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Fast Food With A Healthier Twist!

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Agnes All Natural GrillFresh, healthy, delicious… fast? Oh yes! Innovative fast food meets wholesome and affordable Caribbean dishes at Agnes All Natural Grill, located on 1438 North Keowee Street. In a world where cheap food is typically not nutritious and nutritious food is not cheap, Nicole and Jose Estremera opened Dayton’s first all natural fast food grill in a upbeat challenge to the old rules of fast-food. Agnes All Natural Grill revamps the old idea of drive-throughs and walk-ups and brings people speedy, wallet-friendly dishes with a much healthier twist. Customers seeking a bit of zesty Caribbean kick in their diet can find solace in the Agnes’s colorful menu as vibrant as the bright orange and avocado-green of the restaurant’s walls.

I spoke with Mrs. Estremera about the grill and she enthusiastically stated, “We’re really excited to provide natural selection for every day customers. We’re always striving to make our food even better and are very open to suggestions from customers. We want them to enjoy our food and leave happy and feeling good”. At their restaurant, every dish is cooked in all natural Caribbean seasons, priced under $10, and of course, made to order. Not to mention that Agnes’s never uses pork products processed foods, high fructose syrup, MSG, or trans fat in any of their menu items.  The grill also only uses grain and grass fed natural meats and all natural seasonings in their meals in an effort to provide the most wholesome fast-food dining experience possible.

The happily healthy menu offers options like Caribbean jerk chicken wings, grilled turkey wraps, hand-cut sweet potato fries, and veggie burgers, as well as “Special of the Moment” daily and weekly specials. The current specials at Agnes’s include Curry Chicken, Stew Beef, Ox Tails, and Curry Goat, just to name a few. Mrs. Estremera noted the beef patty and cocoa bread as one of the most popular and most delicious combinations. She describes the cocoa bread as a “Texas-toast type of bread, very soft and kind of sweet, with a pocket in the middle”. Mrs. Estremera elaborated to say that when the beef patty, a Caribbean golden pastry turnover filled with beef, is paired with the special cocoa bread, it makes a sandwich that is simply, “really, really good!”

The Estremeras stand by their motto to “Eat Right and Live Life Longer” and every customer of Agnes All-Natural Grill is sure to be convinced of the fresh and flavorful menu. The grill serves drive-through, walk-ups and call-ins, preparing each menu item within seconds after the order is placed. The Estremeras recommend calling in for pick-up orders  (368-8787) to get a hot and delicious meal without the wait. The grill is located at 1438 N. Keowee Street and is open every day of the week, Mondays through Thursdays form 11 AM until 9 PM, Fridays from 11 AM until 7 PM, Saturdays from 6 PM until midnight and Sundays from noon until 7 PM.  To be added to the email list to receive updates on weekly specials send an email to [email protected].

Get Your Spook On at Spinoza’s

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It’s that time of year again. The time to flaunt that Dracula cape or dress your little one in her favorite princess gown. The time for parents to walk the neighborhood while little Buzz Lightyear is sprinting with all his might to get to the next candy bowl. The time when everyone regrets how many sugary treats they just wolfed down.  It’s a time for crazy costumes, haunted houses, and genuine fun. We all remember the glorious days of trick-or-treating, and if those days still constitute your present, all the better! But not all the fun of Halloween is wrapped inside those treats vanishing into what may seem like thin air. Actually, a local restaurant, Spinoza’s, is putting together a special pre-Halloween celebration for adults. Accompanied with live and entertaining music, this local pizzeria is serving up six special beers by Wychwood Brewing Company, (how perfect a name!) all paired with delicious eats. So all you twenty-one and uppers, climb into that storage closet and put some life back into that fang and cape duo on October 25th—Spinoza’s is even giving away special prizes for guests who appear in costume!

This six course meal is the perfect way to celebrate Halloween a tad early; what better to pair fun with than delicious food and beer? Plus live music by the Evil Jim Volk! Let me tell you—you’re in for a treat. Wychwood Brewery has fully embodied the spirit of Halloween with their clever names of the featured ales, while Spinoza’s has carefully matched the prepared cuisine to stimulate your taste buds. But before we dive into the logistics of the meal, let’s indulge in a bit of a history lesson about both of these fine companies. How did they come to be?

This is Glen ↑

Glen Brailey, the owner of Spinoza’s, has been in the pizza industry for many years. He began his adventure at Domino’s while attending college, and after a few more adventures and thirteen years at Pacchia Wood Fired Pizza, which he opened, he found an empty pizzeria in the Mall at Fairfield Commons, located in Beavercreek. “The space was great, the rent was right, and I was yearning to toss dough again!” wrote Brailey in a blurb on Spinoza’s website. After aging the dough, using the freshest ingredients in their sauce, the “finest (and most expensive)” cheese, and topping it all off with all-natural pepperoni, this pizza is sure to be like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. And the fact that a mouth-watering brew is to be served alongside this gourmet pizza—this will constitute the ultimate testimony that beer and pizza were a match made in heaven.

Now for the second half of this dynamic duo—Wychwood Brewery. After perusing their Halloween-decorated, interactive website, I was briefed on Wychwood’s history. This company is located in the heart of Witney, in Oxfordshire, England—a town famous for its brewing. The brewery acquired its name in 1990, actually named after the Wychwood Forest which is located on the outskirts of Witney. “By 1997, Wychwood Brewery was producing nearly 30,000 barrels a year…” according to wychwood.co.uk. That’s extremely impressive, and a whole lot of beer! Today, Wychwood is famous for their hand-crafted ales, and exports all over the world. Just thinking about the combination of fine pizza with hearty beer—isn’t your mouth watering already?

