I’ll be in Dayton, OH for a night (near Wright State) and I am looking for recommendations, preferably with outdoor seating. And/or must visit wine shops?
Wright State is in Fairborn. I will ask a friend if he knows anything notable and great!!! Otherwise, one of my personal favorite restaurants in the area is Meadow Lark (very close to my house). Let me give it some thought. Wine shop wise, Arrow W&S is the standard, but Dorothy Lane Market has a good selection too. I’ll ask a friend who’s the GM of Heidelberg.
Go to Yellow Springs. I personally like Sunrise Cafe, Calypso Grill, and The Winds wine shop. The Winds is a decent restaurant too; both Winds and Sunrise have patios.
If you are flying, make a stop at Jerardi’s Little Store (https://www.jerardislittlestore.com/) on your way to Fairborn for wine and maybe something from the deli. The ham salad is the best I have ever had. While the shop is smaller, I think it has a better selection than any of the larger shops and he always has some interesting lower priced wines available. Full disclosure, I went to high school with Eric and consider him a friend.
I second Josh’s Yellow Springs suggestion. I always recommend going there to anyone who visits Dayton. I find Yellow Springs to be different than most any place else I have visited. You can get a sense of it in a single visit. Allow extra time to walk around. I don’t think it has changed too much since when I was there regularly. It is a bit of a drive out but worth it.
I am actually driving all the way from DC. Will probably stop by Yellow Springs on the way back on Thursday for lunch and then head back home, and Wed night might do the Meadow lark.