1. Driving home from work yesterday I noticed a couple changes to the restaurant landscape on Baxter Avenue. Something, I don't know exactly what, is coming to the former Nio's location. There's a giant sign that just says Coming Soon! (well it also has a Corona ad). So if anyone knows exactly what is coming soon it'd be swell if you let us know.

Update: Carolyn from Simply PR tells us that she's heard it's going to be an El Tarasco. Having never been to an El Tarasco I can't speak specifically to their food but I'd be happy to have a good Mexican restaurant added to Baxter Avenue. We also hear it might be a Los Aztecs. So it seems likely it's something Mexican.

2. J Gumbo's on Baxter is closed. I haven't been to that location in a while. I go to the one on Poplar Level (look at me getting out of my neighborhood rut!) and have typically had better experiences there than I did at the Baxter one but I'm still sorry to see J Gumbo's on Baxter gone.

You know beer is not my thing so I'm going to take it on faith that this is exciting and good news for the beer lovers amongst us.

Boom Brew is brewed and created by BBC Brewery Downtown Tap Room. Boom Brew is an Amber Style beer with a crisp finish and a great go-with for an award-winning pizza created by founder Tony Palombino. On June 9th at 5pm the distinctive brew will be tapped and pints will be sold for $2 until the keg stands no more.

BoomBozz Taphouse Highlands
1448 Bardstown Road
Corner of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway
458-8889

You know I'm a fan of Zaytun, apparently everyone else in the world is too because I had to go have two drinks at Left Field Lounge the other night while waiting for a table at Zaytun. Scandalous I know. I'm not complaining though. Zaytun is a great, great addition to the neighborhood and I'm very glad the restaurant is doing so well. They're doing so well in fact the owners are getting ready to open a second location just down the, er, block. The new restaurant is going to be where Diamaond Station was a million years ago (or Diamante more recently).

I spoke with Remy at Zaytun about the new place and he'd only tease me with a very few details. He said it's going to focus on seafood small plates but won't leave vegetarians out in the cold and he plans for the new establishment to have a bar. I love what Remy has done with Zaytun so I'm anxious to see what he does with the new place. I'm so happy that another new restaurant is moving into the neighborhood. It's a great time to live in the Highlands. Naturally more details on the new place for you as soon as I get them.

As promised I did my best to procure the menu for the Boombozz Taphouse Highlands location and thanks to some very nice people I was able to do so. So here you go: Menu PDF




Highlights that I'm looking to try include the goat cheese marinara, toasted ravioli, the portobello bello pizza and the primavera pizza.

BoomBozz Taphouse Highlands
1448 Bardstown Road
Corner of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway

I've got four words for you my friend: fried macaroni and cheese. Yes that's right, fried macaroni and cheese.

Browning's is coming back to life tomorrow and fried macaroni and cheese is one of the new comfort food dishes on the menu.

Upscale pub grub seems to be the order at the resurrected Browning's. Angus chili, burger, chicken finger platter, Hot Brown, Reuben sandwich with house made corned beef, etc. Vegetarians are shut out of the entree menu but there are several vegetarian appetizers and salads and a veggie sandwich. However I've got tell you I'd be pretty happy with a vegetable plate consisting of mac and cheese, cole slaw, mashed potatoes and "Vegetarian Southern Green Beans." Yes! Finally some green beans without pork in them! I'm terribly happy about that and you just don't even know how happy B is going to be about it.

And though I'll never eat it (hate both pineapple and coconut flakes) I don't think I've seen a salad quite like the "Island Spinach Salad" on any other menu around town so definite creativity points on that one to the chef: Baby spinach, pineapple, strawberries, mandarin oranges and
toasted coconut. Tossed in a poppy seed dressing.

Browning's
401 East Main St
Louisville, KY

My aunt Ellen is becoming quite the intrepid Consuming Louisville tipster. Last week she let us know that Shiraz is coming to Poplar Level road. Now she's letting us know that the new incarnation of Browning's will be opening next Tuesday.

Just called and found out Browning's reopens officially on May 12!!

I don't have any info yet on the new Browning's menu but I've asked for it. I'll pass it on as soon as I get it.

Update: The Browning's folks tell me the May 12th date isn't 100% locked in stone but it's what they're shooting for. They are also hoping to get a copy of the new menu to me sometime this week.

Browning's
401 East Main St
Louisville, KY

This is the first of what I hope will be many posts by my friend Jay Garmon in his role as Consuming Louisville's carnivorous correspondent. Here's his bio:

Jay Garmon is a Louisville native, passionate carnivore and a professional geek. He writes for Consuming Louisville because he loves his hometown, thinks Michelle is awesome, and knows devout meat-eaters need menu advice too. Find out more about Jay (and maybe even hire him) here.

As an avowed carnivore, I am innately suspicious of any barbecue joint that claims to be vegetarian-friendly, but Smoketown USA made a game effort of it. While I can't speak to the quality of the black bean burger or portabella sandwich, the green beans, mac & cheese and sweet cornbread did not suffer noticeably from the absence of meat. While both the sides could have been improved by the inclusion of bacon--as is so often the case--I was never tempted to send them back and demand a pork fat infusion.

So what about the actual, ah, meat? I opted for the rib and chicken basket, and was treated to four very large ribs and a white-meat breast-and-wing chicken quarter. (I actually prefer dark meat, but when a restaurant promises to smoke their chickens, I demand they make even large chunks of white meat tender. No fair keeping just the legs and thighs juicy.)

The ribs were ginormous, fork-tender, and loving swathed in a sweet Texas-style red barbecue sauce. My sole complaint was that, while generously portioned, the ribs were not well-trimmed and left me chewing on gristle more often than I prefer. What could have been an A grade was dropped to a B- for the lazy butcher's effort. The chicken, for its part, was blackened with a pepper spice rub and served dry. It was suitably tender and demanded to be dunked in some sauce, as the rub itself didn't offer much in the way of standalone flavor. Again, what could have been an A got docked a letter grade for a slight underachievement of its potential.

The whole basket was priced at $10.79 plus tax, and it presented more than enough food for two reasonable meals, or one and a half standard American restaurant dinners. While it wasn't an earth-shattering flavor experience, it was certainly a solid value.

It is also worth noting that the entire staff of Smoketown USA went out of their way to be friendly and attentive, and the owner introduced himself and made conversation. That, combined with the quirky décor and location, makes Smoketown a viable near-downtown lunch experience worth trying. And if they put in just a little extra effort, the other BBQ joints in town might just have a serious vegetarian-friendly competitor in their midst.

Smoketown USA
1153 Logan Street
Louisville, KY 40204
(502) 409-9180

We went back to Zen Tea House the other day (I told you B was going to want to have lunch there a lot) and this time I had my camera with me.


more after the jump...

This past weekend we celebrated B's birthday with an absolutely fantastic dinner at The Mayan Cafe and, if possible, an even more fantastic cake from pastry chef extraordinaire Marsha Lynch.

The staff at The Mayan Cafe were extremely flexible and helpful to our large party. We were as semi-rowdy as old, square people can get and we even asked for a whole bunch of separate checks. They took it all in stride and made sure everyone in our party had a great time. They also made sure the food for the vegans in our party was just as good as the food the rest of us were enjoying.

I cannot thank the entire staff of The Mayan Cafe enough. I like to make a big deal out of birthdays (you know I celebrate the entire month of July as my birthday jubilee right?) so the big birthday dinner for my beloved is a very big event. Mayan Cafe completed knocked it out of the park and I totally think you should take your beloved there for a special occasion very soon. Tell them I sent you.

Concerning the cake, well B said it best "Marsha is a goddess." B also declared it the best cake ever. I mean first of all look at it. How gorgeous is that? Second, the taste was absolutely unparalleled. I mean that and I've eaten a lot of cake in my life.

Marsha in case you don't know, is the pastry chef at Cafe Lou Lou. She is planning to go into business soon for herself but is still able to take custom cake and dessert orders as a side line.  You can contact her through facebook, at mlynch36@insightbb.com, or by phone at 502-742-8376 or 502-608-0317.

I highly recommend Marsha for all your cake and cupcake needs. We've already got orders with her for celebration cakes for a very important event for me in April and the birthday jubilee in July. I've got to have my orders in early. I can't risk letting you people swarm her with requests and get her all booked up and too busy to take my orders. But if you've any sense toward glorious baked goods at all you will call Marsha to order your next special cake/cupcake/custom creation.

Thanks again to both Marsha and The Mayan Cafe for making B's birthday so special. I really appreciate it.

The flier is so excited about having live jazz in Fern Creek clearly I had to post about it.

So live jazz, penny sake and lots of sushi (including vegetarian offerings!).
 

