Spring 2010 (Vol. 27)

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SPRING 2 010 | FEB - MAR - APR

the new New Albany

nearby historic district’s dining scene comes al ive

900

restaurant listings with reviews & maps

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funky fondue party

liquids

infused bourbons|must-have wines www.foodanddine.com

Pesto lasagna from Chef Josh Lehman of Bank Street Brewhouse.

$ 4 . 9 9 U. S .

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SPRING 2010 PUBLISHER JOHN CARLOS WHITE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SARAH FRITSCHNER VICE PRESIDENT PAUL M. SMITH COLUMNISTS ROGER A. BAYLOR JAY FORMAN SCOTT HARPER DAVID LANGE JERRY SLATER ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS-AT-LARGE TIM & LORI LAIRD CONTRIBUTING WRITERS GREG GAPSIS STEVE KAUFMAN DANA MCMAHAN CONTRIBUTING CHEFS RICK ADAMS ANTHONY LAMAS JOSH MOORE CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER DAN DRY DESIGN & LAYOUT JOHN CARLOS WHITE GRAPHIC DESIGN KATHY KULWICKI STEFAN TAMBURRO COPY EDITOR PAUL NAJJAR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ANNETTE B. WHITE GINA WOLFE DISTRIBUTION / FACT CHECKING PAUL M. SMITH IN FOND MEMORY OF OUR DEAR FRIEND DANIEL F. BOYLE

Food & Dining Magazine 速 is published quarterly by Louisville Dining Magazine, Inc. P.O. Box 665, Louisville KY 40201 The publisher and advertisers are not responsible or liable f or misprints, typographical errors or misinformation. The opinions expressed herein are those of the writ ers and do not nec essarily 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 速 P.O. Box 665, Louisville KY 40201, or call (502) 493-5511 ext. 540 or subscribe online at

www.foodanddine.com For Advertising information call (502) 493-5511 ext. 550

ON THE COVER: Pesto lasagna with haricot verts, Yukon gold potatoes, buffalo mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese from Chef Josh Lehman of Bank Street Brewhouse. (see story page 28) Photo by Dan Dry 4

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SPRING 2010

RESTAURANT GUIDE DINING GUIDE Our comprehensive listing of more than 900 area restaurants complete with reviews. Now with more user-friendly features.

MAPS (RESTAURANT LOCATOR) Find all of the restaurants in our Dining Guide on 16 area maps.

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FEATURE THE NEW NEW ALBANY Long off the radar screen, the nearby New Albany historic district is showing both the mix and mojo that make for a vibrant new dining district.

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COLUMNS STARTERS

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

SIDE DISHES Who’s doing what in the local culinary landscape.

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SHORT ORDER From jerk sauce to Henry Bain’s, good things come in small packages — and from Louisville.

HUMOR: Can you have your cake and eat it, too?

At what point does a cake stop being a cake and start being a high-school physics project wrapped in fondant?

FROM THE EDITOR: 365 days of chocolate Thinking outside the (chocolate) box. Local chocolatier adds unusual ingredients to a different chocolate confection for each day of the year.

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LIQUIDS

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COFFEE: Picking your personal coffee Where it’s from can affect a bean’s flavor.

CORK 101: Six must-have wines Our resident expert offers up his best finds of 2009.

SPIRITS: Infused Bourbon Make-your-own infusions means custom flavors and fun sipping.

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HIP HOPS: Craft beer nation The diversity of choice grows, expands, and yields a beer for every taste.

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RECIPES COOKING CLASS: Just like mom used to make Three of Louisville’s best chefs share tastes from their childhood.

EASY ENTERTAINING: Fondue — Party like it’s 1960 From Brie and mushrooms, to easy barbecue, this is not your mother’s fondue.

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starters comings & goings

comings

& goings

The Louisville restaurant scene has certainly seen a lot of activity these last three months, a good number of new businesses, a handful of new locations of existing businesses, some shuffling about, with locations changing, closing of one venue and opening others, changes of names or formats. And some restaurant closings, too — in absolute numbers more than new openings, but no top tier eatery has folded this last quarter. In this economic environment, hanging in there has to be chalked up in the success column.

OPENINGS

MOVES & CHANGES

Among the more interesting restaurants opening since last fall are La Catalana and The Bistro in Club Olmsted. The latter is a luncheon spot tucked away in the Olmsted, the historic home on the Masonic Home campus, 3701 Frankfort Ave., on the border of Crescent Hill and St. Matthews. In the few months it has been opened to the public, word of mouth has spread quickly in praise of its satisfying hearty and economical lunches and its pleasant setting.

Also in St. Matthews in the little restaurant enclave behind the “old Sears” complex, La Catalana, 4123 Oechsli Ave., operated by recent émigrés from Barcelona, serves an ambitious panMediterranean cuisine, and offers a steady roster of unusual entertainment: gypsy guitar music, flamenco performances and belly dancing.

Just as this issue was going to press, The Blind Pig was completing renovations on its building at 1076 E. Washington St. The upscale casual gastro pub plans to offer European-style comfort food — just the sort of place its Butchertown neighborhood has been needing.

Recently The Chili Pot opened at 8118 Preston Highway, dishing up four kinds of chili, hot dogs, chicken and salads to a grateful Okolona clientele. At 3825 Taylor Blvd., Little Jerusalem offers the expected Middle Eastern fare of falafel, hummus and kibbe. Gigi’s Cupcakes, the first Kentucky outpost of the upscale Nashville bakery chain, opened at 1977 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy.

Though you could not easily tell by the name, Toronto Deli & Bistro Grill at 2900 Brownsboro Rd. is a Mexican restaurant; Toronto was the name of the owner’s junior soccer team in Mexico.

Closing out the list of new eateries is Patticakes & Pies Café. Serving panini, soup, salads and baked goods at 155 E. Main St., just off the new New Albany restaurant row in Indiana.

A handful of established restaurants have added new outlets.

Three new Quizno’s at 165 Outer Loop, 127 S. English Station Rd. and 181 Adam Shepherd Pkwy. in Shepherdsville, make an even dozen of the toasted sandwich emporia around the area. The McAlister’s Deli at 1200 S. Floyd St. near U of L makes 7 branches of the national chain in town, and Home Run Burgers has opened its second restaurant at 4600 Shelbyville Rd.

And now to the considerable shuffling around of names, venues and ownership.

The expanding Tony Boombozz mini-empire is undergoing some re-envisioning. The success of the Boombozz Pizza & Taphouse concept at Eastern Parkway and Bardstown Road has inspired the opening of a second Taphouse at 1315 Herr Lane, in Westport Village, in the space vacated by Macca’s Florida Seafood Grill. But, the Tony Boombozz Pizza and Vino concept at 2813 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy. will be transformed in April to Boom Burgers, yet a new concept from owner Tony Palombino.

A few other restaurants in the area have rethought their business concepts. The Market Street Fish House at 133 E. Market St. in New Albany closed, but the concept of the restaurant merged with Connor’s Place across the street. India Palace at 9424 Shelbyville Rd. closed, but the owners have opened Taj Palace at 2929 Goose Creek Rd., in the space vacated by Seviche Bistro. Lylia’s Encore in the Kentucky Center closed as a restaurant, but will continue as a rental facility.

And the shuffling goes on. What was Bruno’s Pizzeria & Pub at 1919 S. Preston is now Vito’s Pizza. The Heavenly Ham outlet at 3602 Northgate Court is now called the Honeybaked Cafe.

Yummy Chinese at 8625 Preston Hwy. has been reborn as China Cafe and Cocos’ Bakery at 6915 Southside Dr. has a new life as Dalat’s Gateaux & Bakery. Happy China at 9106 Taylorsville Rd. used to be China King — but, the China King on Ruckriegel Pkwy. is still in business. What once was Home Town Buffet at 3710 Chamberlain Lane has reopened as Umai Zushi Buffet.

A notable transformation will occur in March, when the Frankfort Avenue Beer Depot (known to ’cue fanatics as F.A.B.D.) is set to open a second location at the former NV Tavern on the corner of Lucia Avenue and Bardstown Road.

A few oddities close out this rundown: the flood damage of last summer has kept closed the Derby Cafe at Churchill Downs, though they are working to reopen. And Bruce’s Smokehouse at 10317 Watterson Trail has closed, but the owner is opening Crabby Jake’s Fish House at 6435 Bardstown Rd. in March, which will continue to be a barbecue joint, though with an expanded menu that should reflect its new name.

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CLOSINGS While no top-of-the-line place, such as Cafe Metro, which ended its long run last quarter, folded in the last few months, long-time fixture Ray Parella’s Italian Cuisine, 2311 Frankfort Ave., finally called it quits. Surprisingly, 610 Magnolia’s owner Edward Lee closed Potstickers, his madefresh fast-service noodle and dumpling place on 938 Baxter Ave., after only a few months, saying that the time was just not right for his down-market concept.

In Old Louisville, Carly Rae’s, 103 W. Oak St., whose demise had been erroneously reported before, seems to have sputtered to an end for real this time. The funky Mr. Z’s Kitchen at the corner of Third and Breckinridge streets, has had a “Closed for Renovation” sign in the window since late summer, and seems slated not to reopen.

Downtown, Road to Morocco, 308 W. Chestnut St. and Sala Thai, 526 W. Main St., both ceased serving. Out at 9909 Taylorsville Rd., Maggie’s Grill closed, and so did Pig City BBQ at 12003 Shelbyville Rd. Jockamo’s Pizza Pub at 983 Goss Ave. has closed, as has Muley’s Corner at 10301 Taylorsville Rd. And the two Max & Erma’s franchises, at 2901 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy. and 3921 Summit Plaza, folded, depriving the Louisville area of their everpopular tortilla soup.

Also gone are Oriental Express, 12567 Shelbyville Rd., Bruno’s Pizza, 5170 Charlestown Rd. in New Albany, Scuddles Seafood, 702 Highlander Point Dr. in Floyds Knobs, and Wings to Go, 4324 Charlestown Rd. Finally, a number of multiple-outlet eateries contracted, closing one outlet but continuing business at others. Ernesto’s, a local chain of Mexican restaurants, closed the 6201 Dutchman’s Lane location, keeping two others. Shiraz Mediterranean Grill, which had been steadily growing, closed the 153 S. English Station Rd store to keep the four remaining stores stronger.

The popular Buckhead Mountain Grill closed their 4112 Outer Loop restaurant, leaving three others.

A.J.’s Gyro Cafe is back to one location after closing the 768 Highlander Point Dr. store. There will still be three Double Dragon II restaurants after the closing of the one at 9901 La Grange Rd. Firefresh BBQ will be back to two locations with the closing of the 6435 Bardstown Rd. store, and there will be four Indi’s Restaurants with the closing of the 4901 Poplar Level

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Rd. location. Mexican Fiesta will have two restaurants with the closing of the one at 5414 Bardstown Rd. and the Riteway BarB-Cue House at 1548 W. St. Catherine St. will be by itself with the closing of the site at 300 W. Chestnut St.

side

dishes

AAA Diamond Awards The Seelbach Hotel’s historic Oak Room restaurant has received AAA’s five diamond award for the 12th year in a row.

A five-diamond restaurant offer s exemplary surroundings and service.The Oak Room is Kentucky’s only five-diamond restaurant.

Several have reached four-diamond status, however, including Corbett’s: An American Place (1 year), The English Grill (16 years), Vincenzo's (3 years) and Z’s Oyster Bar & Steakhouse (6 years).

The diamond ratings are also extended to hotels. Louisville’s four-diamond winners include 21C Museum Hotel (2 years), Marriott Louisville Downtown (5 years),The Brown (17 years) and The Seelbach (28 years).

James Beard House Dinners Seviche restaurant owner and chef Anthony Lamas makes his fifth visit to the James Beard House on March 16.

The dinner, entitled “Gusto Latino,” will feature the highlights of his Nacional 27 series, a monthly special dinner that features a different region of the 27 countries in South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Lamas will recreate the meal at his restaurant, 1538 Bardstown Road, at a time in April to be determined. For information, call 502-473-8560.

The James Beard Foundation, established after the death of the “dean of American cooking” died in 1985, opened the James Beard House to provide a center for the culinary arts and provide a venue for chefs to perform their art.

Two weeks after Lamas’ appearance a group called Chefs Of The Bluegrass will visit the Beard House on March 31.

An all-star cast has been invited to the Beard House, including Dean Corbett of Equus, Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia, Ouita Michel from Holly Hill Inn, Michael Paley of Proof, Shawn Ward of Jack Fry’s and special guests Judith Schad of Capriole Farms goat

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cheese and Jordan Van Winkle III of Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon.

In September 2010, the James Beard Foundation comes to Kentucky to present celebrity chefs from across the country cooking with Kentucky chefs at the World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Cookin’ in the Bluegrass: A Celebrity Chef Dinner Series, will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Farmhouse restaurant during the 16 nights of the 2010 Games. Each night, 80 guests will enjoy dining experiences that feature Kentucky Proud agriculture products.

Tickets are available for purchase in February at www.alltechfeigames.com.

“That’s Entertaining” Cookbook Food & Dining Entertainment Editors-at-Large Tim and Lori Laird have paired their party-giving talents with internationally acclaimed and Food & Dining photographer Dan Dry to create the new cookbook, “That’s Entertaining! With Tim Laird, America’s C.E.O” (Chief Entertaining Officer). Published by Butler Books, the cookbook will be on sale just in time for Derby 2010.

Each chapter will focus on an entertaining occasion and will include recipes, planning and preparation tips, shopping lists, timelines and information on how to make your party a success.

In their columns for this magazine, which they have been contributing since 2008, not only do they offer simple and straight-

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A Holiday themed party that can be found in the That’s Entertaining cookbook. forward recipes, they suggest appropriate thematic party music, color schemes to get your guests in the mood, and how to break down the preparations so the host can enjoy the party as much as the guests. Sample chapters in the new book include a wine and cheese party,Valentine’s Day, a Tapas night, the Holidays and New Year’s Eve all in your own home.

The Lairds said,“The book is about easy and fun entertaining.

We want to encourage people to drop any fears they may have about entertaining and get together with family and friends more often. We like to say, ‘That’s Entertaining!’”

For more information please contact Butler Books at www.butlerbooks.com or (502) 897-9393.

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Taste of Derby The festivities leading up to the great race the first Saturday in May have been gaining in pizzazz in recent years, but this year Churchill Downs is upping the ante, with what promises to be the annual foodie event in the state. The inaugural Taste of Derby is scheduled for the night before the Kentucky Oaks, Thursday, April 29, 2010, at the Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center, 1860 Mellwood Ave. Taste of Derby is a benefit that celebrates the cuisine from the regions of major horse racing destinations around the country and around the world. At least 10 nationally recognized celebrity chefs representing cities that host major tracks — New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Baltimore, New Orleans and one international chef — will come to Louisville to join with two selected local chefs to cook for the event. In addition to the gala dinner prepared by a total of at least twelve great chefs, the evening will feature dancing, a silent auction and mingling with famous racing industry trainers, owners and jockeys from participating racetracks who will sign autographs and take photos with fans.

Two local chefs will represent Churchill Downs and the track’s flagship races, a female chef for the Kentucky Oaks (a race for fillies) and a female or male chef for the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs will choose the chefs with the help of a select panel of food critics and industry experts, including Food & Dining publisher John Carlos White, who will help select the Louisville-area chefs to take part.Those winning chefs will be announced March 1.

General admission to Taste of Derby is $250;VIP admission is $350. Organizers have pledged a $50,000 minimum donation with no maximum ceiling, all to go to hunger relief organizations in the towns of the participating chefs.

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Local Foodie TV John Varanese, until now known simply as the chef of Varanese restaurant in Clifton, has brought a new line to his resume.

Varanese is hosting Big World of Food on the CW Louisville at 5:30 on Sunday nights. Emphasizing “farm to table” cuisine,Varanese features farmers in each of the 13 episodes. From Janey Newton’s Foxhollow biodynamic vegetable and beef farm (organic production plus) in Oldham County to Jeanine Raymond’s Rocky Ridge paddlefish farm in Bullitt County, Varanese offers a smorgasbord of edible discovery. In addition, he explores the big world of fresh produce with the folks at Creation Gardens, which distributes high quality produce to chefs and institutions in Kentucky and Tennessee. He spends time with students and instructors at Sullivan University’s culinary program and talks to food experts about a variety of other topics. F&D

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BY STEVE KAUFMAN & DANA McMAHAN | PHOTOGRAPHS BY EDIS CELIK

A Taste of Louisville

K

“Keep Louisville Weird” has to be one of the best marketing slogans ever. With just enough irony to appeal to sophisticates and just enough funkiness to inspire sincere hipsters, it is a call to buy local, to keep our money circulating among our friends and neighbors, to support local businesses that offer products and services that national chains and big box stores don’t deign to touch.

Louisvillians have long understood the special appeal of some local food products, jealously guarded their provenance, and been proud of their insider knowledge of things like Benedictine and Hot Browns.

And Henry Bain’s sauce has long been a kind of Louisville insider secret, trotted out to impress Derby guests.

But Louisville foodies know there are many other products to dazzle taste buds. Local restaurateurs have bottled their secret recipes so their fans can recreate their favorite tastes at home, and share them with distant friends.The appeal of Bourbon is well-known, but the culinary uses of Bourbon barrels is just being explored by Matt Jamie. Here is a round-up of culinary consumer products now marketed by local entrepreneurs, so your kitchen can be proudly weird, too.

Bourbon Barrel Foods Paprika, Salt & Pepper One magical whiff of this line of Bourbon-smoked sea salt, black pepper and smoked paprika and you know you’re on to something good. Showered on melted goat cheese atop griddled bread, the paprika makes for a sophisticated snack. And you’ll find yourself adding the melting sea salt crystals and the pepper to everything from poached eggs to beef gravy.

The smoked paprika in particular lends a mysterious je ne sais quoi to dishes, an exotic and deeply alluring flavor that is bound to become your secret ingredient of choice. Added to a simple black bean and winter squash stew, the smoked paprika, in harmony with the sea salt and pepper, delivers a fragrant bowl with the character of a long-simmered old family recipe.

I’m a bit of a condiment tramp, unable to resist the call of a gourmet salt or seasoning. One entire cabinet in my tiny kitchen is devoted to specialty salts where these shiny happy tins from Bourbon Barrel are now bound to take up permanent residence — move over truffle salt and Fleur de Sel de Guérande!

(Around $7-$8) DM Bourbon Barrel Foods Bluegrass Soy Sauce Food snob though some may call me, I don’t normally carry my own soy sauce into my local sushi joint. But after having tasted this smoky, sultry microbrewed soy sauce that’s aged in Bourbon barrels, I had to try it out on some salmon sashimi. And just when I thought the perfect food couldn’t improve, sashimi met sauce and I found nirvana. The complex flavor and feather-light sauce took the sushi to an entirely new level.

The sauce also adds depth and flavor to gravies, but I’ll keep a bottle on hand just for sushi. (Around $5) www.bourbonbarrelfoods.com DM 12 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

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Pendennis Club’s Henry Bain’s Sauce Henry Bain was the headwaiter at Louisville’s exclusive Pendennis Cub in the 1920s, where he developed that special steak sauce. Until recently, though, the real Henry Bain’s sauce was available only to Pendennis Club members.

Apparently, all the others, available in grocery stores and specialty markets, were mere knock-offs.

But now the real thing is being publicly distributed, for use on your steaks, chops and hamburgers. But don’t stop there. Put it on your eggs, too. That elusive taste of chutney, vinegar, tomatoes, molasses, crushed orange puree, red pepper and whatever grabbed Henry’s fancy at the time, will do no harm at all to your Bloody Mary, either. (Around $6.50) www.henr ybains.com SK

Availability of these products varies greatly. So check their websites or try one of these great local purveyors of specialty foods (many local) and spirits.

A Taste of Kentucky, 11800 Shelbyville Rd. 244-3355 Burger’s Super Market, 1105 Ray Ave. 454-0461 Butcher’s Best Deli, 9521 US Highway 42 365-4650 Creation Gardens, 609 E. Main St. 589-9012 Doll’s Market, 3620 Brownsboro Rd. 897-1501 Gemelli Wine & Spirits, 3626 Brownsboro Rd. 895-1400 Liquor Barn, 4301 Towne Center Dr. (Springhurst), 426-4222; 3420 Fern Valley Rd., 968-1666; 1850 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 491-0753.

Lotsa Pasta, 3717 Lexington Rd. 896-6361

Lotsa Pasta Olive Oils The alchemists at Lotsa Pasta are nothing short of miraculous. Overlook those labels that will never win a design award, and sample one of their infused olive oils and you’ll agree. The fresh, grassy olive oils are bursting with flavor.

If you dream of attending the Gilroy garlic festival, you must start with the roasted garlic infused oil. It’s pure essence of garlic, heady and pungent, captured in liquid form. Forget dipping bread in it — you’ll want to drench your baguette in this lifesustaining stuff. The basilinfused oil is summer in a bottle — enough to make you weep for those blue-sky days when you smell basil a block before you reach the farmer’s market. And the rosemary-oregano oil will make you swear off butter forever — just slick all your bread with this aromatic suspension of oil and herbs. And don’t stop at bread with these oils — sauté vegetables, drizzle into soups, or if nobody is looking, drink by the spoonful. (Around $7) www.lotsapasta.com DM

Morris’ Deli, 2228 Taylorsville Rd. 458-1668 Party Mart, 4808 Brownsboro Center 895-4446 Paul’s Fruit Markets, 3922 Chenoweth Sq., 896-8918; 3704 Taylorsville Rd., 456-4750; 4946 Brownsboro Rd., 426-5059; 12119 Shelbyville Rd., 253-0072.

Prospect Party Center, 9521 US Hwy. 42 228-3990.

Rainbow Blossom, 3738 Lexington Rd., 896-0189; 3046 Bardstown Rd., 498-2470; 12401 Shelbyville Rd., 244-2022; 3608 Springhurst Blvd., 339-5090.

Seafood Connection, 3941 Chenoweth Sq. 899-5655 The Bodega at Felice, 829 E. Market St. 569-4100 ValuMarket, 1250 Bardstown Rd. (Mid City Mall), 459-2221, 315 Whittington Pkwy.

(Hurstbourne Plaza), 423-7110, 7519 Outer Loop (Outer Loop Plaza), 239-7375, 5301 Mitscher Ave. (Iroquois Manor), 361-9285.

Whole Foods Market, 4944 Shelbyville Rd. 899-5545 www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 13

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Come Back Inn Italian Red Sauce When expat friends living in Italy choose to eat at the Come Back Inn when they’re in town, you know something’s gotta be good. They say it reminds them of the neighborhood bars in Italy, an important part of daily life there. This homegrown, local feel comes across in the Come Back Inn’s homemade red sauce as well. An almost meaty (though it’s actually vegetarian) heft to the savor y sauce coats pasta perfectly. It doesn’t leave behind a pink puddle like an inferior sauce would, and chunks of onion and tomato tell you this comes from real food. (Around $XX) www.comebackinn.biz DM

David & Adam’s Jalapeño Tartar Sauce I don’t always understand Americans’ preoccupation with jalapeño. Personally, it generally makes me hiccup for an hour. But there are certainly those who thrive on that burn in their gullet. And they’ll love this new tartar sauce, made famous by The Fish House, one of the best of Louisville’s several hundred-thousand fried fish sandwich shops.

But here’s the surprise: Even those who hiccup (like me) will be delighted by the sweet-and-bite combination of this green mayonnaise-y product. The bite goes away quickly and the combined tastes of the jalapeño, dill, vinegar, onions and lemon juice make the fish — or even a hamburger or a chip dip — taste a lot better. (Around $4) www.kfoodsinc.com SK

Houston’s Louisiana Mayo While the Cajun cooking craze has cooled off a bit since Paul Prudhomme first made blackened redfish in a brown paper bag in New Orleans in the early 1980s, the flavor that inspired the craze hasn’t cooled off much at all.

Houston’s Louisiana Mayo isn’t red hot, though, despite the red chili pepper on the label. Rather, it’s a pleasing combination of spicy and sweet.

Use it wherever you would normally use mayonnaise — on a turkey sandwich, in egg salad, or mix it into your scrambled eggs. It won’t overwhelm the other foods but it will kick the back of your throat — just a little bit. (Around $5) www.houstonsdressings.com SK 14 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

Asiatique Sauces The stir-fry seems to be the last great frontier to challenge home cooks (yours truly, at least). How much oil? How much soy sauce? How much ginger and garlic?

The ability to conjure up the exact combination of flavors for a perfect stir-fry has eluded me. Thankfully, Asiatique has come to the rescue with their stir-fr y sauce.

Firstly, the sleekly-designed bottle will add instant cred to your refrigerator.

Secondly, all you need to do is pour a generous swig into your stir-fry. The days of measuring, weighing and calculating are over. And if you are going all out with spring rolls or dumplings to accompany your stir-fry, Asiatique’s sweet chili basil sauce brings perfectly balanced fire and flavor to the table. You’ll want to make extra — of anything — to dip, just in order to deliver that sweet and pungent bit of searing heat over and over. (Around $5) www.asiatiquerestaurant.com DM

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Mark’s Feed Store Barbecue Sauce There isn’t a barbecue purist who doesn’t feel his or her formula has the perfect balance of sweet and hot, honey and garlic, paprika and onion, sugar and smoke. Buy a bottle in a grocery store? You probably like Velveeta cheese, too. But Mark’s Feed Store, annual winner of just about every “best ’cue in Lou” award, has three versions of its excellent sauce, and they’re available in bottles — in the supermarket. Take one home and slather it on your ribs, mix it in with pulled brisket or pork loin or stir one into your chili. I think it would satisfy most purists.

(Around $3) www.marksfeedstore.com SK

Kilimanjaro Jerk Sauce Café Kilimanjaro may be gone, but the kick in its African jerk sauce lives on.The sauce, made by Kilimanjaro Foods Inc., appropriately sneaks up on you, like jerk should: sweet on your tongue, fiery on your throat, comforting in your tummy. So now you can make your own, authentic jerk chicken or pork or shrimp or even tofu.

Or you can use it as a base for a kicking cocktail or barbecue sauce, or a marinade. The possibilities are endless, mon. (Around $6) www.kfoodsinc.com SK

Nano’s Marinara Sauce Eating at Corbett’s American Place (winner of AAA’s four diamonds of excellence) is a dress-up, big-ticket experience. Eating chef Chris Howerton’s spaghetti sauce is something you can do at home in your bluejeans. Howerton’s “Simply Spectacular” Nano’s Marinara is redolent of the garlic, basil, oregano, parsley and anchovies mentioned on the label. Better than that, it’s redolent of all those corner red-checked-tablecloth Italian restaurants I frequented in my years in New Jersey.

Howerton’s chunky, fresher-than-fresh-tasting marinara — his grandmother’s recipe — is great on pasta, right out of the jar, or as a base for your own sauce. Or pour it right over a meatball hero. You wouldn’t get a chance to do that at Corbett’s Place.

(Around $7) SK www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 15

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humor

BY JAY FOREMAN

Can you have your cake and eat it, too?

More importantly, what do these cakes taste like? I’d sort of assumed that with cakes, first you make it taste good and then go forward from there. Otherwise, what you have is more like decoration than confection. And on Ace of Cakes and other competition-style shows, I’m not even sure that some of the cakes contain identifiably edible parts. I watch as these pastry chefs and their assistants stack Styrofoam tiers, mold fondant around PVC, and squish Rice Krispies around wire frames, realizing that the line between what is edible and what is from Home Depot is utterly blurred.

And this predilection is getting more pronounced. Early on, the greatest risk from tucking into one of their efforts would be biting into a wedge of polystyrene, mistaking it for a delicious hunk of toasted almond and raspberry cream. Now things are increasingly complicated and, more alarmingly, electrified, complete with motors, batteries and wires.

You don’t so much need a cake knife to serve these puppies as a bomb squad to defuse them. If one of these cakes was abandoned on a subway platform, New York would initiate a terror response lockdown and Duff & Co. would disappear, courtesy of the Feds, probably ending up on an episode of Locked Up Abroad.

It is no coincidence that Duff is a man.This is the sort of progression that is inevitable if you hand over the cake shop keys to a guy. And this situation will clearly get worse before it gets better or, more likely, before someone gets hurt. As of press time the status quo is maintained along the lines of small motors which turn centerpieces or power colorful fiber-optic arrangements … that kind of thing. But with the overpowering male urge to cram more capability into confections, soon we will begin to see cakes that have to be brought to the site with an electrician, a wiring diagram, and a building permit. Cakes powered by small gasoline engines, like those found on leaf blowers or weed whackers, will have to be started with a rip-cord. Eventually, they will have wheels, stability control, and low-range gearing.

That’s just Ace of Cakes.The Food Network seems to be continually thinking up ways to make things harder on the contestants in cake competitions. It’s not enough to merely construct a 1/32 scale replica of the Large Hadron Collider out of chiffon and mocha buttercream. Chefs now have to move their fragile creations from the kitchen to the judges table, a journey of 50 feet that is fraught with fabricated challenges like ramps, bumpy floors, trick of lighting and, eventually, crocodile-filled pits. Prim judges make snarky comments when a showpiece tumbles to the floor in ruin, dashing the hopes and dreams of some poor bastard who was going to use the money to pay off his student loan debt to CIA Greystone. It can be hard to watch.

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Photo courtesy of the Food Network

I am a f an of the F ood Network show Ace of Cak es.

The quirk y personalities of the cr ew at Charm City Cakes make for entertaining viewing and the cr eativity that goes int o their efforts is impressive. But as their cak es get lar ger and mor e c omplicated, I find myself asking at jus t what point does a cak e s top being a cak e and s tart being a high-school ph ysics project wrapped in fondant?

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Duff of Charm City Cakes

A chef friend of mine in New Orleans has done cake competition and counts in his arsenal the same sorts of power tools I have in my workroom — reciprocating saw, cordless drill and a load of painter’s gear along with compressors to run airbrushes. Until I saw how often he uses this stuff, I was certain he was just using his corporate account to fill up his work shed.

Also, while getting ready for last Halloween, I discovered how the reciprocating saw is the perfect tool to carve pumpkins. Really.

Dewalt might want to think about launching a line of pastry and squash-related blades for sale at Lowe’s.

Going by either Duff or by competition, the cake world is a far more complex place than it was just a few short years ago.There is some levity out there (check out cakewrecks.blogspot.com if you’ve not seen it; a ver y fun site) but on the whole, life is hard on a cake today. F&D

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BY DAVID LANGE

Picking Your Personal Coffee Where in the world is your favorite bean from?

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Since my passion for coffee is solidly evident, friends and acquaintances approach me asking for recommendations, or a personal favorite of my own. The task can be a challenge. Coffee is produced in 62 countries and each one adds special characteristics that make it unique. So how can you find that special coffee to call your own?

There are so many variables that affect the development of coffee. Soil conditions, rainfall, eco-climates and processing methods all put their spin on how that coffee comes to the consumer.

Take South America. Coffee in this region has been grown for centuries, the soil has truly matured and the coffees become mild and medium bodied. Since the coffees have low acidity, they are excellent breakfast coffees with round full flavor. Colombian Supremo and Brazil Bourbon Santos are choices for the coffee drinker who enjoys coffee all day long.

Even though they are grown only a short distance away, the coffees from Central America differ from their southern “cousins.”

They are grown at higher elevation with less tree cover, which gives them a unique sweetness. That, coupled with their balanced taste and full-body flavor, makes Central American coffees some of the world’s most prized selections. In fact, coffees from Costa Rica, Guatemala, and El Salvador continually are found to be

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named some of the world’s best coffees. From the consistent quality of Costa Rica La Minta to the smokiness of Guatemala Antigua, Central American coffees are rich and predictable.

It has been acknowledged that there are remarkable similarities between coffee and wine. Both are agricultural products, both have confined growing regions, they come in distinct varietals and can also be blended to form new products.

The various varietals of both have distinct characteristics, yet weather conditions and soil conditions can greatly affect the end product. So using that parallel, Central and South American coffee can be likened to the Sauvignon blancs and Chardonnays.

Looking for the Pinot Noir of the coffee world? Go to the dark, mysterious continent of Africa. The characteristics of the coffees grown in East Africa are fruity with high acidity. Their floral and berry aromas make it the choice of coffee connoisseurs who desire a coffee that is complex and full of flavor.

Africa has produced coffee for a relatively shorter period of time, so the soil is rich and fer tile. Like a Pinot Noir, the coffees are floral, complex and very smooth. For years Kenya AA has been a benchmark for coffee excellence. The coffees from Ethiopia: Yirgasheffe, Mocha Sidamo, and Harrar, are all valued for their “coffee roots heritage” — Ethiopia is the presumed cradle of coffee origin. Or explore the profiles of coffee from

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Zimbabwe and Tanzania, where the coffee plants are intercropped with bananas and breadfruit to incorporate some of those crops’ taste components.

These are truly for the coffee aficionado.

Some wine lovers enjoy the heavy, intense nose and flavor of a well-oaked Cabernet Sauvignon. That same heavy and ear thy profile can be found in Indonesian coffees. Since most of the Indonesian islands consist of volcanic soil, they produce coffee with intense, full-rounded flavors.

Coffees from this region are known for their rich, syrupy, almost thick, fullbodied taste. Much of the coffee produced is stored for more than a year in open-air warehouses that subject them to monsoon rains and winds. Then the coffee is dried on clay or earthen drying floors, where they acquire deep clay and earthy traits. If you desire that type of coffee, then Sumatra Mandheling will not disappoint you with its sweet, subtly rounded, but full-bodied taste. Not to be left out is Indian Malabar, with its full and aged mouth feel, along with Papuan Sigri and its balanced aroma and taste. All coffees from this region are excellent after-dinner coffees that accentuate desser ts. They have enough body to hold up with rich and decadent chocolate. Currently these are my personal favorites.

Now if you really have deep pockets or if you are looking to reward yourself for any good deeds, then you can turn to two of the most publicized and expensive coffees to be found.

One is Jamaican Blue Mountain.

Known for its rich, delicate flavor with nutty aftertones, this coffee possesses a smoothness not to be duplicated. But buyers beware! Blue Mountain blends and styles are a common sight, but have very little if any actual Blue Mountain coffees. So make sure that your purchase is genuine and you will be rewarded. Since the coffee is so very expensive, and is a slow mover, you want to make sure that the product is fresh. You want to know the retailer is reliable and moves the product religiously.

The other is Hawaiian Kona. Our only native American coffee has a floral aroma and sweet, intense flavor. Because of the limited supply of 100% Kona, Kona style or Kona blends may actually have no Kona coffee in them. So once again, make sure that your purchase is genuine. F&D

Wiltshire On Market Experience the creative cuisine of Chef Coby Ming in an intimate restaurant environment.

Small plates menu changes weekly.

Evenings Thursday thru Saturday at 636 East Market Street Unique accommodations for private events.

Reservations encouraged | 502.589.5224 | wiltshirepantry.com

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starters from the editor

BY SARAH FRITSCHNER | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DRY

365 DAYS OF CHOCOLATE The little girl who learned to cook in her grandmother’s New Mexico kitchen has grown up to bring a sophisticated option to the candy connoisseurs of Louisville Metro.

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A

A few years ago, 29-year-old Erika Chavez-Graziano was working on her economics degree in Binghamton, New York and making truffles for “friends, family, pot lucks …” When she moved to Louisville for the sake of a relationship, she thought she might be able to earn a living making truffles. Soon after, she opened Cellar Door Chocolates.

“I always cooked, I love to bake,” says Chavez-Graziano, “(truffles were) the next challenge.”

Maybe. But a short course in truffle-making will leave the average cook humbled and often a little frustrated. The glossy, brittle coating that enrobes Chavez-Graziano’s truffles is the result of more science and skill than the creativity and practice normally associated with good cooks, and even good bakers.

That chocolate coating — Chavez-Graziano uses premium-brand E. Guittard — must be heated to a precise temperature (115 degrees for dark chocolate, 110 for milk and white), and removed immediately from heat, at which time smaller pieces of chocolate are stirred in, both to cool the chocolate and to help it remember its crystal formation. As the chocolate cools to no lower than 84 degrees, that crystalline structure begins to set up again. The chocolate is then warmed over hot water to 85 to 88 degrees, allowing her to dip them.

This melting-cooling-warming process is called “tempering” and home cooks usually avoid it by a variety of methods, all of which interfere with the final enjoyment of the candy. Sometimes, cooks use a product called “chocolate coating” that is sold in the baking section of supermarkets, in which silky cocoa butter is replaced by a more stable fat that leaves a waxy feel on the palate and muddies the pure chocolate flavor. In old home recipes, paraffin was sometimes added to real chocolate to stabilize it.

Other home truffle makers dip their centers in chocolate that has been simply melted, as it will harden at room temperature.The hardened coating is deceptive, however: it will melt as soon as your 98.6 degree fingers grab it on either side. Some cooks forgo the chocolate coating completely, rolling their “centers” in a coating of nuts, coconut or cocoa.These alternative coatings avoid the chocolaty finger problem, but require refrigerated storage, which is a problem, because cold chocolate inhibits flavor perception.

Perfectly tempered chocolate can be stored on the counter; it will retain its brittle exterior while the center remains creamy, even runny. But though the chocolate is firm enough to snap when you bite it, the cocoa butter begins to melt immediately in your mouth, creating a luxurious coating with the most possible flavor. You get the full impact of flavor and texture.

