Fall 2011 (Vol. 33) by Food & Dining Magazine

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FALL 2011 | AUG - SEP - OCT

Hungry? check out our restaurant guide over 1,100 restaurant listings hundreds of reviews and maps to them all!

profiles harvest eddie merlot’s hammerheads

plus

$10 meal challenge – havana rumba easy entertaining – panini party louisville street food NOW

FREE www.foodanddine.com

Eddie Merlot’s pan roasted Chilean sea bass with green beans and a maple vinaigrette.

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FALL 2011 PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JOHN CARLOS WHITE EDITOR DANA MCMAHAN BUSINESS MANAGER PAUL M. SMITH COLUMNISTS ROGER A. BAYLOR ASHLEE CLARK JAY FORMAN SCOTT HARPER DAVID LANGE ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS-AT-LARGE TIM & LORI LAIRD CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J. CHRISTIAN WALSH KATY YOCUM MICHAEL L. JONES CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER DAN DRY MAGAZINE DESIGN & LAYOUT JOHN CARLOS WHITE GRAPHIC DESIGN KATHY KULWICKI STEFAN TAMBURRO COPY EDITOR KATHY KULWICKI ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ANNETTE B. WHITE DISTRIBUTION / FACT CHECKING PAUL M. SMITH IN FOND MEMORY OF OUR DEAR FRIEND DANIEL F. BOYLE

Food & Dining Magazine® is published quarterly by Louisville Dining Magazine, Inc. P.O. Box 665, Louisville KY 40201 The publisher and advertisers are not responsible or liable for misprints, typographical errors or misinformation. The opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher. +Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.

___________________________________

Annual Subscription rate $18. Submit subscription requests to: Food & Dining Magazine® P.O. Box 665, Louisville KY 40201, or call (502) 509-EATS (3287) or subscribe online at

www.foodanddine.com facebook.com/foodanddine follow us on Twitter @FDzine For Advertising information call (502) 509-EATS (3287) ON THE COVER: Eddie Merlot’s pan roasted Chilean sea bass with green beans and a maple vinaigrette. (see story page 20) Photo by Dan Dry 4

Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

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contents

FALL 2011 - VOLUME 33

RESTAURANT GUIDE

DINING GUIDE Our comprehensive listing of over 1,100 area restaurants complete with reviews.

MAPS (RESTAURANT LOCATOR)

Find all of the restaurants in our Dining Guide on these user-friendly maps.

FEATURES STREET FOOD: It’s a food truck revolution. Louisville is

making up for lost time joining the ranks of cities with a robust, rolling food scene, despite some speed bumps.

PROFILES EDDIE MERLOT’S: The newcomer to downtown offers a goodbye kiss to the steakhouse cliché.

HARVEST: The new face of the farm-to-table movement is one locavores have known for a long time. HAMMERHEADS: Going nose to tail in a popular Germantown basement restaurant.

20 38 48

COLUMNS

STARTERS

COMINGS & GOINGS A summary of changes on the local restaurant scene, with openings, closings, moves and more.

SIDE DISHES

Noteworthy restaurant and culinary news and happenings.

HUMOR

12 16

Our resident funny guy meets his match when he comes up against a kitchen nightmare.

FOOD QUEST TO COOK: Macarons A craving born in Paris is finally indulged.

$10 CHALLENGE

14 18

Ashlee Clark continues her culinary explorations on a shoestring budget, taking a tasting tour of Cuba by way of Havana Rumba.

LIQUIDS

CORK 101: 6 Reds Under $12 Our master sommelier offers up half a dozen reds you’ll be happy to drink – that won’t break the bank.

HIP HOPS: Seasonal Brews – Blurring the Lines Seasons change, and so do beers. What to drink now, and later.

COFFEE: Good, Fast Coffee

28 30

Coffee on the go isn’t what it used to be. We’ll drink to that!

RECIPES

EASY ENTERTAINING: Panini Party

You say panini, we say panino … either way, nothing says party like something yummy grilled on bread. www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1

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starters comings & goings

comings

goings

We have all heard, I am sure, about how chancy and uncertain the restaurant business is — those statistics that claim six out of 10 restaurants close within three years, all the tales about how hard it is to keep a reliable and stable staff, complaints about the narrow operating margins and dubiousness of profits. But, an analysis of the movement in the restaurant life of the Louisville area suggests that restaurateurs hereabouts seem to be more optimistic about their chances than in most places. Here are the raw numbers: 21 new restaurants have opened in the last three months or so, and eight other existing restaurants have opened one or more new outlets. Only 11 restaurants have closed, and two more existing restaurants have closed one or more branches while maintaining others, for a total of 29 new restaurants, posed against 13 that folded. That’s more than 2 to 1 in favor of renewed life and vitality. Score another positive quarter.

OPENINGS The most anticipated new restaurants are new concepts by restaurateurs who have been around the Louisville scene for a while. Garage Bar, the upscale pizza, oysters, beer, Bourbon and specialty ham concept worked up by Proof ’s chef Michael Paley has opened in NuLu, at 700 E. Market St., to strong early notice. Proof ’s backer, hotelier and art collector Steve Wilson contributed to the vibe by installing a slow-motion kinetic sculpture out front. The two ’80s era muscle cars will ever-so-slowly crash into each other and smash together, thanks to an elaborate hydraulic apparatus hidden within the cars. Vegetarian guru Coco Tran has rebuilt the shell of the firedamaged Café Mimosa building at 1216 Bardstown Rd. into two new vegetarian restaurants. On the left is Roots, serving an international menu of tapas and small plates. Sit at tables up front, linger at the non-alcoholic bar with tea or a smoothie, or gather with friends in one of the Japanese style lounging pits, sitting on pillows around low tables, dangling your feet into a well. On the right is Heart & Soy, serving vegetarian “street food.” Through the glass-walled corner room watch tofu being made directly from organic soybeans with a state-of-the-art imported stainless steel tofu making machine. At 1761 Frankfort Ave., the old Clifton fire station will find new life as The Silver Dollar, an effort by restaurateur Larry Rice to create a “refined” honky-tonk, a whiskey bar and upscale comfort food restaurant that will capture the sound and spirit of the Bakersfield vibe, the Southern California music scene of the 1940s that blended Tex-Mex folk-pop and Midwest rockabilly. Look for tequila, mescal and Bourbon at the bar (no “foreign” spirits, like Scotch or Tennessee whiskey) and old-school country western on the vinyl-only jukebox. Flabby’s Schnitzelburg, as iconic a neighborhood bar and grill as one could find in a compilation of Depression-era photographs by Walker Evens, reopened at 1101 Lydia St., much to the relief of locals and visitors drawn by the breaded pork cutlets, limburger sandwiches and fried chicken, as well as the cold longnecks. The ethnic eating scene continues to expand, offering more choices for sushi lovers and fans of Mexican food, especially. I Luv 8

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Sushi & Teriyaki has opened at 2017 Brownsboro Rd., and Kailana Sushi at 6435 Bardstown Rd. Among the new Mexican restaurants are El Mariachi at 9901 La Grange Rd., La Hacienda Guadalajara at 4132 Outer Loop, Adobo Mexican Restaurant at 5612 Bardstown Rd., and Los Mezcales at 7502 Preston Hwy. Straight Out Da Kitchen will dish out Caribbean and Cuban food straight out of their kitchen at 7502 Preston Hwy., and Anselmo’s Italian Bistro serves pastas and other European/Italian fare at 1511 Bardstown Rd. Two new cafés and a bakery have opened, near and far. Home Plate Café is across from Slugger Field at 400 E. Main St., the site of the one-time Blue Mountain Coffee, and ZiaLaLa Café, 12220 Shelbyville Rd., is in Middletown. And Annie May’s Sweet Café has taken over the old Sweet Tooth space at 3110 Frankfort Ave. The Recovery Room is a bar and grill with, of all things, a medical theme, at 1800 Frankfort Ave. in Clifton. Johnny Brusco’s Pizza is part of a small regional chain trying out the new urbanism at 10600 Meeting St., in Nor ton Commons. Smashburger is another national chain wetting a toe in the Louisville market at 9409 Shelbyville Rd. In New Albany, at 3211 Grant Line Rd., Earth Friends Café & Coffee Bar has opened near IUS. In downtown Louisville, in NuLu, Please and Thank You at 800 E. Market St., serves breakfast and lunch and sells old vinyl records. Settle in the listening booth with a coffee and a stack of discs and discover something classic. The new residential construction at U of L has opened some opportunities for restaurateurs seeking the college trade. Both Papalino’s Pizza and The Comfy Cow will be opening outlets at 1830 S. Third Street. Comfy Cow will open another store in Clifton, when they finish renovating the old house at 2223 Frankfort Ave. Habana Blues, the Cuban restaurant that has been pleasing Hoosiers in New Albany for over a year, is opening Habana Blues Tapas at 2813 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy. And the popular New Albany Mexican restaurant La Rosita is stretching across the river, opening a new outlet at 252 E. Market St., on the edge of NuLu. Famous Mike’s Steak & Lemonade has been successful enough at 3052 Wilson Ave. that he has opened a second store at 4918

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www.eiderdowngermantown.com

Located 1 0m

SEASONAL FOOD WiTH RESPECT FOR EUROPEAN AND SOUTHERN COOKiNG.

inutes from

15+ WINES BY THE GLASS. 21 BEERS ON TAP.

Down town, GERMANTOWN

Food

&Drink

bridges UofL an

290-2390

JAPANESE

GRILL

AND

SUSHI

SAPPOROJAPANESE.COM 1706 BARDSTOWN RD. 502.479.5550 649 SOUTH 4TH ST. 502.589.3333

OPEN: t PM. Friday: 4 – Midnigh Tuesday – Thursday: 4 – 11 : Noon – 10PM day Sun t. nigh Mid – AM 30 Saturday: 11: Monday: CLOSED

d the Highlands

EiDERDOWN 983 Goss Ave.

Poplar Level Rd. And three chains have opened yet another outlet in the area. Panera Bread is baking at the old EarX-tacy spot at 1534 Bardstown Rd., Shoney’s has opened another restaurant at 9921 Ormsby Station Rd., and McAlister’s Deli has another location at 980 Breckenridge Ln.

CLOSINGS Of the closings, the most notable is Browning’s. Anoosh Shariat is ending his involvement in the brewery-restaurant at Slugger Field, but if all goes well, new owners will re-open the space under the name of Against the Grain Brewery. Stay tuned. For ladies who lunch, the closing of Blooms Café at the rear of the party store at 307 Wallace Ave. comes as a blow. The modest little lunch spot with a loyal following fell victim to that ol’ Louisville retail plague: insufficient parking spaces. Increased traffic at other eateries on Wallace Ave. put parking at a premium, and eventually made Blooms unviable. The short list of closings includes the two Riverbend Winery locations, at 120 S. Tenth St. and 12003 Shelbyville Rd., Steinerts at 401 E. Main St. in New Albany, Midori Japanese Restaurant at 9409 Shelbyville Rd., and Artesia Fusion Bistro, which never reached critical mass at 133 E. Market St. Also shuttered recently are the Downtown Diner & Coffeehouse at 506 W. Main St. and New Albany Fish House at 2604 Charlestown Rd., both in New Albany. Umai Zushi Buffet at 3710 Chamber lain Ln., the Cuban restaurant Coco Lokos at 1850 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., and The Pie Pantry at 9208 Dixie Hwy. In addition, the local J. Gumbo’s chain was contracted by another outlet, closing the store at 9202 Hwy. 42 in Prospect while keeping the other locations going. And Asian Buffet closed the line at 1305 Veterans Pkwy. in Clarksville, Ind., leaving two other locations.

CHANGES

DINNER ONLY HIBACHI GRILL RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED 10 Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

In a major re-visioning, five Java Brewing Co. locations split off from the parent (which still maintains three stores).The new coffeehouse concept is called VINT, asserting that all their beverages will have true “vintage” sourcing, keeping everything as fresh as possible. The VINT coffeehouses are now at 2900 Frankfort Ave., 516 W. Main St., Fourth Street Live, 4901 Brownsboro Rd. and inside the Jewish Community Center on Dutchman’s Lane. F&D

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starters side dishes

side

dishes

From the Publisher

Awards continue to roll in

Since the first issue of Food & Dining Magazine hit newsstands almost nine years ago, a lot has changed. We first envisioned the magazine as geared toward Louisville visitors, to make them aware of the area’s dynamic restaurant culture. To that end, we distributed it mainly in area hotels. But over the years our local audience grew as the magazine evolved into one of the premier lifestyle magazines in Louisville. Like any magazine, our goal has been to grow our readership by providing the best content possible. So we have found local writers and editors well-versed in the city’s food culture and have among our staff Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Dan Dry, who now shoots all the striking images that grace our pages. Tim Laird, a nationally known entertaining expert who has appeared on “The Tonight Show” and the “CBS Early Show,” lends inspiration to readers with his regular column Easy Entertaining. Scott Harper, one of only 101 Master Sommeliers in the world, pens our wine column, giving sound, unpretentious advice about the fundamentals of enjoying his favorite beverage. We continue to strive to make Food & Dining Magazine even better and get the word out to as many readers as possible about this city’s extraordinary food scene. So what’s next? Until now, Food & Dining Magazine has been available on most newsstands in the area for $4.99 a copy. Starting with this issue you don’t have to shell out that five bucks. Food & Dining Magazine is now free. That’s right — gratis, complimentary, on the house. Look for your free copy at more than 300 businesses around the metro. Want to find a spot to pick up your next issue near your home or work? See the distribution map on our website (foodanddine.com) or Facebook page. (facebook.com/foodanddine) Between issues, you can keep up with the Louisville food scene — like us at facebook.com/foodanddine and follow us at twitter.com/fdzine. We dish daily on Louisville’s restaurant scene with notices of new restaurant openings, menu changes, specials, and happy hours. We post links to recipes and interesting articles for food-lovers and share live from foodie events. It’s cool food news that you’ll want to see. If you love to dine out or are learning how to make the most of your own kitchen, we have the goods for you. Do you do most of your reading online? We have you covered. Now you can get Food & Dining Magazine delivered by email for free. You can sign up on our website or our Facebook fan page. Still want the magazine delivered to your door? We can do that. Subscribe to F&D for a year at $18, you get an $18 gift certificate to a popular local restaurant. An even better deal — subscribe for two years at $26 and receive $36 in restaurant gift certificates. You can subscribe on our website or Facebook page, or call (502) 509-EATS (3287). We look forward to having you join us in our ongoing exploration of the Louisville area’s ever-changing restaurant scene. — John Carlos White 12 Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

The culinary scene in Louisville continues to attract national rave reviews, with more awards for locals folks this quarter. Rooibee Red Tea Watermelon Mint took home first place in the 2011 Nor th American Tea Championship Ready-to-Drink-Flavored/Sweetened category. The American Culinar y Foundation National Conference in Dallas this summer recognized three of our own. Dan Thomas, Jefferson County Public Schools catering supervisor/chef, received the Chef and Child Foundation True Spirit Award. Lilly’s Bistro was one of 23 restaurants nationwide honored with an Achievement of Excellence Award. And Derek Spendlove, Sullivan University’s Baking and Pastry Arts department chair, received the 2011 American Academy of Chefs Joseph Amendola Award. Also raking in the awards at Sullivan, Albert Schmid, department chair of Sullivan’s Hotel-Restaurant Management, Beverage Management and Hospitality Management departments, received the Wine Steward/Sommelier of the Year award at the 2011 International Association of Culinar y Professionals (IACP) Conference in Austin this summer.

Bring on the Bourbon The Urban Bourbon Trail Passport program added these six new stops to their trail: Asiatique, Buck’s, Corbett’s, Equus & Jack’s Lounge, and Ramsi’s Café on the World join the nine existing bars and restaurants in the program. To be eligible to join, restaurants must serve a minimum of 50 Bourbons, have three items on the menu made with Bourbon, offer interesting Bourbon cocktails and have Bourbon flights, plus have knowledgeable staff.

Ch-ch-ch-changes Lots of moves and changes afoot. We’ve got new menus rolling out with The Blind Pig switching to a change-on-a-whim model that lets them respond better to what’s available and in season. They’re taking the same approach with wine, with a shorter by the glass list that they’re mixing up every couple of weeks. Joining the gastropub as sous chef recently is Justin Whitsell, coming from Limestone. Eiderdown, who changes their menu seasonally, has added a new chef ’s tasting menu option Tuesday through Thursday nights. For $30 diners will feast on whatever Chef Brian Morgan is feeling that night, or for $42, they’ll enjoy beer pairings, or wine for $45. Molly Malone’s in St Matthews has decided that using their Highlands menu wasn’t fitting the bill, and added

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some more upscale and even a bit healthier options. Chef Mike Driskell has added a grilled salmon dish, among other dishes meant to appeal to those diners not so into fish and chips. Ghyslain on Market has added a gelato case to their offerings, providing further temptation to those lured in by the chocolate and pastries. The menu changes are only the beginning at Lilly’s and Seviche, who both remodeled this summer. Lilly’s got a facelift after 24 years with a Lilly’s Kathy Cary fresher, lighter feel and a new menu that changes every two weeks. Gone are the white tablecloths and the purple and green color scheme, in are soothing blacks, taupes and creams, and some modern touches like new water glasses. Some classic dishes remain, like the grilled Caesar salad, but diners will find new renditions of others — the Lilly’s fries now feature truffle salt and Green Goddess dressing. Seviche went all out, shutting down for a major re-do that resulted in a sleek, sophisticated new venue, lots more seating, posh new spacious restrooms (no more waiting!), a luxe private dining room and a huge kitchen Chef/owner Anthony Lamas is inviting big-name guest chefs into. Some other restaurants are adding on — 610 Magnolia rolled out a new outdoor pizza oven, Mozz is now open for lunch, O’Sheas is beginning to brew beer, and Hillbilly Tea is growing ever y which way, with an expansion underway and aspirations for branching out into other states. F&D

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quest to cook macarons

BY DANA MCMAHAN | PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN DRY

Quest to Cook–Macarons It was a travesty that I’d never tasted a French macaron, despite my yearly trips to France. In my defense, I’ve never considered myself a dessert person. I’d take cheese after a meal over a cloyingly sweet confection any day. And the colorful array of pastries in Parisian windows were candy to my camera, not to my tastebuds — or so I thought. I loved taking pictures of the little jewels, but thought they were a frivolous nibble for the MarieAntoinettes of the world, nothing for a foodie to take seriously. But as twilight fell on Paris one February day last winter, I made a pilgrimage to one of the foodie nirvana places I keep on a mental list — Pierre Hermé. France’s youngest Pastry Chef of the Year, Hermé is celebrated for his magnificent confections. I strolled from my hotel near the Eiffel Tower to Saint Germain des Prés, chilled through by the time I arrived an hour later at the small, glowing shop more reminiscent of a jewelry store than a pastry shop. Inside the bright, warm store people queued up to select their precious treats. Precious indeed — I chose the macarons because they were the only thing in the shop that wouldn’t cost more than I’d budgeted for dinner. The clerk waited patiently for me as I carefully considered my options, pointing “la, et la, et la … et la,” selecting rose, wasabi, salted caramel, and balsamic vinegar flavors. He carefully wrapped my treasures and took my euros — the four small macarons cost about €7 — more than $10. I left the store and perched on a nearby bench outside the church of St. Sulpice and bit into my first macaron. I exclaimed out loud. How could something this amazing be of this planet? As I bit down the thin meringue shell shattered into a cloud of intense flavor that melted, cloaking my taste-buds in sheer joy. I was in love. It took three bites to reach heaven. I meant to only eat one so as not to ruin my appetite for dinner but I couldn’t help it. I reached in the bag and plucked one more — this time I knew what to expect and closed my eyes the better to savor the rapture. I saved the other two for dessert which I partook of like a religious ceremony back in my room that night, each one three bites of bliss. I obsessed over macarons the rest of my time in Paris. I had to bring some home to my husband — how could I know that joy like this existed and not share it? The epicerie inside Publicis drugstore on the Champs-Elysées boasted a Pierre Hermé counter. On my last afternoon in Paris I chose a box of seven to take home. After the clerk packaged them up and rang me up my resolve failed. “Et une autre, pour moi. Un petit cadeau,” (And another for me. A small gift) I said, smiling already with anticipation. And in this chic shop on one of the grandest avenues of Paris, the young man grinned and handed it to me. No charge. Paris, je t’aime! I didn’t even have the decency to make it back to my hotel room. I stood outside the store in the late afternoon sun and slowly savored my last three bites of heaven in Paris. 14 Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

The macarons I hand-carried home didn’t even last 24 hours. Bereft in a gray, macaron-less world since, I’ve dreamed of those bites. Until one glorious day when Ghyslain on Market, a French bistro, opened. And life became Technicolor again when they brought out their stash of brightly-colored jewels. If I can’t live in Paris just yet, at least I can be transported there with three blissful bites whenever I like. But that’s really not enough. I wanted to know how to create these treasures for myself. And owner Ghyslain Maurais was kind enough to welcome me into his kitchen and share his macaron method. Our very own celebrated chocolatier, he naturally demonstrated with chocolate macarons — actually an easier version for us at home to replicate he explained, because the addition of cocoa makes the mixture a little drier, therefore easier to work with. He offered some tips as he prepared the macarons: Sift the dry ingredients well (he hummed and sang a bit as he sifted — maybe that helps too). He used almond flour, but other nut flours work well. Pistachio flour is often used in Paris, but almond flour is readily available at grocery stores in Louisville. He recommends Valrhona cocoa powder, available online. When there are this few ingredients you should use the highest quality available. I watched, fascinated as sugar, cocoa, almond flour and eggs transformed from disparate ingredients into macarons. As Ghyslain moved to and fro in the kitchen — business doesn’t halt just because a student is in the kitchen — I eyed the chocolate mixture, debating whether to swipe my finger through while he wasn’t looking. I at last confessed my urge to Ghyslain, who praised my tendency. “That makes a good cook!” he said. “You must taste the food you are cooking.” You don’t have to tell me twice. I could hardly wait until the macarons emerged from the oven and cooled for a few minutes. We sandwiched the tiny meringues together with a chocolate ganache filling and finally I got to pop one in my mouth. For all that I was standing in a brightlylit kitchen in Louisville, as I closed my eyes and savored, the three bites of bliss returned me to that winter’s night on a park bench in Paris. Eager to replicate them myself, I took my scrawled notes home, and on a rainy Sunday morning, set about making my very own macarons. And quickly learned that what appears so effortless for an artisan is anything but. I think with a bit of practice I could conjure up some macarons I’d present to friends, but the first batch, while cer tainly tasty, was a keep-in-the-family experiment. Rather than the light-as-air, slightly domed, smoothtopped cookies Ghyslain created, mine were disappointingly dense and cracked. Perhaps it was the rainy day; perhaps my batter was not dry enough. But no matter, because happily for me, anytime I want a taste of Paris I need only visit the shop and point “la, et la, et la … et la.” F&D

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Macaron Recipe MAKES ABOUT 24-30 COOKIES, FOR 12-15 MACARONS

Equipment needed: Silpat or parchment paper, large cookie sheet, food scale, mixer 3

/4 1 1 2 1 /4

cup almond or other nut flour cup powdered sugar ounce high quality cocoa powder large egg whites cup sugar

Sift the flour, powdered sugar and cocoa well, until there are no lumps. Mix the egg whites until theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re foamy and form soft peaks, then slowly add the sugar, still mixing, until itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glossy and the bubbles disappear. Fold the flour mixture into the beaten egg whites about a third at a time, using a rubber spatula. Put the batter into a piping bag with a #9 tip (or as I did, into a zip-style baggie with the corner snipped). Squeeze into quarter-size dollops onto a baking pan lined with Silpat or parchment paper. Let rest for 30 minutes or more to allow to dry. Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Bake about 10 minutes, up to 15 if the cookies are not dry. Cool for 10 minutes before assembling into macarons. For the filling use anything that will glue the cookies together. Ghyslain made a ganache. Other options include buttercream or jam. I used an Italian chocolate coffee sauce.

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humor

BY JAY FORMAN

Condo Kitchen Confessional

I love my kitchen. My wife and I built out the space ourselves and put a lot of thought and planning into it. In fact, I bought our Wolf five-burner gas cooktop before we even had a house in which to install it, as I couldn’t pass up the deal on eBay. We’ve got gleaming stainless appliances, a vent that can suck a toupee off a man’s head, and a double-wall oven with multiple-turkey capacity. The point of all this is that my kitchen is a comfortable space in which to work, a realization that was thrown into sharp relief over a weekend trip to Florida with friends.

transferred them to a sheet I took it upon myself to be the designated chef. Before leaving, I did lots of prep. pan and put them in the I made a fruit compote from Alabama peaches, honey, and fresh lemon thyme to go hatch. I had to carve the steak on the Dutch Baby pancakes. I marinated a grass-fed flank steak in pineapple juice, with a “chef ’s knife” made of a soy and garlic for the grill, and threw together a horseradish cream sauce to go metal so thin and flexible that with it as well. There was my famous curry chicken salad for easy sandwich the blade wobbled when I sliced. makin’. We were all set for a weekend of quality feasting. All this hard work went straight out the window when we got to The resulting steak was light brown the condo in Pensacola. The problem was twofold. First, there on the outside and also brown all the were three adults and two toddlers crammed into the twoway through, the culinary equivalent of bedroom space. This was our first group vacation with beige and about as exciting. multiple children and we clearly knew nothing about But what killed it all was my sad, how best to manage the accommodations. Put charbroiled mangling of the Dutch Baby. If together, our respective little ones went through you’ve never heard of a Dutch Baby, it is kind of a cross between a soufflé and a pancake which gets the astonishingly un-childproofed apartment baked in an oven. Williams-Sonoma sells the mix. And like mobile Robot Coupe 100s, within a matter of minutes salting the floor while I am not generally a fan of Williams-Sonoma and with Pepperidge Farm Goldfish, their overpriced and often useless contraptions, I would knock blueberries and raisins. But over a dozen old ladies to snatch the last can of Dutch Baby mix the second part involved off the shelf. The recipe asks that a cast iron skillet be used. Sadly, cooking, and that this piece of equipment was not offered in the condo’s array of was the real supplies. I tried to buy one at the last minute from a nearby challenge. Despite supermarket, but was told they didn’t sell that kind of thing my best efforts anymore and my best bet would be at Army Surplus. So I opted at prep, once there I to improvise and cook it, covered, on the stovetop in the thincould only work with the bottomed, non-oven-proof pans over very low heat. The result equipment on site, which was a charred, goopy mess that looked like ceramic tile mastic, featured a woeful electric only less appetizing. I scraped the top off then plated it with my cooktop and thin-bottomed sauté peach compote. I didn’t even try showing it to the children as I pans. On our first night I busted out the feared it would make them cry inconsolably. In the end it didn’t matter much; the kids preferred to eat flank steak. At home, I’d slap this on the grill, which would caramelize the pineapple floor raisins and we all went out for fried grouper sandwiches, so marinade a bit, and then dust it with paprika at we made out ok. But my hopes of gourmet cooking at the beach the end to add some depth to the flavor. Here, I were dashed by a shoddy kit. It pains me to lay the blame in such had to sear it in butter, which quickly burned. Clouds a way. In the past I’d always thought that a good chef could work of smoke rose from the pan, bounced off the feeble undermount with what was on hand regardless, that the ability to adapt and exhaust fan and threatened to wake the sleeping toddlers by improvise was part of the skillset. Mario Batali could have created triggering the fire alarm. Our hostess Chrissy had the sense to open a five-course tasting menu with the Oscar Meyer tongs and the doors to the deck, where the smoke rushed out and likely contents of the gift basket the condo association supplied. I now confused migrating seabirds. The plastic handles on the sauté pans have to admit to myself I am no Mario Batali. At least, not yet. I meant I couldn’t finish the steaks in the oven as I usually do. So I want a do-over. Put me in coach, I can play. F&D 16 Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

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about food $10 challenge

BY ASHLEE CLARK | PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN DRY

$10 Challenge – Havana Rumba

Good food shouldn’t be a luxury. In this column, I set out to prove that it is possible to eat a high-quality, low-cost meal within Louisville’s diverse and expanding food scene. My goal is to find a meal at a local restaurant that costs $10 or less (excluding the tip), an ideal limit for those of us who are cash-strapped but have a hard time sacrificing a nice meal outside of the house. Visit www.facebook.com/FoodandDine to leave suggestions for future columns. On my first visit to Havana Rumba, I approached the restaurant with a furrowed brow. Friends and colleagues had raved to me about this Cuban restaurant for weeks. They promised good food and great prices. They just didn’t mention how easy it is to miss the eatery’s St. Matthews location, which is nestled in a strip of small stores on a side street off of Shelbyville Road. By the time my fiancé and I approached Havana Rumba’s front door, I had made two wrong turns that ruined whatever good mood with which I began the day. For tunately, a welcoming staff, fantastic cuisine and the affordable dishes that followed my lackluster journey to the restaurant restored my good spirits and encouraged me to join the legion of Havana Rumba fans. Havana Rumba brings Cuba to Louisville through a variety of dishes native to the island nation. Many folks have probably heard of or tasted a Cuban-style sandwich, but the restaurant shows that

there is much more diversity to this country’s cuisine, which is heavily inspired by Spanish, Caribbean and indigenous dishes. Havana Rumba owner and general manager Marcos Lorenzo arrived in the United States from Cuba in 2000. Fortunately for Louisville, Lorenzo brought with him authentic flavors of his home that many of us will never have the pleasure of experiencing in Cuba. Havana Rumba’s appeal extends to a wide clientele. On a quiet weekday afternoon, two men with clipboards and khaki pants enjoyed a business lunch a few booths down from a three-generation family. Though the bar was understandably abandoned, the area’s drum stools, bright colors and full liquor shelves would be ideal for an after-work, under-40 set. At first glance, the menu resembles a first-year Spanish class primer. But don’t worry if you aren’t quite sure of the definitions of dishes like Pollo Asado, Frijoles Negros or Pan Con Lechon — Havana Rumba provides great descriptions of all their dishes.

The Havana Rumba sandwich with sweet potato fries and a smoked honey dipping sauce.

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The impact of Spanish dining on Cuban cuisine is clear on the first page of the menu with an impressive array of Spanish-style hot and cold tapas. Tapas are appetizer-size dishes that can be ordered and shared among a table of diners.These selections are perfect for a budgetconscious diner who travels with a pack of equally cash-strapped friends. Each person in a dinner party could order a different item and split the bill, staying well within a $10 dinner budget. There’s plenty to choose from — dishes include calamares fritos (fried calamari with sweet chili sauce and aioli), tostones con pollo (green fried plantains topped with Monterey Jack cheese, grilled cheese and salsa) and papas rellenas (mashed potato balls stuffed with seasoned ground beef). Venturing onto the sandwich menu is another easy way to save some money and eat heartily at Havana Rumba. Most of the sandwich, or bocaditos, options are less than $10. For the conservative type, there is the traditional Cubano sandwich and sweet potato fries for $8.50, a stack of roasted ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard pressed between Cuban bread. The Churrasco Chicken sandwich with French fries for $8.50 sounds like a more adventurous choice — grilled chicken breast with red chimichurri sauce, Swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, onions, tomatoes and honey mustard. The entrees, though they appear appetizing, creep past $10, so I decided on my afternoon visit to stick with the lunch menu, in which most of the items are less than $10. I was originally torn between the Cuban Sloppy Joe ($7.75), an international twist on an American favorite with ground beef, olives and raisins, and the Fricase de Pollo ($8.50), boneless chicken, potatoes and carrots slow cooked in a Creole sauce and served with rice, black beans and sweet plantains. I ultimately chose the Havana Rumba sandwich for $9.50. I couldn’t keep my eyes away from all of the pork products packed into the sandwich’s description. Roasted pork, Spanish chorizo, Serrano ham and hickory-smoked ham are all included on the restaurant’s namesake. Plus, the restaurant takes $1 off the price of their sandwiches Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., which made the selection even more appealing. The sandwich arrived in a beautiful stack next to a mound of crisp sweet potato fries. The diagonal cut revealed the heaping helping of pork, a slice of provolone cheese, a rich layer of mustard and aioli, and crispy pickle chips pressed firmly between two slices of bread. Each half of the sandwich was large enough to warrant deep contemplation on where to begin eating it. On the first bite, my teeth cracked the Cuban bread’s crunchy, buttery crust and sank into the seemingly endless layers of pork. The salty varieties of meat blended together into a ham delight. The mustard, aioli and pickles provided a tanginess that is key to a perfect Cuban pressed sandwich. The addition of pickles to ham was foreign to me, but with this introduction, I am tempted to try it at home with some deli meat, wheat bread and a George Foreman grill. The sweet potato fries were sweet companions to all that pork. The warm, meaty center in the crisp fries made them hard to stop popping into my mouth. But one of the highlights of the meal was a sweet, honey-based sauce delivered on the side of the sandwich. The waitress, who giggled as I praised the sauce, said it was primarily for dipping the sweet potato fries, but I found myself jamming stray corners of my sandwich into the tiny cup. The waitress even gave me a to-go container for the dipping sauce. The sandwich was denser than it appeared. One half was enough to keep me full until dinner, so I got two meals from one dish. Though my first experience with Havana Rumba had a shaky beginning, it will certainly not be my last. This restaurant provides tastes that are rare in this part of the world at prices that are becoming just as uncommon. The Bottom Line: Havana Rumba sandwich with sweet potato fries: $9.50 (Lunch discount – $1.00)

Water: $0 Total (after tax, before tip): $9.01

HAVANA RUMBA |

12003 SHELBYVILLE ROAD | (502) 244-5375 4115 OECHSLI AVENUE | (502) 897-1959 www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 19

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people and places profiles

BY KATY YOCOM | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DRY

A Steakhouse with a Difference

It would seem to require more than a modicum of chutzpah for a small Ft.Wayne, Indiana-based steakhouse chain, with four proper ties all in upscale suburbs, to invest $3.5 million to renovate a long-vacant space — a 12,000 square foot space at that — smack in the center of Louisville, during a lingering economic downturn. The management of Eddie Merlot’s Prime Aged Beef and Seafood needed to reach down to draw on their reserves of patience, fortitude and diplomacy as well, during the long process that turned the space that had for decades housed Rodes clothing store into a glittering restaurant. Weeks of non-stop jackhammering needed to reconfigure the space aggravated their Starks Building neighbors. Their contractor’s hiring of nonunion labor aggravated the building trades, resulting in a several weeks of noisy picketing on Fourth Street.

Bringing a chain to an indie town And opening a chain restaurant in the dead of winter, in a struggling economy, in a town that prides itself on its locally-owned restaurant culture, really required chutzpah. That combination of

factors had general manager Michael Manoocheri more than a little worried. His big question at the time: “How are Louisvillians going to perceive us?” he says. “I grew up in Louisville. I know what kind of town this is. It’s a great independent restaurant town.” Plenty of people had taken note of the space — ground floor in the Starks Building at the corner of Fourth and Muhammad Ali — and had hoped a local restaurant would move in. Instead, there was Manoocheri, heading up a shiny new giant, the fifth and latest unit in an out-of-town chain. It’s not that he didn’t trust the home office’s research. Still, “I was kind of concerned,” he admits. Six months after the opening, in Eddie Merlot’s Ft. Wayne, Indiana, home office, owner Bill Humphries sounds well satisfied with the chain’s latest unit. Humphries, an IU grad who entered the restaurant biz as a Subway franchisee, avows that business so far has been, in his words, “doing fabulous.” The Louisville store opened January 18 and, Humphries says, spent the next five months doing more volume than the chain’s other four locations — all suburban — in Ft. Wayne, Indianapolis, Columbus and Cincinnati. So what’s the secret to its success?

EDDIE MERLOT’S

455 S. Fourth St. (502) 584-3266

“Trio of Medallions” Three 4-ounce filets — peppercorn, Oscar and bacon gorgonzola cheese crust

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“Eddie’s Smokin Shrimp Cocktail” served with a horseradish cocktail sauce

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The Eddie Merlot’s formula Walk in the restaurant’s front door and you’ll begin to understand. It’s a beautiful space. “Gigantic,” yes, to use Manoocheri’s word: the main dining room seats 240; the lounge adds another 80. It’s a lovely giant, though, outfitted with blond wood and a barrel-arched ceiling, earth-tone mosaics and lots of stainedglass art. Two floor-to-ceiling wine walls — one for whites, one for reds — contribute an air of elegance and a promise of gustatory pleasure. The feel is spacious, welcoming and modern. Suddenly, the trope of the steakhouse as old boys’ club seems like a tired cliché. “Bill researched it,” Manoocheri says, referring to the fact that Humphries, the owner, learned that 60 percent of dining decisions are made by women. Thus the decision to create a space designed with women in mind, whether they’re executives entertaining clients on an expense account, or half of a couple on date night. A look at the menu reveals several other keys to the Eddie Merlot’s approach. The menu is built for crossover appeal, catering to female clientele as much as male by devoting considerable attention to seafood; the eight seafood entrees range from black and bleu sea scallops ($29) to cold-water lobster tails (market price). That’s not to deny that beef is the star within these walls. The meat is USDA prime, a designation granted to only two to three percent of the beef in the country — and it’s all prime, from the demure six-ounce filet mignon ($26) to the 38-ounce bone-in ribeye for two, carved table-side ($95, including accompaniments). Aged 21 days before it arrives at the restaurant from Chicago,

Executive Chef Travis Hall (left) and General Manager Michael Manoocheri

Art Deco-inspired fixtures and wall décor, plush banquettes, glittering mosaics, barrel-arched hallways and floor-to-ceiling wine walls all set the sleek tone for Eddie Merlot’s. (left at bottom center) An 8-ounce all-natural bison filet.

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the steaks are butchered in-house by the restaurant’s fulltime butcher, who selects the cuts for marbling and quality, portions them, and then cryovacs them until they’re ready to go on the grill. Sample the food and you’ll find that the kitchen devotes itself to perfection in its steaks — well marbled, juicy, cooked to temperature and intensely flavorful — but aims just as high in its other dishes, turning out, for instance, a flawless sesame-encrusted Ahi tuna ($29). In terms of price, it’s a cleverly constructed menu. “We’re an expensive restaurant,” Manoocheri acknowledges. “But we want to give you value. We want people to say, ‘Two hundred and forty dollars for two people — it’s expensive, but worth it.’ ” Indeed, those looking for the classic steakhouse experience — “steak on a plate,” accompanied by creamed spinach ($8) or asparagus spears ($10) or garlic mashed potatoes ($8) on the side, a nice bottle of wine — will have no trouble dropping a couple of hundred dollars for dinner for two.Yet it’s equally possible to order the cedar-plank salmon with sautéed spinach and fingerling potatoes ($28), or to try something off the rotating special menu—in June, it was “Eddie’s Tour of Italy,” which offered a complete plate of meat or fish, starch and vegetable starting at $25. As for wine, you can splurge on an $850 Abacus X, or you can stretch your dollars with a half-priced bottle on Sundays and Mondays. Fully 75 wines are offered by the glass. “We’re very under-priced on a lot of wine,” Manoocheri says, a decision intended to offer value to guests. There’s value in terms of providing economical options, and

then there’s value in the sense of throwing in a little something extra. One of the extras at Eddie Merlot’s is a sense of leisure. Dinner here is anything but rushed. Servers stop by for drink orders and perhaps an appetizer; next, a bread basket appears; a bit later, the server returns with a meat tray displaying uncooked examples of filet, rib-eye and strip so diners can check out the goods before deciding on an entrée. Another extra: table-side service. For diners who enjoy a bit of a show with their meal, the menu offers several opportunities for entertainment, from appetizers cooked at the table to desserts “prepared table-side in spectacular fashion,” as the menu boasts — think Bananas Foster, complete with a whoosh of flame and a shower of sparks. The emphasis on presentation is a way of engaging guests and once again increasing the perception of value.

The concierge touch There’s excellent beef, there’s value, there’s a pretty dining room. And then, there’s service. Manoocheri, whose most recent restaurant job was as GM for Jeff Ruby’s, is also a former hotelier with years at the Four Seasons and other top-drawer hotels. Drawing on that experience, he trains his staff members — all 108 of them — to provide what he calls “concierge service.” Manoocheri wants his staff to get to know the guests. The restaurant employs Open Table to keep track of diner’s names, preferences, food allergies and more. The goal, he says, is for his staff to seem clairvoyant. “Charlie Trotter talks about a crystal ball,” he says. “We have to know what your needs are before you ask us. If you have to ask, we’ve kind of

Buttermilk fried lobster over bleu cheese slaw with a five cheese lobster sauce

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Pan roasted Chilean sea bass with green beans and a maple vinaigrette

lost it.” In Manoocheri’s vision, guests can expect to be addressed by their last name, and a repeat guest shouldn’t be surprised if a server remembers that the guest’s preferred pre-dinner drink is a gin and tonic. “We want to be almost over the top,” he says.

The Fourth Street factor In the glamorous twenties, Fourth Street was the center of the Louisville universe, and Fourth and Walnut (as the corner was known then), anchored by the stylish Seelbach Hotel, was in the middle of it all. In the decades since, Fourth Street has seen steep decline, urban renewal, wig shops, and a decades-long struggle for revitalization. So how are things going now? For Eddie Merlot’s, the answer seems to be: better than expected. “I couldn’t hope for a better location,” Manoocheri says. The Starks Building may be far from any of Louisville’s restaurant rows, but it’s prime real estate for catching the convention business. After that January opening, the farm machinery show made February a big success, and convention business has been consistently strong since. And then there was Derby. Ah, Derby: Manoocheri called it “record-breaking” for any Eddie Merlot’s location, describing that Wednesday through Saturday as “about four New Year’s Eves in a row.” Mother’s Day was big as well. Summer was expected to be slower, but overall, Manoocheri is well pleased. Fourth and Muhammad Ali is also a convenient address for downtown professionals. The lounge and main dining room attract

the expense-account set before they head home from downtown. And “we do well with events,” Manoocheri says, noting the restaurant’s A/V equipped private dining areas.The restaurant even has a dedicated sales manager for booking private dining; pharmaceutical sales dinners are a particular success. Thus far, Eddie Merlot’s is open for dinner only, seven days a week (though lunch will be served in December, and there’s an idea afloat to open for lunch beyond that). Mondays through Thursdays tend to be all about convention business and professionals. But what about the other half of the dining scene? “Fridays and Saturdays are locals,” Manoocheri says. “It’s date night.” And it would appear that after all those bleak decades, when Fourth Street was abandoned after dark, people are willing once again to come downtown for pleasure. Humphries checked out that aspect before settling on the location. The KFC Yum! Center, in particular, has been good for business, according to Manoocheri. Thus far, date-night volume has been strong. “We’ll do four or five hundred people on a Saturday night,” Manoocheri says, and a lot of it is repeat business. “We’re very appreciative of the local guests coming in,” he says. “Louisville’s finicky. There are a lot of great restaurants in this town. Why would people come here? What am I going to do to get you to come back downtown on a Friday night?” He’s already answered that question, really. Manoocheri walks through his restaurant, past the floor-to-ceiling wine displays, past the reservation desk where his goal is to see a dossier started for every guest that comes through the door. “It doesn’t run on autopilot, let’s put it that way,” he says. “But it’s fun.” F&D www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 25

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liquids cork 101

BY SCOTT HARPER

2 1 6 U

nder

Bogle Vineyards Petite Sirah 2008 (California) The wine is almost opaque purple with flavors of black fruits, vanilla, oak, licorice and spice. It is dry, full-bodied and rich with forward fruit finishing with tight tannins. This Petite Sirah, like many others, would strongly benefit from decanting or a few years’ bottle aging to soften the tannins, but would stand up nicely to a grilled New York strip. The grape Petite Sirah is not a smaller version of the Syrah grape. It is actually a crossing of the little known Peloursin grape and Syrah. Bogle is a family-owned winery in Clarksburg, California, where they have been producing the grape since 1978.

