About a half-mile away from Chik’n & Mi, in the heart of Clifton, the guys at Mirin get ramen right. I needn’t repeat my recent glowing review (Jan. 11, 2017), but news of lunch hours and an expanded menu drew me back for a revisit the other day. I still love it just as hard. Continue reading Mirin gets ramen right
Category Archives: Frankfort Ave., Clifton, Crescent Hill
Fork & Barrel’s warm vibe surrounds fine, pricey fare
When a restaurant launches in the springtime in Louisville, the owner invariably faces a difficult decision: Rush to open the doors before Derby season? Or take it easy and get all your culinary ducks in a row before opening up more gently in the post-Derby calm?
The issues involved in this decision are not trivial. Opening in time for Derby may pay off, but it poses challenges, too. If things go poorly, the train wreck happens in front of a critical audience.
So, props to Fork & Barrel’s owners, Chef Geoffrey Heyde and his wife, Emily, who risked opening on busy Frankfort Avenue just a few weeks before the race, following a quick but stylish remake of the space that had long housed Basa Modern Vietnamese. Continue reading Fork & Barrel’s warm vibe surrounds fine, pricey fare
Red Hog does meat the way meat ought to be done
We’ve made it through January, Groundhog Day is tomorrow, but we’ve probably got six more weeks of winter regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil sees. bLet’s face it: Winter is no fun. But one of the best things we can do to brighten the season is to settle down near a warm fireplace!
Some of my favorite restaurants boast comfortable fireplaces, too. I’m looking at you, Bistro 1860! And now I’m looking with deep and soul-satisfied appreciation at Red Hog, the newly arrived little artisanal butcher shop and small-plates eatery on Frankfort Avenue! Continue reading Red Hog does meat the way meat ought to be done
Mirin, Hai!
Did you ever wait in line at Rumplings? I sure did. And I hated it when that little ramen-and-dumpling place just off Bardstown Road went away after only seven months.
So here’s good news: Griffin Paulin, one of the minds behind the original Rumplings team has opened Mirin, a new ramen-and-more shop on Frankfort Avenue in Clifton. Continue reading Mirin, Hai!
We clock in at Time 4 Thai
What’s my favorite national fare? How about “Whatever I had last”?
If you press me, though, I’m a big fan of all the cuisines of Asia, from the Levant through Iran, all the ‘stans and India, across Southeast Asia to China, Korea and Japan. Continue reading We clock in at Time 4 Thai
River House scores a solid average
J.P. Morgan famously said that if you had to ask how much his yacht cost, you couldn’t afford it. The good folks at River House Restaurant & Raw Bar may have had this iconic wisdom in mind when they set up their “reserve” wine list for their new eatery in the yawning riverside quarters that once housed Falls City Boat Works.
This lofty roster of trophy wines tops out at a cool $500 for a bottle of the sought-after Mondavi-Rothschild Napa Valley Opus One. That’s too rich for me, but then, so is a yacht. Continue reading River House scores a solid average
The Hub is on a roll
Let’s get this right up front: I miss River City Tire. Nice folks selling good tires at fair prices, and whenever that stupid little flat-tire icon lit up on my dashboard, I could run by and get a free pressure check with a friendly smile.
But River City Tire is gone. There’s no use crying bitter tears over that. And I have to admit that the new building that replaced the old urban-grunge industrial facility fits nicely in to the upscale urban scene that promoters have dubbed The Avenue. Continue reading The Hub is on a roll
We go full carnivore, almost, at Le Moo
For more than 60 years, tens of thousands of Louisville folks have made it their custom to stop off at KT‘s for an adult beverage — or several — and maybe a quick bite on their way home from work.
It opened as the Old Kentucky Tavern back in the 1950s, evolved into KT‘s in 1985, and lasted another 30 years. But everything eventually changes, so wave buh-bye to KT’s and say hello to Le Moo, marketing and PR guru Kevin Grangier’s spectacular new spot, now branded as a “mid-range steakhouse and more.” Continue reading We go full carnivore, almost, at Le Moo
DiFabio’s offers comforting Italian family fare
Mmm, mmm, Tortellini! Who doesn’t love these little stuffed pasta rings? Artfully rolled into small rounds, their Italian name stems from “torta,” naming them as “little cakes,” a moniker that doesn’t actually make much sense since there’s nothing very cake-like about them. If you want descriptive food words, try their alternative name, ombelico, a.k.a. “belly buttons.” Continue reading DiFabio’s offers comforting Italian family fare
Which came first? The chicken or the egg?
“Which came first? The chicken or the egg?” Have you ever wondered about the ultimate answer to this existential question? Who hasn’t? We found a tasty answer at Con Huevos in Clifton: It’s both! Order up a ration of Tamal de Mole con Huevos, and you can have your egg and your chicken too, all gussied up in spicy-savory Mexican flavors.
But wait! There’s more! Just out the road a piece, the buzzy new Joella’s Hot Chicken is all about chicken, all of the time, and there’s nary an egg in sight. Eat all the chicken! Continue reading Which came first? The chicken or the egg?