Lisa Grigsby

Toast The Century Bar Tuesday As Best 60 Bourbon Bars Honoroed

September 27, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

Back in June The Bourbon Review published their list ofAmerica’s 60 Top Bourbon Bars, in the magazine’s sixth anniversary issue. Dayton’s only bourbon bar made the list again and here’s what they had to say:

Century Bar, Dayton, OH: In what could be the most underrated Bourbon bar in the country, the Century Bar takes you back to 1862 with its 150-year-old back bar. The home of the former Kette & Sons Rye Whiskey Distillery, Century Bar packs 87 Bourbons and regularly holds blind tastings. It’s the sort of place every Bourbon drinker should visit at least once in his or her life.

“The criteria for the list was simple,” Justin Thompson of The Bourbon Review said in a press release. “The bar needed to prominently display bourbon, educate patrons about bourbon and provide a superior selection. The winning bars also have a reputation for creating both unique and traditional bourbon cocktails.”

To celebrate the list, The Bourbon Review has again partnered with Four Roses Bourbon for a nationwide toast to each of the 60 bars and restaurants. The toast is scheduled to take place Tuesday, Sept. 30th at 7pm when bourbon lovers are encouraged to to raise a glass and make a toast via social media to honor their favorite bar! We encourage you to engage in the toasting by uploading your pictures and tagging The Century Bar, The Bourbon Review, and Four Roses Bourbon. The toast can be made via facebook, twitter or instagram and please use #60toast.

If you’ve never had the pleasure of attending one of The Century Bar’s blind bourbon tasting, you’re in luck. After taking the summer off, they’ve just announced the return of the tasting. Tickets will go on sale Monday for the Oct 18th 3:30pm tasting. The tasting will be $60.00 which includes six bourbons, and lunch catered by Smokin BBQ. Not only will you get to try a variety of bourbons, the knowledge shared by bartenders Joe, Tim, Nick and Jarod at these events is mind boggling. You’ll learn about the history of this brown liquor, the science behind the flavors, the family feuds and politics of the business and trends impacting the supply of your favorite bourbons.

If you want to attend, buy your tickets quickly, these tastings always sell out! And tell them MostMetro.com sent you!

New Beer Garden at Oktoberfest

September 17, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

Our friends at Cavalier Distributing supply some of the most delicious craft beer around town. You may have seen them at the monthly beer tasting at Trolley Stop, where they are often helping pour beer and kindly sharing their knowledge about ales, porters, stouts and the newest trends in craft brewing.

So when they shared with us that they will have their very cool draft truck in the new beer garden at DAI’s Oktoberfest, Friday, Sept. 25th – Sunday, Spet. 27th, we got very excited! Cavalier is even making it possible for a couple of our readers to attend the Friday night preview party. Check our Most Metro Facebook page for a chance to share your way to a pair of tickets for the VIP preview.

Here’s what will be on tap:

Revolution Oktoberfest -A classic German-style Oktoberfest beer that goes down smooth with a pleasant, toasty malt flavor. Hallertauer Mittelfruh hops give the beer a crisp, balanced bitterness and a spicy, earthy aroma

Reissdorf Kolsch – a minty, hop aroma; sweet, vanilla like, malt flavors; and a crisp, dry, cedar finish. medium in color, slightly hoppy, has an ABV of 4.8%

Stone Go To IPA– an abundance of lupulin-borne bitterness into a “session” IPA delivering all the fruity, piney character of a much bigger IPA.

Jackie O’s Mystic Mama- Columbus and Warrior hops lend an assertive bitterness. Amarillo, Simcoe, and Centennial hops give this beer tons of great flavors of grapefruit, tangerines, and pine needles.

Wyders Reposado – Pear cider infused with smooth subtle oak laden tequila notes. Refreshing pear cider crafted with some inspiration from south of the border.

Fat Head’s Bumbleberry – a light, refreshing ale with a nice blueberry aroma, crackery malt flavors, a hint of sweetness and a refreshing blueberry finish.

Madtree Pyschopathy -subtle malt backbone combats the bitterness and intensity of floral, grassy and citrus hop flavors.

Madtree PumpCAN – Really nice big pumpkin aroma, nice and hearty, with a balanced amount of spice. Spice does not overwhelm the pumpkin, it’s still allowed to shine here.

Schofferhoffer Grapefruit – unique combination of sparkling smooth Schofferhofer Hefeweizen with grapefruit flavoring. A refreshing well-rounded taste with tangy character and hints of sweetness.

Weihenstephan Original – yellow bright lager, a flavorful beer with a mild hoppy note and a pleasant fresh spicy taste.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale – a unique sipping beer with the distinctive nose of a well-crafted bourbon. Aged for at least 6 weeks in freshly decanted bourbon barrels from some of Kentucky’s finest distilleries.

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter – An ale that has all the chocolate and roasted nut flavor of a classic Porter, with an enigmatic surprise thrown in for good measure, real vanilla bean.

And if that’s not enough to tempt you, the following brews will be available in bottles:

Weihenstephan Hefe, Weihenstephan Oktoberfest, Old Speckled Hen, Trooper Beer
Stone IPA, Arrogant Bastard, Zombie Killer, Carlsberg, Brew Dog Dogma, Triple Karmeliet

I’ll be hoisting a mug of brew at Oktoberfest and hope to see you there. Prost!

The Dayton Foundation Wants To Know How You #SpreadtheGood in the Dayton Region?

September 12, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

The Dayton Foundation is launching a new social media campaign to celebrate and share the good work happening in the Dayton Region.

#SpreadtheGood: Dayton Region will kick-off on Friday, September 12, 2014, at Downtown Dayton Partnership’s Urban Nights, and run through December 2, 2014 (#GivingTuesday). The campaign will highlight the efforts and stories of not-for-profit organizations and volunteers in the community, while encouraging others to #SpreadtheGood in the region by performing a good deed on behalf of a local nonprofit.

