Dayton937

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

Archives for September 2010

Labor Day Weekend Pizza Sale

By Leave a Comment

Here’s a great chance to sample some amazing gourmet pizza’s as Spinoza’s will offer 25% off all their pizza’s this holiday weekend.  The staff favorite  Yin Yang is olive oil and garlic with fresh spinach, spicy chorizo sausage, gorgonzola cheese, glazed walnuts, mozzarella and provolone. Or try the Pizaro, which is Middle Eastern hummus topped with smoked Gouda cheese, Mexican chorizo sausage, grilled chicken, and roasted red peppers. Vegetarian fans will love the classic Margherita- Garlic infused olive oil, Roma tomatoes, mozzarella, provolone, and Romano cheese with fresh basil after the bake.  Can’t decide, just order 1/2 and 1/2!

Pizza’s are all hand-tossed and baked in traditional hearth ovens and you can even get a whole wheat crust.  Another thing to appreciate at Spinoza’s is the ever changing list of craft beers on draft.  No coupons are needed to take advantage of the 25% discount, but lunch specials are excluded.

Spinoza’s Gourmet Pizza and Salad
Friday, September 3rd starting at 4-10pm
Saturday 11:30am – 10pm
Sunday Noon- 7pm
Monday 11:30am – 9pm

The Mall at Fairfield Commons

Corner of North Fairfield Rd and Pentagon Parkway- Entrance B near Sears

937-426-7799

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE Comes To Town!

By 2 Comments

Hello Everyone.

The next several weeks are full of special events. In addition to seeing all of our engagements, you’ll want to get out your calendar to make certain you don’t miss many of these unique opportunities to see so many great films at THE NEON.

GET LOW – the new highly acclaimed film with Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, and Sissy Spacek – is a hit. Audiences are loving it…and it will stick around. That said, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT and WINTER’S BONE have reached the end of their very successful runs. Both of these films will only play through Thursday. On Friday, we will open the 2nd film in the Millennium Trilogy – THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE. We’ve had more phone calls about this title than any other recent film. We hope Daytonians turn out for this installment!

Synopsis for THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE: “Two journalists on the verge of exposing their story in Millennium about an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden are brutally murdered. Lisbeth Salander’s prints are on the weapon.
Mikael Blomkvist, alone in his belief in Salander’s innocence, plunges into an investigation of the slayings which will implicate highly placed members of Swedish society, business and government. Knowing Salander to be fierce when fearful, he is desperate to get to her before she is cornered and alone but she is nowhere to be found. Digging deeper, Blomkvist also unearths some heart-wrenching facts about Salander’s past life…” (taken from press notes)

On Wednesday, September 15th at 7:30 p.m. MochaReaders will host a special screening of the 70’s hit movie FOXY BROWN starring legendary actress Pam Grier. Movie goers will enjoy refreshments, special giveaways and WWRD-TV32 will highlight the event. Join MochaReaders in celebrating and welcoming Pam Grier to Dayton to promote her new book. (Ms. Grier will appear at “A Foxy Affair – An Evening with Pam Grier” at Ponitz Career Technology Center, 471 Washington Street on Thursday, Sept. 16. For more information visit www.mochareaders.com or call (937) 361-7657.) Single tickets to the Wednesday, Sept. 15 screening of FOXY BROWN (on 35mm) are just $5 and are now available at THE NEON’s box office!

On Thursday, Sept. 16, DATV will present the MEDIA THAT MATTERS FILM FESTIVAL. The festival showcases 12 jury selected short films – each 12 minutes or less – that tackle a broad range of social issues with humor, humanity and honesty. Tickets are $15 each and are available on-line at www.datv.org or at our box office.

The Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival is swinging into action for its 5th year! The wonderfully designed website just launched last week. Check it out at www.daytonlgbt.com. The website is full of images and links to trailers and official sites. It also outlines all of the sponsors for this year. GREAT NEWS! We have just secured the attendance of 4 guest artists (and perhaps even more will be announced soon). Casper Andreas – director of VIOLET TENDENCIES (Saturday, Sept. 25 at 9:30), Sarah Louise Lilley – star & producer of NOTHING HAPPENED and Jessica Provenz – writer and producer of NOTHING HAPPENED (Saturday, Sept. 25 at 3:00), and Heath Daniels – writer, star and producer of GO-GO REJECT (also on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 3:00) will attend the fest. These guest artists will be flying in from NYC and LA…and I hope they’ll have a warm reception with an enthusiastic crowd at each screening – please help to make it happen.