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Michele Chiarlo Barbera D’Asti Superiore “Le Orme” 2007 (Piedmont, Italy) Here is a medium purple wine with a muted nose that opens in the palate with bright acidity, plum, red cherries, black berries, anise and hints of earth. Try this wine with a hearty pasta dish like Lasagna al Forno or the traditional Tuscan specialty of Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Michele and Giuseppina Chiarlo founded their winery in 1956 and continue to be the sole owners. Barbera is one of the most widely planted grapes in Italy and in the northwestern Italian region of Piedmont. Sometimes lost in the shadow of Barolo and Barbaresco, the great wines of Piedmont, Barbera (from the town of Asti) sells for a fraction of the price.

Perrin & Fils Cotes Du Rhone Nature 2009 (Rhone, France) Medium dark red color packed with Kirshwasser fruit, touch of earth, minerals, a mouth full of rich Grenache fruit, cracked pepper, anise and a full body which possesses balanced acid characterize this wine. There is an amazing complexity and flavor for the price. It tastes more like a junior Chateauneuf Du Pape than a simple Cotes Du Rhone. Different from their regular Cotes Du Rhone, the name Nature signifies that it is made from organically grown grapes (80% Grenache and 20% Syrah). Made by the Perrin family, owners of the prestigious Chateau Beaucastel of Chateauneuf Du Pape fame and Southern Rhone specialist since 1909.

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Is it a challenge to find quality wine for less than $12 a bottle? Not as much as one might think. The difference in a $10 and $12 bottle offers more quality than the two dollars may suggest. I found six delicious wines that I would happily serve with any casual dinner or as a primer wine for its appellation or varietal(s). While these wines may not be ubiquitous you should still be able to find them at most wine shops.

The Wolftrap Syrah Mourvèdre Viognier 2009 (Western Cape, South African) A medium red color speaks to the wine’s light to medium body. Very fruity flavors of cherries, blackberries, smoke and violets are all found in this dry, spicy Rhone style blend that is low in tannin and a tasty “quaffer.” It is not unusual in the Rhone Valley of France to add the white grape variety Viognier, as this wine does, to lift the aromatics of the wine without negatively affecting the color or body of a red wine. Boekenhoutskloof winery, named after the farm of the same name, is located in Franschhoek, South Africa, where many of the French Huguenots settled. The wine is named for a 250-year-old wolf trap found on the property where legend is mistaken, as there has never been a wolf spotted.

Hahn Winery Pinot Noir 2009 (Monterey, California) This wine presents a ruby red color with delicious black cherry, cola, vanilla and oak flavors all in a medium-bodied frame that is soft and supple. Dry with a silky, rich and round texture that is remarkable at the price. In German Hahn means rooster, which is also the name of the family that owns the winery. The first vintage for the Hahns was 1991 but it is part of the Smith & Hook winemaking estate, which was founded in 1980. The Smith & Hook estate is the combination of the former horse ranch named Smith Ranch and the former cattle ranch named Hook Ranch in Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey, California.

d’Arenberg “Stump Jump” Grenache Shiraz Mourvèdre 2009 (McLaren Vale, Australia) This is a medium dark red wine that is dry, rich and full-bodied with medium, wellintegrated tannins. Black plum and blackberry mix with red cherries, raspberries and cracked pepper. d’Arenberg has been owned by the Osborne family since 1912 and is considered one of the best producers of Shiraz and other Rhone varietals in Australia.They own more than 270 acres of vineyards, some more than 100 years old, and have unique wine making practices like using 19th century basket presses and foot treading. The name of the wine is a tribute to a plow invented by Australians that could ride over or “jump” stumps or gnarly vines, hence saving time and money.

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liquids hip hops

BY ROGER A. BAYLOR

easonal S BLURRING THE LINES rews

Long before global warming did or did not begin, depending on one’s political preferences, Ohio Valley summers were pavement-melting endurance contests characterized by a high humidity level, a low tolerance for heat stroke and mad rushes to occupy the nearest air conditioned room. When coal-fired AC was not an American bir thright, front porches at dusk simply had to do. Pre-Prohibition buckets of beer fetched from the local tap house by the eldest male heir helped ease the discomfort, but you’d have to drink

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quickly for the solace to remain cool. At least a few neighbors might offer assistance if a breeze kicked up. If you have just purchased, received or shoplifted this issue of Food & Dining, it is August, and summer time proceeds apace with maximum blast forge intent. A craft beer drinker’s thoughts have long since turned to seasonal Wheat, Kölsch, Pilsner or Amber, these being examples of milder beer styles ideally suited for sun and sweat. But there is dissonance afoot. Why have Oktoberfest lagers and pumpkin ales already star ted to appear on package store shelves and at your favorite local tap house? Aren’t these styles commonly associated with colorful autumns, German drinking marathons and crisp, nippy evenings in the patch with Linus, waiting for the Great Fermentable to rise?

Yes, they are, and nowadays, it hardly seems to matter. The rowdy modernist angel on my left shoulder says I shouldn’t care, and the classicist pedant on the right disagrees. Who wins? From the moment they’re weaned with a sip from daddy’s longneck, aspiring beer aficionados know that the most famous Oktoberfest gathering takes place in the Bavarian capital of Munich. I’ve been there, and the stories you’ve heard are accurate. For 16 sodden days, delirious throngs descend daily on a prefabricated beer city, paying airpor t prices for liters of lager, devouring sausages, schnitzel and rows of chickens (alongside the random ox) from spits, and carousing until closing time, when they’re not-sogently corralled into the September night. That’s right, September. Oktoberfest in Munich begins in September, and usually only the last few hangovers extend into the festival’s namesake month. Why? For one, northern European summers typically are shorter than ours, and harvest celebrations can begin in late August. In Munich, a 19th-century royal wedding fete coincided with the usual fall revelry, providing a sufficiently convenient excuse to fix an early start for October’s fest. Many beer styles we know today are of European origin, evolving over centuries according to rural, agricultural rhythms.

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Before refrigeration, it was too hot to brew in high summer, and so brewing schedules were tailored to accommodate. Oktoberfest-style lagers intended for autumn consumption were brewed in late winter, then aged (lagered) until needed, which is why they’re sometimes called Märzen, from the German word for March. Nature has its way, humans have theirs, and as a beer style, Oktoberfest/ Märzen suits both season and occasion. Compared with everyday golden lager, it is marginally stronger in alcohol, slightly heavier in the mouth, colored in tawnier shades of amber, brown and orange, and offering a malty flavor profile with only a slight hint of classic Bavarian “noble” hops. Oktoberfest/Märzen also is a foodie’s delight, pairing as well with loaded pizza or enchiladas as with the roasted fowl, beef and pork devoured at Bavarian harvest galas. An enduring impor ted

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most appropriate for the period of cooler weather between Halloween and Thanksgiving, and yet, as with the Oktoberfests, we’ll begin seeing them in summer’s boil. At my establishment, we buy pumpkin ales when they’re released, and usually keep them until a more temperate autumn prime time. By now, you may be asking: “Who cares?” Indeed, today’s brewery can produce any style of beer, any time, year round, irrespective of the season and the prevailing temperature, bound only by whichever nonsensical regulations have been foisted upon it by clueless lawmakers who drink Scotch whisky or Merlot while reading their Bibles. Somewhere in a hothouse, a pumpkin is being grown, and nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and ginger can be procured at any supermarket. Each ingredient required to brew an Oktoberfest lager, including

]

But there is dissonance afoot. Why have Oktoberfest lagers and pumpkin ales already started to appear on package store shelves and at your favorite local tap house in August?

favorite is Ayinger Oktober Fest- Märzen, while numerous American craft-brewed versions, from Sam Adams to Sun King, are worthy of sampling. Conversely, pumpkin ale is as newfangled as Oktoberfest lager is venerable. There are Colonial antecedents for pumpkins in brewing, but not until the craft brewing movement, and perhaps Halloween’s transformation into an adult holiday, did a new generation of pumpkininspired creations appear. Some brewers use pumpkin as an active ingredient, as with Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, while others, like Shipyard’s Pumpkinhead, add pumpkin pie spices. Alcohol contents typically are moderate, but Schlafly’s is 8% abv, and The Greater Pumpkin from Clipper City achieves 9% with the help of Bourbon barrel conditioning. Differences aside, these concoctions redolent of pumpkin-laced imagery seem

authentic malts, hops and yeast from Germany, sits ready and waiting to be ordered, whether February or November. Brewing technology long since usurped agrarian seasonal romance, and the prerequisites of marketing, pre-selling and delivering seasonal beers to an eager public shifts the very meaning of the word “seasonal.” Now, it implies limited availability, not time of year; if you want a chillier venue, notch down the thermostat. Otherwise, hurry up and get some, because after all, Christmas ales need to be available by late September. For me, the classicist angel’s voice is more insistent, and although it’s unrealistic, I must admit to a nostalgic, almost elegiac wish that seasonal beers like Oktoberfest and pumpkin ale remain wedded to a time of year when sweaters are worn, and not bathing suits. With the help of basement and fridge, I can do just that. It just takes patience. F&D www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 29

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liquids coffee

BY DAVID LANGE

[Good] Fast Food Coffee

I live in a coffee town. What’s more, I live in a neighborhood filled with trendy coffee spots, and I’m not just talking about the bigger chains like Starbucks. As such, I’ve become pretty well versed in the whole world of lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos and the like. And since I am in the coffee business, I’ve had my share of really good brews as well as some really putrid ones. “Fast food coffee” used to be a term of disdain. After all, how good could the coffee be in a fast food hamburger joint that specialized in getting food out the window fast? Until a couple of years ago, places like McDonald’s and Burger King didn’t put much thought into their coffee, and it showed. What has your experience been with fast food coffee? Or do you only drink the gourmet stuff, and you would never touch drip coffee anyway, opting for a latte that requires 15 minutes of detailed instructions as to how you want it? I am a firm believer that even among the cheapest of the cheap coffee, there is a discernible difference in taste, aroma, and all those other qualities that separate a good cuppa Joe from a really bad bastardization of what java should be. As the fast food restaurants started aiming for the breakfast market, however, the flavor of the coffee became an important factor. When coffee chains like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts started selling breakfast sandwiches and competing with the established breakfast drive-thru crowd, coffee became the key to bringing in the morning trade. With half a dozen drive-thru restaurants on the way to work, most folks will stop at the one that offers the coffee they like best. Let’s start with the obvious candidate: McDonald’s, who has started making an attempt at serving “gourmet” coffee. No longer do they use the cheapest beans they can find — as far as I can tell — because they have now opted for Arabica beans, similar to those that you would find at a Starbucks (only cheaper and prepared by a bunch of not so coffee-oriented individuals). What results is a much more flavorful coffee than they used to

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serve. Also like Starbucks, McDonald’s coffee has a distinct full-bodied flavor to it, and that’s something that not everyone likes. I do though, and while they’re certainly not the best option, Mickey-D’s isn’t all that bad when it comes to getting a caffeine fix. Recognizing that coffee is not their forte, rather than attempt to hit the market with their own brand of coffee or roasting their own beans, McDonald’s logically turned to a market giant to source their coffee. In 2005 they inked a deal with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters to provide Newman’s Own Organic coffees for all of their New England restaurants. They’ve since added premium coffees for the McCafe line, which originated in Australia in the early 1990s. For the past few years, McDonald’s has been aggressively rolling out and expanding its McCafe line of espresso-based drinks. In February 2010, Burger King became the latest fast food chain to join the coffee wars. In 2005 they tried to compete with McDonald’s by introducing BK Joe, a premium blend of coffee made just for Burger King. The coffee was a syrup that was added to hot water to produce a concoction that imitated coffee in color only. BK Joe has apparently outlived its usefulness. It will be phased out over the next few months as Burger King rolls out a new breakfast menu, rounded out by a deal with Starbucks to sell their Seattle’s Best line of java at all Burger King locations. The coffee will be available iced and with a selection of flavors and whipped toppings. Starbucks bought Seattle’s Best in 2003 and has been using the brand to grow while avoiding further overexposure of its namesake products and stores. For Burger King, the new addition could help bolster how people perceive its food — something that looks to me to have taken a backseat amid weird, verging on creepy, promotions featuring the “king” and his giant plastic head, “Baby Got Back” rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot and Spongebob Squarepants, and grease-soaked sandwiches with sub-McDonald’s appeal. In November 2009, Subway, the country’s largest sandwich chain, announced a partnership with Starbucks to serve Seattle’s Best in more than 9,000 stores in the United States and 800 in Canada. Subway has been working to break into the breakfast market, and, as noted before, coffee is vital if you’re going to bring in the breakfast trade. Starbucks has been fighting its own battles holding on to the market share. After closing hundreds of stores around the world in 2008 and 2009, they’re putting part of their focus on marketing products outside their cafes. Dunkin’ Donuts has been growing locally. And Chick-fil-A has recently begun touting its 100 percent Colombian brews, too. Hardee’s is another fast food giant that has discerned the error of their coffee ways. Once a Mecca for serious coffee hounds, it had deteriorated to a roadside sludge merchant with their bitter coffee offering. But recently they saw the caffeine light and have completely revamped their coffee program using innovative coffee and coffee brewing equipment. This escalating trend has also been felt in the convenience store market. For the last three years

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hot beverages have led category growth and profits for convenience stores. Consequently, the specialty coffee space is experiencing explosive growth. Coffee is not an impulse purchase in a convenience store, as nearly 96 percent of customers intend to buy a cup of coffee prior to walking in, according to Willard Bishop, an industry consultant. If a customer comes in for coffee, the average visit is about two minutes, which makes the location of other merchandise located near the coffee bar a good way to increase the customer’s purchase amount. Some retailers are finding that customers will typically purchase bottled water or a grab-and-go breakfast item with a cup of coffee, or a packaged snack item such as an energy, protein or granola bar. Also building on value and choice, retailers offer customers extensive offers at the coffee island in flavorful blends (Kona, dark roast, Colombian, hazelnut, French Vanilla, etc.) that rival a typical coffeehouse program. Customization is also a key ingredient to a successful coffee program. It’s not uncommon to find a variety of milks, creamers, sweeteners, flavor shots and toppings such as whipped cream. Most coffee providers to the convenience store channel offer Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance Certified products, meaning their blends adhere to fair prices for farming families as well as rigid environmental standards. These products are some of the most sustainable on the market and raise the standard of living for millions of people around the world. Studies show that once consumers are aware of Fair Trade coffee, they are more likely to purchase it. So as the passion for drinking good coffee becomes more the norm than the exception, we see how fast food locations and convenience stores have changed their perception to meet the demands of their customers. Coffee bubbling in a tainted glass coffee pot is becoming extinct, being substituted with rich, aromatic coffees, brewed correctly and caressed in thermal abodes. As embellished in an old Turkish proverb, “One cup of coffee is worth forty years of friendship.” So on that morning commute to work, or on your daily trek of errands, you can begin to feel assured that your new “coffee friend” could become a lasting one. F&D www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 31

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about food louisville street food

Taco Punkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smoked pulled pork shoulder taco

BY MICHAEL L. JONES | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DRY

S Louisville Street Food

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SoupByCycle, Lil Cheezer’s, Holy Mole, Busta Grill, and the San Diego Sandwich Works are among the most exciting and creative new eating establishments in Louisville, but you won’t find even one of them listed in your phone book. That’s because they don’t have fixed addresses or, in some cases, even walls. They are part of the vanguard of Louisville’s street food scene, which seems to have sprung forth whole cloth over the last year. Mobile vendors are delivering homemade soup on bicycles, selling California-inspired sandwiches from the back of a converted school bus and baking fresh Neapolitan pizzas on the back of a work truck. These mobile vendors can be found serving food everywhere from downtown Louisville to the car lots near Oxmoor Mall.

Food trucks and hot dog stands are familiar to anyone who has ever been on a construction site or to a flea market. And street food has been a staple in Hispanic communities for years. In fact, Chef Bruce Ucan of the Mayan Café pioneered the concept in Louisville before he opened his first stationary restaurant. What is different about the new generation of Louisville street food vendors is the wide array of quick, fresh and healthy food being offered and the disparate characters making it. The mobile vendors that talked to Food & Dining ran the gamut from culinary novices to decorated chefs. One of them, Gabe Sowder of Taco Punk, can even claim an Iron Chef victory. What unites these small business entrepreneurs is their creativity and their dedication to the mobile food concept. “Operating a food truck keeps you on your toes,” quipped Justyne Richardson of MozzaPi. “In a traditional restaurant, you can always control the temperature but that’s not always possible in the truck. We’ve had dough overproof because of the Louisville heat. The last year has been a real education. But you can’t beat face-to-face interaction with the public. As soon as a customer bites into our pizza we can see from the reaction on their face whether we’ve reached our goal or not. I love that.” Last year, Richardson was just another cooking novice who loved pizza. But then she decided to build a pizza temple to rival those in Naples. Right now, MozzaPi consists primarily of a wood-fired oven loaded on the back of a 4,000pound work truck. Richardson went through training by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana to ensure that she maintained the standards of the Italian masters. She is only one example of the passion that can be found roaming the streets of Louisville. After learning that state law limited him to only selling hot dogs, polish sausage, brats, and red hots on his cart, Adam Colvin of Busta Grill decided to think outside the box with his toppings. “I took that ball and I tried to elevate it,” Colvin said. “A lot of people who have a push cart just boil everything in water. That’s it. I have a kitchen I use by Slugger Field. I tried to make my own sausage but I ran up against a USDA certification that I don’t have. I sell a vegetarian hotdog which nobody else has.” Mobile vendors like Richardson and Colvin are the reason that the explosion of street food in the city has been a win-win situation for business owners and their fans. Customers, especially young people, enjoy street food because it is quick, fresh, and usually cheap. Most items are less than $10 and taste better than fast food. Whether they are trying to grab something tasty on a half-hour lunch break or experiencing the munchies after closing the bar, Louisvillians are finding mobile food vendors to be a great niche business. For the vendors, street food offers flexible hours and is a potentially lucrative start-up business that may require little to no overhead. Ian Ritchie of SoupByCycle delivers hundreds of ounces of homemade vegan, vegetarian and meat-based soups every week and he started off with nothing but a phone, his bike and a pot of chili. “I’d lost my job in a restaurant and was having problems finding a new one,” Ritchie said. “I called up some friends and asked, ‘If I make some chili would you buy some?’ I sold 30 bowls and I thought I might be onto something.” Richardson said doing the food truck was an inexpensive way to test her restaurant concept. Both she and Sowder of Taco Punk plan to open brick and mortar restaurants.They have each built up clientele all over the city that will follow them to their stationary locations, although both say they intend to continue catering and special events. In most cases, mobile food vendors get into street food with the idea of opening a restaurant in the future. Having an address has become more attractive to some vendors because being on the street has its drawbacks — especially in Louisville, where the food vending laws can be confusing and outdated. The majority of problems arise because the same laws that govern ice cream trucks and people selling items at swap meets regulate mobile street vendors. As well, some stationary restaurants have not taken kindly to the new mobile competition. The city has cited some street vendors for being too close to restaurants or public and residential areas. Brandon Coan, an advisor to Mayor Greg Fischer, said the city administration is hoping to lower the stress for mobile food vendors. Several proposed ordinance changes would allow street food to get closer to public areas and ease tension with traditional restaurants. Richardson, among others, is wondering if it will be fast enough to help the young business people struggling to scratch out a living on vegan wraps and red hots. www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 33

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Matt Davis’ food truck – Lil Cheezer’s

Adam Colvin’s hot dog cart – Busta Grill

Max Ballient & Rob Ross’ food truck – Holy Mole

“(MozzaPi) operates under a catering licenses, so we are able to get around a lot of the regulations that have hurt other mobile vendors,” Richardson confessed. “But the scene is never going to reach the level it should unless the laws change. Food truck culture is huge in California. It’s an accepted part of the dining culture. I’d like to see that blossom in Louisville. (The street food scene) is something that has popped up in the last year. Most of the food trucks weren’t here last summer. If the rules don’t change, some of them won’t be here next summer.” Talk to anyone in the know about the Louisville street food scene and they’ll eventually send you to Matt Davis, owner of the gourmet grilled cheese truck Lil Cheezer’s. Although Lil Cheezer’s has only been in operation since March 2011, Davis is already considered a veteran of the local scene. Max Ballient of Holy Mole, a food truck specializing in authentic made-from-scratch Mexican food, says he has learned a lot about the situation surrounding street food from Davis. Holy Mole went into operation in early July, but Ballient said he first heard about Davis a few months earlier. “I was already testing out recipes and buying equipment when I caught wind of this guy who was going to sell grilled cheese out the back of a truck,” Ballient said. “I wanted to speed up what I was doing because of the competition. But once I started talking to him, (Davis) turned out not to be competition but a resource.” Davis has grown his client base rather quickly. Lil Cheezer’s has graced construction sites, private events and even movie sets. Davis offers patrons nine cheeses and meats, and an assortment of vegetables. One of Lil Cheezer’s biggest sellers is the Fancy Pants Grilled Cheese. The menu promises “you can be as rich and

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Ian Ritchie’s SoupByCycle

wild as Donald Trump’s toupee while munching on sliced granny smith apples, caramelized onions, walnuts and Brie cheese.” Unlike Austin, Texas or Portland, Oregon, River City does not have an online resource to help potential vendors, or a central location where the trucks can set up on public space. So, Davis has turned himself into that resource. Having gone through a lot of concept changes and failed menus, he has a lot of knowledge to pass on. One of his pet peeves is the permitting structure that places mobile vendors under the state and local boards of health, and the Metro Department of Inspections, Permits, and Licenses (IPL). Two permits from the board of health govern street food vendors. A Temporary Food Permit costs $25-$30, depending on how long the vendor wants to stay in one spot. These permits were designed for vendors doing festivals and swap meets, not for mobile food vendors. Mobile food vendors are required to have a permit for each spot they visit. These permits are good for up to 14 days. After the vendor leaves a location, they can’t return to it for 30 days. However, the state issues the Kentucky Statewide Annual Mobile Food Unit Permit that, for a one-time $120 fee, allows vendors to operate under the same guidelines as the temporary permit. The annual permit requires the vendor to have full commercial plumbing done by a master plumber, something that can also be a costly investment for a start-up business. But Davis says the big problem facing the local street food scene is Metro Ordinance 57, a law regulating vendors and mobile food that the Metro Council adopted in 2009 in response to unauthorized festivals like the one surrounding West Louisville cruising during Derby.

Tom Edwards & Justyne Richardson’s food truck – MozzaPi

Gabe Sowder’s food booth – Taco Punk

Kaaren Weyland’s food truck – San Diego Sandwich Works

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The local ordinance is unintentionally harder on street food vendors than the state laws are. Ordinance 57 bars vendors from being within a 1,000 feet of any public or private school grounds while classes are in session, and vendors can not be within 300 feet of a brick and mortar restaurant or residential area. Vendors are also required to provide IPL with diagrams of the sites where they plan to serve food, move every 15 minutes, and finish serving before sundown. “The thing about Ordinance 57 is it’s a good ordinance when it regulates the right type of people,” Davis said. “It was designed for vendors who do swap meets or set up on the side of the road. The problem is they lump (street food vendors) in there and we don’t belong there. We’re a different kind of operation. Basically local is trumping state rules. Ordinance 57 takes always 90 percent of the things we’re allowed to do under the state license.” Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), an arm of the IPL, has cited several mobile vendors who have violated portions of Ordinance 57. Davis believes that the majority of these citations were responses to complaints from brick and mortar restaurants that did not like street food vendors hanging out in their area. Davis

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(clockwise from bottom left) San Diego Sandwich Works’ Coronado wrap and Little Italy sandwich, Busta Grill’s Kentucky bison dog, MozzaPi’s Margherita pizza, Lil Cheezer’s BLT with pepper jack cheese, Holy Mole’s fried fish and soft shell crab tacos, SoupByCycle’s borscht soup and stuffed zucchini. said he realizes that the owners of brick and mortar stores have a lot of money invested in their properties but he doesn’t believe they should see mobile vendors as a threat. His motto is to “go where the food isn’t.” He doesn’t think street food takes customers away from sit-down restaurants. Although the ABC citations have gotten Davis riled up, Lil Cheezer’s wasn’t one of the businesses cited. But San Diego Sandwich Works was. With the help of her two sons, Graham and Campbell, San Diego owner Kaaren Weyland sells paninis, soups and wraps out of a converted school bus. In June, she was cited for taking up a parking spot on Fourth Street. At the time of this writing, she was hoping to negotiate a settlement with the city. “I went down to IPL and I purchased a stationary vendor’s permit after I was cited,” Weyland says. “I talked to them and I’m hoping they are going to dismiss it. I haven’t had any other problems but that one incident. Mainly, I think it was because another person (the owner of a brick and mortar restaurant) complained about me.” Coan of Mayor Fischer’s office said the administration is looking at the tension in the street food scene as an economic development issue. He said there are plans to create an online resource so street food vendors can quickly look up their rights and responsibilities. The Fischer administration is also developing legislation that would lower the distance vendors have to stay away from public spaces.

“We realize that some of the rules are overly restrictive and complicated,” Coan said. “What we are doing now is the beginning of an ongoing process. Eventually, we would like to give vendors more legal places to gather, and cut through some of the red tape regarding IPL. We believe there is a role for mobile food vendors to play in the Louisville dining scene.” Colvin said there was an intentional move by the city to hamper the street food scene. The city was not prepared for the popularity of the movement. “Food trucks just burst on the scene and the city didn’t know how to handle it. They kind of came down hard on them. I don’t think they were standing up for the brick and mortar restaurants and trying to push the food trucks out. I don’t think that was the case. I think they were blindsided by the popularity of it.” In time, Colvin said, the Louisville dining scene will find the perfect balance between mobile vendors and brick and mortar restaurants. “Matt Davis and I were having a conversation about how big this thing could get,” Colvin said. “Austin has around 1,300 food trucks but we figured Louisville could only handle around 15. Louisville is not a pedestrian friendly, dense city. I believe we should be, but we’re not. So there is a lot of competition for the areas that we have. This is a restaurant town. That’s why I’m happy to have my pushcart. The little bit of pockets they have, everyone is fighting for them.” F&D www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 37

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people and places profiles

BY KATY YOCOM | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DRY

Louisville Locavore Movement Finds its Home at Harvest There was a time, some 15 or 20 years ago, when Kathy Cary may have been the only person in this town who really understood the value of local farmers. Now, as a city, Louisville gets it. We get local, we get pastured, we get ASH-free. We get Certified Organic, and we get what farmers mean when they say, “We’re not certified, but we don’t spray.” That education has come about in large part because of the efforts of Ivor Chodkowski. Do you know Ivor? If you’re a foodie in this town, particularly a foodie of the locavore variety, sooner or later someone will ask you this question: “Do you know Ivor?” The answer is yes. You know Ivor Chodkowski even if you don’t know you know him. He’s the trim, sweet-faced man at the Bardstown Road Farmer’s Market overseeing the busiest produce stand and the famous omelet station. He’s wearing a T-shirt and cargo shorts and well-worn leather work boots, and his graying hair is closely cropped or curling, depending on the season. He’s a busy man: farmer; owner and founder of Grasshoppers Distribution; farm activist and onetime president of the Community Farm Alliance; a founding board member of the Food Literacy

Project. He’s also the face of what may be the hottest addition to the Louisville restaurant scene all year: Harvest.

Locally grown Harvest is all about local — local and sustainable. You can see it from the minute you walk through the door at 624 E. Market in the NuLu arts district. The church pews from a Baptist church on Six Mile Lane. The tables made of reclaimed wood from a tobacco warehouse at 18th and Main. Even if no one tells you where the furnishings came from, you can feel the dedication to the local, the rustic, the character-filled. Nothing here is shiny or sleek. The walls are decorated with a series of black-and-white photographic portraits of the farmers who supply the restaurant’s food. A large

HARVEST RESTAURANT 624 E. Market St. (502) 384-9090

Hamburger with chèvre cheese and hog jowl jam on a pretzel bun

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Chef Coby Ming (left) and proprietor Ivor Chodkowski

regional map dominates the dining room’s back wall, marked to show the location of each supplier’s farm. Farmers’ photos and bios are pinned to the map as well. You can see it on the menu, which reflects the restaurant’s goal of sourcing 80 percent of their ingredients from within 100 miles — and which changes to reflect a particular ingredient’s abundance or lack thereof. Chef Coby Ming offers such “rustic regional” options as buttermilk fried chicken breast with an arugula biscuit hoecake and smoked peppercorn gravy ($19) — that is, until the popularity of the dish leads to a surplus of unused legand-thigh quarters in the freezer, at which point the chicken breasts disappear from the menu for a couple of weeks, replaced by barbecued legs and thighs until the supply is back in balance. (Meanwhile, the rest of the chicken is put to good use as well: the bones to make stock, the tenders for the kids’ meals.) You can even see it in the restaurant’s business plan. If you frequented the Bardstown Road Farmer’s Market last year, you noticed the chalkboard sign announcing the coming of Harvest, along with an invitation to become an investor. About 20 people signed on for the $5,000 shares. It wasn’t just a way to raise capital from friends and farmer’s market customers. It was a way to create passion and buy-in in the local community. “It’s wonderful,” Ivor says, “to have them campaigning for us.”

A natural progression The connection between farm and restaurant is easy enough to see. Still, Ivor was already a busy full-time farmer-distributoractivist-et cetera. In trying to imagine him adding restaurateur to that list, one question comes to mind: What got into you?

When asked, he laughs. “I don’t know. I need to have my head examined.” But he says it with a smile, seeming low-key. “I love food. Loved working in my mom’s kitchen when I was a kid.” The son of a painting professor at U of L, Ivor grew up spending summers in New Hampshire on his mother’s family dairy farm. As a young man, he moved to Oregon to study poetry in a Master of Fine Arts in Writing program. “I thought I’d teach,” he said. Instead, he found himself down at the farmer’s market, asking the farmers if they needed any help. Working in the fields in Oregon, he and the other farmhands would spend whole days talking about the dishes they could prepare with the crops they were growing. Later, back in Louisville and learning how to farm on his own, Ivor supplemented his income working in the kitchen at 211 Clover Lane and the now-departed Steam, and at Kuhl’s Liquors and Deli for childhood friends Peter and Patrick Kuhl. Seven or eight years ago, Peter and Ivor decided to start offering omelets at the Bardstown Road Farmer’s Market. The omelets were a smash hit; if you didn’t show up before 9 a.m. you were destined to stand in a slow-moving queue waiting for one of the creations, fashioned from local eggs, produce, herbs and (usually) smoked catfish. Ivor and Peter looked at those long lines, week after week, and saw the draw. “I think people appreciated that it was a farm experience with a very local-centric menu,” he says. “And we just thought because we were so busy, the market there was still undeveloped. We knew we could do some great food, mostly because I’d been growing the ingredients for so long. So it was a matter of putting a great team together.” www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 39

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Building the team They had their partners: Ivor, Peter and Patrick Kuhl, and operations man Jim McArthur. They were using that chalkboard sign to gather local investors. When it came time to assemble the kitchen and front-of-house team, Ivor’s connections as a restaurant supplier came into play. He reached out to Cassandra Hobbic, whom he knew from her days as general manager at Lilly’s. Hobbic, who had also served as food and beverage director at Proof, brought experience from some of the city’s bestregarded restaurants, an appreciation for the farm-to-table connection, and a particular eye for the beverage program, ensuring that even the drinks served at Harvest are “farm to glass.” “It’s nice to be part of a restaurant that has a bigger philosophy,” she says. Hobbic makes sure the kitchen and wait staff get exposed to the suppliers, taking them on field trips to local farms, distilleries and wineries so they can better translate the story to the restaurant’s guests. Then there was the executive chef slot to fill, and the answer came from an unexpected location: a few doors down East Market. Coby Ming had been chef with Wiltshire Pantry for nine years, many of them spent focusing largely on catering. She credits catering with helping her become a creative chef, but by the end of 2010, she had begun to feel a different tug. “I was extremely hungry for the closer connection to the plate and to the customer,” she says. Ming had met Ivor in her first year working at Wiltshire Pantry. As a supplier, he would call her weekly, tell her what produce he had, and drop it off. Late last year, she heard Harvest was in the works, and to her surprise, she learned the executive chef slot was open. “It felt like it was lining up right in front of me,” she says. “This was something I could really get behind and be proud of.” Ming went to Ivor, and although she says he was “completely shocked” at her interest, she interviewed for the position and got it. Soon to follow was Josh Lehman, who left the executive chef position at Bank Street Brewhouse in New Albany for the opportunity to work as a cook in Ming’s

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kitchen. Ivor points to Lehman’s decision to join the staff as “indicative of people’s belief in the idea we have.” The mandate to be local and sustainable provides a creative challenge for the kitchen staff. It’s a challenge Ming says she was craving. “It’s just so easy to think ‘let’s put lemon and ginger and extra virgin olive oil in things.’” The problem is, none of those ingredients are local. So, “you have to pull back. That’s been a good challenge for me. ‘This is your list, this is what we have, so make it work!’” Cooking locally means thinking on your toes and reacting to what you’ve got that day and what you don’t. In June, for instance, the kitchen found itself “bombarded with strawberries,” she says. “So we made vinegar.”

Whatever comes in the door Ming’s challenge began with trying to build a basic menu. “We knew going into it that the menu would fluctuate a lot,” she says. “So I tried to have a nice outline where you can easily switch things in and out. We get a base recipe and then we pick ingredients we can rotate in and out.” That necessity was evident from the day the restaurant opened for business on April 23. “Our first month,” Ming recalls, “sweet potatoes and carrots and garlic were about all we had to work with.” A few months in, and the Harvest team is still watching what develops. “The whole first year will be a learning experience,” Ivor says, “in terms of what comes in when and how much of it, and what we’ll pickle or freeze or ferment.” His experience as a longtime restaurant supplier provided a useful baseline of knowledge. “The winter was a concern,” he acknowledges, “and still is. But we opened at a good time to think about and deal with the winter. There’s a little lull between over-winter production and Chilled beet soup with gusto pepper crème fraîche and a red vein sorrel salad (far left), vegetarian pizza with arugula pesto and aged Asiago cheese (left) and for dessert, a blueberry shortcake (right).

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Bourbon BBQ Chicken with char-radish slaw, warm potato salad and crispy onions

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spring planting production where you have to make a lot out of a little.” In cold weather, sometimes it’s not even a matter of getting crops to grow; on some days it’s a question of having an unfrozen window when you can harvest the vegetables, or even access them at all on days when crop covers get frozen to the ground. As the seasons change and the restaurant comes through its first year, there’s no doubt it will evolve. “This time next year,” Ming predicts, “we’ll have all sorts of vinegars and conserves and preserves that we can turn to in a pinch.”

A hit From its earliest days, Harvest has been a local hit. Business in its 100-seat dining room quickly surpassed the partners’ expectations. “Even weeknights,” Ivor says. “Even lunches.” Early patrons posted on Open Table and other review sites, extolling the food even while complaining about a high noise level — a by-product of a busy dining room. Ming figures the enthusiasm for local, sustainable food has been a long time coming. “It’s been a slow build-up,” she says. “It’s such an old-fashioned kind of thing. People are interested in knowing more stories, more histories.There’s a resurgence in wanting to look into the farmer’s eyes who takes care of the pigs and grows the vegetables.” She enjoys the role she plays in that farmer-to-diner connection: “The farmers come in the back door, we wash (the food), we process it, we cook it, and it goes out the door. Everything that’s on the menu, we can tell you a story about it if you want to hear it.” Another aspect of the farm-to-table connection: “There’s no waste,” Hobbic says. “We have great respect for the ingredients from the moment they come in the door. This was someone’s hard work and this was someone’s commitment, and we try to respect that all the way through.” Ivor Chodkowski — farmer, activist, restaurateur — looks around the busy restaurant and sees something important happening. “I’m a big-picture person,” he says. “It just really matters a lot that the local food system be developed, because at some point the global food system may not be able to provide. If this place raises awareness of that at the same time people can come in and have a great experience, then we’ve really done something.” F&D www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 43

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easy entertaining panini party

BY TIM AND LORI LAIRD | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DRY

PANINI PARTY Dinner parties are a great way to entertain, but too many hosts shy away from throwing them because they are uncertain of their cooking skills, or think the whole process of planning, buying special food, preparing it correctly, and serving it with panache is too intimidating. But, the secret to throwing a great dinner party is as easy as 1-2-3. 1: Make the meal delicious but not hard to prepare. 2: Serve unexpected and interesting food, and 3: Find a fun way for your guests to help out, thereby making it super-easy on the host. A panini party certainly fits the bill. The humble panino has attained such cachet in the last few years that small appliance manufacturers have recast their clamshell tabletop electric grills as “Panini makers.” But you don’t really need a special appliance to transform a simple sandwich into a fun and interactive fête — just pick up a few tasty fillings and some breads and throw a panini party. Just as fun for a kid’s gathering as it is for a grownup occasion complete with cocktails, a panini party offers a relaxed approach to entertaining that guests will surely love too. While the host can certainly be the Big Cheese and don his grilling apron and operate the grilling line, it is even more fun to set out an array of sandwich fixings, and invite guests to invent their own Great New Panini. Get as creative as you like with your sandwich fillings or start with our favorites here. If you’re short on time, a simple solution we like is to pop by Lotsa Pasta and let them do some of the work of sandwich assembly (nobody says you can’t still take the credit!). For our party we decided to go a little upscale. Start with premium ingredients from local purveyors and artisans. Round out the offerings with a “signature” cocktail and finish with an easy dessert, and it’s sure to be a party all will enjoy — including you!

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TIPS

• You don’t have the hi-tech panini press? No problem, you can go old school. Put your sandwich on a hot grill pan and anchor it with a heavy pan on top. Flip and repeat. • Brush up on your Italian: one sandwich is a panino; two are panini. But if you don’t want to be that person, stick with the Americanized all-purpose name panini. • Poll guests ahead of time on Facebook or by email to see what their favorites are. • Take it another step and ask guests to bring their favorite panini filling and concoct something new with other guests’ fillings — you may be surprised at some of the creations! • Offer options for the youngest guests — even the adults may get a kick out of an Elvis-style panini with peanut butter and banana (or go European with banana and Nutella). • Panini are a great way to please vegetarians and vegans — they can ignore the prosciutto and rare roast beef, and pile on the eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini and fresh herbs. • Don’t forget the condiments — offer oil and vinegar and a variety of mustards. Pickles, chips and olives also make nice accompaniments to your sandwiches.

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1 Our Panini Picks & How to Make Them In a panini press: Brush bread with olive oil or butter, add panini and cook until golden and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. On the stove: Preheat a skillet with butter or olive oil to medium low. Add your panini and press a heavy pan on top to weigh it down. Cook until golden and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Portobello Mushrooms, Red Peppers, Cream Cheese and Provolone on Focaccia* Chicken, Prosciutto, Fontina Cheese, Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and Spinach Leaves on Focaccia* Turkey, Goat Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes on Focaccia* Roast Beef, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onions on Whole Wheat Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Tomato, Avocado and Dijon on Sourdough (*Available at Lotsa Pasta)

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Other Panini Ideas • • • • • • • • • •

Sliced Green Apples, Brie and caramelized onions on sourdough. Smoked bacon, figs, caramelized onions and goat cheese on ciabatta. Shredded chicken, BBQ Sauce and smoked Gouda on sourdough. Mesquite turkey, Cajun mayo, pepper jack cheese, red onion and dill pickles on sourdough. Prosciutto, Gruyere and red onion on rye. Spicy sausage, roasted red peppers and crumbled feta on ciabatta. Roast pork, deli ham, dill pickles, mustard and Swiss cheese on Cuban bread. Roasted turkey, cheddar and cranberry sauce on potato bread. Peanut butter, bananas and honey on cinnamon-swirl bread. Smoked ham, feta, pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella and baby spinach on ciabatta.

Honey Lemonade In a tall glass with ice add — 1.5 ounces Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey 3 ounces lemonade Garnish with a lemon wedge To make by the pitcher (MAKES 6) — 9 ounces Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey 18 ounces lemonade 4 ounces water Lemons, sliced for garnish

Chambord and Ice Cream (SERVES 1)

2 scoops ice cream 3 ounces Chambord Blackberries or raspberries for garnish

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people and places profiles

BY J. CHRISTIAN WALSH | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DRY

They’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

In an unofficial, year-end poll, I asked local restaurant-types what new eateries they were excited for in 2011. The name “Hammerheads” reached echo chamber levels and created a dividing-line between those of us who had eaten at the new place and those of us who had yet to. Not to feel left out, I paid an immediate visit to Adam Burress’ and Chase Mucerino’s Germantown restaurant. That is, after driving past it a couple of times.

Sometimes the young chefs’ imagination gets the better of them and the itch to play with something new takes over. Case in point: the head experiment. Last spring, Burress and Mucerino sourced five pig heads, doing their part to catch the rest of us up with the

This must be the place

Located on an unassuming, residential street corner in the basement of an aluminum-sided house, there’s the feeling of entering a hideout once you dive into Hammerheads (despite the attention heaped on it since its opening). The old, roadside letter board that bears its name has a dangling letter or two, making the restaurant’s most identifiable marker the fiberglass shark mounted above the door. This gift from Mucerino’s father was intended as interior decoration. But, because there was no room to hang it in the tiny dining room, the hammerhead was promoted to mascot and namesake. This embrace of kitsch continues once you’ve descended into the place, where you’ll be greeted by frat house adornment like plastic rhino heads and a mini disco ball, (an apparent ode to Louisville, the disco ball producing capital of the world). If you’re like me, you may begin to wonder if you’re in the right place. Could this basement joint really be the “it” spot so many in my circle were buzzing about, with its 20-something, first-time restaurateurs running things, the low-slung ceilings (our sixfoot-one photographer often had to duck) and its shrimp-sized kitchen? Yes indeed, I figured out as the night grew. A friend from the local paper happened to be making his first visit and that food critic’s good mood told me there may be something to my early polling. I inched one of the many space heaters closer to my table (this was December) and after a cursory glance at the menu, the message set by the décor was becoming clearer; we’re about food here. This is furthered by the curbside, double-barrel meat smoker parked outside: a necessary implement given the square footage here. Though not a BBQ joint per se, Hammerheads’ impressive smoker is at the center of what Burress and Mucerino do. Beyond smoked meats, the duo seem to be having fun with a menu that reads a little like pubgrub, but with unexpected ingredients and seasonings slipped in place of what might normally be expected. The result has been an instant hit. Hammerheads’ hours of operation can fluctuate based on how quickly the kitchen sells out. On a good night, the diminutive restaurant turns over 180 covers, wait times can hit one hour and the chefs start shutting things down before 10. So, if you’re looking to get you some, best you show up early.

