Home > Blogs > Taste: Dayton food and restaurants > Archives > 2009 > October
October 2009
Cookbook author who knows the way to men’s stomachs is coming to Books & Co.
By all means, please do check out the story I wrote for today’s Dayton Daily News Go section about Lucinda Scala Quinn’s new cookbook and her upcoming book-signing appearance at Books & Co. at The Greene and and a separate meet-and-greet appearance in downtown Dayton prior to the book-signing. The cookbook is worth checking out.
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Face to face, judge admonishes sports bar owner for ignoring order to close
The civil lawsuit filed against the owner of All Stars Sports & Wings in Kettering took a bit of a courtroom twist this afternoon, Oct. 29, when Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Barbara Gorman admonished the sports bar’s owner, Todd Hicks, for apparently ignoring her temporary restraining order to shut down, and gave him until 5 p.m. today to comply.
All Star Sports & Wings “must be closed at five o’clock today” pending any future order allowing it to reopen, Gorman told Hicks. The sports bar “should have been closed on Oct. 22,” when Hicks first received notice of the temporary restraining order, but the judge told Hicks, “I’ll give you one hour and 40 minutes to do that.”
Attorney Cheryl Washington, who said she was hired today to represent Hicks, requested and received a postponement of a hearing to determine whether Hicks will be held in contempt of court for his actions since being served the restraining order. The hearing was rescheduled for Nov. 5.
All Stars Sports & Wings opened last month in the 4139 Wilmington Pike building that housed a Grindstone Charley’s restaurant until early 2008. The lawsuit against the sports bar and its owner was filed by 8-Ball & Wings, 4515 Salem Ave., Trotwood, a business Hicks owned before selling it to Theodore Somerset.
Hicks signed a “non-competition agreement” as part of the sale in which Hicks agreed he would not become involved with a competing sports bar “within a radius of 20 miles” of the sports bar on Salem Avenue.
The lawsuit contends that All-Sports “lies within 20 miles” of 8-Ball & Wings, and that the Trotwood sports bar has suffered a loss of revenue from “the diversion of customers from plaintiff’s business to defendant’s business” and by confusion over the 8-Ball & Wings trademark. The lawsuit alleges that Hicks and his new sports bar “designed their trademarks to resemble” 8-Ball’s trademarks.
Gorman’s temporary restraining order mandated that All Stars shut down “immediately,” but the plaintiffs contend the Kettering sports bar ignored the request and remained open for business despite the court order.
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Memorial service Sunday for Chef Dieter Krug
The memorial service for legendary local chef Dieter Krug has been set for 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Tobias Funeral Home Far Hills Chapel, 5471 Far Hills Ave. at Rahn Road.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home starting at 1 p.m. Sunday until the start of the service. Contributions in Chef Krug’s memory may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250.
In the story I wrote about Chef Dieter’s passing back on Oct. 12, I focused on his career since he co-founded l’Auberge, but gave short shrift to his work prior to 1979. As his death notice in today’s Dayton Daily News points out, Dieter left Germany in 1953 and worked in hotels in Rome and Madrid before moving to the U.S. in 1956. Chef Krug worked for the Comisar family at The Maisonette in Cincinnati and the King Cole in Dayton before co-founding l’Auberge.
Many thanks to those who left comments on the Taste post after Chef Krug’s death. I know his daughter Claudia appreciated them.
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Rachael Ray as school ‘lunch lady?’
The Dayton area has already shown its love for Rachael Ray when she came to The Greene last year for a book signing, and our friend Rachael is in the news again, this time for This New York Post story headlined “Rachael now city’s lunch lady”.
New York City schoolkids apparently will dine on “a lunch recipe created by TV chef Rachael Ray,” according to the Post’s story, which lists some of the dishes to be served. And they sound rather appealing.
Could Dayton be next? She DID seem to have a good time here, and was clearly well-received and all …
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Judge orders Kettering sports bar to shut down
In a case that has some similarities with the long-running Duke’s-Dominic’s restaurant lawsuit, a judge has ordered a Kettering sports bar to shut down because of a lawsuit by the owner of a Trotwood sports bar alleging breach of contract and trademark infringement.
