The Featured Articles

Experience the Best of Downtown at Urban Nights

May 8, 2013 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

More than 100 downtown venues are offering special events, discounts and more for the May 10 Urban Nights.

Urban Nights is getting an updated flavor and feel. Entertainment now will focus on three “hotspots” located throughout downtown, allowing visitors to experience downtown’s biggest street party in a new way by visiting hubs of activity throughout downtown. The next Urban Nights will be held 5 to 10 p.m. this Friday, May 10, in downtown Dayton, the Oregon District and Wright-Dunbar Business Village. A list of the hotspots at the spring event is below.

“We celebrated the 10th anniversary of Urban Nights last year and felt it was a good time to re-evaluate the event,” said Sandy Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership, which presents Urban Nights. “It’s clear the event has been extremely successful, as it brings more than 30,000 people to our downtown, many business owners report record sales, and we continue to receive a great deal of positive feedback from the community about Urban Nights.

“Still, we wanted to make sure Urban Nights more effectively meets its overall goal: to showcase all downtown has to offer and the places that only can be experienced in downtown Dayton,” Gudorf added. “We believe this new plan will encourage people to visit more places downtown during Urban Nights while giving us the opportunity to better highlight different areas in our center city.”

A map of participating venues and a complete performance schedule, including a listing of all participating locations’ events and specials, is available online. Follow Urban Nights on Facebook for regular updates and more information.

More than 30,000 people come downtown to experience this free event, when more than 100 establishments showcase downtown’s dining, nightlife, art, music, retail and housing options. The best way to see as much as possible during Urban Nights is to walk, and many of the destinations are just a short distance from each other. Greater Dayton RTA also will provide free event busses to help visitors get around.

Urban Nights is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership, Montgomery County and the City of Dayton, with support from Greater Dayton RTA, Bud Light Lime, Miller-Valentine Group, the Downtown Priority Board, Sinclair Community College, Mix 107.7-FM, WYSO 91.3-FM, Wright-Dunbar Business Village and the Ohio Arts Council.

MAY 10 URBAN NIGHTS HOTSPOTS

International Street

Sponsored by Miller-Valentine Group

Second Street between Main and Jefferson streets

Enjoy dance performances from a variety of troupes and grab an import brew to go along with foods from many cultures.

Second Street will be closed by the Kettering Tower to make way for dance performances and more.

Dancing in the Street Stage Schedule

5-5:25 p.m.:        Troupe Roja
5:30-5:55 p.m.: McGovern Ceili Dancers
6-6:25 p.m.:        South Dayton Dance Theatre
6:30-6:55 p.m.: Grupo Caribe
7-7:25 p.m.:        The Beseda Dancers
7:30-7:55 p.m.: Vivian Zumba
8-10 p.m.:            Son del Caribe

The corner of Fourth and St. Clair streets will be a hub of arts-inspired activity.

Arts Corner

Sponsored by Sinclair Community College

St. Clair and Fourth streets

Experience the Urban Nights motto “Walk on the Creative Side.” Enjoy a range of entertainment hosted by nearby businesses, including live entertainment, art exhibits and special sales. The Dayton Art Institute will host a photo booth where you can transform your image into an Andy Warhol-style work of art.
Arts Corner Entertainment
5-7 p.m.: Sweet Betsy

7-9 p.m.: By Means of Words at CADC

9-11 p.m.: Miss Lissa & Co. at Serendipity Bistro

Rock out to local bands at the Live on Five stage in the Oregon District.

Live on Five

Corner of Fifth and Pine streets in the Oregon District

Grab a draft brew from the beer truck and rock out to a variety of live bands.

Entertainment Schedule:

5-5:45 p.m.: The Broken Lights Band

6- 6:45 p.m.: Meghna & the Majority

7-7:45 p.m.: Cherry Lee and the Daddy Katz

8-10 p.m.: Magic Jackson

MAY 10 URBAN NIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

Tours and Exhibits Commemorating the Great Dayton Flood of 1913

Great Dayton Flood of 1913 Bus Tours

Presented by Dayton History, Generation Dayton and Greater Dayton RTA

Get around Urban Nights while learning about our city’s largest natural disaster. Narrators on specially marked Flood Tour buses will detail factors that led to the catastrophe and recount survivors’ personal stories and those of heroic Daytonians from 100 years ago. The free 30- to 45-minute tour will follow the Urban Nights blue bus route and will stop at various locations throughout downtown Dayton. The tour officially begins at the corner of Monument Avenue and Jefferson Street, but visitors can get on and off the bus at any of the designated stops.

The Miami Conservancy District, 38 E. Monument Ave.

At its historical administrative building, the MCD will feature pocket park clean water tours and display 1913 flood inundation maps. The MCD also will host open-mic story telling about the flood along with other displays and giveaways.

The Great Dayton Adventure Race

Starts at the MetroParks Bike Hub at RiverScape MetroPark

This urban scavenger hunt will wind through the Urban Nights action. See how many clues you can answer in two hours as you navigate the city by foot for a chance to win prizes. Team up with friends or tackle the challenge solo. Racers can start anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. $20 per person. Register in advance at www.topoadventuresports.org or at RiverScape MetroPark the day of the event. Call 937-274-0126 for more information.

RiverScape MetroPark will be a hub of activity, including live entertainment and activities focused on green living. (Photography by Josh Mayes)

RiverScape MetroPark: Plaza and Pavilion Stage

At the RiverScape Plaza, visit DRG3’s Green Fest: Spring into Green!, featuring green displays and exhibits, recycled arts and crafts, a thrift shop runway, basketball with recyclables, extreme hop scotch, hula hoop, solar race cars, energy bikes and martial arts demos. Also at RiverScape at the nearby MetroParks Pavilion, enjoy live entertainment:
5:30-6 p.m.:        The Dayton Poetry Slam Showcase
6-7:45 p.m.:        New Vega
7:45-8:15 p.m.: Howard School of Dance
8:15-10 p.m.:      The Ark Band

Live entertainment, food and activities will be part of the Urban Nights experience in the Wright-Dunbar Business Village.

Wright-Dunbar Business Village Entertainment

Enjoy live entertainment, cultural arts, creative and tasty cuisine, and other festivities in the Wright-Dunbar Business Village. Special events include:

• Gospel and R&B Plaza, Third & Williams streets: Featuring live entertainment and four food vendors.
• Dance Tent, 1133 W. Third St.: Featuring entertainment by DJ Master G, three food vendors and a spirits bar.
• Jazz Plaza, West Third Street: Featuring live jazz entertainment and food stations.
• The Lounge, 1100 W. Third St.: Presenting a ticketed event at 8:30 p.m., a tribute to The Ohio Players by D-Funk All Stars. Call 443-0249 for tickets and information.

Self-Guided Architectural Tour

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Dayton Chapter has organized a self-guided tour for those intrigued by the architecture of Dayton and the history behind it. Refer to the Architectural Week brochure (distributed with Urban Nights program books) for more details or start at any of the buildings that are on the tour, where more information also will be available. The tour highlights the exterior architectural features of buildings, and not all buildings will be open to tour the interiors.

• Kuhns Building, 45 S. Main St.

• The Arcade, Third Street across from Courthouse Square

• The Old Courthouse, corner of Main and Third streets

• Kettering Tower, southeast corner of Main and Second streets

• Schuster Center, northwest corner of Main and Second streets

• Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St.

Sideshow 8

Yellow Cab Building, 700 E. Fourth St.

The Dayton Circus Creative Collective again will kick off its two-day celebration of music and art in Dayton during Urban Nights. This event showcases the work of more than 60 artists and more than 20 musicians, and it hosts an event after-party until 1 a.m. Food and refreshments available. Visit the event website for a complete entertainment schedule and list of participating artists.

Join hundreds of cyclists on a ride through the night’s action at Urban Bikes @ Urban Nights, which will start at Courthouse Square. (Photography by Josh Mayes)

Urban Bikes @ Urban Nights

Start at Courthouse Square, Third and Main streets, at 6 p.m.

Get a preview of Urban Nights from the seat of your bike. Join hundreds of cyclists on this police-escorted ride through downtown. Riders are encouraged to wear a helmet and should be able to ride at a decent pace. This is not a ride for young children on their own bikes. From 5 to 8 p.m. on the Square, GetUP Montgomery County will present an event with live music, fitness demonstrations and other interactive activities focused on active, healthy lifestyles.

Sample New Food and Drink Establishments

Several downtown dining destinations either will be newly opened or open during Urban Nights to offer samples from their menus and preview their soon-to-be-open spots:

• Agnes All Natural Grill, 135 E. Fourth St.

• The Barrel House, 417 E. Third St.

• Lily’s Bistro, 329 E. Fifth St.

• Salar Restaurant and Lounge, 410 E. Fifth St.

• Toxic Brew Co ., 431 E. Fifth St.

Mosaic City Photo Show

St. Clair Lofts building, 39 S. St. Clair St.

Cityfolk presents an exhibit that includes entries from a recent Cityfolk photo contest and work by artist Glenna Jennings, who will present her project “Looking at Looking.” Her photographs depict residents and visitors to downtown Dayton observing historic images from the National Cash Register archive.

Watch large-scale prints being made with a steamroller at the third Steamroller Printmaking event.

Steamroller Printmaking: Flat-Out Fun!

Stivers School for the Arts, 1313 E. Fifth St.

Printmakers from the Dayton Printmakers Cooperative and students from Stivers School for the Arts will print large-scale linoleum blocks using a real steamroller as a printing press. Anyone can carve a smaller version of the linoleum blocks prior to the event (available for purchase at the Dayton Visual Arts Center for $10), called “Parking Prints,” and have it printed the night of the event. At DVAC, 118 N. Jefferson St., view large-scale and parking prints from the previous two Steamroller events.

Light My Fire & Brilliant Trash Competition

K12 Gallery for Young People and TEJAS, 510 E. Third St.