Participants will be encouraged to snap a photo of themselves performing the good deed and share it on the Foundation’s social media pages. Each photo entry will enter the featured nonprofit into the Foundation’s Retweet to Give (RT2Give) challenge that will award a one-time $1,000 grant on #GivingTuesday.

Anyone in Greater Dayton is invited to participate in the #SpreadtheGood challenge and can do so by visiting the Foundation’s table on Courthouse Square during Urban Nights and signing up to take the challenge by answering the question “How do you #SpreadtheGood in the Dayton Region?” Additionally, individuals and organizations unable to attend Urban Nights also are encouraged to participate by following the steps below.

How to #SpreadtheGood in the Dayton Region:

“Like” The Dayton Foundation on Facebook or follow us on Twitter
Volunteer for a local nonprofit. Contact your favorite organization for available volunteer opportunities.
Snap a photo of yourself performing a good deed then show the community how you #SpreadtheGood in the Dayton Region by mentioning the Foundation on Twitter (@DaytonFdn) or uploading your photo to The Dayton Foundation’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/TheDaytonFoundation) using the hashtags #SpreadtheGood and #Dayton.
Finally, continue to #SpreadtheGood by challenging friends, family members or co-workers to also participate.

Submitted photos will periodically be shared on the Foundation’s social media pages and will automatically enter the represented organization into the Foundation’s Retweet to Give (RT2Give) challenge.

UpDayton Launches Dayton Inspires

September 12, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

Olivia Barrow came to Dayton two years ago to work for the Dayton Business Journal. And she quickly saw through the inferiority complex that our town seems to have and is excited about helping others see that, too. Olivia says, “I saw a lot of untapped potential in the Dayton region. Dayton’s outdoor adventure possibilities, especially the rivers, really capture my imagination and inspire me to be active. The opportunities for young people to become influential in the community and in business also inspires my desire to make a difference.”

As a way to give back to her town, Olivia became involved with UpDayton, a non profit group focused on the attraction and retention of young talent in Dayton. When their annual UpDayton Summit came around last April, she knew it was her time to ignite others with the passion she felt for the region. At the Summit, attended by hundreds of area young professional, the challenge posed was: How can we IGNITE change to make Dayton an even better place to live, work and play? How can we improve the quality of life for young professionals?

The group agreed to create three new projects to tackle these questions. Olivia stepped forward as a Project Leader and shared her idea – pictured to the right.

Attendees of the summit heard many pitches, and voted to narrow down the ideas. The three projects ideas selected for for 2014: 1) Disc Golf Course Along the River 2) Welcome Day for WPAFB in Downtown Dayton and 3) “I Love Dayton” Campaign.

After the summit, Matthew Sliver, one of the co-founders of Catapult Creative, says, “I saw an update about which projects had been chosen, and who pitched them. “I Love Dayton: was one of the chosen projects, which Olivia had pitched. I sent her a text with a screen grab asking her if she needed help naming the project, her response, ” I’ve already conscripted you to come up with it :).”

Sliver shares, “As long as I have lived here people have talked about the Dayton mindset of “mine. My idea, my client, my plan.” The trend that I know a lot of the people involved in this project have seen is that we end up with numerous ideas that are all similar, but no one wants to work together. They want IT to be their idea. An idea is always better when it’s numerous pieces of different ideas from all over, pushed into one great idea.” So his goal was to help steer the project into something that could be communal.

Matthew and his creative team got to work. At the May Project Launch “I Love Dayton” morphed into Dayton Pride.

In June the Dayton Pride group met at Warped Wing Brewing Company to start to plot out a campaign to create a media buzz for the region. What they ended up sharing was their vision for Dayton Inspires.

According to the recently launched website:
We have created a new positive interactive brand for Dayton that is reflected in our Web and social media presence. We’re giving everyone access to our designs so they can take our campaign and run with it. We will succeed by inspiring Daytonians to use our branding to promote themselves and their pride in the city in any form they choose.

With your help, we will cover the city with our logo by distributing it through posters, stickers, murals and other physical images at businesses and community gathering spaces in downtown Dayton and in the suburbs. When we finish, it will be almost impossible to go to downtown Dayton without encountering our logo, and the positive vibes it inspires.”

According to Updayton Executive Director Laura Estandia, a young professional who came to Dayton to attend UD and has stayed, explains, “I like this campaign because it encourages the user to be interactive. It’s open source creative. No trademarks, just free space. I am excited to see how people interact with it. It could be messy at times, but overall this is going to be a very colorful, diverse celebration.”

Barrow is excited to see how the community will embrace Dayton Inspires. She shared, “I hope it will inspire the region to take pride in itself and truly see Dayton for the wonderful place to live that it is. And while many people who live here recognize that it’s a great place to live, they still talk down about it as if it’s something to apologize for. When people take pride in where they live, they’re more invested in the community and willing to spend money locally, and they look for ways to take advantage of the city’s amenities instead of always going out of town. If the 850,000 people who live in the region began to celebrate all of the great businesses and parks and unique shops and restaurants that make Dayton awesome, downtown and the region would be bustling with activity all the time. ”

Sliver hopes “to see a chain reaction. It will start with several businesses and people, then as others see what Dayton has inspired them to do, they will inturn show what inspires them. Ultimately, I just want people to start seeing the amazing things that Dayton has to offer, instead of focusing on the bad.” As for measuring success, he shares, ” This is a social based campaign, so the more posts I see, or the more that #Daytoninspires is used, that will measure the short-term. I will know we are successful when we are approached by another group of like-minded individuals wanting to take the voice of Dayton Inspires over and grow it even further.”

And now Dayton- it’s your turn to participate. What inspires you?