All Stars Sports & Wings, which opened last month in the 4139 Wilmington Pike building that housed a Grindstone Charley’s restaurant until early 2008, has been ordered to “cease operations immediately upon service of this order,” according to a temporary restraining order filed Tuesday, Oct. 20 in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court and signed by Judge Barbara Gorman.
Todd Hicks, owner of All Stars, declined comment this morning, Oct. 26, referring questions to his attorney, whom Hicks said has not been hired to defend him and his business.
The lawsuit was filed by 8-Ball & Wings, 4515 Salem Ave., Trotwood, a business Hicks owned before selling it to Theodore Somerset, according to court records.
Hicks signed a “non-competition agreement” that was filed with the court agreeing not to start a competing sports bar “within a radius of 20 miles” of the sports bar on Salem Avenue.
The lawsuit contends that All-Sports “lies within 20 miles” of 8-Ball & Wings, and that the Trotwood sports bar has suffered a loss of revenue from “the diversion of customers from plaintiff’s business to defendant’s business” and by confusion over the 8-Ball & Wings trademark. The lawsuit alleges that Hicks and his new sports bar “designed their trademarks to resemble” 8-Ball’s trademarks.
The loss of revenue caused by the defendant’s actions exceeds $25,000, the lawsuit contends.
A hearing concerning a potential preliminary injunction has been scheduled for Nov. 5 in Gorman’s court.
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One thing you should know before ordering at Five Guys Burgers
The first Five Guys Burgers and Fries in the Dayton area that my colleague Tim Tresslar told you about earlier this month did indeed open a week ago today, and from all indications — personal observation over the weekend and second-hand conversations with others who visited — the new burger joint packed ‘em in like crazy during its first week of business.
The Five Guys opening comes right on the heels of a similar opening of another burger chain new to the Dayton area, Smashburger, which is just up the street (Miamisburg-Centerville Road) from Five Guys.
One thing you should know about Five Guys to avoid any first-timer surprises: The sandwiches listed as “Hamburgers” ($4.39) and “Cheeseburgers” ($4.99) on the menu are, in fact, double-patty sandwiches — double burgers. The sandwiches listed as “Little Hamburgers” ($3.29) and “Little Cheeseburgers” ($3.59) are single-patty.
Count my Dayton Daily News colleague Hal McCoy among the fans of Five Guys. In his column on page B9 of Sunday’s (10-25-09) Dayton Daily News, McCoy lists as among his “five-star” restaurants “Five Guys Burgers and Fries in any city in America.”
The question is, does Hal know burgers as well as he knows baseball?
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Cafe Boulevard announces transformation timeline
DAYTON — Cafe Boulevard, 329 E. Fifth St., will close during Thanksgiving week, Nov. 22-27, for renovations to pave the way for its transformation into Boulevard Haus, the casual German restaurant that we told you about earlier this month.
The Oregon Historic District restaurant sent an email to customers saying it will close Thanksgiving Week, then reopen for a “preview” on Saturday, Nov. 28. The restaurant will reopen fully on Dec. 1, owner Eva Brcic-Christian said today, Oct. 22.
Boulevard Haus will “combine the best of traditional German fare with a more contemporary casual bistro menu” and will feature “German comfort food with modern takes on German classics,” the email said.
Reservations for the Nov. 28 preview evening are being accepted. For more information, call (937) 824-2722.
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Duke’s Restaurant was poised to reopen last weekend
Both sides in the long-simmering Dominic’s-Duke’s court fight have reached a new menu agreement that could pave the way for the restaurant to reopen, according to a voicemail message to customers from Duke’s owner Reece Powers III.
But Powers — co-defendant in a federal trademark-infringement lawsuit filed by former Dominic’s Restaurant owner Anne Mantia — expressed frustration that the necessary court paperwork wasn’t filed in time for Duke’s to be open over this past weekend, Oct. 16-18. Duke’s had taken out advertisements in the Dayton Daily News announcing it had “reopened for business,” but callers to the restaurant heard a different story in a voicemail greeting on the restaurant’s phone line Saturday and Sunday.
“If you’re calling about the advertisement stating we are open, we apologize,” Powers says.
The Duke’s owner told customers that lawyers for all parties reached an agreement earlier this month on “yet another menu,” but the agreement was not filed in court in time for the restaurant to open last weekend. He suggested that Mantia and her attorney did not meet a deadline set by the judge during an in-chambers hearing held Oct. 8.
