If you know Chris Small, you know he’s a big guy with a big appetite!  Chris loves eating out at teh many great locally owned restaurants and pubs in the Miami Valley.  Each month he’ll share one of his favorites with you.

Coldwater Cafe – 19 E. Main Street, Tipp City, OH  45371 – coldwater-cafe.com

The Coldwater Cafe is a unique restaurant housed in a former bank building in the heart of downtown Tipp City.  The restaurant offers quality dining in a small town setting.  The atmosphere is very inviting from the beautiful stone fireplace to the full bar.  It is a great place to host a business dinner or to enjoy a romantic evening.

The name “Coldwater Cafe” came from the nickname of owner Betty Peachey’s late father “Coldwater Joe” Peachey, who came from a small valley in Pennsylvania.  In the front of the home where he was reared ran a creek and this area became known as Coldwater.

I like to start my meal with the Lobster Crab Cakes, served with a remoulade.  If I choose a salad as my entree, I like the Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna Salad – cucumbers, carrots, and bell peppers tossed in rice wine vinaigrette and topped with a 6 oz. piece of sesame crusted Ahi tuna dressed with a spicy soy glaze and garnished with crushed peanuts.  They have a wide variety of salad choices, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them.

But if I want more than a salad, I order the Chilean Sea Bass, which is pan seared and served with a sweet chili sauce.  It is served with a garden salad, vegetable of the day and a choice of smashed red-skinned potatoes, rice of the day, or roasted Yukon gold potatoes.

Coldwater Cafe offers a very nice list of wines, beers, and cocktails to accompany your meal.

This restaurant has an incredible ambiance, with amazing service and a warm, friendly staff.