The Dayton Inspires crew will be on hand tonight at Urban Nights with their photo booth at the UpDayton Splatter Zone, located at 125 N Wilkinson St in the parking lot near the Westminster Presbyterian Church .

Share what you love about Dayton! Bring a T-shirt (or other clothing item) and get “tagged” with the Dayton Inspires logo at the spray painting station.

Keep up with Dayton Inspires by liking their Facebook Page.

Locally Grown Food & Local Beer On The Menu at Brewery Dinners

September 11, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

The Yellow Springs Brewery, located at 305 N Walnut Street in Yellow Springs, is celebrating the Autumn Equinox with two local food special events this month.

On Tuesday, September 23rd starting at 6:30pm Yellow Springs Brewery will partner with Chef Patrick Sartin of Harvest Mobile Cuisine to host a 3 course beer dinner to celebrate Nature’s Bounty. Reservations are required for this dinner and can be made for $55 per person by calling 767-0222. The three courses, which will be paired with beers to be named later, are:

Seasonal Greens
Variety of Patchwork Gardens field greens with roasted beets, toasted pecans, crumbled goat cheese and maple vinaigrette, served with a butternut squash fritter

Free Bird
One half of a slow roasted Hill Family Farms Chicken, acorn squash, braised Swiss chard, and fennel puree with sage brown butter

Pumpkin Cheesecake
with graham cracker crust, and apple chips

The following week, on Tuesday, September 30th from 7-9pm the brewery will partner with Andrea and Chris Hutson, the culinary duo behind Harvest Moon to offer vegan tapas centered around fresh locally sourced ingredients. Brewmaster Jeffery McElfresh will discuss each food and beer pairing. Tickets for this event will run $40 per person and again, reservations are suggested.

We’re Giving Away Tickets To SICSA’s Creole Shrimp Boil Fundraiser

September 8, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

For 40 years, the Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals (SICSA) has been dedicated to place adoptable dogs and cats in loving homes. They have over 1,400 dog and cat adoptions annually and spay and neuter over 2,000 dogs and cats each year for the community. As a nonprofit, they rely on donations from the community, hosting many fundraisers like their Red Dog Auction, Holiday Bazaar and their annual pet calendar.

But this year, they’ve planned a brand new event for Friday, Sept 12th and they’ve enlisted the help of James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur Anne Kearney of Rue Dumaine and Chef Matt Hayden from Scratch Event Services to pull off The Cat’s Meow. Guest will arrive at Benham’s Grove in Centerville to enjoy a 1920’s Creole style garden party featuring a shrimp boil like Dayton’s never seen.

Here are the event details:

5:30-7:00 – Era-specific appetizers and spirits, dancing to the beat of Dave Greer and the Classic Jazz Stompers, a themed photo booth, and an exciting silent auction made up of unique and enticing packages. If this lineup doesn’t keep you entertained while you visit with 249 other guests and enjoy our garden party Creole ambiance, we need to check your vitals!

7:15-8:30 – A shrimp and Andouille sausage boil, Creole-style. What’s that mean? It means we boil up those bad boys with corn, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, Chef Anne’s special spice mix and lots of love! We then serve it up piping hot to your table family style, with a side of Chef Anne’s Grandma’s famous cornbread. Not a fan of shrimp or meat, no worries. We also have a red beans and rice dish which will be sure to please. We will round out the main course with homemade pickled vegetables made just for you! Then we finish it up with banana-pecan trifle garnished with pecan praline while you bid on our five special live auction items. You will swear you have been transported back to a 1920 Louisiana back yard.

8:30-10:30 – The party doesn’t stop just because the bidding has! Dave Greer and the Classic Jazz Stompers will turn up the heat and get you going on the dance floor. Not into the swing, we dare you not to do some chair dancing, toe tapping or finger snapping to these cool cats!

Individual Tickets are $150 each and tables of 8 are $1200. Tickets may be purchased on the SICSA website.

DMM Ticket Contest:
We’ve got a pair of tickets for a lucky winner who’d like to enjoy this Creole Garden Party. To be entered in the drawing you must like & share this story and fill out the entry form below. Congratulations to Theresa from Huber Heights, who will be our guest at The Cats Meow!

Whoo Cooks for You – The Region’s Top Chefs- That’s Who!

September 6, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

In what has become an annual tradition, on Sun, September 14th from 4-8pm under the trees of Glen Helen local chefs join together to create a culinary adventure to benefit The Glen Helen Raptor Center. These chefs from the area’s top restaurants will provide a bountiful six course feast sourced from local area growers.

Prior to dinner, in true raptor fashion, devour mouth watering charcuterie from “Smoking Goose” and sip a signature cocktail; Raptor’s Delight, while you tour our Raptor Center. Then, move on to our fine dining tent, refill your beverage and bid on our themed “Birds of Prey Silent Auction”. Further support our programs by choosing to “Adopt a Raptor”.

Here’s the 2014 Menu:

Chef Elizabeth Wiley

Meadowlark – Wiley
Hors d’oeuvres on the lawn of the Raptor Center
Stuffed Mushrooms, Chinese Dumpling-style
Peaches and Belletoile Cheese wrapped in Fennel-Peppercorn Salami
Celery Sticks stuffed with Green Chile Pimento Cheese
Fried Green Tomatoes with Chowchow Mayonnaise

Fresco – Chef Jenn DiSanto
Sweet Corn and Chevre Flan with Summer Succotash,
Arugula and Basil Pesto and Za’atar Marinated Prawns

Chef Carrie Walters

DLM – Carrie Walters
Thai Chilled Melon Soupwith Ginger,
Chili and Fresh Herbs

Roost – Dana Downs
Butter-poached Lobster and Fulton Farm Wild Mushroom Tortelloni with Lemon Burro Bianco Sauce

Wheat Penny – Liz Valenti
Porchetta with Double Corn Polenta and Fresh Fennel and Olive Salad

Chef Anne Kearney

Seasons – Doug McGregor
Cheese Course:
Blue Jacket Dairy Feta in a filo cup, drizzled with White Mountain honey
Seasons’ own housemade Rosemary Queso Fresco and heirloom cherry tomatoes with corn tortilla chips
Yellow House Sheep’s Milk Blue Cheese with apples and raspberries

Rue Dumaine – Chef Anne Kearney
Dessert:
Café au lait pot de crème,
bittersweet chocolate ganache,
Mississippi crackle cookie

Enjoy great music, a silent auction, Ohio wine and beer, and close encounters with our education raptors, Glen Helen Naturalists and Director of our Raptor Center, Betty Ross.

