Hello, in the previous thread, Mary Ann & Michael commented, "This is off point, but we are Northeastern foodies about to move to the Dayton area and looking for recommendations for restaurants. We will be doing a pre-move/house-hunting visit next weekend and have Friday night free to explore. Tips/suggestions are welcome. We eat just about anything except broccoli (one of us) and beets (both of us). Thanks for your help. Mary Ann & Michael"
In an effort to attract attention to this comment, I'm replying in a new thread. Everyone, please make your welcoming suggestions.
Mary Ann & Michael,
I'm honored at your ask. In Dayton, we pride ourselves on being very welcoming and I hope that you greatly enjoy living here. Many people, especially people who have moved here, would not seriously consider living anywhere else.
For your first visit, I would recommend visiting the Oregon District. It is an area adjacent to downtown that has a high concentration of awesome restaurants. You can walk around and look at menus to find one that you like. This web site has a lot of restaurant links and addresses for downtown and Oregon District dining. Please especially look at Coco's, one of my favorite restaurants. If you're looking for someplace that is more bar than restaurant, visit Blind Bob's in the Oregon District. Its a great bar with even better food.
For more lists of restaurants around town, our local blogger hangout, http://www.daytonmostmetro.com, has a posting that compiles local food blogs, many have a lot more postings than my own blog does.
Finally, I think Dayton is a great place to eat. We have a wide variety of restaurants and a lot of local offerings for foodies. I am especially proud of how good our bar food is. Blind Bob's, Boscos, Slyder's, Tanks, and Dublin Pub (also in the Oregon District) are all bars that you can get a great meal at. Additionally, coming from the Northeast, I think that you will be pleasantly surprised at our local food prices.
Mary Ann & Michael, please comment if you're looking for a restaurant in a specific area or of a certain type. I want to help as much as possible. Welcome to Dayton!
Try Marion's Pizza (http://www.marionspizza.com/ for locations and menu). Many of us born in Dayton know that it's the world's best pizza. Cut in squares. Get an all sausage one.
ReplyDeleteI only found this because it mentioned Dayton, but...
ReplyDeleteWe're in the Oregon District every single day. We need to eat fast and we need to eat cheap, but there's only so much Banquet microwaved food one person can stand. These are the places we eat when we go off budget.
Blind Bob's is an excellent new addition to the Fifth Street line-up. The Island Burger features a slice of pineapple inside a generous beef patty with plenty of tasty toppings.
The Oregon Express is well-known for their Free-Pizza Fridays (free as long as you're paying for your drinks). It's excellent pizza and well worth paying for if you happen to be hungry some other day of the week.
Speaking of pizza... I'd like to Second David. Marion's is a uniquely Dayton-area treat. I try not to spoil myself on it so I can enjoy it with tastebuds, like the very first time, every time.
Cassano's "Pizza King" has been around as long as I can remember and is also wonderful stuff. More traditional than Marion's it is still a separate experience from any of the national chains. [I'm not knocking the nationals, but we ARE talking about Dayton food here.]
Back to the Oregon District... 5th Street Deli has some astounding sandwiches and the best breakfast sandwich I've ever had at any time of day.
Smokin' BBQ virtually reaches out and drags you by your nostrils into a savory dream of satisfaction.
China Royal, downtown on Main Street, is a place we've neglected lately. The fact that I'm missing it now should tell you something.
More Asian cuisine? I've only had Thai 9 a handful of times, always excellent. I'm not sure why I don't eat there more often. It's perfectly reliable AND totally delicious. The 9 is for nine levels of spicy-ness. Choose carefully.
The DUBLIN PUB is another wonder of international flavor. They had me at 'Irish stew' and kept me around with 'black & bleu salad', blackened Angus with bleu cheese... excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin.
Our standard though, the first place we consider when we're not sure what we want to eat, is The Trolley Stop. From Gumbo to chicken quesadillas, 'No Date Tonight' nachos (covered with chili, garlic, and onions), to my personal favorite... the Double-Dog Dare-Ya! Two smothered chili dogs, with or without cheese and/or chopped onions, served with a pickle slice and a side of potato chips.
You know, this is a rather short list of local delicacies, but I'm only mentioning those I know well enough to comment on. We've got most of the standard chain restaurants near the malls and scattered about town, but everything above is a Dayton original (and serves carry-out for us working stiffs who eat on the job.)
The Dayton area is full of other excellent food choices. I can think of over half a dozen Mexican restaurants I love (and I DO love Mexican food), Chinese options, steak houses, fine dining, etc.
Jay's Seafood, The Pine Club, The Barnsider, Amar India, and many, many more.
There will be no shortage of eating options for Mary Ann and Michael or any other new faces to the Dayton area.
Chow down!