Archives for February 2013

Secrets: Why Movie Theater Popcorn Tastes So Good

February 28, 2013 By Dayton937 1 Comment

Buttery Popcorn from Rave Cinemas

A night at the movies can become a Food Adventure. Envision your buttery fingers reaching again and again into a bag of addicting theater popcorn. They charge outrageous prices for it, yet still will buy it. The Big Ragu and Crew took a moment from munching on kernels and reaching for the giant soft drink, to ask : “Why is movie theater popcorn so good?”

We never do things half-baked, so we scoured the 4 major cinemas in the Dayton area to get to the bottom of this mystery. Our investigation took us to the popcorn making experts at The Neon Movies, Danbarry Dollar Saver, Regal Cinemas and Rave Cinemas. Our findings lead us to some differing opinions.

Let’s start with a local icon, The Neon Movies’ explanation of why their popcorn is so good. They say the secret is in the canola oil. Popping in canola oil allows for a clean taste and it is a healthier alternative to other oils. Also, The Neon Movies pops their popcorn right before showtimes. They feel this gives them a freshness advantage over other theaters and produces a tastier treat. The prices are cheaper too ! The popcorn here is delicious, and served in round cups or buckets. There is more here than just popcorn. This Food Adventure minded theater, also serves beer, Esther Price chocolates, and specialty coffees. If you have not visited the locally owned Neon Movies, get downtown to the corner of 5th and Stone streets, grab some corn and watch an award-winning movie.

Neon Movies Food Adventure

Danbarry Cinemas also pops their popcorn in canola oil. But Danbarry’s management feels the secret is in the buttery topping. The staff uses these buttery topping machines to shower a glistening coating onto moviegoers’ popcorn. Definitely something you don’t have at home. This dollar saver theater near the Dayton Mall has great popcorn and even better movie prices. Their “Bargain Tuesdays” offer tickets at the insane low price of $1.75. Any other day, admission is $3. Sure the movies are a few weeks old, but what a deal! Also, don’t forget to take advantage of free refills of any large popcorn or soft drink.

Regal Cinemas had another take on the mystery. Their local management said the secret is the use of coconut/canola popping oil. No other cinemas use this combination. They claim this mix of oil gives a base flavor that is unmatched anywhere else. They also say their particular brand of buttery topping is key. It is different from anything one would use at home or in any other cinema for that matter. Regal’s employees also felt the “butter salt” adds a great finish to the masterpiece in a bag. These cinemas, located near the Fairfield Commons Mall, feature tiered stadium seating in a 20 theater complex. What a great way to enjoy a huge bag of popped goodness. Again, go large and get free refills!

Rave Cinemas on Mall Woods Drive and at The Greene would tell you the secret is how they cook the popcorn. Rave actually cooks their popcorn in an oil and butter salt mixture. This unique method is what they claim gives their popcorn a tremendous flavor. The reasoning is, that by adding the buttery salt to the oil before popping, the seasoning ends up perfect. so at Rave, it is all in the preparation. Rave is yet another cinema that offers free refills for any large popcorn or large drink purchase. So make sure you share as it helps keep the cost down. Also worth mentioning is the “self serve” flavored salt station. There is also a “self serve” buttery topping machine at Rave Cinemas. The Big Ragu practically uses this as a drinking fountain.

The Big Ragu abusing the self serve butter machine

In conclusion, we were surprised to find that the secret is not the type of popcorn cinemas use. We were also surprised that the secret is not the popping machine itself. Why does movie theater popcorn taste so good? It seems the style of preparation, particularly oil and seasonings is the answer to this mystery. Each theater not only had an answer for why theater popcorn was so good, but they also answered why their particular product was better than other cinemas. So next time you you are at a movie, grabbing a handful of buttery popcorn dashed with salt, share the mystery with your seated friend. Smile as you reach for a swig of soda to wash it all down. You may not know the ending of the movie, but you know the origins of that great popcorn taste.

Post a comment below to weigh-in on which theater popcorn is your favorite and why you think it is so good. Follow Food Adventures on TWITTER HERE

Also, “like” Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking HERE !

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Downtown Dayton’s First Friday Features Derby & Dresses, Tiki Show, Arts Potluck & Demos, Flood Walk

February 28, 2013 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Brim is hosting a fashion show featuring Kentucky Derby hats and one-of-a-kind dresses by Tracy McElfresh of Sew Dayton. The models will walk at 6 and 8 p.m. and coffee will be provided by Ghostlight Coffee. Clash Consignments is hosting a Tiki Show that will feature Liz Dearth of Artifact Pottery as artist of the month, along with work by Greg Dearth, Scott Kustowski, Skull 13 and others. Eric Heilman and Rob Hale will provide rockabilly, surf, psychobilly and punk music throughout the evening.

Several art galleries and other venues will host special events this month. Blue Sky Gallery will host a closing reception for “Your Turn,” a collaborative exhibit, by Francis Schanberger and his wife, Bridgette Bogle, who have organized an arts potluck. Instead of bringing food, bring an example of something that inspires you — such as music, video, magazine clippings or books — to share. Dayton Visual Arts Center is opening new exhibit, “The Cline Show.” In memory of Barbara C. Cline and her dedication to student artists, this exhibit features works in all media produced by local students from Wright State University, the University of Dayton, Central State University and Sinclair Community College. Grass Roots Enrichment and Wellness Center will feature paintings by artist of the month Annica Damico. Hands-on activities for children and a free introduction to Reiki and chair massage also will be offered. Bring your favorite wine bottle to “Functional Art “at the CADC. Christy Jennewein will demo wine bottle painting. The Yellow Cab Building is hosting Dollar Holler, a free event to sell and buy — for only $1 —handmade, vintage, and arts and crafts supplies. Items at past events include vintage home décor and fabric, beads, and original art and prints. Donations will be accepted to support the 2013 Dayton Sideshow arts event.

This First Friday also offers outdoor events. The Courteous Mass Ride will host its monthly cycling expedition throughout the city. Bikers meet at 5:30 p.m. in front of Fifth Third Field. The Great Dayton Flood Walk starts at 7p.m. and is $10 per person. The tour allows guests to view vintage photos of the great flood, visit buildings that made it through the flood, see high-water marks from 1913 and much more. Call 274-4749 or email [email protected] for required reservation and meeting location.

First Friday includes sales and special event at retail shops, discounts at restaurants, special events, live music, and more. A complete list of what downtown businesses have on tap for First Friday is available on the DDP website. First Friday is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership with support from the Oregon District Business Association, the Ohio Arts Council and WYSO-FM 91.3.

The Downtown Dayton Partnership’s website has a complete list of downtown’s arts and cultural amenities, as well as a dining guide, parking map and much more. Download the Find It Downtown mobile search tool for smartphones at http://mobile.downtowndayton.org.

Awesome Audra: A Chat with Audra McDonald

February 28, 2013 By Russell Florence, Jr. Leave a Comment

Luminous soprano and Broadway sensation Audra McDonald, one of the finest actresses/vocalists of her generation, will be in concert Friday, March 1 in celebration of the Schuster Center’s 10th anniversary. McDonald, 42, has received five Tony Awards for her outstanding work in “Carousel,” “Master Class,” “Ragtime,” “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Porgy and Bess.” She has also been nominated for her splendid performances in “Marie Christine” and “110 in the Shade,” and memorably appeared in Lincoln Center Theater’s production of “Henry IV” and the Public Theater’s “Twelfth Night.” In addition to portraying Dr. Naomi Bennett on ABC’s “Private Practice” for four seasons, she has been featured in television adaptations of “A Raisin in the Sun,” “Annie” and “Wit,” receiving an Emmy nomination for the latter. She also won two Grammy Awards for “Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny.”

In advance of her highly anticipated concert, accompanied by the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time since 2005, the very engaging McDonald discussed her distinguished career and future plans.

Q: On Feb. 11 you were honored by the Drama League for your contributions to Broadway. How did it feel to be saluted in such a grand fashion by so many of your colleagues?

A: It was amazing! I wept, laughed and screamed the entire evening. To see people I love, people I adore, people I’ve worked with, people I want to work with attending the event was really overwhelming.

Q: When you reflect on your legacy, particularly your multiple Tony victories and nominations, does it seem like a blur? What does it all mean to you at this point in your career?

