Charlottesville - The Local

So my latest (and hopefully final!) move has inspired me to post again. It has been quite a while since the last. So, to jump start the blogging, I decided to write about an awesome dining experience I had recently.

The Local is a fairly well-established restaurant in Belmont, a neighborhood in Charlottesville just south of the downtown mall. Like the downtown mall it tends to stay clear of most of the student population which is just fine by me. The Local prides itself on using local ingredients including cheeses, meats and vegetables. Though I didn't try any of the appetizers, they feature unique soups, salads and a cheese plate ranging from $4-10. Instead I tried the french fries which were as delicious as my friend had told me.

Entree options are varied featuring freshly made gnocchi to chorizo stuffed trout to meatloaf wrapped in bacon. I decided to try a vegetarian entree: Vegetable and Local “CaroMont” Goat Cheese Strudel with Israeli Cous-Cous and Tomato Coulis ($14). It was delicious and unique and quite reasonably priced for the portion size. My friend had the tuna steak and it looked delicious.

The drink list features, of course, several wines from Virginia, though not as many as I would have liked with the proximity to so many vineyards. There are a few whiskey's from Virginia offered, which surprised me because I didn't even know they existed. For beer they also feature a few Virginia brews, both well known and not.

So the long-winded point of this feature is that The Local is a great place to try new things from farms just down the road, all in a quiet setting (though maybe a little dark), with a great patio to sit on if the weather is nice in a neighborhood that shows something beyond "the grounds."

Louisville - Tony Boombozz Taphouse

There are at least 5 pizza places along Bardstown Road, so how do you choose which to get your pie from? You may have read my blog of the rather tasteless and pitiful pizza from Bearno's. So I had to try something new: enter Tony Boombozz, self-proclaimed gourmet pizzeria.

Located at the intersection of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway, this is a very conveniently located restaurant. They have several other locations in the city, but this location has become the premier because of the "ice bar," which I will explain below. The inside is very nicely decorated, well lit, spacious and has huge flat screens lining the wall with lots of sports for all of you who don't want to go to Buffalo Wild Wings.

The menu is pretty large so there are lots of great choices for all. You can of course build your own pizza choosing your crust, sauce, and toppings. Or you can try one of the gourmet Portobello Bello, Chicken Fajita or the new Chicken Artichoke or Brooklyn Pizza Pie. There are also a wide number of sandwich options, though not very many pasta options. If you go during lunch there are some good specials. We decided to try the Irish Nachos and a custom pizza with a wheat crust, chipotle red sauce, artichokes and portobello. The Irish nachos were decent, though nothing amazing. The pizza was quite tasty but I would have liked more of the deliciously spicy sauce. (I think a lack of sauce must be a Louisville thing.)

The "ice bar" is a pretty great concept: all draft beer is kept at 32 degrees F and all liquor is kept at 5 degrees F. Can't complain about a drink that's too cold! They have about 30 beers on tap, though I would break it out approximately like this: 25% domestic such as your Bud and Miller products, 40% craft including BBC and Goose Island, and 25% import (the remaining 10% is ever-changing). Happy hour happens every day from 3-6pm, and they usually have a beer of the day which is always a good deal. Some have complained about the prices of beer here, but I haven't personally found a reason to complain.

I will certainly return to Boombozz Taphouse in the future for a decent slice of pie, a cold beer, though I am still looking for something that is on par with Norfolk's Cogan's. Unfortunately, Louisville still hasn't provided that though so my search will continue.

Louisville - Proof on Main

This week Conde Nast Traveler published an article listing 21C as the reader's choice for hotels in Louisville. In honor of that distinction, here is a profile on the restaurant in 21C, Proof on Main.

Proof on Main was established in 2006 as a new and inventive restaurant for downtown Louisville. Being housed with the 21C Hotel means that it also takes contemporary art and incorporates it into their decor and into your meal. The plating of the various dishes are unique and complement the feel of the restaurant. The menu itself is one that tends to be seasonally and locally available foods, though that is not a core concept of the restaurant but rather the current chef Michael Paley. For instance currently the menu includes various squashes, beets, sweet potatoes and mixed greens, all of which are readily available in Kentuckiana this time of year. Several of the proteins on the menu also come from local resources including bison, rabbit and chicken.

The menu itself offers various options for how to enjoy the meal. The table can start with some different spreads, each focusing on great flavors of the season. Think of these as hummus or bruschetta style foods to put on toast. There are other plates also meant for sharing with the table such as the baked octopus, chicken liver pate, or bison bone marrow. We enjoyed the baked octopus on our visit and it seemed as though other tables did as well. The octopus itself was tender, delicately paired with various herbs, and cooked to perfection.

Several homemade pasta dishes next line the menu which are available as whole or half servings. We decided to try two of these and share them as sort of a second course. This is a wonderful and not-so-filling way to enjoy a great plate of something new. The two we tried were the Garganelli and Fazoletti. These two dishes couldn't have been more different, but both were absolutely amazing. Fresh, light pasta topped with fresh vegetables and proteins.

For entrees Proof tries to give one option for each protein, plus a special each night of the week. Having gone on a Wednesday we tried the diver scallop special which were cooked to perfection. The scallops were served atop a bed of spaghetti squash cooked with caper berries that were absolutely incredible. Unfortunately, the spaghetti squash was so delicious, the scallops almost seemed to be an after thought. I never complain about eating scallops, but this would also be a great side item or starter.

