Dayton Dining

Local Brewery & Local Coffee Shop Colloborate To Create Black Beer

March 13, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

Warped Wing Brewing Company and Wood Burl, a newly launched specialty coffee roaster started by the owners of Press Coffee Bar have joined forces to create a new collaboration beer. The brew combines cold brew coffee derived from a proprietary brewing process developed by Brett Barker of Press Coffee Bar & Wood Burl Coffee Roasters with an innovative twist on a Belgian style Tripel that Brewmaster, John Haggerty, decided to turn BLACK! When asked why he engaged in this project, Haggerty said, “I have a lot of respect for what Brett is doing at Press and Wood Burl and he and I really wanted to get together to do something that was unique in terms of flavor profile.” Barker goes on to add “It was exciting to roast and blend coffees that I thought would be complimentary to the yeast flavor profile of the Black Tripel.”

The beer name is also unique as it has a direct tie to Dayton history. The beer, called Pirogue, is named after the type of vessel that carried the first settlers from Cincy up the Great Miami River to Dayton. “We liked the symbolism of the name “Pirogue” because it was instrumental in the first settlement of Dayton back in 1796. Fast forward to modern day with two young companies like WWBC and Wood Burl both committed to the resettlement of downtown Dayton through manufacturing unique products like coffee and beer and now doing it together. It just made sense,” says Nick Bowman, head of Sales & Marketing at WWBC.

The brewery will host a release party on March 20th at 5:00pm and will feature an opportunity to meet both brewers and discuss their collaborative creation. The beer will be available for sale in draught only to bars, restaurants and retail the following week.

Lucky’s Celebrates 3rd Anniversary With Beer Dinner

March 8, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Drew Trick had a vision: A comfortable place where people can enjoy a wide variety of draught beer and eat fresh food with their friends and family, as well as see couple-hundred model cars. On October 23, 2010, Trick made this dream a reality, purchasing what is now known as Lucky’s Taproom and Eatery, located in the Oregon Arts District.

When he walked in the building for the first time, Drew Trick knew he had to remodel a restaurant that had been established by many other owners before. Trick considered how he wanted people to describe his restaurant/bar. He did not want to have the typical loud bar filled with neon signs and cluttered space. It was not his intention to open a bar and grill or sports bar. He wanted to create a place for people to come casually and feel comfortable. Using his initial vision, he decided the floors, bar ceiling, display units, and draught systems had to be updated, or added, before completion.

Lucky’s owner Drew Trick

While hunting for the name, Trick first started with “Lucky’s,” because it was his late father’s nickname. Trick then searched dictionaries and thesauruses looking for descriptive words that were generational in nature. Trick chose “taproom” because of the large supply of draught beers that would be rotating all year long. He chose “eatery” simply because people could come and enjoy a good meal.

It was exactly three years ago today we ran the above story, by Christina M. Dyer as part of the updayton Entrepreneurship Team. Now it’s hard to remember when Lucky’s wasn’t part of the District. Drew and his staff have established Lucky’s as a huge part of the community, supporting numerous non-profit events and has helped grow the craft beer movement in Dayton, by rotating a wide array of featured beers. And what a better way to celebrate their 3rd anniversary than with a Beer Dinner, featuring local beers.

This Monday, March 6th at 6:30 Lucky’s will present a four course dinner, paired with beers from Toxic Brew Company and Warped Wing. Reservations can be made in advance at Lucky’s, the cost is $40 and the menu is as follows:
Pre Dinner tastes;
Abby Blonde-Toxic Brew & Ermal’s Cream Ale

Appetizer: Duck Drumsticks with Abby Brunette maple glaze served over corn mush paired with Abby Brunette by Toxic Brew Co.
Salad: Grilled beet and kale winter salad paired with Winter Ale buy Toxic Brew Co.
Entree: Ale braised pork chops (Chuck’s favorite) served on a bed of root vegetable hash paired with Warped Wings #4 brew(Maa Durga)
Desert: 10 ton mousse topped with no bake crumbles and house made whipped cream paired with 10ton by Warped Wing

As a thank you to Holy Trinity for their community support and the great works of the ARC (Animal Resource center) 20% of all sales the day of March 10, our official anniversary date, will go to these great establishments. Also we will be doing random raffles throughout the tasting featuring Warped Wing Brewing Company and Toxic Brew Company swag!!!

The Final Discovery By UD Students Hidden Gems Project: Kramer’s

March 7, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Looking to discover new dining venues with character around the City of Dayton? As part of the “Hidden Gems Project” conducted by students at the University of Dayton, this article was written to communicate the uncovering of a few local dining spots and their historical background. We were required to make visits to each place, interview the owners and/or workers, and record our experiences of each “Hidden Gem”. The benefit that came from this project is that it serves as a means to learn about the history of Dayton through restaurants which have been around for generations. It also helps to spread the word that these restaurants are still around and have their own story to tell—along with their food and spirits.

Kramer’s Tavern

Location: 1018 Irving Ave Dayton, OH 45419

Contact Number: 937-294-9141

Hours of Operation: Monday 4pm-1am

Tues-Sat 11am-1am

Sunday 12pm-1am

By Xirui Yin

Kramer’s has been in establishment for 70 years, with 3 generations under the family name (Kramer). Kramer’s used to have factory workers come in after their shifts all the time. They would line up at the bar and just relax. Kramer’s was their hangout.

