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Dana Downs

Soft Opening for Culina in the Oregon District

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Wednesday (today) at 4pm Culina will soft open with the new concept while protecting the favorites we have all grown to know and love from the former Roost at 524 E 5th Street, in the Oregon District.

When life gives us lemons – some people make lemonade but Chef Dana Downs makes Limoncello!

Culina unveiled a menu that features everything from $7 snacks to a $23 striped sea bass. The menu that contains things like Truffle Fries, Stuffed Olives – Salads like the Gorgonzola Wedge (that Roost was known for), or a Grilled Romaine Caesar – Shared Plates  of Mussels (another Roost favorite), Grilled and Roasted Artichokes, Chicken Scallopine, New York Strip with Salsa Rosa (remember the bread dip from Roost), and Sweets like a Lemon Ricotta Cookie or even a Biscoff Gelato Affogato.

The cocktail menu has been updated with features like a Catamaran, Paradisi, Spice Spice Baby, La Sera Spritz or the Golden Hour – all of these might require a taste!

Soft opening hours are 4-9pm today; 4-10 Friday and Saturday – closed Sunday.
Next week – Monday thru Thursday 4-9 Friday and Saturday 4-10. More on hours coming!

You are not going to want to miss this twist on FINE CASUAL DINING!

 

Oregon District Eatery to Rebrand

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Roost Modern Italian – to get a new approach for Dayton! Roost is going through more than a name change, but also a concept change to include lunch hours. Dana Downs owner and Executive Chef of Roost Modern Italian announced today that the name will be changing to Culina, and the concept shifts from fine dining to an upscale casual small plate approach. After 13 years, Chef Dana believes that Dayton is ready for a new concept and another option for lunch as well as dinner. 

The ‘fine casual’ service model is defined by a commitment to exceptional quality and a chef-driven approach, focusing on superior ingredients and culinary artistry. Guests can expect a more refined atmosphere that surpasses traditional fast casual dining, while still enjoying a relaxed and approachable environment. “Guests can customize their experience to suit their preferences for their visit. Whether you’re in the mood for a quick salad for lunch or planning to celebrate a special occasion with a group, Culina is here to cater to your needs.” Downs went on to clarify that while Culina will not be taking reservations, accommodations can be made for groups of 8 or more. “Offering a ‘small plate’ service makes it challenging to accommodate small reservations, as this casual style differs significantly from the previous fine dining and structured meal service approach.”

Chef/Owner Dana Downs

Culina will offer Italian-inspired small plates, akin to what Americans would consider ‘tapas style’. Small plates will on average be priced between $14 and $26, allowing guests to enjoy fresh pastas, seafood and steaks & chops. Culina will also continue on Roost’s focus of gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan offerings. Downs commented “As a chef, my goal is to provide inventive dishes that cater to special dietary needs, particularly gluten-free options.”

When asked about the casual service Downs replied “We are excited to provide our guests with a unique dining experience that celebrates the best of Italian cuisine.”

 
All Roost gift cards will be honored at Culina. Roost will remain open until Culina is ready to launch in a few weeks.

Culina

524 East Fifth Street
Dayton, Ohio 45402

Mon -Thurs  11am to 9pm
Fri & Sat from 11am-10pm

There’s a new treasure at Treasure Island

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There’s a new treasure at Treasure Island

It’s one thing to get a new management group, another to get a new manager and quite another to get a new chef! 

What does all of this mean? There’s a very bright future for this mainstay on the Dayton Food scene. Dana and Katherine Downs (of Roost Modern Italian fame) have taken over leadership of this unassuming supper club. Dana has strong roots in the Dayton food scene and has been a part of some of Daytons greats. 

They have added to the ranks Cindy Murray who has most recently served as General Manager of the Florentine and previously with The Hickory Bar-B-Q on Brown Street. Murray will serve as General Manager. 

As if that’s not enough to ensure great future success for Treasure Island, there’s more! Taking over as Executive Chef is Chef Nate Young who has been a mainstay at The Oakwood Club for years. 

Katherine stated that lunch and dinner will remain as currently scheduled, and that they hope Dayton will enjoy the changes that are coming to this part of their portfolio of restaurants. 

Nobody does it like Chef Dana – so it will be fun to watch the enhancements to this gem of our dining  community. 

Lunch and dinner services will remain as currently scheduled,” said Chef Dana, “however being Chef managed, slight menu modifications will be developed by myself and our staff to ensure the efficiency and success of the restaurant.

