Breakfast at Abner's

You'll have to ask who Abner is because I forgot to ask. Sorry.

I forgot to ask because I was too busy eating my breakfast and people watching. The breakfast food was great. I tried the eggs, toast, biscuits & gravy, and fried potatoes. All of them were really good, cheap, and filling enough that I forgot to eat lunch (that NEVER happens).

Abner's is a classic Dayton diner. They assume that you want coffee, they sell lotto tickets and they have a back room where the food comes out of. I love it all! Abner's does have really good food. Since my bad experience at Wympe's, I had been leery of trying a diner's biscuits and gravy. I am very happy to report that Abner's biscuits and gravy were very good.

There is some good people watching at Abner's. It is on the main road of E. Dayton so it attracts a crowd with a lot of life experiences. I know this because the tatoos were a rich tapestry of . . . something. I think that my guest and I were the only people in there without tats. They were very friendly (like most Daytonians).

One of my favorite things about Abner's is that it is a great place to get away and get work done, especially if an internet connection is not needed. It is not a loud diner, the people pretty much keep to themselves and they don't mind you hanging around.

I recommend Abner's for the people watching, the office like functions but most of all, they serve a really good breakfast. (but you must pay cash for it)

North River Coffee House

There is a dearth of food choices on Salem Ave. I will go so far as to say that there does not seem to be many local food choices in that part of Dayton. It is a desert of good food options. There may be water there but I sure as hell can't find much.

One solid choice for the past several years has been North River Coffee House, http://www.northrivercoffee.com/. This little diner-coffee shop is owned by Judge Littlejohn and has been managed by a very sweet woman who was doing a great job, according to this frequent customer.

Honestly, North River's food was never spectacular. I just really enjoyed eating there because if the food tastes better in a locally owned restaurant, it tastes even better in a locally owned restaurant in a part of town that does an awful job supporting locally owned restaurants. It does have good coffee, pie, and free wi-fi!

North River Coffee House was the 2007 CityWide Development Corporation Business of the Year. They earned it. It was bringing an entrepreneurial solution to an area that needs more businesses.

I'm frustrated because I fear that they will be on my "RIP, burger" list soon. There was a new woman today behind the counter and the service was poor, there was a slimmed down menu with 1/2 of the lunch options (the menu wasn't expansive in the first place), and I know that they have been doing poorly. They also forgot my pickle.

I just don't understand how that business is not better supported. They have NO competition except a Rally's up the street and downtown (which is almost a mile away). There is enough car traffic, residents and local businesses that they should be thriving. They have ample parking and they have a "Dayton celebrity" owner. Their poor prospects do not make me sad; they make me mad. If you want more businesses like this one, than you have to not only go there, you have to bring people to them. This is people-powered economic development, the best kind!

Don't make your business lunches at an easily found and safe chain restaurant, make it at some place memorable. I just hope that North River Coffee Coffee House survives as an option.

Terra Cotta Cafe

What will it take for Terra Cotta Cafe to get recognized and slammed with business? Terra Cotta Cafe is a great sandwich serving coffee shop (or a great coffee serving sandwich shop) on the corner of 5th and Ludlow. It is downtown but not near any major office buildings. It is close to the convention center but not close enough that people who go to only an event at the convention center would know about it. I understand that its 3 blocks from Courthouse Square but this is the problem with downtown Dayton, people are too lazy to walk 3 blocks.

My favorite thing about Terra Cotta Cafe is that I never see anyone there that I know. It makes it very convenient to meet someone in private or going to get some work done without distractions. Terra Cotta is the one place that I don't tell people about . . . but I need it to survive. I no longer have the luxury of a cafe that does okay in the good times.

Terra Cotta has great food. They have innovative panninis and sandwiches. They throw some classic ingredients together in an innovative way and they really like pesto, a favorite ingredient of mine. Today's special was "Pepperjack Turkey Club Melt. This melt has turkey, tomato, bacon, mayo and pepperjack cheese grilled on choice of bread." That is the prototypical Terra Cotta Cafe sandwich. They have a menu full of these kinds of sandwichs.

Terra Cotta also has a full service coffee machine and coffee specials. They really do their coffee specials well. On Friday, they had a coffee special of Large Chocolate Covered Raspberry Mocha. I know that this is a little fancy but break it down, this is coffee with chocolate and raspberries. It is a tried and true recipe for anyone woman or man who is comfortable with society's perception of his masculinity.

My biggest problem with Terra Cotta Cafe is that they don't have a web site. It is inexcusable for a restaurant to be without a web site as we approach 2010. This will be a common lament on Diving Through Dayton.

As my first restaurant posting, I give you my favorite "secret" place because I'm legitimately worried about them going out of business. I'm not happy about this. Please visit them.