root beer
Ohio’s Biggest Fair Ends Saturday in Darke County
The Great Darke County Fair ends a week long array of festivities this Saturday, so there is still time to get your fair groove up near the Greenville / Arcanum area. It is about a 40 minute trip to the Darke County fairgrounds, but oh is it worth the drive.
Rides and and more rides, food and more food, and of course livestock to make your experience farm filled fun.
We have literally been having Food Adventures at this fair since the early 1970’s. The Big Ragu has memories of his grandfather John Miller, who was born in Arcanum, taking the whole family from Centerville to Greenville. So you could say we have 40+ years of expertise on this subject.
First of all, a NON-FOOD TIP
- Hit the Horse Races Friday night 5:30pm – 9pm. The environment is a throwback like you wont experience at other racetracks.
- Hit the Demolition Derby on Saturday 6:30pm. It’s like a Wal-Mart parking lot out there and maybe someone will give somebody the “Malachi Crunch” like in Happy Days.
HERE’S THE SKINNY:
— Address of the Great Darke County Fair is 800 Sweitzer St, Greenville, OH 45331
— OPEN 7pm – MIDNIGHT both Friday and Saturday – enough time to get your grit on… but the FAIR ENDS SATURDAY!
— Admission is $7.00, people watching is free
So here we go with our often imitated never duplicated trademark… “Must Eats.”
Here is the result of decades of studies…..
MUST EATS at THE GREAT DARKE COUNTY FAIR:
— THE FOOTLONG HOT DOG & ROOT BEER from the THE DOG N SUDS TRAILER: The pride of Champagne, Illinois, you NEVER get to eat this stuff. You may see their root beer plastic
bottles in stores, but “aint nothing like the real thing baby.”
— THE CHEESE CURDS from MIKE’S CHEESE SHACK: These cheeseheads are from Eau Claire, Wisconsin and every year they kill it at the fair. And every year we load up and chow down.
— THE “LOADED RIBBON FRIES” or “TORNADO POTATOES”: Ribbon cut potato chips, deep fried and topped with cheese, chives and bacon. We love this stuff. Eat them and devour them one string at a time. People will stare as you lower the pinwheels of potatoes into your mouth. That’s just jealousy.
— THE TROLLEY BURGER WITH CANDIED BACON from KC CONCESSION’S TROLLEY CART: We eat it all, we know our stuff. This burger is perfect for a browsing Food Adventure. It is not too big and the candied bacon is definitely a nice attraction. Chew on friends….
— DEEP FRIED ALLIGATOR MEAT ON A STICK from CRACKERBILLIES: Exotic, yet familiar, these nuggets on a stick had a great taste. All the way from Cape Coral, Florida to your mouth! We went back for seconds.
— BEEF BRISKET from GRUMPY’S BBQ: Cooked low and slow by Grumpy himself, this old farmer not only has a badass disposition but his brisket is just a s bad. Actually , Grumpy is a pretty nice guy, we got him to smile … once….
— THE HOT BROWN from FARMER BROWN’S FOOD STAND: The restaurant that is a legend in Arcanum, is a hot spot at the fair with their food stand. Farmer Brown’s serves up not a Hot Carl.. but the Hot Brown – which is a shaved top round sandwich, with provolone, lettuce, special sauce and mushrooms. If that isnt enough they slap it on a grilled buttered bun. You might call it a Hot Brown, we love to refer to it as an “Arcanum Cheesesteak.”
— PULLED PORK SANDWICH from HOG WILD SMOKE HOUSE: Homemade sauce in huge squirt jars meant we loaded it up for a finger lickin, lip smackin helluva good ‘sammich’ (when its so good you can’t talk). We went hog wild for sure. These
— DEEP FRIED PECAN PIE from the PIE ON THE FLY: This is frickin’ sinful. The pies are “Wicks Pies” from Winchester, Indiana. It makes the deep
fried snickers look like child’s play. This is a piece of frickin pie deep fried in batter. The pecan pie is the one to get, and it is AMAZING. We actually had to sit down afterwards to take in the whole experience. INSANE yet so logical….
