut 6oz Filet, topped with Shrimp Scampi
  • Mahi Mahi
    Blackened, Roasted Pepper Sriracha butter

Dessert Course    – Crème Brûlée  Or  Chocolate Mousse

Chappy’s Social House

Three Course Dinner for $20.16

First Course

  • Choice of Spicy Tortilla Soup or House Salad

Second Course

Choose One
  • Southern Style Cornmeal Crusted Catfish with Creole Crawfish Sauce served over Asparagus and Potato Casserole
  • Beer Brined Pork Chops and 4 Bones of Slow Smoked BBQ Ribs with Southern Style Fresh Green Beans and Cheesy Potato Casserole
  • 6oz Pub Steak with Roasted Garlic Blue Cheese Butter served with Vegetable Medley and Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Third Course

  • Chappy’s Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

Chappy’s Tap Room

TWO- 3 Course Dinners for $35.16

First Course:  Choice of Spicy Tortilla Soup or House Salad

Second Course

Choice of
  • 1/2 Slab Slow Smoked BBQ Ribs
  • Cajun Fried or Beer Batter Shrimp
  • Boneless Pork Chops – Beer Brined, Grilled or Fried
  • 1/2 Smoked Chicken
  • Beer Battered Cod
  • Smothered Chicken Breast
  • Each served with choice of 2 sides

Third Course   –  Chappy’s Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake

Chop House

All of our Restaurant Week entrees are served with a choice of salad or soup, and finish dinner with our delectable Cheesecake.

$25.15

  • Chop House Filet –
    Fork tender seasoned with our house seasoning, and served with a baked potato or a jumbo sweet potato.

$20.15

  • Chop House Prime Rib –
    The best prime rib in town seasoned to perfection served with hot au jus, paired with a baked potato or a jumbo sweet potato.

$20.15

  • Grilled North Atlantic Salmon –
    Char-grilled, seasoned with lemon pepper and topped with a seasonal garnish. Served with rice and steamed broccoli.

Christophers

We can make the vegetarian options vegan as well

Meat:

  • First Course
    Chimichurri Steak, caramelized red onions, refried black beans and spicy yogurt sauce on toasted flat bread. Served with lightly dressed greens.
  • Second Course
    Chicken Saltimbocca with lemon rosemary cream sauce, cauliflower Swiss gratin and sautéed Swiss chards.
  • Third Course
    Pear and cranberry cobbler with maple bourbon cream

Vegetarian:

  • First Course
    Roasted chimichurri squash, caramelized red onions, refried black beans and spicy yogurt sauce on toasted flat bread. Served with lightly dressed greens.
  • Second Course
    Pesto cream quinoa, with roasted winter vegetables, tomato raisins and toasted falafel.
  • Third Course
    Pear and cranberry cobbler with maple bourbon cream.

CoCo’s Bistro

$25.16 *Price does not include tax or gratuity.*

Please choose one from each of the following categories:

STARTERS

  • THE WEDGE
    Crisp iceberg lettuce, chopped egg, gorgonzola crumbles, diced romas, shaved red onion, hot bacon vinaigrette
  • HOUSE SALAD
    field greens, cucumber, carrots, chow mein noodles

Choice of the following homemade dressings: buttermilk ranch, thousand island, French, bleu cheese, Italian, honey balsamic

ENTRÉES

  • BRICK OVEN CHICKEN
    herb crusted airline breast, roasted tomato polenta, chicken demi glace, crispy carrot shavings, scallions
    …Pair with a glass of Red Diamond Mysterious Blend $5
  • VEGAN RISOTTO
    carnaroli rice, green chili broth, sautéed poblanos and onions, black bean salsa, crispy tortilla strips, fried cilantro, house hot sauce
    …Pair with a glass of Red Diamond Mysterious Blend $5
  • SHRIMP SCAMPI TORTELLINI
    cheese tortellini, sautéed shrimp, diced tomato, red onion, baby spinach, zesty scampi butter, fresh shaved parmesan
    …Pair with a glass of Darkhorse Chardonnay $5
  • SALMON CAKES
    house smoked salmon cakes, vermont cheddar augratins, fried spinach, bacon lardons, house apple butter, red wine reduction
    …Pair with a glass of Darkhorse Chardonnay $5
  • STEAK KABOBS
    beef tenderloin skewers, gorgonzola mash, house steak sauce, sautéed green beans
    …Pair with a glass of Red Diamond Mysterious Blend $5 

DESSERT

  • Mini vanilla crème brulee  or    Warm chocolate caramel cake

The Dock


JANUARY 26 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2, 2016

CHOOSE YOUR FIRST COURSE:

  • SPRING MIX GREENS TOSSED WITH SWEET DRIED CRANBERRIES, ROASTED SUNFLOWER NUTS, RED ONION RINGS, AND CHEF DALE’S FAMOUS STRAWBERRY VINAIGRETTE!!
  • OUR AWARD-WINNING CREAMY LOBSTER BISQUE, SERVED WITH CRACKERS!!
  • MUSHROOMS STUFFED WITH A CRABMEAT DRESSING AND TOPPED WITH LOBSTER-SHERRY SAUCE!!

CHOOSE YOUR ENTRÉE:

  • BAKED-STUFFED TILAPIA
    TILAPIA FILETS STUFFED WITH A CRABMEAT DRESSING, TOPPED WITH LOBSTER-SHERRY SAUCE, BAKED TO PERFECTION, AND SERVED WITH FRESH SPINACH & MUSHROOM ORZO!!
  • LOBSTER-TOPPED “POOR MAN’S GROOPER”
    A DOCK-FAVORITE SWAI FILET, LIGHTLY DUSTED IN FLOUR, PAN-SEARED, TOPPED WITH LOBSTER AND SHRIMP IN A CREAMY SEAFOOD SAUCE, AND SERVED OVER GARLIC PENNE PASTA!!
  • CEDAR PLANK SALMON
    A NORWEGIAN SALMON FILET, CHAR-GRILLED & SERVED ON A CEDAR PLANK, FOR A RICH, SMOKEY FLAVOR, TOPPED WITH A YELLOW PEPPER-SAFFRON SAUCE AND SERVED WITH LONG GRAIN & WILD RICE!!

CHOOSE YOUR DESSERT:

  • HOMEMADE CHEESECAKE TOPPED WITH AN APPLE-WALNUT CHUTNEY!!
  • HOMEMADE CRÈME BRULEE!!
  • HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE WITH WHIPPED CREAM!!

