The Featured Articles

10 ?’s with Fifth Street Brewpub’s Chef Liam Hennessy

June 10, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Fifth Street Brewpub’s Chef Liam Hennessy’s first experience in the restaurant business was working at a Mom and Pop sandwich shop. He started off as a dishwasher but soon moved to busing tables, serving, and eventually helping in the kitchen. Fifth Street Brewpub General Manager Dave Tickel first met Liam while working at TomKatz’s in Springboro. They both moved into other positions, but after 5 years of losing touch, Dave called Liam and offered him the position of head chef. Liam left his job at the Dayton Country Club and is now working hard to create a unique menu at this new co-op brewpub. The chef also has worked at L’Auberge and Thirsty Dog Brewpub.

Experience Chef Liam’s menu at Fifth Street Brewpub located at 1600 East Fifth St, about 4 blocks east of the Oregon District. The pub is open Monday – Thursday 4 pm – 11 pm and Fridays & Saturdays from 11 am – midnight.

1. What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Quite simply, animals. I love working with beef.

2. What ingredient do you dread?

Nothing really, I’m not scared of anything. If I don’t know how to use an ingredient, I’ll look it up.

3. What’s your favorite dish to make?

Anything that makes people smile. Coming from the Dayton Country Club, I’ve had to adapt to a different style at the Fifth Street Brewpub. A lot of menu items here are broken-down fine dining, the Cuban sandwich for example. It’s not on the menu, but we feature it from time to time. There is actually an email list that goes out to certain die-hard fans of that sandwich telling them when it will be served next.

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Enchurrito, rice, chicken, corn, peppers and cheese rolled in a flour tortilla, topped with a green chile sauce, and a cumin sour cream.

4. What’s your favorite pig out food?

I grew up with peanut butter crackers, the ones that come in the pack of 6. Those with a glass of milk at the end of the day are great.

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

My wife and I just had kids, so it is hard to find time to go out. But when we do, we like to eat local. Bonefish is one of our favorites.

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

Stop watching the food network; it glorifies food and creates very high expectations. Just keep it simple, try not to combine too many flavors.

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

I would invite my grandparents and great-grandparents. They never had the chance to see this side of me.

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

Chris from TomKatz’s; we have remained great friends over the years. And the Sycamore Creek Country Club. That’s where my skills and ideas were refined.

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

Watch my kids! Or sometimes go golfing if I get the chance.

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

Lucky Break: Working at the country club was my biggest break. I was a sous-chef at the time, and the GM recognized that I was doing most of the work. He saw my ability and potential, and offered me the position of head chef.

Disaster: This also happened while I was working at the country club. We were hosting a wedding for 150 people, but there was a storm the night before and all of the power went out. So we didn’t have any light, gas, electricity, so obviously we had a huge problem. We contacted the bride and explained the situation, and she wanted to continue with the wedding as planned. We had to adapt by using outside grills to make a meal for 150 guests. It turned out to be a success; the guests were understanding and loved the improvised menu.

This Chef 10?’s article was put together by UD students in Professor Rebecca P. Blust’s UD Engineering Project Management class. Our four member team , Gracelyn Key, Sushmitha Rayinadi, Emily Strobach and Daniel Williams spent the semester learning how to meet with a client (DMM) define the project, put a plan together and execute it. This is the fourth of 9 Chef interviews they presented to us as their class project. To read the first two interviews please see below:

10 ?’s with Chef Trish Miles of C’est Cheese

10 ?’s with Chef Narendar Thakkar of Namaste India

10 ?’s with Chef Lisa Perdomo of Arepas & Co

3rd Annual Donut Dash – A 5K run/walk/dining experince

June 8, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

While racing you will visit two “donut stops” along the 3.1 mile course and eat donuts. For each donut the runner eats during race they have 2 minutes deducted from their finish time.

DMM’s Summer of Fun – Freebie Friday’s

June 6, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

At DaytonMostMetro we love sharing all the cool things there are to do in the Miami Valley with all of you. Summer is a great time to explore our region and we want you to be able to explore and experience things you’ve never down here in your own backyard.

Right now there are over 3500 events listed in our calendar. Scanning the listing for things to do in June, July and August there are 380 Theater listings, over 50 Festivals, 340 music related suggestions and more than 250 totally free events! Now we know that sometimes your wallet dictates your options, so we at MostMetro.com are committed to make it a summer of fun for more folks, by having a giveaway every Friday this summer!

