Archives for December 2011

Playhouse Welcomes 2012 with Rodgers & Hammerstein Favorites

December 19, 2011 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

(from Dayton Playhouse)

A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING will delight audiences at the Dayton Playhouse from January 5 through January 15. In addition to the normal Friday through Sunday performances, this presentation will also include special Thursday performances.

Veteran Playhouse artist, Richard Croskey, is directing and choreographing the play. The cast features talented vocalists Matthew Bone, Carol Chatfield, Kathy Clark, Patricia Dipasquale Drul and Tom Lehmann.

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING is an evening of music and romance. The musical review explores the broad spectrum of romantic relationships by way of more than thirty Rodgers & Hammerstein songs. Each of the team’s musicals is represented. The songs have all been placed in fresh theatrical settings, strung together so that the review “grows up” emotionally. The show is constructed as an emotional journey beginning with young infatuation and the awakening of real love, through the touching and funny complexities of commitment and marriage, the joys of parenthood, and finally, the power of enduring love.

The book for A Grand Night for Singing was written by Walter Bobbie with music by Rodgers, lyrics by Hammerstein and musical arrangements by Fred Wells.

Performances will be Thursday through Sunday, January 5-15. All performances are at 8:00 p.m. except Sundays, which are at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and $10 for students.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.daytonplayhouse.com, or through the box office, 937-424-8477, which is staffed Monday, Wednesday and Friday 2:00pm-5:00pm. Messages may be left for the box office at anytime. The Dayton Playhouse is located at 1301 East Siebenthaler Ave, Dayton, OH 45414.

The Dayton Playhouse is a community theatre providing outstanding theatrical productions to Miami Valley audiences of all ages for more than fifty years. The Playhouse is nationally recognized for FutureFest, a festival of new plays.

Rue Dumaine Offers Goodies-To-Go Market

December 19, 2011 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

This Wednesday, Dec 21st the Rue Dumaine open house market will take place from noon until 3pm! The success of Rue Dumaine’s booth at the Centerville Farmers Market was the inspiration for these open house markets. I missed the pre-thanksgiving open house and from what I hear, your best bet is to call ahead and pre-order, because the goodies go quickly.

According to Chef Anne Kearney you should look over the list below, and give Bonnie a call at 610-1061 with your order to secure your items. Bartender Evan and co-owner Tom have selected and priced for retail 1 sparkling, 1 red and 1 white wine perfect for any holiday party drop-in or to sip on as you tackle the pile of gifts. Pick up a bottle to share with your lovelies on Christmas Eve or to take over to mom’s house on Christmas Day, see details below.

Just a few of the items they are offering:
• Cured ruby red trout sides-6-9oz sides sold to you cyro-vaced- $9/#
• Brian’s house smoked ham-1#-3# pieces, Brian is very proud, it is good stuff. Purchase a piece to slice for sandwiches or cube up for your New Years Day black eyed peas $10/#
• Butterscotch blondies with caramel, peanuts and pretzels, YUM! I believe this is the perfect balance of salty and sweet. Sold in four piece packs $3.5.
• Peppermint chocolate brownies, great for the office or your sweet aunt Patti. Sold in four piece packs $3.5
• Tom’s GraNOLA of love, good and good for you! $7 per bag
• Peanut butter with flax seed and local honey-start you year off right- protein, omega 3 fatty acid and it taste great too! 7oz.-$3.5 or 15oz.-$6.5
• Apple dumplings-honestly buy one to eat after you have wrapped the last gift…warmed with a scoop of gelato. 2 large dumplings-$4
• Bar mix-spiced pepitas, cheese nips, rosemary lavash and oat bundles- great hostess gift. $5
• Brian’s awesome truffled cheesy dip with mushrooms and spinach…A few friends stop by to say happy holidays and this will save your ass as far as on-the-fly good eats. 12oz. of some really tasty stuff. $5.5 • Hot cocoa mix made with awesome French extra brut cocoa. Santa and the kids will love it, mom too. $4/8oz.
• Blue cheese-walnut pave $5/6oz. • Apple-thyme chutney $5/8oz.
• Country pate, YUM! $6/ 6oz.
• French bread croutons, brushed with olive oil, seasoned and toasted until golden brown. Pick up a bag to take over to moms for the cheese tray to make a few canapés with the pate for you. $2.5/ 6oz. bag • If you are interested in some of our fiery Dijon or whole grain mustard, we can make you up a container for you. $6./ 8oz
• Almond-raspberry coffee cake- $6/serves 6-8
• Chocolate whoopie pies with Italian mint buttercream $4/ 4 pieces (2” each) per pack
• Cranberry pop-tarts with orange scented frosting, YUM again!! $3 each
• Spiced pecans, spiced but not spicy. $10/#
• Roasted butternut squash** soup $4.5/16oz., $8/32oz.
• White bean-Arugula smear $3.5/8oz.
• Balsamic vinaigrette $3.5/8oz., $6/15oz.
• NV Gruet Brilliant New Mexico Sparkling wine- A wonderful fine bouquet dominated by green apple and grapefruit flavors. A truly classic house style sparkling with ultra fine bubbles! Priced for retail sale.
• Cameron Hughes Chardonnay Lot 220-This wine shows classic buttery qualities with subtle sorbet notes on the finish. On the palate, this wine is rich and full with a bold mid-palate of Meyer lemon and nuances of baking spice. Priced for retail sale.
• 2009 Rock & Vine, Cabernet Sauvignon-Medium bodied, with a solid core of blackberry and dark cherry fruit and hints of tobacco notes followed by great texture, sweet tannins, and dense weight. This wine is very drinkable. Priced for retail sale.
• Possibly a few more items will appear, it is simply a matter of time before we think of something else, thanks.

Rue Dumaine Restaurant and Bar is located a half mile east of I-675 on OH 725, at 1051 Miamisburg- Centerville Road.

For These Phantoms, Three Is Not a Crowd

December 19, 2011 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

DPO presents Three Phantoms in Concert with tenor alumni of the leading Phantom of the Opera tours

If you have ever seen a live production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Phantom of the Opera, there is a better-than-even chance that you might have seen and heard at least one of the three Broadway stars who will share the stage of the Schuster Center on Friday, January 13 & Saturday, January 14 at 8pm with conductor Patrick Reynolds and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra in Three Phantoms in Concert.

Why? Because all three have played either the Phantom or Raoul or both on Broadway or in touring productions. In fact, they each have either played the lead, or appeared, in Cyrano, the Musical; Fiddler on the Roof; Anything Goes; Les Misérables; The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber; Show Boat; Jesus Christ Superstar; Sweeney Todd; Pirates of Penzance; Jekyll & Hyde; Evita; Fiddler On The Roof; and The Secret Garden.

The best Broadway leading men – Ciarán Sheehan, Gary Mauer, and Craig Schulman – will perform (in solo, duo and trio combinations) the best of the Broadway tunes written for tenor from Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, The Phantom Of The Opera, Guys and Dolls, Company, Kiss Me Kate, Most Happy Fella, The Secret Garden, Nine, Damn Yankees, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Sweeney Todd, and more.

