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

Dayton Food Trucks

DCDC is “Taking It to the Streets” on Sunday at Levitt Pavilion

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The world-renowned Dayton Contemporary Dance Company invites the community to their 2021-2022 season kickoff party! “Taking It to the Streets” is a free performance on Sunday, August 29, 2021, at 7 pm at Levitt Pavilion in downtown Dayton.

 

For the historic local dance company, being able to host an in-person performance has been a long wait. It’s been a year and a half since their last hometown concert, so they decided to make it a free community celebration. They want to reawaken the city with their dancing, special musical guests, food trucks, and more!

 

“Taking It to the Streets” celebrates the company’s collective energy like no other.  This event combines the summer energy of a street party and the innovation of site-specific performance in an open-air concert for the community. These dancers bring the city to life with new pieces celebrating black joy and global culture. “If joy was a protest, this would be our protest march!”

 

Debbie Blunden-Diggs, the Chief Artistic & Producing Director for DCDC, told us she’s super excited about returning to live performance. “This performance lets us celebrate DCDC’s 53rd season with the community we live in!”

 

DCDC’s 53rd season is entitled Evolve(d), and is self-described as a “shift to black joy, embodied global culture, inspiration towards real change, spiritual awakenings for the soul, and communal metamorphosis, all at once and through the humanity of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.” The line-up for Dayton performances includes the beloved holiday piece “The Littlest Angel,” along with 2022’s “Inside Out,” “Dancing in the Light” and “Soulstice: Mahogany Nights.” For more information about season subscriptions and single tickets, visit dcdc.org. Purchase your subscription before September 15th, 2021 and save 10%.

HOW TO GO?
Performance: “Taking It to the Streets”
Date: August 29, 2021
Time: 7 PM
Cost: Free
Location: Dayton Levitt Pavilion, 134 S. Main Street, Dayton, OH 45402  Directions

Food Truck Spotlight: I Heart Ice Cream

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Liz & Danny Cortes opened a new mobile ice cream business last week, just in time for a summer of serving up  ice cream around the Miami Valley. You’ll see Dayton’s first-ever rolled ice cream truck, e I Heart Ice Cream, all over town this summer.
A Dayton native, Liz shares she comes from a family of entrepreneurs  and she has fond memories of her grandmother’s vintage ice truck, which inspired their business choice. This husband and wife team are veterans of the food service business and during the pandemic they decided to make plans to launch their own family business.  So they commissioned a 6 x 10 trailer to be built with a 1950’s look to serve a delicious sweet cream liquid based ice cream that  is poured onto a frozen pan and then chopped, mixed, spread and rolled right in front of you!

Danny  says when they were doing research they had a friend in Thailand that told him about rolled ice cream and they where seeing it in other big cities, so they are excited about being something new to the food truck scene in the Miami Valley.   They pour a fresh cream based sweet vanilla  onto a frozen stainless plate, mix it up with ingredients, like oreo’s and chocolate sauce, pressed flat and in a couple of minute it’s pressed out and then rolled into strips of frozen ice cream.
They feature 10 different flavors including vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter, cotton candy, cake batter, strawberry  and they even have a vegan option.  They have a menu featuring a dozen suggestions,
like the Strawberry & Banana Rolls pictured here–  Sweet Cream Vanilla Base + Banana + Strawberry Syrup. Topped with Whipped Cream, Strawberry Drizzle, Strawberry Pocky Stick, Banana & Strawberry Garnish. 
Since it’s a true family business, they’ve used their children, Ezra- 5 years old and Inez – 2 year olds  as taste testers, a job they are very willing to take on.
Here’s where you can find the I Heart Ice Cream cart this weekend:

 5/28 4-8pm Xenia Food Truck Rally
5/31- 2-6pm Idol Swim Club Opening Day
or check their website calendar for future dates.

