Welcome to our weekly Dayton Food & Dining Newsletter! I hope everyone had a great Halloween. My best friend and I dressed up as fire and ice over the weekend and went to Hauntfest in the Oregon District. One of the main reasons we went was to try the fried chicken and waffle cone from Lily’s Dayton. This rare, sweet and savory treat is easy to carry and features multiple layers of mashed potatoes, chicken gravy and diced fried chicken topped with green onion. We were NOT disappointed! It definitely lived up to the hype. Typically, Lily’s fried chicken and waffle cones are only available during Hauntfest. If you missed out on this special treat, Lily’s offers a fried chicken and waffle sandwich during brunch or fried chicken during dinner.
Sweets Boutique is a hidden gem in Xenia I consider Sweets Boutique, located at 28 E. Second St. in Xenia, a hidden gem because if you’re not from Xenia or someone didn’t tell you they serve lunch, you probably wouldn’t have known. The bakery serves lunch 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. For $10, you can get a sandwich or salad with a side item and cookie. After Vintage Market Days at the Greene County Fairgrounds, my mom and I had lunch from Sweets Boutique. I had an avocado BLT sandwich with pasta salad and my mom has a BLT salad with fruit. We both had pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Sweets Boutique Owner Bridget Walker has plans to restore the historic Carnegie Library in Xenia with some of her colleagues. Once that renovation is complete, Walker’s catering business, O’Neals, will move into the building, and the main floor will convert to an event venue, as well as a restaurant of the same name, serving the “healthy version of southern comfort food,” she previously said.
Boosalis Baking in Centerville is here for the long haul Boosalis Baking and Cafe has expanded its hours in Centerville’s Cross Pointe Shopping Center and has extended their lease for another 10 years. Matt Boosalis, the bakery’s founder, first developed an interest in baking when he was working part-time making doughnuts while attending the University of California, Santa Barbara. From there, owning a bakery was always a primary goal. He attended workshops in California and France, and learned the intricacies of making croissants, pastries and fresh-baked bread. When he moved to the Dayton area in 2008 to be closer to his sister and her family, he opened the bakery at 9486 Springboro Pike in Miami Twp. After about six years in Miami Twp, the bakery moved to the Cross Pointe Shopping Center Ryan Chen, Boosalis’ business partner, described Boosalis Baking and Cafe as a traditional, authentic European patisserie with American touches. The bakery is known for its fresh, handmade baked goods that include kouign-amann, croissants, scones, cookies, muffins, coffee cake and cinnamon rolls. Employees hand roll croissants four times a day. My favorite treat from the bakery is the apple coffee cake. I’ve never had a slice of coffee cake that is so light and fluffy! The Centerville location is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Chen said they hope to open Sundays starting early next year.
The Florentine in Germantown has new owners The Florentine, which traces its history back more than two centuries in Germantown, has a new set of owners. “It’s an honor,” said Sheree Henson, who now owns the restaurant with her husband, Bryce. “I have fond memories of coming here when I was a little girl. We came here every year for my grandmother’s birthday. It’s historic — the building, the restaurant — and it’s an honor to be given the privilege to carry on with that.” The Hensons also own The Creamery at Market & Main, located right down the street from The Florentine, which they have operated for nearly four years. They are not expecting to make any major changes. Customers can still expect to see their favorites on the menu like steaks, beer battered roasted orange roughy and comfort food. A grand re-opening for The Florentine, located at 21 W. Market St., is planned for Wednesday, Nov. 8.
Ann Heller’s favorite recipes: Mexican Corn Chowder Ann Heller’s career at the Dayton Daily News writing about food and restaurants spanned three decades. She also published two cookbooks including “The Best of It’s Simple!’’ “Chowders are sustaining soups, meant to fill as well as warm you. They should be chunky, but not artificially thickened as restaurants often do,” Heller wrote. “Corn chowder is one of my favorites, and this is one occasion where the convenience of canned corn can be put to good use.” - 4 slices bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 12-ounce can whole kernel corn
- 1 12-ounce can creamed corn
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 3 canned green chilies drained, rinsed and diced
- 2 egg yolks
- cheddar cheese
Directions: In a small skillet, cook the bacon until crisp; drain on a paper towel. While bacon cooks, melt the butter in a medium pot and add the onion. Cook over medium heat until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the chili powder, the corn and 2 cups of the milk. Add salt and pepper, chilies and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Blend the egg yolk with remaining 1/2 cup milk and blend in 1/2 cup of the hot soup. Remove soup from heat, stir in egg mixture, return to heat and cook until thick. Do not let boil. Serve in soup bowls with a tablespoon grated cheese on top of each. Sprinkle bacon over soup.
🍗 Buffalo Wild Wings in Xenia sets opening date: The restaurant, located at 104 Hospitality Drive, is opening its doors on Monday, Nov. 6. 🍴 The Sugar Guild finds new home in Fairborn: After serving breakfast and brunch at The Red Carpet Tavern on Wayne Avenue in Dayton for the past year, The Sugar Guild is moving to Spark Fairborn. Click here for more information. 🥪 New carryout opens in Dayton: The Local 937, a carryout featuring snacks, drinks, candy, ice cream charcuterie boxes, deviled eggs and more, is open in St. Anne’s Hill Historic District. Today they will start serving their Chopped Italian and Chopped Club Wraps.
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 or Twitter pages. | 