“We are very excited about this new chapter in our portfolio of restaurants” said Katherine, “and are confident that the loyal diners of TI will continue to support and enjoy this change of management.

4250 Chief Woods Lane
Moraine, OH 45439
937-299-6161
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Fri & Sat 11am – 10pm

10 ?’s With Chef Dana Downs

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We first got to know Chef Dana Downs when she was running the Black Rooster Pasta Bar at the Second Street Market.  Getting to know her better we found out that she started her culinary career as a dishwasher at Franco’s Ristorante Italiano.  She realized that while she was sweating back in the dish room, Franco was out visiting with all of his customers and drinking wine and that’s what she wanted to do.  

So she headed to Sinclair Community College’s to begin her training as a chef. Over the years she worked at Zola’s and then was recruited by Country Club of the North, where she worked as the Assistant General Manager and Marketing Director.  But she missed the kitchen and began a catering company and opened that shop at the market, where we met her.

In 2011 she took a big leap and opened ROOST modern italian on Fifth Street in the Oregon District. Read our story on their grand opening here.   In 2014 Dana guided the restaurant through a major renovation, enclosing the patio, adding a beautiful bar and a private dining room, nicknamed the Dough Room.

Today that eatery has shortened it’s name to just ROOST italian and celebrates it’s 6th anniversary and Chef Dana took time out of her day to do our Chef 10 ? interview:

 

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Vinegar, mostly different sherry vinegars. Incorporating acid in almost every dish will excite your customers palate, even in the smallest way! I crave it!

What ingredient do you dread?

Dishes should not only taste good, but plate nicely too. It roots back to Dana’s love and appreciation for the food being prepared. Plated here are the sea scallops with Cremini mushrooms (“baby bellas”) with ricotta raviolis, asparagus, and a white truffle besciamella sauce.

Green Peppers. I can’t even stand the smell of them. They are too overpowering. There has never been a green pepper in one of my kitchens, ever.

What’s your favorite dish to make?

I love cooking for my staff, they are like my kids. So, like a good mom, I love cooking them my Chicken Pastina soup. Learned from Franco’s mamma, Adolarata, its the best comfort food you could ever eat!

What’s your favorite pig out food?

Tacos. Tacos. Tacos.

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

I am fortunate to be a part of a great group of women chefs here. So you will see me at Meadowlark, Wheatpenny, Watermark and the Winds. And I’ll probably thank you for coming in, just because that what we chef’s do.

What’s your best advice for home chefs?

Be adventurous! If you think you screwed it up, pull up your boot straps and fix it. There is no perfect science to casual cooking, so have fun with it!

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

Ralph Lauren- the genius of branding

David Beckham- I love soccer and great style!

Ina Garten- I love her and I’m sure she has some great stories

Tom Downs- my father. We love spending time together, and we can relive the dinner thru stories forever!

Chef Dana and Scott Conant at Fusco, San Fransisco

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

Scott Conant. Not only is he a great chef, I applaud his entrepreneurial spirit and his professionalism.

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

I would love to say golf, but I’m probably too busy building something for a project I have created.

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

It was a random Summer Sunday morning, I was out running errands in my flip flops and soccer shorts and I get a phone call from a catering client. She called to ask what time she should come by the restaurant to pick up the food for her get together. I immediately told her I would call her back. I looked up her email and she had mistakenly emailed me that the event was the next Sunday. I called her back and told her I would bring the food, “no worries”. I ran to DLM, bought everything that I though I might have needed and ran down to Roost. The place look like a tornado hit it! Dishes and stuff everywhere. I had the food ready in 3 hours, 9 different items for 55 people

I threw the food in the car and headed out. I was 12 minutes early and I looked like a train wreck. Everything was on point, and she was very pleased.  I never told her this story, because the get together was in honor of the recent passing of her mother. Sometimes people are more important than proving a point. Cheers!

Visit Roost at 524 E 5th St in the Oregon District, open Tuesday – Sunday nights.  You can also experience the Roost cuisine in their special events venue, Roost Events, at 580 Lincoln Park Boulevard, by the Fraze in Kettering.  They’ll be serving up a Thanksgiving Buffet from 11am -3pm (reservations suggested- either online or by calling 937-222-3100) as well as opening on Christmas Eve, Mother’s Day, Easter, and Fraze season events as well as Pop Up Dinners.