So I’m sure you’re biting at the bit to know what exactly is on the menu for the Halloween Beer Dinner next Wednesday at 7 PM. Well, let me tell you.

Warning: The following description may cause a severe longing and appetite that can only be satisfied by attending Spinoza’s on Wednesday, October 25th.

Welcome—The evening will begin with Wychwood’s “Wychcraft” 3 Hopped Golden Ale. It has been described as “bursting with succulent citrus and lime hop character”. This unique ale will be paired with Spinoza’s Crispy Deviled Eggs with pistachio, bacon and chives.

Appetizer—Immediately following, Wychwood “Scarecrow” Organic Pale Ale will be served alongside “Finger” Sandwiches of spicy capicola, peppered salami, pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, and garlic aioli. The Brewery describes this pale ale as having a “refreshing citrus and delightful malt flavor, rounded off with a spicy bittersweet finish.”

Salad—Next, we will be served the salad portion of the meal, consisting of shaved harvest salad with Fuji Apple Dressing and Spanish Marcona Almonds. The drink of choice will be St. Peters India Pale Ale, whose brewery has been in business for over 700 years

Pizza—To begin our fourth course, we will be graced by a draft of Wychwood’s most famous ale—“Hobgoblin” Dark Ale. This very smooth ale acquires its flavors from “chocolate and crystal malts”, and will be paired with Spinoza’s Sicilian Poutine Calzones with Sweet Potato, Snake River Farms Ground Beef, Wine-infused Marinara, Basil Pesto Sour Cream, Jumbo Ripe Olives, and Shredded Parmesan.

Cheese Course—Wychwood “King Goblin” Special Reserve Ale will be served beside Black Label Cambozola with Quince. This ale has a very rich character, while still being smooth.

Dessert—And last, but certainly not least, is dessert. Yes, you read dessert. Spinoza’s is putting together house-made “Blood Red” Velvet Doughnuts with honey glaze and toasted almonds. Complementing this decadent dessert is a “deep chestnut beer…with hints of coffee, banana and licorice”, titled Monty Python’s Holy Grail “Dark Knight Reserve”.

This menu and more can be found at spinozas.com

Now, try to tell me your mouth isn’t watering right now. Are you even still with me or are you already slipping into that witch’s hat and attaching that ugly green mole to your nose? Honestly, this is a Halloween celebration you and your taste buds can’t afford to miss. So what are you waiting for? Give Spinoza’s a call RIGHT NOW to put in your reservation for this epic night. Better hurry before they are booked. I’ve even made it convenient for you and included the number:

937.426.7799

spinozas.com

So here’s how the scene should ultimately play out. You arrive in your decked out Dracula ensemble and casually stroll into Spinoza’s. And when the hustle and bustle has finally died down and the waiter comes to serve you your first course, you quote this famous line from 1992’s Dracula:

“They say you are a man of good…taste.”

Then proceed to cackle in the most evil way imaginable. Oh, and then dig in!

Tea’s On for Dayton!

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Dayton’s own hidden pearls of culture and class, the tearooms of Basically British and Twin Creek offer relaxing sophistication, delightful fares, and ornate gift shops for those seeking a mini-vacation away from the usual city scene. Either British or Victorian-themed, both of these endearing tearooms offer fresh luncheons, steaming pots of tea and delectable desserts served in the most traditional of fashions and the most comforting of settings.

Nixing the need to head “across the pond”, Basically British Tearoom and Shop serves up three-tier tea luncheons in Dayton’s own downtown. Terry Ronald, a native Englander from the town of Wallasey and Vicki Morris, Dayton-raised “Brit-at-heart”, own the British-influenced establishment. Originally opening in 1994 as a British Import Gift Shop that offered imported British candies, foods, teas and gifts, the shop has expanded to include a traditional British tearoom for anyone willing to make a reservation. Together the pair has charmed Daytonians by enticing visitors with imported tea, homemade cooking, and unrushed tranquility.

Basically British is located in the old building known as “The Cannery” at 502 East Third Street. High ceilings, deep hardwood floors, brick-laid walls, and elegant woodwork invites guests into a stylish yet invitingly “male-friendly” ambiance where, although roomy, reservations are a must. The tearoom of Basically British sets visitors up for a three-tier afternoon tea where each individual is granted a four-cup pot of freshly brewed tea from the 85 varieties offered on the in-house loose-leaf tea menu. The exotic tea varieties have not only been given international awards but each of the teas are available for by-the-ounce-purchase in order for your favorites to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home.

To keep things interestingly unpredictable, the folks at Basically British change their lunch menu monthly in order to offer seasonal surprises that seem to never bore regulars. A few of October’s special offerings include a Woodland Fairy Acres spice island rose scone, an artichoke and mushroom-stuffed tomato and a maple cranberry cup.

Food is baked fresh everyday at Basically British and although a bit pricey for the typical “quick lunch” (at $22.95 plus tax per individual), the tearoom is meant to be an unhurried, peaceful and enjoyable experience. The goal of Basically British is to “to offer a tranquil setting for our adult patrons to enjoy” and thus, they do not allow infants or children under age ten among the tea patrons. Basically British serves tea Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30 am until 3 am. Their exotic Gift Shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm.

A tad further down the streets at 19 East Dayton Street of West Alexandria, those seeking a more old-fashioned, Victorian style experience should try Twin Creek Tea Room and Ivy Parlor Gift Shop. Upon its original opening in 1993 by Melodie Dill and Pam Morneault as Twin Creek Town House Tea Room and Catering Company, visitors have eaten and sipped on the lower level tearoom and shopped at the upper level’s Ivy Parlor Gift Shop. The Ivy Parlor Gift Shop has now expanded to the entire upper level and since June of 2000, the initial owners of 19 East Dayton Street, Mark and Carolyn Ulrich, have run the tearoom and Ivy Parlor Gift Shop.

