Dayton937

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

Food Trucks

32 Food Trucks Compete for $10,000 in Springfield Saturday

By

Thirty-two food trucks will roll into Veteran’s Park this Saturday, Aug. 19, for the 9th Springfield Rotary Gourmet Food Truck Competition. The must-taste event of the summer will offer flavorful dishes and mouth-watering desserts, as well as live entertainment, from 11 am to 7 pm.

“We take great pride in orchestrating this competition and knowing it’s a staple summer event not only for the local community, but for foodies from all over Ohio,” said Eddie Bell, president of Springfield Rotary. “We bring a phenomenal group of food trucks together all in one place each year for a great cause, having raised more than $300,000 for charity since the inception of this event.”

The event committee selects a unique variety of trucks from those that apply each year, resulting in a diverse spread of cuisines throughout the park’s path. Different food choices available this weekend include the American staples of BBQ, burgers, pizza, seafood and wings, to foods from around the world, such as African, Asian, Cajun, Greek, Polynesian, Indian and Italian.

Each truck will submit their best signature dish for a shot at the $5,000 grand prize. A $2,500 runner-up and $1,500 third-place winner will also be selected by a panel of local and celebrity judges. Judges for this year’s competition include:

●  Jenn Disanto, Chef/Owner of Fresco by Chef Jenn Disanto (Dayton); and Executive Chef/Partner at SageCraft Catering (Kettering)

●  Lisa Freeman, Chef/Owner of Crust & Company, Salato Deli, Le Torte Dolci and Ironworks Waffle Cafe (Springfield)

●  Doug McGregor, Owner of Seasons Kitchen (Springfield)

●  Armando Soto, Co-owner of Casa del Sabor (Springfield)

●  Elizabeth Wiley, (Retired) Chef/Owner of Meadowlark Restaurant and Wheat Penny Oven and Bar (Dayton); and Partner of SageCraft Catering (Kettering)

All event attendees can also vote via the Springfield Food Truck mobile app for their favorite food truck to receive the $1,000 “People’s Choice” award. All winners will be announced on stage at approximately 4:45pm.

Live entertainment will provide the soundtrack throughout the event on the park’s amphitheater stage with four musical acts beginning at 11 am with Mike Manley and Katie Harford, followed throughout the day by Andy Fox, The Factory Line and Terrapin Moon.

While admission to the event is free, attendees can make donations to help support Springfield Rotary’s causes in-person and via the mobile app. A beer garden open throughout the event will feature craft beer from Springfield’s Mother Stewart’s Brewery, Michelob Ultra, Bud Light and White Claw. Water and a selection of soda will also be available.

“We encourage everybody to come early, bring your lawn chairs and blankets, stick around all day for the entertainment, and enjoy all the gourmet food the competition has to offer,” said Bell.

Springfield Rotary Gourmet
Food Truck Competition

Saturday, Aug. 19th
11 am to 7 pm

Veteran’s Park
250 Cliff Park Rd,
Springfield, OH 45504

 Download the Springfield Food Truck mobile app for Android and Apple devices.

Weekly Food Truck Rallies Kick Off in Fairborn

By

Cloudy Days Cotton Candy is arranging food truck rallies at Hobson Freedom Park (2910 Trebein Rd. in Fairborn) every Thursday.  They started this morning with a breakfast rally from 7am – 10pm and this evening their dinner rally will run from 4pm until 8pm. They plan to run these rallies each week through October.
Here’s the Food Truck Lineup for tonight:
Arts & Craft Vendor:
– Scentsy
Free Giveaway:
Some seating is available in the park

Shantz Express- Food Truck and Future Restaurant

By 1 Comment

The Shantz Express is here

We love Food Trucks.  I mean who doesn’t? Mobile, locally owned places filling up hungry patrons anywhere they can get on 4 wheels.  The inventive menus always allow for a Food Adventure.  And when the trucks form a rally?  It’s like a dream !  An instant food court powered by generators !

One such truck that has flown a bit under the radar, is Shantz Express Food Truck.  But lately, they have been making some big leaps and bounds.

HERE IS THE SKINNY on SHANTZ EXPRESS FOOD TRUCK:

— Owner Bill Shancey had a pizza place in Pittsburgh, before moving to Dayton more than 16 years ago.

— The menu features, Sandwiches, Gyros, Pulled Pork Nachos, Cheesesteaks, Subs, Pizza, Wings, Fries, Burgers, Dogs and Pierogies.

— They have just announced they are opening a restaurant at  5993 Bigger Road next to Bee-Gee’s Market near the Centerville / Kettering Border.  The location is near the Victoria Secret call center which could mean some serious lunch carry out business and they hope to be open in October and to continue to keep the food truck out as well.

Buffalo Hot Wings at Shantz Food Truck

— The owner is sometimes flexible and was able to make a private party with just a few hours notice.

We have visited the truck 3 times and always have been impressed.   Whether a Food Truck rally or a pool party, Shantz Express pleased the masses.

Here is our list of  MUST EATS from our times at this wonderful food truck….

 

“MUST EATS” AT SHANTZ EXPRESS FOOD TRUCK:

— BUFFALO HOT WINGS:
They are crispy with a kick and a little tang to them. These wings are what put Buffalo on the foodie map.

 

— GARLIC BUTTER WINGS:
Possibly the best food truck wings in Dayton. These are served wet, and with a few napkins. The results are quiet patrons gnawing on the wings in pure delight.

Pierogies in Garlic Butter

— THE SHANTZBURGER with CHEESE:
Have you ever had the burgers at the Rootbeer Stand or The K in Springboro?? This burger is just like those. It is a delicious taste of summer and a throwback top the burgers of the 60’s with bellhops. We loved it , great flavor on a soft bun.