Living City Film Fest is at it again! This year, the festival will be a celebration of the career of Jeff Bridges. Titles include THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW and THE BIG LEBOWSKI (each on 35mm)…a full line-up of titles, sponsors and dates (October/November) will be announced soon.

FREE TICKET information.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
The winners of a pass good for 2 people to THE NEON are Lee & Milly H! There were only 16 entries into our review contest…so Milly H & Lee had great odds of winning (with 5 entries between the 2 of them). I’ll keep you posted as we may re-work this contest and launch it again in the future.

We hope to see you soon.
Take care,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for September 3 – September 9:

GET LOW (PG-13) 100 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 12:40, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:50
Tuesday – Thursday: 2:50, 5:10, 7:30

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (R) 129 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45
Tuesday – Thursday: 2:15, 5:15, 7:45

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.

Sept. 10 JOAN RIVERS – A PIECE OF WORK

Sept. 17 ANIMAL KINGDOM & RESTREPO

Sept. 24 FAREWELL

Oct. 1 THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM

Oct. 8 LEBANON

Oct. 15 A WOMAN, A MAN & A NOODLE SHOP

TBD WILD GRASS

The Unofficial Guide to the Montgomery County Fair

By Leave a Comment

Enter the fairgrounds on Main Street across from Miami Valley Hospital

Hello, I’m Holly Michael –  farm wife, mother, blogger , DMM crazy headline writer and communications professional who has worked at some of Dayton’s largest companies. I straddle the sometimes equally stinky worlds of agriculture and corporate life, so you don’t have to.

The 158th Montgomery County Fair started today. Along with rides, food, livestock and handsome farmers in jeans (the fair is where I found my cute farmer 20 years ago), there are lots of great attractions and some hidden gems.

To help all the savvy readers of DaytonMostMetro.com make the most of their “farm fun comes to the city” experience this weekend, I have put together my top 10 must-see Montgomery County Fair attractions and must-eat treats.

  1. Newborn pigs.  As a pig farmer’s wife, I may be partial, but my own kids, who live on a pig farm, may I remind you, can’t get enough of the sow (mama) and litter (little pigs) in the front of the swine barn. Little hands are welcome to reach in and pet the piglets, just don’t make them squeal or mama gets upset.
  2. Montgomery County Cattlemen beef booth. Get your meat on at the Montgomery County Cattlemen booth and try their tasty sandwiches. Proceeds benefit youth beef programs. For dessert…
  3. Ullery’s Ice Cream.  It takes all my willpower, not to eat this tasty treat morning, noon and night at the fair. Look for the booth next to the Round House, listen for the sound of the little motor they use to crank the ice cream on site.
  4. Round House. Speaking of the Round House, head inside (you can even bring your ice cream!) and check out all the quilts, baked goods, scarecrows and vegetables on display. The Farm Bureau booth features a giant cow that young and old can “milk.”
  5. Livestock Pavilion.  Visit real dairy calves and learn about different breeds. Also, check out the goats—all are happy to have visitors.
  6. Grandstand. Come and see the truck and tractor pulls (Saturday) and demo derby (Sunday and Labor Day). If amateur smack downs are more your style, check out the extreme fighting (Friday).
  7. Cox Concessions. If you’ve never had a walking taco, then you haven’t lived. Also, elephant ear. Need I say more?
  8. Coliseum.  Check out the colorful, creative booths made by county 4-H clubs and the beauty of the flower show. Also the location of the fairgrounds nicest bathrooms—just a tip.
  9. Masters of the Chainsaw. Seriously, watch some guys create a lifelike bear out of a stump. Very cool.
  10. Midway. This isn’t some block party festival, it’s the county fair. The rides are big and fun. Get a great deal on a ride-everything wristband Thursday and Friday for $8.00 (Valid from 1:00 pm-5:00 pm only).

