Dayton Food & Dining | Remembering long time Buckhorn Tavern owners; new foodie spots on the way 🍴

Hello and welcome to our weekly Dayton Food & Dining newsletter!

Agave & Rye recently announced the launch of “Lick My Chicken” ghost kitchens at all of its Southwest Ohio locations. Of course, I had to try it and I could not wait to share my experience!

First off, ghost kitchens do not offer dine-in services. Instead, they operate on online-orders only through third-party delivery services like DoorDash or Grubhub.

I ordered via DoorDash from Agave & Rye’s Centerville location, which is about 20 minutes from my house in Beavercreek. I was a little worried about whether or not my food would still be hot, but it was steaming! The restaurant’s sealed to-go bags definitely helped.

My husband and I split the Crispy Chicken Burrito featuring chopped chicken tenders, mac n cheese, white cheddar, queso, sweet and spicy bacon and Agave BBQ. It was then garnished with tobacco onions and cilantro and served with ranch. The burrito was huge and I could not finish my half.

We also had the House Waffle Fries topped with queso, white cheddar, ranch, chopped sweet and spicy bacon, pico, Agave BBQ and a chopped house chicken tender. The fries were just as good!

When we order again, we will probably order the same thing! This was honestly the best lunch I’ve had in a hot second.

***

***

Anime-themed restaurant and bar to open soon in Beavercreek

Credit: Facebook Photo

Izakaya, an anime-themed restaurant and bar at The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, will have a grand opening event Feb. 2. Doors will open at 11 a.m. and the first 100 customers will receive free pizza.

Izakaya is located on the upper level of the mall near Morris Furniture in the space that previously housed Spinoza’s Pizza and Good Spirits.

The new restaurant and bar will offer pizza, spirits, Korean corn dogs and Japanese pop culture, a press release from the mall previously stated. There will also be karaoke nights and anime watch parties.

“After visiting Japan before the pandemic, I found myself wanting to bring home some of the highlights of my experience and turn them into a reality here in Ohio,” said Adam Smith, co-owner of Izakaya.

Smith is also the owner of Nani!?, a one-stop shop for everything anime and Japanese pop culture, and Original 151, a store with authentic Pokémon merchandise. Both stores are located at The Mall at Fairfield Commons.

Buckhorn Tavern owners die weeks apart

Credit: Submitted Photo

For more than 40 years, Robert and Debbie Vanderhule served up some of the Dayton-area’s best steak and ribs at the Buckhorn Tavern.

Later this month, patrons of the popular restaurant can celebrate the lives of the longtime owners, who both died in November following extended illnesses.

Robert Vanderhule, otherwise known as “Buckhorn Bob,” died on Nov. 8 due to progressive Alzheimer’s disease. He was 80. His wife Debbie died on Nov. 26 after battling B-cell lymphoma. She was 78.

“They loved to make people happy,” said their daughter, Bonnie Bauman. “It wasn’t just about making money for them. They truly wanted to make their customers happy.”

Bauman and her sister, Sheila Petry, will continue their parents’ legacy by taking over operations at the Buckhorn. They plan to bring back special events like wine tastings and themed nights that their customers, parents and staff really loved.

A Celebration of Life will be held Jan. 21 at Buckhorn Tavern, located at 8800 Meeker Road, with an open house from 3 to 5:30 p.m. and a service from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Everyone is welcome to stop by and share their favorite memories, the family said.

Val’s Bakery grows in Dayton

Credit: Natalie Jones

Val’s Bakery owner Paige Woodie has always wanted to be a business owner in downtown Dayton. That dream is becoming a reality on Saturday when she opens the doors to her new space at 25 S. St Clair St.

The new space provides more seating for customers and a much larger kitchen — allowing Val’s to offer more advanced pastries.

Customers can expect a lot of new items made with croissant dough. From basic items like a chocolate croissant to specialty items like a croissant filled with Ube pastry cream. Woodie also plans to have Danishes, quiche, bread and their take on a honey mustard sausage roll.