 

— PIEROGIES:
Polish people of Dayton unite ! This take on the pierogie is a deep-fried, almost crunchy version served in a buttery garlic bath. The result is a mixture with the garlic mashed potato filling that is simply divine. Dip, bite and repeat for maximum effectiveness.

 

— THE CHICKEN PARM SANDWICH:
Deep fried chicken sandwich with a slice of mozzarella cheese and homemade tomato sauce. Pretty good stuff for a food truck ! His sauce is the same as Shauncey’s former pizza place in Pittsburgh.

 

—THE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK:

Philly Cheesesteak

Flavorful, hearty and filling are the strengths of this sub. He must have spent some time in Philly learning the cheese steak trade…

 

Honorable Mention: The French Fries, which are slightly reminiscent of McDonalds… whose of course are the best. Also, try a GYRO but make sure to ask them to grill the onions and add extra tzatziki sauce. It makes it all good.

 

They do have pizza, but we found the other items to be the menu stars.

So, there you have it hungry foodies, your best chance for success when devouring some Shantz Express.  We look forward to the new “brick and mortar” place, as they say.  For us, it means enjoying Mr. Shauncey’s food year round !  Ohh, those wings though …..

Are you a Dayton area foodie? Food Adventures is your mecca !  Join us on Facebook for daily posts and here for weekly feature articles on DaytonMostMetro.

Feel free to browse our gallery below and we will see you at the next food truck rally !!

The Shantzburger with Cheese

Chicken Parm

French Fries

Shantz Burger

Shantz Burger with Cheese

Hot Wings

Pizza !

Gyro Sandwich

Buttery Garlic Wings

Keep Truckin

Pierogies in a cup – butter sauce in bottom

Oozing Chicken Parmesan sandwich

Pizza Pie

Gyro

 

 

 

HeartFest: A Fun, Free & Family Friendly Wellness Festival!

By

HeartFest takes place at the beautiful Natural Path Meditation Center in Beavercreek, Ohio

Stressed? Seeking some peace of mind? Aren’t we all! It’s not as complicated as we tend to imagine. Self care, through movement and meditation, can dramatically improve our ability to cope with an increasingly stressful world.

Lots of folks are unaware that we have a wonderful resource nestled right here in the Miami Valley! The Natural Path Meditation Center, a non-denominational center that teaches a heart-based form of meditation called Heartfulness, is located in Beavercreek, conveniently close to both Fairfield and I-35 (directions below).

This weekend the Center is hosting their 2nd Annual HeartFest event. It’s a FREE & fun wellness festival, with workshops and vendors for all ages! Organizers hope that by offering tools for self care and inner peace, people will be able to live a more balanced life. How wonderful would that be for our community?

Curious about meditation, yoga, and wellness? Looking for ways to cope with stress? Seeking inner peace? Something to do with the kids? All of the above? Then this is sure to be a wonderful day you won’t want to miss!

HeartFest features:

  • Heartfulness Meditation sessions all day
  • Kids Tent with Activities for all ages
  • Variety of Wellness Speakers & Vendors
  • Movement Tent offering yoga, qigong, & Melt classes + Music!
  • Food Trucks (Shakery Juice Bar, Harvest Mobile Cuisine, and Bella Sorella Pizza!)
  • For the full schedule of events, click here.

How to go?

  • 10am – 5pm on Saturday August 19, 2017.
  • Free admission!
  • Parking at St. Luke’s Parking Lot. For directions click here.

Last Yellow Cab Food Truck Rally of the 2016 Season

By

14716296_1805577043051448_8048484994793382632_nDon’t miss out on the last Yellow Cab Food Truck Rally of 2016 on Oct 21st from 5-10pm! They have had a great season of awesome food trucks but if you miss this one you’ll have to wait until March to enjoy another beautiful Friday evening at The “Old” Yellow Cab building. They are partnering with Night Market to bring delicious produce and other local items to every food truck rally this season.

The recently updated Yellow Cab facility will be full of gourmet street food, live music and craft beer. Since this is so close to Halloween they are encouraging attendees to come dress in their costume! We’ll be hosting a costume contest at 8pm and the winner will take home $50 in Yellow Cab Food Truck Rally gift certificates!

14481771_1799864726956013_7296460993582214976_oThey are excited to host Death By Curry for the first time in addition to returning favorites El Meson, The Drunken Waffle, Greek Street Food Truck, Cupzilla-Korean BBQ, Thai1On, and Ramen Rickshaw. Desserts by Ginniebug Creations, Fronana, Flying Santucci Bros and Gourmet Cotton Candy.

Live music being provided by the local original rock’a’billy band, Cherry Lee & The Hot Rod Hounds. They are also hosting an art show at the last rally of the season! Check out “The Astronauts Return Home: Discoveries From The Final Frontier”. It will include work by Zach Goetz, Heather Sandy, Matt Szozda, and Christine Zuercher.

Free Entry! Address: 700 E. 4th St. Dayton, OH. October 21, 2016. 5-10pm 

 

Food Truck Brunch This Sunday

By

brunchEveryone loves doing weekend brunch. Everyone loves going to a food truck rally. Now, Drunken Waffle presents Dayton’s first best-of-both-worlds with Brunch! A Food Truck Rally on Sunday, September 25 from 10am-2pm at the Yellow Cab.

“Serving sweet and savory waffle sandwiches, brunch is second nature for us,” Beth Sparks, Drunken Waffle owner said. “We’ve discovered that a bunch of other food trucks in Dayton do it really well too, so we thought, ‘Hey, let’s host a brunch food truck rally!’”

