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

Bryan Suddith

The Best Italian Beef Sandwich in Town!

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As many of you all might know, I have often craved a classic Italian Beef sandwich like I used to get back home in Chicago at places like Al’s #1 Italian Beef  or Portillo’s Italian Beef.  Perfectly spiced roasted beef, slow-cooked to tender perfection served on a Turano orgnella French rolls, topped with giardiniera and  served with au jus for dipping.  For those not in the know, Chicago-Style Hot Giardiniera is an amazing condiment used to add an explosive burst of flavor to some of their famous dishes like Italian Beef Sandwiches and deep dish pizza.  Loaded with finely chopped veggies, spicy peppers, olives, oil, and oregano, this flavorful addition will quickly earn a spot on your condiment shelf.

Here’s where we’ve found Italian Beef sandwiches in the Miami Valley:

Giovanni’s in Fairborn makes a pretty good one,  Served warm on soft bread with lots of meat, and the dipping juice is on point!

Home Sweet Home in Englewood has their spin. Sliced Beef, with Giardiniera, Provolone Cheese. Served with Au Jus. and it comes with a side! Haven’t tried it, but it’s on the list.
Many people around town have recommend Chicago Gyros and Dogs Beavercreek.  According to their menu they serve up Chicago style beef in Au Jus with sauteed green peppers and onions on a Gonnella roll.  But when I went it was served on a hoagie roll, which just doesn’t hold up for the dipping. But they do get props for the hand cut fries.
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Jasper Kitchen + Bar in Xenia has a sandwich they call “The RBF” on the menu, they describe as roast beef topped with melted provolone, giardiniera and dusted with parmesan on a hoagie roll, that is on my “to eat” list. 

 

I finally found one that lives up to my memories!

Had one at Tony & Pete’s in the Fireblocks downtown last week and all I can say is Wow! My fellow foodie Bryan Suddith went on my recommendation yesterday and here’s what he had to say: “This may have been the best sandwich I’ve ever had in Dayton. I said what I said. The Italian beef from Tony and Pete’s was as near a perfect sandwich as I’ve had in our fair city. And I’ve had a few. Don’t ask. I did drink the au jus like a fine soup after my sandwich was finished. Without shame.”

Dayton Storyteller to Compete in The Louisville GrandSLAM

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On Friday, Jan 27th Dayton’s own Story Slam producer, Bryan Suddith, will compete when The Moth presents The Louisville GrandSLAM, a battle of wits and words – fierce, hilarious, heartbreaking and all points between. The Moth is dedicated to finding intriguing people to tell inspired stories. At The Moth StorySLAM, those people find us. On this night they compete to determine The Moth’s Louisville GrandSLAM Story Champion.

Having won one of the monthly slams, Suddith qualified for the GrandSlam, which features each of the monthly champs appearing on stage to tell a story.  The theme for the night will be: FALL FROM GRACE: Listen as ten StorySLAM champs tell tales about lost footing or losing face, ouch-ifying reality checks, melted wings and other status downgrades. Arriving in a limo…and leaving on foot.

Can’t make it Louisville? Catch Suddith as he hosts Dayton’s monthly story slam at Wiley’s Comedy Club on January 17th at 7pm.  Now in it’s 7th season, Suddith has helped cultivate a community of tellers who share five minute stories based on a monthly theme.  January’s theme is Secrets and the winning story teller walks with $50 and a place in the Dayton Grand Slam in June. Tickets are just $5 with advance reservations for StorySlam.

The Louisville GrandSLAM Championship

Friday, January 27th

The Bomhard Theatre

501 W Main Street, Louisville KY  40202

 MAP IT

7:00pm Doors Open | 8:00pm Stories Begin

Dayton Story Slam Kicks Off 7th Season

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Dayton Story Slam, which is based on Public Radio’s “The Moth” format, encourage local story tellers to share true stories, on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.  This Tuesday, September 20th at 7pm host Bryan Suddith will kick off the season with a story, then draws tellers names randomly from a hat, inviting that person to take the stage and share a five minute story with the audience.

2022 Grand Slam Champion LaTisha with the grand slam tellers.

Just like The Moth, “each show starts with a theme, and the storytellers explore it, often in unexpected ways. Since each story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate, and often enlightening experience for the audience.”

