I've been busy pushing maximum density lately, which has left me with a whirlwind of Gem City restaurant news to catch up on. First off, a ton of new eateries are opening.

I ordered the BLT salad and chicken tortilla soup, and both were good. The soup was a bit on the spicy side for me, so I didn't finish it due to developing heartburn. The salad was great and had plenty of bacon on it (bonus points!), a nice mix of greens and a wonderful dressing. They also brought a small tray of cheesy triangle breads fresh out of the oven, and those were tops. Garlic-y and lots of flavor, but still small and light enough that we didn't feel guilty polishing off the whole tray.

A friend and I decided to pop in on an old networking colleague of ours who has now moved on to much more mellow pastures at The Heights Cafe in Huber Heights. I'm pretty sure the place has only opened within the last few months in the shopping center at Chambersburg, so, as with all start-ups, I wasn't expecting much. We figured we'd say hello, grab some coffee, and be on our way.

The location was very unassuming, but I was already impressed as we walked through the door. Muted, but modern decor - and nice, warm colors. A chalk board at the entrance told us about some specials and we were greeted by friendly employees right away. Before we even placed our coffee order, Chef Jeff LaFollette gave us a warm welcome as well. Not being a big coffee drinker, I just ordered a decaff latte, but wished I wasn't so full because their house-made pies and pastries looked absolutely amazing.

Turns out, we'd gotten their just in time for our buddy's lunch break, so we took a table together and caught up while she ate her lunch. She ordered the "Original 1762" sandwich - roast beef, horseradish sauce and cheddar on griddles white bread, which came with their own house-made potato chips (which I took the liberty of sampling one of - NOM!) and dill pickle chips.

Cheff Jeff and the owner, Eric Knowlton, eventually joined in our conversation, talking about plans for menu additions (for an already very encompassing menu) and how business was going. Most importantly, we got pie samples of the peanut butter pie I was eyeballing since we arrived. I know what you're thinking - but no, it's not just because our friend worked there - they actually do this on the regular for anyone! So, even if you're not Dayton's #1 food blogger (*brushes shoulders off*), you can still get yourself a sample. And trust me, you want one. You NEED one.

End result, I'm going to go ahead and give them 5 out of 5 sporks before I even eat a meal there. This is unprecedented on FvF history, but well-deserved, in my opinion. the staff is incredibly friendly, the menu is tops, great coffee (in your face, Starbucks) and devilishly good pies. I'll be back really, really soon just to order "Breakfast with Elvis," one of the most appetizing items I've ever seen on a menu. Griddlecakes, peanut butter, bananas - I'm drooling just thinking about it.

The Heights Cafe is currently working on a website and blog, and I've just requested that Urban Spoon add them as a HH restaurant so I can post the snapshots I got of their menu.
In the meantime, just go there and eat! They're at 6178 Chambersburg Rd in Huber Heights, Ohio and if I recall correctly, they're open Monday through Saturday from 9am until 3pm.
they serve fantastic food and make an effort to buy local, so this is a great business to support.