- The Pizza Bandit
- Kung Fu BBQ
- Blind Dogs
- I Heart Ice Cream
- Wheel Fresh Pizza
- ILLYS Fire Pizza
- Freda’s Food Truck
- Ma Dukes Street Food
- Crusin Cusine
- Slide Thru
- Cray Cray Cajun
- Tommy’s Smoke House
- Freakin’ Rican
- Cupzilla Korean bbq
- The Forking Pierogi
- Spin City Cotton Candy
Specialty food fests are running monthly through October at the Yellow Cab Tavern, located at 700 E Fourth St. in Dayton. All ages are welcome. The event is free to attend. For a list of other foodie events happening throughout the Dayton area, click here.
If you could have any food-specific fest, what food would you pick and why? Email me here with your ideas! I would love to have a grilled cheese fest or a fries fest. I feel like there would be an endless amount of fun combinations that could take those two foods to the next level.
On another note, congrats to my co-worker Alexis Larsen! On Thursday, she will be featured for Women’s History Month at the Alexis Larsen Real Women of Genius Tangerine NEIPA event by New Ales Brewing.
In the event description, Larsen is described as “a powerful woman, who has won numerous accolades in her field. A woman who makes her community a priority, and shares it with us all. A woman who embraces every challenge put before her, gives a good giggle, then crushes the pants off of it.”
We couldn’t agree more! The Middletown brewery is encouraging people to raise a glass for Larsen starting at 4 p.m. as they release a Tangerine NEIPA.
New restaurant coming this spring to the Oregon District
Dayton Chef Dane Shipp is opening his first brick-and-mortar restaurant this spring in the Oregon District.
CULTURE By Chef Dane will be located in the space that previously housed 416 Diner at 416 E. Fifth St. The diner closed in June 2022.
Danielle Edwards, owner of Sweet P’s Handcrafted Ice Pops, purchased the space in 2022 to create a flagship store for her business. Upon realizing her business needed more space, she connected with her neighbors in the Oregon District to find out what they wanted in a new space.
Edwards said the loss of 416 Diner left a need for a casual dining option in the neighborhood. She said she reached out to Shipp in the fall to explore a possible collaboration and over the course of several months they agreed to a leasing arrangement for his restaurant.
Shipp told me he is planning to cook a wide variety of cuisines. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us! I went to his pop-up last week at Tender Mercy where he served a short rib grilled cheese with tomato bisque. I have to say, the sweet and spicy mayo on the sandwich was a perfect touch and the tomato bisque was one of the best I’ve ever had!
The restaurant will also feature a rotating menu of Sweet P’s Handcrafted Ice Pops’ flavors, including specialty flavors that align with his menu.
Shipp said he is excited to have a spot in the Oregon District because downtown Dayton is where people first came to seek his food. Click here to read more about Shipp and his plans for the restaurant.
Cookieologist, Slide Thru open mobile kitchen today
The Cookieologist and Slide Thru are opening a mobile kitchen next door to JD’s Old Fashioned Frozen Custard in Englewood today.
A mobile kitchen is an operation where everything is online.
Isiah Davis, owner of The Cookieologist, and Kali Muhammad II, owner of Slide Thru, told me customers are encouraged to order ahead via the business’ websites, so their food will be ready for pick-up when they arrive. If you do not order ahead, there will be a QR code in the lobby that guests can scan to place an order.
The space will feature a variety of fresh baked cookies, dairy-free milks and focaccia-style pizzas from The Cookieologist. Slide Thru will feature sliders, beignet bites, arancini, fries, tator tots and much more. Muhammad told me he will also carry lemonade from Chicken Head’s.
The businesses are operating out of the space that previously housed Stone House Sweets Bakery & Coffee. The business closed in July after eight years in the community.
Val’s Bakery to open next week at new location
Val’s Bakery is opening next week in the former space of Glo Juice Bar + Cafe near the University of Dayton.
Owner Paige Woodie told me they will open on Monday, March 27, followed by a grand opening on Saturday, April 8.
The bakery was previously located at 5860 Bigger Road in Kettering. The last day of her lease for that location was Saturday, Feb. 18.
Woodie was previously planning to expand to Springboro, but due to renovation costs it didn’t work out. In January, she posted on Facebook that the future of the bakery was unknown because they needed to find a space in a limited amount of time. Woodie said that’s when Amy Beaver, owner of Glo Juice Bar and Butter Cafe, reached out to her regarding the space at 1120 Brown St. The juice bar did not close — it simply moved into Butter Cafe.
Val’s Bakery will have the same baked goods that were available at the Kettering location in addition to many new baked-to-order items including sandwiches and toasts. Woodie said she will also have a full-service coffee menu with espresso, lattes and cappuccinos as well as cold brews.
She said she looks forward to offering a variety of coffee drinks with homemade syrups because it is her passion. A new drink she is excited about is the brown sugar and meringue coffee, which is made with brown sugar syrup, Namesake coffee and toasted meringue piped around the edge of the cup.
The bakery has seating throughout the space and a family-themed room with toys for children. Click here for a sneak peek inside the bakery.
Quick Bites:
🍽 Basil’s On Market ‘temporarily closed’ in Beavercreek: The restaurant, located outside the main entrance of the Mall at Fairfield Commons, is temporarily closed for renovations and maintenance, according to a sign posted at the restaurant.
🍺 Springboro brewery expanding: Crooked Handle Brewing Co. is expanding next door into the space that previously housed Travel Authority to offer additional seating and an event space available for private bookings.
☕ Hair salon to open in former downtown Dayton coffee shop: Aura Beauty Collective, a new hair salon specializing in extensions and custom color, is holding a grand opening Saturday, April 1 in the former space of Reza’s.
♥ Jollity to host charity dinner: The restaurant, located at 127 E. Third St. in Dayton, will host a charity dinner on Sunday, April 2 at 5:30 p.m. where 50 percent of proceeds will go to the Artemis Center. Click here for more information about the dinner.
🍗 Dayton-area restaurants introduce wing flights: The owners of Archer’s Tavern and Stone House Tavern are adding wing flights to their menus along with five new wing flavors. Read more about the flavors here.
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.
Also, remember to follow Dayton Daily News on Facebook or search our Food & Dining section for the latest stories. I’ll have continuous updates on my Facebook or Twitter pages.
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