Fairborn commencement
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Home > Blogs > Taste: Dayton food and restaurants > Archives > 2009 > November
November 2009
DLM wins national Readers Choice Award for Best Gourmet Grocer
Dorothy Lane Market has won the Readers’ Choice Award for Best Gourmet Grocer, officials at Luxist, a luxury goods and lifestyle web site and a division of AOL, announced this morning, Nov. 30.
In online voting, DLM beat out stiff international competition that included Dean & DeLuca’s and Zabar’s in New York City, Harrods Food Hall in London, and Texas-based Whole Foods, which operates 270 grocery stores in North America and the United Kingdom. Luxist editors solicited nominations for the award earlier this year and narrowed the list to five finalists in mid-November.
“I am thrilled, shocked, and appreciative,” said Calvin Mayne, whose family owns the grocer that operates stores in Oakwood, Washington Twp. and Springboro. “I’m proud of the folks at DLM and proud our great community — and thankful to our customers!”
Dorothy Lane Market was up against some very well-known competition for the award, which was national in scope but which also included a competitor in London, England. The other finalists included Zabar’s in New York City, Harrods Food Hall in London, New York-based Dean & DeLuca, and Whole Foods.
Here’s an excerpt from the Luxist news release announcing DLM’s selection:
Dorothy Lane partners with food artisans and others passionate about food. This is evident when browsing its aisles and viewing the impressive selection of gourmet food products from around the world that stock its shelves. They offer an extensive selection of cheese, wine, and chocolate. Its oil selection is impressive, and includes walnut oil from Provence, macadamia oil, and olive oils from all over the world. They feature hard to find premium products in season. In seafood for example, they carry Copper River King Salmon and fresh Alaskan King Red Crab from family co-ops. Produce features golden Aurora apples, long stem artichokes, and jumbo size honeydew melons. The meat department’s products are entirely natural, lifetime free of added hormones and antibiotics. Their meats include well marbled pork, free range chicken, and DLM Natural Beef, which almost always grades out as USDA prime.
Carrie Coolidge, editor of the Luxist Awards, acknowledged that she was surprised DLM captured more online votes than its competition, given the other finalists are “much larger companies with global brands.”
A “smallish, Ohio-based company beating out large, big-city competitors is unusual … (but) DLM deserved to win this award,” Coolidge said. “My team at AOL is impressed with the number of loyal Dorothy Lane Market customers who felt so passionate about the company that they reached out to Luxist in droves.” Mayne said DLM officials haven’t discussed how to celebrate the award, but said the grocer will “look for a way to let customers know we appreciate their loyalty and their support.”
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Kettering pizza restaurant closes
The Figaro’s Pizza restaurant that opened in February at 1625 W. Dorothy Lane has closed.
A hand-written sign alerts customers that the restaurant at the northwest corner of South Dixie Drive and West Dorothy Lane in an “out-lot” in front of the Super Wal-Mart store is closed for business. The restaurant’s phone has been disconnected, and the Figaro’s franchise co-owner, Chris Gray of Kettering, could not be reached.
But in an interview in his restaurant in July, about five months after his restaurant opened, Gray acknowledged the Dayton area’s competition for the pizza dining dollar was fierce and growing more intense. A Little Caesar’s pizza restaurant opened nearby soon after his Figaro’s franchise — which was new to the Dayton area — opened in February.
“It’s hard out there right now,” Gray said at the time. “It’s difficult to get people to try a new place.”
Gray, a 1999 graduate of Centerville High School who worked for six years in management for the LaRosa’s pizza chain, said he originally envisioned opening up several other Figaro’s locations around the Dayton area, but acknowledged in July that he was “not even close” to picking out expansion sites.
Figaro’s offered both cooked and take-and-bake pizzas, as well as sandwiches and calzones. When it opened, it employed 18 people.
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Grand opening for ‘Boulevard Haus’ German restaurant tomorrow
Cafe Boulevard, 329 East Fifth St. in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District, will officially become Boulevard Haus on Saturday, Nov. 28, according to this email blast sent out by the restaurant’s owner, Eva Brcic-Christian.
