Winter Restaurant Week preview includes Food Network show contestants and winning recipes

This year some big hitters are coming to the table.

“We have some really exciting new additions to Winter Restaurant Week and the Sneak Peek event this year,” said Amy Zahora, MVRA executive director. “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.”

Roost chef and owner Dana Downs, who was recently featured in an episode of Food Network’s “SuperChef Grudge Match” with Chef Matt Klum, will be on hand accompanied by Klum serving up a recipe she put together on an episode of “Guy’s Grocery Games” that also recently aired, as well as her winning recipe from “Grudge Match”, according to Zahora.

That is a tender duck confit, butternut squash, ricotta, crespelle with blood orange deli glaze and parmigiana from “Grocery Games” and a bite of roasted Atlantic salmon and beets with horseradish and gremolata and soy and coconut caramel from “Grudge Match.”

“This is a very important event to help spotlight local restaurants and give people the opportunity to try a lot of different food and have meaningful connections with owners and chefs at the event. It’s always a neat event that puts the folks that are typically in the kitchen out front for customers to meet. It’s cool to be able to meet the executive chefs at the sneak peek and try dishes you may not normally try,” said Zahora.

Manna’s chef and owner Margot Blondet will be on hand serving Beef Bourguignon, a deep, rich French stew made famous for home cooks by Julia Child. Amber Rose Restaurant will be serving their famous schnitzel and bread pudding. The talented Gavin St. Denis, executive chef at Corner Kitchen in the Oregon District will be serving tuna crudo and sesame barbecue meatballs.

In total, 11 restaurants will be staffing tables looking to wow those attending the popular event. Coco’s Bistro, Condado Tacos, El Meson, Greek Street, Primo Italian Steakhouse, Rip Rap Roadhouse and Salar Restaurant and Lounge round out the restaurant roster for the evening.

Menus are still being finalized as the event nears, but one thing is for certain — it will showcase the great potential that a new year holds for our local dining scene.

Contact this writer at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com.

How to go

What: Sneak Peek to Winter Restaurant Week

When: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Jan. 17

Where: The Steam Plant, 617 E. Third St., Dayton

Cost: $45 for general admission, $65 for a VIP sneak peek ticket that includes early arrival at 6 p.m. and two drink tickets with only 75 VIP tickets available. Sneak Peek tickets can be purchased at https://dineoutdayton.com/events.

More info: (937) 461-MVRA or dineoutdayton.com