Table 33 has been serving great brunch and dinner menus downtown for years, but recently moved into the newly renovated Dayton Arcade between Third and Fourth Streets, a mixed-use historical complex that is one of the crown jewels of the Gem City’s rejuvenated downtown. The restaurant nicely straddles the posh-but-comfy line, critical to flyover state fine dining, with a deceptively simple, mostly farm-to-table menu. Highlights include a sauteed steelhead trout finished with an earthy golden beet dressing and a killer New York strip served with bourbon barrel-aged soy sauce. Don’t sleep on the sides, including a rainbow carrot medley and sauteed wild mushrooms.

Grist is the casual fine dining love child of married chef-owners Casey and Patrick Van Voorhis. After early careers in highly respected (and highly competitive) restaurants on the West Coast, the Van Voorhises wanted a spot where they could fall back in love with simple French- and Italian-inspired food. Items change constantly, but a recent favorite is the decadent but rustic, 72-hour braised beef and polenta. Whatever your meal, be sure to start with freshly baked bread still warm from the oven.

If there’s a game on, head to Old Scratch’s midtown location on Patterson Boulevard. This pizza spot has picnic table seating and ample TVs, as well as a solid craft beer list. The highlight, of course, are the pies, cooked to blistered perfection in the wood-fired ovens. Go for the Angry Beekeeper, made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, spicy salami, and hot honey. On nice days, the bay doors open onto some seriously coveted patio seating.

Want the best cold-cut sandwiches in the city? Head to this bright and airy nod to the work-a-day sandwich shops of old on Third Street. Every option is made with locally baked bread, and the meat and cheese are sliced in-house. For the money, the best sandwich in Dayton is the Pete, made with soppressata, provolone, red onion, arugula, tomato jam, and chile oil; just be sure to order it with the house-made, spicy-and-tangy, Chicago-style giardiniera.

Square-cut tavern pizza is a Midwestern imperative, and everyone has their favorite local spot. Ask many Daytonians, and they’ll likely send you to this Oregon District bar, often filled with live music or the sounds of sports on the TVs. Pick a favorite like the Italian Special or Hot Hawaiian, or let the table argue over toppings. No matter how you play it, everyone will be fighting over the crispy edge pieces.

Tucked into a charmingly disheveled old building at the western entrance to the Oregon District, Lily’s Bistro is run by Emily Mendenhall. Whether sitting indoors in one of several cozy dining rooms or outdoors on one of two patios hemmed by plants, start brunch with powdered beignets and strawberry jam as a precursor to a lox bagel, or try the excellent poke bowls or fried chicken for dinner. The decor is loosely tropical, and the bar pours tiki-inspired cocktails, mocktails, and $3 Narragansett pints. Mendenhall’s brother, Nate, runs a divey sister establishment, Blind Bob’s, across the street, where you’ll find the city’s best late-night drunk snack: hula hoops, aka battered and fried pineapple rings dipped in cinnamon-coconut sauce.

Run by Peruvian expat and executive chef Margot Blondet, Salar is one of the swankier spots in the Oregon District, showcasing a fusion of Peruvian, French, and Mediterranean influences. Enjoy a drink at the secluded pisco bar while you wait for a table, and then order the Northern Peruvian-style braised lamb shank: a bone-in New Zealand lamb shank simmered in chicha de jora (fermented corn drink); the meat practically melts off the bone.

Helmed by executive chef Jorge Guzmán, Sueño manages to wed the wow factor of food cooked on a wood hearth with the comfort of a big family dinner. The restaurant offers new takes on Mexican cuisine while still honoring tradition. Expect dishes that highlight familiar ingredients in new ways, like the grilled shishito pepper appetizer with Tajin and queso dressing, or the pescado Veracruzano entree, a seared red snapper filet topped with pickled tomatoes, olives, capers, and herbs. Enjoy a glass from the smart wine list, curated by sommelier Lauren Gay, and head downstairs after dinner to Tender Mercy, which made Esquire’s list of top bars in the country in 2021.

This Oregon District favorite is the product of Dane Shipp, better known as Chef Dane, who is perhaps the city’s hardest working chef. In addition to the soul food-inspired Culture, he runs Nood Bar in the brand new Silos food court, and often does pop-ups and one-off events. (From our past conversations, it’s unclear when he sleeps.) But he’s no hands-off owner. Any given night might find Shipp cooking on the flattop grills at Culture. Check out the Drip Burger, made with local Honey Creek beef, farm-made American cheese, caramelized onions, pickled cherry peppers, and Drip sauce, piled high on a potato bun.

The bustling Second Street Market is filled with fantastic food concepts for weekend breakfasts and lunches, but don’t miss Invoke. Run by brothers Lester and Larry Gates, the stand specializes in vegan, vegetarian, and/or gluten-free sandwiches, bowls, and other brunchy items. It’s best known for the Car Dawg, a hot dog with the frank swapped out for a slow-smoked carrot; it might sound like a gimmick, but it’s earthy, fresh, and topped with Invoke red sauce, greens, and pickled onions. For dessert, grab a popsicle made with fresh fruit from Sweet P’s Handcrafted Ice Pops just a few stalls down.

This venerated spot near the University of Dayton campus is a local institution, serving some of the most satisfying steaks in the area since 1947. The kitchen cuts and ages steaks in-house, but what really sets this Brown Street establishment apart is the ambiance. Walking through the doors feels like stepping into a previous era. Warn-but-polished wood surfaces surround and fill the warmly lit space. As crowded as it can get during peak hours, each booth feels like its own private dining room.

Nestled into a cozy building from the 1850s in St. Anne’s Hill, one of the only co-op breweries in the country pairs classic beer styles with a hearty menu of sandwiches and salads. The Salmon B.E.L.T. distinguishes itself from the other sandwiches in town — a grilled salmon filet topped with bacon, lettuce, and an over-medium egg, all on a thick brioche bun. It’s a mess to eat, but worth every napkin. During warmer months, sit out on the patio that feels as chill as your friend’s back porch.

Want the best tacos in town? Cases could be made for a few spots — including the Taqueria Garcia Mobil food truck just down the street from this one — but Taqueria Mixteca on Third Street is a perennial local favorite. Brave the tight and pot-holed parking lot, grab a booth in the bright and busy diner-style dining room, and stick to the classics. The carnitas tacos, with nothing more than shaved onions, chopped cilantro, and a lime wedge, are only $3.25 a piece and as good as it gets.