Serving up brunch options alongside Drunken Waffle will be local favorites Smokin Bee-Bee-Q, Greek Street Food Truck, Harvest, El Meson and Son of a Biscuit in addition to special guests Lily’s Bistro serving Beignets and Boston Stoker serving coffee.

“Bloody Marys and Mimosa are a very important part of brunch and we’ll have them available at the bar during the brunch food truck rally,” Sparks said. “Brunch is always more fun with AM cocktails.”

In addition to food and drink, live entertainment is also being planned.

20 Reasons to Hit Friday’s Sons of Italy Food Truck Rally

By Leave a Comment

Zombie Dogz will debut 2 new dog flavors!

This FRIDAY July 15th, at 5pm, 18 local food trucks will descend on the Bella Villa Hall on County Line Rd, around the corner from the Greene.  If you have been to the Italian Fall Festival, then you are familiar with this venue. But Friday showcases different activities and outside vendors.  It promises to be a fun filled, family friendly event and a wonderful evening.

Dont miss this chance for an incredible FOOD ADVENTURE !

Spicy Chicken with White rice from Bourbon Street Grill – a MUST EAT

HERE ARE 20 REASON’S to COME TO THE FOOD TRUCK RALLY at SONS of ITALY’S BELLA VILLA HALL in Beavercreek/Kettering

1 ~ ZOMBIE DOGZ WILL INTRODUCE TWO NEW DOG FLAVORS:
Garlic inspired for sure, the flavors are super secret and are being finalized as you read this.  No one is telling, not even the zombies!

 

2 ~ THE HOLY CANNOLI:
A deep fried cannoli made at the Sons of Italy booth.  It is a gooey, creamy walk down dream street.  So rich and wonderful, it is like a religious experience.

 

The Garlic Mohawk Burger

3 ~ BELLA SORELLA’S “BIG FELLA” PEPPERONI PIZZA:
Have you tried their hand made dough, stone baked pizza?  Fresh ingredients and that good Italian flavor, makes this a MUST EAT at Garlic Fest Weekend !

 

4 ~ THE “SPICY CHICKEN WITH WHITE RICE”  from BOURBON STREET GRILL: Be prepared to launch your tastebuds to the moon on this one.  A perfect, not too spicy blend of shredded chicken and sauce, poured over white rice.  So addicting you will want seconds.  Warning! – you will crave this stuff the next week, and we are not responsible.

Fresh Pizza from Bella Sorella Pizza Co.

 

5 ~ BEER TRUCKS and INCREDIBLE FOOD VARIETY IN ONE PLACE:
Beer trucks? YES !  18 food vendors with various menus?  This will give you over 100 food choices.  Hello foodies, you have found your paradise… GarlicFest weekend be thy name !

 

Jimmie’s Ladder 11 Streatery is bringing Garlic Roast Beef with Horseradish Aoli and more

6 ~ “THE ONION STRAW BURGER” from THE HORSELESS BUGGY EATERY:  
One of the best burgers in Dayton, hands down. A pile of crunchy onion straws, on a thick, juicy fresh burger.  Awww man give us one now to sink our teeth into.

 

Peanut Butter Cupcake from Go Cupcake

7 ~ “THE WICKED SWEET BREAD” from THE WICKED WICH’ of DAYTON FOOD TRUCK:
Sweet, cinnamon sprinkled bread, with a sweet drizzled icing.  It makes for a buttery, cinnamon taste and a match made in heaven.  So simple, so good ….

 

8 ~ “THE KIWI/ BLUEBERRY / COCONUT” ICE POP from SWEET P’S:
On a warm July evening, nothing says refresh me like a hand crafted ice pop from local vendor, Sweet P !  This combo is in the “cool me down” hall of fame !

 

Ritter’s sundae’s will cool you down at a Summer rally

9 ~ “GARLIC INFUSED CRAB MACARONI n CHEESE” from PA’s PORK:  
New Item! King Crab, macaroni, cheese and Italian Parsely on top.  Take a bite then slap yourself to get that silly look off your face.  Oh, it’s that damn good…

 

10 ~ QUESADILLAS at THE PAINTED PEPPER FOOD TRUCK:
Juicy, flavorful and loaded, these quesadillas are fantastic food on the go.  The Texas Caviar chicken quesadilla is a fave… but so are the wings and corncakes…so many MUST EATS, so little time.  It is hard to nail down just one item from this great truck.

 

11 ~ BOCCE BASH TOURNAMENT:  

Bocce Bash for beginners – sign up NOW !

5:30pm starts the 1st ever “BOCCE BASH” for beginners.  The cost is $10 per person and you need 4 to a team.  Sign up immediately by clicking here.  Winner gets $200 !

 

12 ~ “THE MAC n CHEESE CROQUETTES” from HUNGER PAYNES:  
Mac & Cheese Croquettes with Garlic, Smoked Gouda, Cheddar, Green Onions, and Garlic Sour Cream Sauce.   Flavored croquettes, are the scrumptuous staple that launched their food truck.  You gotta try these.  We are excited for more great eats from Andy and his crew.

 

White Hots and Red Hots from Kowalski Hots

13 ~ “THE PEANUT BUTTER CUP CUPCAKE” from GO CUPCAKE:
Rich and chocolatey.  What else goes better together?  Indulge in one of the best sweet treats at the rally. One of those bites that you have to sit down and just take in all the flavor.

 

14 ~ “GRILLED RED HOTS or WHITES HOTS with GARLIC SAUCE” from KOWALSKI’S HOTS: 

COLD BEER HERE !