“We still hope to reopen as soon as (the judge) lets us, and we thank you for your patience,” Powers said.
Judge Rose ordered Duke’s to close Sept. 1 for the second time since the lawsuit was filed in April. The judge ruled that Powers and the restaurant’s chef, Harry Lee, were in contempt of court for violating the terms of an earlier court order limiting the menu they could serve at the restaurant at 630 E. Dixie Drive.
The restaurant opened May 1, was ordered to close on May 14, allowed to reopen with a limited menu on June 25, was shut down on Sept. 1, and has been closed since.
The judge also has ordered Powers and Lee to pay more than $27,000 in legal fees to Morris, Mantia’s attorney, for the work he performed on two contempt-of-court motions. Powers’ attorney, Michael Botros, has notices of appeal to the judge’s rulings regarding legal fees and the menu restrictions.
Powers has said he made multiple changes to the menu in an effort to appease Mantia and her attorney, and has offered to make more. The frequent closings are severely hurting the restaurant and especially its employees, Powers said.
So far, the legal maneuvering in the case has revolved mostly around restraining orders and injunctions regarding Duke’s and its menu, while the requests by Mantia for monetary damages for what she says are trademark infringement and breach-of-contract remain unresolved. Christie Mantia, granddaughter of Dominic’s founder and stepdaughter to Anne Mantia, is also listed as a defendant in the case, though she severed ties with Duke’s before the restaurant opened the first time in May.
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Open casting call tomorrow for Oregon District ‘Amazing Race’
The Miami Valley Restaurant Association will be holding an open casting call on Saturday, October 17 at the Dublin Pub from noon to 1:30 p.m. for the first-ever “Amazing Race” event to be held in the Oregon District two weeks later, on Oct. 31.
Both teammates must be present to audition. Entry fee is $40.00 per team and will be returned if not selected.
For more information please email the MVRA’s Amy Zahora at amy@dineoutdayton.org …
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Bosco’s loses liquor license, will offer breakfast starting tomorrow
KETTERING — Bosco’s Grill & Tavern, 5900 Bigger Road, has lost its liquor license at least temporarily and is boosting its focus on the restaurant portion of its business, starting tomorrow, Oct. 17, when it adds breakfast service to lunch and dinner service, owner Mary Bosco said today, Oct. 16.
“It’s a big change for everyone here,” Bosco said. “But we have a lot of supportive customers.”
The license was not renewed because Bosco’s owes the state money it has collected in sales tax, according to Matt Mullins, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Liquor Control. The amount in arrears was not immediately available. State regulations block a liquor permit-holder from renewing its liquor license if it owes money to the state that the business has collected in sales tax, or if it is in arrears on money owed to the state’s workers-compensation fund, Mullins said.
Bosco said she appealed the decision once, but will not appeal further. The business is exploring a couple of different avenues to restore its ability to serve alcohol, she said, but declined to elaborate.
The restaurant-bar’s financial troubles can be traced in large part to the no-smoking law that took effect in 2007, Bosco said.
“We lost 80 percent of our night-time bar business. It’s very hard to survive that way,” Bosco said.
She is trying to cope with the loss of her restaurant’s liquor license. Bosco’s will open at 7 a.m. for breakfast six days a week, serving menu items such as French Toast, Sausage Biscuits and Gravy, Huevos Rancheros, Steak & Eggs and breakfast sandwiches, Bosco said. The restaurant has a $4.95 daily lunch special from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the kitchen will be open until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and likely until 8 p.m. on weekdays. It will be closed on Mondays.
A variety of juices, flavored coffees and IBC Root Beer have been added to the drinks menu and keep customers coming in, Bosco said.
“We’ve been here 11 years. Maybe I should be a quitter, but I’m not,” she said.
For more information, call Bosco’s at (937) 436-1128.
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New pizza restaurant planned for Troy
Ground hasn’t been broken yet for the building that will house it, but a new, locally owned pizza restaurant is planned for Troy.
Owner Jim Hatcher, who lives in Butler Twp. in Montgomery County, said he hopes to open A Fat Boyz Pizzeria in the 1300 block of South Market Street as early as January. Construction on the building should start in the next 30 days, Hatcher said. The restaurant is located about a mile north-northwest of I-75, on County Road 25A, Hatcher said.
