Jan. 9-13: Oyster Fest
Lily’s Bistro, 329 E. Fifth St., Dayton
lilysbistro.com
Lily’s Bistro will be throwing its first annual Oyster Fest featuring a special menu of $2 fresh oysters, oyster shooters and other special preparations of oysters all week. Reservations are recommended for this highly anticipated week of oyster specials. Call (937) 723-7637 or book through open table at: http://lilysbistro.com/reservations-2
Jan. 13: Winter Wine Festival
Citilites Dayton, Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, 1 W. Second St., Dayton
www.victoriatheatre.com
Visit themed stations and explore wines with experts at each station, including representatives from Banfi Wines, Terra D’Oro Winery, Prisoner Wine Company, Napa Cellars, Neyers Vineyards, Conn Creek, Piatelli, and many more. A buying guide will be provided for attendees to make notes on the more than 50 wines that will be featured, and retail purchases will be available at the end of the event. Tickets include samples from each wine station, an artisan cheese and charcuterie station and parking in the Arts Garage.
Jan. 14: Bloody Mary Showdown
Montgomery County Fair & Fairgrounds, 1043 S. Main St., Dayton
www.daytonmostmetro.com
The Bloody Mary Showdown returns for a third year. First-year defending champ MacKenzie Manley from Mack’s Tavern tied last year with Scott Conrad from Vue Ultra Lounge. Who will take home the prize this year? The audience judges this event — purchase your judging credentials for $25 which gives you the chance to taste eight 4-ounce Bloody Marys and one vote for your favorite. Upgrade to VIP tickets for $40 and you’ll get early entry at 11 a.m. and 12 tasting tickets as well as two votes for your favorite.
Jan. 16-21: Eat.Drink.Arts! A Taste and a Toast for Culture Works
Various locations
cultureworks.org
This new collaborative effort spearheaded by Culture Works will bring together culinary, visual, and performing artists to cultivate and enhance resources for the visual and performing arts community. Enjoy creative cocktails, inspired menus, and one-of-a-kind arts experiences at some favorite Dayton-area restaurants — all while supporting local arts organizations.
Here’s some of what’s being planned:
• Blue Note Bistro & Lounge: Tues, Jan 16: Enjoy a meat and cheese plate and bottle of house wine for just $35 per couple while you enjoy Deron Bell & Daniel Cook in a dueling piano battle. Request your favorite song and be prepared to sing along.
• Brixx Ice Company: Tues, Jan 16: Dine on an 8-ounce premium center cut sirloin grilled to perfection with your choice of two sides while enjoying live entertainment for just $15 per person.
• Mudlick Tap House: Wed, Jan 17: A private four-course elements themed dinner with select wine pairings for $55 per person will offer hungry diners a sneak peek of the upcoming DVAC exhibition, Stratum, the artists Amy Kollar Anderson and Kate Huser Santucci will create a painting during the dinner in a lightning round collaboration.
• Texas Beef and Barbecue: Thurs, Jan 18: Dine on real Texas BBQ while watching The Mural Machine in action. A brisket, sausage or pulled pork plate (comes with 2 sides) for dinner for with banana pudding and tea or lemonade will be priced at $20 per person.
• Amber Rose Restaurant: Jan 19: Enjoy a four course dinner with Human Race Resident Artist Jennifer Joplin, performing a portion of the show "Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End." The $35 per person meal will feature a charcuterie board, butternut squash soup, smoked bone-in pork chop topped with cinnamon apple chutney served with savory smashed sweet potatoes and chocolate mousse with fresh berries to wrap things up.
Jan. 17: Sneak Peek to Winter Restaurant Week
Prime Time Party Rental, 5225 Springboro Pike, Moraine
www.dineoutdayton.com
Be the first to sample the Winter Restaurant Week menus from over 10 participating restaurants at Prime Time Party Rental on Jan. 17 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets are just $20.18 in advance and include one drink ticket. Restaurants include Amber Rose, Basil’s on Market, Coco’s Bistro, Dewberry 1850, ele Cake Co and Wine Bistro, El Meson, Lily’s Bistro, Meadowlark, Roost, Salar Restaurant, Watermark, Wheat Penny and more.
