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Dayton Dining

Your Vote Earns You Deals at Area Eateries

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Doing your civic duty can be your ticket to discounts around town today:

  • Rue Dumaine is offering 10% off your meal today with your sticker.
  • Buy one cupcake, get one free at Cake, Hope  & Love in Beavercreek
  • At El Meson bring in your ” I VOTED STICKER”- and with the purchase of Tapas, Small Plates, or dinner- recieve a Pitcher of SANGRIA for $5! This can also be for a FREE dessert ! your Choice Lunch or Dinner!
  • Hawthorn Grill will upgrade your lunch sandwich into a platter with your sticker
  • BD Mongolian Grill is offering $2 off your meal with your sticker.
  • Tim Hortons Café & Bake Shop will give its guests a free donut when they purchase any beverage and show their “I Voted” sticker at participating U.S. restaurants on Election Day.
  • The Amber Rose is hosting Voter Apperciation Day! Present your voting sticker to your server and receive $2.50 off lunch or $5.00 off dinner!  *One discount per check only. Valid today only

 

If you hear of more deals, feel free to add them in the comments below!

Craft for the Coast

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Cavalier Distributing, who describe themselves as Ohio’s Finest Specialty Beer Wholesaler, is partnering with  Dogfish Head, Heavy Seas, and Sixpoint Breweries, all of which are located on the East Coast, to raise funds to support the American Red Cross in assisting those people affected by Superstorm Sandy. They will donate $1 per case sold from these breweries on Nov 5th – Nov 9th.

Additionally on Tues, Nov 6th, they are teaming up with Ohio bars and restaurants on a Craft for the Coast night.  The participating bars will donate $1/pint sold and Cavalier will match the money raised, dollar for dollar for each Dogfish Head, Heavy Seas, and Sixpoint beer sold. Stop by your favorite local bar, restaurant, or store to help our fellow Americans in need!

Bunkers Sports Bar and Grill
893 East National Road, Vandalia, OH 45377
937-890-8899      Hours: 11am – 2am

Featured Beers:
Dogfish Head (Delaware) Chicory & Punkin
Heavy Seas (Maryland) Loose Cannon & Winter Storm
Sixpoint (Brooklyn NY) Lager & Bengal Tiger

Chappy’s Tap Room and Grille
2733 W. Alex Bell Road, Moraine, OH 45459
(937) 299-7427     Hours: 11am – 2am

Featured Beers:
Dogfish Head (Delaware) Positive Contact, Palo Santa Marron and Indian Brown
Sixpoint (Brooklyn, NY) Resin and The Crisp
Heavey Seas  (Maryland)  Loose Cannon & Winter Storm

It’s also 2 for $22 Dinner day at Chappy’s – each person can choose from 6 entrees, with 2 sides and Texas Chocolate sheet cake.

Lucky’s Tap Room and Grill
520 E. Fifth Street, Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 222-6800     Hours:  11am -2:30am

Featured Beers:
Dog Fish Head  (Delaware) Midas Touch
SixPoint (Brooklyn, NY) Resin.
Heavy Seas (Maryland)  Small Batch Warning

Scene 75 Entertainment Center
6196 Poe Avenue, Dayton, OH 45414
(937) 619-3200      Hours:  3- 10pm

Featured Beers:
Heavy Seas Winter Storm

Piada: Fresh, Fast and Furious Food Adventure

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The Big Ragu, Hungry Jax and Chef House are not food critics, we are Food Adventurers.  That’s like comparing Roger Ebert to Indiana Jones.  We always eat big, never use generic stock photos, and always hit a place multiple times.  If it is something we love, we write about it.  Piada is one such place.  Since the grand opening of this new spot, in our hometown of Centerville, the lines have been out the door.  So we bided our time, until the frenzy died down.  What is the excitement about?  This popular Columbus based franchise has capitalized on the “assembly line” serving style which has brought countless comparisons to the likes of Chipotle.

Here is the rundown, when you enter the place you pick your meal type.  You have four choices: A piada (a huge burrito), a pasta bowl, a chopped salad bowl or a select two in which you can choose mini versions of any of the items mentioned earlier.  After you pick your meal type, you pick your meat: calamari, grilled chicken, crispy chicken fritte , Italian sausage, steak, salmon or vegetarian.  Be forewarned that the grilled chicken is a mix of white and dark meat.  The crispy chicken is strictly chicken breast.

