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Here Comes the FLEURS ET VIN Festival!

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“Fleurs et Vin” Festival will feature over 400 wines for tasting !

Get ready to raise your wine glass this Sunday at Carillon Park , because Dayton’s premier wine and gourmet food festival arrives!!

That’s right, the one and only shindig known as “FLEURS ET VIN” (flowers and wine in French) takes place this weekend!

This is a Food Adventure and Wine extravaganza that you don’t want to miss.  The Big Ragu will be there in full force!

 

WHAT:  FLEURS ET VIN FESTIVAL

WHERE: At Historic Carillon Park,  1000 Carillon Blvd.  Dayton, Ohio 45409

WHEN: SUNDAY MAY 18th from 1pm – 4pm

WHY: To benefit AIDS Resoruce Center of Dayton Ohio

MUST DRINKS:  Over 400 wines available for tasting and a Beer Garden !

MUST EATS:  Local restaurants providing samples of menu specialties.

Restaurants Include: Amar India, Carvers Steaks & Chops, Central Perc European Cafe, Chappys Tap Room and Grille, Coco’s Bistro, El Meson, Figlio, Giovanni’s, Jay’s Seafood, Kohler’s Catering,  Lock 27 Brewing,  Mamma DiSalvo’s,  Neil’s Heritage House,  The Oakwood Club, Salar Restaurant and Lounge The Dock, The Deli at Webster Street & Top of the Market and Thai 9.

WHAT ELSE: Live Music during the festival by J.t. Fedrick and the Sax Groove, a silent auction that ends at 3pma and a Live Auction that starts  at 4pm 

COST: $70 in advance, $75 at the door  click HERE for more ticket info

Just in Case: Don’t drink and drive- Divine Services will be on hand if you and your car need a ride home.

Fleurs Et Vin is something you must experience as a true Daytonian.  Experience the best wines in the world, paired with Dayton’s Best Restaurant offerings.  It is for charity, which makes getting a ticket a no brainer.  Support Dayton, support the AIDS Resource Center, and join the fun at Carillon Park.  Treat yourself to a Food Adventure !

We raise our wine glasses high and say “Here’s to Fleurs Et Vin, the toast of the town this Sunday!”  See you under the big tents!

Are you a Dayton foodie?  Then join us for more fun Food Adventures by “liking”us on Facebook.

Check out our photo gallery below from last year’s event!

 

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Food & Beer Pairings Announced for Moose & the Goose Dinner Event, Feb. 22

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Dont Miss the ‘Moose and The Goose’ event on Sat Feb 22

BULLWINKLE’S TOP HAT BISTRO and GOOSE ISLAND BREWING CO.  have announced the 5 courses to be paired with 5 beers  at the one-night-only Food Adventure event on Saturday Feb 22nd called  “The MOOSE AND THE GOOSE.”  The extravaganza will be held at Bullwinkle’s in Miamisburg at 7pm (tickets are pre-pay only).

Dayton Most Metro’s own THE BIG RAGU & The Crew are helping sponsor the event with the help of Heidelberg Distributing, Dayton Dining, Goose Island Brewery, and of course Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro.

 

 

 

The Food Adventure courses are as follows (subject to change):

Course #1: HOUSE SALAD with homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing paired with Goose Island’s TEN HILLS PALE ALE

Course #2: Homemade CLAM CHOWDER paired with  Goose Island’s Beer called ‘SOFIE’

Course #3: REUBEN DIP / MOOSE TATERS CASSEROLE paired with Goose Island’s HONKER’S ALE

Course #4: BABY BACK PORK RIBS, PULLED PORK, GREEN BEANS, RED SKIN POTATOES paired with Goose Island’s beer called ‘MATILDA’

Course #5: BANANAS FOSTER prepared table side, with an option for CARROT CAKE substitute paired with Goose Island’s ‘PERE JACQUES’ Beer

5 course dinner featuring RIBS!

Ribs are one of the featured courses

 

TICKET COST IS $30 and that INCLUDES GRATUITY !

****Please note: Tickets for this event are PRE-PAY ONLY and can be purchased only through THIS LINK at DAYTON MOST METRO.