These are the kinds of truffles mastered by Chavez-Graziano, beautifully decorated with swirls of chocolate, chocolate nibs, sprinkles of cayenne pepper or Madras curry powder, or nearly powdered nut pieces, among many of her toppings.

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“I constantly have to do something new,” says ChavezGraziano. A slow summer season nudged her to an ambitious marketing campaign. She decided to riff off the “Julie/Julia” project, during which New York resident Julie Powell cooked in one year all the recipes in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child.

Chavez-Graziano started the 365 Days of Chocolate project in September and now makes a different chocolate for every day of the week, inspired by her favorite flavors in life.

First month: beer.

“I love beer,” says Chavez-Graziano.

But not just any beer. Local beers made with specific characteristics, like New Albanian Brewing Co.’s Hoptimist, or Browning’s She Devil. Each day in September brought a different beer flavor. Super-hoppy beers like the Hoptimist might flavor a buttercream filling; peanut butter is mixed with nut brown ale and dark chocolate for a center, then enrobed in milk chocolate.

Not all the projects are truffles.There are barks — one flavored with olive oil and sea salt — and candy bars and giandujas (equal parts chocolate and nut paste), and the afore-mentioned buttercreams.

Other flavoring themes included savories, junk food and wine. Savory flavors included pork tenderloin, beet, avocado (a customer favorite), and duck. Wines were chosen based on recommendations from owners of her favorite wine stores. Junk food truffle flavors included Milky Way (with homemade marshmallow cream) and, her personal favorite, Butterfinger. And each month, 10 percent of sales from the project candies goes to a different local charity.

Chavez-Graziano insists,“I’m not trying to cook, I’m trying to crunch numbers” — that is, to make her living. And to do that, she sold more than 6,000 truffles during the Christmas season. That number doesn’t include the extras, like barks and peanut butter cups.“This is my life, this is my livelihood.”

Still, reinforcement comes in forms other than money.

Creativity counts for something. “When I made that Butterfinger, it showed me what I could do,” she says.

Each chocolate in the 365 project can be found and bought by the piece at Quills coffee shop (Chavez-Graziano’s kitchen is in back), 930 Baxter Avenue, and is available only on the day it is made.

You can find her more conventional truffles (green chili coconut?) and other candies at Dundee Candy Shop, 2112 Bardstown Road and Taste of Kentucky in the Aegon Center at 4th and Market streets downtown.

At the end of the 365 Days of Chocolate, ChavezGraziano hopes to have completed two books. One is a children’s book, “for girls, based on finance and making good things,” she says.“I want to introduce them into the world of checks and balances and how to make money, how to figure out your cost of goods.”

The other book is a record of what she’s done for the 365 Days, containing recipes, instructions on truffle making, and information distilled from her mistakes. It will be more cookbook than blog narrative.“You’ll pick it up with the idea that you’ll make chocolate,” she says. F&D www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 23

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BY SCOTT HARPER | PHOTOGRAPHS BY EDIS CELIK

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ust-have

ines

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Lioco Indica 2007 (Mendocino, California) The name Lioco is a synthesis of the names of company founder s, Matt Licklider and Kevin O’Conner. The wine is made in Santa Rosa (Sonoma), California but the grapes are sourced throughout California. Lioco relies on grapes raised by low impact agriculture, using techniques of natural wine making. This minimalist philosophy positively affects the flavor of the wine.The resulting wines taste of the grape and the place, not of the winemaking, just the way winemaker Kevin Kelley likes it.

The wine is made from 78% old-vine Carignan, 10% Petite Sirah, 9% Mourvedre and 3% Grenache. This is a somewhat typical blend of Southern France.The use of old-vine Carignan is a treasure and infrequently seen in California. The wine exhibits cherry, plum, licorice, lavender, and baking spice all in a full flavor and full body. Also try the delicious un-oaked Chardonnay and single vineyard Pinot Noir. Around $20.00

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I have had many opportunities to travel to viticulture regions in the last 12 months. I have walked through vineyards and wineries in Italy , Washington, Oregon, Chile , Sonoma and Napa Valley. I have had the opportunity t o try hundreds of excellent wines from a diverse array of wine regions and winemakers. They all have top quality, must-have wines, making it difficult to decide which is the bes t of the best.

Collectors and drinkers in every price range deserve a taste of the bes t of the bes t, so after pouring o ver my notes and picking f avorites (and eliminating what isn’t a vailable in our market), I managed to assemble a list of must-have wines in several price ranges.

R. Stuart & Co. Pinot Noir Big Fire 2007 (Oregon) The winery, founded in 2001, is located in downtown McMinnville, a sub-region of Willamette Valley, Oregon. The Willamette Valley is generally considered one of the top five places to grow the Pinot Noir grape. This wine is sourced from grapes throughout Oregon including the Willamette Valley. Although the winery is only eight vintages old, the winemaker/owner, Rob Stuart, has over 30 years experience in winemaking, with his latest being at Erath Winer y in Oregon. Stuart makes seven Pinot Noirs and the Big Fire is his least expensive.The high quality makes its price-point hard to believe. When the 2007 vintage runs out it is backed up by the excellent 2008.

The wine is dry, medium-bodied with ripe , juicy, red plum, red cherr y and raspberry. Silky, soft and full of flavor, this wine can go with a number of dishes that you may normally serve with white wine.

Under $20.00

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Merryvale was founded in 1983 by the Schlatter family from one of the first wineries built after prohibition. Located in downtown St. Helena within the Napa Valley, Merryvale makes 10,000 cases of wine. Its Starmont label, made in a separate winery in Carneros, accounts for an additional 90,000 cases.The St. Helena winery has a majestic barrel room lined with century-old 2,000-gallon casks which makes for an ornate private event room.

Merr yvale’s flagship wine is Profile, a Bordeaux-style blend, which many wineries call a Meritage.The 2006 vintage is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Despite the fact it spends over two years in 90% new French oak, the wine is balanced with cassis, blackberry, vanilla, oak and cedar flavors. It is full-bodied and structured to age for a decade. Around $135.00

Vina Sena 2006 (Aconcagua Valley, Chile) Affectionately nicknamed Opus 2 this was a partnership with the Chilean winery Vina Errazuirz and Robert Mondavi. This par tnership took place in 1995 after the Opus 1 venture between Mouton Rothschild and Robert Mondavi. After the mega-conglomerate Constellation bought Mondavi, the Chadwick family, proprietors of Errázuriz bought the Mondavi interest and now owns 100% of this iconic wine.

Sena is Spanish for “personal signature” and is the individual venture of Eduardo Chadwick. Sena is made in the Aconcagua Valley, north of Santiago on a beautiful hillside vineyard. Sena stands testament to the ability of Chile to make world-class wines.

The wine is a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Carmenère and Cabernet Franc. Fullbodied, polished, with the flavor of blackberry, cherry, oak, mocha and allspice.

Sena drinks well now and has the ability to age for a decade. Around $80.00

Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series #15 2006 (Washington)

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Merryvale Profile 2006 (Napa Valley, California)

Founded in 1981 by Rick Small and his wife Darcey this small, high-quality winery based in Walla Walla Valley, Washington is making around 17,000 cases of wine from sustainably-farmed grapes. The tasting room is located in a restored 1870s farm house. Rick Small makes some of the best hand-tossed pizza in his outdoor wood burning oven. The Woodward Canyon Artist Series label changes each year with the work of a different artist; this label was made by Tyrell Collins.

This wine is made from 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Syrah and 1% Merlot. It is a full, balanced red wine with the flavors of blackberry, currant, mocha, oak and allspice which pervade this wellstructured wine. The wine can age, but with decanting can be enjoyed now with a hearty meal. Around $50.00

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Castello Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino 2003 (Tuscany, Italy) Castello Banfi was founded in 1978 by the Mariani family which produces a wide range of delicious Tuscan wines. Brunello Di Montalcino is their flagship wine.

Made from just outside the sleepy little town of Montalcino, the estate is a mustexperience for the wine-loving traveler.

There’s a small luxur y hotel, two topnotch restaurants (one of which has a Michelin star), a glass museum, balsameria, medieval castle, and copious tasting room.

The wine is 100% Brunello grape, which is a clone of the most important grape of Tuscany and arguably Italy, Sangiovese.

Aged two years in oak and a total of four years before release, the wine is fullbodied with flavors of plum, cherry, spice, oak and has enough acidity (considering the vintage) and tannins to go with bistecca Fiorentina. Around $60.00

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BY JERRY SLATER | PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN DRY

INFUSED BOURBONS

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Bourbon. Neat. Maybe a few cubes of ice. These phrases are almost a mantra to the serious whiskey drinker.

And when spending a lot of money on Bourbon, sometimes hundreds of dollars for a single bottle, who can blame the enthusiast for wanting to taste the full measure of that brown ambrosia?

But, there are occasions not to be so serious. Russians take their vodka just as seriously, sipping it ice cold, period.

But vodka in this country has been getting dressed up, taken out, and shaken around with all manner of flavors and additions since its introduction here in the late forties.

Food & Dining’s entertainment editor-at-large,Tim Laird, takes Bourbon seriously. As Chief Entertainment Officer for Brown-Forman Corp., which produces Woodford Reserve Bourbon among others, Laird is well-versed in the subtle nuances and taste profiles of world class whiskey. He is also gregarious and has a sense of humor and whimsy that take him in directions that traditionalists may not venture.

Take, for instance, Laird’s infused Bourbons, usually made with Woodford Reserve. I have seen other people have pieces of tired fruit bobbing in jars of brown liquor behind the bar. But Laird infuses differently, using dried ingredients, which struck me as a simple and obvious solution, a revelation of sorts.

Counter to current culinary practices and the prevailing “fresh” philosophy, infusing with dry ingredients achieves a couple of goals much better. Drying fruit or herbs intensifies their flavors.That means the flavor of the dry ingredients will start to impart their flavor in just a day, where as fresh fruit takes at least three days. After those three days, fresh components will start to break down and oxidize. Those fruits and herbs will have to be strained out before they spoil. Using already preserved, dry ingredients eliminates this step and makes for a more decorative bottle.

Laird pours out a bottle of Woodford into a pitcher and places the dried ingredients directly in the bottle. He refills the bottle with the Bourbon and caps it off. A couple of days later his whiskey has new and interesting characteristics. Some of his dried fruit and spice combinations include:

Apple and cinnamon Peaches and candied ginger Pears and anise Cherries and vanilla (he uses maraschino, not dried cherries) All of these flavors mirror or complement the taste profile of the whiskey.

My own forays into infusing Bourbon, and sometimes rye whiskey, involve one of my other favorite things, bacon. It’s an odd idea to be sure, but a great result.

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Take about a cup of bacon fat, hot enough to be liquid, and add it to a fifth of whiskey in a plastic container that has a tightfitting lid. I prefer the intensely smoky fat of my friend Allen Benton’s bacon (https://bentonshams.com/order/index.php).

With the lid tightly on, shake whiskey and fat well. I agitate the mixture every 15 or 30 minutes, until it reaches room temperature. Place the infusion in the fridge and chill overnight.

Thoroughly cold, the fat will turn solid and rise to the top of the liquid. Carefully skim off fat and strain resulting Bourbon through a coffee filter to remove any residual globules. I usually reserve the original bottle and pour the infusion back in for storage. The bacon-infused Bourbon is great in what I call a Smoked Manhattan.

Cheers!

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Apple-cinnamon infused Bourbon Made this way, you’ll have about one-third of a bottle of leftover Bourbon.

1 bottle (750 liters) Woodford Reserve 5 ounces dried apples 4 3-inch cinnamon sticks Decant the Bourbon into another container.

Add ingredients to the Woodford bottle, then replace to top with Bourbon. Cap it and allow it to stand a few days.

Cherry-vanilla infused Bourbon This Bourbon makes a fantastic Manhattan.

Use one of the cherries to garnish the drink.

1 bottle (750 liters) Woodford Reserve 10 ounces (or so) maraschino cherries 1 vanilla bean Decant the Bourbon into another container.

Drain cherries and add them to the bottle (stems intact). About one-third of the bottle should be filled with cherries. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and add it to the bottle.

Replace as much of the Bourbon as will fit.

Cap it and allow it to stand a few days.

Cherry-vanilla Manhattan

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Visit Chef John Varanese today at award winning Varanese, 2106 Frankfort Avenue.

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2 ounces cherry-vanilla Bourbon /2 ounce sweet vermouth 2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters Maraschino cherry and orange twist for garnishes

1

Combine Bourbon, vermouth and bitters with a few ice cubes and stir or shake to chill. Strain into a glass. Add cherry and orange twist.

Tim Laird’s Autumn Cooler 2 ounces apple-cinnamon infused Woodford Reserve 4 ounces apple cider 1 dash Fee Brother’s Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters In a cocktail shaker, combine Bourbon, cider and bitters with ice. Shake and strain into a decorated glass.

Smoked Manhattan 2 1 2 1

ounces bacon-infused Bourbon ounce sweet Italian vermouth dashes Angostura bitters dash Allspice Dram (allspice liqueur), optional

Stir all ingredients with large cubes of ice until thoroughly chilled. Strain into chilled cocktail glass; garnish with a cherry. F&D www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 27

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people and places profiles

BY GREG GAPSIS | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DRY

The new New Albany

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For years, New Albany has been a place one quickly passed, on a westbound trek to St. Louis or when taking children out to feed ducks on a tourist farm in the Knobs.

Certainly the blocks of Civil War era brick buildings bespoke a one-time prosperity, but that all seemed strangely faded with few reasons to stop and explore.

But the ebb and flow of new restaurant openings and closings during the last few years caught our attention. An inspiring original like La Rosita set down roots on a residential block, developed a dedicated following and continues to thrive. But other worthy efforts, like David Clancy’s exquisite Bistro New Albany or the Speakeasy jazz club, glimmered a short while and then went dark.

So when 2009 saw an unexpected flurry of new openings by seasoned restaurateurs, craft brewers, even a wine maker, we had to go in for a closer look.

What we found was both intriguing and promising.

Despite the 2008 collapse of the real estate market and ensuing bank crises, New Albany is exhibiting a sassy optimism. In what some markers suggest is the worst economy since the Great Depression, new plans are being hatched left and right to create a new dining district.

They represent the aspirations of restaurant veterans, the creative energies of some remarkable young chefs, brewers, vintners and both government and business leaders who feel the city’s “time has come.”

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HISTORIC GEM

Walking the streets of downtown New Albany today, you can see the architecture of a once thriving Ohio River town.

As a young America pushed westward after the Revolutionary War, the area around the Falls of the Ohio, the only rapids in the river’s nearly 1,000-mile length, became a strategic center of transportation and commerce. New Albany, founded in 1813, within 50 years became the most prosperous city in Indiana because of its sawmills, shipyards, tanneries, foundries and breweries. It was the site of innovations like the first plate glass factory in the United States, opened in 1865 by John B. Ford, who later established Pittsburgh’s Libby-Owens-Ford glass company.

Much of the cityscape today, though pockmarked by misdirected 1960s ‘urban renewal’ projects, bespeaks this vibrant period when banks had columns to look like Greek temples; old hotels and mansions exhibited Victorian charm; wholesale businesses required multi-story warehouses with cast iron facades and large, ground-floor show rooms; and newfangled technology like motion pictures required theaters in the middle of town.

“When I interviewed here in 1989, I was impressed by the large, intact Victorian downtown the city had,” said Scott Woods, who is now the city’s assistant director of planning and zoning. “I wondered what was being done with it and was told the community was conservative and more interested in development on the fringes.”

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As suburbs and mall developments pulled people away from the river, the downtown settled into a tentative stasis, only a pale reflection of its impressive past.

The food scene similarly became unremarkable.Ten years ago, well after even the downtown Holiday Inn closed its restaurant, the only highlights were a few journeymen bars like Steinert’s or family friendly places like Tommy Lancaster’s buffet or South Side Inn cafeteria, where a family of four could eat to a state of guaranteed surfeit for under $20.

Much of the rest of the pale food landscape was populated by corporate franchises dishing burgers and fried chicken or pretending that something was legitimately from “South of the Border” if served with enough melted cheese and inoffensively bland rice and refried beans. In sum, if you weren’t in a Tom Waits mood for a classic 24-hour breakfast counter like the Little Chef, you were pretty much out of luck.

But in the last ten months, something unique happened. Local standouts long away from the center of town — the New Albanian Brewing Company, Steinert’s Bar and Grill, and Sweet Stuff bakery — have come downtown to join a hardy bunch that have sprouted, survived and excelled in the last few years: Connor’s Place, Studios, the new Lancaster’s Cafeteria, and the more upscale Windsor.

In a surprising new development they have been joined by two proven performers from Louisville, Toast on Market and

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(clockwise from left): Wick’s Pizza’s legendary “Big Wick.” Studio’s Grille & Pub’s Kansas City pork wings. La Rosita Mexican Grill’s Empapeladoes. Mayor Doug England (center) shares coffee and conversation with members of the Develop New Albany board, Mike Kopp (left) and David Clark (right). Connor’s Place owner Dave Himmel proudly displays dishes from the Market Street Fish House side of his menu.

Wick’s Pizza, and a new winery dedicated to the city’s historic past, River City Winery.

In an area long haunted by sameness, they are independentminded, different in what they offer, and passionate about their belief that a compact, new, urban community is where people want to be in the future.

PLANNING & PIED PIPERS New Albany’s resurgence has taken two decades of government planning, some visionaries, and at least a few pied pipers.

Starting in the 1990s, the city amended its comprehensive plan, added an Urban Enterprise Zone, and in 2002 established the Downtown Historic District, which won listing on the National Register soon after. Each of these provided tax credits for investments creating jobs, preservation, or historic rehabilitation. More recently, a Riverfront Development District makes it easier for restaurants to get liquor licenses.

Mayor Doug England helped start these plans, including one to create a 7-mile long Greenway uniting Indiana communities along the Ohio River, when he served two terms in the 1990s. (He was re-elected in 2008.)

“What’s happening now is terrific,” England said. “I travel a lot and I haven’t been to another small city yet that has both a winery and a brewery downtown. These people have faith in the city’s future and are investing despite a bad economy.”

Steve Resch is a contractor who started investing in vacant buildings several years ago as a way to keep his teams busy when other work wasn’t pressing. Some think he has done more than anyone else to recycle old structures. So far, his projects include transforming the 100-year-old Stein’s shoe building on Market Street into Connor’s Place, the Rainbow Bread truck depot into the trendy Bank Street Brewhouse and restoring the 1860s building on State Street where Wick’s pizza now serves a steady stream of customers.

“All of them are intelligent and know what they are doing,” Resch said. “They’re going to help this place thrive again.”

And if downtown New Albany has a cheerleader it is Mike Kopp, a commercial realtor who, as head of the Mainstreet organization, shows up everywhere cheering new openings, organizing monthly networking events, and generally talking up the potential, and benefits, of doing business downtown.

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than filling strip malls with franchises, he saw a challenge in working both with independents and the abundance of empty store fronts he saw downtown.

“I wanted to do what others weren’t,” Kopp said. “There was the Urban Enterprise Zone. It was close to the (Sherman Minton) bridge and full of beautiful architecture which I’ve come to appreciate more than I ever expected.”

After spending six months walking the 20-square block area learning what the area needed and what it could be, Kopp hit on the idea of an entertainment district in the historic heart of the city, “something I began to think of as a pearl on the river, a place where people could come to drink, dance and dine.”

The concerted effort and attention of these folks and others has created a thriving community of diverse, independently run and interesting restaurants.

DINING SCENE While ten years ago there was little from which to choose, today there is a cornucopia of choices to round out one’s options both in the walkable historic district or easily-accessible near downtown.

Connor’s Place & Market Street Fish House (134 E. Market St.) Downtown dining pioneer Dave Himmel consolidated his Market Street Fish House (and menu) in the bar known for its amiable vibe, hearty sandwiches and salads, and local and regional craft beers on tap.

Downtown Diner (506 W. Main) Kevin Smith, a 15-year veteran of Bob Evans, offers delicious breakfast plates and diverse lunch selections at hard-to-beat prices at the old Ninney’s site.

Dueling Grounds Café (604 E. Spring St.) Destinations Booksellers added this smart cafe serving custom-roasted coffee, espresso drinks, hearty soups, and freshly made, 3/4 pound panini for under $4.

Jackson’s Seafood (400 W. Main St.) Joe Jackson keeps it simple, and delicious, in this sit-down venue. Seafood cooked to order — grilled, blackened or fried — served a la car te or in basket pairings with a side and hush puppies draw a steady crowd.

La Rosita Mexican Grill (1515 E. Market St.) Israel Landin has a wide following for his expertly-done, authentic Mexican cuisine at this neighborhood location but, to no one’s regret, plans to move this spring into a much larger space in the heart of the dining district (336 Pearl St.). His kitchen will triple in size and continue presenting dishes from all regions of Mexico.

Lancaster’s Cafeteria (223 W. Fifth St.) Troy Lancaster put his family back on the map after his grandfather’s landmark Tommy Lancaster’s was sold. Lancaster’s Cafeteria covers everything that was wonderful about the old South Side Inn — four or five entrées each day accompanied by a broad choice of side dishes, salads and desserts.

Patticakes & Pies Cafe (155 E. Main St.) Patti Cianci just opened her cafe/bakery at the site of the once pioneering coffee shop Main Street Grind. She emphasizes fresh ingredients and breakfasts, while putting out soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch and dinners.

Rookie’s Cookies (310 Pearl St.) Ron Miller retired after 50 years baking downtown, but public demand had him, and daughter Shara Augsberger, re-think it. They now offer traditional Danish, cinnamon rolls and their famous butter cookies Wednesday to Saturday mornings until noon.

Studio’s Grille & Pub (207 E. Main St.) Tile wainscoting and dark wood walls covered with local art creates a slightly cluttered, homey feel where Trish Meyer wins accolades executing what one three-star awarding critic called “scratch-made classics straight from the canon of Midwestern cookery.” The stuffed blue cheese burger is a must-try.

Steinert’s Grill & Pub (401 E. Main St.) Dating to 1877, owner Rick Geoghegan thought it made sense, “If downtown is going to revive, one of the city’s oldest businesses should be here.” A full menu of lunches and dinners includes a unique sauerkraut ball appetizer, pork schnitzel, spare ribs, and huge beef ribs prepped with a dry rub and finished on the grill.There’s a healthy selection of imports and domestic beers on tap and in the cooler.

Sweet Stuff Bakery (323 E. Spring St.) After a decade of success, Diane Christopher relocated downtown where her pie and cake artisans offer a complete selection for any celebration worth the name.

Toast on Market (141 E. Market St.) This purveyor of breakfast and lunch happiness was created in Louisville before restaurant veterans Amy and Lisa Wepf and George Morris, brought it to New Albany. Breakfast options, from egg platters through pancakes to three kinds of French toast, segue into engaging lunch offerings of sandwiches and salads.

Wick’s Pizza Parlor (225 State St.) It surprised some that a Louisville institution would choose New Albany for its fifth location. Not owner Mike Wickliffe, who says business is great.

Work is underway to add an upstairs floor for club space and catered parties.

We decided to give a closer look at three of the new ventures: the local brewer, Bank Street Brewhouse; the local winery, River City Winery; and downtown’s oldest fine-dining venue, Windsor Restaurant & Garden.

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BANK STREET BREWHOUSE [415 BANK ST. 812.725.9585]

Epitomizing the creative forces at work in the historic district’s transformation is a small, uncompromising microbrewery with a bistro cafe turning out top tier culinary experiences.

Roger Baylor, of New Albanian Brewing Company, opened Bank Street Brewhouse at 415 Bank St. in March 2009. All Bauhaus industrial chic — geometric lines, glass and metal in a spare, modern space that used to be an old bread distributor’s depot — it hints at emulating a Belgian cafe or gastro pub.

“There’s so many ways to look at it,” said Baylor, part owner and spokesman of the venture. “The kitchen is not ordinary for downtown New Albany. The brewery is not common. Matching beer and food is not common.”

“Response has been good. (David) Clancy proved quality food could work in New Albany. He was ahead of his time. People are also willing to explore craft beers with their varying alcohol content and bitter ratings.”

Twenty years ago, Baylor was spending his post college years alternating working in a local liquor store bowling alley with trips to Europe he would stretch out as long as his money would last.

“They were great about letting me come back to work and let me stock one door with imported beer,” Baylor said. “Word

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Bank Street Brewhouse’s Crouque Madame: Black Forest ham, La Quercia prosciutto and Emmentaler cheese on Blue Dog bread with a sunny-side egg. www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 33

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got out, mostly among people who had traveled because of the military or their education, that there was a guy downtown who knew about German beers.”

As the craft beer movement blossomed in Louisville with The Silo in 1992 and Bluegrass Brewing Company the next year, Baylor became a partner in Sportstime Pizza and Rich O’s Public House out by Southern Indiana’s I-265 loop.The venture became a landmark among aficionados for hosting homebrewer networks and stocking the largest selection of imported beer in the region.

Calling himself a “publican,” with its double connotations of a pub manager and ‘someone of the people,’ Baylor revels in his persona as an iconoclast who is quick to dismiss some of the most widely marketed American beer brands as “industrial swill.”

Displaying Russian trip memorabilia and having famous communist faces around also suggested a socialist leaning Baylor is not quick to dismiss but he admits his progressive sentiments arise much closer to home, nodding to the slogan,“These machines kill fascists.”

“That phrase comes from World War II factory posters.

Woody Guthrie had it on his guitar,” Baylor said. “I guess that makes me a Wisconsin progressive. It’s just a way to remind protest is legitimate within the American system.”

Rich O’s and Sportstime developed slowly but grew a dedicated following augmented by seasonal festivals. In 2002, they decided to commit completely, kicked out a wall and put in a 15 barrel brewing system.The New Albanian Brewing Company was born, the only microbrewery on the Indiana side of the Ohio

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between Cincinnati and Evansville. It is the success of that venture that led to the new operation downtown.

“We wanted to expand production of our house beers and, after looking around for nearly three years, we finally decided in 2008 to be part of the solution downtown,” Baylor said. “We’re proud to be expanding an existing business from the suburbs back into the historic heart of the city.”

“At first we were going to concentrate on the brewery with a tap room where you could get something to munch on,” Baylor continued.“Then we started talking with Josh (Lehman) and when he committed in early 2009 it became a new concept of a Belgian cafe, but he’s totally reinterpreted that and has taken it way beyond what most Belgian cafes are serving these days. It’s truly a work in progress.”

Lehman is either a bit shy or just talks like an artist — looking aside, reflecting on details, pondering the heart of the matter — when chatting about food. One suspects it’s the same way he works in the kitchen.

A veteran of Sullivan University’s Culinary Institute, Lehman worked at several local, landmark establishments before working his way up to six years at Le Relais, the last three as sous chef.

Presenting a European take on good food was not an issue in a landscape of cautious pub grub.

“The dining landscape here used to be everything was frozen, deep fried, pizzas or burgers,” Lehman said. “We wanted something different.”

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And he’s producing it in spades from amber mounds of pommes frites accompanied by up to six special dipping sauces, Prince Edward Island mussels steamed in three different styles, and a signature hot sandwich, a Croque Madame, with Black Forest ham, prosciutto, Emmentaler cheese on sourdough topped with a sunny-side up egg. (Remember, everybody calls this side of the river “the sunny side of Louisville.”)

When the kitchen isn’t full on, the frites and mussels are accompanied by “Brotzeit” (appetizer) platters featuring distinctive cheese selections, sausage and dried meats (charcuterie), or other snacks that pair well with heartier craft brews with varying hop levels. At night, the full dinner menu includes pesto lasagna, duck confit, sauteed prawns, scallops or salads with roast vegetables, all beautifully plated and delicious.

“The diverse crowd coming in lets me know we’re on the right track,” Lehman said. “You’ll see an older crowd along with college kids and young families. I like that a lot.”

Lehman is committed to local suppliers whenever possible, and prefers small-scale, family-owned operations dedicated to excellence when they are not.

“We’re using Judy Schad’s Capriole cheeses from Greenville,

produce from the local farmers market when it’s open or local producers like Grateful Greens, Irish Hill Meats, the Blue Dog Bakery, and Kentucky Bison,” Lehman said. “We want people to learn it is better to eat local, organic products that haven’t traveled long distances. We’re not entirely locavore yet, but we’re trying.”

And while Baylor is an unceasing advocate for his beers, he admits to complementing the culinary effort in what’s stocked at the bar.

“We offer wine from the Hoosier Wine Trail. We have Huber’s port and grappa and Bourbon, Scotch and tequila from small, family distillers like Black Maple Hill, Rowan’s Creek and Rogue,” Baylor said.

Baylor is optimistic about the future, pointing to a new patio where some beer garden- style events with entertainment will unfold when the weather is nice. He’s also upbeat about the mix developing downtown.

“It’s in the right wavelength, but it’s early,” Baylor said.

“Downtown will mature and offer a broad cross section for people — those who want late night venues and those who do not; those looking for white table cloths or not; or those who want breakfast or not.”

A closer look at Bank Street Brewhouse (from left): Self-proclaimed “publican” and proprietor, Roger Baylor. Chef Josh Lehman presides over the kitchen that produces dishes like the three pictured: Sautéed prawns with a saffron and basil buerre blanc; duck confit with potato gnocchi, Brussels sprouts and roasted carrots; pesto lasagna with haricot verts, Yukon gold potatoes, buffalo mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

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RIVER CITY WINERY

[321 PEARL ST. 812.945.9463]

While experience might be the hallmark of New Albany’s latest round of openings, a young couple wins the award for blending preservation with a new dream. They sum it up in the slogan for their River City Winery, 321 Pearl St.: “Preserving our past, fermenting our future.”

Melissa and Gary Humphrey came up with the idea for their venture while on vacation, sketching on a napkin in one sitting the arches of the Sherman Minton bridge and the broad outlines of a venture that would marry a local winery with the city’s historic past.

“We both had full-time jobs but after we got back Gary was looking for a building to restore,” Melissa Humphrey said. “I thought he was crazy. But three years later, here we are.”

Where they are is the beautifully-restored Baer Building, an old dry goods store dating to 1900. Gary spearheaded the renovation while Melissa took charge of the winemaking, a skill at which both her grandfather and great-grandfather excelled. Both projects are a success.

“It’s one of the top restoration projects downtown and he’s got the awards to prove it,” said Floyd County Historian David Barksdale. “(Gary) was very tenacious about doing it correctly. He consulted with us, got help from Ball State University architectural students through a grant from Develop New Albany, and paid attention to details.”

The long space has large glass windows facing east, refinished floors, a high, restored tin panel ceiling punctuated by period light fixtures and slowly revolving fans. The large front window bay serves as a stage for live music on Saturday evenings with large circled couches forming a conversation area on one side and dining tables and chairs on the other. A nearly 50-foot-long bar with tall chairs parallels a side wall and leads back to an open kitchen dominated by an ornate iron and brick oven imported from Italy.

In the basement are eight 500-gallon stainless steel tanks where nature’s work takes place using fruit brought in from California, Kentucky and Indiana. Six of their wines have already won awards at the 2009 Indy International Wine Competition.

“Our idea is to have something for everybody,” Melissa Humphrey said.“That will include our seasonal peach and cherry fruit wines, blush, Riesling and dry (“trocken”) whites, and our Concords and dryer, blended Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc — fifteen in all.” Coupled with the excellent wines is cooking by chef Drew Scharlow, a native who graduated from high school less than a decade ago and exudes an infectious enthusiasm for the downtown resurgence and the winery’s role in it.

“My mother always told us how downtown was the center for people when she was younger and we were raised here too,” Scharlow said. “It’s great to be able to live and work here now.”

Scharlow found his culinary muse after studying business at Indiana University Southeast and went to New York to attend the prestigious French Culinary Institute. After graduation he worked in Lupa, one of celebrity chef Mario Battali’s restaurants, before returning home. He was introduced to the Humphreys by restaurateur Dave Himmel.

Scharlow has developed a menu of appetizers and gourmet pizzas to compliment the winery’s offerings and said he hopes to add selected entrées later (top left): River City Winery’s owners/winemakers Melissa and Gary Humphrey (center & right) and Executive Chef Drew Scharlow. (top right): Maryland lump crab cakes with black-eyed pea salsa and sriracha lime aioli. (bottom left): Trio of hummus — garlic and artichoke, sweet sun-dried tomato and spicy roasted red pepper — with cucumber and pita. www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 37

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this spring. Already he’s getting attention for what some have said are the best crab cakes in the region.

“They’re all lump and claw meat mixed with spices, egg and lemon and cooked a l’anglaise style — just rolled in flour, an egg wash and bread crumbs before being fried,” said Scharlow. “They are served with a sriracha-lime aioli on a bed of black-eyed pea salsa that has 22 ingredients.”

These crab cakes make a delightful counterpoint to the legume-based salsa.

Scharlow recommends pairing the dish with the winery’s Trocken, a dry Riesling.

RCW’s hummus platter offers three versions of the Mediterranean chick pea dish — spicy roasted red pepper, sweet sun-dried tomato, and garlic and artichoke — all served up with baked pitas.

“A lot of people here have never had hummus,” Scharlow said. “People try ours and really love it.”

The distinctive Italian pizza oven is used to turn out thinner crust, New Yorkstyle pizzas where the focus is on distinctive toppings that don’t get lost in a blur of overly sweet or salty sauces. Five types are offered, including wild mushroom, Mediterranean and Sicilian styles, as well as a Margherita loaded with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella.

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W I N D S O R R E S TA U R A N T & GARDEN

[148 E. MARKET ST. 812.944.9688]

Housed on the ground floor of an 1871 hotel at the corner of Market and Bank Streets, the Windsor Restaurant (148 E. Market) embraces both its history and aspiration to be one of New Albany’s pre-eminent destinations.

Ron and Tena Edwards bought the historic Grand Theatre Convention Center in 2006 to build on its success as a reception and event space. They received so many requests from clients to use the New Orleans-style outside patio next door that they decided to lease it and the adjacent restaurant space when Bistro New Albany closed in 2008.

After researching the property’s history, they decided to showcase both the elegance of the original Monsch Hotel and give it the name “Windsor,” originally bestowed by riverboat Capt. Ed Montgomery when he bought the venture in 1885.

The Edwards, under the management direction of daughters Monique Bruce and Nicole Swank, renovated the space to provide elegant dining in a relaxed atmosphere.

Rich, muted colors framed by ivory moldings provide a quiet setting for tables covered with black tablecloths and cherryfinished chairs.Windows that wrap the front and Bank Street sides of the building let in plenty of natural light during the day and

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muted lighting at night provides a cozy atmosphere. A bar and lounge off a side corridor done in a similar theme never lets on it was once the center of a busy music store.

Opened in 2008, The Windsor quickly garnered attention in early 2009 when executive chef Justin McMillan bested 12 Louisville regional chefs in a charity “Shrimp and Grits Throwdown.” Word was out that a worthy successor to Bistro New Albany had arrived and, while McMillan has moved on, the dish remains as a popular appetizer.

To stay on track, the Edwards auditioned chefs until they came up with the right match in Chuck Pierce, a multi-talented local veteran with an outgoing, optimistic personality.

Pierce has experience at a number of well-known restaurants over the years, like the original Rocky’s in Jeffersonville and The Brewery, before more chef experience and working his way up the management ladders at the Executive Inn, Ramada Inn and Galt House.

Pierce is keeping the Windsor’s high-end execution while making sure it doesn’t get out of touch with Southern Indiana basics.

“We’re serving wholesome food in bigger portions,” Pierce said. “We want to give people a great meal and memorable experience.”

The Windsor offers lunches with a wide selection of soups, salads and signature sandwiches — which means battered

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A tour of Windsor Restaurant (clockwise from left): Apricot, jalapeno and stone ground mustard glazed coho salmon.

Chocolate lava cake topped with fresh raspberries and finished with a raspberry compote. Fresh roasted free-range chicken. Seared lamb loin chop marinated in olive oil, garlic, rosemary and mint served over a Yukon Gold potato puree. (from left): Co-managers Nicole and Kasey Swank, Sous Chef Nick Davis and Executive Chef Chuck Pierce. eggplant, tuna melts, Philly steak, classic pastrami or turkey Reuben, fish, BLT’s and burgers done in a distinctive manner.

A “Wellness Menu” pointing out selections attributed to Mayor Doug England, emphasizes bean and legume dips, salads and various wraps that meet the criteria of heart-healthy dining.

The dinner menu includes osso buco, a grilled rib-eye, steak au poivre, vanilla-brined pork chops, rack of lamb, and salmon.

“From the beginning, we’ve been known for serving contemporary Midwestern food with a French twist,” said Nick Davis, sous chef who has been in the kitchen since the 2008 opening. “That means we pay special attention to its preparation. We like people to know we always try to exceed their expectations.”

Pierce believes in the personal touch.

“Ever since I was making breakfast for my mom and dad and four siblings, I’ve always put something special into my dishes,” Pierce said. “Here, with your steak it might be a garlic and horseradish sauce. With your lamb, it might be a marinade with mint, rosemary and garlic. If we’re offering a stuffed chicken breast, we’ll surprise you with a prosciutto and feta. If salmon, we’re confident

to present an apricot glaze with jalapeno, stone-ground mustard and garlic in it.”

