DLM is international finalist for ‘Best Gourmet Grocer’

By Mark Fisher | Friday, November 20, 2009, 07:33 AM

A Dayton-area grocer is getting some national — well, international, really — recognition.

Dorothy Lane Market — the locally owned grocer which operates stores in Oakwood, Washington Twp. and Springboro — has been named one of five finalists in the category of Best Gourmet Grocer or Food Hall in the Luxist Readers’ Choice Food Awards.

Luxist, a luxury goods and lifestyle web site and a division of AOL, accepted and vetted nominations for the awards, according to Luxist, which describes DLM as “an Ohio-based nominee that is family-owned and operated is recognized for its great food and service.” Other finalists include Zabar’s in New York City, Harrods Food Hall in London, New York-based Dean & DeLuca, and Whole Foods.

(Now that, my friends, is some rarefied air for DLM to be competing against.)

The winner is determined by online voting. To vote, go to www.luxist.com/awards-vote/food-awards.

Winners are scheduled to be announced Nov. 30.

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Dining out on Thanksgiving: Here are some options

By Mark Fisher | Friday, November 20, 2009, 06:53 AM

One thing about Norman Rockwell’s depictions of Thanksgiving dinner: turning those paintings into dining room reality takes one heck of a lot of hard work.

About one in 10 Americans celebrates the holiday a bit differently from what Norman had in mind: they dine out. And as many as half of Americans supplement their meals with ready-to-eat takeout items of some kind, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Several Miami Valley restaurants — and their cooks, servers and dishwashers — are volunteering to do the work for you. In both the Dayton Daily News print and online editions, we invited restaurant owners to let readers know if they were open on Thanksgiving Day and what they were serving. (Some of the restaurants below also offer carryout dinners, as do several local grocery stores — call for details and ordering deadlines.) Here’s a list of those restaurants that responded to our solicitation.

— Amelia’s Bistro, 129 W. Franklin St., Bellbrook, (937) 310-3040. Buffet featuring turkey, salmon, prime rib and sides. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: $22.95 includes non-alcoholic beverages; Children 10 and under $9.95.

— Barbie’s Bistro, 1122 E. Dorothy Lane, Kettering, (937) 262-7300; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Turkey and traditional sides. Reservations recommended. Cost: $12.95 for adults, $5.95 for children under 10.

— Caffe Anticoli, 8268 N. Main St., Harrison Twp., (937) 890-0300; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Turkey and traditional sides; some other items from regular menu. Reservations accepted but not required. Cost: $15.95 for traditional dinner, $19.95 to add pumpkin pie and coffee or tea

— Carvers Steaks & Chops, 1535 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Washington Twp., (937) 433-7099; Noon to 8 p.m. Two turkey-dinner options and other entrees. Reservations recommended. Cost: $19-$21.

— Cracker Barrel, all locations including 5770 Wilmington Pike, Centerville, (937) 432-2431, and 7171 Miller Lane, Butler Twp., (937) 890-0047; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Turkey and traditional sides. No reservations required. Cost: adults, $8.99, children, $4.49.

— Golden Corral, Beavercreek (937-431-7300), Dayton Mall (937-312-2400) and Vandalia (937-264-3300) locations. Hours vary, though all three are open between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Turkey and traditional sides. Reservations nor required. Cost: About $9.99, not including tax or beverage.

— Golden Lamb, 27 S. Broadway, Lebanon, (513) 932-5065; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., last seating at 7:15 p.m. Six entree options, including turkey, salmon, ham or lamb. Reservations required. Cost: $22.95.

— Hasty Tasty, 3509 Linden Ave., Dayton, (937) 254-8431; 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thanksgiving dinner specials, no reservations. Cost: $8.95

— Holiday Inn Dayton Airport, 10 Rockridge Road, Englewood, (937) 832-1234. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Buffet featuring turkey, ham and traditional sides. Reservations recommended but not required. Cost: Adults $14.95, Seniors $13.95, children 4 to 12 $7.95.

— Holiday Inn Xenia, 300 Xenia Towne Square, (937) 372-9921; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Turkey, ham, roast beef, sides. Reservations welcome but not required. Cost: Adults $15.95, seniors $12.95, children 6 to 16 $10.95, children 5 and under free.

— Hometown Buffet, 745 Lyons Rd., Wasington Twp./Centerville, (937) 438-3075; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Traditional Thanksgiving buffet that includes turkey, roast beef and ham. No reservations required. Cost: adults $11.89, restaurant senior club card $10.89, children 2 to 11, 60 cents per year.

