Louisville: Kentucky Barbeque Company

Kenutcky isn't known for it's barbecue as other cities are. However, being in the great location that Louisville is - conveniently located between Memphis, Chicago, and Kansas City - it shouldn't be too difficult to find good barbecue here. Surprisingly there are not a ton of place to get it in Louisville, but we decided to try to find something that would fill the craving. After looking on Yelp, I decided that Kentucky Barbeque Company ("KBC") was the place to try. For a good night of indulging in all the things the doctors tell you not to eat, go there.

Located on the north end of Frankfort Ave, KBC looks like more of a dive bar than a good place to eat. You walk in to a dark bar with pool tables and and picnic tables. But that's okay...the food was worth it and in a way it seems more appropriate for barbecue anyways! Instead of doing a wet barbecue, they do a dry rub and then you can add sauce on top.

To start off, we ordered fried green tomatoes. They were delicious, though we were disappointed that when we asked for chili fries and they said the chili wasn't ready yet. For an entree we decided to try a little of everything by getting the sampler platter. Boy did it include everything: 1/4 pound of smoked sausage, 1/4 pound of baby back ribs, 1/4 of a chicken, and 1/4 pound of either smoked brisket or pork (we got the brisket) and two sides and Texas toast. Whew. All were delicious, but ranking in order of deliciousness we agreed that #1 delicious went to the ribs, then brisket, then the chicken, then the sausage. For sides we had cheese grits and baked beans, both of which were awesome.

To round off the meal was a great selection of 19 different beers on tap. They had a lot of craft brews so we told the server what we liked and he recommended a brew by Drifters and Founder's brewing companies. Both were awesome. It was nice having a server who actually knew the list and could do that for us. My one complaint is that they didn't have a list of all the beer choices, and I enjoy reading the different types and asking questions, though I guess a knowledgeable server is better than a list any day.

Overall I will definitely return to KBC when I am in the mood for an indulgent meal and I'm sure my husband will beg for us to return. Next time I will be sure to order a plate of brisket or ribs for myself!

Louisville - Toast on Market

After visiting Lynn's I was disappointed about the breakfast options in town and my faith in Food Network plunged as I had never thought imaginable. Imagine my surprise when I visited Toast on Market and had perhaps the most amazing breakfast ever. Several locals had mentioned the deliciousness that is Toast, and I was finally able to take them up on the recommendation.

Toast is located in the heart of Nulu amidst art galleries and antique stores galore. Offering only breakfast and lunch, Toast is able to focus on great ideas and ingredients to round-out their menu. My group went for an early Sunday brunch and all decided to order breakfast.

Unfortunately because of the hour we were unable to enjoy their supposedly wonderful mimosas - options included Apple Cider Mimosa, Bellini, and traditional (made with fresh squeezed OJ!). There were so many amazing sounding options on the menu I didn't know where to start!

So I decided to try the Huevos Ahogados "Drowned Eggs" and a side order of lemon souffle pancakes to get the best of both worlds. Drowned eggs may sound unappetizing, but imagine two perfectly poached eggs (you can choose easy, medium or hard poached...and they listen!) floating in a light and perfectly spicy tomato-cilantro broth. Yum! The lemon souffle pancakes were topped with a light lemon custard and blueberries and it was perfectly delightful. Other things ordered in my groups included the Monte Cristo french toast, Mediterranean omelet, and homemade granola. Though I didn't try the latter, the first two were also amazing. The Monte Cristo was a great twist on two classic dishes with nice hint of orange to complement the flavors. The Mediterranean omelet was cooked exactly as the patron asked (which says a lot to me when the restaurant is packed) and the flavors including the bite of the feta with the roasted vegetables was wonderful.

Overall Toast was amazing. I can't wait to take some family there when they come to visit so they too can experience it...and I can try more of the offerings. And if the food was amazing enough, the price was also great. For my husband I to have two full entrees and two sides (he had a side of, what he says was, delicious sausage) it was only $22. Compare that to the $30 we spent at Lynn's and I think you see my point.

So, get on down to Toast and have a delicious meal made with new fresh ideas!

Louisville - Basa: Modern Vietnamese

After my undying love for Japanese food (blame the minor in Japanese Studies from William and Mary and the year+ I spent living there) I LOVE Vietnamese food. Though I haven't visited Vietnam, I one day hope to if only for the food. I imagine that all modern Vietnamese food tastes like that of Basa: fresh, light, flavorful. Basa uses the traditional Vietnamese ingredients of mint, Thai basil, seafood and noodles, and puts a new spin on those in both the food and the drinks in modern, bistro setting with Vietnamese flair. The restaurant was very busy on a Friday night and we didn't have reservations. (We heard later that Diane Sawyer took her mother there last weekend after she was given the ABC news anchor position, so maybe that added to the normal Friday night crowd.) Rather than wait 30+ minutes for a table, we decided to have our meal at the full-service bar.