You are then asked to choose a sauce: pomodoro, diavolo(spicy tomato sauce), alfredo, red pepper pesto, basil pesto, or creamy parmesan.  After that, you are moved down the line to choose from a variety of vegetable toppings, including unique choices such as eggplant, sun dried tomatoes, and papadew peppers.

Hungry Jax liked the pick two two combo, but her recommendation is to go for the BIG chopped salad bowl instead of the smaller combo portions.  It is simply a better deal.  Fresh greens with your choice of veggie and meat toppings make this a healthy and flavorful choice.  The Big Ragu says go for the Calamari Piada or Salmon Piada, but don’t put any pasta in the “burrito.”  Instead, save room to stuff more kinds of veggies in there!

One thing we love are the artichoke piada sticks and the parmesan reggiano piada sticks.  They are cheesy, dusted with garlic powder and delicious.    Another attraction for us is that they have Peroni, on tap.  We always enjoy the crisp taste of this Italian import beer.  Other unique beverages included the Italian Teas and Sodas.  Our favorite was the raspberry soda.  Piada even offers Peach Bellini’s, which are made with sparkling wine.  Finally, we tried the of cannoli dip.  It is a bag of mini-cannoli shells and a side of cann0li filling for dipping.  An interesting concept for a dessert on the go.

Ragu’s Italian ancestors are not sure if this is authentic street food, but it tastes great.  Prices run $6 – $9 for your typical entree.  Check out our album below for lots of food photos.  Do you want a lunch that is a fresh, fast and furious?  Then visit Piada Italian Street Food and get some chow…. or should we say…  Ciao !

Often imitated but never duplicated, you can find Food Adventures HERE on Facebook.

Piada Italian Street Food is located at 1047 Miamisburg-Centerville Road.  Hours are 10:45 am – 10:00 pm every day.

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’83 Sweets Cupcake Wars Episode Reruns Thurs, Nov 1st

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’83 Sweets girls, Alyssa and Julie with Cody Simpson at the winner’s party!

We’ve said it before, but just like a good episode of Cupcake Wars, the story is worth repeating!  Daytonian Alyssa Logan and her mother Julie recently competed on an episode of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and if you missed it the first time, it will be re-aired on Thurs, Nov 1st at 7pm. Since it’s already aired, we figure we’re not spoiling anything by sharing that ’83 Sweets was the winner of this episode featuring Cody Simpson.  Their cupcake display was featured at special fan event for rocker Simpson.

According to the Food Netork’s website, “each week on Cupcake Wars, four of the country’s top cupcake bakers face off in three elimination challenges until only one decorator remains. The sweet prize: $10,000 and the opportunity to showcase their cupcakes at the winning gig. Candace Nelson (owner of Sprinkles Cupcakes) and Florian Bellanger (chef and co-owner of online macaroon company MadMac) serve as permanent judges with a third rotating judge each week.”

This is the second trip to Cupcake Wars for Alyssa and her mom, who serves as her assistant. Their first trip was for the Tony Hawk Foundation Skate Parks which aired on July 8th of this year, in which the baking team made it to the finals.  Her carob cupcakes with avovado, sunflower butter frosting and candy-coated sunflower seeds made a big impression on this show.  You can check out some behind the scenes video here:  [yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AQ0FtcPmM4&feature=youtu.be’]

Logan said she was picked to be on the show among thousands of applicants, and believes her 1980s-themed bakery is what set them apart.  She thinks her small town

vibe really made a difference in her being cast, even though she initially thought it might put her at a disadvantage.  Logan says she’s a fourth generation baker, who learned to bake at her Grandmother’s side.  “The aromas of baking cakes, cookies and pies remind me of her, and it makes me smile.  Our special time lives on through her recipes.”  Logan is especially proud to use fresh eggs from her mothers farm as well as many organic ingredients in her baked goods as possible.

’83 Sweets is a  home based bakery-delivery business that was opened almost 3 years ago.   You place an order and she delivers.  You can also order up cupcakes and other sweets on her etsy shop.  However with all the attention “83 Sweets is getting, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear an opening soon announcement….

 

Another local bakery, Moore Dessert Please, was also featured in this episode, which originally aired on Oct 21st, read about them here.