Jan. 20: Premium Barbecue Tasting Menu
Yellow Cab Tavern, 700 E. Fourth St., Dayton
www.yellowcabtavern.com
Guests will get to try seven different types of premium cut barbecue along with sides and dessert. Here’s what’s on the menu: Brisket, burnt ends, pulled pork, smoked chicken, shaved smoked prime rib with a horseradish sauce, smoked lobster with fresh homemade pasta and a saffron brown butter cream sauce, mac and cheese, rainbow carrot coleslaw, roasted red potatoes, green beans, corn muffins and for dessert a pumpkin honey rum bread pudding. Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/premium-barbecue-tasting-menu-tickets-41603360772. They will be offering two seatings at 6 and 8 p.m. A cash bar will be open with drinks for purchase.
Jan. 20: Trudi’s Famous Schnitzel Dinner and Dance
Dayton Liederkranz Turner German Club, 1400 E. Fifth St., Dayton
www.daytongermanclub.org
If you just can’t wait for the Germanfest Picnic in August to get your schnitzel fix, Dayton Liederkranz Turner German Club has an event just for you. They are fixing pan-fried schnitzel with all the trimmings and will have dancing afterwards featuring the Alpen Echoes. Dinner is by advance reservation only. Pre-paid reservations can be made by contacting Heidi Gasper at 937-510-1662 by Jan. 13.
Jan. 20: Healthy Eating on a Budget
Wright Memorial Public Library, 1776 Far Hills Ave., Oakwood
This interactive presentation will teach you how to be a savvy shopper and follow basic steps for healthy eating on a budget. Get practical tips, tools, and hacks on how to eat like a king (or queen), choose healthy foods, and spend like a pauper. Topics will include meal planning, ideas for re-makeovers, (commonly known as leftovers), and saving money at the grocery. Bring your watches as a 15-minute dish will be created with a lively discussion of the technique, nutrition, and how this dish and other recipes can save you money led by Dietitian, Juanita Weaver-Reiss.
Jan. 21-28: Winter Restaurant Week
Various locations
www.dineoutdayton.com
Restaurant week is a bright spot in January dining offering participants the chance to discover something new — whether it’s a new restaurant or a fresh dish at an old favorite. The seasonal promotion presents an opportunity to sample the best that local restaurants have to offer in the form of three-course meals priced at $20.18, $25.18, or $30.18 at a variety of restaurants all over town.
Visit the Miami Valley Restaurant Association’s web site, dineoutdayton.com, to purchase tickets to the Restaurant Week sneak peek or to find out the most up-to-date information about Winter Restaurant Week.
Jan. 24: Cook the Book: The Barefoot Contessa
Dorothy Lane Market, 6177 Far Hills Ave., Centerville
www.dorothylane.com
Celebrity chefs are famous for a reason — their recipes work and the food always looks amazingly appetizing. Are these recipes really as easy to prepare as they make them look on TV? Dorothy Lane Market’s Culinary Center team will show you a few of their favorite recipes from cookbooks they love. This $50 class will be paired with wine.
Jan. 25: Dewberry 1850 Toxic Brew Company Beer Dinner
1414 S. Patterson Blvd, Dayton
http://dewberry1850.com
Dewberry 1850, the newly remodeled restaurant inside the University of Dayton Marriott, will host its first beer dinner of 2018 in collaboration with Toxic Brew Company on Jan. 25. Tickets are $40 and must be purchased in advance.
Jan. 27-28: Baconfest
All three Dorothy Lane Markets
www.dorothylane.com
It will be all about bacon at the end of the month at DLM, when bacon-infused goodness will reign supreme with more than 25 products showing this porky pleasure. Look for the Baconfest insignia and taste more than 10 specialties throughout the store.
Dayton Eats looks at the regional food stories and restaurant news that make mouths water. Menu updates, special dinners and events, new chefs, interesting new dishes and culinary adventures. Do you know of 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.
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