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By Ron Rollins
| Sunday, June 22, 2008, 08:34 AM
Brother Ron here…
Made a stop yesterday for lunch to an old Leadbelly favorite while the wife and I were cruising the back byways of Warren County with some friends… We hit Mom’s, in the village (hamlet? crossroads?) of Red Lion, at 741 and 122.
You remember Mom’s … about five years ago, the Leadbellies had breakfast there and rated it pretty high on our Yum-o-meter. It’s a classic old mom-n-pop nook populated by regulars and staffed by cheerful, hard-working coffee-slingin’ waitresses who remember the last time they saw you.
The food is mostly fried or flipped, and it’s good greasy fare of the sort that makes you want more. Burgers are basic and filling; the soup beans are a classic, served up with diced onion, hot peppers and a slab of cornbread; the veggie soup is really veggie beef, and they expect you do know it; everything on the breakfast menu is great.
The decor includes rows of coffee mugs along the walls, hundreds of them; UK paraphernalia of all sorts (the owner’s an alum, apparently); and — love this — dollar bills stapled to the ceiling on which fans have written notes of greeting and appreciation.
The bad news: Mom’s staff says they have been told by the state that a planned upgrade (um, whatever) of the complicated five-way stop on which the restaurant is located in the center of Red Lion will kill off the diner sometime in the next few years. They aren’t sure when, and are just going along for now.
I say: Why should a 20-plus-year business have to be closed down just for the driving convenience of a bunch of people who are just passing through anyway?
There are days when you wonder just we mean when we refer to progress.
Meantime, stop by Mom’s while you can! BTW: Cash only, no checks or cards.
Seeya there.
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By Ron Rollins
| Monday, June 16, 2008, 06:07 PM
Dinner at the Art Ball this year was dandy, even considering that Leadbellies don’t normally require such fine fare… But I find that over the years, I’ve found myself dining on a lot of gala food and found it to be of pretty good quality, overall — suprising especially considering the large-scale logistical difficulties of preparing and serving it.
I mean, take the Art Ball. Elegant Fare, the company that serves in the DAI’s Cafe Monet and which does nearly all of the catering for its special events, has the job of serving 700 to 800 meals all through the galleries of the museum. The place is VERY spread out, and they gotta get the food there hot. And it can’t be plain old gala chicken, either.
This year it was filet and tiliapia, and nicely done.
There is usually a pattern to the sort of dinner that ends up on a gala plate … a bit of beef, a bit of chicken, a smattering of mixed veggies lightly sauteed, and either mashed potatoes or brown rice. Elegantly arranged on the plate and following up a small salad.
Just enough to fill you without stuffing you.
Gala food? Yes or no? And if you say “I just go for the wine,” then that’s OK, too.
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By Ron Rollins
| Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 04:47 PM
Stopped with the family a while ago to the newly renovated, post-fire Golden Nugget in Kettering, to which we hadn’t been since they reopened.
Nice! Big long line out front on a Sunday morning, too. They sure do move you through pretty quickly, too — but not in a bad way. That place has getting you in the door, done with breakfast, and happily home lickety-split down town a near-science. And they make you feel very well-served, too.
And what a breakfast! There wasn’t a bad thing we tried. I was partial to the biscuits and gravy, and I’m a sucker for hash … and theirs was fine and dandy.
What’s your favorite thing there? And where do YOU like to enjoy breakfast?
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By Ron Rollins
| Thursday, June 5, 2008, 01:16 PM
Hey, this is festive news for all of us Leadbellies in DDN Land…
There’s a Skyline Chili coming to Brown Street, according to a story from our food writer, Mark Fisher on the site today. Woohoo!
But a few notes are in order: First off, while this is good news, I’m still sad about the loss of the Nothing But Noodles restaurant, which is the space into which this new place is going. That place was a Leadbelly paradise — fast service, good food at a good price. We ate there a lot. A shame it’s gone.
The other thing is: Gold Star’s still my fave. And we should also note that Brother Ray doesn’t like Cincy-style chili at alllllllllllll. We just ignore his whining when the subject comes up.
Pass those oyster crackers, willya?
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By Ron Rollins
| Monday, June 2, 2008, 04:36 PM
That’s the clever slogan for a fairly new joint in Dayton, Tony’s.
Where you know the name from is county fairs, festivals and special outdoor events in the area, where Tony’s has been a wheeled, canopied fixture for a long time. Now, the owners have planted themselves as well into a spot at 2920 Wayne Ave. (right near where Watervliet splits off).
What’s on the menu? Well, Brother Ray and I stopped in a while back and sampled the Philly Cheesesteak and the Giant Texas Tenderloin. It was, well, giant. Good, too!
They’ve got pizza, salads, gyros, lots of good sides — and funnel cakes! In fact, they’ve also the sort of stuff you would expect to find at the fair midway: chili cheese fries, giant onion rings, spiral potators, fried pickles. Heaven help us, even deep-fried Twinkies.
Look, you needed a good reason to go work out tomorrow, anyway, right? That’s what Brother Ray always says he’s gonna do after we eat. But, pssst: I don’t believe him.
Stop by Tony’s and tell us what you think. Call ahead for hours: 937-258-8550.
BTW, they haven’t stopped the touring, outdoor festival thing. I spotted their booth at the Alpine Festival at Carillon Park Saturday … and yes, there was a line. Of course there was a line! It’s Tony’s!
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By Ron Rollins
| Monday, May 26, 2008, 10:19 AM
Yay! Most of us have the day off… What’re you cookin’ for your Memorial Day holiday?
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By Ron Rollins
| Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 05:59 PM
Mmmmm, what is it about curry that I love so?
Hey! They’ve got a whole bunch of the stuff in all that great food at the daily lunch buffet at Jeet India Restaurant, 2632 Col Glenn across from WSU. It’s a great lunch spot.
Just send me toward the Tandoori Chicken, please…
The place was packed when Brother Ron visited today… My only advice is to watch out when you’re trying to navigate the parking lot of that little shopping strip that houses the place… I swear, it’s like the freakin’ OK Corral, trying to drive through there…
But provided you survive to get inside Jeet, you will be happy happy happy.
Soooooooooo, one must ask: What, oh what, do YOU think is the best buffet in Dayton?
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