Yaffa
Grill and Marketplace
By Scott Millsop
Yaffa Grill and Marketplace
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We got a great question at a recent Ethnosh. Someone noted that “We’ve been to a few Mexican Ethnoshs and they all had regional differences in the food. What part of Mexico does your cooking come from?” For the record, the place was La Monarca, and the answer was Michoacan. But it brings up a point worth mentioning because we’re going Mediterranean for January 2025 and there are regional differences to consider once again. In an earlier visit to Cedarland, we tasted and talked about Lebanese food, which is a variation on Mediterranean food. We also visited Istanbul Grill to taste the Turkish take. Both were delicious in very different ways. But now we’ll make the world palate a little bigger with Arabic influences on the Mediterranean cuisine as deliciously delivered by Yaffa Grill.
Photos by Bobby Tewksbury
There are a few things that are different about this Ethnosh. One thing is location. Our eateries are often tucked away on side streets or older plazas. That’s because they are not owned by deep pocket corporations who can afford busy corners and signature design. They’re owned by individuals, immigrants who succeed because they are dedicated, determined and driven to provide great food and service. Yaffa has all of the good motivations and a hopping location too, right there on 725 west of the mall on the way to Miamisburg. It’s able to be there because it’s part of a Mediterranean grocery.
The other difference is that Yaffa is inside the market, not a standalone restaurant. That will be fun for our purposes, and it offers an interesting learning opportunity too. There are all sorts of goodies on the grocery shelves that you will not find at Kroger’s. The food we’ll eat, the time we’ll spend in the store and the chance to browse might well excite your culinary senses.
Here’s how they see it: “People maybe are not used to this kind of food, so we give them the best we have.” That’s from Ahmad Odeh, the proprietor of Yaffa Grill. He came to the US from Palestine in 2000. He lived in New York. He had enough of that pace of life after three years and returned to Palestine. Then he met Manar. They got married and came back to America, this time to Dayton in 2014. Ahmad worked in his uncle’s grocery for a few years, then took over Yaffa Grill. This is a good thing for Noshers. It’s also a good thing for the surrounding community because Yaffa makes a point of donating food to hungry people.
I’ve been to Yaffa Grill a few times. I get a periodic craving for Gyros so that was what I always ordered. But at this point I will recommend against it. Not because it isn’t good, but because there are so many other terrific things available. I was just being boring and unadventurous to stick to a Gyro. I’m getting a Mix Grill for sure next time. The garnish alone is worth the upgrade. And I’m getting Falafel. And Hummus! Of course, if you’ve never had a Gyro, you’ve got to go that route sometime because it’s great.
The Mix Grill is portions of Chicken, seasoned Lamb and Beef, served with rice and other delectables. The point at Yaffa is FLAVOR. Other places offer many variations on savory. Here we get a yoga class for our tastebuds. You’ll want to breathe and stretch, hold that pickled turnip on your tongue a moment to get the full experience. Yum!