Proud to be a Hoosier in the Buckeye State

I spent part of the week in the Dayton, Ohio area and had a wonderful meal at the Winds Cafe & Bakery in the small bohemian town of Yellow Springs. The cafe's seasonal menu changes frequently and they use lots of local and specialty ingredients. My wife and I choose several small plates and a nice California Zin. The evening's most pleasant surprise was the cheese service - seven different artisan cheeses accompanied by medjool dates and quince paste. Cheese number four was Indiana's own Sofia from Capriole. It was every bit as delicious and distinctive as the other six with which it shared a plate.

Some of our other more interesting selections for the evenings included the following:

Horseradish Panna Cotta - a savory inspiration of the Italian dessert. Spicy horseradish is infused in a cream and served with sweet, earthy roasted beets and contrasting bitter radicchio. Very unusual but delicious in the extreme.

Stuffed Poblano - a roasted poblano chili roasted over an open flame, filled with a mixture of ricotta, rice, dried fruit and olives, spiced with cinnamon and cumin and garnished with both a walnut cream and a rustic roasted tomato sauce. This packed a lot of heat but was delicious.

Portabello Piccata - portabello mushrooms rolled in breadcrumbs, sautéed until crunchy, finished with a pan sauce of lemon juice, white wine, butter and capers. Served with butternut squash gratin.

Our wine was 2004 Zinfindel from Jesse's Grove.

If you find yourself in the Dayton area, check this plate out. They are open for lunch and dinner and have a Sunday brunch.