Food Truck Spotlight: El Caporal

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Mark and Kelly Adams entry into the food truck world is quite interesting.  They had become friends with the owners of the previous Las Piramides restaurant on Wilmington Pike in Dayton; Pedro and Laura Mesa.  They ate there every Friday from the day they opened till the day they closed.  When they moved to Liberty Township due to a job change, they began  went hunting for a new Mexican hangout.  They wandered into El Caporal Restaurant on Tylersville Rd in Mason and saw Laura.  They had no idea they had opened another restaurant and  were ecstatic to see them again, and eat the amazing, authentic Mexican cuisine they had fallen in love with. They tossed around the idea of starting a food truck for years, but in 2020 everything got so crazy they figured they could go crazy, too.  So they bought a truck, had it wrapped by Vivid Wraps in Cincinnati, and fabricated by Street Food Ventures in Monroe and thus El Caporal Food Truck was born. The restaurant provides the food and the cooks, and Kelly and her  husband manage the operational side and work the window.  A true joint venture.

Kelly explained to us  “our food is restaurant quality that you can purchase from a truck.  The food is prepped in the restaurant kitchen by restaurant staff and cooked on the truck by restaurant cooks; all of whom are Mexican and have been cooking for years. Without a doubt their best selling item is tacos.

If you’d like to visit the restaurants, there are two El Caporal locations, one at 6011 Tylersville Rd in Mason and one at 7206 Towne Centre Dr. in  Liberty Township.” 
Kelly also shared that she and Mark are  both in their 50’s with 4 grandchildren; they call her Gigi, and her husband is Papa. We love working with friends and learning something new every day!
Where to find the El Caporal Food Truck:
Thurs, June 3rd 5-8pm
New Ales Brewing
1521 1st Ave, MiddletownSat, June 5th 11am -3pm
Miamisburg Craft Mall
18 N 2nd St, Miamisburg

Sat, June 12  noon-2pm
Middletown Jeep and Eats
500 Tytus Ave, Middletown

Sun, June 13th noon – 4pm
Idle Hour Swim Club
3590 Kemp Rd Beavercreek 45431

You can schedule and follow then via their Facebook page.

Foodtruck Spotlight: The Painted Pepper

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Louie Ortega’s first entrance into the food scene was catering with his grandmother in El Paso, Tx. He washed dishes, bussed tables, served, but hardly ever cooked, as his Grandma was the only one allowed to cook. Eventually he was able to cook and  learned so much about Mexican food and went on to be French trained in culinary school.
He knew he  wanted to start a food truck when he grew weary of the corporate hotel/restaurant world. Since he  grew up with Mexican food he wanted to share his  version of southwest/ Mexican cuisine with the Midwest. He knew he wanted to be independent with food, but not start a brick and mortar restaurant, mobile cuisine was the way to go and test my market.

Painted Pepper’s signature and best selling item for the last 7 years has been their Texas Chicken Quesadilla. It has fresh roasted chicken, Texas caviar (black beans, onion, roasted red bell peppers, cilantro and spices), and cheese, all stuffed in a 12 inch flour tortilla seared and served with house made salsa and sour cream.

He wants his customers to know that they serve homemade fresh southwest cuisine, food from some local farms that is prepped daily. He says, “when people eat our food, I want them to enjoy the delicious flavors, and know they are also supporting a local family.”

Breakfast pockets – flour tortilla stuffed with eggs, chorizo and cheese, then deep fried and served with a side of salsa verde.

While the food truck is still out and about, Louie and his wife Amanda are now also “slingin’ tacos and more with a permanent location in Downtown Springfield, Ohio inside COhatch “The Market.”   Located at 101 S. Fountain  in downtown Springfield, Painted Pepper is one of several food vendors in this dining hall. Others include Crust & Company, North High Brewing, Ironworks Waffle Cafe, Fresh Abilities and The Market Bar.
Their Co-Hatch location is open Monday 8am -1:30pm and Tues- Sat 8am- 8pm and you can even place your order online. The menu includes breakfast burritos, chicken quesadillas, tacos, corncakes, dessert chips and chips, salsa and guacamole.

The Food truck is still out and about and here’s where you can catch them:

Sat, May 8th 9am-5pm
Asphalt Row at Springfield Health and Fitness
202 N Limestone St, Springfield
Sat, May 15 & Sun, May 16 noon 7pm
Columbus Taco Fest at  Ohio History Connection near MAPFRE Stadium
800 E. 17th Ave., Columbus Ohio, 43211
For future dates, keep an eye on their facebook page.

