Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
“Holly Days at the Arcade Presented by AES Ohio and Dayton Daily News” returns tonight to downtown Dayton.
The holiday event features shopping from more than 50 vendors, food, live entertainment and much more from 3 to 8 p.m. tonight through Friday.
The Dayton Daily News will have a table at the event and I’ll be there 5 to 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow. Stop by to say hi and if you have any story ideas, feel free to share them with me!
If you’re looking for a bite to eat while you shop, Gather by Ghostlight and Table 33 will be open inside the Arcade’s complex. Members of the 6888 Kitchen will also be serving food from the Kitchen’s Rotunda entrance. There will be food trucks on Fourth Street in front of the event’s entrance.
Looking for something to do this weekend? Here are 10 things to do in Dayton this weekend
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The Silos: First look inside Dayton’s new food hall
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
The Silos, a new food hall and beer garden near 2nd Street Market in downtown Dayton, is inviting the public into its space for a soft opening of the bar as final inspections are being completed for its four food vendors.
The bar, featuring nearly 16 taps of Ohio-made beverages, is open 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The four food vendors are expected to open in January 2025.
The owners have set out to create an approachable and intentional bar program with imported wine from France, Italy and Germany, beer from local breweries and popular cocktails such as margaritas, whiskey sours and old-fashioneds.
The Silos has collaborated with Warped Wing to brew its own house beer. The Load Lifter, named after a crane that can be seen from the second floor, is its house pilsner. If you’re not looking for craft beer, the owners are proud to offer $2 Miller Lite.
Nonalcoholic options include kombucha, THC beverages, Warped Wing’s ginger beer and sodas. There will be bar snacks including soft pretzels with cheese, chips and dips and bar nuts.
After the four food vendors open, the owners plan to move forward with their five-year vision. This includes opening a coffee shop at the corner building in front of the food hall, an event center inside another building on the property and to turn the four silos into Airbnbs.
PHOTOS: Sneak peek inside The Silos
Dining at Yellow Springs Smokehouse? Start with the brisket
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
After closing Calypso Grill and Smokehouse in October, Yellow Springs restauranteur Brian Rainey has teamed up with his longtime friend, Dayton chef Gavin St. Denis, to open a new barbecue concept.
Yellow Springs Smokehouse was planning to do a soft opening over the winter, but it has evolved faster than expected. The restaurant’s dining room is open noon to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Customers can also order carryout or delivery via DoorDash.
The sliced brisket is a good place to start on the menu. The meat is smoked for nine hours and then held in the smoker for another 10.
The restaurant also has chopped brisket, pulled pork, jerk chicken, trout, turkey, tofu burnt ends, and a smoked wagyu burger.
I stopped by the restaurant Sunday to try the smoked wings. I recommend getting the K-Pop sauce that is gochujang and pear based. For sides, I loved the peach baked beans and chimichurri potato salad. Other customer favorites include the macaroni and cheese, boiled peanuts and miso collard greens. A lot of the sides are vegan, vegetarian or gluten free.
Pins Mechanical Co. to open in downtown Dayton brewery space
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Credit: Tom Gilliam
Pins Mechanical Co., known for its blend of old-school entertainment, handcrafted cocktails and social atmosphere, is coming spring 2025 to the former location of Moeller Brew Barn in downtown Dayton.
This news comes just after Moeller Brew Barn announced on social media that its last day of operation will be Dec. 22. The decision to close was “primarily a consequence of external challenges,” the post said.
Moeller Brew Barn closed its brewery in downtown Troy in September. When I talked to owner Nick Moeller at that time, he said the brewery had a good summer with the Dayton Dragons in town and hoped the momentum would continue in the fall and winter months.
The brewery’s flagship location in Maria Stein, south of Celina in Mercer County, remains open.
Pins Mechanical Co. will feature two floors of games and gathering spaces in the11,000-square-foot venue. It will include eight duckpin bowling lanes, classic games such as pinball, foosball and Hookie, multiple bars, a patio with fire pits, and scenic views of Day Air Ballpark. In addition, there will be a slide taking guests from the second floor down to the patio.
Holiday cheer on tap at Two Social
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
With the help of her team, the owner of Two Social in Dayton’s Fire Blocks District has crafted eight holiday-themed cocktails for people seeking a festive adult beverage.
Two Social is a gathering space with axe throwing, cornhole, darts, giant Jenga, board games and video games that features a full bar with 10 taps including a Two Social Lager, as well as cans and bottles of beer, cider, seltzer and wine. The bar also has nonalcoholic and THC beverages.
The cocktail menu at Two Social typically rotates every six to eight weeks.
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
“My personal favorite is the “You’re a Mean One” and it’s obviously Grinch-inspired,” said owner Kelsey Omlor. “It’s green and sparkly. You top it with a cherry for his little heart and it just brings it all together.”
Other favorites include the Christmas Mule and Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned.
Quick Bites
🌮 El Rancho Grande in Huber Heights has been rebranded: The Mexican restaurant on Old Troy Pike is now an El Asadero Bar & Mexican Grill. This concept is part of the El Rancho Grande family.
🍔 571 Grill & Draft House has been sold: The owner of Speakeasy Ramen in Springfield and Speakeasy Miso in Troy has purchased the New Carlisle restaurant known for its burgers and craft beer. READ MORE
🧀 New coffee bar opens inside Maraluna: A Pretty Picnic, a small business specializing in charcuterie and grazing boards, is now offering coffee and much more inside an Oakwood business at 2316 Far Hills Ave.
🐥 Chicken Salad Chick is opening in Centerville Dec. 18: The first 100 customers will receive free chicken salad for a year.
Holiday Cookie Contest winners announced
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
The Dayton Daily News Holiday Cookie Contest returned this year with area bakers submitting nearly 30 of their very best recipes.
Beth Harper of Fairborn took home first place with her recipe for “Amazing Caramel Toffee Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies.”
“I like to rework or create recipes of cookies and desserts I have found to put my own spin on them,” Harper said. “A few years ago, I was eating with a friend at Panera, and we had split a Kitchen Sink cookie at the end of our meal. I’m not a big sweets lover, but this cookie was different because it was both salty and sweet. It was delicious. We both agreed I could probably make one that tasted just as good; maybe if I was lucky, even better.”
Lesley Johnson of Kettering won second place for her “Chocolate Halfway Cookies” and Jelena Staub of Oakwood won third place with her “Iced Gingerbread Oatmeal Cookies.”
TAKE A LOOK: Here are the Top 3 recipes from the 2024 holiday cookie contest
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, feel free to email me here, and I’ll check it out.
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, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok pages.
P.S. The food & dining newsletters expected to come out on Christmas and New Year’s Day have been moved to the following day.
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