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

summer

PorchFest – 40 Mini-Concerts In One Day

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Play Music on The Porch Day started out as an idea…“What if for one day everything stopped…and we all just listened to the music?”

Even though this seems like a simple idea, if it worked, it could produce profound results. So in 2013 the organizers of the first “Play on a Porch Day” decided to share this idea with the world and to their surprise the idea spread even faster than they could have ever imagined.

In 2017 thousands of musicians from at least 40 countries and over 400 cities – including Dayton for the first time – participated and the movement continues to grow every day. Musicians from across the globe, regardless of their differences, are finding common ground through music.

This year Dayton again participates in this growing international music phenomenon as the now annual event known as Dayton Porchfest, a free, family friendly event for all ages. The festivities take place in the historic St. Anne’s Hill neighborhood, just east of downtown. There you will find over 40 live Dayton musical acts performing on home owner’s porches. Not only do you get to listen to music all afternoon, you get to experience one of Dayton’s most charming neighborhoods!

This event celebrates Dayton’s rich and diverse music scene, with musicians and bands covering funk and blues to indie rock and jazz, classical and country, to bluegrass and old time muisc that has deep Appalachian roots here. This event also celebrates our “Welcome Dayton” spirit that has contributed to a significant influx of immigrants and refugees over the past decade.

Dayton Porchfest is organized by The Collaboratory, a non-profit incubator for community enterprises and initiatives, located on Courthouse Square. Proceeds from Porchfest go to benefit The Collaboratory. Tips for the musicians are appreciated!

St Anne’s is home to the Fifth Street Brew Pub, who will be open during the festivities. Four food trucks will also be on site, including: McNasty’s, Courtland’s Mobile Grill, Pa’s Pork, Chi-Dogs, and Gary’s Italian Ice. Be sure to scroll below for map and music schedule.

How to Go?

When: Saturday August 25th from 1:30pm – 7pm aka “International Play on the Porch” Day. See schedule below.

Where: Throughout St. Anne’s Hill Historic District located between 4th and Josie St. Please do not park in the neighborhood. Parking is available at the Liederkranz building, Stivers High School, Becker Electric, RSC Graphics, and Miami Valley Gasket. Signs will be present. See map below.

Cost: Free!

Ages: All ages welcome

Remember to bring: Sunscreen, chair, and umbrella (just in case!)

Take photos? Please use #DaytonPorchfest #MusicOnTheHill #DiscoverDayton

Dayton Jam Band fans gather at The Werk Out!

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If you are one of the many avid jam band fans in the Dayton area, no doubt you have heard of The Werk Out. In it’s 9th year, this major music and arts festival is one of the “don’t miss” events of the summer. It takes place on the historic grounds at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio, just east of Columbus, where the Grateful Dead, among others, took the stage many times. The venue’s storied past is why Dayton’s homegrown heroes, The Werks, chose to host their yearly musical extravaganza there.

The natural valley serves as an ideal spot for viewing multiple stages and comfortably camping all weekend long. You pull in right off of I-70, get parked, put your tent set up, then wander down the tree lined path, which is peppered with hammocks, vendors, food on your way to the massive stage set up. There you’ll get to see some of the most exciting national jam and rock bands touring today, including: Umphrey’s McGee (2 sets), Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (2 sets), Lettuce, Papadosio, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (2 nights), Twiddle, Turkuaz, Spafford, The Marcus King Band, KNOWER (full band), Zach Deputy, Steady Flow, ekoostik hookah, TWERKAPOD: A Tribute to the 90s,, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Octave Cat, Ghost Light featuring Holly Bowling, Tom Hamilton, Steve Lyons, Raina Mullen, Scotty Zwang Music, Mungion, Mom and Dad (featuring Chuck Jones & Neal Evans of Dopapod), Mike Perkins, Electric Orange Peel, and Conscious Pilot. 

When I think of seeing all that great music individually, it would be so expensive. That’s what makes this festival a real value for music fans like me! Plus, it’s not just music that you can take part in, as there are tons of cool classes and “Werkshops” happening as well. From yoga and classes on tarot reading, to ecological leadership classes (yeah!) and kids activities, there is something for everyone. Or just kick it at your camp site with all the new friends you are bound to make!

How to Go?

Legend Valley Music Center and Campground: 7585 Kindle Rd, Thornville, OH 43076

Wednesday, August 1, 2018 at 6:00 PM –Sunday, August 5, 2018 at 12:00 PM (EDT)

NOTE: Wednesday “early bird” admission is an extra fee.

Click here for ticketing information.

 

Darke County Announces First Brewery!

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Darke County’s first Brewery is set to open this summer

 

Big Rack Brewery is coming to Darke County this summer.  Dayton Most Metro and Food Adventures have the first inside scoop of what to expect. It will be located in New Madison at the current Kennedy Vineyards Homestead and Tasting room. You may recall our full story on the winery last week (click here).  Owners John and Louisa Kennedy are seeking licensing and are hopeful that the brewery will operational by June.

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY on BIG RACK BREWERY:

—BIG RACK BREWERY will be located at 3911 St. Rt. 722 in New Madison, Ohio in the same site as the winery tasting room

The Bar area of the Tasting Room

for Kennedy Vineyards.  The site is a fully operational farm and a family homestead.  It is also a vineyard, and you can see the rows of grapes as you pull into the parking lot.