Fern Creek's Sake Blue Japanese Bistro is now bringing LIVE JAZZ to our neighborhood! Every Tuesday night from 6:30-9:30pm.

The guitarist, Craig Wagner, is a renown jazz guitarist and is a local resident of Louisville. He was a featured soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under conductor Erick Kunzel and is recognized as one of the most versatile guitarists on the scene today. Craig's recording career involves three albums with the Java Men, a jazz quartet he was involved with for over a decade. Over the last several years, you could also find Craig as a featured performer at the Chet Atkins' Society Guitar Festival in Nashville or at the Great American Guitar Show in New York, sharing the stage with guitarists Jimmy Bruno, Howard Alden, Jack Wilkins, Paul Bollenback, Ron Affif, Russell Malone and Gene Bertoncini. Craig Wagner will perform every Tuesday night at Sake Blue along with pianist Todd Hildreth and drummer Mike Hyman.

Sake Blue
9326 Cedar Center Way
502-708-1500<

I'm not exactly sure on this whole thing but I think today is "Fat Tuesday" and as such I should tell you about the Fat Tuesday menu at Avalon. The new chef Laurence Agnew is originally from Louisiana so he knows a thing or two about this kind of food.

Now, despite there not being any vegetarian options on the Mardi Gras menu you see at right I must once again praise the new and so very much improved vegetarian options on Avalon's regular menu. B and I ate there last Tuesday evening and had an absolutely brilliant meal. We each had a different vegetarian appetizer and entree (what? we had to sample the new stuff) and were really, really pleased. Both my appetizer and entree were vegan (though I did add a bit of parmesan cheese to my butternut squash pasta dish).

Mardi Gras menu after the jump.

Avalon
1314 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY

While we were displaced downtown we went to a restaurant that is beloved by many, many people. We'd never been before so we checked out the menu online before going to make sure there were some decent veggie options since B has transitioned to being 100% vegetarian (I am, for the moment, still in the flexitarian camp but heading in the completely vegetarian direction). There weren't many veggie options on the menu but there were a couple so we happily went to dinner. When we got there we found that the menu on the website was not the current menu at the restaurant and that there was not a single vegetarian option to be had. B ended up ordering the "oh the chef can put together a vegetarian option for you" that turned out to be an $18 plate of bland, boring side dishes that guaranteed we will never, ever darken the door of that restaurant again.

I tell you that story so you'll understand why I am so very excited about the new menu at Avalon and all the vegetarian (and even a couple vegan options!) it offers. Two small plate veggie options (one of which is vegan) plus one that should be able to be made vegetarian pretty easily, one vegetarian flatbread option, good sounding salads, a vegetarian sandwich, a vegetarian pasta and a vegetarian option on the "self constructed" menu. That's a better than decent amount of vegetarian options which of course excites me. What excites me more though is that, by and large, these vegetarian dishes don't seem like boring afterthoughts to the chef. It seems like the chef put just as much creativity and planning into these dishes as the meat dishes on the menu. That pleases me greatly.

The complete menu is after the jump but I'm going to highlight a few dishes that I really can't wait to try.

vegan parsnip & apple veloute, tarragon croutons $5

roasted baby beets, goat cheese, shaved fennel, tarragon, citrus vinaigrette $7
(ok I'm not really going to eat this one because beets taste like dirt but B freaking loves roasted beets. I imagine this is going to be her favorite.)

vegetarian burger, portobello mushroom, tofu, vegan pepperjack cheese $9
(I'm going to have them put real cheese on this though. Vegan cheese and I do not get along)

campanelle pasta, butternut squash, spinach, spiced pecans, sage butter $14
This sounds so freaking good. I love butternut squash.

I haven't been to Avalon to try the new menu items yet but from just looking at it I've got to say well done. A nice restaurant paying attention to vegetarians? Swoon. That's what I'm saying, swoon.
 

I can report (happily I might add) that the entire Equus menu is now available at Jack's Lounge. I'd previously described the Jack's Lounge menu as "short but diverse menu that's been perfected and is a blend of adventure and comfort" but I love the idea of having the option of order food from Equus as well. Fancy food, comfortable digs, double win.

From the press release

"Equus' executive chef Josh Hillyard's menu features dish after dish of sophisticated and fun flavors," said owner of Equus and Jack's Lounge, Dean Corbett. "We want our guests to enjoy this great food whether they are visiting our Lounge or dining in our more formal dining room."


The award-winning Equus menu gives guests more options when dining at Jack's Lounge, which is located next door to Equus. This menu is now offered along with Jack's stellar menu, which features items such as burgers, pizza and Deano's ultimate nachos.

Jack's Lounge
122 Sears Avenue
Louisville, KY

Despite my earlier whining that I wasn't going to make it to any of the restaurants participating in Fleur Delicious this week I did in fact make it to Melillo's last night for dinner. I actually wasn't thinking about Fleur Delicious at all when I made the decision to go there. I was instead thinking crappy afternoon=carbohydrate laden comfort food. Boy I'm glad Melillo's is the place I went to go last night because not only do they have said carbohydrate laden comfort food but they also have, what I consider, the absolute best Fleur Delicious option.

The description on the Fleur Delicious website is somewhat lacking:

Choice of a small appetizer
Soup or Salad
Choice of any entree (excluding pasta with seafood)
Choice of desserts $25.00

Let me tell you specifically what all I had though and I'm sure you'll get why I think this is such a good deal.

The "small appetizer" was a gigantic rice ball. A fried mass of aborio rice, peas, cheese and marinara sauce that defies description. Well ok here's the official description: "Seasoned aborio rice stuffed with mozzarella and Romano cheeses, peas and marinara. This customer favorite is breaded, fried and served with marinara for dipping"

Soup was pasta e fagioli, a blend of tomoatoes, beans, pasta and cheese)

Entree was Fettucine Michele which is Melillo's version of fettucine alfredo. I'll forgive them for renaming the dish and for spelling my name with only one L because that bowl of cream and butter laden goodness was exactly wha I needed last night.

Dessert was tiramisu.

All that, and goodness knows it was a lot, for $25.

B went a totally different route so let me tell you what she had as well

Appetizer was an individual antipasto plate with lots of cheeses, olives, salami, ham and roated red peppers.

Second course was the house salad with homemade Italian dressing.

Main course was a cheese lasagna that was about 1/3 the size of my house. 3/4 of it is currently in my refrigerator because it was so gigantic B barely made a dent in it. And it was yummy.

And dessert course was cannoli which I kind of wish I had ordered because they didn't ruin it by putting pistachio nuts on it.

Again, all that for $25

If you're thinking about dinner out tonight, tomorrow or Saturday I highly recommend the Fleur Delicious special at Melillo's.

Melillo's
829 East Market Street
Louisville, KY 

We finally made it to L&N Wine Bar and Bistro last week and my mostly vegetarian self is so glad we did. You know I'm always on the lookout for interesting vegetarian meals and I'm happy to report I found a very good one at L&N. We started with the four cheese fondue and I moved onto the Vegetable Wellington, a dish I've never encountered anywhere else. 

Menu descriptions:

Four Cheese Fondue
Blue Dog baguette, apples, kielbasa, crisp corn tortillas.
(We asked for the kielbasa to be left off and got more baguette and apple instead. Win!)

Vegetable Wellington
Grilled seasonal vegetables & Capriole goat cheese in puff pastry, tomato cream sauce

I really enjoyed the Vegetable Wellington. I mean it's vegetables, goat cheese and puff pastry. What's not to enjoy? Absolutely nothing that's what. I wasn't packing a camera with me for dinner last week but I wish I had been because my Vegetable Wellington had the best plating presentation of all the entrees our table ordered. It was quite lovely to look at and even more lovely to eat. Recommended.

L&N Wine Bar and Bistro
1765 Mellwood Avenue
Louisville, KY 40206

I'm going to run out of euphemisms for "economic crisis" soon.

Avalon, home of the oh so lovely truffle, lobster mac & cheese wants to bring more happiness to your life even if your 401k is suddenly a lot lighter.

They've extended their happy hours to every day of the week. That means you can take advantage of the special happy hour menu that includes "select "2-for-1" drinks and $5 appetizers" at the inside bar or the outside patio 7 days a week. Since it looks like cooler fall weather is finally on its way for real it's good to note that Avalon's patio is heated.

EARLY HAPPY HOUR
Every Day 5-7 pm

LATE HAPPY HOUR
Sunday - Thursday 9 -10 pm
Friday & Saturday 10pm - closing

Avalon
314 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY
(502) 454-5336

Fleur Delicious starts today. There are menus posted for about half the participating restaurants so you can see what deals suit your fancy. There are woefully few vegetarian entree options (to my count there is actually only one) so, despite having planned to have one or two dinners downtown during Fleur Delicious, I won't be having any. So, carnivorous friends, please partake in Fleur Delicious for both of us. Go forth and support downtown restaurants and report back on how great it was.

