January restaurant recap: 11 open, 11 coming soon, 2 for sale, 1 closed

Jan. 31—The Dayton area is seeing several different cuisines with new restaurants now open and others coming soon. From Japanese, Mediterranean and Turkish fare to Middle Eastern, Greek and Indian food, there's a lot of new dishes and drinks to try.

In our January restaurant roundup, we take a moment to remember David Boston Sr., a trailblazer in the Dayton craft beer scene who had owned Boston's Bistro and Pub. He died on Saturday, Jan. 13 after a heart attack.

We also report 11 restaurants now open, 11 coming soon, two for sale and one closed.

If you know of a new restaurant coming to the Dayton area, email Natalie.Jones@coxinc.com with details.

NOW OPEN

Doubleday's Home Plate in Washington Twp. slowly opens through DoorDash

Doubleday's Home Plate in Washington Twp. is in the midst of a soft opening via DoorDash.

This week the restaurant is open 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Owner Jon Thomas told me they have plans to offer pick-up and dine-in services, but right now they are taking the first few weeks to perfect their new fast-casual restaurant concept.

Customers can expect Doubleday's favorites on the menu such as the pork tenderloin, chicken tender salad, Yuengling fish, wings, soups, classic mac 'n cheese and much more.

Taco John's first Dayton-area restaurant alters Kettering celebration

The Kettering Taco John's grand opening celebration has been changed and expanded, according to the restaurant chain.

The event, initially set for Feb. 5, is now scheduled for the week of Feb. 19, said Annie Hann, Taco John's field marketing manager.

Golden Tickets, redeemable for one free Crispy Beef Taco or Small Potato Oles each week for a year, will be given to the first 25 customers Feb. 20-23, Hahn said.

The first Taco John's restaurant in the Dayton area officially opened for business in Kettering earlier this month.

The Brunch Pub opens in Centerville

The Brunch Pub at 101 W. Franklin St. in Centerville opened its doors Thursday, Jan. 25, confirmed Lorenzo Bas, the operator of the restaurant.

Customers can expect farm-to-table comfort food with menus changing twice a year, Bas said.

"At The Brunch Pub, we take pride in our commitment to sourcing the freshest ingredients from local farms," Bas wrote on the restaurant's website. "As a young chef, I've carefully crafted a menu that showcases the vibrant flavors of Ohio's agricultural abundance. From Prime angus NY Strip Steaks to savory omelettes bursting with locally grown vegetables, each dish is a celebration of the region's rich culinary heritage. The farm-to-table concept isn't just a trend for us; it's a way of life that allows us to support local farmers and deliver exceptional flavors to our guests."

The restaurant is open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The brunch menu will be served until 3 p.m. followed by the pub menu.

Teriyaki Madness opens near Austin Landing

Teriyaki Madness, a fast-casual Japanese restaurant franchise specializing in Seattle-style teriyaki, has opened near Austin Landing.

Customers may choose from various bowls loaded with chicken, beef or tofu, stir-fried veggies and a choice of white rice, brown rice, fried rice or noodles. All bowls are made-to-order and can be customized. The restaurant also has appetizers such as chicken egg rolls, edamame, chicken potstickers and crab rangoon.

Managing owner Rahul Patel encouraged guests to try the chicken teriyaki bowl or spicy chicken teriyaki bowl for their first time at the restaurant.

Gyro Center opens in Huber Heights

Gyro Center, a new restaurant serving Mediterranean and Turkish fare, is open in the the new Taylor-Mart Convenience Store, located at 6025 Taylorsville Road in Huber Heights

The restaurant serves American breakfast food like French toast, waffles and pancakes in addition to traditional Turkish breakfast items like olives, cheeses, deli meats, jams and a special dish called Menemen, which is eggs with tomatoes, said owner Ulka Kibarova. Lunch and dinner options include kabobs and gyros.

One dish Kibarova is excited for customers to try is the San Sebastian Cheesecake. She said this is a very special cheesecake where the top of it is broiled.

Old Scratch Pizza opens in Troy

Old Scratch Pizza is open in the former Troy Fire Dept. station at 19 E. Race St. in the heart of downtown, offering "Midwesternly Neapolitan" artisanal pies and craft beer.

There are several aspects throughout the building paying homage to the Troy Fire Dept. For example, there is a bench that remains from the fire station near the ordering area.

Old Scratch Pizza is also constructing two luxury loft apartments in the upstairs space that previously housed the firefighter dormitory. They are looking for tenants.