—The brewery will feature 4 in-house brewed, craft beers on tap.  They will have one mainstay beer, an OATMEAL STOUT (yet to be named).

—The other 3 beers will be 1 Seasonal Brew, and 2 other taps that will be revolving with either new beers or returning favorites.

— The Brewery will sell growlers and pints and will continue to sell bottles of wines, glasses of wine, and wine flights.

Owners John and Louisa Kennedy

—There is plenty of seating in the tasting room and at the bar.  This building was the old corn crib for the farm.  There is also a beautiful view from the patio seating overlooking the farm and vineyard.

—The Food Adventures Crew has been to the homestead a handful of times, and the family is very genuine and friendly.  They make you feel right at home.

—The news is so fresh that they have not even finalized their website yet.  Stay tuned for the launch of www.bigrackbrewery.com

A perfect chance for you to visit and experience the Brewery and Winery is an incredible dinner event coming this summer.

They will be hosting a Hog Roast Food Adventure Dinner on Saturday June 3rd set with acoustic music early and a band in the evening.

The event is called “WINE and SWINE.”

*** SATURDAY JUNE 3rd “WINE and SWINE” HOG ROAST at KENNEDY VINEYARD and BIG RACK BREWERY ***

TICKETS (ONLY AVAILABLE ONLINE AT THIS LINK)  are $25 per person, and includes:

—One bottle of wine per person

Kennedy Vineyard in New Madison, Ohio

—Pulled Pork Hog Roast Dinner with homemade sides of Cheesey Potatoes, Cole Slaw and Baked Beans.

—Acoustic Music before and during dinner, Rock n roll Band after dinner in the barn til 9pm.

This will be a casual event, rain or shine, we will have tents and you can decide when you want to arrive, based on festivities from 2-10pm.

 

TIMELINE OF THE “WINE and SWINE” EVENT on SATURDAY JUNE 3rd, 2017

(come whenever you like, dinner starts 4pm)

2pm – Vineyard opens (cash bar available all day for extra purchases)
2pm – 4pm  Mingle on the vineyard grounds, explore the tasting room
3pm – 5pm Acoustic Music
4pm – 6pm Hog Roast Dinner is served, all you care to eat
7-9pm – Rock Band in the barn
6pm – 10pm CASH BAR

This promises to be a blast, so please GET YOUR TICKETS NOW !

TICKETS ARE PRE-PAY ONLY – click here to buy yours (Only 200 tickets will be sold)

Comfort and Fun

 

The Food Adventures Crew can’t wait to try the new brews and we are very happy for the Kennedy family.  We have seen the hard work they have put into the business over the past few years, and they have developed quite a following.   We wish them continued success on this additional venture and suggest you visit them before and after the brewery is open.  You will love this spot.

Speaking of love…. do you love the Miami Valley food scene?  Then join FOOD ADVENTURES on Facebook by clicking HERE.  We are not food critics, we are 3 passionate foodies that love to eat  We love to share our favorite local spots and more.  No rules, just good food.

Please feel free to browse the photos below of the Kennedy Homestead and future site of the brewery.

Tasting Room from the outside

John tends to customers in the tasting room

Early patio days – much more furniture now and same great view

Louisa educating us on their winery

Dinner bell

Wandering the vineyard

Updated tasting room

3 generations of family

Grandma Kennedy makes sure Ragu isnt double parked or she will pistol whip him with a yellow squash

We have a bigfoot sighting

The winery will be adding a BREWERY !

Kennedy Vineyard- expanding from wine to beer too !

It is great to see this locally owned business evolving

More patio seating

Chickens on the adjacent farm

From grapes, to hops and barley – they will have it all.

Outside the tasting room

Peaceful scene of the fields adjacent to the Vineyard – where baby Kal El landed in his spaceship from Krypton in Superman 1

Plenty of patio seating

Located near Greenville and Arcanum

Casual, at home feel

View of the tasting room and barn from the road

 

 

 

 

Summer Grilling Tips for Great Food Adventures !

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Italian Seasoned Salmon, and Shrimp with Montgomery Inn BBQ Sauce

 

Who doesn’t love a good cookout?  Most Daytonians are elbow deep in grilling season this summer.  From parties, to romantic dinners or family time, this is the time of the year to use that gas or charcoal grill.  The Food Adventures Crew is here with some helpful tips to make your grilling experiences a success.  The Big Ragu, Hungry Jax and Chef House share our MUST EATS an MUST DO’s.. Grilling out version!

 

— PREPARATION IS KEY:  Prepare beforehand to make it easy on yourself.  Marinade your meats and pre-slice veggies ahead of time instead of fumbling on the grill table.  Ziplock bags work great to hold veggies doused in a bit of olive oil, and grill ready!

 

— MARINATE YOUR MEAT: A simple soaking can do wonders for tenderness and flavor.  

Hungry Jax says “Marinade chicken in buttermilk! It makes it so tender!”

Big Ragu loves using Soy Sauce, Worcester Sauce, and Minced Garlic mixture for a simple steak marinade.  For chicken, he uses a cheap bottle of Italian dressing or Olive Oil, Basil, Garlic Powder and Oregano.

 

Hand pressed patties from 80/20 Ground Chuck

— GET THE RIGHT TOOLS:  Make sure your tongs and flipper are long enough, and that they work correctly.  It will save you a few dropped sausages, or epic losses thru the grill grate.