Pierce chuckles as he describes one evening’s uniform positive response to a bread pudding made with a special ingredient which he was hesitant to divulge but admitted was available at any good bakery.

“People were pushing back from the table and patting their belly,” Pierce said. “They were entranced.”

So far, Pierce thinks his approach is working.

“We’re filling up more to-go boxes,” Pierce said. “People are calling me out to the table more often to hear a compliment.”

While he thinks New Albany might have skipped a generation in its downtown, he believes The Windsor will be one reason people will rediscover it.

“With all this war and stuff going on, we’ve got to get back to what makes you feel good,” Pierce said. “We want to bring people back home and give them a little bit of comfort with our food, excellent, feel good food. People won’t remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel.” F&D www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 39

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BY ROGER A. BAYLOR

CRAFT BEER

NATION In Sunnyvale, California, there is a package store specializing in the new generation of innovative, ar tisanal beers from America and the world.

It is called Craft Beer Nation.

In a more metaphorical sense, Craft Beer Nation aptly describes states of mind and habits of thought. Let’s steal the name of the store and apply it as the term for those of us who have made beer and brewing our recreational cultures of choice, because one is not born into Craft Beer Nation, but rather grows into it, opting to hold his or her passport, and renewing it with each visit to brewpubs, multi-taps, specialty beer bars and retail emporiums.They’re the bricks and mortar that house the objective liquid manifestation of our fermentable passion.

Craft Beer Nation grows, evolves and mutates with such speed that even the most dedicated adherents can be overwhelmed by the sheer multiplicity of stylistic choice and the range of hedonistic innovation spawned by America’s beer and brewing revolution.

This diverse nation has niches and nooks for almost everyone.

There are big and small craft breweries, lawnmower beers and oak-aged Trappist clones, cautious centrists and exuberant extremists, inner city adaptive brewery reuses and countryside purpose-built theme destinations, steaming pots of elk chili and calculated, seven-course, paired Continental extravaganzas.

Yes, these are exciting times for those of us who crave craft beer, and following are just a few reasons why.

Beer and Food Our new gastropub, the Bank Street Brewhouse in New Albany, is a creation intended to make the point that housebrewed craft beer as accompaniment to locally sourced Cuisine a la Biere is not a concept borrowed from another galaxy. It is here, it is now, and beer goes with food every bit as appropriately as wine always has.

We’ve long since moved past ice-cold light lager’s gentle way of accenting pickled bologna’s musty vinegar tang, even if the combination can be compelling when served on a paper plate resting atop a worn Formica bar. Craft beer’s myriad textures and tastes offer unprecedented possibilities for those willing to step outside their comfort zones.

It’s fun to try a few samples of NABC beer alongside a goat cheese plate composed of three different Capriole selections. By the time you reach big, bitter Hoptimus with funky, pungent Mont 40 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

St. Francis, it’s easy to understand craft beer’s place on a creative menu.

The residents of Craft Beer Nation recently have been joyfully preoccupied with eating and drinking, taken together, as a unified and complementary taste experience.

In 2009, the second edition of SAVOR, a national showcase for beer and food pairings, was held in Washington D.C., and the event looks to further explode in coming years. Encouraged by Garrett Oliver’s seminal “The Brewmaster’s Table,” which has gone through multiple printings since its 2002 release, beer and food pairing dinners representing all conceivable cuisines have become a delectably common phenomenon throughout America.

You can expect this trend to continue, and please feel free to join me in asking, as I did in 2009,“What’s the best beer to go with this hunk of Thai durian fruit?”

Session

VS

Extreme

In the day-to-day life of Craft Beer Nation, many more beers of average 5% (by volume) alcoholic strength are brewed and consumed than those of higher-gravity and potency, from 7% and up, which have been dubbed “extreme” by their fans.

Heftier extreme beers like barley wine and abbey ale, as well as whole new style categories of “imperial” India pale, brown, red and whatever else can be ratcheted up several notches to double their usual strength, admittedly provide suitable platforms for creative experimentation, and as customarily brewed in small batches, their relative rarity often leads to cult followings, especially as dissected, discussed and even physically swapped on the Internet at RateBeer, Beer Advocate and similar news forums.

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However, there is reaction to every action, and for a variety of reasons, including price points and the implications of impaired driving, the craft beer crowd is seeing an upsurge in awareness of “session” beer. Session consciousness espouses the daily dependability of lowgravity, less overtly alcoholic brews that also make no sacrifices in flavor.

Look for replications of “mild,” “ordinary” and other styles originating in the British Isles; Kolsch and helles from the German brewing pantheon; recalibrations of what the Belgians call tafel (table) beer; and gentler American-style pale and cream ale … and have more than one, without fear.

Kegs, Bottles … and Cans?

In the beginning, it’s all draft beer, and draft beer is the freshest it will ever be while it still resides at the brewing plant of origin. A major problem in the history of brewing has been finding the best way to package beer to keep it fresh while moving it from its point of conception to points of consumption.

Traditionally, transpor table barrels have been the answer, first ones made from wood, then stainless steel, and now sometimes food grade plastic. Beer is kegged at the brewery and brought to the point of sale for dispensing into the drinking receptacle of choice, ranging from earthenware tankards to delicate glassware. In olden times, taking beer with you from the pub meant decanting from the keg into smaller, more portable containers (“growlers”) made from wood, glass, ceramic or metal.

Until the Industrial Revolution brought humanity quantifiable improvements in standardization, refrigeration and transportation, none of these methods of conveying beer from place to place proved foolproof.

Temperature fluctuations could ruin unpasteurized draft beer in kegs, and there were places kegs could not go, so bottling became the next solution for packaging, storing and placing beer into the marketplace outside of taverns.

However, even the finest bottles might yet break, and early efforts at canning are best remembered by the rust marks visible upon extracting them from your Styrofoam cooler. In due time, cans made from aluminum came to be reckoned the best possible means of dividing a large batch of beer into serving sized portions.

Craft beer makers’ collective attitude toward cans originally was one of opposition. The virtues of the aluminum can are many and indisputable.The material itself is odorless, flavorless, pliable, lightweight and impermeable by light. Higher levels of damaging oxygen can be displaced from a can during the canning process. Aluminum is widely recycled, and can be taken places where glass is prohibited.

It wasn’t the aluminum can’s fault that for long decades, craft beer seldom found its way into it, primarily owing to the industrial size and scale of canning lines, but now there are affordable, dependable micro-canning lines, and as a result, Craft Beer Nation has warmed to the idea. A Colorado brewery, Oskar Blues, is credited as the first to push craft canning to the forefront. Rest assured, they won’t be the last, because minds are being opened to the quality that waits within the can.

Collaboration Beers Beer and food aren’t the only universal languages spoken throughout Craft Beer Nation. Sports and music are part of this multilingual scene, and as time passes, craft beer is beginning to crack the previously unassailable bastion of multinational corporate concessions and catering sponsorships that for decades restricted beer choice at sporting and concert venues.

Just as with other fields of entertainment like cooking, football and rock ’n’ roll, Craft Beer Nation has its own superstars, embracing brewing companies as entities as well as the individuals behind them, often their owners: Dogfish Head (Sam Calagione), Stone (Greg Koch) and Bell’s (Larry Bell) are prominent examples of craft brewing’s elite.

Taking the star treatment a step further, Craft Beer Nation has witnessed several high profile collaborations between these well regarded breweries.

In 2009, Dogfish Head (Delaware) and Sierra Nevada (California) created a limited edition ale called Life and Limb. America’s East Coast was represented by maple and birch syrup, and the West Coast by estategrown barley. House ale yeasts from both breweries fermented the 10% beer, and then, in the grand tradition of session beer, Sierra Nevada utilized the batch’s second runnings to brew Limb and Life, weaker by half than its big brother, yet still flavorful.

Collaborations like Life and Limb and so many others bring craft beer brethren

together to exchange new ideas and fresh inspiration, illustrating that in a beer market still heavily skewed toward the light lager of the dominant industrial brewing consortiums, there is little competition between craft brewers. Instead, there is innovation, cooperation and combined action, and in the process, a great deal of plain, oldfashioned fun.

Hear ts and Minds Craft Beer Nation is a coalition of the willing, and the willing follow many paths to enlightenment. While many craft brewers concentrate on pairing food from their kitchens with beer from their breweries, others meticulously crack distribution codes to expand outside draft sales. Small American brewing companies win medals in international contests, seek financing for additional fermenters, sponsor community festivals for worthy charities, hand over tons of spent grain to local farmers for use as feed, and pioneer green technologies in their brewhouses.

One thing almost all these craft breweries have in common is consistent growth, which will approach double digit increases again in 2009. The acceptance is incredible. Thir ty years ago, there were fewer than 100 breweries in the United States. Now there are more than 1,500, and the last time so many breweries functioned in this country was just before the First World War. Craft Beer Nation has risen from the cold ashes of prohibitionist illegality and the ensuing monolithic hegemony of industrial light lager to reach an enviable position of world leadership when it comes to creativity and growth, but you needn’t take my word for it, because imitation remains the most palpable form of flattery.

Look at Blue Moon from MolsonCoors, and know that stylistically, it’s Belgian-style Wheat.

Listen to Anheuser-Busch/InBev push Budweiser American Ale, not Lager.

Consider the way that MillerCoors positions its Leinenkugel line as microbrews instead of what they really are: Chess pieces owned by a multi-national monolith.

When the multi-nationals must stoop to the grassroots to appropriate terminology and to borrow imagery, it matters, and these days, indisputably, the world’s brewing monoliths are speaking Craft Beer Nation’s lingo … and beer drinkers all over the world are listening. F&D www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 41

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recipes cooking class

BY SARAH FRITSCHNER | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DRY

Just Like Mom Used to Make Louisville’s chefs share recipes from their youth We have left behind the fancy foods of the holidays, the celebration foods, the tiny morsels of something interesting and entertaining, festive meals, and splurges.

During these short, dark days of serious winter our circadian rhythms have us anticipating spring even as we hunker down for winter. These are the days we reach for comfort foods — the foods whose tastes are familiar. These are dishes that not only comfort us as they fill us up (we are hungrier now than in summer), but memories of which give us comfort when there’s precious little else to bring it.

Louisville chefs are the purveyors of festive meals, morsels of interesting food, and splurges.Yet they have their comfort foods — the foods they grew up with that made predictable appearances at family meals.

We’ve asked three chefs to share their memories and their recipes with us so that we can begin new traditions to get us through comfort food season. Rick Adams, of L&N Wine Bar and Bistro, Anthony Lamas of Seviche a Latin Restaurant, and Josh Moore of Volare all stepped out of restaurant mode to share their family dishes with us.

Elizabeth’s chicken casserole from Josh Moore of Volare

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Joy’s pork chops with apple-fig compote from Rick Adams of L&N Wine Bar and Bistro

Irene’s chicken enchilada casserole from Anthony Lamas of Seviche www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 43

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Anthony Lamas is surrounded by great food. The Nuevo Latino cuisine he turns out at his five-year-old restaurant Seviche has been heralded by the likes of John Mariani and USAToday nationally, and by nearly everyone locally.

If you ask him about a favorite dish from childhood, he doesn’t hesitate. “On my bir thday I’d ask (my mom) ‘will you do the mushroom chicken enchiladas for me?’ She’d do other things but that was my favorite.”

Though the recipe looks long, Lamas assures us that it’s easy.

Chicken meat is seasoned simply with a little salt, pepper and garlic. “Sometimes she would chop up a little cilantro,” says Lamas of his mom’s method, “but you don’t have to.” The meat is rolled in tortillas, topped with a creamy mushroom sauce and sprinkled with cheese, then baked.

Lamas has served his own version of his mom’s chicken enchiladas at the restaurant, using organic chicken for the filling, heavy cream and béchamel for the sauce, surrounding the dish with a green, piquant tomatillo sauce and a serving of sour cream on the side.

But the homey dish with canned mushroom soup is the comfort food he loves, the one his wife makes for Sunday family dinners, the one his three sons love as much as Lamas does.

Irene’s Chicken Enchilada Cas serole (SERVES 4-6) 1

1 3 /2-pound (or so) chicken (preferably organic), cooked, or substitute rotisserie chicken Up to 1 tablespoon minced garlic Up to 2 teaspoons salt Up to 2 teaspoons (white) pepper 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup 16 ounces sour cream 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 pound mixed mushrooms, sliced 16 corn tortillas 2 cup grated manchego, Monterey Jack cheese or Chihuahua cheese If you’re cooking the chicken, disjoint it to separate wings from breast, legs from back, drumsticks from thighs and breast from back. Place in a large pot of water with water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. When cool enough to handle, pick the meat from the bones, discarding bones, skin, etc.You should have about 4 cups of chicken meat. Place in a bowl and toss with a little garlic, salt, pepper and cilantro if using.

Combine mushroom soup and sour cream in a medium bowl and stir well to combine.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet over high heat. Add a little garlic and sliced mushrooms, shake the pan to distribute them over the bottom, and let them cook a few minutes to brown. Stir and continue to cook a few minutes until mushrooms are shiny and reduced only slightly. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a little of the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a wide skillet. Warm the corn tortillas in the oil until they are just pliable (a few seconds). Repeat with all tortillas using oil as needed. Stack them as you warm them.

Stir cooled mushrooms into sour cream mixture. Grease a 9- by 13-inch or similar sized pan or casserole. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

44 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

Place a little (about 1/4 cup) chicken in a stripe down the center of a tortilla and roll the tortilla to enclose filling. Place it seam side down in pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken. Smear mushroom mixture over the top, then sprinkle with shredded or crumbled cheese. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until it is bubbly and browning in spots.

**** Pork, potatoes and apples is a classic combination that fills the tables of country cooks everywhere, and so it was for chef Rick Adams growing up in Louisville. His grandmother, who lived in Georgetown, Ky., and his mother served this familiar combination regularly to Adams and his two siblings.

So it wasn’t too far a leap for Adams to put a similar combo on the menu at L&N Wine Bar and Bistro six years ago when he wrote the first menu for owners Len and Nancy Stevens.

There it has remained in one form or another ever since, says Adams, who says he serves about 40 to 50 chops each week.

The dish isn’t exactly like his mother made. His version uses a 10-inch chop with a bone that’s been “Frenched,” that is, trimmed down to give it a dramatic appearance. And his mother probably wouldn’t have used brandy to season her dish, he says.

The “secret” to this pork’s flavor and juiciness is a 2-hour steep in a seasoned brine. Both the moisture and the seasonings infiltrate the chop, which allows this tender meat to withstand high temperatures.

Joy’s Pork Chops with Apple-Fig C ompote (SERVES 4)

Pork Chops 1 2 1 1 1 4

cup kosher salt cups brown sugar teaspoon molasses teaspoon black peppercorns bay leaf bone-in pork chops, preferably rib chops, 8 t o 10 ounces each 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, optional

In a saucepan, combine salt, sugar, molasses, peppercorns and bay leaf in 8 cups of cold water and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Set aside to cool completely. Add pork and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.

Grill the chops over high heat, or pan fry them in a very heavy skillet (you may need two to accommodate the chops) set over medium-high heat. Add the oil (1 tablespoon to each skillet) and let it get very hot before adding the chops. Cook without moving until they turn brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook 4 minutes more, or until cooked through and brown. Serve on a bed of mashed potatoes garnished with apple-fig compote.

Apple-Fig Compote 4 /2 1 /2 1 /4 2 1 /4 1 1

Granny Smith apples, peeled, c ored and sliced cup sweet onions, sliced cup diced applewood bacon cup light brown sugar teaspoons brandy cup diced dried mission figs tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

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Put the bacon in a heavy, medium-sized pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat begins to render from the bacon. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the apples and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the brown sugar, brandy and mission figs and simmer a minute or two. Stir the cornstarch to distribute it in the water, then stir it into the apple mixture.

Cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring, and use immediately or cool to use later.

**** Josh Moore’s comfort food memory is the tale of two grandmothers whose proximity, talents and indulgence gave this budding chef the opportunity to get in touch with his creative side.

As a child, he said, “I would go to their houses and spend nights and weekends and cook and bake and make holiday candy — spend time with them doing anything I could.”

Those childhood visits no doubt laid the culinary groundwork for Moore, now chef at Volare restaurant in Clifton.

Before he began learning about restaurant kitchens as a 14year-old working at Vincenzo’s, he was learning about cooking in the family kitchen. “I always had the interest in (cooking),” he says, “but they definitely allowed me to use that creativity — I’d find a recipe I wanted to make and they’d help me make it” “My grandmother on my mom’s side was apt to let me go into her kitchen and make a mess — flour everywhere, mess on the floor, drips in the oven — just mess it up,” he recalls.

That was Doris Barlar, baker of the simple but scrumptious sour cream pound cake, which appeared at holidays and birthdays and other special times. “It’s simple, it has a great flavor, and great texture to it,” says Moore. When he bakes it, he might dress it up with lemon glaze and fresh berries, but when he was growing up the cake was served without accoutrements.

Moore’s paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Moore, is the candy maker, who taught him about fudge, divinity and caramel. It’s her simple, homey chicken casserole that was center of the table at large family gatherings.

Elizabeth’s Chicken Casserole (SERVES 4)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved 12 slices baby Swiss cheese 2 cans (9.4 ounces) Campbell’s cream of chicken & herb soup 1 cup whole milk 8 ounces (a package) Pepperidge Farms herb seasoned stuffing mix 1 /4 pound butter Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 13- by 9-inch baking dish (or similar sized casserole) and lay the chicken in it in a single layer. Top with the Swiss cheese. Combine the Campbell’s soup and milk and pour over chicken breast. Top the chicken with stuffing mix and place thinly sliced butter over the entire top.

Bake for 1 hour. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Doris’s sour cream pound cake from Josh Moore of Volare

Doris’s Sour Cr eam Pound Cak e (SERVES 12)

3 /2 1 /4 1 3 1 6 8 1

cups all-purpose flour teaspoon baking soda teaspoon salt cup unsalted butter cups sugar teaspoon vanilla eggs (separated) ounces sour cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a Bundt cake pan, then set aside. Sift dry ingredients together, set aside. Beat butter and sugar until they are completely blended. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating and scraping the bowl after each addition.

Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Using clean beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter until no white streaks remain. Scrape batter into pan and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. F&D www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 45

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easy entertaining fondue party

46 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

BY TIM AND LORI LAIRD | PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAN DRY

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Funky Fondue Party

It is said that fondue was invented by Swiss peasants who needed a way to eat their hardened cheese and dried bread. They set up a communal pot over a low fire to melt the cheese and dip their bread. During the 1950s there was a drop in the cheese industry in Switzerland so fondue was promoted to boost sales. It became popular in the United States in the 1960s as tourists discovered it abroad and began trying it at home upon their return.

We think fondue makes the perfect midcentury modern party. And the fondue theme fit perfectly for our deep-winter theme when we wanted to serve something festive. It was cold outside and fondue was a different way to do comfort food, warm and gooey.

We’ve acquired various fondue pots over time.

One of them was a wedding gift to my mom.

If you ask around you can probably find parents or friends with pots stashed away that you can borrow (rental companies also have them).You can also keep sauces warm on the stove.

Barbecue, garlic oil, Bourbon and a French twist on Swiss cheese are our choices for dips at this party, but there are scores more, which you’ll notice if you spend any time with food magazines. Our “main course” uses smoky grilled chicken, turkey meatballs and pork tenderloin for dipping into barbecue sauce. A twist on garlicky Italian bagna cauda is perfect for shrimp.

And creamy Brie with wild mushrooms is yummy with vegetables.

The natural (and delicious) choice for dessert is chocolate and fruit. But we like to mix things up a little with our old-fashioned bread pudding — a Laird household standby — cutting the pudding into squares and dipping them into a luscious Bourbon sauce.

Yes, the party can result in occasional drips.

Not everyone is skilled at dipping and twisting to catch the drip. But a fondue party is an informal affair and you can set up your fondue stations around the kitchen if that’s more comfortable for you. We provide cocktail plates and plenty of napkins and have never had a big problem with mess.

For a large party, you probably won’t have enough long fondue forks.We provide long, thin wooden skewers, often used for shish kebab.

Packages are inexpensive and commonly found in grocery stores. Just be sure to provide containers for disposing of them (we use long, skinny hors d’oeuvres boats). www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 47

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Serve with grilled chick en, pork t enderloin and turkey meatballs.

For the Grilled Chicken 4 skinless, boneless breasts of chicken halves 1 cup Italian salad dressing Marinate the chick en in the Italian salad dressing for 4 t o 6 hours in a gallon siz e zipper-style bag. Pr eheat the grill t o medium heat and grill for 7 minutes on each side or until c ooked through and the t emperature reaches 165 degrees internally. Let rest then cut into 1-inch cubes.

For the Turkey Meatballs 1 pound ground turkey meat 1 /4 cup plain bread crumbs 1 /4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 /2 cup onion, finely chopped 2 large cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 /2 teaspoon salt 1 /2 teaspoon ground black pepper Preheat the o ven to 400 degr ees. Spray a baking sheet with c ooking spray. Combine the turkey with the br ead crumbs, cheese , onion, garlic, parsle y, th yme, egg, salt and pepper in a lar ge bo wl. F orm int o 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Bak e for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Bar-B-Que Fondue (SERVES 6 TO 8)

You can serve this fondue with any protein you choose.

Other options include: sausage, cubed tofu, beef meatballs, skirt steak and cubed turkey. To save time you can buy grilled chick en breas ts, c ooked pork t enderloin and pre-cooked meatballs at your local grocery store and cut them into cubes to use in this recipe .

For the Fondue 1 28-ounce bottle any Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce 1 /4 cup Jack Daniels’s Tennessee Whiskey (optional) In a medium siz e pan w arm the barbecue sauc e and add the Jack Daniel’ s. Stir until mix is heat ed through. Keep warm on the stove or in a fondue pot.

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For the Pork Tenderloin 1 /2 cup soy sauce 1 /2 cup dry sherry 1 /4 cup honey 1 /4 cup rice wine vinegar 1 /4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons orange juice, fresh 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced 1 tablespoon shallots, minced 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced 1 teaspoon garlic, crushed 2 1-pound pork tenderloins Combine the so y sauc e, sherry , hone y, vinegar , oil, and or ange juic e in a medium bo wl, whisking until well blended. Stir in the r osemary, shallots, ginger and garlic. Set aside 1/2 cup for basting. Pour the mixture into a gallon size zipper-style bag, add the pork tenderloins and marinate overnight.

Bring t o r oom t emperature. Grill o ver mediumhigh heat or bak e at 350 degr ees for approximately 15 t o 2 5 minut es. Bas te oft en while c ooking. Pork should reach 165 degrees internally. Let rest then cut into 1-inch cubes.

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1

/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley /4 cup seafood seasoning such as Old Bay 2 lbs. jumbo shrimp, shells on

1

Fill a large pot with a half-gallon of water, add the salt, lemon juice, bay lea ves, th yme, parsle y and seafood seasoning. Bring t o a boil over medium-high heat and simmer f or 5 minut es t o infuse the water with seasonings.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add shrimp . Simmer , uncovered, f or 5 minut es, or until the shrimp ar e bright pink and the tails curl. Using a slott ed spoon, remove the shrimp fr om the poaching liquid and put in the r efrigerator t o chill. When thoroughly chilled, peel off all of the shell from the shrimp so the whole thing can be dipped int o the fondue.

Oil and Garlic Fondue with Poached Shrimp (SERVES 6 TO 8)

Don’t be afraid of the ancho vies in this recipe. They give the fondue a salty, earthy flavor.

For the Fondue 10 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups olive oil 6 anchovies 1 /2 teaspoon chili flakes Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon parsley, minced Pour the olive oil into a medium size pan and heat over mediumlow heat. When w arm add the garlic and turn the heat t o lo w.

Add the ancho vies and s tir as they dis solve and turn the oil brown. A dd the chili flak es and salt and pepper t o tas te (be careful with salt, the ancho vies add a lot). Jus t bef ore pouring into y our f ondue pot or other heated serving v essel add the parsley.

For the Shrimp 2 teaspoons salt 2 lemons, juiced 2 bay leaves 1 /4 cup fresh thyme leaves

Note: You can buy pre-c ooked frozen shrimp and defros t it in the sink in a colander by running cold water over the shrimp. After they are defrosted, to add flavor, squeeze a lemon over and sprinkle with Old Bay or your favorite seafood seasoning.

Brie and Wild Mushroom Fondue (SERVES 6 TO 8)

The directions below provide for asparagus and potato dippers, but use whatever you like. It’s best to blanch hard vegetables like broccoli florets. You can also use bread cubes, of course.

For the Fondue 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, chopped 3 tablespoons shallots, chopped 1 pound wheel of cold brie, rind removed and cut into 1 /2 -inch pieces 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup Chardonnay (continued)

Shopping List Asparagus, 2 bunches Red skin potatoes, 2 pounds Porcini mushrooms, dried, 1 ounce Shiitake mushrooms, fresh, 8 ounces Wheel of brie, 1 pound Chardonnay, 1 bottle (Jekel) Baguette, 1 Anchovies Flat leaf parsley, 3 bunches Lemons, 2 Jumbo shrimp, raw, shells on, 2 pounds Jack Daniel’s barbecue sauce, 1 bottle Jack Daniels’s Tennessee Whiskey Skinless, boneless breasts of chicken halves, 4 Italian salad dressing Pork tenderloin, 2 (1-pound each) Dry sherry Orange juice Rosemary, 1 bunch Shallots, 4 Ginger, 1 knob Garlic, 2 bulbs Ground turkey meat, 1 pound Plain bread crumbs Parmesan cheese Onion, 1 Thyme, 2 bunches Heavy whipping cream, 1 pint Woodford Reserve Bourbon Egg bread, 1 pound (2 loaves) Half & half, 1 quart Golden raisins Flaked coconut Pecans

Also pick up if not alr eady in your pantry Soy sauce Honey Rice wine vinegar Vegetable oil Olive oil Eggs Unsalted butter Sugar Cornstarch Chili flakes Bay leaves Seafood seasoning such as Old Ba y Vanilla extract Nutmeg Cinnamon Wooden skewers of various lengths Meat thermometer www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 49

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Toss the brie with c ornstarch in a lar ge bowl until all the piec es ar e w ell c oated.

Add the Char donnay t o the mushr oom mixture and bring t o a simmer o ver medium heat. A dd the brie t o the mushrooms in 3 bat ches, whisking aft er each batch making sur e it is melt ed bef ore adding mor e. C ontinue whisking until the mixture is smooth and jus t begins t o simmer, do not boil. Season t o tas te with salt and pepper . Transfer the mixtur e t o a fondue pot or pan on a portable burner for serving. Serv e with br ead cubes, potat o cubes and asparagus spears.

For the asparagus dippers: Prepare a large bowl of c old water with ic e. Pour 1 inch of tap water into a wide frying pan and bring to a boil. A dd 1 bunch of aspar agus (ends trimmed if nec essary). C ook 2 minut es.

Remove asparagus with t ongs and plunge into cold water. Repeat with another bunch of asparagus. When cool, drain well and pat dry. R efrigerate until r eady t o serv e. Be careful not t o o vercook the aspar agus as they will bec ome limp and difficult t o pick up and dip in the f ondue. V ery thin asparagus may need less cooking time.

Note: To make asparagus more tender, break off the woody stems and peel using a vegetable peeler t o e xpose the bott om half of the spear.

For the red skin potatoes: Wash 2 pounds of small potatoes (or cut larger potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Bring a quart of water to a boil.

Add the potat oes and simmer until f ork tender, about 12 minut es. Dr ain, t oss with salt and pepper. (continued) Salt and pepper 1 baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes Asparagus spears Red skin potatoes Bring 1 cup w ater to a boil in a small sauc epan. Add the por cini mushr ooms, r emove fr om the heat and let s tand f or 2 0 minut es until the mushr ooms ar e softened. Using a slott ed spoon tr ansfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and chop coarsely. Reserve the soaking liquid.

In a lar ge saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the shiitak e mushrooms and sautĂŠ until tender about 4 minutes. Add the shallots and sautĂŠ 1 minute. A dd the por cini soaking liquid making sur e not to add any of the sediment in the bott om of the pan. Simmer until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes.

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Woodford Reserve Bourbon Fondue with Bread Pudding (SERVES 18 TO 20)

We serve this sauce with bread pudding, but it is also good with s trawberries, pound cak e and angel f ood cake. If y ou lik e the bread-pudding rout e, y ou can save time b y buying bread pudding a t y our local grocery and cut it int o 1-inch squares.

For the Fondue 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 cups sugar 1 pint heavy whipping cream 1 cup Woodford Reserve Bourbon In hea vy sauc epan heat butt er and sugar until melted and sugar is dis solved. A dd the cr eam and Bourbon, c ook until silk y smooth and light in c olor (about 15 minutes). Pour into fondue pot.

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For the Bread Pudding 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 pound (about 2 loaves) very dry egg bread, crust removed (should make about 16 cups lightly pack ed bread cubes) 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 3 cups half & half 3 /4 cup golden raisins, soaked in Woodford Reserve 3 /4 cup flaked coconut 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans Pour 7 tablespoons butt er int o 13- b y 9-inch baking pan; s wirl it around to coat bottom and sides. Pour e xcess butter and additional 1 /4 cup butter into a small bowl; set aside.

Cut bread in 1-inch cubes. You should have about 16 cups (lightly packed). Plac e 1 la yer of br ead cubes in butt ered baking dish; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thickened and light lemon-c olored, 3 t o 4 minut es. Add vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, half & half, raisins, coconut, pecans and reserved butter, beat on low speed to combine. Pour liquid over bread in baking dish, distributing nuts, coconut and raisins evenly. Continue to layer bread cubes and liquid mixtur e until both ha ve been used. Pr ess br ead down int o liquid oft en t o make sure all cubes ar e c overed. Set pan aside until br ead has absorbed all of the liquid, 30 to 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake until crus ty and golden brown on t op, 45 t o 60 minutes. Cool bread pudding c ompletely then cut int o 1-inch squares for dipping.

Timeline 1 Week ahead Shop for non-perishable groceries

2 Days ahead Shop for last minute groceries

1 Day ahead Prepare the asparagus and red skin potatoes Poach the shrimp for the Oil and Garlic Fondue Make the bread pudding Marinate and grill the chicken for the Bar-B-Que Fondue Make the marinade and marinat e the pork tenderloin Make and cook the turkey meatballs Set out all of your skewers, used skewer vessels, napkins, small plates and glassware

Morning of the party Clean and chop mushrooms for the Brie and Wild Mushroom Fondue, refrigerate Remove the rind and cut the brie for the Brie and W ild Mushroom Fondue, refrigerate Cook the pork tenderloin, refrigerate

2 Hours ahead Cube the chicken and pork tenderloin Cut the bread pudding into bite size pieces and plate

1 Hour ahead

Playlist Festive music f or a fondue party would include hits fr om the 60s and 7 0s.

We recommend the “70s Dinner P arty (Music T o F ondue To),� a three-CD set that can be purchased on Amazon.

Make the Brie and W ild Mushroom Fondue, keep warm Arrange and plate the asparagus and red skin potatoes Make the Oil and G arlic Fondue Make the Bourbon Fondue Plate the chicken, pork tenderloin and meatballs

30 Minutes before the party Cube baguettes and place on serving dish or basket Plate the shrimp for the Oil and Garlic Fondue Make the Bar-B-Que Fondue

Just before the party Put the fondues in pots Check bar, put ice in bucket and set out drinks www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 51

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Alphabetical Index

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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.

Cuisine Style

RESTAURANT

dining guide

AFRICAN 72 ASIAN/CHINESE 72 ASIAN/FILIPINO 73 ASIAN/JAPANESE 73 ASIAN/KOREAN 74 ASIAN/MONGOLIAN 74 ASIAN/THAI 74 ASIAN/VIETNAMESE 74 BAR & GRILL 71 BARBECUE 70 BISTRO/CONTEMPORARY 59 CAFÉS 60 CAFETERIAS 66 CAJUN/CREOLE 78 CARIBBEAN/CUBAN 78 CASUAL DINING 62 COFFEE/TEA HOUSE 80 DESSERTS/BAKERY 80 ENTERTAINMENT DINING 66 EUROPEAN/BOSNIAN 75 EUROPEAN/GERMAN 75 EUROPEAN/IRISH 75 EUROPEAN/ITALIAN 76 EUROPEAN/SPANISH 76 FINE DINING 56 HOME STYLE/SOUTHERN 64 INDIAN 77 MEXICAN 78 MICROBREWERIES 72 MIDDLE EASTERN 77 PIZZA 67 SANDWICH/DELI 68 SEAFOOD 61 SOUTHWEST/TEX MEX 80 STEAKHOUSE 62 UPSCALE CASUAL 57

Area Maps MAP # DIRECTION

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

82 PG #

Overview (Index)

82

Downtown

84

Near East

85

East

86

South East

87

East

88

(Downtown Louisville) (Highlands – Crescent Hill) (St. Matthews) (Hikes Point – Buechel) (Hurstbourne N. – Lyndon)

South East

89 (Hurstbourne S. – Jeffersontown) North East 90 (River Rd. – Brownsboro Rd.) North East 90 (Westport Rd.) Far East 91 (Middletown) North East 91 (Prospect) South East 91 (Fern Creek) South 92 (Airport – Okolona) South West 93 (Shively – Pleasure Ridge Park) Indiana 94 (New Albany – Floyds Knobs) Indiana 95 (Clarksville) Indiana 95 (Jeffersonville)

52 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

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#1 Asian Buffet 72 211 Clover Lane 56 60 West Bistro 57 610 Magnolia 56 732 Social 57 8 China Buffet 72 A Nice Restaurant 62 A Taste of China 72 A.J.’s Gyro Café 77 Acapulco Authentic Mexican 78 Adriann’s Around the Table 60 Adrienne & Co. Bakery Café 80 Adrienne’s Italian 76 Ahoy Fish Hut 61 Al Watan 77 Alexander’s Pizzeria 67 Alley Cat Café 60 Amazing Grace Deli 68 Amici´ 76 Angelina’s Café 76 Angilo’s Pizza 67 Angio’s Restaurant 67 Ann’s by the River 66 Annie Café 74 Annie’s Pizza 67 Another Place 68 Applebee’s 62 Arni’s Pizza 67 Aroma Café 60 Asahi Japanese 73 Asian Buffet 72 Asian Moon 72 Asiatique 57 Aspen Creek Restaurant 63 Atrium Café 59 August Moon 72 Austin’s 57 Avalon 57 BD’s Mongolian Grill 74 B.J.’s Restaurant & Brewhouse 63 Backyard Burger 68 The Bakery 80 Bamboo House 72 Bank Street Brewhouse 72 Barbara Lee’s Kitchen 64 Basa Modern Vietnamese 57 Baxter Station 59 Bazos Mexican Grill 78 Bean Street Café 8o Bearno’s Pizza 67 Beef O’Brady’s 71 Beijing Grill & Sushi Bar 73 Bendoya Sushi Bar 73 Big Al’s Beeritaville 71 Big Momma’s Soul Kitchen 64 The Bistro 66 Bistro 42 76 Bistro 301 59 Bistro Le Relais 59 Blackstone Grille 57 Blimpie’s Subs 68 The Blind Pig 63 BLU Mediterranean Grille 57 Blue Dog Bakery 60 Blue Horse Café 63 Blue Lagoon 61 Blue Mountain Wine Bar 60 Bluegrass Brewing Co. 72 Bombay Grill 77 Bonefish Grill 61 Bonnie & Clyde’s Pizza 67 Boombozz Pizza & Taphouse 67 Boomer’s Café 60 Bootleg Barbecue Co. 70 Bosna-Mak 75 Boudreaux’s 78 Bourbons Bistro 59 Brandon’s Bar-B-Que 70 Bravo!