Brcic-Christian announced Oct. 1 that Cafe Boulevard would morph into a “modern, casual German restaurant and bar,” and tomorrow’s grand opening completes the transformation.
Diners who come dressed in a traditional German outfit Saturday will get 50 percent off their dinner. To make reservations for the grand opening, call (937) 824-2722.
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IKEA to serve shoppers free breakfast & coffee
It’s not exactly a sumptuous feast, but hey, a sumptuous feast for breakfast probably isn’t something you’re looking for in the days following Thanksgiving.
IKEA is offering free breakfast items starting on Black Friday, Nov. 27, and extending through Sunday, Nov. 29.
The offer includes one “small breakfast” valued at 99 cents and a cup of coffee, also valued at 99 cents. Good until 10:30 a.m. each day, limit one per customer, according to the offer’s fine print.
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Contest reveals Dayton’s ‘Most Delightful Dessert’
Attendees of the Dayton History 15th Annual “Ringing In The Holidays” event held Sunday evening, Nov. 22 at Carillon Historical Park had one sweet time.
How could they not? In addition to the martini bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres, attendees got to sample, and vote on, a “Dayton’s Most Delightful Dessert” contest.
Awards were handed out for People’s Choice, Best Presentation and Critics’ Choice. I was one of the three “media personalities” to serve as judges for the critics’ choice and best presentation awards. After organizers landed two high-profile stars in Dan Edwards, co-anchor of WDTN-TV 2News First at Sunrise and general assignment reporter for the station, and Kristi Leigh, co-host of the Mix Morning Show on Mix 107.7-FM, they settled for a newspaper guy.
We judges as well as other attendees embraced all six desserts with enthusiasm, and ranking them was difficult. But here were the results of the voting:
— People’s Choice: Dayton Marriott’s Traditional Bread Pudding and Whiskey Sauce.
— Best Presentation: Brock Masterson’s Catering & Events Eggnog Mousse with Irish Creme Anglaise.
— Critics’ Choice: Dayton Woman’s Club Sweet Escape Chocolate Cake.
The bread pudding is apparently the brainchild of chef Scott Trammel. There was no one from Marriott on hand to talk about the dessert, but that allowed guests to scoop their own, and drizzle their own sauce, and there was plenty of both. The Brock Masterson’s mousse prepared and presented by Rick and Lisa Schaefer was accented by pecan shortbread, and their serving station was adorned with festive holiday lights — a nice touch. The Dayton Woman’s Club’s Chef Rich Sumner described how he infused his cake with raspberry and chocolate sauces, and the result was decadent.
Benham’s Catering served up a delicious Hazelnut Caramel Dessert Roll that combined sponge cake with hazelnuts, apricots, golden raisins and Frangelico-flavored shipped cream. Bellyfire Catering came up with a creative method of blending butter cookie crunch with chocolate mousse so it could be cut into slices that looked very much like biscotti, and serving it in a clear plastic cup with an intensely flavored raspberry sauce. And Karen’s Culinary Creations served an artful and tasty Pumpkin Cheesecake Petites that were made with a homemade graham cracker crust.
Suffice to say those who arrived with a sweet tooth departed fully satisfied.
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Quiznos lawsuit settlement could cost millions
All is not sweetness and light behind the scenes at Quiznos, at least not between franchise owners and the parent company, according to this story from Nation’s Restaurant News entitled “Quiznos could pay millions in settlement”.
A settlement that could cost the company $100 million? Ouch. What must Quiznos’ attorneys feared would happen at trial, I wonder?
And one other purely rhetorical question: are there entire law schools cropping up just to produce attorneys for restaurant-related lawsuits?
Just wondering …
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New BBQ chain coming to Dayton area, starting in Beavercreek
A Woody’s BBQ restaurant is scheduled to open in January at 3321 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek, just west of North Fairfield Road.
And franchise owner-operator Michael York of Sugarcreek Twp. said he would like to open additional restaurants in the region, and will look at sites in the Bellbrook and Dayton Mall areas.