We’re totally open for suggestions, too. In the comments below please give us some ideas of local things you’d like to do for your summer of fun, and we’ll do our best to make it happen! If you’ve got a giveaway you’d like featured, please send us an email.

We’ll kick it off our Summer of Fun promotion today by giving away a couple of pairs of tickets to Play it By Heart, a new musical by The Human Race Theatre Company that opens next Friday night and runs for four weeks at The Loft Theatre downtown. Winners will be able to work with the box office to pick the show that works best for them, based on availability. But you’ve got to enter to win, so read about the show and then fill out the form at the bottom of the post to have a chance to win!

New Vendors Opening at 2nd Street Market

June 6, 2014 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

This Saturday, June 7, the popular traditional outdoor farmers market officially opens at the 2^nd Street Market, 600 E. Second St. in downtown Dayton. Six produce vendor and one prepared foods vendor will join the more than 40 year-round indoor vendors to provide shoppers with even more options to purchase locally grown food. The outdoor vendors that will be at the Market this Saturday are:

• Garber Farms Mile Creek Farm (organic)

• Gypsy Chick Farm • Maple Run Farm

• Hungry Toad Farm (organic) • Shady Grove Farms

• Keiko’s Kettle Corn

In addition, three new Saturday-only vendors will join the 2nd Street Market mix:

• Grassroots Bison Ranch, located in New Paris, will sell grass-fed bison starting June 14. Grassroots Bison Ranch will offer individual cuts, including New York strips, ribeyes and tenderloins, along with ground bison.

• Oaked & Smoked will sell its packaged, frozen smoked salmon at the market starting June 7.

• Simply Sweet will produce handmade ice cream on site on Saturdays beginning June 7.

Other vendors may join the indoor and outdoor mix during the summer season. Visit the website or follow the 2nd Street Market on Facebook for updates. The 2nd Street Market is open Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The 2nd Street Market was been named the Best Farmers Market on the 2014 Best of Ohio Readers’ Ballot from Ohio Magazine. The list of winners was generated by votes cast by Ohio Magazine’s website visitors this past fall.

“The 2nd Street Market helps Five Rivers MetroParks serve as the region’s conservation leader by providing our community convenient access to local food, which is less taxing on the environment and often healthier,” said Market Manager Jimmy Harless. “These new vendors will give our customers even more options for stocking their kitchens with locally grown and produced food. Many people know the 2nd Street Market is a great place to grab lunch and shop for gift, household, food and other items — and they are having a positive impact on our region’s natural heritage at the same time.”

Learn more about the 2nd Street Market at metroparks.org/localfood.

10 ?’s with Kathi Kizirnis of Practice Yoga

June 5, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Practice Yoga is a vibrant, friendly community of yogis of all shapes, sizes and ages dedicated to health, wellness and transformation through powerful and proven yogic practices.

Located at 504 E. 5th St. in the Oregon District, they just celebrated their 6th birthday! As part of their celebration they are offering a Summer Pass: Two months of unlimited classes for $150 (you save $26) AND a sweet PY tank top! Buy anytime through June8; your pass activates on first visit.

This seemed like a good time to get to know owner Kathi Kizirnis, so we asked her to do a MostMetro.com 10 ? interview! And she did! Meet Kathy:

Growing up, what did you want to do for a living?

I wanted to be a doctor: brain surgeon, no less! Now I study ‘rewiring’ the brain in much different ways…

How did you get into yoga?

I started with prenatal yoga, hoping to relieve aches and pains. It was a crappy VHS tape with a fairly well-known teacher named Alan Finger. It worked!

For someone who’s never tried yoga- why should they?

Oh, my. How much space do you have? The physical and mental benefits are well-documented: strength, flexibility, balance, improved stress response, immune function, etc. What’s not so obvious is the “hidden” practice … the changes in perspective, in behavior and, if you’re paying enough attention, biomechanics (how you sit, stand and move) that come with self-study. For me it’s about observation: If you find a new sense of wonder in how the body works, how your mind works, how they work together and how you interact with the world, that’s invaluable, whether or not you ever master headstand or the splits. Self-care and self-study are the real rewards.

Six years in, what advice do you wish someone had given you before you started your business?

Worry less and work more. Other than that, nothing, because every business is unique — especially small businesses — and there are few, if any, “magic bullets” that work for all.

