Miami Valley Prestige Dining Club Log

Hey Everyone-

I just recently received my Prestige Dining Club card in the mail and I figured it would be a good excuse to try out a bunch of places that seem to be Roadfood in the Miami Valley that I have never been to and a couple of places I have but would like to try.  With that said I am going to try and keep a constant log of my report at each of the locations until June 31, 2010 when my membership is up...yeah I know I was late to the party but I am going to make the best of it.

Here is a link to their website, and additionally they also have a version of it for Columbus and it's surrounding area as well. In short the membership entitles you to 1 free entree at breakfast, dinner, or lunch (depends on the restaurant) at the least expensive value. Once you go there they punch your card and then you can no longer get that discount there again....except for some of the restaurants don't punch it to encourage you to come back.  Membership is variable depending on whether you quality for a couple of discounts but I was able to pick mine up for $28 with a AAA discount so as long as I save that much I will consider it a prudent investment. And considering how much I can pack away I don't see it being that difficult of a proposition.

I will try and update this post in order to give a running total of where I have been and how much I have saved through the membership.

Date                Location                                           Savings      
------                -----------                                            ----------
01/23/10          Dixie Diner (104)                              $3.50
01/24/10          Fairborn Family Diner (74)                $4.99
01/30/10          Zenders of Ohio (90)                        $5.45
02/05/10          J.Y. Bamboo (114)                            $9.25
02/12/10          Soprano's Eatery & Spirits (4)          $12.50
02/13/10          Bradfield's (87)                                 $5.99
02/20/10          Mic's Italian Restaurant (60)            $7.29
02/21/10          Pop's Diner #2 (82)                          $6.25
02/26/10          Giovanni's (113)                               $8.20
02/27/10          El Riacho (81)                                   $8.95

Total Savings:                                                        $72.87
Net Savings:                                                          $44.87
Most Money Saved at 1 Location:                         $12.50 (Soprano's Eatery & Spirits)
  
Best Restaurant Found:                                          Soprano's Eatery & Spirits
Best New Dish Found:                                            Country Fried Steak (Fairborn Family Diner)

  I used to have a similar card, they can be awesome deals. And, I know you know it, But don't forget to tip on the total BEFORE the discount! 

Dixie Diner
595 East Main Street
New Lebanon, OH 45345-9701
(937) 687-3004

Hours
Tues-Sat: 6 am - 9 pm
Closed Mon & Sun

So my first stop was at the Dixie Diner located in New Lebanon. I just so happened to pick this one out of a hat and decided to give it a try despite there being closer ones...in retrospect probably should have chosen a closer one but I didn't realize how far it was until I got halfway there. Oh well the joys of Roadfooding it.



You will want to look for this sign off of the road as it doesn't but up against the road at all and unless you are looking for it you could just as easily miss it altogether. 1 thing to note is that they don't accept credit or debit cards so come with cash in hand...I didn't have any so I had to go and run to get some at a nearby ATM.





I walked in, hung up my coat and was told to take a seat anywhere that I wanted. Well being that I like sitting at the counter tops and listening to the staff talking amongst themselves and with regulars, I bellied up and had this view of the daily specials, which seemed blank, and of the griddle.



I started to look at the menu and found a lot of the types of food that you would find at a typical "diner" establishment. Your typical burgers, pork tenderloin sandwiches, amongst a few other house specialties such as the Dixie Burger. And of course in true typical diner fashion they serve breakfast all day long, which instantly makes me like the place all the more. I chose to get a chocolate milkshake, 3 pancake platter, full order of biscuits and gravy, and of course pie to finish it off.



Got my chocolate milk shake first and it was a good solid version. Nice decent chocolate flavor and it was the perfect consistency. At $3.00 it was a good solid version but I can't say it was as good a deal as the other items. Definitely worth a try if you are shake fan though.



Next up was the biscuits and gravy. I had mixed feelings about this one overall and I guess my final conclusion would be that I probably wouldn't get it again but it wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination.  The biscuits were a little bit over baked or just were a little bit tougher than I typically like them to be but they weren't the worst that I have ever had. The gravy had good flavor and some nice meaty chunks of sausage. While it was lacking some pepper to it, I would rather them not put enough pepper in there I would rather have to add some than it being overly peppered.  The portion was pretty big for $3.50 though.



The hotcakes were a good solid version and I would say they were probably around 8" in diameter  so they were of good size but the best part is that they had good flavor and weren't overly good on 1 side as they sometimes can be. Nice solid flavor and while I wish they would have soaked up the syrup a little bit more I was glad that I got them. At $3.25 they were a steal really.



Being that it was a diner and they toted that they had homemade pies it would be a shame if I didn't get any. When I asked my waitress if they had any pie she stated "Yeah I only have coconut left" in a way that it almost felt like she was resigning to it but considering I love...I mean LOVE coconut, I had to get some. While it may not have been the prettiest piece of pie in the world or my favorite coconut cream pie in the Dayton area for that matter it was a really good slice of pie. There was good amount of chunks of coconut and you could tell that it was homemade so it just warmed my heart. Priced at $2.50 I would definitely get it again or try any other slice of pie that they might have.

All in all I walked out for $9.00, after some confusion about using the Club card, plus tip after they took off the $3.50 for the biscuits and gravy. The owner/person in charge said she always takes off the highest seeing as nothing is that particularly expensive and after all she would like to have it done that way. Way to go! If I am ever in the area I will definitely come back again if nothing else than the great personal service and value that I would have gotten even if I would not have used my Prestige Dining Club card.

