Wheat Penny Oven and Bar Menu
Wheat Penny Oven and Bar is a trendy casual spot in Dayton, OH, known for its delicious pizzas and Italian-inspired dishes. With options for vegans and limited vegetarians, this restaurant offers a diverse menu that caters to many dietary preferences. Customers rave about the Eggplant Fries, Meatballs, and unique pizza toppings. The Kale Salad and Butternut Squash with Balsamic Butter Drizzle offer a twist on traditional salads and vegetable dishes. The atmosphere is upbeat and trendy, perfect for a date night or girls' night out. The customer service is outstanding, with prompt and attentive wait staff. While parking may be a bit of a challenge, the overall dining experience at Wheat Penny is well worth the visit.
Appetizers
Eggplant Fries
Ya gotta try em! Crispy rice coating, yogurt sauce or substitute our marinara sauce.
Meatballs
Tender beef and pork meatballs on cheesy polenta with red wine sauce, served with warm focaccia bread.*contains breadcrumbs and cheese; Not gluten free
Focaccia Bread
Extra virgin olive oil, pecorino and Parmesan cheese. Add extras for an additional charge.
Eggplant and Porcini "Meatballs"
with Tomato and ParmesanContains breadcrumbs and cheese so they are not gluten free and dairy free
Bruschetta
Grilled bread with sauteed rapini and smoked provolone.
Soup of the Day
Call to check on today's selection
Pepperoni Gumbo
Soup with okra, protein, and a variety of vegetables.
Kale Salad 2.0
A different kale salad than our original, and so good! Thin ribbons of Lacinato kale are dressed with a lemony vinaigrette spiked with roasted garlic, Parmesan and Romano cheeses and toasted chile flakes, then plated and topped with a tangle of pickled radish and carrot, avocado, and a shower of olive oil-toasted bread crumbs. A riot of textures and flavors to make kale salad cool again! The staff loves it--you gotta try it!
Dressed Greens Salad
A variety of seasonal greens with your choice of Caesar, gorgonzola, white wine vinaigrette, roasted garlic dressing or buttermilk dressing.
Slice of Ice Salad
Cherry tomatoes, cubes of provolone, a lively roasted garlic dressing, and a scattering of sliced pepperoni blasted in the oven till its cupped and crispy, all piled on a slab of chilled iceberg.
Summer Caprese
Housemade mozzarella, thickly sliced and served with Speck, Roasted Corn, Cherry Tomatoes, Pecorino, Basil and a splash of extra virgin olive oil.
Arugula and Shaved Cauliflower Salad
Shaved Parmesan, orange zest, smoked salt, housemade lemon oil
Salads
Eat Your Vegetables
Butternut Squash with Chile Breadcrumbs and Balsamic-Butter Drizzle
Local squash abounds right now, and this is a terrific dish - butternut squash, tender and sweet, takes a run through the brick oven topped with spicy, cheesy, herby bread crumbs, then we drizzle it with balsamic vinegar-butter sauce for a squash taste sensation you are going to love.
Green Beans with Soy Sauce Vinaigrette and Anchovy Mayo
Istole these from girl and the goat in Chicago. They are savory, juicy and hit all the right umami notes.
Pizza Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are tossed with razor thin garlic, bacon bits and a bit of extra virgin olive oil then baked in our pizza oven until they are hot and bubbly and then we top them with feathered pecorino Romano cheese and toasted focaccia bread crumbs.
Roasted Yukon Potatoes
Split, flattened and roasted with olive oil, coarse salt and freshly ground pepper till crispy round the edges.
Asparagus Mixed Grill
Indiana asparagus, marinated artichokes and zucchini are grilled and tumbled over a shmear of lemon mayonnaise then sprinkled with parmesan and romano cheese
Cheese Polenta
Spaghetti Squash
Grilled Broccolini
Green Beans
JoJo Potatoes Wedges
Mashed Cauliflower
Onion Rings
Rapini
Garlicky Sauteed Spinach
Cold Zucchini and Yellow Squash Strings
Sides
Sandwiches
Wheat Penny Burger
The kitchen is proud of our special blend of 70% chuck, 15% short rib and 15% brisket, resulting in a juicy, nicely textured and flavorful burger! The default way we serve the burger is just the juicy burger and the toasted bun. If youd like to add cheese please let us know if youd like cheddar, provolone or blue cheese. Please also let us know if youd like lettuce, tomato, onions or pickles and if youd like, your choice of classic condiments. Our default temp is medium-well.
