From: mary@uicsl.csl.uiuc.edu (Mary E. Allison)
Newsgroups: rec.food.restaurants
Subject: Dayton Eats
Date: 28 Aug 1992 22:52:54 GMT
Organization: Center for Reliable and High-Performance Computing, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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WELL -- I wrote for info about eating in Dayton about a month ago and
I got LOTS of recommendations about Dayton food.  I love writing to
the net - you get soooo much information. 

Here's the compilation of information

(2) Amber Rose:	This charming place bills itself as an Eastern
		European restaurant;  the owners are Lithuanian, so
		there's a rather heavy emphasis on food from that
		country along with dishes from Russia, Hungary,
		Germany, and Poland.  The menu changes rather a lot,
		but there are always some very good things that are
		probably best described as "hearty." The kugelis (an
		odd potato dish), borscht, and chicken paperkash (I'm
		sure I've spellt that wrong) are real favorites of
		mine.  Desserts are gotten from a variety of
		neighborhood sources and are of fairly uneven
		quality..... if they have the apple date cake with the
		boiled nut frosting, grab a piece.  Prices are
		amazingly cheap, most all dinners under $10.  Building
		is a very charming restored general store with stained
		glass and pressed tin ceiling.  Busy on weekends, I
		think they take reservations, closed Sundays.  Located
		in "Old North Dayton"  probably about 5 miles from
		downtown (a real easy drive). 
		* This quaint little deli/restaurant is in a restored
		building done up beautifully.  They serve what they
		call "Eastern European" food.  The owners are actually
		Lithuanian, so you get quite a bit of that country's
		offerings;  there are also Polish, Hungarian, and some
		German selections available.  All of the food is
		hearty, rich, wonderful, cholesterol laden "comfort"
		food.  The whole experience has a very happy kind of
		family feel to it.  Also amazingly inexpensive.  

Antonio's 	(Rt. 48 and 725, in Centerville) has excellent Italian
		food in a good atmosphere at reasonable prices ($9-17
		or so).  More than just the standard red sauce fare. 

(2)Charley's Crab	The other is a place called Charley's Crab,
		also smack in the middle of downtown on (well, 
		actually under) Courthouse Square.  These are 
		relatively new digs, since they were booted out of the 
		historic Arcade Market last year when it went bankrupt
		(the market, not the restaurant).  I haven't been to
		the new location yet, but the old one was quite a bit
		more posh than Jay's (and quieter), but also a bit
		more on the expensive side..... I'd guess roughly $5 a
		meal or so more, and they don't have the half portions
		or as good of desserts.  They do have a rather nice
		seafood chowder though....  
		* is a good seafood restaraunt even though it's a
		chain. It's downtown at Arcade Square.  
Chickery	It is located on SR 725 south of I-675.  They brew
		their own beer and rootbeer.  

Daniel's Park Row	Continental food.   Belmont area.

The Diner	Downtown.

Dominics	If you like homestyle Italian, my favorite is Dominics
		on Main Street and they aren't kidding when they say
		the house salad dressing is garlic. 

Fricker's 	has the best Buffalo Wings, we go to the one on South
		Dixie but the one on Woodman is good also.

The Grub Steak 	(N. Main, alias SR 48) is a good basic restaraunt.
		It's got a real nice pork tenderloin, and everyone
		likes their stewed tomatoes.  Prices $7-$14 except for
		the seafood which I'd avoid here. 


(2)Jay's:	If you're into fresh seafood, this is probably the
		best place in Dayton.  It's in a restored warehouse in
		the Oregon District (a rather trendy historical
		district within walking distance of downtown).  A
		fairly wide variety of changing fresh catch specials.
		Reasonable prices ($12-$25);  also have very good
		"half boat" smaller portions for smaller appetites (or
		those holding out for dessert).  The desserts
		are made on the premises and are very good, especially
		the chocolate almond torte.  Very busy weekend
		evenings; I think that they take reservations on
		weekdays and Friday evenings, but not Saturdays.
		Don't know if they are open on Sundays.
		* One of the two decent places to go in town for fresh
		fish. Intersting converted warehouse, but does tend to
		be a bit noisy.  Not much but fish on the menu....
		though they do have a couple of very good desserts.


(3) Kitty's:	a very nice place with rather modern decor right in
		the heart of downtown Dayton.  Very good food, with a
		menu that changes monthly and incorporates seasonal
		ingredients.  Prices range from around $10 (pasta
		dishes mostly) to around $22 (steaks and such).  A
		favorite of mine that they often have is the Bruce
		Gore salmon cooked over their hardwood grill.  The
		rosemary dinner rolls are locally rather famous, and
		the rattlesnake cake is a chocolate lover's dream. 
		Always a very solid choice, reservations recommended,
		closed Sundays last I heard.
		* Wonderful food from a menu that changes monthly to
		take advantage of seasonal ingredients.  Very nice
		atmosphere, fantastic food, fairly reasonable prices.
		Desserts are to die for (especially the creme brulee).