“When you can share from a vulnerable place what is different inside you based on that little event, those are the stories that people grab onto. It goes beyond socioeconomic status, what part of town you’re from, what color you are… The same elements appeal to everyone in the audience,” Suddith said.

Teams of judges chosen from the audience score the 10 highlighted stories. Every StorySLAM produces a StorySLAM winner. In June, the winners from each month are invited back for the Grand Slam and the Grand Champion is crowned.

Tips for Tellers:

  1. Be forewarned. Stories are told, not read.
  2. Have a great first line that sets up the stakes and grabs attention.
  3. Know your story well enough so you can have fun!
  4. Steer clear of meandering endings.
  5. No standup routines please.
  6. No rants.
  7. No essays.

Dayton Story Slam

Hosted by Wiley’s Comedy Club
101 Pine Street in the Oregon Distict

Doors open at 6:30pm, Show starts at 7pm

Tickets are $5 at the door,plus a 2 item minimum in the showroom.

Workshop To Present a Slam-Worthy Story

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Story Slam Dayton kicks off it’s 6th season with a “Storytelling for the Stage” workshop on Tuesday, August 17th from 7-8:30pm at Wiley’s Comedy Club

Modeled after The Moth storytelling events, the open mic event welcomes storytellers of all ages and experience levels to share a story from the stage. Story Slam stories are 1st person true stories told live and are all centered on monthly theme.

Slam tellers all join together on stage as winner is announced.

The August 17th  workshop, led by Story Slam producer Bryan Suddith, who is a 4 time Moth winning storyteller.  It will cover the basics of crafting a 5 minute personal story for the Story Slam stage. The 90 minute class will give you the tools to create a story, practice and a chance to take the stage with confidence under the lights.   Register online to confirm your spot for just $10. Each registration also comes with a ticket to a Story Slam event during the upcoming year.

Story Slam happens on the 3rd Tuesday of each month and they’ll kick off the season on Sept 21st. A theme is announced for each month and stories should relate to that theme. Past themes have included Nature, Missed Connections, Swipe Left, In Control, and Creeped Out. Admission is just $5 plus a 2 item minimum in the showroom.

 

Quest for The Best Soul Food

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I grew up just south of Dayton. In between Springboro and Lebanon and I grew up eating beans and cornbread on Sundays. The cornbread was made in a cast-iron skillet, and the beans were cooked all day on the stovetop. Sometimes the beans, or peas, would have a piece of ham, most times not. My little brother and I ate them with a wedge of onion. Fried potatoes were cooked in an electric skillet in lard or Crisco.

At my grandma’s apartment in Alabama fried okra, canned tomatoes that she put up, and a “mess” of greens were always part of Saturday dinners. She never cooked on Sunday. I always classified these foods as southern. A roasted chicken, a ham bone in a pot of peas, and that cornbread, white cornmeal, no sugar, baked in a skillet with lard. I now can make that cornbread and will sometimes buy a quart of buttermilk so I can eat soak the cornbread in a glass of the buttermilk and eat it with a spoon like my dad did.

It wasn’t until I was older that I learned in the north this is called soul food. Soul food scholar, author and fellow BBQ Judge Adrian Miller, says this about soul food:

“My contention is soul food is really the interior cooking of the Deep South that migrates across the country. I think of soul food as an immigrant cuisine and ultimately a national cuisine, because black folks just landed in all parts of the country.” -Adrian Miller

My grandma was born in Georgia, poor, lived in Alabama for the last 75 years of her life and worked in cotton fields, factories, and kept house for an old rich guy in the little city where she raised 7 kids on her own.

Like many others, she took the cheapest and least desirable foods and made created meals that created some of my favorite memories with my cousins and Alabama family. After her death, I began to search out the foods that reminded me of her table and the recipes my mom took from her mother-in-law’s kitchen. I have found two places that fit the bill perfectly here in Dayton.

Benjamins The Burger Master
1000 N Main St Dayton, OH 45405

When I need some beans and greens, my first stop is Benjamin’s Burger Master on Main. Most of you go there for the burger, but I go for the cornbread, collard greens, and pintos, or soup beans they always have on the line for lunch. There are always bbq ribs, made like my mom did in the crockpot, and fried chicken wings as well. But I am there for the memory of those soup beans poured over a piece of cornbread with a dash of hot sauce. When I close my eyes I can taste and smell the memories of that little eastside apartment where my cousins gathered in the tiny kitchen.