A: It does seem like a blur. When you’re in a show, your mind is on the show and you’re living another life on stage. Then the Tonys come, it happens, and then it’s gone. You’re a pumpkin again. But when I accumulate it all it feels like a big, fantastic blur. The biggest memories I have of the Tonys is the emotions of how it all felt. And at the end of it, you still have to go on with your daily life.

Q: But when you look at your hardware, your five Tonys, does it give you greater motivation? You could certainly win five more Tonys in the future.

A: I’m not done yet. There is still more theater I want to do. I don’t ever pursue projects looking for Tonys, but this is what I’ve wanted to do since I was 9 years old. For me, it’s all about looking for the next challenge. For me, the Tonys represent an incredible honor and something for me to be grateful for, but also something that reminds me that I’m lucky to do what I love and I must continue to grow, give back, and continue to live in the world that is theater.

Q: Assessing your many roles, which character or characters were the most challenging?
A: Without a doubt, it would be Bess, particularly in terms of stamina. To be able to sustain the performance and make that journey eight times a week was the most challenging. The hardest character to grasp was Ruth in “A Raisin in the Sun.” I had a hard time succumbing to her sadness and world-weariness.

Q: Do you have any dream roles? Are there roles you haven’t tackled that you would like to pursue?
A: I would like to do more Shakespeare, particularly playing Cleopatra in “Antony and Cleopatra.” As far as musical theater, as long as a role scares me, challenges me, I’m completely open to whatever comes along.

Q: Would you consider starring in another Michael John LaChuisa (“Marie Christine”) musical?

A: Of course. There is some stuff in the pipeline with him. He’s such a prolific writer.

Q: Are there any directors or performers you would like to work with that you haven’t yet?

A: I would like to work with Bartlett Sher (“The Light in the Piazza”), who has been doing fantastic work, as well as Joe Mantello (“Wicked”). I would also like to work with Dan Sullivan (“Twelfth Night”), Lonny Price (“110 In the Shade”), Diane Paulus (“Porgy and Bess”) and Kenny Leon (“A Raisin in the Sun”) again. All of them are directors I admire greatly.

Q: Would you ever consider directing or producing?

A: Maybe directing, but I need to build my confidence. I just started teaching some master classes and really felt quite challenged and fulfilled by it. I would not count out directing in the future.

Q: What are your views on the current state of Broadway? Are improvements needed? What shows are you recommending to friends?

A: I think it’s a very fertile time on Broadway. For a while it seemed as if Broadway was only for superstars and “face projects.” But I feel there is a lot of good stuff out there that isn’t necessarily a star vehicle. For instance, “Once,” which is a tiny little show which had some recognition from the movie but it didn’t have stars in it and took Broadway by storm. There’s room for all of the above, but as long as there are new musicals being produced, and Broadway continues to replenish and nurture, I’m happy.

Q: You have been a trailblazer for non-traditional casting from Broadway to television. Would you like to see more non-traditional casting implemented?

A: Always. I understand that in some cases, like historical pieces, it doesn’t work, but whenever it can be utilized it’s a great thing.

Q: I remember many years ago you were being considered to star in a Broadway revival of “My Fair Lady.”

A: Yes, but some things come into fruition and some things don’t. And now I’m too old!

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Q: What words of advice do you have for aspiring performers?

A: Always say yes to your artistic instincts. Don’t ever say no to yourself. If you think there’s a role you can play go out and audition for it, work on it, study it. There will be enough people in the business that will say no to you. You cannot be one of those people. Also, I’d advise anyone to get on stage anywhere. It doesn’t have to be on Broadway, but your local church or dinner theater. Get used to being in front of a live audience, which is an experience that is the same as being on Broadway or in your school musical. The dynamic is the same and very important.

Q: You are currently working on your fifth studio album released by Nonesuch Records. What should your fans expect this time around? Will it be musical theater-heavy or are you aiming for more eclectic selections?
A: The new album will have more full-throated singing. It will be Audra full-throttle! My last album was a bit more contemplative, but the new album will have some wonderful older songs, newer songs, and songs from composers I just haven’t sung a lot of like Kander and Ebb.

Q: It’s wonderful to know you will be appearing once more in Dayton at the Schuster Center. What will your program consist of?

A: It’s going to be an eclectic mix, but it’s always nice when you can take advantage of performing with an entire orchestra, which is the case in Dayton. I’ll be singing songs by Stephen Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Bock and Harnick, Kander and Ebb, Leslie Bricusse, and Henry Mancini among others. It’s going to be a great concert.

A gala concert starring Audra McDonald will be presented Friday, March 1 at 8 p.m. at the Schuster Center, Second and Main Streets., Dayton. Tickets are $40-$90. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com.

AMOUR and QUARTET Continue Successful Runs at THE NEON!

February 27, 2013 By Jonathan McNeal Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone,

Thank you! We had another great weekend. We truly appreciate your patronage and all the good word-of-mouth recommendations you’ve been giving regarding our films. QUARTET continues to be a big hit for us – it will stick around. Though numbers for the Oscar-winning AMOUR have fallen, it will stay for one more week (hurry down if you need to see it…many of our patrons agree that Emmanuelle Riva should have taken home the Oscar this Sunday). Remaining showtimes for this week are at www.neonmovies.com.

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Though attendance was down for this year’s Oscar Party (we think some folks made other plans since we’ve been so busy in past years…and we realize there are lots of other options), we had a great time! Thanks so much to everyone who came…and Special Thanks to ThinkTV and Square One Salon & Spa for helping to make the night a success!

“This evening, February 28 at 7:30, Peace on Fifth brings you movie #2 in their series about human trafficking and exploitation. HALF THE SKY, based on the book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Dunn, takes you on a journey from oppression to opportunity. Because this film focuses on the oppression of women, we will explore the direct links of oppression of women and the growth of human trafficking locally and abroad during our after-movie discussion. This screening is sponsored in part by Gallery 510, Loretta Puncer.” (taken from press notes) Advanced tickets (before the day of the event) are only available at Peace on Fifth for $8.50 each (Peace On Fifth is located at 508 E. 5th Street in the Oregon District). Tickets on the day of the screening will be at THE NEON for $10 each.

Omari Matlock, a former Daytonian, will premiere his latest film – DESCENT OF A SUPERSTAR – this Saturday, March 2 at Noon. “When money power and fame is not enough, a young pop star turns to habits put in place by dark spirits.” A minimum donation of $10 is required for each ticket. Each ticket includes admission to the film and to the After Party/Networking event at Therapy Cafe at 3:00 (be sure to bring head shots, demo reels & resumes to this event if you are in or aspiring to be in the entertainment industry). Visit the facebook page for this film by clicking this LINK. Tickets are available at our box office.

Next week, we will share the line-up for this year’s Dayton Jewish International Film Festival and a few other special events on the horizon.

We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Fri. March 1 – Thur, March 7:

QUARTET (PG-13) 1 Hr 38 Min.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40
Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30

AMOUR (PG-13) 2 Hrs 7 Min.
Friday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30
Saturday: 4:00, 7:00, 9:30
Sunday: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 2:30, 5:15, 8:00

DESCENT OF A SUPERSTAR (NR) 30 Min + Discussion
Saturday: Noon

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative. Many of these dates will change.
In some rare cases, titles may disappear.

March 8 – EMPEROR
March 15 – WEST OF MEMPHIS
March 22 – STOKER
March 29 – THE GATEKEEPERS
April 5 – ON THE ROAD
April 12 – NO
April ? – A PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
April 26 – STARBUCK
May ? – TO THE WONDER

Jazz Spotlight: Randy Fankell + Upcoming Jazz Feb. 27 – Mar. 12

February 27, 2013 By Ron Gable Leave a Comment

Happy February 27th; Jazz saxophonist Dexter Gordon was born on this day in 1923, he was among the earliest tenor players to adapt the bebop musical language of people like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie. Click here for more information.

Who is Randy Fankell:

I have known and followed Randy Fankell for many years and to this day, he is one of my favorite jazz drummers.

Randy has played drums for more than four decades, making his professional debut at 18 years of age with the Steve Adams Blues Band. Following a brief stint in college, Randy opted for education “on the road” spending the 70’s and part of the 80’s traveling and performing with a variety of bands and show groups. Traveling throughout the U.S. and Canada included working in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Chicago, and many other major venues. Randy has also performed in Aruba, Norway, Finland and Germany.

