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The Chef Case

Local, Legendary Food Adventures at 2nd Street Market – Part 1

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Some of the Best of Dayton, all in one place !

How about one building that combines some of the best cooks in Dayton and lines them up along the wall in their own vendor booths?  It’s not a dream, it’s reality in downtown Dayton.

This is the first of 2 Food Adventure  installments over the next few days, and both cover Dayton’s 2nd Street Market.  What a shocker, the first one focuses on FOOD !

The Big Ragu & Crew have become semi-regulars at the market over the past few years.  Some of our tastiest excursions have been in this treasure trove of great eats.

Variety is the spice of life, and this is true for the market located on the corner of Webster and 2nd Street.  If you have never  stopped in, then you haven’t had some for Dayton’s best.

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— A great place to grab a bite to eat and a unique place to do some Christmas shopping !!!  The official address is 600 E. Second St.

— The market is open 3 days: Thursday & Friday 11am-3pm,  and Saturday 8am – 3pm.   The great offerings are overwhelming and coming here has become one of our Food Adventure addictions.

— Many vendors offer fresh fruit & vegetables.  Others offer freshly baked desserts and breads.  You want more?  How about cheeses, meats, spices, canned goods and more.  There are more local, fresh and organic choices here than anyplace we know of in Dayton.

The best tasting side you never heard of: Sweet Potato Quinoa from Chef Case

 

MUST EATS:

— THE SMOKED SALMON CREPE at CREPE BOHEME :  The Big Ragu will tell you this is the best place in Dayton to get a crepe.   Crepe master Sabine combines the smoked salmon with goat cheese, capers and grilled vegetables.  It is a symphony in your mouth.  Her secret is using the freshest ingredients around and flavor combinations that will knock your socks off.    Not a salmon fan? No worries..  choose one of the menu items or “make your own” crepe with various ingredients.  Prepare to be blown away.Honorable Mention: The crepe with Nutella, marshmallows and blackberries.  All the taste of guilty pleasure with not so much guilt.

— FAMOUS CHICKEN PANINI from THE CHEF CASE : Chef Joe Fish believes that using local ingredients promotes fresh flavor.  Here he works some magic with a whole herb grilled chicken breast and Artesian Basil Pesto.  The panini is made on fresh bread and pressed, thereby melting provolone and Parmesan cheese into gooey deliciousness.   The chef is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and creates some of the best tastes in town.  In fact, there are so many delicious menu items here that we have to give honorable mention to two more of them.  First, make sure you try a serving of the Sweet Potato Quinoa.   It is a healthy, flavorful side dish that not many people know about.  Trust us on this !  Lastly the MONTE CRISTO PANINI is a sandwich you need to get your hands on.  It is ham, turkey and swiss cheese finished with a pure maple syrup drizzle.  Give your taste buds a good value for around 7 bucks.

Peanut Brittle Cupcakes from Purely Sweet Bakery (click to enlarge)

 — THE DISTINGUISED DARBY at CHEEKY MEAT PIES: Who doesn’t love tasty meat and spices in a flaky crust?  Forget about calories, the taste is worth every mouthful.  This original take on New Zealand Street food is gaining a bit of a cult following in the Miami Valley.  “The Darby” verison is ground beef mixed with spices for a delicious combo.  The meat pies are hand held and made to be mobile.  Be careful when taking a bite, they are hot inside !  A friendly staff makes the experience that much more fun.  Honorable Mention:  The Dirty Bird Meat Pie is a tasty treat and a perfect bite “on the go” at the market.  It features chicken and a delicious sauce.  We can’t describe these fantastic meat pies, you just gotta try them !

— THE WASABI PEAS at THE SPICE RACK:   The Big Ragu can’t help himself.  He craves these, and you will too.  Dried peas, dipped in wasabi and sold by the box for only 2 bucks.  Perfect for snacking at home, but we warn you.. ADDICTIVE !  The spice rack has some many incredible items from Amish butter to incredible spice rubs.  Check this place out for some hidden treasures for the foodie in you.