Huffies BBQ
925 McArthur Ave Dayton, OH 45417

Recently my work has me working on Edwin C Moses and that means Huffies BBQ is around the corner. This family-owned spot has been there forever. Literally. Their menu has it all. Black-eyed peas, pinto beans, fried okra, collard greens, ribs, and chicken. I had the greens, peas, and bbq ribs recently and the flavors were all there. There’s more to the menu, including burgers and fries, but that’s not what I am after when I am there.

I think southern food, soul food, is a lot like bbq. It takes a lot of time and love to create something special from foods that are often overlooked as cheap or difficult.

There has been a bevy of places that create some amazing food that gets close. Eden Spice in West Carrolton has the best fried cabbage. Stuffed Enuff on North Dixie didn’t survive the pandemic- but is still doing pop-ups,  and Fat Boyz BBQ hits all the right notes as well if you find them around town.

Where do you go for soul food and when can we meet for lunch?

How To Create A Slam Worthy Story

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Story Slam Dayton kicks off 2020 with a “Storytelling for the Stage” workshop on January 13th  from 7 to 8:30pm.

Story Slam Dayton is Dayton’s monthly open-mic storytelling event held at Wiley’s Comedy Club in the Oregon District. Modeled after The Moth storytelling events, the open mic event welcomes storytellers of all ages and experience levels to share a story from the stage. So far Story Slam has done 40 shows, 3 clinics and spurred a half dozen Moth Storytellers, and hosted more than one hundred tellers to our stage.

Our December storytellers, with winner Sandra Combs on the far left.

Slam Producer Bryan Suddith

The January 13th  workshop, led by Story Slam producer Bryan Suddith, will cover the basics of crafting a personal story for the Story Slam stage. The class  will give you the tools to create a story, practice and take the stage with confidence under the lights.

There are few simple rules.

1) The story has to be factual / true and happened to YOU personally.
2) You can use no notes to tell your story. (Has to be conversation style.)
3) Stories must have a beginning, middle and end.
4) Time limit is 5 minutes

Space for the workshop is limited, so reserve your spot in the workshop online, just $10. Each attendee will also get one complimentary ticket for a future slam.

Story Slam happens on the 3rd Tuesday of each month and the first slam of 2020 will be on Jan 21st at 7pm.
Doors open at 6:30 and tellers are welcome to put their name in the pot and one at a time names are drawn to take the stage, with up to 10 tellers presenting.  Judges will rate each story with the winner walking away with $50 cash, a guaranteed spot at the next event and four guest passes.

Shelly Hulce Signs Off As Dayton Story Slam Begins 4th Season

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Shelly Hulce, photo by Jennifer Taylor

Over 13 years ago Shelly Hulce started a story telling event here in Dayton and called it Story Slamm. From it’s humble beginnings in a coffee shop on 5th in the Oregon District, to Ghostlight on Wayne, then a run at Black Box Improv Theatre, Shelly’s Story Slamm carried the torch for local storytellers.

From the very beginning she was working toward one goal: Grabbing the attention of New York City’s storytelling organization known as The Moth.

It was in 2016 that the Story Slamm was re-ignited by Bryan Suddith after his appearance on a Moth Story stage in Louisville Kentucky. Both he and Shelly with support from Lisa Grigsby and Brian Petro grew Dayton’s Story Slam into the monthly event it is now.

Story Slamm as Shelly envisioned it 13 years ago was an opportunity for people from all parts of Dayton to gather and share stories around a common theme. Story Slamm has done that. More than 100 open mic shows featuring literally hundreds of storytellers and their stories have been shared since Shelly put things into motion on 5th Street over a decade ago.

As Story Slam Dayton enters it’s 4th Season at Wiley’s Comedy Club this Tuesday, Shelly won’t be taking the stage. After 13 seasons, and after The Moth wowed crowds at Victoria Theater with their Mainstage show in April, Shelly is retiring. She is leaving Story Slam Dayton in the hands of co-producer Bryan Suddith and the support of Grigsby and Most Metro. Brian Petro remains on the team as well supporting the event with marketing and graphic design.

