Dayton937

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

Lisa Grigsby

Ways to help Daybreak

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daybreak_logoDaybreak was established in 1975 in Dayton, Ohio as an emergency shelter for runaway and homeless youth.
Today, Daybreak operates the Miami Valley’s only 24-hour crisis hotline and emergency youth shelter and has grown to include outreach, prevention, transitional housing, life-skills education, and other follow-up services for runaway, throwaway, and homeless youth. Daybreak is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Here are current opportunities to help Daybreak:

September til November, Table Captains for Champions for Youth

Become an advocate for Daybreak!  Find 9 friends to come to the free breakfast or lunch to hear testimony from Daybreak youth on how Daybreak has changed their lives and provided them a future.  The breakfast or lunch is free, however, you will be asked to consider making a donation.  This event, held at the Mandalay Banquet Center, is only one hour.

On-going, Residential Aides
Make a positive impact on a kid’s life!  Become a residential aide and help engage residents in positive activities.  Can help with current activities or create a new one.

If you are interested in any of the activities, please respond to this email, call Duanna Osting at 937-395-4600 ext. 114, or check out our website at www.daybreakdayton.org.

Urban Excursion-Can you solve the clues?

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TeamBox

Team Box members Megan Cooper and Adrienne Neiss

teamclimbers

Team Climbers captured the costume bonus points!

Friday night 14 teams of four were pioneers in an Urban Excursion. Signing up without much more than a limited description of a hybrid Amazing Race/Scavenger hunt, these teams were up for the challenge. Meeting at Wiley’s Comedy Club, getting brief instructions and then the whistle blew, they were handed their playbook with 12 clues to unknown destinations. Teams began running around downtown. Once they reached the location they had a chance to get bonus points, by singing songs, forming human pyramids, playing air guitar or creating a team self portrait. Teams had a 90 minute time limit to solve the clues, including a 5 minute required pit stop for pizza (donated by The Pizza Factory) and document their bonus points with photo’s or video’s. Winning the challenge, Team Box collected every point except for the bonus for team costume, which was picked up by 2nd place Team Climbers, who came in full regalia including miner’s lights and ropes. Team Fairborn represented the suburbs with it’s third place finish.

Excursioner Rebecca Hartzell of South Park commented, “I would do it again. My whole team had a lot of fun.” Days later we’re still getting emails, texts and facebook posts from people thanking us for a good time.

For those of you who didn’t get to play with us this past Friday, here’s your chance to play along from your computer. Here are the clues- send us the answers and we’ll enter all those with winning answers in a drawing for Dayton Originals t-shirts.

The Clues:

1. It’s a garden, it’s a gallery and the Circus plays here; look for the arch near the overpass and you’ll know you are near.

2. I’m short and stout, have a handle and a spout. I’m east of Wayne, west of London. Find me while you’re out and about.

3. Once a bank, a decade empty, now it’s a Space for creativity.

4. It’s really not muddy between naughty and nice; no drugs or alcohol- music is their vice.

5. Just south of the river on a street named for Thomas, look fro a building with orange that is a place for artists.

6. A one hundred year old watering hole.

7.To “C” my FACE, you’ll find my cool lighted entrance behind the “Space”

8. Only two of these in the world are found in churches

9. Grassroots vision of a greater Dayton hidden in a former Gem

10. This venue sells more Jameson than any other location in the state of Ohio

11. It the Wright place for arrivals and departures.

12. You’ll have reached your goal when you arrive at the Creative Soul.

Email your answers to lisagrigsby@mac.com with Excursion in the subject line!

Farm Fest features scarecrow contest

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images-24Oct 10th & 11th, Miami County will host it’s first Fall Farm Fest at Lost Creek Reserve. Head north and enjoy this fun family event featuring a 6.2 acre corn maze, food, hayrides, children’s games, entertainment and other fun activities.
You can even enter the Scarecrow Contest.