— POLLO GUISADO at AREPAS and CO. : Braised chicken thigh (although we ask for the shredded white meat chicken instead), mixed with tomatoes, red peppers, onions and green beans.  All of it is served over rice and plantains.  Finally pick from one of various sauce toppings drizzled on top.  We pick two (garlic and hot sauce) !  Get a friend to help you lift this plate and eat it.  HUGE PORTION !

The best crepes in Dayton are at Crepe Boheme

— THE SHRIMP WITH HOT CHILI SAUCE at BAAN THAI NOI:  We are always pleasantly surprised with Baan Thai Noi’s dishes.  Our favorite is the Shrimp with Hot Chili Sauce.  Two skewers of grilled basil shrimp are served over fried rice with a side of shredded cabbage and a delicious spring roll.  The key to this dish is the sauce we choose to top the shrimp. The hot chili sauce is so sweet, with some heat and a whole lot of taste.  Don’t knock it til you try it, this one is  a sleeper !

Is your mouth watering yet?  Well the good news is, the weekend is here and they are open !  Get yourself down there and stroll around the grounds and soon you’ll be tastin’ Dayton.

More Honorable mentions include:

The Cupcakes at Purely Sweet Bakery,  The Cabbage Rolls at Kolbs Bakery, The Jumbalaya at All Souped Up,  The Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna) at Azra’s, and some good coffee at Caffeine by Carl.

We would be remiss if we didnt mention that their are numerous other fantastic farm vendors with fresh vegetables, honey, fresh maple syrup and organic milk.  Check them all out while you are there.

The 2nd Street Market is truly Food Adventure  paradise !!

In the market for some more from the “Miami Valley foodies ?”  Then “like” Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking HERE !

Check out some of our best photos yet  in the gallery below from our numerous trips to the 2nd Street Market over the years !!!

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Outdoor Food Season is Here!

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Zombie Dogz Dead Dixie

Zombie Dogz Dead Dixie

The overhead doors at 2nd Street Market are up. Fresh air, sunshine and hungry people looking for a lively social scene mean it’s outdoor food season.

Warm weather fills the sidewalk seating along 5th Street with bustle. Coffee shop denizens sit outside and watch people go by, crowds of Riverscape strollers appear, and downtown office workers don sunglasses to dash out for a precious lunch-hour escape. And they’re all interested in food.

You wouldn’t know it, but a guy like me who’s worked at the Savoy Hotel, in London, who’s even served a royal or two, is actually a great fan of street food. So it’s an exciting time for me to be back in Dayton with my family. Because the talent we’ve got here on the streets is terrific.

That means on top of our usual festival street fare—the wonderful ethnic treats you get exposed to as the restaurants and churches come out to the summer crowds—you can now avail your taste buds of food truck fare.

I’ve tried them all and have yet to decide on a favorite: Fressa Truck, G’s Cue BBQ, Go Cupcake, McNasty’s, Harvest Mobile Cuisine, Zombie Dogz, Ringo’s North Star Mobile Eatery, The Monchon “The Social Sandwich” and the Craig’s Pesto Hot Dogs (a cart).

The names alone tell you adventurous eating awaits. If you miss the Food Truck Rally on Friday, May 10th, 5-10pm during Urban Nights, don’t worry, you’ll have more chances.Joe and Patrick  Check out this list of Mobile Food Vendors that are serving up great eats on the street.

During my years as a chef and caterer, I’ve noticed something has fundamentally changed with people. They’ve come to appreciate fresh and healthy offerings, they’re much more adventurous, in search of variety and look for a whole experience around food.

Food attracts people, and people attract more people. I think that’s why the streets of downtown Dayton have gotten a little more populous in recent years. While I see food as a form of creativity and a way to please the senses—it’s also a meeting place, an adventure, a joy.

Enjoy the outdoor food season, if even it’s just sitting on your stoop with a glass of wine. I recommend a nice glass of St. Supéry Rosé.  Cheers!

 

 

10 ?’s with Chef Joe Fish

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imgres-1Chef Joe Fish is a graduate of the CIA (that’s The Culinary Institute of America) in Hyde Park, NY.  During his studies he had an externship at at the world famous Savoy Hotel in London, where he was on a brigade of chefs who had the great honor of preparing breakfast and lunch for the Royal Family including the late Princess Diana.  He then traveled the world participating in Guest Chef work in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Munich before returning to NY.  He has worked in venues ranging from 4 Star New York Times rated restaurants, Zagat rated historic hotels to Corporate Dining facilities including time spent at the World Trade Center.