Those that love stories, or have experienced an open mic event here in Dayton owe Shelly a debt of gratitude for plugging away at that dream of hers for so long.

Shelly will not be a stranger to Story Slam and you can hear her each Tuesday from 8-11pm as she hosts the Wax Carnival on Oldies 97.3 fm. The Wax Carnival is a specialty show featuring deep cut album rock. This is the music you “didn’t” buy the record for. Digging out the jewels in the grooves a little closer the the center of the record, GladGirl covers psychedelic, progressive (prog rock), blues, jazz, punk, new wave, alt country and some far out silliness of the “counter culture”.

Season 4 of Story Slam Dayton kicks Off Tuesday the 17th of September at Wiley’s in the Oregon District. Just a block away from where Shelly started this ride so long ago.  You can tell a story or just settle in and listen to others tell their story.  Each month tellers are given a topic around which to form their story. The theme for the first show of this 4th season is Kickoff – Stories of great starts and getting started.
More details about Story Slam can be found at Facebook.com/StorySlamDayton.

Storytelling for the Stage” Workshop Kicks off 4th Story Slam Season

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Story Slam Dayton kicks off it’s 4th season with a “Storytelling for the Stage” workshop on September 3 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

Story Slam Dayton is Dayton’s monthly open-mic storytelling event held at Wiley’s Comedy Club in the Oregon District. Modeled after The Moth storytelling events, the open mic event welcomes storytellers of all ages and experience levels to share a story from the stage. So far Story Slam has done 31 shows,  2 clinics and spurred a half dozen Moth Storytellers, and hosted more than one hundred tellers to our stage.

Left to right: Becky Koop, Nicole Ruttencutter, Allie Hundley, Faith Robertson (winner) and Sandra Combs.

The September 3rd workshop, led by Story Slam producer Bryan Suddith, will cover the basics of crafting a 5 minute personal story for the Story Slam stage. The two hour event will give you the tools to create a story, practice and take the stage with confidence under the lights.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot in the workshop online, just $5.

Story Slam happens on the 3rd Tuesday of each month and they’ll kick off the season on Sept 17th.

Learn How To Tell A Great 5 Minute Story

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Dayton’s open mic storytelling group, Story Slam Dayton, kicks off their 3rd season at Wiley’s Comedy club with a workshop on August 21. The regular season kicks off on Tuesday, September 18 at 7:00 at Wiley’s Comedy Club in the Oregon District.
Aspiring storytellers and experienced veterans alike are invited to take part in this workshop. Story Slam Dayton producers Shelly Hulce and Bryan Suddith will share their experience from both sides of the stage with the workshop attendees.
Bryan and Shelly will cover the basics of crafting a story for the stage, basic storytelling structure, editing for time and will allow storytellers a chance to try out the stage in front of a small audience.
Bryan will share his method for shaping stories for the Story Slam stage. Stories in this format are 5 minutes in length, are told in the first person and have to relate to each month’s theme.
Shelly will lead the group on stage, overcoming the bright lights and how to command the stage at the mic.
Shelly has been leading the local Story Slam community for more than 10 years. Bryan is two-time Moth Storytelling GrandSlam participant and can be found telling stories on and off stage frequently.
Interested Storytellers can RSVP via Facebook.
The workshop is $5.00 and every participant will receive one (1) free admission to a future story slam. To learn more about Story Slam Dayton, visit us at Facebook.com/StorySlamDayton

Dayton’s Best Storytellers Compete for GrandSlam Title

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Jackie Andrews

Dayton’s Story Slam will host their second annual Grand Slam storytelling event on Tuesday, June 19th at Wiley’s Comedy Club in the Oregon District. For more than 10 years Dayton Story Slam has hosted these “Moth” inspired evenings, attracting a wide variety of storytellers and stories.

The open mic story nights welcome all tellers to the stage. The rules are simple. Stories told from the Story Slam stage must be true, told in the first person, given without notes and must be centered on the theme of the night. Stories are limited to five minutes and the night is hosted by Shelly Hulce and Bryan Suddith.