In the mid-80’s, Randy settled in Dayton, OH and started to pursue his real love in music – Jazz. Randy has performed with an array of artists such as Grammy-Winning composer, pianist and recording artist Bill Cunliff, and master bassist, the late great Dave Carpenter whose credits include Buddy Rich and Peter Erskine. Randy also played with recording artist Randy Villars, Tony Monaco and Doug Simon (Jack McDuff). From 2003 to 2010 Randy was the house drummer at The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Dayton, OH, performing with a variety of artists.

After years of professional musicianship as a ‘sideman’, Randy has moved into the leadership role with the Randy Fankell Jazz Trio/Quartet and has had numerous performances in local venues to include Wright State University and The Crowne Plaza Hotel, downtown Dayton.
Upcoming events:

The next scheduled event is on Saturday, March 23, from 7 – 10pm at the top of Dayton’s Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 33 E Fifth Street, in their newly remodeled View 162 Room.

Jazz Calendar

Here are some (not all) of the upcoming jazz events for the next couple of weeks:

Tonight Wednesday, February 27 – Arnold’s Bar & Grill presents Todd Hepburn in Cincinnati and you can Swing Dance with Lizz & Rex Review at the Dayton Event Connection.
Thursday February 28 – The Weekend of Jazz kicks off with the Beavercreek Schools free concert at their high school in Beavercreek.
Friday March 1 – The Weekend of Jazz continues with Jeff Coffin and the Mu’Tet in Beavercreek and the Cohesion Jazz Ensemble plays the Thompson House in Newport, Ky.
Saturday March 2 – The Weekend of Jazz holds their all day High School Jazz Band playoffs and presents Ramsey Lewis as the grand finale.
Sunday March 3 – a Live Jazz Party produced by Gene Walker will be at the Hunan Gourmet Restaurant in Whitehall and the Jam Session w/ Kenny Baccus is at Dayton’s Jazz Central.
Monday February 4 – a Jazz Jam hosted by Sandy Suskind Quartet is at the Blue Wisp in Cincinnati and Vaughn Wiester’s Famous Jazz Orchestra is at the Clintonville Woman’s Club in Columbus.
Tuesday March 5 – the JD Allen Band is at the Blue Wisp in Cincinnati and the Part St. Tavern Jazz Jam continues in Columbus.
Wednesday March 6 – Boudin’s Bistro & Jazz Club presents a Jam Session with Fo/Mo/Deep and Ricky Nye & Rob Lumbard are at Chez Nora in Covington, KY.
Thursday March 7 – the Jazz Central Big Band returns to Jazz Central in Dayton and Rick Brunetto Big Band is at The 94th Aero Squadron Restaurant in Columbus.
Friday March 8 – Shawn Stanley Trio is at Carvers Steaks & Chops in Centerville, OH and Phil DeGreg Quartet is at the Thompson House in Newport, Ky.
Saturday March 9 – C’est Tout Bistro in Oakwood presents James & Moore and Andrew Waters – Smooth Jazz is at the Eastern Palace Restaurant in Columbus.
Sunday March 10 – Art Gore and Friends is at the MidPointe Library in Middletown and there’s at Jazz Jam at Victory’s in Columbus..
Monday March 11 – John Taylor Trio is at the Brio Tuscan Grille in Beavercreek and Mark Flugge, Derek Dicenzo & Jimmy Castoe are at Due Amici in Columbus.
Tuesday March 12 – Ed Moss & the Society Jazz Orchestra are at the Schwartz Point Jazz Club and Jazz Cab is at The Greenwich both in Cincinnati.

More info and jazz listings can be found at JazzAdvocate.com

Seven Years in Mexico – The Kahlua Story

February 27, 2013 By Brian Petro Leave a Comment

Ready and waiting for National Kahlua Day.

What were you doing in 2006? It was not an incredibly memorable year overall, but some major events happened. It started off with the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Italy had a big year that year, also beating France in the World Cup 5-3. The St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Heat, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Hurricanes all took the championships in their respective sports. The Oscar that year went to Crash and the Grammy for Album of the Year was U2’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The population of the United States hit 300 million in population that year as well. It was not all fun and games that year, though. Poor Pluto lost its planetary status that year, and Western Union sent its last telegram. YouTube played its last video independently that year, as it was bought by Google. James Brown, Steve Irwin, Don Knotts, Lou Rawls, and Coretta Scott King all passed away that year as well. But to end it on a good note, gas prices were only $2.59 on average for the whole year.

Why do events that happened seven years ago matter in a column that is about cocktails and liquor? Seven years ago some coffee beans and sugar cane, growing side by side, began a journey that would lead them to become a bottle of coffee liqueur better known of Kahlua. The coffee plant is what takes the longest time to grow, taking up to seven years for the Arabica coffee plant to reach maturity and produce coffee cherries. After the coffee is harvested, the beans are removed from the cherry and dried for at least six months before roasting, to get the proper flavor. While the coffee is being prepared, the neighboring sugar cane (which matures much faster) is being crushed so the juice can be collected and fermented; similar to how rum is created. When coffee is roasted and the sugar cane juice is fermented, the two are blended together with some caramel and vanilla flavors to create the second most distinct liquor to come out of Mexico.

The company celebrated its Mexican heritage all through its growth. The flirting began in Veracruz, in the south of Mexico on the Gulf. In 1930 the Alvarez brothers offered their premium coffee to a local man experimenting with making spirits. Things became serious in 1936, when the spirit was created and started to be sold. Its popularity blossomed over the next few decades, the final marriage of all the ingredients coming to fruition in 1962 before taking off in the United States through the mid 1960’s.The explosive growth in North America spawned multiple pretenders to the throne including lower quality versions like Kapali, Kamora, Copa De Oro, and deKuyper’s Crème de Café. Some well known coffee brands, like Starbucks and illy, also tried to get into the coffee liqueur game. Patron makes their XO Café, which is a blend of tequila and coffee. It is made in the same manner as Kahlua, but the tequila changes the flavor profile a bit. As many imitators as there are, there ain’t nothing like the real thing.

Rich and delicious, espresso martinis are a nice after dinner cocktail.

Kahlua (meaning “House of the Acolhua people” in Nahuatl) has maintained its 20% ABV and slight caffeine content (about 1/10^th of what a cup of coffee has) throughout its history. It has branched out into new flavors as the years have passed. They offer the original coffee flavor, as well as a more intense (and higher proof) Especial. On top of the Especial, they also have a 35% ABV Midnight, the strongest liqueur they have in their line. Staying close to the coffee flavor theme, they also offer Mocha, adding a hint of chocolate to the coffee, and a special holiday Peppermint Mocha. To round out their flavor offerings they have Hazelnut, French Vanilla, and Cinnamon Spice. Kahlua, and all of its many flavors, are sipped nicely on the rocks. So nicely, in fact, that one of the first mainstream cocktails made with Kahlua was the Black Russian, using two parts of vodka with the Kahlua over ice. A simple addition of cream or milk will make a White Russian, made famous in The Big Lebowski. It is also a key ingredient in any version of the Espresso Martini. It is prominently featured in shots like the Baby Guinness and B-52. Of course, it also goes very well in a nice cup of coffee.

February 27^th is National Kahlua Day, and the coffee that was planted in 2006 is now sitting in bottles, waiting to be enjoyed. There are plenty of cocktails you can try with this sweet coffee liqueur, or just enjoy it on the rocks. As an Ohioan you get an added benefit: Kahlua can be sold on our great state at 21.5%, slightly higher than the rest of the world. Just another thing to celebrate today! Cheers!

Grapes of Gratitude to benefit local nonprofits!

February 26, 2013 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Competitive wine tasting comes to the Miami Valley this Thursday, Feb 28th at 6pm. Grapes of Gratitude is a team wine tasting event created to allow local nonprofits to raise money while participants blindly taste an array of wines of the same varietal.

Groups of 1 -3 people form a team and each team brings 3 of the exact same bottles of wine to be tasted. The first varietal chosen to showcase will be Cabernet Sauvignon. To participate your team will bring 3 identical bottles of a Cabernet Sauvignon to the event.

When your team arrives at the Dayton Grand Hotel for the event, you’ll check in your wine. The first two bottles are bagged and tagged for tasting. The third bottle is set aside to form the prizes for the winning teams. Guests taste all the wines while enjoying appetizers and rate the wines.

