Pearl Bay Thai & Asian

One of my friends at work suggested we try out a Thai restaurant she had heard about so for lunch one day we went to Pearl Bay Thai & Asian in Fairborn.  We got there around 11:15 so were able to beat the lunch crowd and were seated fairly quickly.  However that may have been the only quick part about the whole time we were there. 

The menu isn’t too extensive but sometimes that’s better than overwhelming.  I ordered the Ginger chicken lunch special with yellow rice and my friend ordered the Pad Thai with tofu.  The food came to our table in good time however, the server brought out her dish a good 5 min before mine which was kinda awkward since there were just the two of us.  My rice was a little cold and the dish rather spicy although I ordered a “1” on the spiciness level.  Overall it tasted alright but if I went back to this place I wouldn’t order the same thing.

I had to specifically ask for a refill and our waitress seemed really scattered and rushed every time we interacted with her.  We ordered bubble teas to go.  Mine was a sweet green tea and I would definitely order that again. 

For good Thai food I’d make the trip to Thai 9 before I would eat at Pearl Bay again.  It was ok but nothing exciting to share about…except for the green bubble tea. J

Ele Cake Company

I'm still not sure how to pronounce the name of this place but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it!

My experience started with a lunch invitation to eat at the café which is inside the West Carrollton location but separated from the bakery counter.

The café is only open for lunch (10-2pm). The café seating area was comfortable and reminded me a little bit of a coffee shop.  If I lived closer to this location I could picture myself coming to hang out and reading a book amongst their comfortable seating.

Soup, Sandwiches, Salad, Coffee, and smoothies are included in their menu.  Ele uses very fresh ingredients and their portions are intentionally light so you have room for dessert!  I ordered a combo meal of ½ Dijon ham sandwich (thinly sliced roasted cider glazed ham, caramelized onions, swiss cheese with Dijon mayo on a toasted pretzel roll) and a cup of the soup of the day.  It was very tasty and light.

After hearing about Ele cupcakes, I figured I didn’t have a good excuse to not try one.  I tried a plain vanilla one because I wanted to be able to measure the freshness of the cake and icing without extra flavor.  I was not disappointed!  The cupcake was moist with a good portion of icing but not too decadent like many other gourmet cupcakes. 

You must visit just to look at the beautiful cakes and bakery items in their display area if nothing else.  In addition to the West Carrollton location, there’s also one in Beavercreek that offers the bakery side of the business but not the cafe.

"Cooking is like music"

If you don’t mind driving a few miles up the road from Dayton you must check out the Coldwater Café in Tipp City. 
Before visiting the restaurant several people told me I needed to try it.   I happened to be in the area one day checking out the many boutique and antique stores on the main street and got hungry around 2pm.  I wasn’t sure if they were still serving lunch but thankfully they were. 

We had to wait 10-15 minutes to get a table but I enjoyed looking around at the restaurant décor in the waiting area which included a beautiful fireplace.  Bordering the ceiling there was a sentence repeated over and over again: "Cooking is like music, when properly conducted a symphony results."  I felt like a symphony was definately resulting at this place!!

Once we were seated we pretty quickly were able to provide our drink orders and order our lunch.  The lunch menu included a variety of sandwiches, salads, and quiche.  I was actually kind of surprised at the variety and style of food offered on the menu for such a small town.  I chose the Smoked Turkey Panini (Grilled focaccia with parmesan cheese, tomatoes, caramelized onions and artichoke dip!) sandwich was DELICIOUS!   The sandwich was large and came out warm with chips and pickle on the side.

The wait staff came across very professional.  The table service was quick and our drink glasses stayed full.

I was pleasantly surprised by my lunch experience.  I definitely want to visit again!

TJ Chumps

                                          
For one of the Christmas parties I went to we ate lunch at TJ Chumps in Fairborn.  The food was pretty good for a sports bar but not anything special.  There was plenty to choose from on the menu though.

The place was very clean and wasn't too crowded although there were plenty of customers.  What really stood out to me was how quick and efficient the service was. The wait staff was very efficient with serving, refills, and checks without seeming pushy. 

We used one of the party rooms that can be reserved for free. It had several flat screen TVs and plenty of chairs and tables that can be arranged to fit quite a few people.

If you're looking for an quick, clean office lunch it's definately a quick in-and-out place.  I would imagine TJ Chumps is also a great place to catch a sports game.