More than 100 hand-crafted mosaic lanterns will be lit in front of and inside the gallery as part of the Light My Fire exhibit. The lanterns will be for sale, with proceeds benefitting programming at K12 and TEJAS. K12 also will host the Brilliant Trash Competition, featuring upcycled works of art by local artists vying to be named Craft Master 2013, along with the exhibition “Can I Get a Witness?,” featuring abstract paintings by Rebecca Sargent and Erika Hess. Enjoy light refreshments, music and salsa dancing.

Best Legs Contest Benefits Clothes That Work!

May 8, 2013 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Best Legs Contestant Jim Danis

Twenty one men in the Miami Valley are macho enough to sport high heels to make their legs look their best, as they compete for the annual Best Legs contest to benefit Clothes That Work. A local non-profit, celebrating their 15th year, CTW provides professional clothing and image consulting for job seekers in Montgomery County. For $5 a vote you can help select the Best Legs. Voting in the contest continues until May 10th and contestant Jim Danis is really taking the competition seriously, offering to put company logo’s on his legs for a $100 donation. If your company is looking for some additional exposure at an affordable rate for a good cause, my legs are the place for them,” explained Danis. “Truly, this is a fun event and I’m trying to raise as much money as I can to help support Clothes That Work, because Clothes That Work has provided so much support to thousands of people in our community.” He raised $200 at Monday’s Dayton Rotary meeting and shared that if he got to $500 Square One Salon has offered to wax his legs for free!

The winner of the Best Legs Contest will be announced after the 6th annual Hunks in Heel race at The Green on Saturday, May 11th. There’s still time to join the Hunk racers, with over 100 men scheduled to race around The Greene in high heels in support of the important women in their lives. Event festivities being at noon on May 11. For a registration form, please visit:http://www.clothesthatwork.org/events-2/events.html. Fans are invited to join the crowd for this fast paced fun filled afternoon. As in years past, the patio’s of Brio and McCormick and Schmick will be filled with cheering sections for the teams of racers. From past experience I’d like to share that often the shoe selection by the runners is often the most entertaining part of the event! I’ll be calling the race along with event co-chair Todd Crawford and look forward to see what surprises the racers have in store for us. Over the years, teams have come out in themed costumes, in drag, with with matching pedicures, who knows what we’ll see this year.

You can also support CTW by purchasing a raffle ticket online or at the event for $5 for a “Do Dayton” Staycation! One winner will win a Dayton experience package that includes:

$100 Gift Certificate to Thai 9

Dayton Dragons Suite – Sunday July 28th

Hunks in Heels – 2010

One Night Stay at Inn Port B&B in the Oregon District

3 Month Membership to Dayton Racquet Club PLUS $50 Dinner Gift Certificate

4 Tickets to the Warhol Exhibition at the Dayton Art Institute

A World Affair passes

$10 Gift Certificate to Deaf Monty’s Wine Shop at Inn Port

4 Tickets to the Vectren Jazz and Beyond series at the Dayton Art Institute

One Hour Massage – Square One

2 Passes to the Neon Movies

$50 Gift Certificate to Brim Hat Shop

$25 Gift Certificate to Oregon Express

2 Free Passes to Practice Yoga

$20 Gift Certificate to Serendipity Bistro

$20 Gift Certificate to Clash

2 Personal Fashion Stylist Consultations at Sew Dayton

Free Haircut at Derailed Hair Salon

One Free Piercing at Glenn Scott Tattoo

2 Passes to Muse Machine 2014 Musical

10?’s with Patrick Sartin, The Man in the Black Truck

May 7, 2013 By Lisa Grigsby 1 Comment

Chef Patrick inside his truck. Photo courtesy of Dolce Photography

Patrick Sartin started cooking at a young age in Dayton working in several local kitchens including The Country Club of the North, Rocky’s Pizza, and Kohler Catering, before attending the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated in 2002. After graduation Sartin did a stint as the Head Chef at Chanterelles here in Dayton, before he achieved his goal of travel and work in as many different regions of the US as he could, gaining as much culinary knowledge as possible.

Patrick has worked in the industry across the United States from Colorado to Maine working with very talented culinarians including two ACF Certified Master Chefs. As a chef for the prestigious Ocean Properties LTD in Bar Harbor Maine for the last 7 years, Patrick assisted in opening and overseeing the daily operations in hotel kitchens and large catering facilities up and down the east coast. Sartin has extensive knowledge and experience executing large banquet functions, operating multiple outlets, and producing a wide variety of foods indigenous to the different regions and cultures of The United States. With his new mobile venture Harvest Mobile Cusine, a valuable tool for street vending, catering, and exposure of flavor, Patrick hopes to spread the love of cuisine he has gathered through his extensive travels and aims to show how important it is to get back to the simplicity of cooking, using local ingredients and simple time honored techniques. Patrick takes on DMM’s infamous 10 questions:

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Fresh local ingredients are my passion. It may sound simple but I can’t wait for the local fruit and vegetables to become available. One of my favorites is the strawberry, there is simply nothing like a fresh local strawberry.

What ingredient do you dread? Every cell in my body is opposed to the idea of using frozen or canned ingredients.

What is your favorite dish to make? I live for the opportunity to enlighten people and expand palates; introducing someone to something new is a challenge I get excited about. I like getting meat eaters to try a vegetarian dish and right now I am having a lot of success doing that with my Falafel.

What is your favorite pig out food?
This is going to sound like I am making it up but the only thing I could say I really “pig out” on is salad. Even my four year old is a big salad eater, believe it or not.

What restaurant do you dine out in?
I am sure you’ve heard it before but for cooks, there isn’t much time to eat out. That being said I love to eat anywhere that features farm to table cuisine like Meadowlark. Other than that we always choose locally owned venues like Marrions Pizza over the corporate chains.

What is your best advice to home chefs?

Harvest Tacos – Wild caught northern Atlantic haddock, jicama slaw, citrus cream

My best advice is twofold, firstly keep it simple. Don’t over think your dish, and keep the seasonings straight forward. Secondly, look to your local bounty, focus on farm fresh produce and meat.

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

My Grandmother Caroline: To thank her for showing me the ropes of cooking at a young age, and guiding me towards my passion for farm fresh ingredients;

My Mother: To share my accomplishments to the one person who has always provided that stable ground for me to stumble upon;

My wife/daughter: The two most important people in my life who I strive to nurture with every small step into the future;

Phish(the band): For providing the musical inspiration that continues to push me forward down the bumpy roads of life.

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

I guess I most admire the two Certified Master Chefs I worked with. Dan Dumont has a breadth of knowledge and passion that is impressive and inspiring. I am driven to achieve a work ethic that I leaned from these chefs who have risen to the very limits of accreditation for our profession.

What do you do on day off?
We are a very outdoors oriented family. We love the Five Rivers MetroParks and often select a new one at random to explore on days off. I love hiking, biking cannoning; these parks are a major draw for Dayton.

Presidential picnic basket

Patrick with President Obama

The most interesting highlight of my career thus far was the time I spent working for Bar Harbor resorts and was hand selected by white house staff for an opportunity to cook for the first family. I was chosen to join a team of two other chefs who catered to the Obama’s when they visited the resorts. The most memorable times were spent preparing their picnic lunches. We prepared local meals for the sitting president and his family to enjoy in the park. The picnic basket was the size of a car trunk and was loaded with beautiful china and stemware.

For your chance to try a meal from the Harvest Mobile Cuisine Truck you can check his calendar to find a location near you. You can also hire him for catering for special events with customized menus to suit. The truck’s menu is constantly changing, but we can recommend the chicken tortilla soup and the tacos. You can aslo follow Harvest Mobile on Facebook

Here’s where you can the truck this week:

Veggie Pita – Roasted red pepper hummus, marinated and grilled seasonal vegetables, and local greens

TUESDAY
KETTERING 11:00-2:00pm
ACCO Brands, LLC. 4751 Hempstead Station Drive

BEAVERCREEK 3:00-8:00
KMart (Across from The Greene) 4480 Indian Ripple R

WEDNESDAY
DAYTON 11:00-2:00
LORD Corporation 4644 Wadsworth Drive

THURSDAY
BEAVERCREEK 11:00-2:00
Apple Valley Business Park 4021 Executive Drive
4021 Executive Drive

FRIDAY
DAYTON 11:00-2:00
Five Rivers Metro Parks 409 East Monument

URBAN NIGHTS FOOD TRUCK RALLY 5:00-10:00
East Monument St. Dayton

SATURDAY

Hill Family Farms Jumbo Wings – Thai barbecue sauce, roasted peanuts, and cilantro.

DAYTON NOON-10:00
Fifth Street Brewpub Open House 1600 East Fifth Street

SUNDAY 12:00-7:00
YELLOW SPRINGS
Village BP 4 Xenia Ave

Live From New York: Brian Van Flandern Trains at Salar

May 7, 2013 By Brian Petro Leave a Comment

Fresh new cocktails coming to the Oregon District!

It was in New York that an actor was working his way through school. The year was 2003; he had one more semester to go, and the bar he was working in was failing. He was no ordinary bartender. While working in theater and other pursuits, he had nearly two decades of bartending under his belt. Knowing he had one more semester to go, he agreed to take one more restaurant job in New York and work there until he was able to get “a real job”. The new restaurant was the brainchild of Chef Thomas Keller, who had already created the very successful French Laundry in California, and now wanted to expand it to New York. While working with the chef of Per Se to create the menu, and learning to pair wines with dishes, this bartender asked “Why can’t we use fresh ingredients and make great cocktails that pair with food?” This simple question lead to a rethinking of how food and cocktails can interact. He had to prove to the chef that, despite their higher alcohol content, you can create cocktails that went well with food.

After the initial terror and question of “What did I do?” subsided, experienced bartender Brian Van Flandern set out to prove his point. The quest included three distinct elements. The first was to make cocktails from fresh and local ingredients, something that had been spreading like a virus through the New York cocktail scene. The second was pairing great cocktails with great food, something he was sure could be done. The third, and this was the hardest sell for the consumer, was to lower the alcohol content so that the palate was not damaged by the liquor. He was looking through a list of the basic cocktails when he picked his battle: the gin and tonic. Gin was an element that he was familiar with, and how much more simple of a cocktail can you make than one with just two elements? As he dissected it, he started to learn about the history of the drink, really questioning how it was made. That led to Van Flandern making his own tonic water, importing powdered quinine from Brazil, well before craft and artisan tonics were in vogue. Combining his home made tonic water with a special gin from San Francisco, he created the Tonic and Gin Per Se. When renown New York Times Critic Frank Brunei gave his four star review of Per Se, he mentioned that cocktail by name. “And all of a sudden my bartending job became a career”, Van Flandern said with a smile and a laugh.