— McCormick and Schmick’s, 4429 Cedar Park Drive in The Greene in Beavercreek, (937) 431-9200; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Traditional Thanksgiving dinner, and regular menu also available. Reservations requested. Cost: $22.95.

— Palermo’s, 2667 S. Dixie Drive, Kettering, (937) 299-8888. Noon to 8 p.m. Traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Reservations available. Cost: adults $12.99, kids half-price.

— Sopranos Eatery and Spirits, 1222 E. Stroop Road in Kettering, (937) 298-2222; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. serving a roast turkey dinner and other entrees. Reservations recommended but not required. Cost: $16.95.

— Stagecoach Restaurant, 1238 E. Central Ave., Miamisburg, (937) 847-0789; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Traditional Thanksgiving buffet with turkey and sides. Reservations accepted. Cost: Adults $8.95, children 10 years and under $4.95.

— Starlite Restaurant & Diner, 4090 Wilmington Pike in Kettering, (937) 293-4000; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dinner specials will include Turkey with Dressing and Turkey Hot Shot. Reservatioins available. Cost: Prices vary by entree. Children’s menu available.

— Wilbur’s Restaurant at the Dayton Airport Hotel, 3330 Termindal Drive at the Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, (937) 898-1000; 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Turkey and traditional sides. Reservations recommended. Cost: $12.95 (seniors and children receive discount)

— Young’s Jersey Dairy Golden Jersey Inn, 6880 Springfield-Xenia Rd. (U.S. 68), north of Yellow Springs, (937) 324-2050. 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., seating every 90 minutes. Traditional Thanksgiving buffet. Reservations required. Cost: Adults $18.95, children 4 to 10 $7.95.

If your restaurant is open and serving a special menu on Thanksgiving Day but did not make the list above, please post a comment and let readers know your restaurant name, address, phone number, menu details, price and whether reservations are required or recommended.

Dayton Daily News staff writer Lauren Beach helped compile this list of restaurants that are open Thanksgiving Day and serving a special holiday meal.

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Shred your cigarettes today, get free sandwich coupon

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, November 19, 2009, 12:09 PM

I received the following email from Peter Osborne, the Southwest Ohio Public Relations Director for the American Cancer Society. This event is going on right now, until 3 p.m.

On Thursday’s American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout, smokers in Dayton will have the chance to go cold turkey for a hot chicken sandwich.

When smokers bring their cigarettes to Buffalo Wings & Rings in Centerville, they’ll be able to place them into an industrial shredder and receive a coupon for a hot chicken sandwich. Coupons are limited in number and only available on a first come, first served basis. The shredder will be available to all until 3 p.m.

The American Cancer Society will also provide information on smoking cessation support services. This event will happen from 12-3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19.

What: Quit cold turkey and get hot chicken!

For the 34th American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout, smokers can throw their cigarettes into an industrial shredder and receive a coupon for a Buffalo Wings & Rings hot chicken sandwich in return for going “Cold Turkey.” Chicken sandwich coupons are limited and only available on a first come, first served basis. The industrial shredder will be available to all until 3 p.m.

The American Cancer Society will also provide information on support programs for current and ex-smokers to help them stay free of cigarettes, avoid cancer and enjoy more birthdays.

Who: Volunteers of the American Cancer Society are organizing this activity. Smokers can shred their cigarettes. Centerville’s Buffalo Wings & Rings is donating the chicken.

Where: Buffalo Wings & Rings, 894 S. Main St., Centerville, Ohio

When: Cigarettes will be shredded on site from 12-3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19, the 34th American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout.

Why: The Great American Smokeout is a great day to quit smoking. American Cancer Society volunteers encourage smokers to “shred” the habit by tossing their cigarettes and reaching out to the Society for help with staying smoke-free.

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Kettering grill / tavern to close for good Friday night

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, November 19, 2009, 10:41 AM

KETTERING — Bosco’s Grill & Tavern, 5900 Bigger Road, which lost its liquor license last month for not forwarding sales tax it collected to the state, will close at the end of business Friday night, Nov. 20, after an 11-year run.

Owner Mary Bosco said the decision to close was a difficult one, but with the loss of revenue from the liquor-license suspension, “It just wasn’t going to work.

“It’s been great,” Bosco said. “I love what I do, and that’s what makes it so hard to close the doors of the place.”