Val’s also offers coffee and matcha. The new location will not have an espresso machine, but will offer cold brew, pour-overs and French press. Woodie has partnered with Twisted River Coffee Roaster in Dayton and Namesake Coffee Roasters in Kettering for all their coffee needs.

The bakery is joining a slew of businesses in Dayton’s Fire Blocks District including Tony & Pete’s Groceries and Coldcuts, Jollity, Salt Block Biscuit Co., and Joui Wine.

>>>PHOTOS: Sneak peek inside Val’s Bakery’s new spot

Tickets on sale for Miami Valley Restaurant Association’s Sneak Peek to Winter Restaurant Week

Credit: Alexis Larsen

Tickets are on sale for the Miami Valley Restaurant Association’s Sneak Peek to Winter Restaurant Week on Jan. 17 at the Steam Plant in Dayton.

The long-standing event is all about sampling some of the dishes that participating restaurants plan to highlight during the Restaurant Week promotion, giving foodies a glimpse of what awaits.

“We have some really exciting new additions to Winter Restaurant Week and the Sneak Peek event this year,” Amy Zahora told my coworker Alexis Larsen. “Bock Family Brewing in Centerville recently started serving food and will be at the event. Primo Italian Steak house in Middletown and Manna Uptown in Centerville are also joining for the first time. It’s going to have a lot of great energy and some new faces and businesses at the event which is really exciting. This is going to be a fantastic way to kick off the new year.”

Other restaurants planning to participate in the event includes Amber Rose Restaurant and Catering, Corner Kitchen, Coco’s Bistro, Condado Tacos, El Meson, Greek Street, Rip Rap Roadhouse, Roost Modern Italian and Salar Restaurant and Lounge

Quick Bites:

🍦 Young’s Jersey Dairy celebrates 155th birthday with special deals: From a free souvenir bottle to deals on cheese curds, ice cream, burgers and golf, Young’s will celebrate throughout the farm Friday through Monday. Click here for a look at all the deals.

🌮 Taco John’s opens in Kettering: The first Taco John’s restaurant in the Dayton area officially opened for business on Monday at 4045 Wilmington Pike in front of the Meijer store.

🍕 Old Scratch Pizza opens in Troy: The restaurant officially opened Tuesday in the former Troy Fire Dept. station at 19 E. Race St. in the heart of downtown. Click here for a look inside.

🍪 Dayton region’s fourth Crumbl Cookies to open this week: The shop will open Friday at 4457 Feedwire Road in between Donato’s Pizza and Sleep Outfitters in Centerville.

Ann Heller’s favorite recipes: Roast Beef with Pasta & Onion Sauce

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

“Sunday afternoons are the perfect time to tuck a roast in the oven,” Heller wrote. “This aromatic roast cooks slowly on top of lots of onions. Combining the soft onions and the meat juices produces an instant sauce for a side of spaghetti.”

Ingredients:

Directions: Preheat over to 250 degrees.

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Drizzle oil over bottom of a cast iron or enameled Dutch oven. Place the onion slices in bottom of the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add garlic cloves and top with the meat, fat side up.

Cover, making sure pot is well sealed. Cook in the oven for five hours, turning the meat once or twice. Remove the pan from the oven and place meat on a serving plate. You can serve the roast as is, surrounded by onions.

For a pasta side dish, first put the meat and half the onions on a serving platter, cover with foil and place in the turned-off oven to keep warm.

Put the remaining onions in a food processor with the meat juices and chop coarsely. Do not puree.

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and toss with the onion sauce and stir over low heat for 1 minute. Sprinkle generously with pepper, the cheese and fresh herbs. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

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.

I reached out again this morning to Lorenzo Bas, one of the owners of The Brunch Pub in Centerville, for an update on when the restaurant will open. I have not heard back. When I do, I will update you with the latest details.

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, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok pages.

***