We’ll see you at the fair through Labor Day. Admission is only $5, with kids 12 and under free.

South Park Tavern – An Entrepreneur Success Story

By Leave a Comment

Previously, I wrote an article about starting a business with little capital and smart business plan.  Here is a great case study:

Bill Daniels has been in the pizza business for a number of years.  He has a degree from Wright State University and the business savvy and technical knowledge of the food (pizza) industry.  This is a great combination for an entrepreneur.

After starting the successful Pizza Factory years earlier, Bill acquired a building a few blocks away on Wayne Avenue in the South Park neighborhood and began to lease the space on the top floor to tenants.  Then slowly he built the success of South Park Tavern.  At first, he found Shane, who is a sharp bar manager who had experience in the industry.  He gambled on Shane and Shane gambled on him.  He opened only on weekends and served no food.  The neighbors were thrilled to have a place and so they supported the tavern.  Service was terrible and there was no food.  But each weekend, the place got better.  Bill invested everything earned from those early days back into the business.  He began to offer pizza by transporting it from the Pizza Factory store down the street.  He extended the hours each time business picked up.  The neighbors relentlessly promoted the tavern.  If there was a special event, Shane would open the tavern.

Next, the great marketing promotion and understanding of the customer took off.  Shane opened through the week.   They had open mic nights to bring in bands.  They had half price pizza nights on Monday.  Bill built a patio outside and remodeled the tavern, installing 12 micro brew taps in the process.  Instead of offering the same beers and pizza that most other chains offer, the South Park Tavern offered exotic seasonal beers with unique and flavorful pizzas.

The South Park tavern offers only beer and wine.  By not offering hard liquor the establishment identifies itself as family friendly tavern.  Many would be tempted to increase revenue by offering hard liquor, but Bill and Shane understood the importance of their market positioning.

So, Bill used a formula that involved several trends in the industry.

  • Popularity of micro brew beers
  • Different pizzas
  • A hang out for the people of the neighborhood
  • Bands and music
  • No hard liquor

As a result, the South Park Tavern has become a popular and successful  business.  It did not start with a million dollars of capital.  The business stretched the capital and grew in small increments.  The business tried to differentiate itself and it created loyal customers.  Bill and Shane are not done.  They plan to carefully expand the business further.

There are some lessons for entrepreneurs in the growth of the South Park Tavern…

YP Roundup – September 2010 Happenings

By Leave a Comment

August went out with a bang with great events like First Friday with updayton’s Street Buzz, Generation Dayton’s Volunteer Speed Matching, the Ballet Barre British Bash and the Litehouse Tour and Firefly Afterparty.  But if you missed these great events, there’s lots lined up for September.  Back to school means back to action for a lot of local YP groups with only 30 days in the month, but almost 20 events planned!  There are great options to find the events you’re interested in and get involved.

Wednesday, September 1 – The Dayton Ballet Barre hosts their monthly meetup at the Dayton Racquet Club with food, drink and fun at 5-6:30 PM.
Friday, September 3 – Generation Dayton invites local newsman Dan Edwards to present Body Language 101 at this free event (lunch at your own expense).  Learn what your body language is giving away about your thoughts and learn how to read others, too!
Friday, September 3 – FIRST FRIDAY! All sorts of great events filling the streets of downtown. Official info here.