 

— MEATS SHOULD BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE WHEN GRILLING:  Take cuts of meat out of fridge 30 minutes prior to grilling, so they are not cold.  It won’t contaminate the meat! It will actually help you grill the meat more evenly.

 

— MAKE YOUR HAMBURGER PATTIES THINNER IN THE MIDDLE than the outside.  Always hand patty your burgers with fresh meat, and make them thinner in the center.   This is because the middle swells when you grill the burger.  This helps even the playing field, and prevents your burgers becoming undercooked meatballs.

 

— HIGH HEAT FOR STEAKS, ALWAYS:  Grill that steak and let it sit until that final flip.  The result is a juicy, seared steak with great grill marks.

 

Grilled Sausages with Beer Steamed Onions and Green Peppers

— FISH, THE LESS FLIPPING THE BETTER:   Cook fish about 75 percent then flip it once.  Let the grill do the work.  Wana see flipping seafood?  Go to Benihana…

 

— DRIZZLE LIME OR LEMON JUICE OVER SEAFOOD RIGHT AT THE END OF GRILL TIME:  This is always a  great finishing touch of flavor.

 

— GRILL SALAD:  Yes!  Chef House says, Grill salad! It doesn’t always have to be about meat.  Romaine, Belgium Endive and Radicchio are great together and hold up well on the grill. Wilt the greens and get some grill marks on there. Chop and toss with olive oil, vinegar and cheese.  Chef House suggests sherry vinegar or a sweeter white balsamic with bleu cheese. Fresh herbs are always a nice touch too.  Shout out to Miami Valley Spice Traders, who carries a great honey white balsamic vine

 

— GRILL PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS: 

     Chef House loves to marinate them overnight in orange juice, olive oil and garlic.  So easy, and her family’s favorite.

     The Big Ragu uses Worcester sauce, soy sauce and garlic powder for his Portabella Mushroom Grill Marinade.

 

— GRILL ASAPRAGUS: The Big Ragu uses Olive Oil and Garlic Salt when grilling these sticks of love.

Grilled Zucchini and Yellow SquashThe Big Ragu uses Olive Oil and Garlic Salt when grilling these sticks of love.

     Chef House marinates her asparagus overnight in her family favorite recipe of  orange juice, olive oil and garlic.  Is your mouth watering yet?

 

— GRILL PIZZA:  Hungry Jax loves this summer twist on the ole pizza pie.   Make sure you have a hearty crust.  Medium heat and inventive toppings are the key to pizza grilling  success !

 

— HAVE A LOCAL LUAU: Impress your family and friends this summer and have an entire grilled meal from local vendors.

Here are some supplier ideas from Chef House:

     Keener Farms, one of the the area’s best butcher blocks for grass fed burgers and brats.

     Ed Hill owner of Xenia’s HILL FAMILY FARMS has great Chicken available at Dorothy Lane Market.

     KJB PORK, available at the  2nd street market.

Fresh veggies from Homefull, Patchwork Gardens or Flying Mouse. All of these local brands are found at area farmer’s markets.

 

— LEARN TO MAKE GREAT SAUCES: We love sauces to go along with grilled meat.  Chimichurri is a huge favorite of Chef House and so versatile.   Here is another tip from Chef House… www.Epicurious.com is a great site for new sauce recipes.

 

NY Strip Steak with Bleu Cheese Crumbles

— GRILL CORN IN THE HUSK:  Here is a quick, fun idea the kids and adults will love.  Get some fresh corn still in the husk, cut it at the tip.  Peel back and take out the silks. Pull the husk back up and soak in water for 20 minutes.  Throw them on the grill wet and watch them steam the corn on the grill.  Flip until the husks are brown on all sides, peel back and serve rustic style with salt and butter.

 

— OVERESTIMATE YOUR MEAT: Chef House says cook more meat than you need, so you have leftovers!  Especially chicken, which can be easily made into some delicious tacos the next day.

 

— BEER ISN’T JUST FOR DRINKING ANYMORE:  Get a tin pan, and pour in 1/2 of a beer.  Add some sausages and sliced peppers and onions and let steam on the grill.  Touch up the grill marks on the sausages just before you serve it.  Serve it with the steamed onions and peppers too, with or without a bun !  Now you’re a hero.

 

Dogs, Asparagus and Salmon

— THROW LIVE CLAMS ON THE GRILL:  Wana impress your friends easily?  Throw a dozen live clams on the grill.  When they open, they’re done.  It is that simple, but your friends with think it is pretty darn cool.

 

— HAVE A GLASS OF WATER NEARBY FOR FLARE UPS:  Just in case your juices or grease catch on fire, this keeps you and the fire, in control.

 

— SPARE PROPANE TANK:  Make sure you have an extra, FULL, propane tank on hand.  Nothing says “oh Sh*t” like an empty propane tank during grilling.  You never know when you are gonna run out, so don’t!  Keep a spare, full tank near to your grill, in cae you have to pull the “old switcheroo.”

 

— PLACE GRILLED FOOD INTO SEALED PLASTIC STORAGE CONTAINERS:  Especially at a cookout, flies tend to swarm to open plates of cooked meat.  The answer is get some plastic lid containers and seal the cooked meats inside.  Trust us, it works much better than fumbling with open plates and aluminum foil with open cracks.

Veggie Shish Kabobs

These are the tips from the FOOD ADVENTURES CREW.   We hope they help you enjoy some summer cookouts by spurring some ideas.

Do you have some grilling tips you could share with us?  