 

Roost Modern Italian: The New Kid on the Block in the Oregon District

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13hs8lz520xiogyqmpr70hmjzjeikcfaYou know what goes well with Tuesdays? Italian. More specifically, a refreshing, upscale take on traditional Italian dishes. And I can tell you the perfect place to get just that—Roost Modern Italian, a brand new restaurant opening today at 524 E. Fifth St. in the Oregon District. The owners, Dana Downs and Beth Hirschbach, had a dry run last Friday, and Dana was “beyond pleased it went so well.” This event allowed the owners to completely perfect the menu in time for their opening today. According to Dana, whom I had the pleasure of speaking with over the phone this afternoon, “you have to be a little crazy to open up a restaurant!” But this “crazy” duo seems to have a copy of the recipe for success; the ingredients consist of an original idea, a great location, and a lot of hard work and dedication.

Dana and Beth started off this journey in the food industry in 2009, when they opened their own catering business, Veritas Foods. They decided to get their name out by using a booth at the Second Street Market, but unfortunately, no booths were available so they began selling frozen Italian food. Today, Black Rooster Pasta Bar consists of two booths at the Second Street Market, where they create a variety of pastas catered to the customers’ wishes. The next rung in the ladder consisted of opening their 397844_312391075470636_1815886819_nown restaurant. And thus, Roost Modern Italian was born on this Tuesday, the fifteenth of November.

Roost? Yes, that’s correct. The rooster theme of both Black Rooster Pasta Bar and Roost Modern Italian originated from Dana’s love of Italian wine. On the foil of a bottle of Chianti Classico wine, the label includes a picture of a rooster. So from this spun the memorable and unique theme of a rooster in both eateries’ names.

Capesante in Crosta

            Why Italian, you may ask? Well, Dana spoke of having experience cooking Italian for years, but she and Beth aspired to create something unique—a modern twist on Italian. “The dishes go beyond traditional pasta and pizza,” explained Dana. Roost’s selection has been described as “refreshing” when referring to the new techniques and presentations of their cuisine. This eatery also offers an adult beverage list that was specifically selected to complement the food being served; this includes craft beers and high-class Italian wine. The owners specifically focused on featuring Italian wines connoisseurs will enjoy. And although this is considered a high-class restaurant, the prices are reasonable across the menu.

Alright—so we’ve got great cooking and beverage selection. Check. But in order to truly enjoy a venue’s selection, the dining

Sorbetto Stuffed Lemon

experience must be superb as well. This is something Dana and Beth truly understand. When I was speaking with Dana, she emphasized how Roost has a great location; the neighboring restaurant owners have been very supportive and welcoming, and Roost is in a great position to inherit a lot of foot traffic. The setting within the restaurant itself is very quaint, but “[felt] like big-city” to many attendees this past Friday. The energy within the space makes the dining area seem larger than it really is, while the inside eating scene is complemented by a great patio, which will eventually become the site of spring wine tastings. This ideal setting adds class and comfort to Roost Modern Italian, providing a great atmosphere for the enjoyment of great food.

Lastly, the recipe for success could not be complete without a lot of dedication and hard work put in by the owners. Dana described opening a restaurant as “building a concept you need people to fall in love with. In the end, it’s all you. You receive tons of help, but you have to get it off the ground exactly the way you want it while on a budget.” Dana and Beth have put in many hours preparing for this day, and soon it will all be worth it.

Black rooster statue in Chianti, Italy

“You just have to trust your gut on things.” This piece of advice Dana has acquired from her success in the food industry thus far. It has brought Beth and her to this day, a completely different world than where they were just two years prior. Roost Modern Italian is officially open for business, providing a delicious modern take on Italian dishes, while also presenting a comfortable, high quality dining setting. Roost will be accepting a few reservations (so call in quick!), while also providing catering services and gift certificates. So come join the festivities! Crack open a bottle of Italian wine and enjoy a dish, such as the Capesante in Crosta (Crusted Sea Scallops) or Arrosto alle Erbe T-Bone (Herb roasted T-Bone Steak). No matter your choice, you are sure to bite into a savory bit of unique Italian cuisine.

And in the words of Porky the Pig—“Th-th-that’s all, folks!”…But only after dessert. I’ve got my eye on the Créme Brule del Giorno.

Roost will be open Tues – Thurs for dinner from 4pm – 10pm, and stay open an hour later on Fri and Sat.  Sundays they’ll serve brunch  from 10am – 3pm, appetizers from 3-5pm and a dinner menu from 5-8pm.   They will be closed on Monday.  Call for reservations at 937.222.3100.  And yes, you can still visit them at the 2nd Street Market Thurs- Sat.