Chef specializing in birria tacos opens brick-and-mortar in Miamisburg

A Chef Darion Lewis beef taco on the grill Tuesday Sept. 20, 2022. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

A Chef Darion Lewis beef taco on the grill Tuesday Sept. 20, 2022. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

Hey Dayton!

Welcome to our weekly Dayton Food & Dining Newsletter, giving you a behind-the-scenes peek into some of the dishes that truly make Dayton the Gem City.

I’m Natalie Jones, food and dining reporter for the Dayton Daily News. One of my favorite parts of my job is getting to meet the amazing chefs and restaurateurs who pour their heart into the food we eat. My second favorite part is getting to try some of their dishes.


These tacos live up to the hype

A beef birria taco from More Than A Apron LLC. MARSHALL GORBY\STAFF

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More Than A Apron LLC has opened a brick-and-mortar in Miamisburg.

Chef Darion Lewis had been serving up birria tacos and much more out of The Vault Event Center prior to finding his own space.

Over the weekend, I stopped by his new spot in the building that previously housed Rye Toast and I have to say the tacos live up to his 5.0 rating on Facebook.

I consider myself a taco connoisseur and there is nothing that compares to them. For $15, you get three tacos stuffed with meat and served with a broth and green salsa for dipping.

Where is your favorite place to get tacos? Email me here.


Inside Austin Landing’s newest restaurant

Park Grille & Bar, a casual, family-friendly restaurant at Austin Landing with sport cards and memorabilia is set to hold a grand opening Monday, Nov. 7. NATALIE JONES/STAFF

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A new casual, family-friendly restaurant with a twist has opened at Austin Landing.

Park Grille & Bar houses Kaboom Bros Cards upstairs in the mezzanine-like space. Guests are able to buy and trade a variety of sports cards from baseball and football to wrestling and F1 Racing, while eating a meal with their family.

Chris Carter, co-owner of Park Grille & Bar, told me that to his knowledge, this is the only restaurant that will have a full-fledged card shop and memorabilia store within it.

If you aren’t a fan of trading cards, don’t worry, you can still go to the restaurant just to eat.

The restaurant serves salads, wraps, gourmet burgers, personal pizzas, oven-baked wings, chicken tenders and much more in addition to its beer and cocktail menu.

Park Grille & Bar, a casual, family-friendly restaurant at Austin Landing with sport cards and memorabilia is set to hold a grand opening Monday, Nov. 7. Pictured are Pap Pap’s Donut Holes. NATALIE JONES/STAFF

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One item on the menu that hits close to home for Carter are Pap Pap’s Donuts. The donut holes were added in honor of his wife’s father, who passed away last year. I highly recommend trying the cinnamon sugar donut holes.

Click here for a peek inside the restaurant.


New Italian restaurant to open at Dayton Arcade

Est! Est!! Est!!!, a restaurant with authentic Italian food and an extensive wine selection, is coming to the Dayton Arcade (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO).

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The Dayton Arcade has announced a fourth food vendor coming to the downtown complex.

Est! Est!! Est!!!, a restaurant with authentic Italian food and an extensive wine selection, is expected to open at 45 W. Fourth St. in the Arcade’s Commercial and Fourth Street buildings in spring 2023, according to a press release from Cross Street Partners.

The restaurant is an extension of Mayfair Hospitality’s flagship restaurant in downtown Winston-Salem, N.C., the press release said.

According to Mayfair Hospitality, Est! Est!! Est!!! is the name of a famous Italian white wine, but the phrase’s origin comes from an old story about a German bishop on his travels.

The new restaurant joins a growing list of food-based businesses with plans to open at the Arcade, including Table 33, Gather by Ghostlight and 6888 Kitchen.


Quick Bites:

🍽Owner of Morgan’s Catering to open restaurant in Wright-Dunbar: Morgan’s Fine Cuisine is expected to open in early 2023 in the former space of Texas Beef and Cattle Company. Read more about this new restaurant here.

🍝Demnika’s Italiano opens in Kettering: The restaurant is owned and operated by the family that originally founded Palermo’s Restaurant in 2007. Take a look inside the restaurant here.

🥪Deli restaurant to open at former Masonic Lodge: Washington Twp. trustees approved a zoning change for All The Best Delicatessen to open on Far Hills Avenue.

🍴Jimmie’s Ladder 11 celebrates 11 years in business: In addition to their classic menu, the restaurant is featuring food and drink specials. Click here for 11 reasons why you should go to the restaurant.

🍔Burger King closes on Dayton-Lebanon Pike: The restaurant had only been open for about three years.


Tell Us:

Thank you so much to those who have congratulated me on my newsletter! I can’t wait to continue giving you the latest food and dining news. Last week, a few readers asked about several restaurants in the Dayton area that had announced plans to open, but haven’t yet. I have reached out to the Golden Nugget and Moe’s Southwest Grill for any updates.

If you see a new restaurant opening or are wondering when an establishment is expected to open up, feel free to email me, 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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