This has the start of being a really interesting thread...keep us posted on your travels and discounts.  Thanks for the photos...one down, how many to go?

Nice report, I look forward to the other places you'll be going with your card!

That's a lot of food for $9.  I know what you're talking about with the 'tough' biscuits--you have to do a lot of biscuit volume to keep them anywhere near servable.

ChiTownDiner


This has the start of being a really interesting thread...keep us posted on your travels and discounts.  Thanks for the photos...one down, how many to go?

Well there is around 120 places in the book so I know I won't come close to finishing the book in the following months as I will only make it to around 2 per week at the most but plan on hitting at least 1 per week. With that said I should be able to hit around 25-30 depending on my commitments on the weekends.
 
Should they doing the dining club again after my current one is up I will make sure and sign up right away and will continue hitting places and may start a new thread for a new year or just update this one...still need to cross that bridge when I get to it.

Fairborn Family Diner
419 North Broad Street
Fairborn, OH 45324-5237
(937) 879-9454

Hours
Mon - Sun: 7 am - 9 pm

Wanting to use my card again and seeing as it was Sunday with the parentals, we ventured out way out into the abyss of Fairborn to try the Fairborn Family Diner. It is housed in what is obviously a defunct Ponderosa, but that didn’t matter because we were after food after all. We were quickly greeted once we entered the restaurant and one of the hostesses seated us at one of the booths, and I liked the fact that she asked if we wanted a booth of a table, a small but nice touch.


 
The board as you walk in has a bunch of specials for that day as well as outlining specials that they have weekly such as all you can eat fried fish on Fridays and all you can eat spaghetti on Mondays. Gotta love a place that takes price in providing specials that really are special or out of the ordinary on an already large menu.




 
We sat down with what seemed like your typical menus but once we opened it up we noticed how freaking large it was…I don’t think this picture does it justice but definitely it had the diner feel with the large variety of items that you could order. Seeing as my favorite meal of the day was breakfast and they serve it all day long it was my “duty” to try it out. While I typically use the pancakes and biscuits and gravy for my litmus test of a restaurant I decided to step outside the box and go in a different direction this time…well that and I had my biscuits and gravy with pancakes the previous day. I opted for the country fried steak with 2 eggs, toast, and hash browns with a side order of corn beef hash, while my mom opted for the ham and swiss omelet with toast and hash browns, and my dad chose the 2 pancakes, 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, 2 pieces of sausage, and toast special.


 
While I typically order 2 entrees worth of food at breakfast or lunch on the weekend I am really glad I didn’t when they plopped this little beauty in front of my eyes. This plate was definitely huge and filled to the brim with food.  While I have never traditionally been a big country fried steak fan I am certainly one now. The gravy that accompanied the steak was very good and there was plenty of it, and it makes me drool just thinking about what their biscuits and gravy might be like. The hash browns were really pretty fantastic as they had edges that were nice and crispy but some parts that were slightly soft, a great mixture of both that could only be improved by adding some onions and cheese, which is what I will try next time. The toast, not pictured, came pre-buttered and with your typical side of jelly was well toast…let’s face it unless you burn it, it is hard to screw toast up.  I ended up getting quite a lot of food for just $6.95.


 
The corn beef has side was pretty tasty version that had a great amount of flavor to it and I only wish it would have had a slightly crisper crust on it but despite that I enjoyed it quite a lot.


 
My mom was quite fond of the ham and swiss omelet and she really liked her hash browns as well and this is quite a high praise from someone who traditionally does not like hash browns of any sort. While the omelet wasn’t quite her favorite version of ham and swiss, her favorite being Tank’s, she happily ate it up. I would have liked a little bit more swiss cheese in my omelet but this is coming from a self proclaimed cheese lover who can never seem to get enough. $6.50 for her omelet seemed like a pretty reasonable price for such a large omelet with toast and a sizable amount of hash browns.


 
The deal of the day came with my dad’s special as it came with so much food and it all ended up being quite good. The pancakes were nice and fluffy and if I didn’t know better from the color of the pancakes I would have sworn they would have used some sort of corn meal within it as the they were fairly yellow and not the pale white you traditionally get elsewhere.  They were great at acting like syrup sponges so each bite was coming with a sizable dose of syrup, which was just your typical commercial version. My  dad really enjoyed the bacon as it was cooked more towards the well done that he likes, as opposed to my mom and I which tend to like the softer more undercooked version.  The sausage had a pleasant snap and slightly spicier kick that was more than a regular sausage link. At $4.99 this was the greatest deal of the day and to be honest I can’t imagine another deal beating this.





Not to be out done apparently all entrees, comes with pudding, your choice of either vanilla or rice pudding. While I would have enjoyed some rice pudding I opted for a piece of chocolate cake that they still had as opposed to going with a piece of cheesecake or the last piece of apple pie that they had. Their menu states that they do all of their baking on premises and you could tell from the flavors that came out of each dish. The rice pudding is probably the best that I have had anywhere and it will be hard for me to not get it in the future.  It had a great amount of texture from the rice and it wasn’t soupy at all and held its form very well. As good as the rice pudding was the chocolate cake was even better. I think my dad ended up eating more of my chocolate cake than the rice pudding he got. Admittedly I got the chocolate cake because I know my dad is such a choco-holic and I figured if anything we could finish it together.  It had a nice smooth flavor that wasn’t overly fudgy and it was a super moist without feeling really heavy.  The piece of chocolate cake was $2.00 and in my opinion was a great deal.


 
The bill ended up being about $21 plus tip after they took $4.99 off of the meal for my dad’s special. It was a great amount of food for such a small amount of money and I instantly knew as I was walking out that I was definitely going to be back again whether it be for an already known great breakfast or to try out some of their other mighty fine looking items.