SEATING IS LIMITED, get your tickets to this event before it SELLS OUT  !

**There will be DOOR PRIZES, GIVEAWAYS, SOUVENIRS, SURPRISES, and an appearance by the GOOSE ISLAND GIRLS !

We may have some Goose Island 312 URBAN WHEAT Beer samples floating around and an AFTER PARTY Keg Tapping with Beer Specials.

This promises to be once heck of a FOOD ADVENTURE EVENT !!  This is a one-time-only gig, so take advantage of this incredible deal !

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The MOOSE & THE GOOSE: Exclusive FOOD ADVENTURE EVENT Feb 22nd !!

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Sponsor - BullwinklesGet your tickets now, because THE BIG RAGU & Crew have done it again.  Along with DaytonMostMetro they have put together another one-of-a-kind, one night only extravaganza called “THE MOOSE and THE GOOSE.”  This time we team up  BULLWINKLES TOP HAT BISTRO and GOOSE ISLAND BEER COMPANY for and incredible 5 course dinner with 5 beer pairings !

WHAT: 5 Course Dinner and 5 Beer Pairings = one heck of a Food Adventure night

WHERE: BULLWINKLE’S TOP HAT BISTRO in MIAMISBURG (19 N. Main St., Miamisburg, OH 45342) in the upstairs private party room

WHEN: Sat, Feb 22nd  7pm – 9:30pm  with a special “after party keg tapping” from Goose Island with drink specials

COST: $30 per ticket -INCLUDES GRATUITY !!
Purchase your tickets online now!
Tickets are limited, and once they are sold out, THEY ARE SOLD OUT !

WHAT ELSE: DOOR PRIZES, SOUVENIRS, GIVEAWAYS, and the GOOSE ISLAND GIRLS !  Who knows what other surprises are in store !!

TICKETS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE HERE AT THIS LINK  and WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU AT THE FRONT DESK the night of the event !

Don’t miss this exclusive FOOD ADVENTURE EVENT with THE BIG RAGU & CREW !!

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Fleurs Et Vin: A Great Success at Carrillon Park

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Each Guest Received Souvenir Glasses

Did you miss it?  Endless wine tasting and all the food samplings you wanted were featured at the 2013 Fleurs et Vin Festival held at Carillon Park on May 19th.  The Big Ragu was on hand with Dayton Most Metro’s staff, greeting the massive crowds and sample the various offerings.  It was a Food Adventure paradise in the heart of Dayton, and a must eat on our list of events.

If you were not able to make it to this annual benefit for the AIDS Resource Center Ohio, then check out our recap, below.

Here’s the Skinny:

— FLEURS ET VIN is Dayton’s Premier Wine and Gourmet Food Festival, typically held each year on a Sunday in May from 1-4pm under the tents at Carrillon Historical Park.  It is an all-you-want tasting event with a loyal following.

— ALL of the food and wine was donated by locally owned restaurants, allowing 100% of the proceeds to benefit AIDS Resource Center of Dayton.  A Food Adventure with a cause

— Admission price allowed you access to over 400 wines from around the world and taste menu samples from 20 local restaurants, along with a Belgian Beer Garden area !

— Live and Silent Auction areas allowed even more funds to be raised for this worthy cause that focuses of prevention and education about AIDS, along with service programs that help those in need with HIV/AIDS.

— Live music filled the air and added to the warm ambiance.

With so many good wines and so much good food, below are our picks for the best of the best from this spectacular event!

Crab Rangoon from Thai 9.  Our Favorite Rangoon in Dayton.

OUR FAVORITES  (THE FOOD):

Thai 9’s Crab Rangoon and Chicken with Rice:  In our opinion, the best crab rangoon in the Dayton area were these incredible samples from Thai9.  Stuffed full and deep, and served with a sweet side of Thai sauce, we found ourselves returning to this line often.  The Thai chicken dish was also incredible at this station.  It was a Thai pepper chicken, served in a brown, curry house sauce over a bed of white rice.  We told them we loved it, but our mouths were so full that they couldn’t understand us.

