Dayton937

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

Coco's Bistro

Jane’s Best Bets (2/2 – 2/6)

By Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

Hello February…and hello icky weather!  If you’re reading this, that means you still have power, which is a great thing!  I hope you also have the power to get up off the couch and enjoy some of these events!

On Groundhog Day (a.k.a. Wednesday), eat lunch at Smokey Bones for their $5 Lunch Special.  Over at the Schuster Center, check out the Visual Voices Art Exhibit:  Dayton Skyscrapers 2011, which celebrates “women and men who stand tall as role models in the Dayton African-American community.”  There will be a sea of food at Dorothy Lane Market as part of their Oyster Bar Happy Hour, as well as at Bonefish Grill for their Bang Bang Shrimp Wednesday.  If you are a fan of environmental causes and would like to know more about the lives affected by the water industry as well as public water rights, then you will want to attend the Environmental Film Series: Tapped at Cox Arboretum.  Enjoy an adult beverage at The Wine Loft for their Happy Hour, The Wine Gallery for their Weekly Wine Tasting, or Bruning’s Wine Cellar for their Taste the Wines of Frog’s Leap event.  If you’re downtown, head to the Schuster Center to see 9 to 5: The Musical (I’m looking forward to it after my 9 to 5 job!) or to The Loft Theatre to see Twelfth Night.  Over at Clark State Performing Arts Center, watch Fiddler On The Roof…I’m hoping he doesn’t fall down with it being icy!  And finally, support the UD Flyers as they play St. Bonaventure at UD Arena…and hopefully get a victory!

On Thursday, celebrate the Chinese New Year with dinner specials at both The Nanking Inn and Kabuki.  Have you always wanted to dance, but keep putting it off?  If so, boogie your way to Michael Solomon Pavillion for International Folk Dance Lessons.  Over at the Dayton Racquet Club, attend the Go Red for Women/American Heart Month Kickoff.  At The Neon, check out Pecha Kucha Night Dayton, Volume 6, in which there will be several short presentations by noteworthy people around the city about their creative endeavors.  The presentations will be followed by a screening of the documentary DIVE, which is based on the topic of food waste at L.A. supermarkets.  For more information about Pecha Kucha, click here.  If you like meeting new people, head to Cedarville University to meet Dolly… be sure to tell her Hello, Dolly! Also, at the Schuster Center, you will be able to see 9 TO 5: The Musical, and at The Loft Theatre, you can catch Twelfth Night.

On Friday, after you get out of the shower, be sure to put on your red for the National Wear Red Day, in honor of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” Movement.  If you wish, you can continue to celebrate the Chinese New Year at China Dynasty, The Nanking Inn, or Kabuki.  Get out your dancing shoes and head to the Michael Solomon Pavilion for the Contra Dance Party – Cityfolk.  If you love a good fish fry, head to either the Ascension or the St. Mary Fish Fry.  All you art lovers will want to participate in First Friday, the fabulous art hop which happens the first Friday of each month downtown.  There will also be many wonderful shows going on in our great region, including 9 to 5: The Musical (Schuster Center), The Octette Bridge Club (Beavercreek Community Theatre), The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee (Dayton Playhouse), Twelfth Night (Loft Theatre), The Berenstain Bears Onstage; A Bear Country Musical! (Town Hall Theatre), and True West (University of Dayton-Kennedy Union Boll Theatre).  And finally, listen to The Rocket Man, The Eagles, Diana Ross, and The Beatles as you skate at RiverScape for their event, Peace, Love, and Skate: 60s and 70s.

On Saturday, bring your Valentine and go to the wonderful El Meson for their Cooking Class for Lovers.  For all you techies, head to the Dayton Diode Open House which has been called a “YMCA for nerds”…perhaps I should go then!  When tragedy strikes, it is important for a community to join together.  Over at St. John’s Lutheran Church, bring your friends and participate in the Dodgeball Tournamnet to benefit the Suzanne Waughtel Hopper fund.  In the evening, there are opportunities to support other great causes.  You can attend the 21st Annual Artemis Center Gala ‘Be a Star, a Purple Carpet Event’ at Sinclair or Sing your Heart Out For A Good Cause (the American Heart Association) at The Wine Loft.  All you “pasghetti” lovers (as many kids call it!) will want to go to the American Legion Post 598 for Franco’s FAMOUS Spaghetti.  Over at RiverScape, participate in the Star-Late Skate.  Also on Saturday, there will be a plethora of theatre options, including 9 to 5: The Musical, The Berenstain Bears Onstage; A Bear Country Musical, The Octette Bridge Club, The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, Twelfth Night, and True West.