Bryan Suddith with 2017 Grand Slam Winner Bridget Flaherty,

The June 19 Grand Slam event welcomes back 6 winners from the last year as well as two of our most popular runners-up. Each of the storytellers are coming prepared with a personal true story on the theme of Finished.
Bridget Flaherty returns to defend her title from last year alongside a few other familiar names in Dayton storytelling. Sandra Combs, Nathan Collier, Jackie Andrews, Becky Koop, Melissa Muncie, Faith Robertson and Jude Walsh will all take the stage with their story.
Doors open on the 19th at Wiley’s at 6:30. Stories start at 7:00. Tickets are only $5, payable online or at the door.  Drinks and a menu of appetizers and desserts are available for purchase. For more information check out the Story Slam Dayton Facebook page.

MostMetro.com Ticket Giveaway:
For your chance to win a 4 pack of tickets for Tuesday’s show, leave a comment below on why you should get the tickets and we’ll pick a deserving commenter.   We’ll announce our winner Sunday night and leave the tickets at will call for you, to be claimed by showing a valid ID.

Surprises at Cheesesteak Qualifier, Finals to Follow

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Chef Hayden Shocks the Crowd, wins Qualifier !

Fat Tuesday got even fatter this past week at Submarine House in Centerville. The newly opened restaurant at 503 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd. was packed.   Fifteen competitors were ready to take on the Super Duper Cheesesteak Challenge and their friends and family were there cheering them on.  Standing room only was the atmosphere as Dayton’s favorite foodies, The Food Adventure Crew called the place to order.

Hungry Jax was the Emcee and official timekeeper was Kris Mick, past champion and cheesesteak eating legend.  We were here to see if any of these big mouths could qualify for the store’s top 10 times.

What happened next was simply epic…….

— LOCAL CHEF MATT “PORK CHOP”

The 16 inch Super Duper Cheesesteak

HAYDEN STUNS THE CROWD WITH  WINNING TIME of 4 minutes 41 seconds. Rumors swirled after the event that the chef and owner of Scratch Food had been training for weeks with an unorthodox diet of ruffage, cabbage and even cauliflower to stretch his stomach.  We cannot confirm this, but his time was amazing.  We did notice his foot stomping and bouncing method while eating.  That may have been a strategy to let the food settle, or it could have been excitement.  We will never know.

Kayla Bradstreet put her hair up, and put the men to shame !

We do know it was a legendary cheesesteak challenge moment and surprising highlight of the night.  When Chef Hayden raised his hands and yelled “done,” he then stuck out his tongue.  The crowd gave him a big pop of applause, hoots and hollers.

 

— DAYTON AREA SOCIALITE KAYLA BRADSTREET, REPRESENTING THE WOMEN, BEATS THE CHALLENGE and shows the men the some girl power !  Calling herself “man hands” she manhandled the sub sandwich into submission with a time of 14 minutes 20 seconds.  The crowd went bonkers as she tilted her head back and sprinkled the last bits of lettuce into her mouth.  She raised her hands and showed her empty mouth in triumph to the roar of women throughout the restaurant.  There were cell phone flashes and people recording videos everywhere.  It was

Chris Goode (left) finished in 5 minutes and Gary “The Growler” Leasure finished in 15 minutes.

Female Food Adventure for the ages.

 

— CHRIS GOODE, LAST MINUTE SUBSTITUTE FOR THE CHROME DIVAS, and the thinnest contestant, destroys his Super Duper Cheesesteak in 5 minutes flat for the 2nd best time. Lesson learned, don’t ever count the little guy out.  Especially if he has a mohawk!  Chris tore into that sandwich and rode off into the sunset on his Harley!  Thank you to the Chrome Diva’s for your support and your great representative !

 

The contestants grow restless – 15 people took the challenge

Bryan Suddith Seducing the Camera

—At the end of the night, the thermometer donation tally was at $686 plus approximately $180 more would be donated from $1,800 of food and drink sales in 2 hours.  Not too bad, about $886 bucks for the night.  We could have never done it without the participation of the contestants and the support of their friends and families.  Thank you to those who came out to watch, eat and drink and who also donated money on the side.  We could not have succeeded without the incredible ownership of Submarine House and their staff.  Their generosity and local support of causes is an example for all.  Thank you to Dayton Dining, Dayton Most Metro, Dayton Chrome Divas, and

The Pink Ribbon Girls for the promotion and support.

