Dayton Food & Dining | Lots of closures and openings 🍴

Hey Dayton!

Welcome to our weekly Dayton Food & Dining Newsletter! This is really hard for me to admit as a Mexican food connoisseur, but I ate at Taqueria Mixteca on East Third Street in Dayton for the FIRST TIME over the weekend.

Taqueria Mixteca has been a Best of Dayton winner for Best Mexican Food in our last four contests and I can’t believe I just now tried it.

Credit: Natalie Jones

The restaurant originally opened in 2005 and serves up authentic Mexican dishes from the state of Jalisco, in central Mexico. The recipes have been passed down for generations.

I had the Chicken Chimichanga and I absolutely loved the cheese sauce that smothered it! The sauce had a little kick, but not too much. My husband had the Chicken Jalisco Burrito and it was huge! He was definitely full by the end of our meal.

Next time we go, I really want to try the chicken tamales in green sauce! If you’ve been to Taqueria Mixteca, I want to know what’s your favorite dish? Email me here.

Longtime Chinese restaurant permanently closes in Kettering

Credit: Natalie Jones

This story hits close to home. The Chop Suey, located at 1465 E. Dorothy Lane in Kettering, has permanently closed its doors, according to a sign posted at the restaurant.

“As we close this chapter, our hearts overflow with gratitude for your patronage over the last 50+ years,” the sign reads.

The restaurant officially closed on Friday, Sept. 1 as the owners have decided to retire.

Chop Suey was my favorite Chinese restaurant, thanks to my parents. My mom lived in an apartment in Kettering in the late 80s and this was her go-to Chinese restaurant. She told me that back then there weren’t a lot of Chinese restaurants in the area. When my parents moved to Xenia, they would drive to Kettering just to get Chop Suey.

My favorite memory of eating Chop Suey was when my mom brought home several different dishes and we had our own mini Chinese buffet.

2 restaurants open in Greene County

Gionino’s Pizzeria in Bellbrook and Popeyes Louisiana Chicken in Sugarcreek Twp. opened to the public yesterday.

The Bellbrook location at 4447 W. Franklin St. off of Wilmington Pike is Gionino’s third Dayton area location. The 1,600-square-foot pizzeria offers takeout and delivery only.

If you’ve never had Gionino’s Pizzeria, they are known for their pan-crust pizzas made with provolone cheese and a sweet homemade sauce, in addition to their fried chicken.

Speaking of fried chicken, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken opened its newest restaurant at 6242 Wilmington Pike near Miami Valley Hospital South. The 2,400-square-foot space seats over 30 people. The site was previously home to an Applebee’s restaurant.

The Sugarcreek Twp. location features a new prototype with updated lobby décor, a newly designed kitchen and double drive-thru.

Movie being filmed at Dayton diner

Credit: Natalie Jones

First time filmmaker/screenwriter Greg Kirkpatrick Jr. of Rapid City, South Dakota is living his dream by making his first movie in Dayton, set at a popular local diner.

After hours, George’s Family Restaurant turns into the set of the new independent feature film “Another Day.” The movie is an “American Pie”-esque comedy set in 1999 with a dramatic love story hidden within.

“They needed a ‘90s-looking diner and this place hasn’t changed since who knows when so it fits the bill there and I think they liked the vibe because they came in to eat,” said Steve Socrates, who along with his fiancé, Samantha McFarland, took over ownership of the restaurant in August 2022.

The owners hope having the movie being filmed at the restaurant will turn out as a positive for the Northridge community. The name of the restaurant, the menus and the shirts are being used in the film.

In addition, McFarland and some of the restaurant’s staff play an acting role in the movie. They even recruited extras from the community including Jeff Shyrigh and his wife, Jenifer, of Germantown. Jeff is one of my loyal newsletter readers and it was so nice to sit down and talk with them!

» PHOTOS: Behind-the-scenes of filming a movie at George’s Family Restaurant

Ann Heller’s favorite recipes: Sara’s Potato Salad

Ann Heller’s career at the Dayton Daily News spanned three decades where she wrote about food and restaurants. She also published two cookbooks including “The Best of It’s Simple!’’

“French-style potato salad, made with vinaigrette dressing, is appealing, but this recipe from Sara Pearce (former food editor of the “Cincinnati Enquirer”) elevates that approach to a real winner,” Heller wrote. “The original recipe was from the “New York Times,” but Sara tinkered with the recipe, increasing the garlic and herbs. For this recipe, the herbs must be fresh, not dried.”

Ingredients:

Directions: Wash the potatoes and pat dry. Cut in half, or, if the potatoes are medium-sized, in quarters. Toss the potatoes with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and arrange in a single layer in a baking dish. Sprinkle with the chopped garlic and salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring at least three times to prevent sticking. Remove from oven when potatoes are just tender.

Make a vinaigrette with the vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with potatoes while they are still warm. Let cool to room temperature.

Just before serving, sprinkle with the fresh herbs and toss to combine.

The recipe serves six, but since it invites seconds, it may only serve four. Since it keeps well, make a double batch.

Quick Bites:

🥪 Flyboy’s Deli closes downtown Dayton location: The general manager confirmed the news citing health issues with both of the owners. The Oakwood location at 2515 Far Hills Ave. remains open.

🌯 Crazy King Burrito has permanently closed: The Fairborn location on Colonel Glenn Highway was the first U.S. franchise of the Mexican island-based restaurant.

🥪 McAlister’s Deli opens in Washington Twp.: The deli, located at 990 Miamisburg Centerville Road, Suite A, features sandwiches, soups, salads, Spuds (loaded baked potatoes), desserts and sweet tea.

Tell Us:

Thank you so much for reading my weekly newsletter! If you see a new restaurant opening or are wondering when an establishment is expected to open up, feel free to email me here, and I’ll check it out.

Also, remember to follow Dayton Daily News on Facebook or search our Food & Dining section for the latest stories. I’ll have continuous updates on my Facebook or Twitter pages.