Now it is becoming more diverse in a sense. We see new faces but there is still a type of community. It’s a location where people can meet and enjoy a beer together. Kramer’s is a community that allows workers gather together after their work. People chat with each other and enjoy a cold beer.

We went to Kramer’s on November 5th. Because it’s very close to our campus (University of Dayton), it only took us 5 minutes to drive there.

My first impression walking inside was that it reminded me of a big sports bar. There were more than 5 TVs hanging on the wall, which showed different sports games. A huge freezer was behind the bar, it was full of beer. There were 15~20 people in Kramer’s. A group of men sitting around a table, with some bottles of beer, were chatting with each other. Some of them looked like retired workers. There was a family sitting in the corner of the restaurant. A baby boy was having his fried fries, while his parents were drinking beer and talking.

As a group of four people, we found a table and waited for a waiter to take our order. After waiting for 5 minutes, we started wondering why no one came to us. Here’s a thing you should notice when you come to Kamer’s, don’t wait at table, order at the bar. There were only two staff members present. One was busy taking order and bar tending, the other one was cooking in the kitchen.

We ordered a cheese pizza and chicken nuggets. The price was really reasonable, less than $15 total for 4 people. The homemade pizza was good, full of cheese and pepperoni. The chicken nuggets were just so so. It’s a pity we didn’t have a bottle of beer during our visit. We considered coming back here again on Friday or Saturday. By the time we were leaving, more and more people came to Kramer’s. We even met a group of girls who were also students at UD.

All in all, it’s a very nice experience to having a meal in Kramer’s. It’s a good choice for hanging out with a lot of friends.

Other stories in our UD student series of articles by a team from Professor Blust’s Engineering students:

UD Students Hidden Gems Project Discovers Falb’s Restaurant

The Second Discovery by UD Students Hidden Gems Project: Frank’s Tavern

UD Students Hidden Gems Project Discovery # 3: Carmichael’s Pub

The Fourth Hidden Gem Discovered By Our UD Team: Carmel’s Grill

Food Adventures Crew to Bartend at Fifth Street BrewPub

March 4, 2014 By Dayton937 1 Comment

OK, this is a MUST drink … we have a cure for your next Monday doldrums!!

Mark your calendar for a charity event, Monday March 10th … at the Fifth Street Brewpub

Dayton Most Metro’s own Food Adventures Crew, will be tapping and pouring beers, while working the bar.

ALL of their tips will be donated to Dayton’s Ronald McDonald House Charity.

The Brewpub has 12 taps of craft beers.. Want to know a secret? One of them will be Conway’s Irish Ale from Great Lakes Brewing Co. A Food Adventure favorite and will be on special with $1 off pints.

Not only do they have beer, but the menu features soups, salads, beef on weck, Salmon BELT (bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato), saratoga chip specialties and more. So have your own little Food Adventure on March 10th !

Come drink, come eat, come harass The Big Ragu for a great cause !! For more great stuff, “like” FOOD ADVENTURES on Faceboook HERE !!

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

WHEN: MARCH 10th, 6pm – 10pm

WHERE: Fifth Street Brew Pub,
at 1600 E. Fifth St, Dayton Ohio

WHAT: Food Adventure Crew are guest bartenders for a night

WHY: All tips they receive will benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Dayton

WHAT ELSE: $1 off Bumbleberry beer pints (Ragu’s Fave) and $1 off Conaway’s Irish Ale (because we love Great Lakes’ Beers)

[flagallery gid=80]

Wine Dinner Featuring Sonoma County Family Vineyard

March 3, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Rue Dumaine will host a special wine dinner this Wed, March 5th featuring 5 select wines from the Northern California Field Stone Winery. Known primarily for its award-winning Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and century-old vine Petite Sirah, Field Stone is also recognized for its select, handcrafted quantities of other award-winning, low-production wines, that are typically only offered through the vineyard or by special order. The family owned winery handcrafts only about 10,000 cased of wine each year.

The wines and menu are as follows:

Chardonnay
Russian River Valley, 2011
Grilled sea scallop, roasted grape tomato flecked barley “risotto”, Lucky Penny goat cheese-chive crème fraîche

Viognier*
Alexander Valley, 2012
Salad of arugula, blood orange, Black River blue cheese, mandarin gastrique, black pepper-walnut wafers

Cabernet Sauvignon*
Alexander Valley, 2011
Wild boar crépinette, pea shoots, blackberry moutarde rouge, Cabernet demi reduction

Petite Sirah*
Alexander Valley, 2010
Anise scented lamb loin, fennel-bacon Yukon confit, grilled escarole, currant reduction

Petite Sirah Port*
Alexander Valley, 2009
Macadamia nut-chocolate cake, passion fruit mousseline, passion fruit coulis

*Staten Family Reserve, Estate bottled

The cost is $85 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Sarah at Rue Dumaine at (937) 610-1061 to reserve your spot!