Mushroom Milanese Sandwich
A big portobello mushroom breaded with panko crumbs, then deep-fried till golden brown and crispy-crunchy. Served hot on freshly made focaccia bread with a fistful of arugula and a smear of salsa verde, an Italian green sauce made with parsley, capers, olive oil, lemon, and love.
The Philadelphia Sandwich
Pork Shoulder braised to juicy tenderness is teamed up with provolone cheese and 1 of our favorite vegetables, rapini. This quintessential Italian cousin to broccoli is a traditional match with pork-in pasta, in soups and on Sunday dinner platters, but especially in this iconic Italian sandwich beloved in Philadelphia. You can even get them at the airport! Juicy, garlicky perfection served on our house-made ciabatta roll.
Burger of the week
Ask your server for this weeks selection
Chicago Style Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
We gently pound a chicken breast and coat it with our parmesan panko breadcrumbs. It is quickly fried to order and topped with pizza sauce, a slice of our housemade mozzarella and fresh basil. Mayor Daley would be pleased! Served with housemade Jojos or vinaigrette-dressed greens.
Rigatoni with White Bolognese
Rigatoni with a hearty meat sauce. White bolognese is traditionally tomato-less but deep on flavor with 50/50 beef and pork, sage and olive oil, white wine, garlic, mirepoix, the traditional shot of cream, and just a smidge of nutmeg. Substitute housemade gluten free rigatoni with no additional cost.
Grilled Shrimp, Broccolini and Peppers with Polenta
Grilled with the vegetables, tumbled over polenta Parmigiana and garnished with lemon oil and a drizzle of salsa verde, this is a "shrimp and grits" your mama never dreamed of.
Green Lasagna with Cheese and Tomato
A labor of love. Homemade spinach pasta comes rolling forth from the pasta machine brilliantly green and very thin. It is layered with housemade ricotta cheese scented with nutmeg, and a light, fresh tomato sauce-eons away from the heavy, dense lasagna of the past. Simple, delicate, authentic, and so good.
Rigatoni with Pesto Trapanese
This Sicilian take on pesto is hearty and bursting with flavor, and nothing like the more famous basil pesto from Genoa. Instead, oven-roasted cherry tomatoes and crunchy almonds are the base, supported by garlic and olive oil. This rustic sauce is perfect for tossing with rigatoni pasta, finished with a garnish of toasted bread crumbs and Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Substitute housemade gluten free rigatoni with no additional cost.
Housemade Malfatti Pasta with Pancetta and Cherry Tomato Cruda (housemade Gluten Free Rigatoni Available)
Malfatti translates from Italian as badly formed, a certainly undeserved name for these soft and fluffy, gnocchi-like morsels.
Tagliatelle with Mushrooms, Peas, Cream and Parmesan (housemade Gluten Free Rigatoni Available)
Grists exceptional hand-cut flat noodles are tossed with Italian seasonal ingredients in this classic pasta bringing smoky, salty, sweet and richness to every bite.
Pasta and More
Plate Dinners
Crispy Brick Chicken Thighs Dinner
Superior-quality, all-natural chicken thighs are boned out, seasoned and cooked juicy and crispy under a brick.
Pork Osso Bucco Dinner
An iconic winter dish that is warming, hearty and full of flavor. A meaty pork shank is braised for hours in white wine and stock with mirepoix, crushed tomatoes, lemon and whole sprigs of thyme and rosemary until it yields lusciously to the pressure of your fork. Sprinkled with gremolata, a mince of garlic, parsley and lemon zest, the beyond-tender meat is served on steaming polenta with its tomato-y pan sauce and your choice of vegetable.
Grilled Strip Steak with Porcini Rub Dinner
This 12 oz. beauty is rubbed with a housemade spice mix of dried porcini mushrooms, coarse salt, crushed black pepper and Spanish paprika, grilled to charred and juicy. Served with your choice of 2 sides.