Please feel free to let go some of your family secrets by commenting below.  We would be grateful, along with a lot of Dayton’s grilling gurus.

For more foodie news and Dayton restaurant scoop, please “like” FOOD ADVENTURES on FACEBOOK by clicking HERE .

Catch us every week, with a feature article here on Dayton Most Metro.

Follow us on Twitter, too: @food_adv

“We are not food critics, we just love to eat.”

Below are more photos from our Food Adventures by the grill.  Please feel free to browse them.

Mahi Mahi, Pineapple and Yellow Squash

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marinated Steaks, ready for the grill

Grilling Pineapple, Mahi Mahi and Yellow Squash on a summer’s day

Squuezing Lime juice on the Mahi Mahi

Steaming Peppers and Onions in Beer with Sausages

Grilling out for Charity

Grilling Chicken

Salmon and Asparagus straight off the grill

Poolside Grilled fish and Veggies

Grilled Swordfish and Veggies

Burgers and Dogs

BBQ Chicken and Salmon

Charcoal Grilling

Grilled Wild Grouper and Grilled Endive

Grilled local veggies

Squash, Asparagus and Pork – grilled to perfection

Grilled Wahoo and Grilled Clams

The sky is the limit for our grill techniques

Poolside grilled meal

Grilled Corn in the Husk

Sausage bought downtown NYC

Grilled Asparagus and Corn

Black n Bleu Burger from the backyard

Grillin clams like a boss

Peel back the grilled corn

Grilled Zucchini and Tzatzi sauce

Full Grill – is how we do it

Start eating, it’s done !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free Summer Party Downtown

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Photo PosterThe Dayton Metro Library is inviting the whole community to a Summer Party.  There will be free entertainment, games, contests and hands-on activities for the whole family on Saturday, August 9, 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Main Library and in Cooper Park, downtown Dayton.
Chuck Duritsch from the Dayton Metro Library says, “We want to celebrate not only our summer readers who worked hard and met their goals, but also have a fun afternoon for everyone!”

 

What’s in store?

 

Visit the Technology Petting Zoo to see the latest gadgets, then pet puppies from the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. Make your own cotton candy, then ride a blender bike and make a smoothie. Time the Rubik’s Cube champ, learn break dancing skills from Deja Kru, and meet a young Yo-Yo Master. Book swaps, henna tattoos, physical challenges, chess games, storytimes, oh my! There’s too much to mention. Suffice it to say there are activities throughout Cooper Park and inside the Main Library as well – plenty for adults and children to have a fun, free afternoon. Food vendors will be on hand for the purchase of food and beverages, but all other activities (from the Active Zone to the Zoot Theatre puppets) are FREE.

 

“This is a chance for families to come together for a fun, free event to celebrate the summer,” said Diane Farrell, Director of External Relations for the Library. The Library invites you to come enjoy an afternoon with your friends, family and neighbors at the Dayton Metro Library as we wrap up a super summer and get ready for a fabulous fall!

 

More details from the Library:

 

The event features:
  • Hands-on activities, crafts and experiments
  • The Kids BookMobile
  • The Batmobile with Batman and Robin
  • Curious George, The Cat in the Hat, Heater and Gem from The Dayton Dragons and costumed Star Wars characters
  • The Zoot Theatre Company puppets
  • Music by DJ Dan Edwards
  • An active zone with hula hoops, jump ropes, Frisbees, bubbles and bikes
  • A Book Swap for all ages, plus more!

 

 Partner organizations and guests include:
  • Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission teaching bike safety
  • Humane Society of Greater Dayton showcasing pet adoptions
  • Boonshoft Museum of Discovery meeting animals up close
  • Muse Machine – leading active story and dance
  • Ohio Virtual Academy and Chaminade Julienne High School – getting hands on with STEM labs and slime
  • Rosewood Arts Center – exploring comic book art
  • ThinkTV – PBS Kids Island
  • Time Warner Cable – science behind cotton candy
  • Dayton Mom-Spot Blog – book and swag bag giveaways
  • Welcome Dayton – language activities
  • Prevent Blindness Ohio – coloring and eye health
  • EarthFare – Sun Safety
  • Yo-Yo demonstrations, break dancing and the national Rubik’s Cube champion

 

Admission and all activities are free.  Food trucks will be on hand for the purchase of food and beverages.  Summer Reading Club participants of all ages can bring their completed folders to the Party for special prizes.
For more information, visit DaytonMetroLibrary.org or call the Library’s External Relations Department at 937-496-8901.

Summer Sipping

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Summer cocktail

Summer is here…and look what it brought with it!

The unofficial beginning of summer has become Memorial Day weekend. It is a long weekend, the weather has turned warm for the season, and pool and festival season kicks off during the extended break from work. The official first day of the season is June 21, during the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. When summer hits, everything changes. Fresh fruit is much more available, and you can get VERY fresh fruit at local farmers markets and Second Street Market downtown. This is also a perfect excuse to change up what you are drinking.

The craft beer distilleries have been summer beers for a month or two now, adding berries, peaches, melons, and citrusy flavors to provide some light flavors more in tune with the season. People are turning to lighter cocktails, looking to all flavors of mojitos, margaritas, or any other light drink. And of course, you need to hit the patio wherever you are at. The season to relax on a patio with friends does not last forever, so  get while the getting is good. But what to drink while you are out there? That is the real question. Here are some answers.