Ciarán Sheehan has played the Phantom on Broadway and in Toronto for more than 1,000 performances. He has also appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables and as Raoul in Phantom for more than two years. Gary Mauer most recently starred in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera, playing Raoul. Craig Schulman is the only actor in the United States to have portrayed the Phantom; Jean Valjean in Les Misérables; and the title roles in Jekyll & Hyde.

Craig and Gary have both played in Les Mis, and all three have played in Phantom. Since all three are tenors, it begs the question, do they ever switch roles/song assignments from one show to the next? If so, what are some of the reasons they might do so?

“I try to keep the program the same, and everyone sings a standardized track in the concert,” Craig Schulman states. “I need to maintain pacing of the program and make sure that we’re all singing the same number of songs. We each, however, tell a story about the show in which we got our “big break” in show business, and then sing a song from that show. So the program changes slightly,” from tenor to tenor.

The bulk of the shows all three tenors have appeared in involve romance (Sweeney Todd, Secret Garden, etc. excepted). The songs in those shows, however, don’t always involve romance or romantic topics. I asked Craig which type of songs he prefers and which particular titles (especially of those he’ll be doing with the DPO) he prefers singing?.

“Personally, I always look for the 11 o’clock number,” Craig remarks, “so I sing Bring Him Home from Les Mis, This Is The Moment from Jekyll & Hyde, and of course, Music Of The Night from Phantom (the big three). Sometimes I switch with Gary; he may sing This Is The Moment, and I’ll take The Impossible Dream just for giggles.”

All three keep a strenuous concert schedule. I asked Craig what he likes/dislikes about life on the concert road. “I like the fact that the trips are short,” Craig notes, “as opposed to being on an extended tour. I don’t like being away from my wife and kids for too long. Dislikes? FLYING. Used to love it, but it sure ain’t no fun no more. Also, among my colleagues, my career has become almost exclusively concert performances,” he points out. “I love the concert performing, but it’s rather a solitary pursuit, and I miss the community of performers that are involved in a show.”

Which goes to show that, at least for this Phantom, three is definitely not a crowd.

Dayton Philharmonic Presents Three Phantoms in Concert

January 13 & 14 – 8pm

Schuster Performing Arts Center

Click for Tickets

Dayton Remembered

December 18, 2011 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

In our series of guest posts of Daytonian’s that have moved away, Jill Bishop shares her memories of Dayton. A 1975 graduate from Vandalia Butler High School, Jill got a Communications/English Lit degree from Wright State in 2001 and a Masters in Public Admin from UD in 2006. She worked for Artemis Center for Alternatives to Domestic Violence as well as Dayton Public Radio/Classical 88.1 before moving to Arizona in 2010.

Even the spectacular butterscotch/fuchsia colored skies featured in the sunsets over the Tucson Mountains aren’t enough to make me forget my hometown of Dayton, Ohio. If I close my eyes and concentrate, I can still picture myself driving down Wayne Avenue, a major thoroughfare I traveled daily for years and years. It always felt like Wayne Ave was one of the main arteries that delivered me into the heartbeat of downtown Dayton where I worked and played for 35 years. I still vividly recall the major landmarks along the way….that awkward intersection at Wayne and Wilmington, Tanks, ‘scary’ Krogers, then on down to the lovely South Park and Oregon District neighborhoods where many of my friends have lived, or still do. Coco’s Bistro is another major anchor on that journey, and a place I spent many wonderful lunches and happy hours with friends.

Then there is The Oregon District…and Fifth Street. I could write an entire book about my adventures there over the years, but one place MUST be mentioned: The Oregon Express. Back in about 1990, a small group of passionate individuals (passionate about Friday happy hours) began what is still known as The Oregon Express Beer and Pizza Club. Countless happy hours were spent there, lifelong friendships forged, tons of free pizza consumed. We celebrated birthdays, held memorials, laughed, cried, and chewed on the major topics of the day along with their delicious free pizza.

I traded the aging, industrial Midwest grittiness and deciduous tree-lined streets for the desert, saguaros and adobe houses in October 2010 when I packed my cats into my Prius and left my lifelong home to settle into a new life in Tucson, Arizona. Dayton has a sweet, soulful, funky vibe of its own, including a rich history of innovation, invention, industry, aviation, and creativity. Think chili, burning leaves, aging railroad overpasses, Orville and Wilbur, Ohio Players. Now that I am away, I can more fully appreciate the nuances of Dayton. Joni had it right when she wrote “you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.” I now fondly think of Dayton as a green space filled with friendly, sincere, hard-working, creative people, much like I have found in Tucson. Green spaces are abundant thanks to MetroParks and water is abundant thanks to the major aquifer. There are the fun, must-attend classic annual events such as the Greek Festival, DAI’s Oktoberfest, Cityfolk Festival, the music festivals at Dave Hall Plaza, and many great events at Riverscape. I miss seeing the Dayton’s great Philharmonic Orchestra and Operas at the beautiful and acoustically perfect Schuster Center. I miss those wonderful Saturday mornings at 2nd Street Market wandering among the vendors, steaming coffee in hand, waving to folks I knew. I miss it all.

Then there are the sensory, memory experiences such as Canal Street Tavern on a bitterly cold winter night crowded into its cozy space listening to an amazing musical performance, waiting in line at Flying Pizza downtown, soaking in some steamy jazz at Gilly’s, earnestly pursuing through CD’s at Gem City Records (now Omega Records), helping my friends with shows on WYSO-FM with pledge drives, and working with the great staff at Classical 88.1 FM in the Metropolitan Arts Center where I could walk around and dial up a creative, energetic conversation with someone from another arts organization. I spent countless hours walking the beautiful gardens at Wegerzyn, riding the bike paths all around Dayton, and enjoying hikes in Yellow Springs.

While I am happily settled into my new home in Tucson, I miss many people, places, and things about Dayton. I miss the fall color, the music scene, downtown, and coffee shops, family and friends. I sometimes even miss the humidity. Dayton is “the funk capital” and I miss that soulful, Five Oaks feeling. Sometimes I even miss those blustery, overcast days where you just want to curl up and read a good book. But really, it’s the people I miss the most – because it’s the people who really make up a community. I miss seeing friends and acquaintances everywhere I go. I miss people around me who know my story. However, I have embarked on a new chapter and am writing a new story…..but Dayton and the people who live there will always be my heart home and I will look forward to visiting when I can. And… who knows, perhaps someday my Dayton roots will tug hard enough to pull me back.