The team that brings the highest ranked wine will take home two thirds of the 3rd bottles, the 2nd place team take home one third of the prize wine adn the team that brought the lowest ranked wine get to take home the extra bottle of their own wine! If 2 or more teams bring the same wine, rankings can still differ depending upon the temperature of the wine, how long it has been open, etc.

So grab some friends and get your team together and buy your tickets now! Your $10 advance ticket ($15 at the door) will benefit the Associate Board of AIDS Resource Center Ohio for this first Grapes of Gratitude event. Grapes of Gratitude will repeat every other month, and the charity partner will rotate for each tasting. If you’d like to submit your nonprofit to be a partner for a future tasting event, please send us an email.

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2013

Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Address: Dayton Grand Hotel 11 S. Ludlow St. Dayton, OH 45402
Parking in the hotel garage is free

If you’d like to attend this event you can purchase tickets online.

Dayton ReInvention Stories – Using Radio, Film and Web to tell stories about starting over…

February 25, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Dayton’s own Academy Award nominated, Emmy winning filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar announce the launch of REINVENTION STORIES – a multiplatform documentary project which tells stories of Daytonians who have started over in their lives.

A groundbreaking interactive documentary, created solely for the internet, will launch on February 26, 2013, at www.reinventionstories.org. This immersive interactive experience, a collaboration with WYSO 91.3 FM, will introduce stories, photos, events, neighborhoods and people from throughout the Miami Valley, in an engaging form.

“Creating an interactive documentary has been a wild ride,” notes Julia Reichert. “We’re doing something brand new, by creating a nonfiction film experience specifically for the web. It’s been scary and fun and we’ve learned a ton. There are very few documentary projects in the world that have been created in this new form. There’s not even word for it – we’re calling it a “transmedia” documentary.”

The Sundance Institute recently awarded ReInvention Stories a production grant, to help with programming the complex web site. “We’re so honored that this local project is getting such national attention,” notes WYSO General Manager Neenah Ellis, who launched the project by urging Reichert and Bognar to apply for a national competition.

ReInvention Stories one of only ten projects to win a major grant from AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio, a national organization of radio producers based in Boston. Other cities to receive the grants include Los Angeles, Chicago, Austin and San Francisco. “Dayton is one of only two small cities to receive this big project funding . We’re proud to have been so competitive on a national scale,” adds Steven Bognar.

A series of radio stories based on the project interviews began airing weekly on WYSO on Wednesdays during Morning Edition. Each radio story is accompanied by a short film on the WYSO website, www.wyso.org. There have been film and radio stories of the Fifth Street Brewpub in St Anne’s Hill, Pat Reed of Angie’s Firehouse Tavern in Belmont, former GM worker Debbie Bradley of Fairborn who is now a Registered Nurse, Oronde Clarke of South Park, Kevin Rotramel of Truth and Triumph Tattoo in Belmont, among others (see all videos below). Upcoming is Kim Cottrell, creator of Olive and Brenda DeWinter of South Park, and many more.

A team of producers, including WYSO staff, alumni of Wright State University’s award winning film program, and WYSO’s Community Voices radio training program, hit the streets last summer, walking neighborhoods, collecting stories. “We wanted to get out of our comfort zones,” explains Julia Reichert. “We didn’t want to interview people who we already knew, or even use the usual journalistic sources. So we trusted to luck and fate, and we met amazing people from all over town.”

The team focused on four Dayton neighborhoods, Twin Towers, Residence Park, South Park and Belmont, but also covered dozens of events and reinvention stories from Fairborn, St. Anne’s Hill, Clayton, East Dayton and Kettering, among others.

The transmedia documentary will launch in three parts, following the structure of the interview questions the team posed: Who was I? What happened? Who am I trying to become?

Act 1 of the stories will launch on February 26, Act 2 on March 19 and Act 3 on April 9^th at www.reinventionstories.org and can also be found at the WYSO website: WYSO.org.

ReInvention Stories is part of a national initiative of AIR, the Association of Independents in Radio, Inc and with financial support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting , The Wyncote Foundation, the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Regional funders include Chicken and Egg Pictures, The Ohio Arts Council, The Yellow Springs Community Foundation and Wright State University’s Center for Collaboration and Leadership in the Arts (CELIA).

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Alrosa Villa Amplifies Awareness for Autism/TS with Jasmine Cain.

February 24, 2013 By Mike Ritchie Leave a Comment

Writer’s note: my personal thanks and gratitude to the Cautela’s and the Make It Fit Foundation for tonight’s event as I was diagnosed with TS in grade school.

Saturday February 9th the Alrosa Villa in cooperation with the Make It Fit Foundation held the Amplified Awareness benefit fundraiser for children with Autism and Tourette Syndrome. The evening’s entertainment all volunteering their time and talent included Loboz, Fat Dog and the hot rod riding Jasmine Cain.

Event sponsors included Beckners Costum Cycles, QFM 96, Iron Brothers of Ohio and Boyd’s Goodyear. QFM’s Sue Leighton was there to help MC the event introducing the evenings host and organizer Make It Fit founder Mike Hoover. Fans from 8 different states made the trip for tonight’s show.

Loboz

Loboz opened cranking out 90 minutes of smooth flowing blues rock paying tribute to the classics and respect to some of music’s most beloved fallen heroes. Beginning with a Chris Duarte female friendly tune and the long bearded boys from Houston say Thank You. They get a little funky with The James Gang and play some sexy Latino attitude for Mamacita. They get original playing a namesake tune from their upcoming CD because somewhere Between Hell and Home you’ve Got to Groove into a swinging night taking the lady out on the town, showing her just how special she really is. If She Came in Through the Bathroom Window around dawn you know it was a good time. They set aside their bikes in favor of a red corvette traveling back to the 80’s with the roof down basking in the Purple Rain. We go to Chi-Town with the fuzzy guitar twirling eliminators hanging out on a bus with Jesus. Then Walk the Dog with the toxic twins of Boston and Scrawl with Mr. Duarte again. Though they’re opening tonight’s show they’re The King Bees playing the blues like they’ve lived the stories of seasoned headliners. But they haven’t ‘weathered’ as many storms as Mr. Vaughan… yet. They might look like the average white blues band but they definitely put some electric gypsy voodoo into their show.

Fat Dog

Fat Dog breaks open the Pearl Jam with an Evenflow of multiple genre gems and classics combined with a Cold Crossfade of collective collectibles that went over cool with the crowd. We get a little dark, deep and introspective with Tool, wait Everlong with Dave Grohl and enlist the crash and burn Bad Company of Johnny. Time for a Journey back in time with some friends from the 80’s Anyway You Want It and a trip to the summer skies of Boston along the way. From Boston to the hair-sprayed dusty old western streets of New Jersey washed in a synthesizer wave of 80’s pop metal where it’s all the same, only the songs change. From the six string streets we go deep in the trenches with The Rooster then Ramble On with Zeppelin. Bassist Nathan Hartley shows off his pipes telling us about love then we get Hot For Teacher and those wonderful grade school memories. They throw out a ‘colourful’ tongue and cheek claim of ownership on the next tune then bust into CM Punk’s favorite theme song. The Good Times, Bad Times keep rolling then everything gets Disturbed by the The Police. The end of the show was a clear Schism of band and crowd. All the pieces fit during the show then they walked off stage.

Straight from the gas guzzling hog wild town of Sturgis comes the raven haired, leather and lace queen of the open road Miss Jasmine Cain. Here to smash your face with a few shots of Jager and a show of originals and covers you’ll want to remember, planting a pretty image in your mind you won’t want to forget. Till the early hours of the morning she weaves her headbanging gothic spell, thrashing out like a mad woman banging out deep soothing, thumping bass lines with attitude and you should hear her scream. Her sound created by red rimmed top hat keyboard playing insanest David Michael Thomas along with her own special traveling band combines the heart of country, the rebel in rock, the dark sinister side of metal with an atmospheric horror movie blend that raises holy Cain.

