New bakery-restaurant poised to open in downtown Dayton

Salt Block Biscuit Co. to serve breakfast, brunch from space in Fire Blocks District.

A bakery-restaurant that will serve a breakfast and brunch menu as well as some evening fare on Friday and Saturday nights is poised to open in downtown Dayton.

Salt Blocks Biscuit Co., at 115 E. Third St. in Dayton’s Fire Blocks District, is the brainchild of Justin Mohler, a pastry chef who has worked at Dayton-area restaurants such as the former Blue Moon, Christopher’s Restaurant, and the former Olive, An Urban Dive.

Those restaurant experiences “helped me grow into the person I am today,” Mohler said. “Watching Dayton rise strong in this downtown renaissance makes it even more of an accomplishment to be a part of something so grand.”

Mohler said he is planning to host some invitation-only events after Labor Day, starting around Sept. 10. A ribbon-cutting is in the works with the Downtown Dayton Partnership. The date to open to the public has not been set, but could come as early as Sept. 21, Mohler said.

A previous plan to open Salt Block Biscuit Co. in the District Provisions building on Wayne Avenue fell through.

Salt Block will offer a large variety of bakery items, including biscuits in four or five different varieties, served with house-made butters, infused honey, and other spreads, Mohler said. They also will be served in a variety of sandwiches, or “Sammies” on the menu, and will be served with a side dish, house greens or cobbler.

The bakery case will showcase seasonal cobblers, signature cookies, tea biscuits, cake by the wedge or whole, cornbreads and other daily specials, Mohler said.

Salt Block will also offer bodega-style items such as American and European tinned seafood, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, fruit preserves, and locally sourced honey, to help customers entertain at home.

Plans call for evening hours, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., on Friday and Saturday, during which Salt Block will serve a variety of tinned seafood planks, featuring items such as sardines from Portugal and Spain, American smoked trout, tuna and octopus from around the world.

“These will be our version of a charcuterie board,” Mohler said, and will include the bakery’s house biscuits, bread-and-butter pickles, pickled eggs and other house-made treats. Mohler also plans to offer a locally sourced, farm-raised saltwater shrimp in a peel-and-eat shrimp cocktail. Plated desserts also will be a part of the weekend evening menu.

Mohler said he grew up on a beef farm in the northern Miami Valley.

“I learned the importance of knowing where your food comes from and the passion to harvest and source quality ingredients,” Mohler said. “Watching my grandmother in the kitchen also sparked my interest to create joy by serving delicious food within the family and community. Salt Block in not just another ‘Farm to

Table,‘ it’s a legacy of family, farm, and food that hits the palate like a memory.”

When it opens fully, Salt Block Biscuit Company’s hours will be 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, closed Sunday.

For more information and to monitor progress toward opening, go to the Salt Block Biscuit Co. Facebook page.