+1 vote for the Fairborn Family Diner. Good eats and good value for the price every time I have been there.

Yum! those hash browns look great! Looking forward to more pics and reviews!

Soccer862923, Nice trip report.  Looking forward to your continuing saga of Roadfood dining

Thanks to Everyone. I hope to actually start adding these restaurants to the "Restaurant List" very soon (ie tonight when I have access to the pictures on my home PC). I really want to add them as I feel like while I love the community here and there are a lot places presented in the Forum Threads the Restaurant list is quite lacking and if people would take and put reviews and the like in the Restaurant section it would allow for a greater sharing and not as much digging around in the forums.

That's a ton of food, and I love that they do their own baking.  Also, points for the not-hideous corned beef hash photo--that's one of our longtime betes noires around here.

Aaaaaaah, the "other Miami",  I was struck by curiosity when I saw Miami Valley in the thread topic because the Miami I know in FL has no valleys, or peaks. I think there might also be a Miami in Arizona, can't recollect for sure.
 
Thanks for sharing this because i found the concept and actuality to be fascinating.

Zenders of Ohio
311 North Main Street
Piqua, OH 45356-2315
(937) 773-4777

Hours
Sun-Wed: 11 am - 7 pm
Thur-Sat: 11am - 9 pm

Ok, so I was totally avoiding doing any studying for exams this week when I made this trip. Sure I could have gone to a place that was closer by my house and gotten more studying done but that wouldn't be procrastinating would it? I decided to make my way up to Piqua on the northern edge of the Miami Valley.



I would have definitely driven by this outside view of Zenders if it weren't for the big old sign that was placed above the door, and despite having GPS I think it was still not as easy as some places to find. I quickly parked in a nearby parking lot and made my way in to a rather empty and deserted restaurant.



I know that I typically eat my lunch and meals a little bit earlier than most people do but for 12pm on a Saturday I would have expected to see some other people in there. Regardless it gave me plenty of time to peruse the menu and decide what I wanted. They have the menu posted above where you order and they have some laminated ones that I guess you can look at if there is a line.



Not the biggest menu in the world but hey it doesn't have to be if the food is quality. It is your typical smattering of sandwiches and some of your more standard diner food. They don't serve breakfast so that definitely was a little bit of a disappointment but I soldiered on and decided to get a heaping amount of food as I was totally famished after my drive. I chose to get their Filet Mignon Sandwich, Reuben, an order of Loaded Fries w/ Sour Cream, a Chocolate Shake, and a Piece of Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie. The lady at the counter took my order and told me she would bring out my shake quickly.



I took a spot, well anywhere that I cared too, and started to look over the rest of menu at my leisure and started to read one of my books so I could "study". I was able to hear the staff making my food and conversing back and forth and while I felt it took at little bit longer than I would have expected considering I was the only one, eventually I was rewarded with my patience with a heaping amount of food.



I started off with their self-proclaimed "Our Best Sandwich" Filet Mignon Sandwich. While I can't say that it was a bad sandwich, I would definitely say it was my least favorite item of my entire visit. While the flavor was good it wasn't particularly juicy or anything that I would consider spectacular for that matter. I would take this over a burger from a fast food joint anytime but I can't say I would ever get it again given the chance. At $5.95 it was the priciest item I got and not particularly worth it in the end.



Before I finished off my Filet Mignon Sandwich I decided to dig into my Reuben and boy was I glad that I got this sucker. While the picture doesn't do it quite the justice it deserves, this was one honking big sandwich. I would say between all the fillings it was a good 1.5" thick! All the items were perfectly aligned with one another with the sauerkraut playing well with the corned beef, and not to be overwhelmed by the swiss cheese. I was glad that they put the Thousand Island dressing on the side as I always like to determine how much I like to put on and not let the sandwich get overly soggy. If I had to nitpick I would only have wished the bread was slightly more toasted but all in all it was a great sandwich. $5.45 for a masterpiece like this makes me wonder why anyone would get their Filet Mignon Sandwich.



In between bites of my Reuben I decided to dig into my Loaded Fries. I opted to use a fork as my hands were already messy from the Reuben and I was trying to take pictures with my camera. These were some mighty fine fries with toppings. The fries are skin and and freshly fried, as I could hear while they were cooking them, and I wouldn't be surprised if they are cut in house as they tasted fresh and were fried to perfect. They were covered with chili, cheese, and sour cream if you so desire and it all seems to meld together into this wonderful mess that stays crunchy despite all the toppings. I could see someone making a meal out of these if they weren't that hungry...or didn't have my kind of appetite. These puppies were $4.75 with the sour cream and I can't recommend these enough.



Next up was my piece of Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie. They actually outsource all their pies from a restaurant in Sydney called "The Spot". All I can say after having this piece is that I know I will be making a future pilgrimage there in order to get some more wonderful pie. Every bit of this pie brought back memories of the first time I had a version of it in Celina when I was 15 years old and I wish I could have just eaten about 5 more pieces. A piece is $2.45 and you would have to be crazy not to get one if you are in.



Despite being told my shake would come out shortly, my chocolate shake was actually the last thing that was brought out to the table. Luckily for me it was brought out in a to-go container as I as antsy to get back on the road. It was an alright version that didn't blow my socks off but it was certainly satisfying. I could definitely see this being a crowd pleaser in the summers but during the winter time maybe my taste buds are not as satisfied with this frosty treat. $3.00 seemed to about the right amount to ask for it as I did get quite a lot of it, but I can't say I would pick it up every time I am in.