For dinner my husband and I decided to start with an appetizer to share, opting for the Crispy Imperial Rolls ($8). Our waiter (who was also the only bartender on shift) informed us we should wrap the rolls - stuffed with shrimp, pork and mushrooms and fried - with the lettuce and mint served alongside and then dip it in the chili garlic dipping sauce. It was delicious. Though the fried roll was a bit heavy, the mint and lettuce brought a lightness to it.

The dinner menu was a decent size, though as with most good menus there were basically a few fish and seafood dishes, a chicken and steak option each, and a few vegetarian options. Off the regular menu we ordered the fried tofu with sauteed spinach and root vegetables ($15). This was topped by a sweet and salty, peanut-y sauce that was delicious. There were also a few specials, and we decided to try out the red grouper with red rice and Siam choi - basically baby bok choi - served in a light sauce ($29). The two dishes were polar opposites in flavor as the tofu was very in your face strong and the fish was very light and fresh, but both were amazing. We also ordered a side dish of garlic noodles ($4) which was delicious and everything one hopes for in this simple dish.

We also decided to each try a specialty cocktail since they had a few good options, all at $8. I went with the Basa Signature: vodka with aloe vera juice and aloe chunks as garnish. My husband decided to try the Kentucky Iced Tea which had Maker's Mark, chartreuse, ice tea, lemon juice and a mint garnish. Both were delicious and complemented our meal wonderfully.

Basa was definitely a great meal out and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Asian flavors or just trying something new. Though it is not the cheapest of Louisville restaurants, you will certainly get an amazing meal made with wonderful ingredients and it is in a great neighborhood. For a cheaper way to experience this place, you could always try out lunch ($10 entrees, $4 appetizers) which I am sure is just as good.

Louisville - Lynn's Paradise Cafe

If you watch the Food Network like I do, youmay have seen Lynn's Paradise Cafe featured on Bobby Flay's Throwdown. I won't deny the fact that is the reason we visited Lynn's for brunch this week. Located in the Highlands, Lynn's is a kitschy, down-home style restaurant known for its breakfast foods. The decor is over the top, just the way Lynn wants it. Every year she sponsors the "Ugly Lamp Contest" at the Kentucky State Fair, which we happened to view the day before eating at this establishment. Because of all the press Lynn has gotten, this restaurant fills up quickly on the weekend, so visitors beware. On a Wednesday at 11:30 am it wasn't too bad though.

Though nearing lunchtime, my group and I decided to go for all brunch. Looking over the menu you will notice her "classics" including the bourbon ball french toast, which sounded amazing but would probably send me into diabetic shock. Instead I chose the Wild Mushroom Scramble ($11) which was filled with mushrooms, spinach, cheddar cheese and bacon and topped with (the best part) a horseradish sour cream sauce. My husband and friend both go the Kentucky Farmhouse Scramble ($14) which included red peppers, Jarlsburg cheese, ham and topped with crispy tobacco onions. (Note to Lynn's, if you are going to use an asterisk on your menu to describe what these tobacco onions are, actually use it properly because no where does it explain what these are!) Having tried both we all agreed the Wild Mushroom scramble tasted better, but the fried green tomatoes were awesome.

The Farmhouse was served alongside three fried green tomatoes with a house tartar sauce. Both scrambles came with a choice of bread (biscuit, toast, English muffin) and the Wild

Mushroom also came with a choice of side (cheese grits, fruit, a few others). I decided to go with the the cheese grits and everyone got the biscuits. The cheese grits were fairly good, but not as good as they tried too claim. The biscuits were incredible though and huge at that, coming with fresh sorghum butter and strawberry jam.

Overall the food at Lynn's was pretty good brunch food. There was nothing original or new, but it was all good comfort brunch food. However, I think the press and fame have gone to the owner's head because the prices were outrageous. For $14 the meal should include either something more original or more food than the Kentucky Scramble did. For $11, the Wild Mushroom Scramble should automatically come with a side of fruit in addition to the bread and side item. The coffee they served was mediocre at best and the bloody mary's (though we didn't indulge in, but have heard are quite tasty) are expensive at around $8. Compare this to my review of The Publican in Chicago and you'll see we spent the same amount for an all around better meal at the same price.

Louisville - Bearno's

A few nights ago we were out drinking, and decided to grab some dinner. Everyone of course wanted pizza, so we ventured to Bearno's which was the closest pizza place relative to our location on Bardstown Road. I hadn't heard anyone mention Bearno's had good pizza for this neighborhood, and there's a reason why. It's not that great, though it's not the worst I've ever had either.