On Sunday, consider going to Alex’s for their Jazz Brunch.  Or you can Savor Your Sunday & Support Stivers at Coco’s Bistro.  If it’s not too cold, perhaps you’ll want to learn the Fundamentals of Skating at RiverScape.  Sundays are a great day for the arts, so consider checking out the Wright State University 2011 Faculty Exhibition, Visual Voices Art Exhibit; Dayton Skyscrapers 2011 at the Schuster Center, Folk Art from the Collection of Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP at The Dayton Art Institute, or A Student of People Exhibit at Troy-Hayner Cultural Center.  Or check out one of the many theatre productions going on around town.  If you still haven’t done so, be sure to check out DMM’s onStageDayton, where Shane, Katherine, and Russell keep you up to date on the Dayton theatre scene!

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week. Drum roll please…

How many pessimists does it take to change a lightbulb?

Nevermind.  Nobody would get the joke anyway.

These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar.  There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today!  Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it– it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE!  And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!

Have a great week Dayton!

Savor Your Sundays & Support Stivers

By Leave a Comment

For the third year in a row Coco’s Bistro will open in February  for Sunday Brunch to benefit Stivers School for the Arts.  This unique fundraising event is food for the spirit – and stomach!

A different group from Stivers will perform each Sunday:
Feb. 6: Jazz Trio
Feb. 13: String Ensemble
Feb. 20: Chamber Choir
Feb. 27: Concert Pianists

Each Sunday will feature two seatings the first at 10 am to 11:30 a.m. and the second begins at noon t0 1:30pm.  Brunch runs $30 per person; $15 of this is a tax-deductible donation to the seedling Foundation, which supports the arts at Stivers.  Gift certificates also are available.

All funds raised during the Sunday brunches will support arts instruction at the school.
Advanced reservations are required; seating is limited. Call 228-COCO (2626), or reserve online.
Coco’s is located at 515 Wayne Ave just south of Fifth Street in the Oregon District.

Jane’s Best Bets (1/5 – 1/9)

By 2 Comments

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I hope that 2011 has many great things in store for all of you!  Hopefully some of these events can help to make it that way!

On Wednesday, for a tasty dinner at a reasonable price, head to the Bonefish Grill for Bang Bang Shrimp Wednesdays, Sammy’s El Pueblo for their Fajita Dinner for 2 for $19.99, or Champps for their 9.99 Fajitas.  If you really wanted to eat fajitas and save money, you should go to Champps since you could get two fajita dinners for a whole penny cheaper…just sayin’.  Help promote the Five Rivers MetroParks’ Outdoor Recreation Department by attending their Volunteer: Street Tream Training.  And if you are environmentally conscious, attend the Environmental Film Series: End of the Line at Cox Arboretum…which is absolutely free!

On Thursday, enjoy a glass or two of wine along with your dinner at the delicious Coco’s Bistro where they have 1/2 Price Wine Bottles.  If you are in downtown Miamisburg, head to TJ Chumps for their Three Course Thursday-All Day and/or A Taste of Wine (which is right across the street) for their Wine Tasting.  Sorry, I may not be helping your New Year’s resolution to lose weight.  And in the evening, all you Dancing with the Stars fans will want to see Mark Ballas as he performs at McGuffy’s.

On Friday, after perhaps your first full week of working in a little while, head downtown for the First Friday Art Hop!  If someone asks you about the Riverscape ice rink, say “I’ll be there” so that you can enjoy the thrill of ice skating as part of the King of Pop Skate.  For a different style of music, join the Dayton Philharmonic as they perform ‘Titanic Brahms, Vibrant Liebermann’ at the Schuster Center.  Over at the Dayton Theatre Guild, see the show Ravenscroft.  And finally, up in Yellow Springs, head to Emporium Wines/Underdog Café for a Wine Tasting accompanied by live music.