Fat Boyz will serve thin-crust-style pizza, along with an assortment of sandwiches and salads. The restaurant will have seating for 60 to 70 people, and will offer carryout and a drive-through window, Hatcher said. He hopes to secure a license to serve beer and wine in the restaurant.
Hatcher said he selected the site because Troy “is a growing community and has lots to offer.”
Hatcher’s career has been in sales and customer service, although he managed a pizzeria for a year and said he has always had a strong interest in cooking.
“I’m from the old school — customers are number one,” Hatcher said. “I’ll use top-shelf ingredients and win people over with customer service.”
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L’Auberge co-founder and local chef Dieter Krug dies at 77
Dieter Krug, co-founder of l’Auberge restaurant and mentor and friend to several Dayton-area chefs, died of an apparent heart attack Saturday afternoon, Oct. 10, during a trip to his hometown of Eisenach, Germany. He was 77.
Share your memories and condolences for Mr. Krug
Mr. Krug was traveling by himself and was visiting family members in Eisenach, including a nephew who was celebrating a birthday, Mr. Krug’s daughter, Claudia Krug, said this morning, Oct. 12.
Mr. Krug remained active in the local restaurant community after retiring from his position as executive chef at l’Auberge. He frequently collaborated with local chefs on special menus, including an Octoberfest menu at Savona Restaurant in Centerville just two weeks ago, shortly before he departed on his trip to Germany. He was a frequent presence in Dominique Fortin’s kitchen at C’est Tout in Oakwood and with Rinaldo DiSalvo at DiSalvo’s Deli in Kettering, where he would collaborate on special dinners.
“He was so happy to be in a kitchen,” Claudia Krug said of her father. “He loved cooking for people. When he had that chef’s hat on, he was so, so happy.”
Mr. Krug also loved Dayton, and was proud to be living in America, his daughter said.
“His friends would tease him about not buying a German-made automobile, but he would tell them: ‘I’ll drive an American car until the day I die,’ ” Ms. Krug said.
Josef Reif — who co-founded l’Auberge with Mr. Krug and owns the restaurant that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this month — said his former business partner came to l’Auberge’s kitchens two weeks ago to provide tips to the new chef and kitchen staff on preparing the special tasting menu of throwback dishes l’Auberge is serving throughout October.
“There are chefs, and there are chefs … Dieter belonged to the elite,” Reif said. “He put Dayton on the culinary map. Until the last day, he had all of his recipes flawless in his brain. And when you watched him work, it was a pleasure.”
Savona’s Taylor said of Mr. Krug, “Our community has lost a culinary legend, and I have lost my friend and my mentor. Old school chefs like Dieter are hard to find … . He showed up to work every day and would work people half his age under the table. He was a inspiration to aspiring chefs who worked under him, and the culinary world is full of talented people who owe a lot to Chef Dieter Krug.”
Chris Cavender — owner of Cuvee Wine Bar in Bellbrook and a chef who worked alongside Mr. Krug when l’Auberge opened in 1979 and went on to found his own restaurant, TW’s in Miamisburg — said he is among the many local chefs who owe a big part of their career to Mr. Krug.
“I learned more from him than I did from any school that I went to,” Cavender said.
C’est Tout’s Fortin, who collaborated with Mr. Krug on a Lobsterfest menu three weeks ago, said Mr. Krug was like a second father to him.
“He was such a gentleman,” Fortin said. “We’re going to miss him in this community.”
Ann Heller, the former Dayton Daily News food editor who got to know Mr. Krug well during her tenure as restaurant critic, said, “For Dayton diners, Krug brought more than training in classic French cuisine to a middle-sized Ohio city; he brought a gentle passion for bringing in the best ingredients. I remember that in the early days he went to the expense of flying in the ingredients for making a true French bouillabaisse, including the bony rascasse, a fish essential for the broth. I wrote at the time that the broth alone could rouse me from my deathbed.
“Though the l’Auberge menu was dotted with truffles, caviar, and foie gras, Dieter was an unpretentious man, who delighted as much in fixing a day-long preparation of turtle soup as preparing the exotic wild game he brought in each fall.