Three star Michelein Mixologist Brian Van Flandern educating the staff.

Brian Van Flandern, three star Michelin rated mixologist and world class cocktail educator and creator, met with me at Rue Dumaine to discuss all things cocktail. Two things strike you as you are talking with him: he is naturally very friendly and easy to chat with, and he is passionate about cocktails and how they fit into our current culture. He has a very impressive resume to stand on. He has cocktails in over forty countries, as well as a very thick book of places where he has shared his experience and passion. He is the author of two books, Vintage Cocktails, which is currently available and Craft Cocktails, which will be released by Assoline later this month. Like anyone who is passionate about what he does and where he is going, he is well versed in where his craft has been. “Prior to Prohibition in the United States, being a bartender was a respected craft, like a pharmacist or a cobbler. It was a trade that was passed down from father to son. These famous barmen were making their own tonics, their own tinctures, their own syrups.” He goes on, describing the flight of these great bartenders to Europe so they could keep making good cocktails. Europe became no better for cocktails than America, getting caught first in the worldwide Great Depression and then World War II. “By the time World War II was over, we had lost an entire generation of mixology and had lost the art of the cocktail.” He talks about the evolution of the cocktail, not only in terms of how it went from strong in the 50’s and 60’s to sweet in the 70’s and 80’s, but how people perceived it and how consumer demand influenced it.

It was not until the late 90’s that the cocktail started to edge back to where it had been before prohibition. “Dale DeGroff started to do critical thinking like a chef. He took a recipe from a woman who had won a cocktail competition in Florida, and made a cocktail called a Cosmopolitan. He used fresh ingredients and quality spirits, balanced it out, and he made an amazing Cosmopolitan that became so famous in New York that Sarah Jessica Parker mentioned it in her show ‘Sex and the City’. That cocktail became a global phenomenon. That was only the beginning. Now we are seeing the great mixologists are emulating the great chefs, working with global, fresh ingredients, their balancing the acids and sugars, and they are creating original flavor profiles that are aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and the palate.”

Class is in session for the future Salar mixologists.

Understanding where the cocktail has been helps Van Flanern see where it is going. Asking him about the next big cocktail trend, he feels that “we will never see a global trend like the Cosmopolitan again.” He sees bartending going in the same direction that the culinary world has been going; becoming more and more innovative, looking more to local and fresh ingredients to create their signature libations. He compared the growth of a bartender into a mixologist in the same way a cook evolves into a chef. Mixologists “innovate, they create, the do anything a bartender does, and more. They take it to the next level,” according to Van Flandern. Cocktails are no longer the big trend to look for, spirits are. People are embracing white whiskey, mescal, and pisco right now on the East coast, and it has been moving inwards through the country. The bigger spirits companies, like Diaego and Beam Global, are also helping to move trends, polling to see what people want to drink and encouraging the distilleries they own to develop spirits in that direction. This has allowed smaller, boutique, small batch distilleries to grow, fuelling a revolution in smaller craft spirits. “There is a lot of boutique, small batch, pot distilled distillations. We have seen a lot of boutique spirits are coming out where these guys are doing unique and innovative, cutting edge products in every major and minor spirit categories.”

Thanks to pioneers like Dale DeGroff, bartending has returned to the respectable trade it was before Prohibition chased bartenders to Europe, and their knowledge out of restaurants and bars. “It is an exciting time to be a bartender, globally”, offers Van Flandern, and he is right. Society’s palates have changed over the last two decades, and the explosion and expansion of craft liquors and spirits have given bartenders more options as far as ways to create cocktails. With the rising tide of skill and respect, the bar is no longer just a place for people to wait in a restaurant while their table is getting ready. It is an integrated part of the dining experience, with cocktails being paired with meals like wine traditionally has been and craft beers were a few years ago. “In my professional opinion, the long term trend in the next five years, great Chefs are going to supplant themselves in communities throughout the nation,” Van Flandern notes. He has seen this trend spreading, starting in places like London and New York, and in recent years moving to smaller cities like Cleveland and Columbus. And once the trend hits a city, it starts to spread to other lounges and restaurants.

Chef Margot Blondet, Executive Chef at Salar.

Mr. Van Flandern was recruited by Chef Margot Blondet to help give Salar, the restaurant she is creating, a globally inspired, signature cocktail menu. “We see great chefs like Chef Margot moving in to Dayton and settling down roots here, and then making commitments to great cuisine in Dayton, and making a similar commitment to her cocktail program.” That commitment extended to training the bar staff to make cocktails that had the same elements she was passionate about: fresh, innovative, exciting, locally sourced and the best in Dayton. Making great cocktails like that will also include training on the history of the spirits and the cocktails they would be making, so they understand them on a deeper level and can create new ones using the same philosophy. He assured me that all of their cocktails, while well crafted, will be delivered in a timely manner. If it is not exactly what you were looking for, the staff there will have no problems making it to your tastes. His customer first philosophy is one other thing that will be instilled into the bartenders he is training.

Salar is looking to open up in the next few weeks with not only fanfare, but with great ambition. Bringing a mixologist like Brian Van Flandern, with his years of experience and training, shows just how serious of an impact Chef/Owner Margot and General Manager Harry Trubounis are looking to make in the culinary landscape of Dayton. The stage is set in the Oregon District for a new star to rise.

The Charlie Tipton Band-Spotlight Is Bright On Band’s Upcoming Future

May 3, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

I have been writing about Dayton musicians and bands during the past year. I have seen some of the best music that is played in any town across the United States. One musician that continues to have people feels the same way that I feel is Charlie Tipton. Charlie Tipton is a lot like most of the musicians that play in Dayton. He has the desire and dedication that one needs to continue making the music scene so amazing. He is always out and about, supporting his peers that are performing nightly. After he is done playing his set, he comes and floats around, personally thanking everyone for coming. He is genuine and grateful for all that comes to him.

(Photo Courtesy-Jennifer Taylor Clarke)

Charlie Tipton’s voyage into music began at an early age. At 8 years old, he would be at his grandmother’s house and notice a vintage, rustic guitar. He was captivated of the charm and beauty that the guitar came with. So, he picked it up and started to play it. “I would ask my family to watch me play what I thought were chords”, Tipton mentions to me. “I just loved that guitar. It really inspired me to learn how the actually chords.” Tipton got his own guitar at the age of 11, and started to learn how to play songs that were popular at the time. Songs from Nirvana, Soundgarden, and other alternative rock bands flowed off the strings of his instrument. He always knew at this point that playing music live in front of crowds would be in his blood forever.

Until recently, Tipton played solo. He would take his guitar and would play songs that were full of sentiment. The words coming out of his mouth were nothing more but raw soul and energy. He credits Ryan Adams and Ray LaMontagne for being influences, which are clearly obvious when he plays. The rich sound of folk that two artists mentioned are a large reason that Tipton continues to deliver. These days, however, Tipton won’t be really being seen without his band, named The Charlie Tipton Band. One unique thing about the band is Tipton’s cousin is the guitarist of the band. “We have had some issues with keeping a drummer because of schedules and other small things. However, one thing won’t change is the fact my cousin will be there right by my side, playing music with me”, Tipton says about the band. The band likes to keep things airy and fast when playing live. Their sound is what Tipton calls ‘alternative country’-the blend of the two genres that produces an airy sense to their songs. Almost as if they are taking you to the open road, windows rolled down, and the tunes turned all the way up. The band currently is working on an album which they hope to have it released in August. “There are a lot of different elements to it. We are still trying to get that perfect sound”, explains Tipton about the album. “We will continue to keep playing and working on finding it.”

One of the remarkable characteristics about Tipton is what he does away from the mic. Tipton is a social worker in the area, helping young and old who have lost their way find themselves and get back onto the road to being better. Tipton aids people to get them off drugs, and assistances others to help them fight and win against addiction. Tipton told the story of him going to a small town recently and worked on helping folks with getting clean. “It’s an amazing feeling to help others. It’s always been something I have always to do. Addiction is serious. I just want to help people get past their demons.”

Charlie Tipton is one of the many reasons why the music in town is, and will continue to be for many years to come, a notch above the rest. This weekend will no doubt be more proof of that. Tonight, see The Charlie Tipton Band will be sharing the stage with Tim Pritchard and the Boxcar Suite, and Trey Stone Band. The show will be at J-Alans, located at 121 North Ludlow Street in downtown Dayton. Show time starts at 9pm. On Saturday night, Tipton will be performing at Brixx Ice Company, located across from Fifth Third Field on East First Street for the event Dayton Decides, a first-ever mayoral primary election event being hosted by UpDayton. The candidates, which include incumbent Gary Leitzell, and the challengers A.J. Wagner and Nan Whaley, will be sharing what they will bring if elected into office. Also, the evening will feature testimonials from business owners and neighborhood activists about is needed from the mayor to help them thrive. Also performing on the stage will be Good English and The Devil You Know. For more info on this event, click here.

Taco Loco: The Best Tasting Cinco de Mayo You Will Ever Have

May 2, 2013 By Dayton937 4 Comments

Beef Shoulder Taco, Squeeze that lime on it

Food Adventures Crew knows there are only a couple of truly authentic Mexican Restaurants in the Miami Valley, and we have found a favorite. It is a humble place called Taco Loco located at 5392 Burkhardt Road. It is clean, it is cheap, it is authentic. But most of all, it has some of the most delicious Mexican food we have ever eaten. We have some close friends from Mexico, and upon their recommendation we stopped in. The experts were right, every trip to Taco Loco is a new Food Adventure.