— FRIED DOUGH from FISKE CONCESSIONS: One of the deep fried candy bar booths has a treat we have enjoyed as kids. It is called “pizza frite” or fried dough. But this is the biggest slab of dough we have ever seen. Our moms and grandmas never made it that large. It is fried dough, with powdered sugar and it is the tick tick tick .. bomb! This vendor is from Brookville, Florida.
Honorable Mention: The Deep Fried Mushrooms from Chuck’s Foods and the Deep Fried Twinkies from Fiske Concessions.
TWO MORE FOOD ADVENTURE TIPS:
— Use this chance to hit MAID-RITE HAMBURGERS down the street, on the way home… a loose meat sandwich that has a secret recipe that will keep you guessing and eating. We will grab a sack and love the snack.
— Stop at KENNEDY VINEYARDS on the way home in New Madison. Wine off the vine and we love the sweet, to the blush to the dry. 15 Minutes from the fair, you will fall in love with this place.
Open til 10pm this Saturday, and we will see you there!
That’s it – the FULL BLOWN story on the biggest county fair in Ohio…. See you next week with another foodie filled story!
Check out Food Adventures on Facebook and see the difference. This is not our job, it is our passion…..
Red, White and FOOD! Americana Fest Vendors Announced!
ATTENTION FOODIES !! One hundred thousand people will descend into downtown Centerville this Monday July 4th for the Americana Festival.
Sure there is a 5 k run early at 7:30am
You bet there is a parade at 10am.
And who could forget fireworks at 10pm later that night.
But Food Adventures has advanced notice on something close to our hearts… FOOD VENDORS !! What restaurants are going to be in attendance? What to eat? We got it all for you right here. We will make order of this crowded party of patriotism. So sit in your lawn chair and listen to this scoop on the best eats at this festival
celebrating our independence!
HERE’S THE SKINNY:
— This is the 43rd Annual Americana Festival
— From 9:30am – 5pm is the Street Fair. It runs from the instersection of 48 and 725, down to Bills Donut Shop, and will be filled with FOOD vendors.
— There are also food vendors at Benham’s Grove and tucked back into Activity Center Park in the kids play area.
— The key to this festival is to GET THERE EARLY… or go very late. Food crowds are lightest at 10-11am and 4-5pm.
— Parking is rough, you may have to walk a few blocks, so suck it up buttercup
— We suggest bringing a light lawn chair with you, so you can go off to the side and sit and eat comfortably.
So now we get to the meat of the story – where to go, what to eat, who to drink. The Big Ragu, Hungry Jax and Chef House have decades of experience at this festival and will be in the mix again this year for an epic Food Adventure ! We have some of the food vendors who are going to be in attendance, and list some of our faves and best foodstuffs.
Here they are, in alphabetical order, our patented ……
AMERICANA FESTIVAL MUST EATS:
— BLACKJACK GRILL: Huge porkchops as big as Shaquille O’Neal’s hand. A definite must eat if you’re hungry.
— CAJUN SPECIALTIES: Formerly “LeDoux’s,” this festival vendor has some incredible crawfish etouffe and gumbo. Dont miss this booth!
— CHESTER’S STEAK BURGERS: Get a damn steakburger with cheese already….
—CORK N BOTTLE’S AMERICAN GRILL: Incredible burgers and sandwiches even down to a grilled cheese.
— EL MESON’S FOOD TRUCK: Get some empanadas at this fantastic eatery. They will be at benhams grove, and the menu is constantly changing from “must eats” like paella, to shrimp tacos.
— FRICKER’S: The BBQ boneless wings are amazing here. Dayton iconic sports bar with some of the best frickin chicken around.
— FRONANA: Healthy, ice cream like dessert made with mashed bananas. Go for the chocolate fronana, a dream on a spoon…
— GREEK STREET FOOD TRUCK: New guy on the block. The 2 “must eats” here are the “Street Style Chicken Gyros” and the “Street Style Shrimp Gyros.” No shrimp? Get Baklava !
— HAMBURGER WAGON: Get the double burger, it is a
crunchy delight ! 105 years of customers cant be wrong…
— HARVEST FOOD TRUCK: Their salmon in the Land n Sea BLT is remarkable. Perfect day to chomp on this..