 

 

 

Dayton Native Plugs New Cookbook With Local Appearance

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Celebrity chef Ming Tsai was born and raised right here in Dayton and learned to cook working side by side with his mother and father in the family business, the Mandarin Kitchen.  After earning a degree in mechanical engineering from Yale, he toured the world working in kitchen and training with renowned chefs from Paris to Japan.  He eventually opened his own restaurant in Wellesley, MA.  The Blue Ginger has been widely acclaimed and Ming has been awarded Best Chef Awards and been recognized with many industry accolades.

Ming hosts his own cooking show on  public television SIMPLY MING, which can be seen here locally on ThinkTV.  Ming will return to Dayton on Thurs, Nov 1st at 7 pm at Books & Co. a The Greene to introduce his newest book, Simply Ming In Your Kitchen: 80 Recipes to Watch, Learn, Cook & Enjoy.  This collection of 80 simple dishes introduces a new concept in cook books.  By using QR codes, you can use have Ming in your kitchen with you on video demonstrating the techniques you’ll use to create each dish.  You’ll even by able to download ingredient shopping lists to your smart phone. Recipes  reflect Ming’s East meets West approach to cooking and include: Honey Crab Wontons, Olive-Oil Poached Salmon with Tomato Tapenade, Japanese Chicken Curry and also some of his favorite cocktails like a Sake Cucumber Martini or Pasion Fruit Ma Tai.


 

 

 

 

 

Beer Tasting For A Cause

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The Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio invites you to join them at the Taj M Garaj this Saturday night , Nov 3rd, for their annual Autoberfest beer tasting from 6 – 10pm.   Amongst the amazing collection of Porsches and Volkswagen’s on display, guests can choose up to 20 samples  of craft beers and  a new addition this year, a selection of 6 wines as well.   Live music will be provided by Side of Fries and appetizers will be served up by Bernstein’s Fine Catering.

Beer Selections will include brews from  21st Amendment, Boston Beer Company, Brooklyn, Chimay Trappist, Goose Island, Lindemans, Magic Hat, Morgaat Duvvel, Mt. Carmel, Ommegang, Redbridge, Rogue, Samuel Smith, Shock Top, Sierra Nevada, Smuttynose, Stella Artois, Thirsty Dog, Victory and Widmer Brothers.

Tickets are available online for $40 or at the door for $50 and include a souvenir glass and tasting guide.   All guests must by 21 or over and tropical attire is encouraged. The Taj Ma Garaj is located at 30 Perry Street in downtown Dayton.

Dayton Most Metro Ticket Contest

We have TWO PAIRS of  tickets to send you to Autoberfest so fill out the form below, and then leave a comment at the end of this article that tells us why YOU should win tickets from DaytonDining.  We’ll announce the winners on Thursday by 4pm.  Cheers!

CONTEST CLOSED

Congratulations to Joe Erickson and Fran Paschall!

Halloween Bash Inculdes Cup Cake Eating Contest

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Cake Hope & Love  is having a Halloween Bash at there Beavercreek shop on October 27th. The Fressa Food truck will be there  selling, face painting, cupcake eating contest, a kid & pet costume parade, decorate your own cupcake, coffee, and live music throughout the day.  Here’s the link to the cupcake eating contest registration form.

 

Here’s the official schedule for the HALLOWEEN 2012 BASH!

11am : Face painting: FREE

11:30: Fressa Food Truck Arrives
Kid & Pet Costume Parade FREE (with prizes)

12pm: Junior Division Cupcake Eating Contest :FREE (with prize)
Adult Division Cupcake Eating Contest: FREE (with prize)

2pm : Kids decorate your own cupcake ($3)
Guess the Goo : FREE (with prize)6:30pm: Live Music – Jonathan Hamilton: FREE
Coffee ($1 per k-cup on our Keurig)

FREE mini cupcakes while they last for the kiddos in costumes!

13th Annual All You Can Eat Chocolate Party

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Once a year The Bellbrook Chocolate Shoppe opens their doors to guests to join them for a  rare opportunity to taste all the sweets in the kitchen of their place at Cross Pointe Center.  This  year it takes place on Sunday, Oct 28th from 4 -6pm.  Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door and will provide mammograms for the under/served and under/insured.
Owner Betty Blose attributes the popularity of her chocolates to the fact that they are handmade with her “signature” blend of milk and dark chocolate to create varieties that include creams, truffles, enrobed and molded items. It’s the only blend sold at the family’s Centerville store, and they use this rich chocolate to create everything from chocolate heart-shaped boxes filled with strawberries dipped in chocolate and cakes made of layers of shortbread cookies, iced with chocolate, to their Bellbrook pretzel, a pretzel rod dipped in caramel, rolled in toffee pieces and finally dipped in chocolate.