Twin Creek Tea Room is located in a restored Victorian era home where an enchanting atmosphere created by gracefully decorated tables, teapot candles, elaborate wicker chairs and romantic ambiance attracts visitors into a comfortablely elegant luncheon. The pleasant staff seems to genuinely care about the experience of the customers, offering friendly service, helpful suggestions and warm concern about the overall experience.

The menu of Twin Creek Tea Room is more extensive than that of Basically British’s and seems to offer larger portions for less expense. Twin Creek offers a variety of different menus, including the Summer Strawberry Sensations Menu, Weekly Lunch Specials, Panini Menu, Luncheon Menu, Children’s Menu, Specialty Coffee and Teas, Box Lunches, and Carry-Out Luncheon Combinations and Take-Out Items; all for under ten dollars.  A few of many menu selections include a ham pimento cheese panini, fresh layered vegetable sandwich, petite sandwich sampler, daily quiches, chilled layered carrot cake and warm apple dumplings, just to name a few. In the less elaborate realm of beverage choice of the Twin Creek Tea Room, they offer rooibo teas, chai tea lattes, espresso and a variety of cappuccinos and sipping chocolates.

All are welcome at the Twin Creek Tea Room and although reservations are welcome, they are not required. Lunch is served Wednesdays through Saturday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm but they offer private parties and catering upon request. Six times a year the tearoom takes reservations for Candlelight Dinners where dinner entrees change depending upon the occasion. The upcoming Sweetest Day Candlelight Dinner will be held on the 15th of October and the tearoom is currently taking reservations.

In terms of Dayton tearooms, Basically British and Twin Creek Tea Room each offer quite unique menu options, cultural ambiance and out-of-the-box lunch experiences for individuals, couples, and private parties alike. I would recommend both tearooms to the college student, curious adult and special occasion venue. As a wise lady by the name of Catherine Douzel once said, “Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.” Go ahead, embark!

Food Adventures Spice Things Up at Amar India

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Indian food.. some people love it,  some people cringe, others have never had it.  Being Food Adventurers means we try and experience many culinary things in life, some out of our comfort zone.  Enter Amar India, one of the fancier Indian restaurants in Dayton, located across from the Dayton Mall.

The Big Ragu and Crew have developed a taste for Indian food over the years, and for us it started with Amar India.  If you have never tried Indian cuisine, let us recommend this restaurant for your American pallet.

A great way to experience some Indian food and see what you like, is to go to their buffet lunch, where you can sample a number of dishes (usually appetizers and chicken and vegetarian entrees).  The buffet lunches are fairly cheap and again it is a great way to get a variety of items.  Dinner at Amar India is ordered off the menu only.  Amar India’s menu is fairly extensive, but to sort it out, the dishes are basically four types: vegetarian, chicken, lamb, and fish.  Each dish may be ordered on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the spiciest.

Our latest visit to Amar India started with our incredibly friendly and passionate waiter, Regendier.  He welcomed us and recommended a few menu items and was happy to be a part of our Food Adventure article and photos.  In our conversations with him, he shared his love for food, Indian culture, and Pro-Wrestling.  After some fun conversation, your humble F decided to order.

Vegetable Pakora is served with 3 tasty sauces

We started out with an appetizer, ood AdventurersVegetable Pakora.  For all intents and purposes it is a vegetable fritter or hushpuppy.  The Big Ragu was ecstatic because the item was deep fried.  We explored the accompanying sauces.  This appetizer was served with a tray with 3 cups of sauces.  The sauces were a green mint sauce, a spicy chunky sauce, and a sweet bbq-like sauce.  We thought the mint sauce was the best.

Then we saw a sight for sore eyes.  Our waiter was bringing out an order of our favorite side item, Garlic Nan Bread.  Amar India offers different types of Nan bread, which are homemade pita breads with different flavored ingredients cooked right into the bread.  We cannot stress enough, that an order of Garlic Nan bread is a MUST.  When coming to Amar India, we can’t function without it.

The Garlic Nan Bread Appetizer is Addicting

We have always had a love for an Indian dish called Saag Paneer.  It is a funny sounding dish, with a big taste.  It is fresh homemade cheese cubes cooked in spinach & light cream.  It was a perfect storm of spice and flavor.

The Big Ragu ordered Fish Masala.  This dish is marinated fish,  pan fried with tomatoes, curry and cream.  Ragu ordered spice level 4 and was sweating the whole meal.  The dishes are all served in oval metal bowls that look small, but the food is filling.  They serve the meals with a white rice that has some Indian flavor.  We were both stuffed after dinner.

Top to Bottom: Fish Masala, White Rice, Saag Paneer

Our check arrived with a candy treat, small little fennel pellets.  They taste like licorice, or as Ragu said “mini good-n-plenty.”  We asked our waiter if he would take a photo with us after the dinner.  He told us his heritage was Punjabi, and he primped his moustache before the picture by curling it with his hands.  He smiled, flexed and helped us cap off a great night with a few laughs.

Whether you have acquired a taste for Indian food or not, you really need to give Amar India a chance.  The dinners are reasonable at $13-$16 on average for the unique dining experience.  If you have not been there, it will be an experience your tastebuds won’t soon forget.

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[album: http://www.daytonmostmetro.com/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/Amar India/]

American as apple…cider

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William Henry Harrison

I will drink…to getting your vote!