Cauliflower T-Bone Dinner
A thick center-cut slice of cauliflower is poached in aromatic broth, then cooked to a deep, burnished brown on the flat top until it looks like a steak! Garnished with a rough-chopped salsa-ish sauce full of things cauliflower loves-olives, garlic, raisins, orange segments, herbs and good olive oil. A savory, dramatic, center-of-the-plate take on a favorite vegetable. Served with your choice of 2 sides.
Seared Salmon with Blackberry-Basil Butter
Verlasso salmon is ocean-farmed, with no antibiotics or growth hormones. Super-low pen density and ample time to live and develop naturally gives this salmon the cleanest flavor and the superior texture of high omega-3 content. We season it with coarse salt and pepper, sear it on our hot iron griddle and dab it with a fresh blackberry butter that melts into the fish and goes with Pinot Noir like nobodys business. Served with your choice of 2 sides.
Prime Dry-aged Bone-in Ribeye
Treat yourself to the intensified flavor of this 30-day dry-aged prime beef steak. The steaks are wet-aged 30 days, then racked to dry, and the magic begins. The meat becomes beefier and the fat more flavorful. The texture becomes silky and tender. The rib bone is split, and accounts for about ounce of the 12 oz. weight. Seasoned with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, grilled to your liking, finished with butter and served with two sides of your choice.
Wrigley Field Pizza
House roasted Italian beef, Chicago-style giardiniera.
Okie Dokie Artichokie Pizza
A white pizza with bechamel, spinach, fontina, artichoke hearts and garlic bits.
Siciliano Pizza
Orange-scented castelvetrano olives, ricotta, and toasted almonds.
Veganator Pizza
A red or white pizza with smoked Jackfruit, spinach, peppers, onions, and cashew ricotta.
Unbeetable Pizza
Beet pesto base, spinach, whipped goat cheese.
Taylor Street Pizza
Italian pork sausage, spinach, garlic-braised, and mushrooms.
Mr. White Pizza
A white pizza with smoked provolone, mozzarella, fontina, Parmesan, and rosemary.
Angry Sal Pizza
An olive oil base with Italian pork sausage, fresh mozzarella, basil and spicy tomato sauce on top.
Angela Pizza
A white Margarita with fresh mozzarella, sliced Roma tomato, and basil.
Philomena Pizza
Sliced meatballs, sweet peppers and onions, and oregano.*Please note: our meatballs are not gluten free or dairy free
Chimi Picante Pizza
A white pizza with braised pork, smoked provolone, peppadew peppers and chimichurri - the Argentinian fresh herb, vinegar and olive oil sauce. Spicy!
Tommaso Pizza
Grapes, Roman sauce, Aged blue cheese, and crispy shoestring onions.
Hawaii 4-0 Pizza
Ham, charred pineapple, fresh jalapenos, and cilantro.
Build Your Own Pizza
Housemade pizza sauce, provolone, and mozzarella cheeses. Add toppings for an additional charge.
Tarte Flambee Pizza
A white pizza with Bechamel, Nueskes Bacon, Braised Onions, Fresh Thyme
Vegan Tommaso Pizza
red sauce, "Follow your heart" vegan cheese, house made cashew ricotta, balsamic reduction, Grapes and crispy shoestring onions.
Vegan Unbeetable Pizza
Beet pesto base, spinach, "Follow your Heart" vegan cheese and house made cashew ricotta.
That's the Way Uh-Huh-Uh-Huh Pizza
Pepperoni and Roasted Red Peppers
Miss Ohio Pizza
Corn Crema (no tomato sauce), Roasted Corn, Fresh Mozzarella, Cherry Tomatoes, Basil
Pizzas
Desserts
Arnie's Chocolate Cake
Arnies Chocolate Cake served with salted caramel sauce and whipped cream on the side.
Atlantic Beach Pie
A silky lemon-lime custard filling in a crushed and sweetened saltine cracker pie crust.
Strawberry Crisp
Fresh strawberries are mixed with butter, cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon juice, then topped with a layer of gluten-free oat-pecan streusel and baked until brown and bubbly. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream packed separately.