Food Truck Spotlight: The Wild Banana

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Jessica Benson has  worked in the restaurant industry on and off throughout her life. She says she’s  “done everything from wash dishes, to bartend, to help manage. I’ve always had a love for eating healthy and organic food and I’ve especially always loved smoothies and smoothie bowls. I’ve also been an entrepreneur since I was 8! I was always trying to sell something I made to my neighbors.”
We asked her what inspired he to start a food truck?
“About a year or so before I came up with The Wild Banana. I started making fun, natural colored smoothie bowls and taking pics of them and putting them on social media. Several people made comments like.. “I would pay for one of those!” and “You could sell those!” I didn’t think too much about it until a trailer that already had windows in it came into my life for super cheap and I thought… I could build a food truck and sell my smoothies! I like to build things so I built most of the food trailer myself with some help from my father-in-law and my step-dad. I had no idea how much work it was actually going to be and I even thought about giving up at times but I kept thinking of the end result and eventually finished it! I kept thinking about how important it was to me to share healthy, tasty, beautiful food with people. I wanted to show everyone that healthy food can be fun and tasty! And of course it’s nice to work for myself and continue my dream of being an entrepreneur.”
Check out The Wild Banana Menu:
We asked Jessica what her best selling item was:
“Oh man! That’s a tough one. I feel like it changes but right now I would say The Brazil Bowl and The Blue Pacific Smoothie. The Brazil Bowl is a little more like the traditional Açaí bow that people have heard of and it has so much good stuff on it. You have the açaí base, then granola, chocolate, peanut butter, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, chia seeds, and coconut! YUM! The Blue Pacific is a smoothie made with pineapple, mango, banana, blue spirulina(an algae used for color), and honey.”
Jessica wants people to know she has “a passion for making high quality, organic, healthy food that’s fun and super colorful! I want my business to be fun for everyone.  I also don’t use any single use plastic! We only use biodegradable containers to help the Earth. “
Upcoming events: 
April 17  Saturday PM- A Beavercreek Neighborhood 5-7PM
2530 Trafalgar Place Xenia
April 18 Sunday- UD Earth Fest 12-4PM
Old River Park
Huffman Avenue Road, Dayton

She posts he schedule of events on Facebook and Instagram.  She also does pickup and delivery one or two days a week from her driveway. *Must order online for pickup and delivery only.

Food Truck Spotlight: What The Taco?!

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Cory Thompson started his food business as a challenge. He worked at a local hospital as a manager and wanted a challenge.  His  first event was the Montgomery County Fair in a tent in 2018. He says he had no no clue how crazy this ride would be!  This July will be his 3rd anniversary for What The Taco?! and he’s thankful to all who have supported him in his dream.

Thompson claims to be the freshest taco food truck in Dayton! Serving unique tacos, quesadillas, burritos & soup with nothing but fresh ingredients! He says he’s inspired by “the  love of making someone happy through food”!

His  best selling item? It’s a toss up of the Chipotle Chicken or Sweet potato & black bean taco, but this new Susie-Q is coming on strong.

Sample Menu Items:

Chili Rub Steak Taco$4 – Spiced rubbed and grilled steak topped with shredded romaine lettuce, fresh corn salsa, cilantro sour cream and Monterey Jack Cheese
Beef Nachos$8 – Topped with seasoned ground beef, white queso, salsa, sliced jalapenos and sour cream
Chicken Quesadilla$8- Grilled chicken and Monterey Cheese in a golden brown tortilla. Served with salsa and sour cream.
Carnita$4 – Seasoned pork, Cilantro, diced white onions and fire roasted green salsa.
Sweet potato & Black bean taco$4 – roasted sweet potato, spicy black bean puree, scallions, lime slaw, Cilantro sour cream, roasted pumpkin seeds and Cotija cheese. (v)


