“This week gives consumers an array of menu options at a fantastic value all while supporting our amazing restaurants. The 6-foot distancing between tables has reduced their capacity, of course, so make sure to call and make reservations in advance. Also with the new mask mandate, please wear your mask when entering the restaurant and until you are seated. At your table, you do not need a mask. When you are moving about, mask up,” Zahora said. “Many of the restaurants are also offering curbside pickup for Summer Restaurant Week and many have expanded their patios, such as Carver’s and Wheat Penny. The promotion has a huge impact on restaurants. It helps increase their sales during the summer month. July is typically a slower month because people travel. And usually every year, I would have consumers call and ask when summer restaurant week is so they could plan their vacations around it. People really enjoy the event. And this year our restaurants need their customers more than ever.”
Last summer, 45 restaurants participated. Zahora said if everyone comes on board who has expressed interest, there will be at 29 restaurants this year. New to the list this year is Romer’s Bar and Grill.
Costs range between $20.20 and $30.20 per person for three courses. Zahora estimates around 9,000 meals sold last year.
PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS AND MENUS
Here’s a look at a handful of Restaurant Week special menus that caught our eye.
For a complete list of participating restaurants and what they’re serving, visit https://dineoutdayton.com/project/summer-restaurant-week-2020.
We recommend calling ahead to confirm participation and any carryout options available at each participating restaurant.
🍽️Amber Rose Restaurant
1400 Valley St., Dayton | (937) 228-2511
First course (choose one)
- BBQ jalapeno-bacon Angus beef slider: Fresh Angus beef, jalapeno bacon topped with white cheddar cheese, house-made BBQ sauce and crispy onion rings on a bakery fresh bun.
- Strawberry spinach salad: Fresh baby spinach tossed with fresh strawberries, feta cheese, red onions and house-made raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Entrée course
- BBQ ribs ($20.20): Slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs smothered in our house-made BBQ sauce and served with pub fries.
- Bone-in pork chop ($25.20): Thick-cut bone-in apple-wood smoked pork chop topped with apple cinnamon glaze and served with roasted Brussel sprouts with bacon balsamic glaze.
- Filet Migon ($30.20): Fresh Angus beef grilled and topped with herb butter and served with roasted Brussel sprouts with bacon balsamic glaze.
Dessert
Banana Foster bread pudding
🍽️Meadowlark Restaurant
5531 Far Hills Ave., Washington Twp.,| (937) 434-4750
Our Restaurant Week Menu is inspired by the summer comfort foods we all love and crave right now, with four courses for $30.20
Amuse bouche
Cheesy shrimp spread on crackers
Appetizer course choices
- Mexican Grilled street corn with all the trimmings
- Watermelon, tomato and cucumber salad with mint, cashews, and Nuoc Cham
Main course choices
- Poached then grilled local zucchini with potatoes, corn, cherry tomatoes and spinach, slathered with Old Bay-nori butter
- Fresh corn griddle cakes with blackened salmon filet and poblano pepper cream
- Crunchy chicken Milanese with Italian “gravel”, pasta with butter and parmesan, and lemony arugula salad
- Grilled summer pork and vegetable skewers on our favorite skillet rice
Dessert choices
- Black bottom caramel pudding
- Beachcomber Pie with Saltine Crust
- Louisiana-style Root Beer Float
🍽️Pasha Grill
72 Plum St., The Greene, Beavercreek | (937) 429-9000
Three-course meals for $20.20
Appetizers
- Choose from humus, Ezme, Babaganush, Haydari, Pilaki, tabuli, eggplant with sauce, grape leaves or falafel.
- Soups are lentil or chicken vegetable and salads are a house or a shepherd salad.
Entree
Entree choices include an adana kebab, doner kebab, chicken kebab, chicken adana kebab, kofte kebab, has has kebab, karniyarik, lahana sarma, chicken delight, doner special, mousaka, vegetable stew with lamb or chicken, filet of salmon or tilapia.
Desserts
Rice pudding, almond pudding and a milk custard.
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Credit: Amelia Robinson
🍽️Salar Restaurant and Lounge
400 E. 5th St., Dayton,| (937) 203-3999
Appetizers
- Apple Goat Cheese Salad: Mixed greens, goat cheese, dried cranberries and apple matchsticks tossed with yogurt and pecan vinaigrette.