Thursday, September 9 – Generation Dayton hosts Thirsty Thursday – an after work get-together at Beef O’Brady’s in Centerville for great happy hour drinks and your opportunity to network and meet new people in a casual atmosphere.
Thursday, September 9 – The Dayton Urban League Young Professionals presents International Protocol with Leah Hawthorn from 6-8 PM at the Dayton Urban League building.  You’ll learn proper etiquette and the importance of image when dealing with international clients.
Friday, September 10 – URBAN NIGHTS – so, So, SO much going on.  It’s like you take First Friday and “turn it up to eleven!”  Urban Bikes (with a Dragons game), Tap Factor (don’t miss this great troupe), Karaoke with the Human Race Theatre Co. (and your chance to sing before one of their shows), view the winners of the Downtown In Focus Photo Contest, and more.  Just come downtown and you’ll find all sorts of action.  Even better – Join the updayton Street Buzz as they catch some live acts and grab some great food or the Dayton Creative Syndicate;s Poker Crawl (because You, Too, Can Hold ‘Em Like They Do in Texas) to check it all out with other YPs
Friday, September 10 – Hit Therapy Cafe during Urban Nights to join the Dayton Urban League Young Professionals at YP @ Play.  It’s kids games in a grown up way – Twister, Musical Chairs, Wii, Jenga, Cards, and more keep your attenti0n while sharing great drink specials and good times with friends.  $10/person
Friday, September 10 – The Montgomery County Young Republicans host a fun social at Elsa’s on Stroop.  This is your chance to get together with like minded YPs and get revved up for the upcoming election season.

Monday, September 13 – The Young Republicans have their regularly scheduled monthly meeting at Buffalo Wild Wings in Town and Country in Kettering starting at 6 PM.
Thursday, September 16 – HYPE hosts their Third Thursday social at the Caroline in Troy – it’s a great opportunity for YPs in the Northern Miami Valley to socialize with food and drink specials.  All invited – regardless of if you live north or south of 70!
Thursday, September 16 – JumpstART hosts their monthly jump into arts activities by highlighting the Dayton Art Institute and their newest exhibit, Modern Masters.  For $10, you get two drink tickets, food, a special viewing of the exhibit, a great way to meet YPs from all across the region and your ticket to Oktoberfest!
Friday – Saturday, September 17-18 – Check out Taste of the Miami Valley for a great selection of fabulous local foods!

Tuesday, September 21 – Generation Dayton hosts Business and Breakfast at the Bob Evans on Miller Lane
Tuesday, September 21 – You got to check out Speed Volunteer Match last month; need more speed?  Hit the Gen D annual speed networking event.  Meet new people in a structured atmosphere and make introductions so quickly that if you don’t like them, they’ll be gone soon enough!  Coco’s at 5:30 PM.
Tuesday, September 21 – Do you want to know how to take your exuberant, creative energy and translate it to a long-term career?  Join the Dayton Creative Syndicate for guest speakers Tony Neary and Tom Kisker from Traction.
Wednesday, September 22 – HYPE invites you to learn more about how health care is changing in our nation and how it affects you at a special event – Demystifying the Nation’s Health Care Bill at the Troy Chamber of Commerce with conversation continuing at the Caroline.
Friday, September 24 – Breakfast not fit into your schedule?  No worries – Generation Dayton fits into your schedule with lunch on the fourth Friday of the month for good food and great conversation at Murray’s Place in Moraine.

As always, if I missed anything – please post your info to the DaytonMostMetro.com Event Calendar and click on Young Professionals so we know what’s happening!  And let us know in the comments below where you plan to be…

Jane’s Best Bets (9/1 – 9/6)

By 3 Comments

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

First of all, thank you for all the wonderful feedback with regard to the first edition of Jane’s Best Bets on DMM!  I feel so honored to have your support!  It just confirms what I already know…that the people in Dayton are truly the best!

Hopefully you had a terrific (beer) week last week…and a good DD.  Perhaps you were able to sample a new beer and learn a thing or two.  I personally learned that there are more beers than there are calories in a McDonald’s Big Mac.  To name a few, I discovered a blueberry beer, a raspberry beer, a watermelon beer, an apricot beer, and a banana bread beer.  Who knew that drinking could be so healthy?!?!  (Disclaimer 1:  I am not a registered dietician or MD.  You may want to talk to your healthcare professional before making these beverages a part of your daily diet.  Disclaimer 2:  I am not a lawyer either, so don’t trust that disclaimer 1 is properly worded.)

Anyways, with last week being such a busy week, you’re probably thinking there isn’t much going on this week.  Wrong!  Get ready to celebrate the beginning of September…and another wonderful week in Dayton!  Plus, it’s a holiday weekend to boot!