BEER

Shandies

Beer of your choice, typically a lager
Lemonade or lemon lime soda

Fill half a pint or other tall glass half way with your beer of choice. Fill the rest of it with the lemonade or lemon lime soda. Enjoy!

Shandies have been around for about a century, starting in Europe and spreading across the pond. Different places around the world use different regional mixers, but the general idea is the same. It is a drink with a little bit of an alcoholic punch, but mild enough to sip it all day long. Any beer can be used, but a good witbier can make a really tasty pairing.

Shandy beer cocktailCOCKTAILS

Lynchburg Lemonade

1.5 oz. Jack Daniels (it can be any whiskey, but seriously…)
.5 oz. peach liqueur
1 oz. lemon juice (about lemon)
.5 oz. simple syrup
Club Soda

Pour the whiskey, peach liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker. Shake well (10-15 shakes), and pour into a glass filled with ice. Top off with about an ounce of club soda.

The Lynchburg Lemonade has fallen on hard times. It has a bad reputation of being overly sweet, fizzy, and generally frowned on in this world of craft cocktails and more available ingredients. Jeff Lucas, a contributor to Serious Eats, worked out this upgraded version. It allows the whiskey to come forward, with the rest of the flavors there for support. This is one you can make in the comfort of your own house.

Paloma

1.5 oz. tequila (I have been enjoying Avion lately)
4.5 oz. grapefruit soda
A splash of lime juice

Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour the tequila in first, then the grapefruit soda and lime juice. Stir and enjoy!

While we like to drink margaritas to celebrate Mexican culture, Mexicans like to drink this very refreshing tequila cocktail. It is simple to make and perfect for a hot day out with friends.

Floridita (Or Hemingway Daiquiri)

2 oz. rum
.5 oz. lime juice
.25 oz. simple syrup
.25 oz. maraschino liqueur
.5 oz. grapefruit juice

Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until cold, and pour into a cocktail glass. Enjoy!

Hemingway needed to take a bathroom break.  A charming little bar in Havana, the El Floridita, was on his way, so he pulled in there to use their facilities. He saw the bartender mixing up a batch of daiquiris. The bartender noticed the famous writer and offered him a glass. Hemingway liked it, but he wanted his a little stronger, and without the sugar. A little maraschino liqueur and a lot of rum later, this delicious summer cocktail was born.

Mixed berriesStrawberry Sorbet

.75 oz. vodka
.75 oz. strawberry schnapps
4 oz. milk

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until cold, and pour in a tall glass filled with ice.

What is summer fun without a little ice cream? This is a richer drink you may want to consider as a dessert or a sweet treat. You can switch out any flavored schnapps you would like to make the ice cream your preferred flavor. You can even reduce the amount of milk to 2 oz., add 4 oz. of ice cream, and turn it into an actual shake. Add two or three fresh strawberries while you are at it!

WINE

White Wine Berry Sangria

1 750 ml bottle of white wine that matches your taste
.75 cup white rum
.5 cup sugar, less if you choose
.5 cup blueberries
.5 cup blackberries
.5 cup raspberries
.5 liter of ginger ale

Pour the wine, rum, sugar, and all of the fruit into a large pitcher and mix well. Put into the refrigerator for two hours, or until you are ready to serve. Just before you serve it, add the ginger ale to the mix.

Summer is a great time for berries. It is also a great time for white wine. It seems only natural to mix the two together for a light wine cocktail. You can up the tartness of the sangria by getting rid of the rum and switching it to .5 cup of limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur).

This is the season where families spend more time together and people go out and relax more. It is time to add some fresh flavors to the typical drinks you are enjoying. Where is your favorite patio to hang out on in Dayton during the summer? We would love to hear about it in the comments! There is a little extra daylight to burn today. Get out there and start enjoying it.

May 2013 Blockbusters at Rave Cinemas Dayton South

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Hello Dayton!   There are plenty of options for everyone to have the perfect movie weekend this week.  Lots of things happening at your local Rave Cinemas!  And don’t forget at Dayton South/Huber Heights, TUESDAYS are $5 all day (*3D $8), The Greene is WEDNESDAYS!  You simply cannot beat this great deal with the superior picture and sound quality versus Netflix!

Opening In May

IRON MAN 3– Opens 05/02/13 

Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man 3” pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy’s hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Stephanie Szostak, James Badge Dale with Jon Favreau and Ben Kingsley, “Iron Man 3” is directed by Shane Black from a screenplay by Drew Pearce and Shane Black and is based on Marvel’s iconic Super Hero Iron Man, who first appeared on the pages of “Tales of Suspense” (#39) in 1963 and had his solo comic book debut with “The Invincible Iron Man” (#1) in May of 1968.

 

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gl0CoyhlNw’]

 

THE GREAT GATSBY– Opens 05/10/13

“The Great Gatsby” follows Fitzgerald-like, would-be writer Nick Carraway as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy, and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan. It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.

 

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rARN6agiW7o’]

 

 

STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS– Opens 05/16/13

In the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organization, the crew of The Enterprise is called back home to Earth. In defiance of regulations and with a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads his crew on a manhunt to capture an unstoppable force of destruction and bring those responsible to justice.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

 

 

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ec_rPApKCA’]

 

 

EPIC– Opens 05/24/13

“Epic” is a 3D CG action-adventure comedy that reveals a hidden world unlike any other. From the creators of “Ice Age” and “Rio,” “Epic” tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teen age girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world and ours.