Read the first entry in this series from Audrey Buckman

Christmas Gifts for Readers

December 18, 2011 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Certain toy shelves are empty and the mall parking lots are packed. But bookstore shelves are jammed with easy-to-wrap packages in any price range. Here is a short list of books for your Nice list:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Visually dazzling, this debut novel caused significant pre-print buzz. Garnering a six figure deal, awards, movie deal and high acclaim, it was called the next Harry Potter. It does create an alternate world, full of magical sideshows, tricks and language, following a wizard’s duel between Cecelia and Marco. Their budding love story is set against short vignettes describing the circus, which is only open at night.

This imaginative book is available on audio CD, read by the incomparable Jim Dale (of Harry Potter audio fame.) The visual effects are enhanced by Dale’s amazing voice work.

11/22/63 by Stephen King

What is JFK hadn’t been assassinated? King tackles this question with an ominous, hefty book titled 11/22/63. A local diner holds a portal to the past and the chance to right wrongs. King’s newest book is getting rave reviews, even though it tops 800+ pages. Ideal for anyone who lived in the time of Camelot, it will still enthrall younger readers.

Let the Great World Spin: A Novel by Colum McCann

Before the Twin Towers fell in 2001, they held the tightrope walker’s cord in 1974. But McCann finds the bulk of his story in the tightrope-walking public far down below. A mother-daughter prostitute team, a failing Irish monk, a mismatched group of grieving mothers, a pompous judge and a disillusioned artist are just part of the colorful cast. Their stories intertwine, overlap and clash, creating even more suspense than the man 110 floors above the New York streets.

For anyone who loves New York City, anyone who remembers the 70s and anyone who remembers the Twin Towers as more than a tragedy, this masterful novel is a wonderful choice.

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

It’s likely that most teens have already visited the 12th District in the Hunger Games series. But this series isn’t just for teens. Brutal, engaging and a statement on our reality-show obsessive ways, this trilogy will be devoured in a weekend. Pick up this three book series for any avid reader, young or old, so they can absorb the page-turners before the first movie releases in March of 2012.

Nook eReader

Every other page of the Black Friday flyers featured affordable eReaders, particularly the Kindle. There are pros and cons to any eReader choice but if you are purchasing one now, please consider the Nook over Amazon’s Kindle.

The Nook is preferable in my opinion because it allows you to read books purchased anywhere, while the Kindle reads only Amazon distributed books. Amazon, convenient as it can be, tends to have bad business manners and practices.

Gift cards for ebooks is another idea, if you know they have an eReader or will be getting one for Christmas.

What books do you recommend as gift-giving options?

Heartwarming Holiday Treat

December 17, 2011 By Russell Florence, Jr. 1 Comment

David Shough (left) and male ensemble of Scrooge! (Photo by Art Fabian)

Any production that opens in December has the potential to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but the Dayton Playhouse’s staging of Leslie Bricusse’s heartwarming if musically limited “Scrooge!” is certainly worthwhile.
Director Jennifer Lockwood, using the revised adaptation of Bricusse’s 1970 Academy Award nominated film of the same name, assembles a warm, purposeful cast to portray the familiar Dickensian characters that comprise an eventful Christmas Eve in England circa 1843. Bricusse oddly simplifies his score with sound-alike lullabies and marches, but Lockwood keeps the action engaging and emotionally sound nonetheless by ensuring effective characterizations in addition to breezy pacing and pleasant unity in the ensemble scenes.
David Shough, duly intimidating and in fine vocal form, deliciously embodies the titular miser whose reflective journey of self-discovery, particularly the importance of cherishing and loving life, remains very impactful. It’s particularly great to see Shough fully invest in the iconic time travel that gives the show its meaningful pulse. As Ebenezer’s past, present and future is revealed he becomes more than a mere bystander thanks to the joy, heartache, inquisitiveness, and regret permeating throughout Shough’s excellently detailed performance. In fact, his truly wonderful execution of Ebenezer’s climactic transformation, interpreted with abundant glee and tenderness, might bring tears to your eyes.
Elsewhere, the Cratchit clan delightfully consists of Brad Bishop, Laura Bloomingdale, Gabrielle Culver, Ryan Hedberg, and the very endearing Emily Cypher as Tiny Tim. Booming baritone Michael Taint, kindly Heather Martin and jovial John Bukowski respectively tackle the roles of Jacob Marley/Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, Ghost of Christmas Past and Ghost of Christmas Present. Real-life spouses Doug and Mary Louise Warrick are enjoyable as Young Scrooge/Nephew and Isabel/Helen. Jim Lockwood and Dawn Roth Smith are equally compatible as Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig. Darren Brown shines as Dick Wilkins/Tom Jenkins, specifically in “The Milk of Human Kindness” and “Thank You Very Much” spiritedly choreographed by Debra Strauss.
In related news, Brooklyn playwright Beau Willimon, winner of the 2005 Dayton Playhouse FutureFest for his marvelous political drama “Farragut North,” has received a Golden Globe nomination for his “Farragut”-inspired screenplay of “The Ides of March.” Willimon’s nomination, which he shares with George Clooney and Grant Heslov, bodes well for his chances at an Academy Award nomination. The Golden Globe Awards will air Jan. 15 on NBC. Academy Award nominations will be announced Jan. 24.

“Scrooge!” continues through Dec. 18 at the Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Act One: 70 minutes; Act Two: 50 minutes. Tickets are $10-$15. For tickets or more information, call (937) 424-8477 or visit www.daytonplayhouse.com

Telling American Stories in Pictures…with Music

December 16, 2011 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

DPO presents Musical Gallery, honoring the life’s work of iconic American painter/illustrator Norman Rockwell

“I love to tell stories in pictures. The story is the first thing and the last thing.”

With those words Norman Rockwell summed up his modus operandi for a lifetime of artistic achievement. For forty-plus years, his illustrations of the covers of The Saturday Evening Post magazine became an integral part of American popular culture. The Willie Gillis and Four Freedoms series, Rosie the Riveter, and my personal favorite, Saying Grace, captured the essence of the beauty, joy, seriousness, and camaraderie of everyday American life.

Picture this: a small-town café peopled by working-class people. Two big, burly, cigarette-smoking truck drivers share a table with a small, red-headed boy and an older woman (ostensibly his grandmother). One trucker reads a menu; the other holds a cup of coffee and stares inquisitively at the woman and boy, both of whom have their heads bowed, their eyes closed, and their hands folded in prayer and saying grace.

That juxtaposition of characters, that slice-of-life realism was how Norman Rockwell told pictures in stories.

Organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum, American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell (At the Dayton Art Institute November 12, 2011 – February 5, 2012) is an exhibition spanning 56 years of his work (1914 – 1970) that traces his artistic contributions and the impact of his images on American popular culture.

Concurrently, on Friday, January 6 and Saturday, January 7, at 8 pm in the Schuster Center, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will present Musical Gallery, a concert program that features a Debussy prelude, the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 performed by American pianist William Wolfram, and Rockwell Reflections, a study in Americana by national and international award-winning composer Stella Sung.

