All posts by Robin Garr

Commentary

Say it ain’t so, Pete

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

The news that Pete Wells got from his doctor was too alarming to ignore: “My scores were bad across the board,” the physician told the 60-something New York Times restaurant critic.

“My cholesterol, blood sugar and hypertension were worse than I’d expected even in my doomiest moments,” Wells wrote in his Critic’s Notebook column on July 15. “The terms pre-diabetes, fatty liver disease and metabolic syndrome were thrown around. I was technically obese. OK, not just technically. I knew I needed to change my life.”

So Wells made a decision that shook restaurant kitchens and food lovers across Gotham and beyond: “After 12 Years of Reviewing Restaurants, I’m Leaving the Table.” (Gift link, no paywall.)

Continue reading Say it ain’t so, Pete →
$$ Modest ($30-$50), A RESTAURANT LISTING..., Breakfast and lunch spots, sandwich spots, Brunch, Farm-to-table, Northeast Metro

Haymarket lures us with farm-to-table BLT

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

Every now and then I’ll see an email or social-media ad that inspires immediate action. The new iPhone is available! Two-for-one sale on Häagen-Dazs! And, just the other day, “Tomato season has returned, and so has the beloved Haymarket BLT!”

Continue reading Haymarket lures us with farm-to-table BLT →
Commentary

Do sweat the small stuff: It matters

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

I’m still hearing from readers about my comments in last week’s review about the quality furnishings and spotless, seemingly hand-polished silverware at Perso restaurant in Shelby Park: “Those seemingly smaller signals of attentiveness and care from the moment we sat down signaled management that cares.”

In a way, we could liken dining out to a theater performance: Good food might be the lead actor, a player who struts and frets their hour upon the stage. But from decor and drinks to service and even the restrooms, it takes a quality supporting cast to turn a meal into an unforgettable show.

Continue reading Do sweat the small stuff: It matters →
$$$ Upscale ( $50 - $80), A RESTAURANT LISTING..., Bistros, Farm-to-table, Germantown, Italian (and Pizza)

Perso gets the small things and the big things right

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

One of the first things I noticed when I took my seat at a table in Perso was the high quality of the table itself: Burnished wood, smooth as silk, it reminded me of the work of Shaker artisans.

Then I unrolled the black cloth napkin and noticed something unusual about the quality stainless flatware: Every surface was mirror-shiny, without a single dishwasher spot in sight, almost as if each piece had been wiped clean by hand before service.

And speaking of service, that was great too: Friendly but not smarmy, attentive but not bothersome, there when we needed them, good with eye contact and a smile.

So what, you say? How about the food?

Continue reading Perso gets the small things and the big things right →
Commentary

There’s always room for ice cream

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

Just about everyone loves ice cream, and that goes double when a heat dome drops over the country like a gigantic warm blanket that nobody requested.

But that rich scoop of cold, sweet delight becomes a lot less unanimous when it comes to the details: Favorite flavor? Traditional hard frozen and scoopable, soft serve, gelato, frozen custard, sherbet, sorbet, froyo, or something else? Cup or cone or take-home pint? And perhaps the most controversial question, which local shop is No. 1 for you?

Continue reading There’s always room for ice cream →
$$ Modest ($30-$50), A RESTAURANT LISTING..., Baxter, Bardstown, Highlands, Pacific Rim

Kiwami brings the ultimate ramen

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

Louisville seems to be having a ramen renaissance right now, and I am here for it.

Yes. we’ve had access to genuine ramen that didn’t come from a cheap supermarket packet for a while. Of course you can still get your ramen fix at full-service Japanese and other Asian restaurants. And we’re not even talking about all the tasty Vietnamese pho and Thai yum, which are delicious soups-as-a-meal too but entirely different.

But there’s no substitute for those memorable places where the chefs treat ramen as a calling, a spiritual experience that must be done properly and consumed with respect but quickly, before the broth cools.

Continue reading Kiwami brings the ultimate ramen →
$$ Modest ($30-$50), A RESTAURANT LISTING..., Hurstbourne, Middletown, Jeffersontown, Indian

Clay Oven inspires an Indian food crave

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

I have this funny reaction to Indian food: The minute I start thinking about it, I want to go get some.

The only issue is where to go! Louisville is currently blessed with enough good Indian eateries that I’d be hard pressed to declare one of them the local G.O.A.T. It would be like trying to pick this year’s Derby winner without a photo!

But I’ll say this for sure: Clay Oven in Middletown is a strong contender for the prize.

Continue reading Clay Oven inspires an Indian food crave →
$$ Modest ($30-$50), A RESTAURANT LISTING..., Bistros, Brunch, Downtown, NuLu and Butchertown

Naive’s patio offers comfort on a chilly day

By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

I really wanted to enjoy an al fresco lunch last Saturday. Conditions were perfect. Spring’s green had grown into a summery green canopy, and mild weather had finally shown up after a long, cool spring.

Then I heard an annoyed yell from the other room. Mary had just checked the weather forecast! Midday temperatures in the upper 50s, partly cloudy, with steady north winds and gusts to 24 mph?

Continue reading Naive’s patio offers comfort on a chilly day →