All posts by Robin Garr

Indian at Himalayan makes us happy

I can’t think of a better way to get my attention than to tell me about a new eatery that serves world cuisine. Clue me in, and I’ll be there before you can drop a Salvadorian pupusa. Heck, even another Thai, Korean, Indian or Mexican joint will get my motor running.

So when I learned that a new Indian place, Himalayan Restaurant, had opened on Bardstown Road at virtually the same time as El Taco Luchador launched its new St. Matthews branch, I started spinning like a falling cat with buttered toast strapped to his back. Continue reading Indian at Himalayan makes us happy

Bye bye, Meridian Cafe: Bienvenido a El Taco Luchador

Meanwhile, over in St. Matthews, the old Meridian Cafe has been transformed and taken South of the Border in a substantial remake. The old house stands revealed in bold red-and-white colors and large murals, no longer concealed behind two large shade trees that had to be removed for safety and visibility, manager Rick Moir said. Continue reading Bye bye, Meridian Cafe: Bienvenido a El Taco Luchador

Comfy Cow exiting commissary biz, outsourcing production

“Some of our recent hiccups coupled with the recent limited recall though has caused us to reconsider our commissary strategy,” Comfy Cow co-owner Tim Koons-McGee tells us, referring to persistent product shortages that caused consumer irritation followed by a more recent recall of some contaminated product from the grocery-store supply. Continue reading Comfy Cow exiting commissary biz, outsourcing production

Comfy Cow bouncing back with new flavors

We’ve been hearing complaints lately – more in sorrow than in anger – that Comfy Cow’s popular shops have been down to just a few basic flavors. A couple of weeks ago, co-owner Tim Koons-McGee apologized to the shop’s fans, saying that the bad luck of a broken ice-cream machine and a replacement part that was hard to replace coincided with warmer weather and their grocery retail business ramping up. Continue reading Comfy Cow bouncing back with new flavors

Mayan Cafe conquers boundaries with a world of good flavor

It has been 30 years since Bruce Ucán came to Louisville from the Yucatan region of Southern Mexico, home of the ancient Mayan culture. For just about all of that time, Ucán has been cooking for us, to our great delight. Continue reading Mayan Cafe conquers boundaries with a world of good flavor

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!

When we say “Ciao” to Ciao, we mean hello and welcome

Ciao!” Pronounce it “chow,” or something close to that, which makes it an ironically cheeky name for a friendly eatery. There’s ambiguity in this Italian greeting, though: Much like “Aloha” or “Shalom” or maybe even “Good Day,” you can use it to say hello, and you can also use it to say goodbye.

So let’s say “Ciao,” meaning “howdy,” to Ciao Ristorante, the warm and inviting establishment that has finally filled the long-vacant space where the beloved Baxter Station sadly said its “Ciao” as farewell in the summer of 2013. Continue reading When we say “Ciao” to Ciao, we mean hello and welcome