This was a one night only fun get together for charity, but it was fun to see who could qualify for the event.  The top 10 times go on to compete for the store championship in mid-April and each store’s champion will be named.  Then each champ moves on to the April 22nd, 1pm event, the finals at the Huber Heights new Submarine House Bar and Grill.  Come watch with us !

 

Triple the Meat, Triple the Cheese and the Works Toppings

**HERE ARE THE FULL RESULTS from the SUBMARINE HOUSE’S 
2nd ANNUAL FOOD ADVENTURE SUPER DUPER CHEESESTEAK QUALIFIER**

—MATT “PORK CHOP” HAYDEN – 4 minutes, 41 seconds:
He put on a clinic.

—CHRIS GOODE – CHROME DIVAS REPRESENTATIVE – 5 minutes even:
Little guy, big appetite !

— JEREMY “SWEETNESS” SWIHART – 5 minutes, 24 seconds.
Easily the most cool, calm and collected contestant of the night.  He was an eating machine.

Mark “the Beard” DaGrossa taking the cheesesteak to task

— TACO “CHEESESTEAK” PHILLY – 8 minutes, 42 seconds. 
The big guy tore through the sandwich like child’s play, joking the whole way through.

— JOE “THE MINISTER OF MEAT” AMSTUTZ – 8 minutes 49 seconds
An impressive display of chomping skills. A terrific time for the big sandwich.

— BRYAN “BABY BLUES” SUDDITH: 10 minutes and 20 seconds.  
Dayton’s top story slammer and ferocious foodie, improved his time over last year by 4 minutes.

Kevin “The Garlic King” Sorice is loving the good food !

— KEVIN “THE GARLIC KING” SORICE – 13 minutes 41 seconds. 
The self declared senior division champ had no problem beating the challenge.

— KAYLA “MAN HANDS” BRADSTREET – 14 minutes 20 seconds.  
Girl power rules!  An unforgettable win.

— NATE “COWBOY” TUCKER – 14 minutes and 22 seconds.  
The big guy put a hurtin on the cheesesteak and squeaked in ahead of the deadline.

— GARY ” THE GROWLER” LEASURE – 15 minutes, 1 second. 
Steady chewing was the key to his success.

— MARK “THE BEARD” DaGROSSA – Could not finish in 16 minutes.  
This real life Santa was steady, he almost did it, but enjoyed the tasty experience.

Chris Kilroy, ready to take the challenge !

— BRIAN “THE BIG APPLE” APPLETON – Could not finish in 16 minutes.
had to go out to the patio for air.

— CHRIS “THE KILLER” KILROY – Could not finish in 16 minutes.  

Disappointed, but thought the sandwich was delicious !

— JOHN “HAMBONE” HAMMOND – Could not finish in 16 minutes.  
Improved over last year, but fell just short this year. Close… real close !

— STEVE “THE BIG RAGU” MILANO – Could not finish in 16 minutes.
He is contemplating retirement

 

Emcee for the Night was Jax from Food Adventures !

****ARE YOU UP FOR THE SUPER DUPER CHEESESTEAK CHALLENGE?****

You may still take the challenge at any Submarine House location through April 2nd.

—WHAT: You must eat a 16 inch SUPER DUPER CHEESESTEAK. Super Duper means this 16 inch sub has triple the meat and triple the cheese of their normal subs.  You have to eat it topped AS IS with “The Works” toppings in less than 16 minutes.   The Works includes: Cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, homemade oil & vinegar dressing & pepper relish.   Grilled Mushrooms also come on the sub.  Important – NO topping substitutions, you have to eat it as is with all of the ingredients.  This is not a baby challenge.  So bring your loose pants.

Packed House Watching !! The night raised almost 900 bucks for Pink Ribbon Girls !

—WHY: If you complete the challenge, your sandwich is free and you win a T-shirt. A portion of the proceeds goes to The Pink Ribbon Girls charity.

—COST: About $23 up front, which is refundable if you complete the challenge successfully.  You can take the challenge at any Submarine House, alone or with a group of friends from Jan 30th through April 2nd.

John “Hambone” Hammond and the Big Ragu could not finish the Super Duper Cheesesteak

Remember, the top 10 fastest times at each store will see the competitors called back in April for the “store championship semi-finals.”  If you win the best time at the store championship, you are off to the finals April 22nd at 1pm at the new Huber Heights Bar & Grill location of Submarine House.

