Monthly Archives: August 2007

$ Budget (under $30), BBQ, Burgers & Down-Home, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

The quest for great ‘cue

Shane's Rib Shack

(Shane’s Rib Shack and Pig City BBQ, Voice-Tribune, Aug. 31, 2007)

For many years, when I’ve been in the East End and craved excellent barbecue, my go-to spots have been Jucy’s near Pewee Valley and Vince Staten’s in Anchorage.

Jucy’s remains a favorite, but Staten’s, sadly, has lost a step since local writer Vince Staten (co-author with the C-J’s Greg Johnson of the fine book “Real Barbecue“) moved to Tennessee and the eatery that still bears his name moved out U.S. 42 to new shopping-center quarters on the site of the old Melrose Inn in Oldham County.

While the barbecue at Vince’s (without Vince) remains acceptable, it’s no longer memorable; so I’ve been looking for some new go-to places in the neighborhood when I’ve got a hankering for smoked ribs, pulled pork, brisket and all the fixins.
Continue reading The quest for great ‘cue →

$ Budget (under $30), BBQ, Burgers & Down-Home, Downtown, NuLu and Butchertown, Italian (and Pizza), QuickBytes

Forumites check out baseball and ballpark fare

Slugger Field

A crowd of LouisvilleHotBytes.com Forum participants took over a luxury box at Slugger Field for a Louisville Bats game Tuesday evening. The Bats nearly blew an early 9-1 lead but hung on to win 9-8 over the Toledo Mudhens, and the happy foodies worked their way through a sampling of ballpark fare from nachos and dollar hot dogs to fish sandwiches and more.

Our Forum is the online gathering place for food lovers and food-industry professionals throughout the region. If you aren’t already a “regular,” we hope you’ll start taking part in forum conversations – and real-world activities – today. Just click to the Forum home page to get in on the fun. Registration is free and easy, but please read the rules about using real names before you sign up.

$ Budget (under $30), Bistros, Coffee Shops & Desserts, Southern Indiana

Things are looking bright on the Sunny Side

Speakeasy
The Speakeasy in New Albany was modeled after Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. The idea originated from proprietors and local musicians Lori (pictured above) and Brad Tharp. Photo by Nicole Pullen.

LEO’s Eat ‘n’ Blog with Louisville HotBytes
(Treet’s Bakery Cafe, Speakeasy, Connor’s Place)

With three interesting new restaurants recently joining Bistro New Albany, Federal Hill, La Rosita and others in historic downtown New Albany, Louisville’s Sunny Side is looking mighty bright these days.

I’ve been eager to get over and check it out, but the scare stories about miles-long traffic backups during the recent I-64 construction had me so nervous that I wimped out and asked a Hoosier buddy, GREG GAPSIS, to pick up his knife and fork and tell us what’s going on over there.
Continue reading Things are looking bright on the Sunny Side →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Bistros, Frankfort Ave., Clifton, Crescent Hill

The quality factor: Three local gems

Caffe Classico
Caffé Classico stands out on Frankfort Avenue for its cool, sophisticated Euro-style atmosphere and excellent coffee and espresso drinks. Owner-chef Tommie Mudd recently introduced a full dinner menu. Photo by Nicole Pullen.

LEO’s Eat ‘n’ Blog with Louisville HotBytes
(Caffé Classico dinner, Mojito brunch, Original Impellizzeri’s)

In a world where MBAs rule and where economic terms like “monetization” and “quarterly balance sheet” and even the blunt “bottom line” hold sway, it sometimes seems as if the simple concept of succeeding through high quality and honest service at a fair price has become old-fashioned and even a bit naive.

Happily for local food lovers and the restaurant-going public, though, these sweetly antiquated concepts remain alive and well among many of Louisville’s excellent local, un-chained restaurateurs.

We’ve stepped up to the dinner plate and had three home runs smacked directly at our taste buds in recent weeks. Continue reading The quality factor: Three local gems →

$ Budget (under $30), Baxter, Bardstown, Highlands, Hurstbourne, Middletown, Jeffersontown, Mexican, Cuban, Caribbean, QuickBytes, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

Chef Dan seeks out the little donkey

Salsarita's
Salsarita’s chicken burrito with black beans, medium salsa, guacamole, lettuce, cilantro, red onions and cheese. Photo by Robin Garr.

LEO’s Eat ‘n’ Blog with Louisville HotBytes
(Qdoba, Moe’s, Salsarita’s)

When a top chef takes a break from cooking for other people and ventures out to dine on someone else’s fare, what goodies is he likely to choose? Ethereally trendy foams and smears and other cutting-edge num-nums of molecular gastronomy?

Well, maybe.

But if you ask Chef Dan Thomas, sous chef at Big Spring Country Club and late of City Café, Café Metro and Equus, about the casual snack that smacks his piñata, a fond, distant look comes into his eyes and he literally licks his chops.

“Burritos,” he said. Continue reading Chef Dan seeks out the little donkey →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Hurstbourne, Middletown, Jeffersontown, Italian (and Pizza)

Amerigo discovers Louisville

Amerigo

(Amerigo Italian Restaurant, Voice-Tribune, Aug. 9, 2007)

Amerigo Vespucci, a minor mapmaker of fifteenth century Italy, may have visited the New World briefly a decade or so after Christopher Columbus set foot ashore in 1492.

Yet, thanks to another mapmaker who named the new continents after his cartographic colleague, the Americas are forever known by Vespucci’s slightly altered first name; while Columbus’s moniker attaches only to such relatively little-known patriotic hymns as “Hail Columbia” and, well, the capital of Ohio.

Now Amerigo gains a 21st century connection on the sign over the door of a six-unit, Nashville-based Italian-style restaurant chain that recently opened its first Louisville property. Housed in the building that was formerly home to Harper’s, Amerigo Italian Restaurant has built a substantial word-of-mouth buzz since its opening last month.

We’ve found a lot to like on early visits: Continue reading Amerigo discovers Louisville →

Commentary

G3 – A Great Bite at Basa

Shaking beef
The Shaking Beef at Basa Modern Vietnamese

(By Michael Tierney. Republished with permission from G3 Illustrated)

I recently had one of those perfect summer days – blue sky, bright sun, no humidity. And to top things off, I spent it at the pool as if I were on summer break like the kids that surrounded me. I swam, floated, read my book, played cards and basked in the perfection of the day, knowing that it just couldn’t get any better … I was wrong.

My perfect day was made complete by a perfect night – dinner for two at Basa on Frankfort Avenue.

Billed as Modern Vietnamese, Basa serves up elegant, accessible fare that punctuates the historical and culinary influence of France on traditional Vietnamese fare.
Continue reading G3 – A Great Bite at Basa →