Yum, I love me some fine diner fare. That’s fine “diner,” now, not fine “dining,” which I like, too, but which might be a little out of place in the noisy and very casual environs of The Silver Dollar, whose retro-style sign out front blares “Whiskey By The Drink.”
]Now that I think about it, Chef Jonathan Schwartz and sous chef Dave Hawkins do an estimable job of fine cooking, too, but they keep it in the blue-collar style of Bakersfield, Calif., a dusty Central Valley town where agriculture and oil, the Dust Bowl diaspora and the Chicano diaspora meet and blend in an environment that gave birth to the Bakersfield Sound in country music and, it goes without saying, honky-tonk saloons. Continue reading Fine diner brunch and honky-tonk at The Silver Dollar→
Let’s consider the economics of steak. Hungry for a sizzling rare boneless strip? Meijer had USDA choice for $7.99 a pound this week. (Kroger had flatiron, a chunk of chuck, for just $5.99 a pound, but let’s keep things upscale with strip or rib eye.) Bring it home, slap it on the grill, add a potato and a salad, and you’ve got steak dinner for two for $10. Such a deal.
Meatloaf at Lynn's, LEO Photo by Ron JasinLynn’s Paradise Café is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, meaning it has been around for a full generation, and people have been lining up and patiently waiting their turn for brunch through all those years. Think of it — kids who came in with their parents as infants in arms will be able to buy a drink there next year, and the cycle of life goes on.
I’ve been a fan since the very start, even back when its original incarnation was on Frankfort Avenue (in the building that now houses Cubana and that has been home to a number of other memorable eateries including an authentic Jamaican place, a first-rate Korean joint called Little Bit of Seoul, and the short-lived Danielle’s).
Frankly, if you had asked me, I would have guessed that Lynn’s had been around for longer — 25 years, maybe, or 30. It has become that much a landmark on the city’s casual dining scene.
And, of course, the outsize personality Lynn Winter, its proprietor since the beginning, has added a colorful dimension to the place, building a reputation that goes far beyond Louisville’s borders.
This may be attributable as much to public relations as to any exceptional awesomeness. I think I remember where it all started, with an early visit by a well-known national food writer who did his “research” by dropping by The Courier-Journal to ask for tips to iconic local places, was sent to Lynn’s, was amused by its fun mix of diner fare and abundant tchotchkes, and wrote it up. Other national media soon took notice, designated Lynn’s as a “Wacky Louisville Place To Eat,” and it has come to the point where Food Network and its like can hardly come to town without making an obligatory visit.
The tchotchke collection has arguably grown since those days — they’ve added “World of Swirl,” which Lynn’s describes as “a very eclectic retail store.” Yeah. Or an Archie McPhee catalog come to life in a retail setting that’s one part Cracker Barrel and two parts Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach, minus the surfing stuff.
This all fits right in with the sizable restaurant space and bar, which fills Lynn’s ample quarters with a phantasmagoria of bold colors, mismatched tables and chairs, a leafless tree that seems to support the cathedral ceiling; disco balls, blinking colored lights, mannequin legs clad in colorful ’70s-style bell bottoms projecting from the walls, and a bar lined with what must be the winners of Lynn’s popular Ugly Lamp Contest held every year at the Kentucky State Fair.
The menu, best known for ample portions and hearty fare, isn’t nearly as eclectic as the decor, but it satisfies. When I think of Lynn’s, I think first of breakfast, regardless of the time of day, and this option is certainly available.
In fact, Lynn’s is a three-course dining establishment, and dinner options, most priced in the teens, include such Kentucky-flavor bistro fare as Lynn’s pan-fried pecan chicken in Woodford Reserve mustard maple cream sauce, and the Louisville classic Hot Brown. But the range of dishes goes well beyond Kentucky, with a Cajun-accented jambalaya-pasta or Hoppin’ Juan, black bean chili and jasmine rice with a zesty mix of Caribbean and Mexican flavors.