I walked out $17 + tip lighter than I walked in and about 5 lbs heavier. While I was glad I made the trip for the wonderful Reuben, Loaded Fries, and Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie I was even happier to have found another gem that if I ever find myself on the outer fringes of the Miami Valley I know I can find some good food to fill my belly.

J.Y. Bamboo
609 N. Broad St. 
Fairborn, OH 45324
(937) 754-9912

Hours
Mon-Sun: 11 am - 10 pm

Seeing as how I thought that I was going to get snowed in during the most recent snow storm, which really didn't turn out that bad, I decided to venture out during the early part of the snow to grab myself some good grub.  After coming here several times during the week for lunch and seeing as I hadn't had my weekly fix of Asian cuisine I decided to stop by J.Y. Bamboo.



As you can see the inside of the restaurant is quite clean and simple looking with really none of the cliche items that you see when you go to a lot of Asian restaurants, especially the buffets which really seem to be terrible about putting that stuff up. It was pretty empty inside due to the weather so I plopped down and started looking at menu.



They have various specials that go on during the week and for the most part the left side of the board with the lunch specials stays the same but occasionally the roll specials will rotate and you will see something that interests you. The menu consists of a plethora of Thai, Vietnamese, and Japanese cuisine with an emphasis seemingly placed on Thai and rolls, sushi, and sashimi.

While I typically will get the General Tso's at any Asian restaurant I get I decided to go outside my normal comfort zone and go with some Kung Pao chicken. Having been here before I knew that the portions were fairly big so I got a roll special with the Dynamite roll, which came with a bowl of soup or salad and I opted to go with the Hot and Sour Soup.  To tide myself over, and mainly because I was curious, I also chose to get an order of the Dim Sum appetizer.



Just as my order was being placed I could see the Sushi chef spring into action and start working on my roll. It is always interesting to me to watch them work as they seem to be so precise and while I would have loved to sit at the counter and watched him I wanted to read a book as well so maybe next time.



Within short order my order of Dim Sum came out and I was presented with this lovely steamer basket with what I presume to be beef dumplings with a nice semi sweet side of soy dipping sauce. They were nice and warm and while the insides tended to separate from the wrappers I was quite pleased with my choice of appetizer. At $4.00 I was happy I gave them a try but will continue to try other appetizers.



Before I could even get half way through my Dim Sum my Dynamite roll came out. While I wish I could remember exactly what was in the roll, it did have some tempura, crab, and avocado with a semi spicy mayo on top. It was pleasantly crunchy while still allowing for all the flavors to play. While it was a nice and different roll I can't say I would rush back to get it again, but most of their rolls are of very good quality.



I almost started to get giddy when I saw the waitress come out with my order of Hot and Sour soup. This is by far my favorite version that I have had to date with it being pleasantly spicy enough to have some heat but not enough to make you squirm. There are plentiful amounts of mushrooms and tofu that make it oh so good.  The combo of the Dynamite roll and Hot and Sour Soup was $9.95 so if you have a large appetite it may not be enough for you to have just this but the Hot and Sour soup is so good you may want to order some on its own.



When they put this sucker down in front of me, my instant thought was "I ordered too much!". By the time I was done I had realized I was wrong as I was pleasantly full. The Kung Pao chicken had a slightly spicy sauce with a large amount of chicken and peanuts. By far more than you would see in most other dishes and the vegetables that came with the dish still had a slight crunch to them that gave the overall dish some nice texture difference. For $9.25 you get a great amount of food with a side order or pleasant enough white rice.

With my card I was able to walk out for $14 plus tip, which was a savings of $9.25, what a great deal!  I do want to point out that service here is fantastic if a bit slow during lunch. They are always pleasant and have a great attitude and will be willing to accommodate whatever you may need. The plating of the dishes is also fantastic and does add a little bit of a nice touch to all of their dishes. While the best deals may be during lunch, they also have a great dinner where you may pay a little bit more but you will have some great food and a wonderful experience.

Looks like another good meal! Looking forward to more!

 I like the clean uncluttered bright look of this place. And the attention they paid to the presentation of the food. The dim sum had a nice folded dough exterior and the dynamite roll was beautiful. All the close up pictures are really great. That's a hell of a good meal for 14 plus the tip. That card is turning out to be a pretty good investment. 

BTW.. I really liked your New York trip report a lot. The picture of the Motorino pizza was outstanding. 

Allan

LeadBelly


 I like the clean uncluttered bright look of this place. And the attention they paid to the presentation of the food. The dim sum had a nice folded dough exterior and the dynamite roll was beautiful. All the close up pictures are really great. That's a hell of a good meal for 14 plus the tip. That card is turning out to be a pretty good investment. 

BTW.. I really liked your New York trip report a lot. The picture of the Motorino pizza was outstanding. 

Allan

Thanks a lot. I have always been very impressed with their presentation regardless of what they do with the food or even to the subtetly of how they place the food on your table, it has all the small touches. Yeah I have almost already made back my money from purchasing the card. I am only about $4 short of "earning" my money back.
 
Thanks, also on the NY report. I had a lot of fun there and ate some fantastic food...and that pizza was probably the best I have had in a long time.

 
 
Soprano’s Eatery & Spirits
1222 East Stroop Road
Dayton, OH 45429
(937) 298-2222
 
Hours
Mon-Sun: 11am - 10pm
 
Seeing as I have a monthly date with my grandmother for dinner the first Friday of the month I figured it would be a great opportunity to get another use for my card in. Finding a place that was relatively close to her was not much of a problem and seeing as we never normally do Italian, I decided we should give Soprano’s a try.
 