The Troy location is something Soller and his wife, Stephanie, have wanted to do for a long time. Soller previously worked at Hobart for over 10 years and became a big fan of the city.

Val's Bakery opens in new spot downtown

Val's Bakery owner Paige Woodie opened the doors to her new space at 25 S. St Clair St. in Dayton on Saturday, Jan.

The new space provides more seating for customers and a much larger kitchen — allowing Val's to offer more advanced pastries. Customers can expect a lot of new items made with croissant dough. From basic items like a chocolate croissant to specialty items like a croissant filled with Ube pastry cream. Woodie also plans to have Danishes, quiche, bread and their take on a honey mustard sausage roll.

Val's Bakery also offers coffee and matcha. The new location will not have an espresso machine, but will offer cold brew, pour-overs and French press. Woodie has partnered with Twisted River Coffee Roaster in Dayton and Namesake Coffee Roasters in Kettering for all their coffee needs.

Val's Bakery is joining a slew of businesses in Dayton's Fire Blocks District including Tony & Pete's Groceries and Coldcuts, Jollity, Salt Block Biscuit Co., and Joui Wine.

Agave & Rye opens 'Lick My Chicken' ghost kitchens

Agave & Rye has launched "Lick My Chicken" ghost kitchens offering chicken tenders, wings, waffle fries and much more at all of its Southwest Ohio locations.

Ghost kitchens, also known as micro-cloud kitchens or virtual kitchens, do not offer dine-in services. Instead, they operate on online-orders only through third-party delivery services like DoorDash or Grubhub.

The menu features a variety of EPIC chicken including the Grilled Crispy Chicken Burrito featuring chopped chicken tenders, mac n cheese, white cheddar, queso, sweet and spicy bacon and Agave BBQ. It's then garnished with tobacco onions and cilantro and served with ranch. Another popular menu item includes the House Waffle Fries topped with queso, white cheddar, ranch, chopped sweet and spicy bacon, pico, Agave BBQ and a chopped house chicken tender. If you're looking for dessert, they have funnel cake fries.

Crumbl Cookies to opens in Centerville

The Dayton region's fourth Crumbl Cookies is opened its doors on Friday, Jan. 12 at 4457 Feedwire Road in between Donato's Pizza and Sleep Outfitters in Centerville.

The 1,500-square-foot storefront is owned by Eric and Kendra Stringham, who also own Crumbl Cookies locations in Beavercreek and Huber Heights.

Crumbl Cookies opened its first store in the Miami Valley in February 2022 at 1520 Miamisburg Centerville Road in Washington Twp., followed by 2260 N. Fairfield Road, Suite G, in Beavercreek in July 2022 and 8288 Old Troy Pike in Huber Heights in January 2023.

The Reserve on Third opens in Dayton

The Reserve on Third, downtown Dayton's newest lounge, has opened its doors in the former space of Therapy Cafe at 452 E. Third St.

Dayton native Erin Parrott and her fiancé, Edward Joiner are excited to bring "a luxury experience without the luxury price tag" to Dayton.

The 4,000-square-foot lounge serves those 25 and up Saturday through Wednesday. Parrott said their goal is to create a niche environment where older, mature people can feel comfortable. On Thursdays and Fridays, the lounge will be open to those 21 and up.

Treasure Island Supper Club reopens with new owners

Treasure Island Supper Club in Moraine reopened to the public on Tuesday, Jan. 16 under new ownership.

Former general manager Nancy Zechar and her husband, Mike Leach, are buying the longtime restaurant that has been a staple for residents of Moraine, Kettering, Oakwood, Miamisburg, West Carrollton and beyond since 1961.

"I did it for the employees more than anything because this is their home," Zechar said. "A lot of them have been here 20 years plus and this is what they know. This is where they're comfortable."

Customers can expect the restaurant's original menu featuring favorites like steak, prime rib, supreme salads, pork tenderloin sandwiches and much more. Zechar noted customers can now get items from the lunch menu in the evening. For example, customers could not get a beef hot shot after 4 p.m. Now they can because the restaurant will have mashed potatoes and gravy on the menu at all times.

COMING SOON

Izakaya, an Anime-themed restaurant in Beavercreek, delays opening

Izakaya, an anime-themed restaurant and bar at The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, has postponed its grand opening "due to unforeseen issues that arose during a final building inspection," a post on the restaurant's Facebook page states.