How to drink beer in the shower

February 28, 2014 By Max Spang Leave a Comment

via The Nate Green Experience

Beer has been around longer than showers have. Way longer, actually, which means people were getting drunk and smelly well before it was commonplace to bathe every single day. Considering all the black plague and polio going around, who could blame them for wanting to be wasted all the time? Nowadays, we have so much clean water in our society that we literally poop in it (I’m not above toilet jokes here, folks). We even waste gallons of the life-saving stuff each time we shower. Yet, with all of these modern marvels of sanitation technology, we seldom do anything in the shower other than wash ourselves, urinate down our legs, procreate, and mentally relive embarrassing situations. Fortunately, people from all around the world have been stepping up their shower game lately. But drinking beer in the shower is nothing if not confusing… probably. I’m here to finally end the confusion and prevent you from ending up with soapy shards of glass in your cornea or, even worse, spilled beer.

Make sure your beer is cold

This ~~whole article~~ probably goes without saying, but you’re going to be in a tiny room with hot water cascading towards you at a rapid rate. It’s going to heat things up, so you need to be prepared by maximizing the chillocity of your beverage. Canned beer is perfect for this. Toss one of those bad boys in the freezer for a few minutes while you commence the bathing preparations. Before you know it, you’ll be experiencing the luxury of drinking an ice cold beverage and warming your entire body at the same time. Isn’t this country awesome? U-S-A! U-S-A!

Stock up on beer geek street cred

Let me explain; you can easily drink right out of the bottle or can like a normal person. However, if you want to be a super awesome beer geek then you shouldn’t be afraid to go the whole nine yards. Plus, it’s kind of awkward to be naked and to put something brown and phallic-shaped up to your lips. Grab some appropriate glassware, artfully pour it into the glass, and savor the beer just like you would at a tasting except you’ll have shampoo in your hair. And you’ll be naked, unless of course you go to naked beer tastings, in which case you can add the next one to the Dayton Most Metro calendar. The point is that you need to look like a true beer geek at all times, even if nobody else is around. Otherwise you’re just a poser. Beer Geek? More like beer weak, am I right?

via The Daily Dot

Leave your morals at the door

Drinking alcohol opens the door for other, um, activities. While there’s no shame in innocently chugging four of five brewskis in the shower by yourself and passing out on the couch with a towel barely wrapped around you, we all know that drinking leads to debauchery. I encourage you to bring a friend or two along and have a shower party. Did I mention you’ll already be naked? I’m not going to suggest anything explicit on here (other than riding a moose with a loved one), but keep in mind that drinking alone is one of the signs of alcoholism. Although, on the other hand…

Wallow alone

Both drinking and showering are great ways to indulge in self pity and reflect on all your mistakes in life, especially first thing in the morning. Remember when I said there was no shame in drinking by yourself? I was lying. At the risk of completely dismissing this whole article in one sentence, if you’re drinking solo in the shower then you’ll probably end up dying alone. You know that one special person that got away? They never actually loved you. They never actually needed you, and they are better off without you. Think about that and drink up. Remember, tears are harder to spot in the shower.

Pics or it didn’t happen

What’s the point of doing anything unless you post hundreds of pictures of it to facebook? Take a whole bunch of photos of you getting your drink on in the wash room, slap some Instagram filters on’em, and put them all over the internet. Check in on untappd and let everyone know you’re showering. Remember, you’re only worth as much as the number of likes you get. People will love how outside-the-box your mind works, and before you know it your Klout score will go up a point or two.

By the way, don’t forget to share this article on facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Tumblr, Instagram, Snapchat, Live Journal, Xanga, and Myspace.

Growlers, maybe you’ve heard of ‘em?

February 27, 2014 By Jeff Heater 2 Comments

Seems like months ago I was sitting around chatting about ‘things’ with a friend. She says I should write a piece about growlers. I say it’s been done and it’s old news. DMM has a list of all the local places that offer fills and such, what is there to write about? Then I notice thread after thread of rants and various local observations based on the perceived State Laws. In the mean time I got sucked into a swirling vortex at work and I am only now able to sit down and try to sort out, what I believe, may be the heart of the issue.
So today I belly up to the computer, and one Google search later I am at this article:
http://www.ohio.com/blogs/the-beer-blog/the-beer-blog-1.273124/breweries-growler-stations-confused-on-state-law-1.461460

While I follow the Ohio Beer Blog, due to my busy-ness, I haven’t been keeping up. Clearly! (Now I wonder if the patron at the brewery in this article may have spawned one of those threads on the Beer Geek page…?!)

It seems like the question of the year in the craft beer scene, especially with all the great local breweries popping up, Must i buy your growler to get your beer? The short answer is no. So here is my train of thought based on the question of where different interpretations of the law may be coming from.

[Full Disclaimer here: This is simply my opinion regarding what may be part of the miss-information.]
If you Google ‘growler law ohio’, you will find this:

Summary of House Bill 243
(Effective March 22, 2012)

Growlers For Carryout (D-8 permit) – Allows D-8 permit holders to fill and sell “growlers” of beer for carryout. A “growler” is a reusable glass container whose capacity does not exceed one gallon into which beer is dispensed.
• Products must be registered for sale in Ohio by the Division;
• The growler must be a glass container not to exceed one gallon;
• Containers must be cleaned and sanitized by the retailer immediately before it is filled;
• Containers must be sealed and transported according to Ohio’s open container laws.

This is the entire law…, in its entirety!
Nothing vague, nothing cleverly, obtusely worded.
Boom. Done.

