Dayton937

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

Archives for September 2023

10?’s with Chef Aaron Allen of Silas

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A Dayton native whose culinary career includes stints at Rue Dumaine, Hotel Covington and a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York has returned to Ohio to lead a new boutique eatery opening in early 2022.

Chef Aaron Allen is the Executive Chef for Silas,  a part of the revival of the former Inn at Versailles — a historic venue in downtown Versailles that was destroyed by a fire in late 2019..

The move is a homecoming for Allen, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Wright State University and got his culinary start at Rue Dumaine — one of Dayton’s most celebrated restaurants until its closure in 2017.

We asked Chef Allen to answer our 10 questions interview:

1)What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?
Probably eggs. They’re so versatile and delicious. You can do just about anything with eggs.

2) What ingredient do you dread?
I don’t dread any ingredients. If I feel challenged by something I usually force myself to learn to work with it to get over it.

Slow Roasted Ft Loramie Lamb! // rosemary, honey, garlic marinated, served with homemade nann bread, assorted chutneys + sauces

3) What’s your favorite dish to make?
There isn’t any one dish. I love to cook new dishes seasonally with what comes fresh from our farm and local partners. What excites me is new combinations and new dishes. The seasons bring so much there isn’t any reason to repeat yourself much.

HisHoneybee dessert recipe was featured in the The Wall Street Journal!

4) What’s your favorite pig out food?
Pizza for sure.

5) What restaurant, other than your own, do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?
I love Thai 9, Sueno, and Taqueria Mixteca on 3rd.

6) What’s your best advice for home chefs?
Don’t be afraid to fail. That’s how you learn. Try to cook anything you’re interested in and that’s how you learn and improve.

7) If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
My girl and my family.

picture of dining room at Silas

Silas

8) Who do you look up to in the industry and why?
I really like what Bryce Gilmore is doing at the Barley Swine in Austin. The food is super playful and delicious. Also Cesar Ramirez at Chef’s table at Brooklyn Fare. Some of the most creative food I’ve seen.

9) What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?
I like to be active. I love to get outside and go for a run or a bike ride. I love to ride my motorcycle when the weather permits.

10) Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:
Kitchens are always exciting and sometimes chaotic places. I’ve seen a lot happen. When I was in NYC I got to cook for Daniel Craig (James Bond) and Sean Brock. We met Sean later in the kitchen. That was pretty cool.

Chef Allen will be one of the Chefs competing in the Miami Valley Meals Diced Chef Challenge on Tues, Sept 19th at Top of the Market.

Returning to Toronto International Film Fest – 4 Years Later!

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Hello Dayton937!

It’s been 4 years since I’ve made the trip to Toronto for TIFF (The Toronto International Film Festival), and my soul has truly missed it.  I know that this year will be very different.  Not only has COVID changed how festivals work, the ongoing writer & actor strikes will also likely change the energy at this year’s festival.  Regardless, I’m anxious to go and submerge myself in multiple screenings of international cinema for 9 days.

The illuminated sign on King Street West indicates the start of the festival!

I’m feeling a little out of practice, but I hope to update you every day with details about the films I’m seeing, the Q&A’s I’m observing and the glitterati I’m spotting.  I’m not sure how many parties will be happening this year, but I hope to pop in on a couple.

For industry folks, the fest works a little different.  I will have an opportunity to see 10 films with the general public.  These are the screenings where directors, producers and stars might walk the Red Carpet and be interviewed for television.  When people think “glamorous film festivals,” these are the screenings that come to mind.  That said, the majority of the films I screen will be in multiplex settings with other press and industry folks.  I might get sandwiched between an international sales agent on one side and someone writing for HOLLYWOOD REPORTER on the other.  It’s fun to rub elbows with a variety of people who make this industry tick.

Maya Hawke as Flannery O’Connor in WILDCAT

I already have a handful of tickets to screenings and events.  In addition to the premiere of NORTH STAR on Opening Night (the directorial debut of Kristin Scott Thomas – starring Scarlett Johansson), Taika Waititi’s latest NEXT GOAL WINS and the anticipated feature WILDCAT (directed by Ethan Hawke and produced by Dayton’s own Karri O’Reilly), I’m so delighted that I scored a ticket to IN CONVERSATION WITH PEDRO ALMODOVAR – a sit down interview (Charlie Rose-style – but in front of an audience)  with my favorite filmmaker of all time!