End your evening with an exceptional decadent dessert that will melt your senses and send you home with the satisfied feeling that you have indeed made a difference in the rehabilitation and care of Raptor’s at Glen Helen.

Limited seating available, purchase your place at the table for $150 now by visiting www.glenhelen.org or call Ann Simonson at 937-769-1902 ext. 1103.

Dayton’s Newest Food Truck: Jimmie’s StrEATery

August 25, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re happy to announce that Dayton’s newest foodtruck, Jimmie’s StrEATery, will be debuting at Warped Wing Brewing Company this Wed, August 27th at 7:00 pm!

Jimmie Brandell, the chef and owner of Jimmie’s Ladder 11 got started on his truck last year, thought he’d have it out by the end of last summer, then had a little back surgery and the truck was parked while he recovered. But good things are worth waiting for and the food coming out of this mobile kitchen should be good!

Here’s the list of street eats that will be for sale on the truck:

Sandwiches

$8 Fried Green Tomato “BLT”- Green tomatoes beer battered with Warped Wing’s Flying Rye IPA, apple wood bacon, fresh spinach leaves, and Siracha mayonnaise on toasted wheat bread.

$8 Tom’s Turkey- Thinly sliced turkey topped with, creamy coleslaw cut daily, and a sliced hardboiled egg on a toasted hoagie roll.

$9 Blackened Chicken Sandwich- Grilled blackened chicken topped with, apple wood bacon, grilled onions, tomato, Swiss cheese, and Baja white sauce, stuffed inside a toasted hoagie roll.

$9 Arugula Pesto Chicken Sandwich- Grilled chicken topped with arugula pesto, roasted red pepper, asiago cheese, and a balsamic reduction on a toasted hoagie roll.

Sides

$3 French Fries- House cut French Fries deep fried to perfection.

$3 Creamy Coleslaw- Hand cut creamy coleslaw cut daily.

$4 Spinach Salad- Spinach leaves, red onion, cucumber, tomato, feta cheese, with a garlic vinaigrette.

$4 Jimmie’s New Orleans Style Gumbo- Chicken, Andouille sausage, shrimp, and okra

FilmDayton Festival: The Award Winners

August 25, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

This weekend was the 6th annual Eichelberger FilmDayton Festival and the second year as a submission based festival. For the first time they honored filmmakers with audience choice awards from various shorts blocks during the festival. Members of this weekends audience participated in the awards process by voting for their favorite films.The actual awards was commissioned by FilmDayton and designed and created by talented local glass artist Susan Cannon.

The first group of awards presented tonight are the SUN DOG AWARDS –
These awards are presented to our newest and youngest film makers who participate and compete in the annual Sun Dog film festival for Junior High and High School students. The top 4 student short films were shown at the beginning of our feature films. These award winners are in no particular order as follows:

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SunDog winner Carly Vagedes

“Surrounded” (Brian Ferenchik – Hilliard Davidson)
“Run from Risk” (Khari Anthony – Centerville High School)
“5 Seconds” (Kylee Griffin and Grace Brooks – Southern Middle School)
“Julian” (Carly Vagedes – Stivers School)

Flick My Clip, curated by Ryan Singer
Poker Noir – By B-side comedy, a film that takes Friday night poker games to an extreme.
Accepting for the film were Caz Finnegan and Max Cothrel.

International Shorts
Whose Afraid of The Big Black Wolf, by Janez Lapajne, Slovenia. A film set in the Alps in 1944 as a multicultural triangle between a shepherd boy and two officers from opposite sides with two tunes and one flute.

Ohio Shorts
Sinner Victim Saints, directed by Moses Flores,
Upon meeting a stranger claiming to have supernatural powers at his wife’s funeral is feted the opportunity to exchange his life for hers. receiving the award is Cody Brown and Gregory Kennedy

US Shorts
Personal Day,directed by Philip Jessen,
The story of two disgruntled office workers who, by complete coincidence, choose the same day to bring guns to work and “resign”.

The Filmmaker Award—to honor career achievement of excellence in filmmaking – Jim Klein
An excerpt from the nomination by Shayna McConville

“I have the great pleasure of knowing Jim as a friend, colleague and an integral part of Dayton region’s educational and creative economy. A filmmaker, film advocate and film editor for over forty years, his work has encouraged audiences to look at political and social issues through smart, important and engaging documentary filmmaking.

An educator at Wright State, Jim has impacted the careers of countless emerging filmmakers. His work has been recognized, collected and nominated by such agencies as the Library of Congress, the Academy Awards and the Emmys. Jim is also the co-founder of New Day Films, which strives to deliver “dynamic, provocative storytelling to educational institutions…ensuring access to a wide range of contemporary and classic films. Considering Jim for the Filmmaker Award this year is a great testament to his Salazarb and issues that impact our contemporary lives.

Enjoy the video retrospective produced by local filmmaker Andrew Fiscus:

The Key Award—to honor special service to the filmmaking community – Jonathan McNeal

Highlights about Jonathan from the nomination from Ann Rotalante

“Many people know Jonathan because of his “day job.” For over a decade, he has managed The Neon, Dayton’s only independent movie theater.

