I dined here solo while in the area for a work trip. The atmosphere is sophisticated while still feeling approachable, with beautiful decor, a dimly lit dining area but a table lamp so you don't struggle to read the menu! I had two of the best dishes I've had in ages. The warm mushroom salad with goat cheese was unbelievable. The texture contrast of the crunchy fried goat cheese with the warm, perfectly prepared mushrooms was excellent. And the mushroom crushed scallops that I ordered as my main dish remains some of the best scallops that I've ever tasted. I was on a call throughout my dinner but my server still managed to be extremely attentive and made wonderful suggestions for my meal. If you live in the area or even nearby, this is a must try! Enjoyed every aspect of my experience dining here! read more

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We wanted to try this for a while and finally got around to it. It was a mixed bag for us. We started with the Tuscan farmhouse bread. A generous size loaf of garlic bread soaked in butter. The first bites are fabulous but the abundance of butter fades the subsequent portions. We both had the wild mushroom salad. Superb. A wonderful blend of complementary flavors. I had the mussels di finocchino. This was also excellent. Sweet mussels on a cream sauce that all worked together. Loved it. My SO has the sea bass. Not a fan, overcooked and the strong seasoning flavors overrode the delicate sea bass flavor. We also did a side of sautéed spinach. It had a bitter taste, we didn't finish it. I'd like to come back & try other things. read more

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Really delicious pasta! Typical fine dining with the small portions and intimate lighting. But the pasta itself was really delicious! read more

Culina - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

The ambiance is casual and while not the restaurants fault, there was a table of six being obnoxiously loud. One table actually asked to be reseated. The waitress was nice. I'll leave that for now...more on that later. Host didn't give us menus. Our food took a long time to get to us. We were there for two hours and the other tables had turned over. We did get our desert comped for that. The artichokes had chewy outer skin. It was meant to be crispy I think but we had to pick out the good parts. It was way too oily and had one flavor that wasn't really artichoke. The filet was bland. Needed salt. It was cooked PERFECTLY though. My sea bass was bland. I've definitely had better. It was overcooked but the center was slightly undercooked. My guess was it was frozen. The puree was ok... The farm house bread was outstanding. The crème brulee was outstanding except the sugar ratio due to the shallow ramekin made it too sweet. The dish is really very shallow but the sugar was perfectly "burnt" and hard shell unlike a lot of places. A lot of food was overpowered by garlic. Service from waitress was great. Food was ok. read more

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This restaurant is truly something special. My husband and I recently visited Dayton -- and were able to snag a last minute reservation at the beautiful Roost in the Oregon District for us and my mother-in-law. We had seats on their covered patio -- which transports you to another world entirely, because it's set back from the busy street. The service was great from start to finish -- our waitress was friendly and attentive, and we didn't have to wait long at all for our various courses. We started with a bottle of their Chianti Classico, which was reasonably priced, and acted as the perfect pairing for our dinner. For appetizers, we indulged in the Artichokes and the Farmhouse Bread. Both were spectacular. The bread almost had a sweet flavor to it, with a wonderfully buttery texture. We ended up dipping the bread in the leftover herby olive oil from the artichokes -- I highly recommend that you do this too! As far as entrees, everything sounded so good, it was tough to make a decision. Their special for the evening was the Lobster Ravioli, which my husband ended up ordering and loving. I went with their Fillet, which was perfectly cooked, and served with a creamy, peppery sauce, and beautifully roasted baby potatoes. My mother-in-law ordered the Mushroom-Crusted Scallops, which she adored. Most nicer restaurants aren't generous with their scallops, but Roost does it right with four scallops and pasta for the price of $42. The portion sizes compared to prices were very fair across the board. For dessert, we tried the Tiramisu and the Ricotta Doughnuts, both of which were a delightfully happy ending to a wonderful dinner. The three of us were also gifted a shot of limoncello when the bill came -- which is a fun nod to this restaurant's Italian heritage. I would be remiss not to mention that Roost is woman-owned, and has been doing great things for the Oregon District for more than 10 years. I can't wait to return to this classy bistro the next time I'm in Dayton! read more