What’s the most rewarding part of owning Practice Yoga?

Our amazing community. Having a space in which to meet and connect with a wide variety of people in a super-relaxed and casual environment. The “Third Space,” or home away from home. Priceless.

The most frustrating?

The nuts and bolts of running and building business on a small budget. Also, it’s difficult to provide services for those who can’t afford studio classes. Yoga is and should be for everyone, but the reality is that quality continuing education is expensive, and teachers need to be paid what they’re worth. Plus, we’ve gotta keep the lights on. I’m working on expanding our community-outreach programs, though, to provide classes for underserved and in-need populations, including veterans, the mentally challenged and kids with attention disorders/behavioral problems.

What would you tell others about owning a business in downtown?

I wouldn’t do this anywhere else. The ‘burbs might be more lucrative, but the people who live, work and venture downtown bring a special spirit to the studio, and want to support other downtown businesses. There’s a palpable sense of community and optimism, a kind of pioneering spirit. People talk to each other. And we’ve never had safety issues.

What do you do when you play hooky from work?

Um, yoga 🙂 And housework, and hang out with my husband, kids, cats and rabbit (none of whom practice yoga).

If you weren’t in the Yoga business, what would you be doing for a living?

Writing and editing, or physical therapy.

What 3 places in the Dayton Region should visitors not miss?

Roost Modern Italian in the Oregon District; any of the MetroParks; Second Street Market; Neon Movies (I’m not great with numbers).

Online Registration Closes Sunday For The Cheddar Challenge

June 4, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

A 5k farm trail run, gigantic cheese festival, legendary ice cream, and the Yellow Springs Street Fair. After the race, enjoy the Farmstead Cheese Festival at your leisure. If you plan on going to the Yellow Springs Street Fair, hop on the complimentary shuttle which will take you to and from until 7PM.

Temple Israel Plans Celebration Of Jewish Music, Art, Food, Ritual

June 4, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Popular Jewish foods, live music, children’s activities, exploration of Jewish life, and a lively open-air market will all be part of Temple’s Israel’s fourth annual Jewish Cultural Festival on Sunday, June 8 from noon until 6:30 p.m. The festival — free and open to the public — will take place on the grounds of Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Drive, just across the river from Fifth-Third Field near downtown Dayton.
“Thousands have turned out in past years to enjoy the tastes, sights and sounds of Judaism,” said festival chair Sara Faust, “and we’re thrilled to welcome the community to our building and grounds for an engaging day of exploration and entertainment.” Temple Israel is the largest and oldest Jewish congregation in the Miami Valley.

A Jewish culinary journey of the world.
Popular Miami Valley restaurants C’est Tout, El Meson, Pasha Grill, and Smokin’ Bar-B-Que will prepare traditional Jewish foods of France, Latin America, the Middle East, and the southern U.S. regions. Visitors can mix and match dishes to sample flavors from around the globe, all for sale from the different restaurants. Homemade baked goods including challah, Passover wine cookies, and honey cake are also available to purchase.

Cincinnati Klezmer Project

Non-stop entertainment starring Jewish music of all kinds.
The Cincinnati Klezmer Project returns with the lively sounds of Eastern European Jewish folk music. Tim Pritchard and the Boxcar Suite will rock the festival with a selection of music by contemporary Jewish artists and songwriters. Other local music favorites will grace the stage with folk and Broadway tunes. Always a favorite, The Shimmy Cats will dance in the Israeli folk style.

Jewish craft beers to quench the thirst and lift the spirit.
What could be better…for the adults…than a cold beer on a hot afternoon? Try some of the best Jewish or kosher beer from domestic and foreign brewers. Kids and non-beer drinkers will enjoy several flavors of Dr. Brown’s Sodas, a long-time staple of delicatessens.

Children’s games, activities to entertain and educate.
Learning about Judaism will be fun and engaging for the youngest festival goers. Children may create candlesticks for Shabbat, sample some delicious challah bread, color Hebrew letters and symbols, sing and dance, and play other games.

A diverse educational program.
A series of interactive presentations in Temple’s sanctuary will highlight history of storytelling, Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust, answers about Jewish life, and the importance of interfaith dialogues. The international traveling exhibit, Lawyers Without Rights, which details the story of persecution of Jewish lawyers in Nazi Germany, is open to the public. Visit the festival’s Mitzvah Alley to learn about easy ways to incorporate “green” projects and programs into your life to help improve our community and lessen our impact on the environment.