"Please know that this decision was not made lightly and we are deeply saddened to have to make it. But our team is working diligently to get it taken care of so that we can welcome you all into our anime world of Izakaya," the post reads. "We are fully committed to delivering an amazing experience and we will not compromise on that promise."

Izakaya, located on the upper level of the mall near Morris Furniture in the space that previously housed Spinoza's Pizza and Good Spirits, was planning to hold a grand opening on Feb. 2.

Slim Chickens franchise could be coming soon to region

Slim Chickens, a southern acclaimed fast casual chicken franchise, has just signed a 25-unit deal to bring restaurants to Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton.

Restaurant operator, Big Star Chicken, who currently has Slim Chickens stores in the Austin and San Antonio, Texas markets, will be spearheading the new Ohio stores, a news release said. No locations have been secured just yet.

In early discussions, Big Star Chicken was planning to break ground on their first store in Columbus, said Dan McGrath, president of Big Star Chicken. Since then he has received a lot of sites available in Dayton, so either market could be a possibility for their first store. McGrath hopes to open the first store around 18 months from now and proceed to open a couple each year.

OH! Boba opening soon on Brown Street near University of Dayton

OH! Boba is opening its third boba tea shop at 1120 Brown St. near the University of Dayton in the former space of Val's Bakery.

Jess Justice, who owns the shop with QQ Qiang and Ting Shi, said they are anticipating a grand opening for their new location by the end of February or, at the latest, in early March.

Customers can expect a large variety of fresh brewed teas, milk teas, fruit teas and smoothies. They recently introduced a Cat Paw Mochi Waffle, adding a savory side to their menu. Customers can order pizza or jalapenos and cheese flavors, as well as sweet flavors such as apple pie and strawberry and chocolate.

OH! Boba opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Troy at 217 SE Public Square in 2022 after doing pop-ups downtown. They opened their second location in 2023 inside COhatch The Market in downtown Springfield.

New Middle Eastern grill to open in Fairborn near Wright State University

BABA BBQ Middle Eastern Grill & Cafe is coming soon to the former space of Crazy King Burrito in Fairborn near Wright State University, according to a sign posted at the restaurant.

The restaurant will be located at 2624 Colonel Glenn Highway in the shopping center that houses several other restaurants like First Watch, Timmy's Wok, Leaguer Bakery, Kung Fu Tea, Don Patron Mexican Bar & Grill, Dad's Wings & Burgers, Flying Pizza and Tropical Smoothie Cafe.

Crazy King Burrito closed it doors nearly six months ago. The Fairborn location was the first U.S. franchise of Crazy King Burrito.

The Twist Indian Grill to open second location near Dayton Mall

The Twist Indian Grill, a fast-casual Indian restaurant, is opening a second location near the Dayton Mall at 39 Springboro Pike in the former space of Curry & Grill Restaurant. Curry & Grill moved to 1501 Lyons Road in Centerville after a fire.

Owner Maulin Patel opened The Twist Indian Grill at 2627 S. Smithville Road in Dayton in Oct. 2022. The restaurant's concept is an Indian alternative similar to Bubbakoo's Burritos, Chipotle or Hot Head Burritos.

Customers can choose to build their own burritos, bowls, tacos, naandillas or loaded quesadillas. The restaurant also has Indian street food, wings and traditional dishes such as Chicken Tikka Masala.

Great Greek Mediterranean Grill coming soon to Centerville

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is coming soon to the former location of Which Wich Superior Sandwiches in Centerville.

Customers can expect a contemporary take on Mediterranean cuisine with a focus on fresh ingredients and spice blends sourced directly from the Mediterranean and sauces and marinades made in-house, the restaurant's website states.

The restaurant, located at at 5409 Cornerstone N. Blvd., will offer a variety of dips like Hummus, Tzatziki, Tirokafteri or Melitzanosalata, salads, gyros, souvlaki, desserts including baklava and much more.

New restaurant featuring Indian cuisine coming soon to Huber Heights

Tandoor India & Pizza is coming soon to the Waynetowne Plaza Shopping Center in Huber Heights, confirmed Don Millard, manager of zoning and code enforcement for the city of Huber Heights.

The restaurant, located at 7695 Old Troy Pike, is expected to offer fine Indian cuisine, according to the sign on the building.

PPA SINGH LLC DBA Tandoor India & Pizza has applied for D-1, D-2 and D-6 liquor permits. The permits remain pending, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce.

Mission BBQ opening soon near Dayton Mall

Mission BBQ is expected to open in April in the former location of Panera Bread at 2500 Miamisburg-Centerville Road near the Dayton Mall, confirmed David B. Chasin, president and CEO of Pegasus Investments Real Estate Advisory Inc.