“Celebrating the Christmas season won’t be as much fun without the Christmas goose and Dieter’s famous Oysters Rockefeller, which he continued to fix after his retirement in special holiday even at C’est T out, with his friend Dominique Fortin.”
Funeral services and a memorial service are pending.
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Smashburger forced to postpone opening of 1st Dayton-area restaurant
Turns out Smashburger won’t be opening Thursday after all.
The restaurant chain has been forced to reschedule the opening of its first restaurant in the Dayton area, at 2315 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, to Saturday, Oct. 17, according to a spokeswoman for the Denver-based chain of burger restaurants.
“Due to some unexpected delays obtaining a permit, Smashburger has had to push back the Dayton opening by a few days,” a spokeswoman said in an email sent this morning, Oct. 12.
The restaurant at Kingsridge Drive in The Shoppes at 725 in Miami Twp. will be the first Smashburger in Ohio. A second University of Dayton location will follow later this year. Smashburger and local franchisee group Rodenkirch Management LLC are scheduled to open 12 restaurants in the Dayton and Cincinnati region over the next few years, company officials have said.
Smashburger also is offering a “Rock Your City” contest in conjunction with the opening.
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Jay’s chef headed to Dayton Country Club
Justin White, executive chef at Jay’s Restaurant, has accepted an offer to become the executive chef at Dayton Country Club.
White said he is looking forward to a new challenge after serving as Jay’s executive chef for six years. His last day will come this weekend.
“I have nothing but respect for the people here at Jay’s,” White said. “I’ll miss it. It’s been like a second family to me.”
Amy Haverstick, co-owner and general manager of Jay’s, said the extensive experience of the restaurant’s two kitchen managers — J.D. Robinson and Steve Brokamp collectively have 55 years experience — will allow her to take her time in choosing a successor to White.
“It’s not smart to rush into hiring an executive chef,” Haverstick said. “We probably won’t start looking until after the first of the year.”
Tom Lovett, president of the Dayton Country Club, said the club “is very pleased to have Justin White as our new executive chef.
“A search was conducted and Chef White was chosen from a group of top chefs in the area. His depth and diversity of culinary skills and his desire to provide a unique dining experience made Justin our number one choice.”
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‘New’ Norton’s now open in Kettering
The new Norton’s Sports Bar & Grille at the former Lincoln Park Grille
The relocation is complete, all permits and licenses issued, so the new Norton’s Sports Bar & Grille is now open for business at 580 Lincoln Park Blvd. in Kettering.
Norton’s co-owner Fred McGhee had announced the relocation plans last month. This morning, Oct. 8, McGhee said the final clearance to open came Wednesday, Oct. 7, and the sports bar is now open to the public, serving its full menu.
The new Norton’s seats up to 278. The previous Norton’s location at 2505 Wilmington Pike seated 110.
Norton’s is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. For more information, call (937) 294-2278
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Denny’s unveils new ‘Better Burger’ in Dayton, nationwide
The Denny’s chain of restaurants has unveiled a new product it calls its “Better Burger,” according to this story from Nation’s Restaurant News.
An employee of the Denny’s at 1136 S. Main St. in Dayton confirmed that the restaurant is indeed offering the new burger, which the company described to NRN as “hand-formed, 6.5-ounce patty grilled and served on a toasted sesame bun.”
NRN says the new burger line comes in five varieties: classic cheese, double cheese, mushroom Swiss, bacon cheddar and a Western version with steak sauce, onion crispers and Swiss. The burgers are served with wavy-cut fries and a beverage for $6.99, NRN said.
Has anyone tried the new Denny’s “Better Burger” yet?
And what IS it about the local and national Burger Wars?
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Restaurant launches 15th anniversary celebration today
ENON — The Dock, 250 W. Main St., will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a special menu today, Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 6-8. The restaurant will offer 15 dinner options, each at $15. The entree choices include crab cakes, snow crab legs, barbecue ribs, New York Strip, seafood jambalaya, bay scallop pasta and seafood lasagna. For more information, call (937) 864-5011 or go to www.thedockenon.com.
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‘Five Guys’ burger chain to open first Dayton-area restaurant this month
My Dayton Daily News colleague, Tim Tresslar, has written a story for this morning’s paper entitled ‘Five Guys’ burgers launching in Dayton about another burger chain that is poised to open its first restaurant in the Dayton-area market and is planning further expansion.