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The ambience and service is great! Had one gin cocktail and it was really good. Definitely try the meatballs in appetizers and the Ragu pasta in their entree dishes! The tiramisu was frozen so it didn't taste good and creamy. read more

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I've never had a better steak . Tender and great flavor. The mushroom appetizer is also nice. I don't have a bad thing to say about anything here really. read more

Culina - Tirimisu - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Went to Roost to celebrate my SO's birthday and left pretty disappointed, here's why: Service: When our server first came to our table, we asked if we would be receiving any complimentary bread (as this changes the amount and type of appetizers we would order). She said no, but noted there was bread you could order as an appetizer, so we got the 'tuscan farmhouse bread' along with arancini and artichoke hearts for starters. About half way through our meal, we noticed other servers bringing what looked like focaccia bread with dipping sauce to various tables, so I just stopped a different server and asked if that was complimentary bread and she told us yes. Thus, our server for whatever reason straight up lied to us when we asked about complimentary bread. Aside from that, it took a really long time from when we received our appetizers to when the entrees came out. Food: I ordered the 'butter poached filet mignon' and specified to have it cooked medium. Well, it came out rare to medium/rare which was disappointing for a $50 dish. It was still tasty and I liked the mashed potatoes it came with, but cooking a steak to the right level should be a pretty basic feat and they screwed that up. I also got a side Caesar salad, which was pretty good but it had too much dressing on it -- would recommend getting the dressing on the side. Bathrooms: the men's bathroom was a one-person bathroom which I thought was a bit odd for such a nice restaurant -- not to mention it was right by the kitchen so while waiting to use the bathroom, I had to awkwardly stand in the alley leading directly to the kitchen. Perhaps they had another mens restroom on a different side of the restaurant, but I thought it was weird. Overall, we expected Roost to be much better based on the reviews, and the fact that our waitress straight up lied about complimentary bread left such a bad taste in my mouth that this joint gets one star from me. read more

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Our first night in Dayton with our friends who live here. They chose the restaurant, but we all ordered our own food. The table they gave us was well situated. Ian our server was very attentive and explained a few menu items. We ordered an Italian red wine which was delicious. So good in fact we ordered a second bottle. We each had an appetizer. My mussels in Pernod were excellent. My wife had the goat cheese which she said could have doubled as a dessert. Our friends shared Italian rice balls. For the main courses I am the only one who ordered carne, the others had pasta dishes. All were really good. The restaurant was pretty full, but the noise level made for easy conversations. This was a fun evening with our friends. read more

Came for an early dinner with my fav human .. my husband Ken. It's the last night of restaurant week... with a 3-course meal with 2-4 items to choose from. I had the mussels for a starter and hubs had the caesar salad. For entrees I had scallops and ravioli with asparagus..hubs had some beef and veal Ragu pasta. For desserts he had doughnut balls and I had their signature Dessert ... the Bamba which was ice cream with hard chocolate covered. The food was delicious and nice presentation...cooked perfectly! We both loved what we got. The inside was very comfortable and seating was plenty of distance apart. Lighting and noise level were ideal for a pleasant dining experience. Few cons: no parking lot parking is an issue.. you have to drive around searching and it could be far to walk. If it says dont park there they are serious and you will be towed. Second, it was expensive over 100 for Italian. Plus They don't open the door 1 minute early. Already had to park a distance away and walk in the cold .. then everyone had to stand outside for another 15 minutes while they stood warm watching us freeze. We were the first couple to be seated and we ordered first .. we received our starters. My mussels were spicy and needed bread .. the table beside us got bread and our server brought another table bread. My husband ate his salad the other tables ate their starter before we finally got bread so my mussels were cold by this time. The size and flavor were nice. It really bothered me that our server brought bread to people who just sat down but left us waiting. In summary lovely meal but with several cons i dont know if we will be quick to return. Mamma desalvos has no cons at 1/2 the price. read more