 

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xu3JLXfuwQ’]

 

 

FAST & FURIOUS 6– Opens 05/24/13

Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson lead the returning cast of all-stars as the global blockbuster franchise built on speed races to its next continent in “Fast & Furious 6.” Reuniting for their most high-stakes adventure yet, fan favorites Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges and Elsa Pataky are joined by badass series newcomers Luke Evans and Gina Carano.

 

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THE HANGOVER Part III– Opens 05/24/13

“The Hangover Part III” is the third and final film in director Todd Phillips’ record-shattering comedy franchise. This time, there’s no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack hits the road, all bets are off.

 

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AFTER EARTH– Opens 05/31/13

A crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity�s escape. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. Father and son must learn to work together and trust one another if they want any chance of returning home.

 

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZIt20emgLY’]

 

 

NOW YOU SEE ME– Opens 05/31/13

“Now You See Me” pits an elite FBI squad in a game of cat and mouse against “The Four Horsemen,” a super-team of the world’s greatest illusionists. “The Four Horsemen” pull off a series of daring heists against corrupt business leaders during their performances, showering the stolen profits on their audiences while staying one step ahead of the law.

 

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaavRAV8a0A’]

 

 

For showtimes…CLICK HERE!

Punching It Up

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Fish House Punch Bowl

Hello fancy!

Our cocktail history is a long and rich one. Starting with the Pilgrims stopping at Plymouth Rock because they were out of beer, up to the current rise of the craft cocktails, we have seen a little bit of everything. One of the longest runs in our cocktail history is one that for the most part has been forgotten, other than remnants of them in some of the cocktails we enjoy today. It was present up right to the end of the 19th century, encouraging people to gather around and spend a few hours with each other, ladling out glasses of potent liquid to cool off in the hot summer months, and to warm up in the cold winter months. The punch was a staple of the growing United States, being present at every bar and gathering in the country, and for some very good reasons.

Punches originated in India, where the British were stationed with little access to the good alcohols they enjoyed at home. And the British sailors did not like to be separated from their ration of one gallon of beer a day. Or a half pint of rum, whichever they preferred. One of the origin stories for why they called it “punch” was a slant on the Indian word panch (five), the number of ingredients the punch was supposed to have. The drink was created with alcohol, lemon, sugar, water, and tea or other native spices. The alcohol became whatever was handy at the time. It began with wine, but rum, brandy, and whiskey punches were also popular in the various areas of the British Empire. It was so popular that a special bowl was even created for it, called a Monteith Bowl. It had a scalloped edge, which eventually became removable, where a ladle could be kept or the stems of wine glasses could be held.

It spread with the empire. Rum houses sprang up all over the United States and Caribbean islands. The earliest recorded punch in the New World is the Bajan (Barbadian) Rum Punch. It was so popular it even had its own rhyme for a recipe: One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak. One part lime juice, two parts sweetener (usually sugar), three parts rum, and four parts water. Local spices were also added to the mix, recreating the five part panch.  As the drink spread through the country, regional variances changed the flavors, and in some case the potency, of the tipple. The Schyulkill Fishing Company created the most famous variation, known as the Fish House Punch. Possibly for the gentlemen there to enjoy, possibly something lighter for the ladies to enjoy at a Christmas Party in 1848. Punches of all varieties became a staple of dinners, of meetings, of daily life in the young country. At one dinner in 1785, the host reported that sixty-eight people went through forty-four bowls of punch, as well as eighteen bottles of wine and a large quantity of other rums and brandy. Rum was the staple liquor in the colonies, and in many punches, since it was readily available and cheap. The cheapness of the rum was another reason punches were so popular; in the 18th century, rum was still in its infancy. It was awful. The additional flavors and water added to the punch helped to hide the awfulness of the cheap and nearly raw spirit.

Monteith Bowl

Monteith bowls never go out of style.

Punches started to fall out of favor just before the Civil War. Punches were something to be consumed by a group of people over several hours, and we were starting to roll out across the country. Railroads were being built, gold was being discovered, and acres of land were out there for the taking. This was a growing country, and this was no time to sit and drink. There were more options for drinks as well, and people were looking for something more individualized. They did not want to all have to drink the same thing. They lasted until the beginning of the 20th century as a curiosity, something of a cocktail throwback. They were pushed to the back of recipe books in favor of collins, cobblers, and sours, many of which owe their existence to the recipe of punch. Some of the first tiki style drinks from the 1950’s were also based off of punch recipes. Since then, punch’s non-alcoholic form (which was always around, just not as popular) became a staple at kids’ parties for the same reason it was a staple at dinners; it brings people together around a communal place to drink something refreshing in a social setting.

Punches are still a great way to present something to your guests at a party so they can serve themselves. They can be prepared in advance, and you can make them to taste, taking into consideration the time of year you are serving them. Right now, a nice apple cider punch or something with fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg would be delightful. September 20th is National Punch and Rum Punch Day. Gather some friends together, stir together one part sour, two parts sweet, three parts strong and four parts weak, add a few spices to taste, and enjoy an evening around a fire. Cheers!

Barbadian Punch

1 cup lime juice
2 cups simple syrup (Heat one cup of water, then add a cup of sugar. Mix until dissolved, allow to cool)
3 cups of rum
4 cups of water
A few dashes of Angostura bitters
Nutmeg to taste

Stir all of the ingredients into a pitcher or bowl. Ladle into individual cups over ice, add nutmeg to taste.