Now, if you do a Google search for ‘refilling bottles ohio law’, one will find this:

4301:1-1-47 Ban on refilling bottles or selling brands not ordered.

(A) No retail permit holder authorized to sell alcoholic beverages by the glass or container for on-premises consumption, or any agent or employee thereof, shall refill any bottle that formerly contained alcoholic beverages. Manufacturers authorized to sell at retail for on-premises consumption may refill their own bottles in their manufacturing process, in accordance with federal labeling requirements and local health department regulations.

(B) No permit holder, or any agent or employee thereof, shall sell or deliver to any consumer any brand or variety of alcoholic beverage other than that which was ordered or requested, without the consent or approval of the consumer.

(C) If a retail permit holder authorized to sell alcoholic beverages by the glass or container for on-premises consumption, or any agent or employee thereof, shall store or keep any premixed alcoholic beverage in any dispenser, must label the dispenser to show any brand of alcohol used in the premixed alcoholic beverage as well as the percentage of alcohol of each brand used in the premixed alcoholic beverage, except for containers of premixed alcoholic beverages sold by a manufacturer.

Effective: 01/24/2011
R.C. 119.032 review dates: 11/08/2010 and 01/01/2015
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4301.03
Rule Amplifies: 4301.03 , 4301.68
Prior Effective Dates: 8/8/05

Clearly this is sooooo very much not the correct law. Right?! Considering this law has nothing whatsoever to do with growlers, or filling of such bottles, it makes me question if this could be part of the problem?
Maybe, just maybe, it’s a matter of who searched for what info…? If one simply grazes the verbiage here, they could walk away with the notion that their name has to be on the container. This is a large part of the entire argument. And frankly, one is in fact refilling a bottle.

Maybe it’s a huge stretch and I have no idea what I’m talking about…?
Yet, almost daily, there seems to be confusion over the laws and or restrictions of growler fills.
Sorry, check that. Law. Singular law.

Bottom line, any store can certainly establish their own policies. Such polices should be stated clearly and publicly. This will help avoid any issues of employees miss-communicating the facts and/or store policy (which is another recurring rant on a particular social media platform) Yes, it’s an additional sale for the store. No, it’s not a high profit item. An argument could be made by the retailer regarding sanitation. This is one of two things covered in the law! If you bring your bottle in, the store should, by law, clean it. Yellow Springs Brewery does this with a quick swirl of Star San, and boom, you’re in and out without question.

Personally, I look at as a marketing point. Getting your brand/logo out there is extremely important. I have a small collection of them. If I visit a brewery, I want one (hopefully with beer! although that isn’t always possible).
When I take a growler in to be filled I give it the ol’ sniff test before I even leave the house. I also typically do not take in the cap, to insure that I get a fresh new one. I keep a bottle in my truck, and one in my wife’s car at all times. You know, just in case.
I have seen stores that urge you to take pictures with their bottle out and about. Asking you to post your pictures, not only helps promote their brand, but it is relatively painless.
And let’s be honest, you were gonna do it anyway…, right?
I have jokingly said that at my store, if you are a tourist, you have to buy my bottle. If you are local, it’s not an issue. I say this in jest because what are the odds that someone is traveling with a bottle?

These days, those odds get less and less.
Which is a good thing! Good for the sake of craft beer lovers everywhere.

Here is a link to the DMM list of growler locations: http://mostmetro.com/dmmcalendar2/events/index.php?com=venues&c=228

Celebrate National Kahlúa Day!

February 27, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Originating in Veracruz, Mexico in 1936, Kahlúa has become the number one selling coffee liqueur in the world. It’s a rich dark Mexican coffee flavored liqueur, with a hint of vanilla and dark chocolate and caramel undertones that seem to mix well, making it extremely versatile. It’s name was derived from the Arabic slang for coffee, kahwa. Over the years Kahlúaa has introduced flavored versions, including French Vanilla, Mocha, Hazelnut and a limited holiday edition Peppermint Mocha. In 2002 they launched Kahlúa Especial, boasting a richer coffee taste and extra kick. This intensely flavored dark espresso liqueur is made from the purest Arabica coffee beans has almost twice the alcohol content of the original.

Kahlúa is perhaps most popular served up in a Black Russian cocktail- where it’s mixed with vodka, or for a smoother taste add cream to make it a White Russian. You can even find these sold as pre-mixed cocktails to go at the package store. A great after dinner drink is a B52, which mixes equal parts of Kahlua, Grand Marnier and Bailey’s Irish Cream. Add some vodka to that and mix it on the rocks and you’ll have my favorite dessert cocktail- a Screaming Orgasam! And you’ll find plenty more great recipes here.

With only 77 calories per serving (1 1/2 oz) and no fat it’s a great staple to keep in your bar. But don’t just use it for cocktails- it adds a great kick to your baking as well! Kahlúa brownies, Kahlúa Fudge Cheesecake Brownies, and even Kahlúa Pork are just some of the recipes you’ll find on the internet. But don’t worry if you’re bottle sits on your shelf for a while, an open bottle can be good for a couple of years and doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Feb 27th is National Kahlúa Day!
Feeling adventurous? Make your own coffee flavored liquor!

