Welcome to our weekly Dayton Food & Dining Newsletter! The countdown is on to Thanksgiving and hopefully you’ve already pre-ordered your holiday pie. I saw firsthand the artistry and consistency that goes into making a pie at Mehaffies Pies on Linden Avenue in Dayton. When I asked Brian Phillips, who owns the business with his wife, Melanie, if he could talk with me about pie season, he invited me in to see the hard work that goes into making each and every pie. I arrived at the business at 6 a.m. on a Friday and before I even walked in the doors I could smell the freshly baked pies. At that time, they had already made 2,000 pies, with plans to make 1,300 more. I made a TikTok video taking you through the pie making process. To watch it, click here. Honestly, I was in awe at how many pies they could crank out and the amount of teamwork it takes to make one pie. When I grew up in Xenia, I remember getting Mehaffies Pies from what was then Groceryland on N. Detroit St. I definitely took those pies for granted! If you haven’t pre-ordered your Thanksgiving pie, Mehaffies Pies, Hyde’s Restaurant, and DOUGH, a bakery by Ghostlight are still accepting orders.
Giovanni’s celebrates 70 years in Fairborn Giovanni’s Pizzeria é Ristorante Italiano is celebrating 70 years of serving the Fairborn community with special dinners, a chance to win 1953 pricing, free desserts and more through Sunday. Owner Cassaundra Spaziani is honoring her dad, Tony, who died in August by offering customers a four course, create-your-own meal for $39.99 starting at 5 tonight. The dinner features some of her dad’s favorites, along with a 9-ounce glass of wine from his private collection. Giovanni’s was founded in 1953 by the DiPasquale family who offered a small menu of pizza, spaghetti, cheese ravioli, sandwiches and salad. The restaurant was originally located on the corner of the building they are housed in today and mostly offered carryout. At some point, Giovanni’s moved to 215 W. Main St and opened a full dining room. Spaziani’s dad purchased the restaurant 24 years ago. He added a party room, changed the marinara sauce and Italian sausage to his family’s recipes and introduced Italian bread.
New wine shop, bar to hold first event in Dayton Joui, a new wine retail shop and bar, will hold its first event in downtown Dayton’s Fire Blocks District tonight from 6:30 to 8:30. In addition to offering patrons a first look at the space, the event has been established to support a good cause. All proceeds from the event will go toward Kirkmont Center, a nonprofit organization in Logan County near Bellefontaine. The Kirkmont Center, founded in 1963, is a camp and retreat center serving various groups, families, businesses and individuals. For $45, guests will sample three wines along with a variety of snacks. Tickets can be purchased online. Owner Lauren Gay hopes to hold a soft opening for Joui following this first event, in addition to a grand opening before the end of the month. Half the space will focus on retail, while the other half will be dedicated to on-site consumption. The bar will have wines by the glass rotating on a weekly basis in addition to a cocktail list. Small bites will include cheese, charcuterie, salad, sandwiches and dips. The retail sector is expected to feature bottles that are $20 and under in addition to more expensive wines. Joui will also have a monthly wine club called “The Dose.” One dose is two bottles of wine and a double dose is four bottles of wine.
Ninja Ramen opens in Englewood The owners of Ozu 852, winners of Best Japanese Food/Sushi in our 2023 Best of Dayton contest, are opening a new ramen restaurant at 375 W. National Road in Englewood on Friday, following a ribbon cutting at 3 p.m. Ninja Ramen will have seaweed and squid salad in addition to a variety of appetizers like pork and chicken dumplings, calamari rings, edamame and much more. The restaurant has six different types of ramen featuring pork, grilled chicken, seafood, vegetables and beef. Customers can also add additional toppings. Ann Chen, who owns the restaurant with Chef Jin (Allen) Li, told me they decided to open a ramen restaurant within their community because many of their customers were traveling throughout the area to get ramen.
Deadline approaching for Dayton Daily News holiday cookie contest Thank you to everyone who has entered a recipe into our holiday cookie contest. If you haven’t, you have until Friday to submit your best, easy-to-follow holiday cookie recipe. All you have to do is email the recipe with exact measurements and instructions to me at natalie.jones@coxinc.com. Please include your first and last name, the city you reside in and a brief description about how you came across the cookie recipe and what makes it special to you. Also include your phone number and email in case our team has additional questions. If you are a winner, that’s how you will be notified. The Dayton Daily News has held a holiday cookie contest since 1990, and bakers from across the region have submitted thousands of recipes over those three decades. After a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re bringing the contest back with a new twist. Our staff will make the cookies instead of having contestants bring a dozen cookies to our office due to post-COVID and security precautions. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!
🍷 Silver Slipper now open on Wednesdays: The wine bar and late-night food option is located at 1105 Wayne Ave. in Dayton. They recently released a new food/cocktail menu. 🍽️ Dayton rooftop restaurant launches new igloo experience: Customers at The Foundry can still enjoy the views of downtown during the cold weather by reserving an igloo. Click here for more information. ☕ Dunkin’ temporarily shuts down Centerville: The popular coffee and doughnut chain is expected to be closed between six and eight weeks for a “refresh.” 🌮 Springfield Mexican restaurant opens under new ownership: Guerra’s Krazy Taco, which will be called Krazy Taco, was sold in mid-October to its new owners, Steve and Crissy Levitt. Read more here. 🏆 Local businesses recognized by Midwestern Traveler magazine: Out of 29 categories in food and drink the Miami Valley region saw eight winners rise to the top. Click here for the local winners.
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 and Instagram pages. I recently created a TikTok page featuring videos and interviews highlighting my latest stories. Follow my TikTok page here. | 