The Proof menu isn't posted on the Fleur Delicious website but because I'm deeply concerned about your culinary adventures I got it for you.

Proof Fleur de Licious Menu 2008

Choice of one:
Butternut Squash Soup
Nutmeg crema, chicken liver toast

Roasted Pumpkin Salad
Arugula, pumpkin seeds, ricotta salata
••

Pan Roasted Sockeye Salmon
Braised shallots, watercress, goat cheese, hazelnuts

Grilled Flat Iron Steak
Roasted marrow bone, fries, arugula salad
••

Butterscotch Pudding
Whipped cream, apples, chocolate tuile

Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake
Spiced pumpkin gelato

Hmmm, I wonder if Proof would let me have a three course meal of Butternut Squash soup, Butterscotch Pudding and Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake with spiced pumpkin gelato? That's a three course meal I can totally get behind. 

Earlier this week B and I had an anniversary to celebrate so we spent the evening doing just that at Jack's Lounge. We lounged on leather couches and had an incredibly relaxing dinner and several rounds of drinks. Well OK B was driving so I had several rounds of drinks but that's a minor detail in the larger story so let's just move on.

Jack's Lounge is a grown up establishment. Though it serves food it's not exactly a restaurant and though it serves drinks it's not a bar. No one under 21 is allowed in its doors and it would take a special kind of early 20something to feel comfortable there. I'd have a hard time imagining that anyone has ever ordered vodka and Red Bull at Jack's Lounge. I want you to take what I say next completely in the spirit it's intended and not in an ageist way at all. OK? There was a woman there, probably in her early 50's, who I overheard saying "I love this place, it makes me feel young." I say that only to let you know that if you're in your 40s or less you might love Jack's Lounge for making you feel young as well and if you're significantly younger than 40 you should probably be the kind of youngster who likes drinking Manhattans or Old Fashions.

With that being said let me tell you what all I love about Jack's Lounge. I love dining in the front room near the bar on the aforementioned leather couches. I love exceptionally professional, attentive but not intrusive, warm but not obsequious service. I love complex cocktails that are interesting and potent. I love a short but diverse menu that's been perfected and is a blend of adventure and comfort. In short I love feeling like a grown up out for a night on the town without feeling pretentious or snobby and Jack's Lounge gives me that.

When you go to Jack's Lounge make sure to ask for one of Joy Perrine's signature cocktails. I won't tell you how or what to drink but I will say you can't possibly go wrong with her Bourbon Ball cocktail or any of her seasonal cocktails.

Jack's Lounge
122 Sears Avenue
Louisville, KY

I'm not smart enough to know if the economic sky is really falling or is just, you know, slipping down a little bit. I do know however that belts are being tightened and eating out budgets are being cut. Well at least that's the case in my house and I've got a suspicion it might be in yours as well. So I thought I'd poll some friends, do a little digging and mine my own memory banks for a list of a few good options for still enjoying the fantastic restaurant scene our city has without going broke.

My criteria were pretty simple. I was looking for either meals that were just good and cheap by themselves, specials and deals that make eating out more affordable in general or meals that are both affordable and big enough to share with another person or have enough leftovers for a second meal. It should go without saying that this list is in no way comprehensive, in fact it's really just a starting off point. Please leave comments or send me emails with other suggestions and when I have enough I'll publish a version two of this list.

Breakfast
North End Cafe
Hearty Breakfast: this monster of a breakfast is more than enough for two people: three eggs any style, two pancakes, bacon, sausage, home fries, grits and choice of bread $8.79

Breadworks
Under $2 for a huge coffee with free refills while you're there and all manner of affordable pastries. Be advised they don't take credit cards.

Lunch
Bristol in the Highlands
- lunch menu offers a soup of the day for $3.59, and they always have Black Bean Soup and White Chili for $4.59.
- green chili won tons are $5.99 for a half order or $8.59 for a whole.

Los Aztecas
- Lunch special #1: Enchilada, taco, rice or beans $4.75
- Lunch special #4: Enchilada, rice and beans $4.75
- Huevos rancheros $5.50

Zen Garden
- Soft Spring Rolls $3.50
- Vegetable and Bean Curd Soup $2.95

Havana Rumba
Half and Half: half sandwich with soup or salad. The real bargain though is that it also comes with sweet potato fries $7.50

El Mundo
Q Plate: Black beans, rice, guacamole, salad greens, salsa fresca and a tortilla or chips $5.95

Shiraz
- Kooideh Kabob, minced meat kabob served with Persian flatbread and roasted tomatoes $3.99
- Vegetable Kabob, grilled veggies, served with Persian flatbread and roasted tomatoes, olives and feta cheese (I think, someone correct me if I'm wrong).

Dinner and special offers
Vietnam Kitchen
- J7 char-broiled pork or chicken with an eggroll, lemon grass, fresh vegetables, mint and peanuts $6.95
- N8 Ginger tofu with steamed vegetables and steamed rice $7.75

Come Back Inn
Linguine with Homemade Marinara $7.75 (more than enough to share or take leftovers home)

Ramsi's
Take your pick of sandwiches. Suggestions? Seitan parmesan panini with roasted potatoes $8.59, Jamaican Chicken $8.99, Jamaican Seitan $8.25, both served with fried potatoes, all big enough to share with your sweetie or to have leftovers for lunch the next day

J Gumbo's Big Bowl Entrees
Drunken chicken $5.99
Bourbon street chicken $5.99
Red beans and rice $5.99
plus they have daily specials

Monkey Wrench
Two burgers for price of one on Tuesdays

Browning's offers "buy one, get one free" appetizers on Wednesdays

Park Place offers half price bar plates and cocktails during their 5-7 pm
happy hour Tuesday through Friday

Fine(er) Dining Experiences that Won't Break the Bank
Bar Menu at Proof
Proof fries with smoked aioli $5
Chick Pea and Country Ham Fritters $7

August Moon
Seared ahi tuna, tataki style, sesame crusted and hoisin+truffle vinaigrette $8.50

Mayan Cafe
Black Bean and Goat Cheese Empanada $5 plus a side of fried plantains $3

A reader took me to task on my recent comments on the availability of vegetarian dishes at Varanese. I wish she had left a comment so everyone could see her thoughts but since she sent a private email I won't quote it wholesale. First though here is what I said about Varanese:

I've heard the food at Varanese is very good. I myself have never been and don't suspect I will until they pay slightly more attention to vegetarian entrees. A note on the menu that the chef will create a vegetarian dish by request isn't enough for me I'm afraid.

The email writer essentially said I'd misinterpreted the note on the menu. According to her that note means the chef will take the time and attention to be creative and come up with a special vegetarian dish based on fresh, available ingredients, etc. To me, not having any vegetarian entrees on the menu makes vegetarian dishes seem like an afterthought. I know that a lot of time, attention, trial and error and care goes into whatever dishes actually make it onto a restaurant's menu. And while I love the idea of on-the-fly dishes based on whatever is in-season and available I've seen far too many really boring "pasta with Spring vegetables" dishes to have a lot of faith in restaurants that haven't dedicated the time and attention to developing at least one vegetarian main course dish.

The email writer says I do myself a disservice by not looking beyond that note and giving Varanese a try. She very well may be right and based on her nudging I may give Varanese a shot. On the other hand though my dining out dollars are not unlimited. So when I plan a meal out I want to know in advance that chances are good I'm going to find something to order and enjoy. When a place doesn't have a vegetarian entree on the menu I'm not convinced of those chances and will instead choose to spend my limited dining out dollars elsewhere. I think other vegetarian and flexitarians think the same way. We don't want to risk spending our eating out budget on a place that, on the surface, seems to not care about vegetarian diners. But I'm open to the fact that I could be wrong.

So I ask you am I wrong? Do you think I misinterpreted the note on the menu? If you're a vegetarian or flexitarian diner would no veggie entrees and a note like that make you more or less likely to go to a restuarnat? You know I'm dedicated to getting more innovative and creative vegetarian dishes in restaurants in Louisville so I really hope we can have a good discussion on this.

Update: OK, so the person who sparked this discussion actually works on advertising for Varanese. I asked her if she worked for or with Varanese and she told me she did but didn't volunteer the information until I asked. I'm not sure if I feel duped by that or not. I guess it doesn't really matter though because all of us talking about vegetarian food is a good thing and perhaps she/Varanese will read this post and comments and see that the "vegetarian dish by request" thing doesn't really seem adequate. Perhaps we can spark positive menu change.