Scarecrow Guidelines
• Display area will be 5’x 5’ square.
• All scarecrow and display items must fit in this area.
• We will provide a pole or post for you to
secure your scarecrow to.
• Each contest participant is responsible for
putting up their scarecrow by 7 p.m. on
Friday, October 9th.
• Scarecrows will be judged on Saturday
during the festival by public vote and winners will be announced on Sunday at 10 a.m.
Trophy for:
Best of Show
Gift Certificates for:
Director’s Choice
Funniest Scarecrow

a t L o s t C r e e k R es er v e
2 6 4 5 E . St . R t . 4 1 – Tr oy
S a t u r d ay , Oct o b er 1 0
1 0 a . m . – 7 p . m .
S u n d ay , Oct o b er 1 1
1 0 a . m . – 6 p . m .

Scarecrow Contest
For more information
(937) 667-1286
www.miamicountyparks.com

Oktoberfest Celebrations around Town

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images-23Oktoberfest triggers thoughts of steins of beer and feasts of sausages, hot potato salad, sauerkraut, sweet and sour cabbage and black forest cake. Many of you probably enjoyed some of these last weekend at the DAI’s festival. But for those of you who missed out or just couldn’t get enough- our great independent restaurateurs are making it possible for you to enjoy your own Oktoberfeast:

amberroseAmber Rose
1400 Valley Street, Dayton 228-2511
Featuring .10 beer special all month long your first draft is only ten cents. Choice of Beck’s Octoberfest, Amber Bock or Bud Light.

All pints are $2.00 till 7p.m. all month. Includes Hoegaarden, Hofbrau, Bud Light, Amber Bock and Beck’s Octoberfest.

German Specials each week including our everyday selections of German fare.

Look for Coupons in the Reach mag and DDN Go Section.

web_cocosCoco’s Bistro
515 Wayne Ave, Dayton 228-COCO
Salad with a Gewurzstraminer vinaigrette, Wiener Schnitzel with a roasted garlic and herb spaetzle and braised red cabbage, housemade apple strudel, paired with a Sam Adams Oktober Ale or glass of Gewurzstraminer for $20.09! Spread the word! For non-drinkers, you should ask for our special house made ginger ale, it’s divine.

ruedumainelogoRue Dumaine
1061 Miamisburg Centerville Rd, Washington Township 610-1061

Oktoberfest menu: Thursday, Oct 1st

Rinderrouladen served with potato puree and braised red cabbage – beef stuffed with a pickle spear, carrot stick, slice of ham and a smear of German mustard. It is seared then slow braised in beef stock. Served with Yukon potato puree and braised red cabbage seasoned with bacon, onion, red wine vinegar and sugar.

Steckerlfisch- grilled salmon broquette with a pickle-onion relish, served with Schupfnudeln (potato dumplings)

Gemischtes Würstchenteller (sausages) served over kraut (with juniper, caraway, apples, onions, bacon and beer), spaetzle and German mustard
–
Potato cake with applesauce
Obatzda –cheese-butter spread, served with handmade soft pretzels
Hot slaw
German potato salad
–
Apple strudel- phyllo wrapped, with raisins, walnuts, sugar and spice
Apple spice cake
Old German honey cookies
Plum tart

German Beer Tasting on Thurs, Oct 1st
ERDINGER HEFEWEISEN, AYINGER OKTOBER FEST-MÄRZEN
& ERDINGER DUNKEL WEIS $12

Early Bird specials for Sept 29th, 30th and Oct 1st 5-6pm:

Sauerkraut balls over German mustard crème
Hot slaw with apples and bacon
—
Pork schnitzel sandwich with pickles and potato wedges
Pan-seared cod with celery sauce and warm potato salad
—
Petite Black Forest cake
Apple cider sorbet with honey cookie

$22 for three courses, please select 1 item from each section

10 ?’s with Baker Matt Boosalis

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Matt Boosalis left a career in corporate banking to follow his passion and opened Boosalis Baking across from Lexis Nexis on St Rt 741 in Miami Township in the winter of 2008.  He moved the store to Cross  Pointe Shopping Center in 2014. Matt is especially proud to tell us that his “breads, muffins and scones are baked fresh daily, with only 100% natural ingredients and no preservatives. Our Croissants and Danish use European Butter which is richer than domestic butter. The extra expense is worth it when you taste the flavor and flakiness of these offerings,” he continues.