A lively open-air market.
Tents and booths evoking the feel of Israeli markets will offer a mix of Judaica, crafts and artwork by Jewish and non-Jewish artisans.

Temple Israel is grateful to the community partners who support the Jewish Cultural Festival, including the Levin FamilyFoundation. In addition to groups and organizations listed above who are participating, Temple thanks all of our presenting partners and sponsors.

For more information about the Jewish Cultural Festival, visit www.tidayton.org, email [email protected] or call 937-496-0050. Temple Israel, founded in 1850, offers religious, cultural, educational, social and social action programs that build on the legacy of those who have come before with innovations guaranteed to create a fulfilling and vibrant future for the congregation.

Father & Son Launch Artisan Smoked Salmon Business

June 4, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby 2 Comments

Martin Davis Jr. and his son Martin Davis III weren’t always smoked salmon experts. In fact , Martin Jur. holds a PhD in computer science. Martin III is a LEED certified professional, trained in architectural engineering. Both men have spent the past few years consulting in the computer and web development industries. So how do two detail oriented, tech-professionals decide to launch a business in the food industry? As with many entrepreneurs, they’d come to that point in their lives where they felt the need to find their passion.

Martin Jr. had reached that point in a man’s career where he might choose to spend time rocking on his back porch or
launch into a second career. One evening, he and his son were discussing his next move and Martin III asked the big-daddy
question: “Dad, what makes you truly happy?” Because isn’t that what we all really want?
For this father and son team, memories of family trips to Alaska, fishing trips and of back-yard smoking of the river’s bounty
answered the question for both men. Martin Jr. had been smoking salmon for nearly 20 years on the family’s back porch.
He loved tinkering with the level of salt and sweetness in the brine and experimenting with the material to produce just the
right flavor in the smoke. Friends and family raved about the final product and he frequently heard the words, “you could sell that!”

Martin III had spent time working as engineering tech for the National Park Service in Alaska. While there, he met men who studied the spawning patterns of Sockeye salmon and became enthralled with the attention the state gave to sustainability of the species. Martin III still makes annual trips to the 49th state to fish the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers. Although life led father and son toward technical careers, it was a tenacious Alaskan fish that truly held their heart.

Perfecting the Martin x Martin Original Smoked Sockeye Salmon recipe took 20 years. They weren’t in a hurry.
“Production volume is for the big, sterile commercial facilities,” says Martin Jr. What’s important to them is the creation of a quality product that reflects their love of wild Sockeye Salmon and the integrity of their family name. Their goal is to produce a delicious smoked salmon for folks throughout the country who appreciate artisan quality.

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Martin x Martin Smokery brines their salmon in a carefully managed, all natural mixture that has a much lower salt content than most of the similar commercially available products. This allows them to produce a product that features the taste of the delicious salmon itself, without its being overpowered by the brine. Their recipe makes a more versatile product and is a healthier alternative to most of the commercial competitors. “Smoked Salmon has long been a “special feature” on holiday and special event tables,” says Martin Davis Jr., patriarch and recipe developer of the family duo. “We believe our unique low-salt, hot-smoked recipe has the potential to elevate smoked salmon from the occasional buffet to the every day.”

I had a chance to personally meet these guys and try their salmon when they participated in Fleurs et Vin last month, where they were a huge hit! Martin x Martin Artisan Smoked Sockeye Salmon’s original recipe is now available for sale to the public and at wholesale pricing to those in the food service industry via their online storefront at www.martinsmokery.com. For additional information about Martin x Martin Artisan smoked Salmon, contact Martin x Martin Smokery at 937-234-7281 or at [email protected].

Cold Brew Now On Tap At Ghostlight Coffee

June 3, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby 1 Comment

This morning South Park’s Ghostlight Coffee becomes the first Dayton beanery to put cold-brew coffee on draft. A concept borrowed from the bar rooms, the tap injection of nitrous oxide that gives beer a smoother, creamier feel (as opposed to typical carbonation which adds fizz and bubbles) and apparently it does the same for coffee.

A growing trend, started in Seattle, Ghostlight owner Shane Anderson shares he’s “the 2nd Ohio location to bring in a kegerator to offer the Cold Brew, which comes out like a Guinness. It’s going to take a little time to get the brew exactly right, but we’re excited to introduce this concept. Down the road I’m looking forward to experimenting with ciders and more.” In a town that’s welcomed the microbreweries with open arms, coffee from a tap just seems a natural! Just think about it, you can grab a growler of coffee for the morning and then a locally made IPA for an early evening treat.