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I had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday with my family at Roost and it was an incredible experience. Hands down, start to finish amazing. First, we arrived with what we believed was a reservation for six. However, due to an error that was entirely our fault, they did not have our reservation. However, they were able to accommodate us, and even gave us a beautiful table since it was my birthday. Our waiter was fantastic and patient with our large group. When I say everything ordered was amazing, I mean every single thing. The seasonal caprese salad was out of this world. Tomatoes, jalapenos, mozzarella pearls, feta all on top of ricotta cheese and drizzled with olive oil.... Pure perfection. The arronci were also outstanding. A few of our dishes were served with polenta which is something I've always been lukewarm about myself, but that rivaled the best mashed potatoes I have ever had. Every single person left that table full, satisfied and with stars in our eyes from an excellent meal. I would recommend this to everyone and cannot wait to return. read more

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We loved our anniversary dinner this last weekend. We came for an early dinner, so it was still a pretty chill environment that I imagine gets more formal as the night goes on. The menu was very good and most everything is locally sourced. The only downside was they were out of both tiramisu and affragoto. read more

Culina - Chocolate cake - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Roost? Culina? Now Roost again? We loved the original Roost with the pork chop (bone in) over polenta and the brown butter pasta with butternut squash, but both are gone off the menu. Drinks are still amazing, the bread is to die for. The staff seemed unenthusiastic about their job or that there was even a change in the menu recently. Just so disappointing overall. The dishes we had tonight were just okay, the price tag did not match the quality at all, we were so disappointed. I hope the owner reads the reviews and takes the feedback and implements change again, we all miss the old Roost! read more

Culina - Pork Chop - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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I don't ever leave bad reviews but this was particularly bad. Our waiter was okay, he was attentive for the most part. We ordered 2 ceaser salads, meatballs, mussels, garlic bread, and the steak skewers. meatballs- these were good, they were chewy, but very well seasoned. mussels- they were okay. most of the plate was just shells. so it was pretty disappointing, also the sauce was under seasoned. steak skewers- if you're looking for a well seasoned skewer, don't order this. literally didn't even have salt.. garlic bread- this bread was amazing. very salty, but delicious. i'd come back only for this bread. 2 salads- we wouldn't know how they tasted because we never got them. In fact, we asked for the bill and our server asked if we wanted our salads. I politely declined, he then came back and said "they're ready for you now if you'd like them".. We had assumed that we would get cold lettuce, parmesan, croutons and dressing before all of our hot plates came out. The most frustrating part of all of this- we got our bill, paid, and then as we were getting up someone came over and immediately starting bussing our table. we hadn't even put our coats on yet. Overall, this place was a let down. I wouldn't recommend this place especially since it's not a very cheap place to eat. read more

Just visited Roost for the first time to celebrate a special occasion. It definitely feels like an urban restaurant and a step above what is typical for Dayton. We started with some cocktails: I had basically what is an Aperol spritz (it was really good but not super interesting) while my fiancé had a rye cocktail made with walnut bitters and offered a perfect balance of both sweet and smoky. We had the farmhouse bread and Cesar salad. The bread is excellent but definitely heavy on the garlic. Salad was very good but a bit too heavy on the dressing for our liking. I decided to get a second cocktail, which was excellent. It was a tequila-based drink with lime, mint, and honey. It was like a margarita meets chamomile and I would highly recommend. For our mains, I got the Chicken Cecamariti a la Crema, which is a roast chicken breast and pasta with fresh tomatoes and spinach in a creamy sauce. It was very good, but the pasta was perfect and the highlight of the meal. My fiancé had the pork chop which is served over polenta. He said it was good but not quite as good as he was expecting. We each had a glass of wine with dinner, both of which were excellent. Since it was a celebration, we closed with an order of the Ricotta donuts but were way too stuffed to fully enjoy them, but of course they were great and we took some home. All in all, the experience was terrific. Service was very good and the pace of the meal was perfect. This may sound really picky, but for a higher end restaurant, there were some "extras" that were a bit lacking. For example the chairs weren't super comfortable, the bathroom floor was really sticky and the stall door wouldn't stay closed. Certainly that isn't make or break, but with entrees at $50 and up, I would expect a little more out of the space. Overall, the meal was excellent and the chef is highly deserving of their success and reputation. That said, there are some newer restaurants in Dayton outside of the Oregon District that are upping the ante, and at higher price points, I think Roost could polish the experience a bit more. Still, highly recommended. read more