I’ll try to stay on top of updating this blog on a daily basis after my first day of movie watching.  (Screenings start on Sept. 7 – and I’ll have a full day!)  I’ll screen films through the 15th and head back to Dayton on the 16th.

Thanks for reading.

More soon,

Jonathan

Skid Row and Buckcherry at the Rose

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Skid Row recently released their 6th studio album, The Gang’s All Here, in October of 2022. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, the album reached Top 20 chart positions in nine countries worldwide. The band also completed a tour of the U.K. and Europe this fall, as well as a Las Vegas residency with rock icons, the Scorpions this past spring. Fans can get the new album HERE!

This past year, Buckcherry completed a 238-show tour in support of their latest album Hellbound, released in June of 2021. The band also just finished recording their 10th studio album in Nashville with producer Marti Frederiksen. The album is scheduled for a June 2023 release.

Kahuna Grindz Closes Down

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Anthony Augustus, who with his mother have been running the Hawaiian cuisine food truck Kahuna Grindz for about 2 years.  Today they  announced on their facebook page they will be shutting down the business.

“It is with a deeply emotional heavy heart that Kahuna Grindz is no longer in business. Due to multiple health issues with both owners we just can’t keep business running smoothly anymore.  As tears roll down my face while I’m typing this…We appreciate and loved all the support from everyone. This is the end for now but not forever.”

There had been plans to open a brick and mortar restaurant on Second Street in Xenia, and this to has been cancelled.Augustus graduated from Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in 2001 before working in the restaurant industry for over 20 years. According to his wife’s post on Facebook, “he is now in charge for food at Cedarville College!”

The Century Bar Celebrates Bourbon Heritage Month

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2 glasses of bourbonSeptember is National Bourbon Heritage Month, calling for the celebration of the ‘Native Spirit’ of America — bourbon. Culturally, economically, and socially sourced in America, bourbon is truly an all-American beverage.

Dating back 400 years, American Whiskey established itself as an important factor in the economic development, and cultural shaping in the history of the United States. It all started when English colonist George Thorpe filtered the first-ever batch of corn whiskey in Virginia. The founding father of our great nation, George Washington, continued this tradition of distilling and operated the largest whiskey distillery in Virginia, in the nation’s early years.

It is widely believed that Elijah Craig is the Father of Bourbon. In 1789, Craig concocted bourbon by maturing the existing corn whiskey, or moonshine, in oak barrels. Popular as this theory is, many argue that bourbon was not invented by any one person, and instead evolved over time.

Even though America’s distilling heritage started before the nation was founded, bourbon was declared as a unique product of the United States in an act of Congress in 1964. Federal law states that bourbon must be produced in the United States, contain at least 51% corn, and mature in freshly charred oak barrels for at least two years.

In 2007, a resolution was passed by the U.S. Senate, declaring September as National Bourbon Heritage Month. Every year, bourbon enthusiasts come together to appreciate the history, craftsmanship, and milestones of the bourbon industry.

Locally The Century Bar, ranked in the Top 10 Bourbon Bar in the country, will be celebrating Bourbon as Joe Head welcomes with these special guest:

 

Meet the Maker: Jay Erisman

Tickets $50

Jay & Joe will lead you in a tasting in our event space with all things New Riff including the following:

-Welcome cocktail with New Riff Bonded

-pours of: New Riff ‘Silver Grove’ Bourbon, New Riff Bonded, New Riff Malted, New Riff Balboa Rye

“Thirty years of passionate study in whiskey led Jay Erisman to co-found New Riff Distilling in Newport, Kentucky, where he serves today as Vice President Strategic Development, head blender, distiller and fourth string truck driver.  As a whiskey writer, Jay’s work has appeared in Whisky Advocate and Distiller among other publications.”