For Rockwell Reflections, Stella Sung chose five seminal paintings by Norman Rockwell to use as points of departure for her compositions. Like Rockwell’s paintings, these compositions have a strong narrative quality. During the performance of Rockwell Reflections, the DPO will project imagery of these five of Rockwell’s most famous paintings on a screen above the DPO in the Mead Theater:

"Artist Facing Blank Canvas"

Artist Facing Blank Canvas, 1938

This painting is an unusual self-portrait. Rockwell does not show us his likeness; instead, the artist lets us look over his shoulder at a dilemma that ruled his working life. With clarity and wit he communicates his exasperation through such telling details as the head scratch, the splayed shirt collar, the upside-down horseshoe, and the rejected sketches piled on the floor.

The Stay at Homes, 1927

In this charming scene a boy and his grandfather seem to be lost in a reverie as they gaze out at a schooner leaving the harbor for open water. For the child such journeys are yet to come; for the grandfather the journeys are memories to be savored. Rockwell elaborates his theme with a swirl of gulls above the two figures. Birds in flight are an age-old metaphor for flights of imagination and spirit.

"Checkers"

Checkers, 1928

Rockwell’s painting illustrates a key moment in a short story about a circus clown named Pokey Joe. Pokey Joe has been suffering from self-doubt about his ability to perform. His friends and fellow performers organize a little deception to cheer him up, letting him win an important game of checkers. The painting captures Pokey Joe’s delight in his moment of triumph. Also apparent is Rockwell’s delight in painting the brilliantly colored circus setting.

In this musical composition, the DPO playing in the background represents the circus, while the individual players of the strings represent the five figures in the foreground of the painting. The concertmaster is the checkers player on the left and the principal cellist is the clown on the right. The dog that is quite content to continue sleeping is played by the viola that never changes pitch!

"Murder in Mississippi"

Murder in Mississippi, 1965

In the 1960s Rockwell began to do assignments for Look Magazine, which addressed important current events. The most dramatic painting of this period was Murder in Mississippi. Rockwell was horrified by the murder of three young, dedicated civil rights workers near Philadelphia, Mississippi in 1964. Klansmen stopped the three men at night on a deserted road, took them to a remote location, and shot them. Rockwell’s painting of their last moments is not a documentary. Instead, the artist created his work in the style of a formal heroic composition. It honors the courage and sacrifice of these three young men.

The Peace Corp, JFK’s Bold Legacy, 1966

Rockwell was deeply affected by the turmoil of the 1960s, the racial conflicts, assassinations, Vietnam War, and nuclear threat. Rockwell, though, always found a reason for optimism in young people. The Peace Corp represents this optimism in a group of profile portraits of young men and women looking up and outward toward a bright vision beyond the confines of the picture. The profile portrait composition is a reprise of his famous 1942 painting Freedom of Worship. Here, though, the faith that Rockwell celebrates is the spirit of the next generation to make the world a better place.

Exasperation. Reverie. Delight. Courage. Optimism. Those are the emotions, sentiments, and character traits that Norman Rockwell set down on canvas for us all to look at and see reflections of ourselves as people.

And as Americans.

Dayton Philharmonic Presents “Musical Gallery”

January 6 and January 7 at 8 pm

Schuster Performing Arts Center

Click for Tickets

Comfort Food on Wheels!

December 16, 2011 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Who says gourmet restaurants have to stay stuck in one place? Fressa, the newest traveling food-truck to hit the streets of Dayton, pleasantly proves that home-cooked entrees, fresh sides and tantalizing desserts needn’t be located in a sit-down restaurant in order to be delicious. “Fressa” by definition means, “to chow down” or “stuff oneself”, which, the owners Matt and Lisa Halpin encourage lunch-breakers to partake in during every Fressa-filled meal.

I spoke with Matt Halpin about his intriguing “comfort-food” truck and he explained, “Comfort food means a lot of different things to different people… It’s about what you had growing up and what reminds you of that. We want people to experience new things and see that comfort food can mean more than what they think it does.”

But… comfort food, on wheels? Matt and Lisa explained that having a restaurant-truck instead of a stagnant, unmoving restaurant allows Fressa to “take that great tasting, gourmet food to the streets.” The mobility of Fressa also allows the restaurant to offer lunchtime deliveries to businesses, catering to all kinds of events and easier accessibility to more locations around Dayton. Matt elaborated, “There is a lot of potential for Dayton to be a real foodie town and since Dayton is looking to attract more people and businesses downtown, trends like food trucks are a great thing.”

Let’s talk about the food: Fressa stands out from the likes of greasy lunch-break options, instead housing a menu bursting with local ingredients, seasonal offerings and of course, hot-from-the-kitchen comfort food. The menu spotlights on the kind of food that reminds you of home, warms the soul, and just flat-out makes you feel happy. Matt explained, “The idea of modern, gourmet comfort food lets us have a lot of freedom when it comes to what we serve. But no matter what, it has to make people feel good.”

Where can you find the bright orange Fressa truck? Matt says, “We are at the Sugarcreek Farmer’s Market and we also do lunches for local businesses. Facebook and Twitter let our followers know that we’re there.” Fressa wants to be able to gain more parking locations to spread the Fressa-love throughout the city, but because the city of Dayton is still working out regulations for food trucks and parking rules, they’ve had a few set-backs. Hopefully by May, Fressa will be perfectly parked at the Courthouse Square for lunchtime.

Matt said, “At this point we are trying to be the best food truck that we can be. It’s hard to picture Fressa being a sit down restaurant but I will admit I would like to have a brick and mortar restaurant of my own some day… Who knows, we could always have both.”

Well, what should you order? Comfort food of course! Matt and Lisa recommend the Apple Bacon Grilled Cheese and Chocolate-Covered Homemade Potato Chips, topped off with a Pumpkin Crème Brule for dessert.

So keep an eye out for this bright orange restaurant-on-wheels, Fressa has pulled into Dayton!

Lash Envy Part 2

December 15, 2011 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Lash dip? Lash extensions? What are all these crazy new lash products and why do you need them? I used to think people who did these kinds of things were crazy. I couldn’t imagine adding one more beauty procedure to my monthly budget. Then a close friend got extensions and they looked AMAZING! I was still on the fence about whether I could spend the money on something so frivolous but I least knew they looked great.

It was on a rainy lonely Thursday that I was reading my new Allure and found an article about this new product called “Crybaby” it was supposed to darken your lashes as well as make them fuller and longer. Sounded good to me and the price was right at 45.00 which didn’t seem to bad for something that would last 4 to 6 weeks. I found a salon in Cincinnati that offered the service and I made an appt. I was so excited to try this out all in the name of beauty research. When I went in the lady gave me the lecture on how to take care of them and whether I was a good candidate for them. Once I signed the paperwork she began applying the product. It felt like she was applying mascara then she would turn on a little fan and cure the lashes. The total time was around 45 minutes. The result the lashes were noticeably darker and longer but looked more like doll lashes than real lashes. It looked to me like someone had applied several coats of bad mascara on me. The lashes appeared clumpy, felt hard and were stiff to the touch. Not to be mistaken with “Lash dip” the “Crybaby” was a big no for me.