But many people don’t realize that Jonathan is also a talented, award-winning filmmaker in his own right. He is a 1996 graduate of Wright State University’s prestigious motion picture production program. His documentary short The Rubi Girls is a joyous, uplifting chronicle of the professional men behind the comedic, charity-driven, Dayton-based drag troupe. The Rubi Girls premiered at the 2003 San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and went on to win Audience and Best of Festival Awards at the Fire Island Film & Video Festival and the Out on Film Festival in Atlanta.

Each year Jonathan seeks out new, innovative, and interesting films to program here in Dayton by attending the Toronto International Film Festival, where he screens the latest independent films premiering on the festival circuit. While traveling, he writes a daily online blog to give his readers a little sneak peek to some of the films that will eventually be programmed at The Neon. His blog also allows those back home in the Miami Valley to live vicariously through his marathon movie-watching sessions, Q&A’s with filmmakers and stars, and the occasional industry party where he rubs elbows with celebrities.

Jonathan is also an ardent supporter of filmmaking and filmmakers in the Miami Valley. He offers his time and expertise on professional and student productions. He works closely with local filmmakers who need to have test screenings or local premieres of their finished work at The Neon. Jonathan volunteers his time to support FilmDayton, and has taught film production classes at both Stivers School for the Arts and Wright State University, inspiring the next generation of filmmakers.

Perhaps most notably, Jonathan McNeal is the founder and programmer of the the Downtown Dayton LGBT Festival. This festival takes place each October and will celebrate it’s ninth year in 2014. This popular festival screens the very best in contemporary LGBT cinema and offers something for everyone in the community-at-large.”

Video montage produced by local filmmaker Andrew Fiscus:

Chappys – Now Serving Lunch Daily

August 25, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

Chappys Tap Room & Grille, located at 2733 W Alex Bell Rd in Moraine, is now open for lunch every day at 11am starting today! They have a special lunch menu with most of your favorites and some new items as well that include lunch baskets, pork tenderloin sandwich and beer brined pork chop sandwiches.

They will offer the lunch menu Monday through Friday from 11am to 3pm and then offer the full menu starting at 3pm. Saturday and Sunday full menu starsat 11am. And while you’re there, be sure and check out all the beers on tap, probably the best selection in Dayton!

Half Pound Charcoal Grilled Burger – served Chappys way – American cheese, red onion, tomato and mayo on the side
Bacon, Swiss & Mushroom Burger – 1/2 lb. Charcoal Grilled Burger topped w/Bacon, Swiss & Mushrooms
Davey Boy – Double Decker Charcoal Grilled Burger w/American cheese, lettuce & special sauce
Pulled Pork Sandwich – slow smoked, pulled and mixed w/BBQ sauce
Boneless Chicken Breast – Charcoal Grilled – Crispy Fried – Blackened – BBQ – served w/lettuce, tomato & red onion
Smothered Chicken Sandwich – boneless chicken breast smothered w/cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses, sautéed onions and mushrooms
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich – hand battered, boneless chicken breast tossed in mild or hot sauce, topped with choice of ranch or blue cheese, lettuce and onion
New Orleans Style Po Boys – dressed w/lettuce, tomato & mayo
Beer Battered Chicken or Blackened Chicken
Cajun Fried Shrimp
Fresh Fish Sandwich – Charcoal Grilled – Beer Battered – Blackened

FilmDayton Celebrates Films & Filmmakers

August 24, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

It’s the final day of the Eichelberger FiilmDayton Festival and the schedule includes workshops, shorts and feature films, just like it has all weekend. Based at The Neon in downtown Dayton, hundreds of festival attendees are exposed to films made with local Dayton connection as well as ‘best of the fest” flicks from some of the countries biggest festival like Tribeca and SXSW. Here’s the lineup for today:

The Critics Perspective Workshop Sunday, August 24 – 12PM – ThinkTV
What makes a great film? Filmmakers and critics Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman will navigate you through the complex world of film criticism. Reichert and Farihah’s documentary, This Time Next Year, will be shown Sunday evening

US Shorts Block Sunday, August 24, 12:30-2:30 PM – The Neon

My Date With Adam
A wedding planner uses internet dating to find the perfect man—only to discover that he’s more than just perfect.

One Armed Man
A wealthy cotton gin executive is confronted by a disgruntled former employee demanding the return of an arm lost in the gin’s machinery, in Oscar-winning writer Horton Foote’s chilling drama, One Armed Man.

Sheltered love
In blissful 1950s suburbia, a lovestruck bobbysoxer and her no-good-nik boyfriend seek refuge from her overprotective
and hot-headed father.

Two Lines Of Vagary
Brad is forced to reevaluate his life when he finds himself caught up in a cocaine scam.

Personal Day
‘Personal Day’ is the story of two disgruntled office workers who, by complete coincidence, choose the same day to bring guns to work and ‘resign’.

Poured: a lesson in d.i.y
The official documentary profiling THE D.I.Y. skatepark underneath the I-471 Bridge in Newport, Kentucky

Auditioning for Actors workshop Sunday, August 24 – 2PM – ThinkTV
presented by Shaunn Baker and Jason Kaufman
Are you an actor looking for great tips on how to get the attention of casting directors? Here’s your chance! Jason Kaufman and Shaunn Baker are here to help you through the auditioning process. Jason Kaufman holds an MFA from the Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University and the Moscow Art Theatre School. He has appeared in numerous stage productions and television shows. Most familiar include CSI-Miami, Without a Trace and many major soap operas. He is currently an assistant professor at Wright State University. Shaunn Baker is Managing Partner for WorldStage Media, an award winning media and entertainment Production Company located in Dayton, Ohio. He has produced hundreds of projects for businesses in the Dayton area and worked with FilmDayton to bring to life a pro-am community filmmaking project in 2013.