The September issue of Bon Appetit magazine is "The Restaurant Issue." One article in the issue focuses on "the family meal"; that is the meal prepared and eaten by a restaurant's staff before you and I come in and demand to be fed. The article featured several restaurants around the country and talked about how and want the staff eats. One of the restaurants was Proof.

The family meal at Proof apparently often features bison including Bison Shepherd's Pie (how good does that sound?). Being a fan of Proof as I am I'm wondering how exactly I can start sneaking in for the family meal. It sounds like there are so many people eating this meal that surely I can slip in unnoticed.

Because Proof on Main is connected to the 21c Museum Hotel, the staff meal is a little larger--roughly twice the size of staff meals at most restaurants we talked to. It takes a couple of hours for the cooks to prepare two meals (lunch and dinner) for about 60 hungry hotel and restaurant employees. With so many folks to feed, there has to be an organized plan. Executive chef Michael Paley and his chefs decide on a weekly menu, then stick with that lineup (including Bison Shepherd's Pie on Wednesdays and pizza on Fridays) for a few months. Bison shows up pretty frequently in family meal because the owners of the hotel and restaurant run a buffalo farm just outside of Louisville.

Bon Appetit - September 2008

I'll confess to you that I should have written this while I was still on my gluttonous meat phase because the menu is pretty heavily weighted with meat. However Proof on Main has become one of my favorite lunch places. The art and ambiance of the place not to mention the interesting people you see and the conversations you can't help but overhear make it a destination in and of itself. The food though more than holds its own and the few vegetarian options are interesting enough to keep me coming back.

During the summer of my fall off the vegetarian wagon B and I would make meals of an order of country ham fritters and a shared bison burger and fries. It was blissful gluttony that I encourage all my meat eating friends to indulge in from time to time. My recommitting to the mostly vegetarian ideal is good for the foodie in me because it will make me actually order other things from the menu since thus far I've not been able to force myself to order anything but the bison burger because it's just that good.

For some reason I always end up ordering dessert at Proof as well. I think it's because the dessert menu changes frequently and the selections are always interesting things I can't/won't make at home. Like cherry bourbon gelato. Good mercy that was good and it's certainly something I'm not making.

I never order iced tea at restaurants but I sometimes want to at Proof because they bring you a tiny cafafe of simple syrup to sweeten your tea with. I can't tell you how much I love that little detail. It's part of a commitment to service and making a meal a Proof into a dining experience that makes me enjoy Proof very much.

A meal at Proof isn't cheap, even for lunch. I think it's worth it to splurge for occasionally though. The price, the non-common foods on the menu and the contemporary art that permeates the space make Proof perfect for some and, well, not so much for others. That's ok though I think everyone should go at least once because the combination of art and food and commitment to service really is an interesting experience. One note though, it tends to be a leisurely experience. Lunches stretch on for quite sometime. It's not the service is slow per se it's just....leisurely. It could probably be sped up if I wasn't savoring over every bite and order both appetizers and dessert. So never mind, it's my meals at Proof that are leisurely.

I've hung out in the bar at Proof a few times, most recently for Social Media Club happy hour (the next one will be Tuesday August 26 by the way). It's a hip, trendy place that I'm way too not-cool to be in. Like the food the cocktail menu is on the pricey side. $10 for a cocktail very nearly gives me palpatations but I ordered two (2!) of them at last month's SMC Happy Hour I couldn't help myself because the Capri Martini, a combination of limoncello, triple sec, orange juice and champagne is just so very tasty. Forgive a girl for occasionally subscumbing to ridicously expensive girly cocktails.

After all that fawning allow me one moment of constructive criticism: Dear Proof, please turn off the automatically playing music on your website. I really don't want to hear it. Those that do want to hear it can push play. I freaking hate autoplay music on websites. If it's a band website maybe but definitely not a restaurant website. Love, Michelle.

Proof on Main
702 W. Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202

After gluttonously consuming meat between Derby and my birthday I'm now firmly back on the mostly vegetarian bandwagon. So you can full well expect me to be praising restaurants that do vegetarian food right and whining about places that don't do it right or don't do it at all. Today's post, obviously, is a praise filled one. For the past two weekends when B says "where do you want to go to breakfast" I've pretty much instantly responded with "North End Cafe" because I'm freaking obsessed with their vegetarian biscuits and gravy.

The style of biscuits they serve aren't normally my style, they're not as soft and fluffy as I like but the gravy is so good it more than makes up for it. So, freaking good, highly recommend. Now that you know what to order for breakfast tomorrow you can get back to your day.

North End Cafe
1722 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville, KY

Last week I told you about Sweet Surrender's expanded lunch menu. In the comments to that post their web administrator mentioned that the complete menu is now online and *happiness, joy* there's a coupon available for a free half slice of cake when you buy lunch*.

If you've not been to Sweet Surrender perhaps you need me to explain that their half slices are very nearly the size of full slices at other places.

B told me to plan on a lunch date today and pick where I want to go. Let's just say I may be using a coupon at lunch today. Oh but good gracious I've got a coupon to buy one cupcake get one free at Cake Flour. Too many coupons not enough time to eat cake...

*Coupon details
- You have to, you know, print out and actually take the coupon in (though perhaps we should suggest the more eco friendly "I saw the coupon on the web" method to them)
- You have to buy lunch
- Coupon expires August 31, 2008

Update: We totally went to Sweet Surrender for lunch and it was so good. I had the roasted red pepper panini with goat cheese, B had the black bean pita and we both had free cake(!). I had caramel poundcake with french buttercream icing and B had strawberry poundcake. Ridiculously good.

The one negative to the glorious restaurant smoking ban is that patios have become de facto smoking sections at a lot of restaurants. If you'd like to eat outside and you don't want to breath in a bunch of second hand smoke, well, you're kind of out of luck. There are exceptions though and I'd like to take a minute to praise the two that I know about. I took my mom to The Mayan Cafe for her birthday dinner. It was a really lovely evening and we ate on the patio and found out that The Mayan Cafe is a completely non-smoking restaurant, that includes their outdoor dining area. So much yay to The Mayan Cafe it's not even funny. A few weeks ago I had a business lunch at Baxter Station and was pleasantly surprised to find that they have the same non-smoking policy for their outdoor dining area. So yay to Baxter Station as well.

I know there have to be more places with similiar policies that I'm just not aware of yet. What other restaurants do you know of that are completely non-smoking, including patios and outdoor dining spaces? Tell me please so I can hurry to give them my business.

Subtitle: Goat cheese, nom, nom, nom.

Indiana's first lady of goat cheese is teaming up with Park Place on Main to bring you an unbelievable night of goat cheese and beer. Join Capriole Farms' Judy Schad and Chef Jay Denham on Tuesday, August 12 for a special dinner showcasing Schad's goat cheese. Each course will be paired with a brew by Browning's Brewmaster Brian Reymiller. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Save a seat at (502) 515-0172.

I have no idea how much this dinner is going to cost but whatever it is it will be worth every penny. Good gracious I love goat cheese.

Did you know we had an official Flamenco dance company in Louisville? Me either. Apparently we do cause they're performing Friday July 11 at Blu. Blu will also be serving a special Spanish menu that evening, complete with sangria (though the regular menu will be available as well).

Flamenco Louisville and BLU invite you to enjoy a night of Spanish culture, Friday, July 11, 2008, from 7:00-10:00 pm. Cool off with hot sights and sounds of Flamenco Louisville as they create an authentic "tablao" experience for the evening, with special guest, guitarist John Lawrence. The professional musicians and dancers of Flamenco Louisville will perform two sets, so make your plans for early evening or late.

Friday July 11, 2008, from 7:00-10:00PM

BLU Mediterranean Grille (in the Louisville Marriott Downtown)
280 W. Jefferson St. Louisville, KY

I am deeply conflicted about chain restaurants. While I'm as pro buy local as you can get I know that all those folks working at chain restaurants live in Louisville. They're local people. So even when dining at a chain restaurant you're still supporting local people and the local economy. That said I am deeply in love with independent restaurants and the flavor they add to our city. If I have the choice I'm going to pick a local, independent restaurant over a chain every time.

So it's quite infrequently that I write about chain restaurants or events at chain restaurants. However when a chain restaurant is doing something interesting, innovative or even "touchy feely do good stuff" it'd be wrong not to write about it. So when I got the press release for Morton's selling burgers and giving nearly 25% of the purchase price to charity I'd already planned to write about it, then they invited me to try the burger for free. So consider this your complete disclosure: On Sunday B and I ate very, very tasty burgers and fries at Morton's for free. We also had free diet coke. 

Every Sunday from July through September, Morton's guests will have a chance to indulge in the "Morton's $19.78 Prime Sirloin Burger," with $5 of each hamburger and French fries entrée going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

"This is the burger that started it all," said Joseph Effert, general manager of Morton's in Louisville.