Although it seems too good to be true, dark chocolate can actually be good for you! When consumed in moderation, this delicious treat has some powerful health benefits. Following are three of the major reasons to indulge:

1. It can help prevent heart disease: Like tea, dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are compounds that act as antioxidants. Flavonoids protect cells from harmful molecules—called free radicals—that are produced when the body breaks down food or is exposed to sunlight or smoke. Free radicals can cause cell damage that leads to heart disease. Flavonoids can also lower blood pressure and reduce LDL cholesterol (i.e., the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent.

2. It can improve your mood: Dark chocolate stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that bring on feelings of pleasure. It also contains the chemical serotonin, which acts as an anti-depressant.
3. It can protect your skin: German researchers found that the flavonoids in dark chocolate absorb UV light, help protect and increase blood flow to the skin, and improve skin’s hydration and complexion.

For all of its health benefits, though, dark chocolate does contain a lot of calories. So, experts recommend sticking to no more than three ounces of the sweet stuff per day.

Sources: About.com, CNN.com, eHow.com

The Best Diner You Never Heard of: George’s

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On North Dixie, there is a restaurant that you may not have heard about.  In fact, Food Adventures agrees, it has some of the best casual food in the Miami Valley.  This no frills diner is called George’s Family Restaurant.  We say no frills because they concentrate on what is really important, great food and great service.  There are so many exceptional things to eat at George’s that it’s tough to decide where to begin.  From grits to Greek food, this menu is not quite your typical diner.  What is typical here is tasty entrees.

Let’s start with one of their specialties, Broasted Chicken.  This trademark cooking process involves placing marinated and breaded chicken in a pressure cooker.  Broasting uses less oil than conventional deep frying.   The chicken comes out cooked perfectly, with a taste that will leave you smiling.  George’s Family Restaurant also offers something we had never seen before, Broasted Fish !  In fact, they have a fish fry every Friday featuring broasted pollock.  The dinner includes fries and coleslaw for just $8.99.  You can even get broasted potatoes instead of fries.  Sometimes, there is nothing better than a good fish fry for a Friday Food Adventure.

George’s has also built its reputation on their burgers.  Fresh, handmade patties cooked just the way you like them.  We tried an incredible creation called the  Inside Out Mushroom Swiss Burger which has the swiss cheese and mushroom packed inside the burger patty itself.  The result is a juicy, cheesy beautiful burger that made us want to hug the cook.

A family run restaurant with Greek roots, George’s stays close to their heritage.  They offer a few Greek menu items including a Hot Greek Plate which includes Gyro meat, grilled chicken, pork slouvaki, spinach pie, peppers, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, pita bread and tzatziki sauce.  On the recommendation of the waitress, we tried the homemade spinach pie.  What we received was a fluffy, flaky, large slice of heaven.  We felt like Apollo after one taste.

Are you a breakfast food fan?  George’s Family Restaurant serves breakfast all day.  The breakfast menu is extensive and served up hot and fast, which are words sometimes used to describe our tastebuds  Lots of diners were eating breakfast during our dinner stint.  One young foodie even held up his pancake for us to compare it to Big Ragu’s head.

The desserts at George’s are seasonal.  That is because they are homemade and vary upon what the kitchen is preparing that day.   The menu has so many good items from golden fried onion rings, to Mac-n-Cheese, and hand dipped shakes.  So many good eats, so little time.

Our trip to George’s is yet another example of  why we seek Food Adventures.  It has all the hallmarks like family owned, relatively undiscovered, and unique, delicious food.  Even the waitresses were amazing.  Many of them had worked there for years, and were very accommodating.  So we ask our fellow foodies, do you want some fantastic diner style food? By George’s, you got it !

George’s Family Restaurant is located at  5216 N. Dixie Drive, you can take  exit 57  Wagner Ford Road off I 75, turn left on Wagner Ford and right on Dixie and the diner will be on the right.

Visit FOOD ADVENTURES on Facebook and “like” the page by clicking HERE !

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Oskar Blues Ten Fidy: CAN you dig it?