State regulations block a liquor permit-holder from renewing its liquor license if it owes money to the state that the business has collected in sales tax, or if it is in arrears on money owed to the state’s workers-compensation fund. The amount Bosco’s owed was not available; a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Taxation said he could not disclose the amount in arrears.

While the loss of revenue from alcohol sales was the final blow, Bosco traces her tavern’s downfall to the 2007 smoking ban, which she said some other businesses similar to hers chose not to enforce.

“That hurt us a lot,” Bosco said. “There never was a level playing field.”

Eleven employees will lose their jobs. “They’ve all got feelers out, and some have gotten an encouraging response. This is an exceptional crew of employees,” Bosco said.

“Once I get settled here, I’ll have my resume on the street, too,” the tavern owner said.

“I’d be happy to cook for someone else,” Bosco said. “Ownership isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

Bosco’s kitchen is open until 9 p.m. tonight. On its final day of business, it will open at 7 a.m. for breakfast, serve lunch, then offer Friday night dinner specials that include crab cakes, Prince Edward Island Mussels, pasta with shrimp and mushrooms, and sherried cream of mushroom soup. No alcohol will be served, but Friday night karaoke will go ahead as scheduled, and the kitchen will be open until 10 p.m., with limited appetizers served until 11:30 p.m., Bosco said.

“It’ll just be our usual Friday night,” she said.

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New BBQ restaurant opens with ‘big plans’ for future

By Mark Fisher | Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 11:28 AM

Check out the story written by my Dayton Daily News colleague Doug Page for This Thursday’s (11-19-09) Englewood edition of the Neighbors section headlined ‘Oinkadoodlemoo’ barbecue small ‘but has big plans’ about the new Oinkadoodlemoo restaurant at 322 Union Road in Englewood.

The restaurant’s owners may have one of the most unusual eatery names in recent memory, but they certainly sound like they’re serious about their barbecue.

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Wing Wars over: settlement allows Kettering sports bar to reopen

By Mark Fisher | Monday, November 16, 2009, 03:39 PM

The sports-bar brouhaha is over.

An out-of-court settlement today, Nov. 16, allowed All Stars Sports & Wings, 4139 Wilmington Pike, to reopen immediately, according to both sides of a Montgomery County Common Pleas Court civil lawsuit that led to a court-ordered shutdown of the new sports bar.

Last week, settlement talks between All Stars owner Todd Hicks and Theodore Somerset — who purchased another sports bar, 8-Ball & Wings in Trotwood, from Hicks in April 2009 — fizzled after more than two hours of back-and-forth negotiations in and around the chambers of Judge Barbara Gorman, who had issued the temporary restraining order to shut down All Stars. But on Monday, after brief discussions with their attorneys, the sports bar owners reached an agreement that dismisses the lawsuit and allows All Stars to reopen. Hicks said outside of court that he would formally reopen “immediately.”

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, and both Hicks and his attorney, Cheryl Washington, and Somerset and his attorney, John Ruffolo, declined comment on the agreement. Somerset said he was satisfied with the settlement and said it would have to negative impact on his 8-Ball & Wings sports bar at 4515 Salem Ave.

All Stars Sports & Wings opened Sept. 13 in the building that housed a Grindstone Charley’s restaurant until early 2008. Before opening All Stars, Hicks signed a “non-compete” agreement as part of the sale of 8-Ball & Wings to Somerset in which Hicks agreed he would not become involved with a competing sports bar within a radius of 20 miles of the Trotwood sports bar.

The lawsuit contended that All-Stars lies within 20 miles of 8-Ball & Wings, and that the Trotwood sports bar has suffered a loss of revenue from “the diversion of customers from plaintiff’s business to defendant’s business” and by confusion over the 8-Ball & Wings trademark.

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Lawsuit over Denny’s sodium levels thrown out

By Mark Fisher | Thursday, November 12, 2009, 11:23 AM

The lawsuit that we told you about back in July in which a New Jersey man backed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed a class-action lawsuit against Denny’s to try to force the restaurant chain to disclose the amount of sodium in its menu items has been thrown out of court, according to this story from Nation’s Restaurant News.

The NRN story says a judge dismissed the complaint because the plaintiff, Nick DeBenedetto, could not prove injury under New Jersey’s personal liability and consumer protection laws, but the litigation director for the CSPI and an attorney for DeBenedetto, said they planned to amend the lawsuit and appeal the judge’s decision.

So it appears we haven’t heard the last of the “salt suit.”

The Taste post back in July generated quite a robust response from readers.

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