Customers can expect authentic BBQ including Baby Back Ribs, Chicken, Salmon, Brisket, Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Sausage and Turkey. With every entree, customers may add one or two made-from-scratch sides such as Maggie's Mac-N-Cheese, Baked Beans with Brisket, Cold Slaw, Green Beans with Bacon, Fresh Cut Fries or the Super Seasonal Baked Cheesy Potatoes.

Each restaurant is filled with tributes to those in service and every day at lunchtime the national anthem is played.

Blue Berry Cafe to open second location at former Golden Nugget site

The Blue Berry Cafe, known as a Bellbrook staple, is opening a second location in the former space of the Golden Nugget Pancake House at 2932 S. Dixie Drive in Kettering, according to a press release from Winsupply Inc., the property owner.

The restaurant is expected to open in the coming months.

This news comes after the Blue Berry Cafe owners announced in a Facebook post they have closed their doors at 72 Bellbrook Plaza. The Blue Berry Cafe has plans to move to 129 W. Franklin St. in downtown Bellbrook across from Dot's Market.

The Blue Berry Cafe is known for its massive pancakes, homemade omelets and Tony Darden aka the "Muffin Man." The cafe was crowned as having the Best Breakfast and Best Brunch in our 2023 Best of Dayton contest.

Taste of Belgium to open second location in Dayton region

Taste of Belgium is coming soon to the former location of Bar Louie next to Park Grille & Bar at Austin Landing in Miami Twp.

Founder and CEO Jean-François Flechet said in early January they hope to open the Austin Landing bistro within the next 60 days.

The Cincinnati-based restaurant is best known for its waffles and brunch, but they also have a dinner menu, specialty cocktails and an extensive beer list.

Yumi Boba Tea to open third location

Yumi Boba Tea is planning to open a third location at The Greene Town Center in Beavercreek in spring 2024, according to a sign posted at its future space.

The bubble tea shop will be located at 55 Chestnut St. Suite 104 in the former space of Wick Therapy Candle near Panera Bread.

Yumi Boba Tea, a Taiwanese bubble tea shop and Vietnamese deli, first opened in the Airway Shopping Center at 170 Woodman Drive in Riverside in 2020. Two years later, they opened a second location at 204 N. Springboro Pike in Miamisburg.

FOR SALE

Two popular Miamisburg restaurants go up for sale

Chef Maria Walusis announced in early January that she will be putting her two popular Miamisburg restaurants on the market to sell.

Walusis will be looking for a buyer to take over Watermark Restaurant, which has been operating in its location since 2017, and Backwater Voodoo, which opened in September of 2021.

The plan is for Watermark to remain open for the month of January with a special ticketed dinner and final celebration on Jan. 27. Although both restaurants are listed for sale, there is currently no firm closing date set for Backwater Voodoo. The disposition of that space will be dependent on the details of any prospective sale, as well as the details of the agreement with a buyer.

CLOSED

Tudor's Biscuit World closes in Fairborn

Tudor's Biscuit World is closed in Fairborn after serving breakfast and lunch for nearly five years.

A sign posted to the door said Jan. 25 was the final day the restaurant was open.

"We think you for your patronage!" read the sign, which directed customers to the only other Tudor's Biscuit World location in the area at 810 W. Second St. in Xenia.

REMEMBERING RESTAURANT OWNER

Owner of Boston's Bistro and Pub dies

Described as a trailblazer in the Dayton craft beer scene, David Boston Sr., who had owned Boston's Bistro and Pub, died on Saturday, Jan. 13 after a heart attack. He was 69.

Boston opened Boston's Bistro and Pub, formerly known as Boston's Sport Page, in 1981 at 101 E. Second St., where the White House Event Center stands today.

His son, David Boston Jr., and his daughter, Eva Boston, said their dad was the first to bring imported, craft beers to downtown. Boston's love of all things beer came from his late-father, Stephen, and his travels throughout Europe.

In 2004, Boston's Bistro and Pub moved to 7500 N. Main St. (Ohio 48) in Harrison Twp. This was the former home of Boston's father's restaurant, Gypsy Gardens, that specialized in Hungarian food in the 1950s and '60s.

Boston's Bistro and Pub was famous for Boston's Hungarian-style pizza. His children said he created every single recipe with high quality ingredients and never skimped on toppings. Boston closed the restaurant in 2016 at 62 years old.