57 Breadworks 80 Brendan’s Restaurant & Pub 75 Brian’s Deli 68 Bristol Bar & Grille 57 Brix Wine Bar 59 Browning’s Brewery 59 Buca Di Beppo 76 Buck’s 56 Buckhead Mountain Grill 63

MAP #

Asian/Chinese 2 Fine Dining 3 Upscale Casual 3 Fine Dining 12 Upscale Casual 1 Asian/Chinese 6 Casual Dining 14, 16 Asian/Chinese 1 Middle Eastern 14 Mexican 7 Cafés 9 Desserts/Bakery 16 European/Italian 16 Seafood 4 Middle Eastern 4 Pizza 16 Cafés 9 Sandwich/Deli 2 European/Italian 12 European/Italian 5 Pizza 12 Pizza 4 Cafeterias 16 Asian/Vietnamese 12 Pizza 1, 13 Sandwich/Deli 1 Casual Dining [8] Pizza 14 Cafés 14 Asian/Japanese 3 Asian/Chinese 4, 14, 15 Asian/Chinese 4, 6 Upscale Casual 2 Casual Dining 11 Bistro/Contemporary 5 Asian/Chinese 2 Upscale Casual 7 Upscale Casual 2 Asian/Mongolian 6 Casual Dining 5 Sandwich/Deli 6, 7 Desserts/Bakery 4 Asian/Chinese 12 Microbreweries 14 Home Style/Southern 2 Upscale Casual 2 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Mexican 3, 6 Coffee/Tea House 14 Pizza [13] Bar & Grill 8, 9, 12, 14, 15 Asian/Japanese 14 Asian/Japanese 1 Bar & Grill 2 Home Style/Southern 1 Cafeterias 3 European/Italian 10 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Bistro/Contemporary 4 Upscale Casual 10 Sandwich/Deli 2 Casual Dining 2 Upscale Casual 1 Cafés 2 Casual Dining 12 Seafood 2 Cafés 1 Microbreweries 1, 3 Indian 5 Seafood 5 Pizza 13 Pizza 2, 7 Cafés 1 Barbecue 11, 12 European/Bosnian 4 Cajun/Creole 1 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Barbecue 5 Upscale Casual 3 Desserts/Bakery 2, 7, 9 European/Irish 3 Sandwich/Deli 1 Upscale Casual 1, 2, 5, 10, 12, 16 Bistro/Contemporary 8 Bistro/Contemporary 1 European/Italian 6 Fine Dining 12 Casual Dining 4, 8, 16

RESTAURANT

PAGE #/CUISINE STYLE

Buffalo Wild Wings 71 Buffalo Wings & Rings 71 Bulldog Café 60 Bunz Restaurant 63 Burger Boy 68 Butcher’s Best Deli 68 Butterfly Garden Café 60 Café 360 77 Café Fraiche 60 Café Lou Lou 59 Café Magnolia 63 Café Mimosa 74 Café Palacio 68 Café Thuy Van 74 Caffe Classico 80 Cake Flour 81 California Pizza Kitchen 67 Calistoga Bakery Café 68 Cancun Mexican Grill 78 Captain Pepper Jack’s 77 Captain’s Quarters 63 Cardinal Hall of Fame Café 63 Carolina Shrimp & Seafood 61 Carolyn’s 64 Carrabba’s Italian Grille 76 Caspian Grill Persian Bistro 77 Cat Box Deli 69 Catfish Haven Restaurant 61 Caviar Japanese Rest.

57 Cellar Door Chocolates 81 Champions Grill 63 Champion’s Sports Rest. 71 Charlestown Pizza Co. 67 Check’s Café 64 Cheddar Box Café 60 Cheddar’s Casual Café 63 The Cheesecake Factory 57 Chez Seneba African 72 The Chicago Gyro 69 Chick Inn 63 The Chicken House 65 Chicken King 65 The Chili Pot 65 Chili’s 63 China 1 72 China Buffet 72 China Café 72 China Castle 72 China Garden 72 China Inn 72 China King 72 China Taste 72 Chinese Chef 72 Chinese Express 72 Choi’s Asian Food Market 74 Chong Garden 72 Chopshop Salads 63 Chopsticks 72 Chopsticks House 72 Christy’s Bar & Bistro 63 Chung King 72 Cici’s 67 City Café 60 Clark Boy Bar-B-Que 70 Clarksville Seafood 61 Clifton’s Pizza 67 Coach Lamp 57 CoCo’s Chocolate Café 81 Cocos Lokos Caribbean 78 Coffee Crossing 80 Coffee Pot Café 80 Come Back Inn 76 Conez & Coneyz 69 Connor’s Place 71 Corbett’s ‘an American place’ 56 Corner Café 57 Cottage Café 65 Cottage Inn 65 Crave Café & Catering 60 Cravings a la Carte 66 Creekside Outpost & Café 60 Cricket’s Café 60 Crystal Chinese 72 Culver’s 64 Cumberland Brews 72 Cunningham’s 63 The Cupcake Shoppe 81 Cyclers Café 60 D&C Diamond Café 63 Dakshin Indian Restaurant 77 DaLat’s Gateuux & Bakery 81 Danish Express Pastries 69 Danny Mac’s Pasta & Pizza 67 Day’s Espresso 80 De La Torre’s 76 Del Frisco’s 62 Delta Restaurant 71 Derby City Dogs 69 Derby City Espresso 80 Derby Dinner Playhouse 66 The Dessert Gallery 81

MAP #

Bar & Grill 2,3, 6, 8, 9, 13,15 Bar & Grill 8, 11 Cafés 12 Casual Dining 2 Sandwich/Deli 12 Sandwich/Deli 10 Cafés 2, 3 Middle Eastern 2 Cafés 7 Bistro/Contemporary 2,3 Casual Dining 1 Asian/Vietnamese 2 Sandwich/Deli 3 Asian/Vietnamese 12 Coffee/Tea House 2 Desserts/Bakery 1 Pizza 5 Sandwich/Deli 1,3 Mexican 6 Middle Eastern 4 Casual Dining 10 Casual Dining 12 Seafood 3 Home Style/Southern 13 European/Italian 5 Middle Eastern 2 Sandwich/Deli 1 Seafood 13 Upscale Casual 1 Desserts/Bakery 2 Casual Dining 16 Bar & Grill 1 Pizza 16 Home Style/Southern 1 Cafés 9 Casual Dining 8, 15 Upscale Casual 3 African 12 Sandwich/Deli 2 Casual Dining 10 Home Style/Southern 14 Home Style/Southern 1 Home Style/Southern 12 Casual Dining 4, 5, 8, 12 Asian/Chinese 3 Asian/Chinese 15 Asian/Chinese 12 Asian/Chinese 13 Asian/Chinese 12 Asian/Chinese 12 Asian/Chinese 6 Asian/Chinese 16 Asian/Chinese 12 Asian/Chinese 13 Asian/Japanese 5 Asian/Chinese 13 Casual Dining 1 Asian/Chinese 1 Asian/Chinese 1 Casual Dining 6 Asian/Chinese 1 Pizza 4, 14 Cafés 1, 2 Barbecue 13 Seafood 15 Pizza 2 Upscale Casual 1 Desserts/Bakery 2 Caribbean/Cuban 6 Coffee/Tea House 14 Coffee/Tea House 1 European/Italian 1, 16 Sandwich/Deli 2 Bar & Grill 14 Fine Dining 8 Upscale Casual 5 Home Style/Southern 9 Home Style/Southern 12 Cafés 2 Cafeterias 1 Cafés 14 Cafés 15 Asian/Chinese 1 Casual Dining 6 Microbreweries 2 Casual Dining 1, 10 Desserts/Bakery 3 Cafés 2 Casual Dining 2 Indian 11 Desserts/Bakery 12 Sandwich/Deli 3 Pizza 2 Coffee/Tea House 2 European/Spanish 2 Steakhouse 3 Bar & Grill 1 Sandwich/Deli 2 Coffee/Tea House 1 Entertainment Dining 16 Desserts/Bakery 5

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Desserts By Helen 81 Desserts/Bakery 1, 2 Devino’s 69 Sandwich/Deli 1 Diamond Pub & Billiards 71 Bar & Grill 3 Dino’s Down to Lunch 69 Sandwich/Deli 1 Ditto’s Grill 59 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Dizzy Whizz Drive-In 69 Sandwich/Deli 1 D’Nalley’s Restaurant 65 Home Style/Southern 1 Don Pablos 78 Mexican 15 Dooley’s Bagels 69 Sandwich/Deli 3, 7 Double Dragon 72 Asian/Chinese 1, 2 Double Dragon II 72 Asian/Chinese 8, 11, 12 Double Dragon 8 72 Asian/Chinese 1 Double Dragon 9 72 Asian/Chinese 6 Double Dragon Buffet 72 Asian/Chinese 5 Downtown Diner & Coffee House 60 Cafés 14 Dragon King’s Daughter 74 Asian/Japanese 2 Dueling Grounds Café 60 Cafés 14 Dynasty Buffet 72 Asian/Chinese 7 Eastern House 72 Asian/Chinese 13 Eggroll Machine 72 Asian/Chinese 2 Einstein Brothers Bagels 69 Sandwich/Deli 1 El Burrito de Oro 78 Mexican 15 El Caporal 78 Mexican 4,6,15 El Mundo 78 Mexican 2 El Nopal 78 Mexican 6, 8, 9, 12, 14 El Nopalito 78 Mexican 4, 11 El Rey Mexican 78 Mexican 4 El Rodeo Mexican 79 Mexican 13 El Tarasco 79 Mexican 3, 5, 6, 12 El Toro Cantina & Grill 79 Mexican 6 Emperor of China 72 Asian/Chinese 7 Empress of China 72 Asian/Chinese 4 The English Grill 56 Fine Dining 1 Equus 58 Upscale Casual 3 Erika’s German Rest.

75 European/German 6 Ermin’s Bakery & Café 60 Cafés 1, 10, 14 Ernesto’s 79 Mexican 5, 6 Eva Mae’s Creekside 63 Casual Dining 10 Expression Of You 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 The Falafel House 77 Middle Eastern 2 Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que 70 Barbecue 6, 15 Fat Daddy’s Pizza 67 Pizza 12 Fat Jimmy’s 67 Pizza 1, 2, 9 Feed Bag Deli 69 Sandwich/Deli 3 Fiesta Time Mexican Grill 79 Mexican 8 Fire Fresh Bar B Q 70 Barbecue 1, 13 First Wok 72 Asian/Chinese 13 The Fish House 61 Seafood 2 The Fishery 61 Seafood 3 Five Guys Burgers & Fries 63 Casual Dining 8, 14 Five Points St. Matthews 59 Bistro/Contemporary 3 Flabby’s Schnitzelburg 75 European/German 12 Flanagans Ale House 71 Bar & Grill 2 Fork in the Road 65 Home Style/Southern 13 Forty Acres And A Mule 65 Home Style/Southern 12 Four King’s Café 71 Bar & Grill 4 Fox & Hound 71 Bar & Grill 3 Frankfort Ave. Beer Depot 70 Barbecue 2, 3 Frascelli’s N.Y. Deli & Pizza 69 Sandwich/Deli 7 Frolio’s Pizza 67 Pizza 12 Frontier Diner 65 Home Style/Southern 13 Fuji Asian Bistro 74 Asian/Japanese 13 Fuji Japanese Steakhouse 74 Asian/Japanese 8, 9 Fun Food Café 60 Cafés 2 Furlongs 78 Cajun/Creole 5 Gasthaus 75 European/German 7 Gavi’s Restaurant 63 Casual Dining 1 Genny’s Diner 65 Home Style/Southern 2 Gerstle’s Place 71 Bar & Grill 3 Gigi’s Cupcakes 81 Desserts/Bakery 6 Golden Buddha 72 Asian/Chinese 12 Golden Corral 65 Home Style/Southern 4,12,15 Golden Palace 72 Asian/Chinese 12 Golden Star Chinese 72 Asian/Chinese 12 Golden Wall 73 Asian/Chinese 12 Goose Creek Diner 63 Casual Dining 8 Granny’s Apron 65 Home Style/Southern 12 Granville Inn 71 Bar & Grill 12 Grape Leaf 77 Middle Eastern 2 Great American Grill 71 Bar & Grill 12 Great Harvest Bread Co. 81 Desserts/Bakery 5, 14 Great Life Café 69 Cafés 6,8,15 Great Wall 73 Asian/Chinese 2 Great Wok 73 Asian/Chinese 12 Green Room Coffee 80 Coffee/Tea House 6 Hall’s Cafeteria 66 Cafeterias 2 Hanabi Japanese Restaurant 74 Asian/Japanese 10 Happy China 73 Asian/Chinese 6 Hard Rock Café 59 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Harlow’s Bar & Grill 71 Bar & Grill 12 Havana Rumba 78 Caribbean/Cuban 3 Hawksview Gallery 58 Upscale Casual 12 Hazelwood Restaurant 65 Home Style/Southern 13 Heine Brothers Coffee 80 Coffee/Tea House 2, 3 Heitzman Bakery & Deli 81 Desserts/Bakery 1, 5 Highland Coffee Co. 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Hiko A Mon Sushi Bar 74 Asian/Japanese 7 Hill Street Fish Fry 61 Seafood 12 Hitching Post Inn 71 Bar & Grill 11 Hobknobb Roasting Co. 80 Coffee/Tea House 14 Home Run Burgers & Fries 63 Casual Dining 3, 6 www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 53

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Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen 81Desserts 2, 3, 6, 8, 9,11,15 Hometown Buffet 65 Home Style/Southern 6, 3 Hometown Pizza 67 Pizza 7, 9 Honey Creme Donut Shop 81 Desserts/Bakery 14 Honeybaked Café 69 Sandwich/Deli 3, 11, 14 Hong Kong Chinese 73 Asian/Chinese 14 Hong Kong Fast Food 73 Asian/Chinese 12 Hoops Grill and Sports Bar 71 Bar & Grill 12 Hooters 63 Casual Dining 3,12,13,15,16 Howl at the Moon 66 Entertainment Dining 1 Hunan Wok 73 Asian/Chinese 11 Ichiban Samurai 74 Asian/Japanese 6 IHOP 63 Casual Dining 15 Improv Comedy Club 66 Entertainment Dining 1 Incredible Dave’s 66 Entertainment Dining 8 Indi’s Restaurant 65 Home Style/Southern 1,3,12 Indigo Joe’s Sports Pub 71 Bar & Grill 7 Intermezzo Café & Cabaret 58 Upscale Casual 1 The International Mall 76 European/Italian 1 The Irish Rover 75 European/Irish 2, 7 Iroquois Pizza 67 Pizza 12 J. Alexander’s 58 Upscale Casual 3 J. Graham’s Café 60 Cafés 1 J. Gumbo’s 78 Cajun/Creole 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 12 J. Harrods 58 Upscale Casual 10 Jack Binion’s Steakhouse 56 Fine Dining 14 Jack Fry’s 58 Upscale Casual 2 Jack’s Lounge 59 Bistro/Contemporary 3 Jackson’s Seafood 61 Seafood 14 Jade Garden Buffet 73 Asian/Chinese 2 Jade Palace 73 Asian/Chinese 7 Jane’s Cafeteria 66 Cafeterias 4 Jasmine 73 Asian/Chinese 9 Jason’s Deli 69 Sandwich/Deli 3, 5 Java Brewing Co. 80 Coffee/Tea House 1, 2, 9, 10 Jazzyblu 59 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 62 Steakhouse 1 Jersey Mike’s Subs 69 Sandwich/Deli 5, 6, 8 Jersey’s Café 71 Bar & Grill 15 Jessie’s Restaurant 66 Home Style/Southern 13 Jimbo’s BBQ 70 Barbecue 12 Jimmy John’s Sub Shop 69 Sandwich/Deli 1, 2, 3, 6, 14 Joe Davola’s 69 Sandwich/Deli 2 Joe Huber Restaurant 66 Entertainment Dining 14 Joe’s Crab Shack 62 Seafood 1 Joe’s O.K. Bayou 78 Cajun/Creole 6, 14 Joe’s Older Than Dirt 63 Casual Dining 5 John E’s 58 Upscale Casual 4 John O’Bryan’s Tavern 71 Bar & Grill 13 Johnny V’s 67 Pizza 6 Jucy’s Smokehouse 70 Barbecue 3 Jumbo Buffet 73 Asian/Chinese 6 Kansai Japanese Rest.

74 Asian/Japanese 15 Karem’s 64 Casual Dining 8 Kashmir Indian 77 Indian 2 Kayrouz Café 60 Cafés 3 Kentucky BBQ Co. 70 Barbecue 2 Kern’s Korner 64 Casual Dining 2 King Wok 73 Asian/Chinese 3 Kingfish 62 Seafood 6, 7, 16 Kings Fast Food 66 Home Style/Southern 1 King’s Fried Chicken 66 Home Style/Southern 12 Kobe Japanese Steak 74 Asian/Japanese 16 Koreana II 74 Asian/Korean 12 KT’s 58 Upscale Casual 2 L&N Wine Bar and Bistro 59 Bistro/Contemporary 2 La Bamba 79 Mexican 2 La Bodega 76 European/Spanish 2 La Catalana 77 European/Spanish 3 La Gallo Rosso Bistro 76 European/Italian 2 La Monarca 79 Mexican 11 La Que 74 Asian/Vietnamese 2 La Rosita Mexican Grill 79 Mexican 14, 15 La Rosita Taqueria 79 Mexican 15 La Tapatia 79 Mexican 2 La Vida Java Coffee Co. 80 Coffee/Tea House 7 Lancaster’s Cafeteria 66 Cafeterias 14 Las Gorditas 79 Mexican 11 Lee’s Korean 74 Asian/Korean 12 Legend’s 64 Casual Dining 14 Lemongrass Café 74 Asian/Vietnamese 3, 9 Liang’s Café 73 Asian/Chinese 8 The Lighthouse 71 Bar & Grill 16 Lil’ Loafers Bakery 69 Sandwich/Deli 12 Lilly’s 56 Fine Dining 2 Limestone 56 Fine Dining 5 Ling Ling 73 Asian/Chinese 5 Little Caesar’s Pizza 67 Pizza 6, 8, 11, 12 Little Chef 69 Sandwich/Deli 14 Little Jerusalem 77 Middle Eastern 12 Liu’s Garden 73 Asian/Chinese 9 Logan’s Roadhouse 62 Steakhouse 3, 13, 15 Lolitas Tacos Inc. 79 Mexican 12 Longhorn Steakhouse 62 Steakhouse 6, 8, 15 Lonnie’s Taste Chicago 69 Sandwich/Deli 2, 3 Los Aztecas 79 Mexican 1, 7, 10 Lotsa Pasta 69 Sandwich/Deli 3 Louisville Grille 66 Home Style/Southern 1 Louisville Pizza Co. 67 Pizza 6 Luigi’s 67 Pizza 1 Lunch Today 69 Sandwich/Deli 16 54 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

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Lynn’s Paradise Café Ma Zerellas Mai’s Thai Restaurant Maido Essential Japanese Main Eatery Main St. Tavern Maker’s Mark Lounge Manhattan Grill Mark’s Feed Store Martini Italian Bistro Masterson’s Mayan Café McAlister’s Deli The Melting Pot Meridian Café Mexican Fiesta Mexicano Mexico Tipico Mexico Viejo Michael Murphy’s Mikato Japanese Steakhouse Mike Linnig’s Mimi’s Café Miss C’s Kitchen & Pantry Mitchell’s Fish Market Moe’s Southwest Grill Mojito Tapas Restaurant Molly Malone’s The Monkey Wrench Morris Deli & Catering Morton’s of Chicago Mr. Gattis Mr. Lou’s Mrs. Potter’s Coffee Mulligan’s Pub and Grill My Favorite Muffin My Old KY Dinner Train My Patria Nancy’s Bagel Box Nancy’s Bagel Grounds Napa River Grill Neil & Patty’s Fireside Grill New Albanian Brewing Co. New China New Direction Bar & Grill Nile Restaurant & Lounge Nord’s Bakery North End Café O’Charley’s O’Dolly’s O’Shea’s Irish Pub The Oakroom Oasis Japanese Restaurant Oceanside Restaurant Oishii Sushi Old Chicago Pasta & Pizza Old Louisville Coffee House Old Spaghetti Factory Old Stone Inn Ole Hickory Pit BBQ The Olive Garden Olivia’s Restaurant Ollie’s Trolley Omar’s Fast Food On the Border Onion Restaurant & Tea House Orders Up Café & Deli Oriental House Oriental Star Original Impellizzeri’s Osaka Sushi Bar Otto’s Café Our Best Restaurant Outback Steakhouse P. F. Chang’s China Bistro Palermo Viejo Panda Chinese Panera Bread Co. Papa John’s Papa Murphy’s Pizza Passtime Fish House Pat’s Steak House Patrick O’Shea’s The Patron PattiCakes Café Patticakes & Pies Café Paul’s Fruit Market Penn Station Peppers Bar and Grill Perfetto Pizza Perkfection Pesto’s Italian Pho Binh Minh Piccadilly Cafeteria The Pie Pantry Pit Stop Bar-B-Que Pita Delights Pita Hut Pizza By The Guy Pizza King Pizza Place

MAP #

64 Casual Dining 2 67 Pizza 15 74 Asian/Thai 16 74 Asian/Japanese 2 69 Sandwich/Deli 1 71 Bar & Grill 1 58 Upscale Casual 1 64 Casual Dining 1 70 Barbecue 2, 9, 13, 14 76 European/Italian 8 64 Casual Dining 12 79 Mexican 1 69 Sandwich/Deli 5,6,7,9,11,12,15 58 Upscale Casual 6 60 Cafés 3 79 Mexican 4 79 Mexican 11 79 Mexican 9, 13 79 Mexican 2 71 Bar & Grill 1 74 Asian/Japanese 3 62 Seafood 13 64 Casual Dining 5 66 Home Style/Southern 2 62 Seafood 8 80 Southwest/Tex Mex 3,6,8,11,15 77 European/Spanish 7 75 European/Irish 2, 3 64 Casual Dining 2 69 Sandwich/Deli 1, 2 62 Steakhouse 1 67 Pizza 4, 5, 12, 13 66 Home Style/Southern 13 80 Coffee/Tea House 1 64 Casual Dining 2 81 Desserts/Bakery 5 66 Entertainment Dining 12 79 Mexican 5 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 70 Sandwich/Deli 2 58 Upscale Casual 7 64 Casual Dining 14 67 Pizza 14 73 Asian/Chinese 9 71 Bar & Grill 8 78 Caribbean/Cuban 12 81 Desserts/Bakery 12 58 Cafés 2 64 Casual Dining 3,6,8,12,13,15 66 Home Style/Southern 12 75 European/Irish 2 56 Fine Dining 1 74 Asian/Japanese 12 77 Middle Eastern 4 74 Asian/Japanese 2 67 Pizza 6 80 Coffee/Tea House 12 76 European/Italian 1 58 Upscale Casual 9 70 Barbecue 11 76 European/Italian 6, 8, 15 58 Upscale Casual 12 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 77 Middle Eastern 12 80 Southwest/Tex Mex 8 73 Asian/Chinese 14 70 Sandwich/Deli 9 73 Asian/Chinese 3 73 Asian/Chinese 12 67 Pizza 2, 10 74 Asian/Japanese 1, 2 64 Casual Dining 1 66 Home Style/Southern 11,12,16 62 Steakhouse 3, 8, 11, 12, 15 58 Upscale Casual 5 77 European/Spanish 2 73 Asian/Chinese 10 70 Sandwich/Deli 1, 5, 6, 8, 12, 15 67 Pizza [30] 67 Pizza 3, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15 62 Seafood 6 62 Steakhouse 2 76 European/Irish 1 58 Upscale Casual 3 60 Cafés 2 60 Cafés 14 70 Sandwich/Deli 3, 4, 7, 9 70 Sandwich/Deli [17] 64 Casual Dining 1 68 Pizza 6 80 Coffee/Tea House 16 76 European/Italian 1 74 Asian/Vietnamese 12 66 Cafeterias 5, 6 81 Desserts/Bakery 13 70 Barbecue 9 77 Middle Eastern 1 77 Middle Eastern 2 68 Pizza 5 68 Pizza 14, 16 68 Pizza 4

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Pizz-A-Roma 68 Pizza 2 Plehn’s Bakery 81 Desserts/Bakery 3 Ponderosa Steakhouse 62 Steakhouse 12 Porcini 76 European/Italian 2 Proof On Main 58 Upscale Casual 1 Pub Louisville 64 Casual Dining 1 Puccini’s Smiling Teeth 68 Pizza 3 Puerto Vallarta 79 Mexican 11, 14, 16 Qdoba Mexican Grill 79 Mexican 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 15 Queen of Sheba 72 African 4 Queenie’s Soul Cuisine 66 Home Style/Southern 4 Queue Café 60 Cafés 1 Quick Wok 73 Asian/Chinese 1 Quill’s Coffee Shop 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Quizno’s Subs 70 Sandwich/Deli [12] Rafferty’s of Louisville 64 Casual Dining 3, 8 Ramsi’s Café 60 Bistro/Contemporary 2 Ray’s Monkey House 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Red Hot Roasters 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Red Pepper Chinese Cuisine 73 Asian/Chinese 2 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers 64 Casual Dining 3, 8 Red Star Tavern 58 Upscale Casual 1 Red Sun Chinese 73 Asian/Chinese 4 Red’s 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 Ri Ra Irish Pub 76 European/Irish 1 Rite Way Bar-B-Cue House 70 Barbecue 1 River City Winery 60 Bistro/Contemporary 14 Riverbend Winery 58 Upscale Casual 1 Rivue 56 Fine Dining 1 Rocky’s Sub Pub 68 Pizza 16 Romano’s Macaroni Grill 76 European/Italian 5 Roosters 64 Casual Dining 12, 13 Rootie’s Sports Bar & Grille 71 Bar & Grill 8 Rosticeria Luna 79 Mexican 12 Royal Garden 73 Asian/Chinese 11, 12 Rubbie’s Southside Grill & Bar 70 Barbecue 12 Ruben’s Mexican Restaurant 80 Mexican 15 Ruby Tuesday 64 Casual Dining 6, 15 The Rudyard Kipling 64 Casual Dining 1 Rumors Raw Oyster Bar 62 Seafood 9 Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse 62 Steakhouse 3 Ryan’s Steakhouse 62 Steakhouse 11 Saffron’s 77 Middle Eastern 1 Safier Mediterranean Deli 77 Middle Eastern 1 Saint’s 71 Bar & Grill 3 Sake Blue Japanese Bistro 74 Asian/Japanese 11 Sakura Blue 74 Asian/Japanese 3 Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina 80 Southwest/Tex Mex 3 Sam’s Food & Spirits 64 Casual Dining 14 Santa Fe Grill 80 Mexican 12 Sapporo Japanese Grill 74 Asian/Japanese 2 Sari Sari Exotic Filipino Cuisine 73 Asian/Filipino 2 Schlotzsky’s Deli 70 Sandwich/Deli 8, 9 Scotty’s Ribs 70 Barbecue 9 Selena’s at Willow Lake Tavern 78 Cajun/Creole 5 Senor Iguana’s 80 Mexican 12, 15 Sergios World Beers 71 Bar & Grill 2 Sesame Chinese 73 Asian/Chinese 5 Seviche A Latin Restaurant 56 Fine Dining 2 Shack In The Back BBQ 70 Barbecue 12 Shady Lane Café 70 Sandwich/Deli 7 Shah’s Mongolian Grill 74 Asian/Chinese 6, 12 Shalimar Indian 77 Indian 6 Shane’s Rib Shack 70 Barbecue 7 Shanghai Restaurant 73 Asian/Chinese 1 Sharom’s 62 Seafood 11 Shenanigan’s Irish Grille 76 European/Irish 2, 4 Shiraz Mediterranean Grill 77 Middle Eastern 2, 5, 7, 12 Shogun 74 Asian/Japanese 6, 8 Shoney’s 64 Casual Dining 2, 12 Sichuan Garden 73 Asian/Chinese 6 Sicilian Pizza & Pasta 68 Pizza 1 Simply Splendid Salads 64 Casual Dining 5 Simply Thai 74 Asian/Thai 3 Sir Dano’s Pizza Parlor 68 Pizza 15 Sister Bean’s 80 Coffee/Tea House 12 Sitar Indian Restaurant 77 Indian 2 Skyline Chili 64 Casual Dining 2, 3, 6, 13 Slammer’s Sports Bar & Grill 72 Bar & Grill 13 Smoketown USA 70 Barbecue 1 Smokey Bones BBQ 70 Barbecue 6 Snappy Tomato 68 Pizza 8, 10 Sol Aztecas 80 Mexican 1, 2 Son Of A Sailor Seaf ood 62 Seafood 7 Sonny’s Island Grill 72 Bar & Grill 16 Sonoma Coffee Café 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Soupy’s 70 Sandwich/Deli 4 Spaghetti Shop 76 European/Italian 11, 14 Spinelli’s Pizzeria 68 Pizza 2, 8 Sporting News Grill 72 Bar & Grill 12 The Sports & Social Club 72 Bar & Grill 1 Stan’s Fish Sandwich 62 Seafood 3 Starbucks Coffee 80 Coffee/Tea House [35] Starving Artist Café 70 Sandwich/Deli 5 Steak N Shake 64 Casual Dining 4,6,8,12,13,15 Steinert’s 72 Bar & Grill 14 Stevens & Stevens 70 Sandwich/Deli 2 Steve-O’s Italian Kitchen 76 European/Italian 7 Stoney River 62 Steakhouse 8 Stop Lite Café 61 Cafés 1 Studio’s Grille & Pub 72 Bar & Grill 14

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Stumler Restaurant 66 Entertainment Dining 14 Sub Station II 70 Sandwich/Deli 12 Sugar & Spice Donut Shop 81 Desserts/Bakery 11 Sully’s Saloon 72 Bar & Grill 1 Sunergos Coffee & Roastery 80 Coffee/Tea House 12 The Swan Dive 72 Bar & Grill 1 Sweet ‘N’ Savory Café 61 Cafés 2 Sweet Stuff Bakery 81 Desserts/Bakery 14 Sweet Surrender 61 Cafés 2 The Sweet Tooth 81 Desserts/Bakery 3 Sweet-Tee’s 66 Home Style/Southern 12 Taco Bueno 80 Mexican 6 Taco Tico 80 Mexican 13 Tacos Toreados Taqueria 80 Mexican 6 Tacqueria La Mexicana 80 Mexican 12 Taj Palace 77 Indian 8 TanThai Restaurant 74 Asian/Thai 14 TC’s Sandwich Shoppe 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 Tea Station Chinese Bistro 73Asian/Chinese 8 The Tequila Factory 80 Mexican 2 Texas Roadhouse 62 Steakhouse 2, 12, 13, 15 TGI Friday’s 64 Casual Dining 1, 6 Thai Café 74 Asian/Thai 7 Thai Orchids 74 Asian/Thai 6 Thai Siam 74 Asian/Thai 4 Thai Smile 5 74 Asian/Thai 12 Thai Taste 74 Asian/Thai 2 The Back Door 72 Bar & Grill 2 The Bodega 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 The Café 61 Cafés 1 The Cheddar Box 61 Cafés 3 The Lunch Pail 61 Cafés 12 Theater Square Marketplace 60 Bistro/Contemporary 1 Third Avenue Café 61 Cafés 1 Third Street Coffee House 80 Coffee/Tea House 1 Thornberry’s Deli & Pies 70 Sandwich/Deli 12 Tiffany Cellar Café 61 Cafés 9 Toast On Market 64 Casual Dining 1, 14 Tokyo Japanese 74 Asian/Japanese 7 Tommy Lancaster’s Rest. 64 Casual Dining 14 Toni’s More Than Pizza 68 Pizza 12 Tony Boombozz 68 Pizza 3, 8 Tony Impellizzeri’s Italian 68 Pizza 5 Tony Roma’s 70 Barbecue 5 Toronto Deli & Bistro Grill 80 Mexican 2 Trailside Café 80 Coffee/Tea House 7 Trellis Restaurant 64 Casual Dining 1 True Thai 74 Asian/Thai 11 Tubby’s Pizza 68 Pizza 7 Tucker’s 64 Casual Dining 14 Tumbleweed 80 Southwest/Tex Mex 1,2,4, 6,8,12,13,14,15,16 Turkey Joe’s 72 Bar & Grill 8 Tuscany Italian Restaurant 76 European/Italian 12 Twig & Leaf Restaurant 64 Casual Dining 2 Umai Zushi Buffet 73 Asian/Chinese 8 Uptown Café 58 Upscale Casual 7 Varanese 58 Upscale Casual 2 Vic’s Café 72 Bar & Grill 14 Vietnam Kitchen 75 Asian/Vietnamese 12 The Villa Buffet 64 Casual Dining 14 Vince Staten’s BBQ 70 Barbecue 10 Vincenzo’s 56 Fine Dining 1 Vito’s Pizza 68 Pizza 12 Volare 76 European/Italian 2 VT’s Bubble Cup 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 W.W. Cousin’s 70 Sandwich/Deli 3 Wagner’s Pharmacy 66 Home Style/Southern 12 Wall Street Deli 70 Sandwich/Deli 1 Webb’s Market 66 Home Style/Southern 1 Westport General Store 64 Casual Dining 7 The White Oak 58 Upscale Casual 1 Whitney’s Diner 61 Cafés 4 Wick’s Pizza 68 Pizza 2, 8, 9, 13, 14 Wild Eggs 61 Cafés 3, 7 Wiltshire On Market 58 Upscale Casual 1 Windsor Restaurant & Garden 59 Upscale Casual 14 Windy City Pizzeria 68 Pizza 12 The Wing Zone 64 Casual Dining 12 Winston’s 56 Fine Dining 4 Wok Express 73 Asian/Chinese 1 Wolfgang Puck Express 61 Cafés 1 Wonton Express 73 Asian/Chinese 4 Yaching’s East West Cuisine 59 Upscale Casual 1 Yafa Café 61 Cafés 1 Yang Kee Noodle 73 Asian/Chinese 5 Yellow Cactus 80 Mexican 14 Yen Ching 73 Asian/Chinese 6 You-Carryout-A 73 Asian/Chinese 15, 16 Za’s Pizza 68 Pizza 2 Zahn’s Pizzeria & Pub 68 Pizza 16 Zanzabar 72 Bar & Grill 12 Zapata’s 80 Mexican 9 Zaytun Mediterranean Grill 78 Middle Eastern 2 Zen Garden 75 Asian/Vietnamese 2 Zen Tea House 80 Coffee/Tea House 2 Zeppelin Café 61 Cafés 12 Z’s Fusion 57 Fine Dining 1 Z’s Oyster Bar 57 Fine Dining 5

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.

When you reach 150 points, your card will be credited for $10.

Your $10 reward can be used on your next Louisville Original visit or can be stored on the card while you accumulate more points.

Globally Flavored, Locally Savored Visit

www.louisvilleoriginals.com for details.

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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.

✿ = VEGETARIAN f = OUTDOOR MENU ITEMS DINING AVAILABLE LIVE e = MUSIC = MENU ON-LINE ONLY 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.

211 CLOVER LANE RESTAURANT 211 Clover Ln., 896-9570. Owner and manager Andr ew Smith has added a 1300 bottle wine cellar and private dining room to burnish the upscale atmospher e and creative cuisine from long time Chef Troy Schuster.

This stylish spot in St. Matthews continues to rank among the city’s top tables. $$$$ p f ✿ 610 MAGNOLIA 610 Magnolia Ave., 636-0783. Chef Edward Lee’s creative international prix fixe menu has kept this elegantly comfortable Old Louisville restaurant a top table for more than 25 years. His monthly family style pasta and bistro dinners across the street in the Wine Studio give diners a way to appr eciate his skills at a lower price point. $$$$ p f ✿

BUCK’S 425 W. Ormsby A ve., 637-5284. Elegant but not overstated, this fine dining r oom in the Mayflower Apar tments has been quietly ser ving high-style lunches and dinners for over two decades. Former namesake and house manager Buck Heath recently retired, but the high quality of food and ser vice remains. $$$ p f e ✿ CORBETT’S ‘AN AMERICAN PLACE’ 5050 Norton Healthcare Blvd., 327-5058. Dean Corbett, longtime fixture on the Louisville dining scene, went all-out with his East End destination. Housed in the stunning former Von Allmen mansion, Corbett’s kitchen is state of the ar t, the dining r oom amenities include a chef’s table with closed circuit TV connection to the kitchen, and his menu has been earning raves. Worth the trip and the price. $$$$ p f ENGLISH GRILL 335 W. Br oadway (The Br own Hotel), 583-1234. This landmark, formal dining room is firing on all cylinders under Chef Laur ent Geroli, who brings an international sophistication to the menu, and a wider exploration of cuisines with occasional special wine dinners. W e r ecommend booking the chef ’s table for an especially memorable evening. $$$ 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. $$$$ p h LILLY’S 1147 Bar dstown Rd., 451-0447. A Louisville institution appr oaching its quar ter-century mark, Lilly’s, under much heralded owner-chef Kathy Cary, continues to be as fresh as the locally-sourced foods she features on her Kentucky-accented menus. Her frequent special wine dinners ar e among the mor e affordable and creative in the area. $$$$ p e ✿ LIMESTONE 10001 Forest Green Blvd., 426-7477. Chef Jim Gerhardt and former partner Michael Cunha have

established a stylish and elegant dining experience in the East End. Cunha’s friendly departure to train the next generation of chefs at Sullivan leaves the kitchen in Gerhardt’s capable hands. $$$$ p ✿ THE OAKROOM 500 S. Fourth St. (Seelbach Hotel), 585-3200. After six years operating his own East End restaurant, Jim Gerhardt has returned as executive chef to the Oakroom which, during his prior eightyear run, he helped attain a AAA four-diamond designation. He intends to keep his rating by melding local produce and specialty items like spoonfish caviar with classic continental cuisine. $$$$ p ✿ RIVUE 140 N. Fourth St., (Galt House Hotel) 568-4239.

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. Featur ed on the menu is s eviche, the Latino seafood dish “cooked” in tar t citrus juices, but Chef Anthony Lamas’ menu of fers a broad, eclectic range of Latin American dishes.

Nationally noted in many food magazines, Lamas has exposed diners to the cooking traditions of the Americas with his always inter esting Gusto Latino wine dinners, another fine value in the dining scene. $$$$ p f h ✿ VINCENZO’S 150 S. Fifth St., 580-1350. Known for its suave pr ofessional ser vice, high-end Nor thern Italian fare and many trademark dishes finished at tableside, Vincenzo’s continues to hold its own against growing downtown competition. $$$$ p e h ✿ WINSTON’S RESTAURANT 3101 Bar dstown Rd., (Sullivan University Campus), 456-0980. Higher education meets higher cuisine at this elegant oncampus restaurant staffed by Sullivan culinar y arts students. But this is no college lab; it’s an attractive and stylish restaurant. Chef John Castro runs the

WE ARE 732 SOCIAL!