THREE COURSE DINNER……..$25.16

The Dublin Pub

Will be offering dinner for 2 for 35.16

The menu will be

  • 2 house salads
  • 1 starter to share (choices are 1/2 &1/2 onion straws – Paddy’s Fried Pickles – Cracker Bread)
  • 2 Entrees (choices are Irish Schnitzel – Barley & Sausage – Hell’s Bells Pasta – Lamb Shank – Potato Crusted Cod)

el Meson

  • Asopao de Camaron
    A hearty soup of Shrimp, rice, tomatoes, onions.
    Or
  • Ensalada de Casa House Salad
    Mixed Greens, Cucumber, Tomato, Cilantro, Onion, & dried
    Cranberries with a Tropical Mango Vinaigrette

SecondCourse (Select 1)

  • Cuban Pork Tenderloin Mojo
    Pork tenderloin marinated in sour orange, garlic, and cumin, sliced and topped with onion Mojo
  • Ropa Vieja
    Slow roasted flank steak shredded with onions, tomatoes, red, and green peppers
  • Grouper con Sofrito
    Sautée Grouper fillet dusted in flour, with a tomato, onions, garlic sauce

Served with Arroz con Gandules
Rice with Peas
Maduros
Sweet Plantains
Jamaican Jerk Slaw

Third Course

  • Chocolate Flan

$25.16

Figlio’s

Celebrate with a 3-course meal for $20.16 (plus tax, beverage and gratuity).

First Course

  • Peasant Salad,
  • Crab and Corn Chowder or
  • Balsamic Salad

Second Course

  • Greek Chicken Pizza,
  • Pesto Chicken with Feta Pizza
  • Wild Mushroom Pizza,
  • Seafood Diablo Pasta,
  • Roasted Red Pepper and Chicken Pasta, or
  • Figlio Chicken on Multigrain Pasta

Third Course

  • White Chocolate Crème Brulee,
  • Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie, or
  • Tiramisu

Franco’s Ristorante Italiano

Restaurant Week Menu from Jan 25 thru the 30th

3 Course Meal for $20.16

Antipasti (Appetizer Choices)

  • Ravioli Espanol
  • Crostini di Focaccia
  • Suppli

Primo (Entrée Choices)

  • Lasagna with Meat Sauce or Marinara Sauce
  • Franco’s Spaghetti (Garlic & Olive Oil) with Mushrooms or Sausage
  • Fork or Portabella Mushroom Marsala

Dolci (Dessert Choices)

  • Carrot Cake
  • Spumoni Ice Cream

Hawthorn Grill

Tues, Jan 26 – Sat Jan 30    3 course meal $25.16

Course 1:  House Salad or Buffalo Chicken Meatballs or Clam Chowder

Course 2:  Chicken & Biscuits or Chicken Fried Steak or Risoto

Course 3:  Coffee & Donuts or Warm  Chocolate Cake or Reconstruced Elvis

Hickory River Smokehouse

January 24 – January 31, 2016

A 3-Course Meal for 2 starting at $20.16

Appetizers (choose 2)

  • Homemade Texas-Style Chili
  • Seasoned Waffle Fries
  • Sweet Potato Fries
  • Onion Rings
  • Southern Style Okra

Entrees

  • $20.16 – 2 Sandwich Plates each served with 2 Sides
    or
  • $25.16 – 2 Dinner Plates each served with 2 Sides
    or
  • $30.16 – 2 Smokehouse Combo 1 Plates (Ribs & 1 Meat) each served with 2 Sides

Desserts (choose 2)

  • Homemade Cobbler (peach, cherry, blackberry, & apple)
  • Brownie
  • Big Cookie

Jay’s Seafood

$25.16

First Course

  • Roasted root vegetable salad with a balsamic plum vinaigrette and white cheddar cheese sprinkles
    or
  • Ultimate Potato Soup

Second Course

Bacon Crunch-topped Mahi Mahi served over grilled vegetables with a bacon cream sauce or   Grilled Duck Breast served with wild rice and duck sauce

Third Course:  Coconut Cake or  Chocolate Mousse

Kabuki

Kitchen dinner for two $30.16

  • 2 Soups
  • 2 House salads
  • Edamame or Mandoo Dumplings
  • 2 dinners (choice of Dol Sot Bibimbop , or Orange Chicken.)

Sushi dinner for two $35.16

  • 2 Soups
  • 2 House salads
  • Edamame or Mandoo Dumplings
  • 3 Specialty Rolls (excluding Lobster Roll and Spider Roll)

La Piazza

Appetizer

  • Bruschetta Margherita

Salad

  • Mixed green salad tossed with our signature garlic basil house dressing

Entree (CHOICE)

  • Bone-in slow cooked Chicken Cacciatore
    or
  • Boneless Pork Scallopine Milanese

Dessert

  • Dark Cherry Ice Cream w/house chocolate liquer drizzle

One glass of house wine OR  A pint of draft beer      $25.15

Lily’s Bistro

Winter Restaurant Week
Tuesday, Jan. 26-Sat. Jan. 30 *We are closed on Mondays and on Sunday evenings we serve our local, free-range, family style fried chicken dinner.

Our full menu will also be available nightly during restaurant week.

Firsts (please choose one):

  • -Delicate crab rangoons with passionfruit pepper jelly
  • -Delicate crab rangoons with passionfruit pepper jelly
  • -Locally-grown bibb lettuce with wild rice, broccoli-carrot slaw, herbed vinaigrette, and parmesan cheese
  • -Cup of soup of the day

Mains (please choose one):

  • -Spicy-soy glazed salmon over chilled sesame soba noodles, topped with seaweed salad and broccoli-carrot-beet slaw
  • -Butternut squash lasagna with ricotta cheese, sage leaves, crispy kale, and roasted garlic cream sauce
  • -Herbed, tender meatloaf with chicken gravy, creamy mashed potatoes, and roasted brussel sprouts

Desserts (please choose one):

  • -Housemade carrot cake ice cream with shortbread cookie
  • -Flourless dark chocolate torte with cayenne ganache

$25.16 per person

 

McGILLICUTTY’S PUB

$20.16 MENU FOR TWO INCLUDES:

ONE OF THE FOLLOWING APPETIZERS WITH YOUR CHOICE OF DIPPING SAUCE:

  • BREAD/PRETZEL STICKS
  • MOZZARELLA STICKS
  • POTATO SKINS

and

TWO SIDE SALADS WITH YOUR CHOICE OF DRESSING

and

YOUR CHOICE OF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ENTREES:

  • 13” PIZZA (your choice of toppings)
  • 20 WINGS
  • (2) OF OUR ½ SUBS OR SIGNATURE SANDWICHES(with potato chips and pickle spear)

Meadowlark

4 courses for 25.16

We’ll also be serving our regular menu

First Course

  • Split Pea Soup with Aged Cheddar, Rye Croutons and a Glass of Beer

Second Course

  • Jojos with Cheese Fondue, Pickled Peppers and Cauliflower Debris
    Or
  • Okonomiyaki with Bulldog Sauce, Spicy Mayo and Braised Pork Belly

Third Course

  • Seared Salmon with Shrimp Butter and Vegetable Fried Rice
  • Beer and Cinnamon Stick-Braised Turkey Thighs with Potato and Pepper Hash
  • Tomato-Quinoa Chile Relleno with Guajillo Sauce and Spinach Chilaquiles
  • Grilled Hanger Steak with Buttered Noodles and Stroganoff Sauce

Dessert

  • Sugar Cream Pie
  • Homemade Snikkers Bar
  • Baked Hawaii

The Melting Pot

4 courses for $25.16 per person.