Head shop In starting a new business during a down economy, the proprietors wanted to offer cuisine that appealed to as many palates and pocketbooks as possible, while still insisting on the ingredients they enjoy working with. It’s been a balancing act for these recent graduates of the Sullivan University Culinary Program, between cooking what sells and trying to nudge diners toward the unfamiliar. 48 Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

Hammerheads’ chef-owners Chase Mucerino (left) and Adam Burress so-called snout-to-tail movement. If there’s a symbol for eating outside of your comfort zone, pig head may be it. But the Head Tacos and Head Sandwich specials went over well — so well, in fact, that the items will become permanent fixtures on Hammerheads’ updated menu. So, other than cheek and tongue, what parts of the head do you eat, exactly? “The entire pig head is loaded with dark, rich meat,” Burress says. “There’s actually a little gold mine which lies right behind the eyeball. It’s as good as or better than the cheek and it’s a fairly large chunk.”

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HAMMERHEADS 921 Swan St. (502) 365-1112

House smoked BBQ lamb ribs

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Next wave Face eating may remain a no-go for some, but the head experiment reflects a current, “whole beast” trend that’s been hitting big cities around the world for more than a decade. This dates back, at least, to the 1999 publication of “Nose to Tail Eating: A Kind of British Cooking,” by Fergus Henderson, a renowned London chef. In truth, there’s nothing groundbreaking about this way of eating — it’s quite the opposite, really. What is new is an increasingly anti-microwave, anti-processed food attitude amongst today’s cooks and diners who aim to take the process as far back as they can. We see signs of this in the growing number of vegetables, chickens and even goats being raised in backyards. The spirit of Hammerheads embodies what we hope is a building surge of new cuisine and business in Germantown.These enterprises are helmed by first-timers a generation or so removed from neighborhood stalwarts like the Coach Lamp or Lynn’s Paradise Café. Due to affordable real estate, Burress explains, the area has become something of a testing ground for restaurant newbies. “It’s a good thing that young people are starting to take bold steps here, to have the confidence to tackle business,” Burress says. “I’m loving it, man: seeing people come up who graduated with me (from Sullivan.)” As for Hammerheads’ future in Germantown, their early popularity may force relocation to a larger space, a prospect that does not sit well with some locals. Burress was touched when neighborhood regulars started a rezoning petition that would permit Hammerheads to move to a bigger building just across the street. The gesture has him wondering whether he can catch lightning in a bottle a second time. “I really dig the (current) location and I’m almost afraid. Just 50 Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

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Hammerheads’ pork head sandwich (opposite at bottom), elk burger with sun-dried tomato aioli and Spanish brie served on a pretzel bun with hand cut French fries (opposite at top), soft shell crab taco (opposite at bottom center), and the house smoked BBQ lamb ribs are ready for the smoker (above). because it works in one place, doesn’t mean it’s going to work in another.” For the time being anyway, it looks like the shark is staying put! Hammerheads will continue to keep things small on the corner of Swan and East Caldwell. This may mean filling fewer bellies, but as Burress reasons, the restaurant’s ability to store only daily batches of inventory ensures that nothing but fresh food leaves the kitchen.

The goods Burress and Mucerino developed their craft on someone else’s dime, while working at places like Blu and Jeff Ruby’s. As a sous chef at the acclaimed Seviche, Burress says he was able to play with an array of flavors and proteins, gaining a firmer grip on the tweaks he could apply to some classic dishes. Three examples of how this plays out are the Pork Belly BLT (called the PBLT, $6), the Duck Tacos ($8), and Barbecued Lamb Ribs (1/2 rack, $9/whole rack $16). As you might’ve guessed, the PBLT switches out the familiar bacon strips for a softer, succulently fatty pillow of pork belly. (As for the “L” and “T” part of this equation, Burress and Mucerino kept with the original formula.) And, if duck isn’t your thing, the tacos are also available with pulled pork or beef and topped with tomato, cilantro and a fresh jalapeno-lime aioli. Traditional baby backs are available ($14/$22), but the Lamb Ribs are something you won’t see everyday. One of the more compelling (and sometimes misunderstood) offerings at Hammerheads, the half-rack comes plated on a rustic board with the ribs arranged in a pleasing stack. Garnished simply with a pinch

of greens and tiny pool of au jus, the milder, slightly gamey lamb meat pushes the herbs from the rub forward and presents just the right touch of smoke. Not nearly as popular in the States as in other parts of the globe, the chefs’ level of fondness for this meat became apparent when Burress revealed that he and Mucerino are selling their lamb ribs at a loss. “We took a cut on that, just to make people happy. And just to get them out there, to show people: these exist, they’re delicious and you don’t have to go to a fine dining scene to get quality lamb,” Burress says, adding that his aim was to create a “niche dish” that wasn’t offered every place in town. No need to fret if you’re a non-meat eater. The menu easily accommodates vegetarian diners with selections ranging from the Crispy Mushroom Medley and Sun-Dried Tomato Aioli ($8), to Mac and Cheese with Hollandaise ($7), to veggie versions of their taco, burger and Sloppy Joe (all $7). In addition, there are numerous permutations of French fry on offer (eight by my math) that include variations with Grippo’s potato chip seasoning ($4), truffle oil ($5), or the recommended duck-fat deep fry (add $3, and obviously not veggie). Hammerheads’ low price point and scattered menu encourages adventurous sampling and family style dining. Ordering a slew of plates won’t break most diners and is probably the best way to experience what Burress and Mucerino do. Each time the kitchen curtain parts and a new dish is presented, there’s a feeling of inclusion in some basement experiment, where there are more hits than misses and each item contains a twist unique to its youthful creators. F&D www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 51

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▲

Alphabetical Index

ALL RESTAURANTS ARE LISTED ALPHABETICALLY, FOLLOWED BY THE PAGE NUMBER OF ITS REVIEW, THE CUISINE STYLE, AND THE CORRESPONDING MAP NUMBER(S). UNMAPPED [ ] DENOTES MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. RESTAURANT

Cuisine Style 73 73 74 74 75 75 76 76 72 71 60 62 67 78 78 64 80 80 68 76 76 76 76 77 56 67 77 78 73 77 68 69 63 80 64 57

Area Maps

dining guide

AFRICAN ASIAN/CHINESE ASIAN/FILIPINO ASIAN/JAPANESE ASIAN/KOREAN ASIAN/MONGOLIAN ASIAN/THAI ASIAN/VIETNAMESE BAR & GRILL BARBECUE BISTRO/CONTEMPORARY CAFÉS CAFETERIAS CAJUN/CREOLE CARIBBEAN/CUBAN CASUAL DINING COFFEE/TEA HOUSE DESSERTS/BAKERY ENTERTAINMENT DINING EUROPEAN/BOSNIAN EUROPEAN/GERMAN EUROPEAN/IRISH EUROPEAN/ITALIAN EUROPEAN/SPANISH FINE DINING HOME STYLE/SOUTHERN INDIAN MEXICAN MICROBREWERIES MIDDLE EASTERN PIZZA SANDWICH/DELI SEAFOOD SOUTHWEST/TEX MEX STEAKHOUSE UPSCALE CASUAL

MAP # DIRECTION PG # DOWNTOWN 84 1 downtown louisville NEAR EAST 85 2 highlands – crescent hill NEAR EAST 86 3 st. matthews SOUTH EAST 87 4 hikes point – buechel EAST 88 5 hurstbourne – anchorage EAST 89 6 hurstbourne s. – jeffersontown NORTH EAST 90 7 indian hills – westport FAR NORTH EAST 90 8 westport rd. – gene snyder NEW MAP NA 9 under construction NORTH EAST 91 10 prospect SOUTH EAST 91 11 fern creek SOUTH WEST 92 12 shively – pleasure ridge SOUTH 93 13 old louisville – airport INDIANA 94 14 new albany – floyds knobs INDIANA 95 15 clarksville INDIANA 95 16 jeffersonville

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PAGE #/CUISINE STYLE

MAP #

#1 Asian Buffet 73 Asian/Chinese 2 211 Clover Lane 56 Fine Dining 3 60 West Bistro 57 Upscale Casual 3 610 Magnolia 56 Fine Dining 13 732 Social 57 Upscale Casual 1 8 China Buffet 73 Asian/Chinese 6 A Nice Restaurant 64 Casual Dining 14, 16 A Taste of China 73 Asian/Chinese 1 A.J.’s Gyro Café 77 Middle Eastern 14 A.P. Crafters Kitchen & Bar 60 Bistro/Contemporary 5 Addis Grill 73 African 1 Adobo Mexican Restaurant 78 Mexican 11 Adrienne & Co. Bakery Café 80 Desserts/Bakery 16 Adrienne’s Italian 76 European/Italian 16 Ahoy Fish Hut 63 Seafood 4 Al Watan 77 Middle Eastern 4 Alexander’s Pizzeria 68 Pizza 16 Alexzander Taqueria 78 Mexican 13 Alley Cat Café 62 Cafés 5 Amazing Grace Deli 69 Sandwich/Deli 2 Amici 76 European/Italian 13 Anchorage Café 62 Cafés 5 Angelina’s Café 76 European/Italian 5 Angilo’s Pizza 68 Pizza 13 Angio’s Restaurant 68 Pizza 4 Ann’s by the River 67 Cafeterias 16 Annie Cafe 76 Asian/Vietnamese 13 Annie May’s Sweets Café 80 Desserts/Bakery 3 Annie’s Pizza 68 Pizza 1, 12 Another Place 69 Sandwich/Deli 1 Anselmo’s Italian Bistro 76 European/Italian 2 Applebee’s 64 Casual Dining [6] Arni’s Pizza 68 Pizza 14 Aroma Café 62 Cafés 14 Asahi Japanese 74 Asian/Japanese 3 Asian Buffet 73 Asian/Chinese 4, 14 Asian Moon 73 Asian/Chinese 4, 6 Asiatique 57 Upscale Casual 2 Aspen Creek Restaurant 64 Casual Dining 11 Atrium Café 61 Bistro/Contemporary 5 August Moon 73 Asian/Chinese 2 Austin’s 57 Upscale Casual 7 Avalon 57 Upscale Casual 2 BD’s Mongolian Grill 75 Asian/Mongolian 6 B.J.’s Restaurant & Brewhouse 64 Casual Dining 5 Backyard Burger 69 Sandwich/Deli 6 The Bakery 80 Desserts/Bakery 4 Bamboo House 73 Asian/Chinese 13 Bank Street Brewhouse 73 Microbreweries 14 Barbara Lee’s Kitchen 67 Home Style/Southern 2 The Bard’s Town 68 Entertainment Dining 2 Basa Modern Vietnamese 57 Upscale Casual 2 Baxter Station 61 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Bazos Mexican Grill 78 Mexican 3, 6 Bean Street Café 8o Coffee/Tea House 14 Bearno’s Pizza 68 Pizza [12] Beef O’Brady’s 72 Bar & Grill 5, 12, 13, 14, 15 Beijing Grill & Sushi Bar 74 Asian/Japanese 14 Big Al’s Beeritaville 72 Bar & Grill 2 Big Blue Country 72 Bar & Grill 2 Big Momma’s Soul Kitchen 67 Home Style/Southern 1 The Bistro 67 Cafeterias 3 Bistro 42 76 European/Italian 10 Bistro 301 61 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Bistro Le Relais 61 Bistro/Contemporary 4 Blackstone Grille 57 Upscale Casual 10 Blimpie’s Subs 69 Sandwich/Deli 2 The Blind Pig 61 Bistro/Contemporary 2 BLU Mediterranean Grille 58 Upscale Casual 1 Blue Dog Bakery 62 Cafés 2 Blue Horse Café 64 Casual Dining 13 Blue Lagoon 63 Seafood 2 Bluegrass Brewing Co. 73 Microbreweries 1, 3 Bluegrass Burgers 64 Casual Dining 3 Bombay Grill 77 Indian 5 Bonefish Grill 63 Seafood 5 Bonnie & Clyde’s Pizza 68 Pizza 12 Boombozz Famous Pizza 68 Pizza 3 Boombozz Pizza Bistro 68 Pizza 6 Boombozz Pizza & Taphouse 68 Pizza 2, 5 Boomer’s Café 62 Cafés 1 Bootleg Barbecue Co. 71 Barbecue 11, 13 Borromeo’s Pizza 68 Pizza 13 Bosna-Mak 76 European/Bosnian 4 Boulevard Café 78 Mexican 15 Bourbons Bistro 61 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Bowman’s BBQ 71 Barbecue 14 Brandon’s Bar-B-Que 71 Barbecue 5 Bravo! 58 Upscale Casual 3 Breadworks 80 Desserts/Bakery 2, 5, 7 Brendan O’Shea’s 76 European/Irish 3 Brian’s Deli 69 Sandwich/Deli 1 Brickhouse Tavern & Tap 64 Casual Dining 6 Bristol Bar & Grille 58 Upscale Casual 1,2,5,10,13,16 Brix Wine Bar 61 Bistro/Contemporary 8 Brownie’s Grille & Bar 72 Bar & Grill 5 Buca Di Beppo 77 European/Italian 6

RESTAURANT

PAGE #/CUISINE STYLE

Buck’s Buckhead Mountain Grill Buffalo Wild Wings Buffalo Wings & Rings Bungalow Joe’s Bunz Restaurant Burger Boy Burning Bush Grille Butcher’s Best Deli Butterfly Garden Café Café 360 Café Envy Café Fraiche Café Lou Lou Café Magnolia Café Mimosa Café Montagu Café Palacio Café Thuy Van Caffe Classico Cake Flour California Pizza Kitchen Calistoga Bakery Café Captain’s Quarters Cardinal Hall of Fame Café Carley Rae’s Carmen’s Cupcakes Carolyn’s Carrabba’s Italian Grille Cast Iron Steakhouse Cat Box Deli Caviar Japanese Restaurant Cellar Door Chocolates Champions Grill Champion’s Sports Bar Charlestown Pizza Co. Check’s Café Cheddar Box Café Cheddar’s Casual Café The Cheesecake Factory Cheezy’s Pizza Chez Seneba African Chicago Gyros The Chicken House Chicken King Chili’s China 1 China Buffet China Café China Castle China Garden China Inn China King China Taste Chinese Chef Chinese Express Choi’s Asian Food Market Chong Garden Chopshop Salads Chopsticks Chopsticks House Chung King Chuy’s Cici’s City Café Clarksville Seafood Clifton’s Pizza Clucker’s Wings Coach Lamp Coals Artisan Pizza CoCo’s Chocolate Café Coffee Crossing Coffee Pot Café Come Back Inn The Comfy Cow Corbett’s ‘an American place’ Corner Café Corner Door Bar & Grill Cottage Café Cottage Inn Cozza Osteria Enoteca Crave Café & Catering Cravings a la Carte Creekside Outpost & Café Cricket’s Café Crystal Chinese Cuban Flavor Cubana Restaurant Culver’s Cumberland Brews Cunningham’s The Cupcake Shoppe Cyclers Café Dakshin Indian Restaurant DaLat’s Gateaux & Bakery Danish Express Pastries Danny Mac’s Pasta & Pizza Day’s Espresso De La Torre’s Del Frisco’s Derby Café Derby City Espresso Derby Dinner Playhouse Desserts By Helen Devino’s Diamond Pub & Billiards Difabio’s Casapela DiOrio’s Pizza & Pub

MAP #

56 Fine Dining 13 64 Casual Dining 4, 8, 16 72 Bar & Grill 2,3,5,6,8,12,15 72 Bar & Grill 8 72 Bar & Grill 11 64 Casual Dining 2 69 Sandwich/Deli 13 77 Middle Eastern 10 70 Sandwich/Deli 10 62 Cafés 2, 3 78 Middle Eastern 2 64 Casual Dining 1 62 Cafés 7 61 Bistro/Contemporary 2,3 65 Casual Dining 1 76 Asian/Vietnamese 2 62 Cafés 13 70 Sandwich/Deli 3 76 Asian/Vietnamese 13 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 80 Desserts/Bakery 1 68 Pizza 5 70 Sandwich/Deli 1, 3 65 Casual Dining 10 65 Casual Dining 13 67 Home Style/Southern 1 80 Desserts/Bakery 8 67 Home Style/Southern 12 77 European/Italian 5 64 Steakhouse 10, 16 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 58 Upscale Casual 1 80 Desserts/Bakery 2 65 Casual Dining 16 72 Bar & Grill 1 68 Pizza 16 67 Home Style/Southern 1 62 Cafés 5 65 Casual Dining 8, 13, 15 58 Upscale Casual 3 68 Pizza 16 73 African 13 70 Sandwich/Deli 2 67 Home Style/Southern 14 67 Home Style/Southern 1 65 Casual Dining 4, 5, 8, 13 73 Asian/Chinese 3 73 Asian/Chinese 15 73 Asian/Chinese 13 73 Asian/Chinese 12 73 Asian/Chinese 13 73 Asian/Chinese 13 73 Asian/Chinese 6 73 Asian/Chinese 16 73 Asian/Chinese 13 73 Asian/Chinese 12 74 Asian/Japanese 5 73 Asian/Chinese 12 65 Casual Dining 1, 3 73 Asian/Chinese 1 73 Asian/Chinese 1 73 Asian/Chinese 1 80 Southwest/Tex Mex 3, 15 68 Pizza 4, 14 62 Cafés 1, 2 63 Seafood 15 68 Pizza 2 72 Bar & Grill 14, 16 65 Casual Dining 1 68 Pizza 3 80 Desserts/Bakery 2 80 Coffee/Tea House 14 80 Coffee/Tea House 1 77 European/Italian 1, 16 81 Desserts/Bakery 2,5,13 56 Fine Dining 8 58 Upscale Casual 5 72 Bar & Grill 2 67 Home Style/Southern 5 67 Home Style/Southern 13 77 European/Italian 16 62 Cafés 2 67 Cafeterias 1 62 Cafés 14 62 Cafés 15 73 Asian/Chinese 1 78 Caribbean/Cuban 11 78 Caribbean/Cuban 2 65 Casual Dining 6 73 Microbreweries 2 65 Casual Dining 1, 10 81 Desserts/Bakery 3 62 Cafés 2 77 Indian 11 81 Desserts/Bakery 13 70 Sandwich/Deli 3 68 Pizza 13 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 77 European/Spanish 2 64 Steakhouse 3 62 Cafés 13 80 Coffee/Tea House 1 68 Entertainment Dining 16 81 Desserts/Bakery 1, 2 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 72 Bar & Grill 3 77 European/Italian 2 68 Pizza 3

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RESTAURANT

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Dish On Market 61 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Ditto’s Grill 61 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Dizzy Whizz Drive-In 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 D’Nalley’s Restaurant 67 Home Style/Southern 1 Doc Crow’s 58 Upscale Casual 1 Don Pablos 78 Mexican 15 Donegan’s Restaurant & Pub 72 Bar & Grill 2 Dooley’s Bagels 70 Sandwich/Deli 7 Double Dragon 73 Asian/Chinese 1, 2 Double Dragon II 73 Asian/Chinese 8, 11, 12, 13 Double Dragon 8 73 Asian/Chinese 1 Double Dragon 9 73 Asian/Chinese 6 Double Dragon Buffet 73 Asian/Chinese 5 Dragon King’s Daughter 74 Asian/Japanese 2 Drake’s 72 Bar & Grill 3 DuValle Grub N Scrub 71 Barbecue 13 Dynasty Buffet 73 Asian/Chinese 7 Eagle Lake & Restaurant 63 Seafood 12 Earth Friends Café 62 Cafés 14 Eastern House 73 Asian/Chinese 12 Eddie Merlot’s 64 Steakhouse 1 Edesia Gardens 65 Casual Dining 6 Eggroll Machine 73 Asian/Chinese 2 Eiderdown 76 European/German 13 Einstein Brothers Bagels 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 El Burrito de Oro 78 Mexican 15 El Caporal 78 Mexican 4, 6, 15 El Mariachi 78 Mexican 5 El Mundo 78 Mexican 2 El Nopal 78 Mexican 3,5,6,7,8,13,14 El Nopalito 78 Mexican 4, 11 El Rey Mexican 78 Mexican 4 El Rodeo Mexican 79 Mexican 12 El Sombrero 79 Mexican 16 El Tarasco 79 Mexican 3, 5, 6, 13 El Toro Cantina & Grill 79 Mexican 6 Emperor of China 73 Asian/Chinese 7 Empress of China 73 Asian/Chinese 4 The English Grill 56 Fine Dining 1 Equus 58 Upscale Casual 3 Erika’s German Restaurant 76 European/German 6 Ermin’s Bakery & Café 62 Cafés 1, 10 Ernesto’s 79 Mexican 5, 6 Expression Of You 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 The Falafel House 78 Middle Eastern 2 Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que 71 Barbecue 6, 15 Famous Mike’s Steak & Lemonade 65 Casual Dining 13 Fat Daddy’s Pizza 68 Pizza 13 Fat Jimmy’s 68 Pizza 1, 2, 5 Feed Bag Deli 70 Sandwich/Deli 3 Fiesta Time Mexican Grill 79 Mexican 8, 11 Fire Fresh Bar B Q 71 Barbecue 1, 12 First Wok 73 Asian/Chinese 12 The Fish House 63 Seafood 2, 5 The Fishery 63 Seafood 3, 5 Five Guys Burgers & Fries 65 Casual Dining 8, 14 Flabby’s Schnitzelburg 65 Casual Dining 13 Flanagans Ale House 72 Bar & Grill 2 Fleur de Lis Café 62 Cafés 2 Forty Acres And A Mule 67 Home Style/Southern 13 Four King’s Café 72 Bar & Grill 4 Fox & Hound 72 Bar & Grill 3 Franco’s Restaurant 67 Home Style/Southern 12 Frankfort Ave. Beer Depot 71 Barbecue 2, 3 Frascelli’s N.Y. Deli & Pizza 70 Sandwich/Deli 7 Frolio’s Pizza 68 Pizza 13 Frontier Diner 67 Home Style/Southern 12 Fuji Asian Bistro 74 Asian/Japanese 12 Fuji Japanese Steakhouse 74 Asian/Japanese 5, 8 Fun Food Café 63 Cafés 2 Funmi Café 73 African 2 Garage Bar 65 Casual Dining 1 Gary’s On Spring 58 Upscale Casual 2 Gasthaus 76 European/German 7 Gavi’s Restaurant 65 Casual Dining 1 Gerstle’s Place 72 Bar & Grill 3 Ghyslain On Market 61 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Gigi’s Cupcakes 81 Desserts/Bakery 6 Golden Buddha 73 Asian/Chinese 13 Golden Corral 67 Home Style/Southern 4,13,15 Golden Palace 73 Asian/Chinese 13 Golden Star Chinese 73 Asian/Chinese 13 Golden Wall 73 Asian/Chinese 13 Goose Creek Diner 65 Casual Dining 8 Granny’s Apron 67 Home Style/Southern 13 Granville Inn 72 Bar & Grill 13 Grape Leaf 78 Middle Eastern 2 Great American Grill 72 Bar & Grill 13 Great Harvest Bread Co. 81 Desserts/Bakery 5, 14 Great Life Café 70 Cafés 6, 8, 15 Great Wall 73 Asian/Chinese 2 Great Wok 73 Asian/Chinese 13 Green Room Coffee 80 Coffee/Tea House 6 Habana Blues Tapas 78 Caribbean/Cuban 8,14 Hall’s Cafeteria 67 Cafeterias 2 Hammerheads 61 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Hanabi Japanese Restaurant 74 Asian/Japanese 10 Happy China 73 Asian/Chinese 6 Hard Rock Café 61 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Harley’s Hardwoodz Bar-B-Q 71 Barbecue 16 Harvest 58 Upscale Casual 1 Havana Rumba 78 Caribbean/Cuban 3, 5 Hawksview Gallery 59 Upscale Casual 13 Hazelwood Restaurant 67 Home Style/Southern 12 Heart & Soy 74 Asian/Japanese 2 Heine Brothers Coffee 80 Coffee/Tea House 2,3,4,5,13 Heitzman Bakery & Deli 81 Desserts/Bakery 1, 5 Highland Coffee Co. 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 2011 53

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Highland Morning 63 Cafés 2 Hiko A Mon Sushi Bar 75 Asian/Japanese 5 Hill Street Fish Fry 64 Seafood 13 Hillbilly Tea 61 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Hitching Post Inn 72 Bar & Grill 11 Hobknobb Roasting Co. 80 Coffee/Tea House 14 Holy Grale 61 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Home Plate Café 63 Cafés 1 Home Run Burgers & Fries 65 Casual Dining 3, 5, 6 Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen 81 Desserts2,3,5,6,8,11,15 Hometown Buffet 67 Home Style/Southern 6, 3 Hometown Pizza 68 Pizza 5, 7 Honey Creme Donut Shop 81 Desserts/Bakery 14 Honeybaked Café 70 Sandwich/Deli 3, 11, 14 Hong Kong Chinese 73 Asian/Chinese 14 Hong Kong Fast Food 73 Asian/Chinese 13 Hoops Grill and Sports Bar 72 Bar & Grill 13 Hooters 65 Casual Dining 3,13,12,15,16 Hot Diggity Dogs 70 Sandwich/Deli 2 Howl at the Moon 68 Entertainment Dining 1 Hunan Wok 74 Asian/Chinese 11 I Luv Sushi & Teriyaki 75 Asian/Japanese 2 Ichiban Samurai 75 Asian/Japanese 6 IHOP 65 Casual Dining 6, 15 Improv Comedy Club 68 Entertainment Dining 1 Incredible Dave’s 68 Entertainment Dining 8 Indi’s Restaurant 67 Home Style/Southern 1,3,13,16 InFusion Foods USA 77 Indian 6 Intermezzo Café & Cabaret 59 Upscale Casual 1 The International Mall 77 European/Italian 1 The Irish Exit 76 European/Irish 14 The Irish Rover 76 European/Irish 2, 7 Iroquois Pizza 68 Pizza 13 Istanbul Palace 78 Middle Eastern 8 J. Alexander’s 59 Upscale Casual 3 J. Graham’s Café 63 Cafés 1 J. Gumbo’s 78 Cajun/Creole 1,2,5,6,13 J. Harrods 59 Upscale Casual 10 Jack Binion’s Steakhouse 56 Fine Dining 14 Jack Fry’s 59 Upscale Casual 2 Jack’s Lounge 61 Bistro/Contemporary 3 Jackson’s Seafood 64 Seafood 14 Jade Palace 74 Asian/Chinese 5 Jane’s Cafeteria 67 Cafeterias 4 Jasmine 74 Asian/Chinese 5 Jason’s Deli 70 Sandwich/Deli 3, 5 Java Brewing Co. 80 Coffee/Tea House 2,5, 10 Jazzyblu 61 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 64 Steakhouse 1 Jersey Mike’s Subs 70 Sandwich/Deli 5, 6, 8 Jersey’s Café 72 Bar & Grill 15 Jessie’s Family Restaurant 67 Home Style/Southern 12 Jimbo’s BBQ 71 Barbecue 13 Jimmy John’s Sub Shop 70 Sandwich/Deli 1,2,3,5,6,14,15 Joe Davola’s 70 Sandwich/Deli 2 Joe Huber Restaurant 68 Entertainment Dining 14 Joe’s Crab Shack 64 Seafood 1 Joe’s O.K. Bayou 78 Cajun/Creole 6 Joe’s Older Than Dirt 65 Casual Dining 5 John E’s 59 Upscale Casual 4 John O’Bryan’s Tavern 72 Bar & Grill 12 Johnny Brusco’s Pizza 68 Pizza 8 Johnny V’s 68 Pizza 6 Jucy’s Smokehouse 71 Barbecue 5 Jumbo Buffet 74 Asian/Chinese 6 Kahuna Nui Burgers & Fries 65 Casual Dining 12 Kailana Sushi 75 Asian/Japanese 11 Kansai Japanese Rest. 75 Asian/Japanese 15 Karem’s 65 Casual Dining 8 Kashmir Indian 77 Indian 2 Kayrouz Café 63 Cafés 3 Kern’s Korner 65 Casual Dining 2 King Wok 74 Asian/Chinese 3 Kingfish 64 Seafood 6, 7, 16 King’s Fried Chicken 67 Home Style/Southern 13 Kobe Japanese Steak 75 Asian/Japanese 16 Koreana II 75 Asian/Korean 13 KT’s 59 Upscale Casual 2 Kum’s Kafe 67 Home Style/Southern 13 L&N Wine Bar and Bistro 62 Bistro/Contemporary 2 La Bamba 79 Mexican 2 La Bocca 77 European/Italian 14 La Bodega 77 European/Spanish 2 La Colombiana 77 European/Spanish 8 La Esquina Caliente 78 Caribbean/Cuban 13 La Gallo Rosso Bistro 77 European/Italian 2 La Hacienda Guadalajara 79 Mexican 13 La Monarca 79 Mexican 11 La Que 76 Asian/Vietnamese 2 La Rosita Mexican Grill 79 Mexican 1, 14 La Rosita Taqueria 79 Mexican 5, 13, 15 La Tapatia 79 Mexican 2, 13 Lancaster’s Cafeteria 67 Cafeterias 14 Las Gorditas 79 Mexican 11 Lee’s Korean 75 Asian/Korean 13 Legend’s 66 Casual Dining 14 Lemongrass Café 76 Asian/Vietnamese 5 Lenny’s Sub Shop 70 Sandwich/Deli 4 Liang’s Café 74 Asian/Chinese 8 The Lighthouse 72 Bar & Grill 16 Lil’ Loafers Bakery 81 Desserts/Bakery 13 Lilly’s 56 Fine Dining 2 Limestone 56 Fine Dining 5 Ling Ling 74 Asian/Chinese 5 Little Caesar’s Pizza 68 Pizza 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 16 Little Chef 70 Sandwich/Deli 14 Little India Café 77 Indian 4 Liu’s Garden 74 Asian/Chinese 5 54 Fall 2011 www.foodanddine.com

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Logan’s Roadhouse 64 Steakhouse 3, 6, 12, 15 Lolitas Tacos Inc. 79 Mexican 13 Longhorn Steakhouse 64 Steakhouse 6, 8, 15 Lonnie’s Taste Of Chicago 70 Sandwich/Deli 2 Los Aztecas 79 Mexican 1, 5, 10 Los Jarritos 79 Mexican 13 Los Mezcales 79 Mexican 13 Lotsa Pasta 70 Sandwich/Deli 3 Louisville Pizza Co. 68 Pizza 6 Luigi’s 68 Pizza 1 Lunch Today 70 Sandwich/Deli 16 Lynn’s Paradise Café 66 Casual Dining 2 Ma Zerellas 68 Pizza 15 Maa Sha Allah 73 African 4 Magic Fingers 75 Asian/Japanese 1 Mai’s Thai Restaurant 76 Asian/Thai 16 Maido Essential Japanese 75 Asian/Japanese 2 Main Eatery 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 Main St. Tavern 72 Bar & Grill 1 Majid’s St. Matthews 62 Bistro/Contemporary 3 Maker’s Mark Lounge 59 Upscale Casual 1 Manhattan Grill 66 Casual Dining 1 Mark’s Feed Store 71 Barbecue 2, 5, 12, 14 Martini Italian Bistro 77 European/Italian 8 Maxwell’s Bar & Grille 66 Casual Dining 6 Mayan Café 79 Mexican 1 McAlister’s Deli 70 Sandwich/Deli [9] The Melting Pot 59 Upscale Casual 6 Meridian Café 63 Cafés 3 Mexican Fiesta 79 Mexican 4 Mexico Tipico 79 Mexican 5, 12 Mexico Viejo 79 Mexican 2 Michael Murphy’s 72 Bar & Grill 1 Michele’s On Goss 59 Upscale Casual 13 Mikato Japanese Steakhouse 75 Asian/Japanese 3 Mike Linnig’s 64 Seafood 12 Mike’s Tavern 72 Bar & Grill 14 Mimi’s Café 66 Casual Dining 5 Ming’s Buffet 74 Asian/Chinese 2 Mirage Mediterranean Grill 78 Middle Eastern 13 Miss C’s Kitchen & Pantry 67 Home Style/Southern 1, 2 Mitchell’s Fish Market 64 Seafood 8 Moe’s Southwest Grill 80 Southwest/Tex Mex 3,6,8,11,15 Mojito Tapas Restaurant 77 European/Spanish 7 Molly Malone’s 76 European/Irish 2, 3 The Monkey Wrench 66 Casual Dining 2 Morris Deli & Catering 70 Sandwich/Deli 1, 2 Morton’s of Chicago 64 Steakhouse 1 Mozz Mozzarella Bar 56 Fine Dining 1 Mr. Gattis 68 Pizza 5, 12, 13, 15 Mr. Pollo 66 Casual Dining 4 Mrs. Potter’s Coffee 80 Coffee/Tea House 1 Mulligan’s Pub and Grill 66 Casual Dining 2 My Favorite Muffin 81 Desserts/Bakery 5 My Old KY Dinner Train 68 Entertainment Dining 13 My Patria 79 Mexican 5 The NA Exchange 62 Bistro/Contemporary 14 Naked Pizza 68 Pizza 3 NamNam Café 76 Asian/Vietnamese 3 Nana’s Country Kitchen 67 Home Style/Southern 12 Nancy’s Bagel Box 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 Nancy’s Bagel Grounds 70 Sandwich/Deli 2 Napa River Grill 59 Upscale Casual 5 Neil & Patty’s Fireside Grill 66 Casual Dining 14 New Albanian Brewing Co. 68 Pizza 14 New China 74 Asian/Chinese 5 New Direction Bar & Grill 72 Bar & Grill 8 Nord’s Bakery 81 Desserts/Bakery 13 North End Café 59 Cafés 2 NuLu East Market Lounge 59 Upscale Casual 1 O’Charley’s 66 Casual Dining 3,6,8,13,12,15 O’Dolly’s 67 Home Style/Southern 13 O’Shea’s Irish Pub 76 European/Irish 2 The Oakroom 56 Fine Dining 1 Oasis Japanese Restaurant 75 Asian/Japanese 13 Oishii Sushi 75 Asian/Japanese 2 Old Chicago Pasta & Pizza 69 Pizza 6, 8 Old Louisville Coffee House 80 Coffee/Tea House 13 Old Spaghetti Factory 77 European/Italian 1 Old Stone Inn 60 Upscale Casual 5 Ole Hickory Pit BBQ 71 Barbecue 11 The Olive Garden 77 European/Italian 6,8,11,15 Ollie’s Trolley 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 Onion Restaurant & Tea House 74 Asian/Chinese 14 Ooh La La Bakery 81 Desserts/Bakery 6 Orders Up Café & Deli 70 Sandwich/Deli 5 Oriental House 74 Asian/Chinese 3 Oriental Star 74 Asian/Chinese 13 Original Impellizzeri’s 69 Pizza 1, 2, 10 Osaka Sushi Bar 75 Asian/Japanese 1, 2 Otto’s Café 66 Casual Dining 1 Our Best Restaurant 67 Home Style/Southern 13 Outback Steakhouse 64 Steakhouse 3, 8, 11, 13, 15 P. F. Chang’s China Bistro 60 Upscale Casual 5 Palermo Viejo 77 European/Spanish 2 Panda Chinese 74 Asian/Chinese 10 Panera Bread Co. 70 Sandwich/Deli [9] Papa John’s 69 Pizza [30] Papa Murphy’s Pizza 69 Pizza 3,4,5,8,11,12,14,15,16 Papa’s Grilled Chicken 67 Home Style/Southern 1 Papalino’s NY Pizzeria 69 Pizza 2, 13 Passtime Fish House 64 Seafood 6 Pat’s Steak House 64 Steakhouse 2 Patrick O’Shea’s 76 European/Irish 1 Patticakes & Pies Café 63 Cafés 14 Paul’s Fruit Market 70 Sandwich/Deli 3, 4, 5, 7 Paula Deen Buffet 66 Casual Dining 14 Peking City Bistro 74 Asian/Chinese 5

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Penn Station 70 Sandwich/Deli [17] Peppers Bar and Grill 66 Casual Dining 1 Perfetto Pizza 69 Pizza 6 Perkfection 80 Coffee/Tea House 16 Pesto’s Italian 77 European/Italian 1 Petra Mediterranean 78 Middle Eastern 4 Pho Binh Minh 76 Asian/Vietnamese 13 Piccadilly Cafeteria 67 Cafeterias 5, 6 Pina Fiesta Mexican Grill 79 Mexican 12 Pit Stop Bar-B-Que 71 Barbecue 5 Pita Delights 78 Middle Eastern 1 Pita Hut 78 Middle Eastern 2 Pita Pit 78 Middle Eastern 6 Pizza King 69 Pizza 14, 16 Pizza Place 69 Pizza 4 Please & Thank You 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Plehn’s Bakery 81 Desserts/Bakery 3 Police Donuts 81 Desserts/Bakery 5 Ponderosa Steakhouse 64 Steakhouse 13 Porcini 77 European/Italian 2 Preston St. Fish & Chicken 66 Casual Dining 13 Proof On Main 60 Upscale Casual 1 Pub Louisville 66 Casual Dining 1 Puccini’s Smiling Teeth 69 Pizza 3 Puerto Vallarta 79 Mexican 11, 14, 16 Qdoba Mexican Grill 79 Mexican [11] Queen of Sheba 73 African 4 Queenie’s Soul Cuisine 67 Home Style/Southern 4 Queue Café 63 Cafés 1 Quick Wok 74 Asian/Chinese 1 Quill’s Coffee 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Quizno’s Subs 70 Sandwich/Deli [10] Rafferty’s of Louisville 66 Casual Dining 3, 8 Ramsi’s Café 62 Bistro/Contemporary 2 The Recovery Room 72 Bar & Grill 2 Red Hog Tapas 62 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Red Hot Roasters 80 Coffee/Tea House 1, 2 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers 66 Casual Dining 3, 8 Red Star Tavern 60 Upscale Casual 1 Red Sun Chinese 74 Asian/Chinese 4 Red’s Comfort Food 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 Ri Ra Irish Pub 76 European/Irish 1 Rite Way Bar-B-Cue House 71 Barbecue 1 River City Winery 62 Bistro/Contemporary 4 Riverside Café 63 Cafés 16 Rivue 56 Fine Dining 1 Rocky’s Sub Pub 69 Pizza 16 Romano’s Macaroni Grill 77 European/Italian 5 Roosters 66 Casual Dining 12, 13, 15 Rootie’s Sports Bar & Grille 72 Bar & Grill 8 Roots 75 Asian/Japanese 2 Rosticeria Luna 79 Mexican 13 Royal Garden 74 Asian/Chinese 11, 13 Rubbie’s Southside Grill & Bar 71 Barbecue 13 Ruben’s Mexican Restaurant 79 Mexican 15 Ruby Tuesday 66 Casual Dining 6, 15 The Rudyard Kipling 66 Casual Dining 1 Rumball’s Family Sports Bar 72 Bar & Grill 8, 12 Rumors Raw Oyster Bar 64 Seafood 5 Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse 64 Steakhouse 3 Ryan’s Steakhouse 64 Steakhouse 11 Saffron’s 78 Middle Eastern 1 Safier Mediterranean Deli 78 Middle Eastern 1 Saigon Café 76 Asian/Vietnamese 3 Saint’s 72 Bar & Grill 3 Sake Blue Japanese Bistro 75 Asian/Japanese 11 Sakura Blue 75 Asian/Japanese 3 Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina 80 Southwest/Tex Mex 3 Sam’s Food & Spirits 66 Casual Dining 14 Santa Fe Grill 79 Mexican 13 Sapporo Japanese Grill 75 Asian/Japanese 1, 2 Sari Sari Exotic Filipino Cuisine 74 Asian/Filipino 2 Schlotzsky’s Deli 70 Sandwich/Deli 5, 8 Scotty’s Ribs & More 71 Barbecue 5 Selena’s at Willow Lake Tavern 78 Cajun/Creole 5 Senor Iguana’s 79 Mexican 5, 13, 15 Sergio’s World Beers 72 Bar & Grill 2 Seviche A Latin Restaurant 56 Fine Dining 2 Shack In The Back BBQ 71 Barbecue 13 Shady Lane Café 71 Sandwich/Deli 7 Shah’s Mongolian Grill 75 Asian/Chinese 6, 13 Shalimar Indian 77 Indian 6 Shane’s Rib Shack 71 Barbecue 7 Shanghai Restaurant 74 Asian/Chinese 1 Sharom’s 64 Seafood 11 Shenanigan’s Irish Grille 76 European/Irish 2, 4 Shiraz Mediterranean Grill 78 Middle Eastern 2, 5, 7, 13 Shirley Mae’s Café 67 Home Style/Southern 1 Shogun 75 Asian/Japanese 6, 8 Shoney’s 66 Casual Dining 2,5,13 Sichuan Garden 74 Asian/Chinese 6 Sicilian Pizza & Pasta 69 Pizza 1 The Silver Dollar 62 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Simply Splendid Salads 66 Casual Dining 5 Simply Thai 76 Asian/Thai 3 Sir Dano’s Pizza Parlor 69 Pizza 15 Sister Bean’s 80 Coffee/Tea House 13 Sitar Indian Restaurant 77 Indian 2 Skyline Chili 66 Casual Dining 2, 3, 6, 12 Slammer’s Sports Bar & Grill 72 Bar & Grill 12 Smashburger 66 Casual Dining 5 Smokehouse BBQ 72 Barbecue 11 Smoketown USA 72 Barbecue 1 Smokey Bones BBQ 72 Barbecue 6 Snappy Tomato 69 Pizza 8 Sol Aztecas 79 Mexican 1, 2 Sonoma Coffee Café 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Soupy’s 71 Sandwich/Deli 4

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Spaghetti Shop 77 European/Italian 11, 14 Spinelli’s Pizzeria 69 Pizza 1, 2, 3, 8 Sporting News Grill 73 Bar & Grill 13 The Sports & Social Club 73 Bar & Grill 1 Spring St. Bar & Grill 73 Bar & Grill 2 Starbucks Coffee 80 Coffee/Tea House [35] Starving Artist Café 71 Sandwich/Deli 5 Staxx Roadhouse & BBQ 64 Steakhouse 5 Steak N Shake 66 Casual Dining4,6,8,13,12,15 Stevens & Stevens Deli 71 Sandwich/Deli 2 Steve-O’s Italian Kitchen 77 European/Italian 7 Stevie B’s Burgers & More 66 Casual Dining 15 Stoney River 64 Steakhouse 8 Stop Lite Café 63 Cafés 1 Straight Out Da Kitchen 78 Caribbean/Cuban 13 Studio Pizza 69 Pizza 15 Stumler Restaurant 68 Entertainment Dining 14 Sub Station II 71 Sandwich/Deli 13 Sugar & Spice Donut Shop 81 Desserts/Bakery 11 Sully’s Saloon 73 Bar & Grill 1 Sunergos Coffee & Roastery 80 Coffee/Tea House 13 Sweet Stuff Bakery 81 Desserts/Bakery 14 Sweet Surrender 81 Desserts/Bakery 2 Sweets & Such Bakery 81 Desserts/Bakery 12 Sweet-Tee’s 67 Home Style/Southern 13 T Bone’z 80 Southwest/Tex Mex 11 Taco Tico 80 Mexican 12, 13, 14 Tacqueria La Mexicana 80 Mexican 13 Taj Palace 77 Indian 8 TanThai Restaurant 76 Asian/Thai 14 Tazza Mia 80 Coffee/Tea House 6 TC’s Sandwich Shoppe 71 Sandwich/Deli 1 Tea Station Chinese Bistro 74 Asian/Chinese 8 The Tequila Factory 80 Mexican 2 Texas Roadhouse 64 Steakhouse 2, 12, 13, 15 Texicans BBQ Pit 72 Barbecue 7 TGI Friday’s 66 Casual Dining 1 Thai Café 76 Asian/Thai 7 Thai Orchids 76 Asian/Thai 6 Thai Siam 76 Asian/Thai 4 Thai Smile 5 76 Asian/Thai 13 Thai Taste 76 Asian/Thai 2 The Back Door 73 Bar & Grill 2 The Bodega 71 Sandwich/Deli 1 The Café 63 Cafés 1 The Cheddar Box 63 Cafés 3 The Lunch Pail 63 Cafés 13 Theater Square Marketplace 62 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Third Avenue Café 63 Cafés 1 Thornberry’s Deli & Pies 71 Sandwich/Deli 13 Tiffany Cellar Café 63 Cafés 5 Tilted Kilt 66 Casual Dining 3 Toast On Market 66 Casual Dining 1, 14 Tokyo Japanese 75 Asian/Japanese 7 Toni’s More Than Pizza 69 Pizza 13 Trailside Café 80 Coffee/Tea House 5 Trellis Restaurant 66 Casual Dining 1 True Thai 76 Asian/Thai 11 Tucker’s 66 Casual Dining 14 Tumbleweed 80 Southwest/Tex Mex 1,2,4,6,8,12,13,14,15,16 Tuscany Italian Restaurant 77 European/Italian 13 Twig & Leaf Restaurant 66 Casual Dining 2 Uptown Café 60 Upscale Casual 7 Varanese 60 Upscale Casual 2 Verbana Café 63 Cafés 8 Vic’s Café 73 Bar & Grill 14 Vietnam Kitchen 76 Asian/Vietnamese 13 Village Anchor Pub & Roost 62 Bistro/Contemporary 5 Vincenzo’s 56 Fine Dining 1 Vint Coffee 80 Coffee/Tea House 1,2,3,7 Vito’s Pizza 69 Pizza 13 Volare 77 European/Italian 2 W.W. Cousin’s 71 Sandwich/Deli 3 Wagner’s Pharmacy 67 Home Style/Southern 13 Wall Street Deli 71 Sandwich/Deli 1 Wasabiya Japanese Rest. 75 Asian/Japanese 2 Webb’s Market 67 Home Style/Southern 1 Westport General Store 66 Casual Dining 10 Whitney’s Diner 63 Cafés 4 Wick’s Pizza 69 Pizza 2, 5, 6, 8, 14 Wild Eggs 63 Cafés 3, 5 Wild Ginger Sushi & Fusion 75 Asian/Japanese 2 William’s Bakery 81 Desserts/Bakery 15 Wiltshire On Market 60 Upscale Casual 1 Windy City Pizzeria 69 Pizza 13 The Wing Zone 67 Casual Dining 13 Winston’s 56 Fine Dining 4 Wok Express 74 Asian/Chinese 1 Wolfgang Puck Express 63 Cafés 1 Wonton Express 74 Asian/Chinese 4 Yaching’s East West Cuisine 60 Upscale Casual 1 Yafa Café 63 Cafés 1 Yang Kee Noodle 74 Asian/Chinese 5 Yellow Cactus 80 Mexican 14 Yen Ching 74 Asian/Chinese 6 You-Carryout-A 74 Asian/Chinese 15, 16 Yummy Wok 74 Asian/Chinese 6 Za’s Pizza 69 Pizza 2 Zanzabar 73 Bar & Grill 13 Zaxby’s 67 Casual Dining 16 Zaytun Mediterranean Grill 78 Middle Eastern 2 Zen Garden 76 Asian/Vietnamese 2 Zen Tea House 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Zeppelin Café 63 Cafés 13 ZiaLaLa Café 63 Cafés 5 Zivio 63 Cafés 1 Zoe’s Kitchen 78 Middle Eastern 1, 8 Z’s Fusion 57 Fine Dining 1 Z’s Oyster Bar 57 Fine Dining 5 www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 2011 55

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GUIDE KEY Average Entrée Price:

$$ = under $8 $$$$ = $15-$20 $$ = $9-$14 $$$$ = $21 & up

RED = ADVERTISER

p = FULL BAR

h = LATE NIGHT OPEN PAST 10 P.M.

f = OUTDOOR DINING ✿ = VEGETARIAN MENU ITEMS e = LIVE MUSIC

ALL RESTAURANTS ARE LOCATED IN LOUISVILLE (unless noted otherwise). All phone numbers are local calls. When out of the area, use area code 502 for all listings except Indiana, use 812.

