Commentary, Guest columnist

Industry Standard: The Invisible Menu Page

A friend of mine recently told me she had to cut short a restaurant visit because her godson couldn’t find anything on the menu that he wanted to order. “Why didn’t you just get him a grilled cheese, or a kid’s pizza or something?” I asked. Her answer? “Those weren’t on the menu.”

All of a sudden, I realized she didn’t know about The Invisible Menu Page. I found myself wondering how many other people are unaware of this glorious restaurant phenomenon.
Continue reading Industry Standard: The Invisible Menu Page →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Commentary, Guest columnist, Seafood & Water's Edge, St. Matthews, Westport Village, and environs

Unchained Macca’s delights at Westport Village

Macca's
Macca’s Florida Seafood Grill & Bar holds down a prime spot in the Westport Village center. Outside seating, clean restrooms and a full bar, with plenty of scurrying employees wearing matching attire, put Macca’s squarely in the upscale-casual realm. Photo by Robin Garr.

LEO’s Eats with LouisvilleHotBytes.com, with Guest Critic Kevin Gibson

If Macca’s Florida Seafood Grill & Bar, with its clean, corporate, angular design and requisite marine-centric décor, looks like it could be part of a chain, that’s probably more than coincidental – this sleek, family-friendly restaurant was originally going to be an R.J. Gator’s franchise, but corporate expansion plans by the Florida-based restaurant chain got put on the back burner, reportedly for economic reasons.
Continue reading Unchained Macca’s delights at Westport Village →

$$ Modest ($30-$50), Bistros, Commentary, Frankfort Ave., Clifton, Crescent Hill

Make mine migas at North End Café

Migas at North End Cafe
North End Café’s migas are the Tex-Mex breakfast of champions. Photo by Robin Garr.

Looking for a tasty Tex-Mex breakfast? One of my favorites comes from North End Café, a popular eatery renowned for its breakfast but not often counted among the city’s destinations for Border Country cuisine.

North End’s expansive breakfast menu features more than two-dozen goodies, including such traditional items as biscuits and gravy ($4.75), steak and eggs ($11.99), or even a warm bowl of oatmeal ($4.79). Some dishes add creative touches – you can get your biscuits, for example, with the option of vegetarian mushroom gravy; and French toast ($5.49) gets a subtle touch from the addition of orange spice flavors.

Down at the bottom of the menu you’ll find a tasty Tex-Mex snack: Continue reading Make mine migas at North End Café →

$ Budget (under $30), Hurstbourne, Middletown, Jeffersontown, Mexican, Cuban, Caribbean, QuickBytes

That’s not a gordita. This is a gordita

Turbo-charged BLT
Las Gorditas’ fresh fare includes two tacos, carnitas and lengua, and a gordita.

LEO’s Eats with LouisvilleHotBytes.com

In Mexico City, a sprawling metropolis of 20 million souls, you’ll find a taco stand on just about every corner.

In Louisville, not so much.

But the good news, as Louisville’s small but thriving Latino community grows, is that it’s now possible to enjoy a Mexico City-style experience at a taco wagon or two around town.

One of the best, a relatively recent arrival, rolls into the parking lot at Eastland Shopping Center (where Buechel meets Fern Creek on Bardstown Road) just about every weekend evening.
Continue reading That’s not a gordita. This is a gordita →

$ Budget (under $30), Seafood & Water's Edge, Southern Indiana

Why did the foodie cross the river?

Market Street Fish House
Market Street Fish House in New Albany. Photo by Robin Garr.

LEO’s Eats with LouisvilleHotBytes.com

I went across the Ohio to New Albany last week and had me a big old batch of fried oysters, and they were fine, even though the month of May doesn’t have an “R” in it.

Happily, the old wisdom about avoiding oysters from the end of Aprrrril through the first of Septemberrrr has pretty much been repealed, allowing aficionados of the tasty bivalve to enjoy them year-round.

What’s the story? The old R Rule stemmed from two issues, one related to health and the other to enjoyment.
Continue reading Why did the foodie cross the river? →

$ Budget (under $30), BBQ, Burgers & Down-Home, Frankfort Ave., Clifton, Crescent Hill

Turbo-charged BLT at KY BBQ Co

Turbo-charged BLT
Kentucky Bar-B-Cue’s BLT sandwich. Photo by Robin Garr.

Bearing in mind Columnist Marsha Lynch’s dissertation last week on selecting the special menu item at local indie eateries, I took her advice and tried a truly offbeat special last week at Kentucky Bar-B-Cue Co.

This relatively new outfit, located in the drafty, homey old Clifton saloon that used to house Café Lou Lou, now sports a new coat of red interior paint and a gallery of beer signs. It’s the latest home of the smoked-meat establishment formerly known as Bourbon Brothers BBQ.
Continue reading Turbo-charged BLT at KY BBQ Co →

$ Budget (under $30), BBQ, Burgers & Down-Home, Downtown, NuLu and Butchertown

Something special at the Cottage Inn

Cottage Inn

Serving up simple, affordable down-home fare since 1929, the Cottage Inn is one of Louisville’s oldest eateries in continuous operation. It trails Mazzoni’s (1884); but unlike the peripatetic home of the rolled oyster, which has moved repeatedly and only settled down in its new Middletown quarters this year, the Cottage Inn has remained in its original home. Kaelin’s didn’t come along until 1934, and I’m having a hard time thinking of another contender.
Continue reading Something special at the Cottage Inn →

Commentary, Guest columnist

Industry Standard: It’s called “the special” for a reason!

“Hi, I’ll be your server tonight. Would you like to hear about the specials?”

Thousands of diners across Louisville hear this invitation every time they dine out. Most of them will smile, nod, and then order from the menu, not realizing what they could be missing.
Continue reading Industry Standard: It’s called “the special” for a reason! →

$ Budget (under $30), Baxter, Bardstown, Highlands, BBQ, Burgers & Down-Home

Deli belly

Stevens & Stevens
Located in the back of Ditto’s Grill on Bardstown Road, Stevens & Stevens has built a loyal following the old-fashioned way, providing quality fare at reasonable prices. Photos by Robin Garr.

LEO’s Eats with LouisvilleHotBytes.com

Let’s start right out by admitting that I’ve lived in New York City off and on, had plenty of exposure to the NYC deli phenomenon, and don’t really get it.

In a metropolis known as one of the world’s great cities for fine dining, how exactly did such a genre evolve? Heavy, fatty, overpriced food, served by rude waiters whose shtick seems to be insulting the customers … and the customers love it?

It’s no surprise to me that authentic New York deli has never gained much traction in Louisville.

But make a few small changes to accommodate to the local culture, and deli can thrive in the Derby City. As evidence I cite Stevens & Stevens, a lovable eatery that certainly qualifies as a deli … but a deli with a difference. Continue reading Deli belly →

$ Budget (under $30), BBQ, Burgers & Down-Home, Hurstbourne, Middletown, Jeffersontown

Deli in the ‘burbs

Jason's Deli
Jason’s Deli, a relatively new arrival, is attracting big crowds to the East End suburbs.

LEO’s Eats with LouisvilleHotBytes.com

If Stevens & Stevens is the ultimate Louisville urban deli, a relatively new arrival, Jason’s Deli, is attracting big crowds to the East End suburbs. This 20-year-old national chain originated in Tucson, Ariz., a mighty long way from the Big Apple, but they’re obviously doing something right: There’s almost always a crowd, but the lines move fast, and I’ve never had a problem finding a table.
Continue reading Deli in the ‘burbs →

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