CHEESE-

  • choice between Cheddar or Fiesta

SALAD

  • house

ENTREE

  • all natural chicken breast, Pacific white shrimp, Teriyaki-marinated sirloin, and fresh vegetables in court bouillon cooking style

CHOCOLATE

  • their choice
Nibbles

Nibbles

Not Entrées (Select One)

  • Italian Wedding Soup
    classic blend of stock, greens, hand-rolled chicken meatballs
  • Mixed Greens Winter Salad
    mixed greens with feta, orange, cranberry, walnuts and orange-balsamic drizzle

Entrées (Select One)

  • Seared Salmon – $25.16
    over cannellini beans with wilted spinach, lemon-olive tapenáde
  • Chicken Marsala – $25.16
    tender chicken breast in marsala wine sauce with mushrooms, and pomme purée
  • Braised Short Ribs – $30.16
    Cabernet-braised short ribs over creamy Parmesan polenta with thyme roasted carrots

Desserts (Select One)

  • Budino Di Cioccolato
    creamy bittersweet chocolate, Bourbon, pinch of cayenne, whipped cream
  • Tiramisu
    ladyfingers drenched in espresso, Kahlua and rum, layered with whipped cream and mascarpone crème

Nick’s Restaurant

2 for $20.16     Jan. 24th – 31st

Appetizer to Share:

Choice of one or a combo of three of your favorite Nick’s award-winning deep fried vegetables:

  • Mushrooms
  • Onion Rings
  • Cali flour
  • Homemade Pork Rinds (With choice of Sriracha, Cajun or Western BBQ Seasoning)

Entrée Choices:

  • Angus Beef New York Strip
    A bleu cheese butter-crusted 12 oz. USDA Angus fresh NY strip served on a bed of house-made onion straws with fresh asparagus. Served with a dinner roll.
  • Hearts of Romaine Fresh salad
    Fresh romaine hearts brushed with seasoned olive oil and lightly grilled, topped with bacon bits, house-made croutons, Parmesan cheese, roasted almonds, red onion, and fresh tomatoes. Served with our house-made Merlot vinaigrette dressing or dressing or your choice. Chicken Available upon request.
  • Blackened Casino-Style Chicken Breast
    Fresh char-grilled blackened breast served with grilled onions and peppers topped with melted bleu cheese on a bed of fresh garden greens, accompanied with a dinner roll and choice of one side.

Sides:
Grilled Asparagus, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Baked Potato, Dinner Salad or Coleslaw

Dessert:

  • Decadent French Vanilla ice cream and Nick’s famous home-made cookies.

Packy’s Sports Bar and Grill

Soup/Salad:

  • Packy’s House Salad
  • Char-grilled Caesar
  • Roasted Red Pepper & Smoked Gouda Bisque

Entrees:

  • Angry Orchard Pork Chop
  • An 8 oz. Rib Chop brined in Hard Cider, then grilled to perfection. Topped with Spiced Apple Chutney and served with Sharp
  • Cheddar Mashed Potatoes & Fresh Vegetable.

Lemon-Rosemary Brick Chicken

  • Half Chicken Marinated in fresh Rosemary and Lemon, brick pressed over the char grill. Served with Roasted Garlic Risotto & Fresh Vegetable.

Papardelle & Wild Mushroom Ragu

  • A rich blend of Mushrooms, Sherry & Herbs slow simmered and served over extra wide Fettuccine Noodles. Finished with Chive oil and Fresh Chives.

Hand Cut Ribeye

  • Grilled to your liking, topped with savory Steak Butter & Frizzled Onions. Served w/a Baked Potato & Fresh Vegetable.

Desserts:

  • Classic Tira Misu
  • Homemade Dutch Apple Pie
  • Chocolate Pots de Creme

Park City Club

From Jan. 26 thru the 30thSalads—

  • Kale Salad: shredded kale, bourbon-soaked sultanas, goat cheese, cornbread croutons, cider vinaigrette
    Casita Salad: mixed greens, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, cornbread croutons, colby cheese, cider vinaigrette
  • Classic Caesar: parmesan, sourdough croutons

Soup: chef’s soup of the day

Appetizers—

  • Cornbread and Maque Choux: creamed corn with onions, peppers, jalapeños, fresh chives
  • Calabrian Chicken Wings: crushed pine nuts, avocado buttermilk dipping sauce
  • Glutton Mushrooms: garlic toast, spinach, pernod, & BUTTER!
  • Mac & cheese

20.16—

  • 1/2 Rack of Ribs
  • Sesame Cauliflower:
    pan-seared, wild mushrooms and jus, water chestnuts, burnt carrots, sesame & ginger broth
  • Park Biscuits and Gravy:
    pulled chicken & roasted root vegetables over a park-made rosemary cheddar biscuit & gravy

$25.16—

  • Pork Shoulder:
    apple cider sauerkraut, park potatoes, natural jusKorean-Style Short Ribs: sesame & ginger
  • Korean-Style Short Ribs:
    sesame & ginger brodo, asian slawPork Loin: broccolini, maple bourbon sauce
  • Pork Loin:
    broccolini, maple bourbon sauce

$30.16—

  • 5 oz Salmon: 
    sardinian fregola salad {black olives, red onion, grape tomatoes, herbs, goat cheese}5 oz Filet of New York Strip: burnt carrots, gorgonzola cream, gremolata
  • 5 oz Filet of New York Strip:
    burnt carrots, gorgonzola cream, gremolata

$35.16—

  • 10 oz Prime Rib:
    broccolini, park potatoes, au jus (horseradish upon request)

PF Changs

FIRST COURSE

Choose one  EGG DROP SOUP  or HOT & SOUR SOUP

SECOND COURSE

Choose one
  • CALIFORNIA ROLL HAND-FOLDED CRAB WONTONS (4)
  • CHANG’S LETTUCE WRAPS
    Chicken or Vegetarian
  • CHANG’S SPARE RIBS BBQ or Rick’s Northern-Style

THIRD COURSE

Choose one
  • CHANG’S SPICY CHICKEN
  • KUNG PAO CHICKEN
  • ORANGE PEEL CHICKEN
  • HOT FISH
  • PEPPER STEAK
  • MONGOLIAN BEEF
  • MA PO TOFU

DESSERT

Choose one   BANANA SPRING ROLL  or  CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY WONTONS  or SWEET VANILLA CREAM WONTONS

Roost Modern Italian

From Jan. 26 thru the 31st

Salads—

  • Rasato: shaved radicchio, iceberg, fennel, shaved parm, red wine vinaigrette, chick peas
  • Caesar: romaine, croutons, fried capers, parmesan frico
  • Warm mushroom: arugula, shallot vinaigrette, mushrooms, candied walnuts, goat cheese fritter

