Perhaps we ring a bell, from the dim mists of your food memory … We’re the infamous and world-famous Leadbelly Boys – Brother Jim, Brother Ray and Brother Ron — three usually hungry editor-types from the Dayton Daily News and Cox Media Group who get our greatest culinary joy from places where the eats are cheap, quick and very likely a little greasy. You know, the sort of place where the coffee keeps getting poured into a shallow cup that’s on an actual saucer, by a waitress who calls you “Hon.” Where “ketchup,” “salt” and “fries” aren’t four-letter words.
Well, OK – “salt” is a four-letter word, technically, but you get the idea.
So anyway, after a glorious run several years ago in which we regaled you with our expert (ha! Said it with a straight face) opinions on pizza parlors, burger joints, sports bars, rib shacks, soul-food kitchens and even the midway grub from the county fair, we took a few years off to get our waistlines back in control. That turned out to be a silly idea, so now – we’re back! Fatter, grayer and dumber than ever.
You’ll be able to read our reviews of the swankiest, chewiest local eateries every week or so at MyDaytonDailyNews.com – and to get our reunion tour started, we headed down last week to the City Pub at Capri Lanes in Kettering, where we had a very fine lunch.
The City Pub is pretty much set up as a sports bar right off the very colorful lanes of the bowling alley, fairly recently updated and renovated with lots of screens and a very large, very nice bar right in the middle of it all. Now, since it was lunchtime on a working day, we merely looked from afar at the bar (sniff), but we did peruse the big menu with great Leadbelly care.
It being a Friday, Brother Jim dove into Southern Fried Chicken Fridays ($5.79); Brother Ray decided to sample the Capri Delight ($3.99), since it’s a Leadbelly policy (kinda) to always sample a dish that’s named after the establishment; and Brother Ron was intrigued by the Gourmet City Pub Half Pound Brisket Burger ($7.99) because of words “brisket” and “burger” in the same name.
What’d we think? Well…
BROTHER JIM: The City Pub was a game-changer for me. I have lived within a few blocks of this fine emporium of bowling for more than 20 years and have rolled the ball there several times, but had no idea it offered such a wide selection of food and beverages. How did I not know?!
But now that I do, I will return and order some more of that fine fried chicken. It was cooked just right. The meat was tender and juicy, but not too juicy, and the skin was crisp and well-seasoned. Too often I’ve eaten fried chicken that’s dripping in fat and rubbery as old innertubes. That was not the case here. The chicken was a winner.
The meal came with mashed potatoes and a choice of either corn or green beans. I went with the corn. Both side items were good, but not quite as special as the chicken.
The pub itself has a relaxed vibe about it helps you sit back and enjoy your meal. Glance around the room and catch up on the latest headlines and sports scores, then take a bite of your meal and settle back in your chair. Take your time and enjoy one of the area’s better little hideaways. Brother Ray, what say you?
BROTHER RAY: Look at the things that never came back. Dinosaurs. The Beatles. Milli Vanilli. But we came back, hungrier than ever. The City Pub satisfied our bellies with portions that can be bigger than your head. You remember our motto — never eat anything bigger than your head — and we once again broke that like a cheap piece of china. My Capri Delight — grilled cheese with bacon and tomato — was OK, but as Bro. Jim noted, his chicken was killer good; Ron’s burger was as thick as a small college textbook and … Well, you tell ‘em, B-Ro.
BROTHER RON: Well, see, the way around not violating the motto is to simply have a big head — which, naturally, is just part of the Esteemed Leadbelly Brotherhood. You guys know that!
Now, onto the City Pub. I ordered the Brisket Burger because I was curious how it would look, thinking for some reason it would have brisket on top of the burger. Huh? Turns out, since they mix brisket meat into the ground beef (lesson: read the menu!), it looked like a regular burger. A rather large and exceptionally tasty burger, in fact. I had to slice it up to share with Jim and Ray so they’d stop trying to touch it while I ate. I hate it when they do that.
The nice surprise, to me, was the fries. They’re seasoned and have a nice, brisk flavor. The menu calls ‘em a “City Pub Favorite,” and I see why. Quite good.
Speaking of the menu, it includes the usual sports bar mainstays — wings, a good-looking lineup of sandwiches, wraps and salads, City Sliders (including chicken; nice!) and City Pizza (we will discuss anchovies, pro and con, in a future entry). They’ve got a kids menu, carryout and daily specials — like Brother Jim’s yummy fried chicken. Which sounds like a country song, doesn’t it?
OK — the City Pub at Capri Lanes is at 2727 S. Dixie Drive in Kettering, 298-7411. Check ‘em out at www.caprilanes.com, which has info on bowling and dining. They also have a Facebook page.
And tell ‘em the Leadbelly Boys sent ya.
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