Here is what the website promotes:

Tints fade. Extensions fall out. Strip Lashes aren’t moisture-proof. And they’re often expensive and laborious to apply. If your salon or spa could offer a durable, longer-lasting, more affordable service to your clients, why wouldn’t you?

Cry Baby Semi-Permanent Mascara is a procedure that curls and coats lashes with our proprietary lash coating. This coating adds volume, length, curl and color to lashes, is 100% waterproof/ smear-proof and lasts two weeks, often longer. It’s ideal for active lifestyles as well as special events like weddings and vacations. Better still, it’s professionally applied by your technicians and can be offered at a fraction of the cost of extensions.

So now I had these creepy spider lashes and had no idea what to do. You cant remove it yourself so I had to make the decision…..I was going to get extensions. I had received an invite to the opening of a new lash spa in Springboro and decided to call them to discuss what had happened. To my amazement they were able to get me in that day and said they could remove my bad lash product. I was so excited I was going to bite bullet and get fabulous lashes! When I arrived the lady who would be working on my lashes took one look at my “Crybaby” mistake and said I wasn’t being silly they were bad. Not only were they bad to look at it had been applied wrong! So far this entire experience wasn’t making me feel good about lash products. Once my “Crybaby” was removed she started on my extensions. For those of you who are not familiar with extensions they are synthetic lashes applied to your individual lashes with medical grade glue. You can imagine how tedious it is for the technician. The lashes stay on 2 to 3 weeks and fall out with your normally lash shedding. My first set took around 2 hours to apply and the result…….FABULOUS!! I love love love them!! They look natural are easy to care for and on most days I don’t have to wear mascara at all. I go in for fills about every 2 weeks and I can honestly say that I am a customer for life. The initial set will put you back about 200.00 and the fills run about 45.00 every two weeks. For me it is totally worth it and I would rather have lashes than a mani/pedi any day. When you look in the mirror you feel completely different and personally I feel like I can get away with a lot less makeup. They don’t feel itchy or like you are wearing anything on your eyes. However, if you are the type of person that picks at your lashes, is an extreme sweater, or cries often this may not be for you. All of the mentioned habits will make your lashes come out sooner. Also you will have to avoid all oil based makeup removers. If you can afford to do this for yourself it is worth every penny. There are several salons in the area offering the service but my personal recommendation is Enhance Spa and Lash Studio located in Springboro. They offer Xtreme Eyelash extensions as well as “Lash Dip” and revitalash products.

Here is what the Xtreme Lash site promotes:

Xtreme Eyelashes are made from synthetic strands which are applied on to a person’s natural lashes. The process is a meticulous one as it involves the attachment of the lashes one by one. An eyelash extension procedure can be as long as two hours, and this depends on the number of lashes to be applied and the expertise of the stylist.

Eyelash extensions by Xtreme Lashes are only done by accredited and certified hairstylists who have gone through the company’s hands-on lash extension training. All sales of the product are available from accredited health and beauty professionals, so you can only get the extensions from legitimate individuals who have been trained to do the procedure. Eyelash stylists are trained to design and style your lashes to meet your desire and needs.

Since the eyelash extensions are attached onto natural lashes, they also fall out when the natural hair does, which is typically after sixty days. There are refills that can be used every two to three weeks, which work to replenish the lashes that have fallen on a daily basis. Procedures should be done every two to three months to maintain the thickness and length of the lashes.

So you aren’t ready to commit to the lash extensions but you still want to try out something to glam up your lashes. There is still one more option, “Lash Dip” Unlike “Crybaby” this is not the clumpy sticky procedure that I described above. Although I have not personally had this procedure done I have seen it on several clients and it looks flawless. Lashes are full, dark, and above all glam! Once again I highly recommend Angie at the Enhance Spa and Lash Studio in Springboro to perform this service.

Here is what the website promises:

LashDip is an innovative cosmetic application that is poised to revolutionize the mascara industry. Imagine the freedom! “Dipping” your lashes just once allows you to wake up to and maintain gorgeous lashes for up to six weeks! No hassling with mascara. No makeup remover. No mess. No more raccoon eyes! Just gorgeous, beautifully sculpted, semi-permanent painted lashes when you wake up in the morning, through your exercise routine, and when you go to bed at night.

Low maintenance, high style – the modern woman’s answer to mascara.

Lush, full, dark, long lashes are the hottest trend on the beauty scene.LashDip is ideal for any woman who wears mascara but is tired of the high maintenance of daily application. Many of our clients are busy moms, executives who travel frequently, flight attendants, and athletes, all of whom have one thing in common – they want to look and feel their best 24/7.

Just dip and go.

Most women struggle daily with one or more mascara-related issues: smearing, running, clumping, flaking, application difficulty, sensitivity, not to mention the inconvenient time factor involved in daily application and re-application.Any woman who wants to feel confident, carefree and effortlessly beautiful around the clock is a candidate for LashDip.

It’s More than Mascara.

LashDip is more than your typical eyelash color formula – it goes beyond even the most perfect application of mascara to provide color and enhancement you don’t have to fight with.Mascara is a temporary application. Lash extensions are an appliance. LashDip is the future of lash enhancement.

So now now you have the good the bad and the wonderful of lash products. Depending on the type of person you are will depend on which product may work best for you. If you have any questions about any of the above treatments Angie at the Lash studio will be more than happy to provide you with more information about what will be best for you. Happy Holidays!!

Food Adventures – Small Bites 12/15/11

December 15, 2011 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Welcome to our new Food Adventure feature called “Small Bites.”

Every other week or so, The Big Ragu and Crew will give you a quick rundown of some of his favorite things.

Some of our’s SMALL BITE:

— The Grilled Cheese Sandwich from Meadowlark Restaurant

Grilled Cheese at Meadowlark – click to enlarge

The grilled cheese sandwich has a reputation for being a simple, inexpensive and tasty sandwich. We have died and gone to grilled cheese heaven! We recently visited Meadowlark Restaurant in Centerville, Ohio and tried the White Cheddar and Apricot Chutney Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Arguably, this is one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever! Imagine slices of White Cheddar with house made Apricot Chutney blanketed between two slices of Dorothy Lane Market Artisan Bread. Have we gotten your attention yet??

— The Pizza at South Park Pizza Tavern

One of our Favorite Pizzas – Click to enlarge

Pizza has got to be one of America’s favorite foods and one of our favorite pizzaa is made at the South Park Pizza Tavern in Dayton, Ohio. They have traditional and gourmet pizzas on your choice of white or wheat crust. We are hooked on the Seafood Blanc pizza on the whole wheat crust. Along with great tasting pizza, they also offer a variety of good beers on tap and some of the areas hottest local bands. This place is the real deal!

Try it on a Monday night, because it is buy one pizza, get one free night, but you can be sure the place will be packed.

THE BIG RAGU’s turn to CHOMP:

— Whopper or Whimper?