Appetizers—

  • Classic Arancini: risotto fritter, italian cheeses, pepperoni
  • Truffle French Fries
  • Winter Caprese: fresh mozzarella and sun­dried tomato basil pesto$20.16—

$20.16—

  • Spaghetti e Polpette
: fresh spaghetti, beef & pork meatballs, basil crumbs, parmigiano
  • Chorizo and ‘Grits’ with sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms in a cajun wine butter sauceWild Mushroom Linguine with ginger
  • Wild Mushroom Linguine with ginger brodo, scallions and toasted sesame seeds

$25.16—

  • Toasted Almond and Asparagus Ravioli in white truffle besciamella with criminis & asparagusBeef Tips over carrot ‘osso buco’ with bordelaise sauce
  • Beef Tips over carrot ‘osso buco’ with bordelaise sauce
Grilled Filet of Pork, peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, san
  • Grilled Filet of Pork, peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, san marzano tomatoes, fresh garlic, over crushed Yukon gold potatoes

$30.16—

  • Chicken Agrodolce with caramelized shallots, garlic, kalamata olives, capers & Amareno cherries
  • Chicken Agrodolce with caramelized shallots, garlic, kalamata olives, capers & Amareno cherries
  • Blackened Salmon and Radishes with beet risotto, carrots and swiss chard topped with gorgonzola besciamella
  • Seared Veal Cutlet over linguini fiorentina topped with artichokes, fried capers and piccata pan sauce

$35.16—

  • Mushroom Encrusted Scallops with asparagus filled toasted almond ravioli, criminis, asparagus in white truffle besciamella
  • Grilled Veal Chop over linguini fiorentina topped with artichokes, fried capers and piccata pan sauce
  • Tomahawk Pork Chop with peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, san marzano tomatoes, fresh garlic, over crushed Yukon gold potatoes
  • Grilled Swordfish Filet with brussel sprout chips, applewood bacon, pecans over herb mashed potatoes with preserved lemon aioliDessertsoff menu

Salar

APPETIZERS

  • Salar Salad
  • Spinach salad
  • Chicharrones
  • Soup of day

ENTREES @ $25.16

  • White fish Paupiettes stuffed mozzarella and prosciutto champagne sauce
  • Beef skewer mashed potatoes and sauté spinach blue cheese sauce
  • Quinoa stir and fry carrot broth
  • Butterut Squash and Parmesan cheese Risotto &Grilled shrimp skewer

ENTREES @ $30

  • Pork shoulders
  • Salmon
  • Lamb shank
  • Seafood rice

DESSERT

  • Chocolate Mousse
  • Chef choice dessert

Sea Jax Tavern

3 courses for $25.16
Choose one from each course.

First Course

  • Lobster Bisque –
    This perfectly balanced mellow creamy soup with lobster, butter and a hint of sherry and cayenne pepper.
  • Arugula Salad –
    This Fresh Arugula Salad with Walnuts, Cranberries and Feta cheese. Served with a white zinfandel vinaigrette.

Second Course

  • Beef Wellington – 6 oz. filet perfectly seared then cooked in a puff pastry with mushroom duxelle. Served with roasted redskins and sautéed haricot vert in garlic butter.
  • Shrimp & Grits w / Short Ribs – Braised short ribs in a pool of demi-glace. Served with cilantro lime shrimp and cheesy spinach grits.
  • Ambrosial – therefore, fit for the gods, delectable, mouthwatering, heavenly, savory, delicious, tasty, toothsome, divine. You will have to see for yourself.

Third Course

  • Key lime Pie
  • Crème brûlée
  • A Duo of mini pies. (mixed berry and chocolate)-

Seasons Bistro and Grille

Start Date 01/27/2016 | Final Day 01/30/2016

Choose one item per course. Tax and gratuity not included.

First Course:

  • Beet and Brussel sprout salad
  • Cup of soup

Second Course:

  • Char grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce, jasmine rice pilaf and roasted vegetables…25.16
  • Butternut squash lasagna with béchamel sauce…20.16

Third Course:

  • Chocolate peanut butter bread pudding
  • Coffee profiteroles with chocolate sauce
SG at 75 Gastro Pub

SG at 75 Gastro Pub       $20.16

Salad

  • Your choice of a House or Caesar salad

Appetizer

  • Your choice of crostinis. Either Bacon Jam and Ricotta or Bruschetta.

Entrée

Your Choice:

  • 2 Marinated and grilled boneless pork chops served with yellow rice and sautéed green beans
    or
  • A huge piece of our hand-battered fried chicken breast served with yellow rice and sautéed green beans
S

station-house

Sunrise

Appetizers

  • Poor Man’s Shrimp Cocktail – Fresh cauliflower is poached in a lemony, garlicky, crab boil style broth to take the place of shrimp here and served with our house made cocktail sauce.
  • Bourbon Glazed Local Pork Belly – Local grass fed pork belly is slow roasted until juicy and tender then seared until crisp, glazed with our bourbon reduction and served with a root veggie hash
  • Sunflower-Kale Salad – Local organic kale tossed with scallions, parsley, organic sunflower seeds, carrots, sesame oil, olive oil and lemon juice on a bed of spinach.

Entrees

  • Saffron Risotto with Lamb Chorizo, Artichokes and Spinach – Local grass-fed lamb is mixed with onions, garlic, tequila and spices to become our house made chorizo and the star of this creamy risotto laden with saffron, white wine, parmesan, artichoke hearts and fresh spinach.  25.16
  • Southern Style Crab Cakes with Aged Cheddar Grits and Smothered Greens – Our new and improved crab cake recipe using Canadian snow crab(tops on the sustainability list) with a southern spicy twist. Served with our smoky red pepper remoulade, creamy grits infused with aged cheddar cheese and our smothered greens, kale sautéed with bacon, tamari and butter.     30.16
  • (v)Korean BBQ Tofu with Root Veggie Kim Chi Fried Rice – Organic tofu is seared until crisp and glazed with our Korean style BBQ sauce of tamari, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame and love then served on a bed of fried rice infused with our house made kim chi of local cabbage, daikon radish and carrots.   20.16 

Desserts

  • Chocolate Flourless Hazelnut Torte
  • Chocolate-Stout Pudding with Smoked Sea Salt
  • Local Apple Crisp with Organic Vanilla Ice Cream