A NEW RESTAURANT FEATURING FARM-TO-TABLE FOODS, ORGANIC WINES & PRE-PROHIBITION COCKTAILS WITH AN EVOLVING MENU OF FRENCHINSPIRED COMFORT FOOD AND A STAFF DEDICATED TO THE DETAILS. WE ARE LOCATED AT THE BASE OF THE GREEN BUILDING IN THE EAST MARKET DISTRICT. IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU.

732 EAST MARKET STREET LOUISVILLE, KY 40202 502.583.6882 732SOCIAL.COM

56 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

RED = ADVERTISER

p = FULL BAR

f = OUTDOOR DINING

e = LIVE MUSIC

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sophisticated, multi-level, Bardstown Road restaurant he continues to of fer clean, simple, elegant dishes that pr esent often star tling flavor combinations.

His wok-sear ed salmon has long been a local favorite. $$$ p f h ✿

staff thr ough its paces guaranteeing that while students are learning their craft, your dinner will ace the test. Open Fri. - Sun. only . Reser vations suggested. $$$$ p ✿ Z’S FUSION 115 S. Fourth St., 855-8000. Consummate restaurateur Mehr zad Sharbaiani (Z’ s Oyster Bar and Steakhouse) spent $2 million to r emake this 10,500 square foot space into a cool, sophisticated oasis. Chef Dallas McGarity’ s ingenious and delicious take on fusion cooking and the excellent service make this an exceptional dining experience at surprisingly reasonable prices. $$$$ p ✿ Z’S OYSTER BAR & STEAKHOUSE101 Whittington Pkwy., 429-8000. This exciting spot brings a level of fine dining to the suburbs that makes it stand out in the chain-rich envir ons outside the Watterson. Splendid steaks, extraordinary seafood, fine service and clubby ambience give Z’s the tools to dominate in the steakhouse competition. $$$$ p

60 WEST BISTRO & MARTINI BAR 3939 Shelbyville Rd., 719-9717. 60 W est combines a comfortable dining room with a lar ge, friendly bar with an imposing list of mar tinis and mar tini-style cocktails.

Chef Mark Heil offers an appealing, fairly priced eclectic international menu. $$ p f e ✿ 732 SOCIAL 732 E. Market St., 583-6882. Since chefowner Jayson Lewellyn opened the doors of his sleek, intimate spot in the midst of the NuLu ar t district, crowds have flowed in, both for the innovative small plates, always-changing menu, and the creative bartenders who practice the art of pre-Prohibition cocktail crafting. Dishes are designed to be shared, so be sure to bring a convivial and hungry group. $$$ p f ✿ ASIATIQUE 1767 Bardstown Rd., 451-2749. Fifteen years ago Chef Peng Looi introduced Louisville diners to pan-Asian Pacific Rim fusion cuisine. In his

h = LATE NIGHT

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. $$ p ✿ AVALON 1314 Bardstown Rd., 454-5336. W ith a new look and chef Laurence Agnew’s refocusing the menu on upscale value dining, A valon has once again found its direction. We always try to sit on the threeseason patio, one of the best in the city. $$$ p f ✿ BASA MODERN VIETNAMESE 2244 Frankfort Ave., 896-1016. Chef Michael Ton brought a new style of Asian fusion cuisine to Louisville, playing entertaining rif fs of f V ietnamese cooking, with daring choices like caramelized catfish claypot and tamarind-sriracha gelato. $$$ p BLACKSTONE GRILLE 9521 U.S. 42, Pr ospect, KY, 228-6962. Longtime r estaurateur Rick Dissell, formerly of Rick’ s Ferrari Grille, continues to please his many fans at his latest r estaurant in the Prospect Center. The menu offers sandwiches and an array of bistr o entrées — pasta, seafood, beef and chicken, including Rick’ s fried chicken livers and “light” fried chicken. $$$ p f ✿ BLU ITALIAN MEDITERRANEAN GRILLE 280 W. Jefferson St. (Louisville Marriott), 627-5045. BLU offers upscale Italian Mediterranean cuisine in striking surr oundings 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 …

✿ = VEGETARIAN MENU ITEMS

= MENU AVAILABLE ON-LINE ONLY

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. $$ p f ✿ BRISTOL BAR & GRILLE 1321 Bardstown Rd., 4561702, 300 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 426-0627, 614 W. Main St., 582-1995, 6051 Timber Ridge Dr., 292-2585, 2035 S. Third St., 634-2723, 700 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville, IN, 218-1995. A cornerstone of Louisville’s restaurant Renaissance, The Bristol star ted three decades ago on Bar dstown Road. Now with six venues ar ound town, diners can always find dependable pub grub, eclectic entrées, and evergreen standards like the gr een-chile won tons and the Bristol Bur ger. F&D columnist Scott Harper has crafted an exceptional wine selection. $$ 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, adds a downtown presence 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. $$$ p h ✿ THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY 5000 Shelbyville Rd., 897-3933. “Cheesecake” is its name, and this glitzy shopping-mall eatery of fers a wide variety of rich, calorific choices to eat in or take out. It’s more than just cheesecake, though, with a wide-ranging menu of California, Southwestern and Pacific Rim far e plus full bar service. $$ p h ✿ COACH LAMP REST AURANT 751 V ine St., 5839165. Hurricane Katrina blew chef Richar d Lowe into town, bringing fr om 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 ✿ CORNER CAFÉ 9307 New Lagrange Rd., 426-8119.

There’s nothing fancy or overly elegant about this

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suburban neighborhood old favorite, but the term “eclectic” fits it well. $$ p ✿ EQUUS 122 Sears A ve., 897-9721. W ith the newish Corbett’s in the East End hitting on all cylinders, veteran Chef Dean Corbett has r eturned to his flagship St. Matthews r estaurant, r edesigning the room for a more casual atmosphere, and refocusing the menu on comfor t foods, with no entrée over $19. Though the prices ar e lower, we don’t expect the quality of fare to follow suit. $$$ p ✿ HAWKSVIEW GALLERY AND CAFÉ 170 Carter Ave., Shephardsville, KY, 955-1010. In this “American bistro with a Southern twist,” diners eat amidst a gallery of hand-crafted glass ar t. Daily specials ar e inspired by world cuisines and the “confectionar y artist” creates sweets like Linzer tortes and extreme turtle cheesecake. Watch glass being blown as you dine. $$$ INTERMEZZO CAFÉ & CABARET 316 W. Main St., 584-1265. The elegant r estaurant space in Actor’ s Theatre of Louisville’s historic building features casual American bistro fare in an attractive dining room, plus nightly entertainment in a cabaret style. $$$ p e ✿ J. ALEXANDER’S RESTAURANT 102 Oxmoor Court, 339-2206. This comfor tably upscale venue, a Nashville-based chain, featur es “contemporar y 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. $$$ p f ✿ J. HARROD’S 7507 Upper River Rd., 228-4555. J. Harrod’s is discr eetly tasteful and pleasantly comfortable. The food is competitive in both quality and value. It’s an appealing, upscale blend of bistro fare and old-fashioned country cooking. $$$ p ✿ JACK FR Y’S 1007 Bar dstown Rd., 452-9244. Good times or bad, weeknights or weekends, this Louisville institution — the r emnant of a 1930s saloon — is always cr owded and buzzing. Stephanie Meeks has

taken over from long-time owner Susan Seiler, but the upscale bistr o far e, like shrimp and grits and spicy fried oysters, is as good as ever. $$$$ p e h ✿

and dinner. With an eclectic menu of diverse tapas and interesting entrées, it’s an appealing, affordable place to dine $$$ f h ✿

JOHN E’S 3708 Bardstown Rd., 456-1111. Owner John Shanchuck caters to the horseracing cr owd. Thir ty years of framed Derby pr ograms and winning tickets line the walls. But you don’ t have to place a bet to enjoy this rambling Buechel r estaurant. The Porterhouse steak tastes good in the Bob Baffert Room whether or not your horse came in. $$$$ p e ✿

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 or der the fried chicken and country ham. $$$ p f 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. Four th St., (Four th Street Live) 568-9009.

Kentucky’s Maker’s Mark Distiller y lends its name and its signatur e r ed-wax image to this stylish restaurant and lounge in the booming downtown entertainment complex. A magisterial bar featur es more than 60 Bourbons, and the menu of fers traditional Kentucky fare. $$$ p f h ✿ MELTING POT 2045 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 491-3125.

This Florida-based chain brings back pleasant memories of fondue par ties of the ’70s. If you can melt it and dip things in it, the Melting Pot probably has it on the menu. $$$ p ✿ NAPA RIVER GRILL 1211 Herr Ln., 893-0141.

Innovative wine-country cuisine, excellent ser vice and fine California-focused wine collection can be found in the stylish new quar ters of this popular , decade-old East End restaurant. With an expanded menu ser ving both lunch and dinner , it’ s now anchoring W estport V illage center , a tr endy new hangout. $$$ p f h ✿ NORTH END CAFÉ 1722 Frankfort Ave., 896-8770.

Known for their hear ty and inter esting br eakfast choices, The North End also satisfies diners at lunch

OLIVIA’S ON GOSS 946 Goss Ave., 409-6160. This huge, r edbrick 19th centur y factor y location houses the Goss A venue Antique Mall and this stylish luncheon spot. Open 7 days a week, Chef Travis Hall (formerly of Eva Mae’ s) offers soups, salads and daily specials. $ f ✿ 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. T o its cr edit, ever ything is pr epared well and service is consistently fine. $$ p h ✿ THE PATRON 3400 Frankfort Ave., 896-1661. Chefowner Amber McCool is r edefining her niche, opened only for weekly events like her W ax on Wednesdays, Bur gers Beats and Beer and Sunday brunch. Other events occur as specials, call to find the details. $$$ p e h ✿ PROOF ON MAIN 702 W. Main St., 217-6360. After 3 1/2 years executive chef Michael Paley’ s ever changing creative menu continues to make Proof a destination dining spot, the culinar y equal of the quirky 21C Museum Hotel which has garner ed national notice. Mediterranean in focus, with a commitment to using local pr oducts as much as possible, the adventur ous dishes (grilled octopus, bison burgers, beef marrow, sea salt caramel gelato) are made with the freshest ingredients. $$$ p ✿ RED STAR TAVERN 450 S. Four th St., 568-5656.

Billed as “a hip, contemporary version of the classic American tavern,” this chain operation in Four th 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 RIVERBEND WINERY 120 S. Tenth St., 540-5650.

Watch the winemakers in action, crafting 20 varieties of wine from Kentucky-grown grapes, as you enjoy lunch or dinner in this upscale casual eatery just west of downtown. Weekly chefs dinners with wine pairings at reasonable prices. $$ p e ✿ UPTOWN CAFÉ 1624 Bar dstown Rd., 458-4212.

Across the str eet and a step downscale fr om its partner, Café Metr o, the Uptown Café of fers excellent far e with a bistr o feel for quite a few bucks less. $$ p f ✿ VARANESE 2106 Frankfor t A ve., 899-9904. Chef John Varanese has made even old-timers forget that this stylish venue was once a gas station. W ith a slate interior water fall and a fr ont wall that folds open in good weather , the dining r oom is as interesting as the lively , international seasonal menu. Live jazz, contemporary ar t and urban style complete the mood. $$$ p f e ✿ VOLARE 2300 Frankfort Ave., 894-4446. (See review under European/Italian) THE WHITE OAK 620 E. Market St., 583-4177.

This NuLu stalwar t has under gone some changes recently, but continues to ser ve up Southern comfort food using classical techniques and local suppliers. Look for dishes such as Southern-style fried chicken, cornmeal-dusted fried catfish and chicken-fried bison steak on the ever changing menu. $$ p f e h ✿ WILTSHIRE ON MARKET 636 E. Market St., 5895224. Understated elegance and cr eative dishes characterize this new r estaurant fr om Susan Hershberg, who set the benchmark for fine catering in Louisville with W iltshire Pantr y. Chef Coby Ming’s finely crafted small plates change weekly to

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showcase the best seasonal ingr edients available and no dish is over $15. Open Thur . - Sat. only .

Reservations suggested. $$ f ✿ WINDSOR RESTAURANT & GARDEN 148 E. Market St., New Albany , IN, 944-9688. New chef Charles Pierce has scaled back the price point a bit but is maintaining the quality at this upscale casual restaurant, housed in an historic hotel building.

When weather permits, diners can enjoy the charming courtyard. $$$ p f e ✿ YACHING’S EAST WEST CUISINE 105 S. Fourth St., 585-4005. Yaching’s promises “an eclectic menu of contemporary Asian fusion cuisine.” It’s an attractive mix of East and W est, sufficient to give just about everyone something to enjoy , r egardless of which compass point attracts your taste buds. $$$ p ✿

ATRIUM CAFÉ 9940 Corporate Campus Dr. (Embassy Suites), 426-9191. An eclectic bistro atmosphere in the hear t of the hotel. Specials run fr om their popular crab cakes and array of pasta dishes to a Reuben sandwich or fruit pie. $$ p ✿ BAXTER STATION BAR & GRILL1201 Payne St., 5841635. The corner bar with the railr oad theme is also an ambitious r estaurant, known for surprises like Cajun linguini with andouille sausage, homemade desserts (from pastry chef Amy Berry) and lunchtime “steam table” plates. T ake par ticular note of an impressive beer list to go with your meal. $$ 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’r e looking for upscale-casual dining downtown. $$$ p f ✿ BISTRO LE RELAIS 2817 Taylorsville Rd. (Bowman Field), 451-9020. This ar t deco spot makes stylish

use of an historic 1920’ s airport building to pr esent elegant modern French cuisine. After a long run as a fine dining establishment, owner Anthony Dike has recently reinvented his restaurant as a bistro, sparked by the arrival of new chef Bill Lynch. $$$$ p f e ✿ BOURBONS BISTRO 2255 Frankfort Ave., 894-8838.

It’s a comfor tably upscale-casual r estaurant, featuring the works of Fr ench-trained chef Michael Crouch. No, it’s a gr eat bar, with what must be the world’ s most compr ehensive Bourbon list. Actually, this Cr escent Hill favorite is both, and the bill of far e is well-matched with the excellence of its libations. Don’ t miss the duck confit strudel appetizer. $$$ p f ✿ 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 shor t bistr o-style menu make it a welcome suburban alternative. $$ h e BROWNING’S BREWERY 401 E. Main St., 5150174. Anoosh Shariat has r eturned to r einvent Browning’s. Lots of scheduled enter tainment, and upscale, inventive “tavern far e”. Also r eturning is brewmaster Brian Reymiller, back crafting a lovely range of beers and ales. $$ p f ✿ CAFÉ LOU LOU 106 Sears A ve, 893-7776, 2216 Dundee Rd., 459-9566. This popular spot wins critical raves and packs in cr owds. Owner -Chef Clay Wallace is comfor table with his international bill of fare and laissez les bon temps r ouler mood.

A second location in the Douglass Loop, is drawing equally-pleased crowds. $$ p ✿ 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 Y ang. Sur e, 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. $$ p h ✿ FIVE POINTS ST . MA TTHEWS 3930 Chenoweth Sq., 896-5680. The last time this location enjoyed success was when it was known as Rick’ s. After four shor t-lived incarnations, Five Points St. Matthews is poised to r eclaim that success by playing of f the syner gy of this bur geoning dining corridor. Solid new management is skewing to a younger demographic with a menu of American standards, pastas and vegetarian fare. $$ p f h HARD ROCK CAFÉ Fourth Str eet Live, 568-2202.

Louisville’s Fourth Street Live echoes with a bang amid hammering guitars and happy thr ongs at the local branch of this popular shrine to r ock. The music scene is the draw , but you’ll have no complaints about Har d Rock’ s standar d American cuisine. $$ p f e h ✿ JACK’S LOUNGE 122 Sears A ve., 897-9026. A sophisticated, elegant bar associated with the Equus restaurant next door, Jack’s offers a short but excellent menu featuring appetizers and light bites, along with a drinks list beyond reproach. $ p h ✿ JAZZYBLU 815 W. Market St., 992-3243. The basement space at Glassworks that formerly housed The Jazz Factor y is bopping again with r egularly scheduled live jazz per formances Thurs. - Sun. nights, and southern comfor t food style lunch buffets Tues. - Fri. $ p e h ✿ L&N WINE BAR AND BISTRO 1765 Mellwood Ave., 897-0070. If you’r e enthusiastic about good wine, you’re going to be excited about L&N. The fruit of the vine takes center stage in a vast, fairly priced wine list and imposing Cruvinet dispenser, with over 80 wines available by the glass. Comfor table atmospher e and excellent bistro fare with a cr eative twist fr om Chef Rick Adams add to the draw. $$ p f h ✿

Featuring local bison & sustainable produce with 50+ Kentucky Bourbons

MEAT downtown

Named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants and one of Food & Wine’s Best American Wine Experiences at the award-winning 21c Museum Hotel

702 WEST MAIN STREET LOUISVILLE KY 40202 PROOFONMAIN.COM 502.217.6360 h = LATE NIGHT

✿ = VEGETARIAN MENU ITEMS

= MENU AVAILABLE ON-LINE ONLY

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RAMSI’S CAFÉ ON THE WORLD 1293 Bardstown Rd., 451-0700. The beating bohemian hear t of the Highlands. Ramsi Kamar brings a wonderfully eclectic spirit to the environment and to his menu. Cuban.

Jamaican. Greek. Middle Eastern. Moderate prices and late night hours add to the draw. $$ f e h ✿ RIVER CITY WINERY 321 Pearl St., New Albany, IN, 945-9463. The newest ar ea winery, open since late spring. Several of owner Melissa Humphrey’s wines medaled in the June 2009 Indy International W ine Competition, and since summer has been of fering a well-crafted appetizer style menu to pair with the wines. Don’t miss the crab cakes with black-eyed pea salsa. $$ e ✿ THEATER SQUARE MARKET PLACE 651 S. Fourth St., 625-3001. The expansive space that was once The Kentucky movie theater has been r enovated into a gourmet gr ocery, an upscale take-out deli, and a classy in-the-round bar, opening onto a shady patio.

Look for special wine tastings, wine (and beer!) and cheese pairings, and other events. $$p f h ✿

ADRIANN’S AROUND THE T ABLE CUISINE 14041 Shelbyville Rd, 244-9695. Located out beyond the Snyder in the far East End, Adriann’ s offers family style diner far e ranging fr om sandwiches and wraps to fried chicken $ ✿ 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. $ ✿ AROMA CAFÉ Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN, 888-766-2648. Grab a bite before hitting the casino.

Sandwiches, salads, sides, cold beverages and cof fee will fuel you for a night of enter tainment. $ h ✿ BLUE DOG BAKER Y AND CAFÉ 2868 Frankfort Ave., 899-9800. This bakery with its $50,000 Spanish wood-fired oven makes ar tisanal bread as good as you’ll find in the U.S., and competitive withthe best in Eur ope. Its comfor table, upscale café of fers a short selection of tasty dishes made to show off the fine breads. $$ p f ✿ BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEEHOUSE & WINE BAR 400 E. Main St., 582-3220. Host Nicholas Arno adds a Jamaican accent, and Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is the specialty, at this sleek and sophisticated spot across Main from Slugger Field. A coffee house by day, it adds a wine-bar vibe in the evenings. $ f h ✿ BOOMER’S CAFÉ 722 W. Main St., 585-4356. In the midst of the booming W est Main Str eet ar ts and museum district, this br eakfast and lunch spot offers standar d American café far e, and ser ves breakfast on Saturdays. $ BULLDOG CAFÉ 10619 W. Manslick Rd., 380-0600. $fh✿ BUTTERFLY GARDEN CAFÉ 1327 Bar dstown Rd., 456-4500, 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 895-1474. This tasteful little spot that offers teas and lighter lunch fare in an attractive old-house setting on Bardstown Road has opened a second ladies’ lunch spot inside Dolfinger’s in St Matthews. $ f ✿ CAFÉ FRAICHE 3642 Br ownsboro Rd., 894-8929.

Cuisine from around the world is featur ed at this East End neighbor hood café, featuring homemade soups, breads and a variety of entrées on a seasonally changing menu. $ ✿ CHEDDAR BOX CAFÉ 12121 Shelbyville Rd., 2452622. An attractive — and busy — Middletown lunch spot, owner Michelle Bar tholmew ser ves 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. Pr eston St., 852-5739.

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Chef Jim Henr y, a long-time star in the city’ s culinary firmament, brings his cooking skills and insistence on fr esh, quality ingr edients to these simple, but excellent, spots for lunch. $ f ✿ CRAVE CAFÉ & CATERING 2250 Frankfort Ave., 896-1488. Experienced cater ers and chefs of fer casual but quality café far e in this comfor table old frame house in Clifton. $ ✿ CREEKSIDE OUTPOST & CAFÉ 614 Hausfeldt Ln., New Albany IN, 948-9118. The Cr eekside Outpost warps customers back into the days of general stores and maintains ever y bit of old fashioned charm.

Serving up buf falo, elk and surprisingly good burgers. Exotic foods including Shinnecock ice fish, black bear, ostrich and kangar oo (when available) round out an excellent, traveled menu. $$ f ✿ CRICKET’S CAFÉ 7613 Old Hwy. 60, Sellersburg, IN, 246-9339. Of fering br eakfasts and lunch to local Hoosiers and travelers who take exit 7 off I-65. Full breakfasts, omelets, and br eakfast sandwiches. A full range of standar d lunch sandwiches, with Reubens, Philly steak and cheese, and daily specials. Homemade soups and salads, too. $ f ✿ CYCLERS CAFÉ 2295 Lexington Rd., 451-5152. Is it a bicycle shop or a r estaurant? Well, it’s both. 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 ✿ DOWNTOWN DINER & COFFEEHOUSE 506 W. Main St., New Albany, IN, 725-8680. $ DUELING GROUNDS CAFÉ 604 E. Spring St., New Albany, IN, 944-3617. This cof fee bar “plus,” located in Destination’ s Booksellers in downtown New Albany, serves up espresso-based drinks, teas and smoothies, as well as paninis and soups.

House-baked br eads by the loaf and desser ts ar e also par t of the mix, as ar e vegetarian and vegan options on most menu items. Most items on the menu are under $4. $ e ✿ ERMIN’S BAKER Y & CAFÉ 1201 S. First St., 6356960, 723 S. Four th St., 587-9390, 455 S. Four th Ave., 585-5120, 9550 U.S. Hwy . 42, 228-7210, 2736 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 941-8674.

These popular bakeries attract cr owds looking for an enjoyable soup and sandwich lunch highlighted

by French-style breads and pastries. $ ✿ FUN FOOD CAFÉ 1860 Mellwood Ave., 895-1003. $ ✿ 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 mor e casual bistr o-style alternative to the upscale English Grill, with choice of menu service or buffet dining. $ f p KAYROUZ CAFÉ 127 W iltshire A ve., 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 ar e 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. Ser vice 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 CAFÉ 1860 Mellwood Ave., 238-7387.

Located in the Mellwood Ar ts Center , Patticakes serves homemade soups and sandwiches — and cake, of course. Owner Patti Fadel offers more than 50 varieties of pound cake! $ 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 hear ty paninis and salads, and bakes up cakes, pies, muffins for takeout. $ ✿ QUEUE CAFÉ 220 W. Main St. (LG&E Building), 583-0273. $ f ✿

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have hit a home run with these popular , highquality spots, the first two in a growing mini-chain.

Wild Eggs, ser ving br eakfast, brunch and lunch, features traditional favorites and specialty omelets, with upscale touches at moderate prices. $ p ✿

STOP LITE CAFÉ 1348 River Rd., 584-3746. $ SWEET ‘N’ SA VORY CAFÉ 1574 Bar dstown Rd., 456-6566. Hear ty brunch far e with a vegetarian accent makes Sweet ‘n’ Savory a popular destination for the Bardstown Road bunch. $ ✿ SWEET SURRENDER 1804 Frankfor t A ve., 8992008. Sweet Surr ender, with Jessica Haskell at the helm, has r eturned to its original Clifton neighborhood to pr ovide elegant desser ts as well as signature vegetarian lunches. $$ f

WOLFGANG PUCK EXPRESS 221 S. Four th St., 562-0983. Bearing the name of the celebrity Austrian chef, this downtown lunch spot in the corner of the convention center of fers tasty wraps, sandwiches and soups. $$ f

THE CAFÉ 712 Brent St., 637-6869. Now well-settled in its new location just off East Broadway, The Café serves an eclectic br eakfast and lunch menu, including old favorites like tomato dill soup and chicken salad. And the new space r etains the old place’s yard-sale look of mismatched furnitur e and chandeliers and doorways to nowhere. $ f

YAFA CAFÉ 22 Theater Sq., 561-0220. $ f h ✿

THE CHEDDAR BOX 3909 Chenoweth Sq., 893-2324. $f✿ THE LUNCH P AIL 502 E. W arnock St., 634-7116.

Offering yet another quick and comfor ting 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 ✿ THIRD AVENUE CAFÉ 1164 South Thir d St., 5852233. With a menu featuring many vegetarian and vegan options, this pleasant neighbor hood eatery attracts loyal crowds with excellent fare and a cozy setting that brings you back for mor e. $$ p f e ✿ TIFFANY CELLAR CAFÉ 11601 Main, 245-4411. $ 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.” $ ✿ WILD EGGS 3985 Dutchmans Ln., 893-8005, 1311 Herr Ln., 618-2866. The owners of Napa River Grill

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

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 or der — nothing hangs ar ound under heat lamps. $ f ✿ BLUE LAGOON 2280 Bardstown Rd., 632-2583. The Sharom family, who operate Zaytun Mediterranean Grill and Shar om’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. $$ f h ✿ BONEFISH GRILL 657 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 4124666. This franchise concept fr om the Floridabased Outback Steakhouse chain of fers impressive seafood in a comfor table setting. Add Bonefish to your shor t list of suburban chain eateries that do the job right. $$$ p ✿ CAROLINA SHRIMP & SEAFOOD 3922 Westport Rd., 894-8947. In an East End neighbor hood rich with seafood eateries, Carolina offers a tasty option within walking distance of downtown St. Matthews.

This spartan little joint featur es shellfish and cod,

much of it healthfully steamed, not fried, in an affordable family setting. $ f CATFISH HA VEN LAKE & RESTAURANT 7208 Whipple Rd., 937-7658. If you like to fish, or if you like to eat fish, you’ll likely enjoy Catfish Haven, a simple, down-home 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 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. $ THE FISH HOUSE 1310 W inter Ave., 568-2993.

Louisville is as over flowing as a well-stocked lake with fish-sandwich houses, and The Fish House is right up ther e with the best. Crisp br eading laced with black pepper is the signatur e of Gr een River fried fish from Western Kentucky. $ f THE FISHER Y 3624 Lexington Rd., 895-1188. The original fried-fish eater y in a neighbor hood that’s now awash with them, The Fishery r emains justly popular for its quick, sizzling hot and af fordable fish and seafood meals. $ f ✿ HILL STREET FISH FR Y 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 JACKSON’S SEAFOOD 400 W. Main St., New Albany, IN, 945-3474. Joe Jackson, 13-year veteran of locallyfamed Clarksville Seafood, ser ves up fried, br oiled 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. $

‘‘Wild Eggs ... I Think I Love You.’’

3 9 8 5 D u t ch m a n s L a n e (502) 893-8005 We s t p o r t V i l l a g e • 1 3 1 1 H e rr L a n e (502) 618-2866 cr a ck i n w i l d e g g s . co m

h = LATE NIGHT

✿ = VEGETARIAN MENU ITEMS

= MENU AVAILABLE ON-LINE ONLY

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JOE’S CRAB SHACK 131 River Rd., 568-1171. The setting on the edge of River front Park is bright, noisy and fun, with a wraparound deck providing a panoramic river view. $$ p f KINGFISH REST AURANT 3021 Upper River Rd., 895-0544, 1610 Kentucky Mills Dr., 240-0700, 601 W. Riverside Dr ., Jef fersonville, IN, 284-3474.

Fried fish in a family dining setting has made this local chain a popular favorite for many years. T wo 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 r emains immensely popular . Ther e’s indoor seating and a bar, but the picnic gr ove with its giant shade tr ees 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 eater y evokes the feeling of a lar ge fish market, with an open kitchen that of fers views of chefs at work.

Quality seafood and service have made Mitchell’s a popular destination. $$$ p f ✿ PASSTIME FISH HOUSE 10801 Locust Rd., 2674633. If you ar e looking for an honest fish sandwich and a cold beer or two, with no frills, this southside tavern is just the ticket. Belly up, place your order, and be sur e to have cash — no cr edit cards accepted here. $$ f e RUMORS REST AURANT & RA W 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. $$ p f SHAROM’S 5637 Outer Loop, 968-8363. Family owned and family style dining with a wide net of seafood dinners and appetizers. Lunch and dinner menus also include such delicacies as fr og legs, shrimp and alligator. $$ p SON OF A SAILOR SEAFOOD REST AURANT 617 W. Jefferson St., LaGrange, KY, 265-2202. Son Of A Sailor of fers seafood Calabash-style (“bound” breading with seasoned flour and cornmeal, popular in the Carolinas). Munch the free, slightly sweet hush puppies while you wait. $$ f

Celebrating 58 years as Louisville’s hometown favorite for top quality seafood and much, much more.

STAN’S FISH SANDWICH 3723 Lexington Rd., 8966600. The fish is the thing at Stan’ s, wher e the owner is a perfectionist who won’t sell any but the freshest fish, per fectly pr epared. Known for their fish sandwich, daily specials take advantage of fresh product. $ ✿ ] DEL FRISCO’S 4107 Oechsli A ve., 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 or der the filet or Por terhouse, but only regulars know the glories of something called green phunque. $$$$ p JACK BINION’S STEAKHOUSE Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN, 888-766-2648. (see listing under Fine Dining)

THREE CONVENIENT LOCATIONS: On the River: 3021 Upper River Road ■ 895-0544 (Just east of Zorn Ave @ I-71)

601 W. Riverside ■ 284-3474 (On the Jeffersonville riverfront across from Louisville)

Around Town: 1610 Kentucky Mills Dr. ■ 240-0700 (Blankenbaker @ 1-64)

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JEFF RUBY’S STEAKHOUSE 325 W. Main St., 5840102. This Cincinnati r estaurateur has made an impact in Louisville with his outstanding steaks, glittery bar, urban vibe and top-notch ser vice. The downtown setting doesn’ t hur t either , on W aterfront Plaza at Main and Four th, next to the Galt House. The r ooms have Chur chill 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. With more RED = ADVERTISER

than 100 pr operties in 17 states, this Nashvillebased chain parlays peanut shells on the floor and steaks on the table into a popular formula. $$ p LONGHORN STEAKHOUSE 2535 Hurstbourne Ln., 671-5350, 9700 V on Allmen Ct., 326-7500, 1210 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 284-5800. Oversize steaks and a “big sky” western theme ar e the draw at this chain eatery , although most of its properties are east of the Mississippi. $$ p MORTON’S 626 W. Main St., 584-0421. This belowground temple to the r ed meat gods is elegant and masculine, full of wood paneling, brass rails and leather booths. Louisville r everes its home-gr own restaurants but has welcomed this Chicago-based chain with open mouths. $$$$ p OUTBACK STEAK HOUSE 4621 Shelbyville Rd., 8954329, 6520 Signatur e Dr ., 964-8383, 9498 Brownsboro Rd., 426-4329, 8101 Bardstown Rd., 2312399, 1420 Park Place, Clarksville, IN, 283-4329. The name suggests Australia, and so does the shtick at this popular national chain, but the food is pr etty much familiar American, and the fare goes beyond just steak to take in chicken, seafood and pasta. $$$ p PAT’S STEAK HOUSE 2437 Br ownsboro 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 sur e to bring cash: No credit cards accepted. $$$$ p f PONDEROSA STEAKHOUSE 11470 S. Preston Hwy., 964-6117. Family-style dining with the ranch theme kept alive with the open flame fr om the grills. An extensive buffet with hot and cold foods, salads and desserts is also available. $ ✿ RUTH’S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE 6100 Dutchman’s Ln., 479-0026. The Robb Report magazine has declar ed Rolex the world’ s best watch, Armani the best men’s suit, Cohiba the best cigar and Ruth’ s Chris the best r estaurant. It ser ves an excellent steak in an atmosphere of elegance that will make you feel pampered, at a price to match. $$$$ p RYAN’S FAMILY STEAKHOUSE 5338 Bardstown Rd., 491-1088. This North Carolina-based chain of fers family dining with good variety: Its diverse and extensive buffet features over 150 items. $$ 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 Geor gia home. It draws big crowds with its memorable steaks and trimmings, with extra points for friendly ser vice 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 W est sets the theme for this popular steak house. Salads, vegetables and br eads with hear ty side dishes r ound out your meal options. This is family-style dining, with no tray sliding — ser vice at your table. $$ p

A NICE REST AURANT 3105 Blackiston Mill Rd., New Albany IN, 945-4321, 2784 Meijer Dr ., 2809160, Jef fersonville, 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 mor e branches. All specialize in simple, down-home br eakfast and lunch at affordable prices. $ APPLEBEE’S (8 locations) This cheery national chain features an eclectic assor tment of salads, steaks, ribs, poultr y and pasta as well as full bar ser vice.

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

p = FULL BAR

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e = LIVE MUSIC

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ASPEN CREEK REST AURANT 8000 Bar dstown Rd., 239-2200. The entr epreneur who cr eated T exas Roadhouse and Buckhead’s is back with a concept that’s both old and new — a lodge-style r estaurant that invokes the rustic feel of the Rockies, and offers a menu of pastas, bur gers, and poultry at prices that aren’t mountain high. $$ p h ✿ B.J.’S RESTAURANT & BREWHOUSE 7900 Shelbyville Rd., 326-3850. This Southern California chain arrived east of the Mississippi, including a lar ge and imposing brewhouse at Oxmoor Center. A full range of made-in-Nevada craft beers is dispensed, along with upscale-casual pub grub. $$ p h THE BLIND PIG 1076 E. Washington St., 618-0600.

Opening in Februar y by a former co-owner of El Mundo, this Eur o-style gastr opub will featur e French country cooking and house-made sausages and char cuterie in a casual but sophisticated atmosphere in an late-19th centur y building in Butchertown. $$ p e h ✿ BLUE HORSE CAFÉ 830 Phillips Ln., (Cr own Plaza Hotel) 367-2251. $$$ p h ✿ BUCKHEAD MOUNT AIN GRILL 3020 Bar dstown Rd., 456-6680, 707 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville IN, 284-2919, 10206 W estport Rd., 339-0808.

Buckhead’s combination of mountain lodge atmosphere and American-style far e make these popular destinations. The lar ge menu features down-home staples like meat loaf, pot pies, steak, ribs, and lighter far e for warm weather dining.

The view of Louisville’ s skyline fr om the riverfront location is not to be missed. $$ p f h ✿ BUNZ RESTAURANT 969 1/2 Baxter Ave., 632-1132.

This little Highlands made-to-or der gourmet hamburger shop concocts excellent quality burgers with a range of standard and oddball toppings. $ h CAFÉ MAGNOLIA 140 N. Four th St. (Galt House), 589-5200. The Galt House’s quick and casual secondfloor dining alternative, this spacious venue of fers a range of far e for guests on the go, fr om bacon and eggs to a late-night burger and fries. $$$ p ✿ CAPTAIN’S QUAR TERS 5700 Captain’ s Quar ters Rd., 228-1651. One of the city’ s most attractive eateries for atmosphere, Captain’s Quarters matches the beautiful setting with quality bistr o-style far e that won’t disappoint. Summer or winter , it’s a delightful place to dine. $$ 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 spor ts with a “walk of fame” loaded with awards, photos, game balls and lots more Cardinal memorabilia. What? Y ou want food too? Sur e!

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 W estport Rd., 339-5400, 1385 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 2809660. This popular Dallas-based chain draws big, hungry cr owds with its lar ge bar and familiar “casual to upscale American” fare. $ p h ✿ CHICK INN 6325 Upper River Rd., 228-3646.

Louisville’s familiar Chick Inn moved into upgraded quarters after a fire several years ago, but regulars still call it the “new place.” The fried chicken remains estimable, and a local cr owd calls it home base. $$ p f CHILI’S 421 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 425-6800, 3623 Bardstown Rd., 301-8888, 11600 Antonia W ay, 301-8181, 9720 V on Allmen Ct., 301-8880. Mor e than just a place to chow down on baby back ribs, this national chain has a wide selection including fajitas, burgers, sandwiches and veggies. $$ p ✿

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CHOP SHOP SALADS 436 W. Market St., 589-2467. The two-handed mezzalunas rock steady as the line cooks chop up lettuce, vegetables and meats into hear ty salads or wraps. Mostly a to-go place with limited seating, the steady lunchtime crowds attest that office workers see a need for fr esh light lunch fare. $ ✿ CHRISTY’S BAR & BISTRO 9700 Bluegrass Pkwy .

(InnPlace Hotel), 491-4830. $ p CULVER’S 4630 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 671-2001.