You can also stop in for a panini-style sandwiches made with various meats and cheeses and chef’s salads with house-made buttermilk-dill dressing, or place a catering order for breakfast, boxed lunches, or dessert trays. Central Perc in Oakwood and Table 33 downtown  also feature Matt’s products.

Below you’ll see Matt’s answers to DaytonMostMetro’s 10 questions:

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
On the Bread side: Flour. It requires time and attention when developing bread dough. Too much mixing, not enough rest, hydration and temperature can impact the result. Bread making really is similar to the art of wine making but on a shorter time line.
On the pastry side: butter! Everyone knows what great taste it yields but its ability to create spectacular levened croissants and puff pastry provides a taste experience few ingredients can match.

What ingredient do you dread?
I am cautionary with regard to spices. Too much and an item gets taken over with tht taste. Too little and its intended impact is not present.

What’s your favorite dish to make?
Foccacia Bread is the biggest challenge. Authentically done, you swear the dough is never going to become bread, it is that soupy with liquid. But giving it enough time and attention it becomes a wonderful delicate loaf.

What’s your favorite pig out food? When really hungry and driving around making deliveries or just doing errands, I can wolf down an entire baguette no problem. A good baguette has a crunch exterior and soft inside. It should have subtle nutty and sweet flavor.

What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
C’est Tout in Oakwood has long been a favorite since I moved here. Chef Dominique puts so much work and care into his presentations and it shows. And every couple of weeks I end up at Dewey’s Pizza down on Brown Street.

What’s your best advice for home chefs?
For bread, don’t use too much flour. Give the dough enough time and it will eventually come together.

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
Anyone of my four family members including extended family. Their truely is something bonding about “breaking bread” with another. Doing so with family just reaffirms the close bond that already exist.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
Bakers on the whole are very generous with sharing with other bakers. Perhaps that is because there are so few people who want to enter into a field that demands so much of you. In particualr I admire, Willard Combs of Western Reserve Bread Company in Chagrin Falls. Over the years he has shared a lot with me and followed a similar route, leaving behind a corporate job to do what he loves.

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?
I make sure to attend the festivals like Oktoberfest and the Italian Festa. and of course I like to visit with my sister and brother-in-law and nephews.

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:
Years ago in California when I was just getting the baking bug, I would frequently volunteer to bake breads for my church. This would give me a chance to use a larger kitchen and do it on more profession scale. One day I was to bake 200 loaves for an event. But since their kitchen was getting some work done, the church arranged for me to go to another church and work. I went on the appointed day and time. I was a bit mystified why they were not very recepeptive and in fact, had no expectation of my arrival. It was only well after baking I realized I had gone to the wrong church and used the wrong kitchen. Moral of the story: if you act with confidence it can take you a long way.

Donating by Dining

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images-10It’s the latest craze in easy fundraising idea’s that benefits the restaurants, the local nonprofits and makes it easy to give in tough economic times. A charity partners with an area eatery to promote guests to patronize a business on a certain day and in return for using their contact list to drive traffic in, the restaurant will make a donation to the nonprofit.

Here are a few Upcoming Events:

Mon, Sept 28th :

City Barbeque donates 25% to Hannah’s Treasure Chest

Texas Road House – 10% of sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Chili’s will donate 100% of sales to St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital

Sat, Oct 3rd:
Chef Joe Fish hosts a dinner at his house for David Esrati’s run for City of Dayton Commissioner

Know of others? Let us know

Benefit Screening of Fresh, The Movie

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fresh_poster_new-500x646As part of Miami Valley Grown’s first ever Local Food Week, a screening of Fresh will take place on Thurs, October 8th at 8pm at the 2nd Street Market.

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Each has witnessed the rapid transformation of our agriculture into an industrial model, and confronted the consequences: food contamination, environmental pollution, depletion of natural resources, and morbid obesity. Forging healthier, sustainable alternatives, they offer a practical vision for a future of our food and our planet.

Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur’s 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.

Miami Valley Grown is a local group of volunteers working to connect local growers, farmers & producers with local buyers, striving to educate our community of the benefits of buying locally.

