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New restaurants offer hibachi, cookie delivery

Billy Rafael, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Although the closing of The Pita Pit may have several Miami University students temporarily distraught, the City of Oxford is at no loss for new dining experiences. Fuji Express Japanese Restaurant, located at 5 West High Street, boasts a hibachi grill and sushi menu.

The in-house dining experience is very much like fast food. You place your order at the counter and wait to be called up when it is ready. Entrees can be whipped up fairly quickly, but be prepared to wait a bit longer for sushi, as they cook it to order, so you can be confident that it is fresh.  

In addition to your traditional rolls, they also offer a variety of specialty rolls if you're willing to spend ten to thirteen dollars. Try the "Dragon Roll", a blend of crab, eel, avocado and fried shrimp, or the "Oxford Roll," a heap of snapper tempura, avocado, cream cheese, spicy crab and shrimp.  They also have fried rice and lo mein meals for those seeking something a bit simpler.

"It's a nice change of pace from some of the other Uptown restaurants, and the entrees are nice and fairly priced," senior Eythan Gregory said. "But it really is no competition for Sushi Nara when it comes to the rolls."

Also a new edition to the Oxford delivery scene is Baked Sweets, offering exactly what their name implies. Located at 32 West High Street, tucked in the alleyway across from the hookah bar, directly behind Quiznos, it sports a simplistic setup with a counter, a menu and an oven in the back.

"We saw the lack of any kind of a bakery in Oxford, so we started coming up with an idea as to what we could do," Justin Craney said, co-owner of the shop. "It slowly developed into what it is now."

After a soft open August 12, business has been picking up for the bakery as life slowly returns back to Oxford.

"We've definitely sold over 1,000 cookies within three weeks," Craney said.

According to Craney, while delivery orders are baked fresh, they will keep cookies warm for walk-ins. Don't let that deter you from stopping by though; they cycle them every few hours and even after being warmed for a while they still taste like they just came out of the oven.

"The cookies taste great and the delivery didn't seem to take long at all," senior Alex Busch said. "Whoever came up with this idea was genius. I'll definitely be giving them some business."

In addition to a variety of different cookies and brownies, they also offer cookie cakes and package deals. Those interested in a snack can get three different cookies and milk for five dollars. Baked Sweets has plans of offering gluten-free options within the next few months and hopes to keep expanding the menu with frozen cookie dough pops, hot chocolate and ice cream sandwiches, according to Craney.

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The businesses of Oxford undoubtedly still have more tricks up their sleeves. Along with the major renovations at Brick Street Bar & Grill, including a new upstairs dance floor, redone main floor and a phone charging station, there is also a wine bar currently under construction directly next to Patterson's. A glance through the window shows a sleek lounge area, upscale bar and grand piano. Also, students with meal plans can look forward to the opening of MapleStreet Station in a few weeks, which will offer seven unique new dining experiences.