Remember hot isn’t spicy – it is short for Hot Dog in this case.  And these casings are authentic hot dog brands only found in upstate New York.  Zweigels and Hoffmans are just two of the brands he offers.

 


15 ~ “THE DISTINGUISHED DARBY” from CHEEKY MEAT PIES:  
Steamy ground beef goodness, with cheese stuffed into a delicate pie crust.  So delicious and unique, this is one of our favorite food truck items.

16 ~ EMPANADAS from EL MESON:  
They have so much good food to offer it is hard to pick just one.  The empanadas are a great pocket of flavor on the go at a rally.  Their cornbread pattie style Arepas are also tremendous.

 

17 ~ “THE ROAST BEEF PO’BOY” from JIMMIE’S LADDER 11 STREATERY:

Pa’s Pork will be pulling some bones

Oh boy, this might be the mother of all sandwiches at the rally.  Roast Beef on a bun served with lettuce, tomato and a horseradish aoli, this promises to be a huge hit while they last!

 

18 ~ “THE STREET STYLE CHICKEN GYRO” from GREEK STREET FOOD TRUCK:  
A one of a kind gyro with pickled onions and a one of a kind tzatziki sauce.  We cannot reiterate enough that you must get the chicken gyro and get it “street style.”  The “shrimp gyros street style” are a lighter take on a great thing. Opa!

 

Chicken on a spindle at Greek Street Food Truck

19 ~ “THE TURTLE SUNDAE” from RITTERS FROZEN CUSTARD:  
Hot fudge, caramel and toasted pecans with vanilla custard adorn this sundae.  Just sinful, and yummy.  Turn out the lights and call the law, we dont care if we ever get well!

 

20 ~ “THE GARLIC MOHAWK BURGER” from MOHAWK FREESTYLE GRILL:  
It is a massive creation from our pal chef Aaron who does it all to the max.  Get a napkin, because it is a delicious, “goodness drippin on the chin” kinda time.  It is a rowdy Food Adventure on a bun.

 

There you have it, take a bow if you can eat all of the above items in a night.  We have a feeling  you might need some help, so bring your friends out and share some bites.  That’s

Hunger Payne’s Mac n Cheese Croquettes

what a fun food truck rally is all about!

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY ON HOW TO GO:

— WHEN:  JULY 15th from 5pm til 9pm

— WHERE:  2625 COUNTY LINE RD, BEAVERCREEK, OHIO at the BELLA VILLA HALL

Onion Straw Burger from Horseless Buggy

— WHAT:  One of Dayton’s biggest FOOD TRUCK RALLIES EVER!  18 vendors!

— WHAT ELSE: FREE ADMISSION! BEER TRUCKS!  LIVE ACOUSTIC BAND !  CRAFTS!  KIDS STUFF!

Bring a lawnchair to sit and relax all night !  There is plenty of eats to go around!  Join Hungry Jax, Chef House and the Big Ragu for a night of Food Adventure fantasies.

Get restaurant info, original food pictures and Miami Valley Must Eats, by “liking” Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking here.

 

 

 

Sweet P’s Handmade Ice Pops

El Mesons Empanadas

Garlic Roast Beef Sub from Jimmies Ladder 11 Streatery

A Cheeky Meat Pie

Holy Cannoli – deep fried !

Texas Caviar Chicken Quesadilla from Painted Pepper Food Truck

Wicked Bread from Wicked Wich’ of Dayton Food Truck

THIS FRIDAY 5pm – 9pm

A Chicken Gyro – Street Style – from Greek Street Food Truck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greek Food Truck to Hit Dayton Streets

By Leave a Comment

“The Greek Street Food Truck” is about to explode onto the streets of the Miami Valley

Food Adventures has super secret info that we have been waiting months to release right here on Dayton Most Metro.  It concerns Dayton’s newest food truck, that will soon make a splash in the Miami Valley.

The scoop is so fresh that their website isn’t up yet, but you can find them on Facebook —>here.

THE GREEK STREET FOOD TRUCK is putting the final touches on its menu and final tweaks on operations, but looks ready to roll.

We are excited because this will be the first strictly “Greek Based truck” that we know of and brings further diversity to an already incredible selection of local food vehicles.

So whats the scoop on the new kid in town?  Who is behind the Greek Street Food Truck?

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY ON THE OWNER:

— CHEF CHRIS SPIRTOS, owner and operator of Greek Street Food Truck has an extensive cooking background.

Traditional Beef/Lamb Gyro from “Greek Street Food Truck”

— Chris went to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago to hone his craft.  The Centerville native, also  worked at L’Auberge and as a sous chef at Sung’s Korean Bistro in Cincinnati.

— Chris also studied under the Chef for Oprah Winfrey, Chef Art Smith, while living in Chicago.  He was so well thought of, that Chris was flown to Oprah’s California home to help fix a dinner she hosted for the first graduating class of her school in Africa.

— More recently, Chris has worked on the incredible food truck, Zombie Dogz

— Born into a Greek family (his grandparents were from Greece), Chris’ recipe for Baklava is his mom’s, and it is a traditional favorite.

 

What type of eats can you expect on the truck?  Food Adventures  has all the scoop right here.

 

 

Stacked Chicken on the Spindle cooker

Other GREEK STREET FOOD TRUCK info:

HERE’S THE SKINNY ON WHAT TO EXPECT:

— The meats are individually layered on a spindle and cooked.  There are no compressed or processed meats.  Just a Beef/Lamb mixture spindle, and a Chicken spindle.  Each gyro is sliced to order.

— The Greek Street Food Truck will have a core menu of:
   Gyros
   Greek Fries  or Regular Fries
   Spanakopita (a Greek spinach Pie)
   An assortment of dips, possibly including hummus
   Homemade Baklava

— The menu will feature daily, revolving specials as well

 

Now, without further delay, let’s give you our menu items from Greek Street Food Truck that are absolutely, “Must Eats”….

