Garage Bar: It’s noisy, it’s fun, it’s all about artisanal pizza and fine country ham, not to mention a companionable bar scene in a cheekily renovated old auto service station. What’s so Zen about that?
Bear with me, Grasshopper, and I shall explain. Continue reading Garage Bar summons our meditative mindfulness
Think about this, Louisville: We’ve been enjoying Anoosh Shariat’s delicious cooking and attentive service through four decades now.
Count ‘em … Continue reading We nosh until we can nosh no more at Noosh Nosh
How big is Africa? Africa is so big that you could fit the U.S., China, India, Japan and most of the countries of Europe neatly within its borders and still have plenty of nooks and crannies left for more. You’ve probably seen the colorful map that shows this; it’s all over the Internet.
How big is Africa? About 1.5 billion people live there, or almost 1 out of every 7 humans on Earth. That’s about the same as the total population of Europe, North and South America.
So riddle me this: How come so many of us know so little about Africa? And getting to the point, how come Louisville has so doggoned few African restaurants? Continue reading We find friendly folks and good East African eats at Safari Grill
Vegetarian and vegan lifestyles are on the rise, and this really shouldn’t surprise anyone. After all, the Baby Boom is growing older and more health-conscious, while a lot of Millennials are looking at a self-destructing world and worrying about a sustainable future for themselves and their children. Put these trends together, and it’s no wonder that more and more people are giving up meat.
This also may help explain why Louisville’s Roots and Heart & Soy restaurants have won a large and faithful audience since their opening in 2011. Continue reading Roots will make you eat your vegetables, and like them
Now and then I crack that the Martinez family’s Olé Restaurant Group is “The Energizer Bunny of Louisville dining.” All together now, let’s say that again: I’ve just returned from my third review of an Olé Group eatery, and I’m delighted to award Red Barn Kitchen my “Recommended” gold star.
But something about this restaurant is different from all the rest. Continue reading Red Barn Kitchen is newer than dirt, and it’s good.
¡Buenos días, señoras y caballeros, hermanos y hermanas! ¡La Guanaquita Restaurante es muy bueno!
Why, yes, I am speaking a little Spanish today, signing on from a sweet little new Central American eatery in the South End. Continue reading Hablamos y comemos at La Guanaquita Restaurante
Guy Fieri has brought his brand to town, and local foodies are all atwitter. The jokes just write themselves, and you can find them all over social media.
I’ve been trying to stay above the fray by ignoring it. I sent regrets on an invitation to a public relations extravaganza at the new Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse in Fourth Street Live. Apparently, if my colleague Michael Powell is to be believed, that soiree attracted a deplorable pack of food writers and bloggers with noses uniformly raised and pinkies delicately extended. Continue reading We try not to go all snob on Guy Fieri’s Smokehouse
So I surfed into LEO Weekly online the other day, and hey, what’s this? Some guy is picking on Butchertown Grocery! And wait! It gets even worse! He’s hatin’ on foodies! Continue reading This unapologetic foodie likes Butchertown Grocery just fine
The other night, as we rolled across the Sherman Minton Bridge to New Albany for an evening at Brooklyn and the Butcher, it crossed my mind that New Albany is actually a little bit like Brooklyn.
New Albany, like Brooklyn, is a city across a river from a larger city, long ignored by its neighbors, but suddenly awash with excellent new places to dine, drink and have a good time. And as with Brooklyn, crowds are starting to make their way over to check it out. Continue reading Brooklyn or New Albany? Brooklyn and the Butcher blurs the line
Some of Louisville’s top chefs, such as Anoosh Shariat and Bim Deitrich, have built their reputation on a string of restaurants spread over decades, making every one a success.
And then there’s Fernando Martinez, who does restaurant entrepreneurship a whole ‘nother way. With his wife, Cristina, and cousin Yaniel Martinez, Fernando keeps adding more and more restaurants to a growing squadron of fine eateries that all run simultaneously. This is no cookie-cutter chain either, but a variety of excellent restaurants, all different in style and even national origin. Continue reading Mercato brings Italian style to Norton Commons