Haven't been to Roost in a few years, but I will make this a regular stop. First of all, the wait staff was amazingly courteous and welcoming. So nice to see young people acting this way. Secondly, the food was ..... sooooo good. I had the Wild Warm Mushroom salad. It had bits of brittle in it for a quick snap of crunch and sweetness, making the savory flavors taste even better, such as the creamy goat cheese fritter. Then I had a chicken piccata that was so much better than you would get ANYWHERE. Finished the dinner off with the Spumoni Bomba. Delicious!!!! Can't wait to go back. PS I loved the perfect temperature of water provided. read more

Roost Italian is gooood! I had never heard of Roost until I saw someone post them on Instagram stories. I immediately wanted to try them and am so glad I did. They are modern Italian. My family and I went and sat outside in the outdoor seating area which was very nice. We started with glasses of wine which were delicious. They serve you bread and homemade marinara sauce. It was delicious as well! My husband had a side Caesar Salad and I had the Heirloom Tomato Salad. Both were amazing. The tomatoes were so fresh and the chunks of watermelon added a nice sweet touch to the dish. Great starters! We ordered our daughter's kids spaghetti! It was very flavorful and had a little kick of spice but they ate it anyway. I thought their dish was very good! I ordered the Bolognese Pasta and my husband ordered the special which was the Lamb Chop. The bolognese was good as well. It was creamy and the cheese on it was good! Everything tasted so fresh and homemade. The lamb chops were also flavorful and yummy! Overall, The Roost offers delicious food! I would certainly come back! read more

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Food was exceptional! The pork chop and polenta was cooked to perfection! Couldn't have been happier and will definitely be back. read more

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We came here in a semi-professional outing (taking a colleague out before going back out of town). For that setting, this place was nice. The food was all pretty good, but also seemed extremely overpriced for what it was. Between the three of us, we had crab cakes and those fried potato rolls (it has a fancier name on the menu). For entrees, we had a special steak and red sauce pasta and the truffle mushroom encrusted scallops. Our colleague had salmon that he liked. We also had desserts: tiramisu and an ice cream ball (also had a fancier name on the menu). I wasn't a huge fan of the tiramisu, mostly I just thought it needed to blow me away, but my husband thought it was decent. Like I said, all were pretty good. The scallop dish would be most recommended. The parking also wasn't great, but that doesn't seem unusual for a restaurant on Oregon St. Atmosphere was nice and quiet for a Wednesday night as well. Lots of older couples and sets of friends hanging out together. read more

Roost has tons of potential. On our night we arrived at 5 for a few light dishes and a drink before a show. We ordered the Caesar (excellent), iceberg salad (very good), Tuscan garlic bread (cold and soft, but a good idea), meatballs (on the cold side, but tasty), and finally a 5* Nebbiola by the glass. I'm not sure what's up with the bread and meatballs, but if they were finished off and hot, I could tell both would be really good. Beautiful contemporary environment with a nice bar I think Chef Dana has a good thing going. Service was very good and we were well greeted. Bathrooms were excellent thanks for that. We will do a revisit on out next trip to the Oregon District. read more

Culina - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Dana and her team are creative, innovative and always produce wonderful dishes to please. The staff and servers are smooth, and almost perfect. The "almost" is because a wonderful halibut special which was enthusiastically described in detail but her flowery description omitted that this special was a whopping $58.00. I had a terrific, but small pasta primavera dish, and the Hawaiian sweet bread is wonderful. And Italian meatballs were very nice. The frozen desert with coffee liquor was excellent. read more

Went here for dinner before a show at the Schuster Center. Was not sure what to expect since the menu frequently changes, but the food was fantastic. The garlic bread as an app was excellent, almost a side for four people. I ordered scallops with ravioli, scallops were melt in your mouth and not chewy, ravioli was very good. Wife had a wedding soup style pasta that had all the ingredients of wedding soup without the broth. She loved it! The restaurant sits in the Oregon district in their DORA area so no immediate parking, but parking is just about a block away. Nicely decorated with old school brick and bare wood. Service was good, staff were very attentive. read more

Culina - Garlic bread, 3/4's already eaten - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