Tuesday, September 19
Stephen Fante Limestone Branch Ambassador

Tickets $50

Stephen & Joe will lead you in a tasting in our event space with all things Yellowstone including the following:

-Welcome cocktail with Yellowstone Bourbon

-pours of: Yellowstone Bourbon, Yellowstone Private Barrel, Minor Case Rye, Yellowstone Malt and a special surprise

“Spend any time along the bars and bourbon trails of Kentucky, and it’s likely you’ll hear the name, Stephen Fante. He’s a larger-than-life personality that loves the Limestone Branch Distillery (and its spirits) and he doesn’t hesitate to tell anyone and everyone all about it. Stephen is our Brand Ambassador and recently his hard work and dedication to spirits earned him the ASCOT award for Best Brand Ambassador!”

Thursday, September 28
Kentucky Peerless Night- Single Barrel Curator John Wadell

John & Joe will lead you in a tasting in our event space with all things Peerless including the following:

-Welcome cocktail with Peerless Small Batch

-pours of: Peerless Single Barrel Bourbon, Peerless Single Barrel Rye & more!

“John has been a vital part of Peerless since the beginning of 2017. He’s immersed himself in every aspect of the craft, from public relations to cooking and distillation. His vast understanding of the spirit and process makes him the ideal single barrel curator. Dedicated to upholding Peerless integrity, John oversees rare Peerless Bourbon and Rye Whiskey barrels that highlight distinctive profiles. John specializes in facilitating the investigation of these unique barrels to be offered exclusively by Peerless partners. Serving as the brand Mixologist, John also carefully crafts the Peerless caliber cocktail formulas that are shared with Peerless patrons and mixologists that serve Peerless across the country.”

 

13 September Fundraisers Worth Supporting

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With over 4000 non-profits in the Miami Valley, our community has proved to have a giving heart and here are 13 fundraisers that could use your support this month:

September 7 @ 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Artini Dayton 2023   $60 – $80

Dayton Arcade 28 W. Third St., Dayton

Local artists will be teaming up with local bartenders and mixologists to craft cocktails inspired by their own creations! We’ll have a dozen Artini stations featuring spirited and nonalcoholic cocktails, and our guests get to determine who’s creations are the most creative, and who’s cocktails are the best tasting. Attendees will also be treated with tasty hors d’oeuvres, live music, and engaging art experiences. By the end of the evening, we’ll find out who crafted the Most Creative Artini and who served us the Best Tasting Artini!

September 7 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Wine Tasting, Benefiting Dayton Children’s Hospital $85

Polen Farms 5099 Bigger Rd, Kettering

Join the Women’s Board of Dayton Children’s Hospital for an exclusive wine tasting event. We will be enjoying wine graciously provided by Revel OTR and all proceeds will benefit Dayton Children’s Hospital.
Co-owners & winemakers, Amy and John Coleman, will be our guides for the evening providing samplings of their specialized, handcrafted wines along with sharing their passion of winemaking. All Revel wines are made 100% on site in Cincinnati, Ohio with fruit sourced from CA, WA, OH and Chile using a process that originated in Italy.
Their 2023 Cincinnati Wine Festival Gold Medal Winners Sangiovese and Black Sheep Blanc will be available at this tasting! You can find Revel in many bottle shops, breweries, casinos, grocery stores, restaurants, stadiums and now locally at Arrow Wine & Spirits (Kettering & Centerville) as well as Dorothy Lane Market (Oakwood).

September 9 @ 5:00 pm
Stetsons & Sterling $100 – $200

Therapeutic Riding Institute 3960 Middle Run Rd., Spring Valley

This elegant, “western-chic” themed evening will include therapeutic riding & liberty demonstrations with TRI students, live bluegrass music by the legendary Dean Osborne Band, cocktails, wine, & beer, dinner, live auction, and heart-warming stories shared by TRI students. General admission begins at 5:00 pm.

Limited tickets are also available for a unique and intimate VIP experience beginning at 4:00 pm in our beautiful horse barn. This reception will include live acoustic bluegrass music by the Dean Osborne Band, hors d’oeuvres, bourbon tasting, & trick rider and liberty demonstration.

September 14 @ 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm
A home for our hero veteran fun-raiser  $43.61

The Brightside Event & Music Venue 905 E. Third Street, Dayton

Join us for a fun-filled evening of music and networking, as we raise funds to provide a new home for our hero veteran!