When the trademark item is called a “ButterBurger” and fr ozen custar d tops the desser t menu, you know you’re not in for diet far e. Quality fast food and friendly service make this chain a popular new East End arrival. $ f CUNNINGHAM’S 630 S. Four th 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 Harr ods Creek. $ f D&C DIAMOND CAFÉ 2017 Brownsboro Rd., 8950070. This lunch and dinner spot on the edge of Clifton and Cr escent Hill ser ves hearty, modestlypriced American café food—grilled pork chops, sandwiches, luncheon hot dishes, pastas—and weekend brunch. $$ ✿ EVA MAE’S CREEKSIDE 6313 River Rd., 614-6338.

One of a cluster of down-home style eateries just as River Road veers of f into Pr ospect, Eva Mae’ s is open for br eakfast, lunch and dinner . The open, waterside dining room is down-home and laid back at lunch, but gets a little crowded and rowdy as the drinks-before dinner cr owd stops in on the way home. Food and ser vice can be erratic, but a lot of fans rave about ambience and the chow. $$ p f FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES 2221 State Str eet, 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 freshly-grilled burgers, big, smoky Kosher dogs, enough condiments to satisfy any craving, fr esh-cut fries that ar e out of this world and a cheery rock’n’roll sensibility. $ h GAVI’S RESTAURANT 222 S. Seventh St., 583-8183.

This family-owned eater y has been ar ound for decades. Standard casual American cuisine adds a few Russian-style specialties such as homemade borsht soup and beef Str oganoff. 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.

Burgers, dogs and fries and drinks with a baseball theme highlight this suburban spot, and more than 20 toppings of fer you a fielder’ s choice of options to dress your burger. $ f ✿ HOOTERS 4120 Dutchmans Ln., 895-7100, 4948 Dixie Hwy., 449-4194, 7701 Pr eston Hwy., 9681606, 700 W. Riverside Dr., Jeffersonville, IN, 2189485, 941 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy ., 131, Clarksville, IN 284-9464. Hooter’s may draw crowds with its long-standing r eputation as a par ty 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 P ANCAKES 1220 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 285-1772. This is currently the familiar IHOP franchise’ s sole property in the Louisville area. $ h ✿ JOE’S OLDER THAN DIR T 8131 New Lagrange Rd., 426-2074. Going str ong 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

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KAREM’S 9424 Nor ton Commons Blvd., 327-5646.

Karem’s Grill & Pub, one of the first r estaurants to open in the village-like Nor ton Commons, carries the look and feel of a neighbor hood watering hole inside and out. The test of a r estaurant, 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 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 shor t or ders ar e served up with riverboat hospitality , but in a Las Vegas atmospher e. A well stocked bar and a live stage welcome the best of r egional and visiting national acts. $$ p e h LYNN’S PARADISE CAFÉ 984 Barret Ave., 583-3447. A serious restaurant hides behind the funky décor and madcap events (like the annual New Y ear’s Eve pajama par ty and the Ugly Lamp contest). The Bourbon Ball Fr ench toast beat Bobby Flay on a Throwdown. And everyone loves the fried gr een tomato BLT. The World of Swirl store in the front has been described as “Cracker Barrel on acid.” $$ p ✿ MANHATTAN GRILL 429 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 561-0024. $ ✿ MASTERSON’S 1830 S. Thir d St., 636-2511. A fine, family Louisville tradition, this familiar T udor structure near the U of L campus is the state’ s largest full-ser vice restaurant and the city’ s largest caterer. Scaling back in r esponse to economic conditions, Masterson’ s now is open only for Sunday Jazz Brunch. $ e MIMI’S CAFÉ 615 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 426-6588.

This California chain, a subsidiar y of Bob Evans, goes urban and upscale where farmer Bob is folksy and country. This new East End location is drawing crowds, building its r eputation 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 W rench offers comfort food with a stylish spin, top flight music, a relaxed ambience and welcoming ser vice.

The long-awaited rooftop patio is open and packing them in on warm evenings. $ p f e h ✿ MULLIGAN’S PUB AND GRILL 1801 Newburg Rd., 632-2818. Neighbor hood institution Kaelin’ s is gone, but Mulligans’ now holds down the for t.

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 impor ts.

The menu is gear ed towar d hear ty 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 r oad 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 ar e created daily and coffee and desser ts ar e always fr eshly made.

Breakfast served until 2 p.m. — look for the bison sausage served with organic eggs. $$ p ✿ O’CHARLEY’S (6 locations) O’Charley’ s, Inc. could serve well as the pictur e in the dictionar y next to “American casual dining.” The Nashville-based chain operates 206 pr operties in 16 states in the Southeast and Midwest, ser ving a straightfor ward steakand-seafood menu with the motto “Mainstream with an attitude.” $$ p h OTTO’S CAFÉ 500 S. Four th St. (Seelbach Hilton Hotel), 585-3201. Southern cooking with gourmet flair makes Otto’ s an intriguing alternative to the 64 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

Seelbach’s more upscale Oakroom. Check out the Southern Br eakfast Buf fet and the Executive Express Lunch Buffet. $ PEPPERS BAR & GRILL 320 W. Jefferson St., (Hyatt Regency) 587-3434. The casual-dining facility in the Hyatt Regency of fers a full dinner menu for hotel guests and outside visitors as well. $$$ p h ✿ PUB LOUISVILLE Fourth Str eet Live 569-7782.

Owned by Cincinnati’ s The T avern Restaurant Group, The Pub featur es “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. $$ p f h RAFFERTY’S OF LOUISVILLE 988 Breckenridge Ln., 897-3900. 3601 Springhurst Blvd., 412-9000. This full-service, casual dining establishment has a hear ty menu. Specialties like Red Alfredo Pasta showcase the gourmet offerings along with some of the lar gest and most creative salad combinations in town. $$ p ✿ RED ROBIN GOURMET BURGERS 9870 Von Allmen Ct., 339-8616, 5000 Shelbyville Rd., 899-9001.

The Robin, a Seattle-based chain well r egarded for “gourmet burgers” and trimmings, has now landed in two East End locations. Despite a full bar, it reportedly attracts hordes of happy youngsters. $$ p f h ROOSTER’S 7405 Preston Hwy., 964-9464, 4420 Dixie Hwy ., 384-0330. This Columbus-based wings-and-brews chain con quered Ohio and is now spr eading its franchise wings acr oss the Eastern U.S. Its first two Louisville pr operties are gaining popularity for a lively spor ts bar setting and oversize wings. $ p f h RUBY TUESDAY 11701 Bluegrass Pkwy ., 267-7100, 1354 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 288-5010. If success demonstrates quality, then Ruby T uesday’s 600 international properties and 30,000 employees can stand up with pride. They’ve been upholding the slogan “A wesome Food. Serious Salad Bar” in Louisville for a generation. $$ p h ✿ THE RUDYARD KIPLING 422 W. Oak St., 636-1311.

The word “eclectic” fits this Old Louisville eater y 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 fr om Generation X’ers to aging hippies. $ p f e h ✿

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 bur gers and hand-dipped shakes served, if you dine in, on r eal china. $ h ✿ TGI FRIDA Y’S 9990 Linn Station Rd., 425-8185, Fourth Street Live, 585-3577. The original place to loosen the tie and congr egate after the whistle blows. TGIF carries on its par ty atmosphere tradition with American bistro dining and libations. The bill of fare ranges from baskets of appetizers on up to contemporary entrées. $$ p f 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 housed in an old downtown theater building has opened a second location on New Albany’ s gr owing r estaurant r ow.

Chef George Morris’ simple yet exciting menu adds a tongue-in-cheek bistr o spin to traditional diner fare. $ p f ✿ TOMMY LANCASTER’S REST AURANT 1629 E. Market St., New Albany, IN, 945-2389. V alue and variety ar e the str ong points of this community tradition and the far e goes fr om burgers to steak.

Friday or Saturday evenings feature a buffet. $$ p TRELLIS RESTAURANT 320 W. Jefferson St. (Hyatt Regency), 587-3434. Dine on café far e in the Hyatt’s lofty atrium lobby while you take advantage of an environment made for people-watching. $$ p TUCKER’S 2441 State St., New Albany, IN, 944-9999.

Tucker’s gives you a little bit of ever ything 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 leisur ely Sunday morning or heading home ver y late on a Saturday night. It’ s a place to grab a quick, filling bite, and doesn’t pretend to be more. $ h ✿ THE VILLA BUFFET Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN, 888-766-2648. The V illa Buf fet offers an impressive choice of international dishes, with some 150 selections. A seafood buf fet is featured on Fridays. $$ ✿

SAM’S FOOD & SPIRITS 3800 Payne Kohler Rd., Clarksville, IN, 945-9757. Opened by a man named Sam some 17 years ago, this popular Southern Indiana institution feeds an army of happy diners. You’ll find seafood, steaks, pastas, salads and desserts. The menu is extensive and child friendly. $$ p h ✿

WESTPORT GENERAL STORE 7008 Hwy. 524, Westport, KY., 222-4626. It may be in the countr y, and you may feel far fr om the big city , until the food comes. Along with the requisite meat loaf and pork chops, you’ll find such ambitious far e as chicken buccatini and blackened scallops. $$ e ✿

SHONEY’S 811 Eastern Pkwy ., 636-1043, 6511 Signature Dr ., 969-8904. For nearly 50 years, Shoney’s r estaurants have been one of America’ s top choices for fast r oadside dining, and happily they’ve kept up with the times. $

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

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 fr om an inter esting selection of huge salad bowls (Asian shrimp, tuna Nicosia, chicken Caesar) or piled-high cr epe wraps (Philly cheese steak, vegetarian, Hawaiian chicken, chicken and Brie) for eat-in or take-away. $$ ✿ SKYLINE CHILI 1266 Bar dstown Rd., 473-1234, Plainview V illage Center, 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 of fer the r egional favorite (really it’s Greek spaghetti sauce, but keep it quiet) and other fast-food dishes. $ h ✿ STEAK N SHAKE 3232 Bar dstown Rd., 456-2670, 4913 Dixie Hwy., 448-4400, 4545 Outer Loop, 9663109, 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 RED = ADVERTISER

BARBARA LEE’S KITCHEN 2410 Br ownsboro Rd., 897-3967. Barbara Lee’s has been a late-night r efuge for years. It’s a reliable standby for those in sear ch 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 W est End to get genuine soul food. A different main course is featured daily, all home-cooked food, including such goodies as baked chicken, smother ed pork chops, meat loaf, catfish … and fried chicken every day. $ ✿ CAROLYN’S 3822 Cane Run Rd., 776-9519. The steam table classic, the “meat ‘n’ two” gives you the roast chicken, gr een beans and mashed potatoes.

Or pork chops, applesauce and limas. $ CHECK’S CAFÉ 1101 E. Burnett Ave., 637-9515. You can whif f a scent of Louisville history coming of f

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the old walls of this quintessential Germantown saloon, along with years of fr ying grease. The bar food her e is about as good as bar food gets, and that’s not bad. The chili and the bean soup ar e 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 ver y hear t of American comfor t food, including gr een beans, dumplings, and mashed potatoes. $$ CHICKEN KING 639 E. Br oadway, 589-5464. Spicy, crunchy and sizzling hot fried chicken is the primary draw on a short, affordable menu. $ h THE CHILI POT 8118 Preston Hwy., 966-9920. This new Okolona outpost ser ves up chicken salad sandwiches, hot dogs, grilled cheese and gar den salad. Oh, and four kinds of chili: Louisville-style, green pork (with tomatillos), sirloin steak and white chicken. $ h COTTAGE CAFÉ 11609 Main St., Middletown, 2449497. This nostalgic old house in the countr yside offers a taste of Kentucky-style cookery in an array of lunch specials that range from homemade soups and sandwiches to the traditional Hot Br own. $ ✿ COTTAGE INN 570 Eastern Pkwy ., 637-4325. Now under new management by the Kreso family, Cottage Inn spor ts a bright new look, and it continues happily doling out the kind of excellent downhome food it has ser ved for more than 70 years. $ D’NALLEY’S 970 S. Thir d St., 588-2003. Dir t-cheap blue-plate specials and hear ty br eakfasts 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, gr een beans, and mashed potatoes, D’Nalley’s is a hard place to beat. $ FORK IN THE ROAD F AMILY RESTAURANT 4951 Cane Run Rd., 448-3903. $ FORTY ACRES AND A MULE REST AURANT 1800 Dixie Hwy., 776-5600. $ 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 comfor t far e. The word on the str eet, though, is simple: Go for the pancakes. They’re worth a special trip. $ ✿ GENNY’S DINER 2223 Frankfor t A ve., 893-0923.

What’s the difference between Genny’s Diner and a saloon? You can take the kids to Genny’ s. Better still, you can get a darn good meal at Genny’ s, provided that you set your expectations for hear ty, filling and well-prepared diner food. $ p e GOLDEN CORRAL 4032 Taylorsville Rd., 485-0004, 8013 Pr eston 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 Rockfor d Ln., 449-9026.

Everything at Granny’ s Apr on is homemade by owner Jan Bradley , and it tastes that way: Dinner here will r emind you of a trip back in time to Grandmother’s house, assuming that Grandmother was a really good cook. $ HAZELWOOD REST AURANT 4106 T aylor Blvd., 361-9104. Whether you like your eggs over easy, or your cheesebur gers well done, you’ll like the Hazelwood Restaurant. Standar d shor t or ders cooked with lots of character and a low price. $ HOMETOWN BUFFET 1700 Alliant Ave., 267-7044, 6641 Dixie Hwy., 995-3320. This chain ser ves 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 V alley

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Rd., 969-7993, 5009 S. Third St., 363-2535. Grown from a tiny West End takeout spot to a mini-chain, Indi’s vends a variety of af fordable soul food and barbecue specialties to take out or eat in. $ h ✿ JESSIE’S FAMILY RESTAURANT 9609 Dixie Hwy ., 937-6332. Countr y cooking is Jessie’ s specialty , with hearty breakfast, lunch and dinner platters to fill the inner person. $ KINGS FAST FOOD 2101 W. Br oadway, 772-7138.

This tiny, colorful West End eater y, open for takeout only, offers a vast selection of filling, affordable urban fare that ranges fr om hot-and-spicy chicken wings to rib tips and mor e. $ h KING’S FRIED CHICKEN 1302 Dixie Hwy., 776-3013. $ LOUISVILLE GRILLE 612 S. Fifth St., 217-0000. Chef Michael W ashington, veteran of Big Hopp’ s, smokes pork and beef, fries and grills chicken, and catfish, and builds cold and hot sandwiches, salads and soups for diners at the corner of Fifth and Chestnut. $ MISS C’S KITCHEN & P ANTRY 1319 Stor y A ve., 759-1085. This little Butchertown storefront serves deli lunches and Saturday breakfasts in a charming, homey atmospher e. Y ou will find traditional recipes using locally-sour ced foods, such as pimento cheese made with Kenny’ s white cheddar and tuna salad using the r ecipe fr om Stewar t’s Orchid Room. $$ MR. LOU’S COUNTR Y COTT AGE REST AURANT 5408 V alley Station Rd., 933-0806. Biscuits and red-eye gravy, country ham and grits show of f Mr. Lou’s countr y cooking style. Roast chicken is a dinner favorite, and so are homemade pies. $ ✿ O’DOLLYS 7800 Third St. Rd., 375-1690. Homestyle steam-table favorites ar e available fr om br eakfast through dinner, not to mention full bar service that makes O’Dollys a Southwest Louisville destination. $pfh✿

OUR BEST RESTAURANT 5404 Antle Dr., 969-6410, 2835 Holmans Ln., Jef fersonville, IN, 288-8133, 5612 Bar dstown Rd., 239-2656. The original Our Best, a fine family r estaurant in Henry County , is rapidly growing into a chain, with thr ee properties in the big city now. $$ QUEENIE’S SOUL CUISINE 2956 Richland A ve., 451-4698. Queenie has been cooking for her 13 siblings since she was a teenager . Finally she is getting paid to do it. She and her son ser ve breakfast, lunch and dinner: chicken and waf fles, meatloaf, a soul burrito, chicken (fried, smother ed or baked) and daily specials. $$ f SWEET-TEE’S 4900 Poplar Level Rd., 966-0075. A modest little soul-food emporium, brimming with the ar omas of Southern ambr osia: collar d gr eens 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 r ound.

Racing history on the walls and ser vers who’ll call you “hon.” $ WEBB’S MARKET 944 E. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 5830318. An old-line neighborhood corner grocery store houses a delicious secr et: At the back you’ll find a steam table loaded with exceptional comfor t food.

Fried chicken is excellent, and don’t miss the chili. $

ANN’S BY THE RIVER 149 Spring St., Jef fersonville, IN., 284-2667. This bustling eatery is cafeteria style dining done well. They ser ve up the standar d 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 in the fall. Soups, sandwiches, salads, pastas are the mainstay of the menu, with a four -item lunch buffet that changes weekly. $ f CRAVINGS A LA CAR TE 101 S. Fifth St. (National City Tower), 589-4230. This thrifty deli of fers a variety of build-your-own sandwiches, a soup-andsalad bar , and specialty bars featuring baked potatoes, and a monthly ethnic cr eation. $ ✿ HALL’S CAFETERIA 1301 Stor y A ve., 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 fr om offices downtown. $ ✿ 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. $ ✿ LANCASTER’S CAFETERIA 223 W. Fifth St., New Albany, IN, 949-2400. Troy Lancaster, the grandson of Southern Indiana catering king T ommy 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 r oast beef, fried chicken, cod, steak and shrimp dinners, a gardener’s list of vegetables and a few ethnic dishes for global measur e. $ ✿

DERBY DINNER PLA YHOUSE 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. $$$$ e HOWL A T THE MOON Fourth Str eet Live, 5629400. What’ll they think of next? How about a nightclub that featur es a “dueling” piano bar with two pianos and a sing-along concept? Y ou’ll find this 4,000-square-foot club at Fourth Street Live on the ground level. $ p e h IMPROV COMEDY CLUB & WET WILLIE’S 441 S. Fourth St., 581-1332. Get seated early and dine on unusually interesting bar food with a local accent before the nationally-known comedy acts start. $$$

pfeh✿ INCREDIBLE DAVE’S 9236 Westport Rd., 426-4790.

“Awesome dining, extr eme fun, wher e family fun hits maximum over drive” is the pr omise at this giant dining and enter tainment venue. It’s not just for kids: an upscale menu in a signatur e dining room is at the center of it all. $$ p h ✿ JOE HUBER FAMILY FARM & RESTAURANT 2421 Scottsville Rd., Starlight IN, 923-5255. A pleasant 20-minute drive from downtown Louisville, Huber’s has built a solid reputation for simple farm fare that’s well-made, fresh and good. Some of the pr oduce is grown on the premises in season. $$ p f e MY OLD KENTUCKY DINNER TRAIN 602 N. Third St., Bardstown, KY, (502) 348-7300. T alk about a nostalgia trip: My Old Kentucky Dinner T rain offers a four-course meal during a two-hour voyage along scenic Kentucky railr oad tracks near Bardstown in vintage 1940s-era dining cars. Reservations are strongly recommended. $$$$ p ✿ STUMLER RESTAURANT & ORCHARD 10924 St. John’s Rd., Starlight, IN, 923-3832. Fr esh produce is available in the big shed a few steps away , and that fresh produce shows up on the tables her e in mammoth por tions. Combine that with honest fried chicken, big ham steaks, r oast beef, and sandwiches, and you can’t go wrong. $$ f ✿ 66 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

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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 REST AURANT 3731 Old Bar dstown Rd., 451-5454. This small Buechel eater y 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 Str om 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, 9239805. A favorite Hoosier pizza and sandwich stop.

Insist on getting the Deluxe. $ ✿ BEARNO’S PIZZA (13 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 & CL YDE’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. $$ f ✿ BOOMBOZZ PIZZA & TAP HOUSE 1448 Bardstown Rd., 458-8889, 1315 Herr Ln., 394-0000. The Boombozz Pizza empire has expanded into a sit-down pizza and taphouse experience. The menu now extends into appetizers, sandwiches and pasta, and 21 craft beers can be quaffed at the frosted metal bar top (think your mother’ s old ice trays). The Herr Lane location is scheduled to open in March. $$ p f 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. $$ p f ✿ CHARLESTOWN PIZZA COMP ANY 850 Main St., Charlestown IN, 256-2699. This welcoming venue on Charlestown’s town squar e, a shor t trip upriver fr om Jeffersonville, is run by folks who learned their pizza and beer at New Albanian Brewing Company. That’s a fine pedigree, and it shows in impressive quality. $$ ✿ CICI’S PIZZA 470 New Albany Plaza, New Albany , IN., 944-4942, 3093 Br eckinridge Ln., 452-6700.

Serious bar gain-hunters will find Cici’ s culinar y offer har d to beat. This Dallas-based chain ser ves up all the pizza you can eat for only $3.99. $ ✿ CLIFTON’S PIZZA 2230 Frankfor t A ve., 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 gr own-up toppings like anchovies and artichoke hearts. $ f e h ✿ DANNY MAC’S P ASTA & PIZZA 1014 Clarks Ln., 635-7994. $ FAT DADDY’S PIZZA 10611 W. Manslick Rd., 3637551. $ h ✿ FAT JIMMY’S 2712 Frankfor t 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. $ ✿

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FROLIO’S PIZZA 3799 Poplar Level Rd., 456-1000.

Just ar ound the corner fr om 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. $$ f ✿ HOMETOWN PIZZA 11804 Shelbyville Rd., 2454555, La Grange Squar e Shopping Center , 2224444. Pasta dishes, hoagies, str omboli and cold beer ar e available, and so is the one-of-a-kind Bacon Cheeseburger pizza. $$ h ✿ IROQUOIS PIZZA 6614 Manslick Rd., 363-3211. $$ ✿ JOHNNY V’S 10509 Watterson Trail, 267-0900. $$ p f LITTLE CAESAR’S PIZZA 816 Kenwood Dr ., 3665599, 9017 Galene Dr ., 267-8600, 5622 Pr eston Hwy. 966-5800, 6714 Outer Loop, 966-3111, 12418 LaGrange Rd., 241-5445. This Detroit-based pizzeria chain lost market shar e 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. $$ h ✿ LOUISVILLE PIZZA CO. 3910 Ruckriegel Pkwy ., 267-1188. Also known as Chubby Ray’ s, this local pizzeria makes good, fr esh pizzas and ItalianAmerican sandwiches. $ p f h ✿ LUIGI’S 712 W. Main St., 589-0005. If you think one pizza is pretty much like another, you may not have sampled New Y ork City-style pizza, a tr eat that you’ll find on just about ever y str eet corner ther e, but only Luigi’s offers in its authentic form here. $ ✿ MA ZERELLAS 949 S. Indiana A ve., Sellersburg, IN, 246-9517. Pleasant family-run-for -family-fun establishments. Pizza, pasta, salads and subs served for lunch and dinner seven days a week. $ ✿ MR. GATTI’S 5600 S. Third St., 363-2211, 8594 Dixie Hwy., 935-0100, 3319 Bar dstown Rd., 451-0540, 1108 Lyndon Ln., 339-8338, 2247 S. Pr eston St., 635-6708, 4200 Outer Loop, 964-0920. This Austin-based chain was one of the first national pizzerias to r each Louisville in the 1970s, and quality ingredients — plus Gattiland playgr ounds for the kids — have made its crisp, thin-crust pizzas a popular draw for nearly 30 years. $$ ✿ 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 stor y. NABC combines the fine pies of Spor tstime Pizza with the pub formerly known as Rich O’ s. Publican Roger Baylor’s remarkable beer list, with mor e than 100 selections fr om ar ound 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 P ASTA & PIZZA 9010 Taylorsville Rd., 301-7700. This gr owing chain specializes in both thick Chicago-style and thin traditional pizza, plus an imposing list of 110 beers from around the world. $$ p f h ✿ ORIGINAL IMPELLIZZERI’S 1381 Bar dstown Rd., 454-2711, 4933 Brownsboro Rd. Impellizzeri’s pizza, a Louisville icon known and loved for its massive pies for a generation, has r eturned to the Highlands! Benny Impellizzeri’s latest venture is already attracting happy crowds to the quarters vacated by Alameda. $$$ 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 fr om quality ingredients in a straightforward style. $$ ✿ PAPA MURPHY’S PIZZA 291 N. Hubbards Ln., 8956363, 5016 Mudd Ln., 962-7272, 9501 Taylorsville Rd., 266-7000, 161 Outer Loop, 361-3444, 4607 Outer Loop, 964-7272, 12535 Shelbyville Rd., 253-

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9191, 6756 Bar dstown Rd., 239-8282, 1305 Veterans Pkwy ., Clarksville IN, 280-7272, 2221 State St., New Albany IN, 945-7272. $$ ✿ PERFETTO PIZZA 9910 Linn Station Rd., 426-4644.

This new place in the old Slice of NY space of f S. Hurstbourne Parkway carries on the New Y ork style tradition: pies by the slice, just like on Flatbush Avenue. Hand-tossed crust, all kinds of toppings, plus Italian sausage and meatball sandwiches. $$ ✿ PIZZA BY THE GUY 814 Lyndon Ln., 426-4044. This locally owned franchise, now in lar ger quar ters, wins its fans’ praise for extra spicy sauce and handtossed dough. $ h ✿

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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 stur dy, clay stone oven and hand-tossed with thinner crust where the ingredients go all the way to the edge. $$ PIZZA PLACE 2931 Richland Ave., 458-9700. $ h ✿ PIZZ-A-ROMA 1511 Bar dstown Rd., 290-6600. This family business has 40+ years of experience in Owensboro and Bowling Green, and has now opened a Louisville outlet for their family r ecipe pizzas, highly rated by Pizza Today magazine. $$ h ✿ PUCCINI’S SMILING TEETH 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 721-0170. A small but gr owing pizza chain based in Indianapolis opens its first Louisville pr operty on Shelbyville Road. Thin pizza by the slice and other Italian-American dishes ar e ser ved in an attractive setting that’s a cut above fast food. $$ ✿ ROCKY’S SUB PUB 715 W . Riverside Dr ., Jeffersonville IN, 282-3844. This longtime favorite earns its popularity with fine pizzas, a good selection of bottled beers and a select choice of Italian-American entrées and a view of the Louisville skyline that’s hard to beat. $ p f ✿ SICILIAN PIZZA & P ASTA 631 S. Four th St., 5898686. Ready for takeout or eat-in, this downtown storefront offers good, standard (not Sicilian) pizza and other familiar Italian-American dishes. $ h SIR DANO’S PIZZA P ARLOR 469 N. Indiana A ve., Sellersburg IN, 246-3346. $ f ✿ SNAPPY TOMA TO 10000 Br ownsboro Rd., 4126205, 13206 W. Hwy. 42, 228-9990. $$ h ✿

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SPINELLI’S PIZZERIA 614 Baxter A ve., 568-5665, 2929 Goose Cr eek Rd., 632-2832. This tiny storefront in the city’s nightclub zone offers a tasty option for the wide-eyed-late-at-night cr owd seeking good cheap eats; it’ s open until 5 am nightly from Wednesday through Saturday, offering Philadelphia specialties: Philly-style pizza and r eal Philly cheese steaks. Now ser ving at a second spot in the suburbs. $ f h ✿ TONI’S MORE THAN PIZZA 3213 Pr eston Hwy ., 634-5400. Friendly service and sizzling pies make this neighborhood pizzeria a favorite under any name. $$ ✿ TONY BOOMBOZZ 3334 Frankfort Ave., 896-9090, 12613 Taylorsville Rd., 261-0222. Boombozz wins praise for exceptionally high quality pizza and other quick Italian-style far e. Tony’s pizzas include both traditional pies and gourmet-style specialties that have won awards in national competition. $$ h ✿ TONY IMPELLIZZERI’S 108 Vieux Carre Dr., 429-0606.

The original Impellizzeri’ s Pizza is gone fr om the Highlands, but this decade-old strip-center stor efront near Hurstbourne houses br other Tony’s ventur e. If you like the massive, heavily loaded Impellizzeri pizza style, it’s a treat not to be missed. $$$$ ✿ TUBBY’S PIZZA 103 Quar termaster Cr t., Jef fersonville IN, 288-8870. Jef fersonville’s venerable quadrangle — it dates back to the Civil W ar — is the perfect setting for settling back over a pitcher of beer, a Hoosier -style pizza (sliced in squar es) and catching a game on one of the wall-mounted flatscreen TVs. $$ h

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VITO’S PIZZA 1919 S. Preston St., 634-1003. A little neighborhood pizza pub on the edge of Germantown has been ser ving up its signatur e pies to neighbors and commuters who pick up pies befor e they get on nearby I-65 to head home. $$ p f e h ✿ WICK’S PIZZA PARLOR 975 Baxter Ave., 458-1828, 2927 Goose Cr eek Rd., 327-9425, 12717 Shelbyville Rd., 213-9425, 10966 Dixie Hwy ., 995-4333, 225 State St., New Albany, IN, 945-9425. W ick’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 ar e straightforward, made with ample toppings. “The Big Wick” is a favorite. $ p h ✿ WINDY CITY PIZZERIA 2622 S. Fourth St., 636-3708.

Stuffed Chicago-style and crispy thin-crust pizzas offer whichever option a pizza lover desir es. $$ ZA’S PIZZA 1573 Bardstown Rd., 454-4544. $$

p✿

ZAHN’S PIZZERIA & PUB 201 Spring St., Jeffersonville, IN, 283-3663. A source of thin-crust, New York style pizzas, as well as sandwiches and calzones, in downtown Jef fersonville. Beer selection includes several local Louisville and Indiana craft brews. $$ p f h ✿

AMAZING GRACE WHOLE FOODS DELI 1133 Bardstown Rd., 485-1122. If you think “vegan” means only raw carr ots, bean spr outs, seeds and roots, think again. No animals wer e 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. $ ✿ 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, patr onize 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, 11201 Oscar Rd., 339-2908. The open flame at these counter-service diners pr ovide the next best thing to a family cookout. Sandwiches, fr esh salads, fruit cobblers and old-fashioned 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 Str eet and Muhammad Ail Boulevar d, Brian’s ser vices the downtown lunch cr owd with soup, salads, sandwiches and snacks. $ BURGER BOY 1450 S. Br ook, 635-7410. For a r eal slice of Louisville life, this weather ed greasy spoon at the corner of Brook and Burnett is the real thing.

Neighborhood denizens drink cof fee 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 , r ecovering from last night’s excesses. $ h BUTCHER’S BEST MEATS & DELI 9521 US Hwy. 42., 365-4650. This fully staf fed meat stor e in Pr ospect 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 P ALACIO 4010 Dupont Cir cle, 708-1818.

Serving lunch to workers in the Dupont ar ea five days a week. $ ✿ CALISTOGA AR TISAN 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 Ar tisan Sandwiches that some have likened to Panera Br ead. $ f ✿

p = FULL BAR

f = OUTDOOR DINING

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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 car toons earn a smile. Open for breakfast and lunch, it of fers a good selection of sandwiches, panini and wraps at budget prices. $ ✿ THE CHICAGO GYROS 2317 Brownsboro Rd., 8953270. $ f e ✿ CONEZ & CONEYZ 2716 1/2 Frankfor t A ve., 8977222. As the name suggests, this new place in the former Café Glacé space is about ice cr eam (“conez”) and hot dogs (“coneyz,” a bit mor e of a stretch). The selection includes hot dogs and sausages, soft-serve cones and other desserts. A few small tables, but mostly takeaway ser vice. $ f h 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. $ ✿ DERBY CITY DOGS 960 Baxter Ave., 561-2880. This walk-up hot-dog stor efront ser ves Nathan’s brand all beef hot dogs with gourmet style toppings, bratwurst, corn dogs, veggie dogs, side dishes, ice cream and smoothies — they’ll even give your r eal doggie a tr eat if she’ s along with you. Catering to the nightclub cr owd, it’s open until 5 a.m. on the weekends. $ f h ✿ DEVINO’S 104 W. Main St., 569-3939. This stylish deli of fers another lunch and dinner option downtown. Sandwiches ar e made fr om 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 DINO’S DOWN TO LUNCH CAFÉ 239 S Fifth St. (Kentucky Home Life Building) 585-2874. $ ✿ DIZZY WHIZZ DRIVE-IN 217 W. St. Catherine St., 583-3828. This neighbor hood eatery is an institution. It goes back mor e 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 BAGELCA TESSEN 980 Br eckenridge Ln., 893-3354, 2415 Lime Kiln Ln., 426-3354.

This convenient deli specializes in bagels, as the name implies. Br eakfast means fr esh 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. Jef ferson St., (Hyatt Regency) 217-6046. Nothing beats a bagel and a schmear of cr eam cheese — unless it’s a bagel, a schmear , and a gener ous 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 Br eckenridge Ln., 8961899. The grilled salmon bur ger is worth the visit, as well as the Triple Crown wrap with thr ee meats or a fr esh veggie wrap. Soups, desser ts top of f 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 fr om 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. $ ✿ HONEYBAKED CAFÉ 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 8956001, 6423 Bar dstown Rd., 239-9292, 3602 Northgate Crt., New Albany, IN, 941-9426. $ JASON’S DELI 410 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 412-4101, 4600 Shelbyville Plaza, 896-0150, 1975 S. Hurstbourne

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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 ✿ JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS AND SALADS 10266 Shelbyville Rd., 244-1991, 10519 Fischer Park Dr., 425-1025, 9156 T aylorsville Rd., 499-9830.

East Coast-style sub shop with local faves that includes cheese, ham, pr osciuttini, capicola, salami, pepperoni and fixings. $ ✿ JIMMY JOHN’S SUB SHOP 967 Baxter Ave., 587-0550, 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 Cr ossing W ay, New Albany, In. 725-8580. This national sandwich-shop chain offers a wide selection of over stuffed subs that benefit from fresh quality ingr edients. But what sets them apart from the r est 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 sandwich shop will featur e healthful choices for lunch. $ ✿ LIL’ LOAFERS BAKER Y 8522 Pr eston Hwy ., 9693990. For years, hair dresser Sheryl Lukenbill used to bake banana br eads and other tr eats as gifts for her customers. Her goodies wer e so popular that now Sheryl and her husband Paul have gone fulltime with Lil’ Loafers Bakery. $ ✿ LITTLE CHEF 147 E. Market St., New Albany IN, 949-7567. Ever y 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 bur gers, in a joint that seems like a thr owback to the hear tland of America, circa 1940. $ ✿ LONNIE’S BEST T ASTE OF CHICAGO 121 St. Matthews Ave., 895-2380, 1034 Bardstown Rd., 4512965. 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 P ASTA 3717 Lexington Rd., 896-6361. A Louisville pioneer in gourmet cheeses, oils, dips, hummus and, of course, pasta. They ar e mainly an eclectic specialty-food stor e but fans stand thr eedeep 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 pr epares its shar e of the soups, salads and sandwiches that the downtown workforce needs to re-energize. $ f MAIN EA TERY 643 W. Main St., 589-3354. Smack dab in the middle of the Main Str eet historic district, this fashionable deli lur es 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 Bar dstown Rd., 239-9997, 12911 Shelbyville Rd., 244-5133, 1305 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 282-3354, 1200 S. Floyd St. (U of L), 825-2285. Emphasizing quality customer ser vice, this delicatessen ladles up such soups as gumbo and chicken tor tilla along with cutting boar d 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 Kar em Deeb’s after its longtime previous owner. Mostly for takeout — it packs in a few cr owded tables — it’ s known for high-quality, hand-made deli far e. A second location is now open in the YMCA downtown. $ ✿

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NANCY’S BAGEL BOX 651 S. Fourth St., 589-4004.

An outpost of Nancy’ s Bagel Gr ounds in Clifton, this new 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 Frankfor t Ave., 895-8323. A friendly and casual neighbor hood gathering spot. Of ferings include soups, snacks, coffee drinks and bagels made on the pr emises to its own rather idiosyncratic formula. $ f ✿ OLLIE’S TROLLEY 978 S. Thir d 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 sur viving tr olleys of the Louisvillebased chain that spr ead acr oss the nation in the ’70s. Oversize bur gers with a spicy , homemade flavor are just as good as ever. $ ORDERS UP CAFÉ & DELI 1981 Nelson Miller Pkwy., 245-5991. Quick and casual, Or ders Up of fers the inviting atmospher e of dr opping in to someone’ s home for lunch. Soups salads and fr eshly made sandwiches ar e 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., 635-9164, 1040 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 288-9400, 400 W . Market St., 540-5250.