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Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

So, to my fellow Ohioans, remember when Yuengling came rolling into town? It was chaos. People went absolutely bonkers for that beer. There were villagers with pitchforks, fires in the streets, and I can recall at least three riots just in the tiny cul de sac I live in… which is weird because I don’t even think my neighbors drink beer. I think a few people died. We are used to seeing Yuengling at every bar and gas station around here now, but at first it was nuts. Whatever, the point is that Ohioans love new beer. This week, a little brewery by the name of Oskar Blues came rolling in like they owned the place (and they totally do). Unlike with Yuengling, which caters to a wider audience (nothing wrong with that, I might add!), this time it was time for the beer geeks to take to the streets and rejoice. “Can it be true?” we shouted while lighting our torches. “Is Oskar Blues finally on our shelves?”. Yes, yes indeed they are. And holy crap I’m excited.Oskar Blues Ten Fidy

If you aren’t familiar (or if you haven’t been to pretty much any other state), Oskar Blues made all those delicious craft beers in cans before it was cool to put craft beers in cans. I’m talking ten years ago! Among their canned beauties is the massive imperial stout Ten Fidy, which is probably the most famous and delicious imperial stouts found inside of aluminum. It’s right up there with greats like Plead the Fifth, Expedition Stout, BORIS, and Blackout Stout… Except it comes in a flippin’ can! You crack it open like Natty Light, except it pours like motor oil and tastes good.

Ten Fidy is named so because the alcohol content is 10.50% ABV. Just FYI, “ten fidy” is how the cool kids say “ten point five”. Keep that in mind next time you go shoe shopping. It’s 98 IBUs (International Bittering Units), which helps balance the huge malt flavor. I don’t know how they make it, but I assume that it’s made with a stupid amount of malt and unicorn blood for added tasty magic. Admittedly, it’s a tad pricey at $13-$15 for a 4-pack, but trust me when I tell you that it’s a small price to pay considering how delicious it is. Did I mention it’s delicious? It’s delicious.

A few months ago, I grabbed some of this beer from some website and filmed a review of it. I’m sipping this beer as I type this, and let me tell you it probably holds up to whatever the hell I said in this video (I can’t be bothered to actually re-watch it). So check it out. Or don’t. I don’t care, just go grab some Ten Fidy and thank me later.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwkfWSf7WJk’]

Also make sure you keep your eyes peeled for all the other fantastic Oskar Blues cans like Dale’s Pale Ale, G’knight, Old Chub, and pretty much anything else that has the words “Oskar” and “Blues” on the label.

Christopher’s To Host Autumn Wine Dinner

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Christopher’s Restaurant in Kettering began serving beer and wine about a year ago and now on Saturday, November 3rd they will be hosting an autumn wine dinner  at 4:30 pm. It will feature an exquisite, five-course, small plate menu with samplings of 5 different wines from their newly updated wine list.  Reservations are required and limited.

You can call  299-0089 or stop by Christopher’s at 2318 Dorothy Lane to purchase your tickets. Reservations will be available until October 31st unless they sell out, which at $30 per person will be quickly, I predict!

The Menu is as follows:

Squash soup with lump crab and toasted almond fraiche  with Rodney Strong Chardonnay

Fig and goat cheese toastettes with Darcy Kent Pinot Noir

Beet salad with hazelnuts horseradish vinaigrette and melted brie with Hand Craft Petite Sirah

Roast Duck with Apple Cider Gravy & Sweet Potato Gnocci with Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon

Dark Chocolate Sacher Torte with Lock & Ket Meritage

Vegetarian options are available

Giovanni’s: The Fairborn Legend

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With Halloween approaching, many people are stopping at the costume shops in Fairborn.  But The Big Ragu suggests you make another stop, Giovanni’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant.  Located at 215 W. Main Street, this place has been a Fairborn icon for decades.   Since 1953, this local favorite has been serving up pizzas and pasta dishes that will make your mouth water.  Originally owned by Giovanni DiPasquale, the restaurant was purchased by Tony Spaziani in 1994.  Soon after the menu and dining rooms were expanded and they even started a full in-house bakery.  This bakery allows for fresh bread, pasta and dough to be made on premises.  It also allows for homemade desserts that are nothing short of amazing.  Many things at Giovanni’s are made from scratch, the way they ought to be, to guarantee fresh tasting food.

The restaurant is always bustling and the servers are friendly and caring.  In fact, our waiter was the pastry chef, who waits tables on Sunday to stay in tune with customer feedback while making some extra dough .. pun intended.