The presidential campaign of 1840 was going to be a hard fought one between Martin Van Buren and William Henry Harrison. In an attempt to paint Harrison as an old geezer who could not handle the strain of the presidency, a Democratic newspaper stated that “[g]ive him a barrel of hard cider, and … a pension of two thousand [dollars] a year … and … he will sit the remainder of his days in his log cabin.” Harrison, to show what a hard working regular guy he was, used that statement to start calling himself the “log cabin and hard cider candidate”. Harrison’s political rallies were swimming in the apple based beverage, and there are stories that people who voted for him on Election Day were given even more of the hard stuff. All of that helped to give Harrison an electoral landslide.

Modern drinkers most likely would scratch their head at this. How is hard cider a draw? Isn’t that a drink that people who can’t handle real liquor drink? It is too fruity and sweet for anything but a lightweight drinker to be able to handle. Prohibition killed many fine distilleries and truly altered the flavors that Americans sought for their cocktail time. Hard cider was one of the casualties.

Apples ready for pressing

Melrose apples, ready for the press.

Hard cider was widely considered a working man’s drink through the end of the 19th century, but was also on the table at every fine dinner in the United States. George Washington at one point offered it for votes. Thomas Jefferson brewed it while he was searching for a sturdier grape to bring to the United States for wine production. John Adams drank a tankard of it every morning (to soothe his stomach), and many children had it with their breakfast through the 1830’s.  The love affair with cider began in the 1620’s when copious amounts of orchards were planted with English apples from Massachusetts to Virginia. The apples we enjoy today are not native to our land. Before colonization, America was a land mainly of inedible crab apples. When the apples matured, some were used for baking and eating, and some were pressed into what we know as apple cider, which they referred to as “soft” cider. It was unfiltered and unpasteurized, so it did not keep for a long period of time. More often, they pressed the apples and added yeast to them to encourage the fermentation. Fermentation made any beverage safer to drink than the water that was available, because the process killed bacteria long before Pasteur developed the process that bears his name.

While the colonies were producing  enough grains to feed themselves (and make some beer and whiskey on the side), and many people tried to cultivate grapes to produce wine in the unforgiving costal climate, apples were plentiful. And cider is not incredibly difficult to make (squeeze juice, add yeast, wait). Depending on the sweetness of the apples, most ciders naturally ferment to an ABV of around 5% (right around typical lager beer ABV). With the addition of some natural flavorings and sugars that come from honey (which the colonists could also cultivate), molasses (which they could import from the Caribbean), or maple syrup (plentiful in New England), the ABV of ciders can get up to 14%, which is more on par with wines. In the United States, for tax purposes, ciders are defined as beverages made from apples with no more than 8% ABV. If it goes higher than that, it becomes classified as a wine.

Apple Orchard

The legacy of Johnny Appleseed: Cider for the pioneers

There are many reasons that people look to when searching for the demise of hard cider as a staple of the American drinker. It was not long after the 1840 election that the country began to see the decline in demand for cider. One reason may be the faster expansion to the West. The country was growing at a rapid pace, and apple trees take a few years to mature. People were not planning on planting an orchard then staying around to see it grow. Johnny Appleseed was made famous by planting apple orchards all over this great state, and those apples were most likely used to make barrels and barrels of cider. The people that were pushing this expansion to the west were of German descent, and bringing a new style of beer, the lager, to the United States. Lager beer was safer to create than the ales the English brought over (less risk of spoilage and contamination), and Adolphus Busch embraced the railroad and refrigeration to spread this type of beer across the country. It was also at this time a small group of people made serious inroads to stop the excessive amounts of drinking that marked the beginning of the 19th century through the Temperance movement. People began to cut back on alcohol consumption, and cider was a large part of that consumption, especially in the east.

With the beginning of the craft beer movement in the 1980’s and 90’s, hard ciders began to make a comeback in America. They never really lost their popularity in Europe, being a staple there since England was still ruled by the Celts. Woodchuck, Cider Jack, Hornsby’s, and Woodpecker lead the charge back from obscurity to the big stage of American drinking, but it no longer had a big place at the table. Like Zima, Smirnoff Ice and other malt beverages, they were seen as a novelty, not a piece of Americana resurrected from obscurity.  It was not until the later additions of their European brethren like Strongbow and Bulmers that the cider market earned some gravitas. Crispin, based in Minnesota, has also added to that heft, giving America a little more credibility when brewing a less sweet, crisper cider. Crispin and other ciders have started to move away from strictly apples, including pears and other flavors in their ciders. The evolution of cider has gone organic as well, with Samuel Smith adding cider to their wide range of traditional beverages. Rhinegeist is one of the first Ohio brewers to add hard cider to their stable, offering a Dry Hopped and Semi Dry version in cans.

A wide variety of ciders are available around the area, with the best selections being in your local liquor stores. Arrow Wine and Belmont Party Supply both have a fine selection. Maybe you would like to try your hand at it yourself? As was mentioned earlier, it is not incredibly difficult to do, cider being more akin to a wine than beer. If you are an adventurous spirit, Sally’s Place has a very simple recipe you can try, with just a few purchases from a local brew store. Cheers!

5th Annual Fiery Food Show in Fairfield

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If you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly way to spice up your weekend, check out Jungle Jim’s 5th annual Weekend of Fire this Saturday and Sunday for two days full of fun, food, and fire. This show has grown from 500 guests in year one to over 2500 in  attendance last year.  There’s something for everyone from the Fiery Food Expo to the Arena of Fire to BBQ Alley, it’s a guaranteed  hot time in Farifield this weekend.

Fifty five vendors from all across the country will be setting up shop this weekend in the Fiery Food Expo. They will be offering a variety of free samples, including hot sauces, BBQ sauces, salsas, rubs, and even ice cream with a spicy kick. Vendors will also be taking orders if you find something you’d like to take home and share!