LIMESTONE 10001 Forest Green Blvd., 426-7477. Chef Jim Gerhardt has established a stylish and elegant dining experience in the East End. Seasonal theme dinners and the Feed Me Chef ad hoc dinners offer special values. $$$$ p ✿ MOZZ MOZZARELLA BAR & ENOTECA 445 E. Market St., 690-6699. Matthew Antonovich and Michael Cooper, alumni of Casa Grasanti’s, have brought the old Primo space in the Cobalt building on the edge of NuLu back to rocking new life. Fresh mozzarella is made on the hour as patrons watch, an antipasto bar offers more than 100 varieties of vegetables, meats and cheeses and the upscale enoteca section emphasizes “rustic earthto-table eating.” And, they are expanding in the same building, with their new NuLu East Market Lounge. $$$ p e h ✿ THE OAKROOM 500 S. Fourth St. (Seelbach Hotel), 585-3200. Executive Chef Jim Gerhardt (who also operates Limestone in the East End) and his chef de cuisine Bobby Benjamin continue to make the Oakroom worthy of its AAA five-diamond designation. The menu is refined but lively, melding local produce and specialty items like spoonfish caviar with classic continental cuisine. $$$$ p ✿

RIVUE 140 N. Fourth St., (Galt House Hotel) 5684239. You can still get a revolving view of the city in this upscale dining room. But a major makeover in 2007 has completely transformed the dark old Flagship Room into a sleek black and white modern fantasy right out of an old Fred Astaire movie. $$$ p h ✿ SEVICHE A LATIN RESTAURANT 1538 Bardstown Rd., 473-8560. Featured on the menu is seviche, the Latino seafood dish “cooked” in tart citrus juices, but Chef Anthony Lamas’ menu offers a broad, eclectic range of Latin American dishes. Lamas has recently been getting national notice in Esquire and on TV’s “Extreme Chef,” and with the renovation and expansion of the restaurant now complete, he is setting a new standard of cool for the Bardstown Road eating scene. $$$$ p f h ✿ VINCENZO’S 150 S. Fifth St., 580-1350. Known for its suave professional service, high-end Northern Italian fare and many trademark dishes finished at tableside, Vincenzo’s continues to hold its own against growing downtown competition. $$$$ p e h ✿ WINSTON’S RESTAURANT 3101 Bardstown Rd., (Sullivan University Campus), 456-0980. Higher education meets higher cuisine at this elegant on-

211 CLOVER LANE RESTAURANT 211 Clover Ln. 896-9570. Owner and manager Andrew Smith has added a 1300 bottle wine cellar and private dining room to burnish the upscale atmosphere and creative cuisine from long time Chef Troy Schuster. This stylish spot in St. Matthews continues to rank among the city’s top tables. $$$$ p f ✿ 610 MAGNOLIA 610 Magnolia Ave., 636-0783. Chef Edward Lee’s creative international prix fixe menu has kept this elegantly comfortable Old Louisville restaurant a top table for more than 25 years. His monthly family style pasta and bistro dinners across the street in the Wine Studio give diners a way to appreciate his skills at a lower price point. $$$$ p f ✿ BUCK’S 425 W. Ormsby Ave., 637-5284. Elegant but not overstated, this fine dining room in the Mayflower Apartments has been quietly serving high-style lunches and dinners for more than two decades. The quality of food and service remains high, and Rick Bartlett continues his long tenure at the piano. $$$ p f e ✿ CORBETT’S ‘AN AMERICAN PLACE’ 5050 Norton Healthcare Blvd., 327-5058. Dean Corbett, longtime fixture on the Louisville dining scene, went all-out with his East End destination. Housed in the stunning former Von Allmen mansion, Corbett’s kitchen is state of the art, the dining room amenities include a chef’s table with closed circuit TV connection to the kitchen, and his menu has been earning raves. Worth the trip and the price. $$$$ p f ENGLISH GRILL 335 W. Broadway (The Brown Hotel), 583-1234. This landmark, formal dining room is firing on all cylinders under Chef Laurent Geroli, who brings an international sophistication to the menu, and a wider exploration of cuisines with occasional special wine dinners. We recommend booking the chef’s table for an especially memorable evening. $$$ p ✿ JACK BINION’S STEAKHOUSE Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN, 888-766-2648. Housed in the Horseshoe Casino, Jack Binion’s, a stylish, upscale place, is no gamble for hearty dining. A traditional steakhouse, but one that aims high: top quality meat, impeccable service, a high-roller’s ambience. $$$$ p h LILLY’S 1147 Bardstown Rd., 451-0447. A Louisville institution for more than a quarter-century, Lilly’s, under much heralded owner-chef Kathy Cary, continues to be as fresh as the locally-sourced foods she features on her Kentucky-accented menus. Her frequent special wine dinners are among the more affordable and creative in the area. $$$$ p e ✿

56 Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

RED = ADVERTISER

p = FULL BAR f = OUTDOOR DINING

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campus restaurant staffed by Sullivan culinary arts students. But this is no college lab; it’s an attractive and stylish restaurant. Chef John Castro runs the staff through its paces guaranteeing that while students are learning their craft, your dinner will ace the test. Open Fri. - Sun. only. Reservations suggested. $$$$ p ✿ Z’S FUSION 115 S. Fourth St., 855-8000. Consummate restaurateur Mehrzad Sharbaiani (Z’s Oyster Bar and Steakhouse) spent $2 million to remake this 10,500 square foot space into a cool, sophisticated oasis. The menu’s ingenious and delicious take on fusion cooking and the excellent service make this an exceptional dining experience at surprisingly reasonable prices. $$$$ p ✿ Z’S OYSTER BAR & STEAKHOUSE 101 Whittington Pkwy., 429-8000. This exciting spot brings a level of fine dining to the suburbs that makes it stand out in the chain-rich environs outside the Watterson. Splendid steaks, extraordinary seafood, fine service and clubby ambience give Z’s the tools to dominate in the steakhouse competition. $$$$ p

60 WEST BISTRO & MARTINI BAR 3939 Shelbyville Rd., 719-9717. 60 West combines a comfortable dining room with a large, friendly bar offering an imposing list of martinis and martini-style cocktails. The menu offers fairly priced Contemporary American bistro fare. $$ p f e ✿ 732 SOCIAL 732 E. Market St., 583-6882. Since chef-owner Jayson Lewellyn opened the doors of his sleek, intimate spot in the midst of the NuLu art district, crowds have flowed in, both for the innovative small plates, always-changing menu, and the creative bartenders who practice the art of preProhibition cocktail crafting. Dishes are designed to be shared, so be sure to bring a convivial and hungry group. $$$ p f ✿ ASIATIQUE 1767 Bardstown Rd., 451-2749. Fifteen years ago Chef Peng Looi introduced Louisville diners to panAsian Pacific Rim fusion cuisine. In his sophisticated, multi-level, Bardstown Road restaurant he continues to offer clean, simple, elegant dishes that present often startling flavor combinations. His wok-seared salmon has long been a local favorite. $$$ p f h ✿ AUSTIN’S 4950 U.S. 42, 423-1990. Big, crowded and bistro-style, with heavy emphasis on the bar, this suburban watering hole taps the same vein as the national franchise booze ’n’ beef genre, and does so well, offering satisfying dining at a fair price. $$ p ✿

The

AVALON 1314 Bardstown Rd., 454-5336. With an upscale value dining menu, Avalon continues its tenure as one of the classy joints along the Bardstown Road corridor. We always try to sit on the three-season patio, one of the best in the city. $$$ p f ✿

Perfect Location for Every Occasion

THE BARD’S TOWN 1801 Bardstown Rd., 749-5275. (See listing under Entertainment Dining.) BASA MODERN VIETNAMESE 2244 Frankfort Ave., 896-1016. Chef Michael Ton brought a new style of Asian fusion cuisine to Louisville, playing entertaining riffs off Vietnamese cooking, with daring choices like caramelized catfish claypot and tamarind-sriracha gelato. $$$ p BLACKSTONE GRILLE 9521 U.S. 42, Prospect, KY, 228-6962. Longtime restaurateur Rick Dissell, formerly of Rick’s Ferrari Grille, continues to please his many fans at his latest restaurant in the Prospect Center. The menu offers sandwiches and an array of bistro entrées — pasta, seafood, beef and chicken, including Rick’s fried chicken livers and “light” fried chicken. $$$ p f ✿

Anniversary or Birthday Dinners Sunday Brunch Wine Tastings Business Dinners

THE BLIND PIG 1076 E. Washington St., 618-0600. (See listing under Bistro/Contemporary.)

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For reservations, call (502) 807-DINE (3463) 500 Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40202

.TOL. www.facebook.com/foodanddine3:06:21 Fall 201 1PM 57

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BLU ITALIAN MEDITERRANEAN GRILLE 280 W. Jefferson St. (Louisville Marriott), 627-5045. BLU offers upscale Italian Mediterranean cuisine in striking surroundings highlighted by Mexican limestone and Italian marble. For those seeking a relaxing libation and a quicker snack, the Bar at BLU offers a more casual alternative. $$$ p ✿ BRAVO! 206 Bullitt Ln. (Oxmoor Center), 326-0491. Management describes the Ohio-based Bravo! chain as “a fun, white-tablecloth casual eatery … positioned between the fine-dining and casual chains.” A Roman-ruin setting houses abundant Italian-American style fare. We particularly enjoyed appetizers and first-rate grilled meats. $$ p f ✿ BRISTOL BAR & GRILLE 1321 Bardstown Rd., 4561702, 300 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 426-0627, 614 W. Main St., 582-1995, 6051 Timber Ridge Dr., 292-2585, 2035 S. Third St., 634-2723, 700 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville, IN, 218-1995. A cornerstone of Louisville’s restaurant Renaissance, The Bristol started three decades ago on Bardstown Road. Now with six venues around town, diners can always find dependable pub grub, eclectic entrées, and evergreen standards like the green-chile won tons and the Bristol Burger. F&D columnist Scott Harper has crafted an exceptional wine selection. $$ p f ✿ CAVIAR JAPANESE RESTAURANT 416 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 625-3090. Sammy Sa, the genial host of the Fuji restaurants in the East End, also pleases downtown diners with this stylish Japanese eatery next door to the Seelbach Hotel. Eat at the sushi bar, choose a comfortable table or reserve the traditional Japanesestyle Tatami Room for your group. $$$ p h ✿ THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY 5000 Shelbyville Rd., 897-3933. “Cheesecake” is its name, and this glitzy shopping-mall eatery offers a wide variety of rich, calorific choices to eat in or take out. It’s more than just cheesecake, though, with a wide-ranging menu of California, Southwestern and Pacific Rim fare plus full bar service. $$ p h ✿ CORNER CAFÉ 9307 New Lagrange Rd., 426-8119. There’s nothing fancy or overly elegant about this suburban neighborhood old favorite, but the term “eclectic” fits it well. $$ p ✿ DOC CROW’S 127 W. Main St., 587-1626. The west side of Whiskey Row is filling out just fine. Doc Crow’s is one of the most recent additions to offer excellent food choices for those venturing downtown for fun at the KFC Yum! Center nearby. Oysters from both coasts, raw and fried, fried green tomatoes, pork rinds, shrimp and grits. All served in a handsome renovation of one of Main Street’s classic cast-iron front buildings. $$ p h EQUUS 122 Sears Ave., 897-9721. With the newish Corbett’s in the East End hitting on all cylinders, veteran Chef Dean Corbett has returned to his flagship St. Matthews restaurant, redesigning the room for a more casual atmosphere, and refocusing the menu on comfort foods, with no entrée over $19. Though the prices are lower, we don’t expect the quality of fare to follow suit. $$$ p ✿ GARY’S ON SPRING 204 Spring St., 584-5533. Harold Baker, formerly chef at Westport General Store, is at the helm of this new Irish Hill upscale casual spot. His menu features appetizers such as a baby Hot Brown and chicken fritters with red chili sauce, a buffalo mozzarella salad, bison burgers, oyster po’ boy sandwiches, bison ribeye, Bourbon Street scallops and eggplant napoleon. $$$ p f h ✿ HARVEST 624 E. Market St., 384-9090. Agricultural entrepreneur Ivor Chodkowski’s venture into the restaurant world focuses on locally sourced foods (Chodkowski and Chef Coby Ming are shooting for 80% from within 100 mile radius), which limits the fish selection, but increases diners’ awareness of how much local food producers can do. Dishes such as smoked goat cheese ravioli and buttermilk fried chicken with arugula hoecake show what they have in mind. $$$ p f h ✿ 58 Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

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HAWKSVIEW GALLERY AND CAFÉ 170 Carter Ave., Shepherdsville, KY, 955-1010. In this “American bistro with a Southern twist,” diners eat amidst a gallery of hand-crafted glass art. Daily specials are inspired by world cuisines and the “confectionary artist” creates sweets like Linzer tortes and extreme turtle cheesecake. Watch glass being blown as you dine. $$$ INTERMEZZO CAFÉ & CABARET 316 W. Main St., 584-1265. The elegant restaurant space in Actor’s Theatre of Louisville’s historic building features casual American bistro fare in an attractive dining room, plus nightly entertainment in a cabaret style. $$$ p e ✿ J. ALEXANDER’S RESTAURANT 102 Oxmoor Court, 339-2206. This comfortably upscale venue, a Nashville-based chain, features “contemporary American” fare with a broad menu that ranges from burgers and sandwiches to such upscale eats as grilled tuna or a New York strip steak. $$$ p f ✿ J. HARROD’S 7507 Upper River Rd., 228-4555. J. Harrod’s is discreetly tasteful and pleasantly comfortable. The food is competitive in both quality and value. It’s an appealing, upscale blend of bistro fare and old-fashioned country cooking. $$$ p ✿ JACK FRY’S 1007 Bardstown Rd., 452-9244. Good times or bad, weeknights or weekends, this Louisville institution — the remnant of a 1930s saloon — is always crowded and buzzing. Stephanie Meeks has taken over from long-time owner Susan Seiler, but the upscale bistro fare, like shrimp and grits and spicy fried oysters, is as good as ever. $$$$ p e h ✿ JOHN E’S 3708 Bardstown Rd., 456-1111. Owner John Shanchuck caters to the horseracing crowd. Thirty years of framed Derby programs and winning tickets line the walls. But you don’t have to place a bet to enjoy this rambling Buechel restaurant. The Porterhouse steak tastes good in the Bob Baffert Room whether or not your horse came in. $$$$ p e ✿ KT’S 2300 Lexington Rd., 458-8888. It’s hard to argue with success, and KT’s has earned its popularity by providing good American-style bar and bistro chow for a price that’s fair. $$ p f h ✿ MAKER’S MARK BOURBON HOUSE & LOUNGE 446 S. Fourth St., (Fourth Street Live) 568-9009. Kentucky’s Maker’s Mark Distillery lends its name and its signature red-wax image to this stylish restaurant and lounge in the booming downtown entertainment complex. A magisterial bar features more than 60 Bourbons, and the menu offers traditional Kentucky fare. $$$ p f h ✿ MELTING POT 2045 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 491-3125. This Florida-based chain brings back pleasant memories of fondue parties of the ’70s. If you can melt it and dip things in it, the Melting Pot probably has it on the menu. $$$ p ✿ MICHELE’S ON GOSS 946 Goss Ave., 409-5909. Michele Brinke has taken over the space in the Goss Avenue Antique Mall that used to be Olivia’s. The large, airy space will serve up lunch to mall browsers, and dinner as well. $ f ✿ NAPA RIVER GRILL 1211 Herr Ln., 893-0141. Innovative wine-country cuisine, excellent service and fine California-focused wine collection can be found in the stylish quarters of this popular East End restaurant. With an expanded menu serving both lunch and dinner, it’s become one of the anchors of trendy Westport Village center. $$$ p f h ✿ NORTH END CAFÉ 1722 Frankfort Ave., 896-8770. Known for their hearty and interesting breakfast choices, The North End also satisfies diners at lunch and dinner. With an eclectic menu of diverse tapas and interesting entrées, it’s an appealing, affordable place to dine $$$ f h ✿ NULU EAST MARKET LOUNGE 445 E. Market St., 690-6699. The popular E. Market Street restaurant Mozz expands its space in the Cobalt Ventures

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building with this new supper club environment. The lounge features a piano bar and octagonal “culinary theatre” complete with mozzarella-making stations, a gelato freezer and a Champagne and caviar bar. Late Night at NuLu will transform the space into a retro discotheque complete with disco ball and light show. $$$ p e h ✿

Rewards Card

Reward Your Good Taste Sign up for your FREE Louisville Originals Rewards Card. Every time you dine at any Louisville Originals restaurant, show your card and receive one point for every dollar spent. Earn dining reward points in Kansas City, St. Louis, Tucson, St. Paul-Minneapolis, Columbia, Charlotte, Birmingham, and Edmonton, Canada. Points earned out of state may be redeemed in Louisville. Gift Cards Available.

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DISH

on market

P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO 9120 Shelbyville Rd., 327-7707. This Arizona-based, Chinese themed restaurant offers a loud, happy scene with Chinesestyle dishes. To its credit, everything is prepared well and service is consistently fine. $$ p h ✿ PROOF ON MAIN 702 W. Main St., 217-6360. Seasoned executive chef Michael Paley’s everchanging creative menu continues to make Proof a destination dining spot, the culinary equal of the quirky 21c Museum Hotel which has garnered national notice. Mediterranean in focus, with a commitment to using local products as much as possible, the adventurous dishes (grilled octopus, bison burgers, beef marrow, sea salt caramel gelato) are made with the freshest ingredients. $$$ p ✿ RED STAR TAVERN 450 S. Fourth St., 568-5656. Billed as “a hip, contemporary version of the classic American tavern,” this chain operation in Fourth Street Live features steaks, chops and seafood in an atmosphere that’s upscale and clubby, with an extensive bar as a key part of the action. $$$ p f h

Globally Flavored, Locally Savored Visit

OLD STONE INN 6905 Shelbyville Rd., Simpsonville, KY, (502) 722-8200. For many years diners have happily driven out to Simpsonville to enjoy both the historic building and the traditional Kentucky menu of this dining institution. Those in the know order the fried chicken and country ham. $$$ p f e ✿

UPTOWN CAFÉ 1624 Bardstown Rd., 458-4212. Anchoring a hot corner in the Highlands for two decades now, the Uptown continues to be a popular lunch and dining destination, with its excellent bistro fare, and always appealing dessert selections. $$ p f ✿ VARANESE 2106 Frankfort Ave., 899-9904. Chef John Varanese has made even old-timers forget that this stylish venue was once a gas station. With a slate interior waterfall and a front wall that folds open in good weather, the dining room is as interesting as the lively, international seasonal menu. Live jazz, contemporary art and urban style complete the mood. $$$ p f e ✿ VOLARE 2300 Frankfort Ave., 894-4446. (See review under European/Italian.) WILTSHIRE ON MARKET 636 E. Market St., 5895224. Understated elegance and creative dishes characterize this NuLu restaurant. Owner Susan Hershberg set the benchmark for fine catering in Louisville with Wiltshire Pantry, which she continues here with her finely crafted small plates menu that changes weekly to showcase the best seasonal ingredients. Open Thur. - Sat. only. Reservations suggested. $$ f ✿ YACHING’S EAST WEST CUISINE 105 S. Fourth St., 585-4005. Yaching’s promises “an eclectic menu of contemporary Asian fusion cuisine.” It’s an attractive mix of East and West, sufficient to give just about everyone something to enjoy, regardless of which compass point attracts your taste buds. $$$ p ✿

A.P. CRAFTERS KITCHEN & BAR 1321 Herr Ln., 690-5000. Tony Palombino stretches beyond his gourmet pizza with this new venture in Westport Village. The decor echoes the place’s name, with floor to ceiling shelving stocked with vintage cookware, distillery and brewer’s supplies. The menu concept is Euro gastropub, with upscale comfort food, craft beers and “Prohibition-style” cocktails. $$ p f h ✿

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ATRIUM CAFÉ 9940 Corporate Campus Dr. (Embassy Suites), 426-9191. An eclectic bistro atmosphere in the heart of the hotel. Specials run from their popular crab cakes and array of pasta dishes to a Reuben sandwich or fruit pie. $$ p ✿ BAXTER STATION BAR & GRILL 1201 Payne St., 5841635. The corner bar with the railroad theme is also an ambitious restaurant, known for surprises like Cajun linguini with andouille sausage, homemade desserts (from pastry chef Amy Berry) and lunchtime “steam table” plates. Take particular note of an impressive beer list to go with your meal. $$ p f ✿ BISTRO 301 301 W. Market St., 584-8337. Quality contemporary American cuisine in a stylish environment makes Bistro 301 a reasonable alternative when you’re looking for upscale-casual dining downtown. $$$ p f ✿ BISTRO LE RELAIS 2817 Taylorsville Rd. (Bowman Field), 451-9020. This art deco spot makes stylish use of an historic 1920s airport building to present elegant modern French cuisine. Chef Bill Lynch and owner Anthony Dike’s refocus of the restaurant around a bistro menu continues its popularity. $$$$ p f e ✿

BRIX WINE BAR 12418 La Grange Rd., 243-1120. The use of an exceptionally obscure wine term (it’s pronounced “bricks” and refers to the sugar content of ripe grapes at harvest) hints that the proprietors of this wine bar know their vino. Interesting wines and a short bistro-style menu make it a welcome suburban alternative. $$ h e CAFÉ LOU LOU 106 Sears Ave, 893-7776, 2216 Dundee Rd., 459-9566. This popular spot wins critical raves and packs in crowds. Owner-Chef Clay Wallace is comfortable with his international bill of fare and laissez les bon temps rouler mood. A second location in the Douglass Loop is drawing equally-pleased crowds. $$ p ✿ DISH ON MARKET 434 W. Market St., 315-0669. Former Asiatique bar manager Anderson Grissom has stepped into the venerable lawyers’ lunch space on Market Street, renovating the kitchen and some interior space of the old Delta Restaurant into a somewhat upscale spot now open breakfast through dinner. $ p ✿

THE BLIND PIG 1076 E. Washington St., 618-0600. A popular hangout since its opening, this Euro-style gastropub features French country cooking and house-made sausages and charcuterie in a casual but sophisticated atmosphere in a late-19th century building in Butchertown. $$ p e h ✿

DITTO’S GRILL 1114 Bardstown Rd., 581-9129. This informally whimsical Highlands space masks the work of classically trained owner-chefs Dominic Serratore and Frank Yang. Sure, take note of the fanciful artwork adorning the exposed brick walls and the gargoyles in the ceiling. But don’t overlook Serratore’s “gourmet casual” menu of New England crab cakes, fanciful salads and Sunday brunch egg dishes. $$ p h ✿

BOURBONS BISTRO 2255 Frankfort Ave., 894-8838. It’s a comfortably upscale-casual restaurant, featuring the works of French-trained chef Michael Crouch. No, it’s a great bar, with what must be the world’s most comprehensive Bourbon list. Actually, this Crescent Hill favorite is both, and the bill of fare is wellmatched with the excellence of its libations. Don’t miss the duck confit strudel appetizer. $$$ p f ✿

GHYSLAIN ON MARKET 725 E. Market St., 690-8645. In a carriage house behind the building that houses the corporate offices of Creation Gardens, a French bistro, run by French Canadian chocolatiers who are expanding their Indiana patisseries into restaurants and Kentucky. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving grilled baguettes, croque monsieurs, panini, quiches, soups, salads, and fine chocolates. $$

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HAMMERHEADS 921 Swan St., 365-1112. Two veterans of the upscale kitchens along Bardstown Road have taken over the old Swan Dive space, and patrons of the previous vegan haunt are quickly becoming fans. Vegetarian selections such as crispy mushroom medley and veggie tacos join interesting oddities like duck sliders and bacon plantain croquetas. Also pulled pork and brisket, crab cakes, and a reasonable beer selection. $ h ✿ HARD ROCK CAFÉ Fourth Street Live, 568-2202. Louisville’s Fourth Street Live echoes with a bang amid hammering guitars and happy throngs at the local branch of this popular shrine to rock. The music scene is the draw, but you’ll have no complaints about Hard Rock’s standard American cuisine. $$ p f e h ✿ HILLBILLY TEA 120 S. First St., 587-7350. It’s a breakfast place, with hearty egg dishes, bison sausage patties, tofu scramble and potato bake casserole. It’s a tea café, with choice of black, green, herbal or rare teas. It’s a lunch and dinner spot, with unusual, eclectic offerings and a long list of desserts. It’s an unusual place downtown that immediately started pulling in fans. $ ✿ HOLY GRALE 1034 Bardstown Rd., 459-9939. The owners of the Louisville Beer Store have converted a former church to a beer pub and restaurant. Twenty taps offer a rotating choice of international brews, and an eclectic menu offers Belgian fritjes, pretzels and beer cheese, tacos and crostini. $ h ✿ JACK’S LOUNGE 122 Sears Ave., 897-9026. A sophisticated, elegant bar associated with the Equus restaurant next door, Jack’s offers a short but excellent menu featuring appetizers and light bites, along with a drinks list beyond reproach. $ p h ✿ JAZZYBLU 815 W. Market St., 992-3243. The basement space at Glassworks that formerly housed The Jazz Factory is bopping again with regularly scheduled live jazz performances Thurs. - Sun. nights, and southern comfort food style lunch buffets Tues. - Fri. $ p e h ✿

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L&N WINE BAR AND BISTRO 1765 Mellwood Ave., 897-0070. If you’re enthusiastic about good wine, you’re going to be excited about L&N. The fruit of the vine takes center stage in a vast, fairly priced wine list and imposing Cruvinet dispenser, with more than 80 wines available by the glass. Comfortable atmosphere and excellent bistro fare with a creative twist add to the draw. $$ p f h ✿

dinner, and weekend brunch. At the bar, find a short, well-selected wine list and ambitious beer list with more than 50 craft and import choices. And, 55 Bourbons have earned them inclusion on the Urban Bourbon Trail. $$$ p f h ✿

MAJID’S ST. MATTHEWS 3930 Chenoweth Sq., 6182222. Long-time restaurateur and top-notch host Majid Ghavami’s has a track record of making flailing restaurants successful. His newest venture, in a St. Matthews space that has been problematic for others, offers a Mediterranean-American menu. The wine bar serves small plates, and focuses on American wines and an eclectic list from unusual locations — Lebanon, Israel, Greece and the Balkans. $$$ p f e ✿

ALLEY CAT CAFÉ 11804 Shelbyville Rd., 245-6544. This suburban Alley Cat is a cozy and bright little place, and the lunch-only menu is affordable and appealing. $ ✿

THE NA EXCHANGE 3306 Plaza Dr., New Albany, IN. 948-6501. In the kitchen of the new gastropub is Dave Clancy, who spearheaded the revival of downtown New Albany dining with the Bistro New Albany a few years back. His American bistro style food will be available from lunch to late night. Notable on the menu are bison dishes — burger, nachos (house-made chips with bison chili topping) and skirt steak. $$ p f h RAMSI’S CAFÉ ON THE WORLD 1293 Bardstown Rd., 451-0700. The beating bohemian heart of the Highlands. Ramsi Kamar brings a wonderfully eclectic spirit to the environment and to his menu. Cuban. Jamaican. Greek. Middle Eastern. Moderate prices, a weekend brunch and late night hours add to the draw. $$ f e h ✿ RED HOG TAPAS 2868 Frankfort Ave., 899-9800. By day, it’s the Blue Dog Bakery and Café, but on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights it takes on its new identity as a tapas bar, featuring, among other dishes, the cured pork products that coowner Bobby Hancock creates from his own red wattle hogs. A nice beer wine and spirits selection, to go with the fish flautas, catfish brandade and charcuterie. $$ p h ✿ RIVER CITY WINERY 321 Pearl St., New Albany, IN, 945-9463. Several of owners Gary and Melissa Humphrey’s wines medaled in the June 2009 Indy International Wine Competition. Their honest, straightforward wines and well-crafted appetizer style menu have been drawing appreciative crowds. Don’t miss the crab cakes with black-eyed pea salsa. $$ e ✿ THE SILVER DOLLAR 1761 Frankfort Ave., The old firehouse in Clifton is slated to become a honky tonk bar and restaurant, the music (all on vinyl) will be focused on the “Bakersfield sound” — a fusion of Mexicali and American roots music. The food will be southern country-style with sophisticated nuances. Choose from more than 80 Kentucky Bourbons and ryes, and tequila and mescal, but no “foreign whiskey” like Scotch, or vodka. $$ p f h ✿ THEATER SQUARE MARKET PLACE 651 S. Fourth St., 625-3001. Dallas McGarity, formerly of Z’s Fusion, has taken over the reins in the kitchen of this elegant transformation of the old Kentucky Theater. Up front is a deli and gourmet grocery. Behind the circular bar is the serene dining room, with a central hearth, and beyond that, a large enclosed patio. McGarity’s new menu includes crawfish arancini, a BLT salad, salmon croquettes, duck confit ragout and curry-seared scallops. $$ p f h ✿ VILLAGE ANCHOR PUB & ROOST 11507 Park Rd., 708-1850. In the heart of Anchorage at the old train station, this two-level Euro-village inspired concept hit the ground running. Warmer weather is drawing crowds again to the Roost, on the upper level, a French bistro a la Moulin Rouge, with its outdoor terrace. Downstairs, at The Sea Hag, the ambience is a British pub. The hearty upscale comfort food-style menu is served lunch and 62 Fall 201 1 www.foodanddine.com

THE ANCHORAGE CAFÉ 11505 Park Rd., 708-1880. This coffee bar and café in Anchorage offers Counter Culture coffees and a small but eclectic menu of sandwiches, paninis and salads. Serving breakfast and lunch, with daily specials. $ f ✿ AROMA CAFÉ Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN, 888-766-2648. Grab a bite before hitting the casino. Sandwiches, salads, sides, cold beverages and coffee will fuel you for a night of entertainment. $ h ✿ BLUE DOG BAKERY AND CAFÉ 2868 Frankfort Ave., 899-9800. Still a popular breakfast and lunch spot as well as an artisanal bakery, producing hearty European-style breads that can be found on restaurant tables and in better grocery stores around town. But on Thursday through Saturdays nights, owners Kit Garrett and Bobby Hancock have started tapas service, many small plates featuring pork cured by Hancock from his own heritage pigs (see the blurb at Red Hog Tapas). $$ p f ✿ BOOMER’S CAFÉ 722 W. Main St., 585-4356. In the midst of the booming West Main Street arts and museum district, this breakfast and lunch spot offers standard American café fare, and serves breakfast on Saturdays. $ BUTTERFLY GARDEN CAFÉ 1327 Bardstown Rd., 456-4500, 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 895-1474. Both locations of this long-time ladies’ lunch favorite, in an attractive old-house on Bardstown Road and inside Dolfinger’s in St Matthews, offer interesting, pleasant lunch fare, with very appealing dessert choices. $ f ✿

black bear, ostrich and kangaroo (when available) round out an excellent, traveled menu. $$ f ✿ CRICKET’S CAFÉ 7613 Old Hwy. 60, Sellersburg, IN, 246-9339. Offering breakfasts and lunch to local Hoosiers and travelers who take exit 7 off I-65. Full breakfasts, omelets, and breakfast sandwiches. A full range of standard lunch sandwiches, with Reubens, Philly steak and cheese, and daily specials. Homemade soups and salads, too. $ f ✿ CYCLERS CAFÉ 2295 Lexington Rd., 451-5152. The appetizing aromas emanating from the big BBQ smoker out front have been drawing drive-by diners as well as bicyclists in to this somewhat unlikely, but nevertheless appealing bike shopcum-restaurant. This informal spot will sell you a first-rate sandwich, soup or salad or a tire for your bike — or the whole darn bike!$ f ✿ DERBY CAFÉ 704 Central Ave., (Kentucky Derby Museum) 634-0858. Lunch served year-round in the dining area adjacent to the Derby Museum with such regional favorites as meaty burgoo, and the Hot Brown. $ f ✿ EARTH FRIENDS CAFÉ AND COFFEE BAR 3211 Grant Line Rd., New Albany, IN, 725-9393. Vegetarians and vegans can find a lot to love here in the sandwich, salad and soup sections of the menu, but they will have to co-exist with carnivores. The menu insists, though, that “all meats [are] produced from humanely raised, grass-fed animals and are produced without added hormones.” $ ✿ ERMIN’S BAKERY & CAFÉ 1201 S. First St., 6356960, 723 S. Fourth St., 587-9390, 455 S. Fourth Ave., 585-5120, 9550 U.S. Hwy. 42, 228-7210. These popular bakeries attract crowds looking for an enjoyable soup and sandwich lunch highlighted by French-style breads and pastries. $ ✿ FLEUR DE LIS CAFÉ 1574 Bardstown Rd., 456-6566. Kyle and Jill Riggle have transformed the old Sweet ‘n’ Savory Café location into a neighborhood

CAFÉ FRAICHE 3642 Brownsboro Rd., 894-8929. Cuisine from around the world is featured at this East End neighborhood café, featuring homemade soups, breads and a variety of entrées on a seasonally changing menu. $ ✿ CAFÉ MONTAGU 1930 Bishops Ln., 451-6357. This breakfast and lunch place provides breakfasts and lunches mainly to the denizens of the Watterson Towers office complex. Home-style cooking, daily specials (meatloaf, pastas) and quick service keep the wheels of business rolling. $ ✿ CHEDDAR BOX CAFÉ 12121 Shelbyville Rd., 2452622. An attractive — and busy — Middletown lunch spot, owner Michelle Bartholmew serves popular salads, sandwiches and soups, as well as hot entrées such as potato-chip-crusted whitefish, specialty pizzas, and lemon-tarragon chicken with orzo. Pick up some frozen appetizers for your next cocktail party. $$ f ✿ CITY CAFÉ 505 W. Broadway, 589-1797, 1250 Bardstown Rd., 459-5600, 500 S. Preston St., 852-5739. Chef Jim Henry, a long-time star in the city’s culinary firmament, brings his cooking skills and insistence on fresh, quality ingredients to these simple, but excellent, spots for lunch. $ f ✿ CRAVE CAFÉ & CATERING 2250 Frankfort Ave., 896-1488. Experienced caterers and chefs offer casual but quality café fare in this comfortable old frame house in Clifton. $ ✿ CREEKSIDE OUTPOST & CAFÉ 614 Hausfeldt Ln., New Albany IN, 948-9118. The Creekside Outpost warps customers back into the days of general stores and maintains every bit of old fashioned charm. Serving up buffalo, elk and surprisingly good burgers. Exotic foods including Shinnecock ice fish, RED = ADVERTISER

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destination for hearty breakfasts, lunches with vegetarian and vegan options and reasonably priced, eclectic dinners. $$ p ✿ FUN FOOD CAFÉ 1860 Mellwood Ave., 895-1003. $ ✿ HIGHLAND MORNING 1416 Bardstown Rd., 3653900. You can order breakfast anytime at this Highlands space, with an eclectic menu that also encompasses brunch, burgers, soul food, Southern dishes and vegetarian fare as well. $ h ✿ HOME PLATE CAFÉ 400 E. Main St., 618-4205. The former Blue Mountain Coffee House site on the corner of Main and Preston, across from Slugger Field, is serving up salad, soups and sandwiches. $ ✿ J. GRAHAM’S CAFÉ & BAR 335 W. Broadway (The Brown Hotel), 583-1234. The home of the legendary “Hot Brown” sandwich, J. Graham’s offers a more casual bistro-style alter na tive to the upscale English Grill, with choice of menu service or buffet dining. $ f p KAYROUZ CAFÉ 127 Wiltshire Ave., 896-2630. Tucked in among St. Matthews sidestreets is one of the best sandwich places in Louisville. The tuna salad, Portobello mushroom Reuben, fish, chicken and hamburger — all are innovative and all come with some of the best fries in town. $ f ✿ MERIDIAN CAFÉ 112 Meridian Ave., 897-9703. This little lunch spot occupies a cozy old house in St. Matthews. Service is competent and polite, the place is sparkling clean, and the luncheon-style fare is consistently fine. A selection of appetizing breakfast items rounds out a tasty mix. $ f ✿ PATTICAKES & PIES CAFÉ 155 E. Main St., New Albany, IN, 725-8510. In downtown New Albany, this little storefront café serves breakfast and lunch, makes hearty paninis and salads, and bakes up cakes, pies, muffins for takeout. $ ✿ QUEUE CAFÉ 220 W. Main St. (LG&E Building), 583-0273. $ f ✿

RIVERSIDE CAFÉ 700 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville, IN, 284-6711. The breakfast room and bar of the Sheraton Riverside. Breakfast served until 10:30 a.m. Unwind at the bar at night. $$ f STOP LITE CAFÉ 1348 River Rd., 584-3746. $ THE CAFÉ 712 Brent St., 637-6869. Now well-settled in its new location just off East Broadway, The Café serves an eclectic breakfast and lunch menu, including old favorites like tomato dill soup and chicken salad. And the new space retains the old place’s yard-sale look of mismatched furniture and chandeliers and doorways to nowhere. $ f

WILD EGGS 3985 Dutchmans Ln., 893-8005, 1311 Herr Ln., 618-2866, 153 S. English Station Rd., 618-3449. Specialty omelets, the everything muffin, spicy egg salad sandwiches — these dishes and more have made Wild Eggs a wildly popular breakfast and lunch spot. Prized seats at weekend brunch can now be found at this growing minichain’s third outlet. $ p ✿ WOLFGANG PUCK EXPRESS 221 S. Fourth St., 562-0983. Bearing the name of the celebrity Austrian chef, this downtown lunch spot in the corner of the convention center offers tasty wraps, sandwiches and soups. $$ f

THE CHEDDAR BOX 3909 Chenoweth Sq., 893-2324. $f✿

YAFA CAFÉ 22 Theater Sq., 561-0222. $ f h ✿

THE LUNCH PAIL 502 E. Warnock St., 634-7116. Offering yet another quick and comforting lunch option near U of L, this family-owned spot features warming soups and filling sandwiches. Lunch is offered year-round, with a dinner menu added from April through September. $ f ✿

ZIALALA CAFÉ 12220 Shelbyville Rd., 713-5803. The owners, of Venezuelan and Italian backgrounds, tout their new Middletown eatery as a “Latin cafe with a European flair.” The eclectic menu includes arepas, pizzettes (individual thincrust pizzas), muffuletta, egg salad sandwiches, panini and empanadas with Chilean, Puerto Rican and Jamaican flavors. $ ✿

THIRD AVENUE CAFÉ 1164 South Third St., 5852233. With a menu featuring many vegetarian and vegan options, this pleasant neighborhood eatery attracts loyal crowds with excellent fare and a cozy setting that brings you back for more. $$ p f e ✿ TIFFANY CELLAR CAFÉ 11601 Main, 245-4411. $ f ✿ VERBENA CAFÉ 10639 Meeting St., 426-0020. Norton Commons welcomes another eatery, a breakfast and lunch spot open early morning till mid-afternoon, serving breakfast and lunch at any of those hours. $$ f ✿ WHITNEY’S DINER 3061 Breckenridge Ln., 454-5955. For many years a Fern Creek landmark before a short move west, Whitney’s remains a comfortable spot for a casual, diner-style breakfast, lunch or dinner. We recommend the “Grandpa style roast beef.” $ ✿

ZEPPELIN CAFÉ 1036 E. Burnett St., 365-3551. $$ h ✿

ZIVIO 711 S. Third St., 561-3007. The owners of the ambitious little Highlands Italian eatery Le Gallo Rosso have expanding their reach downtown, but with a different concept. The name, among other possible translations, is Italian dialect for “Good Health and Prosperity,” an agreeable wish for anyone who joins them for lunch. The emphasis is on an eclectic range of soups and sandwiches. $ ✿

AHOY FISH HUT 2902 Bardstown Rd., 451-5508. An upper Highlands outlet that has been delighting the neighborhood with fish tacos, fried and broiled cod, and homemade buttermilk pie. All dishes cooked to order — nothing hangs around under heat lamps. $ f ✿ BLUE LAGOON 2280 Bardstown Rd., 632-2583. The Sharom family, who operate Zaytun Mediterranean Grill and Sharom’s on the Outer Loop, has a new seafood place, on the site of the old Diamante’s. Hopes are high for an aquatic take on their falafel and hummus staples. $$ f h ✿ BONEFISH GRILL 657 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 4124666. This franchise concept from the Floridabased Outback Steakhouse chain offers impressive seafood in a comfortable setting. Add Bonefish to your short list of suburban chain eateries that do the job right. $$$ p ✿ CLARKSVILLE SEAFOOD 916 Eastern Blvd., Clarksville, IN, 283-8588. As the only surviving descendant of Louisville’s old Cape Codder chain, Clarksville Seafood upholds a long and honorable tradition. The menu is simple — fried fish and fried seafood, served on paper trays — but it is consistently excellent and affordable. $ EAGLE LAKE & RESTAURANT 7208 Whipple Rd., 937-7658. If you like to fish, or if you like to eat fish, you’ll likely enjoy Eagle Lake, a simple, downhome eatery in Southwestern Jefferson County. Seafood is the specialty. Fishermen will enjoy their stocked pay-to-fish lake. Note though, it’s not possible to have your catch fried for dinner. $$ f THE FISH HOUSE 1310 Winter Ave., 568-2993. Louisville is as overflowing as a well-stocked lake with fish-sandwich houses, and The Fish House is right up there with the best. Crisp breading laced with black pepper is the signature of Green River fried fish from Western Kentucky. $ f THE FISHERY 3624 Lexington Rd., 895-1188, 11519 Shelbyville Rd., 409-4296. The original fried-fish eatery in a neighborhood that’s now awash with them, The Fishery remains justly popular for its quick, sizzling hot and affordable fish and seafood meals. $ f ✿

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HILL STREET FISH FRY 111 E. Hill St., 636-3474. This Old Louisville tradition is small and easy to miss, but it’s worth the effort to get by. It’s oversized fried whitefish sandwich is the flagship dish, but a varied menu is also available. $ f

boasts glittering mosaic artwork, a handsome bar opening onto Fourth Street, and luxurious seating in secluded nooks and corners. The menu focuses on high end steaks, well prepared seafood and seasonal specials. $$$ p h

JACKSON’S SEAFOOD 400 W. Main St., New Albany, IN, 945-3474. Joe Jackson, 13-year veteran of locallyfamed Clarksville Seafood, serves up fried, broiled or blackened fish, and rolled oysters. Fans of Jackson’s former employer will find many similarities in the food, but offered with customer-friendly service and rational, predictable hours. $

JACK BINION’S STEAKHOUSE Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN, 888-766-2648. (See listing under Fine Dining.)