First and foremost, all the staff is wonderful and the service was amazing! The staff and the setting are the only reasons for the three stars (otherwise two). The food is average at best and relies on truffles heavily to provide any flavor to dishes and to justify the cost (which is twice what it should be). I personally ordered the Black Truffle Ragu; when there was not a slice of truffle in the bite, it was simply a bland tomato sauce on noodles with little ground meat. My spouse ordered the special of the day, swordfish. From the bite I tried (and the rest I observed) it was the lowest quality swordfish I have eaten (cannot comment on what it was served with). Overall, if you are okay with paying twice what you should for average food - but great service, by all means go. read more

The food was delicious! The presentation was nice. The dining room was very comfortable and cozy. Our server was attentive and pleasant. Overall we had a very nice time. We recommend and will return again frequently. read more

Excellent service food and drinks! Loved the ambiance and vibe of the venue. Would definitely recommend! read more

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Great dinner. Double cut pork chop with peach and Vidalia onion was cooked perfectly. My wife's scallops were also spot on. Parmesan Truffle frittes were great. read more

Culina - Double cut pork chop with peach and Vidalia over polenta. - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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I actually started dining at this restaurant the year that you opened. I would take my daughter there for "Father Daughter Day Night" and I promoted their delicious Truffle Fries. My last two visits there did not go well... I took both my daughter and Granddaughter there after a day at the museum for Truffle Fries..and they were refusing to seat us in the then empty restaurant because they said that they were booked with reservations. I looked around to see on my one person eating. I informed that person that I was a long time regular and what time is the next "reservation.." It was one hour and forty-five minutes away. I informed her that it would not take use that long to eat fries, so I instructed her to get her manager. He "tried" to take her side and I told him that their words are totally unacceptable, that we will be seated and that I would speak with the owners about the situation. They smirked at my words and then seated us at my regular table. Thirty minutes later...the owners walked in and I went to go greet them both. They both smiled and spoke warm and kind words to both my family and myself and as fate would have it... both parties formally mentioned were before us. Yes! I told them what happened and they turned beet red! Sunday evening I was on a "Date By My Damn Self" as I call it... The "greeter" asked me "what did I want..?" I told her that I wanted to eat! She actually asked me again and gave her the same answer. She asked me if I were alone... I looked over my shoulder and caught my tongue and replied dryly..."Yesss..." I was seated and sat for a strong ten minutes for the waitress came to speak to me. It took be twice to obtain the answer about the specials and there were two. She mispronounced "cannellini" beans... and when I asked if the halibut was farmed raised or fresh... it took her two reminders and allegedly three trips to ask the chef about the fish. I stood up to walk out when I took note that she started taking the order of another couple that was seated about 20 minutes after my arrival. She stopped before I had reached the door... I explained to her why I was leaving... she gave me the excuse that it was busy...and it definitely was NOT! she then whet back! to ask the chef about the fish...‍ and when she told me...and I placed my order... I again, stood up, placed my black leather backpack on my shoulder, found her at the order station and cancelled my order! I REFUSED! to have her serve me my dinner...! Her attitude was way off! and I know too many who have had that job and I called doing that same job while in high school... NOPE!!! and No ThankYou! I so dislike their new menu and I am now wondering IF the same original owners are still owners of that restaurant...(?) I am not calling out not try to play the "Race Card.." but the cold should and disrespect was felt on a very high level... I question... SHOULD I RETURN...???!!! L.A.K.Ameer read more

Culina - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

I already can't wait to come back! Chet was our server and he was fantastic. So knowledgeable and helpful. The food was delicious. HIGHLY recommend. Great date spot. read more

Had dinner at The Roost with friends. I never been there before but the inside was beautiful. I love the ambience and how it doesn't feel like you are in downtown Dayton. I had the Caesar salad, risotto fritter, and the mushroom crusted scallops as my entree. In addition, I had a bottle of Vietti moscato d'asti. The Caesar salad was different from your typical Caesar but it was very filling. The risotto fritters were delicious along with the sauce. But, the star for me was the mushroom crusted scallops. The sauce, the ravioli, the filling, the perfectly seared scallops set the tone for the meal! Our server was spectacular and made sure we were set the entire night. The only reason I give it a 4 star rating is the fact that the food was not hot. I wish the food came out hot because it would've amplified the dishes much more. I will definitely be returning! read more

