Winter Restaurant Week set to kick off
‘This year our restaurants need their customers more than ever.’
For more than a decade, the Miami Valley Restaurant Association’s Winter Restaurant Week has been an opportunity to support local restaurants while enjoying the chance to sample three-course special menus and dishes at an affordable price.
This year, 27 locally owned restaurants have signed up for the promotion, which starts today and runs through Jan. 31. Most of the special threecourse meals cost $20.21; a few are $25.21 or $30.21.
Amy Zahora, executive director of the Miami Valley Restaurant
Association, says most of the participating restaurants will be offering curbside pickup. For dine-in customers, policies regarding proper distancing, capacity restrictions and mask mandates will be followed. Zahora recommends calling in advance for both reservations and any specific questions that customers may have.
The Restaurant Week promotion “has a huge impact on restaurants,” especially during January, which is traditionally a slow month even without a pandemic, Zahora said.
“Now is more important than ever to show up and support,” she said. “People love this event, and this year our restaurants need their customers more than ever. The restaurants are creating some delicious meals for this event.”
Here’s a look at a handful of menus that caught our eye. For a complete list and more details, visit dineoutdayton. com.
Chappys Social House
7880 Washington Village Drive, Washington Twp. (937) 439-9200 Three-course dinner for $20.21
First course: Cup of soup or house salad
Second course: Stout-braised beef short ribs served over horseradish mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables
Third course: Chappys chocolate Texas sheet cake
Two dinners for $30.21 First course (each person chooses one): Cup of soup or house salad
Second course (each person chooses one): 1/3 slab of slowsmoked BBQ ribs, pork chop (7 oz.) beer-brined or two grilled beer-battered chicken tenders, sirloin steak (5 oz.), bourbon glazed salmon (5 oz.), beer battered cod (5 oz.), or grilled or blackened mahi mahi (5 oz.),
two pieces white or dark fried chicken or a chicken breast smothered, grilled, blackened or BBQ with the choice of one side.
Third course: Chappys chocolate Texas sheet cake
elé Bistro & Wine Bar 3680 Rigby Road, Miamisburg
(937) 384-2253
First course: Fried white cheddar cheese curds tossed in cinnamon sugar and served with house raspberry jalapeno jam or winter wonder salad with roasted zucchini, bell peppers, asparagus, cucumbers,
Larsen
tomato, spinach and orzo, topped with warm feta and pine nut in a roasted garlic golden balsamic vinaigrette.
Second course: Pecancrusted walleye over rosemary sweet-potato mash with honey butter and haricot verts or panseared New York strip au poivre over smoked mash with bacon, white cheddar and crispy Brussels sprouts.
Third course: Winter berry white chocolate cheesecake or sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream.
Note: Cost is $30.21 per person. On Saturday, elé has brunch from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Carryout available.
The Florentine
21 W. Market St., Germantown
(937) 855-7759
First course: Shrimp cocktail, three large shrimp served with a house-made cocktail sauce
Second course (choose one): All meals come with a house salad and choice of dressing
Meatloaf dinner $20.21: House-ground blend of meat and spices topped with sweet tomato sauce served with Brussels sprouts sautéed with bacon and peppers
Chicken Florentine $20.21: Stuffed chicken breast with garlic, spinach and provolone cheese, topped with tomato mornay sauce, served with Brussels sprouts sautéed with bacon and peppers
Pan-roasted orange roughy $25.21: Sautéed or beer-battered and deepfried, served with seasoned French fries
Baked ziti $25.21: Ziti pasta with a tomato-based sauce, served with housemade garlic bread
Ribs $30.21: Seasoned with secret dry rub then smoked and topped with house BBQ sauce, served with seasoned French fries
Ribeye $30.21: Topped with compound butter and served with housemade au gratin potatoes
Third course: Threelayer chocolate cake or house-made apple cheesecake pie, add ice cream for $1.50
Note: Reservations requested, but not required; dine-in and carryout available. A drink special will be available for $11.21 called the Florentine Peach, a vodka and bourbon based cocktail.
Watermark
20 S. First St., Miamisburg
(937) 802-0891
First course: Crispy ginger-and-pork egg roll with sauce for dipping or mixed green salad, shaved Parmesan, house-made croutons with herb and buttermilk ranch, or lobster croquettes with saffron aioli, or a cup of creamy mushroom bisque
Entrée: Risotto with scallops, $30.21; Coq Au Vin, $30.21 or veggie Wellington, $25.21, a housemade vegetarian “meatloaf ” (with black beans, whole grains, vegetables) wrapped in rosemary, mushrooms and puff pastry, topped with brandy cream sauce; with garlic mashed potatoes and buttered French green beans
Dessert: Pomegranate Napoleon, a puff pastry layered with butter-rum pastry cream and pomegranate purée, dusted with powdered sugar, or a bittersweet chocolate and espresso torte on a chocolate graham-cracker crust
Wheat Penny
515 Wayne Ave., Dayton (937) 496-5268
Four courses for $30.21 First course: Arancini Fontina-filled risotto balls with a roasted pepper smear
Second course: Juniper cold-cured salmon, pickled shrimp and Lidia’s spicy calamari, or warm root-vegetable salad with harissa vinaigrette
Main course: Branzino with olives, capers and lemon; or Liz’s handmade gnudi with shaved speck, Gorgonzola and cream; or Liz’s sweet potato gnudi with lemony Cavolo Nero, sage leaves and Pecorino Romano cheese; or slowcooked lamb shank tagine with butternut squash, spinach and couscous.
Dessert: Cranberry and orange vanilla buckle, or maple caramel custard with malted chocolate truffle bottom, or ginger pear Riesling cranita
Dayton Eats looks at the regional food stories and restaurant news that make mouths water. Share info about your menu updates, special dinners and events, new chefs, interesting new dishes and culinary adventures. Do you know of exciting outdoor spaces, new exciting format changes, specials, happy hours, restaurant updates or any other tasty news you think is worth a closer look at? E-mail Alexis Larsen at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com with the information and we will work to include it in future coverage.