JOE’S CRAB SHACK 131 River Rd., 568-1171. The setting on the edge of Riverfront Park is bright, noisy and fun, with a wraparound deck providing a panoramic river view. $$ p f KINGFISH RESTAURANT 3021 Upper River Rd., 895-0544, 1610 Kentucky Mills Dr., 240-0700, 601 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville, IN, 284-3474. Fried fish in a family dining setting has made this local chain a popular favorite for many years. Two of its properties — upper River Road and Riverside Drive — boast river views. $$ p f e MIKE LINNIG’S 9308 Cane Run Rd., 937-9888. Mike Linnig’s has been dishing up tasty fried fish and seafood at family prices since 1925 and remains immensely popular. There’s indoor seating and a bar, but the picnic grove with its giant shade trees makes Linnig’s a special place in season. Out of season — Nov. to Jan. — the family shutters the place and takes a nice vacation. $ f MITCHELL’S FISH MARKET 4031 Summit Plaza Dr., 412-1818. The decor of this upscale eatery evokes the feeling of a large fish market, with an open kitchen that offers views of chefs at work. Quality seafood and service have made Mitchell’s a popular destination. $$$ p f ✿ PASSTIME FISH HOUSE 10801 Locust Rd., 2674633. If you are looking for an honest fish sandwich and a cold beer or two, with no frills, this southside tavern is just the ticket. Belly up, place your order, and be sure to have cash — no credit cards accepted here. $$ f e RUMORS RESTAURANT & RAW BAR 12339 Shelbyville Rd., 245-0366. Visualize Hooter’s without the scantily-clad waitresses, and you’ve drawn a bead on Rumor’s, the original Louisville home of the bucket-of-oysters and impressive raw bar. $$ p f SHAROM’S 5637 Outer Loop, 968-8363. Family owned and family style dining with a wide net of seafood dinners and appetizers. Lunch and dinner menus also include such delicacies as frog legs, shrimp and alligator. $$ p ] CAST IRON STEAKHOUSE 1207 E. Market St., Jeffersonville, IN, 590-2298, 6325 River Rd., 3847466. Buck’s owner Curtis Rader’s idea to cook steaks and sides in cast iron pans at moderate prices hit such a popular nerve that he opened two more locations on the Kentucky side of the river. The ambience of all his places is upscale with “no peanuts on the floor, antlers on the wall or country music,” Rader promises. $$$ p h DEL FRISCO’S 4107 Oechsli Ave., 897-7077. Loyal Louisville beefeaters continue to fill up this 28year-old St. Matthews steakhouse, with its brick walls and beamed ceilings. Any red meat enthusiast would know to order the filet or Porterhouse, but only regulars know the glories of something called green phunque. $$$$ p EDDIE MERLOT’S PRIME AGED BEEF 455 S. Fourth St., 584-3266. The sumptuous renovation of the space at the corner of Fourth and Muhammad Ali has resulted in one of the largest dining spaces in town. The Ft. Wayne-based small chain with big ambitions

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JEFF RUBY’S STEAKHOUSE 325 W. Main St., 5840102. This Cincinnati restaurateur has made an impact in Louisville with his outstanding steaks, glittery bar, urban vibe and top-notch service. The downtown setting doesn’t hurt either, on Waterfront Plaza at Main and Fourth, next to the Galt House. The rooms have Churchill Downs themes. The steaks take the rail with seafood and sushi coming up fast on the outside. $$$$ p e LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE 5055 Shelbyville Rd., 8933884, 5229 Dixie Hwy., 448-0577, 970 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 288-9789, 1540 Alliant Ave., 266-6009. With more than 100 properties in 17 states, this Nashville-based chain parlays peanut shells on the floor and steaks on the table into a popular formula. $$ p LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE 2535 Hurstbourne Ln., 671-5350, 9700 Von Allmen Ct., 326-7500, 1210 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 284-5800. Oversize steaks and a “big sky” western theme are the draw at this chain eatery, although most of its properties are east of the Mississippi. $$ p MORTON’S 626 W. Main St., 584-0421. This belowground temple to the red meat gods is elegant and masculine, full of wood paneling, brass rails and leather booths. Louisville reveres its home-grown restaurants but has welcomed this Chicago-based chain with open mouths. $$$$ p OUTBACK STEAK HOUSE 4621 Shelbyville Rd., 8954329, 6520 Signature Dr., 964-8383, 9498 Brownsboro Rd., 426-4329, 8101 Bardstown Rd., 231-2399, 1420 Park Place, Clarksville, IN, 283-4329. The name suggests Australia, and so does the shtick at this popular national chain, but the food is pretty much familiar American, and the fare goes beyond just steak to take in chicken, seafood and pasta. $$$ p PAT’S STEAK HOUSE 2437 Brownsboro Rd., 8969234. A local favorite for fifty years and as traditional as a steakhouse gets, Pat Francis, like his father before him, cuts the meats himself. Its combination of quality beef and hospitality rank it among the best steak houses in town. Be sure to bring cash: No credit cards accepted. $$$$ p f PONDEROSA STEAKHOUSE 11470 S. Preston Hwy., 964-6117. Family-style dining with the ranch theme kept alive with the open flame from the grills. An extensive buffet with hot and cold foods, salads and desserts is also available. $ ✿ RUTH’S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE 6100 Dutchman’s Ln., 479-0026. The Robb Report magazine has declared Rolex the world’s best watch, Armani the best men’s suit, Cohiba the best cigar and Ruth’s Chris the best restaurant. It serves an excellent steak in an atmosphere of elegance that will make you feel pampered, at a price to match. $$$$ p RYAN’S FAMILY STEAKHOUSE 5338 Bardstown Rd., 491-1088. This North Carolina-based chain offers family dining with good variety: Its diverse and extensive buffet features more than 150 items. $$ STAXX ROADHOUSE AND BBQ 9601 Shelbyville Rd., 425-9641. This steak and BBQ joint at the corner of Shelbyville and Hurstbourne smokes brisket and ribs out back, and offers a covered, heated patio. They take their name from the method of stacking the meat while cooking as well as the old Stax Recording Studio in Memphis. $$ p f h STONEY RIVER LEGENDARY STEAK 3900 Summit Plaza Dr., 429-8944. Stoney River in the Springhurst shopping center is one of the chain’s first

properties outside its Georgia home. It draws big crowds with its memorable steaks and trimmings, with extra points for friendly service and a comfortable atmosphere. $$$$ p h TEXAS ROADHOUSE 757 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy. (Green Tree Mall), Clarksville, IN, 280-1103, 4406 Dixie Hwy. 448-0705, 6460 Dutchman’s Pkwy., 897-5005, 3322 Outer Loop, 962-7600. The spirit of the West sets the theme for this popular steak house. Salads, vegetables and breads with hearty side dishes round out your meal options. This is family-style dining, with no tray sliding — service at your table. $$ p

A NICE RESTAURANT 3105 Blackiston Mill Rd., New Albany IN, 945-4321, 2784 Meijer Dr., 2809160, Jeffersonville, IN, 404 Lafollette Station, Floyds Knobs, IN, 923-7770. A Nice Restaurant, billed as “New Albany’s Finer Diner,” is, well, nice enough to have launched two more branches. All specialize in simple, down-home breakfast and lunch at affordable prices. $ APPLEBEE’S (6 locations) This cheery national chain features an eclectic assortment of salads, steaks, ribs, poultry and pasta as well as full bar service. It’s as consistent as a cookie cutter, but competent execution makes it a good bargain for those whose tastes run to mainstream American cuisine. $$ p h ASPEN CREEK RESTAURANT 8000 Bardstown Rd., 239-2200. The entrepreneur who created Texas Roadhouse and Buckhead’s is back with a concept that’s both old and new — a lodge-style restaurant that invokes the rustic feel of the Rockies, and offers a menu of pastas, burgers, and poultry at prices that aren’t mountain high. $$ p h ✿ B.J.’S RESTAURANT & BREWHOUSE 7900 Shelbyville Rd., 326-3850. This Southern California chain arrived east of the Mississippi, including a large and imposing brewhouse at Oxmoor Center. A full range of made-in-Nevada craft beers is dispensed, along with upscale-casual pub grub. $$ p h BLUE HORSE CAFÉ 830 Phillips Ln., (Crown Plaza Hotel) 367-2251. $$$ p h ✿ BLUEGRASS BURGERS 3334 Frankfort Ave., 6146567. Four women restaurateurs have partnered to offer a gourmet burger concept. Choose your burger — grass-fed Kentucky beef or bison, tuna or veggie (or grilled chicken, cheese steak or franks) — and then head for the topping bar. $ f ✿ BRICKHOUSE TAVERN & TAP 871 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 326-3182. The Brickhouse Girls, wearing tight black baby Ts and denim minis, serve typical bar food, beer and ale and cocktails, and encourage patrons to play beer pong. This has to be a winning corporate concept, don’t you think? $$ p h BUCKHEAD MOUNTAIN GRILL 3020 Bardstown Rd., 456-6680, 707 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville IN, 284-2919, 10206 Westport Rd., 339-0808. The deck of the riverfront location in Jeffersonville, with its view across the river, is a great place for a lazy summer meal, when the familiarity of all-American fare like meat loaf, pot pies, steak or ribs and a couple of cold ones is all you want. The big square bars in all three locations, with multiple TV screens, make for excellent sports viewing as well. New delivery and catering operations extends the brand beyond the three locations. $$ p f h ✿ BUNZ RESTAURANT 969 1/2 Baxter Ave., 632-1132. This little Highlands made-to-order gourmet hamburger shop concocts quality burgers with a range of standard and oddball toppings. $ h CAFÉ ENVY 570 S. Fourth St., 569-0508. During the day, it’s a lunchspot in the center of busy 4th Street, serving up sandwiches, fried shrimp and catfish, ribs and salads. At night, it’s a lounge with a dance floor,

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catering to the “mature adult crowd” between the ages of 30 and 45. Entertainment provided by DJs and live acts, overseen by the owners of JazzyBlu in Glassworks. $$ p f e ✿

End place (that has just opened a second location) is a gem offering an eclectic range of quick comfort foods: chicken gizzard baskets, pizza rolls, cheese steaks, burgers and subs. $ h

CAFÉ MAGNOLIA 140 N. Fourth St. (Galt House), 589-5200. The Galt House’s quick and casual secondfloor dining alternative, this spacious venue offers a range of fare for guests on the go, from bacon and eggs to a late-night burger and fries. $$$ p ✿

FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES 2221 State Street, New Albany, IN, 944-9958, 4320 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 944-7370, 4116 Summit Plaza Dr., 426-1702. Based in Virginia, this burger chain invokes the early days of fast food with freshlygrilled burgers, big, smoky Kosher dogs, enough condiments to satisfy any craving, fresh-cut fries that are out of this world and a cheery rock’n’ roll sensibility. $ h

CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS 5700 Captain’s Quarters Rd., 228-1651. One of the city’s most attractive eateries for atmosphere, Captain’s Quarters matches the beautiful setting with quality bistro-style fare that won’t disappoint. Summer or winter, it’s a delightful place to dine. $$ p f e ✿ CARDINAL HALL OF FAME CAFÉ 2745 Crittenden Dr., 635-8686. This oversize eatery at Gate 4 of the Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center celebrates U of L sports with a “walk of fame” loaded with awards, photos, game balls and lots more Cardinal memorabilia. What? You want food too? Sure! Casual American dining features everything from a “Cardinal Burger” to steaks and prime rib. $$ p h CHAMPIONS GRILL 505 Marriott Dr. (Holiday Inn), Clarksville, IN., 283-4411. Known by locals for its Saturday night buffet of New York strip, ribeye and prime rib. Salads, sandwiches, soups and a kidfriendly menu round out the selection. $$ p e ✿ CHEDDAR’S CASUAL CAFÉ 10403 Westport Rd., 339-5400, 3521 Outer Loop, 966-3345, 1385 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 280-9660. This popular Dallas-based chain draws big, hungry crowds with its large bar and familiar “casual to upscale American” fare. $ p h ✿ CHILI’S 421 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 425-6800, 3623 Bardstown Rd., 301-8888, 11600 Antonia Way, 301-8181, 9720 Von Allmen Ct., 301-8880. More than just a place to chow down on baby back ribs, this national chain has a wide selection including fajitas, burgers, sandwiches and veggies. $$ p ✿ CHOP SHOP SALADS 436 W. Market St., 589-2467, 126 Breckinridge Ln., 384-4252. The two-handed mezzalunas rock steady as the line cooks chop up lettuce, vegetables and meats into hearty salads or wraps. Mostly a to-go place with limited seating, the steady lunchtime crowds attest that office workers see a need for fresh light lunch fare. $ ✿ COACH LAMP RESTAURANT 751 Vine St., 5839165. Hurricane Katrina blew chef Richard Lowe into town, bringing from New Orleans his Cajun/ Creole/Caribbean magic to Coach Lamp’s kitchen. The restored 137-year-old building has a classic bar on one side and an upscale white-tablecloth dining room on the other side. $$$ f ✿ CULVER’S 4630 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 671-2001. When the trademark item is called a “ButterBurger” and frozen custard tops the dessert menu, you know you’re not in for diet fare. Quality fast food and friendly service make this chain a popular new East End arrival. $ f CUNNINGHAM’S 630 S. Fourth St., 587-0526, 6301 Upper River Rd., 228-3625. Carrying on into its third century in modern quarters that capture much of the nostalgia of its history, Cunningham’s vends fine fish sandwiches and pub grub in this downtown location and in a second eatery on Harrods Creek. $ f EDESIA GARDENS 10212 Taylorsville Rd., 2637100. Named after the Roman goddess of gourmet foods, this banquet and events space also offers a Sunday brunch buffet to the public. Special brunches also served on holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, Easter, Mother’s Day. $$ ✿ FAMOUS MIKE’S STEAK & LEMONADE 3052 Wilson Ave., 618-0102, 4918 Poplar Level Rd., 962-9999. At first a curious culinary combination — steak and lemonade — but this little near-West

FLABBY’S SCHNITZELBURG 1101 Lydia St., 2907273. Since 1952, serving up rolled oysters, German comfort food and fried chicken to Germantown residents and fans from far and wide. Where else can you find limburger and braunsweiger with onions on rye and Warsteiner on draft? $ p GARAGE BAR 700 E. Market St., 749-7100. The much anticipated new venture from Michael Paley of Proof, housed in a former service station in NuLu, will serve up draft and bottled craft beers, Bourbons, seasonal cocktails and wine, pizzas from a woodfired brick oven and Southern specialties, with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. $$$ p f h ✿ GAVI’S RESTAURANT 222 S. Seventh St., 583-8183. This family-owned eatery has been around for decades. Standard casual American cuisine adds a few Russian-style specialties such as homemade borsht soup and beef Stroganoff. Daily lunch specials include lots of fresh vegetable dishes. $ ✿ GOOSE CREEK DINER 2923 Goose Creek Rd., 3398070. Goose Creek Diner offers old-fashioned comfort food, as the name “diner” suggests, but transcendently adds a gourmet taste to the down-home eats. $ HOME RUN BURGERS & FRIES 2060 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 409-7004, 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 365-3388, 12949 Shelbyville Rd., 384-8403. Burgers, dogs and fries and drinks with a baseball theme highlight this suburban spot, and more than 20 toppings offer you a fielder’s choice of options to dress your burger. $ f ✿ HOOTERS 4120 Dutchmans Ln., 895-7100, 4948 Dixie Hwy., 449-4194, 7701 Preston Hwy., 968-1606, 700 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville, IN, 218-9485, 941 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., 131, Clarksville, IN 284-9464. Hooter’s may draw crowds with its longstanding reputation as a party scene, but you’ll stay for the food, an appetizing selection of soups, salads, seafood and, of course, wings. $ p f e h INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES 1220 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 285-1772, 1401 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 618-2250. The familiar IHOP franchise across the river has now been joined by another outlet along the franchise restaurant row on Hurstbourne. $ h ✿ JOE’S OLDER THAN DIRT 8131 New Lagrange Rd., 426-2074. Going strong after many years in this Lyndon location, Joe’s has gradually grown from a little house to a sprawling complex of indoor and outdoor tables with live music many evenings. Excellent barbecue is a specialty, and so is ice-cold beer. $ p e h KAHUNA NUI BURGERS & FRIES 14216 Dixie Hwy., 937-3722. $ p KAREM’S 9424 Norton Commons Blvd., 327-5646. Karem’s Grill & Pub, one of the first restaurants to open in the village-like Norton Commons, carries the look and feel of a neighborhood watering hole inside and out. The test of a restaurant, though, is the food, and Karem’s is excellent. $ p f KERN’S KORNER 2600 Bardstown Rd., 456-9726. This family-owned tavern has been a popular neighborhood pit stop since 1978. Kern’s offers freshly

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made ham, chicken salad sandwiches and burgers, as well as a menu of soups, chilis and appetizers. $ p LEGENDS Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN, 888-766-2648. The hot and cold short orders are served up with riverboat hospitality, but in a Las Vegas atmosphere. A well stocked bar and a live stage welcome the best of regional and visiting national acts. $$ p e h LYNN’S PARADISE CAFÉ 984 Barret Ave., 583-3447. A serious restaurant hides behind the funky décor and madcap events (like the annual New Year’s Eve pajama party and the Ugly Lamp contest). The Bourbon Ball French toast beat Bobby Flay on a Throwdown. And everyone loves the fried green tomato BLT. The World of Swirl store in the front has been described as “Cracker Barrel on acid.” $$ p ✿ MANHATTAN GRILL 429 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 561-0024. $ ✿ MAXWELL’S BAR & GRILLE 9909 Taylorsville Rd., 267-9604. The former Maggie’s, reopened under new ownership, providing more choice for casual, family-centered dining in the Jeffersontown area. Salads, sandwiches, burgers, flatbread pizzas, honey-miso glazed salmon, Hot Browns, kabobs and a full bar. $$ p f h ✿ MIMI’S CAFÉ 615 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 426-6588. This California chain, a subsidiary of Bob Evans, goes urban and upscale where farmer Bob is folksy and country. This new East End location is drawing crowds, building its reputation on those familiar with the chain from other places. $$ ✿ THE MONKEY WRENCH 1025 Barret Ave., 582-2433. A popular spot in the urban neighborhood where the Highlands meet Germantown, The Monkey Wrench offers comfort food with a stylish spin, top flight music, a relaxed ambience and welcoming service. A rooftop patio packs them in on warm evenings. $pfeh✿ MR. POLLO 3606 Klondike Ln., 618-2280. On a visit to Peru, the Cuban owners learned how to make pollo a la brasa, a brined, spiced and long-roasted Andean specialty. So they’ve brought a South American cuisine new to town, where you can buy quarter, half or whole chickens that are served with a spicy-creamy aji sauce and sides of fries and salad or Cuban black beans and rice. $ MULLIGAN’S PUB AND GRILL 1801 Newburg Rd., 632-2818. Neighborhood institution Kaelin’s is gone, but Mulligans’ now holds down the fort. Although the “If you can’t stop, please wave sign” is still outside, inside, wood-paneled walls, a new horseshoe-shaped bar and vintage wooden golf clubs show that a new game is afoot. The beer list now includes BBC craft beers and Irish imports. The menu is geared toward hearty sandwiches, pizza and steak and shrimp entrées. $$ p f h NEIL & PATTY’S FIRESIDE BAR & GRILL 7611 IN 311, Sellersburg, IN, 246-5456. A family owned and operated outpost up the road a piece, long known for their warm and welcoming, down-home atmosphere. The local cognoscenti know they can also find excellent pastas, steaks, seafood, and salads. Homemade soups are created daily and coffee and desserts are always freshly made. Breakfast served until 2 p.m. — look for the bison sausage served with organic eggs. $$ p ✿ O’CHARLEY’S (6 locations) O’Charley’s, Inc. could serve well as the picture in the dictionary next to “American casual dining.” The Nashville-based chain operates 206 properties in 16 states in the Southeast and Midwest, serving a straightforward steak-andseafood menu with the motto “Mainstream with an attitude.” $$ p h OTTO’S CAFÉ 500 S. Fourth St. (Seelbach Hilton Hotel), 585-3201. Southern cooking with gourmet flair makes Otto’s an intriguing alternative to the

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Seelbach’s more upscale Oakroom. Check out the Southern Breakfast Buffet and the Executive Express Lunch Buffet. $ PAULA DEEN BUFFET Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN, 888-766-2648. Bubbly Paula extends her food empire to Horseshoe Casino. Modeled after her restaurants, the motif is based on the architecture of Savannah, Ga., where she lives. Of course, there’s a shop attached, where you can purchase aprons, cookbooks, cookware and her new furniture line. $$$$ h ✿ PEPPERS BAR & GRILL 320 W. Jefferson St., (Hyatt Regency) 587-3434. The casual-dining facility in the Hyatt Regency offers a full dinner menu for hotel guests and outside visitors as well. $$$ p h ✿ PRESTON STREET FISH & CHICKEN 1272 S. Preston St., 636-1310. Don’t you love restaurant names that tell it all? Here, catty-corner from the Billy Hertz Gallery on South Preston, you will find a corner location selling fried chicken and fish. Wings are the thing, and you can get them in quantity if you want. Also, breaded and fried whitefish and jack salmon. $ PUB LOUISVILLE Fourth Street Live 569-7782. Owned by Cincinnati’s The Tavern Restaurant Group, The Pub features “nouveau pub cuisine” ranging from shepherd’s pie and fish and chips to more Continental dishes like fried calamari and a seared ahi tuna entrée. $$ p f h RAFFERTY’S OF LOUISVILLE 988 Breckenridge Ln., 897-3900. 3601 Springhurst Blvd., 412-9000. This full-service, casual dining establishment has a hearty menu. Specialties like Red Alfredo Pasta showcase the gourmet offerings along with some of the largest and most creative salad combinations in town. $$ p ✿ RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS 9870 Von Allmen Ct., 339-8616, 5000 Shelbyville Rd., 899-9001. The Robin, a Seattle-based chain well regarded for “gourmet burgers” and trimmings, has now landed in two East End locations. Despite a full bar, it reportedly attracts hordes of happy youngsters. $$ p f h ROOSTER’S 7405 Preston Hwy., 964-9464, 4420 Dixie Hwy., 384-0330, 1601 Greentree Blvd., Clarksville, IN, 590-3391. This Columbusbased wings-and-brews chain conquered Ohio and is now spreading its franchise wings across the Eastern U.S. Its first three Louisville properties have gained popularity for a lively sports bar setting and oversize wings. $ p f h RUBY TUESDAY 11701 Bluegrass Pkwy., 267-7100, 1354 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 288-5010. If success demonstrates quality, then Ruby Tuesday’s 600 international properties and 30,000 employees can stand up with pride. They’ve been upholding the slogan “Awesome Food. Serious Salad Bar” in Louisville for a generation. $$ p h ✿ THE RUDYARD KIPLING 422 W. Oak St., 636-1311. The word “eclectic” fits this Old Louisville eatery in just about every dimension, from its funky decor to its diverse bill of fare, not to mention an array of entertainment that bridges the generations from Generation X’ers to aging hippies. $ p f e h ✿ SAM’S FOOD & SPIRITS 3800 Payne Kohler Rd., Clarksville, IN, 945-9757, 702 Highlander Point Dr., Floyds Knobs, IN, 923-2323. Sam Anderson has been running his popular Southern Indiana institution for over 17 years now, feeding an army of happy diners. You’ll now find his extensive and child friendly menu at a second location in Floyds Knobs. $$ p h ✿ SHONEY’S 811 Eastern Pkwy., 636-1043, 6511 Signature Dr., 969-8904, 9921 Ormsby Station Rd., 423-6388. For nearly 50 years, Shoney’s restaurants have been one of America’s top choices for fast roadside dining, and happily they’ve kept up with the times. $

SIMPLY SPLENDID SALADS 203 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 426-3373. Another pleasant spot for lunch or take-home dinner for shoppers and workers along the Shelbyville Road-Hurstbourne Parkway nexus. Choose from an interesting selection of huge salad bowls (Asian shrimp, tuna Nicosia, chicken Caesar) or piled-high crepe wraps (Philly cheese steak, vegetarian, Hawaiian chicken, chicken and Brie) for eat-in or take-away. $$ ✿ SKYLINE CHILI 1266 Bardstown Rd., 473-1234, 9980 Linn Station Rd., 429-5773, 4024 Dutchman’s Ln., 721-0093, 6801 Dixie Hwy., 937-4020. Louisville’s outposts of a famous Cincinnati chili restaurant, these casual eateries offer the regional favorite (really it’s Greek spaghetti sauce, but keep it quiet) and other fast-food dishes. $ h ✿ SMASHBURGER 9409 Shelbyville Rd. A growing chain located mostly in the West and the South reaches out to its first Kentucky location serving made-to-order Angus beef burgers. STEAK N SHAKE 3232 Bardstown Rd., 456-2670, 4913 Dixie Hwy., 448-4400, 4545 Outer Loop, 966-3109, 2717 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 491-3397, 10721 Fischer Park Dr., 326-3625, 980 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN., 285-1154. One of the oldest fast-food chains in the U.S., Steak N Shake traces its ancestry to an Illinois roadside stand in 1934. It now boasts 400 outlets in 19 states but still sticks to the basics: quality steak burgers and hand-dipped shakes served, if you dine in, on real china. $ h ✿ STEVIE B’S BURGERS & MORE 1401 Veterans Pkwy, Clarksville IN 288-8365. Located near WalMart and I-65. Stevie B’s lures hungry shoppers to dress their own burgers at the toppings bar. Or, fuel up on Philly cheesesteaks, cheese chicken sandwiches, or a quarter-pound chili dog. $ TGI FRIDAY’S Fourth Street Live, 585-3577. The original place to loosen the tie and congregate after the whistle blows. TGIF carries on its party atmosphere tradition with American bistro dining and libations. The bill of fare ranges from baskets of appetizers on up to contemporary entrées. $$ p

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TILTED KILT 6201 Dutchmans Ln., 409-8458. A franchise restaurant, notable for its skimpily plaidclad servers as much as its pub-style food. The aggressively cute menu offers “big-arse” burgers, various sandwiches, salads and wraps, entrées ranging from lasagna to “Longshanks” sausage platter to “Fat Bastard’s” meatloaf sandwich. Pizza and a short beer list are also available. $$ p h TOAST ON MARKET 736 E. Market St., 569-4099, 141 E. Market St., New Albany, IN, 941-8582. This local breakfast and lunch favorite has gained a loyal following and tremendous word-of-mouth, opened a second outlet across the river, and will be moving out of the funky, cavernous old theater building to the former Artemisia a few doors west before the summer is out. $ p f ✿ TRELLIS RESTAURANT 320 W. Jefferson St. (Hyatt Regency), 587-3434. Dine on café fare in the Hyatt’s lofty atrium lobby while you take advantage of an environment made for people-watching. $$ p TUCKER’S 2441 State St., New Albany, IN, 944-9999. Tucker’s gives you a little bit of everything with a down-to-earth flair, offering burgers, ribs, steaks, a variety of appetizers and pastas. $ p TWIG & LEAF RESTAURANT 2122 Bardstown Rd., 451-8944. A popular Highlands hangout, the “Twig” is probably at its best for breakfast — whether you’re enjoying it while venturing out on a leisurely Sunday morning or heading home very late on a Saturday night. It’s a place to grab a quick, filling bite, and doesn’t pretend to be more. $ h ✿ WESTPORT GENERAL STORE 7008 Hwy. 524, Westport, KY., 222-4626. It may be in the country, and you may feel far from the big city, until the

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food comes. Along with the requisite meat loaf and pork chops, you’ll find such ambitious fare as chicken buccatini and blackened scallops. $$ e ✿ THE WING ZONE 905 Hess Ln., 636-2445. Another new wings emporium situated to catch the fancy of U of L fans, Wing Zone excels with jumbo wings in 25 flavors, including traditional Buffalo-style wings that range from Mild to Nuclear. $ f h ZAXBY’S 2740 Allison Ln., Jeffersonville IN, 9200080. They have been all around us out in the state, but now Louisville has its own Zaxby’s, the casual dining chain that cutens its menu with a lot of “z’s”: zappetizers, zalads, platterz, wings and fingerz — that sort of thing. $ f h

BARBARA LEE’S KITCHEN 2410 Brownsboro Rd., 897-3967. Barbara Lee’s has been a late-night refuge for years. It’s a reliable standby for those in search of traditional blue-plate special lunch food. Honest grub, honestly priced, in a rootsy atmosphere. $ h BIG MOMMA’S SOUL KITCHEN 4532 W. Broadway, 772-9580. Big Momma’s may be the most hospitable place in the West End to get genuine soul food. A different main course is featured daily, all home-cooked food, including such goodies as baked chicken, smothered pork chops, meat loaf, catfish … and fried chicken every day. $ ✿ CARLY RAE’S 103 W. Oak St., 749-6665. The Old Louisville corner place with the great fenced-in patio has reopened with the same name, but new owners, with a focus on soul food. CAROLYN’S 3822 Cane Run Rd., 776-9519. The steam table classic, the “meat ‘n’ two” gives you the roast chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes. Or pork chops, applesauce and limas. $ CHECK’S CAFÉ 1101 E. Burnett Ave., 637-9515. You can whiff a scent of Louisville history coming off the old walls of this quintessential Germantown saloon, along with years of frying grease. The bar food here is about as good as bar food gets, and that’s not bad. The chili and the bean soup are particularly recommended. $ p f e THE CHICKEN HOUSE 7180 Hwy. 111, Sellersburg, IN., 246-9485. The parking lot of this white frame building in rural Indiana is packed on weekend nights as families from throughout the area wait on delectable fried chicken. This is the very heart of American comfort food, including green beans, dumplings, and mashed potatoes. $$ CHICKEN KING 639 E. Broadway, 589-5464. Spicy, crunchy and sizzling hot fried chicken is the primary draw on a short, affordable menu. $ h COTTAGE CAFÉ 11609 Main St., Middletown, 2449497. This nostalgic old house in the countryside offers a taste of Kentucky-style cookery in an array of lunch specials that range from homemade soups and sandwiches to the traditional Hot Brown. $ ✿ COTTAGE INN 570 Eastern Pkwy., 637-4325. Longtime neighborhood fixture Cottage Inn has a bright new look, and continues happily doling out the kind of excellent down-home food it has served for more than 70 years. $ D’NALLEY’S 970 S. Third St., 588-2003. Dirt-cheap blue-plate specials and hearty breakfasts bring droves to the counters and booths of this classic greasy spoon. Saturday morning hours are sporadic, but for a quick plate of meat loaf, green beans, and mashed potatoes, D’Nalley’s is a hard place to beat. $ FORTY ACRES AND A MULE RESTAURANT 1800 Dixie Hwy., 776-5600. $ FRANCO’S RESTAURANT & CATERING 3300 Dixie Hwy., 448-8044. Jay’s Cafeteria lives on in Shively. Jay’s former owners are now serving up Southern Soul food at family-friendly prices. The

mac and cheese is sticky and crusty, the cornmeal muffins are crunchy on the outside and melt-inyour-mouth inside. Look for smothered pork chops, collard greens, fried chicken, fried catfish and fruit cobbler. $ FRONTIER DINER 7299 Dixie Hwy., 271-3663. The name “diner” says it all, and this friendly neighborhood spot on Dixie Highway delivers just what you’d expect in down-home comfort fare. The word on the street, though, is simple: Go for the pancakes. They’re worth a special trip. $ ✿ GOLDEN CORRAL 4032 Taylorsville Rd., 485-0004, 8013 Preston Hwy., 966-4970, 1402 Cedar St., Clarksville, IN. 258-2540. Buffet style family dining — one price, all you can eat. Steaks are served beginning at 4 p.m. $ GRANNY’S APRON 2605 Rockford Ln., 449-9026. Everything at Granny’s Apron is homemade by owner Jan Bradley, and it tastes that way: Dinner here will remind you of a trip back in time to Grandmother’s house, assuming that Grandmother was a really good cook. $ HAZELWOOD RESTAURANT 4106 Taylor Blvd., 361-9104. Whether you like your eggs over easy, or your cheeseburgers well done, you’ll like the Hazelwood Restaurant. Standard short orders cooked with lots of character and a low price. $ HOMETOWN BUFFET 1700 Alliant Ave., 267-7044, 6641 Dixie Hwy., 995-3320. This chain serves up nostalgic dishes, casseroles, meats and desserts that allow you to set an all-American supper table with the all-you-can eat price tag. $ ✿ INDI’S RESTAURANT 1033 W. Broadway, 589-7985, 3820 W. Market St., 778-5154, 2901 Fern Valley Rd., 969-7993, 5009 S. Third St., 363-2535, 2970 Tenth St., Jeffersonville, IN, 288-8980. Grown from a tiny West End takeout spot to a mini-chain, Indi’s vends a variety of affordable soul food and barbecue specialties to take out or eat in. $ h ✿ JESSIE’S FAMILY RESTAURANT 9609 Dixie Hwy., 937-6332. Country cooking is Jessie’s specialty, with hearty breakfast, lunch and dinner platters to fill the inner person. $ KING’S FRIED CHICKEN 1302 Dixie Hwy., 776-3013. $ KUM’S KAFE 4125 Preston Hwy., 964-6336. Crispy fried chicken and fried catfish, as well as daily Asian specialties. $ MISS C’S KITCHEN & PANTRY 1319 Story Ave., 759-1085, 308 W. Chestnut St., 992-3166. You will find traditional recipes using locally-sourced foods, such as pimento cheese made with Kenny’s white cheddar and tuna salad using the recipe from Stewart’s Orchid Room at both the Butchertown and new downtown location. $$

QUEENIE’S SOUL CUISINE 2956 Richland Ave., 451-4698. Queenie has been cooking for her 13 siblings since she was a teenager. Finally she is getting paid to do it. She and her son serve breakfast, lunch and dinner: chicken and waffles, meatloaf, a soul burrito, chicken (fried, smothered or baked) and daily specials. $$ f SHIRLEY MAE’S CAFÉ 802 Clay St., 589-5295. This Smoketown institution draws hungry locals as well as celebrities in town hungry for the soul food of their youth. BBQ ribs, and hot-water cornbread cooked in a cast iron skillets. Pig’s feet and chicken wings and collards, all seasoned with Shirley Mae Beard’s spice rack—salt and pepper. $ SWEET-TEE’S 4900 Poplar Level Rd., 966-0075. A modest little soul-food emporium, brimming with the aromas of Southern ambrosia: collard greens cooked with fatback, sweet potato pie, crusty ribs and slow-cooked pig’s feet. The chicken is fried while you wait, the way the customers like it. $ WAGNER’S PHARMACY 3113 S. Fourth St., 375-3800. A track-side institution that has as much history as the nearby Twin Spires of Churchill Downs. Soups, sandwiches, shakes, cherry Cokes and an early bird “trainer’s” breakfast can be enjoyed all year round. Racing history on the walls and servers who’ll call you “hon.” $ WEBB’S MARKET 944 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 5830318. An old-line neighborhood corner grocery store houses a delicious secret: At the back you’ll find a steam table loaded with exceptional comfort food. Fried chicken is excellent, and don’t miss the chili. $

ANN’S BY THE RIVER 149 Spring St., Jeffersonville, IN., 284-2667. This bustling eatery is cafeteria style dining done well. They serve up the standard steam table meat-and-three menu items as good as any. With the Ohio River a block away, it’s aptly named. $✿ THE BISTRO 3701 Frankfort Ave., 714-5586. A gem hidden away in The Olmsted, on the Masonic Home grounds in St. Matthews. This little spot has earned terrific word-of-mouth buzz since it opened last year. Soups, sandwiches, salads, pastas are the mainstay of the menu, with a four-item lunch buffet that changes weekly. $ f CRAVINGS A LA CARTE 101 S. Fifth St. (National City Tower), 589-4230. This thrifty deli offers a variety of build-your-own sandwiches, a soup-andsalad bar, and specialty bars featuring baked potatoes, and a monthly ethnic creation. $ ✿

NANA’S COUNTRY KITCHEN 5300 Cane Run Rd., 384-6525. When you want home-style cooking, you will want it like it is served here. Breakfast all day, lunch and dinner too. The regulars like the meatloaf and the chicken fried steak. $

HALL’S CAFETERIA 1301 Story Ave., 583-0437. Hall’s Cafeteria has been doing a brisk business on the steam tables since 1955, attracting customers from Butchertown’s truck loading docks and from offices downtown. $ ✿

O’DOLLYS 7800 Third St. Rd., 375-1690. Homestyle steam-table favorites are available from breakfast through dinner, not to mention full bar service that makes O’Dollys a Southwest Louisville destination. $pfh✿

JANE’S CAFETERIA 4601 Jennings Ln., 454-7286. This 40-year-old family-owned restaurant knows how to cook for folks missing their home table. Count on an attentive staff and fresh southern fare. $ ✿

OUR BEST RESTAURANT 5404 Antle Dr., 969-6410. This fine little home-style family restaurant has pulled back to this one location after an effort to expand didn’t work out.$$ PAPA’S GRILLED CHICKEN 2622 Portland Ave., 749-5800. The owner of this little Portland storefront eatery, Ali Ali, cooks chicken on a grate over a hot flame, in full view of the eight seats. Though the chicken is the thing here, Papa will grill up burgers too, and beef, lamb, and chicken gyros (with house-made tzatziki), Philly cheesesteaks and Italian beef sandwiches. $ h

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LANCASTER’S CAFETERIA 223 W. Fifth St., New Albany, IN, 949-2400. Troy Lancaster, the grandson of Southern Indiana catering king Tommy Lancaster, recalls the family’s culinary heritage with this family-friendly buffet-style cafeteria. $ f PICCADILLY CAFETERIA 2131 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 493-9900, 133 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 4231733. An east end favorite for variety, Piccadilly offers roast beef, fried chicken, cod, steak and shrimp dinners, a gardener’s list of vegetables and a few ethnic dishes for global measure. $ ✿