Culina - Caesar salad - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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A little pricey for us (college students) so we just got two appetizers and they were delicious! We got the arancini (the reason we went) and the meatballs. They were great but yeah just pricey as long as you're okay with that! They also gave us free limoncello shots which was very nice! read more

Culina - Arancini - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Took my son and his wife and two daughters to eat here on a Saturday night. The restaurant was not full. I ordered the $59 steak, medium rare and I asked him to make it on the rare side. My steak came out more than medium temperature. That's an easy fix you would think. When no one comes back to the table not so easy to fix. my granddaughters food came out way after the rest of our food. For $350 bill for dinner I expect it way better service! And I expected my food to come out exactly as I wanted it for $60 for a fillet. I don't recommend this place because it's not delivering, what they're boasting about. I wish I could say the food was good, but my food came out completely wrong, and by the time the waiter came back to the table. It was too late to change it out. I didn't want to be eating while everyone else was ready to leave. So we won't be coming back here again. read more

Service and food is always phenomenal, but the WEDDING RISOTTO was life changing. One of the best meals I've ever had.

The food was good, service was subpar. Everything was very delayed without any explanation but no complaints as it gave more time to mix and mingle with my guest. read more

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Hands down the best high end meal in Dayton. Love the steak and the sides. They make an old fashion the right way too

Absolutely terrible experience! The waiter Chet was extremely rude towards our entire party of six guests. The filet mignon was overly cooked to well done (We ordered it medium well) and they flat out refused to correct it in any way. The manager stated that it's the cooks discretion as to how the food is served and they are not responsible for under/over cooked steaks. Meanwhile, we asked for the owners information and they refused to disclose it as well. This place is not cultural friendly, and treated us like crap. I'm not saying it's because we were the only black Americans in there, but it seemed that way so please be careful when considering where to spend your time and money. read more

Excellent service and well prepared food. Great ambiance. Had a late dinner after the theatre, one of a few high end places in Dayton serving a late dinner it seems. Wine was excellent. We had the mussels, artichoke hearts, Caesar salad, creme brûlée, and wine. Recommend. read more

We got sidetracked on our way to our originally selected restaurant because the place looked neat. The menu was promising, though notedly a little pricey, but we stayed anyway on the promise of phenomenal, chef prepared meals in this chef owned restaurant. We delight in giving our patronage to small businesses over typical chain fare. The special was lamb sliders with cipollini onions and fontina cheese with a side of cucumber, olive, and onion salad and parmesan potato crisps (shoestring fries). It sounded good so we stayed. Our first red flag of the evening was the ciabatta rolls and marinara. IF the rolls are locally sourced I feel bad for the bakery that makes them. They were nothing special. The marinara was cold and had only a single flavor note - acid. Oil and parmesan with spices would have been better if served at room temperature. My husband got the filet - the meat was very tender in the middle, but overcooked on both sides which made it mealy and it was waaay too salty (which obviously transferred to the deglazed pan juices). The mashed potatoes were also too salty. The asparagus was still slightly green with a nice crunch and lightly seasoned which easily made it the best thing on the plate. Let me just say that we like salt. Sometimes all a dish needs is a good salting DURING cooking to unlock a burst of flavor. Typically we have the opposite issue of little or no salt on a dish, but what we experienced here was too much in the other direction. My lamb sliders started out a little dry and gradually got more over cooked to the point they were crispy and burnt by the third one. There was literally a mouthful of burnt lamb and bun in the last one. By this time it was too late to send anything back and my husband was too embarrassed to say anything because he thought they would believe we just wanted a discount. These complaints were legitimate, not contrived or devious in any way, but he still wouldn't let me say anything. The food was OK at best which was such a shame because you could tell they were made with high quality ingredients which were just treated poorly. The execution in cooking lacked care which degraded the overall experience and our opinion of the value received for the money spent. As for the other components of my dish - the cucumber olive salad was, again, too salty, and lacked balance. A citrus or vinegar component would have provided a welcome departure from the overwhelming saltiness which is common to brined olives. The sliders needed a green component like arugula or even just more of the caramelized onions which seemed to disappear, both in texture and flavor, into the burnt bun. The one bright spot on my plate was the pile of perfectly crisp parmesan potato crisps. We only wish that an aioli or house made ketchup would have been provided to dip them in. The location was decent and there was a valet out front, but we just parked in a public lot down the street. The atmosphere was pleasant although where we were seated directly on the other side of a window which faces the host stand made things a little uncomfortable. There was an odd smell that wafted in from the corridor in between the bar and kitchen - slightly acrid and unpleasant. Our server was nice and enthusiastic, but not overly attentive. She came by once to see how our food was before I'd even had a chance to take a bite and didn't return until we were almost finished. We were so hungry and tired at this point in the day we weren't about to wait around or try to track someone down who could help us. read more