Jasmine Cain

She blasts into the enchanting nocturnal song of the Nightingale spreading delusional fantasies of hopes and dreams drowned in the wishing well. She breathes out the ice cold embrace of Frostbite then takes us face down in a liquid dream with a Whiskey Kiss. We go back to 1995, a great year to learn to drive and ride officially starting the mileage of life. The engines roar, gasoline and oil burn as we hear the hog-lovers lullaby as she travels down that endless gypsy road the Highway Prophet. She’s a road wise woman with hard living stories spiced with a sweet country slap. An acoustic version was played on QFM’s Arch & Elliot Show the previous morning followed by an appearance at the Columbus Easyrider show. She’s a pretty haunted gothic princess moving under the Evanescence of scattered spotlights, adding her own satin locked touch to Miss Lee’s opus. We get Zombified with a Thunderkiss 30 years before ’95. Whether it’s the whiskey or the past the witching hour, hour talking she’s still got some devil in her lungs proving good loud heavy music is still the ‘international colors’ of the two wheeled roaring beasts. Enter night as the sandman takes over for the Nightingale spreading wicked dreams turning front stage Alrosa into the snakepit. With a cold winter’s moon above Cain is definitely of wolf and woman (and a bit of a Dreamweaver in her own right).

The organ blasted out The Phantoms welcome as the Abbey’s creaky gates opened to a Lady Cain guided tour of Mr. Crowley’s house. Bats on the left, doves on the right, don’t expect to leave tonight. We all yell Hey Man Nice Shot as the drinks pour, she lets out a sensual roar and we keep feeling More Human Than Human. She sings like she’d have your back in a bar fight and flings her bass around playing like she’s its scorned lover. It was time for old Ozzy vs. new Ozzy. It’s just a hand in the bush. Tonight was their first show since November and they’ve had plenty of time to make us their Audioslave. Jasmine reminds us that Life is Beautiful and we’re all the Beautiful People, the beautiful people, in it. She gives us a little bit of a ‘sappy’ Love Song then harnesses the energy to Rage Against the Machine.

As part of the fundraiser, a guitar signed by all performing band members was raffled and won by Derek of Ohio’s Number #1 Biker Magazine Thunder Roads Ohio. After a loudly encouraged encore we got a small slice of Americana from The Boss then saving the enchanting White Winged Dove for the last mesmerizing soulful seduction.

Jasmine Cain has come a long way since being the house band for the Full Throttle Saloon back in 2000. She released her debut album The Inside and title track video in 2004 (wins 2 JPF awards in ’06). Videos for Sweet Euphoria and Help Me are released in ’05. Headlines Easyrider shows three years in a row starting in ’07, releases Locks & Keys in ’08 winning 6 JPF awards for it in ’09 and releases Highway Prophet in 2011 winning Female Rock Vocalist of the year award at the first annual Music City Mayhem Awards. Last year the Highway Prophet video was released and they were nominated for three MCMA awards.

The Make It Fit foundation has spearheaded its push for Autism awareness since November 2011. They’ve worked with professional athletes from MMA, football and baseball also appearing at the Arnold Classic and Mr. Olympia 2011 and 12. They’ve donated to numerous charities including Autism Speaks, The Autism Society of Ohio, Cookies for Ipads, Recreation Unlimited, Oakstone Academy and several more. They’ve also partnered with the owners of White Castle who donated 10 million dollars to further Autism research and also donated to Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in a joint venture called The Ingram Autism Research Center. Make It Fit will also be donating to The Ingram Center this year and to the Tourette Syndrome Society of Ohio, tsaohio.org. An Autism Motorcycle was built by Kip Meeks and Mark Beckner of Beckners Custom Cycles painted by Steve ‘Copperhead’ Stritenberger and taken to conventions/fundraisers/Easyrider shows, viewed by millions and auctioned off last year. The annual Ohio Ride for Autism will roar through Columbus on July 27 and The All About Autism Car Truck and Motorcycle show will be on August 17. The Alrosa Villa hopes to make Amplified Awareness an annual event.

Autism is described as a neural disorder affecting mental, emotional development resulting in impaired social interaction, communication and repetitive behavior. It is one of three disorders in the autism spectrum (ASDs) the other’s being Asperger Syndrome which lacks delays in cognitive/linguistic development but greatly affects social behavior. Pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) is diagnosed when the whole set of criteria for the other two aren’t met. Autism has a strong genetic base and signs are noticed within the first two years of life. Movies with autistic characters include The Boy Who Could Fly, Rain Man, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Bless the Child and Mercury Rising and on TV’s Parenthood, Grey’s Anatomy, House, Law &Order Criminal Minds, The Shield and most recently Touch.

Tourette Syndrome is an inherited mental disorder onset in childhood characterized by multiple physical (motor) and vocal (phonic) tics that come and go and can be temporary suppressed occurring from an oncoming pre-urge. TS is defined as a tic disorder which are sudden, repetitive, body movements, sounds and vocalizations which include sniffing, blinking, facial movements, body jerks and spasms. Audio tics include making noises, involuntary cussing, swearing and other derogatory verbiage, though the tics generally subside with age. TV shows featuring TS characters include Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos and The Tourette Guy with documentaries Twitch and Shout, last year’s Magic Camp and the film short Harvie Krumpet. The 2008 TV movie Front of the Class is based on the real life story of TS diagnosed Brad Cohen who became a gifted teacher. Depending on your sense of humor TS has also been lampooned in Deuce Bigalow and mentioned in The Wedding Singer. Celebrities with TS include Howie Mandel, Howard Hughes and Dan Aykroyd. May 15-June 15 is national TS awareness month.

And The Oscar Goes To…

February 23, 2013 By Russell Florence, Jr. Leave a Comment

During 2012, the 5,856 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences were captivated by such subjects as Abraham Lincoln, a teenager battling a tiger, the Iran hostage crisis, and the postapocalyptic universe of a young girl named Hushpuppy. As the 85th annual Academy Awards beckon, period drama “Lincoln” leads with 12 nominations, but the technically striking “Life of Pi” and popular frontrunner “Argo” are major contenders. As always, anything is possible when winners will be revealed Sunday, February 24 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Here are my predictions in the top six categories.

BEST PICTURE

“Amour”; “Argo”; “Beasts of the Southern Wild”; “Django Unchained”; “Les Miserables”; “Life of Pi”; “Lincoln”; “Silver Linings Playbook”; “Zero Dark Thirty”

Overlooked: “Anna Karenina”; “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”; “The Dark Knight Rises”; “End of Watch”; “Flight”; “The Hunger Games”; “The Impossible”; “Looper”; “The Master”; “Moonrise Kingdom”; “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”; “Promised Land”; “The Sessions”

Will Win: “Argo”
Should Win: “Lincoln”
Spoiler: “Amour”

I really wish the Academy would return to five nominees here. Still, this slate, deemed the nine best out of 282 eligible films, is uniformly strong nonetheless. “Lincoln” has it all from thought-provoking historical context to cinematic expertise, but Ben Affleck being snubbed for Best Director has shockingly propelled the underdog narrative of “Argo” throughout the award season. However, the intimately sublime “Amour,” a poignant foreign film about an elderly couple shaken by sickness, could garner enough votes from older members of the Academy to surprise everyone when the final envelope of the evening is opened.

BEST DIRECTOR

Michael Haneke, “Amour”
Ang Lee, “Life of Pi”
David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”
Benh Zeitlin, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”

Overlooked: Ben Affleck, “Argo”; Paul Thomas Anderson, “The Master”; Wes Anderson, “Moonrise Kingdom”; Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”; Stephen Chbosky, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”; Tom Hooper, “Les Miserables”; Rian Johnson, “Looper”; Ben Lewin, “The Sessions”; Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight Rises”; Gary Ross, “The Hunger Games”; Ira Sachs, “Keep The Lights On”; Quentin Tarantino, “Django Unchained”; Joe Wright, “Anna Karenina”; Robert Zemeckis, “Flight”

Will Win: Spielberg
Should Win: Lee
Spoiler: Zeitlin

Lee defied the odds by adapting Yann Martel’s challenging novel into a visceral, visual stunner, but Spielberg’s splendidly understated work, which extends to the brilliance of his cast and creative team, will not be ignored. Still, it would be cool to see Zeitlin win for his bold and imaginative indie bayou concoction.

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Miserables”
Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”
Denzel Washington, “Flight”

Overlooked: Jack Black, “Bernie”; Matt Damon, “Promised Land”; Richard Gere, “Arbitrage”; Jake Gyllenhaal, “End of Watch”; John Hawkes, “The Sessions”; Tom Holland, “The Impossible”; Logan Lerman, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”; Matthew McConaughey, “Killer Joe”; Brad Pitt, “Killing Them Softly”; Jean-Louis Trintignant, “Amour”

Will/Should Win: Day-Lewis
Spoiler: Washington

It’s a shame that one of Washington’s most compelling portrayals occurred the same year Day-Lewis inhabited the presidency to astonishing degrees. Day-Lewis will be the first man to win three lead acting Oscars, but I’m glad the powerfully full-throttle Phoenix was remembered for demolishing a toilet with his foot.