Have Whopper’s Gotten Smaller?

Is it us, or is the Whopper Sandwich from Burger King smaller than it used to be?? The Big Ragu has a hard time believing that the sandwich they serve today is the same size as the mammoth sandwiches he remembered from the 70’s and early 80’s… Same great taste, he just feels it is a smaller version. What are your thoughts?

— The Breadsticks at McGillicutty‘s

Click to enlarge this picture of the Greatest Breadsticks Ever

The Big Ragu says absolutely, without a doubt, the best breadsticks are at McGillicutty’s restaurant in Kettering. If you want them with a little salt on them, then you need to say “Pretzel Sticks” when you order. These steaming hot, buttery and fluffy breadsticks never disappoint. Each basket is served with 2 dipping sauces, and they have a large variety to choose from. May we suggest the nacho cheese dip, the cream cheese dip, or the garlic butter dip to accompany the perfect breadsticks.

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“Like” us to become an official fan! Look for our posts on DaytonMostMetro.com every Thursday !!

What are your thoughts on this week’s “Small Bites.” Please comment below….

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Astounding Athleticism

December 15, 2011 By Russell Florence, Jr. 2 Comments

In any given season the Victoria Theatre Association relishes the opportunity to present unique diversions outside the traditional box office realms of musical theater and straight plays. We have seen the Victoria deliver such crowd-pleasers as Blue Man Group, “Blast” and “Stomp” yet startlingly stumble with “Cirque Dreams” and the excruciating “Aluminum Show.” This time around the alternative bill of fare is “Traces,” a thinly conceived yet highly entertaining display of urban athleticism that breezily fulfills its purpose to astound, engage and surprise. Courtesy of the Premier Health Partners Broadway Series and held at the Victoria Theatre, “Traces,” the circus-inspired brainchild of Montreal-based dance troupe 7 Fingers, pits five dancers inside a bunker framed within the confines of a reality TV competition. Oddly, this premise isn’t clear at the outset and the presentation’s central theme addressing the importance of leaving indelible impressions or traces in one’s life is a surface level narrative device that could be greatly expounded. Still, the fantastic, flawlessly fluid blend of acrobatics and street elements, melded with charming snippets of personal statements from the dancers, creates a genuinely satisfying experience overall. Antoine Auger, Francisco Cruz, Devin Henderson, Genevieve Morin and Xia Zhengqi cohesively execute the clever, ingenious and jaw-dropping routines marvelously choreographed by directors Shana Carroll and Gyspy Snider. Whether vaulting into the air or scaling two large poles, this confident, personable, musically inclined quintet truly shines. In addition to a delightfully debonair skateboarding segment set to “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” a lively game of basketball and a dynamic finale involving a tower of rings, notable highlights include Auger and Morin’s striking pas de deux, Morin’s lovely aerial work reminiscent of Cirque du Soleil and Henderson’s applause-inducing mastery of a large hoop. Last week, theater critic Richard Zoglin of Time magazine placed “Traces” ninth among his Top 10 plays and musicals of 2011. Zoglin’s year-end choices can be puzzling (“The Little Mermaid” actually ranked among his favorites of 2008) but there’s no denying the immense appeal this show inherently provides. “Traces” continues through Dec. 18 at the Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St. Performances are Tuesday-Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. The production is performed in 85 minutes without intermission. The cast also includes Camille Legris and Tristan Nielsen. Tickets are $40-$83. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com

Turning Tradition on Its Edge

December 14, 2011 By Dayton937 1 Comment

The end had come. It was 2006 and Neil’s Heritage House had closed its doors. Fifty years in the making, booming past being just a bar in 1946, even surviving the fire of the ‘60s. This venue was here in the horse and carriage days, before Kettering even existed! 24,000 square feet of tradition was coming to a close at 2323 W. Schantz Avenue in Kettering. But Serena Walther Leventhal, the granddaughter of the previous owner, couldn’t let that happen. She and her husband, Eric Leventhal, picked up and moved back to Ohio from their Californian home. “I grew up in this building,” said Serena, when I had the chance to sit down for an interview with her, “I hadn’t been back since I left at seventeen for New York.” Eric is four generations Los Angeles bred, but the duo had “nothing happening in 2006” so they packed up and moved to the Dayton area so many of us call home. Neil’s was officially restored, after what one may call a grueling process, and opened its beautiful wooden doors to the public again on November 29 of this year.

The restoration of Neil’s, though completely worth it, was “quite a process.” The building hadn’t been winterized, so basically the entire place needed to be gutted and redone. As Serena described, they didn’t change anything structurally, just mechanically. It was especially important to Serena to keep the building’s structure intact: “I’m an architect, so I love this brick building.” Unfortunately, since customers had been smoking here since 1946, all new ceiling tiles were needed, and the original bar had to come down. The result of all the blood, sweat, and tears put into these 24,000 square feet? An environmentally sound building that still has its integrity. The kitchen’s set up and space is already phenomenal as “the chef was a kid in the candy shop when he saw the kitchen.” All that needed to be done before it could be used was the resurfacing of the stoves and they were on tap. And speaking of taps, the bar was reinstated as a gorgeous marble countertop on which craft beers and hand-selected wines are served.

Eric and Serena Leventhal, courtesy of Fleur de Leigh Photography

Once everything physically was in place and the permits were issued, that very next day Neil’s was expecting to host 300 people. The staff wasn’t even fully trained, but the day ran extremely smoothly. “Ever since then, we’ve had phone calls every day for big events,” stated Serena. “We’ve been turning the restaurant over two times during the day and two and a half at night!” To just think of what an experience these guests would have missed out on if the Leventhals hadn’t made Ohio their new home! The eating experience is “comfortable, yet there is a sense of tradition.” They cater to all ages and aim to turn tradition on its side, to provide a new spin to the old standard Neil’s Heritage held back in the day. Branching off of this idea of tradition, the restaurant, deemed with the classy title “The Tenderloin Room,” also features a lot of genuine family photography hanging on the walls that make for great conversation pieces.

Sticking to this theme of a twist on the traditional Neil’s, their new and improved menu still has some favorites from the past selection. Serena explained how she wasn’t originally going to keep anything from the old menu, but the phone kept ringing with more and more requests for the original menu. Serena and her husband decided to keep the two most signature items to keep—their Chicken Supreme, a breaded chicken breast with Supreme sauce, and the Pork Tenderloin, which is breaded, pan fried,

The clasic Chicken Supreme

and topped with mushroom gravy. Their menu also offers a lot of new, unique items, even those that are on the lighter side, too. There’s a good mix of old and new, of classic and lighter. I would guess that comes from the great dynamic of this husband and wife pair—Serena is more California in her culinary taste, leaning toward lighter, newer takes on cuisine, while Eric gravitates towards a traditional meat and potatoes dish. As far as her favorite: “I switch everyday!” So as of the morning we sat down for this interview, her favorite was the Southern Burger, topped with a fried green tomato. Yum! She told me she was literally dreaming about it the other night. With the customers, the burgers and salads have been a big hit, as well as the salmon and of course, the classic Pork Tenderloin. What’s so great about their food is that it’s all fresh! They don’t even own a freezer and have never copped any ingredient from a can; every item on their menu is made from scratch each day.