On Saturday, head to the Yellow Springs Winter Farmer’s Market – just don’t tell any secrets because remember…a corn has ears!  While you’re there, bring some items that will help you de-clutter your house, items you would like to share with others, or an unwanted Christmas gift as part of the Really Really Free Market at Emporium Wines/Underdog Café in Yellow Springs.  I have never participated in anything like this, but it sounds like an awesome idea!  For more info, check out this link.  If you got engaged over the holidays and are trying to navigate your ways through all the wedding planning, head to the Dayton Bridal Expo at the Dayton Convention Center.  With the amount of food allergies on the rise, consider attending Dorothy Lane Market’s Gluten-Free Food Lovers’ Club: How to eat your way throughout the year.  And in the evening if you are downtown, head to RiverScape for their Star-Late Skate, the Dayton Theatre Guild for Ravenscroft, or the Schuster Center for ‘Titanic Brahms, Vibrant Liebermann’.  And if you decide to head over to McGuffy’s, you’ll be swinging, sliding, and perhaps doing a little bit of monkey barring as the 90s band Marcy Playground performs.

On Sunday, chase those winter blues away by heading to the Mu Crew Pool Party at the Holiday Inn Dayton Mall.  Over at the Dayton Art Institute, participate in the two T’s – Tour and Tea.  If you love to write, get a little help by heading over to Books & Co. for their Second Sunday Free Writers’ Workshop.  And finally, over at the Dayton Theatre Guild, if you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out Ravenscroft.

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week. Drum roll please…

“Doctor!  Something’s wrong!  I’m shrinking!”

“Take it easy, sir.  You’ll just have to be a little patient.”

These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar.  There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today!  Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it– it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE!  And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!

Have a great week Dayton!

Give Tasteful Local Gifts

By 1 Comment

This holiday season buying a restaurant gift card for someone else can mean a little something extra for you.  As gift cards become increasingly popular among consumers, restaurant  are doing what they can to make sure it is theirs you are buying.The standard seems to be a $5 certificate for each $25 spent in gift certificates.  The “bonus” gift cards are often only good for a limited amount of time, most encouraging you to return in January, the slowest dining out month for most restaurant.  Here’s a round up of deals being offered by local eating establishments:

Amber Rose -Buy $25 – get $5

Barleycorn’s – Buy $100 – get $20

The Barnsider – Buy $30 – get $10 or Buy $75 – get $25

The Caroline– Buy $100 – get $25 free

Christopher’s – Buy $25 – get $5

Coco’s Bistro – Buy $100, get $20

Dublin Pub – Buy $50, get $10

Figlio – Buy $100, Get $25

Hawthorn Grill – Buy $50, get$ 10

Milano’s – Buy $25, get $5

Sweeney’s Seafood – Buy $100, get $20

As you know, I prefer to promote locally owned businesses, but many of you may need to know about national chains for gift giving purposes, so here’s a link that will give you a listing of  those: click here. One of the best deals out there is by BD Mongolian Grill,  they have the standard buy $25, get $5 deal, but if you spend $50 you’ll get $10 in gift certificates and a free 2011 BD’s calendar which offers $10 in dining deals each month, a $120 value.  It’s a great deal if you like creating your own stir fry meals.

And if you know of a deal not listed, please add it to the comments below!  Thanks and happy dining!

Finding Wines to Pair With Your Turkey

By Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving- it’s a time to celebrate with friends and family, yet at this time of year you often hear people asking what wine pairs well with Turkey? If you’ve been asked to bring the wine or have people coming to your house for holiday dinner, no need to stress about what to serve. The good news is there is no correct answer. Turkey pairs well with red wine or white wine depending on what you and your guests like. Turkey is adaptable and the way it’s prepared as well as other dishes to the meal really dictate what wine to pair it with.

