Like many female chefs in the Miami Valley Chef Mariah Gahagan is quick to credit to other women in the industry that mentored her. She thanks Elizabeth Wiley for teaching and The Winds’ co-owners Mary Kay Smith and Kim Korkan for helping start her career when she first worked as a dishwasher. ” Since then she’s had stints at Coco’s, Chin’s, Sidebar, Wheat Penny, Lily’s has been with Tender Mercy for at least the last yer.
“The thing about kitchens is you just have to be tough. I always think as a women you just have to be extra tough because people don’t always expect you to be”, shared Gahagan in a previous interview.
Mariah is getting ready to launch a new weekly Ramen Night form 5-8pm at Tender Mercy every Wednesday night.
But before that we talked her into answering our 10? interview:
What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
MG: I’m pretty straightforward. I enjoy making things from kitchen scraps, that would usually be seen as garbage. Stocks and soups are my wheelhouse. I rarely make anything that doesn’t include onions, garlic, probably a splash of vinegar.
What ingredient do you dread?
MG: Easy. Green bell peppers. I loathe unripe fruit. I’ve never allowed them in my kitchens, and I won’t eat anything they’ve touched.
What’s your favorite dish to make?
MG: That varies pretty widely, by season. I love to make comforting food for people I care about. I think I’m pretty good at soups, stews, mashed potatoes, and ratatouille.
What’s your favorite pig out food?
MG: Literally anything that’s there and prepared well. I’m a sucker for cheese and pickles.
What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
MG: So many! Meadowlark is my absolute favorite. I learned so much from Elizabeth Wiley, at The Winds Cafe. Many beloved former colleagues and friends have taken over, since she retired. They’re doing a bangin’ job keeping up her legacy! The Vietnamese noodle salad is something I never skip, and replicate often, at home.
What’s your best advice for home chefs?
MG: Take your time and layer flavors. Don’t be scared to add a pinch of (Kosher) salt at every step, and keep tasting. When something seems like it needs more salt, it probably needs acid. Invest in a couple of good finishing vinegars.
If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
MG: Anthony Bourdain, my Dad, my friend, Potato, and my dog, Lulu. They all died too soon, and I think it would be one hell of a party. I never got to feed the first two, and Lulu was on a dog diet.
I think that everyone would love each other, eat too much butter, yell, and listen to punk rock. You know, you said anyone.
Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
MG: Tons of folks. Jansen Trotman for his sheer love of it, perseverance, and respect for where ingredients come from. ‘A beautiful soul. Dave Rawson for his ability to look at total chaos, see the beauty in it, and stay forever kind and generous.
What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?
MG: I mostly find solace in my home and garden. I do like to see a show at Blind Bob’s or Yellow Cab, every now and then.
MG: Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:
-I have hundreds of terrible, hilarious, and heartbreaking stories. Those are meant to be shared over drinks.
I’m thankful to have found Tender Mercy after Covid. It’s home for me.
There’s a new breakfast spot open in Brookville. Opened last Saturday 
Fri,
Rum Runners Cafe is now doing a soft opening- for online orders with a LIMITED menu. Carry out is available or you can order through Doordash! The available menu offers burgers, chicken sandwiches and loaded baked potatoes. When the restaurant opens they’ll add pastas, salads and salmon dishes. View the available
Owner Jamie Campbell said it’s been she and her partners dream to open a restaurant for about a decade and they’re excited to make it a reality. They share a love of rum and have a rum-based BBQ sauce line that is currently sold locally at Dorothy Lane Market and Dots Market. The sauce offerings include honey rum, sweet rum and spicy rum as well as a forthcoming rum and Coke sauce as well as a glaze in the same flavor. All the sauces will be available to add as side for any order as well as a sauce option for the restaurant’s chicken wings.
Restaurateur Thomas James Sand Jr passed away unexpectedly on May 3, 2024. He graduated from Alter High School in 1985 and The University of Dayton in 1991. His labrador retriever, Liaska, held the distinct honor of being by Tom’s side when he died.
Tom had a love of fine food and fine dining. He turned these loves into a passion and a career in Restaurant Management. The highlight of this career was helping the love of his life, Anne Kearney, run her successful restaurant in the French Quarter. In 2007 they returned to their hometown of Dayton and opened Rue Dumaine in Washington Townshio. When they couldn’t come to agreement on lease terms the restaurant closed in 2017. Tom went on to form TASK Hospitality Group and consulted for many restaurants across the country.
Every Thursday starting May 16 and running through Sept 12th, they will be hosting bike night from 5-10pm featuring live music.
The dining room seats 68, with a a private dining room for 12 and and another 50 or so patio tables are available for al fresco dining. Executive Chef Aaron Allen, who trained under Chef Anne Kearney for five years at Dayton’s Rue Dumaine creates a menu of dishes using seasonally available ingredients that are sourced directly from the property’s 85 acre Sycamore Bridge Farm, with meats supplied through local partnerships with Winner’s Quality Meats and King’s Poultry Farm. Check out the menu 
The history of Mother’s Day brunch doesn’t date back as far as the holiday itself, but its origins can be traced back to the 1930s. Brunch, a meal that combines the elements of breakfast and lunch, was a popular concept in the early 20th century, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. As families began to gather and celebrate their mothers on the second Sunday in May, the idea of hosting a brunch to show appreciation and love became increasingly popular.