On Wednesday, head on over to the first day of the Montgomery County Fair.  Don’t worry, if you can’t make it, you’ll still have five more days to check it out!  Or bring the whole family to watch the Dayton Dragons play against the Bowling Green Hot Rods (I wonder if there is any relation to A-Rod) for their Friends and Family Night.  Also, give yourself a day off of cooking and don’t feel guilty about it because it will be for a good cause!  For every meal sold at Coco’s, $1 will be donated to the Victoria Theatre Association’s Physicians for Kids as part of the Coco’s Cares – Dine for a Cause Program.

If you have ever thought about starting your own business, head on over to “One-On-One Business Counseling” provided by the Dayton Area Chapter of SCORE at the Dayton Metro Library’s Main Branch on Thursday.  Also on Thursday, if you’re a fan of smooth jazz, check out the J.T. Fedrick Band as part of the Dayton Art Institute’s 2010 Vectren Just Jazz Series.  Kill two, three, or four birds with one stone by also visiting the Modern Masters Exhibit from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Investigation Destination:  Science and Math in Art Exhibit, and/or the Prints from the Great Depression exhibit.  If you’re an animal lover like me and don’t feel like killing ANY birds, then head on over to The Greene to see First Call Acoustic.  And finally, if you like to sample delicious food, you MUST  head over to the Fraze for “The Taste”.  Experience multiple “tastes” from places like Tumbleweed, the Oakwood Club, Belmont Catering, and Fleming’s.

On Friday, learn what people are thinking about you without them having to say a word at Generation Dayton’s Lunch with Dan Edwards presenting “Body Language“.  I need to ask him how to improve my poker face, even though I have no intention of turning into Lady Gaga.  Speaking of ladies, later on in the evening, head on downtown for Ladyfest 2010 at c{space (which continues through Saturday) or Dayton’s First Friday, which will give you an opportunity to explore many of Dayton’s artistic offerings.  If you enjoy biking, join the Courteous Mass Ride with fellow cycling enthusiasts.  Or have fun listening to Stranger, a super fun 80s cover band that is playing at Sharkey’s.  I still remember what my parents said about talking to strangers, so if you go, just be careful or bring your mom and dad with you.

On Saturday, start your day off right by heading to the PNC Second Street Market for breakfast and a little shopping with some of their amazing vendors.  Another “must attend” event is Alterfest, which has been a Labor Day weekend staple in Dayton for many years.  No matter your age, there is something for you to do, from great live bands (Saturday’s lineup includes The Johnsons, The Fries, and This Side Up) to rides and games to their famous chicken dinners.  If you don’t feel like taking a chance with the weather at Alterfest, then check out the Producers at the Dayton Playhouse or get tickets to the Sandra Rutledge Jazz Show at Gilly’s.

On Sunday, the fun continues at Alterfest with several bands performing, including Spungewurthy and Last Call, along with the other festivities.  Or head on over to the Holiday at Home Festival where there will also be numerous things to do, including listening to live music, singing karaoke, and arts and crafts booths.  This is a family friendly event, as there will also be activities for the kids.  If you enjoy reggae music, head on over to the Michelob Dayton Reggae Festival. And if music from from the 50s, 60s, and 70s is more your style, then check out the band Legend at Stubbs Amphitheater in Centerville.

And finally on Monday, if you’re not having friends and family over for a cookout to celebrate Labor Day, Kettering is definitely the place to be.  You can still celebrate “at home” with the annual Holiday at Home Parade in Kettering.  Following the parade, again check out the numerous activities going on in Kettering as part of the Holiday at Home Festival, including an auto show (only on Monday), arts and crafts, and live music from The Fries, as well as music from some other great performers!  And, if you would like to BE one of the entertainers, you will have the opportunity to do so.  Just check out the karaoke going on there.  Or, if you haven’t had an opportunity to go to Alterfest or the Montgomery County Fair, this is your last chance for the year!   So, with so many great things to do, you have absolutely no excuse not to celebrate the holiday!  And if your boss is actually making you labor, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.  Just don’t count on anything.

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week.  Drum roll please…

Did you hear the joke about Labor Day?  It works for me.

These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar.  There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today!  Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it – it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE!   And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!

Have a great week Dayton!