Chef Fish was recruited to come to Dayton back in 2007 to take over as Executive Chef when Pacchia went through one of its transformations.  Just as Joe, his wife Tonia and daughter were settling into a house in the Oregon District, Owner Glen Brailey sold the business and his position was eliminated.  Until recently Chef Fish commuted to Columbus for work at Whole Foods, but  Chef recently accepted a position as Head Production Chef at UD.  But being a man who likes to stay busy, he’s also opened The Chef Case at the 2nd Street Market.  The Chef Case focuses on Local, Organic, Free Range, Hormone free products,  focusing on sustainable food service solutions including actively recycling and composting.  Oh and did we mention, Chef also does private catering, teaches cooking classes and advocates for locavores.

In between both jobs Chef Joe managed to squeeze in time to answer our 10 questions:

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
Right now I am really a fan of quinoa.  Quinoa is a grain alternative that is actually in the grass family. My Wife was diagnosed with Celiac last year so I have been experimenting with a lot of wheat alternatives. Quinoa is considered a superfood, it has very high protein content and it’s easy to digest, it also has lots of important nutrients.

What ingredient do you dread?
Fresh Horseradish Root, it’s a root like yucca, it has to be peeled and grated. The fumes that come off one horseradish stick will make you cry, it feels like you have rubbed jalapeño juice in your eyes or just diced 100 pounds of onions.

What’s your favorite dish to make? img_4498
In the fall I really look forward to making my Eggplant Napoleon. It’s a dish that I came up with at while at Pacchia. It has two ingredients that most people don’t think of putting together but the unique smoky flavor that results is a big favorite of mine.

What’s your favorite pig out food?
Well, it comes delivered in a box, it has very little mess, you can keep the leftovers in that same box. Even when it is bad it is still pretty good…  a Chef’s dream, a great meal with no cleanup –it is a well know fact that I love pizza.

What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
If I have a babysitter, then it would have to be Rue Dumaine, I really love what Anne is doing.  If I don’t have a sitter then it’s a tossup between Amar India and Thai 9.

What’s your best advice for home chefs? Educate yourself about our agriculture in the states; learn about GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and hormones, big agro, the new pesticides, and about the benefits of eating a local diet. Learn what is in season in the Miami Valley and how to handle those ingredients. All produce that is not local and/or not in season is treated with a gas which changes the molecular make up of that food, and not in a good way!

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?

1) My Late Father, 2) Augustus Escoffier because he was the father of modern cuisine, 3) Marco Pierre White because I would love another chance to convince him to hire me! 4) Marty Holzberg, Certified Master Chef -a great friend in culinary adventures, cooking for a Master Chef is a whole different ball of wax.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why? I look up to almost all the people at my imaginary dinner party above because they are culinary rock stars but beyond that I guess, I really look up to Ferran Adrià and dream of getting that reservation and taking my Wife back to Spain where she grew up.

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off? imgres-2
At present I work 7 days a week, 5 days at UD and 2 days at The Chef Case the 2nd Street Market so, I don’t have a day off right now. When I do have a day off honestly the first order of business is sleep. But a big part of the reason that we moved back to Dayton and stay here is because of all there is to do, festivals, kids activities, parks and some great shows.

 

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story.
While working at the Savoy Hotel in London a salad was called over the loud speaker in French with something at the end I did not understand, not being fluent in French.  “Oeuf de Caille en salade garble garble”,  quail egg salad, difficult because it has a sunny side up quail egg and a whole cooked quail on top. I made the salad and sent it out. Not a minute later the Sous Chef came back screaming my name. She said –insert heavy British accent- “Joe Look On This!” Hurriedly I turned to the pass and Ellen yelled “What’s wrong with this? Me-blank “um I duno, it is a quail salad” Ellen: “it’s a quail salad, but it’s for Paul McCartney and he’s a  %$^&@#$ vegetarian! -Plate flies at my head… “Now do it over in half the time!”