The Arena of Fire is the place where all sorts of “wild and wacky” contests will be held hourly.  “We thought it was a great venue, we had a lot of fun. We really liked the contests,” said  Mike & Jill Shuster of last years event.  If you’re brave enough, you can sign up at the registration table and compete in the horseradish eating contest, the hot salsa contest or the kid friendly coney dot eating.  Can you take the heat?

If you’re not up to the heat of the competition, stroll outside and enjoy an outdoor lunch, dinner, or snack in BBQ Alley. This is the first year that BBQ Alley has been opened during the Weekend of Fire. You and your family can enjoy ribs, wings, Hawaiian shaved ice, funnel cakes, deep fried goodies, and much more. Vendors that will be providing food in BBQ Alley include: Dragon Fire Hot Sauce, Sweet Mama’s Jam-N-Salsa, Rib City, Goldie’s Q, and many more.

While attending the show, be sure to stop and vote for your favorites! Awards include Best Hot Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Best Salsa, and Best Hot Specialty. Trophies will be presented on Sunday before the end of the show.

Another special event you won’t want to miss is the DeafCon DeathMatch. The DeathMatch is a mysterious event that you will have to see to believe.  The bleachers will be  filled way before the contest as people vie for a good seat. Late comers cluster around the Arena of Fire, climbing on each others shoulders; anything to see. Contestants gather in a group awaiting their fate and take their place as The Creator calls their name. Tension mounts as The Creatress brings out the wings drenched in sauce so hot the contestants are required to sign a release to compete for bragging rights.  The event will take place in BBQ Alley at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.

If just one Weekend of Fire isn’t enough to fill your fiery hunger, sign up for Eat the Heat cooking class to bring some of fire back to your family. The class will be taught by Leigh Barnhart Ochs, the Cooking School Director. She will teach techniques, recipes, and what foods work together so you can spice up dinner time any day. Cost for the class is $50 and includes free tickets to the show. For more information on how to register, visit http://www.junglejims.com/weekendoffire/eat-the-heat.asp.

Jungle Jim’s Weekend of Fire will take place on October 1st from 10-6 p.m. and October 2nd from 11-5 p.m. at The Oscar Event Center which is located at  5440 Dixie Highway, just north of 275.  Tickets cost $5 if purchased in advance and $7 at the door. Admission cost includes admission to the Fiery Foods Expo, samples from all the vendors, the ability to purchase hundreds of products directly from the vendors, access to BBQ Alley, access to the Arena of Fire, and rides on the Monorail. Children under 6-years-old are free.

If all of these appetizing aspects of Jungle Jim’s Weekend of Fire are not enough to persuade you to attend, come out to show support for Dayton! Crazy Uncle Jester’s and Firehouse Pantry, local Dayton hot sauce makers, will have booths set up in the Fiery Foods Expo. Stop by and show some support for your local blazing businesses!

Weekend of Fire:

Saturday, October 1, 2011 from 10am – 8pm
Sunday, October 2, 2011 from 11am – 5pm
The Oscar Event Center at Jungle Jim’s International Market

Directions from Dayton

Take I-75 South
Merge I-275 West – To Indianapolis
Exit #41 toward Hamilton/Fairfield
Drive north 3.8 miles on Route 4/Dixie Highway
Turn right onto Jungle Jim’s Blvd

Dining Your Way through Oktoberfest!

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It’s not quite October, but close enough that local restaurants are rolling out the Oktoberfest menus. Here’s a round up of the local specials heralding the Bavarian culture that has been celebrating these festivities since 1810.

Amber Rose kicked off their Oktoberfest beer special which allows you to enjoy your first Beck’s Oktoberfest, Amber Bach or Goose Island Harvest  for just 10 cents all month long.  The y will also feature a different schnitzel special each week and of course brats are available for lunch all month long.

Chef Keith Taylor at Savona in Centerville has a special menu offering options like wurst salad, warm potato salad, german slaw, wiener schnitael, beef rouladen, choucroute garni and apple strudel.  Taylor offers this menu in homage to his late mentor, Chef Dieter Krug, whom he worked under at L’Auberge and often was a guest chef at Savona, where they perfected them menu items.

L’Auberge is running a special 3 course pre-fixe meal for $25 until
Oct. 8th that includes:

First Course: choice of German potato salad or Bavarian sausage salad
Second Course: Octoberfest chicken with stuffing or roasted pork schank with red red cabbage
Third Course:  warm apple strudel

Rue Dumaine is offfering an Oktoberfest celebration on Thurs, Oct 6th.  You’ll have the option of a German beer tasting featuring Erdinger Hefewiezen Oktoberfest, Sam Adamas Oktoberfest  and Ayinger Oktoberfest – Marzen for $12 or pairing German wines with this special menu created by Chef Anne:

Sauerkraut balls over German mustard crème
Obatzda –Limburger cheese-butter spread, served with handmade soft pretzels
Hot slaw with apples and bacon
German potato** salad
Tartlet of Alsatian Munster and roasted mushrooms
–
Rinderrouladen served with potato puree and braised red cabbage – beef stuffed with a pickle spear, carrot stick, house made German-style ham and a smear of German mustard. It is seared then slow braised in beef stock. Served with Yukon potato puree and braised red cabbage seasoned with bacon, onion, red wine vinegar and sugar.

