Basil’s on Market, with locations in downtown Dayton and Troy, opened a third eatery at a high-profile location: overlooking the main entrance to the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek. In Waynesville, the 200-year-old Hammel House has reopened after being dark for two years.
Fans of Third Perk Coffehouse & Wine Bar will be pleased to hear that owner Juanita Darden is planning to reopen at a new downtown Dayton location that offers outdoor seating. And the Little York Tavern & Pizza in Vandalia set Oct. 1 as the opening date of its second location, in Kettering.
That’s just a small taste of the Miami Valley’s restaurant-and-food-related news for September 2020. For the full dinner-sized serving of news, read on.
OPEN
Salt Block Biscuit Company
A new downtown bakery-restaurant that will serve breakfast and brunch, as well as desserts, is now open.
Salt Blocks Biscuit Company, at 115 E. Third St. in Dayton’s Fire Blocks District, opened on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
Salt Block offers a variety of bakery items, including biscuits in four or five different varieties, served with house-made butters, infused honey, and other spreads, founder Justin Mohler said. There are also several sandwiches, or “Sammies,” on the menu.
Basil’s on Market
Credit: MARK FISHER/STAFF
Credit: MARK FISHER/STAFF
Basil’s on Market has opened its newest location at the main entrance of the Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek.
Basil’s, which also operates restaurants in Troy and in downtown Dayton, serves lunch and dinner seven days a week, and will offer an “all-you-can-eat” crab special on Friday, a promotion that has proven to be quite popular at the Dayton and Troy restaurants.
The restaurant is located in space that previously housed Flyboys Deli.
Little York Pizza
Credit: MARK FISHER/STAFF
Credit: MARK FISHER/STAFF
Little York Tavern & Pizza, the popular pub and music destination for nearly four decades in Vandalia, is scheduled to host a grand opening today, Oct. 1, at its new location at 1122 E. Dorothy Lane in Kettering, which is called “Little York Pizza.”
The Kettering space, set back from the road and tucked in behind another business, was most recently Arepas & Co.
“Although the building is much smaller, with a more limited menu, than what is offered in Vandalia, we will still have our same pizza recipe as well as subs, salads, and a few appetizers for our customers to choose from,” founder Matt Hentrick said.
Chaffee’s Brewhouse
Credit: TOM GILLIAM
Credit: TOM GILLIAM
Chaffee’s Brewhouse, a new spot where customers can sit down to enjoy a local craft beer, wine or charcuterie board, opened Sept. 12.
Chaffee’s Brewhouse is located in a portion of the old stomping grounds of the Pink Ribbon Girls on South 2nd Street in downtown Tipp City.
The brewhouse will be offering a plethora of locally made craft beer and wine through a total of 18 taps and collaborations with local breweries and wineries.
Though the brewhouse will be serving light fare, its owners will be allowing patrons to bring in food from surrounding restaurants.
Hammel House
A nearly 200-year-old fixture in Waynesville has come back to life after going dormant two years ago.
The Hammel House Inn, located at 121 S. Main St., in Waynesville, held its grand opening on Sept. 11 with new owners, a fresh look and a new-ish menu.
The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is closed Mondays. Some original items from the old Hammel House restaurant are still on the menu, though with new touches from its new owners.
Catfish Fish & Chicken & Shrimp
Credit: MARK FISHER/STAFF
Credit: MARK FISHER/STAFF
Catfish Fish & Chicken & Shrimp, which has been under renovation for several months at a former Pizza Hut location at 6020 Old Troy Pike in Huber Heights, opened Sept. 9.
The restaurant has indoor seating and carryout and serves a variety of fried fish, shrimp, chicken dinners and wings, hush puppies, okra, mushrooms and cauliflower, according to the restaurant’s founder, Emad Tuama.
COMING SOON
Third Perk Coffeehouse & Wine Bar
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Build-out is underway for Third Perk Coffeehouse & Wine Bar at 146 E. Third St. in the Fire Blocks District of downtown Dayton, where the relocated coffee shop will unveil some new amenities, including outdoor seating, when it opens later this fall.
“I have loved that space for a while,” Third Perk founder and owner Juanita Darden said. The coffee shop, restaurant and wine bar previously operated at 46 W. Fifth St.
The new Third Perk Coffeehouse & Wine Bar will be “COVID-safe” and will offer “the same great menu,” including sandwiches and chili, as her shop at Fifth and Ludlow, Darden said in an interview she posted to Facebook. The previous location closed in February.
Geez Grill & Pub
Credit: Mark Fisher
Credit: Mark Fisher
Geez Grill & Pub is in the process of relocating to the former Ruby Tuesday restaurant at 6061 Far Hills Ave. in the Washington Square Shopping Center in Washington Twp.
The restaurant’s former location at 5841 Far Hills Ave. in Washington Twp., was tucked into a retail center with no street visibility, and owner Nick Giallombardo has said Geez outgrew its kitchen years ago.
Geez was founded by Steve “Poppa G” Giallombardo, who died in 2017 at the age of 89; his wife Maxine, the matriarch of the family that included nine children; and Nick, who is the second-youngest of those nine children.
CLOSED
Bar 145
Bar 145 at Austin Landing has closed permanently.
Bar 145 served an extensive food and drinks menu. In addition to the standard pub fare of burgers, sandwiches, fries and salads, it served street tacos, craft mac and cheese, BBQ confit duck legs, root beer-braised ribs, fried cheese curds and house-made pork rinds. Beer flowed from three dozen taps.
It was also known for its nearly two dozen vintage arcade games such as Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede and Mortal Kombat, as well as its half-dozen Nintendo tabletop games, all of which were free for customers to play.