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9805. A favorite Hoosier pizza and sandwich stop. Insist on getting the Deluxe. $ ✿ THE BARD’S TOWN 1801 Bardstown Rd., 749-5275. On the ground floor a 60-seat restaurant and 30seat lounge. On the second floor is the 70-seat Bard’s Town Theatre home to a resident troupe dedicated to producing new works from Kentucky playwrights and beyond, to other theatre, poetry and musical acts from around the country. There is food and beverage service, but it is not a dinner theater. $$ h p e h ✿ DERBY DINNER PLAYHOUSE 525 Marriott Dr., Clarksville, IN, 288-8281. The play’s the thing at Derby Dinner Playhouse, Louisville’s long-running entry in the dinner-theater sweepstakes … but the expansive buffet dinner adds value to the mix. $$$$ e HOWL AT THE MOON Fourth Street Live, 562-9400. What’ll they think of next? How about a nightclub that features a “dueling” piano bar with two pianos and a sing-along concept? You’ll find this 4,000square-foot club at Fourth Street Live on the ground level. $ p e h IMPROV COMEDY CLUB & WET WILLIE’S 441 S. Fourth St., 581-1332. The menu is no joke at this downtown club. Chow down on well-grilled steaks, fresh seafood and ribs that rank with the best in the city before the nationally-known comedy acts start. $$$ p f e h ✿ INCREDIBLE DAVE’S 9236 Westport Rd., 426-4790. “Awesome dining, extreme fun, where family fun hits maximum overdrive” is the promise at this giant dining and entertainment venue. It’s not just for kids: an upscale menu in a signature dining room is at the center of it all. $$ p h ✿ JOE HUBER FAMILY FARM & RESTAURANT 2421 Scottsville Rd., Starlight IN, 923-5255. A pleasant 20-minute drive from downtown Louisville, Huber’s has built a solid reputation for simple farm fare that’s well-made, fresh and good. Some of the produce is grown on the premises in season. $$ p f e MY OLD KENTUCKY DINNER TRAIN 602 N. Third St., Bardstown, KY, (502) 348-7300. Talk about a nostalgia trip: My Old Kentucky Dinner Train offers a four-course meal during a two-hour voyage along scenic Kentucky railroad tracks near Bardstown in vintage 1940s-era dining cars. Reservations are strongly recommended. $$$$ p ✿ STUMLER RESTAURANT & ORCHARD 10924 St. John’s Rd., Starlight, IN, 923-3832. Fresh produce is available in the big shed a few steps away, and that fresh produce shows up on the tables here in mammoth portions. Combine that with honest fried chicken, big ham steaks, roast beef, and sandwiches, and you can’t go wrong. $$ f ✿

ALEXANDER’S PIZZERIA 1611 Charlestown-New Albany Rd., Jeffersonville, IN, 284-9000. $$ ANGILO’S PIZZA 1725 Berry Blvd., 368-1032. The local favorite is the steak hoagie, dripping with pizza sauce, pickles and onions. Angilo’s also offers a wide selection of hot pizza pies and cold beer. $ ✿ ANGIO’S RESTAURANT 3731 Old Bardstown Rd., 451-5454. This small Buechel eatery attracts a friendly neighborhood crowd with hefty subs and quality pizzas, along with cold beer. $ ✿ ANNIE’S PIZZA 2520 Portland Ave., 776-6400, 4007 Cane Run Rd., 449-4444. Annie’s has made-toorder pizza and a variety of stacked sandwiches such as the Big Daddy Strom with beef, Italian sausage, onions and banana peppers. $ h ✿ ARNI’S PIZZA 1208 State St., New Albany, IN, 9451149, 3700 Paoli Pike, Floyds Knobs, IN, 923-

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BEARNO’S PIZZA (12 locations) What began as a simple, family-run pizzeria near Bowman Field has morphed into a local chain with, at last count, 13 locations. $ p ✿ BONNIE & CLYDE’S PIZZA 7611 Dixie Hwy., 9355540. It may look like a dive that hasn’t been renovated in ages, the service can be surly at times, and you have to pay in cash, but devoted fans of its thin-crust pizzas and hoagies keep coming back and talk it up with their friends. $$ f ✿ BOOMBOZZ FAMOUS PIZZA 3400 Frankfort Ave., 896-9090, 12613 Taylorsville Rd., 261-0222. This handsome space at the corner of Frankfort and Cannons Lane is another idiosyncratic link in the Boombozz chain. The taphouse-style menu of pastas and sandwiches along with award-winning pies carves its own niche with bottled beer exclusively. $$ h ✿ BOOMBOZZ PIZZA BISTRO 12613 Taylorsville Rd., 261-0222. Boombozz wins praise for exceptionally high quality pizza and other quick Italian-style fare. Tony’s pizzas include both traditional pies and gourmet-style specialties that have won awards in national competition. $$ h ✿

DIORIO’S PIZZA & PUB 310 Wallace Ave., 618-3424. The former Karem’s Deli location in St. Matthews finally has a new tenant, serving pizza by the slice, as well as a mammoth 30-inch pie. Also grilled sandwiches, salads, wings, and queso sticks, and a good selection of domestic and import beers, including some BBC brews. $$ p f h ✿ FAT DADDY’S PIZZA 10611 W. Manslick Rd., 3637551. $ h ✿ FAT JIMMY’S 2712 Frankfort Ave., 891-4555, 2208 Bardstown Rd., 479-1040, 13829 English Villa Dr., 244-0840, 528 S. Fifth St., 589-8559. This friendly neighborhood nook offers a cold mug of beer and a hot slice of pizza, along with sub sandwiches, pasta dishes and salads. The Lyndon spot lures a friendly biker crowd. $ ✿ FROLIO’S PIZZA 3799 Poplar Level Rd., 456-1000. Just around the corner from the Louisville Zoo, Frolio’s is a neighborhood pizzeria with a cozy, dim Italian-American mood and an all-you-can-eat pizza-and-salad lunch special. $$ f ✿ HOMETOWN PIZZA 11804 Shelbyville Rd., 2454555, La Grange Square Shopping Center, 2224444. Pasta dishes, hoagies, stromboli and cold beer are available, and so is the one-of-a-kind Bacon Cheeseburger pizza. $$ h ✿

BOOMBOZZ PIZZA & TAP HOUSE 1448 Bardstown Rd., 458-8889, 1315 Herr Ln., 394-0000. The Boombozz Pizza empire has expanded in concept, and the menu now extends into appetizers, sandwiches and pasta, and 21 craft beers on tap. The Highlands location boasts one of the only “frost bars” in the area — a refrigerated rail designed to keep your brew cool. $$ p f h ✿

IROQUOIS PIZZA 6614 Manslick Rd., 363-3211. $$ ✿

BORROMEO’S PIZZA 9417 Smyrna Pkwy., 968-7743. Serving up old-school thin-crust pizzas to chowhounds south of the Gene Snyder. $ h

LITTLE CAESAR’S PIZZA (9 Locations) This Detroit-based pizzeria chain lost market share in the ’90s, but business analysts say the company known for its two-for-one “pizza pizza” deal has turned things around with a renewed commitment to quality and service. $$ h ✿

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN 7900 Shelbyville Rd. (Oxmoor Center), 425-5125. California pizza became a trend when famous chefs gave this simple Italian fare a multi-ethnic spin with non-traditional Pacific Rim toppings. CPK successfully translates this trend for the mass market. $$ p f ✿ CHARLESTOWN PIZZA COMPANY 850 Main St., Charlestown IN, 256-2699. This welcoming venue on Charlestown’s town square, a short trip upriver from Jeffersonville, is run by folks who learned their pizza and beer at New Albanian Brewing Company. That’s a fine pedigree, and it shows in impressive quality. $$ ✿ CHEEZY’S PIZZA 801 E. Market St., Jeffersonville, IN 288-8500. Fans of the former Tubby’s Pizza and owner Tubby Muncy can smile again. He’s back in the kitchen in a little local pizza joint just east of downtown J’ville, serving up well crafted traditional pies whole or by the slice. $$ h ✿ CICI’S PIZZA 470 New Albany Plaza, New Albany, IN., 944-4942, 3093 Breckinridge Ln., 452-6700. Serious bargain-hunters will find Cici’s culinary offer hard to beat. This Dallas-based chain serves up all the pizza you can eat for only $3.99. $ ✿ CLIFTON’S PIZZA 2230 Frankfort Ave., 893-3730. One of the originators of “Louisville style” of pizza, with additional toppings placed over the cheese. The venerable Clifton’s Pizza appeals with its adult style, full of the bold flavors of herbs and spices and available with grown-up toppings like anchovies and artichoke hearts. $ f e h ✿ COALS ARTISAN PIZZA 3730 Frankfort Ave., 7428200. The coal-fired oven bakes at 1000 degrees F, charring and crisping the crust in 4 minutes. The dough rises for three days, making for a lighter, more developed crust. Topping are fresh, regionallysourced, with specialty concepts. Look for local craft beers and house-made soups and salads in addition to pizzas. $$ p f h ✿ DANNY MAC’S PASTA & PIZZA 1567 S. Shelby St., 635-7994. $

JOHNNY BRUSCO’S PIZZA 10600 Meeting St., 7498400. The Kansas City chain has opened its first location in Kentucky, on the site of the former Big Ben Café in Norton Commons, offering New York style pies, subs, calzones, pasta and salads. $$ h ✿ JOHNNY V’S 10509 Watterson Trail, 267-0900. $$ p f

LOUISVILLE PIZZA CO. 3910 Ruckriegel Pkwy., 267-1188. Also known as Chubby Ray’s, this local pizzeria makes good, fresh pizzas and ItalianAmerican sandwiches. $ p f h ✿ LUIGI’S 712 W. Main St., 589-0005. If you think one pizza is pretty much like another, you may not have sampled New York City-style pizza, a treat that you’ll find on just about every street corner there, but only Luigi’s offers in its authentic form here. $ ✿ MA ZERELLAS 949 S. Indiana Ave., Sellersburg, IN, 246-9517. Pleasant family-run-for-family-fun establishments. Pizza, pasta, salads and subs served for lunch and dinner seven days a week. $ ✿ MR. GATTI’S 703 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 283-5005, 5600 S. Third St., 3632211, 8594 Dixie Hwy., 935-0100, 1108 Lyndon Ln., 339-8338, 4200 Outer Loop, 964-0920. This Austin-based chain was one of the first national pizzerias to reach Louisville in the 1970s, and quality ingredients — plus Gattiland playgrounds for the kids — have made its crisp, thin-crust pizzas a popular draw for nearly 30 years. $$ ✿ NAKED PIZZA 139 Breckenridge Ln., 410-2211. The New Orleans carry-out and delivery chain backed by billionaire Mark Cuban has staked out the Louisville area for expansion. Its selling point in a saturated market is “healthy” pizza, made with unprocessed ingredients, a crust blended from “ancestral” whole grains, and probiotics for digestive health. The menu also offers a gluten-free crust and all-natural soy cheese. $$ h ✿ NEW ALBANIAN BREWING CO. 3312 Plaza Dr., New Albany, IN, 944-2577. Touting “the best pizza in Southern Indiana” is quite a boast, but pizza only tells half of this tasty story. NABC combines the fine pies of Sportstime Pizza with the pub formerly known as Rich O’s. Publican Roger Baylor’s

RED = ADVERTISER

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remarkable beer list, with more than 100 selections from around the world — plus locally brewed craft beers — has won international awards. A pizza like the famous “Herbivore” (spinach, sliced tomatoes and roasted garlic) makes a sizzling treat, with a world-class beer to wash it down. $ OLD CHICAGO PASTA & PIZZA 9010 Taylorsville Rd., 301-7700, 1061 Fischer Park Dr., 657-5700. This growing chain specializes in both thick Chicago-style and thin traditional pizza, plus an imposing list of 110 beers from around the world. $$ p f h ✿ ORIGINAL IMPELLIZZERI’S 1381 Bardstown Rd., 454-2711, 4933 Brownsboro Rd., 425-9080, 110 W. Main St., 589-4900. Impellizzeri’s pizza, a Louisville icon known and loved for its massive pies for a generation, has opened a handsome new site near the new arena on Main, in addition to its Highlands and Brownsboro Road locations. $$$ p f h ✿ PAPA JOHN’S PIZZA (30 locations) “Papa” John Schnatter got into the pizza game as a Southern Indiana high-school student in 1984 and has built his business into a 3,000-restaurant international chain on the basis of a simple formula: traditional pizza, made from quality ingredients in a straightforward style. $$ ✿ PAPA MURPHY’S PIZZA (12 Locations) $$ ✿ PAPALINOS 947 Baxter Ave., 749-8515, 1830 S. Third St., 365-1505. After satisfying Highlands customers with his crispy-crust New York-style pizzas — specializing in premium, made in-house toppings — former restaurant chef turned pizza guy Allan Rosenberg has opened a second store, near U of L. The college trade can share his 18-inch pies, scarf down an oversized slice for a snack, or make a meal from the calzones, breadsticks and short list of salads and desserts. $ f h ✿

Rd., 895-0755, 239 S. Fifth St., 749-0919. This locally-owned pizzeria, widely known for their massive pizza by the slice, has expanded into St. Matthews, and now downtown too, at the former Down to Lunch space. All four locations are open until 5 a.m. nightly Wednesday through Saturday, offering Philly-style pizza and real Philly cheese steaks. $ f h ✿ STUDIO PIZZA 1401 Veterans Pkwy, Clarksville, IN, 288-6600. Owner Steve Baldwin serves up Chicagostyle pie, calzones and other tipico Italiano fare, with a performance stage ready for pro performers or karaoke. $$ ✿ TONI’S MORE THAN PIZZA 3213 Preston Hwy., 634-5400. Friendly service and sizzling pies make this neighborhood pizzeria a favorite under any name. $$ ✿ TONY IMPELLIZZERI’S Tony, a member of the first family of pizza in Louisville, is setting up shop across the river. Those lucky Hoosiers will now be able to partake of a generation of pizza-making experience. Look for big pies with fresh sauces and toppings. VITO’S PIZZA 1919 S. Preston St., 634-1003. A little neighborhood pizza pub on the edge of Germantown has been serving up its signature pies to neighbors and commuters who pick up pies before they get on nearby I-65 to head home. $$ p f e h ✿ WICK’S PIZZA PARLOR 975 Baxter Ave., 458-1828, 2927 Goose Creek Rd., 327-9425, 12717 Shelbyville Rd., 213-9425, 225 State St., New Albany, IN, 945-9425, 9700 Bluegrass Pkwy., (Ramada Plaza) 409-4267. Wick’s wins popularity with a welcoming mix of good pizza, a quality beer list and a friendly neighborhood feel at all five of its eateries. The pies are straightforward, made with ample toppings. “The Big Wick” is a favorite. $ p h ✿

PERFETTO PIZZA 9910 Linn Station Rd., 426-4644. Located in the old Slice of NY space off S. Hurstbourne Parkway, Perfetto carries on the New York style tradition: pies by the slice, just like on Flatbush Avenue. Hand-tossed crust, all kinds of toppings, plus Italian sausage and meatball sandwiches. $$ ✿

WINDY CITY PIZZERIA 2622 S. Fourth St., 636-3708. Stuffed Chicago-style and crispy thin-crust pizzas offer whichever option a pizza lover desires. $$

PIZZA KING 3825 Charlestown Rd., New Albany IN, 945-4405, 1066 Kehoe Ln., Jeffersonville, IN., 2828286. The pizza at Pizza King is baked in a sturdy, clay stone oven and hand-tossed with thinner crust where the ingredients go all the way to the edge. $$

AMAZING GRACE WHOLE FOODS DELI 1133 Bardstown Rd., 485-1122. If you think “vegan” means only raw carrots, bean sprouts, seeds and roots, think again. No animals were harmed in the making of the tasty alternative sandwiches and other dishes at this neat little deli attached to a spiffy local organic-foods grocery. $ ✿

PIZZA PLACE 2931 Richland Ave., 458-9700. $ h ✿ PUCCINI’S SMILING TEETH 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 721-0170. A small but growing pizza chain based in Indianapolis opens its first Louisville property on Shelbyville Road. Thin pizza by the slice and other Italian-American dishes are served in an attractive setting that’s a cut above fast food. $$ ✿ ROCKY’S SUB PUB 715 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville IN, 282-3844. Rocky’s is reinventing itself by going back to its roots. Gone is the “Italian Grill” appelaton, and back is the Sub Pub theme, along with a growing selection of craft and import beers and a select choice of Italian-American entrées. Go to enjoy a pizza, some baked ziti or chicken parmigiana, and some hoppy draft as you contemplate the Louisville skyline. Or call in for delivery to Jeffersonville, Clarksville or Louisville. $ p f ✿ SICILIAN PIZZA & PASTA 631 S. Fourth St., 5898686. Ready for takeout or eat-in, this downtown storefront offers good, standard (not Sicilian) pizza and other familiar Italian-American dishes. $ h SIR DANO’S PIZZA PARLOR 469 N. Indiana Ave., Sellersburg IN, 246-3346. $ f ✿ SNAPPY TOMATO 10000 Brownsboro Rd., 4126205. $$ h ✿ SPINELLI’S PIZZERIA 614 Baxter Ave., 568-5665, 2929 Goose Creek Rd., 632-2832, 4001 Shelbyville

ZA’S PIZZA 1573 Bardstown Rd., 454-4544. $$ p ✿

ANOTHER PLACE SANDWICH SHOP 119 S. Seventh St., 589-4115. If you want to buy a car, go to a car dealer. To buy a carpet, patronize a carpet shop. And if you’ve got a sandwich on your to-do list, it makes sense to go to a sandwich shop. $ ✿ BACKYARD BURGER 1800 Priority Way, 240-9945. The open flame at this counter-service diner provides the next best thing to a family cookout. Sandwiches, fresh salads, fruit cobblers and oldfashioned hand-dipped milkshakes enhance the nostalgic theme. $ ✿ BLIMPIE’S SUBS & SALADS 2020 Brownsboro Rd., 899-7960. Sublime subs — fast and fresh. Blimpie’s is all that … and a bag of chips. $ ✿ BRIAN’S DELI 531 S. Fourth St., 561-0098. Between Chestnut Street and Muhammad Ail Boulevard, Brian’s services the downtown lunch crowd with soup, salads, sandwiches and snacks. $ BURGER BOY 1450 S. Brook, 635-7410. For a real slice of Louisville life, this weathered greasy spoon at the corner of Brook and Burnett is the real thing. Neighborhood denizens drink coffee and chow down on burgers and breakfast until the wee hours (the joint is open 24 hours). If Louisville is home to a budding Charles Bukowski, there’s a good chance he’s sitting at their counter right now, recovering from last night’s excesses. $ h

e = LIVE MUSIC h = LATE NIGHT ✿ = VEGETARIAN MENU ITEMS

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BUTCHER’S BEST MEATS & DELI 9521 US Hwy. 42., 365-4650. This fully staffed meat store in Prospect offers custom-cut beef, lamb, pork, bison, chicken and veal, plus a well-stocked deli and specialty foods, with skilled butcher Jimmy Mike at the helm. $ f CAFÉ PALACIO 4010 Dupont Circle, 708-1818. Serving lunch to workers in the Dupont area five days a week. $ ✿

HONEYBAKED CAFÉ 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 8956001, 6423 Bardstown Rd., 239-9292, 3602 Northgate Crt., New Albany, IN, 941-9426. $ HOT DIGGITY DOG 960 Baxter Ave., 384-3162. What would the Baxter Ave. Highlands corridor be without a lunchtime and late night walk-up hot dog window? Hot Diggity Dog takes over from Derby City dogs, offering steamed hot dogs, Polish sausage, nachos and Blue Bell ice cream during lunch and again throughout the evening. $ f h

CALISTOGA ARTISAN SANDWICHES 4000 Dutchmans Ln., 895-3779, 401 E. Chestnut St., 561-9092. “Papa” John Schnatter, founder of the worldwide pizza chain that bears his name, is taking another shot at the fast-food world with the more upscale Calistoga Artisan Sandwiches that some have likened to Panera Bread. $ f ✿

JASON’S DELI 410 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 412-4101, 4600 Shelbyville Plaza, 896-0150, 1975 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 493-4130. Don’t look for a New York kosherstyle deli at this Texas-based chain, but suburbanites are lining up at its multiple locations for oversize sandwiches, salads, wraps and more. $ f ✿

CAT BOX DELI 500 W. Jefferson St., 561-6259. The name of this cozy downtown deli in the PNC Bank building might warrant a double-take, but its feline theme and kitty cartoons earn a smile. Open for breakfast and lunch, it offers a good selection of sandwiches, panini and wraps at budget prices. $ ✿

JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS AND SALADS 10266 Shelbyville Rd., 244-1991, 10519 Fischer Park Dr., 425-1025, 9156 Taylorsville Rd., 499-9830. East Coast-style sub shop with local faves that includes cheese, ham, prosciuttini, capicola, salami, pepperoni and fixings. $ ✿

CHICAGO GYROS 2317 Brownsboro Rd., 895-3270. Gyros, of course, and substantial ones, traditional beef and lamb, chicken, BBQ chicken and even vegetarian. But Philly steak sandwiches too, and catfish sandwiches, Chicago style hot dogs and burgers. Chicken wings, hummus, Greek salads as well. And, they deliver. $ f e ✿ DANISH EXPRESS PASTRIES 102 1/2 Cannons Ln., 895-2863. Just a few tables turn this takeout nook into a sit-in breakfast and lunch spot for a handful of diners at a time. Full breakfasts and light lunches are available, but as the name implies, Danish pastries are the specialty, and they’re fine. $ ✿ DEVINO’S 104 W. Main St., 569-3939. This stylish deli offers another lunch and dinner option downtown. Sandwiches are made from quality Boar’s Head meats and cheeses cut on the premises, with dining inside and on the patio; package beer and wine is also available. $ f DIZZY WHIZZ DRIVE-IN 217 W. St. Catherine St., 583-3828. This neighborhood eatery is an institution. It goes back more than 50 years and hasn’t changed much. It opens early and stays open late and offers good value for what you’d expect. $ f DOOLEY’S BAGELCATESSEN 2415 Lime Kiln Ln., 426-3354. This convenient deli specializes in bagels, as the name implies. Breakfast means fresh bagels with an array of cream cheese, sausage, eggs and coffee. At lunchtime lines form for sandwiches — subs, panini, wraps, hot melts and cold cuts. $✿ EINSTEIN BROTHERS BAGELS 320 W. Jefferson St., (Hyatt Regency) 217-6046. Nothing beats a bagel and a schmear of cream cheese — unless it’s a bagel, a schmear, and a generous slab of lox. For those who don’t live on bagels, a good selection of soups, salads and sandwiches offer quick sustenance at this branch of the national chain. $ f ✿ THE FEED BAG DELI 133 Breckenridge Ln., 8961899. The grilled salmon burger is worth the visit, as well as the Triple Crown wrap with three meats or a fresh veggie wrap. Soups, desserts top off the lunch-only schedule. $ ✿ FRASCELLI’S NEW YORK DELI & PIZZERIA 6010 Crestwood Station, 243-9005. This Oldham County shop offers Italian-style deli sandwiches and pizza, plus home-style Italian hot dishes from lasagna to baked ziti. $ p h ✿ GREAT LIFE CAFÉ 9565 Taylorsville Rd., 297-8807, 9463 Westport Rd., 420-0707, 951 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 284-5624. This small but growing local chain, founded Steve and Jill Mazzoni and their friend Jason McCune, specializes in health and nutrition supplements and vitamins. $ ✿

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JIMMY JOHN’S SUB SHOP 976 Baxter Ave., 5870550, 4000 Shelbyville Rd., 894-3331, 3901 Dutchmans Ln., 894-9393,415 W. Jefferson St., 625-7101, 301 E. Market St., 587-7888, 1321 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 425-4515, 3001 Charlestown Crossing Way, New Albany, IN. 725-8580, 1116 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 288-6700, 12903 Shelbyville Rd., 384-8884. This national sandwichshop chain offers a wide selection of over stuffed subs that benefit from fresh quality ingredients. But what sets them apart from the rest is their value — and they deliver. $ f h ✿ JOE DAVOLA’S 901 Barret Ave., 690-5377. Near the government center in the lower Highlands, this popular sandwich shop features healthful choices for lunch. $ ✿ LENNY’S SUB SHOP 3942 Taylorsville Rd., 4547831. Another semi-national chain, covering mostly the South and Midwest, brings a selection of familiar subs, sandwiches and salads to Louisville diners eager for more standardized semifast food. $ f ✿ LITTLE CHEF 147 E. Market St., New Albany IN, 949-7567. Every city needs a postage-stamp-sized spot that knows how to fry potatoes and grill up a burger. In New Albany, the place is Little Chef. Biscuits and gravy, fried eggs, and burgers, in a joint that seems like a throwback to the heartland of America, circa 1940. $ ✿ LONNIE’S BEST TASTE OF CHICAGO 121 St. Matthews Ave., 895-2380. This appetizing operation offers genuine Chicago hot dogs and a taste of Chicago atmosphere for a price that won’t hurt your wallet. Make Lonnie’s the place to go when you’ve got a hankering for Windy City fare. $ LOTSA PASTA 3717 Lexington Rd., 896-6361. A Louisville pioneer in gourmet cheeses, oils, dips, hummus and, of course, pasta. They are mainly an eclectic specialty-food store but fans stand threedeep at the sandwich counter every afternoon. And next door is a comfortable place to have coffee and pastry or to eat your sandwich. $ ✿ LUNCH TODAY 590 Missouri Ave., Jeffersonville, IN, 282-1005. This outfit prepares its share of the soups, salads and sandwiches that the downtown workforce needs to re-energize. $ f MAIN EATERY 643 W. Main St., 589-3354. Smack dab in the middle of the Main Street historic district, this fashionable deli lures the savvy business midday crowd. $ f ✿ MCALISTER’S DELI 10041 Forest Green Blvd., 4258900, 2721 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 671-2424, 2400 Lime Kiln Ln., 339-8544, 6510 Bardstown Rd., 2399997, 12911 Shelbyville Rd., 244-5133, 1305 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 282-3354, 1200 S. Floyd St. (U of L), 825-2285, 4677 Outer Loop, 969-

3328, 980 Breckenridge Ln., 895-1698. Emphasizing quality customer service, this delicatessen ladles up such soups as gumbo and chicken tortilla along with cutting board favorites. They have a special way with a tumbler of sweet iced tea. $ ✿ MORRIS DELI & CATERING 2228 Taylorsville Rd., 458-1668, 555 S. Second St. (YMCA building), 587-2353. Many locals still know this small, popular Highlands deli as Karem Deeb’s after its longtime previous owner. Mostly for takeout — it packs in a few crowded tables — it’s known for high-quality, hand-made deli fare. A second location is now open in the YMCA downtown. $ ✿ NANCY’S BAGEL BOX 651 S. Fourth St., 589-4004. An outpost of Nancy’s Bagel Grounds in Clifton, this little outlet, inside Theater Square Marketplace, offers a similar mix of light fare and Nancy’s unique take on the bagel. $ ✿ NANCY’S BAGEL GROUNDS 2101 Frankfort Ave., 895-8323. A friendly and casual neighborhood gathering spot. Offerings include soups, snacks, coffee drinks and bagels made on the premises to its own rather idiosyncratic formula. $ f ✿ OLLIE’S TROLLEY 978 S. Third St., 583-5214. A little piece of fast-food history remains on an urban street corner in Old Louisville. It’s one of the nation’s few surviving trolleys of the Louisvillebased chain that spread across the nation in the ’70s. Oversize burgers with a spicy, homemade flavor are just as good as ever. $ ORDERS UP CAFÉ & DELI 1981 Nelson Miller Pkwy., 245-5991. Quick and casual, Orders Up offers the inviting atmosphere of dropping in to someone’s home for lunch. Soups salads and freshly made sandwiches are uniformly appetizing, and sandwiches are affordably priced at $5 or less. $ ✿ PANERA BREAD CO. 7900 Shelbyville Rd. (Oxmoor Mall), 899-9992, 6221 Dutchmans Ln., 895-9991, 601 S. Hurstbourne Ln., 423-7343, 10451 Champion Farms Dr., 426-2134, 3131 Poplar Level Rd., 6359164, 1040 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 2889400, 400 W. Market St., 540-5250, 1801 Rudy Ln., 710-0297, 1534 Bardstown Rd., 459-8160. Warm breads finish-baked on the premises make a tasty base for a variety of sandwiches. Soups, salads, coffee drinks and a free WiFi hotspot make Panera’s outlets popular gathering places. $ f ✿ PAUL’S FRUIT MARKET 3922 Chenoweth Sq., 8968918, 4946 Brownsboro Rd., 426-5059, 12119 Shelbyville Rd., 253-0072, 3704 Taylorsville Rd., 456-4750. One of Louisville’s popular sources for produce, cheeses, deli items, and the like. Deli sandwiches and salads are available (takeout only). $ ✿ PENN STATION (17 Locations). Billed as the East Coast Sub Headquarters, this sandwich kitchen does a brisk business here in the Louisville area. $ ✿ QUIZNO’S SUBS (10 locations) Toasted breads, a sandwich selection of meats, veggies and fish are built to fight hunger. Fresh soups are available daily, from chili to chowder; so are salads and desserts. $ ✿ RED’S COMFORT FOOD 514 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 587-7337. Across from Louisville Gardens, “Red” has thoroughly refurbished the former Picnicaters into a spotless “hot-daug stand” offering gourmet wieners and sausages, chicken barbecue topped with coleslaw and vegetarian side dishes, many made with locally sourced products. Take away, or sit at one of the nine stools lining the little building and watch the passing parade. $ f ✿ SCHLOTZSKY’S DELI 10531 Fischer Park Dr., 4258447, 12915 Shelbyville Rd., 244-9069. The original Schlotzsky’s offered just one kind of sandwich — “The Original” — when it opened its first eatery in Austin, Texas, in 1971. Now this national chain vends a full selection of deli-style fare, with one significant improvement on the traditional deli: the servers are invariably polite. $ f ✿

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SHADY LANE CAFÉ 4806 Brownsboro Center, 8935118. Another attractive East End storefront, Shady Lane Café, has been earning good reviews for simple breakfast and lunch fare served in friendly surroundings. $ ✿ SOUPY’S 3019 Breckenridge Ln., 451-5325. In the soup kettles you will find such classics as cheesy potato, bean and ham, broccoli and cheese, chicken and dumplings and more. At the cutting board they’ll make your meat, cheese and veggie sandwiches according to your custom design. $ ✿ THE STARVING ARTIST CAFÉ & DELI 8034 New Lagrange Rd., 412-1599. $ ✿ STEVENS & STEVENS 1114 Bardstown Rd., 5843354. This authentic New York-style deli occupies the rear third of the Ditto’s space in the heart of the Highlands. Take out or eat in one of the booths, you’ll get piled-high pastrami, brisket and corned beef and you’ll love lox and a schmear on your bagel — even if you don’t know what a schmear is. $ ✿ SUB STATION II 3101 Fern Valley Rd., 964-1075. The hardy No. 19, a six-meat-and-cheese super sub, keeps the store buzzing. An array of sandwiches, salad sides and desserts fill out an appetizing lunch menu. $ ✿ TC’S SANDWICH SHOPPE 438 W. Market St., 581-9200. $ THE BODEGA 829 E. Market St., 569-4100. At the back of the Felice Plaza east of downtown, the Bodega combines a small specialty-food market, wine-and-beer shop and deli under one compact roof. They’ll build your lunch to dine in or enjoy on their sunny patio. $ f ✿ THORNBERRY’S DELI & PIES 5103 S. Third St., 367-8394. $ W.W. COUSINS RESTAURANT 900 Dupont Rd., 897-9684. This locally owned and operated eatery looks a lot like the national Fuddruckers chain, but the local boys do a better job, with huge burgers on magisterial home-baked buns and a Metropolitan Museum of toppings. $ ✿ WALL ST. DELI 225 Abraham Flexner Way (Jewish Hospital) 585-4202. Offering New York style with Kentucky flair, this busy downtown deli will serve in-house diners or take orders for deliveries. Authentic Nathan’s Hot Dogs are a specialty. $ ✿

BOOTLEG BARBECUE COMPANY 9704 Bardstown Rd., 239-2722, 7508 Preston Hwy., 968-5657. Bootleg Barbecue offers a touch of rusticity and a good helping of country hospitality, as it dishes out hearty portions of well-prepared and affordable smoked meats and fixin’s. It’s one of the few places in Louisville where you can get Western Kentuckystyle mutton barbecue. $ f BOWMAN’S BBQ 8271 State Rd. 64, Georgetown, IN, 951-3900. Ribs, pulled pork and beef brisket, served up as sandwiches, wraps or platters. Also, smoked baloney and chicken, smoked turkey and sirloin tips, and plenty of side choices. Carry out and catering only. $ f BRANDON’S BAR-B-QUE 9901 LaGrange Rd., 4266666. Featuring hickory-smoked Tennessee-style barbecue sandwiches and filling, affordable dinners. $ DUVALLE GRUB-N-SCRUB 3501 Cane Run Rd., 7721277. Pull into this Shively carwash and get some Boss Hog’s BBQ while the boys detail your wheels. Ribs and rib tips, chicken wings, hamburgers, pulled pork and chicken, milk shakes, and soft serve cones. $ FAMOUS DAVE’S BAR-B-QUE 8605 Citadel Way, 493-2812, 1360 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 282-3283. This franchise chain operation may be based in the twin cities, but it looks like a Georgia gas station with its exuberant, if tongue-in-cheek faux country decor. The important thing, though,

is the food, and Dave’s excels with genuine, hickory-smoked barbecue. $$ p f FIRE FRESH BBQ 211 S. Fifth St., 540-1171, 8610 Dixie Hwy., 995-7585. Fire fighters, it is said, eat heartily and well. It’s no coincidence, then, that FireFresh Bar B Q pays homage to local fire departments in its restaurant’s decor. The barbecue and country fixin’s stand comparison to the best firehouse cuisine. $ f FRANKFORT AVENUE BEER DEPOT 3204 Frankfort Ave., 895-3223, 1202 Bardstown Rd., 384- 8077. A neighborhood bar that welcomes all comers with some of the most notable ’cue in town. The burgoo and the baked beans rank as some of the best in the city and the pulled pork by the pound is value worth taking home. Now with a second venue in the old NV Bar Grill (next to the Wine Market) on Bardstown Road. $ p f h HARLEY’S HARDWOODZ BAR-B-Q 1703 CharlestownNew Albany Pk., Jeffersonville, IN, 284-4490. Owner Frank Harley said “I found my calling, which is barbecue.” He smokes up barbecue pork, chicken and brisket, marinated in Harley’s own barbecue sauce. A menu specialty: smoked chicken white chili. $ JIMBO’S BBQ 801 Kenwood Dr., 375-1888. This South End barbecue shack, an outpost of a popular spot in Corydon, IN, offers a fine range of barbecue meats skillfully smoked on the premises, with sauce served on the side as it should be. $ JUCY’S SMOKEHOUSE BAR-B-QUE 7626 New Lagrange Rd., 241-5829. Jucy’s offers exceptionally good Texas-style barbecue from a little wooden shack that looks just like a country BBQ joint should. Highly recommended. $$ f MARK’S FEED STORE 11422 Shelbyville Rd., 2440140, 1514 Bardstown Rd., 458-1570, 10316 Dixie Hwy., 933-7707, 3827 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 285-1998. Mark Erwin started this chain in an old Hancock’s Feed Store. Today, Mark’s routinely takes local honors for its sauces, sandwiches and its meaty baby-back ribs. And don’t miss the smoked take-home turkeys at Thanksgiving. $$ f OLE HICKORY PIT BAR-B-QUE 6106 Shepherdsville Rd., 968-0585. Located in an attractive house not far from General Electric’s Appliance Park, this Louisville relative of a famous Western Kentucky barbecue pit is well worth the trip. $ f PIT STOP BAR-B-QUE 13303 Magisterial Dr., 2536740. This familiar old local brand, long a downtown fixture, now offers its smoky Texas barbecue in an East End industrial park just off the Gene Snyder Freeway and Old Henry Road. $ RITE WAY BAR-B-CUE HOUSE 1548 W. St. Catherine St., 584-9385. Open since 1943, this West End landmark in a one-time neighborhood grocery, offers exceptional urban barbecue, including ribs that rank with the city’s best. $ f h RUBBIE’S SOUTHSIDE GRILL & BAR 6905 Southside Dr., 367-0007. This South End family knows how to do BBQ. It may be off the beaten path for some folks but here you’ll find the bounty of secret BBQ recipes. $ p f e h SCOTTY’S RIBS AND MORE 14049 Shelbyville Rd., 244-6868. Ribs, pork, chicken a la carte and dinners. The small East End venue moves a lot of pizzas and salads as well. $$ p SHACK IN THE BACK BBQ 406 Mt. Holly Rd., 3633227. This Fairdale institution since 2004 smokes and serves slow-smoked pulled pork, brisket, ribs and a dozen sides (including Nanny’s potato salad) from an 1896 log house. House specialty is hickory-grilled steaks on Friday and Saturday nights. $ f e SHANE’S RIB SHACK 12420 Lime Kiln Ln., 4293907. “Rib” may be its middle name, but you can also fill up on wings, chicken tenders, sandwiches

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and more at this growing Atlanta-based chain, now open in this former Tijuana Flats facility. $$ f h SMOKEHOUSE BBQ 5414 Bardstown Rd., 239-4422. A new smokery on Bardstown Road just past Hurstbourne offers baby back and spare ribs, pulled pork, brisket, chicken and burgers, along with home-cooked sides like collard greens, sweet potato fries and onion loaf. Finish off with a coconut cream pie or chocolate cobbler. $$ p SMOKETOWN USA 1153 Logan St., 409-9180. The name “Smoketown” does double-duty at this TexMex storefront just east of Old Louisville in the Smoketown neighborhood. Ribs are juicy and smoky; the pinto beans and the Blue Bunny ice cream from Texas are not to be missed. $ f ✿ SMOKEY BONES BBQ 2525 Hurstbourne Gem Ln., 491-7570. A property of Orlando’s Darden fast-food chain, which also runs Olive Garden and Red Lobster, this noisy Stony Brook-area eatery conveys more of a sports-bar than barbecue concept, but the ribs are fine. $$ p TEXICANS BBQ PIT 6608 Hwy. 146, Crestwood. 241-9227. A small, neighborhood place just off I-71 in Crestwood pleases fans with standard barbecue fare — pulled pork, brisket and ribs — as well as smoked sausage, chicken and boneless chops. Cinnamon apples join the usual side selection of green beans, slaw and mac and cheese. $

BEEF O’BRADY’S 239 Blankenbaker Pkwy., 254-2322, 5628 Bardstown Rd., 239-2226, 3101 S. Second St., 637-3737, 105 LaFollette, 923-1316, 1450 Veterans Pkwy., Jeffersonville, IN, 285-9464, 5501 Valley Station Rd., 933-5919, 11324 Preston Hwy., 9668515. If you think your basic sports pub is only suitable for guys guzzling beer, take another look: Beef O’Brady’s puts the “family” in “family sports pub,” offering a wholesome environment. $ h BIG AL’S BEERITAVILLE 1715 Mellwood Ave., 8934487. Good people, good food, cold beer: The sign out front says it all, and we might add “cool atmosphere” in praise of this small but friendly Butchertown oasis. $ p f e BIG BLUE COUNTRY 426 Baxter Ave., 585-2583. A sports bar catering to UK fandom (and also the “official” home for Indianapolis Colts followers). There’s a pizza buffet, a selection of flavored breadsticks (including dessert sticks), the typical snack fare of wings, nachos, calamari and so forth. Also salads, sandwiches and burgers. $ p f BROWNIE’S THE SHED GRILLE & BAR 237 Whittington Pkwy., 326-9830. Restaurant owner and namesake Keith Brown used to host neighborhood gatherings in a shed at his home. Now he brings the same sociable concept to his pub and eatery. Louisville’s official home for Cincy Bengals fans, Brownie’s may be the closest thing Hurstbourne has to a Germantown neighborhood saloon. $ p f BUFFALO WILD WINGS (BW-3’S) 6801 Dixie Hwy., 935-1997, 4600 Shelbyville Plaza, 899-7732, 9134 Taylorsville Rd., 499-2356, 3584 Springhurst Blvd., 394-9596, 12901 Shelbyville Rd., 254-9464, 1055 Bardstown Rd., 454-3635, 1112 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 283-9464. As much a sports bar as a restaurant, this national franchise chain offers tasty snack-type fare, including the chain’s trademark Buffalo chicken wings. $$ p f h BUFFALO WINGS & RINGS 2610 Chamberlain Ln., 243-4464. $ p f h BUNGALOW JOE’S BAR & GRILL 7813 Beulah Church Rd., 931-5637. A “family friendly sports bar and grill” in the Fern Creek area sports 23 HDTVs including a 5- by 7-foot HD projector for 3D football viewing. A game room for kids, and plenty of wings, shrimp, burgers and beer. $$ p f e h