Why the name Taco Loco? The owners, a mom and pop duo from Mexico, had to renovate before they could open. They were fixing the old vacant building, putting in many hours painting, putting down flooring etc. The long days caused them to sometimes sleep in their van in the parking lot overnight, since they lived in Cincinnati. When a neighboring resident visited the construction she told the owners, “You are working too hard, and sleeping in your van, what are you CRAZY?” Since ‘Loco’ means crazy in Spanish, they decided the name fit.

Here’s the Skinny:
1) This place is very authentic, so don’t expect the typical queso sauces, cheese and tomatoes like you see on some Tex-Mex dishes at other Mexican restaurants.
2) The prices are low, so you can explore many types of food and have your own Food Adventure.
3) The staff is friendly, the place is a hole in the wall, the dining area is small, and the environment is clean.
4) You know the food is good, when most of the patrons in the dining area are people from Mexico.
5) Not only is the food delicious, but they have a variety of rare, non-alcoholic drinks made from scratch using fresh herbs and other ingredients.
6) Locally owned by Lola and her husband Octavio. It’s a true mom and pop establishment!

The Chicken Torta – Big and Delicious

Must Eats:

Horchata: Start off your meal with one of these milky beverage specialties. It literally tastes like rice pudding in a glass. We were blown away by the taste of this unique drink.

The Beef Shoulder Taco – Tasty meat on a corn tortilla. These are authentic style tacos, like they eat in Mexico City. We will tell you it is one on the best tacos on the planet. Ingredients are cilantro, onion and meat choice. No cheese, but you may order ‘Tacos Locos’ which means add tomatoes and sour cream.

The Chicken Torta – A sandwich that would give any sub shop a run for its money. Diced grilled chicken, and the perfect complimentary toppings on homemade telera (Mexican sandwich bread). An incredibly filling sandwich for $5 and one of The Big Ragu’s favorites.

Whole Fish – Do you want to kick it authentic old school? Then try this whole, fried tilapia on for size. You have to deal with a little bit of bones and the fish staring at you, but the taste is worth it. At the price of $7.50 this is a steal.

The Food Adventures Crew have eaten so many menu items in our trips to Taco Loco, that some deserve an honorable mention:

Whole Fish – Food Adventure on a Plate

The Large Quesadilla’s are fantastic. Filled with rice, beans, cheese and your choice of meat, this giant menu item will dwarf your plate.

Carne Asada, a skirt steak dish, is a specialty here. If authentic means anything, we noticed that besides us, a lot of Latinos were eating this dish too.
Have you eaten Sopes before? Sopes are made with a circular foundation fried masa dough (ground hominy) topped with refried beans, lettuce, and crumbled cheese. We think of it as an authentic taste version of a tostada. Ragu loves this unique menu item. Taco Loco serves similar menu items called Huaraches which are bigger, oval versions of Sopes. We love them as well, especially the thick base, which almost tastes like potato dough.

The Burritos are delicious. They come wrapped in foil and are so big, we can usually only eat half of them.

Want authentic fajitas? The steak ones here are fantastic, and the flavor of the grilled green peppers make the dish.

The Tamales were good too. Filled with shredded pork and topped with crumbled cheese, they are one of the few items covered with a queso sauce.

Enchiladas Verdes – Fresh Ingredients, Freshly made

A filling meal is the Enchiladas Verdes, stuffed with green chiles and your choice of meat, and covered in lettuce and avocado.

Besides our favorite Horchata, other specialty drinks include a “Tamarindo”, which is made with tamarind fruit. When Lola brought the fruit out to show us, we made a mustache with it. Yeah, that’s us. We take our own pictures, too.
We also drank a “Jamaica” drink (pronounced hamica). This beverage was a tea made with fresh hibiscus flowers, some of which Lola showed us as well. We told you this was a great place for a Food Adventure.

For dessert, we suggest the creamy, homemade Flan. For those of you not familiar with flan, think of an upside down, firmer version of creme brulee. Lola made us proud with this dessert!

Finally, we have to mention the complimentary table salsas. Served in two squirt bottles, one is a mild Verdes Salsa made with tomatillos. The other is a red chile salsa, made with chili peppers. Careful, the red one has a kick! Both of these salsas are made in house, and kick up any menu item. Experiment to your taste with a dash or a squirt on the free basket of extra thick corn tortilla chips.

With Cinco De Mayo coming up, it is good timing for you to try some really authentic Mexican fare at Taco Loco. Not many people know about this little secret, but now you know the scoop. Celebrate with good food and cheap prices. If you do not check out Taco Loco soon, then you my friend, are CRAZY !

Give us your take on TACO LOCO by commenting below. Make sure you browse through the photo album for some AMAZING food photos from this little known secret.

“Like” Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking HERE !

[flagallery gid=36 name=Gallery]

13th Annual Soup Dressed Up Benefit

April 29, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Stivers School for the Arts, located at 1313 E. Fifth Street, will host the 13th annual “Soup Dressed Up” fund-raising event, from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, May 3rd.

Student and staff at Stivers have created hundreds of bowls for you to choose from, each one unique and artistically prepared. Each guest may choose a handmade ceramic bowl and fill it with soup, bread and dessert generously donated from local restaurants, like Lucky’s CoCo’s, Elsa’s, Christopher’s Roost, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, EarthFare, Big Sky Bread, and Dorothy Lane Market.

Enjoy dinner, music by Gathering Mercury, bid in a silent auction, take a studio tour, and check out wheel throwing demonstrations and award-winning student artwork in the Fifth Street Gallery (located within the school).

5K Derby Day Dash to Benefit Life Essentials

April 29, 2013 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Life Essentials helps people who slip through gaps of community services. Through a dedicated network of volunteers they provide over 25,000 hours of service each year to people in the greater Dayton area. Their services and programs help seniors and individuals living with mental illness. They aim to decrease isolation by providing participants with volunteer caregivers, guardians and help with small home projects.

This Sat, May 4th you’ll have a chance to to participate in their annual Derby Day Dash. This annual 5K Run and Walk involves every age group including fun runs for the little ones like the tot trot for 3-5 year olds, the Gallop for 9-10 year olds. All kids receive a medal and the top 3 each get a trophy. Teams are welcome too, with prizes for Best Name and Largest Team.

The professionally designed course starts and ends at Island Park and snakes along the Great Miami River. Once everyone has finished the race, prizes are awarded for participants in various age categories, farthest distance traveled, and best hat! More than $2,000 in merchandise and gift certificates are awarded at the race. Check in begins at 8am the race starts at 9am. You can register online at www.active.com.

Newest Pop-Up Shops Announced Downtown

April 25, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Two new businesses will open downtown on Friday, May 10, as part of the fourth phase of the Pop-Up Project.

Peace Pilates will offer small group and private Pilates classes in their new studio space. Owner Vanessa Corrigan has been teaching Pilates for 12 years, including private lessons out of her home loft and is looking forward to starting a storefront. Workouts are custom created based on clients’ needs and goals. Peace Pilates will be located at 27 S. St. Clair St. in the St. Clair Lofts.

Green Baby’s philosophy

Green Baby will offer environmentally friendly products for the family, including cloth diapering, baby carriers, and products for holistic approaches to health and healing. The store also plans to host classes and community events. Green Baby will be an advocate for local businesses and producers, as 100% of their products are made in the U.S., many being developed in the Dayton area. Green Baby will be located at 31 S. St. Clair St. in the St. Clair Lofts.

The opening of Green Baby and Peace Pilates builds on the success of the Pop-Up Project’s first three phases, launched in November 2011, May 2012, and September 2012. Two of the initial three businesses in the pilot are still thriving: Beaute Box, 116 W. Fifth St., and Peace on Fifth, 508 E. Fifth St. American π, 37 S. St. Clair St, and Sew Dayton, 16 Brown St., are both still open from the second and third phases of the project.

Activated Spaces’ Pop-Up Project, which has helped fill 10,285 square feet of first floor retail space during its four phases, is led by volunteers from the young professional organizations Generation Dayton and UpDayton. The project is a strategic effort to fill vacant street-level space and spur interest in opening a business downtown that’s part of the Greater Downtown Dayton Plan, a strategic blueprint for the future of downtown.

“The Pop-Up Shops have helped enliven downtown while building on growing momentum for the center city,” said Tom Razauskas, who owns the building housing Beaute Box. “It has been refreshing to work with volunteers and business owners who really believe in downtown and are excited about its future.”

“The Pop-Up Project provides a low-risk, low-cost, flexible way to showcase local businesses while adding vibrancy to downtown,” said Shanon Potts, a past chair of Generation Dayton and Activated Spaces volunteer. “The long-term goal of the project is to convert temporary leases into traditional leases, while establishing downtown as a regional destination for shopping for one-of-a-kind items and retail services.”

“This project also supports local, creative entrepreneurs as they take a risk and test out their business concepts while bringing renewed life to downtown storefronts,” said Scott Murphy, past chair of UpDayton and Activated Spaces volunteer. “Visitors who support these pop-up shops will help to spur a more permanent retail environment in our downtown ― the next step in downtown revitalization.”

Visit www.activatedspaces.org or e-mail getinvolved@updayton.com for more information about Activated Spaces.

Dayton Restaurants – Closed But Not Forgotten!

April 24, 2013 By Dayton937 88 Comments

Do you have any favorite food places that went out of business, and you still miss them to this day ? Yeah, we do too. This week, lifelong Daytonian, the Big Ragu, takes a trip down memory lane and talk about some restaurants we still mourn to this day. Eateries that used to shine in the Dayton area, which are now gone but not forgotten. Please join us in this of recollection of past Food Adventures. Feel free to add some places of your own, by commenting below.

Here is our list of restaurants that we wish had never closed. Our “Lost Food Gems of Dayton”

JED’S STEAK AND RIBS – Remember their salad bar? Sure it had croutons that tasted like crayons, but their steak burger and ‘make your own sundae bar’ were great childhood memories and huge innovations at the time. There were many Jed’s around the Dayton area, one was located on 725 in Centerville and is now a Goodwill store. We cannot find any photos or trace of this place online, can you?

