Newsletter: New burgers, pizza & brews coming to Dayton area 🍔🍕🍺

It’s time to start our countdown to the new year! I’m planning to ring in the new year at Miami Valley Gaming in Lebanon. Every year they have live entertainment, balloon drops, confetti cannons and more. Last year, my fiancé was lucky enough to hit a jackpot (thanks to me telling him to play the machine beside me). Let’s hope we’re as lucky as last year to start the new year off right! If you’re looking for somewhere to go to celebrate, click here for a list of events happening in the Dayton area.

Thank you so much for subscribing and reading my weekly newsletter. I love hearing feedback from all of you! If you have a suggestion on what you want to see in this newsletter, email me here and I’ll see what I can do. I’m excited to bring you continuous restaurant and dining news in 2023! ♥

Wahlburgers opening tomorrow at Dayton racino

On Tuesday, I got a sneak peek at what Wahlburgers has to offer at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway. I had The Our Burger featuring a beef burger, “government cheese,” lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and Paul’s signature Wahl Sauce along with fries and a chocolate shake.

I’ll be honest, I’m not really a fan of burgers, but I went ahead and got it to take the photo above. I really liked the Wahl Sauce. From my understanding, it’s a combination of ketchup, mayonnaise, sriracha, sautéed onions and parsley. I highly recommend giving it a try.

The restaurant will open Thursday, Dec. 29 at 11 a.m. This will be the first Wahlburgers in the Dayton area.

Jennifer Woffindale, director of marketing at Hollywood Gaming, said there are no plans for any of the Wahlberg brothers to come to the restaurant at this time, but if they make a visit in the future the racino will post about it on its social media pages.

Wahlburgers was constructed in an unoccupied space in the racino’s food court area next to Take 2 Grill.

For a sneak peek inside, click here.

Gionino’s Pizzeria expands to Bellbrook

Gionino’s Pizzeria, a franchise with two locations in the Dayton area, is expanding to Bellbrook.

Franchise owner Tony Clark told me he recently signed the lease for his third location at 4447 W. Franklin St. (Ohio 725) at Wilmington Pike. The pizzeria is located in the same shopping center as Ariake Grille & Sushi Bar, which opened in late October.

Clark told me he hopes to open the new location by summer.

Gionino’s Pizzeria opened its first Dayton location at 1528 E. Third St. in 2019, followed by a Kettering location at 4015 Far Hills Ave. in 2021. The franchise started over 30 years ago in Tallmadge, a suburb of Akron.

The pizzeria has specialty pizzas, Italiano fried chicken, wings, salads, Italian subs and more.

If you’ve never tried Gionino’s Pizzeria, Clark explained that their traditional pizza features a one-inch thick pan crust with a unique sauce that is a little bit on the sweet side and provolone cheese.

He said he does have plans to continue to expand.

Crooked Handle brings unique brews to Piqua

Crooked Handle Brewing Co. is opening the doors to its newest brewery at 123 N. Main St. in Piqua on Thursday, Jan. 5, according to owner Jason Moore.

Moore owns the brewery with his wife, Kristy, and longtime friends, Jeff and Emily Pedro.

The Piqua brewery is located in a 11,000-square-foot building that previously housed Piqua Granite and Marble Company.

Moore told me they were approached by the city of Piqua regarding a vision of a brewpub anchoring the redevelopment of the Lock 9 Park on the corner of Water and Main Streets. He said the park, which is a DORA or “Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area,” is expected to have a splash pad, amphitheater and much more.

Crooked Handle Brewing Co. will feature a taproom seating over 150 people with a full-service bar and kitchen, in addition to an event space seating 160 people and an outdoor patio with a full view of the Great Miami River.

The brewery is holding a soft opening from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, according to its Facebook page.

For a sneak peek inside, click here.

Quick Bites:

🥬 Lettuce shortage forcing Dayton restaurants into tough choices: Several restaurants are experiencing elevated lettuce prices resulting in substitutions or elimination. Read more about how local restaurants are grappling with costs here.

🍽 Golden Corral Buffet & Grill in Beavercreek is reopening on Friday: The restaurant was hoping to open last Friday, but had to push the date back due to inspections and holiday schedules.

🍩 Bill’s Donut Shop in Centerville is closed: The donut shop will reopen at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3 after taking their annual holiday break.

🍪 Crumbl Cookies sets grand opening date for Huber Heights store: The store will open Friday, Jan. 13 at 8 a.m. Read more about the new location here.

🍸 New lounge coming to downtown Dayton in former spot of Therapy Cafe: The Reserve on Third, serving those 25 and up, is hoping to open summer 2023. Read more about what you can expect here.

Tell Us:

Thank you so much for reading my weekly newsletter! As the new year is right around the corner, I want to hear from you. Is there a new restaurant opening or are you wondering when an establishment is expected to open? 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.