Mahi Mahi fish Tacos$4 p breaded and deep fried Mahi Mahi topped with Jalapeno Lime slaw, Mango salsa, crumbled Cotija cheese and fresh jalapeno slices.
Veggie Nachos$8 ptopped with the veggie of the day, white queso, salsa, sliced jalapenos and sour cream (v)
Chicken Fajita taco$4 – Grilled chicken, grilled peppers and onions, Pico de Gallo, shredded lettuce and Cilantro Sour Cream
Nashville Hot Chicken taco$4 -Breaded chicken dipped in a Nashville Hot sauce, creamy slaw and pickle chip. (spicy)
Bahn Mi Pork Taco$4 – marinated pork, pickled carrots and radishes, thinly sliced English cucumber, fresh cilantro, thinly sliced fresh jalapenos and sriracha mayo. (spicy)

The Susie- Q– Honey lime grilled chicken, shredded romaine lettuce, Monterey Jack cheese, crumbled bacon and spicy honey drizzled on top. Comes chubby style, on flour tortilla or corn hard shell.

Summer Vegetable Taco$4 – Grilled corn, grilled zucchini, grilled yellow squash, Pico de Gallo, Cotija cheese and cilantro sour cream. (v)
Breaded Avocado taco$4 – Battered and deep fried avocado, Jalapeno lime slaw, Chipotle Sour Cream and Pico de Gallo. (v)
Braised Pork Citrus Taco$4 – slow cooked pork topped with shredded romaine lettuce, fire roasted tomatillo salsa, and Monterey Jack cheese
Firecracker Cauliflower taco$4 – Slow roasted cauliflower topped with creamy sweet chili slaw and smashed avocado. *Gluten Free *Vegetarian (gf/spicy/v)
Barbacoa Beef Taco$4 – slow cooked beef topped with fresh Pico de Gallo, shredded romaine lettuce, cilantro sour cream, and Monterey Jack cheese (spicy)
Carne Asada$4 p Seasoned and grilled steak topped with shredded romaine lettuce, fresh Pico de Gallo, cilantro sour cream and Monterey Jack Cheese
Al Pastor taco$4 – Slow roasted and marinated pork topped with a grilled pineapple salsa and cotija cheese.

When asking Cory what folks should know about him he says, “I would like people to know that I make fresh food for everyone! Meat lovers, vegetarians and vegans! Something for everyone!”

Where you can find What The Taco:

Sat, Apr 10 9am-3pm
Germantown Spring Vendor & craft fair.  8140 S Butter St

Wed, April 14 11am-5pm
UD food truck rally.    300 College Park

Tues, April 20 11am -2pm
Kaleidoscope Innovations, 4362 Creek Rd

Wed, April 21, 11:30am-2pm
PSA airlines, 3400 Terminal Dr

Thu, April 22 10:30am-12:30pm
IDX dayton, 2875 Needmore Rd

Fri, April 23 11am-2pm
Day-Met credit Union
4988 Wagner Ford Rd

Thu, April 29 3-8pm
City of Carislie food truck rally, 441 Park Dr

Food Truck Spotlight: Bella Sorella Pizza Co

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Bella Sorella Pizza is owned by two sisters, Elizabeth Corrado Weizman and Gail Corrado Okafor.  Gail has recently returned to Ohio after twelve years in California’s Bay Area. There, she trained to become a professional chef and comes to you with 8 years experience.

Elizabeth, an experienced pizzaiola, built her first outdoor brick oven 8 years ago. Since then she has diligently practiced and refined her skills as a pizza maker. Her 1-acre garden is filled with only the freshest, organic vegetables that she shares with you in every bite!