If you are a red wine drinker, try a Pinot Noir. It’s a nice flavored red wine that will pair well with turkey. Pinot Noir has very little tannins which means it won’t overwhelm the meal. Putting the Pinot Noir in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before serving it will bring out the fruit and will take away the ‘bite’ that alcohol can give when served at room temperature.

If you like white wines, try a Chardonnay or even a Pinot Gris.  Almost any good white will work, but stay away from the sweet dessert style whites. Light and crisp Chardonnay’s  along with most Sauvignon Blanc’s will work.  Sparkling Wine also works  and brings a festive note to the meal. There are some powerful, yet affordable brut Champagnes that have sufficient weight and structure to stand up to a rich meal. Again, stay away from the sweeter Champagnes.

Still want more help? Many of our local wine stores have events that will help you find the combination you like best:
Arrow’s Annual Holiday Tasting!
Sun, Nov 14th, 5:30 – 7:30pm at the Centerville Store
Over 75 wines, great appetizers and live music!
$50/person, pre-paid reservations required by Nov 10th
Call 433-6778 to make your reservations!

A Taste of Wine Holiday Show- Thurs, Nov 18th, 7 – 9pm
Food, Fun and Fabulous wine pairings.  Taste wines for your holiday feasts & gift giving.
$20 Please RSVP by phone 937.247.1120

Bella Vino’s Wine & Food Pairing Dinners
Wed, Nov 10th – 7pm
Sat, Nov 20th – 5pm
Tues  Nov 23rd – 7pm

Dinner includes:
turkey dinner – with mashed potatoes & gravy, sweet potato casserole, green beans, and cranberry sauce.
4 wines specially selected to pair with Thanksgiving dinner.
An open-ended discussion about wine & food pairing with  resident Wine Enthusiast, John Feltz.

Dinner is $30 per person and seats are limited.  These dinner sold out last year, so reserve early

Coco’s Bistro 30 for $30
Wed, Nov 10th, 6 – 8pm

Special holiday flavored appetizers to make it easy to pick which wine to go with the Turkey, Ham, Roast or for the Toast on New Years Eve.
Wine vendors on hand, to help you choose- and we’ll have special pricing on wines by the case as well.  Limited seating, so reserve your place online, or call 937-228-2626 (coco) and we’ll save you a seat.

Cork & Vine presents Wines That Make Your Turkey Happy
Wed, Nov 17 · 7- 9pm
(hey- I tried to get more info- but was told to call back when a manager is in – they didn’t know anything about it).

If we’ve missed any, please feel free to add them in the comments below!  Cheers!

$20.50 Menu’s at Area Restaurants Salut Dayton Opera

By 3 Comments

Support the Dayton Opera’s 50th Anniversary Season

Porgy & Bess is the  Great American Opera, celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2010! With beloved music like “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “Bess You Is My Woman Now”, the residents of Catfish Row, 1920’s Charleston SC, will vividly come to life on the stage of the Schuster Center. This production will bring together a broad-based community-wide collaboration and celebration fitting for the 50th Season opener!

The Story of Porgy and Bess

Porgy and Bess Synopsis
Throughout the 1920’s, George Gershwin was one of the Broadway musical theater’s leading lights. By the end of 1930, he had composed the scores for 22 complete shows as well as collaborating on others; but it was Gershwin’s first instrumental concert work, Rhapsody in Blue in 1924, that made him famous. It may seem strange that a productive, sought-after songwriter would devote the better part of two years to a single large work, but Porgy and Bess was Gershwin’s magnum opus. It was nourished by more than a decade of technical study and a longheld interest in African-American experience. It boasts of a fine African-American play by DuBose Heyward and Gershwin’s music brings to the play dramatic power, humor, tragedy, rich atmospheric colors and finely drawn characterizations. Incorporating a wealth of blues and jazz idioms into the classical art form of opera, Gershwin considered it his finest work.
Nine of Dayton’s finest restaurants and clubs will salute Dayton Opera’s 50th Anniversary Season opener Porgy and Bess from October 14-31 with special low-country menus or features priced at $20.50.
Reservations are suggested for this special dining event.