Sweeney’s Seafood Bar & Grill

Restaurant Week $20.16 or $25.16*

Choose one item from each category

Appetizers

  • Smoked Salmon Crepe:
    Hand-filled crepe filled with cold Norwegian Smoked Salmon and Dill Crème Fraiche
  • Fried Bay Scallops:
    Fresh Nantucket Island Bay Scallops lightly breaded and fried, served with house-made Sriracha Tartar sauce
  • “Fricassee” of Snails:
    Three Helix imported French Snails baked with Wild Mushrooms and house-made Scallion Garlic Sherry Wine butter Sweet Chili sauce served with warm bread
  • Spinach and Cheese Ravioli:
    Two Spinach and Cheese Ravioli topped with house-made Roasted Red Pepper Cream sauce

Soups and Salads

  • Sweeney’s White Bean Shrimp Chili:
    Creamed based Chili with Shrimp, Northern White Beans, Corn, Black Beans, Peppers and Southwestern spices topped with Tortilla chips and cheddar cheese
  • Sweeney’s New England ClamChowder
  • Sweeney’s Caesar Salad:
    Romaine lettuce tossed with house-made Parmesan croutons and house-made Caesar dressing
  • Tangy Pear and Blue Cheese Salad:
    Mixed salad greens, crumbled blue cheese, chopped pears, walnuts and red onions combined with a tangy, tomato based dressing

Entrees

  • Japanese Fried Shrimp:
    Five Extra Jumbo Shrimp, hand-breaded with Japanese Panko bread crumbs, fried, served over Asian fried rice and drizzled with house-made Soy syrup
  • Crab and Scallop Stuffed Sole:
    Two Sole Roulades stuffed with Crab and Scallops topped with house-made Lobster Cream sauce and Asparagus
  • *Lobster Macaroni and Cheese:
    Cavatappi macaroni and a 5 oz. Canadian Lobster Tail tossed in a House Made Cheddar, Asiago and Monterey Jack Cheese sauce topped with fresh chives
  • *Filet Oscar “Sweeney’s Style”:
    Sweeney’s signature Crab Cake topped with a 4oz USDA choice Filet Mignon, Asparagus and house-made Béarnaise sauce

TJ Chumps      $20.16

Appetizer Selections

  • Chips & Salsa
  • Chips & Dip
  • Soup of the Day
  • Smoked Salmon Bruschetta
  • Buffalo Chicken Dip
  • Soft Bavarian Pretzel Sticks
  • House or Caesar Salad

Entrée  Selections

  • Half Slab of Ribs
  • Grilled Salmon
  • 7 oz. Sirloin
  • Bourbon Chicken
  • Asian Ginger Salmon
  • Pumpkin Brownie

Dessert Selections*

  • Blonde Apple Brownie
  • Mississippi Mud Cake
    *desserts are petite portions

The Trolley Stop

Monday, January 26 through Saturday, January 30th, from 4 pm to 9 pm.

We have specifically selected signature menu items which include soup, salad, choice of entree and a craft beer, glass of wine or house cocktail for $20.16.

First Course:

  • Trolley’s Classic Potato Soup –
    Creamy and dill-icious (vegetarian) topped with cheese and bacon upon request

Second Course:

  • House Salad –
    Delicate living lettuce and spring mix, topped with red cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, shredded cheese and your choice of dressing- Ranch, Zesty Ranch, Italian, Bleu Cheese, Herbie, or Balsamic Vinaigrette

Third Course:

Please choose one

  • Red Beans and Rice
    Louisiana-style Red Beans, Rice and KJB Farm Andouille Sausage
  • Spicy Avocado Black Bean Hummus Tacos
    Fresh Avocado Slices, Red Onions, Tomatoes and Corn Salsa on Flour tortillas with Salsa & Shredded Lettuce
  • Trolley Chili Spaghetti
    Trolley’s Homemade Chili with loads of Keener Farms Ground Beef, topped with cheese on request

Choose a $5 pint of Craft Beer, a glass of House Wine, or house cocktail with your meal, or substitute any soft drink, tea or juice.

The Wellington Grille

First Course

  • Boston Bibb Lettuce, Sliced Pear, Gorgonzola Cheese, Blueberry Bagel Croutons, Watercress, Diced Peppers and Onions. Tossed in a Bourbon Vinaigrette
  • Our Signature House Salad, Iceberg Lettuce, Romaine, Kale, Red Leaf Lettuce,
  • Red Cabbage, Carrots. With your choice of dressing.

The Main Event

  • Lightly Dusted Pan Seared Tilapia ~ $20.16
    Topped with a Cajun Shellfish Sauce, Served with Cheesy Roasted Red Pepper Grits and Roasted Corn
  • Asian Style Barbecue Pork Ribs ~ $25.16
    Served with Fried Rice and Asian Slaw
  • Grilled 8oz. Prime Sirloin ~ $30.16
    Marinated in fresh Herbs, Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
    Topped with a Marsala Balsamic Demi Glace
    Served with Roasted Redskin Potatoes and Snow Peas.

And to Finish…

  • Fresh Cranberry Apple Crisp
  • Decadent Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Pudding

Add a glass of our Featured Red or White Wine ~ $5.00

Wheat Penny Restaurant

4 courses for 25.16

We will be serving our regular menu minus a couple of the entrees

Amuse Bouche

  • Freshly-baked Focaccia Bread studded with chopped Prosciutto Ends, Olives and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

First Course

  • Beer-steamed Winter Mussels with Garlic, Parsley and Thyme
    or
  • Eggplant and Porcini Meatballs with Tomato Sauce and Parmesan

Main Course

  • White Wine and Tomato-Braised Country-style Pork Ribs with Polenta and Broccolini
    Or
  • Classic Chicken Piccata with Crispy Yukon Golds and Green Beans
    Or
  • Housemade Ricotta Gnocchi with butter, spinach and cheese

Dessert

  • Pecorino Romano Cake with Candied Cherry Tomatoes and Olive Oil Gelato
    Or
  • Tangerine Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream with Chocolate Mint Cookie (Vegan)
    Or
  • Dark Chocolate Ricotta Cake with Whipped Cream (Gluten-free)
Winds Café

From Jan 26 thru the 29th

1st course

  • Fried Brussels Sprouts with Slab Bacon and Sherry Caper Vinaigrette
  • Russian Mushroom Soup
  • Pear, Walnut and Blue Cheese Salad with Roasted Pear Vinaigrette

2nd course

  • Seared Salmon with Beurre Rouge
  • Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Red Wine Mushrooms
  • Butternut Squash Risotto

3rd course

  • Chocolate Panna Cotta with Ceylon Cinnamon Sauce
  • Almond Cake with Candied Kumquats
  • Pavlova with Fresh Fruit

25.16

6 Tips To Ace Your Next Audition and 7 Upcoming Auditions

By

images-35Other than Opening Night, going to an audition is perhaps one of the scariest parts of theater work.  However, auditioning is a necessary part of being involved in the performing arts.  If you  want to be involved in the theater, knowing how to audition is a skill you’ll need to learn.  While the process is not necessarily difficult, it can be more than just a little nerve-wracking.  So we’ve shared 6  things that you should know in order to make the best impression possible, and to improve your chances of getting a part!