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”
Quvenzhané Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”

Overlooked: Marion Cotillard, “Rust and Bone”; Viola Davis, “Won’t Back Down”; Judi Dench, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”; Maggie Gylennhaal, “Won’t Back Down”; Keira Knightley, “Anna Karenina”; Helen Mirren, “Hitchcock”

Will Win: Lawrence
Should Win: Chastain or Riva
Spoiler: Wallis

I’m a huge admirer of Chastain’s superbly nuanced performance but must admit I was blown away by Lawrence, whose magnetic, jaw-dropping range of emotions and innate sex appeal signified her dynamic growth as a formidable leading lady. Even so, Riva’s devastating decline as a former music teacher immobilized by a stroke was an utterly heartbreaking, meticulously skillful feat. And at 86, Riva would become the oldest Oscar winner, which adds to her recent momentum as a sentimental favorite. But foreign language winners are rare. Marion Cotillard was the last to prevail for “La Vie en Rose” in 2008. As so, I’m going with Lawrence but would love to see the adorable, mesmerizing 9-year-old Wallis, the youngest-ever Best Actress nominee, take her rightful place in Oscar history alongside former child winners Tatum O’Neal and Anna Paquin.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin, “Argo,”
Robert De Niro, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”
Christoph Walz, “Django Unchained”

Overlooked: Javier Bardem, “Skyfall”; Kyle Chandler, “Zero Dark Thirty”; Jason Clarke, “Zero Dark Thirty”; Don Cheadle, “Flight”; Bryan Cranston, “Argo”; Benicio Del Toro, “Savages”; Leonardo DiCaprio, “Django Unchained”; John Goodman, “Argo” and “Flight”; Dwight Henry, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”; Samuel L. Jackson, “Django Unchained”; Jude Law, “Anna Karenina”; Matthew McConaughey, “Magic Mike”; Ewan McGregor, “The Impossible”; Ezra Miller, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”; Bill Nighy, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”; Michael Pena, “End of Watch”; Eddie Redmayne, “Les Miserables”; Stanley Tucci, “The Hunger Games”; Tom Wilkinson, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”

Will Win: Jones
Should Win: De Niro or Hoffman
Spoiler: Arkin

The great thing about this highly competitive category is that the losers can return home to the Oscar (or Oscars in De Niro’s case) they already own. Jones’ gravitas and impressive grasp of screenwriter Tony Kushner’s grandiose language gives him the edge over Hoffman’s commanding mastermind and De Niro’s surprisingly tender patriarch. However, watch out for the scene-stealing Arkin benefitting from the “Argo” groundswell even though he basically played a variation of himself again.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams, “The Master”
Sally Field, “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway, “Les Miserables”
Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
Jacki Weaver, “Silver Linings Playbook”

Overlooked: Samantha Barks, “Les Miserables”; Anne Dowd, “Compliance”; Jennifer Ehle, “Zero Dark Thirty”; Carmen Ejogo, “Sparkle”; Maggie Gyllenhaal, “Hysteria”; Salma Hayek, “Savages”; Isabelle Huppert, “Amour”; Kelly MacDonald, “Anna Karenina”; Brit Marling, “Sound of My Voice”; Frances McDormand, “Promised Land”; Susan Sarandon, “Arbitrage” and“Jeff, Who Lives At Home”; Maggie Smith, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”

Will Win: Hathaway
Should Win: Field
Spoiler: Hunt

If Day-Lewis deserves three Oscars so does Field, who absolutely gave one of the finest performances of her career as the feisty, grieving first lady. I also found Hunt at the top of her game after a long absence portraying a kindly sex therapist. Even so, Oscar loves musical theater so look for Hathaway to reign for rediscovering the melancholy beauty within “I Dreamed a Dream.”

The 85th annual Academy Awards, hosted by Seth McFarlane, will be telecast live on ABC Sunday, February 24 at 7 p.m. In related news, The Neon Movies, 130 E. Fifth St. in downtown Dayton, The Little Art Theatre, 247 Xenia Ave. in Yellow Springs, and FilmDayton will host Oscar parties Sunday evening. For information about the Neon’s festivities, call (937) 222-7469 or visit www.neonmovies.com. For Little Art inquiries, call (937) 767-7671 or visit www.littleart.com. For FilmDayton’s festivities, which will be held at The Venue on Third, visit www.filmdayton.com

Rivertown Brewery Wins the “Thrilla in Waynesvilla” at Stone House Tavern

February 22, 2013 By Dayton937 1 Comment

Patrick Clark from Mt Carmel vs Jason Roper from Rivertown: Who has the best brewery ?

A packed house Wednesday night at Stone House Tavern saw Rivertown Brewing Company beat Mt. Carmel Brewing Company by majority decision, 3 rounds to 2. TO SEE THE SCORECARD RESULTS CLICK HERE ! The “Thrilla in Waynesvilla” Food Adventure event was a beer tasting, menu pairing and one of a kind evening. Attendees tasted beers from the two breweries and voted for their favorites as Mt. Carmel and Rivertown slugged it out for the championship and bragging rights.

The breweries went head to head, beer to beer for 5 rounds in front of a crowd of over 60 thirsty judges. The excitement for the “Thrilla in Waynesvilla” had been building for weeks and the event sold out in a few days. The throwdown took place at Stone House Tavern in Waynesville. The night was sponsored by Dayton Most Metro.com and The Food Adventure Crew who are originals, so you know this event was going to be out of the ordinary. “Ring Announcer” Dan Apolito, part owner of Stone House Tavern and Archers Tavern, hosted the event as the emcee.

As the bell rang, the anxious crowd drew to a hush as introductions were made. In this corner, Patrick Clark, manager and marketing guru from Cincinnati’s Mt. Carmel Brewery was ready to present his beers! In the opposing corner, Jason Roeper, owner and brewmaster of Rivertown Brewery in Cincinnati. Hungry Jax was the cornergirl/cutman for Mt. Carmel Brewery, while The Big Ragu with sweat towel in hand, tended to Rivertown’s corner. The action promised to be fast and furious with gulps, sips, hops and barley flying in all directions. Each brewer took time to explain to the crowd why they felt their beer was the best. It was a once in a lifetime chance to taste beer brewed hours ago, by the people who made them. But talk can be cheap, and the judges decisions were made on taste.

Special Guest Ring Girl Aja, kicked off each round

Here is a round by round, blow by blow recap of the THRILLA IN WAYNESVILLA:

ROUND 1 – StoneHouse Tavern delivered a crisp and delicious Salmon Ceasar Salad to the judges and the pouring began. Mt Carmel drew first blood when their Springtime Ale beat Rivertown’s Stonehouse Tavern Hefeweizen. The Springtime Ale was rich and malty, and brewed in the tradition of a Scottish Ale. The Stonehouse Hefeweizen was a worthy opponent brewed with Canadian pale malt and Pacific northwest hops. WINNER : MT.CARMEL

ROUND 2 – The menu sampling continued with Stone House Tavern serving up some Cheddar Burger Sliders. These little delights were topped with bacon, and were a perfect lead-in to the beer tasting. Mt. Carmel took a commanding lead and landed a big blow when their Amber Ale grabbed a victory over Rivertown’s Hop Bomber Pale Ale. The winning brew was deep in color with a smooth, complex flavor. Rivertown’s beer, named after a b-24 bomber had a malty flavor, but fell short in a close vote. WINNER: MT. CARMEL

ROUND 3 – Sweet BBQ Boneless Wings were the food pairing this round from Stone House Tavern’s menu. The tangy bites were served with ranch dipping sauce and satisfied everyone’s alert taste buds. Rivertown scored its first victory of the night in round 3, when the caramel tasting, Munich style, Dunkel Lager won the judges vote. Mt. Carmel’s Nut Brown Ale showed strong promise with hazelnut and maple flavors, but was edged out by the Dunkel. WINNER: RIVERTOWN