We decided to go with the Mama Bearno's special (read "supreme" style) and the barbecue chicken. My biggest complaint about both was the abundance of cheese. Obviously cheese is essential on a pizza, but this was not the right ratio. I could barely taste the pizza sauce on the Mama B's special or the crust on either. Which brings me to the crust...if you like thin crust, I guess you'd like this. However for me, I like to taste the crust so it wasn't enough. I will say I preferred the barbecue chicken over the Mama B's special, probably because I could taste all the flavors better while the Mama B's somewhat ran together. For the price, I think I'll keep searching for something better on Bardstown Road.

What I will say good about Bearno's is the fun and laid back atmosphere. We ventured to the back porch (up top) where we had a great view of the band playing. There was cornhole and darts up there as well. There was a decent enough selection of draft beer (available by the pitcher) which was good.

Overall, I'll happily return to Bearno's for fun, but not for food.

Louisville - Cumberland Brews

Unfortunately I ate at Cumberland a few weeks ago but never wrote on it. However, last night we went back for drinks and remembered I needed to comment on my experience there, so I'll push through the haziness of my memory created by their delicious beer...

Lucky for me Cumberland Brewery is about 100 yards from where I live. Not so lucky for my liver. Let's start with the beer since that's what they're all about. They have 5 brews always available including an pale ale, porter, red, meade, and cream ale. They also have a variety of seasonals and change these frequently. So far I have had the standard pale ale (4 stars), a delicious seasonal called Yerbeer (awesome at 5 stars) and the seasonal honey wheat (3 stars, very light). All were very good and I hope to try more:) Normally the beer is $4.50 a pint. However, they do great deals every day of the week (except Saturday I think). Tuesday happens to be the best day of the week with $2.75 pints all day long. Sunday they do $3.25 pints all day, and during the week pints are $3.25 from either 12-7pm or 4-7pm. Can't beat that!

The food at Cumberland is also very good. When we went for dinner we all ordered off the regular dinner menu. I decided to go with the KY Bison burger and it was delicious. My husband went for the BBQ sandwich, which he said was good but had a lot of sauce. (Note: we're used to NC style BBQ and they do more of a Memphis style here in Louisville, so it's been an adjustment!) Our friend ordered the fried bologna sandwich, which he was so happy to see on the menu, and said it was delicious. They also have a lot of dinner specials, including a lot of seasonal stuff; on my most recent and non-eating visit, specials included grilled chicken with fresh vegetables and a feta cheese sauce that looked awesome and squash soup (plus many others I can't recall).

Cumberland Brewery is great and I would definitely recommend it to anyone coming to eat a casual dinner on Bardstown Road. The food is good, the prices are reasonable, and the beer is delicious. I have a sneaking suspicion this will be our new go to place for dinner and beer!

Chicago - Publican

When going to Chicago, The Publican has to be on your list of places to eat. It's simply that good. On our recent trip around the Midwest, my one request in Chicago was this restaurant because I had seen it on Food Network for their homemade spicy pork rinds. We decided to go for brunch because it best fit our schedule.

First let's discuss the theme and atmosphere. A publican, according to dictionary.com, is "The keeper of a public house or tavern." Translated into a restaurant, The Publican has a large open room with long tables, creating a public house feel. In the center of the room near the bar are several high tables perfect for drinks or appetizers. The bathroom too keeps up this feel which a communal sink shared by each the his and her stalls.

The food centers around beer, as the dictionary definition lends, and proteins. There is an amazing beer selection, but for brunch they also had a few specials for recommended pairing. The brunch menu was a nice size and variety. I decided to go towards breakfast and my husband towards lunch. They greeted us with complimentary coffee, at least it appeared so on the bill. When out to brunch a really good cup of coffee is important to me, and this was just that. Back to the "communal" theme, the milk and sugar were shared on the table. My husband opted for a bloody mary ($7), served with a sidecar of beer; I'm not one for bloody mary, but this is the first I have ever actually enjoyed.

Knowing of the famed spicy pork rinds ($5) we had to get an order. I hate to admit this, but they were delicious. Yes, I said it. I liked the spicy fried pork skin. The entree options are seasonal and therefore always changing, but here's an idea of what they have to offer. For an entree I had an egg scramble with house bresaola (a cured pork product), baby squash, zucchini, and goat cheese, accompanied by sourdough toast. ($10) My husband enjoyed a pork shoulder sandwich topped with a fried egg and cole slaw and french fries on the side. ($14)

As I said when I started this post. This was an amazing meal. The restaurant is in Fulton Market which is kind of off the regular tourist path, but I recommend anyone make the effort to get there. The prices aren't overly high, which seems hard to come by in this city and the atmosphere is sure to bring out the jovial pub lover in everyone.