Philadelphia Fish House Punch

1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 (750-ml) bottle Jamaican amber rum
12 oz Cognac (1 1/2 cups)
2 oz peach brandy (1/4 cup)

In a large bowl, stir the sugar into the water until the sugar is dissolved. Then mix in the lemon juice, rum, cognac, and brandy. Put the mixture into the refrigerator for three to four hours until chilled. Serve over a large block of ice for the sake of tradition, or in cups with ice in them. Garnish with wheels of lemon. If you deem this as too strong when tasting it, add more water or black tea.

(Recipe via Epicurious)

 

Hooray Beer!

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Dayton Beer Week

Dayton Beer Week 2012! August 18th - 24th! Our Festivus!

Next Saturday, August 25th, Dayton will mark the 14th time AleFest has been celebrated, and it has been picking up steam every year. Three hundred and fifty breweries are participating in the event taking place at Carillon Historical Park. It is the main event in an escalating series of beer celebrations around town that makes up Dayton Beer Week, August 18th – 24th. This is the week that every craft beer aficionado should be going out and looking to expand their palate. It would be harder for you this week to find a place that is NOT offering some sort of beer event.

There are going to be beer tastings, dinners, tappings, specials, and education all week long in the widest variety of venues. Places better known for wine or other spirits will be getting into the act, like the Century Bar, Thai 9, A Taste of Wine, Buckin’ Donkey BBQ, and Bruning’s Wine Shop. Beer dinners will be offered all around town to help improve your food and beer pairings at Rue Dumaine, Jay’s Seafood Restaurant, Dorothy Lane Market, Spinoza’s Pizza & Salads, Meadowlark, The Melting Pot, and Jimmie’s Ladder 11. Representatives from Samuel Adams, Stone Brewing Company, Duvel USA, Brewkettle, New Holland, Magic Hat, 21st Amendment, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada Brewery, and Unibroue will be in town to talk about their beers as well as show off some of their new products. All of the dates and times for these tastings are available on our event calendar under beer.

The festivities for the week officially begin on Sunday evening, August 19th, with the Beer Pride Parade, starting at the Dublin Pub. Line up through the Oregon District and show your craft beer pride!  The over 800 owners of the new Fifth Street Brewpub Co-op are invited to a pre-parade event and will walk in the parade en masse.  The first eighty bicycle riders to Biking for The Beer Of It in Miamisburg can participate in a nice ten mile ride on Tuesday, August 21st, sponsored by Goose Island. There will be some refreshments at the mid way point, and a little bit of swag for all of the participants. Five chefs and six beers will be featured on Wednesday, August 22nd, at the Dayton Art Institute’s Brewer’s Art dinner. Space is limited for this event, so you are going to want to make your reservations soon! Of course, the final event, the culmination of a week’s worth of fun and tasting and exploring is AleFest.

Dayton AleFest

For fourteen years, this has been THE beer event in Dayton.

While you are out exploring Dayton, there are a few things you should remember as you are out doing your tastings:

  • When you taste, it is very similar to tasting wine. You want a little foam on the top. You also want to look at and sniff the beer before you taste it, to see what aromas are coming off of it.
  • Do not hold the beer in direct light when you look at it. You get the best idea of color when you look at it in indirect light.
  • Give it a little bit of a swirl in your glass. This stirs up the carbonation a little, allowing more of the aromas to be released. Don’t underestimate the importance of scent when tasting your beer!
  • Hold the beer in your mouth a little bit, allowing it to roam all over your tongue. Enjoy the flavors that come out as it is in your mouth. Take a mental note on how thick the beer is. This is known as mouthfeel.
  • Allow the beer to warm up SLIGHTLY before you drink it. As with wine, a little bit of extra warmth unveils deeper flavors that may not be otherwise obvious.

And while you are going to Beer Week events:

  • Car pool. Parking is going to be very limited for some of these events, and the citizens are going to be out in force. Getting more people in one car is going to be helpful for everyone.
  • Get there early. You want to make sure you get there in enough time to get seats, be able to talk to the guest of honor, etc. Some events may even have limited seating. Make sure you call the venue and check out the details.
  • Drink plenty of water. This is going to serve a twofold purpose. First, water will help cleanse the palate between each beer, giving you a better idea of how each beer tastes. Secondly, it will help you avoid a worse hangover than you might normally have.
  • Do not eat spicy foods before you go to an event. You do not want your taste buds to be still burning from the Nuclear Hot wings you just ate. Eat a little something; just tone it down.
  • Go to the dark side. If you are not at a pre-set beer tasting, start off with some of the lighter beers, and go to the darker ones. The darker beers tend to have heavier flavors and be thicker, which can linger a little longer.
  • Designate a driver. No explanation needed.

Next week is going to be an exciting romp through the world of craft beer. Check out the list and plan you week carefully, participate in a few a events, and try out a few beers you have never thought about before, or may not get a chance to again. I am sure Max Spang (who helped me quite a bit with advice and research on this article) and I will see you out at some point around town. Cheers!

Get Outta Town

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While the ideal road trip may not be as crazy as the movie versions, you can still have a lot of fun if you know where to go, what to bring and what kind of things to expect along the way. This will be the first of a few posts in which I’ll be talking about how to have the perfect road trip, culminating in me sharing with you my own road trip experience with a few of my friends.