SHUCKIN’ SHACK – One of our all-time favorite places was on North Main St. in Dayton. They would bring steamed clams out in golf ball baskets. At the raw bar you could sit and eat raw oysters and clams, and throw your shells into a trough. Who could forget their massive peel and eat shrimp, or fried smelts? This was the only place in Dayton that made you fell like you were in a wharf type restaurant in Florida.

THE PEERLESS MILL– The Miamisburg Restaurant with the old fashioned, old school menu. Inside it was like a mixture of Thanksgiving and Christmas everyday. We recall the incredible decor and churning wheel waterfall. This restaurant was warm and inviting, with a trickling water wheel in the lobby. The food was fantastic, and the service was always exceptional. It was a great place for family celebrations.

KEENG WHA – This Chinese restaurant used to be on the corner of Woodman and Dorothy Lane. They served Ragu’s favorite Chinese dish of all time: “Princess Prawns.” A popular place in the 80’s until the chef left, and it was all downhill until it closed in the mid 90’s.

BILL KNAPPS – The kids meal was filled with animal names like the “tiger” or the “elephant.” The best au gratin potatoes ever were served here in a tiny crock pot with browned cheese on top. Ragu loved the clam strips dinner and their signature chocolate cake. On Tuesdays is was a full meal deal where every entree came with salad, soup and dessert. INSANE ! There was a Bill Knapps on 48 near Loop Rd. in Centerville, one by the Dayton Mall, and another near what is now The Greene.

GIRVE’S BROWN DERBY– As kids, we felt like kings in this place. They had the largest salad bar in town and you could even order a kiddie cocktail. Ragu loved the kids menu fish dinner. Adults seemed to love the “Gus’ Steak” which came out with a wooden stake saying medium, or rare with on onion ring on top. There was a bar inside and even lobster tail dinners flowed freely. We felt the Brown Derby “jumped the shark” when it moved from Bigger Rd to the 725 location by the Dayton Mall. Big mistake, we really miss this food gem.

Woody’s Grocery Store in West Carrollton

WOODY’S GROCERY – We might say the bakery and seafood department was the best part of this West Carrollton icon. Also, we loved the deli with shaved Corned Beef and Swiss on hard rolls with poppy seeds on top. We remember a cashier named Don Baker who had hair like Elvis that never changed for years. Noone could forget the plaid dresses and bonnets worn by some of the female workers.

ELDER BEERMAN RESTAURANT – Who doesn’t love a place where you could get breakfast with Santa and the Easter bunny? Located upstairs in the Centerville store on State Route 48, our memories are also of the Friday night buffet. This was a place where the waitresses were “real” waitresses and they had the same staff for decades.

BURGER CHEF- To this day, we crave the Big Chef sandwich and their “works” bar where you could load up your burger with toppings! Remember that their regular hamburgers were stuffed into clear wrapping pouches and the steam marks would be on the plastic wrap? Bring back Burger Chef !!

CHICKEN LOUIE’S – A 24 hour chicken wing place? What a great idea ! This was a fixture on North Main Street in Dayton for over 40 years. Ragu would risk life and limb by ordering through the bullet proof glass at dusk. The related “Lou’s Broaster Hut on 3^rd st had a special place in our heart.

RAX ROAST BEEF – We loved the salad bar, which hilariously offered nacho cheese next to the pudding. The menu had a star, the “BBC” (the beef bacon and cheddar) which proves the theory that bacon makes everything better. But Rax lovers know that the cheese sauce made those sandwiches. We frequented the 725 store that is now a Tim Horton’s

ROCKY ROCOCO’S PIZZA– Chunks of roma tomatoes on their pizzas, made for a unique tasting pizza that was full of flavor.

JOE BISSETT’S GRUB STEAK– The killer menu item was the Princess Steak and a salad with blue cheese crumbles on top. We also rocked the “kiddie cocktail” on North Main St, Dayton. You may recall our article on the closing of The Grub steak HERE.

Lums – where hot dogs ruled

COZYMEL’S – Great place for happy hours with margaritas swirling in machines above the bars. You got lots of food at a great price here. This sorely missed place was located on 725 near McEwen Rd. in Centerville and became a Smokey Bones which is also now closed.

FARRELL’S – Across from Tri-County Mall in Northern Cincinnati, this place had a ‘sundae on a stretcher.’ The staff would sing happy birthday to customers on kazoos.

LUM’S – An obscure town favorite. They had hot dogs cooked in beer. Lum’s was located where Marion’s Pizza is now, in Town and Country shopping center.

PEASANT STOCK – Who could forget the ‘Peasant salad.’ Ragu loved the atmosphere at the restaurant in the Town and Country Shopping Center. Chef David Glynn served some great food out of this establishment.

We miss Thirsty Dog Brewery!

THIRSTY DOG – A great microbrewery restaurant on the corner of Alex Bell Rd and 48 in Centerville that served homemade chips in dog bowls. Ragu loved the Raspberry Light Beer, and the burgers and fish dinners were fantastic too.

HUNAN GOURMET – A long gone gem that was on 48 near Whipp Rd. We loved this place, especially their dry braised shrimp and sizzling rice soup. Some of their entrees were second to none. The building was razed about 8 years ago to build a coffee shop.

NOBLE ROMAN’S – We miss the real Noble Roman’s, not the stuff they are serving at the ‘new Noble Romans’ restaurants. The old restaurants were completely different. We miss the hand tossed pizza in the window, monster pizza, sicililan pizza and the hand rolled breadsticks with nacho cheese.

MARK PI’s CHINA GATE – The fried rice was addicting at this restaurant that was located upstairs in Town and Country shopping center. A great atmosphere for special get togethers, the decor on the glass is still there today, even though they closed in the 80’s.

Sambo’s was like a weird, kids version of Denny’s

ARTHUR TREACHER’S FISH & CHIPS – It was fried fish, so Ragu could live here. The Jersey Mikes on 48 in Centerville is where one of the Arthur Treacher’s used to be. We hear that some of these still exist in other states. Dear Fast Food Gods, Bring them back to Dayton ASAP, and don’t forget the vinegar.

SAMBO’S – They featured pancakes served with boysenberry syrup. This place was located at 48 near Loop Rd in Centerville until it closed in the early 80’s. It was known for their cheap prices and controversial menu caricatures. It was a weird, kid version of Denny’s on LSD. But you couldn’t deny, they had great breakfast food.

FOUR’S COMPANY – After the Arthur Treacher’s closed on 48 near Whipp Rd in Centerville, this short lived place served up giant beer battered onion rings. They were so full of beer you almost got buzzed by eating a few.

Dominic’s – A Dayton Original like us

TOTENKO – This place on the corner of 725 and 741 near the Dayton Mall was like a 70′s verison of PF Changs. We learned to use chopsticks here while wearing “toughskin” pants. A great restaurant until it closed because a food critic found roaches on her plate (TRUE STORY). That critic was Ann Heller, writing one of her first reviews for the Dayton Daily News/Journal Herald. This place turned into a Chi Chi’s which has since gone out of business too.

D’AMICO and MANZAS – An Italian eatery that was a mom and pop establishment. Incredible spaghetti dishes highlighted a top notch pasta menu. This spot is now Savona Restaurant.

DOMINIC’S – The iconic location on South Main Street in Dayton whose manicotti was incredible. The real attraction here was the house salad dressing with so much garlic flavor that you breathed fire for 2 days afterward. Ask any Daytonian who was around in the 70’s/80’s, they knew the only place to go where strong garlic breath was excused.

GROUND ROUND– Throw your peanut shells on the floor. Ragu loved their all you can eat Friday night fish fry. Remember the scale at the Wilmington Pike site where the cost of a kid’s dinner was a penny for each pound they weighed?

BAJA FRESH – Do you still crave their fish tacos like we do? The now defunct Dorothy Lane and Kettering Blvd location claimed to not have refrigerators, because they served everything fresh. We were sad to see this short-lived restaurant go.

PHIL AND JERRY’S FOOD-A-RAMA – Legendary Centerville grocery that had annual anniversary parties where a hot dog and a coke were around 20 cents. In business for over 30 years, they had a great seafood section.

Matchbook from Westward Ho on Brown Street

JOE’S IS A FISH HOUSE – This seafood spot on Loop Rd and State Rt 48 offered a one of a kind Sunday brunch that would knock your socks off. It featured smelts and steamed mussels. The restaurant was only open a couple of years, but it made an impact on us in the early 80’s.

WESTWARD HO – South Main Street cafeteria style restaurant that had drink glasses as big as your head. The food was good, the patrons were old, yet this was still a hoppin’ place. We used to visit the magic store across the street called the “Magic Hat,” after eating.

PO’ FOLKS – Fried food all over the menu, made this one of Ragu’s faves. The fried clams and fried okra were so good. The one we frequented was on the corner of Wilmington Pike and Dorothy Lane.

D’Lites – The first ‘Healthy Fast Food’

FAZIO’S GOLDMAN ONTARIO’s DISCOUNT FOOD STORES – This was the best place to shop with bellbottom pants in the 70’s for groceries. Good deals and wide collars were the norm at this place!

D’LITES- The first place ever to offer healthy fast food! We weren’t sure how healthy it was, but Ragu loved their burgers and smoothies at the location of 48 and Whipp Rd. Another short lived place, that we feel had great food.

CHMIELS GROCERY STORE – Now a Big Lots store in Centerville, this place had some incredible pastries. Their bakery was almost as good as Woody’s.

Kettering Village Inn – closed but not forgotten

KETTERING VILLAGE INN – A mom and pop Italian eatery known for no frills and good food. This spot is now an “OinkadoodleMoo” restaurant on the corner of Stroop Rd and 48 . KVI had great pizza and pasta dishes. This one is really missed.

ANTONIO’s – An Italian restaurant once owned by the DiPasquale Family. When Villanova’s Basketball team would come to town in the 1980’s, legendary coach Rollie Massimino would always eat here. They had incredible ravioli dishes. Their marinara sauce was out of this world. Sweeney’s Seafood House is now located where Antonio’s operated.

KING COLE RESTAURANT – One of the most elegant dining places in Dayton at the bottom of the Kettering Tower. Known for gourmet steaks and seafood, this was a hot spot in the 70’s and 80’s.