 

MUST EATS:

— CHICKEN GYRO, STREET STYLE: Stacked rotisserie chicken breasts slices, piled into a pita and topped with “street style toppings.”  Street style means:  tomato jam, pickled red onions, crumbled feta, fresh herbs, fries, and tzatziki sauce.  Quite honestly, one of the most flavorful and unique gyros we have had.  If you try one thing, this is item to grab.

— BEEF GYRO, TRADITIONAL STYLE:  Shaved slices of stacked lamb and beef rotisserie cooked meat.  This is a throwback to the gyros of the old country with “traditional toppings.”  Traditional toppings are: tomato, tzatziki sauce, onions, smoked paprika and french fries.  This gyro is authentic.  It is like a steak sandwich, no processed meat here.  Damn good food on the “go.”

 

Owner Chris Spirtos of “Greek Street Food Truck”

We are excited for the first Greek themed entry into Dayton’s food truck scene.  The Food Adventure crew of The Big Ragu, Chef House, and Hungry Jax, wish Chris good luck with his “Big Fat Greek Food Truck.”   We think Greek Street will be a huge hit… here’s to you .. OPA !

 

Below are more practically edible photos of the luscious food at Greek Street Food Truck.

For the best photos and info on Dayton’s food scene, “like” Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Also, follow Chef House, The Big Ragu and Hungry Jax on the Instagram Food Adventures account by clicking HERE.

The “Street Style Chicken Gyro”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greek Salad

Website . and Instagram

The Chicken Gyro Street Style is a MUST EAT !

Greek Beef Specialty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greek Street

Coming to your city

Spanakopita – homemade

Greek Shrimp

Beef and Lamb meat, stacked and cooking

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditional or Street Gyro? you cant go wrong

Greek Street Food Truck side view

The pickled onions on street gyro are amazing

Handful of Greek Street Food !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local Food Truck Competing for National Title

By

10623029_921601077854602_5492884280537304479_nOne of Dayton’s most popular food trucks has made it to the finals of the National Contest run by Mobile Cuisine.com.  In an online vote to find the hot dog vendor of the year, food trucks and carts from across the country have been nominated for this recognition.

Zombie Dogz, owned by husband and wife team, David & Lee VanArtsdalen,  have cultivated a cult following for their dogs topped with gourmet ingredients in the Dayton area and now needs your vote to capture the National title.  You can vote once a day through 11;50pm  May 1st.  No registration is required to vote and in literally takes 5 seconds.  As of this morning, Zombie Dogz has a commanding lead, but these contests can change leaders many times throughout the week long campaign.  The winning truck or cart will be profiled in  Mobile Cuisine and will hold the title of top mobile hot dog vendor for 2015.

Never had a Zombie Dogz? Here are descriptions of a few of their dogs:  Diced green apple, blue cheese, bacon and BBQ sauce make up the Dead Dixie, Pinepple habanero pulled pork, mandarin orange cherry and pine Apple salsa, topped with sesame seeds are on The Brain Daddy, white truffle mac n cheese, shredded cheddar and cracker crumbles are Calling in Dead.

Horseless Buggy Eatery, another Dayton based food truck, won the title for 2015 Best Burger and was a finalist in the best fish Taco Category this year in a similar online vote.

 

 

Here are the hot dog vendors in competition: 63040_612059602142086_368224167_n

  • Alamo Dogs – San Antonio, TX
  • American Wiener – Tampa, FL
  • Beez Neez Sausage – Portland, OR
  • Biker Jim’s Gourmet Hot Dogs– Denver, CO
  • Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs – Buffalo, NY
  • Good Dog Hot Dogs – Houston, TX
  • The Greasy Wiener – Los Angeles, CA
  • Love Hot Dog Co. – Harleysville, PA
  • Willy Dog – Hamilton, Ontario
  • Zombie Dogz – Dayton, OH

 

Zombie Dogz hasn’t updated their schedule for this week yet, but to find them and other area food trucks, just click on MostMetro.com’s Food Truck Finder Calendar.

Dayton Food Truck Competing For Burger Of The Year

By

1462786_564225923656511_781357020_oBurgers come in various shapes, sizes and with too many ingredients to list in one place. While basic burger can be defined by a ground beef patty on a bun, over the years, there have been numerous attempts to remake the classic, while other chefs have spun the burger with various meat patties (veggi and vegan as well). Because of all of these variants, MobileCuisine.com wants to find out which food truck you think serves the best burger.

 

Nominations have come out and Dayton’s own Horseless Buggy Eatery  is in the running for this national title.  Vanessa & Gary, owners of this oversized mobile kitchen have been recognized for their Onion Straw Burger.  Let’s help them claim the title and get Dayton’s Food Truck community on the national 10926200_791765874235847_2535614190347687886_nmap!  You can find them most weekday’s at the VA Hospital from 5:15-8pm  and this Friday you can catch them at Eudora Brewing Company on Wilmington.

 
To vote just click here!   You can vote once from each IP address, so vote from your computer, your phone and your tablet and share this with your friends!  Let’s help Horseless Buggy claim the title of the 2015 Food Truck Burger of the Year.