For more info on MVGrown & Local Food Week, please visit MiamiValleyGrown.org

Nordstrom Comes To Southwest Ohio

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nordstromNordstrom has grown from one Seattle shoe store into a nationwide fashion specialty retailer with renowned customer service, generous size ranges and a wide selection of the finest apparel, shoes and accessories for the entire family. Known for its wide aisles, use of back wall displays, tasteful fixturing, seating for shoppers and its trademark live piano players, Nordstrom epitomizes specialty retail department store shopping. We’ll get to see for ourselves when Nordstrom opens a store at Kenwood Towne Centre.
Grand Opening Day Fri, Sept 25 at 10am

At one point the Nordstrom’s Employee Handbook was this:

Welcome to Nordstrom

We’re glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them.

Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1: Use good judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.

Please feel free to ask your department manager, store manager, or division general manager any question at any time.

While times have changed and there is now a full employee handbook, this page is the beginning of that handbook. Whatever they are teaching they must be doing it right as Nordstrom’s reputation is still as strong as ever, as testified by these quotes:

“Nordstrom is legendary for the way they take care of the people who walk through their doors.”-Ken Blanchard, Coauthor, The One Minute Manager

“Nordstrom is a national model for outstanding customer service.”
– J. Willard Marriott Jr. Chairman and President, Marriott International, Inc.

Can’t wait to check it out and see if it lives up to the hype! Roadtrip
anyone?

Queen of Southern Sass returns

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There aren’t many women who can make polyester pants, a paisley shirt, cat eye glasses and a kerchief look sexy, but Etta May does it.
She’s even got a fan club of “Etta Heads” that show up at her gigs dressed like her. A 17 year veteran of the comedy clubs, she did all the comedy tv shows- Comedy Central, Comic Strip Live and more, appeared on Oprah and won the American Comedy Awards Stand Up Comic of the Year Award. She was always a crowd favorite in my old Jokers days, for those of you who remember!

She’s a story teller and frequently pokes fun at her husband and four children in her routines. “I’m not necessarily a writer, just more of a tattletale,” said May. She says “I named my kids after my favorite TV show, ‘My Three Sons.’ Rob, Chip, Ernie, and Tramp.” “My teenage daughter thinks wearing a three-hook bra is playing hard get.” “Her whole vocabulary consists of one word ‘WHATEVER!!” “My kids are little monsters…lucky for me the doctor gave me Valium. What a wonderful drug! Then I realized the prescription was for me and not the kids!”

Etta May has teamed up with 2 other comedians to form the Southern Fried Chicks, often touted as the female equivalent of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. They’ll be at the Victoria Theatre on Fri, Oct 9th and I highly suggest you check out this show. And unlike at the comedy clubs, this one is guaranteed to be tame and clean enough to bring your mom!

Southern Fried Chicks official site

Join us Oct 2nd for an Urban Excursion

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ueDon’t confuse Urban Excursion with your average stroll in the park. Part scavenger hunt, part amazing race, this event will take you on a city adventure and along the way, you’ll complete fun challenges while discovering the city in a fresh way..


OBJECT
* to have fun!
* to discover Dayton.
* to properly complete all the clues first.

CLUES
Each team of four will be given a a playbook at the start of the race, containing clues ranging in difficulty at the start of the race. Each clue will be assigned a point value, so teams will want to strategize to decide how to plan their adventure. Some clues may be easier, some will be more time consuming and some will simply be a test of creativity and resourcefulness. No knowledge of any hunt location is required—you just need a sharp mind and a sense of adventure.

TYPES OF CLUES:
Physical Challenge: Feed your teammate some tasty food, do something daring or compete in an Interaction with the general public.

Scavenger: Return to the finish line with an item or photo of place.

Brain Teasers: Riddles or tests to tease your brain.

Pricing:
$20 per team until Mon, Sept 28th
$30 per team after until we reach our limit of 50 teams
Sign up here

Teams are encouraged to wear coordinating outfits (red t-shirts for example) or may go all out with full costumes. It is suggested that participants wear comfortable footwear. Each team will also need a digital camera to complete some clues. Teams will have 90 minutes to complete as many clues for the highest point total possible.