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CHAMPIONS SPORTS RESTAURANT 280 W. Jefferson St. (Louisville Marriott), 671-4246. Another popular option at the striking new downtown Marriott, Champions provides a fun, casual dining alternative with a Kentucky sports theme — and a gallery of big-screen televisions to keep the sports action flowing as freely as the libations and upscale pub grub. $$ p f h CLUCKERS WINGS 4308 Charlestown Rd., New Albany IN, 944-8100, 100 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville, IN, 590-3662. At this growing chain, you can get your wings doused in an array of sauces, from honey barbecue to spicy garlic barbecue to sweet Thai chili to inferno — a habanero-based sauce that has a legit name. Also breaded and grilled tenders, chicken sandwiches, appetizers and salads. $ h CORNER DOOR BAR & GRILL 2222 Dundee Rd., 708-2885. This Douglass Loop spot features craft brews on tap, a tasteful selection of wine, and reasonably priced food, including the signature Zip Burger and ribbon fries. The Facebook page also boasts “the best-looking bartenders and wait staff in the Highlands.” $ p f h DIAMOND PUB & BILLIARDS 3814 Frankfort Ave., 895-7513. $ p f h ✿ DONEGAN’S RESTAURANT & PUB 938 Baxter Ave., 562-1234. Another bar and grill has been added to the Revelers’ Row along Baxter in the Highlands, with 42 craft and import beers on tap, and a full service lunch and dinner menu ready to be phased in. $ p f e h DRAKE’S 3939 Shelbyville Rd., 614-7327. Lexingtonbased Bluegrass Hospitality Group has re-done the old Burdorf’s building for the second outlet (first of two planned in Louisville) of the casual pub concept. Twenty-four craft beers on tap to wash down the traditional pub grub of tacos, ribs and — these days — sushi. Family-friendly by day and a hoppin’ spot at night, with music videos and a DJ. $$ p h FLANAGAN’S ALE HOUSE 934 Baxter Ave., 5853700. Gourmet pizzas, hoagies, and an enormous beer selection draw Highlands folks to this cozy neighborhood pub. For a late night pizza (the kitchen’s open until 2 a.m.), it’s one of the best options in the city. $$ p f h FOUR KINGS CAFÉ 4642 Jennings Ln., 968-2930. Steam-table service featuring spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and chicken attract a hungry lunch crowd at this casual spot, and brunch specialties are just as popular. $ p FOX & HOUND 302 Bullitt Ln., 394-7620. A “British pub” concept operated by a Wichita, Kansas-based chain, Fox & Hound features a “mid-casual” menu with burgers, pizza, chicken and pot roast, in a large venue with plenty of billiard tables and an ample supply of large-screen televisions. $$ p f h ✿ GERSTLE’S PLACE 3801 Frankfort Ave., 742-8616. A popular St. Matthews neighborhood tavern since 1924. Although dining is secondary to booze and sports here, the food goes well beyond mere pub grub. $ p e h ✿ GRANVILLE INN 1601 S. Third St., 637-9128. A longtime gathering place for U of L students, faculty and fans, this sturdy redbrick tavern just north of the university campus offers a good variety of bar munchies, sandwiches and simple grilled fare plus pizza. It’s perhaps best known, though, for the signature Granville Burger, widely reputed as one of the best burgers in town. $ GREAT AMERICAN GRILL 2735 Crittenden Dr. (Hilton), 637-2424. Located in the Louisville International Airport Hilton. Salads, burgers, pastas and sandwiches are available for the casual diner; main entrées include New York strip, filet of salmon and more. $ p f HITCHING POST INN 7314 Fegenbush Ln., 2394724. In addition to its full bar and beer garden,

and lively conversation, the Hitching Post Inn offers an array of pub grub, including burgers, chicken tenders, and sandwiches. $ p h HOOPS GRILL AND SPORTS BAR 6733 Strawberry Ln., 375-4667. The name says it all: sports, casual dining and good things to drink all find their natural meeting place at this friendly neighborhood spot where hot wings and hoops reign supreme. $ p f h ✿ JERSEY’S CAFÉ 1515 Lynch Ln., Clarksville, IN, 2882100. Quality, affordable fare that goes well beyond pub grub to include an awesome smokehouse burger and barbecued ribs so tender, they say, that you can just tap the end of the bone on your plate, and the meat falls off. $ p e h ✿ JOHN O’BRYAN’S TAVERN 4123 Flintlock Dr., 4494940. $ THE LIGHTHOUSE 202 Main St., Jeffersonville, IN, 283-0077. This lighthouse has been a beacon of casual, home cooking and tavern environment for years. Daily specials, appetizers, chicken and fish baskets, salads and desserts round out the menu. $ ✿ MAIN ST. TAVERN 122 W. Main St., 384-0151. Longstanding blues bar Zena’s closed, but fans were relieved when the funky downtown space was reopened by the owners of Amici in Old Louisville, who continue to offer great music and even better bar food. $ p e h MICHAEL MURPHY’S RESTAURANT 701 S. First St., 587-0013. This full service restaurant and bar has accommodated hardy thirsts and appetites for a couple of generations. Despite the Irish appeal, the food is American and lots of it. $ p MIKE’S TAVERN 3521 Paoli Pike, Floyds Knobs, IN, 945-8915. A tavern that serves a full breakfast — eggs, bacon, hotcakes. For lunch, a varied 1/2pound burger menu — jalapeno burger, bacon burger, mushroom burger—plus a 2-pounder that is free if it can be eaten in 60 minutes. Breakfast or lunch served anytime. $ p NEW DIRECTION BAR & GRILL 2630 Chamberlain Ln., 243-8429. $ p e h THE RECOVERY ROOM 1800 Frankfort Ave., 7423673. Loud music and cheap beer with a vaguely medical environment theme seems the modus operandi at this Clifton bar, once the home of KY BBQ Company. $$ p h ROOTIE’S SPORTS BAR & GRILLE 12205 Westport Rd., 365-4681. The first entry of the Buffalo-based chain to open in the area. Rootie’s angle is charcoalgrilled wings with a thick, hickory-smoked spicy sauce. $ p f h RUMBALL’S FAMILY SPORTS BAR 5901 Terry Rd., 365-2781, 10000 Hwy. 22, 327-5496. A familycentered sports bar, with a welcome focus on scratch cooking (the chicken strips are cut in-house from actual chicken breasts) with a “Little League Menu” to appeal to the small fry. Along with wraps and salads, the regulars like the deep-fried burger. $$ p f h SAINT’S 131 Breckinridge Ln., 891-8883. Almost like two restaurants in one, Saints features both a small, intimate, candle-lighted room and a larger, happily boisterous main room with the look and feel of a sports bar. $$ p e h ✿ SERGIO’S WORLD BEERS 1605 Story Ave., 618-2337. Despite minimal signage, Sergio’s Butchertown digs pull in his fans, who dig the quirky website, and the whole aura of haughty mystery. What you really need when you locate the place is a desire to explore Sergio’s world beer inventory, nearing 1000 different brews. $$ h ✿ SLAMMER’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL 2800 Crums Ln., 618-3588. A kid-friendly sports bar, with 20 large flat screens and one huge (110-inch) one. Expect a reasonably-priced pub menu (ribs, burgers,

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sandwiches) and plenty of opportunity to drink beer while catching any game you want. $ p f e h THE SPORTING NEWS GRILL 6551 Paramont Park Dr. (Holiday Inn), 966-0000. Just what you want in a sports bar: seven 52-inch screens, subscriptions to all the pro and college sports networks, and hearty appetizers, Angus burgers, steaks, shrimp and salmon. $$$ p f h ✿ THE SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB 427 S. Fourth St., 568-1400. This Cordish-owned spot has four bars — including one that opens out onto the street — plenty of TVs to catch every game, and even a “stadium style sports media room.” Chow down with the usual burgers, sandwiches and wings. $$ p h ✿ SPRING STREET BAR & GRILL 300 S. Spring St., 584-6630. A classic American bar and grill, open late on weekends, dispensing cold beer, burgers, sandwiches and good cheer in a friendly atmosphere. The decor includes a collection of old bicycles hanging from the ceiling, and amenities include several video games and pool tables. $$ p h SULLY’S SALOON 434 S. Fourth St., (Fourth Street Live) 585-4100. $$ p f h THE BACK DOOR 1250 Bardstown Rd., 451-0659. You need a bit of perseverance to track down this saloon on the back side of Mid-City Mall. When you do, you will find one of the city’s friendliest pubs. Limited bar fare, but don’t miss the chicken wings. $ p f h VIC’S CAFÉ 1839 E. Market St., New Albany, IN, 9444338. $ ZANZABAR 2100 S. Preston St., 635-9227. An icon of the ’70s bar scene, the Zbar has resurrected itself at its original location in Germantown. The stylish tile front has been recreated anew, and chef Jack Tapp is pushing the envelope on bar food, with items such as pulled pork smoked on site, sesame seed-crusted tuna salad, and peppercorn-crusted rib eye. “Pub grub” like this and top-flight live music is satisfying oldtimers and the newly hip late into the night. $ p f h ✿

BANK STREET BREWHOUSE 415 Bank St., New Albany, IN, 725-9585. The food focus of this offshoot of F&D columnist Roger Baylor’s New Albanian brewing empire has sharpened into Belgian-style bistro cuisine. Mussels and frites will always be available, and croques monsieurs et madames to go with the exceptional beer brewed on the premises. $$ p f ✿ BLUEGRASS BREWING COMPANY 3929 Shelbyville Rd., 899-7070, 636 E. Main St., 584-2739, 2 Theater Square, 568-2224, 300 W. Main St., 5620007. More than just a brewpub. BBC’s management gives equally serious attention to both cooking and brewing, making this a great place to stop in for both dinner and a beer. Now serving at a third restaurant site near the new arena. $ p f e ✿ CUMBERLAND BREWS 1576 Bardstown Rd., 4588727. Giving new meaning to the term “microbrewery,” Cumberland Brews may be one of the smallest eateries in town. It’s usually packed, earning its crowds the old-fashioned way by providing very good food, friendly service, and high-quality handcrafted artisan beers. $ f e h ✿ NEW ALBANIAN BREWING CO. 3312 Plaza Dr., New Albany, IN, 944-2577. (See review under Pizza.)

ADDIS GRILL 109 S. Fourth St., 581-1011. The signage of this little downtown ethnic eatery promises “Mediterranean & Ethiopian Cuisine,” but the menu offers mostly Mediterranean standbys — kabobs, hummus, baba ghannouj, dolmades, tabbouleh. $ h ✿

CHEZ SENEBA AFRICAN RESTAURANT 4218 Bishop Ln., 473-8959. Offering another interesting ethnic cuisine to Louisville’s international dining scene, with generous portions of spicy Senegalese cuisine from West Africa. $

CHINA KING 3830 Ruckriegel Pkwy., 240-0500. $ ✿

FUNMI’S CAFÉ 1043 Bardstown Rd., 454-5009. Adventurous ethnic eaters have taken to the modern Nigerian food at this little Highlands café. You can get stewed goat here, served with yam flour, or roasted cassava. Try the dodo (fried plantains) or suya (beef kabobs in a peanut-spice rub). $$ h ✿

CHINESE EXPRESS 3228 Crums Ln., 448-1360. $ ✿

MAA SHA ALLAH 4113 Bardstown Rd., 491-3152. The name is an Arabic blessing or expression of joy, meaning “Whatever Allah wants to give.” This little Buechel storefront is another example of the entrepreneurial spirit of recent immigrants, in this case from Senegal and Sierra Leone. The menu is African, the ambiance modest, the food spicy and tasty. $$ QUEEN OF SHEBA ETHIOPIAN 2804 Taylorsville Rd., 459-6301. This authentic Ethiopian restaurant offers a wide selection of intriguing Ethiopian dishes, including a variety of vegetarian selections as well as the traditional beef and chicken specialties. Ethiopian fare is made for sharing and eating with the fingers, but they’ll gladly make forks available for the finicky. $ ✿

#1 ASIAN BUFFET 1250 Bardstown Rd., 451-6033. Not just another in the herd of all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets, this 350 seat eatery is the first between-the-coasts outpost of the original #1 buffet in NYC. $$ ✿ 8 CHINA BUFFET 1850 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 4933884. $ ✿ A TASTE OF CHINA 1167 S. Fourth St., 585-5582. $ ✿ ASIAN BUFFET 3813 Charlestown Rd., New Albany IN, 945-1888, 3646 Mall Rd., 479-9989. Competent cookery and careful management that ensures buffet offerings stay fresh and hot makes these buffets a good choice among the growing crowd of all-you-can-eat Asian spots. $ p ✿ ASIAN MOON 1915 Blankenbaker Pkwy., 261-9998, 3360 Hikes Ln., 451-0077. $ ✿ AUGUST MOON 2269 Lexington Rd., 456-6569. August Moon’s secret ingredient is the culinary oversight of Chef Peng Looi, better known as the force behind Asiatique. Housed in a soaring, open space with a Zen master’s style. Consistent commitment in the kitchen and from the staff makes it a top spot for Asian fare. A lovely patio at the rear affords a pleasant alfresco dining experience. $$$ p f ✿ BAMBOO HOUSE 4036 Poplar Level Rd., 451-3113. An old-timer among local Chinese restaurants, this Southeastern Louisville spot may not offer the trendiest Asian fare, but it’s a reliable source for the familiar Cantonese-American standards. $ ✿ CHINA 1 123 Breckinridge Ln., 897-6511. $ ✿ CHINA BUFFET 706 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 288-8989. Chinese buffets are ubiquitous, but this one is squarely in the upper range. Regularly refreshed steam tables, attentively fried rice, and properly spicy General Tso’s Chicken raise it above the other places typical of the genre. $ ✿ CHINA CAFÉ 8625 Preston Hwy., 968-7450. $ ✿ CHINA CASTLE 7420 Third Street Rd., 367-4272. $ ✿ CHINA GARDEN 7309 Preston Hwy., 968-4672. A busy restaurant with the double pleasure of Chinese and American menu items. $ ✿ CHINA INN 1925 S. Fourth St., 636-2020. It’s not the posh, private Faculty Club, but this little Asian spot may be one of the most popular eateries around the University of Louisville’s Belknap Campus. $ ✿

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CHINA TASTE 135 Quartermaster Ct., Jeffersonville, IN, 284-5580. $ ✿ CHINESE CHEF 2619 S. Fourth St., 634-0979. $ ✿ CHONG GARDEN 10341 Dixie Hwy., 935-1628. $ ✿ CHOPSTICKS 416 E. Broadway, 589-9145. $ ✿ CHOPSTICKS HOUSE 2112 W. Broadway, 772-3231. $ ✿ CHUNG KING CHINESE AMERICAN RESTAURANT 110 E. Market St., 584-8880. $ ✿ CRYSTAL CHINESE 3901 W. Market St., 776-9702. $ ✿ DOUBLE DRAGON 1255 Goss Ave., 635-5656, 2600 W. Broadway, 778-2573. A standout among fast-food shopping-center Chinese eateries, Double Dragon hits on all cylinders, turning out consistently well-prepared and flavorful fare. $ ✿ DOUBLE DRAGON II 12480 LaGrange Rd., 241-7766, 6832 Bardstown Rd., 231-3973, 3179 S. Second St., 367-6668, 5222 Dixie Hwy., 448-1988. $ ✿ DOUBLE DRAGON 8 231 S. Fifth St., 587-8686. $ ✿ DOUBLE DRAGON 9 9501 Taylorsville Rd., 267-5353. $ ✿ DOUBLE DRAGON BUFFET 233 Whittington Pkwy., 339-8897. A sizable buffet in a chic East End shopping strip, offers a good range of Chinese treats on its all-you-can-eat buffet. The fare seems prepared with attention and care. $ ✿ DYNASTY BUFFET 2400 Lime Kiln Ln., 339-8868. The continuing proliferation of look alike, taste alike, all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets never fails to amaze me. But I’m happy to report that Dynasty Buffet ranks well above the median. $$ ✿ EASTERN HOUSE 5372 Dixie Hwy., 568-2688. $ ✿ EGGROLL MACHINE 1543 Bardstown Rd., 459-1259. The Chinese side of the menu at Café Mimosa is presented as The Egg Roll Machine, as opposed to the Vietnamese dishes on the fine dining Mimosa menu. All the expected Chinese favorites are here, including combination platters. $ p h ✿ EMPEROR OF CHINA 2210 Holiday Manor Shopping Center, 426-1717. One of Louisville’s fanciest and most noteworthy Chinese restaurants, the Emperor’s quarters are stylishly strewn across multiple levels of a former suburban movie theater. Outstanding. $$ p ✿ EMPRESS OF CHINA 2249 Hikes Ln., 451-2500. Older sister to The Emperor of China, the Empress was one of Louisville’s first serious, authentic upscale Cantonese restaurants, and its fare still stands up to fancy spots in New York’s Chinatown. $$ p ✿ FIRST WOK 3967 Seventh St. Rd., 448-0588. $ ✿ GOLDEN BUDDHA 8000 Preston Hwy., 968-7700. $ ✿ GOLDEN PALACE BUFFET 161 Outer Loop, 3682868. $ ✿ GOLDEN STAR CHINESE RESTAURANT 3681833, 3458 Taylor Blvd. $ ✿ GOLDEN WALL 3201 Fern Valley Rd., 968-9717. $ ✿ GREAT WALL 2206 Brownsboro Rd., 891-8881. This Clifton restaurant ranks high up in the fast-food Chinese pack. Offering steaming-hot, competently prepared and flavorful dishes. $ ✿ GREAT WOK 2502 Preston Hwy., 634-1918. Just about every shopping center in town has a fast-food Chinese spot, but this one stands out, generating a buzz of word-of-mouth publicity about its well-crafted Chinese dishes at a bargain-basement price. $ ✿ HAPPY CHINA 9106 Taylorsville Rd., 493-1001. $ ✿ HONG KONG CHINESE RESTAURANT 345 New Albany Plaza, New Albany, IN., 945-1818. $ ✿ HONG KONG FAST FOOD 5312 S. Third St., 3678828. One of the many international eateries in Iroquois Manor, this fast-food Chinese spot offers www.facebook.com/foodanddine Fall 201 1 73

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Cantonese standards hot and fast and inexpensively. Check the daily specials for an occasional intriguing item. $ ✿ HUNAN WOK 231-0393, 6445 Bardstown Rd. $ ✿ JADE PALACE 1201 Herr Ln., 425-9878. Jade Palace is a decent place for Chinese food at any time, but don’t miss it at mid-day Friday through Monday, when it offers the metro area’s only dim sum (Chinese brunch) menu. $$ p ✿ JASMINE 13823 English Villa Dr., 244-8896. A charming Asian eatery, where you can enjoy familiar Chinese-American plates or indulge your more adventurous side with a selection of more unusual authentic dishes from the “Chinese Menu,” available on request. $ f ✿ JUMBO BUFFET 2731 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 4950028. Housed in a good-looking dining room, high on Chinatown-style glitz and glitter, Jumbo offers a standard all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, with a larger-than-average selection of American dishes for those who want something less exotic. $$ ✿ KING WOK 291 N. Hubbards Ln., 899-7188. Another of the city’s many tiny shopping-center fast-food Chinese eateries, King Wok offers all the familiar standards plus a small lunch buffet. $ ✿

with fresh, competent cookery and courteous, friendly service that makes you feel like you’re visiting a Chinese family at their home. $$ ✿

test of time, Sichuan Garden offers high-end Chinatown style and well-made dishes, plus a few Thai specialties to spice up the bill of fare. $ ✿

MING’S BUFFET 1971 Brownsboro Rd., 893-0822. Yet another large, shiny, all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet featuring mostly Chinese dishes with a few American-style items and sushi rolls. $ ✿

TEA STATION CHINESE BISTRO 9422 Norton Commons Blvd., 423-1202. This comfortable, sitdown Chinese restaurant owned and operated by Paul and Amy Yang joins the small but growing cluster of businesses in the Norton Commons village center. $$ f ✿

NEW CHINA 231 Blankenbaker Pkwy., 254-9299. $ ✿ ONION RESTAURANT TEA HOUSE 4211 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 981-0188. Masterful Chinese and Japanese cuisine (including magnificent hotpots, donburi dishes, and woodenbucket steamed rice) set this airy restaurant apart from the horde of other Asian spots. $$ ✿ ORIENTAL HOUSE 4302 Shelbyville Rd., 897-1017. New owners continue the tradition at this longstanding St. Matthews restaurant, featuring both traditional Chinese-American and now, authentic Cantonese, menus. $ p ✿ ORIENTAL STAR 4212 Bishop Ln., 452-9898. A long-time area favorite in this heavy traffic lunch area. This establishment is quite good with Lo Mein Noodles, and Sweet and Sour Chicken. $ ✿ PANDA CHINESE RESTAURANT 9543 U.S. 42., 228-6400. $ ✿

WOK EXPRESS 234 W. Broadway, 583-8988. $ ✿ WONTON EXPRESS 3000 Hikes Ln., 452-2646. Traditional Chinese fare. Family-owned-and-operated, this popular neighborhood establishment has enjoyed a steady patronage for seventeen years. $ ✿ YANG KEE NOODLE 7900 Shelbyville Rd. (Oxmoor Center), 426-0800. This locally owned and operated Oxmoor spot is colorful and stylish. It offers an intriguing array of appealing noodle and rice dishes from all over Asia with fast-food efficiency and prices happily matched by sit-down restaurant quality and style. $ f ✿ YEN CHING 1818 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 491-3581. $ ✿ YOU-CARRYOUT-A 1551 E. Tenth St., Jeffersonville, IN, 288-8313, 827 Eastern Blvd., Clarksville, IN, 282-8881, 3308 Plaza Dr., 944-9866. $ ✿

LIANG’S CAFÉ 3571 Springhurst Blvd., 425-0188. Genial host Roland Wong keeps Liang’s in the top tier of local Chinese dining rooms with both authentic Chinese cuisine and fine Chinese-American dishes in this airy, stylish dining room. $ ✿

PEKING CITY BISTRO 12410 Shelbyville Rd., 2536777. A step up from the usual Chinese hot table fare. Chef Chen, highly thought of in the Chinese community, runs the kitchen. $ h ✿

YUMMY WOK 1801 Priority Way., 266-5801. $ h ✿

QUICK WOK 801 W. Broadway, 584-6519. $ ✿

LING LING 10476 Shelbyville Rd., 245-2100. Modern and efficient in its East End shopping center location, Ling Ling is a cut above fast-food Chinese; better yet, it adds a few Vietnamese dishes to the bill of fare. $$

RED SUN CHINESE RESTAURANT 499-7788, 3437 Breckinridge Ln. $ ✿

SARI SARI FILIPINO CUISINE 2339 Frankfort Ave., 894-0585. The city’s sole Filipino eatery offers a tasty introduction to the Malayo-Polynesian fare of this Southeast Asian island nation. Filipino dishes are affordable during the dinner hour and downright cheap on the lunch buffet. $

LIU’S GARDEN 11517 Shelbyville Rd., 244-9898. Small but charming, with white tablecloths and soft Chinese music, family-run Liu’s gains our approval

SHANGHAI RESTAURANT 526 S. Fifth St. 568-8833. $

ROYAL GARDEN 5729 Preston Hwy., 969-3788, 5316 Bardstown Rd., 491-8228. $ ✿ SICHUAN GARDEN 9850 Linn Station Rd., 4266767. Another Asian restaurant that has stood the

ASAHI JAPANESE 3701 Lexington Rd., 895-1130. This small room in a new St. Matthews building houses this neighborhood sushi spot where awardwinning Chef Yong Bong Tak, formerly of Osaka, works his magic at the sushi bar. $ ✿ BEIJING GRILL AND SUSHI BAR 8007 Hwy. 311, Sellersburg IN, 248-0900. $ ✿ CAVIAR JAPANESE RESTAURANT 416 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 625-3090. (See listing under Upscale Casual.) CHOI’S ASIAN FOOD MARKET 607 Lyndon Ln., 426-4441. This suburban Asian grocery now serves hot table fare to enjoy between shopping. $ ✿ DRAGON KING’S DAUGHTER 1126 Bardstown Rd., 632-2444. Owner Toki Masubuchi‘s audacious take on fusion cuisine seems to have hit a nerve at this popular café at the corner of Bardstown Road and Elmwood. The eclectic and somewhat funky menu builds on traditional Japanese ingredients with unexpected twists:, pizza topped with sashimi, and tacos filled with avocado tempura. $ p f ✿ FUJI ASIAN BISTRO 6801 Dixie Hwy., 937-0488. $$ p ✿ FUJI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 3576 Springhurst Blvd., 339-1978, 12905 Shelbyville Rd., 253-0036. Part of the fun of sitting at the sushi bar is that you get to watch the chef at work. Put in your order, then sit back and sip your tea while the artist creates edible delights. This suburban sushi bar does the job well. $$ p ✿ HANABI JAPANESE RESTAURANT 6027 Timber Ridge Dr., 228-8244. A hospitable welcome, casual setting, and well-fashioned sushi and Japanese specialties have made this family run Prospect spot a worthy alternative in the East End dining scene. $$ p HEART & SOY 1216 Bardstown Rd. To the left is Roots, a sit-down restaurant. To the right is Heart & Soy, serving vegetarian “street food,” and entertaining passers-by with a glass-walled tofumaking room. State-of-the-art equipment from

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Taiwan transforms organic soy beans from Ohio into soy milk and then coagulates and presses it into tofu as you watch.✿ HIKO A MON SUSHI BAR 1115 Herr Ln., 365-1651. Japanese-trained chef Norihiko Nakanashi brings his artistic skills to this sushi bar and Japanese grill in Westport Village. In addition to fine dining at the bar or in traditional Japanese dining rooms, Hiko A Mon offers sushi-grade fish from a small fish market. $$$ p ✿ I LUV SUSHI & TERIYAKI 2017 Brownsboro Rd., 893-8226. Eclectic, bargain-priced Asian food in a Clifton spot that has seen a lot of turnover. Early reports give high marks to the sushi as well as the noodle dishes and Korean-inspired fare such as the bulgogi teriyaki. $$ ✿ ICHIBAN SAMURAI 1510 Lake Shore Ct., 412-3339. This large Japanese-farmhouse building, originally a Benihana, offers similar delights, with the traditional slice-and-dice food show and good sushi. Best deal, while the offer lasts: All-you-caneat sushi nightly until the karaoke starts at 9 p.m. $$$ p ✿ KAILANA SUSHI 6435 Bardstown Rd., 614-7244. $$ ✿ KANSAI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 1370 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 218-9538. Traditional Japanese dishes and sushi are available here, but like most Japanese Steakhouses, choose the grill tables with their slice-and-dice Japanese chef show for maximum entertainment. $$$ p ✿ KOBE STEAK HOUSE 301 S. Indiana Ave., Jeffersonville IN, 280-8500. Southern Indiana’s first serious Japanese restaurant has been drawing crowds with its exceptional sushi bar, with skilled and friendly chefs who can be relied on to fashion fresh and tasty bites that are just about certain to please. $$$ p ✿ MAGIC FINGERS 217 S. Fifth St., 581-0700. Adding international flair to its downtown neighborhood, Magic Fingers is a genuine, serious sushi bar in a storefront just across the street from the courthouse. $ MAIDO ESSENTIAL JAPANESE 1758 Frankfort Ave., 894-8775. Not just another sushi bar, cool and stylish Maido is Louisville’s first and only “izakaya”-style restaurant in the style of Kansai, the region surrounding Japan’s second city, Osaka. It’s also a sake bar, pouring a good variety of artisanal rice wine. $$ f ✿ MIKATO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 3938 Dupont Circle, 891-0081. An upscale hibachi grillhouse in the popular restaurant ring in the Breckinridge Lane — Dupont Circle area. Pleasant decor, entertaining grill chefs, fresh sushi preparations, and sometimes glacial service. $$ p f h ✿ OASIS JAPANESE RESTAURANT 3311 Preston Hwy., 375-8766. Owners of downtown’s Bendoya sushi restaurant have opened this Japanese restaurant on Preston Highway. $$ h ✿ OISHII SUSHI 2245 Bardstown Rd., 618-2829. This small, attractive Highlands spot, operated by sushi chefs who’ve put in time at the popular Sapporo, has been attracting raves from neighborhood sushi lovers. $$ ✿ OSAKA SUSHI BAR 2039 Frankfort Ave., 894-9501, 426 W. Market St., 588-8899. This long-standing Clifton favorite has opened a second location downtown, serving up sushi and other Japanese dishes in a bright and cheery environment to a loyal clientele. $$ ✿ ROOTS 1216 Bardstown Rd. Coco Tran, who has nurtured a loyal Clifton-area fan base with her Zen Garden and Zen Tea House, looks to seduce the vegan/vegetarian world of the Highlands with this crisp, elegant room. Eat at tables in the front, enjoy smoothies and tea at the bar, or snuggle down in a Japanese pit table in the back. Choose from an international selection of small plates. ✿

SAKE BLUE JAPANESE BISTRO 9326 Cedar Center Way, 708-1500. This Fern Creek restaurant brings the “full-service” Japanese restaurant experience to the southeast part of Louisville Metro. Look for hibachi grill tables and a sushi bar, along with a traditional dining room and cocktail bar. $$ p h ✿ SAKURA BLUE 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 897-3600. Located in elegant, upscale quarters in a St. Matthews shopping center, Sakura Blue — direct descendant of the old, popular Bonsai — ranks among the city’s top sushi bars. $$ ✿ SAPPORO JAPANESE GRILL & SUSHI 1706 Bardstown Rd., 479-5550, 649 S. Fourth St., 589-3333. With its original location in the middle of Bardstown Road’s “restaurant row,” trendy, glitzy Sapporo has established itself as one of the city’s top spots for sushi and Japanese fare. Its second location is in a beautifully designed space in Theater Square off Broadway downtown. $$$ p h ✿ SHOGUN JAPANESE STEAK HOUSE 9026 Taylorsville Rd., 499-5700, 4110 Hampton Lake Way, 3940123. Shogun’s decor is attractive, and quality food and service make it a pleasant dining destination. It’s unthreatening enough to appeal to those who find exotic cuisine “challenging,” but good enough to satisfy just about anyone who craves a Japanese dinner or a bite of sushi. $$$ p ✿ TOKYO JAPANESE RESTAURANT 2415C Lime Kiln Ln., 339-7171. It’s appealing, pleasant in atmosphere and friendly in service, and most important, this East End sushi bar serves excellent Japanese treats, prepared with care and flair from highquality, impeccably fresh ingredients. $$ ✿ WASABIYA JAPANESE RESTAURANT 972 Baxter Ave., 618-2460. A neighborhood sushi bar, with a chef from Boston with fusion cuisine intentions. Look for some unusual items, like the sake kinuta, salmon wrapped in marinated daikon radish with a citrus sauce, or a fatty tuna carpaccio with white wine reduction and ponzu sauce. $$ h ✿ WILD GINGER SUSHI & FUSION 1700 Bardstown Rd., 384-9252. The old Café Metro space did not molder long—this sushi and Asian fusion spot has been pulling in intrigued customers who admire the sushi bar up front, and explore the pan-Asian menu.Standard Japanese entrées are joined with specials from Korea (bibim bop) China (Sichuanstyle crispy tofu) and Thailand (pad Thai and curries). $$ p h ✿

KOREANA II 5009 Preston Hwy., 968-9686. One of the city’s few restaurants devoted entirely to authentic Korean fare, Koreana is worth a special trip for this ethnic cuisine that offers a hearty, spicy alternative to the more familiar Chinese. $$ ✿ LEE’S KOREAN RESTAURANT 1941 Bishop Ln., 456-9714. This little spot has been a secret since the ’70s, and it just keeps on going. Walk into what looks like a diner in an office building, but push past the counter to the back room, where you’ll find generous heaps of really authentic Korean food for next to nothing. $$ ✿

BD’S MONGOLIAN GRILL 1890 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 499-4406. The proprietors of this Michiganbased East End chain invite you to “go Mongo,” building your own choice of ingredients and sauces for the chefs to stir-fry. $$ p ✿ SHAH’S MONGOLIAN GRILL Stony Brook Shopping Center, 493-0234, 423 E. Warnock St., 409-5029. Thirteenth Century Mongol warriors used to turn their steel shields to use as frying pans over the campfire, using their swords as spoons. Shah’s carries their spirit forward. This all-you-can-eat buffet is fun, and the food is fine. $$ p ✿

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MAI’S THAI RESTAURANT 1411 E. Tenth St., Jeffersonville, IN, 282-0198. With a broad range of well-prepared and authentic Thai dishes, Mai’s is the eatery to beat among the metro area’s Thai restaurants. For both authenticity and quality, it’s right up there with the top Thai places in New York, San Francisco and Seattle. $ ✿ SIMPLY THAI 323 Wallace Ave., 899-9670. Owner Mahn Saing is Burmese; his wife, a classically trained chef, is Thai. Together, they’ve made this St. Matthews spot one of the most popular Asian restaurants in town. Their menu of traditional Thai dishes, well-made sushi and a few upscale Thai-style “fusion” dinner items use many ingredients from their small home garden. $ f ✿ TAN THAI RESTAURANT 4510 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 948-2012. It’s in a strip mall, but the folks who run TanThai create a distinctive atmosphere by hanging sheer white scrims that divvy the room up into serene little chambers. The menu of Thai specialties is small — just a dozen or so entrées — but nicely executed and beautifully presented. $ ✿ THAI CAFÉ 2226 Holiday Manor, 425-4815. You’ll find this small café tucked into a corner of the “Holiday Manor Walk.” Owner Chavantee Snow and her family offer a small but well-prepared selection of authentic Thai dishes at very reasonable prices. $ ✿ THAI ORCHIDS 9114 Taylorsville Rd. (Stony Brook Shopping Center), 493-4073. This location has been known for good Thai restaurants, and the short history of Thai Orchids shows that they have picked up the mantle, providing Jeffersontown-area lovers of southeast Asian cuisine with excellent noodles and curries. $$ ✿ THAI SIAM 3002 Bardstown Rd., 458-6871. Louisville’s first Thai restaurant, this Gardiner Lane spot has built a loyal audience over the years, perhaps responding to its regular visitors’ preferences with food that’s a bit on the tame side for Thai. $$ ✿ THAI SMILE 5 5800 Preston Hwy., 961-9018. Part of a regional mini-chain, Thai Smile 5 serves up simple but well-prepared Thai fare. Don’t ask for the fivechile-pepper heat unless you really mean it! $ ✿ THAI TASTE 1977 Brownsboro Rd., 897-7682. The owner-host of this friendly, casual spot in Crescent Hill had a restaurant in Bangkok before moving to Louisville, and his experience shows. The warmth of his welcome — and the quality of the food — make Thai Taste special. $ ✿ TRUE THAI 8125 Bardstown Rd., 231-1992. A bright, attractive little place (just 4 tables) run by a former employee of Thai-Siam, one of Louisville’s longest running Thai restaurants. 30 standard Thai dishes (pad thai, curries, fried rice) priced under $10. $ ✿

ANNIE CAFE 308 W. Woodlawn, 363-4847. Annie Cafe ranks not just as one of the better Vietnamese restaurants, but one the city’s best of any variety, particularly when value and price are taken into account. Authentic Vietnamese food is made with care and served with pride. $ ✿ CAFÉ MIMOSA 1543 Bardstown Rd., 459-1259. Owner Phat Le, serving his Vietnamese, Chinese and pan-Asian dishes to happy regulars, might finally wean Louisvillians from referring to his building as the former Lentini’s. $ p h ✿ CAFÉ THUY VAN 5600 National Turnpike, 366-6959. A bit off the beaten track, this South End spot is true, authentic Vietnamese. Friendly service overcomes any language barrier, and prices are hard to beat. Don’t miss the Banh Mi, traditional Vietnamese sandwiches. $ ✿

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LA QUE 1019 Bardstown Rd., 238-3981. La Que provides the lower Highlands with a dependable, economical Vietnamese menu that includes some dishes from other Asian cuisines. $ f h ✿

walls. Irish and non-Irish love the bar and the menu has daily specials, like the leprechaun hangover burger, catfish po’ boy and bison and goat cheese lasagna. $$ p e h

LEMONGRASS CAFÉ 11606 Shelbyville Rd., 2447110. Lemongrass Café offers an appealing blend of Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese fare in a simple setting that transcends an obviously low budget with style and grace. $ h ✿

IRISH EXIT 209 E. Main St., New Albany, IN, 9441929. The Irish Exit (a tongue-in-cheek name referring to the quiet, no-farewell leave-taking of inebriated Hibernians) serves pub fare and entertains patrons with karaoke and acoustic music, pool tables and dart boards. $ p h

NAMNAM CAFÉ 318 Wallace Ave., 891-8859. This small St. Matthews Vietnamese restaurant has gained many enthusiastic fans who flock there for the pho, the bahn mih and other authentic Vietnamese dishes. $ f ✿ PHO BINH MINH 6709 Strawberry Ln., 375-9249. Tiny and lovably cozy, this six-table South End spot is true authentic Vietnamese, and so are the proprietors. There’s some language barrier, but the owners are so friendly, and the food so good, that it’s worth the effort if you love real Asian fare and inexpensive prices. $ ✿ SAIGON CAFÉ 108 Fairfax Ave., 893-7757. St. Matthews diners can find tasty and inexpensive Southeast Asian fare here — Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese dishes are all choices on the menu. $$ ✿ VIETNAM KITCHEN 5339 Mitscher Ave., 363-5154. This little South End storefront is well worth seeking out. The chef goes beyond the ordinary, preparing authentic Vietnamese dishes of unusual subtlety and flavor. We have yet to be disappointed with the quality of the food or service. $ ✿

IRISH ROVER 2319 Frankfort Ave., 899-3544, 117 E. Main St, LaGrange, 222-2286. Owner Michael Reidy is the Irish rover, having come to the U.S. from County Clare in 1984. His saloons are as smooth as Guinness, as warm as fish and chips, as genuine as Scotch eggs. The Frankfort Avenue building dates from 1859. $ p f ✿ MOLLY MALONE’S 933 Baxter Ave., 473-1222, 3900 Shelbyville Rd., 882-2222. A carefully constructed replica of a modern urban Irish pub, Molly Malone’s, a worthy addition to the city’s eating and drinking scene, has added a second, suburban location. Both are as authentically Irish as the Wearin’ o’ the Green. $$ p f e h ✿ O’SHEA’S TRADITIONAL IRISH PUB 956 Baxter Ave., 589-7373. One of the most popular watering holes in the entire Bardstown-Baxter corridor. Twenty-somethings and Louisville belles love its action. But diners of all ages like its meat loaf, roast beef and Irish stew. When music fills the rooms, it’s great to be Irish, even if you’re not. $$ p f e h ✿

ZEN GARDEN 2240 Frankfort Ave., 895-9114. Vegetarians with a philosophical bent have found a combination guru and den mother in Zen Garden’s owner Coco, who serves up sincere and soulful Asian vegan dishes.$ f ✿

PATRICK O’SHEA’S 123 W. Main St., 708-2488. This newest downtown creation of the Flanagan’s/ O’Shea’s pub mini-empire has beautifully refurbished one of the old warehouses just east of the new stadium, anticipating the revival of that edge of the Main Street corridor. Crowds have been elbowing in for upscale Irish-inflected bar food and plenty of sports talk. $$ p f e h ✿

BOSNA-MAK 3825 Old Bardstown Rd., 456-1919. Friendly and exceptionally hospitable, familyowned BosnaMak celebrates the heritage of the owners and chefs in Bosnia and Macedonia in the Balkans and picks up a few culinary additions from their time in Germany. $ f ✿

RI RA IRISH PUB 445 S. Fourth St. (Fourth Street Live) 587-1825. Promising patrons “an authentic Irish experience,” this growing chain is ensconced in a sizable 9,000-square-foot space in Fourth Street Live. Ri Ra (Gaelic for “celebration and good fun”) decorates its pubs with authentic furnishings from Ireland. $$$ p f e h ✿

EIDERDOWN 983 Goss Ave., 290-2390. The owners of the Germantown watering hole Nachbar also operate the popular Eiderdown, serving Southern comfort food influenced by the owners’ German and European heritage. Dreams of a microbrewery there also dance in their heads; in the meantime, diners are satisfied with a large selection of European craft beers on tap. $$ ERIKA’S GERMAN RESTAURANT 9301 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy. 499-8822. For a city with a strong German heritage, Louisville is woefully short on authentic German restaurants, but this genuinely Germanic eatery attracts hungry crowds to Hurstbourne. Take care not to miss its former fastfood quarters just off I-64 local access ramp. $$ GASTHAUS 4812 Brownsboro Center, 899-7177. Michael and Annemarie Greipel came here with their five kids in 1993, straight from North RhineWestphalia to St. Matthews. Tiny lights twinkle from strands of fake red geraniums. But the hearty German fare — schnitzels, sauerbraten and rouladen with red cabbage and dumplings — is the real thing. $$$

BRENDAN O’SHEA’S OF ST. MATTHEWS 3921 Shelbyville Rd., 895-1212. This St. Matthew outpost of the O’Shea’s Irish bar empire reeks with atmosphere. The brick walls look aged, the wood weathered and photos of old St. Matthews line the

SHENANIGAN’S IRISH GRILL 1611 Norris Pl., 4543919, 4521 Bardstown Rd., 493-3585. Not just a neighborhood tavern (although it’s a fine neighborhood tavern), Irish-accented Shenanigan’s goes an extra step with an estimable selection of memorable burgers. Now with a second location out in Buechel. $pfeh✿

ADRIENNE’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT 129 W. Court Ave., Jeffersonville, IN, 282-2665. A part of the dining renaissance on the sunny side of Louisville, Adrienne’s has been pleasing Indiana diners with home-style Italian dishes. The owners also operate Adrienne’s Bakery in Jeffersonville. $$ f ✿ AMICI 316 W. Ormsby Ave., 637-3167. Scott and Sharon Risinger serve satisfying traditional Tuscan dishes in this interesting — and supposedly haunted — Old Louisville building. Dine inside or on the romantic patio on a lovely summer evening, There’s no extra charge if the ghosts want to share your penne alla Lorenzo or Valpolicella. $$ p f ✿ ANGELINA’S CAFÉ 1701 UPS Dr., 326-5555. $ ✿ ANSELMO’S ITALIAN BISTRO 1511 Bardstown Rd., 749-0444. This Italian bistro quickly took over the spot vacated by Istanbul Café, and offers what one would expect: pizza, pastas, lasagna — at reasonable prices. $$ p h ✿ BISTRO 42 6021 Timber Ridge Dr., 632-2552. Another entry in the dining choices at Prospect

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Village shopping center. This little family-run place, serving pasta, sandwiches and Italian and American dishes is proud of its 5-cheese 3-meat Bistro lasagna and their 3-hour honey-baked ham, offered at an attractive price. $$ h ✿ BUCA DI BEPPO 2051 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 4932426. Buca di Beppo’s recipe has all the necessary ingredients: huge portions of excellent food served with flair and the Buca scene is fun, a conscious parody of the exuberant decor of family ItalianAmerican restaurants of the 1950s. $$ p ✿ CARRABBA’S ITALIAN GRILL 617 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 412-2218. Not your ordinary suburban shopping-center franchise eatery. This place dramatically exceeds expectations. From warmed bread dishes with quality olive oil to first-rate ItalianAmerican fare at reasonable prices. $$ p f ✿ COME BACK INN 909 Swan St., 627-1777, 415 Spring St., Jeffersonville IN, 285-1777. With both its branches located in urban neighborhoods, Come Back Inn looks pretty much like any other neighborhood saloon. But unlike most Louisville neighborhood saloons, this one houses a family Italian spot that wouldn’t be out of place in Chicago or Brooklyn. $ p ✿ COZZA OSTERIA ENOTECA 214 Court Ave., Jeffersonville IN, 284-4406. Italian fusion cuisine is what owner Al Papsodero is offering in the pleasant space that once housed Timothy’s. That’s the kind of Italian cooking done in Brooklyn, Al’s hometown. Sample dishes: chicken Modena, salmon piccatta, fennel-roasted organic pork loin, rigatoni pomodoro. $$ f p h ✿ DIFABIO’S CASAPELA 2311 Frankfort Ave., 891-0411. DiFabio’s Casapela has made its mark in this Crescent Hill space, with a menu that harks back to the red-checked tablecloth and Chianti bottle era of Italian restaurants. Look for baked stuffed mushrooms and toasted ravioli, veal parmesan and chicken piccatta, and your choice of pastas with your choice of sauce. $$ f ✿ THE INTERNATIONAL MALL 737 S. Eighth St., 561-8871. $ ✿ LA BOCCA 132 E. Market St., New Albany, IN, 7259495. This addition to the dining explosion in New Albany serves Italian cuisine, such as chicken piccata and rigatoni Bolognese. Zeppole on the dessert menu bespeaks the New York bono fides of the owner. $$

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LA GALLO ROSSO BISTRO 1325 Bardstown Rd., 4730015. This small but attractive Highlands spot in the Shoppes on the Alley serves casual Italian and Continental food in a cozy family-style setting. $$ f MARTINI ITALIAN BISTRO 4021 Summit Plaza Dr., 394-9797. The successful formula of this Ohiobased chain features hearty and well-fashioned Italian entrées, pastas and pizzas served up in a comfortable approximation of a Tuscan trattoria. An open kitchen with wood-fired oven gives a peek at the culinary goings-on. $$$ p f h ✿ MOZZ MOZZARELLA BAR & ENOTECA 445 E. Market St., 690-6699. (See review under Fine Dining.) OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY 235 W. Market St., 5811070. One of the original ventures of this national firm. Bright and noisy, it offers well-made if basic Italian family fare and dishes it out for surprisingly low prices. $$ p h ✿ THE OLIVE GARDEN 1320 Hurstbourne Pkwy., 3397190, 9730 Von Allmen Ct., 425-3607, 4805 Outer Loop, 968-2978, 1230 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 218-8304. The top property of the Darden chain, Olive Garden now operates more than 500 properties and bills itself as the leading Italian restaurant in the casual dining industry. Hearty pastas of all shapes and sauces, appetizers and combo platters all carry the Italian theme. $$ p ✿