Grilled trout with celery sauce and Schupfnudeln (potato dumplings)

Gemischtes Würstchenteller- 2 varieties house made sausages served with kraut (with juniper, caraway, apples**, onions, bacon and beer), spaetzle and German mustard

Apple** strudel- phyllo wrapped apples with raisins, walnuts, sugar and spice
Petite Black Forest cake

** designated locally grown items

“Monchon” Some Inspiration

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You’re stuck in a pickle. No, not a literal one, but this situation may even be worse than being stuck in a large, green, vinegared cucumber. Let’s examine the scene: it’s a late Friday night. You and your friends are perusing the student neighborhood, socializing, having a pretty grand time. But there’s one problem—you’re stomach has now been grumbling for an hour, but you don’t want the party to stop any time soon (plus you were finally getting up the nerve to talk to that cutie over there). So what should you do about your current dilemma? The answer is pretty simple. Mosey on over to The Monchon, a food truck located right in front of the Old Hickory BBQ restaurant. This production is both a great place to feed your weekend late night hunger and keep the party going—even a potential conversation starter with this love interest of yours. Plus, hey, when the conversation starts to dwindle, there’s food to stuff in your face! Not to mention, inspiration and perseverance seem to be key ingredients to this business, and who knows, maybe that’s what makes their sauce so special.

The Monchon was born in November 2007 through a collaboration between Eduardo Arroyo and Adrian Perez, both University of Dayton students. They “always felt the need of a place to eat on campus during the late hours.” This sandwich business is run primarily by students and is Arroyo and Perez’s way of encouraging a fun social environment over delicious food. The Monchon truck provides a “party atmosphere late night.”

So what was the inspiration for their catchy name? The dynamic duo broke it down into a pretty simple equation for me:  Monchon= Munchies-On with a twist

Their sandwiches can be made from different selections of meat, but there are three very unique ingredients that make this sandwich something apart from the rest. Firstly, the bread of these sandwiches are made of a special Spanish recipe (more than 500 years old!) that makes the bread especially soft. To complement this soft texture, potato chips are added in order to give their chow a crunch. Lastly, they use a secret sauce, described by Arroyo as “a mayo-ketchup mix with other delicious ingredients”. This special combination makes for quite a taste-bud spectacle, but the most recommended item on the menu? Arroyo and Perez say, definitively, the Pulled Pork Sandwich, because “the combination of flavors make your taste buds explode!” Just what every college student craves on a late night out.

This restaurant isn’t just a fun hangout. It’s an ongoing opportunity. It began as an opportunity for Arroyo and Perez to test their footing in the business world, and has evolved into a chance for more students at UD to be employed. This opportunity is what introduced the pair to a “multi-disciplinary lab”, where they have been launched into to a multitude of fields, all by stepping into the world of business. The learning experience they have gained from starting and successfully running their own business continues to grow. The fact this business is on wheels could even be stretched to a figurative value—this company has really taken the co-creators places. It’s brought them to the doorstep of their entrepreneurship dreams and has led them to gain many lessons applicable to everyday life. It’s helped them fine-tune their patience and perseverance through the growth of this company, but most importantly they’ve learned to strategize. “Sometimes ideas might be good but they don’t work in the real world, because the strategy does not work,” described the pair in our interview. This key piece of advice has kept The Monchon growing, even vamping the truck with new neon lights, an outdoor stereo, and even a bubble machine! Talk about a whole new dimension to add to your typical weekend night! And after these installations, The Monchon plans on going green and running completely on solar power. Now that’s inspiring—helping the environment and making dreams come true. Am I describing a cartoon super hero? Nope, folks. I’m talking about a student-run restaurant open Friday and Saturday, 9 PM to 3 AM.

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So don’t just take my word for it. Venture out this upcoming weekend and take a bite of inspiration! Arroyo and Perez are pretty nice guys, too—they are offering a special for all you readers out there. Just mention this article while purchasing some grub at The Monchon, and the first 50 customers will receive any sandwich for $2.50! Just check out this website: http://uddeals.com/deals/any-sandwich-on-the-menu-for-just-2-50-deal-exclusive-to-dayton-most-metro-readers/

And that right there is the bee’s patellas.

Food Adventures Crosses Paths with the Hamburger Wagon

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In the past few years, we have noticed an influx of restaurants in Dayton claiming to sell “gourmet” hamburgers.   Many of these places allow you to add fried eggs, avocados, and even fried pickles to your burger for an additional cost.  We have enjoyed Food Adventures while pigging out of these places of course, but The Big Ragu and Crew are simple creatures, who like their burgers made simple.  If you are like us and want a great “old school” style hamburger, you need to head down to the Hamburger Wagon in downtown Miamisburg, Ohio.  The little white cart with the red awning is an institution in Miamisburg that has been serving up hamburgers since Dayton’s Great Flood almost a hundred years ago.

It all started in 1913, when a tremendous flood devastated the city, leaving many houses  and lives destroyed.  Thousands of people ended up living in tent cities.   Hot food was pretty sparse and this led Sherman “Cocky” Porter to dig out his families recipe for hamburgers and pass them out to flood victims.  The people loved the burgers so much, Porter decided to sell them on Saturdays in a little “Hamburger Wagon.”  They have been serving burgers ever since.

Smashing the deep fried burgers, and laying out the buns

Our endless journey for special dining places, led us to the “Burg” to enjoy some of Porter’s incredible hamburgers.  When Food Adventures arrived at the Hamburger Wagon, we were pretty happy to see only two people ahead of us in line.   If you have ever gone to the Hamburger Wagon on a weekend, there is usually a continuous line of people waiting to indulge in these wonderful hamburgers.  We decided to look over the menu and that literally took about 2 seconds. The menu has only four items on it: a single, a double, potato chips, and pop.   We didn’t dare ask for cheese because the sign states “No stinkin’ cheese or sloppy sauces”.  Hungry Jax was bummed about the no cheese rule while a sauce loving Ragu had to come to terms with the fact that he can’t destroy this hamburger with his usual arsenal of sauces.  We decided to comfort each other and go on with the Food Adventure.  We each ordered three burgers, a bag of chips, and soda.  We stood back and watched the magic happen.