Stomping Ground– Sunday, August 24 – 3:15PM – The Neon

Ben & Annie are a young couple on a weekend trip to Annie’s small North Carolina hometown. At the local bar they run into Paul, a charming old friend of Annie’s, and Ben learns something he never new about his girlfriend: She believes in Bigfoot. In fact, she and her friends used to ‘hunt’ for the creature when they were kids. Before Ben knows it, he’s off on an impromptu Squatchin’ trip deep in the Carolina backwoods. Amidst the Squatch calls, campfire stories and beers, Ben quickly realizes that Paul may have an ulterior motive in bringing Annie to the woods. And something else out here seems to be after her as well. Everyone but Ben thinks it’s Bigfoot. But it can’t be, can it? After all, Bigfoot isn’t real… Stomping Ground is a microbudget relationship dramedy/horror hybrid feature by television producer & first time feature director Dan Riesser.
Stick around for a Skype Q & A with the director

This Time Next Year Sunday, August 24 – 5:30PM – The Neon

Directed by Jeff Reichert and Farihah Zaman (with additional photography by local filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar), The documentary This Time Next Year tells the story of a community banding together to support each other after the devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to Long Island Beach, New Jersey. Both directors will be present for a Q&A after the screening

The final event of the sixth annual film festival is the presentation of the Annual FilmDayton Awards , recognizing those who make our region a fantastic place for film. Created three years ago the awards are designed to honor those who demonstrated excellence in filmmaking, devote service to the filmmaking community and display creativity and innovation in their work. The community nominates local talent, and the board of FilmDayton makes the final selections. Award winners are celebrated with a five minute film that highlights their contributions to the film community and introduced by their nominators. The ceremony is held at The Neon, begins at 8pm and is free to attend. All are invited to join FilmDayton as we celebrate and thank those who make our community strong.

Filmmaker Award Winner: Jim Klein

An educator at Wright State, Jim has impacted the careers of countless emerging filmmakers. His work has been recognized, collected and nominated by such agencies as he Library of Congress, the Academy Awards and the Emmys. Jim is also the co-founder of new Day Films which strives to deliver “dynamic, provocative storytelling to educational institutions…
ensuring access to a wide range of contemporary and classic films.”

Key Award For Special Service to The Regional Film Community Winner: Jonathan McNeal

For over a decade, Jonathan McNeal has managed The Neon Theater, but his true talent is as an award-winning filmmaker. He graduated from Wright State University in 1996 from the motion picture production program. His documentary short The Rubi Girls is a joyous, uplifting chronicle of the professional men behind the comedic, charity-driven, Dayton based drag troupe; Jonathan performs as IIeasa Plymouth. The Rubi Girls premiered at the 2003 San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. From there, the film went on to win Audience and Best of Festival at the Fire Island Film & Video Festival and the Out on Film Festival in Atlanta. He is the founder and programmer of the The Dayton LGBT Festival, now in its ninth year. Jonathan is an ardent supporter of filmmaking and filmmakers in the Miami Valley. He offers his time and expertise on professional and student productions. Jonathan volunteers his time to support FilmDayton, and has more than once been a presenter at their monthly Film Connections meetings. He has taught film production classes at both Stivers School for the Arts and Wright State University, inspiring the next generation of filmmakers.

BBQ, Blues & Bacon – Dayton’s Newest Festival

August 19, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

Combine the area’s finest BBQ restaurants, then mix in the rage that is sweeping the nation, BACON! Add some blues bands, 30+ craft vendors, a kids zone with bounce houses, clowns, face painting and balloons and you’ve got Dayton’s newest festival PIGGFEST USA. Debuting this Friday from 5-10pm and Sat 10am -9pm at the Dayton Expo Center, Dayton native Chad Mullins is “excited about bringing Pitmasters for all over the country together for some for some of the best BBQ ever.”

Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork, Chicken, Bacon from:

Company 7 BBQ
Rudys Smokehouse
Pigtails BBQ
The Tin Roof
Piggin N Grinnin
Fatbacks BBQ
Porkys Smokehouse
Boston’s Bistro and Pub
Brixx Ice Company
G’s Cue BBQ
Bob Evans
Off the Bone BBQ

also on hand Waffle World, Rhonda’s Homemade Candies, Ritter’s Frozen Custard and Amaizing Grace Kettle Corn

BANDS – Friday

5:30pm Mississippi Red
8:00pm The Wright Brothers

BANDS – Saturday

Noon Smokin’ Ham Band
2:30pm Back Talk Blues Band
5pm Zakk Knight Band
6:30pm Eric Steckel – pictured left

Ticket Info

Adults $7
Kids 7-12 $5
6 and under FREE
Ticket good all weekend with hand stamp

$2 off coupons available from the PigFest website.

DMM Ticket Giveaway:
We’ve got your hookup for BBQ & Blues, just like this post, fill out the form below, and leave a comment on why you should win tickets and we’ll announce three winners of a pair of tickets Wed night! [form 55 “DMM Contest Entry – Generic”]

Cheers To Beer Week!

August 17, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

The fifth annual Beer Week officially kicks off today with a parade through the Oregon District at 4:30pm. I remember viewing the inaugural parade in 2010, standing in front of Blind Bob’s. I think it lasted about 3 minutes and featured Thai 9’s Sweaty Betty, a flatbead truck and about 60 people. Today’s parade, which starts at The Dublin Pub, promises a kazoo ban from Blind Bob’s, Dayton Brew Tour’s Groove Machine handing out samples of MikeSells new Beer Can Chicken Potato Chips, a large contingent of owners from Fifth Street BrewPub and much more. The parade will end at Thai 9 where the ceremonial opening of Beer Week begins with special cask tappings from Warped Wing Brewing Co. and Toxic Brew Co., plus numerous craft draught beers will be tapped beginning at 5 pm. Mayor Nan Whaley will be tapping the first cask.