It’s been less than a month, and according to Serena, it’s still a work in progress and will be for a long time. What’s still to come? Serena’s hoping to promote local artists. She has a lot of wall space, with the Tenderloin Room and three other banquet areas downstairs and 1,800 people have walked through here already! So there’s a great opportunity in the making for Dayton artists! Also to come—Serena is hoping to get a blog started soon, where customers can interact and give feedback, because for Neil’s Heritage House, customer service and satisfaction is most important. The customer is always right and Neil’s staff is attentive and more than willing to accommodate as best they can. A different take on tradition, great customer service, and a stellar menu—sounds like a unique combination that is sure to ensure Neil’s Heritage Center’s success! Neil’s really is a “Dayton institution” because everyday someone new comes in with a personal story of how Neil’s has impacted their life. So future generation, it’s our turn to get in on the fun. It’s time for us to make memories we can come back and visit after fifty years. Personally, I think after this week of final exams is over, it’s time for one of those juicy hamburgers. So what say you?

courtesy of Fleur de Leigh Photography

Neil’s Heritage House
neilshh.com 937.298.4115

Lunch: 11:00 AM-2:00 PM Tues-Fri

Dinner: 5:00 PM-10:00 PM Tues-Thurs 5:00 PM-12:00 AM Fri-Sat

Check them out on Facebook, too!

Downtown Pops Up and Gets Activated

December 14, 2011 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Picking the perfect holiday present doesn’t have to induce panic. Gift giving can be one of the most stressful parts of the holiday season (I won’t even get into awkward confessions from your inebriated relatives). What kind of gift should it be? How much should you spend? Will the present-getter be upset you didn’t spend more? Or will he or she be angry if you did spend a lot and it winds up being inequitable in value to the gift you received? So much pressure! Santa makes it look easy since his recipients are typically under the age of 8. Toys? Yes. Socks? No. Done. For the rest of us, there’s Activated Spaces.

What started out as an art project to give downtown Dayton properties some jazz hands has entered its second phase: pop-up retail. “The ultimate goal of Activated Spaces is to bring new life and vibrancy to downtown Dayton,” says updayton cofounder Scott Murphy. “Pop-up shops offer the flexibility small business owners need in an atmosphere that will let them ‘test drive’ a location before committing to a longer-term lease.”

For the inaugural round, three shops were chosen from a list of applicants to put their merch up for sale in selected locations. Beaute Box, located at 116 W. Fifth St., specializes in high-end nail and spa services. Situated at 519 E. Fifth St. is PEACE on Fifth, the retail arm of the Dayton International Peace Museum offering certified slave-free, eco-friendly and fair-trade products. Comfort and Joy, 521 E. Fifth St., is a warm and fuzzy co-op of women whose handmade goods are said to “get you through the coldest winter night.”

The gift you give someone is necessarily reflective of your opinion of the person receiving the present. This year, avoid the shrink-wrapped basket of “deluxe” bath items and for goodness’ sake, put DOWN the Chia pet! Choose to purchase a lovingly hand-crafted item or personal service from a local business. “I take pleasure in knowing my products weren’t mass-produced from an assembly line or concocted in some Frankenstein laboratory,” says Comfort and Joy’s Evelyn Gordon, who creates scented Mason jar candles in her kitchen to sell at the pop-up on Fifth. “In a small business, products are driven not only by retail performance, but by direct feedback from customers. If someone asks me to modify the scent of a candle—maybe add a hint of cinnamon or cloves—I can do that and come back with new, customer-driven products the next day.”

Matching local businesses with vacant storefronts, overseeing the placement process, outfitting each space with signage and décor, supporting marketing needs and helping small business owners navigate the retail industry is no small order, especially for a group of volunteers representing a variety of industries and professional backgrounds. “We are fortunate to have a good group of passionate people who care about seeing downtown succeed,” says entertainment purveyor Jay Nigro, a Generation Dayton member coordinating pop-up retail efforts. “Research shows time and again that spending money locally—purchasing goods and services from locally owned businesses—keeps that money circulating in a community. That money gets invested in schools, nonprofit groups and feeds into the tax base. Buying local helps create and support jobs and education right here in the Miami Valley.”

Taking advantage of the “try-before-you-buy” lease options Activated Spaces offers gives small business owners like Lisa Scott the opportunity to see how a location will work before committing to a longer-term lease. “Activated Spaces is a great way to get started in operating your own business,” the Beaute Box owner says. “You never know how a relationship will work out with a property owner if you’re leasing, or if your location will get the traffic you think it will until you get in a space, and I’m glad Activated Spaces offers this option to ‘test drive’ my location before I sign a long-term lease.”

“We are encouraging people to do all or part of their holiday shopping at our store instead of buying products from large companies who exploit workers,” explains PEACE’s Abigail Reed. “Our products are certified fair trade; they only come from companies that comply with the nine principals of fair trade.”

So no matter what kind of gift, large or small, take the stress out of holiday shopping and remember to buy local this holiday season. Your purchase of a handcrafted item undoubtedly will make the season merry and bright for your recipient and the families of the local merchants and artisans. Revitalizing the local economy is the gift that keeps on giving, unlike a leopard-print Snuggie.

A True Demonstration of Care for Locals’ Health and Lifestyle

December 13, 2011 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

One week ago today, I had the most amazing tour of a grocery store. That’s right. A grocery store. With all the recent hype around the word “organic,” it certainly was interesting to discover this grocery only provides organic and conventional (all-natural) edibles, as part of their Food Philosophy. I had the privilege of experiencing the grand tour of the entire store, and I owe my special thanks to Emily, my tour guide and supplier of bountiful information, for inspiring me on my quest to model my own food philosophy after that of Earth Fare’s, located in Centerville, just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Dayton. Earth Fare believes we should bring our food back to its natural beginnings, as well as support fair practices and local farmers.

Earth Fare’s claim to fame is their Food Philosophy, “the strictest in the world, as far as we know,” explained Emily. They have what they call the Boot List, which is a list of ingredients they don’t allow in any of their goods being sold. The first list on the item—no high fructose corn syrup. “It’s literally made by a chemist in a lab,” explained Emily, “and because it’s so cheap it’s used in a lot of products.” They do, however allow corn syrup because it isn’t as processed. They also don’t allow any antibiotics or hormones in their fresh meat or dairy. “Fifty, or even twenty, years ago, antibiotics weren’t used in meat or dairy, and now people are growing antibiotic resistant” since they are regularly ingesting antibiotics through the food they eat. Emily explained that it’s even been linked to young girls starting puberty years earlier. Another ingredient they have given the boot is any type of artificial sweeteners. Aspartame, in particular, is relatively new so they don’t know the long term effects, though it has been linked to ADD and ADHD, and actually was developed in a lab by accident as a substitute for bug spray. To think that we are ingesting chemicals and unnecessary antibiotics is beyond scary to me, and Earth Fare is focused on bringing us far from this risk to our health and back to nature. To see Earth Fare’s complete Boot List, click here.