Things You’ll Need:

2 cups water
1 ½ cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup instant coffee
1.75 liters high quality vodka
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 whole vanilla bean

Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar and water in a small sauce pan. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until sugar is dissolved.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the coffee. Allow to cool completely.
Pour into a large plastic container with a lid. Add the vodka, vanilla flavoring and vanilla bean.
Cover and let stand for two to three weeks or until fully aged. Kahlua, when properly stored, can last safely for up to a few years.

recipe courtesy of ehow.com

Second FUSIAN Location Coming to Centerville

February 26, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

FUSIAN, a fan-favorite fast-casual sushi restaurant, will open a Centerville location in the Spring of 2015. The new location will occupy 1800 square feet at Oak Creek Crossing, a mixed-use retail development on SR-725 that will also be home to Whole Foods. “When ﬁnding real estate it’s all about timing,” said Co-Founder, Zach Weprin. “We’ve been very patient and strategic in the Dayton area, and we think we’ve found the perfect spot for our brand. It’s been worth the wait.”

Founders Stephan C. Harman, Zach Weprin and Josh Weprin.

Founded in 2010, by Dayton natives Josh Weprin, Zach Weprin and Stephan Harman, FUSIAN has become a favorite not only for its new take on sushi, but also for it’s commitment to the local community, sustainability, and a superior sushi dining experience. In the last year-and-a-half, they have created a Sushi in Schools program which serves sushi to 18 regional High School cafeterias. “It’s created an amazing bond between us and our communities,” says co-founder Josh Weprin. “We created something that has united kids, their parents, school administrators, and FUSIAN through something that is very familial; food. It’s been nothing short of amazing!” “Dayton is where we grew up!” said co-founder Stephan Harman. “With our store on Brown Street and now a store in Centerville, our roots are only getting stronger here.”

FUSIAN positions itself in the fast-casual arena as an accessible option for both sushi veterans and newcomers alike. Diners are offered traditional and modern sushi rolls with signature proteins such as raw tuna, salmon, and yellowtail as well as roasted chicken and braised steak. “We like to tell people, if you love sushi, you’ll love FUSIAN, if you’ve never had sushi, you’ll love FUSIAN!” says Josh Weprin, “It’s our way to encourage people to rethink sushi.” FUSIAN is committed to sourcing superior ingredients, promoting positive health, and afﬁrming social responsibility. Additionally, FUSIAN accommodates diners with most food allergies and dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, as well as offering vegan, and vegetarian options.

The founders set out to create a place where discerning diners could eat everyday. They sought a place that broke down sushi stereotypes and misconceptions in an engaging and interactive environment. On the FUSIAN experience, co-founder Stephan Harman expressed that, “It starts with what your eating but it doesn’t stop there…” he adds, “You’ve got ﬁve senses, and we feel that the FUSIAN experience is best crafted when you use all of them. We like good music, great food, and great attitudes… it’s what unites our customers with our team, our food, and our community.”

FUSIAN has accrued many accolades regionally including, “Dayton’s Best Sushi” in 2012, 4 Best of Cincy mentions and one of the Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “Top 10 under 10” in 2011.

Follow FUSIAN’s journey at facebook.com/eatfusian and fusian.com

Dayton BBQ Entrepreneur Tackles DMM’s 10?’s

February 26, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Growing up Lea Richards and her family would go on family vacations every year and turn each trip into one big barbecue hunt. They literally went to every so-called BBQ hot spot and had their fingers deliciously smeared from digging into A LOT of different kinds of barbecue. As Lea describes it, “we went through some tough ones (pun intended), but we also found some authentic, finger-lickin’ good ones—usually from mom-and-pop restaurants and other hole-in-the-wall dining places. And after scouring every town, city, state, or region, our search has finally ended. Guess where? Right in our kitchen. But, we realized that we need not continue the hunt, fun as it was. We didn’t have to go anywhere for the best barbecue. We had all the experience, tips, and recipes from around the country to make the best barbecue in the country, right in our house!”

Thus began the Pig of the Month BBQ business in 2010. Lea left her hectic life on Wall Street in 2010 and began the mail order barbecue company. Recreating her favorite barbecues from different regions, she makes smoked barbecue ribs, award winning pulled pork, specialty sausages, gourmet bacon, BBQ sides, and lip-smacking Award Winning BBQ sauces—and share the goodness with you! Pig of the Month offers ribs just the way all barbecue lovers want them: perfectly seasoned, tender-on-the-inside but crispy-on-the-outside, smoky, and mouthwatering—just tear-off-the-bones good barbecue.

This 2009 UD grad has grown her business into a successful company and has been featured on Good Morning America, been written about in Forbes Magazine and had her BBQ featured in Playboy Magazine. She’s won awards for her Mustard based BBQ sauce and Martha Stewart Magazine recognized Pig of the Month as a Best Gift, while Southern Living Magazine awarded them with the Best Ribs title. They’ve filled orders for Whoopi Goldberg, Iron Chef Michael Symon, Paula Deen, Stephen Colbert and Chelsea Handler.

Pig of the Month has been nominated as one of 100 finalists in the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest and will find out at the end of March if she’ll be awarded a grant to help her “expand her product line and offer her customers even more delicious items to choose from.” In the meantime Lea agreed to answer our Chef 10 Questions:

1. What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Well, I think this may be a bit obvious, but Bacon!

2. What ingredient do you dread?

Personally, anything I don’t like to eat: shrimp, fennel, or oysters mainly.