It was relatively quiet and empty when we walked in at around 5:15 on Friday night with only 2 other tables filling up the place but by the time that we left it had almost filled to capacity.  I had already perused the menu online so I had a general idea of what they had but didn’t go so overboard that I already chose.
 

 
We got a relatively nice view of their working fireplace and the TV that rotated pictures ahead. It was nice and comfy inside, but wasn’t overly decorated that style that makes Olive Garden seem so cliché. After looking over the menu I was torn between the Lasagna and the Baked Ziti and the Ziti eventually won the internal struggle. My grandmother ordered the Drunken Scallops w/ Linguine and we decided to split an order of the calamari.
 

 
Each of our dinners came with a side salad and 2 garlic knots. The side salads were relatively simple with some relatively fresh tasting tomatoes considering the time of the year and we both opted for the “House” Italian dressing that was unique as it was slightly sweet as opposed to the usually slightly sour version. The garlic knots were fresh and warm with a slightly buttery sheen to them and while I would have liked more garlic in them they were fairly tasty.
 

 
Within a short amount of time our calamari came out. It was nice to have a version that wasn’t so completely breaded that all you can taste is the fried dough. It was nice and lightly fried and the marinara dipping sauce was quite good if a little bit on the thin side for my liking. At $7.50 it seemed like a fair asking price for what we got as I enjoyed it and my grandmother loved it.
 

 
Not long after we polished off the calamari we were presented with our entrees. This is a beautiful little shot of my Baked Ziti and I think the menu perfectly described on the menu as full of cheese as it was. It was still hot and steamy when presented to me and stayed pleasantly warm the entire time. It was a rather large portion and while I am not typically a pasta fan, I would definitely get this again if I were to come here. The pasta was perfectly cooked and there was just enough sauce and cheese so that no aspect dominated the dish.
 

 
I wish you could have seen the look on my grandmother’s face when the waitress brought her entrée out and plated it in front of her. She commented that she would be able to eat dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow off the portion size and I would have to agree it was quite large. It was nice to see some pleasantly large sea scallops in there as well and there was a good deal number of them so it wasn’t like the dish was lacking. The flavor the pasta was great and the scallops were perfectly cooked. At $17.50 and how many meals you could get out of this, this dish is definitely worth getting.
 

 
While we may have been full from our meals there is always room for dessert…right? Even though they have homemade cannolis there was something about the sound of a Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake that made me jump at it. While I would have wished there was more PB flavor to it was still quite good with a nice and light texture.  For $5.50 I am glad I tried it but can’t say I would ever get it again as I did get to try a bite of my grandmother’s cannoli.
 

 
If it weren’t for the fact that I was stuffed to the gills I would have gotten one of these as well as the one bite that I had of my grandmother’s was excellent. It was extremely creamy with a not overly sweet texture and the fried shell was pleasantly crumbly but not so much that it fell apart at the first bite.  A large is $2.59, which I would consider to be a great deal.
 
We were able to walk away for $40 plus tip considering the savings of $12.50 for my baked ziti. We got a lot of food for what seems like such a small amount of money and even though the mood has to strike me for Italian I would definitely come back to this place should someone be dying for Italian. 

Great report. Those drunken scallops look so good!

 
Bradfield’s
1475 Upper Valley Pike
Springfield, OH 45504-4081
(937) 324-3775
 
Hours
Mon-Thur: 11am - 9pm
Fri-Sat: 11am -9:30pm
Sun: 11am - 7pm

 
Another Saturday and another little bit far out trip for me on a quest to check out another place in the Prestige Dining Club. Seeing as all the heavy snow we have gotten in the Miami Valley I wanted to stay relatively close by so I opted for Bradfield’s in Springfield.  It is tied into the Upper Valley Mall so it really isn’t one of the more recognizable places to find Road Food but I found it with good enough instructions.
 

 
I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to find but when I got here I was presented with this menu for me to choose from. Basically what the restaurant is, is a cafeteria style but with made to order items. You go through the line and pick out your dessert and tell one of the staff what you would like to order. They call to the back over the intercom your order and you continue around picking up your drinks and paying for your meal.
 

 
Seeing as I couldn’t decide and I had the card I chose the Fried Fish dinner with fries and a dinner roll and the Cheesesteak with fries….in retrospect maybe too many fries.  After I paid for my bill I made my way to a table and plopped down to try and not eat my dessert first….or just not all of it.
 

 
At first when I first picked it up I thought it was rice pudding but when I sat down and took a nibble while waiting for my food to come out.   It was actually tapioca but seeing as I like tapioca as well it was a pleasant surprise. It was a nice and smooth version that had some body to it but it wasn’t overly sweet. For $2 I might get it again but would probably try something else instead.
 

 
The apple pie looked like a homemade version and the crust definitely tasted like it. It was nice and flaky with bits that seemed to melt on your tongue. The apple filling was pleasantly sweet but had a slightly off taste from a spice that I couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t bad, but rather something that I just wasn’t used to.   For $2, it is definitely worth trying as it was a good slice in a world overrun by commercial products.
 

 
Although the waitress looked perplexed when she brought out 2 items for 1 person eventually I got my food. I first started off with the Cheesesteak. It wasn’t the worst version that I have had but it definitely didn’t wow me. All the flavors were there but felt rather mute and some mayo definitely helped to give it some flavor. The fries though that came with it were quite good on the other hand. Very reminiscent of the fries that Burger King once carried as they were irregularly crispy but with a fluffy interior. I ate up all of these before I polished off the sandwich. For $5.99 it was worth a try but definitely a pass on future visits.
 