What places do you still think about? Casa Lupita? Charley’s Crab? Tequila Willie’s? Let us know any and all of them by commenting below! Check out the photo album below for even more restaurants that are “Closed but Not Forgotten.”

Please visit Food Adventures on Facebook. Check back every Thursday for a new “Food Adventure” article on DAYTON MOSTMETRO.COM

What restaurants do you miss? WHO DID WE LEAVE OUT? Please comment below !

[flagallery gid=35 name=Gallery]

Another Food Truck Hits the Dayton Streets

April 24, 2013 By Lisa Grigsby 3 Comments

Dayton’s newest food truck will hit the street this Thursday serving “the perfect combination of the familiar and the offbeat.” Ringo’s North Star Mobile Eatery will feature favorites like gourmet burgers, quesadillas, and pizza, as well as unique and unusual items like apple-cranberry brie fritters and deep fried asparagus. Their menu will change daily, and co-owner Joy Ring, who describes herself as chief helper to her proprietor husband Dave, explains,
“the feeling that we’re going for with the truck is that of being on a road trip and discovering some cool little place along the way that you remember forever. Our menu will vary, but we’ll always have pizza by the slice from our stone-hearth oven, and will most often feature a “road trip burger” based on various cities we’ve enjoyed visiting, like the Albuquerque burger topped with green chiles, or the Minneapolis “Juicy Lucy” with cheese nestled inside the burger.

Henry David Thoreau Quesidilla

Because we’re also avid readers, we have a line of literary quesadillas (there’s the offbeat part) like the Henry David Thoreau with mushrooms, leeks, and goat cheese, or the Larry McMurtry with chicken, cheddar jack cheese, and “Texas caviar” salsa featuring black-eyed peas, multi-colored peppers, onions, and cilantro. Our goal is that each experience will be a new adventure, like finding a new favorite place while traveling that becomes the highlight of your trip – that special combination of comfort and discovery, a little vacation in the middle of even the most ordinary of days.”

The intend to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner on the street, at your workplace, at private parties and festivals, too. If you’d like to request the truck for an event feel free to give them a call or text at 937.474.4944 and be sure tot follow them at twitter.com/ringosnorthstar for menu and locations updates.

Here’s where you can catch them this week:

Brie fritters stuffed with apple and cranberry

Thursday, April 25, 11-1:30: Our Dayton metro area debut!

Bing Design
126 Center College St.
Yellow Springs, Ohio

Saturday, April 27 5-10 pm: Great local food, great local beer!

The Dayton Beer Company
912 E. Dorothy Lane
Kettering, Ohio

And, yes—they accept credit and debit cards!

We Care Arts Celebrates 30 Years

April 22, 2013 By Tiffany Shaw-Diaz Leave a Comment

Thirty years is a remarkable amount of time. In a culture where TV shows are cancelled almost as soon as they begin, and businesses rise and fall with the latest trend, commanding longevity in an ever-changing world means you know how to leverage good fortune, anticipate change, and strategize for the future.

Celebrating their 30-year anniversary, We Care Arts, a Kettering non-profit that teaches art to people with disabilities, has succeeding in doing just that, and their place in the artistic and special needs communities continues to blossom.

“What we do here is very important to a lot of people,” explained Shari Hignite, the program coordinator for We Care Arts. “Without us, many of our clients have nowhere else to go. Many of them have tried other agencies or methods to help them, but they have not had any success. Art is a powerful tool, and our programs help them in ways that nothing else will.”

In 2012 alone, We Care Arts served about 900 clients across four counties in more than a dozen creative fields including woodworking, painting, knitting, sewing, and jewelry making. These are awe-inspiring statistics, considering how they modestly began in a closet attached to the Rose E. Miller Recreation Center’s wood shop to accommodate two clients (one of which was taught by We Care Arts’ executive director, Terry Schalnat).

Flash forward three decades. We Care Arts experienced a rapid-fire expansion that included adding a gift shop, changing locations, and developing nearly two dozen outreach programs to aid as many demographics as possible. And they are still expanding. “We’ve been at our Wilmington Pike location for nine years, and it’s amazing how we are already busting at the seams,” said Brenda Thieman, We Care Arts’ bookkeeper.

During We Care Arts’ 30 years, the staff has witnessed radical transformations–mentally, emotionally, and spiritually–in many of their clients from their newfound sense of pride and self-worth.

“We have had so many people come through our doors broken, in mind and spirit,” mentioned Hignite. “They come to us at their lowest low; at the beginning of the rebuilding process. We provide them with advice, encouragement, and the tools to start moving upward. Many of our clients have gone on to college, gotten jobs, started families, mended fences, left their abusers, and improved their lives.”

Considering the outpouring of inspirational stories, it’s no wonder that We Care Arts is celebrated by the citizens of Dayton.

“I think if we can continue to provide the community with a safe place for people, then we have met our goals,” offered Hignite. “What we do here is very important to so many individuals, yet it is really simple. We are kind. We are supportive, encouraging, loving, and caring. It is amazing what people can do when given the right tools and a little encouragement.”

Hignite mentioned that We Care Arts has several new programs in the works. They currently teach one class at each school they serve, but they have been asked to do more, in addition to piloting initiatives at other schools. They are also thinking about creating more programs for nursing homes.

To supply their massive reach, We Care Arts is always in need of donations, both monetary and in-kind, and they also rely upon the dedication of sundry volunteers who help in-class, serve on committees, man the gift shop, and organize fundraisers in tandem to a variety of other duties. But one of the best ways to contribute to this organization takes very little time.

“What I hope for the most is that more people become aware of us and visit our gift shop,” mentioned Hignite. “When people purchase something made by our clients, it lifts them more than anything else. It is a validation that they are worth something.”

The gift shop certainly has something for everyone and every budget, offering paintings, comic books, household items, coffee mugs, baby blankets, cards, painted wine glasses, and more. They also strive to offer a wide array of seasonal items, especially for Mother’s Day and Christmas, which are some of their busiest times in-store.

In talking with the We Care Arts’ staff, their passion for their vocation is evident, and it is certainly one of the driving forces behind We Care Arts’ success.

“This is the first job I have ever had that I love getting up to go to,” exclaimed Thieman. “Even when I have a bad day, I can take a minute to just visit with a client, and my spirits are lifted.”

Echoing the comments of Thieman, Bruce Rill, a tenured instructor at We Care Arts, offered these parting words:

“Art has great value in the lives of all human beings, no matter where they are in life,” he explained. “We are blessed to use our gifts, all the while learning from others.”

We Care Arts will have their Garden Party fundraiser on Saturday, May 4th. For more information about their programs and upcoming events, visit www.wecarearts.org or call 252-3937. We Care Arts is located at 3035 Wilmington Pike, Kettering, OH, 45429. Their gift shop is open Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Local Food Movement To Benefit From Community Kitchen

April 19, 2013 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

First logo of Miami Valley Grown

There has been a local food movement in Dayton for years. In June 2007, Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley asked OSU Extension to lead an initiative to help connect local food growers and producers with local buyers. I was brought into this group as a part of my work with the local restaurant association. Meeting at the 2nd Street Market, our group eventually grew to about 25 or so members, including local farmers, bee keepers, educators, city and county workers, teachers and students who all were united in the belief that educating our community as to the benefits of buying locally produced foods and goods, would breed success for area growers, consumers, the economy and the environment.

Evolved MVG logo

The group eventually became Miami Valley Grown, with a mission to to connect local growers with local buyers. We held seminars and workshops and a mass-media campaign to expand awareness of the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption, local foods, urban gardening and related topics. We even hosted a local food week, where restaurants featured meals highlighting ingredients from Miami Valley producers. As we worked with the local farmers, community groups and budding food businesses, we kept coming across a need for a facility that would allow farmers to reap profits from value-added food processing and consumers to have a facility to learn how to stretch the use of local products through the season by learning canning techniques.

Community kitchens offer specialty food processors, farmers, and caterers a relatively inexpensive place to license food processing activities. Kitchen clients are charged only for the time that they use the facility. They benefit from the technical knowledge of others using the kitchen, particularly those with extensive food processing, marketing, and business experience. These kitchens can also support the local economy. “Community kitchens have been built to boost local job creation, diversify the local economy, and transfer ideas and technology from universities or companies,” says researcher Kaelyn Stiles, who works with the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems in Wisconsin.

Our group took field trips to the Center for Innovative Food in Toledo and the ACEnet facility in Athens, successful models for developing local food systems and business incubation—both with shared use kitchens and impressive track records.

We knew that a community kitchen could thrive in the Dayton region, but a facility of our own continued to elude us. We explored local sites and were even generously offered a restaurant space from an Ohio chain, but could never figure out the financial blueprint to support and sustain such an endeavor. While our volunteer group was passionate, we lacked the bandwidth, the leadership and the experience to take the idea further. We became inactive, yet the movement never really died.

After all this time, I still get a call or email every month asking if I know of a kitchen for rent, be it local entrepreneurs, girl scout groups or caterers. And now I have some great news to tell them. Tonia and Joe Fish have established Synergy Incubators, a non-profit food business incubator with a shared food processing facility supported by programs to encourage the successful growth of food businesses. It will include an urban educational farm component for area schools and Dayton residents of all ages.

I couldn’t be more thrilled. Meanwhile Tonia and Joe are being swept up in a wave of grass roots support that, as always, makes me proud to be a part of this community. The momentum behind Synergy Kitchen feels like a high speed train, according to Tonia, with all the pieces falling quickly into place. It will soon be ready to help launch successful food businesses, educate the populace and make our region a destination for innovative and ethnic food and dining experiences.

Those of us who’ve been long-time studious advocates for a healthier Miami Valley know that Synergy Incubators will have a positive economic impact as well as a personal one. Producers will have higher incomes as demand rises. More producers will shift production or join the marketplace. Transportation costs will be lowered. Consumers will gain knowledge of healthy eating which can help lower disease and obesity rates. It looks like we’re set to become a healthier, happier community.