Deciding where to go for your road trip may be the toughest thing to do but I hope these suggestions can help you figure out which is best for you.

Great Summer Spots

Niagara Falls on the U.S. side (photo taken by Nicholas Bruce)

Niagara Falls, Canada. Now you are required to have a passport to get into Canada, but it is still an inexpensive vacation spot. The area is tailored to tourists and has basically everything you need to enjoy the experience.

Virginia Beach, Virginia Great for the younger crowd but also very family-friendly. There are lots of things to do in the area, besides the miles of beautiful beach. For more info check out the visitors site http://www.vbfun.com/visitors/default.aspx

Any national park with camping. A lot of national parks have reasonable camping rates which can add to the experience of enjoying a national landmark. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is a great example. This is a great time to make smores, pitch a tent in the woods and tell ghost stories while taking in the wonders of the cave.

Washington, D.C. Obviously our nation’s capital is filled with museums and countless historically important statues and buildings, but be sure to check out the rich food culture that engulfs the area. There’s even a detailed web site to attest this

Don’t forget to consider what is on the way to your destination. If you choose Niagara Falls, you can make a stop in Buffalo, NY where you can try the world famous buffalo chicken wings at Anchor Bar. The places I listed are all within reasonable driving distance from Dayton, Ohio as well!

Luray Caverns in Luray, Va. (photo taken by Nicholas Bruce)

In debating where to go, my group decided on the Virginia area. My dad lives in northwest Virginia in the small resort town of Massanutten. D.C. is only about two hours away and Virginia Beach is a little over four, which make for easy day trips. The best part about this decision is we will save money by not having to get a hotel!

After deciding where you want to go, a timetable for your trip has to be chosen. Major holidays should definitely be avoided, as they create insane traffic jams and overcrowded vacation areas. When traveling during the summer, for example, Sundays tend to have bad traffic as people are returning home from vacation. So if possible, try to leave for your trip on a Thursday or early Friday and return very early Sunday or even Monday.

As for deciding when we wanted to go and for how long, we had to pick a time period that would allow us to include everything we wanted to do. After much debate, July 22-26 was chosen. We will begin our trip on a Thursday and return on a Monday, giving us hopefully clear roads.  We chose to go to Virginia Beach on Saturday and D.C. on Sunday, leaving Friday to enjoy the local activities of Massanutten.

Be sure to read the next piece of this series which will detail what to bring during your road trip.

It’s a Different Kind of Summer Now

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University Hall

Where did ten weeks go? Oh that’s right, they went into writing papers, studying for tests and giving presentations. Another quarter is completed and it is time for summer. Summer doesn’t have the same traditional activities for college students as it used to. No more running in sprinklers and chasing down the ice cream truck, for some of us its time for graduation and off to the real world. For some of us it is time for a summer vacation, relaxing on a beach and sipping on margaritas. And for the rest of us, it might mean working or taking more classes. For some or most of the students at Wright State, our lives don’t change much from the rest of the year. We’ll continue to work, live in the same house or apartment, and go to class, whereas other students have to fight the complications of moving home with mom and dad, finding a job, and even finding things to do around the home town again.

I definitely find this an advantage to being a Wright State student, living locally, and having a secure job. I personally am not taking any summer classes this summer. I take 16 credit hours the other three quarters of the year and work part time. Summer is my freedom, it’s my time to travel and relax and save up that money for fall quarter’s books. But here are some summer plans of a few Wright State Students.

Lindsey Satterfield, Organizational Communications

“I plan on working at JC Penny to save up money, go to some music festivals, and travel to Florida to see my best friend. I also have signed up for one summer class to move things along.”

Joel Hangen, Management Information Systems major

“I’m just working full time this summer, have a couple trips planned to Canada and Vegas”

Nicole Anderson, Communication Studies

“This summer I have an internship, work and classes so I can graduate in March of 2011”

Alex Vanioukov, Business Management

“I work all summer unfortunately”

So it’s an array of plans for Wright State students this summer. We will be in and out of Dayton for the next three months. We’ll be working hard and saving that money for our schooling and of course, we’ll be soaking up the activities Dayton is offering this summer.

Top Ten Things I Love About Summer

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Some Like It Hot

  1. I can go to any pool or beach and see women wearing what are essentially bra and panties without the inconvenience of standing in the bushes outside their window.
  2. My melanoma is hungry after its winter hibernation.
  3. I absolutely love putting on SPF 5000 sunscreen all over my body, some zinc oxide on my nose and making sure that my hat creates a five foot circumference swath of shade around me so that I can go outside to enjoy the sun.
  4. I’ve never lost the tips of my toes to “heatbite”.
  5. Women + Thin T-Shirts + Air Conditioning = Eye Popping Event.
  6. You can urinate in the woods without the fear of shrinkage, frostbite, hungry squirrels seeking “nuts” or the potentially life threatening mistake of getting “it” frozen to a metal fence post.
  7. There is no better experience than hitting a swarm of cicadas on a motorcycle at 60 mph.
  8. It’s great to be able to turn the air conditioning on, lowering the temperature of the house to the same level that you were freezing at during the winter.
  9. Watching a bleach blonde’s hair turn green after she’s been in the pool for a while.
  10. Finding out exactly how hot the change in your car is after roasting in the car all day. I still have the imprint of a 1978 quarter on my hand. I felt just like the German guy in the first Indiana Jones movie.