Chef Matthew Thomas will be serving up southern inspired meals at Soular Flare, located at 131 Cincinnati Avenue in Xenia. The building formerly housed Rubio’s Taqueria just seemed to have all the right elements when Thomas was looking for a place to launch his business. The 38 seat eatery, with a staff of 18 will serve lunch Monday through Thursday 115pm and lunch 11am – 3pm and dinner on Friday and Saturday from 5 to 8pm.
Chef Matthew Thomas
Thomas been cooking for years and with some inspiration from his grandparents, finally realized that food was his passion and enrolled in the Bradford School’s culinary program. Upon graduation he did a lot of catering and recently moved to the Dayton area with his wife. He’d been looking for a space to open his eatery for a while in the Fairborn area, and just happened upon the Xenia space, which he said was practically all ready to be opened. With a little help from his newfound friends at Equipment Warehouse everything was in place.
“After quite a feel sleepless nights and a lot of help from my family and friends, we are excited to be opening,” shares Thomas. “My vision is have a place where people can come relax, have a conversation and enjoy a good meal. A little Stevie Ray Vaughn blues in the background, no sports, no loud music, cloth napkins and food inspired by the many influences of my life, like my grandmother’s southern meals, a friend’s great Italian food and more. At our soft open last weekend I was just speechless as I watched my dream come to life- cooks in the kitchen executing my recipes, people enjoying my food, it was truly the most pleasing thing I’ve ever done.”
For lunch you can pick form 3 salads, including a fried chicken salad, soups, brown sugar glazed BLT, shrimp poboy, sloppy joe and rice and sides like collard greens , macaroni and cheese, and southern fried cabbage. The dinner menu will include shrimp & grits, Crown Royal Maple Glazed Salmon, Hawaiian Steak, catfish, a few burgers, ham hock & pinto beans, jerk chicken skewers, meat loaf or vegetarian creole red beans and fried chicken.
And desserts will include sweet potato pie and lemon pound cake with berry compote (pictured upper left).
Perhaps sometime in the future Thomas may add a beer and wine license, but for now its just casual southern food.
The hours at Soular Flare Bistro are Mon – Thursday 11-5, Friday lunch 11-3 then dinner 5-8pm , Saturday 11-3 lunch then dinner 5-8pm.
The hours at Soular Flare Bistro are Mon – Thursday 11-5, Friday lunch 11-3 then dinner 5-8pm , Saturday 11-3 lunch then dinner 5-8pm.