— HUNGER PAYNES FOOD TRUCK: Get the PB & J Croquettes or the Salmon ones… Oh my.. goodness…
— ISLAND NOODLES: Vegetarians unite! Try the Asian, wok fired noodles stir fried with garlic and ginger… with veggies in a light “island sauce.”
— J.T.’s STOVETOP BBQ: Pulled Pork with, extra bbq sauce. It doesn’t count unless you drip sauce on your shoe.
— K & H CONCESSIONS: Corn on the cob is their specialty, get one and live a little….
— KERNEL DAVE’S KETTLE CORN: Bags of kettle corn. Eat some now, save some for the fireworks or next movie night…
— KONA ICE: Shaved ice and snow cones. Get the blueberry and raspberry mix option.
— KOWALSKI’S HOTS: One of our faves. This guy has exclusive brands of upstate New York made hot dogs. Get the Red Hot with coney sauce.. it isn’t spicy it is just a red colored, big hot dog. Dont want a dog? Get a “Hamburg,” Rochester NY Style with coney sauce
— LAROSA’S PIZZERIA: The must eat is a slice of pepperoni pizza. Take yourself back to Kings Island 1982 in one swift bite.,…
— MOM’S HOMEMADE GOODIES: A family that makes the most incredible hand tied soft pretzels. Get a pie too !
— NELLY’S CHICKEN: The “must eat” is the half chicken, it has that amazing, cooked over charcoal taste. Get yucca fries if you really want an incredible treat,
— OLD TEXAS SODA COMPANY: Handcrafted Root Beer is the must drink here. On a hot summers day, you will down two of these without blinking.
— PITA POCKETS: Try the super taco. It is a tostada shell loaded. Good eats, good street food.
— REISTMILLER’S FUNNEL CAKES: It is Americana Fest, get the damn funnel cake and powder your nose!
— SANTORINI’S GREEK FOOD: Man mountain Dean sized Gyro Sandwiches are the way to go here. Just get the traditional ones.
— SWEET P’S HANDMADE ICE POPS: The “Berry Berry Good” pop is a favorite. A refreshing bet on a hot July day.
— THERESA’S ICE CREAM: Butter Pecan or rocky road will always please at Amerciana Festival
— ZOMBIE DOGZ: Dayton’s favorite food truck always has our favorite.. “Juan of the Dead.” or “The Nibbler.” Let’s face it, you cant go wrong with a Zombie Dog…
There you have it sports fans, the MUST EATS for JULY 4th, 2016’s AMERICANA FESTIVAL ! Often imitated, never duplicated, Food Adventures can be found on Facebook HERE. Like us on Facebook, love us in your hearts.
We wish our fans a happy, long weekend of fun filled family time with loved ones, celebrating the 4th of July. That’s where we will be, and making sure the best summer food is within reach !
See you next week and every week on Dayton Most Metro…..
Enjoy some more photos below, from Americana Festivals of years past….
The Fearsome 15: Top Guilty Food Pleasures in Dayton
We all have them, we all need them… guilty pleasures. As we get older, we try to eat healthier, but once in a while, you gotta splurge. Dayton is a great place to do so. Sure, there is fear in seeing the calorie count, and scary scale readings the following week… but sometimes you gotta have a ghastly, full blown Food Adventure.
So without further ado, we present present our list of the Top 15 Guilty Food Pleasures of the Dayton Area:
15) THE FOOTLONG CHILI DOG at THE ROOT BEER STANDE: Long and strong, we came to get the friction on. This wiener is a mouthful of goodness and a ruined shirt waiting to happen. Eat it in your car, roll up the windows so no one can see,. But we know… this is one of your guilty pleasures.
14) FRICKER’S RIBS & WINGS DINNER: This huge meal comes with a half rack of ribs, those famous fried chicken wings, cole slaw, roll and an side. Finger lickin’ good, and a naughty belt buster for sure.
13) THE PEANUT BUTTER SUNDAE at JET FREEZE: Homemade peanut butter sauce, ice cream, whip cream, nuts and a cherry on top. The peanut butter sauce alone is so sinful that it catapults it onto the list.