September 14 @ 5:30 pm
Wegerzyn Garden Party

Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark 1301 E. Siebenthaler Avenue, Dayton

Celebrate the Golden Garden at the annual Wegerzyn Garden Party! Join us Thursday, September 14 to toast half a century of fostering connections between people and nature at our treasured Gardens.

Enjoy live music, dinner, dancing and a 50/50 raffle as we look back at the last 50 years and ahead at the next half century at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark.

Tickets are required! $100 for Foundation members and $150 for non-members.

50/50 raffle tickets are $25 per ticket or 6 for $100. Winner announced at Garden Party, but need not be present to win! Proceeds from this event benefit the Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation.

September 16 @ 4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Rubber Duck Regatta

The 2023 URS Rubber Duck Regatta will be LIVE at Riverscape with the Hispanic Heritage Festival

United Rehabilitation Services is excited to bring the URS Rubber Duck Regatta, presented by Synchrony, at RiverScape Metropark, during the Hispanic Heritage Festival on Saturday, September 16, 2023 for one more year. Prize winners will be identified as the first eight individually assigned Ducks are pulled from the river! Winners will be announced at the Finale Event and will be notified via phone or email.

September 19 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Diced in Dayton: Chef’s Challenge  $75 – $150

Top of the Market Banquet Center 32 Webster St., Dayton

Sample tastes from your favorite local chefs and support a great cause at the Diced in Dayton Chef’s Challenge. Diced in Dayton is an interactive, food-filled event that showcases and celebrates the creativity of local chefs as they craft unique dishes from a set of mystery ingredients. Participating chefs must meet the challenge that MVM chefs face each day: how to transform unpredictable ingredients into something new and delicious. Guests will delight in the ingenuity and flavor of the dishes while learning about what Miami Valley Meals does to help those who are food insecure in our community. At the end of the night, one chef will be named champion.
Featuring chefs from Corner Kitchen, Kung Fu BBQ, De’Lish Cafe, Blind Dogs, Rich Taste Catering, redBerry, Bella Sorella Pizza Co, Creative Delights Catering, Napales, and more. You won’t want to miss this chance to enjoy great food for a great cause at the one-and-only Diced in Dayton.
Justice on Tap $25-50
The Dayton Beer Company 912 East Dorothy Lane, Kettering

Come raise your glass (and funds) to justice! Justice on Tap, our annual “happy hour” fundraiser, hosted by the Dayton Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, is happening Wednesday, September 20th

All proceeds benefit the Campaign for Equal Justice, supporting the critical civil legal services provided by ABLE, the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project – VLP and LAWO in the Miami Valley region. Purchase tickets at: http://bit.ly/2023JTAP

September 20 @ 7:00 pm
Rock the Hill 4 Heroes

Dayton Masonic Center 525 W. Riverview Ave., Dayton

Benefit concert raising funds for the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Memorial’s permanent memorial construction fund. Join us with the uber talented international group – Leonid & Friends – as they perform at the iconic Dayton Masonic Center for their first performance in Dayton, Ohio.

 

We will be tasting both types. White and red.

DMBA’s 8th Annual Taste of Homeownership!

Cox Arboretum 6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton
The Dayton Mortgage Bankers Association is so proud to bring back the annual Taste of Homeownership Wine Tasting for a 8th year! This year will benefit the Rebuilding Together Dayton. Cost to attend is only $30 and 100% of the entry fee will be donated to Rebuilding Together Dayton. Amy Radachi, Executive Director will be on hand to talk about her amazing charity.There will be 11 wines to taste, with great food and raffle prizes too! A few sponsor opportunities are available, email [email protected] if you want to sponsor a table
 

September 22 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
SICSA’s 4th annual Poop Show

Hollywood Gaming Dayton Raceway 777 Hollywood Blvd, Dayton

How can a pile of poo win you $15,000?

During the event, a 2,000 square foot play yard onsite at the casino will be divided evenly into 1 foot squares. Each person that purchases a chance will be assigned at random to a square (one square per chance purchased). During the live event, a dog will be released into the play yard. Whomever is assigned to the square where the dog poops wins $15,000!