Browse the gallery below from memories of this incredible night for charity.

Still Hungry?  “LIKE” FOOD ADVENTURES ON FACEBOOK by clicking here.  We are not food critics, we are passionate foodies, living and loving the Dayton food scene and sharing our finds!

The Usual Suspects

This mystery man is known by the name Taco Philly !

Nate “Cowboy” Tucker made a good showing !

 

Look! Here come the sammiches !!!

“Hangry” guys before the contest…

Known as “16 inches of Heaven”

Guess which plate was Ragu’s at the end and which one was Kayla’s?

Hot Relish didn’t stop Chef Hayden from winning !

Carey, Mack and Torey were rooting on their friends and supporting charity !

Kayla’s Empty Basket – WOMAN POWER !

Could you eat a cheesesteak with triple the meat and cheese, with the works? 16 inches? in 16 minutes?

Pork Chop finding his ZEN

Baby Blues, Minister of Meat, Garlic King and the Beard

All I want for Christmas is a Submarine House Gift Card !

Kayla beat the Big Ragu and a handful of other guys!

The Killer and Hambone

gu says thank you to Submarine House

The Big Ragu from Food Adventures

Donate to Pink Ribbon Girls – breast cancer charity

The Big Apple is ready

Hammond gets extra points for downing 4 beers before the contest

Kayla has her Gameface on !

Kilroy killin the sub

Corner table looking for the beef

make your own caption

Congrats Kayla

Kayla shuns the paparazzi

chomps heard round the world

Kayla has a food baby

2017 Super Duper Cheesesteak Food Adventure

Matt Hayden is a Cheesesteak qualifier !

This is just one HALF of the sandwich

Bryan’s got this…

Kelsie is an amazing host !

 

 

 

 

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Wanna Hear Some Great Campfire Stories?

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14492591_1312137845464087_4535451101588627085_nDayton’s Story Slam event returns to the stage at Wiley’s Comedy Joint on Wednesday the 19th this month. In the spirit of The Moth, Dayton has its own monthly storytelling stage. Presented by Dayton Most Metro and produced by Shelly Hulce and Bryan Suddith the event welcomes anyone with a story to tell.

 

The rules ares few and make the storytelling experience accessible for anyone who enjoys hearing a good storing or telling one. The Moth rules are simple. Stories are told in the first person, are always true, are about 5-6 minutes in length, are unscripted (no notes) and are told on the theme of the night.

This month’s theme for Story Slamm Dayton is Campfire Stories. The event is held at Wiley’s Comedy Joint at 101 Pine Street in Dayton’s Oregon District. $5 door charge and a cash bar is available. Storytellers simply put their name in the hat and 10 storytellers are selected at random for a spot on stage.

Audience members judge the stories and a winner is chosen to take home a $50 cash prize. Visit Facebook.com/StorySlammDayton to see videos from last month and find tips to craft your story.

Can’t make this one, then be sure and add November 16th to your calendar when the theme will be Stories of Endurance.  Its a nod to the end of the elections.

Old Fashioned Diner With Old Fashioned Prices

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img_1927-2Dayton is good at keeping secrets. I’ve been searching for little out of the way diners for years in Dayton and am always happy to find a hidden gem. Over at Dayton Diners and Dives I have chronicled my love for East Dayton’s Hasty Tasty, Abner’s, East 5th Grill and other old school breakfast and lunch spots.

This week I discovered another. Located near the yogurt and ice cream at the end of aisle 1 inside Dot’s Market on Patterson is The Bullpen. Originally an ice cream and soda fountain spot, it opened in 1964. I’ve been there two times in the last 5 days and I will be back again sooner, rather than later.

Consider getting a burger hand made from Dot’s famous ground beef. Or a bowl of chili made with the same top cuts. What if you could enjoy a turkey club with big slices of Dot’s hand sliced bacon on top? You can in the Bull Pen.

The Bull Pen is a no-frills diner. It seats 10 at the U shaped counter and has space for another 40 in seats and booth backed tables. Little has changed since the 70’s included the regulars and staff. My waitress Brenda has been serving regulars in the Bullpen for more than 30 years. The avimg_1926erage tenure of the men at the counter was no less than 25 years as regulars. I was there for lunch this week and the dining room was half full with retirees and lunch hour workers of all stripes.

