Several restaurants are celebrating Valentine’s Day with specials including Little Fish Brewing Co. Guests will be able to choose a salad and pasta. Then finish the meal with a chocolate soufflé cake. Cost is $30 per person. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day and last week’s announcement of Little Fish Brewing’s Executive Chef Becky Clark being named one of the James Beard Foundation’s 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards Semifinalists.
I talked with Clark after the announcement and she said she wasn’t expecting it at all. She explained it’s an honor to have her work recognized in this way because the James Beard Awards, often referred to as the “Oscars of Food,” celebrate the best chefs, restaurants and food professionals in the United States.
Read more about Clark here.
New restaurant opens in former location of El Greco’s Pizza Villa
After holding a soft opening for about a month, D’oir’s Restaurant will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday with free pizza and 10% off orders starting at 4 p.m.
The new restaurant has opened in the building that previously housed El Greco’s Pizza Villa, a restaurant with a long-standing reputation in the Dayton community
Tonya Lewis, who co-owns the restaurant with her childhood friend, Tina Demus, said it’s been a childhood dream to run a restaurant.
D’oir’s Restaurant has a variety of menu items including loaded baked potatoes, pizza, chili, tuna nachos, burgers and more. The loaded baked potatoes can come topped with turkey and chili, steak and shrimp, chicken and broccoli or several other variations. Lewis said the restaurant will also feature Soul Food Thursdays.
The restaurant offers 10% discounts for students, seniors and veterans. Delivery is available in Dayton and Trotwood.
Click here for photos of the restaurant.
Melt Bar & Grilled permanently closed in Beavercreek
Melt Bar & Grilled, a Cleveland-based gourmet grilled cheese chain, closed two of its restaurants including its Beavercreek location, according to company voicemail messages.
“As of Tuesday, Jan. 31 our Beavercreek location is permanently closed,” the message said. “Everyone here appreciates your business over the years.”
The chain’s Canton location had a similar message.
The announcement comes after the Beavercreek location had a signed posted Monday which read, “Closed for the day. Staff vacation & general maintenance Monday, Jan. 30. Back open tomorrow! Thank you for the support.”
I have never been to Melt Bar & Grilled, but have heard the restaurant had great options for vegetarians and vegans. What other restaurants in the Dayton area have great options for vegetarians or vegans?
Springfield resident competes on ‘Master Distiller’
Springfield resident Matt Brown (pictured second from the left) recently competed on Season 4 of Discovery’s “Moonshiners: Master Distiller” and went head-to-head with fellow combat veterans.
Brown, an Urbana native and U.S. Army veteran, was featured in the Jan. 25 episode titled “Armed Forces Face Off.” He competed against Justin Rivera of Hawaii and Joe Jackson of Pennsylvania.
He came out on top during the first challenge, which required making a signature spirit from home. Brown said he stuck with the basics and made a corn liquor. Brown did not end up winning the title “Master Distiller,” but said he hopes to go back on the show.
This story came full circle for me because I previously spoke with Brown in October 2020 when he had plans to open a distillery in Urbana. Brown said he was never able to get it going due to the price of materials during COVID.
Brown told me he has teamed up with Springfield resident Shawn Rigsby, who appeared on the show in 2021 and Urbana resident Jon Umstead to open a distillery called Champagne Shine Company. He said they are currently looking for a location and hope to have it up and running this year. They plan to have traditional corn liquor, multi-grain liquor and a couple of flavored liquors to start off.
Click here for more on the competition.
Quick Bites:
🥣 Ice Cream for Breakfast Day returns Saturday to Jubie’s Creamery: The creamery is opening its Fairborn and Moraine locations at 9 a.m. for customers to savor frosted flake cereal ice cream, cereal bowl sundaes, cereal blasts and coffee or hot chocolate floats.
🍺 Dayton-area breweries to host winter markets for local vendors: The winter market season will kick off Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Bock Family Brewing and continue Sunday, Feb. 5 from noon to 3 p.m. at Eudora Brewing Company. Read more about the markets here.
🍕 Trotwood pizza restaurant applies for liquor license: New York Pizzeria applied for D-1 and D-2 liquor permits to offer beer and wine with their pizza, wings and burgers.
🍴 3 new businesses coming to Dayton’s Belmont neighborhood: From homecooked favorites with a touch of Nashville to bubble teas and waffles, the foodie scene in Belmont is growing. Read more here on what’s to come.
🍛 Cajun restaurant opens in downtown Miamisburg: Rajun Cajun Grill has opened its first brick-and-mortar location in downtown Miamisburg after traveling to different fairs, festivals and pop-ups over the last four years.
Tell Us:
Thank you so much for reading my weekly newsletter! If you see a new restaurant opening or are wondering when an establishment is expected to open up, feel free to email me here, and I’ll check it out.
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