September 23 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Grandview Foundation Wiffle Ball Tournament $10

Yankee Park 7500 Yankee Rd., Centerville

Grab your friends and family to form a team of 5 (amateur skill level) and compete against other teams in the wiffle ball tournament. Cost is $50 per team, or $10 per individual.

Not only will you have a blast playing wiffle ball, but you will also be supporting a great cause. All proceeds from the event will support future RAGS programs through the Grandview Foundation.

There will be plenty of food and drinks available via food trucks and vendors, so bring your appetite (and your wallet!). Get ready for a day full of laughter and friendly competition. Games will be running all day, round-robin style. Schedule to follow after registration is complete. We can’t wait to see you there!

DATV Bowling Fundraiser $25

Poelking Lanes, 1403 Wilmington Pike, Dayton

Ready to roll for a great cause? 🎳 Join us on September 30th, 12-4 PM, for a Bowling Fundraiser hosted by DATV! 📺 Doors swing open at 12, and the pins start flying at 1. 🎉 Your $25 ticket includes shoe rental, endless fun, and support for community entertainment. 🙌 Grab your friends and family, and let’s make a strike together!
 

Bright Star at Beavercreek Community Theatre

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Inspired by a true story and featuring the Tony®-nominated score by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Broadway’s BRIGHT STAR tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ’40s. When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past—and what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives. With beautiful melodies and powerfully moving characters, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion. An uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tightly in its grasp, BRIGHT STAR is as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful.

Sept 18th The Foundry will Donate 20% of Sales to Lahaina Fires Chef Collective

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In response to the devastating wildfires burning across Hawaii’s island of Maui, American rooftop restaurant The Foundry, located atop AC Hotel Dayton in the Water Street District, is partnering with Hawaii-based Lahaina Fires Chef Collective to help feed vulnerable Maui communities. The Foundry encourages the Dayton community to stand in solidarity with Maui and will be donating 20% of all dinner service proceeds on Monday, September 18 to the cause. 

The Foundry is honored to be working with Maui-based Chef Jason Raffin who is a member of Chef Collective, an organization composed of chefs who use their culinary skills and food service connections to feed communities in need. Despite also losing his home and belongings in the wildfires, Chef Raffin is eager to help others who have been displaced, are unemployed, grieving or otherwise in need of support because of the fires.

photo of chefs in the Lahaina Fires Collective

Lahaina Fires Chef Collective

“We’re inspired by Chef Raffin’s work in Lahaina and we want the Dayton community to be a part of this cause,” said Ian Legors, General Manager at AC Hotel Dayton. “Every meal enjoyed at The Foundry on September 18 will help raise donations to feed and bring hope to those in Maui.”

Focusing efforts on the heavily impacted West Maui, especially Lahaina, Chef Collective is helping Chef Raffin coordinate with local Hua Momona Farms, a non-profit 501c3 foundation, to feed quality food to the impacted community with an emphasis on farm ingredients, micronutrients and long-term solutions to food insecurity.

“We have been making huge strides in fighting the food insecurity problems in Lahaina currently,” said Chef Raffin. “We are focused on creating excellent food rather than mass produced substances.”

Recently, Chef Raffin and the teams at Lahaina Fires Chef Collective and Hua Momona Farms  partnered with Hungry Heroes Hawaii to provide steak plates to first responders.

As donation and distribution efforts from other organizations slow in Maui, Lahaina Fires Chef Collective and Hua Momona Farms aim to absorb these efforts and increase their output from serving 400 farm-fresh meals per day to 1,000 meals per day. To make this goal a reality, donations from The Foundry will help Chef Raffin and the team acquire a refrigerated truck, invest in two additional storage spaces and find more farm and kitchen help.

Dayton residents and visitors are invited to share in The Foundry’s cuisines on Monday, September 18 to support the cause. A meal at The Foundry will ensure someone has a meal tomorrow in Maui. On Mondays, The Foundry is open from 4 PM – 11 PM (kitchen closes at 10 PM). Reservations can be made via OpenTable.

Visit www.thefoundryrooftop.com or follow along on Instagram @thefoundryrooftop to stay updated on the latest news. To