Here’s the tuna steak grilled rare over local vegetable ratatouille with crisp green beans and tapenade aioli.
Summer is in full swing in Dayton and at Lily’s Bistro, located at 329 E. Fifth Street in Dayton’s Oregon District. Lunch, brunch, dinner, wine, beer, and cocktail offerings have all changed to embrace summertime fare and the drinks that pair best with it.
Executive Chef Mariah Gahagan says “Summer might be my favorite season. My approach to food is that when the ingredients are at their prime, you don’t really have to do that much to them. We’ve done an unconventional approach to surf n’ turf on every menu since we opened in 2013. I love this season’s version of seared scallops with bacon and a summer succotash of sweet corn, locally grown tomatoes, and green beans.”
General Manager Emily Mendenhall says, “The whole idea of Lily’s has always been to be a fresh, fun, and seasonal restaurant. This means that when we change menus to reflect what farmers are growing locally—conceptualized and prepared by our kitchen crew in a manner that suits the time of year—we also change our beer, wine, and cocktails. Everything on this menu tastes like summer in the Midwest.”
Owners Lisa and Bob Mendenhall, who also own Blind Bob’s bar with their son Nate, concur that, “this menu is the best yet. We feel like we say that every time, but that’s part of being a newer, seasonal restaurant.” Bob adds, “It takes time to work out the kinks…we’ve gotten through the first year and we’re getting the hang of things. We’re so grateful to the people who have supported us and allowed us to grow. We’re looking forward to the next year!”
Lily’s Bistro offers their seasonal lunch menu Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-3pm, and their full dinner menu Tuesday-Thursday from 5-10pm as well as Friday and Saturday from 5-11pm. On Friday and Saturday they also have a full bar until 1am. On Sundays, Lily’s serves their brunch menu from 11am-3pm, and has “Family Style Fried Chicken Dinner” from 5-9:30pm, a more casual dinner menu focusing on local, free-range fried chicken and assorted sides with a good deal of southern influence.