 We asked them how they got started.  “The business started because we built a pizza oven at our family farm and made pizzas every weekend with rave reviews.  We knew we had to make this mobile in 2013 right when the Dayton food truck scene started to happen.”  They added a 2nd mobile pizza oven and stay booked up most weekends.
Their best selling item is for sure the Big Fella, their pepperoni pizza and also The Queen, their margherita pizza. Also keep an eye out for the Greek-In-Law which is Feta, Greek olives, Feta, greek olives, red onion, roasted pepper and Spicy house made yogurt sauce or The Nana, fresh corn, pesto, slow roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic and summer squash.
The sisters want you to know they “are the true Farm to Pizza.  We grow most of the toppings for our pizzas on our family farm including the pork for sausage. The dough has only 4 natural ingredients and freshly made.  A large part of business now is private catering for weddings, graduations, and all kinds of special events.” They roll up with their van, oven, a full staff, stretch the dough, top the pizzas, and cook them right in front of your space and guests to serve hot, fresh pizza
Using only the freshest, Ohio grown and produced meats, cheeses and produce, Bella Sorella, offers you a unique culinary experience. Our hand-tossed pizzas are baked over an 800 degree wood-fired oven, offering you a mouth-watering pizza, full of fire, scents, and flavor! The menu for public events is typically a meat pizza, a 4 cheese, a vegetarian option and a seasonal pizza depending on what’s fresh and in abundance in the garden.
Where you can find them:
Fri, April 9th 5-8pm – Yellow Springs Barrel Room
Sat, April 17th -8pm – Yellow Springs Brewery
Follow them on Facebook for more events.

Food Truck Spotlight: Hunger Paynes

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Andrew Payne got started cooking at 15 years old at the Officer’s Club at WPAFB.  After that he moved on to cooking at Quaker Steak and Lube and Cracker Barrel.  He went to Culinary School at Hocking College and worked as a kitchen manager at a fine dining restaurant until he graduated top of his class.  He came back to Dayton in 2008, worked at NCR Country Club and numerous hotels until he landed the Sous Chef position at the Dayton Convention Center.  Within a few years he moved up to Executive Chef at both the Nutter Center and the Convention Center.

When asked about what inspired him to start a food tuck he told us, “I wanted the freedom to cook the dishes I wanted to cook and personally see the gratification from my customers instead of sitting back in the kitchen somewhere.  I wanted to create a truck where I could offer many different types of cuisine in a way that most people aren’t used to seeing while keeping a central theme, serving Croquettes checked all the boxes,” and thus in June of 2013 be launched  Hunger Paynes.
 
Andres tell us that his best seller is the Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese with  Garlic Sour Cream sauce and Green Onions (most people add his Aged Cheddar Cheese sauce and Bacon too).
The second best seller is probably his Reuben Croquette. They also offer cajun salmon, chipotle arancini and buffalo chicken croquettes, as well as an apple chicken wrap, buffalo chicken blt wrap, pretzel bites and beef sliders. You can also pick up some homemade chips and pork rinds, or spurge a little on the black truffle french fries.
Andrew is especially proud to share that he make everything from scratch.  “All of our sauces are one of kind, we make our Pretzel Bites from scratch using an early 18th Century recipe, we cut and fry our signature Potato Chips, and we utilize all raw ingredients in our Croquettes.  We are also certified by the United States Department of Agriculture and we strive to serve one of kind dishes with great customer service.”  As a classically trained Chef, he’s also a great caterer for your next special event. They offer catering for small parties, corporate events, and weddings up to 250 people. You can find a full catering menu available on their website.

Where to find Hunger Paynes:

March 26 – Carriage Trails (neighborhood), 5pm-7pm 9403 Lakeside St, Tipp City, OH 45371
March 27 – Mother Stewart’s Brewing Co, 4pm-8pm 102 W Columbia St, Springfield, OH 45504
April 3 – Mother Stewart’s Brewing Co, 4pm-8pm 102 W Columbia St, Springfield, OH 45504
April 9 – Yellow Springs Brewery, 4pm-8pm 305 Walnut St, Yellow Springs, OH 45387
April 10 – Southern Ohio Brewery, 12pm-9pm 818 Factory Rd, Dayton, OH 45434
Fo a  list of more  locations, current menu, and order online visit their website.
More information available on our Facebook Page as well as Twitter and Instagram. @HungerPaynes937