The menu is simple and yet meets every need. Salads, sandwiches, and signature burgers round out an affordable lunch menu. I had the Queen sized cheeseburger, with a cup of chili and chips for under 7 bucks. They offered a King size and Bison burger as well. The Club Sandwich I spotted was overflowing with turkey and topped with thick sliced bacon on toast. Broasted Chicken, a fried fish plate, chili dog lunch, tenders and wings makes the lunch menu big enough for everyone.

img_1920-2Dinner specials include those old favorites, fried shrimp basket, liver & onion, chopped sirloin and the roast beef or turkey hot shots. These dinner plates are served with two sides and a roll, all under $10.00.

I stopped in for breakfast on a Saturday morning. I was the 7th one in the door and I arrived 5 minutes after opening. I enjoyed a great biscuit and gravy with a scrambled egg. My coffee cup was well attended to and my entire bill was under $7.00.

The breakfast menu is simple, affordable and straightforward diner fare. Two eggs, toast and home fries are only 3.99. The Big Bull Breakfast, 3 eggs, home fries, meat, toast is under $6.00. Biscuits and gravy, omelets and fried mush are standard offerings alongside waffles, pancakes, potato cakes and grits. I’ve got my eye on the country fried steak breakfast next time.

Dot’s Bull Pen restaurant is the kinda place you are treated like a local on your first visit. Top notch service, great ingredients, and low prices make this a standout on my list of go-to Dayton Diners. A few additional notes: Pies by Dayton’s Mehaffie pies filled the glass case and the Red Velvet Cake was calling my name as I left to get back to work.

Somehow this little corner diner, at the end of Aisle 1 has been a hidden gem for over 50 years. Next time you are shopping for ribs, brisket, burgers or tenderloins at Dot’s meat counter, treat yourself and stay for lunch. The Bull Pen, located at 2274 Patterson Rd in Kettering, and is open Monday to Saturday 7am – 7pm and Sundays 8am to 2pm.

Dayton’s Story Slamm Returns To The Stage Bigger Than Ever

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ssMore than 10 years ago Shelley Hulce began to gather fellow fans of The Moth podcast for Story Slams. Story Slams are similar to Poetry Slams but a bit more structured. The premise was simple. People sharing true stories, in person, unscripted and live. For more than a decade a small group of storytellers have been meeting in coffee shops, libraries and bars in and around Dayton.

In February I traveled to an official Moth event in Louisville to watch how the event is produced. I was pleasantly suprised to see that more than 300 people came out to a venue to listen to great stories.

First some background:
The Moth organization was founded in 1997 by poet and novelist George Dawes Green in New York City. Green wanted to recreate those sultry summer evenings in his native Georgia, when moths were attracted to the light on the porch where he and his friends would gather to spin spellbinding tales. He began to host events in his apartment, then in bars, and now in theatres across NYC and hosted around the world.

The Moth story slam rules are simple. True Story. Told in the first person. Without notes and told live. Each month the Moth hosts story slams and the events are centered on a theme. Storytellers come prepared with a story on theme and put their name in a hat.

I was chose to share a story in Louisville in February and was selected that nights Story Slam winner. I knew I had to create a similar event in Dayton.  This month the Dayton Story Slamm kicks off with Stories of Failure at Wiley’s Comedy Joint in the Oregon District. Storytellers should come prepared with a 5 minute story on the topic of Failure. 10 names will be chosen to share their stories and judges will score each story. The winner leaves with $50 cash and title, Dayton Story Slam Champion!

Judges will be looking for the following in each story:
Does the story have a beginning, middle and ending?
Was there a hook to the story, did it grab the audiences attention?
Was it near the time limit of 5 minutes.
Was the story related to the theme.

You don’t need to be a storyteller to attend or to enjoy the evening. If you are a fan of The Moth Radio Hour, Radio Lab podcast, Snap Judgement show or this American Life on NPR,  you will enjoy the pace and entertainment that only live storytelling provides.

Admission is $5.00 and the bar will be open. Stop in and tell a story or sit back and enjoy a few of Dayton’s best sharing theirs.

Details on the Story Slamm Dayton Facebook page.