C’est Tout Bistro 937-298-0022

Coco’s Bistro 937-228-2626

Jay’s Seafood Restaurant 937-222-2892

L’Auberge 937-299-5536
New Orleans Catfish with Black Beans and Dirty Rice -Or- Duck and Chicken Jambalaya

Savona Restaurant and Wine Bar 937-610-9835

Paragon Supper Club 937-433-1234

Dayton Woman’s Club 937-228-1124Sunday brunch, Oct. 31 only  11:30 am – 2 pm – Open to the Public, but reservations require.  The monthly brunch has been changed from Oct. 10 to Oct. 31 this month only because of the opera performance.  The charge for this Halloween Brunch is $15, tax and tip included.

*The Dayton Country Club 937-294-2735

*Engineers Club of Dayton 937-228-2148   Friday, Oct. 29 only-Reservations require

*Indicates one in the party must be a member

Fall Equinox features 30 Wines under $30

By Leave a Comment

This Wednesday, Sept 22nd Coco’s Bistro will host  another of it’s 30 under 30 wine tastings. Featuring West Coast wines the Fall Equinox Tasting allows guests to choose  6-8 to sample 30 wines offered for only $30.They will also be serving light appetizers along with the tasting from their new fall appetizer menu that’s going to be coming out real soon.

While you’re there be sure to check out the plans on the lobby wall for the new Coco’s location, currently under construction on Warren Avenue. The new location will allow for more parking- about 40 more spaces than they currently have, private dining rooms for special events and a much larger bar area with it’s own menu that will stay open later. The actual dining area will stay about the same size, but the addition of special event space will be  a major bonus, for the community.  Coco’s has often hosted special events, but the current layout just isn’t very conducive and the noise level makes it almost impossible to hear.   The new space even has a large outdoor dining space designated on the blueprints.

To reserve your spot for the wine tasting or to ask about the new location call 937-228-2626.

Coco’s Cares- Dine For A Cause

By Leave a Comment

Coco’s Bistro has partnered with the Victoria Theatre Association’s Physicians for Kids Discovery Series to help raise funds by committing to donate $1/meal served from       August 16th – Sept 15th.

Through the Physicians for Kids Discovery Series, the stage becomes a classroom–a place where theatre professionals partner with educators and parents to ignite students’ quest to discover the world, each other, and most importantly, themselves.

Theatre naturally combines learning across disciplines. Where else do history, English, language arts, drama, music and fine art come together? Physicians for Kids Discovery Series performances are professionally produced theatre presentations designed to comply with the Ohio Department of Education Academic Standards and Benchmarks. Students and teachers can download detailed study guides to enhance their theatre experience. Workshops for students and teachers by theatre professionals, as well as scholarship and busing opportunities for schools with financial concerns, add to the extensive opportunities offered by the Physicians for Kids Discovery Series. More than 30,000 students annually attend the Physicians for Kids Discovery Series.

Coco’s Bistro
515 Wayne Ave
Dayton, OH 45410

937.228.Coco (2626)

Coco’s Hours:

Mon – Thurs:
Lunch:   11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Dinner:  5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fri:
Lunch:    11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Dinner:   5:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sat:
Dinner:  5:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Savor Your Sunday: Brunch For The Arts!

By Leave a Comment

CocosStivers_Postcard20101-194x300-1It’s brunch, it’s art, it’s the art of brunch and what a way to savor a Sunday in February!

Coco’s Bistro will again give up their Sunday’s off in the month of February to partnering with Stivers School for the Arts to present a brunch fundraiser with proceeds going to the Seedling Foundation, which helps fund adjunct teachers and other needs not covered by the school’s budget.  Last year’s events were so successful they will be be doing two seatings this year. The first at 10am and a second one at noon.

Each week will feature Stivers students performing:

Feb. 7: Jazz Trio

Feb. 14: String Ensemble

Feb. 21: Chamber Choir

Feb. 28: Concert Pianists.

The cost is $30 per person of which $15 is tax-deductible. Reservations are highly suggested and you can even make a prepaid reservation online.  Coco’s is located at 515 Wayne Avenue in the Oregon District.