The Dock’s Crab Cakes:  Slowly seared on their portable flat top grill, these were flavorful, hand-packed circles of love.  The sauce that topped the crab cakes was the secret ingredient that kept us coming back for more.  The staff of The Dock probably wanted to file a restraining order against us for hanging out by their grill as much as we did.  We could not resist seconds of these scrumptious bites of crab heaven.

Hawthorn Grill’s  Sorbet and Strawberry ShortCake: All of the desserts at Hawthorn Grill are homemade by Chef Candace and her staff.   Her sorbet was a perfect, refreshing break during this hot event.  The bite size piece of cake, topped with a strawberry sauce also hit the spot.

Scratch Catering’s Beef Brisket and Carmelized Onion Bruschetta:  When doesn’t Chef Matt Hayden please the hungry crowds?  This delicious, slow-cooked sampling was just as pleasing to the eye, as it was to our taste buds.  The hits from Scratch Catering just keep on coming ….

OUR FAVORITES (THE WINES):

Canella Blood Orange Mimosa:  Talk about refreshing!   This tasty, bottled mimosa was the perfect drink, on this hot day.  The server at this booth had to be tired of us by the end of the event.   Probably our favorite offering from the Vintage Wine Distributor.  This Italian wine cocktail is made from grape wine and the juice and pulp of blood oranges from Sicily.

Heron Chardonnay:  A crisp, white wine made from 22 year old grape vines.  The winery is a female owned, family vineyard run by Laely Heron.   One of the few American women who made wine in France, Heron’s products are also produced in California.

Spreitzer Riesling 101:  This German Riesling comes from a winery owned by two brothers who have been honing their craft since 1997.  It was a cold, refreshing sip of sparkling goodness in the warm weather.

The Belgian Beer Garden: Although this was a wine festival, Heidelberg Distributing distracted us with some great beer selections.  Food Adventures enjoyed a couple of  Stella Artois beers in a souvenir pint.  The Big Ragu went for some Hoegaarden beer and an Ommegang Witte Beer.

All in all, this is Dayton’s “Wine me and dine me” Festival.  We loved being a part of a wonderful event, that supported a locally based AIDS charity.  Good local food and world class wines, what more could one ask for?   So let us end this Food Adventure, by raising our glass with a toast.. “Whether you love Merlot or Chardonnay, here’s to seeing you at Fleurs et Vin, next May!!”

For more wine, and no whine, visit Food Adventures on Facebook and “like” them by clicking HERE !

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Wine Party in the Park this Sunday

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FEV ticketsDayton’s Annual Premier Wine & Gourmet Food Festival is this Sunday afternoon, from 1-4pm at Carillon Park. Advance tickets are available for $60 at Arrow Wine, Cuvee, Rumbleseat and Bruning’s Wine Cellar, or you can purchase online and print your own ticket.  If you’re waiting to see what the weather is like on Sunday, tickets will be available at the park for $70.  Your ticket includes your tastes, a souvenir wine glass as well as a beer glass.

franks

Left to right: Vail Sr, Vail Jr, Mif Frank and Mike Frank

The original “Party in the Park” was the brain child of two friends, Vail Miller Sr. of Heidelberg and Mike Frank of Arrow Wine.  With a mission of bringing wine out of just the wine cellars and homes of people to the general public, the idea of a wine festival was born.  Now over twenty years later and with the second generation at the helm, Vail Miller Jr. and Mif Frank, Fleurs Et Vin has grown into a Miami Valley tradition.
With the support of over a dozen wine distributors, this years tasting list includes over 400 wines to be tasted.  You can see it online if you’d like to plot your tasting strategy.  A new addition this year is a selection of meads from Cavalier Distributing.  Mead, also known as honey wine, is regarded as the oldest of fermented beverage(Learn more about mead from  mixologist Brian Petro’s article Drinkable Honey.)  The Belgian Beer Garden has expanded this year as well, featuring  Stella Artois, Leffe, Hoegarden, Duvell  and Ommegang.

jtsaxMusic for your dining and drinking pleasure contemporary smooth jazz will be played by JT Fedrick and Sax Groove, back by popular demand from Fleurs 2011. The food at Fleurs et Vin is always spectacular, with returning restaurants like The Oakwood Club, Jay’s Seafood, Carvers, Coco’s and Hawthorne Grill competing to put out the best samples.  Now that’s not to say that Neil’s Heritage House, Mamma DiSalvo’s, Scratch Event Catering, Brock Masterson’s,  Meadowlark and Thai 9 won’t walk away with the best food of the fest this year.  Restaurants like The Dock, Giovanni’s, Amber Rose and The Wine Loft always stand out for great eats and their decorative tables that  give you a feel for their atmosphere.  Newbies to the event this year include Serendipity Bistro and the soon to open Salar.