Warm breads finish-baked on the pr emises make a tasty base for a variety of sandwiches. Soups, salads, coffee drinks and a fr ee W iFi hotspot make Panera’s outlets popular gathering places. $ f ✿ PAUL’S FRUIT MARKET 3922 Chenoweth Sq., 8968918, 4946 Br ownsboro Rd., 426-5059, 12119 Shelbyville Rd., 253-0072, 3704 T aylorsville Rd., 456-4750. One of Louisville’ s popular sour ces for produce, cheeses, deli items, and the like. Deli sandwiches and salads are available (takeout only). $ ✿ PENN ST ATION (17 Locations). Billed as the East Coast Sub Headquarters, this sandwich kitchen does a brisk business here in the Louisville area. $ ✿ QUIZNO’S SUBS (12 locations) Toasted breads, a sandwich selection of meats, veggies and fish are built to fight hunger. Fresh soups ar e available daily, from chili to chowder; so are salads and desserts. $ ✿ RED’S 514 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 587-7337. Acr oss from Louisville Gar dens, “Red” has thor oughly refurbished the former Picnicaters into a spotless “hot-daug stand” of fering 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 of fered 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 far e, with one significant improvement on the traditional deli: the servers are invariably polite. $ f ✿ SHADY LANE CAFÉ 4806 Brownsboro Center, 8935118. Another attractive East End stor efront, Shady Lane Café, has been earning good r eviews for simple br eakfast and lunch far e ser ved in friendly surroundings. $ ✿ SOUPY’S 3019 Br eckenridge Ln., 451-5325. In the soup kettles you will find such classics as cheesy potato, bean and ham, br occoli and cheese, chicken and dumplings and mor e. 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. $ ✿ 70 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

STEVENS & STEVENS 1114 Bar dstown Rd., 5843354. This authentic New Y ork-style deli occupies the rear third of the Ditto’s space in the hear t of the Highlands. T ake 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 ST ATION II 3101 Fern V alley Rd., 964-1075.

The har dy No. 19, a six-meat-and-cheese super sub, keeps the stor e buzzing. An array of sandwiches, salad sides and desser ts 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 367-8394. $

5103 S. Thir d St.,

W.W. COUSINS REST AURANT 900 Dupont Rd., 897-9684. This locally owned and operated eater y 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 Metr opolitan Museum of toppings. $ ✿ WALL ST. DELI 225 Abraham Flexner W ay (Jewish Hospital) 585-4202. Of fering New York style with Kentucky flair, this busy downtown deli will ser ve in-house diners or take or ders for deliveries.

Authentic Nathan’s Hot Dogs are a specialty. $ ✿

BOOTLEG BARBECUE COMPANY 9704 Bardstown Rd., 239-2722, 7508 Pr eston Hwy ., 968-5657.

Bootleg Barbecue of fers a touch of rusticity and a good helping of country hospitality, as it dishes out hearty por tions of well-pr epared and af fordable smoked meats and fixin’s. It’s one of the few places in Louisville where you can get Western Kentuckystyle mutton barbecue. $ f BRANDON’S BAR-B-QUE 9901 LaGrange Rd., 4266666. Featuring hickor y-smoked T ennessee-style barbecue sandwiches and filling, affordable dinners. $ CLARK BOY BAR-B-Q 6728 Johnsontown Rd., 9335577. If it’ s a little of f the beaten path, ther e’s nothing the matter with that. Clark Boy’ s r easonably priced W estern Kentucky-style barbecue is well worth a special trip. Like many mom ’n’ pop eateries, it accepts cash only, no plastic. $ FAMOUS DA VE’S BAR-B-QUE 8605 Citadel W ay, 493-2812, 1360 V eterans Pkwy ., Clarksville, IN, 282-3283. This franchise chain operation may be based in the twin cities, but it looks like a Geor gia gas station with its exuberant, if tongue-in-cheek faux country decor. The impor tant 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 fir e departments in its r estaurant’s decor . The barbecue and countr y fixin’s stand comparison to the best firehouse cuisine. $ f FRANKFORT AVENUE BEER DEPOT 3204 Frankfort Ave., 895-3223, 1202 Bar dstown Rd. 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 wor th taking home. Soon to open a second venue in the old NV Bar Grill (next to the W ine Market) on Bardstown Road. $ p f h RED = ADVERTISER

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 pr emises, 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 T exas-style barbecue fr om a little wooden shack that looks just like a countr y BBQ joint should. Highly recommended. $$ f KENTUCKY BBQ CO. 1800 Frankfort Ave., 895-3419.

Brothers Dave and Gr eg Kastan offer first-rate ribs and smoked meats in this older Clifton venue.

Theme dinners once a month explor e the wider world of the barbecue tradition. $$ p f MARK’S FEED STORE 11422 Shelbyville Rd., 2440140, 1514 Bar dstown Rd., 458-1570, 10316 Dixie Hwy., 933-7707, 3827 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 285-1998. Mark Er win star ted this chain in an old Hancock’ s Feed Stor e. T oday, Mark’ s r outinely takes local honors for its sauces, sandwiches and its meaty baby-back ribs. And don’ t miss the smoked take-home turkeys at Thanksgiving. $$ f OLE HICKORY PIT BAR-B-QUE 6106 Shepherdsville Rd., 968-0585. Located in an attractive house not far fr om General Electric’ s Appliance Park, this Louisville r elative of a famous W estern 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 fixtur e, now of fers its smoky T exas 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 of f 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 car te and dinners. The small East End venue moves a lot of pizzas and salads as well. $$ p SHACK IN THE BACK BBQ 406 Mt. Holly Rd., 3633227. $ f e SHANE’S RIB SHACK 12420 Lime Kiln Ln., 4293907. “Rib” may be its middle name, but you can also fill up on wings, chicken tenders, sandwiches and more at this growing Atlanta-based chain, now open in this former Tijuana Flats facility. $$ f h SMOKETOWN USA 1153 Logan St., 409-9180. The name “Smoketown” does double-duty at this T exMex storefront just east of Old Louisville in the the Smoketown neighbor hood. Ribs ar e 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 pr operty of Orlando’ s Dar den fastfood chain, which also runs Olive Gar den and Red Lobster, this noisy Stony Brook-area eatery conveys more of a spor ts-bar than barbecue concept, but the ribs are fine. $$ p TONY ROMA ’S 150 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 3278500. From the tomato tang to a smoky Blue Ridge savor, Roma’s advertises its ribs as the best dr essed in town. Bur gers, chicken and steaks ar e available as well, but we r ecommend the racks and baby backs of pork and beef. $$$ p VINCE STATEN’S OLD TIME BARBEQUE 13306 W. U.S. 42, 228-7427. Author Vince Staten, who literally wrote the book on barbecue (Real Barbecue), has moved on, but his name remains on this neighborhood joint out the road in Oldham County. $

p = FULL BAR

f = OUTDOOR DINING

e = LIVE MUSIC

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BEEF O’BRADY’S 239 Blankenbaker Pkwy., 2542322, 5628 Bar dstown Rd., 239-2226, 10000 Brownsboro Rd., 327-5496, 3101 S. Second St., 637-3737, 105 LaFollette, 923-1316, 1450 Veterans Pkwy., Jeffersonville, IN, 285-9464. 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 spor ts pub,” of fering a wholesome environment. $ h BIG AL’S BEERITAVILLE 1715 Mellwood Ave., 8934487. Good people, good food, cold beer: The sign out fr ont says it all, and we might add “cool atmosphere” in praise of this small but friendly Butchertown oasis. $ p f e 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 Bar dstown Rd., 454-3635, 1112 V eterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 283-9464. As much a sports bar as a r estaurant, this national franchise chain offers tasty snack-type far e, including the chain’ s trademark Buffalo chicken wings. $$ p f h BUFFALO WINGS & RINGS 2610 Chamberlain Ln., 243-4464, 6501 Bardstown Rd., 239-0029. $ p f h CHAMPIONS SPOR TS REST AURANT 280 W. Jefferson St. (Louisville Marriott), 671-4246.

Another popular option at the striking new downtown Marriott, Champions pr ovides a fun, casual dining alternative with a Kentucky sports theme — and a galler y of big-scr een televisions to keep the sports action flowing as fr eely as the libations and upscale pub grub. $$ p f h CONNOR’S PLACE / MARKET STREET FISH HOUSE 132 E. Market St., New Albany , IN, 725-7055.

Hoosier Restaurateur Dave Himmel has mer ged Connor’s Place with the Market Str eet Fish House, retaining the casually upscale mood and food that he made a trademark and expanding his menu with pizza, subs and other casual fare. $ p f e h DELTA RESTAURANT 434 W. Market St., 584-0860.

It’s not quite as historic as Gideon Shr yock’s Jefferson County Cour thouse ar ound the corner , but this popular bar and shor t-order spot seems as if it has been a hangout for lawyers and the courthouse crowd for just about as long as ther e’s been a Courthouse. $ p ✿ DIAMOND PUB & BILLIARDS 3814 Frankfort Ave., 895-7513. $ p f h ✿ FLANAGAN’S ALE HOUSE 934 Baxter A ve., 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 ser vice featuring spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and chicken attract a hungry lunch cr owd 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 W ichita, Kansas-based chain, Fox & Hound features a “mid-casual” menu with burgers, pizza, chicken and pot roast, in a large venue with plenty of billiar d 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 secondar y to booze and sports her e, the food goes well beyond mer e 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 stur dy redbrick tavern just nor th of

h = LATE NIGHT

the university campus of fers a good variety of bar munchies, sandwiches and simple grilled far e plus pizza. It’ s per haps best known, though, for the signature Granville Bur ger, widely r eputed as one of the best burgers in town. $ GREAT AMERICAN GRILL 2735 Crittenden Dr. (Hilton), 637-2424. Located in the Louisville International Airpor t Hilton. Salads, bur gers, pastas and sandwiches ar e available for the casual diner; main entrées include New York strip, filet of salmon and more. $ p f HARLOW’S BAR AND GRILL 2787 S. Floyd St., 6371788. If you can’ t get into Papa John’ s Stadium nearby, hunker down with satisfying bar food and drinks, either at the sprawling bar or on the patio in good weather and keep on eye on the games on the tube. $ p f e h HITCHING POST INN 7314 Fegenbush Ln., 2394724. In addition to its full bar and beer gar den, and lively conversation, the Hitching Post Inn offers an array of pub grub, including bur gers, chicken tenders, and sandwiches. $ p h HOOPS GRILL AND SPORTS BAR 6733 Strawberry Ln., 375-4667. The name says it all: spor ts, casual dining and good things to drink all find their natural meeting place at this friendly neighborhood spot wher e hot wings and hoops r eign supreme. $ p f h ✿ INDIGO JOE’S SPOR TS PUB & REST AURANT 1321 Herr Ln., 423-1633. Louisville’ s first outpost of a growing Los Angeles-based chain, Indigo Joe’ s is a family-friendly American-style spor ts bar . It features large portions and 44 flat-screen televisions, with speakers on the tables so diners can tune in the sporting event of their choice. $$ p f JERSEY’S CAFÉ 1515 L ynch Ln., Clarksville, IN, 288-2100. Quality, af fordable far e that goes well beyond pub grub to include an awesome smokehouse bur ger and barbecued ribs so tender , they say, that you can just tap the end of the bone on your plate, and the meat falls of f. $ p e h ✿ JOHN O’BRYAN’S TAVERN 4123 Flintlock Dr., 4494940. $ THE LIGHTHOUSE 202 Main St., Jef fersonville, IN, 283-0077. This lighthouse has been a beacon of casual, home cooking and tavern envir onment for years. Daily specials, appetizers, chicken and fish baskets, salads and desserts round out the menu. $ ✿ MAIN ST. TAVERN 122 W. Main St., 384-0151. Longstanding blues bar Zena’ s closed, but fans wer e relieved when the funky downtown space was reopened by the owners of Amici in Old Louisville, who continue to of fer great music and even better bar food. $ p e h MICHAEL MURPHY’S RESTAURANT 701 S. First St., 587-0013. This full ser vice restaurant and bar has accommodated hardy thirsts and appetites for a couple of generations. Despite the Irish appeal, the food is American and lots of it. $ p NEW DIRECTION BAR & GRILL 2630 Chamberlain Ln., 243-8429. $ p e h ROOTIE’S SPORTS BAR & GRILLE 12205 Westport Rd., 365-4681. The first entry of the Buf falo-based chain to open in the ar ea. Rootie’s angle is char coalgrilled wings with a thick, hickory-smoked spicy sauce. $ p f h SAINT’S 131 Breckinridge Ln., 891-8883. Almost like two r estaurants in one, Saints featur es both a small, intimate, candle-lighted r oom and a lar ger, happily boister ous main r oom with the look and feel of a sports bar. $$ p e h ✿ SERGIO’S WORLD BEERS 1605 Story Ave., 618-2337.

Sergio built up a loyal following in his Shelbyville location, so that may account for the stealth pr esence he has established in his new Butcher town digs: minimal signage, a quirky W eb site, an aura of

✿ = VEGETARIAN MENU ITEMS

= MENU AVAILABLE ON-LINE ONLY

www.foodanddine.com Spring 2010 71

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haughty mystery. If you can locate the place, it almost seems as if you need a secr et word to enter. What you really need is a desir e to explor e Sergio’s world beer inventory, nearing 1000 different brews. $$ h ✿ SLAMMER’S SPOR TS BAR & GRILL 2800 Crums Ln., 618-3588. A kid-friendly spor ts bar , with 20 large flat scr eens and one huge (110-inch) one.

Expect a reasonably-priced pub menu (ribs, burgers, sandwiches) and plenty of opportunity to drink beer while catching any game you want. $ p f e h SONNY’S ISLAND GRILL & THE BAMBOO LOUNGE 100 W . Riverside Dr ., Jef fersonville, IN, 282-2500.

Take an island vacation just acr oss the river. The chef of this new river fr ont r estaurant hails fr om Hawaii, and plans a fresh seafood option each weekend. Above the first floor grill the Bamboo Lounge pr ovides couches, a pool table, TVs and live music. $$ p f e h THE SPORTING NEWS GRILL6551 Paramont Park Dr. (Holiday Inn), 966-0000. Just what you want in a sports bar: seven 52-inch scr eens, subscriptions to all the pr o and college spor ts networks, and hear ty appetizers, Angus burgers, steaks, shrimp and salmon. $$$ p f h ✿ THE SPORTS & SOCIAL CLUB 427 S. Four th St., 568-1400. Replacing Lucky Strike in 4th Street Live, 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 r oom.” Chow down with the usual burgers, sandwiches and wings. $$ p h ✿ STEINERT’S 401 E. Main St., New Albany , IN, 9458827. The name has been on the Southern Indiana restaurant/bar scene since 1880. The newest incarnation, amid the booming New Albany Main Street ar ea, featur es family-style dining until 9 p.m., in a r oom adjoining the bar, with live music, open-mic nights and other late-evening enter tainment. $ p e h STUDIO’S GRILLE & PUB 207 E. Main St., New Albany, IN, 590-3171. Add Studio’ s to the downtown New Albany Renaissance. T rish Meyer’s fine dining r oom and bar of fers an historic envir onment, a stylish outdoor cour tyard and a galler y of local art. $$ p f h SULLY’S SALOON 434 S. Four th St., (Four th Street Live) 585-4100. $$ p f h THE SWAN DIVE 921 Swan St., 632-1299. A longtime Germantown hangout has been r eincarnated as an all-vegetarian hipster bar and grill.

“Meatloaf,” Philly “cheesesteaks,” and “Fr ench dip sandwiches” all have been r eframed meat-fr ee.

They also of fer a solid craft beer selection and eclectic entertainment on weekends. $$ p e h ✿ THE BACK DOOR 1250 Bar dstown Rd., 451-0659.

Longtime owners John Dant and Mike Ewing ar e known for running one of the city’s friendliest pubs at this Mid-City Mall saloon. Limited bar far e, but don’t miss the chicken wings. $ p f h TURKEY JOE’S 2809 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 3279464. Turkey Joe’s advertises “Wings, Burgers and More,” but hot wings are the specialty, and you can take your pick of chicken, turkey or boneless chicken pr epared by a Sullivan-trained chef in a comfortable sports-bar setting. $ p h VIC’S CAFÉ 1839 E. Market St., New Albany, IN, 9444338. $ ZANZABAR 2100 S. Preston St., 635-9227. An icon of the ’70’s bar scene, the Zbar has resurrected itself at its original location in Germantown. The stylish tile front has been r ecreated anew, the steam table will dish up comfor t food by day and live music and pub grub will satisfy oldtimers and the newly hip late into the night. $ p f h ✿

BANK STREET BREWHOUSE 415 Bank St., New Albany, IN, 725-9585. W ith long-time Le Relais 72 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

sous-chef Joshua Lehman at the helm, the food focus of this of fshoot of F&D columnist Roger Baylor’s New Albanian br ewing empir e 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 ✿

CHINA BUFFET 706 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy ., Clarksville, IN, 288-8989. Chinese buf fets ar e 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 genr e. $ ✿

BLUEGRASS BREWING COMP ANY 3929 Shelbyville Rd., 899-7070, 636 E. Main St., 584-2739, 2 Theater Square, 568-2224. A must-stop destination for beer lovers on the national ar tisanal-brew trail, but it’ s mor e than just a br ewpub. BBC’ s management gives equally serious attention to both liquid and solid far e, making this a gr eat place to stop in for both dinner and a beer . $ p f e ✿

CHINA CASTLE 7420 Third Street Rd., 367-4272. $ ✿

BROWNING’S BREWER Y 401 E. Main St., (see listing under Bistros) CUMBERLAND BREWS 1576 Bar dstown Rd., 4588727. Giving new meaning to the term “micr obrewery,” Cumberland Br ews 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)

CHINA CAFÉ 8625 Preston Hwy., 968-7450. $ ✿ CHINA GARDEN 7309 Pr eston 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. $ ✿ CHINA KING 3830 Ruckriegel Pkwy., 240-0500. $ ✿ CHINA TASTE 135 Quar termaster Ct., Jef fersonville, IN, 284-5580. $ ✿ CHINESE CHEF 2619 S. Fourth St., 634-0979. $ ✿ CHINESE EXPRESS 3228 Crums Ln., 448-1360. $ ✿ CHONG GARDEN 10341 Dixie Hwy., 935-1628. $ ✿ CHOPSTICKS 416 E. Broadway, 589-9145. $ ✿ CHOPSTICKS HOUSE 2112 W. Broadway, 772-3231. $ ✿ CHUNG KING CHINESE AMERICAN REST AURANT 110 E. Market St., 584-8880. $ ✿

CHEZ SENEBA AFRICAN REST AURANT 4218 Bishop Ln., 473-8959. Offering another interesting ethnic cuisine to Louisville’ s international dining scene, with gener ous por tions of spicy Senegalese cuisine from West Africa. $ 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 far e 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 her d of all-you-can-eat Chinese buf fets, this 350 seat eater y 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, 1305 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 285-8888, 3646 Mall Rd., 479-9989. Competent cookery and car eful management that ensur es buffet of ferings stay fr esh and hot makes these buffets a good choice among the gr owing 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 secr et ingr edient is the culinar y 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 r ear affords a pleasant alfresco dining experience. $$$ p f ✿

CRYSTAL CHINESE 3901 W. Market St., 776-9702. $ ✿ DOUBLE DRAGON 1255 Goss A ve., 635-5656, 2600 W. Broadway, 778-2573. A standout among fast-food shopping-center Chinese eateries, Double Dragon hits on all cylinders, t urning 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. $ ✿ 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 buf fet in a chic East End shopping strip, of fers a good range of Chinese treats on its all-you-can-eat buf fet. The far e seems prepared with attention and care. $ ✿ DYNASTY BUFFET 2400 Lime Kiln Ln., 339-8868.

The continuing pr oliferation of look alike, taste alike, all-you-can-eat Chinese buf fets never fails to amaze me. But I’m happy to r eport that Dynasty Buffet ranks well above the median. $$ ✿ EASTERN HOUSE 5372 Dixie Hwy., 568-2688. $ ✿ EGGROLL MACHINE 1543 Bar dstown Rd., 4591259. The Chinese side of the menu at Café Mimosa is pr esented as The Egg Roll Machine, as opposed to the V ietnamese dishes on the fine dining Mimosa menu. All the expected Chinese favorites are here, including combination platters. $ph✿ EMPEROR OF CHINA 2210 Holiday Manor Shopping Center, 426-1717. One of Louisville’ s fanciest and most notewor thy Chinese restaurants, the Emper or’s quar ters ar e stylishly str ewn acr oss 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 ✿

BAMBOO HOUSE 4036 Poplar Level Rd., 451-3113.

An old-timer among local Chinese restaurants, this Southeastern Louisville spot may not of fer the trendiest Asian fare, but it’s a reliable source for the familiar Cantonese-American standards. $ ✿

FIRST WOK 3967 Seventh St. Rd., 448-0588. $ ✿

CHINA 1 123 Breckinridge Ln., 897-6511. $ ✿

GOLDEN STAR CHINESE RESTAURANT 368-1833, 3458 Taylor Blvd. $ ✿

RED = ADVERTISER

GOLDEN BUDDHA 8000 Preston Hwy., 968-7700. $ ✿ GOLDEN P ALACE BUFFET 161 Outer Loop, 3682868. $ ✿

p = FULL BAR

f = OUTDOOR DINING

e = LIVE MUSIC

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area. This establishment is quite good with Lo Mein Noodles, and Sweet and Sour Chicken. $ ✿

GOLDEN WALL 3201 Fern Valley Rd., 968-9717. $ ✿ GREAT WALL 2206 Brownsboro Rd., 891-8881. This Clifton r estaurant ranks high up in the fast-food Chinese pack. Offering steaming-hot, competently prepared and flavorful dishes. $ ✿ GREAT WOK 2502 Pr eston Hwy ., 634-1918. Just about ever y shopping center in town has a fastfood Chinese spot, but this one stands out, generating a buzz of wor d-of-mouth publicity about its well-crafted Chinese dishes at a bar gainbasement price. $ ✿ HAPPY CHINA 9106 Taylorsville Rd., 493-1001. $ ✿ HONG KONG CHINESE REST AURANT 345 New Albany Plaza, New Albany, IN., 945-1818. $ ✿ HONG KONG F AST FOOD 5312 S. Thir d St., 3678828. One of the many international eateries in Iroquois Manor, this fast-food Chinese spot of fers Cantonese standar ds hot and fast and inexpensively. Check the daily specials for an occasional intriguing item. $ ✿ HUNAN WOK 231-0393, 6445 Bardstown Rd. $ ✿ JADE GARDEN BUFFET 1971 Brownsboro Rd., 8930822. Y et another lar ge, shiny , all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet featuring mostly Chinese dishes with a few American-style items and sushi r olls. $ ✿ 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 thr ough Monday, when it of fers the metr o ar ea’s only dim sum (Chinese brunch) menu. $$ p ✿ JASMINE 13823 English V illa Dr ., 244-8896. A charming Asian eater y, wher e you can enjoy familiar Chinese-American plates or indulge your more adventur ous side with a selection of mor e unusual authentic dishes fr om the “Chinese Menu,” available on request. $ f ✿ JUMBO BUFFET 2731 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 4950028. Housed in a good-looking dining room, high on Chinatown-style glitz and glitter, Jumbo offers a standard all-you-can-eat Chinese buf fet, with a larger-than-average selection of American dishes for those who want something less exotic. $$ ✿

PANDA CHINESE REST AURANT 9543 U.S. 42., 228-6400. $ ✿ QUICK WOK 801 W. Broadway, 584-6519. $ ✿ RED PEPPER CHINESE CUISINE 2901 Brownsboro Rd., 891-8868. W ith a skilled Sichuanese chef who’s owned a r estaurant in Chicago’s Chinatown and cooked at Chinese embassies ar ound the world, Red Pepper starts out in the top tier of local Chinese r estaurants. Chinese-American standar ds are well done, but we r ecommend the authentic Chinese menu, which is available in English $ ✿ RED SUN CHINESE RESTAURANT 499-7788, 3437 Breckinridge Ln. $ ✿

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 color ful and stylish. It of fers an intriguing array of appealing noodle and rice dishes from all over Asia with fast-food ef ficiency and prices happily matched by sit-down r estaurant 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. $ ✿

ROYAL GARDEN 5729 Pr eston Hwy ., 969-3788, 5316 Bardstown Rd., 491-8228. $ ✿ SESAME CHINESE RESTAURANT 9409 Shelbyville Rd., 339-7000. Not just another shopping-center Chinese r estaurant, this East End eatery has provided some of the best fine-dining Chinese meals I’ve enjoyed in Louisville. $$ p ✿ SHANGHAI RESTAURANT 526 S. Fifth St. 568-8833. $ SICHUAN GARDEN 9850 Linn Station Rd., 4266767. Another Asian r estaurant that has stood the test of time, Sichuan Gar den of fers high-end Chinatown style and well-made dishes, plus a few Thai specialties to spice up the bill of far e. $ ✿ TEA ST ATION CHINESE BISTRO 9422 Nor ton Commons Blvd., 423-1202. This comfor table, sitdown Chinese r estaurant owned and operated by Paul and Amy Y ang joins the small but gr owing cluster of businesses in the Nor ton Commons village center. $$ f ✿ UMAI ZUSHI BUFFET 3710 Chamberlain Ln., 3298181. $ ✿ WOK EXPRESS 234 W. Broadway, 583-8988. $ ✿

SARI SARI FILIPINO CUISINE 2339 Frankfort Ave., 894-0585. The city’ s sole Filipino eatery of fers a tasty introduction to the Malayo-Polynesian far e of this Southeast Asian island nation. Filipino dishes are af fordable during the dinner hour and downright cheap on the lunch buf fet. $

ASAHI JAP ANESE 3701 Lexington Rd., 895-1130.

This small r oom in a new St. Matthews building houses this neighborhood sushi spot where awardwinning Chef Y ong Bong T ak, formerly of Osaka, works his magic at the sushi bar. $ ✿ BEIJING GRILL AND SUSHI BAR Sellersburg IN, 248-0900. $ ✿

8007 Hwy . 311,

BENDOYA SUSHI BAR 217 S. Fifth St., 581-0700.

Adding international flair to its downtown neighborhood, Bendoya Sushi Bar is a genuine, serious sushi bar in a stor efront just across the street from the courthouse. $ ✿

KING WOK 291 N. Hubbar ds Ln., 899-7188.

Another of the city’ s many tiny shopping-center fast-food Chinese eateries, King W ok offers all the familiar standards plus a small lunch buf fet. $ ✿ LIANG’S CAFÉ 3571 Springhurst Blvd., 425-0188.

Genial host Roland W ong 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. $ ✿ 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 far e. $$ 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 with fr esh, competent cooker y and cour teous, friendly ser vice that makes you feel like you’r e visiting a Chinese family at their home. $$ ✿ NEW CHINA 231 Blankenbaker Pkwy., 254-9299. $ ✿ ONION REST AURANT 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 r estaurant 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 r estaurant, featuring both traditional Chinese-American and now , authentic Cantonese, menus. $ p ✿ ORIENTAL ST AR 4212 Bishop Ln., 452-9898. A long-time ar ea favorite in this heavy traf fic lunch

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CAVIAR JAPANESE RESTAURANT 416 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd., 625-3090.(See listing under Upscale Casual) CHOI’S ASIAN FOOD MARKET 607 L yndon Ln., 426-4441. This suburban Asian grocery now serves hot table fare to enjoy between shopping. $ ✿ DRAGON KING’S DAUGHTER 1126 Bar dstown Rd., 632-2444. T oki Masubuchi, co-owner of Maido Essential Japanese in Clifton, has opened a new venue at the corner of Bar dstown Road and Elmwood. The style of the menu will be international standar ds built on traditional Japanese ingredients, so look for unusual dishes such as pizza topped with sashimi, or tacos filled with avocado tempura. $ p f ✿ FUJI ASIAN BISTRO 6801 Dixie Hwy., 937-0488. $$ p ✿ FUJI JAP ANESE 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 or der, then sit back and sip your tea while the ar tist creates edible delights. This suburban sushi bar does the job well. $$ p ✿ HANABI JAPANESE RESTAURANT 6027 Timber Ridge Dr., 228-8244. A hospitable welcome, casual setting, and well-fashioned sushi and Japanese specialties have made this family run Pr ospect spot a wor thy alternative in the East End dining scene. $$ p ✿ HIKO A MON SUSHI BAR 1115 Herr Ln., 365-1651.

Japanese-trained sushi chef Norihiko Nakanashi has earned quite a local following at Shogun. Now he brings his sushi knives to this sushi bar and Japanese grill in W estport V illage. In addition to fine dining at the bar or in traditional Japanese dining rooms, Hiko A Mon of fers sushi-grade fish from a small fish market. $$$ p ✿ ICHIBAN SAMURAI 1510 Lake Shor e 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 of fer lasts: All-you-can-eat sushi nightly until the karaoke starts at 9 p.m. $$$ p ✿ KANSAI JAP ANESE STEAKHOUSE 1370 V eterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 218-9238. T raditional Japanese dishes and sushi ar e available her e, but like most Japanese Steakhouses, choose the grill tables with their slice-and-dice Japanese chef show for maximum entertainment. $$$ p ✿ KOBE STEAK HOUSE 301 S. Indiana Ave., Jeffersonville IN, 280-8500. Southern Indiana’s first serious Japanese r estaurant is drawing cr owds with its exceptional sushi bar, with skilled and friendly chefs who can be r elied on to fashion fr esh and tasty bites that are just about certain to please. $$$ p ✿ MAIDO ESSENTIAL JAP ANESE 1758 Frankfor t Ave., 894-8775. Not just another sushi bar , cool and stylish Maido is Louisville’ s first and only “izakaya”-style restaurant in the style of Kansai, the region surrounding Japan’s second city, Osaka. It’s also a sake bar, pouring a good variety of ar tisanal rice wine. $$ f ✿ MIKATO JAP ANESE STEAKHOUSE 3938 Dupont Circle, 891-0081. An upscale hibachi grillhouse in the popular r estaurant ring in the Br eckinridge Lane—Dupont Cir cle ar ea. Pleasant decor , entertaining grill chefs, fr esh sushi pr eparations, and sometimes glacial service. $$ p f h ✿ OASIS JAP ANESE REST AURANT 3311 Pr eston Hwy., 375-8766. Owners of downtown’ s Bendoya sushi r estaurant have opened this Japanese restaurant on Preston Highway. $$ 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 Sappor o, has been attracting raves from neighborhood sushi lovers. $$ ✿ 74 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

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, ser ving up sushi and other Japanese dishes in a bright and cheery envir onment to a loyal clientele. $$ ✿

SIMPLY THAI 318 W allace A ve., 899-9670. Owner Mahn Saing is Burmese; his wife, a classically trained chef, is Thai. They’ve beautifully made over this little St. Matthews spot, of fering a small menu of traditional Thai dishes, well-made sushi and a few upscale Thai-style “fusion” dinner items. $ f ✿

SAKE BLUE JAPANESE BISTRO 9326 Cedar Center Way, 708-1500. This welcome addition to the Fern Creek dining scene of fers the “full-ser vice” Japanese r estaurant experience of hibachi grill tables and sushi bar, along with a traditional dining room and cocktail bar. $$ p h ✿

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 atmospher e by hanging sheer white scrims that divvy the r oom up into ser ene little chambers. The menu of Thai specialties is small — just a dozen or so entrées — but nicely executed and beautifully presented. $ ✿

SAKURA BLUE 4600 Shelbyville Rd., 897-3600.

Located in elegant, upscale quar ters in a St. Matthews shopping center , Sakura Blue — dir ect descendant of the old, popular Bonsai — ranks among the city’s top sushi bars. $$ ✿ SAPPORO JAPANESE GRILL & SUSHI 1706 Bardstown Rd., 479-5550. Ensconced in the middle of Bardstown Road’ s “r estaurant r ow,” tr endy, glitzy Sapporo steadily ranks as one of the city’s top spots for sushi and Japanese far e. If fr esh, well-made sushi is what you ar e hungr y for , you can’ t go wrong with a stop at Sappor o’s bar. $$$ p h ✿ SHOGUN JAPANESE STEAK HOUSE 9026 Taylorsville Rd., 499-5700, 4110 Hampton Lake W ay, 3940123. Shogun’s decor is attractive, and quality food and ser vice 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. $$$ p ✿ TOKYO JAPANESE RESTAURANT 2415C Lime Kiln Ln., 339-7171. It’ s appealing, pleasant in atmosphere and friendly in ser vice, and most impor tant, this East End sushi bar ser ves excellent Japanese treats, pr epared with car e and flair fr om highquality, impeccably fresh ingredients. $$ ✿

KOREANA II 5009 Preston Hwy., 968-9686. One of the city’ s few r estaurants devoted entir ely to authentic Korean fare, Koreana is wor th a special trip for this ethnic cuisine that offers a hearty, spicy alternative to the more familiar Chinese. $$ ✿ LEE’S KOREAN REST AURANT 1941 Bishop Ln., 456-9714. This little spot has been a secr et since the ’70s, and it just keeps on going. Walk into what looks like a diner in an of fice building, but push past the counter to the back r oom, wher e you’ll find gener ous heaps of r eally authentic Kor ean food for next to nothing. $$ ✿

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. W arnock St., 409-5029.

Thirteenth Century Mongol warriors used to turn their steel shields to use as frying pans over the campfire, using their swor ds as spoons. Shah’ s carries their spirit for ward. This all-you-can-eat buffet is fun, and the food is fine. $$ p ✿

MAI’S THAI REST AURANT 1411 E. T enth St., Jeffersonville, IN, 282-0198. With a broad range of well-prepared and authentic Thai dishes, Mai’ s is the eater y to beat among the metr o ar ea’s Thai restaurants. For both authenticity and quality , it’s right up ther e with the top Thai places in New York, San Francisco and Seattle. $ ✿ RED = ADVERTISER

THAI CAFÉ 2226 Holiday Manor, 425-4815. You’ll find this small café tucked into a corner of the “Holiday Manor W alk.” Owner Chavantee Snow and her family of fer a small but well-pr epared selection of authentic Thai dishes at very reasonable prices. $ ✿ THAI ORCHIDS 9114 Taylorsville Rd. (Stony Br ook Shopping Center), 493-4073. This location has been known for good Thai r estaurants, and the short history of Thai Orchids shows that they have picked up the mantle, pr oviding Jef fersontownarea lovers of southeast Asian cuisine with excellent noodles and curries. $$ ✿ THAI SIAM 3002 Bardstown Rd., 458-6871. Louisville’s first Thai r estaurant, this Gar diner Lane spot has built a loyal audience over the years, per haps responding to its r egular visitors’ pr eferences with food that’s a bit on the tame side for Thai. $$ ✿ THAI SMILE 5 5800 Preston Hwy., 961-9018. Part of a regional mini-chain, Thai Smile 5 ser ves up simple but well-prepared Thai far e. Don’t ask for the fivechile-pepper heat unless you really mean it! $ ✿ THAI TASTE 1977 Br ownsboro Rd., 897-7682. The owner-host of this friendly, casual spot in Crescent Hill had a r estaurant in Bangkok befor e 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 r estaurants. 30 standar d Thai dishes (pad thai, curries, fried rice) priced under $10. $ ✿

ANNIE CAFÉ 308 W. W oodlawn, 363-4847. Annie Café ranks not just as one of the better Vietnamese restaurants, but one the city’ s best of any variety , particularly when value and price ar e taken into account. Authentic V ietnamese food is made with care and served with pride. $ ✿ CAFÉ MIMOSA 1543 Bar dstown Rd., 459-1259. A fire last winter gutted the former location to the walls, but r esourceful owner Phat Le r ecently reopened in the old Lentini’ s building and is once again ser ving his V ietnamese, Chinese and panAsian dishes to happy regulars. $ p h ✿ CAFÉ THUY VAN 5600 National Turnpike, 366-6959.

A bit of f the beaten track, this South End spot is true, authentic V ietnamese. Friendly ser vice overcomes any language barrier, and prices ar e hard to beat. Don’ t miss the Banh Mi, traditional Vietnamese sandwiches. $ ✿ LA QUE 1019 Bar dstown Rd., 238-3981. Replacing the original Lemongrass in the Highlands (which continues to operate its suburban pr operties), La Que offers a similar blend of Vietnamese and other Asian cuisine. $ f h ✿ LEMONGRASS CAFÉ 11606 Shelbyville Rd., 2447110, 106 Fairfax Ave., 893-7757. Lemongrass Café offers an appealing blend of V ietnamese, Thai and Chinese fare in a simple setting that transcends an obviously low budget with style and grace. $ h ✿ PHO BINH MINH 6709 Strawberry Ln., 375-9249.

Tiny and lovably cozy , this six-table South End

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spot is true authentic V ietnamese, and so ar e the proprietors. There’s some language barrier, but the owners are so friendly, and the food so good, that it’s worth the ef fort if you love r eal Asian far e and inexpensive prices. $ ✿ VIETNAM KITCHEN 5339 Mitscher Ave., 363-5154.

This little South End stor efront is well wor th seeking out. The chef goes beyond the or dinary, preparing authentic V ietnamese dishes of unusual subtlety and flavor. We have yet to be disappointed with the quality of the food or ser vice. $ ✿ ZEN GARDEN 2240 Frankfor t A ve., 895-9114.

Vegetarians with a philosophical bent have found a combination guru and den mother in Zen Garden’s owner Coco, who ser ves up sincer e and soulful Asian vegan dishes.$ f ✿

BOSNA-MAK 3825 Old Bar dstown 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 ✿

ERIKA’S GERMAN REST AURANT 9301 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy. 499-8822. For a city with a str ong German heritage, Louisville is woefully shor t on authentic German r estaurants, but this genuinely Germanic eatery attracts hungr y cr owds to Hurstbourne. Take care not to miss its former fastfood quarters just off I-64 local access ramp. $$ FLABBY’S SCHNITZELBURG 1101 L ydia St., 6379136. Family-owned since 1952, Flabby’ s is a quintessential Germantown saloon. It’s also one of the city’s top destinations for inexpensive downhome eats, fr om authentic German dishes to fantastic fried chicken on weekends. $ ✿ GASTHAUS 4812 Br ownsboro Center , 899-7177.