3. What’s your favorite dish to make?

For an easy weeknight meal, fish tacos. For something dressier I make a killer wild mushroom bread pudding.

4. What’s your favorite pig out food?

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches made with pulled pork, pimento cheese, and extra BBQ sauce

5. What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?

I’m obsessed with Roost, I love the patio at Lily’s, and you can’t beat lunch at Coldwater Cafe.

6. What’s your best advice for home chefs?

Follow the recipe to the T the first time, and then experiment to make it your own once you know what its supposed to taste like.

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

Winston Churchill for the commentary, George Clooney to seduce, Anna Kendrick because she’s Anna Kendrick, and Grant Aschatz to help me cook.

8. Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

Since our business is mostly mail order, I tend to be more in the business side of things nowadays.

I do admire what Kim at Olive, An Urban Dive has done though – she sticks to all natural ingredients, uses local suppliers, and works hard to make sure everything is cooked from scratch. That’s something I try to replicate at Pig of the Month

9. What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?

I love the MetroParks! I go trail running with my puppy at Englewood and Wegerzyn all the time. And then I head to Roost for a cocktail and some truffle fries 🙂

10. Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:

When I first started my business we were lucky enough to be asked by Michael Symon to be on Good Morning America as a last minute segment. At that time I was still cooking all the ribs and everything all by my lonesome, and I found myself with 4,000+ orders to fulfill all at once.

Since I had never cooked so many ribs at one time, I didn’t realize that when I flipped them that all of the grease would hit the charcoal all at once….yep, you guessed it. Big flames!

I had to call everyone and let them know their orders would be late, and it took a week for pro’s to clean it all up! Lesson learned!

Dayton Most Metro Brew Tours

February 23, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Sun, 3/2 – 1pm meet at Lock 27 Brewing, then Eudora, 5th Street Brew Pub and Warped Wing.

This tour will visit four local breweries. We will spend approximately 40 minutes at each location. We’ll set you up with a flight of beers at each brewery, so you’ll get a taste of what each brewery is doing. Feel free to order a pint of your favorite, or get a growler to go and we’ll keep it cold for you on the bus!

Your ticket includes bus transportation, beer samples at each stop as well as snacks and water on the bus.

The cost is $55 per person. All participants must be 21 or older. No exceptions.

Book a ticket for the 3/2 Tour

Brew Tour Frequently Asked Questions

How much beer will I get on the Brewery Bus Tour? We want you to sample beer on our tours. You get beer samples at every brewery included in the ticket price, and we’ll have some growlers on the bus to quench your thirst between breweries!

Will you feed me on the Brewery Bus Tours? Beer, Water and snacks will be provided on the bus as well as a cooler to store purchases. Many of the breweries have food trucks visiting and snacks available.

What if I am late for a Bus Tour? We operate on a specific timeline. Please be at the designated departure location at least 10 minutes prior to the tour’s start time. Tour start times are firm; however ending times may vary slightly due to weather and traffic. Call the number listed on your ticket with any issues.

What should I bring on the bus tour? All you need is yourself. While no additional purchases are required, we encourage you to purchase beer from our breweries while you are on the tour. We will provide a cooler for keeping the beer cold on the bus. All of the breweries we visit will be offering beer in growlers and six packs to go.We ask you to not bring any alcohol onto the bus that wasn’t purchased from our tour stops. DMM Brew Tours follows all state of Ohio liquor/consumption laws. Participants must be 21 years old to consume alcoholic beverages on the tours.

What happens if I need to cancel? If you are unable to attend an event, tour tickets can be transferred to another guest.. If you cancel 48 hours in advance we will refund you 85% of purchase price. DMM Brew Tours reserves the right to cancel a tour. Should this occur, your reservation fee will be transferable toward another event or fully refunded.

How old do I have to be to attend an event? Since our tours will involve alcohol, we only offer our tours to adults aged 21 and over. Please bring your State Identification or driver’s license to present to your tour guide upon arrival.

What if I need a ride home after a tour? We want to offer you a safe environment to tour and sample beer with us. Our commitment to your safety extends after the tour as well. We’ll partner with Divine Services who can get you and your car home for $40 within 20 miles of downtown.
Do you offer private tours? We are available for private tours such as bachelor parties, birthdays, girls night out, work and holiday parties, fund raising and charity events and more. We can customize anything to meet your needs! Please email us:Lisa@MostMetro.com to send you our private tour packages or call: 937-572-1376. We will respond promptly to discuss your event.

Your Visit To Local Submarine House Could Be Worth $10,000

February 22, 2014 By Kim Estess Leave a Comment

What good healthy living guru doesn’t like sub sandwiches? Actually, whether you are into healthy living or not–who doesn’t love subs? Okay, so we’re clear–everyone loves subs.

Now riddle me this: who wouldn’t want to win $10,000? Answer: no one.
Submarine House is giving you the chance to enjoy two good things all in one visit to their restaurant. Enjoy a delicious sub sandwich and stick your name in a drawing for $10,000. Or don’t eat the sandwich–because technically, no purchase is necessary to enter. But seriously–how can you pass up their Philly Cheesesteak sandwich? That might not be the healthiest pick on the menu (I’m sure it isn’t) but if you ask me, healthy living is all about balance. So eat the Cheesesteak. Just don’t eat one every day.