Culina - The bread and dipping sauce was served in a flower pot and it's plant pot draining dish which is a cute idea - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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We (2 couples) who dine out at a wide variety of Dayton upscale restaurants have been to The Roost at least 5 times in the last year, it was that good. This time, we were disappointed. Their best dish was the Mussels di Finocchio, which is an appetizer. It wasn't as good; maybe they changed the recipe, maybe the chef cut back on the cream sauce, but it was sub par. The entree's, mushroom scallops, market fish (salmon) tosconna were fabulous; the filet was under-cooked (ordered med; came out very medium rare) with too salty Boursin mashed potatoes, and the linguine pesto was not impressive. We passed on average dessert selections and left wondering if we will return. The one highlight was service. Evelyn was amazing, other staff assisted as needed, and the hostess exceeded expectations with a crucial accommodation. This was the place we expected/received quality food and why we returned. The Chef needs to return to his/her A-game....until, then The Roost will be a tough choice to return. read more

What a gem this place is! Came upon it by chance after a rough week at work, just a spur of the moment drive here from the 'Nati. We were truly lucky to be seated without reservations. My husband and I always order different things and share so we can try a good variety. I had a cocktail and he had a bourbon and we started off with a Caesars salad with anchovies ( it's just a salad without anchovies people!) It was fresh and crisp and not overly dressed. Just the right size too, not a massive bowl of greenery to fill you up, but just the right amount to prime your gut and get your digestive juices flowing. He had the dinner special: pork chop on a bed of squash and some other stuff (I'm not doing it justice with my description) It was a huge, tender and juicy, country-size chop. So flavorful and grilled to perfection! I think it's the best pork chop I've ever had! I had the linguine and a side of meatballs. The pasta was perfectly al dente! A tiny bit bland at first but a pinch of salt and a splash of evo and it was delish. The meatballs were juicy and flavorful with a touch of heat. I don't generally like spicy food because my palate is hypersensitive but this was just enough to poke my taste buds and bring it in another direction. For dessert, he got the chocolate cake; moist and decadent but not too sweet. I got the Spumoni Bomba. (I didn't want to share it, and next time I won't) We finished with a digestif ( I just learned that word) of limoncello, apparently made in house. Very, VERY good and it smelled so good and fresh. It reminded me of Jean Naté body splash (you oldies know what I'm talking about) I wanted to dab some behind my ears! Oh, and lastly an espresso, kindly provided by the house for our safe drive back home! This was a great evening , a great dinner. The platings were beautiful and the portion sizes were generous without being wasteful, I would describe as "hearty- sized" . Not frilly foo-foo food just very solid and very good. Every dish we had was done so well and was so delicious, it's rare to find that in a restaurant where EVERY dish was just so, SO GOOD. The ambiance was very warm and inviting in spite of social distancing (which we appreciated) and the staff were very attentive and friendly. We plan on coming back and trying everything on the menu. Sorry I don't have more pics of the food, I was busy eating! read more

Culina - Spumoni Bomba. It's da bomb-a! - Italian Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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This place was ok but its not somewhere i would return. Dinner for 2 with a bottle of wine and a few extras was $200. My Meal was ok but half the asparagus was inedible. Thats just not acceptable for the price. Its almost good. Drop prices 25% and clean up the cooking and you would have something. Ravioli was too thick and doughy. Elite pricing just average cooking. read more