In 2004, Meadowlark opened our doors on Miamisburg-Centerville Road, founded by Chef Elizabeth Wiley after her experience cooking in kitchens in San Francisco, Chicago, Key West, and her time as a partner at The Winds Café in Yellow Springs.

Wiley’s vision was clear from the beginning: a neighborhood restaurant where the food feels familiar yet is prepared with exceptional care, house-made sauces, and locally sourced ingredients. The name itself is inspired by the meadowlark, Kansas’s state bird, a nod to Chef Wiley’s Midwestern roots.

Two years after opening, Chef Dave Rawson joined Meadowlark as the kitchen manager, after years of working alongside Wiley at the Winds. His wife, Robin, whom Dave met at The Winds, began working with Wiley at the opening of Meadowlark and she now manages much of our preparation in the kitchen.

In 2011, Meadowlark moved to our current home on Far Hills Avenue, and around that time, Wiley encouraged Chef Liz Valenti, a longtime friend with a background in corporate catering and a passion for bold, ingredient-driven cooking, to relocate to Dayton. Together, Chef Wiley, Chef Liz, and Chef Dave built a dynamic team centered around creativity, consistency, and genuine hospitality. Their work expanded to include Wheat Penny Oven and Bar in 2013 after the success of Pizza Mondays at Meadowlark, and by 2016 Dave & Liz had become co-owners of the sister restaurants.

Wiley’s contributions to the culinary world have been recognized by her peers. She was chosen as a James Beard Foundation Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellow in 2018, and in 2023 she received the Ohio Restaurant & Hospitality Alliance’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Retiring in 2022, she handed off Meadowlark & Wheat Penny to her longtime friends and business partners, Chefs Liz Valenti & Dave Rawson. In doing so, she ensured Meadowlark would continue to reflect the spirit, passion, and partnerships that define our story.

Today, Meadowlark & Wheat Penny thrive as chef-driven, community-minded spaces— where scratch-made food, heartfelt service, and lasting relationships come together around the table. We can’t wait to feed you, friends.