As Jennifer Dean and Forrest Williams near completion on their new downtown Mudlick Tap House, the days are numbered for the original Germantown location. The couple announce yesterday via their Facebook page.

“The new location is coming along and we are shooting for a mid-June opening in downtown Dayton. As we prepare for the journey ahead, May 15th will be the last regular service at our Germantown location. Stop in and see us this week for a couple of pints and some of your favorite dishes!”

The original Germantown Taphouse

The 46 seats Germantown location, which originally was conceived as just a tap house with some light appetizers ,quickly grew into a full restaurant serving dinners, then Saturday brunch was added and with the addition of Executive Chef Chris Coherd it transitioned into a scratch kitchen. They then brought on sous chef Zackary Weiner giving them a double dose of strength and experience in the back of the house.

As the popularity of the eatery grew, the search began for a larger place. At one point they were set on a Springboro location, when the old Max & Erma’s closed. But then, the downtown space became available and that just felt right. They signed a lease this winter and began remodeling the old Aquarius Dance Club into a restaurant.

Jeremy from Jett’s Creek Woodworking is creating a beautiful facade for the structures downtown.

They’ve spent the winter totally redoing the feel of the restaurant, located at 135 E. Second Street, changing the bar layout and refacing the bar to give it a rustic tap house feel. Much of the decor from the Germantown bar will make its way downtown, Jen shared with us.

The taphouse will be open seven days a weeks, brining their boozy brunches and popular bloody mary bar with them for Saturday and Sunday. Craft beer, classic cocktails, and hearty meals will be what Mudlick Taphouse will offer to the downtown audience.

The kitchen is being worked on as you read this, and the electrical inspection is the next thing that needs to happen for the install to be complete. Staff from the Germantown location are moving downtown and additional hires have been completed and training will begin at the end of the month, with an expected opening to happen by the middle of June. With a bigger kitchen, the menu will expand at the new location, with a wider selection of sandwiches and entrees being offered.

The restaurant will truly be a family business with Jen and Forrest at the helm and their son Riley, who attends UD working a couple of nights a week. They’ve decided to make The Food Bank their charity of choice, and are still working on plans for how they’ll make giving back a part of the business.

So stay tuned for more information on the new Mudlick Tap House…

Chris Coherd, took over as Executive Chef at Mudlick Tap House this past May. No stranger to kitchens around town, he worked at Truffles, Madison’s and Fresco. Before making the move to this Germantown eatery, Coherd spent three years as the Sous Chef under Chef Anne Kearney at Rue Dumaine.

Chef Chris believes in running a scratch kitchen, and whether that means butchering the free range chicken he picks up from Ed Hill in Xenia or curing his own meats, he prides himself on his commitment to locally sourcing ingredients.

An avid outdoorsman, he loves to hunt and fish and has been spotted at Urban Krag doing some climbing as well. He also loves to spend time with his wife Elly and their 9 month old son Max.

Now that he’ s put his mark on the menu at Mudlick, he took the time time to answer our 10 ? Chef Interview. Enjoy his answers below:

DMM: What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

CC: I cook with so many ingredients and I love all of them. My most common are butter, onion and garlic. And fats…every dish is rounded out with some kind of fat whether its olive oil, bacon fat, butter, etc.

DMM: What ingredient do you dread?

CC: Bony fish…deboning fish is time consuming and can also destroy the fish and create an unappealing visual.

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pan seared red snapper served with crispy yukon potatoes and local pea shoots finished with a relish of sweet corn, shallot, zucchini, red bell pepper and a champagne vinaigrette.

DMM: What’s your favorite dish to make?

CC: Curry chicken and rice with fried basil leaves. I make my curry from scratch with curry coconut milk, garlic, jalapeno, and onion and reduce it to concentrate the flavors then add chicken and serve it over rice topped with some fried basil leaves.

DMM: What’s your favorite pig out food?
CC: PIZZA-Pies and Pints – The Hot Mama

DMM: What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley

CC: Taquria Mixteca – I order the same thing every time I go – chicken steak shrimp fajitas

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New Zealand lamb chops with farm fresh pea shoots, sauté of white beans, sun-dried tomato, and lemon zest with a mint parsley pistou!

DMM: What’s your best advice for home chefs?

CC: Taste everything before you serve it!

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

CC:

Brian Griffey – the first chef I ever worked for and my mentor

Phillip Cronin – Childhood friend and chef for Edward Lee in Washington DC

Aaron Allen-Former co-worker and chef de cuisine at Autumn Restaurant at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort

Nate Vance – Sous Chef at Salar

Worked with all of them, enjoyed working with them, respect their culinary skills and talent, and we all enjoy each other’s company

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Black grouper pan seared on a zucchini fritter & arugula with a relish of bell peppers, local sweet corn & wilted shallot on a roasted red pepper coulis!

DMM: Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

CC: Anne Kearney

She’s a beast in the kitchen. If you think your fast at prep, work next to her for 30 minutes and you will realize how slow you really are. And her knife cuts will look better than yours!

DMM: What do you do in the Miami Valley on your day off?

WhSandwiches from Fifth Street Deli (The Champ), Beers and Giant Jenga at Warped Wing. But in the fall, you can find me in a tree stand.

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

CC: When I worked this year’s Celebrity Chef James Beard dinner in Columbus, Brian the chef de cuisine was originally supposed to cook the venison loin and at the last minute decided to hand off the responsibility to me which I was extremely nervous about since these are a lot of talented chefs. The venison came out cooked perfectly followed by several compliments from the many talented chefs in attendance.