Here’s a California coffee shops explanation of the process:

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The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Celebrates Awarded Exhibit and D-Day Anniversary

June 2, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

F-111 exhibit selected for Air Force Heritage Award

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force was recently selected by the U.S. Air Force History and Museums Program as the recipient of the 2014 Air Force Heritage Award for an exhibit titled “Whispering Death: The F-111A in Southeast Asia.” The award recognizes outstanding achievements by Air Force History and Museums personnel that foster a better understanding and appreciation of the Air Force, its history and accomplishments.Visit http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123412565 for more information.

D-Day: Normandy 1944-3D now playing

The Air Force Museum Theatre and 3D Entertainment Distribution invite audiences to step back in time with the new documentary film D-Day: Normandy 1944-3D, which opened at the Air Force Museum Theatre on May 24, just in time for the upcoming 70^th anniversary of D-Day. Narrated by renowned journalist and author Tom Brokaw, D-Day: Normandy 1944-3D conveys this monumental event to the world’s largest screens for the first time. Blending multiple cinematographic formats, including animation, CGI and stunning live-action images, D-Day: Normandy 1944-3D brings new perspective to the landing that changed the course of history. D-Day: Normandy 1944-3D will be shown three times a day, at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. For more information visit http://www.DDay-Normandy1944.com.

The National Museum of the U. S. Air Force is located on Springfield Street, six miles northeast of downtown Dayton. It is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Admission and parking are free. For more information about the museum, visit www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.

Kicking It with Community: Kickball Tournament Returns June 21

June 1, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Dayton’s Community Kickball Tournament returns on Saturday, June 21 to the City of Dayton’s Kettering Field Complex at 444 North Bend Blvd. from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The tournament, which will feature co-ed youth and adult teams, is presented by the City of Dayton Department of Recreation and Youth Services, with support from the Dayton Police Department. Games will be officiated, with prizes for the first and second place teams.

The registration fee is $75 per team, and teams can register through June 7 at the following locations:

Greater Dayton Recreation Center 2021 W. Third St., 937-333-4732

Lohrey Recreation Center 2633 Glenarm Ave., 937-333-3131

Northwest Recreation Center 1600 Princeton Dr., 937-333-3322

Recreation and Youth Services Main Office 101 W. Third St., 937-333-8400

(Not available for registration on weekends)

Heater and Gem, mascots of the Dayton Dragons, will take on the first pitch and kick to get the action started. Concessions will be available throughout the day, as will registration for Recreation and Youth Services summer programs.

Originally called “kick baseball,” the game of kickball has been around for nearly 100 years. The game was invented by Nicholas C. Seuss, then Supervisor of Cincinnati Park Playgrounds in 1917. Physical education instructors incorporated kickball into public school classes during the early 1920s, and the game has remained a staple of neighborhood life for decades.

Hot House! Local Chef Heats Things Up With New Sriracha Sauce

May 30, 2014 By Dayton937 2 Comments

Dayton Chef LeeAnne House, with her Housemade Sriracha Sauce !

We’ve got the boss with the hot sauce right here! Want to heat up your Food Adventures at home? Then look no further.

Local chef, our own LeeAnne House has made her mark in the kitchens of upscale area restaurants. Now she is out on her own, with a new company called Housemade. Her first bottled product is a popular one, called Housemade Sriracha Sauce. She started experimenting with new sauces in her apartment kitchen and the batches grew, and so did the demand. Now she has taken her saucy self corporate.

Believe it or not, sriracha is a style of sauce, and not a brand name. We are all familiar with that plastic bottle with the rooster and green spout. This gives that sauce a kick in the pants.

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— LeeAnne grew up in the food industry. Her parents at one time owned various restaurants like Lincoln Park Grille, Oregon Express, and others. LeeAnne worked her way up from bussing tables to chief hottie.

Bottles of Housemade Sriracha, Ready to be Labeled

— The sauce took a year and a half to perfect. Originally home cooked and home produced, she is now off to the big time with the same, natural recipe. Food Adventures have been trying her home batch sriracha sauces for months, so we are especially happy to see her recent success.