During our Food Adventures, we have tried the sandwiches and the pastas.   We especially liked the Chicken Parmesan and the Gnocchi.   You can really tell the sandwich bread and pasta is made on site, the taste is amazing and homemade.  The same can be said about their homemade cheesecakes, cannoli, and tiramisu, all produced at the in-house bakery.

However, all the locals know that the main attraction at Giovanni’s is their pizza.  A semi-thin crust pizza with a unique tasting sauce makes each pie simply scrumptious.  The fresh, delicious toppings offered are plentiful on each pizza.  They even have anchovies for the true Italian style Food Adventurer in you.  Of course, all the dough for the pizzas are made on site, which is noticed on each bite into the crunchy crust.  The prices are reasonable and the product is good.  They even offer 7 inch personal pizzas with up to 3 toppings for less than 6 bucks during lunch time.

The food speaks for itself so check out the photos and click on them to get a larger, tastier view.  Visit this mom and pop restaurant in Fairborn, and find out for yourself what the legend is all about.

Please “like” Food Adventures and follow The Big Ragu, Hungry Jax and Chef House on Facebook by clicking  HERE ! 

 

 

A Second Helping of Cupcake Wars for Local Bakery

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Brittany Moore, owner of Moore Dessert Please!,and her mother Tina will team up for a special mother-daughter episode of the hit show for the chance to have their cupcakes on display at an exclusive event for

Brittany Moore

teen pop star Cody Simpson. You may remember reading about their last appearance on the Food Network show this past spring, where the team finished in second place.   The show will air this Sunday night at 8pm.

Moore Dessert Please! will be offering Cupcake War themed specials all week long at their storefront on 1003 Shroyer Road.  There daily menu features 8-10 flavored cupcakes from a rotating menu of 35 flavors. You’ll also find brownies, cookies, cake pops and more at their store.

 

 

 

 

 

Cake Hope & Love- baking a difference in our community!

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There’s a Beavercreek bakery that believes they can help change the world, one cupcake at a time.  For the last year and a half, owners Shannon Teague and Connie McFarren have been serving up sweets with a commitment to also serve the community.  Cake, Hope & Love’s name  is straight from  The Bible-  Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Each month the shop picks a different charity to partner with and donates 20% of their profits to a community partner. Some of their past recipients include American Red Cross, Hospice of Dayton, Hope Foundation of Greater Dayton, Dominion Academy of Dayton, AFP and A Special Wish.

For the month of October they’ve chosen the AIDS Resource Center Ohio.  For each Red Velvet

Cupcake purchased this month Cake Hope & Love will donate to help fund the education and prevention efforts of ARC Ohio. “Connie and I both made the decision when we signed papers (for the new shop) back in January that we wanted to make sure that we were giving back as much as we got,” Teague said. “Changing the world one cupcake at a time,” Teague said. “That really seems to sum up what we do, just trying to change the world with what we have.”

You can stop by the bakery located at 490 N. Fairfield Road, Suite B in Beavercreek Tues- Thurs 10am – 6pm and Fri and Sat 10am -9pm.  The upscale bakery specializes in over the top cakes, gourmet cupcakes, novelty cake items, and gorgeous fondant work. They even offer free wi-fi, so you can take your lap top and work your way through their menu of flavors, which change daily.

 

 

Stone Enjoy By 11/09/12 IPA – The Countdown to Irrelevancy

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Stone Enjoy By 11.09.12 IPA
This beer has gotta be enjoyed fresh! I know because the bottle told me so. So fresh, in fact, that this very review is going to be irrelevant in a matter of weeks. Not only does the freshness factor come into play, but the fact that this beer has a very limited distribution (this batch only made it to Ohio and Colorado in small numbers) makes this review nearly pointless. However, as the ever-vigilant beer drinker that I am, I figure why the heck not? I mean come on, this beer was only bottled six days ago! You can’t get much fresher than that unless you feel like swimming around in fermenters… which really doesn’t sound like that bad of an idea now that I mention it…

Anyhow, this beer is 9.4% alcohol by volume and was designed to be consumed FRESH. Like, ridiculously fresh (did I mention it was only bottled six days ago?). They threw a bunch of hops in late into the boil (a technique called “hop bursting”) which contributes more hop flavor and aroma rather than bitterness. Check out more information about this beer here. To you Daytonians, this beer has pretty much sold out at most stores already (and thus more irrelevancy), but if you see it on the shelf at your favorite bottle shop then by all means pick it up. Let’s get to reviewin’.