The popularity of Beer Week continues to grow and there are over 80 events on our calendar from tap takeovers, tasting and beer dinners. Due to the ever changing nature of these events, please check with your favorite beer bar for late additions or changes. Also many bars will be featuring special pricing and glass giveaways all week long. Check out the beer dinners that are scheduled, and please check with each business about availability and the need for reservations.

Beer Dinners:

8/17 -23

The Melting Pot– four courses perfectly paired with four craft beers

Monday, 8/18 –

Rue Dumaine – Mad Tree Brewing Tasting Dinner

Tuesday, 8/19

Archer’s Tavern – New Holland Beer Dinner

Spinoza’s Summer Beer Dinner featuring Rhinegeist Brewing Co.

Meadowlark Beer Dinner

Wed, 8/20

Jay’s Seafood Toxic Brew Dinner

McCormick & Schmick’s Samuel Adams & Great Lakes Throw Down Dinner

Thurs, 8/21

Jay’s Seafood Toxic Brew Dinner

The Grand Finale of Beer Week is the ultimate area beer tasting – AleFest, which takes place on Sat, Aug 23rd. As we hope you’ve heard by now, there are a few changes this year. First the location- moving north to Wegerzyn Gardens gives the event room to spread out and plenty of free parking. Also they have added a VIP tasting with 500 tickets available offering beer enthusiasts the opportunity to enter at 1PM to mingle in a relaxed environment with brewery representatives and industry experts. VIP tickets are $50 and only available for purchase online here! General admission tickets, $40 at the door or $35 in advance, include 20 tasting tickets, a commemorative glass, and program guide. Designated drivers will be admitted for $15 and will receive a commemorative tasting glass as well as complimentary soda and water. No one under 21 will be admitted.

We just heard from the folks at AleFest that they could still use a few more volunteers to pour beer. The shift is from noon – 5:30pm and you’ll get your very own AleFest T-shirt in exchange for your time. Sign up here to get one of these coveted spots.

Cheers to Beer Week! Feel free to add a comment below about where we’ll find you sipping a tall cold one!

Food Trucks Converge In Springfield Saturday

August 15, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

Thirty-five food trucks from Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati as well as Kentucky and Indiana are set to compete in the Springfield Rotary Gourmet Food Truck Competition on Sat, Aug. 16 in Veteran’s Park from 11am – 9pm.

Dayton area trucks that are signed up to compete include:

Go Cupcake, C’est Cheese, Harvest Mobile Cuisine, Hunger Paynes, McNasty’s, PA’s Pork and Zombie Dogz.

The winner of the $10,000 grand prize for Best Food Truck Cuisine will be decided by a panel of local celebrity judges, which includes:

Doug McGregor, chef and owner of Seasons Bistro in Springfield
Amelia Robinson, food writer for Cox Newspaper in Dayton
Tina Pavlatos, chocolatier and president of Visual Anatomy, LTD in Springfield
Steve Neely, Rotarian and president of Armoloy of Ohio in Springfield
Mary Kay Smith, chef and owner of the Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs

Smith, a restaurant owner for more than 35 years, enjoys seeing passionate chefs who focus on five or six specialty items to feed the public.

“I’ve seen the evolution of food and dining from access to ingredients, the Localvore movement, Food Network and star chefs,” Smith said. “I love the idea of food trucks and their ability to set up, feed people in parking lots, street corners and special events.”

In addition to the grand prize for Best Food Truck Cuisine, 12 anonymous judges will choose winners of Best Truck/Cart Design, Best Customer Service and Best Menu, all of which will be awarded $1,000. Each truck receives a $500 stipend just for participating.

Running from 11 am to 9 pm, the competition will also host live entertainment featuring four local bands –

The Ark Band– from Columbus – play roots reggae, calypso and soca music

Cowboy Hillbilly Hippy Folk – who claim their style is “wandering and waving through the grass”

Omega Point – a Springfield band that plays festivals and nightclubs

The Temps – The nerdy, musical geniuses play upbeat renditions of dance cover music from the 80’s to today.

And of course their is a beer garden for those 21 and older. Admission to the event is free. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and if you bring pets, they must be on a leash. Veteran’s Park, where the event will take place, was formerly known as Cliff Park, is located on the edge of Wittenberg University campus at 250 Cliff Park Road.

The money raised from the competition’s numerous sponsors will go toward the Springfield Rotary Club’s charities – Services to People with Disabilities, Polio Plus (the worldwide eradication of Polio) and the International Project in Lesotho.

Drink Up Summer At AleFest Ticket Giveaway

August 8, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

The 16th annual AleFest Dayton returns to the Miami Valley on Saturday, August 23, 2014 showcasing over 400 unique beers and ciders from more than 180 craft breweries around the world with a special focus on Dayton area breweries.

This year’s event offers exciting changes starting with new owners, Jennifer Dean and Amanda Pond, a new venue, Wegerzyn Gardens (1301 Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, OH 45414) and a brand new VIP ticket option. Up to 500 beer enthusiasts will have the opportunity to enter at 1PM to mingle in a relaxed environment with brewery representatives and industry experts. Special cask tappings like abby XXXX from Toxic Brew Company will also be a part of the VIP experience. VIP tickets are $50 and only available for purchase online here!.

General admission tickets, which run $40 at the door or $35 in advance, include 20 tasting tickets, a commemorative glass, and program guide. Designated drivers will be admitted for $15 and will receive a commemorative tasting glass as well as complimentary soda and water. No one under 21 will be admitted. All guests can enjoy the live music and a variety of food from some of the Miami Valley’s favorite local restaurants will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds from this year’s event will benefit the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio.

