Dayton Food & Dining | Hidden gems & ne w eats 🍽

Hey Dayton!

Welcome to our weekly Dayton Food & Dining Newsletter! When I am working in downtown Dayton, one of my favorite places to get lunch is RFFG Marketplace on North Main Street. The marketplace features grab-and-go options, a hot breakfast buffet, a salad bar, grill station, pizza station and homestyle station. My favorite is the pizza station. More specifically, the Smokehouse BBQ Chicken Pizza.

The pizza features peppercorn sauce with cheese, chicken, red onion and bacon bits. Once it comes out of the oven, it’s topped with cilantro and BBQ drizzle. I recommend adding peppercorn sauce to the top as well!

Specialty pizzas like this one are $8.25. Build-your-own pizzas are $7.25.

I really enjoy stopping by RFFG Marketplace because I can always find street parking nearby, it’s fast and the employees are wonderful! I can’t say enough about the girl who worked the pizza station last Thursday. She really enjoys what she does and it shows!

RFFG Marketplace is typically open 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, but this Saturday they are opening 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Downtown Dayton’s Black Business Hop.

Clarece Richardson, who operates the marketplace with her husband, Gerald, told me they hope to extend their evening hours and add weekend hours later this fall. If you plan to stop by the marketplace on Saturday, their homestyle station will feature a soul food buffet with their famous macaroni and cheese!

» PHOTOS: Take a look inside RFFG Marketplace

O’Charley’s closes 2 locations in Dayton area

Credit: Natalie Jones

O’Charley’s Restaurant & Bar locations at 7030 Miller Lane in Dayton and 2260 Miamisburg Centerville Road in Miami Twp. have permanently closed.

“It is always a difficult decision to close a store but based on a variety of industry challenges and the macro-economic environment over the last few years, we closed these O’Charley’s locations as of August 21,” O’Charley’s CEO W. Craig Barber said in a statement.

I found out both locations had closed Monday morning when I stopped by each location and saw a sign that read, “Sorry, we’re closed permanently. O’Charley’s thanks you for your patronage and we hope to see you soon!”

Locations still open near the Dayton area include 3446 Village Drive in Middletown and 1830 N. Bechtle Ave. in Springfield. According to the sign, gift cards are still valid at all O’Charley’s locations.

Englewood’s first brewery, kombuchery opens with limited hours

Credit: Natalie Jones

Full Circle Brewgarden, a new brewery and kombuchery featuring a garden with around 300 different plant species, is now open at 324 Union Blvd. in Englewood.

Dawn Kirchner, who owns the nano brewery with her husband, Franz, told me they plan to open with limited hours until their grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 16.

Once the establishment is fully up and running, guests can expect 12 beers on tap and around four flavors of kombucha, a fermented tea that is non-alcoholic and gluten free. Those who like sour beers tend to like kombucha because it’s a little more on the tart side. I tried the strawberry lemonade kombucha and absolutely loved it! I can’t wait to go back and get a flight.

The 3,000-square-foot building located on a one-acre property features a production and public space with a cozy and warm vibe. The establishments sits 46 guests inside with a half-acre garden space for guests to enjoy. The owners hope to eventually have gardening workshops for adults and children.

Full Circle Brewgarden is located next to JD’s Old Fashioned Frozen Custard and The Cookieologist and Slide Thru’s mobile kitchen.

» PHOTOS: Take a look inside Full Circle Brewgarden

New food vendor operates inside Xenia gas station

Credit: Natalie Jones

Sister Pigs Eats, a hidden gem in the Xenia community, can be found inside Stan’s One Stop on the corner of West Second Street and South Allison Boulevard.

Owner Michell Rubio offers a variety of homecooked meals like chicken and noodles, meatloaf, stuffed peppers and pasta, in addition to various sides and appetizers.

Even though the menu changes daily, customers can expect homecooked meals on Tuesday and grilled or fried foods on the weekends. Prices for a meal, which includes two sides, are typically $10 to $12 depending on the entrée. Every Wednesday they offer free hot dogs to customers who buy something from the convenience store.

Rubio, who has lived in Xenia for seven years, started at Stan’s in June 2022 selling baked goods with her sister, Ray Hartley, under Sister Pigs Eats. In May, the owner of Stan’s asked her if she was interested in making homecooked meals and the rest is history.

Sister Pigs Eats, located at 757 W. Second St., is open 2 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, 1 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Ann Heller’s favorite recipes: Grilled Pork Chops

Ann Heller’s career at the Dayton Daily News spanned three decades where she wrote about food and restaurants. She also published two cookbooks including “The Best of It’s Simple!’’

“Forget about barbecued pork chops. The best I’ve ever had were untouched by traditional barbecue sauce,” she wrote. “The treat, served by the Ohio Pork Producers council to food editors at a picnic at Michael Farms near Urbana was simplicity itself: very thick pork chops, cut 1 1/4 inch thick, grilled slowly and basted with a tart mixture of vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, oil and salt. It’s a variation of what is called mop sauce in some parts of the country.”

Ingredients:

Directions: Blend the vinegar, oil, water, Worcestershire and salt. This will make six cups. Put a cup or so in a plastic spray bottle. Have a charcoal fire or gas grill ready. Cook the chops over medium, not hot, coals, turning frequently and spraying with the mop sauce for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Quick Bites:

🥓 Bacon Fest announces winners: Once again, the People’s Choice Award was given to 1776 Grill for their bacon stuffed garlic toast grilled cheese. Click here for a look at the other winners.

🥗 Several new vendors at 2nd Street Market: From baked goods, salads and fresh-pressed juices to cards, apparel, and other merchandise, there’s something for everyone.

☕ Dayton-area coffee shops release new merch: If you’re into vintage, retro or skeleton T-shirts, you’ll like the new merch that’s been released at Pettibone Coffee, Val’s Bakery and Warehouse 4.

🍽 Tipp City cafe described as ‘best-kept secret in Ohio’: Coldwater Cafe was featured on a travel and culture website highlighting hidden gems, little known attractions and natural wonders across the United States.

Tell Us:

Thank you so much for reading my weekly newsletter! If you see a new restaurant opening or are wondering when an establishment is expected to open up, feel free to email me here, and I’ll check it out.

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