Robin Garr's LOUISVILLE Restaurant Reviews

87	Nord's Brown Bag Pub and Deli 2100 S. Preston St. (502) 634-0931

This simple little neighborhood spot near the University of Louisville may not be much for atmosphere, but well-fashioned if simple diner fare vaults it into the realm of serious destinations for hard-core "foodies," with extra credit for friendly, welcoming cafeteria-style service.

Well-known among its neighbors and U of L fans (it was the center for an active, and major, fund-raising campaign when Papa John's Stadium was being built), Nord's Brown Bag has somehow escaped the attention of the city's dining critics until now. We'll fix that! The food may be down-home and basic, but it's quality fare, well prepared with care and skill, rising far above expectations for a corner beer joint.

There's a short cafeteria line up front with a small dining section in the front corner. A larger, less sunny back room hosts a beer bar and plenty of dining tables, with a full-size pool table in the back. The walls painted simple coffee-with-cream with white trim, and decorated with a variety of U of L posters and, to be fair, a few cheering for Big Blue as well.

A blackboard behind the counter lists a fairly extensive bill of fare, which includes deli sandwiches ($3.50 to 3.95); club sandwiches (R4.50 to $4.95), and specialty sandwiches ($3.45 for fried fish to $5.75 for the "Super Chopper," a half-pound burger loaded with cheddar and onions plus fries and slaw. Fried chicken is a signature dish, and well worth your attention: A leg half is $4.25, a breast half $4.35. A fried fish basket is $5.25, and there's a rolled oyster basket, too.

The fried chick was golden-brown, juicy and delicious, tender steaming chicken within a nicely seasoned, crunchy, grease-free skin. I've always counted the nearby Cottage Inn as one of the the city's top spots for fried chicken, with Cunningham's closely in the running, and honorable mention for the Chick Inn in Harrods Creek (destroyed by fire, but coming back next year, or so we hear). Add Nord's to the fried-chicken Hall of Fame ... it's a contendah.

A steam-table special of the day, meat loaf, was just about as impressive as the chicken. I didn't catch the price, but it was under $5 for two thick slices. Startlingly beefy and flavorful, it was almost like spoon-tender roast beef, suffused with the aromatic flavors of onions and green bell peppers, and served with plenty of rich brown gravy to mop up with moist, sweet yellow corn bread.

A side dish of macaroni and cheese was a revelation, not your usual gloppy, unnaturally fluorescent yellow mass but a ration of tender, al dente pasta elbows dressed with just enough of a light, tangy white-creamy-cheesy sauce. First-rate! A serving of zucchini and yellow summer squash was fine, too, simply prepared and not overcooked, flavored with salt and pepper and a bit of melted ... margarine? My wife devoured a dish of green beans, savory and long-cooked, country-style.

Lunch for two came to exactly 10 bucks for two sizable portions with two side dishes each plus a contribution to the tip jar, making Nord's one of the best lunch values around. We'll be back. Regularly. $

(August 2004)

ACCESSIBILITY: Two high steps at the front entrance bar intergrated access to wheelchair users, but there's grade-level access through a side entrance from the rear parking lot. The restrooms aren't equipped for wheelchair access. Smoking is permitted throughout the main dining room with the beer bar, but there did not appear to be ashtrays in the smaller front room.