Foodtruck Spotlight: Underdogs Mobile

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We asked Scott from Underdogs Mobile how he got started in the food truck business.  He shared with us he was was “very unhappy working in the corporate world and my wife actually came up with the idea. We felt there was room in the Dayton market to succeed if we could find our niche.”  He’d worked at a few restaurants while growing up in the Chicago area and he says with ” Dumb luck, some planning and a lot of hard work” they launched Underdogs Mobile.
Being from the Chicagoland area, he was inspired by traditional street vendors. “People ask if our Chicago Dog is legit and I just laugh and give a look. It’s the real deal- a dog- an all beef dog, dill pickle spear, tomato, relish, onion, mustard, poppy seeds, celery salt and sport pepper.”
This hot dog is one of their best sellers, along with the Home Run dog (topped with mac & cheese and crumbled bacon) and they rock A LOT of their now famous tots.
Our season will kick off Mid-March and run into the Fall. Since we’re on wheels we keep the truck moving so following us is best. We are always looking to add new events, companies and locations to serve at. No fans only friends!
Find Underdogs at:

Wed, 3/24 11am-1:30pm – Bell Elementary Bellbrook, 4122 N Linda Dr
Fri, 3/26 11am-2pm – Kettering at Governor’s Place, 3120 Governor’s Pl Blvd

For booking inquiries contact underdogsmobile@gmail.com
Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is @UnderdogsMobile we also use the StreetFoodFinder app.

Food Truck Brings Tastes From Trinidad & Tobago to Dayton

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There’s a new food truck in town! Shafton Greene was born in Trinidad and Tobago.  He says “the inspiration for my truck comes from wanting to to bring not just food, but our island culture to our to my city, Dayton.”
The SOCA food truck debuts at RiverScape serving up lunch today from 11:30am-1:30pm (weather permitting).
Here’s  the menu:

 

You’ll also find SOCA at Riverscape on
June 30th
July 28th
August 25th

 

New Food Truck Debuts Tonight in Miamisburg

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Authentic Laotian Cuisine is what this family owned & operated food truck will serve up. Little Boijon Asian Cuisine‘s first outing is tonight  in the Rosina Neighborhood of Miamisburg at the corner of Rosina Dr. & Alexandersville Rd. from 5-8pm. Saturday night they will be in the Crain’s Run neighborhood  at the corner of Crains Creek Rd. and Myna Ln in Miamisburg for lunch 11am-2pm and dinner 5-8pm.

They  will be taking carry-out orders via Instagram & by phone (937-204-9499). Walk-up orders are will be accepted as well! They accept both cash and credit card.

Here’s their menu:

 

Their signature item: Little Boijon’s Egg Rolls. These are filled with pork and vegetables. Served with your choice of our house peanut sauce or sweet chili sauce.

 

Lo Mein. Your choices of meat are beef or chicken. Available in large or small serving sizes.

Chicken & Broccoli. This dish will be served with a side of white rice. Available in large or small serving sizes.

Food Truck Rallies Become Carryout Events

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With local, state, and federal restrictions being updated on a near daily basis, Yellow Cab Food Truck Rallies were forced to adjust their business model. The rallies’ organizers have developed a solution that provides food lovers with the chance to eat from their favorite food trucks while simultaneously practicing good hygiene and social distancing. Rallies will be replaced by Carryout events with multiple trucks and no on-site seating. 

“Small businesses like food trucks generally don’t operate over the winter. By the time spring comes, they have used up most of their reserved resources and need to start making money again.” said Event Organizer Brian Johnson. “By adjusting our model to carryout it will provide an opportunity to support these small businesses.”

Food trucks scheduled to appear at Yellow Cab Tavern on March 20 from 5pm – 10pm include The Wicked Lobstah, Hunger Paynes, The Pizza Bandit, and more to be confirmed. In order to ensure customers’ safety, the following rules will be enforced during Yellow Cab Food Truck Carryout events:

  • Guests should call/text/email orders ahead of arrival if possible
  • Individuals will be encouraged to order for whole families or large groups to prevent such groups from amassing on-site
  • Eating on-site will not be permitted

“We’re doing our best to roll with the punches,” Johnson said. “We are committed to providing incredible food from the area’s best food trucks. It’s a matter of balancing service and safety, and we’ll always err on the side of safety.”

Event Details

Yellow Cab Food Truck Carryout:  March 20, April 17

Third Friday of Each Month from 5pm – 10pm 

700 E Fourth Street in downtown Dayton, Ohio