- Chicharrones: Chicken thigh strips marinated and deep-fried, served with tangy carrot slaw and spicy yellow Peruvian chili pepper and cilantro sauce.
- Peruvian Beef Empanada: Juicy stir-fried beef tenderloin and Peruvian spices wrapped in turnovers.
Entrees $25.20
- Beef Saltado Style: Pan-seared strips of filet mignon with sautéed onions, tomatoes, yellow Peruvian peppers and spices tossed with hand-cut French fries over jasmine rice.
- Grilled Chicken Skewers: Marinated and grilled chicken skewers topped with green onion and aji Amarillo salsa on a bed of white rice with grilled French green beans.
Entrees ($30.20)
- Mahi Mahi: Seared Mahi served with a creamy tomato basil sauce, grilled asparagus and Yukon potato and leek puree.
- Pork Filet Mignon: Whole pork filet mignon, marinated in Peruvian Panca pepper then grilled and topped with Argentinian chimichurri and served with scalloped Idaho potato, Morita pepper sour cream, queso fresco and grilled French green beans.
Dessert options
- Chocolate Mousse
- Tres Leches
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Credit: Amelia Robinson
Watermark Restaurant
20 S. First St., Miamisburg | (937) 802-0891
First course
- Calamari taco (1): Shagbark Mills tortilla with crispy calamari, roasted poblano vinaigrette, charred corn salsa, basil, and balsamic – GF
- Green salad: Mixed greens, shaved parmesan, house-made croutons, basil buttermilk ranch – vegetarian / can be GF
- Sweet corn cake: Sweet corn cake topped with avocado-chipotle sour cream, smoked poblano drizzle, pico de gallo – vegetarian
- Cup of sweet corn bisque: Fresh sweet corn bisque garnished with bacon and scallions – GF/vegetarian without garnish
Entrée
- Grilled swordfish ($30.20): Atop summer succotash with sweet corn sauce and roasted tomatoes – GF
- Korean grilled short-ribs ($30.20): Deliciously seasoned and served with cilantro lime basmati rice and crispy tempura green beans
- Roasted cauliflower steak ($25.20): Herb and panko-crusted roasted cauliflower steak, served over cannellini beans in a smoky tomato broth with spinach, roasted tomato and herbs – veg/vegan, can be GF
Dessert
- Tres Leches Cake: Traditional Mexican dessert topped with chopped pistachios
- Summer Berry Pavlova: With fresh strawberries and blueberries, whipped cream and boozy Luxardo cherry syrup – GF
🍽️Wheat Penny
515 Wayne Ave, Dayton, | (937) 496-5268
4 courses for $30.20
First course
Sippin’ green gazpacho with olive focaccia
Second course
- Burrata with speck, roasted corn, cherry tomatoes, basil and pecorino
- White bean bruschetta topped with chiffonade of summer greens and a crispy Parmesan frico
Third course
- Venetian bronzino in parchment with herbs, white wine, capers, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes
- Malfatti pasta with pancetta and cherry tomato cruda
- Crispy cauliflower cutlet with basil-mint pesto
- Peach-tomato salsa, a drizzle of spicy honey and choice of two sides
- Fried Ohio chicken thigh with N’duja butter and choice of two sides
- Crispy pork belly porchetta rolled with fennel and herbs and choice of two sides
Dessert
- Tuile with blueberry ice cream, lemon basil syrup and goat cheese cream
- Peach and berry croustade
- Chocolate truffles and Wheat Penny Chili-Almond Cracker Jack
WANT TO GO?
What: Summer Restaurant Week
When: July 19-26, 2020
Where: Participating restaurants in the greater Dayton area
Cost: Meals range in price from $20.20-$30.20
More info and complete list of restaurants: (937) 461-MVRA or www.dineoutdayton.com
Other upcoming MVRA events
Bacon Week: Aug. 15-22
BBQ Week: Sept. 19-26
Oktoberfest Week: Oct. 10-17
Other possibilities: The Miami Valley Restaurant Association’s Amy Zahora says she will definitely be adding a Taco week in August, a Crazy Crab week in October and a salad week somewhere in between with dates still to be announced.
Contact this contributing writer at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com.
About the Author