Chef Liam Hennessy

Executive Chef Liam Hennessy has joined the rustic gastropub located in the heart of historical Germantown overseeing all culinary operations in the locally sourced, locally loved Tap House. Chef Hennessy has firm culinary roots in the Dayton area and has led local establishments, including Dayton Country Club and Fifth Street Brewpub. He has also been a regular featured chef at the popular Doors of Compassion annual fundraising event for the Ronald McDonald House.

Under the culinary direction of Chef Hennessy along with owners Jennifer Dean and Forrest Williams, Mudlick Tap House is not just a neighborhood refuge but a destination for anyone who enjoys great food with a local flare, solid craft beer from near and far, cocktail selections, spirits, and wine.

While Chef Hennessy kept staples such as the Smales Pretzels and Bier Cheese (adding a horseradish-dijon) he is excited to unveil a new menu. Chef Hennessy’s menu is built around pairing and enhancing our constantly rotating taps, bottled craft beer, and spirit selections. He describes his style as “taking a basic ingredient and unleashing its full potential,” such as Mudlick’s take on the Pot Roast Sandwich (pictured), a classic slow cooked roast with melted cheddar featuring sautéed onion and carrot with a garlic herb aioli. Guests can also expect to see entrees such as a pan seared Asian BBQ salmon served on a bed of quinoa with sautéed veggies. The new menu also includes an expanded salad selection such as the Dirty Wedge, loaded with tomato and bacon and drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette & bleu cheese dressing. Above all, Chef Hennessy aims to keep things simple, using fewer ingredients while maximizing flavor.

Guests can also enjoy Chef Liam’s fresh menu for the Boozy Brunch (now being offered every Saturday from 11 am – 3pm) including a Build Your Own Bloody Bar with house pickled veggies & cured meats featuring Belle of Dayton Vodka. The house made dill pickle infused Bell of Dayton vodka will put your Bloody Mary over the top.

Germantown, a picturesque town located 15 miles southwest of Dayton was home to the Mudlick Distillery, established in 1847. With an output of 30 barrels of whiskey a day, the distillery was considered the largest in the country for many years. Mudlick Tap House offers a unique rustic atmosphere with six rotating taps and a great selection of cocktails and spirits. You won’t find any neon lights or televisions in this gastropub, but you will find a cozy atmosphere and great conversation.

Fifth Street Brewpub’s Chef Liam Hennessy’s first experience in the restaurant business was working at a Mom and Pop sandwich shop. He started off as a dishwasher but soon moved to busing tables, serving, and eventually helping in the kitchen. Fifth Street Brewpub General Manager Dave Tickel first met Liam while working at TomKatz’s in Springboro. They both moved into other positions, but after 5 years of losing touch, Dave called Liam and offered him the position of head chef. Liam left his job at the Dayton Country Club and is now working hard to create a unique menu at this new co-op brewpub. The chef also has worked at L’Auberge and Thirsty Dog Brewpub.

Experience Chef Liam’s menu at Fifth Street Brewpub located at 1600 East Fifth St, about 4 blocks east of the Oregon District. The pub is open Monday – Thursday 4 pm – 11 pm and Fridays & Saturdays from 11 am – midnight.

1. What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Quite simply, animals. I love working with beef.

2. What ingredient do you dread?

Nothing really, I’m not scared of anything. If I don’t know how to use an ingredient, I’ll look it up.

3. What’s your favorite dish to make?

Anything that makes people smile. Coming from the Dayton Country Club, I’ve had to adapt to a different style at the Fifth Street Brewpub. A lot of menu items here are broken-down fine dining, the Cuban sandwich for example. It’s not on the menu, but we feature it from time to time. There is actually an email list that goes out to certain die-hard fans of that sandwich telling them when it will be served next.

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Enchurrito, rice, chicken, corn, peppers and cheese rolled in a flour tortilla, topped with a green chile sauce, and a cumin sour cream.

4. What’s your favorite pig out food?

I grew up with peanut butter crackers, the ones that come in the pack of 6. Those with a glass of milk at the end of the day are great.

5. What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?

My wife and I just had kids, so it is hard to find time to go out. But when we do, we like to eat local. Bonefish is one of our favorites.

6. What’s your best advice for home chefs?

Stop watching the food network; it glorifies food and creates very high expectations. Just keep it simple, try not to combine too many flavors.

7. If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?

I would invite my grandparents and great-grandparents. They never had the chance to see this side of me.

8. Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

Chris from TomKatz’s; we have remained great friends over the years. And the Sycamore Creek Country Club. That’s where my skills and ideas were refined.

9. What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?

Watch my kids! Or sometimes go golfing if I get the chance.

10. Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story.

Lucky Break: Working at the country club was my biggest break. I was a sous-chef at the time, and the GM recognized that I was doing most of the work. He saw my ability and potential, and offered me the position of head chef.

Disaster: This also happened while I was working at the country club. We were hosting a wedding for 150 people, but there was a storm the night before and all of the power went out. So we didn’t have any light, gas, electricity, so obviously we had a huge problem. We contacted the bride and explained the situation, and she wanted to continue with the wedding as planned. We had to adapt by using outside grills to make a meal for 150 guests. It turned out to be a success; the guests were understanding and loved the improvised menu.

This Chef 10?’s article was put together by UD students in Professor Rebecca P. Blust’s UD Engineering Project Management class. Our four member team , Gracelyn Key, Sushmitha Rayinadi, Emily Strobach and Daniel Williams spent the semester learning how to meet with a client (DMM) define the project, put a plan together and execute it. This is the fourth of 9 Chef interviews they presented to us as their class project. To read the first two interviews please see below:

10 ?’s with Chef Trish Miles of C’est Cheese

10 ?’s with Chef Narendar Thakkar of Namaste India

10 ?’s with Chef Lisa Perdomo of Arepas & Co

Mudlick Tap House Celebrates First Anniversary With A New Chef

10 ?’s with Fifth Street Brewpub’s Chef Liam Hennessy