12) THE BROOKYLYN BRAWLER PIZZA at JOHNNY’S SLICE of NY: When you serve a giant, stuffed pizza as big as a spare tire, it has to be a guilty pleasure. Big eaters of the Miami Valley come from far and wide not only to eat this giant creation, but to see if 2 of them can finish it in 30 minutes or less to get on the wall of fame. Filled with various meats and cheeses, this guilty pleasure is for serious eaters.
11) THE SEAFOOD PLATTER at TREASURE ISLAND: Deep fried scallops, a cod filet, frog legs, fried shrimp and stuffed crab on a plate with 2 sides. You can taste it all, but don’t test your cholesterol that day. The over the top moment of this dinner is when they serve you some drawn butter for dipping. Oh, behave !
10) ALL-YOU-CAN EAT FISH at the HASTY TASTY PANCAKE HOUSE: For just $7.25, you can literally fill yourself to the gills. Breaded and crispy, it is one of the best ‘bangs for your buck’ as far as sinful meals go. The fish is Alaskan pollock, and when you add the sides, rolls and butter slabs, the wheels come off the diet train.
9) BROASTED CHICKEN at GEORGE’S FAMILY RESTAURANT: Deep fried in a pressure cooker, this stuff is guilty fun for the while family. Moist inside, the chicken is always cooked to perfection. Get some heavenly comfort food sides and complete this trip to dream street.
8) CRISPY SHRIMP at NORTH CHINA: One of our favorite Chinese restaurants serves us a sweet sauced, deep fried shrimp dish that will knock you on your socks. The taste, the crunch, the bites of sauce mixed with rice. Overdone richness? Guilty as charged.
7) POTATO SKIN CUPS at ANGIE’S FIREHOUSE: Stuffed with chili, bacon, onions, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, green onions, jalapenos and sour cream they are a beautiful piece of work. You will find yourself eating an entire plate of these and passing out in a food coma.
6) BISCUITS & GRAVY at TANK’S: Delicious, artery clogging goodness. Although this legendary spot on Wayne Avenue has many treasures, we find this to be our most guilty pleasure.
5) THE HOT FUDGE CAKE at FRISCH’S: We know, this is semi-local and more of a regional treat, but it deserves a spot on our list. Hot, steaming fudge, hitting the cool cake and ice cream. The feeling of the whip cream and hot fudge on your lips is worth every calorie.
4) THE PANZAROTTI at MAMMA DISALVO’S: This is pretty much a calzone that is the size of a small kid. Imagine an extra large pizza full of toppings and cheese, that has been folded in half. Served with dipping sauce, it is like cutting into a turkey to begin eating. Go all out and dip your forkfuls into marina or ranch. It is absolutely delicious.
3) THE HOG BURGER at VOLTZY’s: Voltzy says he named the burger after his ex-wife. All we know is that this mammoth 20 ounce burger melts in your mouth, and you find yourself saying “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”
2) CASSANO’S BIG CHEESE PIZZA: Like Vic Cassano Sr said “It’s one heck of a pizza.” That famous Cassano’s crust and sauce, loaded with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, olives and finished off with a m0und of cheese. The proof is in the taste.
1) THE “BIG BO BJ” at B&B CARRYOUT: Get your mind out of the gutter, this is a breakfast sandwich. And it is one helluva guilty pleasure. This craziness is a bun with sausage, a fried egg, a hash brown patty, American cheese,strips of bacon and hot pepper cheese. You won’t feel that guilty, because the every bite is just so darn good. A handful of greasy, gooeyness, with great flavor. If you haven’t tried the Big Bo BJ, you need to grab yourself one.
Do you feel guilty yet? Naughty nibbles indeed. Honorable Mention to : Paragon Supper Club’s Paragon Supreme Dessert- a peanut butter and chocolate ice cream mousse, Marion’s Super Cheese Pizza – delicious, Tank’s Chili Cheese Fries-out of this world, and Submarine House’s Super Duper Cheesesteak– triple the meat and cheese & 16 inches long.
DID WE LEAVE ANY OUT? WHICH OF YOUR FAVORITE GUILTY PLEASURES SHOULD WE HAVE INCLUDED IN OUR LIST??
Please comment below and let us know !