Morton's $19.78 prime sirloin burger isn't just any hamburger - it's what led to Morton's creation 30 years ago. When Morton's co-founders Klaus Fritsch and Arnie Morton first worked together at the Playboy Club, Fritsch made his signature hamburger and sent it out for Arnie Morton to taste. Morton proclaimed it the best hamburger he'd ever tasted. From that day, they started the business partnership that has become Morton's The Steakhouse. Now in its 30th year, Morton's has 80 world-wide restaurants.

"It's appropriate that we celebrate our anniversary with our signature dish - which is not currently available at Morton's restaurants that don't offer lunch," said Effert. "And what better way to give back to an organization that does so much for some very special children in our community? We're pleased to be able to support Make-A-Wish in this way."

As part of Morton's "30 Wishes for 30 Years" campaign, the 80 Morton's restaurants around the country have raised more than $99,250 to help grant kids' wishes.

Having eaten the burger I can tell you that it's this gigantic mondo burger (something like 13 ounces) served with blue, swiss, cheddar or I think even American cheese. I deeply enjoyed the burger because yes, it's obviously good beef but also they actually cooked it perfectly. I enjoy a medium rare burger and many, many restaurants cannot deliver that. Morton's did so quite nicely.

In closing, if you're downtown on a Sunday you could definitely do worse than having a burger and cocktail in Morton's bar. $20 ain't cheap for a burger but it's a really good burger, a quarter of the price is going to charity and really $20 is worth it just for having your own individual ketchup boat. 

The English Grill is a little high end to be in my normal eating out rotation. You know however that I'm always, always, always looking for more fine dining establishments to recognize that vegetarians and flexitarians exist and to show us a little attention. So there's no way I'd let The English Grill's new menu pass by without comment because it's got curried tofu on it! And interesting side dishes to go with it!

Curry Marinated Seared Tofu
Steamed Broccoli Rabe, Ginger Infused Shiitake Stew, Carrot Reduction

Well, well done chef.

Complete new menu after the jump including a dessert that I'd like to eat with all three meals every day. Leave a comment if you think you know which one it is.

I am a fan of Havana Rumba. Simple as that. I love the bright colors of the decor and the brilliant art on the walls. I love the Cuban music they play. I love that there's a place where I can get plantains and yucca. My birthday is at the end of July and as of this moment Havana Rumba is where I'm planning on having my birthday dinner. So you can believe me when I tell you I love this place. I've never had anything less than stellar food there. The service is usually exuberant and friendly and the portion sizes are "generous" just like we Americans are so fond of.

If you're a devoted carnivore you're in such good shape for a meal at Havana Rumba. From the traditional Cuban sandwich with roasted pork and ham to the famous marinated and slow roasted Lechon Asado Cuban food is a pork lovers dream. Beef and chicken are perhaps even more well represented on the Havana Rumba menu with favorites like Ropa Vieja, Vaca Frita, Pollo al Mojo and Fricase de Pollo (that's the yumminess in the above photo).

Vegetarians aren't left completely out in the cold.The side dishes, including the aforementioned plantains and yucca are outstanding.There is a vegetarian plate including those items, rice, black beans and a spinach empanada that is very, very tasty. There is also a grilled vegetable dish that I've not tried but I feel comfortable proclaiming it as good since everything else is.

The vegetarian spinach empanada is delicious but if you are a meat eater do yourself a favor and order the empanadas de pollo to start your meal. And then thank me later for the recommendation.

Oh, oh, oh one more thing before I forget: sweets. You absolutely cannot go wrong by ordering a batido (a Caribbean style milkshake, I suggest good old vanilla or mango), flan (oh sweet, sweet flan) or tres leches cake. That is all. Now go forth and enjoy Cuban food my friends.

Havana Rumba
4115 Oechsli Ave
Louisville, KY 40207
502-897-1959

Let me tell you I know at least one person who is salivating over the thought of a special beer dinner at Browning's. Since I don't drink beer this event certainly isn't for me but $40 a person for a four course meal with beer pairings sounds more than reasonable. So if beer is your thing, this sounds like a dinner you should check out.

Summertime...and the living is easy. Relax into the hottest season of the year with a cool beer and delectable dishes at Browning's. Chef Jay Denham and brewmaster Brian Reymiller present the annual Summer Beer Dinner on Saturday, June 28 at 6 p.m. The event is $40 per person and includes a four-course dinner paired with Browning's beers. Door prizes, which include food and merchandise, will also be given away during the evening. Seating is limited and reservations are required for this event. To save your seat, call (502) 515-0174.

Menu after the jump.

As I told you a few weeks ago Queen of Sheba left its "just past the Watterson" location and relocated across the street from Bowman Field. Since it's now in a location that doesn't scare me I no longer had a reason to try it. So I did.

I went with a couple vegan friends and since Ethiopian dining is most often a communal experience we ordered all vegan food so we could just get one large platter of food that everyone could share. I've heard raves about meat dishes at Queen of Sheba but as of this moment I can't personally vouch for them.

What I can tell you is that the lentil and vegetable dishes we had were really delicious. A couple were on the mild side while one lentil dish in particular was hot like fire. This was a problem though because getting a refill of my diet coke was very nearly mission impossible. And that brings us to the one problem I had with my meal at Queen of Sheba: service. To call it laid back would be quite the understatement. However I seemed to be the only person in the place to mind or even notice. So I tried very hard to flow like water and just accept it. And I mostly did except for being really thirsty.

I don't want to end on a negative note though so let me tell you that that injera bread is spongy, tasty and a lot of fun to scoop up food with. Hands and injera bread are the eating utensils of choice at Ethiopian restaurants. So all the food comes with injera bread for your scooping and tasting pleasure. However, if eating with your hands is too much to take you can ask for silverware (if you  do ask for silverware though I'll totally call you a pansy).

All in all I really enjoyed my meal at Queen of Sheba, despite the laid back service. It seems like very laid back service is just kind of a trademark of Queen of Sheba and you should just know that going in. So long as you plan on having an extended, leisurely meal there you'll be just fine. You'll probably have a very good time and an excellent meal. My beloved absolutely adored the food at Queen of Sheba and the new location is in biking distance from our house so I'm betting I'm about to become a Queen of Sheba regular whether I want to or not.

Queen of Sheba
2804 Taylorsville Rd
Louisville, KY

I had a really, really lovely breakfast at Wild Eggs yesterday. That coupled with the many, many visitors turning up in Consuming Louisville's server logs looking for more info on Wild Eggs made me think it was time for another Wild Eggs post. Most Wild Eggs search visitors are specifically looking for the menu so I asked the Wild Eggs folks for a digital copy of the menu to post and they were very kind to oblige. So you can either download a PDF of the Wild Eggs menu or look at images of it after the jump. 

The last time I wrote about Wild Eggs I noted that the "Violet You're Turning Violet" was a bit of a misnomer since the pancakes had so few blueberries in them. They have since rectified that situation. I ordered those same blueberry pancakes yesterday and that were overflowing with blueberries. One more menu note: I still totally recommend the everything muffin. I love it so.

A couple updates from downtown restaurants of note.

First, Proof has a new menu for spring.

The new lunch menu features sandwiches and entrees as well as small plates and salads. All sandwiches are served with Proof fries or a green salad, including the Yellowfin Tuna Panini with eggplant caponata, arugula and Cacio de Roma ($12) and the Bison Pastrami Sandwich with caramelized spaghetti squash ($10). Entrees include Spaghettini "Campanese" with San Marzano tomato, basil and ricotta salata ($14); Pan Roasted Trout with wax beans, almonds and brown butter ($18); and Chicken Milanese with arugula salad and grilled lemon ($16). A new midday feature is the daily lunch special, with entrees ranging from Raviolo Al Uovo with sage brown butter (Tuesdays, $13); to Soft Shell Crab Sandwich with Proof fries and sirachi crema (Thursday, $18); and Duck Confit Pizzette with grapes, Gorgonzola and roasted garlic (Fridays, $13).

New dinner entrees include Fried Soft Shell Crab Risotto with ramps, parmesan and lemon ($30); New Zealand King Salmon with citrus roasted endive, hazelnut and pancetta ($28); and Smoked Amish Chicken with spicy lettuce and bread salad, scallions, pine nuts and currants ($20). A selection of in-house cured meats and relishes is also offered.