Lunch is available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (the dinner menu takes over at 5 p.m.), offering a shorter list of entrees, along with soups, salads and sandwiches. And breakfast, of course, is available anytime Lynn’s is open, featuring about 20 fast-breakers: omelets, scrambles, bacon, eggs, french toast and pancakes, biscuits and gravy, granola and more.
We wandered in at lunchtime and filled up so much on a lunch and a breakfast item that our midday meal sufficed for that day’s dinner, too.
The lunch item, Mom’s Meatloaf ($15.50), featured an oblong block of dense, juicy meatloaf fashioned from Kentucky grass-fed beef. It was topped with a thick dab of spicy marinara sauce with a shot of piquant heat and a distinct dash of dried Italian herb seasoning that it would have been just as good without. Sides chosen from an extensive list were well-fashioned braised cabbage seasoned with aromatic rosemary, and very creamy and rich but surprisingly soupy mashed potatoes.
A breakfast burrito ($11.75) fully satisfied my midday crave. An oversize flour tortilla was rolled around abundant portions of gently spicy black bean chili and tender scrambled eggs, with ramekins of zippy tomato salsa and cooling sour cream on the side. My choice of side, lima beans, was outstanding, tender but still firm limas swimming in a savory veggie broth with a subtle herbal back note. I could have eaten about a pound of those limas.
Chocolate lava cake ($7.25) was a good example of the genre: A round of chocolate about the size of a short cupcake was cakey on the margins, giving way to soft hot fudge in the center. A dollop of whipped cream and two or three scoops of simple, quality vanilla ice cream raised the ante further.
A filling lunch for two, with coffee and an iced tea, was $41.87, plus a $10 tip.
I settled in, craving a po’boy, and asked the gent behind the counter what seemed like a simple question: “This month doesn’t have an ‘R’ in it. How are the oysters?” The raspy-voiced guy in the ball cap shot me a grin. “Are you kidding? You’re thinking about Gulf oysters. These are from Chesapeake Bay, and they’re good all year ’round.” Continue reading Road trip to Rick’s White Light pays off in good eats→
I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. Actually, not to be wimpy about it, I would gladly pay daily for a gourmet-style hamburger at Bluegrass Burgers. And when finished, I wouldn’t at all mind running a few blocks down the street for a daily Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich at NamNam Café. Continue reading Burger or bánh mì? New cheap eats abound at Bluegrass Burgers & NamNam Cafe→
For nearly 80 years, this basement space in Germantown has been home to some sort of bar or eatery. Most recently, it was a popular hipster hangout and vegan café called the Swan Dive, which sadly closed its doors in October.
I wouldn’t want to say that my food preferences are those of a city boy, but let’s put it this way: In years of dining at my parents’ table, I never realized grits were served with breakfast until I ran into this odd practice elsewhere. And I was a fully grown adult before my first encounter with country-fried steak. Continue reading For a good country-fried steak, go to Goose Creek Diner→
LEO’s Eats with LouisvilleHotBytes
It’s hard to comprehend that Louisville Slugger Field hosted its first game 10 years ago this month. Our “new” ballpark has been open for a decade. During that time, we’ve seen a few pennant-winning teams and a couple that didn’t do so well.
Sadly for foodies who like to enjoy an interesting dining experience along with a game, concessions have generally been, well, a little boring. Peanuts and Cracker Jacks, burgers and dogs, brats and Italian sausage, nachos and Papa John’s pizza, with ice cream to sweeten the mix.
At the start of the 2010 season, however, we spotted a handful of new food items that have potential to turn the ballpark into a downscale bistro. Continue reading Baseball’s back! Eater up!→
Every so often, a carnal pleasure will come along that staggers you. It might be a new sushi roll or a red wine or even a candy bar (tried the Reese’s Dark yet?). Once you discover it, you just can’t stop going back to the well.
Enter the Studio’s Grill and Pub stuffed cheeseburger.