1.  Act. Don’t just read.
Remember, you are auditioning to act in a play.   So many people stand before the director and read the lines they were given that when someone really tries to act out the part they make a big impression.  And that’s what you want…to stand out from the crowd.


2. Learn a little bit about the play you are auditioning for.
 The more you understand the play and the characters, the more you will be able to do with the piece of script you will be given to audition with.


3.  Slow down and enunciate every word.
One sure sign of nervousness is speeding through the lines.  When you talk too fast it is harder to make sure each word is understood, and the emotion that should accompany those words does not come through.  Slow down and make sure you say each word clearly.



4.  If you make a mistake, battle though it.
Even the best actors occasionally make mistakes on stage.  But good actors know how to work through their mistakes without letting the audience realize that a mistake was made.  If you do make a mistake, don’t apologize.  Don’t ask to start over.  Just pick up from where the mistake was made and push forward.


5. Audition often.
One of the biggest obstacles between you and getting cast in a play is your nervousness.  Nervousness makes you more timid.  It makes you rely on the script in your hand too much, so you end up reading and not acting.  It makes you talk too fast.  The best way to overcome your nervousness is to practice.  That means auditioning more.  If you don’t get the part, shake it off as a learning experience, and when the next show roles around, go out and audition again.  The more you go through the process, the easier it becomes.


6.  If you don’t get the part, don’t argue about it.
 If the director decides that you are not the best fit for this show, please respect their decision about what they feel is best for the show they are directing.  It doesn’t always mean that you had a bad audition, or that you’re not a good actor.  It just means that you were not the best actor for this part in this show.



Upcoming Auditions:

Monday January 25, 2016
Auditins for The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife Auditins for The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife

Dayton Playhouse
Monday January 25, 2016 7:00 PM
Tuesday January 26, 2016
Auditins for The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife Auditins for The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife

Dayton Playhouse
Tuesday January 26, 2016 7:00 PM
Auditions: ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES Auditions: ANGELS IN AMERICA: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES

Clark State Performing Arts Center
Tuesday January 26, 2016 7:00 PM
Saturday January 30, 2016
Local Auditions for Grease Local Auditions for Grease

La Comedia
Saturday January 30, 2016 9:00 AM
OPEN AUDITIONS FOR TEEN ACTORS OPEN AUDITIONS FOR TEEN ACTORS

X*ACT Gallery
Saturday January 30, 2016 10:00 AM
Monday February 22, 2016
OPEN Auditions: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest OPEN Auditions: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

Sinclair Community College
Monday February 22, 2016 6:00 PM – 10:00 AM
Friday February 26, 2016
Dare To Defy Auditions Dare To Defy Auditions

Dare to Defy
Friday February 26, 2016 reserve your time
Saturday February 27, 2016
Dare To Defy Auditions Dare To Defy Auditions

Dare to Defy
Saturday February 27, 2016 reserve your time
Monday March 21, 2016
Auditions for Southern Baptist Sissies Auditions for Southern Baptist Sissies

Harmony Creek Church
Monday March 21, 2016 7:00 PM

DAYTON BREW HA-HA: A Midwest Mash-Up & Ticket Give Away

By

1397659_1595460254023814_8207981117539499827_oFor the 5th year in a row The Montessori School of Dayton will host a craft beer fundraiser,  which will take place Sat, Jan 30th at the school. This year Dayton Brew Ha-Ha showcases world-class beer produced in the Midwest. Proceeds from the event will go to the school’s capital improvement fund.

While the East and West coasts are generally thought of as brewing epicenters, the Midwest has been not-so-quietly producing our own superstars. From established breweries like Founders, Bell’s, Jackie O’s, and Upland to rising stars like Rhinegeist, MadTree, and North High, to all of local breweries that dot the Miami Valley, the Midwest has become a beer scene that rivals both coasts. Kevin J. Gray, co-chair, explains that, “The goal of the MSD Brew Ha-Ha is to help showcase the remarkable brewing talent of our region. Most of the breweries at the event are easily within half a day’s drive from Dayton or less. There has been tremendous brewery growth in the region, so we’re pleased to present not only established breweries, but also newer ones that people haven’t had a chance to try yet.” The beer list will showcase approximately 50 beers from the region and is curated to appeal to those new to craft beer, hardcore beer geeks, and everyone in-between.

New this year, a VIP hour that starts at 5 pm. VIP attendees will receive an additional 5 beer tickets, appetizers, and will have early access to rare beers in a much smaller, more intimate crowd. We’ve been given an exclusive peek at some of the specialty beers you can expect:

Firkin of double dry hopped Head Hunter from Fat Heads
Maple Letters to the Underworld, served in a cask from Nowhere in Particular
2015 Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Bell’s 30th Anniversary
BA Siberian Night from Thirsty Dog
BA Total Eclipse from Maumee Bay
10931102_1590300401206466_5177913593431249641_n

The Brew Ha Ha Braintrust: Brandy Gorham, Michael Taylor and Kevin Gray.

The 5th anniversary will also see an expanded silent auction. Silent auction items include craft beer-themed gift baskets, as well as larger items like date night packages (that include dinner and babysitting), a meat smoker, a tennis club package, and an overnight in a local B&B just to name a few of the many items up for auction.  You’ll also find games of chance, like beer ring toss, spin to win and a floating beer pond for prizes to amuse yourself with.  You can also pick up a souvenir Brew Ha-Ha t-shirt.

With all the great beer available, you’ll want to grab some some good eats and One Bistro will be on site with a variety of beer-inspired food options available for purchase. One Bistro is a “pay it forward” restaurant located in Miamisburg, where patrons pay what they can afford or trade service for food.  The event will also feature complimentary desserts and coffee at the end of the evening.

Fitting for an event held in an elementary/middle school, craft beer education will be a focus of the evening. Curious about what to try? Tasting guides will be provided to help attendees navigate the room and find beers that match their favorite flavor profiles. Attendees can also talk to one of the roving Beer Ambassadors, who can steer them in the right direction. Those interested in beer history can chat with Carillon Brewing to understand Dayton’s role in brewing. Want to learn to brew beer? Members of DRAFT, the Dayton Homebrewing Club, will be on hand to discuss beer making at home. The program will also include clone recipes of several of the event’s beers, recipes put together by the staff of BrewTensils homebrew supply.

 

12304394_1703849799851525_3827552624413249908_oHow To Go:

The school is located in Kettering, at 2900 Acosta Street. The event takes place at the school on Jan 30, 2015 from 6-10 pm, with the VIP hour starting at 5pm. General admission tickets are $35 and VIP are $50 (while they last). Tickets and more information are available online at brewhahadayton.com.