Specialties on the newly expanded Proof bar menu are listed in three categories: Hearth, Antipasti and Snacks.  Hearth selections include Octopus Bagna Càuda with parsley, garlic and oregano ($13); Mushroom Pizzete with fontina, leeks, ramps and chervil ($14); and Tripe "Parmigiana" with San Marzano tomato and fettunta ($10).  The Proof Antipasti list includes a selection of relishes, charcuterie and cheese. Diners can order a la carte or create a tasting platter of their favorites. Several snacks round out the bar offerings, including Sunchoke Soup with cauliflower, shiitake and crema ($7); Soft Shell Crab with pine nuts and watercress ($15); and the Proof Bison Burger with bacon, cheddar and jezebel sauce ($14).

I finally, finally, finally had a meal at Proof last week and I enjoyed it very much. I won't do a full "review" of it because my meal was comped but I plan to go back sometime very soon on my own nickel and will write about my experiences. In advance of that I will tell you however that I was there for lunch and had the Bison Burger and it was great. I really enjoy Bison burgers and the one I had at Proof was excellent. So if you go before I have time to go back and experience Proof again I feel comfortable recommending that you order the Bison burger if burgers are your thing.

Park Place on Main is doing some cool things to celebrate spring/summer. I'm particularly interested in the 3 courses for $30 deal and the Farmers Market dinners. I say let's get a group of cool people together to share a table and a bunch of family style side dishes. I'm open tonight. Who's in? Oh wait the deals don't start until next week. OK who's in for next week?

Start your week with real savings as chef Denham is offering a three-course meal for only $30! Guests can choose from anything on the menu including the salads, appetizers, entrées, or desserts. Have each course paired with wine for an additional $10.

Come check out the bar plates and new ball park menu. Chef Denham will be sending out complimentary samples from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays for bar guests. This is in addition to Whiskey Wednesdays which means all bourbon flights are $5 off.

Bring the entire household and sit down to a Farmers Market Family-Style Meat and 3 Dinner on Thursdays. The cost is $20 per person and includes a choice of an entrée and three family-style sides for the table. Additional sides are available a la carte. Enjoy your family's company while dining on the freshest produce brought in by local farmers.

I'm a fan of Le Gallo Rosso during the summer months when the weather is nice and you can sit outside in their charming courtyard. Now that I think of it I've never actually dined indoors there. Hmm, interesting.

The upcoming "A Big Night" event sounds like a nice opportunity to experience a meal there in a different way. A family style dinner will be served consisting of: Gorgonzola Fettuccine with Mushrooms (Vegetarian), Chicken with Artichokes and Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs (from Chef Annette Saco's grandmother's recipe), salad, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages. The meal tax and gratuity are included in the $35 ticket price ($25 for Bon Vivant Savant members). 20% of that ticket price goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Tuesday April 29, 2008
Dinner begins at 7PM
Reservations are required, call 502-287-2772

Le Gallo Rosso
1325 Bardstown Rd
Louisville, KY

So there are a couple new-ish restaurants on Bardstown Road. I've been to one and plan to the try the other one soon.

The one I've been to is Jarfi's Bistro. I never made it to Jarfi's when they were located down at the Kentucky Center so I can't compare the two locations. I can compare the Jarfi's with the previous tenant of the space Lentini's. Well, as kindly as I can let me say that Lentini's was a bit past its prime and Jarfi's is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Jarfi's has a front dining room and bar that straddles the vibe between casual and upscale. Window seats look out onto Bardstown Road, pots of fresh herbs decorate the tables and Cokes are served in glass bottles. The back of the house has a more formal dining room, a sushi bar and a lounge. I've only been there once and I ate in the front dining room so I don't have any opinion on the other dining areas. My meal in the front dining room was fantastic. The server was great and the hot brown was the best I've had in a really long time. B ordered the ahi tuna appetizer as her entree and said it was outstanding. I'm really looking forward to going back for dinner sometime soon and trying some of the vegetarian options on the menu.

The other new restaurant in the neighborhood is Oishii Sushi which sits near the corner of Bardstown Road and Woodbourne Avenue, next door to Conn's bodyshop. The building was formerly an AT&T/Cingular shop and then some kind of car accessory place. I think the building is happier now that it's a perpetually busy sushi restaurant. Like I said, I haven't been but every time I've driven or walked by the place has been very busy. I'm a complete sushi novice so I'm not really that jazzed about going but B has recently decided that she just freaking loves lightly seared ahi tuna so she's quite interested in sushi and trying more items. So, alas, we'll be walking up to Oishii soon. I don't like cucumber or avocado though I like slightly cooked tuna. Menu suggestions?

I was looking at Corbett's website yesterday (aside: yay! They finally got a website) and saw that they have all of their menus online including something called the Grande Tasting
Menu. There is no price listed with the Grande Tasting Menu. That of course means I can't afford it. Let's overlook that though because I want to tell you that there is not just one Grande Tasting Menu there are two including a, wait for it, wait for it, Vegetarian Grande Tasting Menu! Maybe instead of going to Havana Rumba for a festive birthday dinner in July I'll save up and hit Corbett's for the Vegetarian Grande Tasting Menu instead. Of course someone will need to tell me just exactly how much I need to save up.

I'd planned for this past weekend to be laid back and relaxed. We had a couple dinners with friends scheduled but nothing else was on the agenda. Then on Friday we got a call that some friends were quite unexpectedly going to be on our doorstep. We love them, they're good people so we said "sure, come on." Come they did, including two children under five. It was a full weekend to be sure and by full I mean full bellies. These friends enjoy eating as much as I do and since they aren't from Louisville every time they come I want them to get a solid taste of the Louisville restaurant scene. I didn't plan it this way but we ended up taking an international eating tour around Louisville. 

Back in November Park Place on Main introduced a dinner menu aimed at theater goers. I thought it was a great idea that allowed people to have a great meal in plenty of time to make it to the show on time. Morton's must have thought it was a good idea too because they've just introduced their own Pre-Theater menu.

You don't have to be on the way to a performance to take advantage of Morton's Pre-Theater Menu. Any occasion is a perfect one to dine early and enjoy legendary steaks and seafood at a bargain price. Morton's Louisville presents a special menu nightly from 5:30 to 6:30 that includes a salad, entrée, side and dessert. The menu is an incredible value at $49.95 per person plus tax and gratuity. For reservations, call (502) 584-0421.

Full menu after the jump.

Morton's The Steakhouse
626 West Main Street
Louisville, KY

Heck of a heck of a deal being offered at Equus every Tuesday during the month of April. Lucky for us April has five Tuesdays this year so you've got five chances for two people to experience a five course tasting menu for just $80 at the very highly regarded local institution.

From the press release:

The refined, classic cuisine of Equus is now offered at a simply delicious price. Every Tuesday during the month of April, two people can enjoy a five-course tasting dinner for $80, plus tax and gratuity. The menu will be created each week by Equus executive chef Josh Hillyard with the region's freshest ingredients. For reservations at Equus, call 502-897-9721.

On a personal level let me say I'm glad Equus is staying on top of their game and offering interesting events and opportunities like this. I've still not been to Corbett's though I've heard wonderful things about it but I can tell you that because of its location Corbett's would be only a few times a year dining event for me even if I could more well afford to eat there. Equus on the other town is in a prime location and is on my list of "eat here more places." Opportunities like this certainly encourage me to do just that.

Equus
122 Sears Ave
Louisville, KY

Remember when I said I knew very little about bourbon before diving in to Bourbon 101? Well I know even less about wine. Way, way less about wine. So I was a little intimidated when I sat down to speak with Scott Harper wine director for the Bristol Bar & Grille. I needed not be though because Scott was very patient with me and eager to share his knowledge.

The impetus for sitting down with Scott was to talk about the Bristol's year long wine special. To celebrate the local institution's 30th anniversary wine prices, both by the glass and by the bottle, are marked down to wine store prices at all of the Bristol locations through September 2008. If you're not familiar with the difference in wine markup at wine shops and liquor stores versus restaurants let me just say it's significant. For example last Friday evening my partner ordered a glass of Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Ranches Chardonnay at a downtown restaurant. At that restaurant the wine sold for $10 per glass. At The Bristol that wine is currently $6.75 per glass. A bottle at the other restaurant is listed at $40 per bottle, at The Bristol it's $21 per bottle. Those are not insignificant savings.

Scott shared with me lots of information about wines he considers particularly good deals, wines that he highly encourages people to try during this reduced price bonanza. I'll share those recommendations with you a bit later but truthfully my favorite part of the conversation was how genuinely interested in helping people enjoy wine Scott was. By this I mean he had absolutely none of the pretension you might expect from someone whose title is "Wine Director/Sommelier."

The Mayan Cafe is one of my favorite Louisville restaurants. I love everything about it from the atmosphere to the food to the fantastic Jackson's Organic Coffee the restaurant serves. Next Thursday March 27, 2008 The Mayan Cafe is going to be debuting a new menu and I for one am really excited about it. 

