Piccolo Orsetto

In Dayton’s daytime dining mix, Piccolo Orsetto is positioned less like a standard coffee stop and more like a breakfast, brunch, and lunch project from the chefs behind Meadowlark and Wheat Penny. The useful read: go for a chef-driven daytime meal with a serious drinks thread, especially if bar seating and an open kitchen are part of the appeal.

Daytime Italian-leaning comfort with a stronger drinks angle than usual

The menu direction is broad but specific enough to set expectations: house-made pastries, traditional breakfast fare, Eggs in Hell, shrimp and grits, sandwiches, smash burgers, and grab-and-go options. The full menu has not been released, so treat this as a daytime-format pick rather than a place to plan around a long list of fixed dishes.

The drinks program gives it more range than many brunch-led openings. Traditional espresso drinks include lattes, cappuccinos, and cortados, alongside locally roasted coffee, teas, fresh juices, mocktails, mimosas, Bloody Marys, Bloody Marias made with a house-made garden shrub, and the returning What’s Up Doc, a carrot-based cocktail associated with Wheat Penny. That makes it a stronger choice when the table wants something beyond drip coffee with brunch.

Ask for the front dining room if the room matters

Front dining room has an open kitchen with bar seating, giving the meal a more active feel than a measured cafe setup. The large copper wood-fired oven is part of the visual focus, so the counter is the right call for solo diners or anyone who prefers watching the kitchen work while eating.

Broader identity is community-minded rather than showy: owner Elizabeth Valenti has described it as a way of giving back after two decades since Meadowlark opened. That matters because the appeal here is not awards or formal service. It is a polished daytime format with known local restaurant DNA, flexible food categories, and a drinks list that can carry breakfast, brunch, or lunch without forcing a special-occasion frame.