— This sauce won 1st prize in the 2014 Louisiana Cajun Hot Sauce Festival, for the best specialty chili sauce, and is being blogged about nationally from California to Nashville. Foodies and Food Adventurers agree, it’s fantastic!

— A bottle of this sauce goes a long way, good thing there is a 2 year shelf life.

WHY IS THIS SAUCE A MUST EAT?

— FLAVOR: That is the most important thing, right? Not just heat for the sake of heat, but good flavor is what a sauce is all about. Housemade Sriracha is sweeter, hotter and meaner than the sriracha you are used to. There is a good amount of tang and zing to get your tastebuds rolling.

— ALL PEPPERS in this sauce are Thai Chili Peppers, and the sauce has NO STEMS. This is huge, because most mass produced sauces have stems ground into them, thereby changing the flavor of the sauce. Housemade keeps the flavor truer to the pepper itself with the tedious process of stem removal.

— NATURAL INGREDIENTS: We wont give away the recipe, just read the side of the label for the natural ingredients. Did we mention it is vegan and gluten-free ?

— LOCALLY MADE – Whenever possible local ingredients are used, local farmers, and the sauce is assembled from Dayton to Chillicothe. Hello, support local, buy local. Expect different sauces from Housemade in the future !

The Big Ragu knows you can get Housemade Sriracha at Foremost Seafood

The Big Ragu knows where to get Housemade Sriracha, and now, you do too !

The Big Ragu loves the sauce on chili, shrimp, wings and anything mexican (nachos, tacos, tortas, burritos and sopes).

LITE BITES: Try the sriracha on egg white omelettes, roasted veggies, homemade vegetable soups, and quinoa.

Housemade Sriracha Sauce has made its way into local restaurants and has been appearing on specials at Lily’s Bistro, and pizzas at Oregon Express to name a couple. We expect more locally owned restaurants to follow this trend. In fact, the demand has been so good, that a second batch has already gone into production.

WHERE CAN YOU BUY THE BOTTLES OF HOUSEMADE SRIRACHA?

— Arrow Wine & Spirits

— Clash Consignments

— Eclectic Essentials

— Foremost Seafood

— Healthy Alternative Markets

— The Spice Rack

— Yankee Street Market

In more ways than one, it is the hottest product in Dayton. Housemade Sriracha, we love you, you hot thang you ….

Speaking of hotness, check out Food Adventures on Facebook and “like” them HERE

Also, see more of LeeAnne and her hot sauce in the photo gallery below!

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10 ?’s with Chef Lisa Perdomo of Arepas & Co

May 30, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

Chef Lisa Perdomo is a Kettering native who received her undergraduate degree in business and her graduate M.B.A. from the University of Dayton. She is married to Mr. Perdomo, who is a native from Columbia, who received an engineering management degree from the University of Dayton. The UD Flyer couple runs and owns Arepas & Co which serves a type of Americanized Columbian cuisine. Her food is flavorful, fresh and fast.

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Arepas & Co is located at 1122 E Dorothy Ln in Kettering.

Initially out of college Lisa worked for the University of Dayton for 10 years. Afterward she had a coffee shop in Cincinnati, but decided the commute was a bit too much and ended up bringing contacts together in order to become a vendor at the 2^nd Street Market in downtown Dayton as Arepas & Co. The vendor stand took off at the market and Lisa found her business having a tremendous amount of success with visitors. To anyone who is timid about trying Columbian cuisine she is more than happy to educate and encourage the food she has grown to love.

With the success at the 2^nd Street Market Lisa and her husband were able to open their second location here in Dayton. Be sure when you visit to look for the Red House, that sits back from the road behind the Sherwood Florist. The restaurant serves as a great environment for a great meal.

Be sure to visit Arepas & Co. on Facebook for more info.

1. What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Fresh Cilantro… Fish and Cilantro = awesome!

Fresh and tasty Pollo Guisado and more waiting for you!

2. What ingredient do you dread?

I love to cook and don’t have a definitive dreaded ingredient, but if I had to choose I would say extremely hot spicy peppers. In particular the hot peppers used to prepare her El Scorcho (Pique) homemade sauce. Wow… Hot!

3. What’s your favorite dish to make?

Pollo Guisado! It is a braised chicken thigh slowly cooked with carrots, bell peppers, and green beans. Served with rice and fried plantains. It’s delicious.

4. What’s your favorite pig out food?

I loves Reece’s peanut butter cups. There is just something about that chocolate and peanut butter duo that hits the spot.