APPEARANCE

This is what those in the advertising business call “Sex Appeal”. This beer just looks good. Crystal clear, yellow-orange-amber in color, resting under a slightly off-white head… Yeah, this is the kind of beer that makes mouths water. I love the look of a good IPA, and this beer has got that look. If this beer was a female, I would try my best to “holla”. If this beer was a painting in an art gallery, I would stare at it intensely and occasionally nod my head so everyone around me knew how much I knew about art or whatever. If this beer was a Big Mac, it would be the one in the picture and not the one you get when you order it. If this beer was a… Ok, you get my point.

SMELL

There are definitely some New Zealand hops in the nose. Notes of grapes, flowers, mango, citrus, earthiness, and a smidge of everyone’s favorite “cat pee” fill my nostrils. There is a deep, dank smell that reminds me of a quaint but “lived-in” basement which adds a bit of charm without being unpleasant. There’s even a bit of hop spice aroma to even things out. There is a good amount of sweet malt, but there’s no mistaking that this beer is all about the hops.Stone Enjoy By 11.09.12

TASTE

Follows the nose very closely. Once again, the first thing I notice is the deep, dank, resiny hop character. There is a bit more pine on the tongue than on the nose, which at first I feared would be the dominating character. As I sip, however, more of the citrus and tropical fruit comes out. The New Zealand hops make another appearance and bring some earthy grape notes with them. As far as bitterness goes, this beer is on the medium side. Sure, it’s bitter, but it’s not a tongue splitter (I rhymed!). There is almost no alcohol flavor whatsoever. This beer has a ridiculous amount of hop character, and there is a slight muddling of flavors which is a tad disappointing. Overall, this beer is pretty tasty but nothing I’ll be craving.

MOUTHFEEL

The mouthfeel really is one of the highlights of this beer. The carbonation and body are both medium, and considering the ABV this beer is not a struggle to drink. The beer coats the mouth with hop resin – the kind that kind of makes you smack your tongue for no explicable reason.

OVERALL

You may have noticed that a word I didn’t use in this review was “bright”. Many IPAs have a bright, refreshing crispness that fellas like me go nuts over. This beer, however, has a somewhat muddled flavor that makes me feel like it’s more of an English IPA than an American IPA, which is crazy talk considering all the American hop flavors. That’s not to say this beer is bad, because it’s not at all! It’s really an excellently balanced IPA, and it drinks more like 6% than 9.4% ABV. That being said, I’m drinking this beer as fresh as possible and it still has a layer of “meh”. Is it worth buying? Yes, absolutely! Is it the IPA to end all IPAs? Not this time. Don’t feel too bad if you missed out on this one (or if you drank it on 11.10.12 or something).

Cheers!

SCORE: ★★★ 3/5

Experience A Food Adventure with The Big Ragu & Crew: **CONTEST**

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Have you ever wanted to join The Big Ragu and the Crew on one of their Food Adventures?  Well, here is your chance !

You’ve seen all the mouth watering pictures, you’ve heard all the buzz.  Now be a part of the first ever DAYTON MOST METRO FOOD ADVENTURE.

This is an EXCLUSIVE opportunity, limited to 20 people picked at random who fill out the form below.

Come eat dinner with these larger than life personalities and mingle with other area foodies like yourself! Who knows, you may meet the love of your life, and if you do, we will sing at the wedding.

 

WHERE: Brixx Ice Company’s Private Party Room, 500 East 1st Street,  Dayton, OH 45402

WHEN: Saturday, November 3rd, 2012  at 7pm

All attendants of the event will have their name entered into a drawing that evening, and one lucky person will win  $25 gift certificate to Brixx Ice Company that they can use that evening or in the future.

Win a $25 Gift certificate to Brixx Ice Company !

GOOD LUCK in becoming one of the first 20 to signup this “Foodie Fest”, which promises to be memorable.

The Big Ragu will autograph all of the attendants napkins, garlic bread and underwear at no extra charge… as for food and drinks, you are on your own check!!

Please comment below on why we should choose YOU to attend our private Food Adventure !!

Want to schmooze us some more?  “Like” us on Facebook by clicking HERE !

 

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[form 46 “Contest Entry – Brixx Food Adventure”]