Dining wishes in Dayton for 2016

This past year was a strong one for local dining, but there were several things that I still remain hungry for.

Here is a short list of my dining wishes, hopes and dreams for the new year.

BETTER SERVICE

This is my No. 1 restaurant wish each and every year.

I can’t begin to count how many meals last year were negatively impacted by bad service, and if it’s happening to me I’m sure it’s happening to you as well.

Service sets the tone for what’s to come. You don’t necessarily want someone hovering, but you do want a server who is attentive, engaged and staying on top of your needs by checking in periodically throughout the meal — not texting on their cell phones or chatting in a corner as I have observed on many occasions.

That said, 2015 was also marked by some stellar service that helped heighten the overall experience. There were a couple of things I saw that I liked that could help restaurants that struggle with table service:

• Restaurants that set water on the tables in carafes to ensure that no one is without a beverage throughout the meal

• El Meson’s table card to signal if there’s anything that anyone at the table needs. More restaurants need something like this

• Different philosophies of service like the one at Dewey’s Pizza, which sees one dedicated server attending you, but the entire staff pitching in to help if there’s anything needed and your server isn’t immediately available

One thing that I cringe at each and every time it occurs are servers that try to play a memorization game with your order. Please, please, please write it down. The process of ordering, then having the order repeated back to be sure it is correct, followed by several check-ins to clarify what exactly was ordered and ending with the order showing up and having something missing or wrong would be comical if it wasn’t so unbelievably annoying. Unless you are a MENSA member with a eidetic memory, grab a piece of paper and a pen and take notes!

And unless you are brand new on staff, there’s no excusing a server not being familiar enough with the menu to answer questions.

AN INFUSION OF CREATIVITY

For 2016, I am crossing my fingers and hoping to see some new concepts and interesting updates to menus that are starting to feel a little stale. Creativity in the front and back of house can be invigorating and exciting both for customers and for staff, and it absolutely shows in the restaurants that do this well. I would also love to see more specialty tasting menus and dinners with interesting pairings.

Although The Columbus Food League concept (http://columbusfoodleague.com) seems to be in a decline now — due to restaurant owner Liz Lessner's move to Oklahoma and the closing of several of her restaurants — for more than a decade I have longed for an innovative entrepreneur like her to come into Dayton and shake things up a bit like she did in Columbus for more than 14 years. Concepts like Dirty Franks, Betty's Fine Food & Spirits and Surly Girl Saloon would do well in Dayton, and I believe this market is hungry for something launched here that would be in the same vein.

The Dayton-region has more than excelled with interesting independent breweries. I’m hoping we can one day see the same here with some more out-of-the-box original restaurant concepts that bring new game and attitude to the dining scene similar to what’s currently happening in Cincinnati’s Over the Rhine.

RAISING THE BAR AT THE BAR

There are a handful of bartenders in town really innovating when it comes to craft cocktails, and it would be worth other restaurants and bars paying attention and taking note. Dustin Wade (Meadowlark), Amber Brady (Lily’s Bistro), Nikolas Hunt (Coco’s Bistro), Brock McKibben (Wheat Penny) and the fine folks at the Century Bar all come to mind when thinking of folks making great craft cocktails locally — there are more certainly, but the list isn’t nearly as long as it should be. Many more restaurants could definitely kick it up a notch when it comes to the cocktail list being offered. When it comes to an interactive cocktail experience, the Trolley Stop’s Saturday Bloody Mary and mimosa bar is the best in town with the number of options and the incredibly thorough and thoughtful set-up.

MORE SOUP FOR YOU!

There’s a place and time for tomato soup and chicken noodle soup, but there’s just too much of it. I want a Moroccan lentil soup or a carrot ginger coconut shrimp stew. Give me some fennel and some root vegetables and some fresh herbs. And speaking of the Trolley Stop, I desperately wish they would bring back that fantastic Chicken Tortilla Soup. It was unlike anything around and was a stunning loss to the local soup community when it was retired. We need more soups and stews on menus — the hearty, thick rich soups for winter and the cold, light refreshing soups for summer. I wish for 2016 that more kitchens would have fun with the soup du jour and get creative.

El Meson does a great job with circulating different soups throughout the year — their Mexican Tortilla Soup ($10), a traditional soup with chicken, rice, hominy, avocado, cheese, and spices served with tortilla strips and broth on the side, is a favorite dish this time of year and just about any other as well.

A GIRL CAN DREAM

When I dream of new restaurants opening in town I have very clear visions of a Mexican Kitchen and Tequileria specializing in high-end street food. I dream of Ethiopian and Lebanese restaurants opening in the region and an Indian restaurant opening in downtown. I would also love to see a restaurant (or at least a special dinner) that excels in preparing and serving wild game like bison, quail, pheasant, rabbit and venison.

A DESIGN FOR OUTDOORS

This region doesn’t have nearly as many great patios as it should. In 2016 I am hoping for a few more to be able to enjoy.

SMOKE IT

On a recent trip to Nashville, one of the restaurants we stopped at had hickory smoked cola. This place spent the day smoking soda, and the result was absolutely heavenly. I would love to see more innovative ways to feature smoked ingredients on menus locally. It brings such an exciting infusion of flavor to everyday ingredients and menu items and will have customers asking for more when done correctly. Would love to see more chefs working creatively with a smoker in 2016.

BETTER INFORMATION

This food wish will happen at many local restaurants by the end of the year. On Dec. 1, 2016, a federal law will go into effect requiring chain restaurants and any businesses selling prepared foods (i.e. movie theaters, convenience stores, etc.) to display calorie content on menus and have information on sodium, fat, carbohydrates and other nutritional information available upon request. It’s a good thing to be informed. You may still make the same order, but at least you have a better idea of what you’ll be eating.

Dayton Eats looks at the regional food stories and restaurant news that make mouths water. Send me your 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.

Next week: Dayton Eats will take a look at the restaurant trends and news that are expected to happen across the country in 2016.

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