 

About the School

Montessori-School-of-DaytonMontessori Center of Dayton (MSD) was originally founded as a non-profit Montessori School in 1964 offering a true Montessori education to children between three and nine years old (pre-K through 3rd grade). In 2008, the school made the decision to purchase the current building with the intention of further expanding the curriculum to serve students from the toddler years (18 months) through the eighth grade. Through the purchase of the building, MSD has been able to expand and modernize the classrooms, refurbish the gymnasium and school stage with new flooring, stage curtains and lighting, and add to the extracurricular activities including art, foreign language (Spanish), band, chorus, theater arts and will soon add sporting activities.

 

DMM Ticket GiveAway:

We love to share Dayton’s best events with our readers, so if you’d like to enter our drawing for a pair of tickets to Brew Ha-Ha, just like like this article, fill out this form and leave us a comment telling us about your favorite beer or why you should win.  We’ll post our winner here Saturday, Jan 23rd. [form 55 “DMM Contest Entry – Generic”]

Local Documentarian Receives $50,000 Breakthrough Award & Grant

By

10504803_10152232897872338_4081136577166734969_oChicken & Egg Pictures was founded in 2005 by Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, and Judith Helfand. Their mission is create a space where women could learn from one another, test their limits, challenge the status quo, and break new ground both as artists and activists.  This year they launched the inaugural Breakthrough Filmmaker Awards.

The award responds to the reality that only a few women non-fiction directors in the U.S. are able to work full-time as independent storytellers. The program recognizes and elevates five mid-career women directors with unique voices who are poised to reach new heights and to continue to be strong filmmaker-advocates for urgent issues. This award consists of a $50,000 unrestricted grant and a year-long mentorship program tailored to each filmmaker’s individual goals

Yellow Springs resident Julia Reichert is one of  the five award winners. Here’s the Julia-Reichertofficial bio Chicken & Egg released as part of the awards:

Julia Reichert is a three-time Academy Award nominee for her documentary work. She lives in Ohio, and has chosen to focus on class, gender, and race in the lives of Americans.  Julia’s first film, Growing Up Female, was the first feature documentary of the modern Women’s Movement.  It was recently selected for the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.  Her films Union Maids and Seeing Red were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Feature Documentary, as was The Last Truck, a short (co-directed with Steven Bognar) which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and on HBO.  Her film A Lion in the House (an ITVS co-production, made with Bognar) premiered at Sundance, screened nationally on PBS, and won the Primetime Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking.  She co-wrote and directed the feature film Emma and Elvis.  Julia is co-founder of New Day Films, the independent film distribution co-op.  She is author of “Doing It Yourself,” the first book on self-distribution in independent film, and was an Advisory Board member of IFP. Reichert is currently directing a film about the 9 to 5 movement, telling the stories of the millions of low wage, invisible women who populated the clerical pool, served coffee, and suffered sexual harassment before it was named.  In the 1970’s they gathered their courage and rose up against their bosses, large corporations, and institutions.  She’s also begun filming a verite follow-up to The Last Truck, chronicling the arrival of a new plant in her economically devastated Midwestern city.

 

On being named a winner, Julia shared, “It is such an honor to be among these engaged, brilliant, committed filmmakers. I have so much to learn! DEEP Thanks to the women of Chicken & Egg for their vision. We are all here at Sundance together, having great talks, sharing war stories.”

The other  chosen filmmakers are Kristi Jacobson (A Place at the Table), Yoruba Richen (The New Black), Elaine McMillion Sheldon (Hollow), and Michèle Stephenson (American Promise). This award consists of a $50,000 unrestricted grant and a year-long mentorship program tailored to each filmmaker’s individual goals. For more information on these filmmakers and Chiken & Egg, please visit their website.

 

The Old Arcana Cooking Classes

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11741249_1127724050576563_8320600847685389933_o-1-1Chef Jeff Besecker of The Old Arcana has announced their 2016 schedule of cooking classes.  Here’s your chance to join the Arcana team in the kitchen at 109 W. George Street in Arcanum, and learn to prepare dishes with familiar flavors as well as recipes that push your taste buds to new and exciting places.

Classes include a blend of demonstrations from the  kitchen crew as well as hands-on lessons that attendees will prepare themselves.  Because their kitchen space is small, classes are limited to 8 students each to ensure plenty of room to work and learn, so be sure to register early to ensure your spot! Classes run $45 and you can register online.

Here’s the upcoming class lineup:

FEBRUARY 17TH: 6PM
Stocking up for Winter: 3 Hearty Soups = Multiple Meals

During this class we’ll learn how to make a rich and savory Chicken Stock and a spicy and healthy Vegetable Stock that serve as the base for three delicious soups that will keep you warm and fed all winter long.

You’ll learn how to make:

  • Herbed Chicken Stock
  • Spicy Vegetable Stock
  • Herbed Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Asian Ginger Vegetable Soup with Rice Noodles
  • Hearty White Bean, Kale & Chicken Thigh Stew

This is a Demonstration Class. You’ll watch the Arcana kitchen team create each stock and soup step by step, and then we’ll all enjoy 3 soups together with crusty Bakehosue Bread & Cookie Company bread. Recipes are included to take home.


MARCH 9TH: 6PM
Spectacular One Pot Meals: Coq au Vin!
(Channel your inner Julia Child)

Channel your inner Julia Child and learn how to make one of her signature one pot dishes: Coq au Vin. A traditional French dish, Coq au Vin is chicken braised in red wine with pearl onions, mushrooms, and lardons of pork (bacon!). Although the recipe began as a rustic, peasant dish, when prepared correctly Coq au Vin can be an impressive meal for guests with an elegant presentation and a spectacularly rich and complex sauce. During this class, you’ll enjoy a variety of cheeses and fruit while we’ll demonstrate how to build your Coq au Vin correctly. Then we’ll enjoy a previously cooked version (Coq au Vin takes a long while to simmer) over hot buttered noodles with a crusty with French baguettes from Bakehouse Bread in Troy. A light mixed greens salad with apples, goat cheese and walnuts will be served on the side.

This is a Demonstration Class. You’ll watch the Arcana kitchen team create Coq au Vin step by step, and then we’ll all enjoy our meal together with crusty bread. Recipes are included to take home.






MARCH 23RD: 6PM
Baking Bagels!

In 2014, Chef Jeff’s Ozro & Ray’s Authentic Homestyle Bagel recipe was voted “Best Creative Bagel in Ohio” by Ohio Magazine. We’ll teach you the secret to making this fun and easy twice-cooked specialty at home. Get the techniques to mix, proof, shape, boil and bake a great bagel, complete with classic toppings and fillings. Plus, you’ll learn to make flavorful compound butters and cream cheeses that will remain a “must” on your breakfast table from now on.

At the end of class, you’ll enjoy trying the piping hot bagels you made with cream cheese, smoked salmon and all the fixings.

You’ll learn how to make:

  • Chef Jeff’s award winning bagel recipe
  • Flavored cream cheese
  • Compound butter

This is a Hands-On Class. You’ll watch the Arcana kitchen team create some elements of bagel dough, then you’ll get your hands in dough and learn how to weigh, roll and shape bagels! You will be on your feet cooking most of the time so please wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes and clothing that you don’t mind dusting with a little bit of flour. Recipes are included to take home.