 
In between bites of my Cheesesteak I decided to dig in on the Fried Fish Dinner. The roll that came with the dinner was pleasantly fluffy and soft and only could have used a little bit more butter to kick it up. The fish was nice and crispy on the outside but a little tough on the inside. The fries that came with it were just like with the Cheesesteak so that was a bonus. I generally like my fish fried with a little bit more irregularity as it adds texture but these were flat patties that just didn’t do it for me. For $9.79 I think I would get one of their other dinner options but this would be a good option for fish eaters.
 
I was able to walk out for $12 plus tip. I didn’t realize until I got home that the person checking me out didn’t get one of my desserts so I sent $2 to the restaurant this last week with a note explaining. What can I say, I felt guilty. While it may not have been a rousing success I wouldn’t say it was a failure either. I am glad I tried it but I can’t say I would make the drive solely to eat here again, but wouldn’t turn my nose at it if I was asked to go again.
 
 

Every once in a while when I don't cook I go for some food. Not great or life changing but just a place to get an adequate meal. And that's what Bradfields looks like. It looks clean, orderly and with decent desserts. The card is made for places like this. Great? No. But with the card its kind of worthwhile to try it out. 

42 dollars in savings on a 28 dollar card in less than a month. This is starting to add up. 

Allan

Bradfields remins me a bit of York steak house...wish you would have tried the fish Almondine so I could see if it looked the same as York's.

 
Mic’s Italian Restaurant
2384 Mechanicsburg Road
Springfield, OH 45503-2527
(937) 399-5074
 
Hours
Mon-Fri: 11am-10pm
Sat,Sun: Closed
 
Seeing as my previous dinner plans fell out I decided to let the Prestige Book choose where I was going, so I picked a random page and ended up selecting Mic’s Italian Restaurant. While Italian isn’t something I normally spring for I had such good success the previous Friday that I decided, what the heck, why not?
 

 
I was getting worried that my GPS let me astray but I spotted the tiny sign from the road just beyond a car. It was kind of hard to see especially with all the piles of snow but I eventually made it there and found a very inconspicuous restaurant awaiting me.
 

 
Service is done by counter only and you will be able to peruse the white board menu with lots and lots of Italian and pasta choices such as Lasagna, Baked Ziti, Spaghetti as well as Pizza Subs, Italian Subs and other various sandwiches. Eventually once you have made your mind up you will place your order, pay, and be given this nice little flag to denote your order and then a server will bring out your food and drink to your table.
 
Seeing as I wanted Lasagna last week, I got a Large order of that as well as a Large order of Stuffed Shells w/ Meat Sauce, and a side order of Cheese Topped Garlic Bread. Each of my dishes came with a side order so I got Cole Slaw and regular Garlic Bread.  And because I can’t stand to have dinner without some sort of dessert I got a piece of Carrot Cake.
 

 
About 2 minutes after I sat down the server brought out my water and this little present of cole slaw. It wasn’t mind blowing by any stretch of the imagination but it wasn’t bad either. It was a relatively thicker version that I slurped up with speed as I was starving.
 

 
 
First up of the dishes was the lasagna. It was a very interesting version to say the least. There were chunks of meat within it but I could necessarily figure out what kind it was although it was masked mainly by the copious amounts of sauce and ricotta cheese. The pasta itself wasn’t several large sheets but rather smaller chunks of square slices probably a little bit bigger than a silver dollar. All the flavors played well together and the dish in general was quite filling.  The Large dish was $7.79 and considering the size of the dish and the fact that I got a side dish with it, it was a good deal.
 

 
Along with the Lasagna came a nice serving of the garlic bread which comes with all meals considering I didn’t order any specificially. Simple, easy and full of lots of garlic these were mighty tasty and if I didn’t have another dish and more garlic bread to eat I would have easily gotten some more. They were more like garlic bites as each piece was only about 2 bites a piece, but the amount made up for the size.
 

 
Not being the Italian aficionado that some people are I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect in terms of the dish, but I had an idea of what the stuffed shells would be. I ended up being right as I got 3 relatively large shells of pasta stuffed with piping hot ricotta, covered in meat sauce and a nice layer of mozzarella. I had a bad first bite as it was relatively tough and overcooked but it was a spot that was not covered in sauce or cheese, but the rest of the dish was perfectly cooked and melded all the flavors together well.  The dish was $7.29, so a little less expensive than the lasagna, and I think I enjoyed it slightly over the lasagna, making it the better deal.
 

 
So simple and yet so delicious. It doesn’t really get any more complicated than adding a slice of cheese to garlic bread but the simplicity and the flavors made it almost the perfect synergy in my opinion and my only regret was not asking if I could have gotten all the garlic bread as cheese topped.
 

 
I should have known something was going to go wrong soon as the meal was going so well. I eventually made my way to dessert and asked my server to bring it out. I was able to watch her walk over to a fridge, pull out a boxed sheet cake version and slice off my piece. Well isn’t that just dandy, was my first thought and I instantly knew I was going to be left lacking in the sweets department. I was right, and at $2.25 I can’t stress enough to avoid this dish.
 
I ended up walking out for $11 plus tip, and ended up saving $7.29 for the Large Stuffed Shells. Although the meal was generally very good and, it’s distance from the main road and the fact that I know of closer places is going to make it hard for me to return again, but maybe just maybe if I happen to be in the area I might stop in for a bite.