Prizes will be awarded for 1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place teams
and all participants will follow the final clue to the ending destination to celebrate, and tally team totals. So start recruiting your team of 4 to join us for an adventure through the streets of downtown!

ARCOhio is recruiting volunteers

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mragesmposterIt’s been called “Dayton’s party of all parties” and is one of the most talked about events in all of Ohio. Benefiting AIDS Resource Center Ohio, Masquerage is the region’s hottest and fastest growing annual event, featuring great music, non-stop entertainment, gourmet food and sizzling atmosphere!

This is a volunteer driven event. Whether someone is taking tickets at the door, assisting with the raffle, or serving drinks – we couldn’t do any of this without the support of our volunteer team. Please take a few moments to review the following information about the event and the work ARC Ohio is doing to benefit those affected by HIV/AIDS. The party will be held on Saturday, October 17, 2009 at The Roundhouse at the Fairgrounds from 8:00pm-1:00am.

Volunteer orientation will take place at The Roundhouse on October 14, 2008 at 6PM. The Roundhouse is located at 1043 S Main St, Dayton 45409, across from Miami Valley Hospital. To volunteer at Masquerage 2009, your attendance at this orientation is mandatory. To RSVP to the orientation, or if you have more questions on becoming a part of our volunteer team, please call Sandy Hunt no later than Tuesday, October 6, 2009 at (937) 416-7687 or email her at snjc@msn.com. Please complete an online application or print and bring it with you to the orientation. If you are bringing other individuals that are interested in volunteering this year, please give them a copy as well.

This year will prove to be our biggest yet—we cannot wait to provide the best Masquerage experience ever—all because of your commitment!

10 ?’s with Wiley from The Meadowlark

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Elizabeth Wiley, WILEY, as she is known to everyone, grew up in Kansas and has been cooking professionally since 1979. She arrived, fresh from college, on the doorstep of The Winds in Yellow Springs, bursting to cook and asking for a job in 1980. She worked her way up to kitchen manager, and became a partner in 1994. Along the way she left several times to cook and to gain knowledge in all aspects of the restaurant business, with stints in Chicago, San Francisco and Key West. She always returned to the Dayton area, where she regards the quality of life offered as one of the best kept secrets in the Midwest. In 2004, Wiley left The Winds to open a small, neighborhood restaurant, The Meadowlark, just east of the Dayton Mall, Midwestern in nature and domestic in style. To Wiley, this means that when you walk in the door it smells like someone’s cooking and you get a big hello. Her goal is for people to feel at home with simple, delicious food and friendly service.

Wiley was brave enough to be our first Chef to be featured in this new
feature 10?’s. Hope you’ll enjoy her answers as much as I did:

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
Wiley: chickpeas, chiles, tomatoes, shrimp, mushrooms, spinach, I could go on and on but can’t pick just one!

What ingredient do you dread?
Wiley: Flour—it intimidates me

What’s your favorite dish to make?
Wiley: Braised pork belly with fresh shell beans

What’s your favorite pig out food?
Wiley: Homemade tortilla chips

What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
Wiley: The Winds, Taqueria Mixteca, The Emporium for breakfast in Yellow Springs, Rue Dumaine, especially Friday lunch which I never get to go to.

What’s your best advice for home chefs?
Wiley: Don’t over-complicate things

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
Wiley: Steve Martin – so smart and funny
Calvin Mayne – no man is more gracious (except his father), or more passionate about food
Renee Montagne – host of NPR’s Morning Edition, for all the stories she must have
Barbra Streisand – I fell in love with her at age 12 and she still captivates me

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
Wiley: Joyce Goldstein – chef and food scholar, cookbook writer
Rick Bayless – amazing chef with amazing energy, great businessman, I was priviledged to work for him in the 1990s
Danny Meyer – incredibly successful Restaurateur in New York City

What do you do in the Dayton region on a day off?
Wiley: Coffee at Boston Stoker and read food magazines, Lunch at China Cottage or Smokin’ , followed by a matinee at the Neon Movies and a trip to DLM on my way home to make dinner.