I got a press release about St. Patrick's Day festivities at Avalon. You know I've yet to go to Avalon but I've heard good, good things about it so I'm definitely going to have to make it in soon.

A St. Patrick's Day Celebration is being held on Saturday, March 15th at Avalon located at 1314 Bardstown Road in the very Irish Highlands. Join Avalon for lunch or dinner before or after the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Enjoy hearty Irish favorites of Guinness Irish Beef Stew, Corned Beef & Cabbage and, of course, traditional Fish & Chips - along with a variety of Irish beers and whiskey. Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

Avalon
1314 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY

I guess it's time to start compiling a list of special menus and events for Easter. The Brown Hotel gets the prize for being the first to send me a press release for Easter.

The J. Graham's Café menu is served buffet-style and features Potato Leek Soup and a selection of salads including Grilled Ostrich, Macadamia Nut and Green Pea with Chipotle Vinaigrette, Romaine Lettuce, Caesar Dressing with Cranberry Bread Croutons and Deviled Eggs with sour cream and chive. Entrée presentations include Roasted Chicken with lemon confit cream sauce, Herb-Crusted Mahi Mahi with vanilla beurre rouge and Kentucky Ham with Honey Glaze. At the carving station, diners can choose Rubbed Pork Crown with apple cider whole grain mustard sauce, Lamb Shoulder Confit with herb roasted new potatoes or Assorted Grilled Vegetables. Menu items made especially for children will also be available along with a display of assorted pastries, cheese and crudités fore everyone to enjoy. The cost for the J. Graham's Café Easter Brunch is $32 per person, $16 for Children 4-12, plus tax and gratuity. Lunch is complimentary for children under four-years-old. Seating times are 11:30 a.m./11:45a.m. and 1:15 p.m./1:30 p.m. For reservations please call (502) 583-1234, Extension 7225.

The English Grill's Easter Lunch begins with a gorgeous buffet in the Brown Lobby of Oyster Chowder and antipasto selections of Grilled Asparagus, Prosciutto and Capicolo Ham, Roasted Peppers, Grilled Artichokes, Marinated Olives and Fried Green Tomatoes. Salad selections include Red Endive and Watercress with pistachio vinaigrette, cubed bleu cheese and Limestone and Baby Cauliflower with fresh herb vinaigrette and tear drop tomatoes. A luxurious seafood display includes Smoked Salmon with traditional garnishes, Mussel Salad, Seaweed Salad, Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Claws and assorted Sushi. Entrées are served while guests are seated in the The English Grill. Selections include Roasted Pork Chop and Creamy Bleu Cheese Grits with sautéed haricot vert and bourbon sauce and Coffee Rubbed Pan Seared Lamb Loin with baby root vegetables and amaretto reduction. An assortment of pastries, breads, cheeses and desserts will also be available. The lavish lunch is $58 per person plus tax and gratuity. Seating times are at noon, 12:30 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. For reservations please call (502) 583-1234, extension 7166.

We've discussed how I'm not a beer drinker, thus my input on this event probably wouldn't be helpful at all. So I'll just directly quote the press release instead.

Belgium displays unparalleled diversity of flavor and color in its native beer styles, and on Tuesday, March 4, Corbett's "An American Place" presents a dinner to celebrate the history and nuances of these noble brews. From the strong Trappist ales to the fruity lambics, Belgian beers offer extensive food pairing possibilities, and Pete Larsen of Wetten Imports has put together an unforgettable list. He will be on hand to discuss each brew along with Corbett's assistant general manager Carrie Crouch.

Belgian beers inspire reverence typically reserved for the finest wines. The cost for this dinner is $55 per person and includes five-courses prepared by Corbett's executive chef Chris Howerton. Tax and gratuity are additional. The evening begins with a 6:30 p.m. reception followed by dinner service at 7 p.m. Seating is limited for this special event and reservations may be made by calling (502) 327-5058.

Full menu after the jump

Corbett's
5050 Norton Healthcare Boulevard (Old Brownsboro Crossing)
Louisville, KY

The Bristol downtown is taking prime advantageous of its proximity to PYRO Gallery. For the month of March several PYRO artists will have selected works displayed in the Bristol's Terrace Room.

Louisville's premier casual dining restaurant The Bristol Bar and Grille Downtown is collaborating with the neighboring PYRO Gallery to present diners with an ongoing fine art exhibition, a great opportunity to enjoy the creativity of local artists during a night out. Gracing the walls of Bristol's Terrace Room through March will be art from such celebrated local artists as Ann Stewart Anderson, Keith Auerbach, Kim Huber, John McCarthy, Corie Neumayer, C.J. Pressma and Marilyn Whitesell. Bristol's display of PYRO artwork will rotate though the year, with fresh works making their debut every three months. All work on view at Bristol will be for sale.

The Bristol
614 West Main Street
Louisville, KY

I never made it to Cafe Lou Lou when it was in its old location on Frankfort Avenue. I suspect that location had a bit more charm than the present one but that sentiment is just my anti-strip mall bias coming out and should probably be ignored. It should be ignored because the new location on Sears Avenue is a perfectly nice one. It's a bit whimsical in terms of decor and atmosphere with lots of Louisiana influenced touches. And obviously the strip mall has one serious advantage over the old Frankfort Avenue location: a parking lot.

Corbett's is presenting a special dinner with Hahn Estates Vineyards winemaker Adam La Zarre on February 28. The five-course dinner will having featuring pairings from Wimbledon Wines with an emphasis on Hahn Estates.

"Wimbledon Wine Company specializes in importing estate winery brands from California and New Zealand including Hahn Estates.  Adam LaZarre, the winemaker at Hahn Estates, garnered much attention for the MontereyCoast vineyard with distinctive bottles of Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Meritage. His efforts have earned several distinctive national and international awards."

Complete menu after the jump.

Special Wimbledon Wine Dinner
February 28, 2008
$75 per person + tax and gratuity
Reservations required, call (502) 327-5058

Corbett's
5050 Norton Healthcare Boulevard (Old Brownsboro Crossing)
Louisville, KY

If there is one restaurant in town that could be called the place for pork lovers I think Park Place would be it. Seriously.

The evidence part 1
"..with the recent legal release of Iberico Ham in the United States, Chef Jay Denham has secured a portion for his loyal guests at Park Place. Through the month of February, this delectable ham from Spain will be featured as a special part of the Lateral Ham Tasting of America's Best Old Country Hams. The cost is $20. Quantities are limited, so be sure to get in and taste pure indulgence on a plate."

I've heard of the wondrous qualities of Iberico ham but have never tried them for myself. Looks like I've found a reason to head downtown for dinner next week.

The evidence part 2
"Chef Denham has invited some legendary friends to Park Place on Main for a one night only event! Nancy Newsom from Newsom's Aged Kentucky Country Ham, Allen Benton from Benton's Country Ham and extension professor of meat science at the University of Kentucky Greg Rentfrow are just a few of the pork aficionados who will join the line up for an evening of unforgettable dishes and history on Monday, March 17. The cost is $100 per person and includes a tasting of cured and potted meats and an educational and interactive look at pork. Seating will be very limited for this interactive event, so be sure to save your seat soon."

The description of this event has left my mouth watering. It's too expensive for me to be able to attend. If you can afford it and don't go I don't even want to hear about it. I'm just going to assume that anyone who likes pork and can spend $200 on a Monday night dinner for 2 without breaking a sweat will see what a fantastic event this is going to be and will naturally be dialing right now to get reservations.

Park Place
401 E. Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202
502-515-0172

I got an email reminding me of a few specials and events at Brownings that I thought I'd share.

They've got happy hour specials on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays

"Come to Browning's Happy Hour every Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. and receive free appetizers in addition to our great happy hour beer prices! We will have an appetizer buffet available to guests that will include Browning's bar plates as well as some special treats from Chef Denham.

Now you only have to make it half way through the week to celebrate. On Wednesdays, order any appetizer after 3 p.m. and get another one of equal or lesser value free! Consider it good practice for the weekend. On Saturdays, we've brought back our happy hour. Get session beer pints for $3.25 all day long."

On Saturday December 23, 2008 it's the Winter Beer Dinner.

"There's a new reason to celebrate at Browning's, where hearty winter fare is paired with tasty brews at the Winter Beer Dinner on Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 6 p.m. The event is $40 per person and includes a four-course dinner paired with Browning's beers. Door prizes, which include gift certificates and merchandise, will also be given away during the evening. Seating is limited and reservations are required for this event. To save your seat, call (502) 515-0714."

