Dining in Dayton: Austin Landing restaurant shines

The Dayton region’s restaurant landscape has changed in the past decade with the arrival of The Greene in Beavercreek and then Austin Landing south of town. Austin Landing has created an eclectic food hub including pizza places, chain restaurants as well as independent ones. This brings me to Ele Bistro and Wine Bar, a cozy little eatery part of the Ele Cake Co. bakery business. I’ve been nudged for a while to check it out and here’s what I found.

Atmosphere: A quaint dining area and patio sit comprise part of Ele Bistro. The warm and sophisticated dining area consists of a mix of tables and a long booth section. A stylish wooden bar sits to a side, while large windows and jazzy music create a relaxed environment.

Food: Ele Bistro offers a small menu, highlighted by small plates with several seafood options, salads ($8 range), sandwiches/burger ($10 range), homemade gnocchi, as well as a few larger dinner meals, such as pan-seared duck breast or the oven-roasted chicken.

My guest and I opted to try a number of options, including the crispy risotto fritters ($9) and lunch portion of the short rib ravioli ($14). The ravioli were especially tasty, with a nice melding of the rib meat, mushrooms, and creamy tomato sauce. We also sampled the Potato Gnocchi feature, which was chicken fettuccine alfredo ($12), a hearty and pleasing dish chick full of chicken chunk, spinach, the gnocchi and a creamy buttery sauce.

We also tried the Fish of the Day ($21), which consisted of a large and delicious piece of baked salmon, along with asparagus and mashed potatoes.

Overall: While Ele has branded itself for its baked goods, most notably cakes, the Ele Bistro and Wine Bar is really a hidden gem. The food is top notch, and in this day of rushed dining, the place carries a bit more sophistication than most.

source: https://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2017/08/08/dining-in-dayton-austin-landing-restaurant-shines.html