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:

Wiley: Last summer I went to New York City for the first time in over 20 years. I made a lunch reservation before I left on Open Table for a table for one at Union Square Café. This is one of my hero restaurants and I have their cookbooks, look at their menu on line all the time, etc. but had never been there. In the comment section of the webpage I made the reservation on, I mentioned that I had a small restaurant in Dayton and was excited about finally visiting USC for the first time.

So I go to New York and I arrive at the restaurant at the appointed time. The general manager greets me by name at the door and introduces herself. She brings me to a table much larger than any other that singles are seated at, one that commands a front and center view of the entire restaurant. Propped against the salt and pepper shakers is an envelope with my name on it. I open it and it’s a personal, handwritten note from Danny Meyer, the owner of the restaurant (and 6 more restaurants in NYC) thanking me for making Union Square Cafe one of my culinary destinations on my trip to New York. I am blown away. I realize it is Wed., the day the dining section in the NY Times comes out, and I ask if there is a paper I can read. There isn’t, so they send out for one. I have a real moment sitting in this incredible restaurant, reading my beloved NYTimes dining section IN NEW YORK. Wow. I order two items from the menu and get five. They keep bringing me things! Like fresh corn and rabbit ravioli, cranberry bean soup with basil and shrimp, super-crispy chicken with green beans and mustard sauce, and it is all so good. Members of the staff keep stopping by to say hello. One woman tells me her son’s girlfriend is from Dayton. I had such an amazing time being the recipient of this extraordinary hospitality. Of course I went back for dinner and sat at the bar and it was so crowded and energetic and convivial—a truly great restaurant experience, and so inspiring for a chef/owner.

Is there a chef you’d like to know more about? Drop us an email
and we’ll see what we can do!

DAYTON’S NOT DEPRESSED—WE’RE ALIVE & KICKIN’

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Mykee FowlinJoin Victoria Theatre Association and the National Conference on Community and Justice of Greater Dayton as they present actor, psychologist and poet, Mykee Fowlin in a seriously fun presentation that takes a look a what Dayton is and can be,.

With a dangerous combination of professional acting ability and psychological training, Mykee Fowlin has made it his mission to “shake things up” while creating an atmosphere of inclusion, not just tolerance, for all people.

In a gripping, fast-paced performance, Dr. Fowlin slips in and out of multiple characters who share their stories in a way that can change the audiences perspective.

The result? Dayton business people will leave this event with a renewed optimism for Dayton’s future—and a keen sense of the way Daytonians are the same and the ways we are different.

HOW TO GO:

Thurs, Sept 25th @ The Schuster Center

5:00pm networking, including a cash bar and free hors d’oeuvres

5:45pm  Dr. Fowlin’s performance begins

FREE, seating is by reservation only and is limited. Reserve your seats by Spetember 21, 2009

Call  228-7591 x 3018 or email  ryan.pasco@victoriatheatre.com

Great American Dine Out

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gado_logo_home6All of us have at one time or another experienced hunger. We’ve all craved a midnight snack, wanted something salty or needed some chocolate. But there’s a big difference between trying to satisfy a brief craving or stomach growl and wondering where your next meal will come from.

The reality is that more than 12.4 million children in America—that’s one in six—are at risk of hunger. And it’s likely that these children will endure lifelong consequences as a result of having limited access to nutritious foods.

Children who don’t get enough nutritious food are more likely to have:

  • Weaker immune systems
  • Impeded growth and development
  • More stomach- and headaches, colds and ear infections
  • Increased susceptibility to obesity
  • Impaired performance at school—academically, athletically and socially

During the week of Sept 20 -26, coffee shops to fine dining, restaurants across the nation will join together for the Great American Dine Out.  Participating restaurants give in a variety of ways— donate a percentage of sales, promote select menu items, collect money from suppliers and guests and much more. The funds raised from this campaign will support:

  • Increasing participation in school food and nutrition programs
  • Increasing the number of community gardens
  • Food banks and food pantries
  • Increasing access to fresh produce
  • Increasing utilization of federal child food and nutrition programs, e.g. food stamps, school breakfast, etc.
  • Advocacy around Child food and nutrition-related programs

First Watch, Captain D’s, Buffalo Wild Wings and Barbie’s Bistro are among the early eateries in the area signed up to participate. Click below to check for others:

Find local participating restaurants

Can you make a living tasting liquor?

