Category Archives: St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

$$$$ Luxury ($60 and up), BBQ, Burgers, Steaks & Down-Home, Commentary, LEO's Eats, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

So long, Artesano. Welcome Steak & Bourbon!

I’m not going to lie about this: I miss Artesano. It was a favorite. This does not mean that I don’t like Steak & Bourbon, its recent successor under the same management. But steakhouses are a dime a dozen around here. Serious Spanish tapas eateries are thin on the ground, so the loss of a favorite is a significant hit.

All my whining won’t bring Artesano back, I know, so let’s move on. We dropped in to Steak & Bourbon with a group of friends the other night and had a fine time. Continue reading So long, Artesano. Welcome Steak & Bourbon! →

$$ Modest ($20-$40), Commentary, Ethnic & Eclectic, LEO's Eats, Pacific Rim & Other Asian, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

Simply Thai comforts us with flavor and spice

When you need comfort food, nothing else will do. When you’re feeling down, pulling up to a plate full of comfort may be the best thing you can do for yourself. So it was for me last week when I had to say good-bye to my beloved cat Spike, a ginger-color furball buddy who’d been my special friend and constant companion for more than 17 years. It was either ugly-cry or fill up on comfort food, so I decided to do both.

But here’s the funny thing: When I needed comfort food, I realized that comfort for me does not come from the nurturing culinary memories of a Louisville childhood. No, my culinary comfort needs are filled with the bright, potent flavors of Southern and Southeastern Asia. Make mine Indian, Vietnamese, Indonesian or Thai, and I can feel the tension and sadness quietly draining away.

I hadn’t been to Simply Thai in St. Matthews for quite a while, so it felt like the perfect destination for a bittersweet yet consoling dinner in memory of Spike. Continue reading Simply Thai comforts us with flavor and spice →

$$ Modest ($20-$40), Commentary, Italian (and Pizza), LEO's Eats, Pubs, Brew Pubs, GastroPubs, Seafood & Water's Edge, Sports bar, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

Come to Sal’s for the pizza, stay for the fish

I must have passed by Sal’s Pizza & Sports Pub in Lyndon a hundred times without ever being motivated to stop in. This was a mistake. In retrospect I really miss all the good meals that I might have enjoyed there.

Don’t be like me. Go, soon. You’ll like it. Continue reading Come to Sal’s for the pizza, stay for the fish →

$$ Modest ($20-$40), BBQ, Burgers, Steaks & Down-Home, Commentary, LEO's Eats, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

Joe’s Older Than Dirt is back, and we’re glad

The first sign that Joe’s Older Than Dirt had returned from its two-year absence was the reappearance of its fabled moose statue out front, overlooking the busy traffic on New La Grange Road.

Yes. Joe’s is back, moose statue and all, and, in some respects, it’s better than ever after its brief closure for renovation and 19-month tenure as the Ole Group’s Red Barn Kitchen. Continue reading Joe’s Older Than Dirt is back, and we’re glad →

$ Budget (under $20), Commentary, LEO's Eats, Mexican, Cuban, Caribbean, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs, Taquerias

Tacos surpass pizza as Taco City and Taco Choza arrive

Some time during recent months, pushed by the arrival of the excellent taquerias Taco City in the Highlands and Taco Choza in St. Matthews, the metro area quietly, without any publicity, achieved full taco.

What’s that, you ask? Simple. The numbers are a little vague, but by my best count, hungry Louisvillians now have at least 65 locally owned, independent places to buy tacos, surpassing the roughly 60-plus local pizzerias.

Given all the cranky jokes about this being a city with a pizzeria on every corner, this is no small achievement. Continue reading Tacos surpass pizza as Taco City and Taco Choza arrive →

$$$$ Luxury ($60 and up), Bistros, Commentary, Deluxe & Four-Star, LEO's Eats, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

Anoosh Bistro’s memorable fare delights

You’d think I’ve been doing this culinary critiquing long enough that I’ve been just about everywhere and tried just about everything. But the other night Anoosh Bistro delivered a first: An appetizer so fine that I couldn’t eat just one. Continue reading Anoosh Bistro’s memorable fare delights →