 
Pop’s Diner #2
1170 Upper Valley Pike
Springfield, OH 45504-4018
(937) 322-7701
 
Hours:
Mon-Sun: 6am – 10pm
 
After 3 hrs of working out at the gym on a Saturday always makes me go into extreme hunger mode. I want food and lots of it. I ended up seeing Pop’s Diner #2 on the way to Bradfield’s the previous Saturday and remembered that it was in the club so I decided that would be my destination this time.
 

 
After walking in I get this sense that a diner hit an Olive Garden and a little bit of each melded together to make a restaurant. I was given a breakfast and lunch menu and was told that I could sit anywhere I wanted, so plopped down and started to peruse the menu. True to diner form they serve breakfast all day with the usual items as well as an extensive lunch menu with a heavy emphasis on sandwiches.
 
After I perused the menu for a while I opted for the Biscuits and Gravy with 2 eggs scrambled, the Hand Dipped Chicken (their version of Fried Chicken) with fries and the salad bar.
 

 
The salad bar was simple and basic, but really it doesn’t need to be really big or varied after all it is an add on. They had the usual iceberg lettuce with fixins and lots of different dressings as well as a few side items and tapioca pudding. The salad and fixins were pretty fresh and the poppy seed dressing was a little bland but could have been worse. The cole slaw was your standard variety as were the pickled beets but the other salad which consisted of peas, onions, bacon, and a simple dressing was really good and interesting.  The tapioca was solid, but I have come to the conclusion that it is pretty hard to screw it up.
 

 

 
Within a relatively short amount of time while I was reading my book my order eventually came out and I decided to dig into my biscuits and gravy first as tempting as the chicken looked. The gravy was very interesting as it was almost sweet. It is really hard to describe but it certainly was not as savory as any other version I have had. The biscuits were fairly thin and soft but were lacking the requisite fluffiness. It wasn’t bad but I certainly wouldn’t get it again. The b&g came with an order of hash browns which were pretty atrocious and no amount of hot sauce and ketchup could help. The eggs were, well they were eggs scrambled, can you really screw them up that bad? At $6.25 I wasn’t out that much but certainly wouldn’t order the dish again and can’t recommend other people do so either.
 

 
I was surprised to see some onion rings included with my hand dipped chicken and to my surprise they were fantastic. You could tell by the texture and fragility of the crust that these were done by hand and the flavor was just fantastic and wish I had more instead of the fries which were just awful. I like squishy fries that are softer but these were straight up greasy and when I folded one in half I could see the grease leak out. The fried chicken was crispy on the outside but was totally devoid of any flavor on the inside. The portion size was 4 pieces, but the wing and drumstick were small I think they were about the size of my thumb, seriously. Despite the fact that the entrée came with the salad bar which was solid, at $8.50 this dished seemed overpriced.
 
I asked if they had any pie or cake and the waitress stated that they only have the tapioca and chocolate pudding on the salad bar. Really?!?! A diner that doesn’t have any dessert? I was shocked and rather disappointed at a possible saving grace for the meal.
 
I was able to walk out for $9.00 plus tip considering I saved $6.25 on the biscuits and gravy. As I was leaving I was thinking to myself that I probably would never be back as nothing was really that good, other than the onion rings, so I wouldn’t make the trip back. Well when I checked out the little lady told me to keep the card and they would honor it again, so she didn’t punch it. Seeing as I could still save some money and give them a 2^nd chance I decided I would give them a chance in the future down the line, but I won’t be rushing back and will hit many more Prestige Club places first.

The gravy was sweet?  That's a big plate of wrong.  Those onion rings do look yummy.

Nancypalooza


The gravy was sweet?  That's a big plate of wrong.  Those onion rings do look yummy.

I struggled for a word to describe the gravy and I know that sweet probably isn't the best moniker for it, but it definitely didn't have the usual savory or meaty flavors that you receive when you have a good gravy. It certainly isn't the worst plate of biscuits and gravy I have had, but it definitely is second to worst.
 
So disappointing as I really wanted to like the place but I couldn't get behind it. I will give them a second chance with another set of dishes in the future and hope to be able to upgrade my overall opinions.

Giovanni’s
215 West Main Street
Fairborn, OH 45324-5034
(937) 878-1611
 
Hours:
Monday - Closed
Tue – Thur : 11 am - 10 pm
Fri and Sat: 11 am - 11 pm
Sun: 11 am - 10 pm
 
Despite the fact that my original plans to go out for dinner to Urbana were scrapped due to the sudden crappy weather and inability or Ohio to adapt well to it I still ventured my way out into the snow, albeit to a slightly more local place. In the end I think that my luck has run out on Italian food being a good thing for me.
 
I arrived at around 5:15 to a rather sparsely filled dining room. A few tables here and there had people eating but it wasn’t as busy as the number of servers would suggest. The hostess, whom I eventually found to be extremely unpleasant, seated me right next to the hostess stand and I immediately started to peruse the menu. The menu consists of your typical Italian dishes with also a strong emphasis on pizzas. Nothing was really that out of the normal for the restaurants that I have been lately.
 

 
Seeing as I have had their pizza years ago and remember not caring for it I decided against getting one and opted to for 2 dinners. After being told that the cheese filled manicotti would take 30 min I decided against it and went with the recommendation of the server that I get the Cheese Filled Ravioli and the Grilled Homemade Italian Sausage. Each dinner came with a side salad and I had them box up 1 of them to go and chose the house dressing which I was told was heavy on garlic, but that is perfect for me.
 

 
Within short order I was presented with my house salad with house dressing and my side of homemade bread and butter. The side salad was relatively fresh albeit the tomatoes were a little bit hard from what I would presume to be an extended stay in the freezer or an overly cold fridge. The house dressing was indeed very garlicky and I loved it.
 

