Hey, Dayton! Welcome to our weekly Food & Dining Newsletter. It’s almost time for Cinco de Mayo, and El Meson in West Carrollton is already kicking off its week of festivities. Tonight from 4 to 9 p.m. the restaurant is hosting a Paella Patio Party. For $8, customers can get a bowl of traditional paella made with sausage, chicken, seafood, calamari, scallops, fish, shrimp and mussels. El Meson will be closed on the actual Cinco de Mayo, but they are ready to get customers in the mood leading up to the big day. For a look at what they have planned, CLICK HERE.
Jimmy’s Italian Cuisine & Bar opens today in downtown Dayton The restaurant will start with a soft opening featuring a limited menu. They hope to hold a grand opening on May 15 with their full menu. Mo Jusufi, who also owns Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen in Kettering at 3002 Woodman Drive, said customers can expect longtime favorites like chicken parmigiana, lasagna and pepperoni rolls in addition to some new offerings. - Bruschetta
- Four-Way Pasta Delight (shells, manicotti, ravioli and a small piece of lasagna)
- Trio Delight (chicken parm, stuffed shell and lasagna)
- Steak (filet mignon or New York strip steak)
The Dayton restaurant will also have Mild or Spicy Chicken Wings that were previously offered at the Kettering restaurant prior to the pandemic.
New fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant opens in Springboro A new restaurant in Springboro is taking Mediterranean food to the next level by allowing customers to build their own bowls and hummus. Owner Hamzeh Odeh opened Hummus Mediterranean Food in the former spot of Sweet Tooth Crepes and Shakes at 75 N. Main St. on Sunday. Here’s what you can expect: - Customers can build their own bowls for $11.99 with hot toppings such as rice, chicken shawarma, beef and lamb gyro, falafel, corn, red kidney beans, fajita and cream peas and carrot. Cold toppings include tomatoes, red onions, red cabbage, lettuce, pickles, Turkish salad, banana peppers, black olives, feta cheese, coleslaw and turnips. Bowls can then be topped off with tahini, tzatziki, garlic or hot sauces, as well at Greek or vinaigrette dressing.
- The restaurant has sandwiches and wraps, as well as sides like fries, baba ghanouj, grape leaves or falafel.
- Customers can also build their own hummus by adding garlic oil, cilantro, jalapeno, lime, nuts, veggies or meat.
Executive Chef at On Par Entertainment wants to ‘set the culinary world in Dayton on fire’ Originally from Toledo, Executive Chef and Kitchen Manager Erin O’Neill is eager to bring guests at On Par Entertainment in Beavercreek unique flavor combinations after decades in the restaurant industry. “I’m not going to try and reinvent the wheel, but I will always try to do crazy flavor combinations that other people aren’t expecting,” O’Neill said. When he launched the culinary program at On Par Entertainment, he wanted a menu that was simple and fast because he was unsure of what the flow of orders would look like. Six months after opening, O’Neill is ready to change things up. He said customers can expect lots of specials from red beans and rice, jambalaya and bodega chopped cheese sandwiches to chicken bacon ranch salads, Philly cheesesteak egg rolls and Cuban sandwiches, the possibilities on endless. This month he is adding gourmet hot dogs to the menu. In the upcoming months he plans to introduce fresh pasta, additional grilled items and BBQ. If you’ve never had food at On Par Entertainment, I recommend trying their most popular burger, the Spicy Elvis, featuring habanero bacon jam, peanut butter and fried plantains.
Recipe of the week: Savory Tomato Jam When I interviewed O’Neill, I took a video of him making the Brie Jam Burger at On Par Entertainment. During the video he gave several tips to cooking the perfect burger, which you can find here. I was lucky enough to try the burger and absolutely loved the tomato jam topping. Below is the recipe! - 4 pounds tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions: Chop tomatoes and remove seeds. Combine all ingredients in a pan and bring to a boil. Once it boils, lower temp to a simmer. Allow to simmer, stirring frequently until it reduces and becomes a jam like consistency. When done, remove from heat and cool.
🌮 Centerville Taco Trail is in full swing: All you have to do is visit the eight participating restaurants sometime between now and May 31, buy a taco and have a waiter stamp your taco trail card. Once your card is fully stamped, bring it to the Centerville Municipal Building for a free t-shirt. READ MORE 🥩 Dayton Barbecue Company opens at Hidden Valley Orchards in Lebanon: Owner Eric Evans is kicking off his grand opening weekend at the orchard today from 3 to 9 p.m. CLICK HERE for more on what to expect. 🍴 Fashion Meets Food Truck Rally returns to Dayton: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo from 2 to 7 p.m. on Sunday with more than 50 food and retail vendors at RiverScape.
My husband travels for work and a few months ago he was raving about a taco place that he tried in San Antonio, Texas and it turns out it was Torchy’s Tacos. He was surprised when I told him there was a Torchy’s about 40 minutes away right outside the Liberty Center. On Saturday before the FC Cincinnati game we stopped by there for dinner, so I could try it out. We started off with the Green Chile Queso that’s topped with guacamole, cotija cheese, cilantro and diablo sauce. Heads up, it is pretty spicy especially if you get a scoop of the diablo sauce. I had the Tipsy Chick taco with marinated and grilled chicken, spinach, grilled corn, green chiles and cheddar cheese with chipotle sauce on a flour tortilla. The taco was served with a side of Bacon Bourbon Marmalade that was to die for. I also had the Green Chile Pork taco with pork carnitas, green chiles, cotija cheese, cilantro onions and a lime wedge with tomatillo sauce on a corn tortilla. This was my favorite! My husband also ordered a Tipsy Chick taco, as well as the taco of the month. The Vagabond features marinated grilled steak, bacon, grilled fajita onions, chimichurri sauce, feta cheese and pico de gallo all served on a flour tortilla. Torchy’s Tacos is similar to Condado Tacos or Rusty Taco. The business began in a food trailer in 2006 in Austin, Texas and now has more than 120 locations throughout 14 states.
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. Remember to follow Dayton Daily News on Facebook or search our Food & Dining section for the latest stories. I’ll have continuous updates on my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok pages. | 