 

 

APRIL 6TH: 6PM
Date Night: Making Meatballs!

Create your very own “Bella Notte” with your favorite someone… learn how to make Pasta with Meatballs at The Old Arcana! Grab your date and get ready to enjoy a tactile, hands-on culinary evening.

Screen Shot 2016-01-17 at 3.31.37 PMYou’ll learn how to spice and hand-roll some of the best meatballs you’ve ever eaten and make marinara sauce from scratch. You’ll also learn the difference between Parmesan cheeses and why true Parmigiano Reggiano is the only choice to make.

At the end of class, you and your date will enjoy your pasta & meatballs with a freshly baked crusty baguette from Bakehouse Bread and herbed compound butter.

You’ll learn how to make:

  • Arcana Meatballs
  • Arcana Marinara Sauce
  • Compound butter

This is a Hands-On Class. You’ll watch the Arcana kitchen team create our fresh marinara sauce, then, you and your date will mix and roll meatballs together! You will be on your feet cooking most of the time so please wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes and clothing that you don’t mind getting messy (we’ll provide aprons). Recipes are included to take home.

APRIL 20TH: 6PM
Making Fresh Pasta: Hands On

Pasta is a pantry staple and every cook should have a repertoire of go-to recipes. In this class you’ll explore both fresh and dried pastas, and gain an understanding of why certain shaped pastas are paired with certain sauces.

Everyone will make a batch of basic egg pasta dough. Using our handy KitchenAid pasta roller and cutter attachment, we’ll make fresh sheet pasta for ravioli and fresh fettuccine noodles. We’ll also learn how to make a basic cream sauce as well as a vegetable based ravioli filling.

The ravioli stamp we’ll be using that evening will be yours to keep!

You’ll learn how to make:

  • Fresh sheet Pasta
  • Fresh Fettuccine

This is a Hands-On Class. You’ll watch the Arcana kitchen team create sauce and ravioli filling, then you’ll dig in and make fresh pasta by hand! You will be on your feet cooking most of the time so please wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes and clothing that you don’t mind getting messy (we’ll provide aprons). Recipes are included to take home.



MAY 11TH: 6PM
Spectacular One Pot Meals: Chicken Curry!
(Fundamentals of Indian Flavors & Spices)

We will introduce you to an Indian pantry full of fragrant spices, healthful vegetables, spicy chilies and succulent sauces and then show you how to use those basics to create a delicious Chicken Curry. We’ll also make homemade naan, a traditional leavened bread. Rice and chutney will be available to enjoy with your meal.

You’ll learn how to make:

  • Chicken Curry
  • Naan Bread

This is a Demonstration Class. You’ll watch the Arcana kitchen team create Chicken Curry and Naan step by step, and then we’ll all enjoy our meal together with rice and chutney. Recipes are included to take home.

So grab some friends, or make it a work outing and sign up for a class.  The best part, you can grab a bottle of wine and drink during these Wednesday night classes, while you’re learning how to make fabulous food.  Sounds delicious!

 

CHEERWINE: A North Carolina Legend Comes North

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Apparently this bubbly cherry concoction is a big deal and Oinkadoodlemoo BBQ  just proudly announced they will be the first in the area to serve it starting next week, both from the fountain and in 20 ounce bottles at their three locations:  Randolph Plaza on Main Street in Clayton,  and in the lobby of the Key Bank Tower downtown Dayton and in the brand new Miamisburg location that opens next week.

images-34Nicknamed the “Nectar from North Carolina” it was created in 1917 in Salisbury, North Carolina by a general store owner named L.D. Peeler.   This  soft drink with a hint of wild cherry and a bubbly effervescence became an immediate hit. Folks from all around the county came to LD’s store to give it a try.  When the patriarch passed away in 1931, L.D.’s son Clifford took over the company, and, today, Cliff Ritchie, Clifford Sr.’s grandson and the founder’s great-grandson, helms the soda company.  The name actually comes from the drink’s burgundy color and the cheerfulness drinkers experience after that first sip.  But have no fear, there is no wine involved, but it is said to be intensely carbonated, more so than your average soda.

In 1953, President Eisenhower was apparently so overcome with excitement at his first taste of the soda, he was reduced to the two-syllable exclamation, “Ike likes!”, proving that talking about yourself in the third-person always makes you sound like a moron, even if you’re the President.

images-1It was only in the ’90s that Cheerwine became available outside North Carolina, and they only expanded as far as its sister state, South Carolina. Through a recent partnership with Pepsi Bottling Company, Cheerwine has plans to be available in all 50 states.  This stuff is such a big deal that at the Food Lion, a Salisbury, NC-based grocery chain,  you can even get Cheerwine ice creams, sherbets, and cream bars, while a local bakery also makes Cheerwine cakes and the local Krispy Kreme

 

 

Chalk About It Recruiting Artists for May 21st Event

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Chalk About It is the Miami Valley’s original chalk art festival and scheduled for May 21, 2016 at The Greene. Chalk art, or street painting as it’s known in Europe, has its origins back to the 16th century. Today it’s a creative art form by which a block of street is turned into a beautiful piece of art. Essentially, the asphalt is the canvas and the medium is environmentally friendly pastel chalk. Chalk festivals are gaining in popularity throughout the US, and are usually found in the south. Dayton is one of only a handful in the state.

Last year’s debut event proved to be a great success, in spite of the rain. Local, national, professional, amateur and students competed for the most votes. First prize went to Colleen Scott of Columbus, OH. In addition to Ms. Scott, participants included: Tiffany Kelly of Miamisburg, Lori Hughes of Galloway, OH, Erik Greenawalt of North Huntington PA, Heather Morrisey of Germantown, OH, Suzy Richardt and Ray Goerig both of Dayton. Chalk About It will again feature the anamorphic (3D) art of the award winning chalk artist, Jennifer Chaparro.

Chalk About It artists will have the opportunity to compete for cash prizes and will be invited to a meet and greet with the guest artist. Participating artists will receive chalk, snacks throughout the day, and of course a chance to win best of show. Artists can submit an application to participate at www.lifeessentials.org.chalk

Chalk About It benefits Life Essentials and its unique and specialized programs that enable seniors and people living with mental illness to have a greater quality of life and take charge of their mental and physical health.

About Life Essentials
Life Essentials provides professionally delivered services which promote and enhance the quality of life for vulnerable adults through intensive advocacy and recovery-oriented programming. Life Essentials provides the only adult guardianship program in Montgomery and Greene Counties. In addition, seniors living with mental illness participate in an outpatient program designed to assist them in their recovery. Peer Academy is a unique program designed to train individuals in recovery to work as peer supporters. Life Essentials receives funding from the Montgomery County Human Services Levy, ADAMHS Board and the United Way.