Stop into any local Submarine House store between now and April 5 and simply fill out an entry form for your chance to be entered to win $10,000. If that isn’t reason enough, Submarine House is also donating a portion of their sales from now until April 5 to Dayton’s Children’s Medical Center. Repeat after me: Good food. Good cause. Chance to win cash. Done and done.

Finally, if you want an additional chance to win some cash, you can attempt to qualify for the Super Duper Cheesesteak eating challenge. I’d recommend running at least a 10k before you attempt to eat the thing–that way, you’ll be totally famished and it might help your chances! But seriously, to qualify for the eating challenge and win first prize of $1,000, contestants have until March 23 to attempt to become a store champion at any Submarine House location. Contestants will attempt to eat a 16-inch Super Duper Cheesesteak — more than three-and-a-half pounds of food — in 16 minutes or less. Successful participants win their sandwich for free, along with a T-shirt. The 10 top qualifying times from each location will win a spot in their store’s semifinals during the week of March 24. At the semifinals, a store champion will be crowned by determining the person who can eat the 16-inch Super Duper Cheesesteak in the fastest time.

So whether you’re interested in vying for the Super Duper Cheesesteak crown this year or just dropping your name in for a chance to win $10,000, take a minute and drop into your local Submarine House before April 5.

Dine and SLASH with Local Filmaker Henrique Couto + TICKET CONTEST !!

February 20, 2014 By Dayton937 9 Comments

Local Film Maker Henrique Couto with a Cheesesteak at Sidelines Bar & Grill

Want 2 free tickets to see a locally made, horror film, called “Haunted House on Sorority Row” ?? Then comment below on this story to be entered into the contest. One winner will be chosen at random tomorrow at noon.

Now on with the scoop:

Food Adventures first met Henrique Couto at a Chinese Buffet in Centerville. He was wearing pajama pants. We saw his ukelele records in stores and heard about his local trivia shows and local concerts. We even wrote a Food Adventure story about him after we tried his homemade ginger ale – SEE HERE. He is a local celeb, with his trademark hair, mustache and rubber banded beard. Let’s not forget the glasses and flamboyant shirts for a style all his own. Did we mention he is a great guy, with a witty sense of humor ?

His other directing credits are as follows:

Marty Jenkins and the Vampire bitches
Faces of Schlock
Bleeding Through
Depression the Movie
Bulldog for Christmas

Meet the Cast and join The Big Ragu for the World Premier this Friday !

Fast forward to 2013, where we attended the World Premier of Couto’s slasher film, “Babysitter Massacre.” …Of course we bought the DVD !

Now, his scariest film to date “HAUNTED HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW” is having its World Premier this Friday !!

WHAT: Local Horror Movie “HAUNTED HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW” WORLD PREMIER

WHEN: FRIDAY FEB. 21st, 10pm

WHERE: ENGLEWOOD CINEMA, 320 W. National Rd., Englewood, Ohio

COST: Admission is $8

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TRAILER !!!

Henrique Couto is a Dayton native like us. He has been interest in film making since he was a kid. In fact, he used to sell DVD’s to fellow classmates out of his trapper keeper at school. By the age of 16 he was formatting DVD menu catalogs that were going into Blockbuster Stores. Now you can buy his movies online at Blockbuster. You can also buy his titles at Hastings, Amazon.com, FYE Stores and even streaming versions on Amazon Prime. You can also find his films at local Game Swap stores and his personal website Hen.Storeenvy.com Henrique’s philosophy is make the films locally and sell them nationally. He gives crowds what they want: slashers, suspense, and thrilling scenes and even nudity. He gives his movies, descriptive, detailed concepts in the titles. Why? Because he doesnt advertise with millions, instead he uses thousands of dollars to make and distribute his movies. And when they are next to a box office blockbuster, he wants his movie to stand out.

Henrique is of Portuguese descent, and is a foodie as well. His favorite Dayton spot is Siam Pad Thai, which was unfortunately closed due to weather, so we went down the street for a FOOD ADVENTURE to new sports bar SIDELINES on Wilmington Pike in Kettering.

Deep Fried Ribs? AMAZING! Click to enlarge

********* SIDELINES *********

HERE’s THE SKINNY:

— New restaurant at 4090 Wilmington Pike, with fresh recipe twists on sports bar food

— Great service. The friendly, attentive staff ensures a great meal.

— Lots of UNIQUE dry rubs and one-of-a-kind sauce choices for you chicken wing lovers

— The prices were decent and didnt “scare” our wallet

MUST EATS:

— DEEP FRIED PORK RIBS: Oh man, oh damn .. succulent twin bones of baby rack ribs, breaded and deep fried then tossed in your fave sauce. Are you kidding? Nothing like it in Dayton. People who loved BURBANK’s “Fribs” aka “Flying pigs wings” will love these things! Sinful, yet sultry…. like The Big Ragu

— THE FRESH CUT FRENCH FRIES: Delicious, and addicting. You have been warned !! The fresh cut makes all the difference.. slasher !

— GRILLED SHRIMP WRAP: A healthy choice that wont bust your waistline, yet will give you all that flavor to savor ! A tasty treat for the soul.