To keep up with the progress of Synergy Incubators, please like their Facebook Page.

Record Store Day 2013: A Guide To Celebrate The Music Holiday

April 18, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Remember your first experience visiting a local record store shop. Remember that day. The mystifying styles of music blasting through the speakers placed all around the building. The abundant rows of compact discs alphabetically placed by band name and genre. The sections of vinyl records that contain music from all generations. The smells of hundreds of incents in clear glass jars waiting to be fired up. Remember the individuals that were always in the shops. You had the clusters of people standing around flipping thru the vinyl records, with a focused look on their faces. They have been given a special assignment-find the albums that will be just perfect. You see another group of people standing around, conversing about music. The windows of the structure are splashed with flyers of upcoming shows around town and promotional posters of an upcoming album.

Good memories, huh?! Now remember how comfortable you were hanging at a record store. You met people that have equivalent thoughts about music as you. You came across individuals that vowed to change your views on artists that were on the fence in your mind. You had spirited debates with the patrons, knowing that you were going to be enlightened with someone’s thoughts and beliefs. You didn’t demean them. You just enjoyed having the discussion. You meet people that recreate experiences of attending a show that they recently attended. You listen how that show was either good or bad, who they went with, etc. The storyteller talks about the moments throughout the show that made them have moments of emotion-either good or bad. You become comfortable being around these people. You become friends. Better than that-you become family.

On April 20^th people will migrant to their local shops to celebrate what is consider to many to be Christmas-Record Store Day. Record Store Day started in 2007, and it has become a day to celebrate independently owned record stores and music. Bands and artists will perform during the course of the day, while special vinyls, CDs, and various promotional products are sold exclusively for this day. Record Store Day is now celebrated the third Saturday every April every year. We here in Dayton and the people in Yellow Springs are lucky enough to have magnificent events going on throughout the day and evening that will give each and every music lover no reason but to fasten themselves in for a day of fun and enjoyment with others.

Omega Music is located in the Oregon District off 5^th Street in Dayton, and the company has become a staple of the Record Store Day festivities. Starting at 9am, consumers can come to the establishment and sink their teeth into great deals and exclusives. If you bring a canned food item, all used merchandise will be 15% off. Harvest Mobile Cuisine, one of the up and coming food trucks that provides specialty comfort foods prepared with locally grown products, will be in front of the store all day. Starting at noon, there will be some tremendous local music played live. Good English, Giant Steps, Goodbye, King Elk, Wheels, The New Old Fashioned, The Story Changes, The Seedy Seeds, My Latex Brain will perform, with a special performance from Buffalo Killers starting at 4:20.

Record Gallery is just steps away from Omega Music, located at 16 Brown Street across from Thai 9. This establishment gives the patrons that visit them an intimate atmosphere, with vinyl littered all over. There isn’t a space in the store that you won’t walk into that doesn’t have a large collection of vinyl. For the die hards, Record Gallery is a place to check out for your music needs. On Saturday, the shop will be participating in the glorious day with great specials. $1.00 records and 45s will be 50% off, along with all 2011 record stock being 50% off. The Record Gallery also has books CDs, DVDs, and most will be reduced to 20% off.

Music lovers that want to take a break from the live music and want to grab a beer don’t have to go far. Blind Bob’s Bar, along with Ghettoblaster Magazine editor & co-publisher, David C. Obenour will be hosting music trivia, starting at 4. Blind Bob’s is one of the perfect establishments to come at the Oregon District. The vintage wooden floors, along with the exposed brick walls give the tavern some of the great American characteristics that the area some of the charm that you come to expect. The owners, Bob and Lisa Mendenhall, have given the townspeople a gem to come to when they want to see fantastic live music, and have great beer on a nightly basis. Each round of the music trivia will give the winner prizes, plus a grand prize of the Golden 7” and two tickets to this year’s Nelsonville Music Festival, which the lineup includes Wilco, and Cat Power. The festival always brings great indie rock, and this year shouldn’t be any different.

To close up the day, just walk right over to one of the best movie theaters in the United States, The Neon. The Neon is located right on East Fifth Street. The theatre showcases of the great independently produced movies, locally and nationally. Starting at 10:15, The Neon will be playing the music documentary I Need That Record! The documentary, directed by Brendan Toller, examines the reasoning of 3000 independent record stores closing across the U.S. in the past decade. I Need That Record! dives into record labels, media consolidation, radio, and the digital age blowing up causing these shops to close. The movie also shows the way that these places are making a comeback. Toller explores how the impact of record stores through the eyes of the employees and the consumers. The stories of the employees watching their dream job coming to an end is gut wrenching. However, there is some positivity that comes from the sadness. It’s an excellent documentary that should be viewed by people that love record stores. The viewing of the movie is free, and is first come, first serve. Don’t miss this showing as it will be a great way to cap the day.

For the folks that will not be able to make it into the festivities in the Oregon District, make sure you visit the small, unique town of Yellow Springs. The town has some of the best shops that you go and check out. Go and grab a slice of pie over at Haha Pizza or Bentinos Pizza. Also, go grab some music over at Toxic BeautyRecords, located on 220 Xenia Ave. The good folks at this record shop will be in the mix celebrating the day by giving discounts on their music. Also, they will be having two ticket contests, where the winners will a pair of seats to go see either Alabama Shakes at one show, Grizzley Bear and The xx at another show.

Record Store Day is a day to embrace those deep connections that we have with the local shop. If you haven’t been to a record store as of late, April 20^th is the day to do it. Rekindle those fond memories of the days when you went to grab the latest music to come out. Revisit friendships that you created when you spend hours and hours at the shop, just standing around and talking about music. Also while you are at the record shop, buy some local music. Support the local scene. Overall, come and celebrate music in all its beauty, and come support the places that continue to give Dayton the title as one of the best that everyone calls ‘home’.

Cityfolk Musicians to Perform at ArtStreet’s 1World Celebration

April 18, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Celebrate the intercultural experience of 1World Celebration, the University of Dayton ArtStreet’s spring festival coming up this Friday, April 19, from 7-11pm. Complete with food, fashion, and music from around the world, the celebration will kick off with a unifying intercultural walk through the University of Dayton’s student neighborhood and end with a stunning release of Thai paper lanterns into the Dayton sky.
The festival will feature collaborative musical performances, produced in partnership with Cityfolk, combining the sounds of Michael Bashaw and Puzzle of Light (jazz/world music), Son del Caribe (salsa), Seefari (reggae), and Michael Kotur (blues).

Michael Bashaw is the charismatic front man for Puzzle of Light, a Dayton local band comprised of musicians as varied as they are talented. With musical backgrounds ranging from rock to folk, this band strives to produce an easy to listen to sound that spans cultures and emanates peace and harmony. Acclaimed across the Midwest and the winner of a People’s Choice Award for best local jazz band, Puzzle of Light’s music has been described as “…a melting pot which mixes jazz, world, and folk music in a perpetual movement of invention and transformation.”-Gerard Nicollet for Ecouter Voir Dossier

Son del Caribe is a lively Cincinnati Latin music ensemble that is sure to keep you moving. Cited by many as the top salsa band in Ohio, their pan-Caribbean and pan-American sound includes not only salsa music but other forms of Latin dance music as well. Group leader Jaime Morales is an assistant professor of music at Miami University, a classical music composer, and a top salsa musician from Puerto Rico. Son del Caribe not only performs regularly at Latin dance clubs, but has also performed in Cincinnati’s Salsa Festival and Salsa on the Square.

Seefari is a nationally renown reggae performer from Dayton hailed as “Miami Valley’s own Bob Marley” by WYSO. This passionate veteran of the stage leads a Bob Marley tribute band whose most recent album has won three AMMA awards and reached the top of the charts for reggae music. With a reputation of being a crowd pleasing performer, Seefari puts on unique performances which have been described by audience members as energetic and fun for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Dayton musician Michael Kotur adds to the mix with his experimental style blues music, a sound that draws from jazz, country, and world music. With over twenty years of experience in performing, the talented Michael Kotur has developed a distinct, sometimes called “unusual,” style of guitar playing. His diverse style is sure to capture the attention of any audience member.

The 1World Celebration will be held on Friday, April 19, at 7:00 p.m. at the ArtStreet Amphitheatre located on the University of Dayton’s campus. This event is free and open to the public.
For more information about ArtStreet events at the University of Dayton, visit http://www.udayton.edu/artstreet .

Submitted by Lauren Glass, a senior at the University of Dayton who is studying journalism. Currently working as a social media assistant for ArtStreet, she enjoys music, writing, and photography.

The Big Ragu Recaps 16 Catholic Fish Frys!

April 18, 2013 By Dayton937 2 Comments

The Big Ragu never does anything half baked (or fried in this instance). We take Food Adventures to the extreme and set the trends. Again, we bring you something original that you won’t see anywhere else, a recap of every fish fry we could find in the Miami Valley. Now, the Lenten season is over, and they last fryer has been turned off. You know the drill, all-you-can-eat fish dinners, beer, condiment tables, silent auctions, raffle tickets and casino games. So which ones rocked our gills off? Answer: They all have their appeal, and special draw, but four of them really stood out.

Ladies and Gentlemen, here are the “Sweet Sixteen,” our recap of the Dayton’s 2013 Catholic Fish Frys:

Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Favorite Fish Fry

Food Adventures jumps at any chance to support Dayton causes, and with Big Ragu being Catholic, we bought tickets to every fish fry in town. We will list our favorites aka the “FANTASTIC FOUR FISH FRYS”, then list the others in random order and what makes each fish fry special.

THE FANTASTIC FOUR FISH FRYS:

1) OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY–22 Notre Dame Ave.

This one was the grand daddy of them all and our favorite fish fry. For the past 52 years they have held fish frys, making this probably the oldest one in Dayton, This church holds fish frys from Sept – February before the Lenten season. The staff is wonderful and our friend Amy even took us on a tour of the church. A friendly cook named Joseph makes all of the delicous, homemade desserts himself. We know because we tried them all. This church has a heavy influence of Polish, Lithuainian, Hungarian, and German parishioners. These events have a loyal following of regulars like our pal Ron who drove all the way from Wilmington, Ohio to attend. The Monte Carlo was fun and food was great. We especially like the fact that the draft beer is unlimited in the 12 dollar price, along with fresh sausages, Icelandic cod. In our book, this fish fry is Dayton’s best.