For more fun from Dayton’s one-of-a-kind foodies visit FOOD ADVENTURES with THE BIG RAGU, CHEF HOUSE and HUNGRY JAX on FACEBOOK and “like” us HERE .
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Get a Fresh Food Adventure at Voltzy’s
Upon entering Voltzy’s Rootbeer Stand, we heard a gruff voice say “Where the Hell you been?” We said you must have us confused with someone else, this is our first time here. Voltzy himself looked at us and said.. “I know! I have been here for 21 years waiting for you, where the hell have you been?” It is fresh service like this and fresh hamburgers that have made Voltzy’s a Dayton original, and the owner a local icon. His “shtick” for a good natured ribbing of his new customers is part of the whole experience. But make no mistake, people come here for the food, and you arent around 21 years in the restaurant business if you dont deliver on taste. Click here to see a video of Voltzy asking where you have been.
Located at 4668 Springboro Pike in Moraine, Voltzy’s has been serving up their special hamburgers that are ground fresh every day, so their hamburger meat is never frozen. He uses 80/20 chuck and it is just the right combo for a juicy mouthful. All sandwiches are cooked to order. He also steams the onions on the flat top grill with his burgers. Oh but dear fellow foodies, you must know this, Voltzy’s has more than burgers. His menu is extensive and unique, with many sandwiches, sausages, and hot dog creations named after special people in his life. They even have a 17 pound hamburger on the menu called the “Bill Clinton Divorce Finale” at the great price of just $40.
In the wintertime, Voltzy prepares soups from scratch for his hungry customers who want to warm up. Customers like them so much that last winter he sold 900 gallons of soup! While we were visiting the restaurant, two customers ordered a gallon of the stuff! Being soup connoisseurs, we were very impressed with Voltzy’s homemade creation of “Cream of Vandalia Onion Soup.” Yes, that spelling by Voltzy is done on purpose as a shout out to the Dayton suburb. We also loved Voltzy’s homemade Cream of Potato Soup, and some would tell you his favorite menu items at Voltzy’s are the soups.
The Big Ragu loves Voltzy’s fresh burgers like “The Murph” which is a double cheeseburger with onions and peppers. We also thought the Patty Melt was incredible. Your Food Adventurers had a couple of Root Beers too, which were some of the best we have ever tasted. Want Value? then try Voltzy’s “10 burgers for 10 bucks deal,” which could feed 2 or 3 people… or one Ragu.
During the summer, Voltzy drops the soups and features “Slaw Dogs,” which are said to be out of this world. Voltzy told Ragu, “Wait til you try the slaw dogs, I’m gonna feed you till you explode.” Aww that’s sweet, and would be a Food Adventure first.
Voltzy’s is a unique place, and was a perfect stop on our list of Food Adventures. In fact, we had to come back twice to try more menu items. We sampled the burgers and even tried a wrap called the “Fazio” that had sausage, ham, peppers, onions, cheese and 2 fried eggs. This wrap was huge, and trying to finish it was a Food Adventure in itself. Other interesting food items were the fried mac n cheese, deep fried pickles, and the philly cheesesteak. We also saw some nice looking coney dogs leaving the kitchen.
Like the owner, Ft. Wayne Indiana native Rick Volz, Voltzy’s Restaurant has personality. They are proud of their menu and even proud that they have a bathroom at the new facility. The restaurant is literally a lobby and an outside patio that they have enclosed. We love the place and when we sat down with Voltzy, we saw that he is a good, hard working, regular guy.
Want some tips about Voltzy’s? Make sure you bring cash because they do not take credit cards! Voltzy’s can get busy, so we recommend that you call ahead with your order. Please remember Voltzy’s hours of operation are Monday -Saturday from 11am – 2pm.
Big tastes come out of this small kitchen, which in the future hopes to open up a covered car-port and extend their hours. Get yourself to Voltzy’s in Moraine, and when you come in, prepare to hear some of Voltzy’s unique humor. Do not be surprised if he asks “Where the hell have you been?” Tell him you were reading about him on Food Advetures, Dayton’s favorite food blog on DaytonMostMetro.com!
Please leave comments and thoughts about Voltzy’s below.
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