Sound familiar? That’s because we wrote a similar story two weeks ago about Smashburger coming into the Dayton market starting this month.
All this on top of the rapid expansion (with some bumps) of Sonic Drive-In restaurants in the Dayton area.
Are Miami Valley residents that burger-crazy?
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McDonald’s at the Louvre? Sacre Bleu!
Some Paris residents are a bit apoplectic about plans to open a McDonald’s restaurant at the Louvre, according to Chainleader.com.
What would be “the last straw” in America? A Mickey D’s at the base of the Washington Monument? The Lincoln Memorial? The Grand Canyon?
Or, indeed, is there no such thing as a “Last Straw?”
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Nation’s oldest food magazine to cease publication
Good heavens to Betsy, the food world is abuzz today with the news that Gourmet Magazine will cease publication.
The magazine’s publisher, Conde Nast, will close Gourmet and three other magazines in an apparent cost-cutting move.
The publishing company will continue to print Bon Appetit, and the Gourmet name will continue online, in books and in television programming.
We’re talking about the nation’s oldest food magazine, which had just a shade under 1 million subscribers. And I’m one of ‘em.
Ouch.
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New restaurant poised to open this week in Troy
Kent’s Wood-Fired Steaks, the new restaurant that we told you about back on July 1, is scheduled to open Thursday, Oct. 8, according to its owner, Kent Wolters.
The restaurant is located at 1750 W. Main St., west of I-75 on Ohio 41. Including its banquet room, Kent’s seats 280 and will open with 105 employees, Wolter said. It will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
In addition to a variety of steaks, Kent’s Wood-Fired Steaks will offer seafood selections such as lobster, shrimp and salmon, as well as five vegetarian menu items, Wolters said. The restaurant has a full-service liquor license.
Live music is planned for this weekend (Oct. 9-10) at the restaurant’s piano bar as part of the grand opening.
Wolters, a district manager for Crown Equipment Corp. of New Bremen who also races sprint cars at Eldora, said he’s pleased with the reception and support the restaurant has received even before it opens.
“The word is out,” Wolters said. “Our banquet room is already well-booked.”
For more information, call (937) 335-3407.
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After 70 years, Dayton restaurant calls it quits
Wympee — a diner that served burgers and coffee at 416 E. Third St. in the shadow of downtown Dayton since 1938 — has closed.
“Due to the high cost of maintenance, this building and business will be closed” permanently, according to a hand-written sign taped to the front door of the throwback burger restaurant. “Thank you for all your loyalty and business. I will miss you all.” It was signed “Linda and Richard.”
I presume the “Linda” is Linda Anderson, who was the focus of a Dayton Daily News story in May 2008, when Wympee was celebrating its 70th anniversary.
The online story generated dozens of reminiscences from folks who frequented or worked at the diner over the decades. (Click here for photos of the restaurant. )
I think I ate at Wympee no more than twice, and yet, this news saddens me. This diner was truly a place that time forgot, and it was frequented by some real characters. If those old stools could talk …
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New, upscale restaurant opens in Piqua
Downtown Piqua has a new full-service restaurant: Toone P’s at the Plaza, located in the recently restored Fort Piqua Plaza at 110 W. High St.
The restaurant is the brainchild of Dennis Black, a Piqua native who has operated Toone P. Wiggins in Sidney for more than four years.
The restaurant serves a “full menu for lunch and dinner,” Black said. The menu is patterned after but not identical to the Sidney restaurant, and includes dinner entrees such as House-Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Scallops Saltimbocca and Tune P’s Tournedos of beef. The lunch menu includes Pulled Pork Sandwich and the “Floribbean” crab cake sandwich, Black said. Burgers and flatbread pizzas are served at both lunch and dinner.
Black’s two sons, Aaron and Adam, are graduates of the Florida Culinary Institute. Aaron serves as chef for the Sidney restaurant, and Adam for the new Piqua location.
Toone P’s at the Plaza seats 70 diners, although it also serves as the primary caterer to Fort Piqua’s banquet facility, which seats more than 300, Black said. The restaurant has 20 employees.