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

I love going to O’Charley’s with my 3 boys and husband. I also like going to Logan’s Roadhouses and Carvers in Centerville

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“Party in your Mouth” Mazorca! Sweet corn, seasoned beans, chips, cheese, homemade sauces! Magic!

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

Always have patience. Don’t ever get discouraged from any advice or critiques and always welcome and appreciate feedback.

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

Gordon Ramsay for his brutal honesty

Gabriel Marquez to recite beautiful poetry during the meal

A recent president. Possibly Barack Obama. Just so they can see how hard local businesses work

My husband so he can introduce guests to the Columbian culture and so he can keep our guest entertained. He’s a good talker.

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

Julia Child because who doesn’t.

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

I enjoy going hiking in Yellow Springs and watching television with my boys. Overall I just likes to spend some time offline.

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

Lisa shared stories of times when she cooked in a kitchen without a necessity such as gas, electric or water. She expressed it always makes for an interesting situation.

This Chef 10?’s article was put together by UD students in Professor Rebecca P. Blust’s UD Engineering Project Management class. Our four member team , Gracelyn Key, Sushmitha Rayinadi, Emily Strobach and Daniel Williams spent the semester learning how to meet with a client (DMM) define the project, put a plan together and execute it. This is the third of 9 Chef interviews they presented to us as their class project. To read the first two interviews please see below:

10 ?’s with Chef Trish Miles of C’est Cheese

10 ?’s with Chef Narendar Thakkar of Namaste India

‘Beauty and the Beast’ Review – Victoria Theatre Association – Delightful Disney Magic

May 29, 2014 By Russell Florence, Jr. Leave a Comment

Darick Pead and Hilary Maiberger star in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” (Contributed photo)

A top-notch national tour of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” the recipient of nine 1994 Tony Award nominations including Best Musical, has arrived at the Schuster Center as part of the Victoria Theatre Association’s Premier Health Broadway Series.

Based on the beloved 1991 Academy Award-winning film, one of the best animated movies containing one of the best cinematic scores courtesy of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, “Beauty and the Beast” wholeheartedly succeeds on the wonderfully relatable portrayals of Hilary Maiberger as bookworm Belle and Darick Pead as the troubled Beast. Maiberger, a lovely soprano and radiant stage presence, earnestly conveys Belle’s life-affirming journey of hope, loss and romance with a thoroughly engaging, gently contemporary sensibility. Astutely interpreting Belle’s introverted persona and the particularly deep hurt she feels upon imprisonment reiterated in the marvelous ballad “Home,” her performance beautifully evolves with striking resiliency and tenderness. At the same rate, Pead is an equally magnetic component displaying a humorously gruff temperament that exceptionally dissolves as the Beast learns to love and desires to be loved in order to break an enchantress’ spell. Pead injects some of the finest comedic bits I’ve seen in the role (the Beast’s pre-dinner hissy fit is inspired), but also supplies great vulnerability, especially in the touching Act 1 finale “If I Can’t Love Her.”

Maiberger and Pead are so incredibly compatible you’ll likely find yourself wiping away a few tears when the gorgeous title tune, warmly sung by Kristen Stewart (Mrs. Potts), brings Belle and the Beast together for an elegant dinner and heart-tugging waltz solidifying their unexpected bond.
Elsewhere, and in addition to Stewart, enjoyable supporting portrayals are rendered by Tim Rogan (Gaston), Jordan Aragon (LeFou), Josh Feldman and Jack Mullen (Chip), James May (Cogsworth), Stephanie Moskal (Babette), Hassan Nazari-Robati (Lumiere), Roxy York (Madame de la Grande Bouche), Paul Crane (Maurice), Kieron Cindric (Monsieur D’Arque), and Tony D’Alelio (Carpet). Nazari-Robati in particular winningly leads the exuberantly show-stopping “Be Our Guest” and joyously spine-tingling “Human Again,” two numbers sprightly choreographed by Matt West who also brings colorful, character-conscious flourishes to “Belle” and “Gaston.”
Director Rob Roth, Tony-nominated for his original direction, effortlessly and breezily returns to the material with a complete understanding of the tone and charm of the story and its relationships. He also wisely reassess his original outlook by cutting 10 minutes that used to belong to “No Matter What” and “Maison des Lunes,” new songs Menken wrote with lyricist Tim Rice that didn’t advance the plot. Roth’s splendid creative team includes Tony-winning costumer Ann Hould-Ward, Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, scenic designer Stanley A. Meyer, sound designer John Petrafesa, Jr., hair designer David H. Lawrence, fight designer Rick Sordelt, puppet designer Basil Twist, and illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer. Music director Kevin Frances Finn conducts a solid, well-balanced orchestra.