PESTO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT 566 S. Fifth St., 584-0567. Offices for blocks around empty into this bustling Italian eatery for weekday lunches featuring hearty platters of lasagna, zesty salads, red wine and iced tea. On Saturdays, the kitchen switches over to a special Persian menu. $ ✿ PORCINI 2730 Frankfort Ave., 894-8686. This anchor trattoria of the Crescent Hill dining scene has been serving up risotto, ossobuco and bistecca since 1992. Crowds wait at the popular bar for one of the tables — or just wait at the bar. $$$ p ✿ ROCKY’S SUB PUB 715 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville, IN, 282-3844. (See review under Pizza.) $ p f ✿ ROMANO’S MACARONI GRILL 401 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 423-9220. The Italian-style menu at this casual, Dallas-based family chain includes appetizers, salads, pastas, veal and desserts. Chefs entertain while creating wood-fired pizzas. $$ p ✿ SPAGHETTI SHOP 4657 Outer Loop, 969-5545, 4510 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 944-5400. Baked pasta dishes, subs, salads and appetizers are prepared while you wait. $ ✿ STEVE-O’S ITALIAN KITCHEN 4205 W. Hwy. 146, LaGrange, KY, 222-0300. Outstanding pizzas and fine family-style Italian-American dishes make this casual eatery just off I-71 at Buckner well worth a special trip out from the city. $$ f ✿ TUSCANY ITALIAN RESTAURANT 165 Outer Loop, 363-0308. Adding an appetizing option to a stretch of the South End that hasn’t been over-served by restaurants, this good-sized storefront near New Cut Road boasts a Mexican chef who demonstrates an expert’s hand with hearty, red-sauced ItalianAmerican fare at a price that’s right. $$ h ✿ VINCENZO’S 150 S. Fifth St., 580-1350. (See listing under Upscale Casual.) $$$$ p e h ✿ VOLARE 2300 Frankfort Ave., 894-4446. The name evokes Sinatra, pasta with tomato sauce and candles in Chianti bottles, but stylish Volare kicks that image up a notch. With a combination of Italian standards and monthly menu updates, Chef Josh Moore has secured Volare a top spot for suave Italian dining. Its U.S.D.A. Prime barrel-cut beef program has received rave reviews. $$$ p f ✿

over charcoal and Latin versions of Italian dishes, like chicken Milanesa. Palermo Viejo is the Little Italy of Buenos Aires, hometown of owner Francisco Elbl’s father. $$ p f ✿

BOMBAY GRILL 216 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 4258892. With its broad array of Indian regional specialties including the requisite lunch buffet, this spot in The Forum on Hurstbourne is winning praise for its aromatic flavors and bountiful portions. $$ ✿ DAKSHIN INDIAN RESTAURANT 4742 Bardstown Rd., 491-7412. Owned and operated by the same family that brings us Kashmir Restaurant and Bombay Grocery in the Highlands, this addition brings aromatic and spicy Southern Indian fare to the Buechel-Fern Creek neighborhood in the Eastland Shopping Center. $$ ✿ INFUSION FOODS USA 815 Blankenbaker Pkwy., 413-5211. Indian fusion cuisine? Why not. Try savory puffs or rice and curry with chilli chicken, wraps with chilli paneer or tandoori chicken, or subs or even pizza. Wash it all down with a mango lassi. It’s little more than a lunch counter, out by the Southeast Christian Church complex, but it is gathering lunch fans galore. $ ✿ KASHMIR INDIAN RESTAURANT 1285 Bardstown Rd., 473-8765. One of the city’s most popular Indian restaurants, Kashmir is casual, neither posh nor expensive, and it produces an extensive menu of seemingly authentic Indian fare. $$ f ✿ LITTLE INDIA CAFÉ 3099 Breckenridge Ln., 4793353. It’s sort of an Indian fast-food place, set up in a former Quizno’s. The menu includes appetizers such as lentil soup and mirchi bajji — fried lentilbattered stuffed peppers — followed by Northern lamb and vegetarian entrées, tandoori chicken and kebabs. There’s also a selection of Indian breads. A Punjabi-style (Northern Indian) lunch buffet is for those who want really fast service. $ ✿ SHALIMAR INDIAN RESTAURANT 1820 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 493-8899. Modern and sleek in appearance, modest in price, this restaurant has become the patriarch of local Indian restaurants. With a substantial lunch buffet and a full range of dinner items, it has built a loyal clientele. $$ p ✿

DE LA TORRE’S 1606 Bardstown Rd., 456-4955. Authentic Castilian fare includes a majestic paella. but the renewed focus at this Highlands standby is tapas, in such variety that you can have anything on the menu in small-plates form. $$$ ✿

SITAR INDIAN RESTAURANT 1702 Bardstown Rd., 473-8889. Named after the Indian stringed musical instrument that Ravi Shankar made famous, Sitar features a full Indian menu and buffet. It’s the first Louisville property for a tiny new chain with four places in Tennessee and one in Alabama. $$ ✿

LA BODEGA 1604 Bardstown Rd., 456-4955. Nextdoor to the excellent De La Torre’s Spanish restaurant, La Bodega offers diners the city’s most authentic Spanish-style tapas bar, featuring the small bites originally invented in the outdoor cafés of Jerez. $$ p f h ✿

TAJ PALACE 2929 Goose Creek Rd., 423-9692. Focused on Northern Indian cuisine, the menu offers a wide range of chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian dishes. Spiciness can be decided by the customer. Lunch buffet and dinner menu. $$ ✿

LA COLOMBIANA 808 Lyndon Ln., 742-1179. Colombian cuisine is a variant of Latino cooking new to the area. Many of the dishes at this Lyndonarea restaurant feature the arepa, a thick corn cake, including huevos pericos conrepa, a brunch dish. Look for plenty of beef on the menu, including lengua, tongue. Friendly service and no language barrier. $$ p ✿ MOJITO TAPAS RESTAURANT 2231 Holiday Manor Shopping Center, 425-0949. An offshoot of the popular St. Matthews Cuban restaurant Havana Rumba, Mojitos quickly established its own identity as the East End spot for Spanish-inspired small plates with a global taste profile. Always crowded on weekends; no reservations, but call ahead to get high on the waiting list. $ p f h ✿ PALERMO VIEJO 1359 Bardstown Rd., 456-6461. Louisville’s best source for authentic Argentine cooking: lots of beef (and chicken) slow-cooked

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A.J.’S GYRO CAFÉ 9280 IN 64, Georgetown, IN, 951-1715. A recent name change now reflects what this Southern Indiana eatery has always done well, serving up authentic Greek gyros and side dishes. Open April through November only. $ f ✿ AL WATAN 3713 Klondike Ln., 454-4406. Classic Arabic dishes home-cooked by friendly people in a cozy environment. That’s the recipe that makes Al Watan a destination for lovers of fine Middle Eastern fare. $ h ✿ BURNING BUSH GRILLE & MEDITERRANEAN CAFÉ 13206 W. U.S. Highway 42, 228-7776. A franchisee of the popular Shiraz local mini-chain has struck off on his own, cooking healthy Mediterranean foods — kebabs, steak, fish and lamb, salads, pizza, gyros and Balkan burgers. $ f ✿

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CAFÉ 360 1582 Bardstown Rd., 473-8694. Highlands diners enjoy an eclectic and international menu at the friendly corner place, with Southern fried catfish and Indian lamb biryani in immediate juxtaposition. You can get it all, diner-style, just about 24/7. $ p f h ✿ THE FALAFEL HOUSE 1001 Bardstown Rd., 4544407. This small Highlands spot is strategically situated to offer quick and affordable sustenance along the Bardstown-Baxter entertainment strip. Look for the usual Middle Eastern fare in a casual, quick-service setting. $$ f h ✿ GRAPE LEAF 2217 Frankfort Ave., 897-1774. Relatively recent renovations and an expanded menu have elevated the Grape Leaf to destination status, placing it well above the generic Middle Eastern eatery niche. Prices remain affordable, while the food and mood now justify a special trip. $$ f ✿ ISTANBUL PALACE 2840 Goose Creek Rd.,425-6060. Turkish cuisine comes to suburban Louisville. Many dishes will be familiar, for the eastern Mediterranean populations share a lot of culinary ideas. You’ll find pita and hummus and lentil soup, gyros, falafel, taboulleh and baba ghanoush. But also mujver (zucchini fritters) and iskender and doner (variations on kebabs) and other truly Turkish foods. $$ f h ✿ MIRAGE MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT 4100 Preston Hwy., 363-7788. The owners of Little Jerusalem lost their lease on Taylor Blvd., and found a new location in a former pizza joint out on Preston, which continues to grow its own international restaurant row. Gyros, hummus, falafel — what one would expect, but done with attention to details and a flair for flavor. $ f ✿ PETRA MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT 3904 Bardstown Rd., 749-0924. Another addition to the ethnic choices out in Beuchel. As with many “Mediterranean” restaurants around, the fare is largely confined to that of the Levant schwarmas and hummus and felafel. $$ ✿ PITA DELIGHTS 1616 Grinstead Dr., 569-1122. This Near Eastern eatery in the Highlands offers a splendid mix of gyros, felafel and other pita-based goodies. $ f ✿ PITA HUT 1613 Bardstown Rd., 409-8484. After its expansion more than doubled the space in this once-tiny spot, more diners can enjoy Mediterranean-Middle Eastern favorites, as well as the addition of a few “American” sandwiches — on fresh pita, of course. $ ✿ PITA PIT 9816 Linn Station Rd., 565-1220. A franchise operation dedicated to cramming all sorts of fillings into a flatbread pocket. Chomp on a chicken Caesar pita, or a Philly steak pita. Many veggie selections, from garden vegetables to falafel to hummus and baba ganoush. They’re open for breakfast too: ham ’n’ eggs and sausage scramble to go. $ h ✿ SAFFRON’S 131 W. Market St., 584-7800. Although Majid Ghavami has sold his interest in his downtown Persian restaurant, he sold it to Reza and Mimi Dabbagh, (she also co-owns August Moon), who are keeping on most of the staff and continuing with the popular menu: rack of lamb, roasted duck fesenjoon, salomon and kebabs. $$$ p ✿ SAFIER MEDITERRANEAN DELI 641 S. Fourth St., 585-1125. You can get standard American fare at this welcoming downtown quick-eats spot, but who’d do that when you can enjoy such appetizing Arabian delights as hummus, mutabal, falafels and the gyros-like (only better) shawarma beef-on-pita sandwich. $ f ✿ SHIRAZ MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 2011 Frankfort Ave., 891-8854, 2226 Holiday Manor, 426-9954, 201 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 426-3440, 3521 Poplar Level Rd., 632-2232. Offering authentic Persian (Iranian) cooking, Shiraz quickly grew out of its tiny original location to occupy a bright and

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colorful storefront in the new Clifton Lofts complex; now it is expanding into a local mini-chain. In all its locations, Shiraz shines with char-grilled kebabs, fine pitas and lavish bread. $ ✿ ZAYTUN MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 2286 Bardstown Rd., 365-1788. Fine, freshly prepared seafood is part of the draw in this upper Highlands Middle Eastern eatery—excellent gyros kick it up a notch. $h✿ ZOE’S KITCHEN 500 W. Jefferson St., 585-0000, 4126 Summit Plaza Dr., 329-8963. This chain has been growing throughout the South and Southwest, and now has two Louisville locations. An eclectic menu offers kabobs, hummus, quesadillas, roll-ups, pita sandwiches and chicken, tuna and shrimp salads. $ ✿

J. GUMBO’S 2109 Frankfort Ave., 896-4046, 531 Lyndon Lane, 425-0096, Fourth Street Live, 5899245, 3115 S. Second St., 363-8888, 8603 Citadel Way, 493-4720, 3017 Poplar Level Rd., 690-8080. Former jockey Billy Fox has created a popular mini-chain serving hearty, affordable Cajun cuisine. After a stint focusing on expansion, he is now back in the saddle and in the kitchen again, to the delight of his fans. The drunken chicken is addictive. $ f JOE’S OK BAYOU 9874 Linn Station Rd., 426-1320. Fine, filling and authentic Louisiana-style fare is the draw at Joe’s. A lengthy menu and bayou fishing-shack decor showcases authentic Cajun and Creole chow. $$ p SELENA’S AT WILLOW LAKE TAVERN 10609 LaGrange Rd., 245-9004. Owner Alan Salmon has brought his Cajun/Creole food and Tampa Bay experience to the old Willow Lake Tavern. The restoration and renovation were extensive, turning this Anchorage roadhouse into a roomy and inviting restaurant. Shrimp or fish with Manale sauce is a tribute to Pascal Manale’s in New Orleans. $$ p f h

CUBAN FLAVOR 5700 Outer Loop, 618-2181. The flowering of Cuban/Caribbean cuisine is reaching out beyond the city. This little place, in a strip mall, of course, brings black beans and rice and pork asado to Okolona.$ ✿ CUBANA RESTAURANT 2206 Frankfort Ave., 409-4828. The long-vacant space once occupied by Danielle’s now offers another outlet for Cuban food, a growing segment of the ethnic offerings in town. Usimg local, seasonal food sources, the menu offers weekly specials that tap into the larger Caribbean/Central American food traditions.$ p ✿ HABANA BLUES CUBAN TAPAS RESTAURANT 148 E. Market St., New Albany, IN, 944-9760, 2813 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 423-4434. Habana Blues’ success in New Albany has encouraged it to branch out with a new location in Louisville’s East End as well. The extensive Cuban menu has a few international dishes, too, and a nice selection of tapas. Also a half-dozen bocaditos (sandwiches) and a few dinner dishes such as paella Valenciana and arroz con pollo. $$ p ✿ HAVANA RUMBA 4115 Oechsli Ave., 897-1959, 12003 Shelbyville Rd., 244-5375. A true taste of Old Havana, this bright, inviting and consistently busy Cuban restaurant has opened a second location, in Middletown, in the strip mall location formerly occupied by Pig City BBQ. Bountiful servings of Cuban fare as good as any in Key West or Miami, not to mention a hopping mojito bar, have earned Havana Rumba a place on our short list of local favorites. $ p f ✿

LA ESQUINA CALIENTE 5318 S. Third St., 384-7414. It means “the hot corner,” perhaps a reference to the ovens — it’s part bakery, part restaurant. The ambiance is hearty working person’s Cuban chow — Cuban sandwiches (on their house-made bread), beans and rice, pork. Look at the “cantina” plan — pay ahead for weeks’ worth of reduced price lunches. $ STRAIGHT OUT DA KITCHEN 1610 Dixie Hwy., 409-6565. Soul food with a Jamaican accent at this little take out place just west of Old Louisville. $$

ADOBO MEXICAN RESTAURANT 5612 Bardstown Rd., 618-3430. Fern Creek gets some spicy Mexican with this eatery taking over the space vacated by Our Best restaurant. The guacamole bar offers a huge portion in a rough stone mortar, just the thing to munch on while sipping a margarita special. $$ p ✿ ALEXZANDER TAQUERIA 8206 National Turnpike, 384-2530. Open til 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday to satisfy your late-night taco cravings. $ ✿ BAZO’S FRESH MEXICAN GRILL 4014 Dutchmans Ln., 899-9600, 1907-C S. Fourth St., 899-9746. A downtown location joins its Dupont Circle sibling, offering fine fish tacos and simple fast-food Mexican fare in an inexpensive, casual atmosphere. $ f ✿ BOULEVARD CAFÉ 1015 Eastern Blvd., Clarksville, IN, 725-8884. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served at this little Mexican-American place on the main drag through Clarksville. Tacos, burritos and so on. Plus pasta, steaks sandwiches and crepes. $ ✿ DON PABLO’S 940 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 284-1071. Based in Atlanta, this Mexican-American chain, offers full bar service and a variety of dishes that range from sizzling fajitas to crisp salads tossed in a fajita shell. $$ p ✿ EL BURRITO DE ORO 1927 Greentree Blvd., Clarksville IN, 285-8820. $ ✿ EL CAPORAL 2209 Meadow Dr., 473-7840, 1901 Blankenbaker Pkwy., 515 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 282-7174. Louisville’s growing Mexican-American community has fostered a happy trend: excellent, authentic Mexican food. El Caporal bridges the gap between the Latino and Anglo communities. $ p ✿ EL MARIACHI 9901 La Grange Rd., 413-5770. Early fans of this Mexican restaurant, situated between a bakery and an ethnic grocery, have found much to rave about: tacos and burritos made with the bakery’s fresh tortillas, funky authentic fillings, and quick, friendly service. $ p ✿ EL MUNDO 2345 Frankfort Ave., 899-9930. This crowded, noisy little Crescent Hill storefront offers creative renditions of Mexican regional specialties that make most diners want to yell “Olé!” The setting may lack the trendy flair of Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill in Chicago, but the fare mines a similar vein and does so nearly as well. $ p f ✿ EL NOPAL (16 Locations) These locally owned restaurants have become a growing mini-chain, winning popularity on the basis of delicious, authentic and inexpensive Mexican fare in comfortable surroundings. $ p f ✿ EL NOPALITO 4028 Taylorsville Rd., 458-7278, 6300 Bardstown Rd., 231-4249. This modest little eatery used to be a Taco Bell, but you’ll never find comidas like this at the Bell! Run by a family from Mexico, it’s truly authentic and delicious. $ p f ✿ EL REY MEXICAN RESTAURANT 2918 Hikes Ln., 454-6520. Although it’s more Mexican-American than hard-core ethnic Mexican, El Rey earns our recommendation for tasty fare, cordial service in a pleasant fast-Mexican-food environment, and affordable prices. $ f ✿

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EL RODEO MEXICAN RESTAURANT 9070 Dixie Hwy., 995-8722. At El Rodeo, you’ll find a blend of Tex-Mex and other Latin American classics from salty margaritas to sweet sopapillas. $$ ✿ EL SOMBRERO 2784 Meijer St, Jeffersonville IN, 2850109. An Indianapolis restaurant group has taken over the old Bearno’s near Meijer in J’ville, and opened this “Americanized Mexican” restaurant. $ p EL TARASCO 5425 New Cut Rd., 368-5628, 110 Fairfax Ave., 895-8010, 9901 LaGrange Rd., 3269373, 9606 Taylorsville Rd., 297-8003. Add El Tarasco to the happy new genre of restaurants run by Latinos and offering authentic Mexican food and atmosphere, but that reach out to Anglos and make it easy to enjoy a South-of-the-Border culinary adventure without compromise. $ p ✿ EL TORO CANTINA & GRILL 1810 Hurstbourne Parkway, 491-7272, 10602 Shelbyville Rd., 4893839. One of the top Mexican restaurants in the metro, El Toro earns our recommendation for food, service and environment. Tex-Mex dishes are fine, but save room for the authentic Mexican seafood specialties. $ p f ✿ ERNESTO’S 10430 Shelbyville Rd., 244-8889, 4632A S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 671-5291. One of the first of the more authentic locally-owned Mexican restaurant groups, Ernesto’s remains consistently reliable. From the crispy home-fried chips to filling Mexican main courses and tasty desserts, it’s a worthy destination for good Mexican food and excellent value. $ p f e ✿

LOS AZTECAS 530 W. Main St., 561-8535, 1107 Herr Ln., 426-3994, 9207 U.S. Hwy. 42, 228-2450. Authentic Mexican cuisine has become a viable option in Louisville, thanks to a growing immigrant community. With fresh bar and blender offerings, creative appetizers and comfortable seating, Los Aztecas is one of the best, with tasty Mexican dishes good enough to lure us back again and again. $ p ✿ LOS JARRITOS 4231 Taylor Blvd., 368-5716. $ ✿ LOS MEZCALES 7502 Preston Hwy., 964-3466. A “family Mexican restaurant” on a strip with plenty of such to choose from. Serving huevos ranchero, burritos, chicken a la plancha and camarones a la diabla. $ ✿ MAYAN CAFÉ 813 E. Market St., 566-0651. Chef Bruce Ucán arguably kicked off the restaurant renaissance in the E. Market St. Nulu district. opening his stylish bistro, serving distinctive cuisine from Ucán’s native Yucatan Peninsula, before NuLu was fashionable. For the second year his Market Mondays promote locally-raised pastured meats. $$ ✿ MEXICAN FIESTA 4507 Bardstown Rd., 491-2922 $ MEXICO TIPICO RESTAURANT 6517 Dixie Hwy., 933-9523, 12401 Shelbyville Rd., 253-9828. One of the region’s first authentic Mexican eateries, Mexico Tipico has built a loyal following in for good Mexican food and friendly, fully bilingual service; now it reaches the East End with a brandnew property in the Middletown area. $ p e ✿

FIESTA TIME MEXICAN GRILL 11320 Maple Brook Dr., 425-9144, 8133 Bardstown Rd., 231-2444. $ p ✿

MEXICO VIEJO 2319 Brownsboro Rd., 893-9880. $ ✿

LA BAMBA 1237 Bardstown Rd., 451-1418. La Bamba boasts of its “burritos as big as your head.” It may be Louisville’s most startling case of an eatery that is more than it appears to be, and that goes for both quality and quantity. Franchised and fast-foodish, it pleasantly surprises with genuine Mexican fare and Latino flair. $ h ✿

PINA FIESTA REAL MEXICAN GRILL 7895 Dixie Hwy., 995-6775. Fans of Mexican food have another place to try, out along the wide, wide highway. You won’t find anything new here, but they say it will be real. $ p ✿

MY PATRIA 808 Lyndon Ln., 339-9420. $ ✿

PUERTO VALLARTA 4214 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 945-3588, 125 Quartermaster Ct., Jeffersonville, IN, 288-2022, 7814 Beulah Curch Rd., 239-4646. $$ p ✿ QDOBA MEXICAN GRILL (11 locations). This chain operation extends from Louisville to Frankfort and Lexington. Fast-foodish in style, Qdoba edges out its competitors on the basis of variety and interesting salsas, plus sizable portions at a price you can afford. $ f ✿ ROSTICERIA LUNA 5213B Preston Hwy., 962-8898. Tiny and cluttered and very friendly, this little spot on Preston looks like another tacqueria but the specialty, Mexican-style roasted chicken, takes it to another level, juicy and succulent and roasted golden brown. Chicken simply doesn’t get any better than this. $ ✿ RUBEN’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT 1370 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 258-0417. $$ p ✿ SANTA FE GRILL 3000 S. Third St., 634-3722. This tiny eatery in a century-old red-brick South End storefront near Churchill Downs never fails to satisfy with genuine Mexican tacos and other simple fare at prices that will leave you plenty of change for an exacta bet at the races. $ ✿ SEÑOR IGUANA’S 1415 Broadway St., Clarksville, IN, 280-8555, 3105 S. Second St., 368-0876, 9424 Shelbyville Rd., 425-4581. These three MexicanAmerican eateries are known for their hearty, well-prepared Mexican food, and plenty of it, in a casually laid-back, comfortable sports-bar atmosphere. $ p f ✿ SOL AZTECAS 2427 Bardstown Road, 459-7776, 2350 Frankfort Ave., 895-3333, 520 S. Fourth St., 3150666, 129 W. Main St,. 583-5505. Saul Garcia, owner of this expanding chain, seems to have a knack for finding hot locations to serve his satisfying fare. He was down on Main St.’s museum row before the museums were, took over the former Raw space

LA HACIENDA GUADALAJARA 4132 Outer Loop, 384-6427. $$ h ✿ LA MONARCA 6501 Shepherdsville Rd., 969-7938. $ ✿ LA ROSITA MEXICAN GRILL 336 Pearl St., New Albany, IN, 944-3620, 252 E. Market St., 589-5220. Starting as a little walk-in space, the popularity of La Rosita’s traditional Mexican food led to a move to a huge, former department store space near the action in the New Albany downtown renaissance. Continued consumer satisfaction has resulted in opening a second outlet on the edge of NuLu. $ f LA ROSITA TAQUERIA 8730 Westport Rd., 618-4588, 5059 Preston Hwy., 618-2833, 1404 Blackiston Mill Rd., Clarksville, IN, 284-1362. For those who crave tacos, you want them convenient when the urge to scarf one down strikes. These authentic little places will certainly satisfy those cravings. $ LA TAPATIA RESTAURANT 8106 Preston Hwy., 961-9153, 3022 S. Third St., 638-0300. One of the most authentic ethnic Mexican restaurants in Louisville, this little storefront has opened a second location, both offering memorable tacos and burritos and more. $ p ✿ LAS GORDITAS 4756 Bardstown Rd., 492-0112. As Louisville’s small but thriving Latino community grows, it’s now possible to enjoy an authentic Mexico City-style dining experience at this taco and gordita wagon that rolls up in the Eastland Shopping Center on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only. Family owners and chefs Pat and Esperanza Costas and Ofelia Ortiz are completely bilingual, and as friendly as can be. $ f ✿ LOLITA’S TACOS 4222 Poplar Level Rd., 459-4356. This tiny place may look like a fast-food joint, but the food is about as authentic Mexican as you’ll find. Crisp or soft tacos and burritos the size of paper-towel rolls turn a meal here into a real bargain. $ f ✿

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on the southern edge of the hot Fourth St. Live corridor, and now has his classiest location on Whiskey Row, a handsome renovation with a more sophisticated Mexican decor, and a broader Mexican menu. $ p h ✿ TACO TICO 5925 Terry Rd., 449-9888, 7416 Preston Hwy., 969-0644, 2613 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 945-8226. Founded in Wichita in 1962, the same year as Taco Bell was born in Southern California, The Taco Tico chain has been gone from Louisville for more than a decade. Its happy return has been drawing remarkable crowds. $ ✿ TACQUERIA LA MEXICANA 6201 Preston Hwy., 969-4449. The tacos are fine at this tiny storefront. This is seriously ethnic stuff, but Anglos are thoroughly welcome, the staff is bilingual, and they will happily provide a menu with all the English translations written in. $ ✿ THE TEQUILA FACTORY 917 Baxter Ave., 459-9191. The multi-level building on Baxter Ave.’s restaurant corridor has had a checkered history. Its newest incarnation is a bar and grill with an extensive list of tequilas, a tapas bar, and an economical lunch and dinner menu focusing on hearty, familiar Mexican dishes. $ p f e h ✿ YELLOW CACTUS 3620 Paoli Pk., Floyds Knobs, IN, 903-0313. A yellow neon cactus draws diners to this Indiana Tex-Mex restaurant that offers standard Mexican cantina fare, as well as steak and chicken in both American and Mexican styles, and a few seafood dishes. $ p h ✿

CHUY’S 104 Oxmoor Center, 327-3033, 1440 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 282-2489. The Austin, Texas “unchain,” has two area locations, offering a complimentary happy hour nacho “car bar” set in the back end of a 50s era auto, plenty of Elvis memorabilia, and a wall of chihuahua photos. Oh, and Tex-Mex food at reasonable prices. $$ p f h MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL 2001 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 491-1800, 1001 Breckinridge Ln., 8936637, 4652 Chamberlain Ln., 425-3330, 1020 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, (812) 288-6637, 9310 Cedar Center Way, 614-7722. The food may be more fast-food Mexican-American than authentic South-of-the-Border fare, but it is freshly made from quality ingredients and comes in oversize portions, and that’s not a bad thing. $ ✿ SALSARITA’S FRESH CANTINA 285 N. Hubbards Ln., 897-5323. Another entry in the hot “Fresh Mexican” niche that features gigantic burritos made to order. Its colorful free-standing building houses a sit-in restaurant and an inviting bar. $ p f ✿ T BONE’Z 6501 Bardstown Rd., 231-6501. The former Buffalo Rings & Wings concept has been ditched; the same owner has turned to a Tex-Mex menu concept, though wings are still available. $ p f h TUMBLEWEED SOUTHWEST GRILL (15 locations). Tumbleweed started as a humble Mexican restaurant in New Albany and eventually came to dominate Louisville’s Tex-Mex niche with colossal margaritas, gigantic burritos and spicy chili con queso. Southwestern fare adds steaks and grilled fare to the familiar Tex-Mex with a formula that continues to draw diners in droves, but the ’Weed doesn’t stray far from its roots. $$ p f h ✿

BEAN STREET CAFÉ 101 Lafollette Station, Floyds Knobs, IN, 923-1404. Bean Street introduced the Sunny Side to the joys of serious espresso. Like all good coffee shops, they’re not just an eatery, but a cultural hangout. $ f

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CAFFE CLASSICO 2144 Frankfort Ave., 895-0076. At first a coffee bar, but over the years the classy space at Clifton and Frankfort has matured into an elegant bistro serving an eclectic menu — salmon croquettes with wasabi aioli, empanadas, an international array of salads, panini, bocadillos and pizzas. A stylish place for lunch, or a hip stop for a late-night supper. $$ e h ✿ COFFEE CROSSING 4212 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 981-2633. $ COFFEE POT CAFÉ 234 E. Gray St. (Medical Tower South), 584-5282 $ f ✿ DAY’S ESPRESSO AND COFFEE BAR 1420 Bardstown Rd., 456-1170. Dark and cozy, with an old-fashioned feeling, Day’s has everything you would expect in a college-neighborhood coffee shop except a college near by. $ f DERBY CITY ESPRESSO 331 E. Market St., 4420523. A highlight in Louisville’s roster of serious coffee shops, Derby City features quality coffee from several artisanal roasters, plus fine tea, pastries, and now craft beers. $ f e ✿ EXPRESSIONS OF YOU 1800 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 584-6886. $ f e ✿ GREEN ROOM COFFEE 3640 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 491-9396. Inside the Hurstbourne Music Center, music lovers can find music-themed breakfast dishes to fortify them as they shop for instruments or practice their craft. $ f e HEINE BROTHERS COFFEE 2714 Frankfort Ave., 899-5551, 1295 Bardstown Rd., 456-5108, 2200 Bardstown Rd., 515-0380, 118 Chenoweth Ln., 893-5103, 1449 Bardstown Rd., 454-5212, 4123 Shelbyville Rd., 895-9388, 3060 Bardstown Rd., 458-7770, 1301 Herr Ln., 425-9199, 822 Eastern Pkwy., 637-1060. Spartan, friendly and affordable, with good coffee roasted on the premises and a short list of pastries, desserts and panini sandwiches, Heine Bros. has earned its outstanding local reputation. $ f e HIGHLAND COFFEE CO. 1140 Bardstown Rd., 4514545. Offering two ways to get wired, this cozy neighborhood coffee shop also functions as one of Louisville’s top Internet cafés, where you can enjoy a hot cappuccino while you surf the ’net in a WiFi hot spot.Funky Seattle-style ambience is a plus. $ f THE HOBKNOBB ROASTING CO. 3700 Paoli Pike, Floyds Knobs, IN, 923-1458, 419 State St., New Albany, IN, 944-4555. HobKnobb offers fresh hot coffee, espresso drinks and fresh baked pastries, cakes and cookies. $ f JAVA BREWING COMPANY 9561 U.S. Hwy. 42, 2922710, 135 S. English Station Rd., 489-5677, 1707 Bardstown Rd., 384-3555. These casual spots boasts the ambience of a friendly old-fashioned book shop, with comfortable seating, a good selection of pastries, and quality coffee from Seattle. $ MRS. POTTER’S COFFEE 718 W. Main St., 581-1867. $ OLD LOUISVILLE COFFEE HOUSE 1489 S. Fourth St., 635-6660. $ f ✿ PERKFECTION 359 Spring St., Jeffersonville, IN, 218-0611. $ e PLEASE AND THANK YOU 800 E. Market St., No phone. Another addition to the burgeoning choices in NuLu district, this little coffee house with a difference serves breakfast and lunch, and offers an eclectic selection of vinyl records, which can be sampled in a listening room. Try the ganache latte, Thai iced coffee, granola parfait, Capriole cheese with honey and grapes on a baguette, or a field greens salad with dried cherries and blue cheese. $ ✿ QUILL’S COFFEE SHOP 930 Baxter Ave., 742-6129. Its move to Bardstown Road updated its image, but faithful fans find that the joe is still fine, as are the pastries, and everyone lingers, with laptops and books. $

RED HOT ROASTERS 1402 Payne St., 569-0000, 901 S. Fourth St. (Spalding University), 585-9911. The drive-through take-away joint (entrance off Lexington Rd.) has added a space at Spalding, with an expanded menu and new cold-brewed iced coffee drinks. Excellent whole beans roasted on the premises are also available at groceries. $ ✿ SISTER BEAN’S 4956 Manslick Rd., 364-0082. $ f ✿ SONOMA COFFEE CAFÉ 3309 Poplar Level Rd., 384-0044. The first outlet in Kentucky of this franchise coffeteria. $ STARBUCKS COFFEE (35 locations) $ f SUNERGOS COFFEE & MICRO-ROASTERY 2122 S. Preston St., 634-1243, 306 W. Woodlawn Ave., 368-2820. Matthew Huested and Brian Miller used to roast their own coffee beans as a hobby. Their friends said they did it so well, they should turn pro — the result is Sunergos Coffee. $ ✿ TAZZA MIA 9700 Bluegrass Pkwy., 491-4830. The Cincinnati-based coffee shop joins the food options at the Ramada Plaza in eastern Jefferson County. Patrons can find breakfast pastries such as Danishes and muffins along with the house-roasted coffees. $ TRAILSIDE CAFÉ 1321 Herr Ln., 423-1545. $ VINT COFFEE 462 S. 4th St., 561-2041, 516 W. Main St., 568-6339, 2309 Frankfort Ave., 894-8060, 4901 Brownsboro Rd., 425-3688, 3600 Dutchmans Ln., 459-0660. Fiver Java Brewing Co. locations have assumed a new identity as VINT (although three other locations will remain under the Java name). The rebranding of the these spots reflects their assertion that all their beverages — coffee, tea, ale and wine — will “have a vintage, an annual release cycle.” Re-furbished interiors invite you in for morning coffee, afternoon tea or an evening of libations. $ e ZEN TEA HOUSE 2246 Frankfort Ave., 618-0878. Another entry in the Tran family’s Frankfort Ave. restaurant row. There is tea, of course, black, green, and white and herbal infusions, spring rolls, soups, and paninis, all vegetarian. $ f e h ✿

ADRIENNE & CO. BAKERY CAFÉ 129 W. Court Ave., Jeffersonville, IN, 282-2665. If you need something for your sweet tooth and won’t be denied, count yourself lucky if the craving strikes when you’re in the vicinity of this cozy Southern Indiana spot, with its good selection of homemade cakes and treats. $ f ✿ ANNIE MAY’S SWEETS CAFÉ 3110 Frankfort Ave., 384-2667. $ THE BAKERY 3100 Bardstown Rd., 452-1210. Not just a fine bakery but a place where bakers learn their business, this excellent establishment is part of the culinary program at Sullivan University. It’s hard to beat the quality breads and pastries offered here to eat in or carry out. $ ✿ BREADWORKS 3628 Brownsboro Rd., 893-3200, 2420 Lime Kiln Ln., 326-0300, 2204 Dundee Rd., 452-1510, 11800 Shelbyville Rd., 254-2885. $ ✿ CAKE FLOUR 909 E. Market St., 719-0172. This jewel box shop serves up precious French pastries, quiche, scones and sweets seven days a week. The chef’s all-natural ethos and locavore connections make for exquisite tastes. $ f ✿ CELLAR DOOR CHOCOLATES 1201 Story Ave., 561-2940. Erika Chavez-Graziano has moved her confectionary operation to the artsy Butchertown Market building on Story Ave., giving her expanded space for devising even more esoteric, but luscious, inventive chocolate confections such as beer flavored truffles and avocado soft-centers. $ COCO’S CHOCOLATE CAFÉ 1759 Bardstown Rd., 454-9810. Stylish, artisanal chocolates and baked

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goods made on the premises make this tiny Highlands spot a stylish place to stop and linger over for a dessert and a cup of coffee. $ f THE COMFY COW 1301 Herr Ln., 425-4979, 2223 Frankfort Ave., 1830 S. Third St. This “newfashioned” ice-cream parlor made an immediate splash in its original Westport Village location with its intriguing range of flavors (salted caramel, fresh roasted coffee, peanut peanut butter butter), and is in the throes of expansion, into the historic building on Frankfort next to the old Genny’s Diner and in the U of L project at the old Masterson’s site in Old Louisville. $ h THE CUPCAKE SHOPPE 3701 Lexington Rd., 8992970. You won’t need three guesses to name the specialty at this little St. Matthews bakery, which has gained instant popularity for its wide variety of moist, tender cupcakes, always made in house. $ ✿ DALAT’S GATEAUX & BAKERY 6915 Southside Dr., 368-9280. It’s a French bakery, run by a Vietnamese family, which makes perfect sense. Order French pastry, cakes and cookies as well as Vietnamese specialties. Savory choices, such as pork pate wrapped in choux pastry are also available. $ DESSERTS BY HELEN 2210 Bardstown Rd., 4517151, 9219 U.S. Hwy. 42, 228-8959. Helen Friedman has earned a loyal clientele since the 1970s with her elegant cakes, tempting pies and tortes and designer cookies. $ GIGI’S CUPCAKES 1977 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 4994998. The first outpost of the Tennessee bakery chain in Kentucky, this little shop offers a changing selection of high-end cupcakes in designer flavors — Bailey’s Irish cream, apple spice, coconut snowball, and so on. $ ✿ GREAT HARVEST BREAD COMPANY 1225 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 412-8573, 4214 Charlestown Rd., New Albany IN, 945-4422. $ ✿

HEITZMAN TRADITIONAL BAKERY & DELI 9426 Shelbyville Rd., 426-7736, 428 W. Market St., 5842437. The Heitzman family has been baking in the Louisville area since your great-aunt was a girl ordering dinner rolls. Made fresh daily, the pies, cakes, cookies and specialty pastries provide tasty nostalgia for all who visit. $ ✿ HOMEMADE ICE CREAM & PIE KITCHEN 2525 Bardstown Rd., 459-8184, 1041 Bardstown Rd., 618-3380, 3737 Lexington Rd., 893-3303, 12613 Taylorsville Rd., 267-6280, 3598 Springhurst Blvd., 326-8990, 12531 Shelbyville Rd., 245-7031, 5606 Bardstown Rd., 239-3880, 1370 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 288-6000. $ HONEY CREME DONUT SHOP 514 Vincennes St., New Albany, IN, 945-2150. Off the beaten track, this down-homey bakery in a plain white building offers a wide selection of doughnuts, fritters and Danish that keeps the shop’s fans coming back again and again. $ LIL’ LOAFERS BAKERY 8522 Preston Hwy., 9693990. For years, hairdresser Sheryl Lukenbill used to bake banana breads and other treats as gifts for her customers. Her goodies were so popular that now Sheryl and her husband Paul have gone fulltime with Lil’ Loafers Bakery. $ MY FAVORITE MUFFIN 9800 Shelbyville Rd., 4269645. All the muffins are made right in the store, including such popular choices as the Cinnamon Crumb and the Turtle Muffin. $ NORD’S BAKERY 2118 S. Preston St., 634-0931. This old-school, family-owned bakery on the edge of Germantown has a devoted following, drawn by divine Danish, donuts, and great coffee from the nearby Sunergos micro-roastery — and if you’re a sucker for over-the-top excess, try the caramel donut topped with — yes, it’s true, bacon. $

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OOH LA LA BAKERY 1841 Plantside Dr., 499-1575. Made-to-order tree nut- and peanut-free bakery products are the mainstay of this little shop started by a former lawyer with allergic kids. Other special dietary needs—gluten-free, milk or soy allergies and diabetic needs—can be accommodated. $ PLEHN’S BAKERY 3940 Shelbyville Rd., 896-4438. A neighborhood institution, this bakery is as busy as it is nostalgic. Enjoy the hometown soda fountain with ice cream while you wait for your handdecorated birthday cake, breakfast rolls or colorful cookies to be boxed. $ ✿ POLICE DONUTS 12416 Shelbyville Rd., 244-1880. The first incarnation of this jokey concept did not quite work out, but new ownership is trying again, putting out good bakery products at reasonable prices. $ SUGAR AND SPICE DONUT SHOP 5613 Bardstown Rd., 231-1411. This Fern Creek bakery has loads of loyal fans, who often buy out their favorite donut by mid-morning. Coffee to go too, of course, and even little half-pints of chocolate milk. $ SWEET STUFF BAKERY 323 E. Spring St., New Albany, IN, 948-2507. $ ✿ SWEET SURRENDER 1804 Frankfort Ave., 8992008. Sweet Surrender, with Jessica Haskell at the helm, has returned to its original Clifton neighborhood to provide elegant desserts as well as signature vegetarian lunches. $$ f SWEETS & SUCH BAKERY 3947 Dixie Hwy., 4491008. A Shively area neighborhood bakery. Cupcakes and cookies, brownies and cake, but its renown stems from the Presidential donut, a cream-filled concoction that won Bill Clinton’s admiration. $ WILLIAM’S BAKERY 1051 N. Clark Blvd., Clarksville, IN, 284-2867. $

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MAP INDEX

MAP # DIRECTION PAGE # DOWNTOWN 84 1 downtown louisville 85 NEAR EAST 2 highlands – crescent hill 86 NEAR EAST 3 st. matthews 87 SOUTH EAST 4 hikes point – buechel 88 EAST 5 hurstbourne – anchorage 89 EAST 6 hurstbourne s. – jeffersontown 90 NORTH EAST 7 indian hills – westport 90 FAR NORTH EAST 8 westport rd. – gene snyder NA NEW MAP 9 under construction 91 NORTH EAST 10 prospect 91 SOUTH EAST 11 fern creek 92 SOUTH WEST 12 shively – pleasure ridge 93 SOUTH 13 old louisville – airport 94 INDIANA 14 new albany – floyds knobs 95 INDIANA 15 clarksville 95 INDIANA 16 jeffersonville

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DOWNTOWN

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(NEAR EAST) HIGHLANDS – CRESCENT HILL – CLIFTON

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(NEAR EAST) ST. MATTHEWS

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(SOUTH EAST) HIKES POINT – BUECHEL

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(EAST) LYNDON – HURSTBOURNE – ANCHORAGE – MIDDLETOWN

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(EAST) HURSTBOURNE SOUTH – FOREST HGILLS – JEFFERSONTOWN

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(FAR NORTH EAST) WESTPORT RD – GENE SNYDER

(NORTH EAST) INDIAN HILLS – WESTPORT

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(SOUTH EAST) FERN CREEK

(NORTH EAST) PROSPECT

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(SOUTH WEST) SHIVELY – PLEASURE RIDGE

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(SOUTH) OLD LOUISVILLE – AIRPORT

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(INDIANA) NEW ALBANY – FLOYDS KNOBS

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(INDIANA) JEFFERSONVILLE

(INDIANA) CLARKSVILLE

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