When you need to take a break from eating, be sure and stroll by the silent auction tables conanand place a bid or two.  Some of the highlights this year include tickets to a Miami Heat basketball game, VIP tickets to a Conan taping,  or ABC’s Mike & Molly, as well of lots of wine, theater tickets, spa packages and more.  But get your bids in early, the silent auction will close down about 2:45.  Ghost bidding will be available, for those of you who don’t want to waste your valuable tasting time at the auction table.  Just allow one of our volunteers to place your bids up to your pre-set limit and enjoy the wine.

The best entertainment of the day is often the live auction, which begins at 4pm, after tasting tables are closed.  A must for true wine collectors, the bottles up for bid are often incredibly rare.  Register for a bidding paddle and you’ll be treated to sparkling wines and ARC compact logo with taglinechocolates from Winans.

Whether you win the bidding or not, the big winner of the day is AIDS Resource Center Ohio, the beneficiary of Fleurs et Vin.  Funds raised on Sunday will be used to provide medical care, comprehensive case management, housing, HIV testing & counseling, prevention education, linkage to care, education & advocacy in Ohio.  According to the Ohio Department of Health,  young adults between the ages of 15 and 24 account for 27 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in the state in 2011 and that number is growing. “The HIV/AIDS epidemic has changed dramatically over the years, however we are beginning to see a second-wave of infection among young people who have never known a world free from the stronghold of HIV and so our response must evolve as well,” states Tyler TerMeer,  ARC Ohio’s Prevention Director.

 

 

 

 

Great American Beer Tasting

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Having a beer at the ballpark is nothing special, but having over 75 brews to choose from must mean it’s time for Heidelberg’s 5th annual festival of beer at Fifth Third Field.  A $25 ticket will get you 20 samples of beeer, a souvenir sampling glass and a chance to wine great raffle prizes including a trip for two on the Bud Light Party Cruise, Dragons gear and Beer goodies for this Sat, Aug 4th’s event.   Gates open at 2pm and you’ll have 4 hours to meander your way around the 20 beer tables until 6pm.

You’ll even have a chance to head down to the field for a little cornhole or to play some carnival games.   Special tasting of will be available at table 21, while supplies last:

2:30pm: Widmer Marionberry Hibiscus Gose: Gose is a traditional cloudy German style wheat  beer that balances tart and slightly salty flavors with a soft malt background. Widmer Brother’s unique take uses a healthy dose of Oregon-grown Marionberries as well as dried Hibiscus flowers  for a tart, floral profile with clove and coriander flavors to round it out.

3:15pm: Goose Island Lolita: a pink rose colored Belgian style pale ale fermented with wild yeast and aged on raspberries in wine barrels. Aromas of fresh raspberries, bright jammy fruit flavors, and an effervescent body.
4:15pm: Brooklyn Beers, Brooklyn Local 1: Belgian-inspired strong golden ale. Behind the full golden color you’ll find an alluring aroma, a dynamic complex of flavors, Belgian flair, Brooklyn  fortitude and a dusting  of special yeast. To create this beer, an old technique of 100% bottle refermentation is used.
To Order Tickets:

  • Call the Dragons box office at (937) 228-2287 or purchase online
  • Purchase in the Dragons Den team store during Dragons game
  • OR visit and of the following local bars and restaurants: Amber Rose, Archer’s Tavern, Belmont Party Supply, Boston’s Bistro, Brixx, Cooper’s Deli, Dublin Pub, Miami Valley Wine,
    Frickers- Huber Heights

Tickets day-of the event are $35 at the gate. Designated driver tickets are also available at the door for $5,