The restaurant opened late last week with little fanfare, Black said, and business has been brisk so far.
“The city and surrounding area have been very enthusiastic about our opening,” the restaurant owner said.
For more information, call (937) 778-4093.
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Cafe Boulevard to morph into German restaurant
Cafe Boulevard, 329 E Fifth St. in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District, will change its concept and name to become Boulevard Haus, a “modern, casual German restaurant and bar,” according to an email news release from Cafe Boulevard owner Eva Brcic-Christian.
Brcic-Christian, who grew up in Germany, said there is no German restaurant in Dayton, and said she wanted to “bring something to Dayton that Dayton doesn’t already have.” German cuisine has many facets and is not as heavy as many diners think, the restaurant owner said. The restaurant “will be closing for a few days for remodeling and will open with our new concept and as the Boulevard Haus before the holidays,” she said.
Cafe Boulevard filed for Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy in April and is continuing to operate while the restaurant seeks to restructure its debts.
Here is an excerpt from the email from Brcic-Christian:
It will not be your traditional German restaurant in the vein of Oktoberfest, Hofbrauhaus or Heidelberg and Munich, serving just bratwurst, potato salad and sauerkraut. German food can offer so much more than that. It can be a lighter fare rather than just the traditional kind.
BOULEVARD HAUS will be casual enough to order a Currywurst with French Fries (a very popular fast food in Germany originating in Berlin) or cabbage rolls, sausages, meat loaf and different Schnitzels.
BOULEVARD HAUS will also offer the other side of Germany, less heavy fare, going beyond comfort food. We will offer many vegetarian options, seafood, chicken, beef and of course our best seller the “Wiener Schnitzel”. We will complement the menu with German wines and beer. We will also keep our popular Martinis. We hope to continue to be known for infusing our own vodkas, and a great Happy Hour with a very inexpensive and fun Bar List.
When you walk into the BOULEVARD HAUS, it will definitely remind you of Germany, but again, it will not look like the old traditional restaurant. When Germans thinks of American dining, they often think of all the millions of hamburgers, that all restaurants look like McDonalds or an Applebees. Just as we know this is not correct, Germans don’t eat Sauerkraut everyday. No, the times have changed. German cuisine has moved towards lighter cooking, and BOULEVARD HAUS will be serving a blend of the traditional and the modern with some American influences reflecting my 12 years in the States.
The Wiener Schnitzel actually originally gave me the idea to change the concept, and since I grew up in Germany it seemed like a no-brainer. Like me, there are many people in this area with German roots or who have traveled to, or been stationed in Germany at some point.
And most important of all … there is no German Restaurant in Dayton! BOULEVARD HAUS will be the only GERMAN RESTAURANT in the city. With this restructuring of the restaurant I want to bring something to Dayton that Dayton doesn’t already have.
We will be closing for a few days for remodeling and will open with our new concept and as the BOULEVARD HAUS before the holidays. I will let you know exactly but it will be around the last week of November.
The restaurant will be open for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner Monday through Saturday.
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Chef-farmer restaurant dinners part of Dayton’s Local Foods Week
RESTAURANTS, GROWERS TEAM UP FOR SPECIAL DINNERS
A series of chef-farmer dinners at Dayton-area restaurants will be part of the Miami Valley Grown organization’s “Local Foods Week” next week, Oct. 5-11. Restaurants will use local produce as part of the menus, and some of the farmers who grew the food are scheduled to be on hand to discuss the local ingredients. The dinners include:
— Monday, Oct. 5: dinner service at Coco’s Bistro, 515 Wayne Ave. in Dayton;
— Tuesday, Oct. 6: dinner service at Madison’s Bistro, 5531 Far Hills Ave., Kettering;
— Wednesday, Oct. 7: dinner service at Pacchia, 410 E. Fifth Street, in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District.
— Friday, Oct. 9: lunch service at Rue Dumaine, 1061 Miamisburg-Centerville Road, Washington Twp.
A screening of “Fresh, the Movie” is scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8 at the National City Second Street Market, 600 E. Second St. in Dayton, and cooking demonstrations also will be held at the same market Thursday through Saturday, October 10. In addition, the Montgomery County Soil and Water District is organizing farm tours for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10-11.
For more information on these and other events, go to www.miamivalleygrown.org.
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