ROUND 4 – This round began with one of our favorites, the Blackened Fish Tacos from Stone House Tavern. Flour tortillas, filled with perfectly baked tilapia, cilantro, corn salsa and a spicy baja sauce were paired with 2 IPA’s in this round. Rivertown’s Hop Baron Double Down IPA won the round and evened things up. This impressive beer takes 2 hours to brew and uses four types of hops. It narrowly defeated Mt. Carmel’s India Pale Ale. Mt. Carmel’s entry offered a spicy, pine hop aroma with a beautiful orange color. WINNER: RIVERTOWN

The event featured 5 rounds of beer face-offs paired with 5 menu items like these blackened fish tacos

ROUND 5 – Unbeknownst to the crowd, the score was tied leading into the final round of this throwdown. Each brewing company had won 2 rounds, and the “Thrilla in Waynesvilla” was coming down to the wire! The final menu sampling was a moist, delicious Chocolate Brownie, topped with Raspberry Sauce. It was a perfect complement to the final beers of the night. Mt Carmel offered their Stout beer. It had a slight fruit aroma, with hints of coffee and the color was pitch black. It was toppled, however by Rivertown’s Roebling beer. This beer, brewed with vanilla beans and Peruvian coffee, is named for the Roebling Bridge that connects Cincinnati to Covington, KY. Roebling won the final round for Rivertown thereby securing a victory. WINNER: RIVERTOWN

FINAL DECISION: THE WINNER OF “THE THRILLA IN WAYNESVILLA” by majority decision, is RIVERTOWN BREWING COMPANY !!

When the beer brawl ended, Jason Roeper of Rivertown Brewing Company held the championship belt high above his head. It was a tough battle, and Patrick Clark of Mt. Carmel Brewing Company, was gracious in defeat. The competitors posed for post-fight pictures, and shook hands with the crowd. It was a great night with a unique opportunity to hear from some experts who know their craft. It was also a reminder to buy local and see what Ohio has to offer.

If you missed this event, you missed a lot. The “Thrilla in Waynesvilla” was a huge success. Each attendee received souvenir pint glasses from both Mt Carmel and from Rivertown Brewery. Door prizes included gift certificates to Archer’s Tavern, Olive and Stone House Tavern. Other giveaways were 6 packs of Rivertown Beer, 6 packs of Mt Carmel Beer, t-shirts and hats.

The final round included Rivertown’s Roebling and Mt Carmel’s Stout paired with dessert

The brew battle was heated, and a great time was had by all. Great local beer and delicious menu samples capped a wonderful, SOLD OUT Food Adventure! Again, congratulations to Jason Roeper, owner and brewmaster of Rivertown Brewery. Special thanks to Patrick Clark from Mt. Carmel Brewery, who presented some fantastic beers in the main event. Dan Apolito and Mike Fullenkamp of Stone House Tavern deserve special recognition for hosting the epic showdown with their stellar staff. Even Lisa Grigsby with Dayton Dining was in attendance! We also want to give a shout out to Aja Delaney, our lovely ring girl.

The Big Ragu would like to thank the attendees who judged the contest. We appreciate all of the positive feedback and comments. Food Adventures has been setting the trends for 5 years now, so stay tuned to DaytonMostMetro.com for more original Food Adventures like this in the future. As for the “Thrilla in Waynesvilla,” this tremendous event was a knockout !!

For more Food Adventures, “like” us on Facebook by clicking HERE !

Did you attend the event? Are you a beer connoisseur? Tell us your thoughts on who has the better brews, Mt. Carmel or Rivertown ?? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW !

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Children’s Performing Arts of Miamisburg Presents BROADWAY IN THE ‘BURG + TICKET CONTEST

February 21, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Perhaps Peter Pan can’t fly out the window or Mary Poppins won’t levitate to the roof of the Baum Opera House but Children’s Performing Arts of Miamisburg (CPAM) will be treating audiences to the excitement from these shows during March by presenting Broadway in the ‘Burg.

Broadway in the ‘Burg will include a special selection of show stoppers from many other beloved Broadway shows all wrapped up in one magical evening.

The talented cast will be telling you to Consider Yourself at Home from Oliver, be transported back in time to magical Camelot and ride a train in Iowa to Rock Island from Music Man. Cinderella dances with the Prince in the romantic Ten Minutes Ago and the whole cast will bring you to your feet with the blockbuster title number from Oklahoma! Other treats on the bill will be special selections from Bye Bye Birdie, Bugsy Malone and Rent.

Since, their inception three years ago, Miamisburg’s own childrens’ theater group has thrilled audiences with full length productions of Godspell, The Wizard of Oz and Seussical. Last September, just a few weeks before it opened on Broadway, CPAM presented one of the area’s largest productions of Annie, The Musical which featured the fun and excitement of 22 orphans on the stage of the Baum Opera House at the same time.

Topping off the evening will be a sentimental and nostalgic look back at past performances with selections from Godspell, The Wizard of Oz, Seussical and Annie, the Musical.

All Miami Valley area students from grades 4 through 12 are welcome to join our group. CPAM’s productions of The Wizard of Oz and Seussical each had 50 area children acting, singing and dancing on the stage.

BROADWAY IN THE ‘BURG will be presented March 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17. Show times are Fridays at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.cpamburg.com or at the door on the date of the show (subject to availability). Ticket prices are $15 for reserved seating and $13 for general admission. All performances are at the Baum Opera House 15 South First Street in Miamisburg. For more information, call 937-867-0353.

Academy Awards (Oscars) + Snitch + Dark Skies

February 21, 2013 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Hello Dayton! We will be having a Academy Awards watch party where you can come watch the ABC broadcast on the BIG movie screen…FREE! See below for details. There are still plenty of options for everyone to have the perfect movie weekend this week. Lots of things happening at your local Rave Cinemas!

WATCH THE ACADEMY AWARDS LIVE ON THE BIG SCREEN! 02/24/13 @ 8pm

You saw the films on the movie screen, now come watch the awards on it!

This is the show that salutes the movies over the last year and awards them with little gold statues. Seth MacFarlene hosts this year and there will be a James Bond 50th Retrospective in the show as well. All on a LARGE movie screen! You could win a night out on us by competing in our show contest! We will have a host on hand doing trivia and other fun things as well!

Get your FREE tickets now…they are going fast!

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ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS STILL PLAYING AT RAVE CINEMAS

Django Unchained—Nominated for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Christoph Waltz), Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing

Lincoln—Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Daniel Day Lewis), Best Supporting Actor (Tommy Lee Jones), Best Supporting Actress (Sally Field), Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Music—Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound Mixing

Zero Dark Thirty—Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress (Jessica Chastain), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing

Silver Linings Playbook—Nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress (Jennifer Lawrence), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Supporting Actress (Jacki Weaver), Best Directing (David O. Russell), Best Film Editing (Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers), Best Writing—Adapted Screenplay (David O. Russell)

Opening This Week

SNITCH – OPENS 02/21/13 @ 10pm!

Inspired by true events, the fast-paced action thriller “Snitch” stars Dwayne Johnson as a father whose teenage son is wrongly accused of a drug distribution crime and is looking at a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years. Desperate and determined to rescue his son at all costs, he makes a deal with the U.S. Attorney to work as an undercover informant and infiltrate a drug cartel on a dangerous mission- risking everything, including his family and his own life. The ensemble cast includes Susan Sarandon, Benjamin Bratt and Barry Pepper.

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DARK SKIES – OPENS 02/22/13

From the producer of “Paranormal Activity,” “Insidious,” and “Sinister” comes “Dark Skies”: a supernatural thriller that follows a young family living in the suburbs. As husband and wife Daniel and Lacey Barret witness an escalating series of disturbing events involving their family, their safe and peaceful home quickly unravels. When it becomes clear that the Barret family is being targeted by and unimaginably terrifying and deadly force, Daniel and Lacey take matters in their own hands to solve the mystery of what is after their family.

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RAVE CINEMA CLASSICS – $3 + FREE popcorn & drink! @ Dayton South

02/25/13 @ 1pm brings us a DOUBLE FEATURE…all for one price!

SHERLOCK HOLMES FACES DEATH, 1943, 68min

During WWII several murders occur at a convalescent home where Dr. Watson has volunteered his services. He summons Holmes for help and the master detective proceeds to solve the crime from a long list of suspects including the owners of the home, the staff and the patients recovering there. Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce

SHERLOCK HOLMES THE PEARL OF DEATH, 1944, 69min

When a valuable pearl with a sinister reputation is stolen, Sherlock Holmes must investigate its link to a series of brutal murders. Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce

For showtimes…CLICK HERE!

