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18  GUIDE TO YELLOW SPR INGS  |  2020 – 2021 Grote’s Dari-Korner Far and away, Grote’s Dari- Korner is the local shop that villagers said they miss the most. Grote’s is remem- bered as much for its food — hand-cut fries, giant ice cream cones and made-from- scratch sandwiches — as for the kindness of its co-owner and chef, “Mrs. Grote.” Mom Grote said I drank too much pop so she started making me drink unsweetened iced tea … still ate a lot of fries (cooked in lard!). May I have a footlong coney and onion rings? —Eric Clark Started in 1967 by Ann and Jack Grote, who also ran a Marathon service station next door, the restaurant was modest. It was small, takeaway-only, seasonal and served simple foods like chili dogs and milkshakes. When they opened, the Grotes “bumped out” the building to create an order window, which can be seen today in the strange shape of the space, located at the north- east corner of Xenia and Corry and now occupied by Subway. John Grote, the son of Ann and Jack, remembers work- ing in the shop as a kid — all his siblings did. His mother cooked as many of the foods from scratch as she could, including its egg, chicken and tuna salads. “She did it all by hand,” he said. “She went in really, really, really early in the morning.” The Dari-Korner was frequented by the lunch crowd from Vernay, Morris Bean and Antioch Bookplate, along with many local kids who would ask for “mess ups,” ice cream orders that weren’t quite up to snuff, which they were given for free. It had many regulars, and the Grotes would always remember their orders, a personal touch that many recall fondly. First on the list is Grote’s. Footlong with everything possible and a banana malted! —Dale Bryce “Someone could walk up and you already knew what they wanted,” John Grote said. “People would order the same things day after day after day.” Above all, Mrs. Grote was generous, and helped those who needed it with a free meal, while impressing upon her children the importance of helping others. “She treated everybody pretty decent,” her son recalls. “People who couldn’t pay, she would just slide it out the window.” Grote’s Dari-Korner closed around 1990 after a 23-year run. Villagers, though, can still taste the French fries. It was a small and mighty restaurant that will live long in people’s hearts. “For being just a little small, nothing, out-of-the- way place, it did good busi- ness,” John Grote said. PHOTO: JULIE STEINHILBER The sign when Gabby’s BBQ was in the building that now houses the Winds Wine Cellar. Gabby’s BBQ Ellie “Gabby” Mason is remembered locally as much for his generosity as his PHOTO: DEBORAH MARTIN TROUT Grote’s Dari-Korner was a popular local carryout restaurant from 1967 to around 1990. It’s now Subway. cooking. He served his bar- becue all over town — from his home on South Stafford Street, in his downtown restaurants, at a Clifton speakeasy or at any number of local gatherings and politi - cal meetings. Along with his barbecue, he also served up a signature catchphrase that exemplified his kindness — “It’s nice to be nice. Try it!” Mason was so beloved, the community began a tradi- tion known as Gabby Day to honor him, both before and after his death in 1992. The best Gabby’s was when it was a hole in the wall on the Dayton Street side of Jake’s Party Pantry. —Jim Peters After moving from Spring - field to Yellow Springs in the 1960s, Mason operated restaurants downtown under the name Gabby’s BBQ. One restaurant was in a build- ing shared with Jake’s Party Pantry on Dayton Street, now Trail Town Brewing, and the other was in the building that now houses the Wind’s Wine Cellar. His special- ties were smoked meats — By MEGAN BACHMAN “What Yellow Springs store or restaurant — now closed — do you miss the most, and what did you love about it?” In September 2020, the News posted that question to two local Facebook discussion “I really miss that place...” Downtown’s most cherished businesses groups and received more than 1,000 responses. Current and former vil - lagers shared their memo- ries and reminisced about places that were true local institutions. Below is a sampling of responses, with additional background on some of the most beloved places.