The Beavercreek restaurant has a “coming soon” sign teasing customers driving by on Dayton-Xenia Road. The location formerly housed Noemi’s Cafe, and before that, Grandpa’s Cafe. It has been vacant for about six months, York said.
York had hoped to open in early December but encountered complications during renovation that will push back the opening until at least mid-January, he said.
The full-service restaurant will be part of a Jacksonville, Florida-based chain that operates 31 restaurants, 28 of them in Florida. The chain is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.
NOTE: The original version of this entry noted this Woody’s BBQ restaurant that will open soon in Beavercreek would be the first one in Ohio. Reader Kara Parente emailed (and also commented on this story) that her Springboro family owned a Dayton-area Woody’s franchise near the Dayton Mall from 1993-95 but couldn’t call it “Woody’s” because of the now-defunct Woody’s grocery store in West Carrollton, and instead named the restaurants “Jack’s BBQ.”
York said the Beavercreek Woody’s BBQ will seat 85 to 90 people and will employ 20 to 25 people. It will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
Woody’s menu includes Baby Back Ribs, Spare Ribs, Barbecue Chicken, Hot Wings, Cole Slaw and Banana Pudding. All side dishes are made in the restaurant, York said. Two smokers are being installed to smoke the meats, he said.
“It’s a good product, good southern barbecue, at a reasonable price,” York said.
York was born in Tennessee but has lived in the Dayton area since 1966. He and his wife Sharon will own and operate the Woody’s BBQ franchise restaurant.
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DLM is international finalist for ‘Best Gourmet Grocer’
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
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
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.Buffalo Wings & Rings is located at 894 S. Main St. in Centerville. Here’s more from the organization’s media advisory:
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.Tweet
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Kettering grill / tavern to close for good Friday night
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
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
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
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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Max & Erma’s closes Miami Twp. restaurant
The Max & Erma’s restaurant at 8901 Kingsridge Drive behind the Dayton Mall in Miami Twp. has closed.
Printed signs on the restaurant door thank customers for their patronage and direct them to the three remaining free-standing Max & Erma’s locations in the Dayton area, in Springboro, Beavercreek and on Miller Lane in Butler Twp. There is also a Max & Erma’s inside the Dayton International Airport.
Messages left with officials at Columbus-based Max & Erma’s were not immediately returned. Miami Twp. officials said they believe the restaurant closed late last week.
The casual dining chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from its creditors just a few weeks ago listing between $1 million and $10 million in debts, according to the Associated Press. Click here for more on the bankruptcy filing from The (Columbus) Dispatch.
Max & Erma’s has about 79 company-owned restaurants and 27 owned by franchisees, according to the AP story at the time of the bankruptcy filing. Most are in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
The Max & Erma’s signage attached to the Kingsridge restaurant’s building has been removed, and the lettering on the free-standing signs has been spray-painted over.
Greg Rogers, assistant Miami Twp. administrator, said today, Nov. 12 that township officials received no warning about the closing. The restaurant is close to a Fuddrucker’s restaurant that closed earlier this year and is still vacant.
“We think those two restaurants ran into economy issues,” Rogers said, noting the Max & Erma’s bankruptcy filing. “We expect other development to occur in that area.”
The township has made street improvements to part of Kingsridge Drive, which runs from Ohio 725 to Ohio 741 behind the Dayton Mal, and has plans to complete the project, which includes lighting, sidewalk and street improvements, Rogers said.
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Sports bar remains shut down as settlement talks stall
The owners of two sports bars came tantalizingly close on Tuesday, Nov. 10 to settling their lawsuit that has led to the court-ordered closure of All Stars Sports & Wings in Kettering.
But 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 and later sued him — fizzled after more than two hours of back-and-forth negotiations in and around the chambers of Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Barbara Gorman. Gorman then heard additional testimony that will help her decide whether she grants a preliminary injunction shutting down the Kettering sports bar as the lawsuit proceeds. Faced with a scheduled hearing on another case Tuesday afternoon, Gorman eventually recessed the hearing until Monday afternoon — but not before expressing some frustration that the morning’s settlement talks failed.
