During the challenge, each participant will receive 20 to 30 pounds of beef — consisting of one sirloin, one filet and one ribeye to cut. The winner is the cutter who yields the most steaks with the highest quality.
Henning, who is a 2007 Troy High School graduate, went on to study accounting at Wright State University.
“I was going to Wright State University and I started working at Roadhouse as a busser,” Henning said. “I did bussing through college until I finished my degree in accounting.”
Henning graduated in 2012 during a “mini recession” where a lot places weren’t hiring. He ended up working his way into the kitchen at Texas Roadhouse and transitioned into the meat room, where he has been over 10 years.
At Texas Roadhouse, Henning is responsible for hand-cutting steaks served at the restaurant. In an average year, a meat cutter cuts about $1 million worth of meat and spends seven to eight hours a day in a 35-degree walk-in cooler.
The final round of the challenge will be held in March with the winner being named “Meat Cutter of the Year” and receiving a grand prize of $25,000.
Henning is not the only person from the region in the spotlight today.
At 13 years old, Wall started Golden Age Karate, a nonprofit to help seniors build self-esteem, feel empowered and promote a social, happy and healthy lifestyle.
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Dana’s Soul Food finds new home inside Club Evolution
When Dana Myrick was 9-years old, her father owned Kings & Evans on Third Street in the Wright-Dunbar District. That’s where she learned her love of cooking and serving people food.
“As a child, I was in there with him all the time,” Myrick said. “Every day after school we would come down there and I would just watch him and my mom cook and take care of the people.”
Kings & Evans was a soul food restaurant open for about three years. Her late-father was from Eatonton, Georgia and learned how to cook from his family. Myrick recalled her father letting her cook for her aunts and uncles at the restaurant. She loved the instant gratification she received after they ate her food.
“I began to love that experience,” Myrick said. “I caught the love then.”
Soul rolls are essentially large egg rolls with ingredients such as chicken, macaroni and cheese and greens inside. Customers can create their own rolls with anything on the menu.
Favorite sides include greens, macaroni and cheese and yams. For those that choose to go with the chicken wings, Myrick recommends trying the spicy garlic, Carolina gold or garlic parm sauces.
Dana’s Soul Food is open daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. for pickup and delivery. Club Evolution is currently not open during the day, so customers must pickup their food through the rear entrance of the bar on Race Street.
The restaurant is also available via Grubhub or DoorDash.
New hibachi express restaurant coming to Kettering
Zen Grill, a new hibachi express restaurant, is coming soon to Kettering at 2821 Wilmington Pike in the former space of Ice Ice Smoothie.
Hannah Huang, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Bob, said customers can expect the same type of food you would typically get at a hibachi restaurant — just without the show.
“Our express hibachi menu is thoughtfully crafted to highlight fresh ingredients, bold flavors, and the timeless art of Japanese cooking,” Huang said. “Every meal is a balance of simplicity and taste — grilled protein, crisp vegetables, and fragrant rice, elevated with our signature sauces. It’s everything you love, with nothing you don’t."
All food will be cooked to order with customers choosing the base, meat, vegetables and sauces for their bowls.
Zen Grill is expected to open in March or April. If all goes well, the owners hope to open additional locations.
“We’re just moving forward in our journey,” Downs said. “We’re going to miss our customers and our employees, but sometimes you have to do things for you.”
Prior to opening Roost, Downs had a booth at 2nd Street Market called Black Rooster Pasta Bar. Her desire to pursue fine dining grew after encouragement from a friend who owned the building at 524 E. Fifth St.
Downs and her wife, Katherine, know what they want to do in their next chapter and are excited to move forward with it.
“We want to thank Dayton for their support for so many years,” Downs said.
Quick Bites
🍜 ‘Get the Pho Out’ opens in Kettering: The restaurant is in the midst of a soft opening at 10 W. Stroop Road.
🧇 Taste of Belgium closes at The Greene: After closing its Austin Landing bistro less than a month ago, Taste of Belgium closed its last location in the Dayton region on Sunday.
🍒 Cherry Thing-A-Lings are coming soon: Indiana bakery to make popular cherry fritters during President’s Day weekend. READ MORE
Young’s Jersey Dairy to celebrate 156th birthday this weekend
Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs is celebrating its 156th birthday from Friday, Jan. 17 through Monday, Jan. 20 with specials deals throughout the farm.
“This year we’re giving away a souvenir glass mug that is the perfect size for a sundae or a float,” said CIEIO John Young.
This mug will be included with the purchase of any burger, kid’s meal, cone, cheese curds, 156th Birthday Sundae or root beer float, while supplies last.
Other birthday specials include:
$1.56 off all cones, burgers, deep fried breaded cheddar cheese curds, chedda cheese crispys, 4-packs of homemade buckeyes, 1/2 gallons of homemade ice cream and kid’s meals
All rides on Cowtherine’s Carousel, games of miniature golf and medium buckets of golf balls will be $1.56
50% off Young’s farmstead cheese samplers
Young’s Jersey Dairy is located at 6880 Springfield Xenia Road.
Did you miss our “Flyer Connection Live” event last night at Warped Wing Springboro? Watch it here. We had some tasty smoked wings, tater kegs and pretzels with the Fly Light beer as our guys talked all-things Dayton basketball. Thank you to Warped Wing for amazing hospitality!
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, feel free to email me here, and I’ll check it out.
Calabria Pizza opened on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in the former Milillo's Pizza location at 1010 Main St. in Hamilton. They are noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday for takeout and catering.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which celebrates the legendary Civil Rights Movement leader, is this Monday, Jan. 20....
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