AleFest Co-Owner Jennifer Dean shares, “We’re especially excited to be able to showcase so many of our local beers.” The explosion of local breweries has added a plethora of new options for beer enthusiasts and here are the local beers you’ll be able to taste:

The Dayton Beer Co. – Oregon Alley IPA, Broken Empire Russian Imperial IPA

Eudora Brewing Company – Summer Pilsner, Boomerang IPA, Oatmeal Stout, Blonde Ale

Fifth Street Brew Pub – Scottish 85, Jo’s Midnight Stout

Lucky Star Brewery – Wicked Mutha Milk Stout, We Eat Honey Wheat, Ojos Locos Pale Lager

Toxic Brew Company – Black Toni, Cap City Hustler, Porn or Pawn Pepper

Warped Wing Brewery – Ermal’s, Self Starter, Secret Hoperation,

Yellow Springs Brewery – Goats Eye Belgian Style Pale Ale, Smoking Handsome Brown Ale, Greeat Lakes Collaboration

Cellar Dweller – Copperhead APA, Look Out Dry Irish Stout

Rhinegeist – Truth IPA, Zen Pale Ale, Cougar Blond

And like those aren’t tempting enough, there will be selecitons for the following Regional Breweries: Mission, North Coast, Stone, Breckenridge, Great Divide, Left Hand, Boulder Beer Co., Dogfish Head, 5 Rabbit, Revolution, Two Brothers, Alltech, Jolly Pumpkin, Heavy Seas, Sixpoint, Fad Heads, Hoppin Frog, Hinterland, Madtree, Jackie O’s, Unibroue, Chouffe, La Trappe, St. Feullien, JW Lees, Greene King, Aecht Schlenkerla, Schneider, Weihenstephaner, Schneider, Riegele, Bards, Wyders, Original Sin, Virtue, Sonoma and many more!

Tickets can be purchased at www.AleFest.com or at any of your favorite beer venues listed below:

5th Street Wine & Deli, A Taste of Wine, Archer’s Tavern, Arrow Wine Centerville, Arrow Wine Kettering, Bee Gee’s Market, Beer Barn, Belmont Party Supply, Blind Bob’s, Bottle No. 121, Brixx Ice Company, Bruning’s Wine Cellar, Buffalo Wild Wings Troy, Bunkers Bar, Cellar Dweller Brewery, Centerville Carry Out, Century Bar, Chappys Tap Room & Grille, Company 7 BBQ, Cuvée Wine Bar & Cellar, Dayton Beer Company, DLM Centerville, DLM Oakwood, DLM Springboro, Dublin Pub, Eudora Brewing Co., Fifth Street Brewpub Co-Op, FiftyWest, Flanagan’s Pub, Flyboys Deli, Hareless Hare, Jerardi’s Little Store, Jimmie’s Ladder 11, Jungle Jim’s (Cincinnati), Jungle Jim’s (Eastgate), King’s Table, Liquor & Wine Warehouse Miller Lane, Listermann’s Brewing Supply (Cincinnati), Lock 27 Brewing Company, Lucky’s Taproom & Eatery, MadTree Brewing, Manor Wine & Liquor, Miami Valley Wine & Spirits (Tipp City), Milanos Atlantic City Subs Beavercreek, Milanos Atlantic City Subs Brown St., Milanos Atlantic City Subs SR 741, Oregon Express, Piqua Beverage Center, Pour Haus, River’s Bend Wine & Spirits, Rivertown Brewery, Rhinegeist, Rumbleseat Wines, Slyder’s Tavern, South Park Tavern, Spinoza’s Pizza & Salads, Star City, Tank’s Bar & Grill, Thai9, The Market, The Pub at the Greene, Toxic Brew Company, Trolley Stop, Wine Works, Yellow Springs Brewery, and Warped Wing.

Special DMM Ticket Offer: For our MostMetro.com readers we’ve got tickets to give away. To be entered in our drawing, like and share this story, enter below and share a comment below on telling us about your favorite beer or one you are looking forward to try! We’ll name our winners on Sunday! [form 55 “DMM Contest Entry – Generic”]

Food Truck’s Finding Their Way Back Downtown

August 7, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

The Yellow Cab Company is hosting their second monthly Food Truck Rally. The first one, held on the second Friday in July had a great turnout with an estimated 1700 guests in attendance.

And according to organizer Brian Johnson, “it was a great event, but we learned some things and we’re adding more trucks, so the lines will be shorter and a 2nd beer truck as well. We”ll be featuring 10 Ton Oatmeal Stout from Warped Wing, Toxic ‘s Toxic Fifth St. Wheat and Zoetic from Yellow Springs Brewery- we love the chance to promote locally owned businesses. ” There will also be Red Hook Long Hammer IPA, Bud Light Lime, Yuengling, and Kona Big Wave Golden Ale on tap with Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon available by the glass. The craft beers will be $6.00, the Red Hook and Bud will be $5, the other two domestics will be $4, the wine is $5, pop and water are $1.

He also shared that they’ll have more seating, but still encourages guests to bring blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy picnic style. Another addition is a children’s play area, with games and activities and even a great photo opportunity to shoot a photo of your kids driving a child sized food truck!

Live music from Great Wide Open and Whiskey for Kids, with a dj between band sets will add to the festivities. Food Trucks scheduled to attend include: Cheeky Meat Pies, The Shakery, G’s Cue BBQ, Hunger Paynes, Voodoo Taco, McNasty’s, El Meson, Mohawk Freestyle Grill, Kowalski Hots, and Horseless Buggy Eatery. In addition to the food trucks, they will also have the Hair Bowtique, HouseMade Sirracha, Local Love Boutique, Ginniebug Creations selling desserts, and the Bright Fluff selling cotton candy.

And if you can’t make it this Friday, don’t worry, Yellow Cab will continue to host Food Truck Rallies on the 2nd Friday of each month through October, or maybe even November, weather permitting.