“The point of contention is a fairly minor one, and I hope both parties consider it,” Gorman said to both Hicks and Somerset. Later, as court was dismissed, Gorman urged attorneys for both sides to “keep working” on a settlement, “because I think it’s in the best interest of both of your clients to get this resolved.”
As it stands, however, All Stars remains closed under a temporary restraining order that Gorman issued Oct. 22.
All Stars Sports & Wings opened Sept. 13 in the 4139 Wilmington Pike 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 his 8-Ball & Wings sports bar at 4515 Salem Ave. 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 contends 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.
Somerset testified Tuesday that Hicks’ actions have hindered his business plan to open as many as four sports bars in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas. Hicks testified last week that his new Kettering business is very different from his former one in Trotwood — more of a family restaurant rather than a bar.
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New restaurant will employ 130
MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — Logan’s Roadhouse is building its second Dayton-area restaurant at 2148 Miamisburg-Centerville Road (Ohio 725), just east of the Dayton Mall where a former Bravo Italian Kitchen once stood.
The new restaurant is expected to open in spring 2010 and will hire approximately 130 new employees, according to Heather MacDonald, spokeswoman for the Nashville-based chain of casual steakhouses.
Logan’s Roadhouse operates a restaurant that opened in 2006 at 2819 Centre Drive near the Fairborn-Beavercreek border, just east of the intersection of North Fairfield Road and New Germany-Trebein Road. The restaurant chain operates 168 company-operated and 26 franchised Logan’s Roadhouse restaurants in 24 states. It’s known for its mesquite-grilled steaks and chicken, baby-back ribs and “bottomless” buckets of in-shell peanuts.
The restaurant chain demolished the former Bravo and is erecting a new 6,336-square-feet restaurant at the Miami Twp. site. It will seat 237, MacDonald said.
The Logan’s Roadhouse spokeswoman said she couldn’t comment specifically on what attracted company officials to the Miami Twp. site, but added, “We see a lot of opportunity in this area.”
The new restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.
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Which restaurants are open on Thanksgiving Day?
If your restaurant is open on Thanksgiving Day and offering some kind of special holiday menu that day, please email us and provide the following information: Restaurant name, address, phone number, hours on Thanksgiving Day, a brief description of what you’re serving, price, and whether reservations are required. We’ll assemble a list and post it online at www.daytondailynews.com/go/taste and publish it in the Dayton Daily News on Nov. 20. Send your email to at mfisher@daytondailynews.com.
And if you’d like, post the same information in the form of a comment to let potential customers know of your plans.
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Couple accused of poisoning restaurant customers
Two former employees of a Mexican restaurant in Lenexa, Kansas have been charged with intentionally poisoning as many as 48 diners in two separate incidents, according to this story from Nation’s Restaurant News and this KansasCity.com story.
The stories suggest that a disgruntled 30-year-old ex-employee was trying to get revenge against the restaurant’s owner, whom he blamed for the loss of his job. The man’s 19-year-old wife, also an ex-employee, was also charged. They are accused of mixing a pesticide into the restaurant’s salsa, sickening 12 customers on Aug. 11 and 36 more customers in a subsequent incident on Aug. 30.
We’ve had incidents of mass food-poisonings in this part of Ohio, but none that were caused intentionally, to my recollection. Nasty.
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New pizza joint near UD welcomes night owls
A new carryout and delivery pizza restaurant, Pie Pizzeria, has opened at 1910 Brown St. near the campus of the University of Dayton.
The new pizza place caters to night owls: Pie Pizzeria stays open until 4 a.m. Thursday through Sunday, and until 3 a.m. Monday through Wednesday. It opens at 11 a.m. daily.
Pie Pizzeria is owned by Craig Hatfield of Dayton, who said he has always wanted to own a restaurant. Pie Pizzeria specializes in New York-style pizza by the slice, and offers 16-inch and 18-inch specialty pizzas with nicknames such as the Brooklyn Brawler, Park Avenue Chicken, Madison Square Garden and Broadway Barbecue. The menu also includes oven-baked sandwiches, pasta dishes and salads.