Along with this Boot List comes the Boot Challenge. Every month, Earth Fare posts a new challenge on their website as a way to educate the public about what they are putting into their bodies. The website asks you to choose between two different products with their ingredients listed as to which one you would “give the boot.” This month, the challenge is focused on cough drops and lozenges. After taking the challenge online, you receive a coupon that allows you to “receive a free box of Jakemans Throat & Chest Lozenges when you trade in cough drops with artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners” FOR FREE. Earth Fare understands that shopping healthy is a little more expensive, but with their help, people become educated as well as healthier one product at a time. Emily even explained that you could bring in an empty box of these artificial cough drops and still receive a replacement, without costing you a penny. Now, that’s a commitment to education and healthy living.

The second major aspect that sets Earth Fare apart from any other grocery is the fact they primarily buy local (within 100 miles). This way, they support the community and local farmers, who, after all, “make food go ‘round.” Earth Fare always has a supply of fresh fruit and vegetables grown within the 100 mile radius. Shopping local not only helps the economy, but is also a way to educate shoppers about where their food is coming from. Speaking of local, what could be more local than cooking their own goods in house? Earth Fare makes all of their prepared food fresh every day, including pasta salad, pizza, and sandwiches to name a few. They even supply fresh sushi every day. Anything not sold is given away to food pantries, once more supporting locals.

Earth Fare does have some very unique supplies, some from areas around the world, which also adhere to their food and fair practice philosophy. One very unique meat they supply is bison, which is the only red meat approved for heart patients. They also have an olive bar, which is something I, personally, had never seen before. You know what goes great with olives? Cheese! Being one of my favorite foods, I was amazed at their selection from around the world; a “Cheese Key” is even available to find out which country supplied each specific cheese. Earth Fare also houses coffee from different parts of the world, but all of their coffee is fair trade, meaning they make sure their farmers are being supplied with good wages and no sweat shops are involved. As Emily explained, Earth Fare finds it important to “put support behind fair practices.” And this fair standard carries over to how they treat their customers: gluten-free products are carried throughout the store, distinguished by the wooden shelves they sit upon. As explained to me, the designers of this grocery store felt that people who needed to shop gluten-free shouldn’t feel singled out by having to go to their own secluded section. And as far as gluten-free products, Earth Fare carries a HUGE selection, with wooden shelves making up a part of almost every aisle down which we walked. A few other interesting products Earth Fare is proud to manufacture and supply to their customers include their own diapers, dog food, cleaning products, and makeup!

How spectacular is this place? They are concerned with the education and health of their customers, the support of local farmers and fair practices, and they supply items you would never see in any other big name grocery store. But do you really want to know one of the best aspects of Earth Fare? The customer comes first. Always. They genuinely care for their customers. As I walked through the store, every single employee smiled at me and was more than ready to help. Along with caring, they understand those that buy their supplies. Shopping healthy can be expensive. There’s no doubt about that. But that’s why Earth Fare offers something free every single week. This week I visited, they were giving away a free pound of grapes, no strings attached. The week before that for Thanksgiving, they were giving a dollar off every pound of turkey. They also have coupons posted throughout the store, so you don’t have to go shuffling through the newspaper in order to save. They give you the means to save money at your fingertips. And you can visit their website to sign up for deals, too! As Emily explained, “when you sign up, you get a free whole chicken or veggie burger.” PLUS, there are green tags located throughout the store, representing all the money you can save on those items, too. And don’t forget the Boot Challenge, aforementioned. Earth Fare understands it’s difficult to spend a lot of money to eat healthy, so they do all they can to help make it as affordable as possible.

One last thing I loved about Earth Fare? They are big on sampling. You can sample anything. Once again, it’s all about the customer. They want you to be happy with what you are buying, so why not make it easier and find out if you like the product in the store before you buy it?

So take a second to examine your own food philosophy. Do you really know where your eats are coming from? Most importantly, is your health paying the price because of hidden artificial ingredients? Earth Fare’s page, Be Inspired, is a space occupied with stories of lives forever changed with the help of Earth Fare and eating naturally. So maybe it’s time for all of us to be inspired. Make your next grocery trip to Earth Fare or join on Thursday nights between 4-8 PM for Family Dinner night, where up to six kids eat free with the purchase of one adult meal. Experience the difference. Observe that you can eat healthy without sacrificing taste or robbing your wallet. Realize that you deserve the very best—in service, in health, in life.

Earth Fare is open Monday through Saturday 8AM-9PM and Sunday 9AM-9PM.

You can also contact them via phone: 937.436.3556

What I Miss About Dayton

December 13, 2011 By Dayton Most Metro 2 Comments

As part of an ongoing series, DMM is reaching out to some of our friends who’ve moved away from Dayton and asked them to reflect on the things that they miss about our community.

First up is entrepreneur Audrey Buckman, who was truly a pioneer in Dayton retail. She originally had a small store in the Oregon District, then took a bold leap and moved GO HOME! to the corner space in the Cannery three years before the building was transformed into trendy loft apartments. Eventually opening a second store in Centerville, then movied to it’s final location at the Village at Dayton Mall, which closed this fall when Audrey moved when her husband was offered a job in North Carolina. Below please enjoy Audrey’s list of what she misses.

“As I prepared to move away from Dayton after living there for 21 years, I posted one thing per day on my Facebook page that I would miss about Dayton for the final 10 days. Here is my list, in no particular order.”

1. Marions Piazza – A true Dayton classic.

2. Kettering Recreation Center – An absolutely amazing facility. If you have not been recently, it is a must see. The classes, facilities, equipment and staff are top notch.

3. Tank’s Bar – Another Dayton classic that attracts a really diverse crowd. Spent time there watching the OJ Simpson white Bronco chase, had beers from around the world, popped in after the Art Ball for cheese fries with a group all decked out in gowns & tuxedos – and nobody even took a 2nd look.

4. 2nd Street Public Market – Always a good mood booster with friendly faces.

5. Hills & Dales MetroPark – Another amazing facility. Loved walking my dogs through the park. Actually, the entire 5 River MetroParks system is fabulous.

6. City of Dayton 4th of July Fireworks – Was always fortunate enough to watch from The Firefly building rooftop….the best view around!

7. Dorothy Lane Markets‘ umbrella brigade in the Kettering Holiday at Home parade. So much fun!

8. Virtually no traffic and ease of getting around.

9. The creative energy from so many diverse individuals and groups that really care about the Dayton area and making a difference in many ways.

10. Friends, family and familiar faces………so many good people and so many good times! Dayton is an easy place to find your niche and develop great relationships.