 

Here are the finalists:

Bernie’s Burger Bus – Houston, TX2015-Burger-Contest-Vote

Bone Daddy’s – Boston, MA

Chef Toddzilla’s Mobile Cuisine – Roswell, NM

Culinerdy Cruzer – Sacramento, CA

Eat Me, Drink Me – Long Island, NY

Gilbo’s Grill – San Antonio, TX

Horseless Buggy Eatery – Dayton, OH

Lonestar Cheeseburger  Company – San Angelo, TX

Master Bacon – Charlotte, NC

Roaming Buffalo – Buffalo, NY

This poll will close on Friday, February 6th , 2015 at 11:59 PM. The truck with the most votes from this poll will be declared our winner.

If you have any issues with submitting your vote (only 1 per IP address) please feel free to submit your vote to contest [at] mobile-cuisine [dot] com.

 

Food Trucks Rally For Charity

By

10351524_797210350338237_7343648853761494128_n-3The Dayton Food Truck Association is holding their first Charity Rally tonight  from 4-8pm at Courthouse Square.  Black Label Entertainment will be providing music for the evening.  While not all the association trucks will be on hand, the following trucks  are scheduled to be serving up street food:

East Coast Eatz, El Meson, Flour Power Pizza, Go Cupcake Horseless Buggy Eatery. Hunger Paynes, Kowalski Hots, Lilia’s Outdoor Cafe, McNasty’s, Mohawk Freestyle Grill,  PA’s Pork, The Shakery Juice Bar

According to Vanessa Back of the Dayton Food Truck Association, “each truck will have a tip jar and those proceeds along with a set % of sales from each truck (which she did not want to disclose) will be donated to be split amongst the four  charities.” Guests are encouraged to bring donations for the chosen charities.

Dayton food truck charity truck rally 112014

 

Top Dog: Zombie Dogz Food Truck Still Leading the Pack

By 4 Comments

“New Dog #2” Zombie Dogz Latest Pup!

Who waits in a line 70 yards long for a hot dog?   The answer is a lot of people in the Dayton area, as long as they are waiting for a Zombie Dog. In fact, with over 16,000 “Likes” on Facebook, this food truck is nothing short of a phenomenon!  Since Food Adventures with Big Ragu and the Crew are frequent visitors to this traveling delight, we decided to spread the word amongst our foodie readers!  Hungry Jax even marked this territory as one of her “Top Five Eats in Dayton” so no one has had more Zombie Dogz than us …

With Halloween approaching and The Walking Dead Zombie show starting back up, it is the perfect time for a Zombie Dogz Food Adventure  article!

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— Zombie Dogz is a food truck that takes hot dogs to a gourmet level with their unique toppings and handcrafted side dishes.

— Mom and pop establishment founded in 2012 by David and Lee Ann Van Artsdalen. They recently welcomed the newest member of their family this spring, baby Barrett Axel!

 

 

— Budget friendly at only $6/dog, you’ll be able to feed your own pack a hot dog that’s been grilled, tucked into a grilled bun and topped with combinations that will make you howl in delight!

The Van Artsdalen Pack” – Lee Ann, David and Baby Barrett Axell

— Not a carnivore? No worries! They offer tofu dog’s as a substitute.

— In the “ZD” logo, you’ll see the silhouette of David and Lee Ann’s dog, “Gauge”!  He even has a Zombie Dog named after him, the “Killer Gauge”.

 

Zombie Dogz offers up hot dogs that will surely make you salivate! You can find a full menu on their website, however they rotate it weekly to offer a wide variety.  To see what Specialty Dogz are offered this week, and to stay on top of their latest creations, tune into their Facebook page HERE.   They have so many delicious dogz, that it’s hard to nail it down to a few faves….. but we did.  Here are our top dogz aka Must Eats !!

 

MUST EATS:

— CALLING IN DEAD: There’s nothing dead about this dog. An all beef hot dog topped with a creamy homemade white truffle mac & cheese  and finished off with crumbled crackers.  It’s your childhood in a bun…. but better.

— THE DEAD DIXIE: This pup is covered in diced green apples, applewood smoked bacon, blue cheese crumbles and their signature bbq sauce! A great way to eat all of your food groups in just one bun!

— THE GERMANATOR (DAYTON OKTOBERFEST SPECIAL):  Topped with a braised beef brisket, crispy fried onions and a homemade beer cheese. This dog would surely satisfy the appetite of a former Governor of California!

“Calling in Dead”: Your childhood in a bun.

— NEW DOG #2:  It’s not uncommon for one of their new masterpieces to debut nameless. Zombie Dogz enlists their Facebook followers to take part of the naming process! This dog debuted at Oktoberfest as well. Topped with apple cider braised carnitas, spiced apples, arugula, butternut squash puree, and a sage crumble.  It is simply Autumn deliciousness, with toppings Chef House can appreciate.

— THE NIBBLER:- An American classic turned Zombie! This is their take on a coney is topped in homemade chili, diced red onions, mustard, and muenster cheese.  The King likes to tear into these like a dead walker into fresh meat!

— KILLER GAUGE – Named after their beloved dog, this hot dog is topped with a buffalo chicken dip, celery bits, blue cheese and ranch.

 Honorable Mention: THE GRANDE ZOMBE: Pronounced “Grand-ay, zom-bay,” this spicy little number includes queso sauce, shredded lettuce, cilantro sour cream, and crushed corn chips.  We like to heat up the night with this graveyard favorite.  Also, check out Big Ragu’s favorite, the dessert Zombie Dog called the “RED ROCKET” which is a banana in a bun  covered with peanut butter powder, stawberry jelly, white chocolate chips and pop rocks ! 

 **** IMPORTANT: Not every one of these Zombie Dogz are offered all the time.  They typically offer a few choices and rotate those throughout the year.  David and Lee Ann are always coming up with new flavors, so stay tuned.

 

“Dead Dixie”: Bacon, Apple and Blue Cheese Bliss.