If those pizza nicknames sound familiar to what’s served at Johnny’s Pizzeria — A Slice of New York in Centerville, they are. Hatfield said he has been friends with Johnny’s co-owner Johnny Rivera for 10 years, and Rivera was behind the counter helping Hatfield on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 5.
Pie Pizzeria employs 16 people. It is located just north of the Brown Street-Irving Avenue intersection, near the Pine Club restaurant. For more information, call (937) 228-4743.
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Ribbon-cutting today for downtown coffee shop
Downtown Dayton’s newest coffee shop — The Ohio Coffee Co., 46 W. Fifth St. — will host a ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration at 7 p.m. today, Nov. 6.
The coffee shop and cafe at the corner of South Ludlow and West Fifth streets, owned by Rob Gray and Rebecca Ledingham, opened its doors on Oct. 1. It offers homemade baked goods, organic teas and coffee from a variety of roasters.
Tonight’s festivities will include food samples from the coffee shop’s menu, live music from five acoustic acts, and a display of the work from local artists.
The Ohio Coffee Co. is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended evening hours on First Fridays. For more information, call (937) 228-5282.
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Judge extends order shutting down Kettering sports bar
A judge has extended her order shutting down All Stars Sports & Wings in Kettering for at least another week.
A hearing on Thursday, Nov. 5, to determine whether Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Barbara Gorman would grant a preliminary injunction shutting down the sports bar did not wrap up as expected. Gorman will hear additional testimony Tuesday, Nov. 10 and promised a decision by Thursday, Nov. 12 that will determine whether All-Stars can reopen or must remain closed as a civil lawsuit against the sports bar and its owner, Todd Hicks of Beavercreek, moves forward. In the meantime, however, Gorman extended the temporary restraining order that All-Stars must close.
All Stars Sports & Wings opened Sept. 13 in the 4139 Wilmington Pike building that housed a Grindstone Charley’s restaurant until early 2008. The lawsuit against the sports bar and its owner was filed by 8-Ball & Wings, 4515 Salem Ave., Trotwood, and its owner Theodore Somerset, who purchased the sports bar from Hicks in April 2009.
Hicks signed a “non-compete” agreement as part of the sale in which Hicks agreed he would not become involved with a competing sports bar within a radius of 20 miles of the sports bar on Salem Avenue. The lawsuit contends that All-Sports “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.
Hicks testified Thursday that his new business is very different from his former one — more of a family restaurant rather than a bar. Somerset testified that the businesses are similar and have a similar menu focus on chicken wings
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College student to open restaurant in Miami Twp.
MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — A new Indian restaurant is poised to open at 9632 Springboro Pike (Ohio 741) — and it’s owned by a college senior who will operate the restaurant with help from his family.
Named Namaste India, the 1,700-square feet restaurant has seating for about 36 people and is located in the strip shopping center that also houses a Scrambler Marie’s restaurant. Its goal is to “provide our customers with the best tasting and largest varieties of Indian food without the long wait and high prices,” according to its web site, which says it will offer “North Indian, South Indian, Gujarati, Indo-Chinese, Chaats and even our exclusive Indian Wraps.” Click here to read the restaurant’s menu.
Namaste India is owned by Sunny Thakkar, a senior at the University of Cincinnati finishing up a psychology degree.
In an email, Thakkar wrote, “We want to bring something fairly new to Dayton — Indian fast food, where there will be a large variety, delivered fast and at a low cost.”
Thakkar said his parents have been successful restaurateurs, “and I want to follow in their footsteps.” His parents and sister will provide “a helping hand” in operating the restaurant, Thakkar said.
The restaurant will open soon, but no date has been set yet, the restaurant owner said. When it does open, Namaste India’s phone number will be (937) 433-0101.
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2 new, competing restaurants coming to Troy
Two new restaurants are coming to Troy — and they’ll compete head-to-head for the burrito market.
Hot Head Burritos will open a restaurant on South Dorset Road just north of Ohio 55 and east of I-75, according to Hot Head co-owner Ray Wiley. Located in a strip shopping center that includes a Subway and a Boston Stoker, the new Hot Head will be the eighth for the small Dayton-based chain that Wiley co-founded.