If feel-good entertainment is your aim don’t miss “Beauty and the Beast.”
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” continues through June 1 at the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets, Dayton. Performances are today and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Act One: 80 minutes; Act Two: 50 minutes. Tickets are $40-$111. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com.

Food Trucks Out In Force This Weekend

May 29, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Last summer the food truck rallies were a regular thing downtown, this summer they are spreading out all over the region. And while we’ve lost a few of last years popular trucks – both Fressa and Ringo’s North Star Mobile have left the business- we’ve seen even more new trucks join the mobile food business, like Lilia’s Outside Cafe , Voodoo Taco Company and Flour Power Pizza.

Food trucks have become beloved additions to the region’s dining scene, with the power to add vibrancy and traffic to an area with just a few Facebook posts. ZombieDogz is the reigning king of attraction in the mobile food world, Harvest Mobile Cuisine seems to hold the road dog crown, with the most appearances around town. The emergence of local taprooms have proved a popular partnership for those looking for a bite to eat with their beers and Courthouse Square downtown, plays host to foodtruck lunches Monday – Friday. However, due to the nature of their businesses, it’s sometimes hard to know where you’ll find a truck on any givien day. Our Food Truck Finder Calendar keeps track of a majority of the area’s food truck fleet, so go ahead, bookmark it for when you have a craving.

This Friday for lunch, the trucks will head to Riverside, hoping to attract the attention of workers of the region’s largest employer, WPAFB. The rally will be outside the gates, and picnic tables and portable restrooms are being brought in to make the empty lot across from the base into a temporary food pod.

Trucks expected to participate are: Go Cupcake, Cheeky Meat Pies, Pa’s Pork, The Shakery Juice Bar, Flour Power Pizza, Hunger Paynes, Porkey’s Smokehouse, D Fish and D Chicken, Lilia Cafe, East Coast Eatz, El Meson Express, Paranormal Concessions, and Dayton Urban BBQ

And this Saturday the Crestwood Swim Club in Kettering will host a Picnic in the Park from 1-5pm. They are promising “fantastic food with many adjacent amenities for the whole family to enjoy!” Expected participants include: Flour Power Pizza, G’s Cue BBQ, Go Cupcake, Harvest Mobile Cuisine, Hunger Paynes Food Truck, and The Shakery Juice Bar.

If you’d like more information, or would like to enquire about booking a food truck, check out the Dayton Food Truck Association or check the DMM List of FoodTrucks. If you know of a truck we don’t have on our list, please leave us a comment below.

2nd Annual Ice Cream and Doggie Social and Sculpture Dedication

May 29, 2014 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Historic South Park will dedicate a new public sculpture on Thursday, May 29th at 6 p.m. as a part of the 2nd Annual Neighborhood Ice Cream & Doggie Social. The dedication ceremony will take place at the sculpture, located in the 100 block of Park Drive on the Boulevard.

The sculpture, “Dandelion,” by Hamilton Dixon was commissioned by Historic South Park as recognition that great cities have public art.

The sculpture is in Hamilton’s signature style, one of the best-known examples of which are the stair railings in rotunda of the Dayton Art Institute. “Dandelion” pivots on its base and can be moved either by human push or a steady breeze.

Dixon and his family are residents of Dayton’s South Park neighborhood. The sculpture’s title came to mind as the artist and his family walked along the boulevard one evening and noticed the resemblance of the sculpture to seeding dandelions around it.

Funding for the sculpture comes from several sources, including a Neighborhood Mini-Grant from the City of Dayton, a grant from the Genesis Project, Historic South Park Inc., South Park residents and Hamilton Dixon, who gave generously of his time in the design and execution of the sculpture.

How to go:

When: Thursday, May 29, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Hamilton Dixon “Dandelion” sculpture in the 100 block of Park Drive on the Boulevard.
Who: Everyone, including Fido!*
What to bring: Your favorite ice cream and/or topping to share. Bowls and spoons will be provided.

*Important: Bring your dog with you. All dogs must be on a leash.