From festivals, to food truck rallies, horror conventions, Oktoberfest or special single appearances, Zombie Dogz delivers the goods.  Our advice when they are around .. GET THERE EARLY, because this food truck is anything but dead.  They are easily the most popular food truck in Dayton.  Is it the Zombie Name?  Is it the one of a kind, unique toppings?  Is it the reasonable prices? The great customer service? For us, it’s all of the above!

The question we hear most is “Where can I find a schedule of where they are going to be?”  The answer is to stay updated through the Food Truck link on  Dayton Most Metro or follow Zombie Dogz on their Facebook  page. 

Speaking of Facebook, follow our new Food Adventure Crew with Hungry Jax, Chef House, The King, and the Big Ragu on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Cant get enough Zombie Dogz?  Then check out the photo gallery below for our huge collection of  pictures.  Food Adventures has some fantastic photos of many of their offerings!

[flagallery gid=111]

Historic South Park Food Truck Shindig and Street Party

By

10342012_10152401666628763_3227515350543628153_n-1Dayton’s largest historic district  will hold its first-ever Food Truck Shindig and Street Party on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 4 to 8pm at the corners of  Burns Ave. & Nathan St. in Historic South Park.  Five food trucks from around the area will feature dishes made with produce grown in South Park Urban Garden and other South Park gardens. Along with great ingredients grown and sourced locally, this event will feature an iPod® music battle, on-site t-shirt printing, a raffle featuring gift certificates from local businesses, games and more.
Since 2010, South Park Urban Garden has been a growing fixture in the neighborhood now featuring 30 garden beds used by South Park neighbors to grow everything from arugula to zucchini and everything in between. “Like our neighborhood, the local food truck landscape includes independent, individual, fun, community-oriented vendors with the DIY spirit. South Park is so much more than an historic neighborhood,” said Craig Schrolucke, marketing chair for Historic South Park. “Hosting an event that showcases the South Park Urban Garden, local businesses and family fun seems quite natural. We invite everyone to come out and experience for themselves why South Park is such a great neighborhood.”cropped-harvest-mobile-cuisine-logo_grey-green

 

Patrick Sartin of Harvest Mobile Cuisine, a food truck that frequently serves up local fare outside South Park’s Ghostlight Coffee, organized a select group of food trucks with a focus on local produce for the event. The trucks will be using some late-season produce from the South Park Urban Garden and other South Park Gardens in their dishes for the event. The other participating food trucks are The Painted Pepper, The Shakery, C’est Cheese, and G’s Cue BBQ.  “We’re big fans of the food truck community that has sprung up here in Dayton and are excited
to partner with this select group to show off the neighborhood,” said Historic South Park board  member Amy Lee.

 

Along with great food, the Food Truck Shindig and Street party will feature on-site screen printing of locally designed t-shirts available for sale, printed on equipment provided by  Telephone Weekly; a raffle of gift certificates from South Park businesses including Coco’s, Custom Frame Services, Ghostlight Coffee, Jimmie’s Ladder 11, Pizza Factory, South Park Tavern and more. Music will be provided by neighborhood DJs as they battle it out using their iPod® and their playlists, games and Local Love… A Roaming Boutique.
This event is made possible by the generous donations of local businesses listed above and more, a mini-grant from the City of Dayton and Historic South Park, Inc.

\

Food Trucks Converge In Springfield Saturday

By

Thirty-five food trucks from Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati as well as Kentucky and Indiana are set to compete in the Springfield Rotary Gourmet Food Truck Competition on Sat, Aug. 16 in Veteran’s Park from 11am – 9pm.

Dayton area trucks that are signed up  to compete include:

Go Cupcake, C’est Cheese, Harvest Mobile Cuisine, Hunger Paynes, McNasty’s, PA’s Pork and Zombie Dogz.

screen-shot-2014-08-12-at-10-37-29-am-e1407854388207

The winner of the $10,000 grand prize for Best Food Truck Cuisine will be decided by a panel of local celebrity judges, which includes:

Smith, a restaurant owner for more than 35 years, enjoys seeing passionate chefs who focus on five or six specialty items to feed the public.

“I’ve seen the evolution of food and dining from access to ingredients, the Localvore movement, Food Network and star chefs,” Smith said. “I love the idea of food trucks and their ability to set up, feed people in parking lots, street corners and special events.”

In addition to the grand prize for Best Food Truck Cuisine, 12 anonymous judges will choose winners of Best Truck/Cart Design, Best Customer Service and Best Menu, all of which will be awarded $1,000.  Each truck receives a $500 stipend just for participating.

Running from 11 am to 9 pm, the competition will also host live entertainment featuring four local bands –

The Ark Band– from Columbus – play roots reggae, calypso and soca music10293678_646039412128088_63987504580949955_o1

Cowboy Hillbilly Hippy Folk  – who claim their style is “wandering and waving through the grass”

Omega Point – a Springfield band that plays festivals and nightclubs

The Temps – The nerdy, musical geniuses play upbeat renditions of dance cover music from the 80’s to today.

And of course their is a beer garden for those 21 and older. Admission to the event is free.  Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and if you bring pets, they must be on a leash. Veteran’s Park, where the event will take place, was formerly known as Cliff Park, is located on the edge of Wittenberg University campus at 250 Cliff Park Road.

The money raised from the competition’s numerous sponsors will go toward the Springfield Rotary Club’s charities – Services to People with Disabilities, Polio Plus (the worldwide eradication of Polio) and the International Project in Lesotho.

 

THE NEON Has 2 Big Hits with CHEF & BELLE!

By Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone,

We had an absolutely terrific holiday weekend. Audiences are loving CHEF and BELLE, and we’re going to hold them both. Many thanks to all of you who came out to support these films.

