Grist — Restaurant in Dayton

Soooo, today we went to Grist for lunch. Companions one and six ordered the wild mushroom agnolotti. It consisted of porcini mushrooms, black garlic butter, toasted hazelnut, pecorino romano, and fresh chive, served w/ a piece of focaccia bread. Both companions enjoyed their meal, though companion six was expecting more of an earthy flavor from the mushrooms. The agnolotti pasta was stuffed w/ minced mushrooms and the dish looked delicious. Both companions also ordered the roasted tomato and garlic bisque. To both of them, it tasted like there was more vegetables in it than just roasted tomato. There was a hint of spice that lingered on the palate as you continued to eat. Both companions felt it was a little too thick for a bisque. Companion six at first described it as being a little gelatinous, but felt that was too strong of a word. Companion two ordered the “Too beef…or not to beef” sandwich. It was roast beef, aged cheddar, bibb lettuce, bacon jam, horseradish & dill aioli, served warm on ciabatta. It was thoroughly enjoyed. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. A nice vehicle for this roast beef sandwich. It was also felt that the horseradish gave it a nice kick of heat that was appreciated and the overall sandwich was very flavorful. Companion two also enjoyed a Warped Wing ginger beer, that was full of ginger, enough to open up your sinuses. Companions three and five ordered the “That’s a Spicy Meat-a-Ball” sandwich. In case you’re wondering, that’s a reference from a very old alka seltzer commercial. Anywho, it was four housemade meatballs, Calabrian tomato sauce, pesto alla Genovese, smoked mozzarella, served warm on a hoagie roll. I am generally not a meatball sub kind of person, but it did look good. They both said it tasted really good, with a little bit of a kick from the Calabrian tomato sauce. Companion three thought the meatballs were nice and tender and not heavy. Companion five called it a slippery meatball only b/c it kind of rolled out of the hoagie bun and required a knife to cut it. Companion four ordered the bucatini all-amatriciana pasta. It had guanciale (cured meat), tomato, pecorino romano, black pepper, and fresh basil. Companion four thought the dish was good, although felt the pasta was a little too al dente. Companion four also felt the portion size could have been a little larger for the price. I am curious to know if the lunch portion differs from the dinner portion in size and price. I ordered the tagliatelle alla Bolognese. It consisted of a beef, pork, and veal Bolognese, grana Padano, and fresh basil. I thought the dish was good and had a nice flavor. It had a nice ratio of meat to pasta. Companion two also brought some cannolis to the table. This was actually my first time having a cannoli and I was not that impressed. The flavor of this was banana and chocolate chip. I don’t think anything was necessarily wrong w/ the cannoli, in fact the flavor of the cream was good. But, its just cream stuffed in a shell that has no flavor itself. Not sure what the hype is for cannolis. Companion six brought smores tarts to the table. Seeing as I have never had a smore either (that would require having to be outside for an extended period of time), this was another one I was curious about. The shell was baked evenly and the chocolate inside was nice and smooth. The meringue though ate a little sandy. If it was cooked to more of a marshmallow stage and perhaps torched at the table, it would have had a different taste. It was still good, though perhaps too sweet. Even though the tart was small, it would have been a lot of sweetness for one person to have.

All in all, I enjoyed Grist and would return. I would like to try the wild mushroom or even the gnocchi or one of their other freshly made pasta dishes. I am also interested to know if their dinner menu differs in size or price from...

(FIRST EXPERIENCE FOR LUNCH ) " Bon Appetit!😘 Stopped by during (lunch) for some delicious soup and bread and desserts. Though I must say the deserts steal the show! I love the touch of gold 🪙 I do enjoy the elixirs as well. But the fresh soups are a must! I can't wait to try the meatball sub! Everything was superb! And I was looking forward to a future dinner reservation with amazing company to celebrate someone very special. " (FIRST REVIEW/ LUNCH/ TAKE HOME DINNER) 👑 💜 - KAT

(FIRST EXPERIENCE FOR DINNER) " Well I made my dinner reservation on the first Friday of SPRING 3/21/2025 to celebrate my late sister's birthday with the most important people in my life. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HERLINDA! We miss you! I would kindly recommend being specific with your dinner reservation. Perhaps that would have helped me. Our hostess was amazing and her name is Sara. She was able to make some last minute accommodations for my table of 5. I like her so much I think she deserves a promotion. I would go back to Grist just to see her smile and be in the presence of her company! She would make a very good restaurant manager.

I wasn't aware of the lack of table service prior to our dinner. MY BAD. I suppose I am a bit spoiled in that area of my life. I must say, I prefer to sit down and be served while enjoying an expensive dinner and this is America after all.

The menu hadn't changed much for spring and I must say that was a bit disappointing. I did enjoy my Fresh spring 🥗 with 🥑, but asking my company to pass the silverware wasn't so enjoyable and splitting a check at Grist is not so easy so bring cash if that's what you intend to do. Tiffy paid the bill and we bought all the extras! I hope their new restaurant has table service. A little advice to the owners, "when paying $30 a person for a small serving plate one must have wait staff! But that's just a personal opinion, I suppose and I am old soul after all.

The pastas were very irresistible and fresh! That's what the other girls chose! Yet they were lacking some protein if you ask me and the portions were rather small. That dinner plate could have used a slice of bread to fill it up. I would have also liked to see some roasted chicken on the menu. I have to watch my red meat intake these days though I did consider the lamb 🍖 I chose to eat a 🥗 instead ❤️‍🩹 (Doctors orders) I had the cauliflower soup 🍲 and a meatball! Those meatballs are quite delicious.

Whoever came up with the name GRIST is brilliant! I love it! Though I prefer the 2nd meaning of the word over the mill and I find it rather useful. I am looking forward to my next mill at Grist 😉 Though it will most likely be for lunch, I know I will be back for dinner too! Who knows, Perhaps a cooking class as well! The owners are very good people!...

I was at the Dayton Convention Center for a conference, and large groups adjourned for lunch, so the area restaurants were all busy. This little shop handled the crowd much better than I ever would have expected, with a dining room, counter seating, and patio option, as well as take out. At my table the sandwiches included turkey, roast beef, and my "Italian Stallion." All were very good. They come with a bag of chips, and the flavors available are eclectic (black truffle, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, white cheddar jalapeno, Iberian ham). The sandwiches are around $13-15. They also have pasta, salads, and soup, but none of us tried those. The sandwiches were enjoyed, and I would recommend this eatery with only those options .... But let's talk dessert....

Wow I saw the cannolis, and then I saw the price.... It would be rude not to purchase one. I liked it a lot, crispy pastry with a mousse/whipped filling, yes please. To be honest I don't think I've had one anywhere before, so I can't compare it to other cannolis I've consumed.... But still, the point of dessert is to enjoy it, and I did ... I had eaten next door the day before, and dessert there was $9 each . ... And I realized I could have a second dessert and still be under that price. They had only one piece of tiramisu left... and then they didn't, and I did. So good. Again I have to admit that I've never had that before, but I'm pretty sure I've never had the option at such reasonable prices. I deleted the price I paid for each so they can re evaluate those prices if they wish. Great food in a great space with positive workers and servers. Check it out, or make it a regular stop, I don't think you will regret it. I regret I didn't take pictures...