L'Auberge	French and $$$$.  But quite good.
		* As you can probably guess from the name, this is
		Dayton's French restaurant.  Extremely good food, but
		rather snobby atmosphere and service;  also quite
		expensive. 

Mamma DiSalvo's	good, home-style Italian.  In Kettering.

Milano's Deli	(Brown St., near Univ. of Dayton) has the best
		submarine sandwiches (italian style).  The rolls are
		very close to the real thing like you get in
		Philadelphia. 
		* There's a good submarine sandwich shop on Brown just 
		south of Stewart, called Milano's.  


Old Hickory	If you like meat, Old Hickory on Brown Street near the
		University of Dayton.  The Best !!

Paragon		I can recommend a VERY, VERY good steak restaurant.
		It is the Paragon and is on 725 near the Dayton Mall.
		I recommend the filet.  They also are well known for
		their stewed tomatoes.  Not being a stewed tomato  
		fan, I can't say, but a lot of people I know really
		like them. 

(6) Pine Club 	(Brown St not far from Univ Dayton) Very good steak
		house.  Always busy - no reservations, no cards.
		* is generally accepted as the best steak house in
		town.  almost indisputably the best steak in town;
		actually among the best that I've had anywhere.  Also
		very good pork chops. Atmosphere not that great;
		always a wait. 
		* The Pine Club is the best steak house in the world. 
		* I grew up in the meat business.  This place is
		wonderful.  That retro dinner you've been promising
		yourself ever since you decided to get healthy--this
		is the place to do it.

Skyline Chili 	if you like Cinci style chili, try this.  Go to the
		one near the Dayton Mall - the others (near U.D. and
		in Centerville) are not nearly as good.

Spaghetti Warehouse 	is good pasta downtown (W. 5th).

Taste of Ruby 	In the Englewood Plaza there is a restaurant called
		something like "A Taste of Ruby".  Home run joint and
		they had really good corn fritters back a few years
		ago.  Along with, let's say, traditional home-cooked
		meals from the area.  

The Winds	Not actually in Dayton, but in a little town called
		Yellow Springs that's about a 30 minute drive
		(depending on where you're staying of course.  If you
		happen to be at WPAFB it's quite close to that).  This
		is one of those kind of "alternative" places with the
		emphasis on healthy, fresh organic kind of things.
		The rather limited but constantly changing menu always
		has some extremely interesting items. Great homemade
		desserts also change nightly.  The building is very
		open and plain with lots of white walls and bare
		wood...which looks nice, but does make it quite noisy 
		when the place fills up.  The whole town has kind of a 
		retro-60's hippie feel to it.  A really enjoyable
		evening. 

***************

Personal observations:

DARN!!!!

I didn't bring the list with me :-(  but I did remember some things
and I really didn't have TIME or money for other places.  We mostly
fixed our own breakfast/lunches and went out to dinner.

THURSDAY night -- WELL, after SIX votes for the Pine Club we decided
to check the place out.  We were staying with a friend of ours and we
had decided that we wanted to take him out to dinner (which is MUCH
less expensive and more convenient than spending 3 nights in a hotel)
so we took him to the Pine Club.  I must admit, the steaks were VERY
good.  MAYBE just a little salty for my tastes - but MOST restaurant
food is a bit salty for my taste (if I can taste salt, it's too salty,
and since I rarely use the stuff I've very good at detecting it).

OKAY -- how does one make stewed tomatoes -- those were GOOD!!!

I have to disagree with the person that said tht the Pine Club is the
"best" steak in the world -- the "best" steak house in the world is a
place in Covington, Indiana called The Beef House.  Of course,
Covington, Indiana is smack dab in the MIDDLE of NOWHERE (it's about
45 minutes east of Champaign/Urbana, Illinois and about 1-1/4 hr. from
Indianapolis.  The steaks there are to DIE for (they don't use any
flavorings -- not even salt) and they make their own homemade
Strawberry jam which is ALMOST as good as mine :^).

Friday night we went to Skyline Chili - yes we went to the one by the
mall.  I've decided that I like Texas Chili better.

Saturday night we went to Bill Knapp's - a chain.  Not bad for a
chain, very reasonable prices

Sunday we went to the Chickery -- MAJOR yum - the chicken was GREAT,
the ribs were pretty good and the root beer was excellent :^).  Snoopy
would be proud.

From PREVIOUS experience I can also vouch for the buffalo wings at
Fricker's.  Next time I go to Dayton, I'll make sure to stop there.


--
I subscribe to the 'if he can't use them responsibly he
shouldn't be allowed to keep them' theory of male genitalia. 
  -- Larne Pekowsky, usenet

    Mary Allison (mary@uicsl.csl.uiuc.edu) Urbana, Illinois
Catx2 Owned, Square Dancer, Leaper, Ballroom Dancer in training 
Newsgroups: rec.food.restaurants