 
The bread was overly chewy in my opinion as I felt like my jaw got a good workout from it. It was relatively soft but I can’t say there was any particularly good flavor to it. It was worth munching on as I was starving, but can’t say I would go out of my way to get it.

 
After about another 25 min, which I thought was a long time for a fairly slow Friday night, I eventually got my dishes and first up was the grilled homemade Italian sausage. It looked fairly good but I was let down in the end. The peppers and onions needed to definitely be cooked longer and they lacked any flavor of any sort. Usually when I think of Italian sausage I think of something with a little bit of a spicy kick but this was lacking any discernible heat nor did I feel like it was very flavorful.  All of this was served at a rather tepid temperature in my opinion and while it wasn’t cold it certainly wasn’t piping hot and made me think that it was possibly sitting for a while. It had such potential and at $9.50 I can’t recommend anybody get it.
 

 
Seeing as I had the cheese ravioli suggested to me by the server as being very good I guess I had some expectations going into the dish. Needless to say it was a rather large let down. The marinara sauce was overly watery as well as lacking any flavor and I didn’t feel like I was given enough of it. The ravioli themselves were cooked well enough but the filling was rather sparse and had an unpleasant texture to it.  The ravioli also suffered from the same tepid temperature. The order was $8.20 and for 6 ravioli I feel like you could do better at a chain Italian restaurant.
 

 
Despite the fact that the dinner was a bust I decided to give their desserts a try and opted for a piece of tiramisu in house and a cannoli to go.   The tiramisu was light on the coffee flavor, which is usually good but seemed overly light in this case. It had the right texture to it and was pleasant to eat and at $3.95 I would say it was a fair deal for a solid dessert.
 

 
I ended up taking home the cannoli and digging into it a little bit later as I was still somewhat hungry from dinner being less than fulfilling. The cream had a good flavor but I felt like it could have been a little bit sweeter and I like my filling just a tad creamier. At $2.50 I’d say it would be a better deal and more satisfying than the tiramisu.
 
I ended up walking out for around $23 plus tip, which I would say was a tad expensive for my experience. Service was pretty weak and slow on my trip having to ask for hot water for my tea and getting rather tepid food. The most unpleasant part was having to listen to the hostess, complain the entire time I was there.  I almost made a comment at 1 point but figured I would just let it go. I don’t know if this colored my experience more than it should have but definitely felt like I had given it a fair shake and chance. While it may have been good in the past I think some of the magic may have been lost over the years.

 
El Riacho
143 East Dayton-Yellow Springs Road 
Fairborn, OH 45324-3446
(937) 878-0500
 
Hours:
Mon – Thur: 11 am – 10 pm
Fri – Sat: 11 am – 10:30 pm

Sun: 11:30 am  – 9 pm



 
Seeing as I have had middling to poor experiences with my last few trips to locations in the Prestige Club, I was really hoping for a win for lunch on Saturday. I had plans in the evening and needed to do some baking for dinner so I was a little crunched for time and chose another closer location to where I live.
 
I arrived at 11:30 on Saturday and I guess I was a little bit early for lunch as there were only 2 other tables with people at them. I was greeted pleasantly enough and given a booth. I was quickly given a basket of chips and salsa to munch on while I was perusing the menu. They had a rather extensive menu with lots of different options such as a la carte tacos and burritos, many lunch deals, and a good amount of dinners. If you can’t find something here you probably aren’t trying hard enough!
 

 
The chips and salsa were ok. The chips needed some more salt to them and the salsa could have been a little bit chunkier in my opinion, but I am also a chunky fan. I ended up adding some hot sauce to the salsa in order to kick it up a notch. I went with the Carnitas w/ 3 tortillas and the Huevos con Chorizo for my 2 meal options. Each came with a side of refried beans and rice. 
 

 
What is it about chips and salsa that makes me just want to eat them regardless of how good they are. I eventually stopped knowing my order was somewhat large but boy are they addicting.
 

 
I only had to wait around 10 minutes before I was presented with 2 piping hot dishes and the first up was the carnitas. I was given 3 rather large chunks of pork and were pleasantly spiced and flavorful. They were a tad overcooked as they were a little dry but the side of guacamole helped to add some moisture to the little tacos I made with them. The rice was really, really bland and after 1 bite I vowed not to eat anymore.  Despite the fact that the pork was a little dry, I really enjoyed the dish and at $9.75 it would be a little pricey for lunch again but would be not bad for dinner.

 
The huevos con chorizo were ok but lacking any kind of distinct flavor. The chorizo never really shined through the eggs and they were also a tad on the overcooked side I added some salsa and hot sauce to kick it up a notch, which helped a lot. Despite the refried beans were the loosest I have ever had I think they were also the best I can remember. They weren’t overly goopy and just had this flavor that shined through. Again the rice was terrible but I already knew that. At $8.95 I can’t really recommend the dish as the main part was lacking and the beans couldn’t make up for that.
 

 
The huevos con chorizo came with a “guacamole salad” which was just some shredded lettuce, a dab of guacamole, and some tomatoes that were pretty darn solid (I assume they were frozen). Not much of a salad but at least the guacamole was pretty flavorful and was great with some chips.
 
I was able to walk out for $10 plus tip and for a lunch that was not bad in my opinion. Although I ended up getting a pretty good deal the lunch specials looked like a good deal for Mon-Fri lunch and could potentially be a better deal. While it wasn’t what I was looking for in a win, at least it wasn’t as disappointing as my previous 2 stops. I must endure I must continue…