Michael and Annemarie Greipel came here with their five kids in 1993, straight fr om Nor th 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 r eal thing. $$$

BRENDAN’S RESTAURANT & PUB 3921 Shelbyville Rd., 895-1212. This St. Matthew outpost of the O’Shea’s Irish bar empir e r eeks with atmospher e.

The brick walls look aged, the wood weathered and photos of old St. Matthews line the walls. Irish and non-Irish love the bar and the menu has daily specials, like the lepr echaun hangover bur ger, catfish po’ boy and bison and goat cheese lasagna. $$ p e h ✿ IRISH ROVER 2319 Frankfort Ave., 899-3544, 117 E. Main St, LaGrange, 222-2286. Owner Michael Reidy is the Irish r over, having come to the U.S. from County Clar e in 1984. His saloons ar e as smooth as Guinness, as warm as fish and chips, as genuine as Scotch eggs. The Frankfort Avenue building dates from 1859. $ p f ✿ MOLLY MALONE’S 933 Baxter Ave., 473-1222, 3900 Shelbyville Rd., 882-2222. A car efully constructed replica of a modern urban Irish pub, Molly Malone’s, a worthy addition to the city’s eating and drinking scene, has added a second, suburban location. Both ar e as authentically Irish as the Wearin’ o’ the Green. $$ p f e h ✿ O’SHEA’S TRADITIONAL IRISH PUB 956 Baxter Ave., 589-7373. One of the most popular watering holes in the entir e Bar dstown-Baxter corridor .

Twenty-somethings and Louisville belles love its

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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’r e not. $$ p f e h ✿ PATRICK O’SHEA ’S 123 W. Main St. This newest downtown creation of the Flanagan’ s/O’Shea’s pub mini-empire has beautifully refurbished one of the old war ehouses just east of the new stadium, anticipating the r evival of that edge of the Main Street corridor. Look for upscale Irish-inflected bar food and plenty of sports talk. $$ p f e h ✿

OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY 235 W. Market St., 5811070. One of the original ventur es of this national firm. Bright and noisy , it of fers well-made if basic Italian family fare and dishes it out for surprisingly low prices. $$ p h ✿

RI RA IRISH PUB 427 S. Fourth St. (Fourth Street Live) 587-1825. Pr omising patr ons “an authentic Irish experience,” this gr owing chain opened last year 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 ✿

THE OLIVE GARDEN 1320 Hurstbourne Pkwy., 3397190, 9730 Von Allmen Ct., 425-3607, 1230 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 218-8304. The top property of the Darden chain, Olive Gar den now operates mor e than 500 pr operties 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 ✿

SHENANIGAN’S IRISH GRILL 1611 Norris Pl., 4543919, 4521 Bar dstown 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. $ p f e h ✿

PESTO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT 566 S. Fifth St., 584-0567. Of fices for blocks ar ound empty into this bustling Italian eatery for weekday lunches featuring hear ty platters of lasagna, zesty salads, red wine and iced tea. On Satur days, the kitchen switches over to a special Persian menu. $ ✿

ADRIENNE’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT 129 W. Court Ave., Jef fersonville, IN, 282-2665. Joining 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 ✿

ROCKY’S SUB PUB 715 W . Riverside Dr ., Jeffersonville, IN, 282-3844. (See r eview under Pizza) $ p f ✿

AMICI´ 316 W. Ormsby A ve., 637-3167. Scott and Sharon Risinger ser ve satisfying traditional Tuscan dishes in this inter esting — and supposedly haunted — Old Louisville building. Dine inside or on the romantic patio on a lovely summer evening, There’s no extra char ge if the ghosts want to shar e your penne alla Lorenzo or Valpolicella. $$ p f ✿ ANGELINA’S CAFÉ 1701 UPS Dr., 326-5555. $ ✿ BISTRO 42 6021 T imber Ridge Dr ., 632-2552.

Another entr y in the dining choices at Pr ospect Village shopping center . This little family-run place, ser ving pasta, sandwiches and Italian and American dishes is pr oud of its 5-cheese 3-meat Bistro lasagna and their 3-hour honey-baked ham, offered at an attractive price. $$ h ✿ BUCA DI BEPPO 2051 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 4932426. Buca di Beppo’ s recipe has all the necessar y ingredients: huge portions of excellent food served with flair and the Buca scene is fun, a conscious parody of the exuberant decor of family ItalianAmerican restaurants of the 1950s. $$ p ✿ CARRABBA’S ITALIAN GRILL 617 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 412-2218. Not your or dinary suburban shopping-center franchise eatery . This place dramatically exceeds expectations. Fr om warmed bread dishes with quality olive oil to first-rate ItalianAmerican fare at reasonable prices. $$ p f ✿ COME BACK INN 909 Swan St., 627-1777, 415 Spring St., Jef fersonville IN, 285-1777. W ith both its branches located in urban neighbor hoods, Come Back Inn looks pr etty much like any other neighborhood saloon. But unlike most Louisville neighborhood saloons, this one houses a family Italian spot that wouldn’ t be out of place in Chicago or Brooklyn. $ p ✿ THE INTERNATIONAL MALL 737 S. Eighth St., 561-8871. $ ✿ LA GALLO ROSSO BISTRO1325 Bardstown Rd., 4730015. This small but attractive Highlands spot in the Shoppes on the Alley ser ves casual Italian and Continental food in a cozy family-style setting. $$ f MARTINI ITALIAN BISTRO 4021 Summit Plaza Dr., 394-9797. The successful formula of this Ohiobased chain featur es hear ty and well-fashioned 76 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

Italian entrées, pastas and pizzas ser ved up in a comfortable appr oximation of a T uscan trattoria.

An open kitchen with wood-fired oven gives a peek at the culinary goings-on. $$$ p f h ✿

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PORCINI 2730 Frankfor t A ve., 894-8686. This anchor trattoria of the Cr escent 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 ✿

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 desser ts. 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 ar e 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 of f I-71 at Buckner well wor th a special trip out from the city. $$ f ✿ TUSCANY ITALIAN RESTAURANT 165 Outer Loop, 363-0308. Adding an appetizing option to a stretch of the South End that hasn’ t been over -served by restaurants, this good-sized stor efront near New Cut Road boasts a Mexican chef who demonstrates an exper t’s hand with hear ty, r ed-sauced ItalianAmerican fare at a price that’s right. $$ h ✿ VINCENZO’S 150 S. Fifth St., 580-1350. (see listing under Upscale Casual) $$$$ p e h ✿ VOLARE 2300 Frankfor t Ave., 894-4446. The name evokes Sinatra, pasta with tomato sauce and candles in Chianti bottles, but stylish V olare kicks that image up a notch. W ith a combination of Italian standards and monthly menu updates, Chef Josh Moore and host Majid Ghavami have secur ed Volare as the city’s top spot for suave Italian dining. $$$ p f ✿

DE LA TORRE’S 1606 Bardstown Rd., 456-4955.

Authentic Castilian far e 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. $$$ ✿ LA BODEGA 1604 Bardstown Rd., 456-4955. Nextdoor to the excellent De La T orre’s Spanish restaurant, La Bodega of fers diners the city’ s most authentic Spanish-style tapas bar , featuring the small bites originally invented in the outdoor cafés of Jerez. $$ p f h ✿

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LA CA TALANA 4123 Oechsli A ve., 895-8882. The owners hail fr om Barcelona, but the menu casts a wide net over several Mediterranean cuisines.

Entertainment is eclectic too — flamenco guitar and dancing, gypsy music, Middle Eastern dancers, all in the heart of St. Matthews. $$ p h ✿ MOJITO TAPAS RESTAURANT 2231 Holiday Manor Shopping Center , 425-0949. An of fshoot of the popular St. Matthews Cuban r estaurant Havana Rumba, Mojitos quickly established its own identity as the East End spot for Spanish-inspir ed small plates with a global taste pr ofile. Always crowded on weekends; no r eservations, but call ahead to get high on the waiting list. $ p f h ✿ PALERMO VIEJO 1359 Bar dstown Rd., 456-6461.

Louisville’s best sour ce for authentic Ar gentine cooking: lots of beef (and chicken) slow-cooked over charcoal and Latin versions of Italian dishes, like chicken Milanesa. Palermo V iejo is the Little Italy of Buenos Air es, hometown of owner Francisco Elbl’s father. $$ p f ✿

BOMBAY GRILL 216 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 4258892. W ith its br oad array of Indian r egional specialties including the r equisite lunch buf fet, this spot in The Forum on Hurstbourne is winning praise for its aromatic flavors and bountiful portions. $$ ✿ DAKSHIN INDIAN RESTAURANT 4742 Bardstown Rd., 491-7412. Owned and operated by the same family that brings us Kashmir Restaurant and Bombay Gr ocery in the Highlands, this addition brings aromatic and spicy Southern Indian far e to the Buechel-Fern Cr eek neighbor hood in the Eastland Shopping Center. $$ ✿ 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 pr oduces an extensive menu of seemingly authentic Indian fare. $$ f ✿ SHALIMAR INDIAN REST AURANT 1820 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 493-8899. Modern and sleek in appearance, modest in price, this r estaurant has become the patriar ch of local Indian r estaurants.

With a substantial lunch buf fet and a full range of dinner items, it has built a loyal clientele. $$ p ✿ SITAR INDIAN RESTAURANT 1702 Bardstown Rd., 473-8889. Named after the Indian stringed musical instrument that Ravi Shankar made famous, Sitar features a full Indian menu and buf fet. It’s the first Louisville property for a tiny new chain with four places in Tennessee and one in Alabama. $$ ✿ TAJ PALACE 2929 Goose Cr eek Rd., 423-9692. The owners of the old India Palace have opened a new restaurant in the space vacated by the Goose Creek outlet of Seviche. Focused on Nor thern Indian cuisine, the menu of fers a wide range of chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian dishes. Spiciness can be decided by the customer . Lunch buf fet and dinner menu. $$ ✿

A.J.’S GYRO CAFÉ 9280 IN 64, Geor getown, IN, 951-1715. A recent name change now reflects what this Southern Indiana eatery has always done well, serving up authentic Gr eek gyros and side dishes.

Open April through November only. $ f ✿ AL W ATAN 3713 Klondike Ln., 454-4406. Classic Arabic dishes home-cooked by friendly people in a cozy environment. That’s the r ecipe that makes Al Watan a destination for lovers of fine Middle Eastern fare. $ h ✿ CAFÉ 360 1582 Bardstown Rd., 473-8694. The latest in a long series of eateries in this pleasant Highland’s building offers an eclectic and international menu, with Southern fried catfish and Indian lamb bir yani

h = LATE NIGHT

in immediate juxtaposition. You can get it all, dinerstyle, just about 24/7. $ p f h ✿ CAPTAIN PEPPER JACK’S AERO BISTRO 2810 Taylorsville Rd., 454-2777. This new place has an aeronautical mood to it: the name, the travel posters, the location near Bowman Field. The menu itself flies all over the world, too, fr om American-style fried chicken and bar food to Caribbean plantains with mango marmalade to Middle Eastern kabobs and gyros. $$ p h ✿ CASPIAN GRILL PERSIAN BISTRO 1416 Bardstown Rd., 365-3900. Joining the gr owing ranks of Louisville’s Persian restaurants, this small Highlands dining r oom is gaining good wor d-of-mouth for well-prepared food and cordial service. $ ✿ THE F ALAFEL HOUSE 1001 Bar dstown Rd., 4544407. This small Highlands spot is strategically situated to of fer quick and af fordable sustenance along the Bar dstown-Baxter enter tainment strip.

Look for the usual Middle Eastern far e in a casual, quick-service setting. $$ f h ✿ GRAPE LEAF 2217 Frankfor t A ve., 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. $$ f ✿ LITTLE JERUSALEM 3825 T aylor Blvd., 6181806. This Shively-ar ea Middle Eastern r estaurant has acquir ed a loyal following for its hummus, chicken and rice plates, falafel and gyr os. $ f ✿ OCEANSIDE RESTAURANT 3707 Klondike Ln., 4543737. This Hikes Point spot, run by a friendly Moroccan couple, offers a variety of fish and seafood dishes (plus chicken wings and other munchies), with a Middle Eastern accent. A couple of Moroccan dinner items are available in the $10 range. $ OMAR’S F AST FOOD REST AURANT 1272 S. Preston St., 637-1515. Comfor t food south-east Asian style. The owner’s wife brings family r ecipes and culinary study in Pakistan to bear on familiar fare such as chicken korma, chicken handi and biryani, and the Omar kebab, made with gr ound beef, onions and tomatoes. $ ✿ PITA DELIGHTS 1616 Grinstead Dr., 569-1122. This Near Eastern eater y in the Highlands of fers a splendid mix of gyr os, felafel and other pita-based goodies. $ f ✿ PITA HUT 1613 Bardstown Rd., 409-8484. A r ecent expansion mor e than doubled this tiny spot, offering mor e diners the chance to enjoy Mediterranean-Middle Eastern favorites, with the addition of a few “American” sandwiches — on fresh pita, of course. $ ✿ SAFFRON’S 131 W. Market St., 584-7800. Louisville’ s first quality Persian r estaurant is as inter esting as the spice for which it’s named and as smooth as its owner, Majid Ghavami. Roasted duck “fesenjoon” means “food of life,” and life would be much worse without this dish. But you must also try the lamb. $$$ p ✿ SAFIER MEDITERRANEAN DELI 641 S. Fourth St., 585-1125. You can get standar d American far e 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 Frankfor t Ave., 891-8854, 2226 Holiday Manor , 426-9954, 201 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 426-3440, 3521 Poplar Level Rd., 632-2232. Of fering authentic Persian (Iranian) cooking, Shiraz quickly gr ew out of its tiny original location to occupy a bright and colorful stor efront 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 br ead. $ ✿

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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 ✿

BORDEAUX’S 116 E. Main St., 568-6007. Located in the building that most r ecently housed Petrus nightclub, this new r estaurant pitches itself as “upscale Louisville meets the Fr ench Quar ter,” with a menu featuring po’ boys, burgers, soups and gumbos. Live blues and jazz will be the featur ed entertainment. $$$ p h FURLONGS 9601 Shelbyville Rd., 327-9299. The many fans of this popular eatery , distraught about its abrupt depar ture fr om Clifton, r ejoiced and returned in droves when Furlong’s reopened in the East end, in the lovely old house that was long home to Garrett’s. The menu offers well-conceived Cajun-style far e with a few surprises. W e suggest you don’t miss the mushr oom stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat on the appetizer list. $$$ p f h ✿ J. GUMBO’S 2109 Frankfor t A ve., 896-4046, 5 31 Lyndon Lane, 425-0096, Four th Str eet Live, 5899245, 3115 S. Second St., 363-8888, 13301 Magisterial Dr., 326-3070, 8603 Citadel W ay, 4934720. 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, 4308 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 948-2080.

Fine, filling and authentic Louisiana-style far e is the draw at Joe’ s. A lengthy menu and bayou fishing-shack decor showcases authentic Cajun and Creole chow. $$ p SELENA’S A T WILLOW LAKE T AVERN 10609 LaGrange Rd., 245-9004. New owner Alan Salmon

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has brought his Cajun/Cr eole food and T ampa Bay experience to the old W illow Lake T avern. The restoration and r enovation 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. And don’t miss the Saturday seafood boils. $$ p f h ✿

CANCUN MEXICAN GRILL 9904 Linn Station Rd., 327-0890. $ e ✿ DON P ABLO’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 Gr eentree Blvd., Clarksville IN, 285-8820. $ ✿

COCOS LOKOS CARIBBEAN CUISINE 1850 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 365-1777. You can find a taste of the Caribbean islands here: mofongo from Puerto Rico (grilled chicken over plantains), lechon adobado (Cuban roast pork), tostones, yucca, sweet potato fries and dishes with a Dominican accent. Chill out with tropical cocktails at the bar. $$ p e ✿ HAVANA RUMBA 4115 Oechsli Ave., 897-1959. A true taste of Old Havana, this bright, inviting Cuban restaurant is sibling to the equally popular Mojito T apas Restaurant. Bountiful ser vings of Cuban far e as good as any in Key W est or Miami, not to mention a hopping mojito bar, have earned Havana Rumba a place on our short list of local favorites. $ p f ✿ NILE RESTAURANT 5312 S. Third St., 384-9030. $ p h

ACAPULCO AUTHENTIC MEXICAN REST AURANT 1041 Zorn A ve. (Ramada), 895-9919. A bit of a surprise to find a solid, satisfying Mexican r estaurant in a motel, but this one seems to be doing things right, with fr esh piquant sauces, sizeable por tions and efficient service. $ p ✿ BAZO’S FRESH MEXICAN GRILL 4014 Dutchmans Ln., 899-9600, 1907-C S. Four th St., 899-9746. A downtown location joins its Dupont Cir cle sibling, offering fine fish tacos and simple fast-food Mexican fare in an inexpensive, casual atmosphere. $ f ✿

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EL CAPORAL 2209 Meadow Dr ., 473-7840, 1901 Blankenbaker Pkwy., 515 E. Lewis & Clark Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, 282-7174. Louisville’ s gr owing Mexican-American community has foster ed a happy trend: excellent, authentic Mexican food. El Caporal bridges the gap between the Latino and Anglo communities. $ p ✿ EL MUNDO 2345 Frankfor t A ve., 899-9930. This crowded, noisy little Crescent Hill storefront offers creative renditions of Mexican r egional specialties that make most diners want to yell “Olé!” The setting may lack the tr endy flair of Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill in Chicago, but the far e mines a similar vein and does so nearly as well. $ p f ✿ EL NOP AL (10 Locations) These locally owned restaurants have become a gr owing mini-chain, winning popularity on the basis of delicious, authentic and inexpensive Mexican far e 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 T aco Bell, but you’ll never find comidas like this at the Bell! Run by a family fr om Mexico, it’s truly authentic and delicious. $ p f ✿ EL REY MEXICAN REST AURANT 2918 Hikes Ln., 454-6520. Although it’ s mor e Mexican-American than har d-core ethnic Mexican, El Rey earns our recommendation for tasty far e, cordial service in a

p = FULL BAR

f = OUTDOOR DINING

e = LIVE MUSIC

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pleasant fast-Mexican-food envir onment, and affordable prices. $ f ✿ EL RODEO MEXICAN REST AURANT 9070 Dixie Hwy., 995-8722. At El Rodeo, you’ll find a blend of Tex-Mex and other Latin American classics fr om salty margaritas to sweet sopapillas. $$ ✿ EL T ARASCO 5425 New Cut Rd., 368-5628, 110 Fairfax Ave., 895-8010, 9901 LaGrange Rd., 3269373, 9606 T aylorsville Rd., 297-8003. Add El Tarasco to the happy new genr e of restaurants run

by Latinos and of fering authentic Mexican food and atmosphere, but that r each out to Anglos and make it easy to enjoy a South-of-the-Bor der culinary adventure without compromise. $ p ✿ EL TORO CANTINA & GRILL 1810 Hurstbourne Parkway, 491-7272, 10602 Shelbyville Rd., 4893839. One of the top Mexican r estaurants in the metro, El Toro earns our recommendation for food, service and envir onment. Tex-Mex dishes ar e fine, but save r oom 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 mor e authentic locally-owned Mexican restaurant gr oups, Ernesto’ s remains consistently reliable. From the crispy home-f ried chips to filling Mexican main courses and tasty desser ts, it’ s a worthy destination for good Mexican food and excellent value. $ p f e ✿ FIESTA TIME MEXICAN GRILL 11320 Maple Brook Dr., 425-9144. $ p ✿ 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 eater y 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 far e and Latino flair. $ h ✿

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LA MONARCA 6501 Shepherdsville Rd., 969-7938. $ ✿ LA ROSITA MEXICAN GRILL 1515 E. Market St., New Albany, IN, 944-3620, 113 Grant Line Ctr ., 948-7967. Housed in an historic stor efront, this Mexican r estaurant br eaks fr om the pack by presenting traditional Mexican dishes not found elsewhere. The Grant Line spot provides quick but fine taqueria fare. $ f ✿ LA ROSIT A T AQUERIA 1404 Blackiston Mill Rd., Clarksville, IN, 284-1362. $ LA TAPATIA RESTAURANT 8106 Preston Hwy., 9619153. One of the most authentic ethnic Mexican restaurants in Louisville, this little stor efront offers 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 gor dita wagon that r olls up in the Eastland Shopping Center on Fridays, Satur days and Sundays only. Family owners and chefs Pat and Esperanza Costas and Ofelia Or tiz are completely bilingual, and as friendly as can be. $ f ✿ LOLITA’S T ACOS 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 ✿ 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 gr owing immigrant community. W ith fr esh bar and blender of ferings, creative appetizers and comfor table seating, Los Aztecas is one of the best, with tasty Mexican dishes good enough to lure us back again and again. $ p ✿ MAYAN CAFÉ 813 E. Market St., 566-0651. Chef Bruce Ucán has r eturned to his original location in the

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burgeoning NuLu gallery district, and updated it into a stylish bistr o. The distinctive cuisine, fr om Ucán’s native Y ucatan Peninsula, tr eats pork, scallops, mussels and even lima beans memorably. $$ ✿ MEXICAN FIESTA 4507 Bardstown Rd., 491-2922 $ MEXICANO 6911 Shepher dsville Rd., 962-8526.

Traditional Mexican fare from the Ramirez family. $ ✿ MEXICO TIPICO REST AURANT 6517 Dixie Hwy ., 933-9523, 12401 Shelbyville Rd., 253-9828. One of the r egion’s first authentic Mexican eateries, Mexico T ipico has built a loyal following in for good Mexican food and friendly , fully bilingual service; now it r eaches the East End with a brandnew property in the Middletown area. $ p e ✿ MEXICO VIEJO 2319 Brownsboro Rd., 893-9880. $ ✿ MY PATRIA 808 Lyndon Ln., 339-9420. $ ✿ PUERTO V ALLARTA 4214 Charlestown Rd., New Albany, IN, 945-3588, 125 Quar termaster Ct., Jeffersonville, IN, 288-2022, 7814 Beulah Cur ch Rd., 239-4646. $$ p ✿ QDOBA MEXICAN GRILL 1500 Bar dstown Rd., 454-3380, 970 Breckinridge Ln., 721-8100, 4059 Summit Plaza Drive, 429-5151, 100 Daventr y Ln., 412-6202, 2730 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy ., 4939606, 3021 Poplar Level Rd., 637-5405, 4302 Charlestown Rd., New Albany IN, 941-9654, 1321 Herr Ln., 618-3622, 11910 Standifor d Plaza Dr ., 736-6198. This chain operation extends fr om Louisville to Frankfor t and Lexington. Fastfoodish in style, Qdoba edges out its competitors on the basis of variety and inter esting salsas, plus sizable portions at a price you can af ford. $ 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 r oasted chicken, takes it to another level, juicy and succulent and r oasted golden brown.

Chicken simply doesn’t get any better than this. $ ✿

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RUBEN’S MEXICAN REST AURANT 1370 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN. 258-0417. $$ p ✿

to margaritas in a setting that emulates Old Mexico décor. $$ p f ✿

SANTA FE GRILL 3000 S. Third St., 634-3722. This tiny eater y in a centur y-old r ed-brick South End storefront near Chur chill 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. $ ✿

SALSARITA’S FRESH CANTINA 285 N. Hubbar ds Ln., 897-5323. Another entry in the hot “Fr esh 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 ✿

SEÑOR IGUANA’S 1415 Br oadway St., Clarksville, IN, 280-8555, 3105 S. Second St., 368-0876. These two Mexican-American eateries ar e known for their hear ty, well-pr epared Mexican food, and plenty of it, in a casually laid-back, comfor table sports-bar atmosphere. $ p f ✿ SOL AZTECAS 2427 Bardstown Road, 459-7776, 2350 Frankfort Ave., 895-3333, 520 S. Four th St., 3150666. Saul Gar cia, who’s known for the local chain of Los Aztecas eateries, has star ted this new chain, raising the bar with a br oader menu. His many Los Aztecas fans will find familiar dishes, along with some pleasant surprises. $ p h ✿ TACO BUENO 2350 Shane Dr ., 493-2008. This growing T exas-based chain, a competitor to T aco Bell, now has a location in the Louisville metr o.

Early reports declare it “better than the Bell.” $ f ✿ TACO TICO 5925 Terry Rd., 449-9888. Founded in Wichita in 1962, the same year as T aco Bell was born in Southern California, The T aco Tico chain has been gone fr om Louisville for mor e than a decade. Its happy r eturn has been drawing remarkable crowds. $ ✿ TACOS TOREADOS MEXICAN T AQUERIA 9109 Galene Dr., 468-3524. The Lyndon-based taco truck has settled down just outside Jef fersontown, serving up its authentic, budget-priced Mexican fare. $ ✿ TACQUERIA LA MEXICANA 6201 Pr eston Hwy ., 969-4449. The tacos are fine at this tiny storefront.

This is seriously ethnic stuf f, but Anglos ar e thoroughly welcome, the staff is bilingual, and they will happily pr ovide a menu with all the English translations written in. $ ✿ THE TEQUILA FACTORY 917 Baxter Ave., 459-9191.

Another link in the Los Aztecs/SolAztecas chain of restaurateur Saul Gar cia, who has adapted the multi-level building r ecently vacated by nios on Baxter Ave.’s restaurant corridor. It’s a bar and grill, with an extensive list of tequilas, a tapas bar , and an economical lunch and dinner place, with hearty, familiar Mexican dishes. $ p f e h ✿ TORONTO DELI & BISTRO GRILL Brownsboro Rd., 356-1157. $ f ✿

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YELLOW CACTUS 3620 Paoli Pk., Floyds Knobs, IN, 903-0313. Another in a gr owing list of ar ea TexMex r estaurants. New place calls itself a Mexican restaurant and American steakhouse. $ p h ✿ ZAPATA’S CORNER 12003 Shelbyville Rd., 690-8100.

Owner Tony Mora honors Emiliano Zapata, one of the folk her oes of the Mexican Revolution, at his restaurant in Middletown. Authentic too is his cuisine-mole poblanos, fried whole Huachinango fish and a meaty trio of chicken, beer and chorizo making up the El Brasero. $$ p h ✿

MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL 2001 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 491-1800, 1001 Br eckinridge Ln., 8936637, 4652 Chamberlain Ln., 425-3330, 1020 Veterans Pkwy., Clarksville, IN, (812) 288-6637, 9310 Cedar Center W ay, 614-7722. The food may be mor e fast-food Mexican-American than authentic South-of-the-Border fare, but it is freshly made fr om quality ingr edients and comes in oversize portions, and that’s not a bad thing. $ ✿ ON THE BORDER 10601 Fischer Park Dr ., 4122461. A contemporary spin on traditional favorites offers a range of delights fr om the Ultimate Fajita 80 Spring 2010 www.foodanddine.com

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 far e adds steaks and grilled far e to the familiar Tex-Mex with a formula that continues to draw diners in dr oves, 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 Str eet intr oduced the Sunny Side to the joys of serious espr esso. Like all good coffee shops, they’re not just an eater y, but a cultural hangout. $ f CAFFE CLASSICO 2144 Frankfort Ave., 895-0076. It started as a coffee bar, but over the years the classy space on the corner of Clifton and Frankfor t has matured into an elegant bistr o ser ving an eclectic menu-Belgian style pommes frites with 3 dipping sauces, baccalau fritters, pizzas, steak, pastas and Panini. 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 ever ything you would expect in a college-neighbor hood cof fee shop except a college near by. $ f DERBY CITY ESPRESSO 331 E. Market St., 4420523. A highlight in Louisville’ s r oster of serious coffee shops, Derby City featur es quality cof fee from several ar tisanal r oasters, 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 br eakfast dishes to for tify them as they shop for instruments or practice their craft. $ f e HEINE BROTHERS COFFEE 2714 Frankfor t A ve., 899-5551, 1295 Longest A ve., 456-5108, 2200 Bardstown Rd., 515-0380, 118 Chenoweth Ln., 893-5103, 1449 Bar dstown Rd., 454-5212, 4123 Shelbyville Rd., 895-9388. Spar tan, friendly and affordable, with good coffee r oasted on the premises and a shor t list of pastries, desser ts and panini sandwiches, Heine Br os. has earned its outstanding local reputation. $ f e HIGHLAND COFFEE CO. 1140 Bardstown Rd., 4514545. Of fering two ways to get wir ed, this cozy neighborhood cof fee 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

2309 Frankfor t Ave., 894-8060. These casual spots boasts the ambience of a friendly old-fashioned book shop, with comfor table seating, a good selection of pastries, and quality coffee from Seattle. $ LA VIDA JA VA COFFEE CO. 1301 Herr Ln., 4129393. La V ida Java of fers espr esso drinks and pastries in this welcoming spot in the W estport Village shopping center. $ f 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., Jef fersonville, IN, 218-0611. $ e QUILL’S COFFEE SHOP 930 Baxter Ave., 742-6129.

With its r ecent move to Bar dstown Road, Quills has updated its image, but faithful fans find that the joe is still fine, as are the pastries, and everyone lingers, with laptops and books. $ RAY’S MONKEY HOUSE 1578 Bardstown Rd., 4594373. A very nice fit with its crunchy-granola Highlands neighborhood, this “progressive coffee shop and gathering place” is consciously child-friendly .

Look for quality or ganic cof fee r oasted on the premises and vegetarian/vegan snacks. $ f e ✿ RED HOT ROASTERS 1402 Payne St., 569-0000.

The old drive-thr ough standby, Jackson’s Or ganic Coffee, is now Red Hot Roasters, with an expanded menu and new cold-br ewed iced cof fee drinks flavored with mocha, cinnamon and caramel. Note: Don’t look for Red Hot Roasters on Payne Str eet; the entrance is actually on Lexington Road. $ ✿ 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-ROASTER Y 2122 S. Preston St., 634-1243. Matthew Huested and Brian Miller used to r oast their own cof fee beans as a hobby. Their friends said they did it so well, they should turn pr o — the r esult is Suner gos Cof fee, another in the gr owing cadr e of espr esso bars in Louisville’s Germantown neighborhood. $ ✿ THIRD STREET COFFEE HOUSE 711 S. Thir d St., 749-0026. $ f TRAILSIDE CAFÉ 1321 Herr Ln., 423-1545. $ VT’S BUBBLE CUP 1043 Bardstown Rd., 452-8899.

Tea houses ar e a new rage. This Highlands place features a cute variation, bubble tea — a tapiocabased soft drink. Japanese teens love it. $ h ✿ ZEN TEA HOUSE 2246 Frankfor t A ve., 618-0878.

Another entr y in the T ran family’s Frankfor t 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 ✿

THE HOBKNOBB ROASTING CO. 3700 Paoli Pike, Floyds Knobs, IN, 923-1458, 419 State St., New Albany, IN, 944-4555. HobKnobb of fers fresh hot coffee, espr esso drinks and fr esh baked pastries, cakes and cookies. $ f

THE BAKER Y 3100 Bar dstown Rd., 452-1210. Not just a fine baker y but a place wher e bakers learn their business, this excellent establishment is par t of the culinar y program at Sullivan University . It’s hard to beat the quality breads and pastries offered here to eat in or carry out. $ ✿

JAVA BREWING COMPANY 9561B U.S. Hwy. 42, 2922710, 516 W . Main St., 568-6339, 135 S. English Station Rd., 489-5677, Fourth Street Live, 561-2041,

BREADWORKS 3628 Br ownsboro Rd., 893-3200, 2420 Lime Kiln Ln., 326-0300, 2204 Dundee Rd., 452-1510, 11800 Shelbyville Rd., 254-2885. $ ✿

RED = ADVERTISER

p = FULL BAR

f = OUTDOOR DINING

e = LIVE MUSIC

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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 locavor e connections make for exquisite tastes. $ f ✿

DESSERTS BY HELEN 2210 Bar dstown 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. $

CELLAR DOOR CHOCOLA TES 930 Baxter A ve., (inside Quill’ s Cof fee Shop) 561-2940. Erika Chavez-Graziano has been working some small miracles at the back of this Highlands cof fee shop, turning out luscious, inventive chocolate confections that she sells at various venues ar ound town, as well as at Quills. Her 365 Days of Chocolate project has gained her considerable notice with weird-sounding but delicious cr eations such as beer flavored truffles and avocado soft-centers. $

GIGI’S CUPCAKES 1977 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., 4994998. The first outpost of the T ennessee baker y chain in Kentucky, this little shop offers a changing selection of high-end cupcakes in designer flavors — Bailey’ s Irish cr eam, apple spice, coconut snowball, and so on. $ ✿

COCO’S CHOCOLATE CAFÉ 1759 Bar dstown Rd., 454-9810. Stylish, ar tisanal chocolates and baked goods made on the pr emises make this tiny Highlands spot a stylish place to stop and linger over for a dessert and a cup of cof fee. $ f THE CUPCAKE SHOPPE 3701 Lexington Rd., 8992970. You won’ t need thr ee guesses to name the specialty at this little St. Matthews baker y, which has gained instant popularity for its wide variety of moist, tender cupcakes, always made in house. $✿ DALAT’S GATEAUX & BAKER Y 6915 Southside Dr ., 368-9280. It’s a French bakery, run by a V ietnamese family, which makes per fect sense. Or der Fr ench pastry, cakes and cookies as well as V ietnamese specialties. Savory choices, such as pork pate wrapped in choux pastry are also available. Eat in or take away. $ THE DESSER T GALLER Y 9305 New LaGrange Rd., 326-0700. You’ll find just about anything you could want in the way of a dessert at this East End shopping center storefront, from cakes to brownies and cookies, and it’s all hand-made from natural ingredients. $

h = LATE NIGHT

GREAT HAR VEST BREAD COMP ANY 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 ar ea since your gr eat-aunt was a girl ordering dinner r olls. Made fr esh daily, the pies, cakes, cookies and specialty pastries pr ovide tasty nostalgia for all who visit. $ ✿

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 baker y on the edge of Germantown has a devoted following, drawn by divine Danish, donuts, and gr eat cof fee fr om the nearby Sunergos micro-roastery — and if you’r e a sucker for over -the-top excess, tr y the caramel donut topped with — yes, it’s true, bacon. $ THE PIE P ANTRY 9208 Dixie Hwy ., 384-0743.

Lunch is served at this Southwest Louisville eatery but the main focus — and the str ongest reason to drive out that way — is the dozens of varieties of homemade pies. Por tions ar e lar ge and the selection extensive. $ f ✿ PLEHN’S BAKERY 3940 Shelbyville Rd., 896-4438. A neighborhood institution, this baker y is as busy as it is nostalgic. Enjoy the hometown soda fountain with ice cr eam while you wait for your handdecorated birthday cake, breakfast rolls or colorful cookies to be boxed. $ ✿

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM & PIE KITCHEN 2525 Bardstown Rd., 459-8184, 1041 Bar dstown 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 V eterans Pkwy ., Clarksville IN, 288-6000. $

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 doughnuts by mid-morning. Cof fee to go too, of course, and even little half-pints of chocolate milk. $

HONEY CREME DONUT SHOP 514 Vincennes St., New Albany, IN, 945-2150. Of f 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. $

THE SWEET TOOTH 3110 Frankfort Ave., 895-4554.

You’ll find an enticing collection of cakes, pies and other homemade goodies, plus excellent cof fee and a selection of loose-leaf teas, in this cozy little spot. $ ✿

SWEET STUFF BAKER Y 323 E. Spring St., New Albany IN, 948-2507. $ ✿

MY FAVORITE MUFFIN 9800 Shelbyville Rd., 4269645. All the muf fins are made right in the stor e,

✿ = VEGETARIAN MENU ITEMS

= MENU AVAILABLE ON-LINE ONLY

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MAP # DIRECTION PAGE # DOWNTOWN 84 1 Downtown Louisville NEAR EAST 85 2 Highlands – Crescent Hill EAST 86 3 St. Matthews SOUTH EAST 87 4 Hikes Point – Buechel EAST 88 5 Hurstbourne N. – Lyndon SOUTH EAST 89 6 Hurstbourne S. – Jeffersontown NORTH EAST 90 7 River Rd. – Brownsboro Rd. NORTH EAST 90 8 Westport Rd. FAR EAST 91 9 Middletown NORTH EAST 91 10 Prospect SOUTH EAST 91 11 Fern Creek SOUTH 92 12 Airport – Okolona SOUTH WEST 93 13 Shively – Pleasure Ridge Park INDIANA 94 14 New Albany – Floyds Knobs INDIANA 95 15 Clarksville INDIANA 95 16 Jeffersonville

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DOWNTOWN > DOWNTOWN

MAP • 1

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NEAR EAST > HIGHLANDS/CRESCENT HILL

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EAST > ST. MATTHEWS

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SOUTH EAST > HIKES POINT/BUECHEL

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EAST > HURSTBOURNE N./LYNDON

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MAP

7 > NORTH EAST > RIVER RD./BROWNSBORO RD. MAP

8 > NORTH EAST > WESTPORT ROAD

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11 > SOUTH EAST > FERN CREEK

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SOUTH > AIRPORT/OKALONA

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SOUTH WEST > SHIVELY/PLEASURE RIDGE PARK

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INDIANA > NEW ALBANY/FLOYDS KNOBS

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15 > INDIANA > CLARKSVILLE

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