Click for complete Beer Dinner menu

Browning's
401 East Main St
Louisville, KY

I knew that Meridian Cafe made a mean sandwich long before I ever stepped foot in the place. Years ago my partner discovered their East Coast Turkey sandwich, a Thanksgiving-esque combination of turkey, Granny Smith apples, cheddar cheese and cranberries. That sandwich became known as "the sandwich" in our house. Years later, when we were living in a different city, occasionally B would say "do you know what sandwich I'm craving" and I'd instantly know it was the Meridian Cafe turkey sandwich.

Primo is presenting a Tuscan Wine Dinner on Thursday February 21, 2008 at 7PM. The dinner is $55 per person, reservations are required so you should call soon if this is your kind of event. The dessert course alone sounds delicious enough to make a reservation: Castagnaccio: Chestnut & Flour Cake w/ Tuaca Glaze and Tuaca & Finlandia White Russian

Tuscan Wine Dinner
Thursday February 21, 2008
7PM
$55 per person
Call for reservations: 583-1808

Primo
445 East Market
Louisville, KY

Complete menu after the jump

Like other fine dining establishments across town Avalon is offering a special dinner menu in celebration of Valentine's Day. The menu looks very nice and I'm pleased to report it even has a vegetarian entree. But by virtue of its association with Luna Boutique it would appear that Avalon has a leg up on other restaurants in the Valentine's department. Their secret weapon? For $25 the boutique will have a wrapped gift waiting on your table for the object of your affection.You can take care of dinner and gift giving with one call for reservations.

The $75 "Wine & Dine With Your Valentine" Dinner Package for Two offers each of you a choice of three of Chef Chip Lawrence's most popular menu items; and includes one bottle of wine from select vintners, Fess Parker, Kenwood, Gundlach Bundschu and St. Gabriel - or if it's bubbly you desire - one bottle of Korbel Champagne.

And for an additional $25 Luna Boutique will provide a unique gift wrapped and waiting
at the table for that someone special in your life.

Leave it to Avalon to make your Valentine's Day easy and memorable.

Call (502) 454-5336 for Reservations (and to make arrangements for that special Valentine's Day gift)

Full menu after the jump

Avalon
1314 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY
454-5336

Though I enjoy soy milk in my cereal I'm a dedicated flexitarian who drinks whole milk cappuccinos, really loves cheese and comes from a family full of dairy farmers. In other words, I'm not a vegan.

Consuming Louisville's referral logs tell me though that there are lots of people looking for information about vegan food in Louisville. Since I did the second post in the series Vegetarian Food in Louisville last week I thought now would be a good time to talk about vegan food. So I pooled my limited information in with knowledge gleaned from my very nice and helpful vegan friends. Hopefully this combined knowledge will be useful to the vegans amongst us.

First up we'll talk about vegan restaurant options: 

There's still time to make reservations for Valentine's Day dinner. If you haven't made those reservations yet or haven't firmly decided where you'd like to go here's one more option. Primo is offering up a 3 course $45 meal that's got a little something for almost every taste. It's a very interesting menu and I particularly like that they have a non-chocolate option for dessert, a Blueberry & Raspberry Trifle. Don't get me wrong, I'd be eating the molten chocolate cake myself but it's nice to see an alternative for folks who aren't chocolate fiends. They seem to kind of get left out in the cold during Valentine's season.

Complete menu after the jump

Primo
445 East Market Street
Louisville
583-1808

When I first head about Bon Vivant Savant I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. At first the idea of joining a club, paying a membership fee, to meet people seemed odd to me. The more I thought about it though the more the idea grew on me. I've commented to friends, new and old, that the older I get (I'm into my 30s now) the harder it seems to meet people and make friends. I've been really lucky over the past several months to meet some incredible people here in Louisville but there is always room to meet more people, something I'm actively trying to do. So if joining a club like the two offered by Bon Vivant Savant helps you meet people who have a few core things in common and lay the groundwork for new friendships then I think it's probably money well spent.

The newest way to get out and get friendly in Louisville has just arrived.  The Bon Vivant Savant launch party will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Jenicca's Café and Wine Bar, 636 East Market St.

The evening promises delectable hors d'oeuvres paired perfectly with wine and beer selections. Of course at an event so close to Valentine's Day, good chocolate is a must. You'll also get a taste of what Bon Vivant Savant membership has to offer, fun, stress free evenings planned to highlight the best dining and culture in Louisville and beyond.
 
When you join one of two new dinner clubs for singles or couples, The Single Gourmet or Dinner, Etc., your social calendar is full of events that embrace classic, fresh, and unique ways to enjoy the evening. You join others who want to explore the good life in good company. Every week - six to ten times a month - you can look forward to meeting with a group of people like you, ready for anything from a tasting of the best new wines to Louisville's first-ever Theatre Hop, coming this month.

Life keeps you busy from one minute to the next, so you deserve a chance to savor what it has to offer. There's no better way to do that than to relax with friends old and new over a delicious drinks and sumptuous meals. That's real social networking.

I'll let Jo Self, the owner of Bon Vivant Savant, slide for taking a small jab at online social networking because she seems like a really nice lady who is excited about bringing more face to face social interaction to Louisville and I think that's an admirable goal. Nobody else gets a pass though. We love the interwebs and it loves us.

Cost for the event is $20, there will be hors d'oeuvre and a beer or wine tasting.

There isn't anything new or innovative I could say about Jack Fry's. Everything relevant has already been said. Here are things I've heard about Jack Fry's that I absolutely agree with: it's a classic, it's a Louisville fixture, a Highlands landmark, it's got old school class and atmosphere, it's the spot for unpretentious fine dining against which all other restaurants in town are measured against, it's got some of the very vest food in Louisville and parking is a nightmare. That all being said I'm going to share my opinions on Jack Fry's with you anyway.

For surf and turf loves Morton's really is offering a heck of a deal.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Morton's is offering a special four-course steak and seafood dinner featuring two filet mignons, along with a choice of Morton's signature seafood, salads and desserts, all for only $99 for two!

Full menu after the jump

Morton's The Steakhouse
626 West Main Street
Louisville, KY

Back in October I mentioned a few of my favorite vegetarian meals in Louisville and I thought it was time for a sequel. Despite "falling off the wagon" as it were during the holiday season in terms of eating meat (my family, bless them, serves ham at every turn) I'm now firmly back to my flexitarian ways and eating meat only very rarely and constantly looking out for good, interesting vegetarian food.

In this edition of Vegetarian Food in Louisville I'm going to talk about four restaurant choices for the hungry vegetarian on the prowl.

John T. Edge was in town a few weeks ago and he's got nothing but good things to say about the food and drink in our fair city. After his early January visit he blogged at Gourmet "I don't get it. Why isn't Louisville, Kentucky, touted as one of our best food and drink towns?" He thinks it should be and talks about 3 meal highlights of his visit. 

I'm sad to say that I still haven't made it to Corbett's for a meal yet. I hope to change that quite soon both because I've heard great, great things about it and because I want to write a review of it because apparently, information about Corbett's is a hot commodity. Each day a surprisingly large number of viewers find their way to Consuming Louisville looking for information about Corbett's restaurant. They come via a variety of web searches like "Corbett's fine dining Louisville" or "Louisville Corbett's" or "Corbett's menu Louisville" or "Corbett's restaurant Louisville" or "where is Corbett's in Louisville" and on and on it goes.

So as soon as I dine at Corbett's rest assured I'll be writing a review. In the meantime allow me to share Corbett's menu(s). Menu information is current as of January 23, 2008.

Corbett's
5050 Norton Healthcare Boulevard (in Old Brownsboro Crossing)
Louisville, KY 40241

Menus after the jump

I shan't even pretend that there was even a possibility of me writing anything other than a full on lover letter to The Irish Rover. I make no false claims about being detached when writing about this place. I am so comfortable tucked into one of the Rover's booths in the bar that it's like a second home. When people ask me where to eat in Louisville and say they want something "comfortable" or "casual" or "not too fancy" or "has really good pub food" or any of about a dozen other code words The Irish Rover is where I tell them to go. Eight Friday nights out of ten will find me eating there, so in this case, perhaps more than any other, my money is most certainly where my mouth is. For me The Irish Rover is exactly what a pub should be: a warm, welcoming environment with outstanding food.

The first food you'll get at The Irish Rover will be a lovely basket filled with a mixture of Irish Soda bread and Sourdough bread. If you don't eat multiple pieces of both don't tell me because then I'll just have to consider you an odd sort who doesn't appreciate some of the finest carbohydrates known to humanity. If you're ordering an appetizer, and really you should, allow me to suggest the Cordon Bleu Fritters described on the menu as a "tasty mix of ham, chicken, and swiss, deep-fried in our famous batter". If you're not in the mood for deep fried goodness (there you go being odd again) then the Leek and Potato soup is an outstanding choice to start your meal.