Bun, burger, onion, pickle, pepper.. it’s that simple

Each little burger is thrown in a deep cast iron pan of hot grease and cooked up until it is nice and crispy.  Just imagine how large the Big Ragu’s eyes got when he saw the hamburgers go in the old fashioned deep fryer!  Once the burgers are done cooking, they are thrown on a bun, topped with a pickle slice, onion, and a dash of pepper.  The burgers are then tossed into a paper sack and placed in our bratwurst looking fingers.  No wraps, just a napkin or two.  Maybe the lack of post cooking packaging is the way that the Hamburger Wagon shows they care about the environment.

The dining room choices are about as plentiful as the menu: you can either sit in your car or enjoy a nice cozy park bench.  It was a beautiful day out and we decided to sprawl out on the park bench and enjoy the weather and the burgers.  We absolutely loved the fact that we didn’t have to waste precious gorging time removing the piping hot burgers from any wrappers.   We were amazed just how good these hamburgers tasted.  We are considering starting a petition to rename the city Miamisburger.  We don’t exactly know what the recipe is, but we were told it’s a combination of hamburger, sausage, and corn flakes.  Whatever the recipe is, it’s absolutely amazing!  One of the most appealing things about the burgers is the “crunch factor.”  They are already crunchy from being deep fried and when you add the pickles and onions, the sandwich is taken to a whole new level.  Trust us when we say that these are some of the tastiest and most unique burgers that you will try.

Click on the incredible hamburger for a closer view

The next time that you are near Miamisburg, we highly recommend checking out the iconic Hamburger Wagon.  If you have been to the wagon, then we “spoke” too soon (groan).  The food is one of a kind, and you won’t go bankrupt while feeding your family. A single burger, bag of chips, and can of pop each cost $1.10 and a double burger rings up at $2.20.  We like this place so much we were sizing up how to roll the wagon away with us.  Maybe they would at least let us ride around in it for a while for a real Food Adventure.

Sometimes, good things can come out of a tragedy.  Due to an event like the 1913 flood, your grateful foodies The Food Adventure Crew, are able to enjoy these little hamburgers, with the big taste, today.

Have you been to the Hamburger Wagon?  If so, what are your thoughts on this legendary eatery in Miamisburg?

Visit FOOD ADVENTURES on FACEBOOK by clicking here! “Like” us to become an official fan !

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Sushi Coming To Brown Street

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Introducing FUSIAN, brilliantly fresh and cleverly affordable, this self-described “easy.casual.sushi” eatery is set to open in a mere two weeks on the University of Dayton campus. The new opening at University Place 1200 Brown Street adjacent to Pot Belly Sandwich Works and across from Panera Bread is the second home of FUSIAN, whose original store has been satisfying sushi-loving Cincinnatians since its opening in 2010.

Colorful, comfortable and exceptionally environmentally friendly, this interactive sushi eatery was created by three childhood friends and Oakwood Alumni with the inspiration to create “simple, fresh and affordable sushi dining.” Stephan Harman and brothers Josh Weprin and Zach Weprin founded FUSIAN to negate the myth that fast, casual food, while oftentimes delicious, must always be awful for your body. Instead, the trio wanted to create wholesome, healthy food made from fresh, local ingredients that could be as fantastic on your waistline as it was for your taste buds. Not to mention, FUSIAN’s menu items are all $10 or less, a blessing upon the wallet of a college kid as well as the everyday famished customer.

I spoke with co-founder and University of Dayton Alum (’08) Stephan Harman who explained FUSIAN as “Feel good food,” adding that FUSIAN is an experience where customers “Eat with their eyes”. FUSIAN’s diverse menu, which offers organic, locally grown, and vegan/vegetarian-friendly ingredients as well as seasonal items such as strawberries, peaches and mangos certainly caught my eye as well as my appetite. FUSIAN creates an enjoyable, fun experience for each customer, setting the fresh ingredients right in front of the ordering individual, Subway/Chipotle-style. Their customizable, “build-to-order” sushi rolls and all-natural bubble smoothies have also won several prestigious awards including a “Best of Cincinnati” mention last year as well as this year’s recognition by the Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce as one of  “Cincinnati’s Top 10 Companies under 10 Employees.”

“We are not your typical sushi restaurant,” said Co-founder Zach Weprin. “We serve many modern alternatives in addition to traditional raw options such as soy wraps filled with braised steak and baked chicken along with fresh vegetables.” With a menu as lively and delicious as FUSIAN, it’s not difficult to believe that the founders like Stephan Harman have never tried the same roll twice.

In regards to their brand new location on UD’s campus, Harman explained, “We love Dayton. We’ve received a tremendous amount of support from our friends and family in Dayton and feel that UD is an ideal place for us to share our brand, our food, and our lifestyle with the community.” The trio-team has made sushi not only affordable but also highly convenient in a strip with a constant bustle of people previously devoid of sushi. FUSIAN’s fresh presence upon Brown Street’s dining avenue has already created an eager buzz among curious college students and Dayton inhabitants alike.

“We’re very excited to bring FUSIAN to Dayton and to be a part of our hometown community, said Co-founder Josh Weprin. “We think businesses can and should have a positive impact in the communities they serve.” The establishment of a friendly, social dining experience with plenty of nearby seating, a happily helpful staff, and handpicked music playing all the while, Dayton is sure to be captivated by FUSIAN’s atmosphere as well as its food. When asked what to order two weeks from now when FUSIAN graces Brown Street with its fresh and inventive presence, Stephan Harman encouraged, “Go crazy, get creative. If you like avocados, throw on some avocados. If you like crab, pick your crab. Look right in front of you and eat with your eyes, you can’t go wrong.”

As part of their pre-opening hype FUSIAN is running a facebook promo offering sushi for life.  The winner will receive one “roll” a week for the rest of the winner’s life.