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Cheryl Alagna, Maser of Whisky, proves that yes, you can. With over 30 years of experience in the wine and spirits business,  she became one of 14 Masters in the world.  Here images-7job  takes her around the country training, educating and entertaining both consumers and industry people about the nuances of all things whisky.  Cheryl says her sincere hope as a Master of Whisky is, “to help others acquire their own understanding and personal appreciation for whisky which will enrich their lives” as it has hers.

She’ll be in town Tues, Sept 15th at  Dublin Pub to host a midday tasting  for   $15 which starts at 11:30am  and includes a sampling of five premium whiskies, and will be accompanied with a presentation and Q&A by Ms. Alagna.  The whiskies being sampled are:

Bulleit Bourbon, Kentucky

Blackbush Irish Whiskey, Ireland

Crowne Reserve, Canada

Singleton, Single Malt, Scotland

Buchanan’s, Blended, Scotland

Cost:  $15 for the tasting, The entire Dublin Pub menu is available as usual for an additional cost.

Reservations:  email:  info@dubpub.com or call 937-224-7822

This is Dayton celebrates Creatives

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THIS IS DAYTON small1One local grassroots group, “This is Dayton” is trying to change the perception of Dayton – for those that live and those that visit here.  One of the five DaytonCREATE initiatives, they plan to start by plastering downtown with large, vibrant posters of cool people that already do cool things in Dayton in time for Friday’s Urban Nights.  This first series of posters Celebrate Daytonians, with a focus on the “Creative Class & Urban Adventurers.”

For the past year or so, this group has been trying to determine the best way to show what makes Dayton so special.  What they realized is that it is the people and the connections formed within the community.  Then in August, there was a blog post on www.Esrati.com about a creative professional who had lost hope in Dayton and was relocating to Austin, Texas.   Carli Dixon and Theresa Gasper were sitting around Dixon’s dining room table in historic South Park one evening talking about the thread and decided to celebrate the ones who stay rather than mourn the ones who leave.

A week before, Gasper was enjoying the back patio at Café Boulevard with her husband, David, on a quiet Monday evening.  According to Gasper, a group of three young professionals told the waitress they were in town for two weeks and asked what there was to do when they weren’t working.  She rattled off various museums and they said they were looking for more nightlife and a little less culture.  She told them about all the places in the Oregon District and you could see the look on their eyes as they looked around and realized there were only five people on the patio, and realize they were silently asking “is every place this crowded?”   Says Gasper, “I can’t tell you what Dave and I talked about after that; I was so preoccupied with thinking about how to answer their question.”

It was then the vision of the posters came into focus – highlight cool people doing cool things in Dayton.  So you will see photos of people rock climbing at Urban Krag, boxing at Drake’s gym, kayaking on the river, mountain bike riding, playing bike polo, etc.   “These are activities many of the locals aren’t even aware of, so the posters will serve the dual purpose of informing locals and out-of-towners of activities they might not otherwise think of” said Gasper.  The people in the posters are real, not models.

Carli Dixon adds “Dayton is teeming with creativity, and provocative people and happenings, but we lack a “marketing department” that effectively tells the region and the nation about our successes. Further, our downtown already has infrastructure (galleries, bars, athletic venues), but we need more people filling those venues before we can convince new venues (restaurants, shops) to return to downtown.

“This is Dayton” is a grassroots effort to market the region.  The posters were designed by the committee along with Tommy Cooper, a graphic designer employed at Dixon’s company Freeze Frame It.   The vinyl for the first run was donated by Digital Fringe.  The Gasper’s are picking up the cost for the ink.  Others have stepped forward to assist with future print runs.   The posters also carry a modified version of the City of Dayton’s “Dayton Patented” logo that says “Proud to be a Dayton Original”.    No taxpayer dollars were used to support this effort.

For a sneak preview, visit www.DaytonCREATE.org.