I know that many of you are anxious to see some of our upcoming selections – like FED UP and ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE and JODOROWSKY’S DUNE…please rest assured that these films will eventually make their way to THE NEON. Our opening dates can move for a variety of reasons, and we appreciate your patience as some of the films get shifted. Stay tuned to this newsletter or our website for the latest date changes.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qK-ZUFX5fnk’]

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtdk6owFj2o’]

“Start Freedom Dayton, a film series started by Peace on Fifth to raise awareness about human trafficking, returns June 19th at 7:30 pm at THE NEON with the newest movie about human trafficking – TRICKED. The sex trafficking industry rakes in $3 billion dollars a year and with little awareness for the general population. TRICKED, released in December 2013, is set on the streets of the US as a clear witness to the domestic sex trafficking ‘game.’ This is a very powerful movie. Age appropriate for 12+, however children should have some level of awareness and emotional maturity. For more information call Peace on Fifth at 937.367.7215 or email startfreedom@peaceonfifth.com. To learn more about TRICKED and to see a trailer, visit the official site. All advanced tickets are available exclusively at Peace on Fifth (234 S Dutoit St., St. Anne’s Hill) for an $8 suggested donation. The screening will only happen if 75 tickets are distributed.” (taken from Peace on Fifth press release)

On Wednesday, June 25 at 7:30, THE NEON is happy to host a one-night screening of the new documentary TO BE TAKEI. This is part of Dayton PRIDE‘s month-long LGBT Pride celebration. “Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei boldly journeyed from a WWII internment camp, to the helm of the starship Enterprise, to the daily news feeds of five million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband Brad on this star’s playful and profound trek for life, liberty, and love. Best known for playing Sulu on the original Star Trek TV series and six movies that followed, George Takei is unlikely social media royalty. Unofficially dubbed the King of Facebook, he counts over 5 million fans in his online empire – including Trekkies, Howard Stern listeners, and the LGBTQ community – who devour his quirky mix of kitten jokes, Star Trek references, heartfelt messages, and sci-fi/fantasy memes…” (taken from press notes) Tickets, just $8 each, are now available at our box office.

Our facebook page is blowing up because I announced that we’re considering playing the newly remastered A HARD DAY’S NIGHT during July 4 weekend. This is in celebration of the 50th anniversary. Would you come out to support this Beatles favorite if we played it during the holiday weekend?

Thanks for your continued interest and enthusiastic support.
We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Friday, May 30 – Thursday, June 5:

BELLE (PG) 1 Hr Min
Friday, Saturday: 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
Sunday: 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20
Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:20, 7:45

CHEF (R) 1 Hr Min
Friday, Saturday: 12:10, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 9:50
Sunday: 12:10, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30
Monday – Thursday: 2:45, 5:10, 7:40

COMING SOON:
(All Dates Are Tentative. Dates Often Move And Sometimes Disappear.)
June 6 – FED UP
June 6 – JODOROWSKI’S DUNE
June 13 – ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE
June 13 – FOR NO GOOD REASON
June 20 – SUPERMENSCH: SHEP GORDON
July 4 – A HARD DAY’S NIGHT
July 25 – THIRD PERSON
Aug. 8 – BOYHOOD
Aug. 15 – MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT
Aug. 29 – LAND HO

Food Trucks Out In Force This Weekend

By Leave a Comment

FOODTRUCKLast summer the food truck rallies were a regular thing downtown, this summer they are spreading out all over the region. And while we’ve lost a few of last years popular trucks – both Fressa and Ringo’s North Star Mobile have left the business- we’ve seen even more new trucks join the mobile food business, like Lilia’s Outside Cafe , Voodoo Taco Company and Flour Power Pizza.

Food trucks have become beloved additions to the region’s dining scene, with the power to add vibrancy and traffic to an area with just a few Facebook posts.  ZombieDogz is the reigning king of attraction in  the mobile food world, Harvest Mobile Cuisine seems to hold the road dog crown, with the most appearances around town.  The emergence of local taprooms have proved a popular partnership for those looking for a bite to eat with their beers  and Courthouse Square downtown, plays host to foodtruck lunches Monday – Friday.   However, due to the nature of their businesses, it’s sometimes hard to know where you’ll find a truck on any givien day.  Our Food Truck Finder Calendar keeps track of a majority of the area’s food truck fleet, so go ahead, bookmark it for when you have a craving.

This Friday for lunch, the trucks will head to Riverside, hoping to attract the attention of workers of the region’s largest employer, WPAFB.   The rally will be outside the gates, and picnic tables and portable restrooms are being brought in to make the empty lot across from the base into a temporary food pod.

10390523_10154603103272355_8730273285329467498_n

Trucks expected to participate are: Go Cupcake, Cheeky Meat Pies, Pa’s Pork, The Shakery Juice Bar, Flour Power Pizza, Hunger Paynes, Porkey’s Smokehouse, D Fish and D Chicken, Lilia Cafe, East Coast Eatz, El Meson Express, Paranormal Concessions, and Dayton Urban BBQ

 
And this Saturday the Crestwood Swim Club in Kettering will host a Picnic in the Park from 1-5pm. They are promising “fantastic food with many adjacent amenities for the whole family to enjoy!”  Expected participants include: Flour Power Pizza, G’s Cue BBQ, Go Cupcake, Harvest Mobile Cuisine, Hunger Paynes Food Truck, and The Shakery Juice Bar.

If you’d like more information, or would like to enquire about booking a food truck, check out the Dayton Food Truck Association or check the DMM List of FoodTrucks. If you know of a truck we don’t have on our list, please leave us a comment below.