Grilled Shrimp Wrap from “Sidelines”: Good Stuff

— PHILLY CHEESESTEAK: Loaded with peppers and onions, this sandwich is big and would fill Jason Vorhees’ appetite.

— THE WINGS: The secret here is the sauces and dry rubs. May we recommend the “Dry Ranch Rub” or the “Salt & Vinegar Rub.” As for sauces, our heads roll for the “Kentucky Bourbon” sauce and “Tropical Rum” sauces respectively.

— We hear the burgers are great, unfortunately this wasnt our typical Food Adventure, as we almost always try a restaurant numerous times before posting anything online. We aren’t one plate Nate’s, one dish Trish or one Trip .. uh Trip’s … As the group Train sings “this is not a drive by..ey ey eye eye.” Yeah, we dont do fly by articles, you deserve more. So “cut” us some slack this once …

Sidelines restaurant was a nice surprise in a pinch. We will definitely be back and may do a follow up “2nd helping” article. We suggest you try the flavors and menu items you find at any other sports bar in Dayton. Live it up!

Want more from FOOD ADVENTURES ? Then “like” them on Facebook here.

Don’t be scared, browse our photo gallery below for pics of “Haunted House on Sorority Row” and photos from our Food Adventure !

See you on the Sidelines or at the movies !!!

BELOW is HENRIQUES top 6 horror movies of all time. What’s your list?? Comment below !

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Champps No More!

February 19, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Champps Americana located at 7880 Washington Village Drive in Washington Township has officially closed as of today. According to company spokesman Rick VanWarner, “despite our best efforts, that location just continually underperformed and as of today it is closed. All employees were given severance packages based on length of service with the company.” The 300 seat restaurant opened in the 1998 at a site that had previously been Damon’s Grill, which specialized in BBQ ribs.

According to VanWarner, this was strictly a business decision and employees were offered the option to transfer to other locations as available. The closing affected 4 managers and about 70 employees. Champps locations in West Chester and Columbus remain open.

RALLY ‘ROUND YOUR BUCKET AND WIN DINNER FOR A YEAR

February 19, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

As Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern’s roll out a new website, they are also picking one grand prize winner to receive Bucket dinner for a year (twelve $100 gift cards valid for food only) and a Bucket Fastpass, which guarantees seating at the next available table upon arrival at the winner’s selected Rusty Bucket location. To register, guests are asked to join the Rusty Bucket e-mail list now through March 16^th. Additionally, Rusty Bucket will select one winner from each of the 15 locations to receive a Bucket Fastpass.

Rusty Bucket guests previously had interacted with each other through social media, sharing their photos and experiences and even developing widely used hashtags. Rusty Bucket will utilize their new website to engage directly with their associates and guests. “Each Rusty Bucket restaurant is incredibly community oriented, and many of our guests are very loyal to a specific location. We wanted to create that same sense of localization and community online as we do in the restaurants,” said Rusty Bucket founder and president Gary Callicoat.

To accomplish, this Rusty Bucket encourages guests to “compete for their local Bucket” and upload their Bucket experience photos through social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and hashtag their local Bucket (#rustybucketdayton), which then live streams the Instagram photos to each location’s website. Official Rusty Bucket hashtags were created for each location so guests and associates can directly interact with each other and the brand. As guests join social media channels, Buckets will compete for the most fans. A weekly tally graph of the Buckets will be displayed on the “fresh, new and Rusty all over” website.

Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern, which operates 15 neighborhood eateries in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, can be found on Facebook.com/Rusty-Bucket-Restaurant-Tavern, @MyRustyBucket on Twitter and Instagram and LinkedIn.com/company/rusty-bucket-restaurant-and-tavern.

Mikesells Introduces Cincinnati Style Chili Potato Chips

February 18, 2014 By Dayton937 2 Comments

New Cincinnati Chili Flavored Chips from Mikesells

Attention Dayton Foodies !!

Here is something you wont see anywhere else .. YET.. The Food Adventures Crew love Mikesell’s Potato Chips, and we love Cincinnati chili. What an incredible idea the people at Mikesell’s had to combine to two !

We first tried the proto-type chip last summer, with the founder of Mikesells, D.W. Mikesell’s, great-grandson Luke Mapp. We have been sworn to secrecy about the flavor until now …. Verdict ???

The chips are delicious. So what makes them a MUST EAT ??

— The spices have captured the chili taste to a tee, even the hints of chili powder and Greek spices.

— The flavor level is perfect, not overpowering, which means great snack time enjoyment with a high “eatability factor”

— The flavor and freshness that is typical of the local Mikesells brand

Actually, you can see these chips somewhere else… We ran into bags of them at Speedway, and lets just say “we boosted our Speedy Rewards points.” Terrific stuff from your hometown potato chip company. We highly suggest you grab some of these and share them with your friends… or be selfish, we don’t care.

The Big Ragu loves the new Cincinnati Style Chili Flavor

Want a Food Adventure in a bag? Then make sure you get the new Cincinnati Chili Style Potato Chips from Mikesells!!

Want more Food Adventures?? Check out their spicy Facebook Page and”like” them HERE !

Want more on Mikesell’s Potato Chips? Check out our FOOD ADVENTURE at the Mikesell’s Plant HERE !

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