Doors of Compassion for Dinner Parties benefit Ronald McDonald House

February 21, 2013 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Imagine being invited to an intimate dinner party, catered by one of the region’s finest chefs, hosted by generous community supporters willing to open their house up to complete strangers all to benefit the local Ronald McDonald House and its services for families of critically ill, hospitalized babies and children. After dinner all guests are united at the big after party for dessert, dancing and auctions at a location that is only revealed to you by your hosts after dinner. Three years ago the Ronald McDonald House launched this unique fundraising model and it’s been embraced by the community with huge success. You can make reservations for this year’s event on Saturday, March 16th online.

Chair of this years Doors of Compassion event, Sally Walters, shared they have 23 host houses signed up this year. Behind the scenes the committee has been working for months lining up the chefs, who agree to volunteer their time to cook the dinner with ingredients that will be provided for them. Each chef will put their unique spin on the ingredients and of course will have to work around any dietary restrictions, including vegetarian selections, for the guests at their assigned house. When you make your reservations for this event ($125/person) you’ll received a confirmation. Closer to the event, you’ll get an email that introduces you to your host home with directions on where to arrive at 6pm for your dinner. If you’d like to dine with another couple, their is an option to do that ($600) or you can even throw a private dinner party for 16 of your own invited guests at a host home ($3500).

I’ve been lucky enough to attend this event and I have to admit, the first year I attended it was a little weird, not knowing where we were going or what we’d be having for dinner. As I was winding my way through the streets of Oakwood, looking for the address of my assigned house, I was a little apprehensive. As I pulled up, seeing a sign in the yard was quite reassuring that I was in the right place. I was thrilled to be welcomed to Camp Ridgeway, the delightfully decorated home of the Froelich’s. In my opinion, this is the coolest part of the event, getting to see some of the coolest houses in town! Our hosts welcomed us with a glass of wine and we met the other guests while enjoying a nibble from the chef. That year Dominque Fortin from C’est Tout was our chef and just watching him cook is as entertaining as any of the Food Network shows. Dinner was steak and shrimp and wonderful, as was the conversation with the other guests at our table. The afterparty that year was at a mansion I’d often driven by, but never been inside. Desserts were displayed on the dining room table, the pool had been covered and turned into a dance floor and Ronald McDonald himself was available for party pics.

Tracy Malott, Billy Pote, Brian Petro and myself at the 2012 afterparty

Last year we had another great host house, which we got to tour, seeing all the guest rooms, each one decorated with a theme in mind, the indoor pool and an awesome collection of toys from the 70’s, which we all bonded over, tying to decide whether the Welcome Back Cotter collectables or the Charlie’s Angel dolls were more fun. Eventually I think we all decided we were more charmed by the Australian accent of Chef David from CareSource. Last years after party was at Top of the Market and the decadent dessert displays were awesome and we had another great time. I can’t wait to find out where I’ll be dining this year! After Party Twenty Thirteen will feature a decadent dessert & coffee bar and after-dinner libations. Local personality, Kim Faris of Lite 94.5 FM will emcee the evening, while the group “Funky G and The Groove Machine” will entertain the crowd with hit songs and dance party favorites. A Live Auction will also take place offering guests a chance to bid on exciting gift packages. All funds raised from this event benefit the local Ronald McDonald House and its services for families of critically ill, hospitalized babies and children. Hope to see you there!

Rivertown Edges Mt. Carmel Brewery in the “Thrilla in Waynesvilla”

February 21, 2013 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Jason Roeper, Owner of Rivertown Brewery, Celebrates his Victory

A packed house Wednesday night at Stone House Tavern in Waynesville saw Rivertown Brewery beat Mt. Carmel Brewery by majority decision, 3 rounds to 2. The “Thrilla in Waynesvilla” Food Adventure event was a beer tasting, menu pairing and one of a kind event. Attendees tasted beers and voted for their favorites as Mt. Carmel and Rivertown slugged it out for the championship and bragging rights. The brew battle was heated, and a great time was had by all. Congratulations to Jason Roeper, owner and brewmaster of Rivertown Brewery. Special thanks to Patrick Clark from Mt. Carmel brewery, who presented some fantastic beers in the throwdown. Dan Apolito and Mike Fullenkamp of Stone House Tavern hosted the epic showdown with their stellar staff. Special shout out to Aja Delaney, our lovely ring girl. Great local beer and delicious menu samples capped a wonderful, SOLD OUT Food Adventure! Food Adventures will have the full story and many more photos in a Friday feature on DaytonMostMetro.com ! STAY TUNED TOMORROW FOR THE BIG STORY AND MORE DETAILS !

Follow the best food action in Dayton on Food Adventures’ Twiter Account !

QUARTET & AMOUR – Biggest Hits in 6+ Months at THE NEON!

February 19, 2013 By Jonathan McNeal Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone,

Thank you! We had a tremendous weekend…our best in over 6 months. We will hold both films – QUARTET (which is a crowd-pleasing, huge hit) and AMOUR (which won’t stick around nearly as long…but is a powerful, amazingly crafted film). Remaining showtimes for this week are at www.neonmovies.com. In addition to our 2 current hits, we will present an encore screening of the Oscar-Nominated Shorts Films. The Animated Shorts will play on Friday at 1:00, and the Live Action Shorts will play on Sunday at 1:00.

Check out this fun featurette about QUARTET…

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Here’s an interesting piece with director Michael Haneke about AMOUR…

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“On Saturday at Noon, the Junior Leaguers of Dayton – an African American Women’s Service Organization – will hold an annual fundraiser which raises money for scholarships. They will screen the film RED HOOK SUMMER (directed by Spike Lee and written by James McBride) – a coming of age movie about a young African American male who visits his grandparents living in the projects of Brooklyn New York. The discussion following the movie will be led by Dr. Michael Williams, a psychologist. The price is $30.00 which includes a movie ticket, glass of wine, soda, and popcorn. Student tickets are $15.00. Please contact Jackie Colvard for tickets at (937) 219-7501.” (taken from press notes)

Next Thursday, February 28 at 7:30, Peace on Fifth will hold a screening of HALF THE SKY. We don’t yet have all the needed details for this event. Stay tuned to our website for details as they come in. Advanced tickets are only available at Peace on Fifth for $8.50 each…day-of tickets will be at THE NEON for $10 each.

Omari Matlock, a former Daytonian, will premiere his latest film – DESCENT OF A SUPERSTAR – on Saturday, March 2 at Noon. “When money power and fame is not enough, a young pop star turns to habits put in place by dark spirits.” A minimum donation of $10 is required for each ticket. Each ticket includes admission to the film and to the After Party/Networking event at Therapy Cafe at 3:00 (be sure to bring head shots, demo reels & resumes to this event if you are in or aspiring to be in the entertainment industry). Visit the facebook page for this film by clicking this LINK. Tickets are now available at our box office.

I’m excited to announce that Square One Salon & Spa has once again donated a prize for our Oscar contest! This Sunday marks the date of our Free Annual Oscar Party. Ballots are now available in our lobby and prizes have started to arrive (though you must be present at the party in order to win prizes). We hope you’ll make plans to spend this fun night with us. We will begin seating for this party as close to 7pm as possible…which is when the Red-Carpet pre-show begins. (We will begin collecting ballots on Sunday, Feb. 24 at Noon…collected ballots (only one per person present) will result in our seating priority for the party.) Special thanks to ThinkTV for their help is us getting a signal for the event!

We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for Fri. Feb. 22 – Thur, Feb. 28:

QUARTET (PG-13) 1 Hr 38 Min.
Friday, Saturday: 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:40
Sunday: 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30
Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:15, 7:30

AMOUR (PG-13) 2 Hrs 7 Min.
Friday, Saturday: 4:00, 7:00, 9:30
Sunday: 4:00, 9:30
Monday – Wednesday: 2:30, 5:15, 8:00
Thursday: 2:30, 5:15

RED HOOK SUMMER (R) 2 Hr 1Min + Discussion
Saturday: Noon

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS
Animated Shorts – Friday at 1:00 (1Hr 27Min)
Live Action Shorts – Sunday at 1:00 (1Hr 55Min)

HALF THE SKY
Thursday: 7:30

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative. Many of these dates will change.
In some rare cases, titles may disappear.
March 8 – EMPEROR
March 22 – STOKER
March 29 – THE GATEKEEPERS
April 5 – ON THE ROAD
April 12 – NO