“We’re shooting for Dec. 15” to open, Wiley said. Customer requests from Troy-area residents who inquired online and at the Huber Heights Hot Head restaurant prompted Wiley to look into a Troy location, he said. The restaurant will open with about 15 employees, Wiley said.
Another burrito specialist, Chipotle, is preparing to open a restaurant on West Main Street west of I-75, in a small strip shopping center in front of the Meijer store that also houses a Panera Bread restaurant.
The 2,400-square-feet restaurant is projected to open in early 2010, said Chipotle spokeswoman Jenna Simenic. It will seat 48 people. Most new Chipotle restaurants open with about 30 employees, Simenic said.
The Denver-based chain operates 900 restaurants nationwide.
Troy Development Director Jim Dando said the two new restaurants will add to an already robust restaurant scene offering south-of-the-border cuisine, including El Sombrero, La Fiesta, El Rancho Grande and Taco Bell.
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Where does a celebrity chef dine on his first visit to Dayton?
So, you’re a celebrity chef and restaurant owner who has cooked for presidents, governors and Oprah, and it’s your first visit to Dayton. Where do you go to eat?
Chef Art Smith went to Mamma DiSalvo’s in Kettering last night (Sunday, Nov. 1), and based on what he has heard from his Dayton friends, he’s looking forward to visiting The Pine Club, the Winds Cafe, and Meadowlark.
That was just one morsel from a quick interview this morning with the highly regarded Chicago chef who has agreed to come to Dayton to help oversee the “Feast of Giving” Thanksgiving Dinner that replaces the annual Beerman dinner. Smith was in town to meet with the other organizers of the event, including ABC 22/Fox 45, Dermatologists of Southwest Ohio and the Dayton Convention Center, at the television station’s studios Monday.
More about the Feast of Giving Dinner and about Art Smith in Friday’s Dayton Daily News Life section. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the restaurant advice Art received?
(Photo by Mark Fisher)
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Friends gather to say ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ to Dieter Krug
Friends shared both laughter and tears Sunday, Nov. 1 at a memorial service for Dieter Krug, co-founder of l’Auberge restaurant and mentor to several Dayton-area chefs.
More than 150 people gathered at the Tobias Funeral Home Far Hills Chapel to reminisce and pay tribute to Mr. Krug, who died of an apparent heart attack Oct. 10, during a trip to visit family members in his hometown of Eisenach, Germany. He was 77.
“The friendships and respect that he gained throughout his life are a testament to the kind of man he was,” said Keith Taylor, chef-owner of Savona Restaurant in Centerville who started working under Mr. Krug at l’Auberge in 1992. “He was a father figure to me, and the best mentor anyone could ask for.”
Taylor recalled being “completely terrified” of his mentor on his first day of work, but gradually gaining his approval and trust, and admiring his gentle humor, top-notch culinary skills and legendary work ethic.
“He worked like a man possessed. He outworked people half his age,” Taylor said. “And he could take the simplest of ingredients and get the most flavor out of them. It was something to behold.”
Dominique Fortin, chef-owner of C’est Tout in Oakwood, said Mr. Krug “was a joy to work with in the kitchen,” and marveled as his friend’s ability to “make you laugh when you were down and out.
“If everyone was like Dieter, there would be peace in this world,” Fortin said.
Father Joseph Goetz, retired priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and a good friend of Mr. Krug’s, presided over the service, noting to audience laughter that he was “not quite sure what religion Dieter was,” in part because during his visits to l’Auberge, “I was too busy enjoying his delicious food” to discuss religion.
Mr. Krug “had a gift of making people feel welcome,” Father Goetz said.
Mr. Krug left Germany in 1953 and worked in hotels in Rome and Madrid before moving to the U.S. in 1956. He served as sous chef at The Maisonette in Cincinnati and later as executive chef for the King Cole in Dayton before co-founding l’Auberge in 1979. He retired from l’Auberge in 1999, but was a frequent presence at Savona, C’est Tout and DiSalvo’s Deli in Kettering, where he would collaborate on special dinners and menus.
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