FUSIAN will be located at 1200 Brown St.  Dayton OH, 45409.

p. 937.223.5173
f. 937.223.5149

hours:
monday-friday 11a – 10p
saturday-sunday 11a – 10p

Changing the World, One Cupcake at a Time!

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If you are looking for a charitable bakery with a comfy-cozy environment and owners who will make your friends and family feel right at home, look no further than Cake, Hope, and Love in Beavercreek.

Four years ago, Shannon Teague began baking goods in her kitchen and selling them to friends and family. “Once I couldn’t see the dining room table anymore, it was like, we need to move somewhere else,” said Shannon.

Now, merely six months after hatching the idea of opening a bakery, Shannon co-owns Cake, Hope, and Love with her best friend, Connie McFarren. 

Cake, Hope, and Love is located at 1490 North Fairfield Road. The shop is open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday. “We worship on Sundays, and we have Mondays for our families,” said Teague.

The bakery sells a variety of cupcakes that range from chocolate and vanilla to raspberry red velvet and cinnamon hot chocolate. They have approximately forty combinations of cupcakes that they sell for $1.25 each, and gourmet cupcakes which sell for $2.75.

“[The gourmet cupcakes] are like a little party in a cupcake,” said Teague.

Caveman Spongebob

One thing that sets the bakery apart is their custom cakes. Unlike most bakeries, Cake, Hope, and Love has no sheet cakes or premade cakes available – all cakes are custom made to order and must be ordered up to two weeks in advance.

The owners also enjoy creating custom flavors for special events, such as a butterbeer-flavored cupcake they made for the Harry Potter movie premiere this past summer.

There are a few other things that make Cake, Hope, and Love different than most bakeries, the first of which is their love for philanthropy work. “We’re just social media geeks that like philanthropy,” said Teague.

Cake, Hope, and Love supports a different philanthropy each month. The philanthropy receives 20 percent of all proceeds made during that month.  They  support both local and national philanthropies. In the past, they have worked with the Hope Foundation of Greater Dayton and A Kid Again, which raises money for terminally ill children in Central Ohio.

Enchanted Castle Cake with built in LED lights

On a broader scale, the bakery is currently working with the No Kid Hungry project. From September 18-24th, Cake, Hope, and Love will donate a portion of their proceeds to help end childhood hunger in America. To learn more about this charity and other ways you can help, visit www.nokidhungry.org.

Cake, Hope, and Love is also preparing to take part in the Walk Now! For Autism Speaks event that is happening in Columbus on October 9th. “[Autism Speaks] is very near and dear,” said Teague, who has a son with autism.

The employees of Cake, Hope, and Love will be walking for Autism Speaks and are asking their customers to join or sponsor them. They will also be selling an Autism Speaks cupcake at their store for $2.00 and will donate $1.50 per cupcake to Autism Speaks. T-shirts will be available for $15 and will say, “Cake Nation – Changing the World One Cupcake at a Time.” All proceeds from the t-shirts will go towards the walk. For more information on how to join or donate to Cake Nation, visit www.walknowforautismspeaks.org.

Angry Birds cupcake toppers

In addition to making custom cakes and supporting charities each month, Cake, Hope, and Love caters to local events and rents their location out for private functions at a reasonable price. The bakery also runs weekly specials, such as “Buy 2 Get 2 Free” every Tuesday. For more information about catering, private events, specials, and coupons, check out the bakery’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CakeHopeandLove.

Cake, Hope, and Love is a fun, family-oriented bakery with enough custom cupcakes and flavors to please the entire family. The owners use their baking skills to put smiles on people’s faces while giving to charity at the same time. Stop in and enjoy their comfy lounge area, along with a tasty treat and a chat with the owners, all while supporting a good cause.

Hey Dayton- Show Us Your Peeps!

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Boxed in sets of five, Peeps are marshmallow candies,  created by a Russian immigrant and hatched each Easter season at a factory in Bethlehem Pennsylvania. Over the years peeps have become diverse, first expanding from the original yellow chick to an array of pastels.  Next came bunnies and then in a recent campaign the candy has been touted as “Peeps – Always in Season” and they’ve started making them in other shapes, like ghosts at Halloween.  They are made from marshmallow, corn syrup, gelatin, and carnauba wax.

People are obsessed by peeps. There’s even a documentary about “The Power of the Peep” that premiered in 2009 and took home an award at the NYC Food Film Fest.

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There are Peep eating contests,  Peep Throwing contests and over 30,000 You Tube video’s featuring peeps- many of which concentrate on destroying Peeps.  Peeps are sometimes jokingly described as “indestructible”. In 1999, scientists at Emory University performed experiments on batches of Peeps to see how easily they could be dissolved, burned or otherwise disintegrated, using such agents as cigarette smoke, boiling water and liquid nitrogem.  They claimed that the eyes of the confectionery “wouldn’t dissolve in anything.” Furthermore, Peeps are insoluble in acetone, water, diluted sufuric acid and sodium hydroxcide, according to Wikipedia.

Peep shows have popped up around the country.  No, not that kind of peep-get your mind out of the gutter.  Peep art shows.  Photo contests, peeps in doranma’s, themed events like peep-powered works of art. Peeps have been made into prom dresses, jewelry and even dipped in chocolate, for the newest Peep treat.

Well now DaytonDining is getting into the peep show business.

Post an original peep work of art on our DaytonDining Facebook page by Sunday, April 24th and we’ll award our favorite peep art a $100 gift certificate to Fleming’s Prime Steak House & Wine Bar.  We’ll notify and post the winner on Monday, April 25th.

Here are a few peep shots for inspiration!  Can’t wait to see your peeps!

Coco’s Cares- Dine For A Cause

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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