Holy Trinity, Great Hospitality and Delicious Food

2) HOLY TRINITY CHURCH – 272 Bainbridge St.

This was a fish fry where everyone seemed to know each other. The crowd was small, but friendly and tight knit. The food was absolutely amazing. The cod was cooked to perfection and hand cut on site. One of the attractions is they use the Old Focke’s Meats recipe for Waldorf sausages. We enjoyed the old church located near the Oregon District, downtown. One unique part of this event is that this church offered an alcohol free family fish fry from 4pm-5:30pm for kids, then had the adult party after. Three beer tickets are given with paid admission. The atmosphere, great food and hospitality makes this one of the best fish frys in the Miami Valley.

Vic Woeste, 87 year old icon of St Mary’s Church

3) ST MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH: 310 Allen St.
Here we find the best story told at a fish fry. We sat near 87 year old Vic Woeste, an icon of the St Mary’s community who has been dealing casino games at the fish frys for the past 36 years. His entire family is involved in the church down to 3 generations. He told us he remembered a fish fry in 1960 where funds were used to buy the nuns a Ford Fairlane car who lived in the convent across the street. Oh the memories! Vic is looking forward to his 70th class reunion at Chaminade this year. He said it will be held in a telephone booth, since not many classmates are left. Vic also said he was baptized and married at St Mary’s. He recalls Father Ken Henz telling parishoners decades ago that he hatches, matches and dispatches loyal parishoners. Vic was a great man to talk to, indeed. This church group is so charitable that even the volunteers buy tickets as they enter. to help raise money for the boiler fund, beers were sold for 25cents and an extra 1 dollar donation got you a dessert. Again this event saw over 3 generations working the fish fry and over 300lbs of fish cooked and eaten.

4) CORPUS CHRISTI CHURCH – 527 Forest Ave.

The Corpus Christi Fryers Charitable Organization

This event was another fantastic fish fry for $15. It included all you want food and draft beer, we like those rules. The crowd was very friendly and it was obvious that many in attendance were close friends. This fish fry offered a healthy alternative of baked fish, along with the fried fish choices. The bustling atmosphere included 3 different dining areas. This particular fish fry has been going on for 25 years. The event is partially run by the “Corpus Christi Fryers.” They are a charitable group that donates time, manpower and money into running this event to help the church’s cause. The fish fry workers could not have been nicer, and the food was terrific. It was great to see a diverse group from all walks of life coming together for a good cause.

St Peter’s offered Onion Rings and Hot Dogs on their Saturday night Fish Fry

Here are the rest in random order, and what we loved about each Fish Fry!
ST PETER’S CHURCH – 6161 Chambersburg Rd

This event was $15 at door, and was packed. The line wrapped around the gym, but the wait was worth it. The food was delicious and the offerings were not only beer battered codfish, but onion rings, chicken wings, and huge hot dogs. What was even more amazing, is that one or two women seemed to be stocking the whole table for the hundreds of hungry people. The casino area featured unique games such as horse races. We also loved the fact that they offered Yuengling Black and Tan Beer. This was a fun and well attended event. Tip: come early and avoid the huge crowds.

The decor at St Charles’ Fish Fry was Beautiful

ST CHARLES BORROMEO – One of the area fish fry’s run by the Hecht family volunteers. The fish was hot and fresh. highlights included the fantastic Saint Patty’s day decor theme. Some people really put some hard work into those decorations. Along with the tasty fish, a few beer tickets were included in the $15 price. Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy beer was available on tap. This fish fry also offered a “pre-event” that was family friendly and where kids were allowed to attend until 6pm. The eating area was offered in the school cafeteria while the casino games were in the gym.

Cold Beer at the Carrol Fish Fry

CARROLL HIGH SCHOOL – Located at 4524 Linden Ave

This event was $16 to attend and included 5 beer tickets. The unique thing about this fish fry was the sheer choices of fish. They offered 3 kinds of fish. Choices were regular fried, Cajun fried, or baked fish. There were no fries in sight at this fish fry. Instead menu items included baked beans, cole slaw and potato salad. There was a huge choice of desserts at this event. A couple of long tables were filled with homemade pies, cakes, brownies and more. This event was steady and the environment was immaculately clean.

ST LUKE’S CHURCH – 1440 N. Fairfield Rd.

This fish fry was entirely kid friendly. The cost was 9 dollars for adults and $3.50 for children. No alcohol was served. The event was run by the Knights of Columbus a charity organization that benefits local families. The fish that was fried was cod from local distributor Foremost Seafood. There was also no gambling at this event. It was obvious that this fish fry was more about the family experience. They actually hold two fish frys, one in February and on in March. It should also be mentioned that the Ladies Auxillary made all of the desserts which were fantastic!

CHAMINADE JULIENNE HIGH SCHOOL – 505 S. Ludlow St.

Holy Angels Fish Fry Volunteers

This fish fry held at the High School, had a pretty good attendance. The fish was great and there were huge sheet cakes and brownies as well. We even saw one of the cooks bring out some nice cupcake pastries. Although a fairly new fish fry, this one is run with efficiency.

HOLY ANGELS CHURCH – 1322 Brown Street
This fish fry is in its 12th year. The volunteers Matt, Ruth, Denise, Leila were very friendly and greeted the crowds with a smile. Prices were 15 bucks at door and included soft drinks and all the beer you wanted as well. Get there early for this event, because parking is limited and you may get stuck parking across the other side of State route 48. Delicious haddock was the fried fish served to the hungry visitors. We really loved the fact that the beer was unlimited, and we didn’t have to fool around with drink tickets.

ST ALBERT THE GREAT – 104 W. Dorothy Lane

Three Generations of the Hecht/Sierschula Family helping work the St Albert Fish Fry !

This event was $15 advance or $20 at door. They served some tasty, fried Icelandic cod. Like other fish frys, they had a carryout option for 9 bucks. This event had a ton of volunteers, mostly we saw in kitchen. We saw the raw fish being thawed, cut, dredged then deep fried by the Hecht Family, who runs a few of the area fish frys. In fact we saw that there were at least 3 generations of the family at the event. this event, casino earnings and raffle money all benefited the athletics. It helps to buy uniforms and keep students cost to participate as low as possible. We were told that for 40 years this event has been held and many run by the Hecht family. Attendance price included 5 beer tickets.

ST ANTHONY’S CHURCH– 830 Bowen St.

The church was celebrating it’s 100th year anniversary in 2013. The fish fry has not been around more than a decade or 2, but the place was packed. The entrance showed off a silent auction area and the casino games. Lines formed to get the fish and the cafeteria served as the eating place. The fish was so fresh and hot, that you had to let your plate cool. the staff was working hard and feeding the hungry event attendees. It was obvious that the workers took pride in this event and made it a fun and friendly atmosphere.

ST HENRY’S CHURCH– 6696 N. Springboro Pike

Event was held in the “Father Stretch Center.” The cost at the door was 15 bucks. The head priest Father Tom was greeting the attendees in the dining area. The fish served was large pieces of fried Haddock. The volunteers were friendly and the fish was light and flaky. Some of the better fried fish around was served here. The event also featured a large silent auction area.

INCARNATION PARRISH– 55 Williamsburg Ln.

Mounds of Fish Ready for Breading at the Alter Fish Fry

This event gets packed. The crowds are big, so get there early. Like many fish frys they offer a carryout option, but with no discount. There was a large silent auction area, and many signs hung in the gymnasium featuring sponsors of the fish fry. Admission was 15 dollars and the fish served was fried Icelandic cod. Again, we saw some familiar faces of the Hecht family preparing the food for the masses. There is also a large choice of casino games at this well attended Parrish.

ALTER HIGH SCHOOL – 940 E. David Rd.

This fish fry draws the biggest crowds of all the area fish frys. Sometimes the line can be an hour wait. Our tip, get there early and plan on making an evening of it. The casino games are crowded, but there are many to choose from. There is even a high limit gambling area! Admission is 15 bucks and comes with 3 beer tickets. they have amped up the event recently by offering some craft beers for sale. This event usually has a huge silent auction, and you may even see current NY Jets Center Nick Mangold among the attendees. Again the Hecht family is responsible for the fish here, so you know you can expect big pieces of freshly cooked fish.

ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI -6245 Wilmington Pike

This was a very organized fish fry put on dozens of volunteers from the church. We liked the fact that they had baked fish as a choice as well as the typical fried fish. The dining area was crowded, so get to this one early. This was simply a beautiful church with a fun atmosphere at the fish fry.

Baked and Fried Fish at the St Francis Fish Fry

NOW YOU KNOW !

Only here, can you see the most comprehensive fish fry summary of the Miami Valley known to man. FOOD ADVENTURES has given you some pointers on what to expect in 2014 Dayton area fish frys because they ate it all! Make sure that you scroll through the photo album below featuring every single fish fry. FYI, unfortunately some of the church websites do not have the greatest information about the fish frys. For that reason, make sure you stay tuned to DaytonMostMetro.com and Dayton Dining for all the dates and times of future fish frys. The bottom line here is that each Lenten season, Daytonians should take advantage of the great events and support some local churches. The fish frys are friendly and welcome all denominations of faith. It is about fun times and good causes. Now that the all-you-can eat fish frys have ended, it is time for us to “scale” back and swim on to the next Food Adventure !

DID YOU ATTEND SOME AREA FISH FRYS? WHICH ONE WAS YOUR FAVORITE? DID WE MISS ANY ? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW !

For more Food Adventures, “like” us on Facebook by clicking HERE !

[flagallery gid=34 name=Gallery]

The Featured Articles

Mon 16

Tue 17

Wed 18

Thu 19

Fri 20

Sat 21

Sun 22

Color Our World – The Art of Stories

Lazy Baker Pizza Maker

$3 Burger Night

Mommy and Me Yoga

Community Fitness Bootcamp