Not that we needed it, but it was decided that the warm vanilla pudding cake topped with bourbon soaked cherries. Who can say no to warm pie and bourbon infused fruit? It was the perfect end to a delicious meal.

Visit Proof on Main's website to learn more and book a table.

Louisville - Mark's Feed Store

Recently I reviewed Kentucky Barbeque Company because of the hankering for good ribs we had one night. Well, unfortunately (for the waist-line) that craving returned quicker than expected. Instead of driving the 10 minutes over to Frankfort Ave we decided to try the Bardstown Road location of Mark's Feed Store.

Similar to the visit to KBC, my husband decided to go for the combo which let him try some of each. I decided to go for a beef pulled barbeque sandwich. Of course the whole meal was one of comparison to KBC. Unfortunately for Mark's, their meat is dry and leaves one wanting a big glass of something to get it down. The sauces they have are all good, but a necessity rather than a nice addition. Perhaps the meat had been left in the smoker too long or was kept under a heat lamp, but I would definitely prefer to drive back over to Frankfort Ave next time I have a hankering for barbeque. If I return, I'd like to try the burgoo (a stew with all the meats and 7 vegetables) and cornbread as that's what someone recommended after I had already eaten.

We did have a delicious side item with our meal though that is not always something you see on a menu: fried pickles. When I've had fried pickles before at restaurants they were of the dill spear variety. These were thinly sliced dill pickles, meaning much more fry but lots of delicious. The atmosphere of Mark's is pretty nice and if you want a good place to take the family, it is very family friendly inside (unfortunately KBC was not). The prices aren't bad (I would say an average of $10 per person) and there is plenty of parking in the back. I'll give Mark's a 2.5 star (out of 5) for food, but if you want a decent and cheap place to go, this is probably a good place to stop.

Louisville - Sapporo

Some of you reading this may know that I used to live in Japan and that I often cook Japanese food at home. As such I tend to be really critical of Japanese restaurants, though I still enjoy going out and trying to relive my happy days spent on Lake Shinji. To start, let me say that Sapporo is extremely convenient, but certainly not the place most recommended for a good Japanese meal. We decided to go with a few others and see what it had to offer.

From the outside, Sapporo does not look like what I expected to see. In fact walking in it is much larger and nicer than one would think. There is a huge drinks bar at the front and they have a great selection of Japanese beer (not just the standard Sapporo rice beer or Kirin Ichiban). As you wander in further you see to the right a big open area where teppanyaki (Japanese grills) are set up. About halfway back on the left a huge sushi bar along the wall with probably a dozen seats. My group sat at a regular (non-sushi, non-teppanyaki) table.

Probably 2/3 of the menu were various sushi rolls, so we figured we had to start there. We decided to go with the eel roll and the Thai chili roll, if only because I liked all the ingredients and didn't want something fried. Both were delicious and were huge. They ranged in price from about $6 - 15. I could easily have made a meal out of one plus some soup and miso or edamame. There really are a ton of options for rolls, and even the pickiest of eaters could find something they liked. Next time I would maybe try the $35 sushi and sashimi chef's special because it looked pretty impressive and the chef chooses what to give you. This is always a great option at a sushi restaurant because sushi chefs will often give you the freshest, top-quality fish.

When it comes to entree options I would definitely say that Sapporo is not the place to get Japanese food. They had a few teriyaki dishes - something I never once at while living in Japan - a few udon/soba options and a few tempura options. To me those are very American-friendly Japanese dishes, so I can't say I was impressed. Additionally, they were very expensive ranging from $10 - 16.

Overall I would give Sapporo 3 stars (out of 5) but I would say I probably will go back. Why? Because it's convenient and has a great atmosphere. I think I'll stick to the rolls next time and get my fill that way. For more standard Japanese fare, I think I'll keep looking.

Louisville: 732 Social

A few weeks ago my husband and I walked by 732 Social, saw the crowd, glanced at the menu, and said "we must come back." Fortunately we had the opportunity to visit last night with his parents, and enjoyed every second. Though the farm-to-table food and organic wine concept isn't new, it is one of the few in Louisville. 732 Social takes this concept and transforms these flavors into comfort food at its best, all inside the Green Building in East Market that is heated through solar panels and has fresh herbs and vegetables growing on the roof.

The menu at 732 Social is small, but offers plenty when fully understood how to mix all the options. Various types of cheeses (from each cow, sheep, goat, and ewe) and house-made charcuterie are offered as way to kick start this awesome meal. We tried all of the cheeses and loved every second. The toasted black walnuts served The rest of the menu is split into small and large plates that the server encouraged we share. By incorporating these small plates the size of the menu grows. I decided to stick with all small plates while the others got one small plate and one large to share.

The small plate options we tried included the roasted beet salad, the special heirloom tomato and watermelon salad, the heffeweizen braised artichoke and the potatos au gratin. The salads were nice and light with great flavor combintations. The braised artichoke was delicious, with great flavors in the stuffing. The best small plate was definitely the potatoes au gratin though that I would eat until fat if given the option. It was that good. Small plates all cost less than $11, and I could easily have been full off of only 2 of these.

The large plate options tried included the cast iron roasted mussels, the Berkshire pork rib, the steak au poivre, and the whole striped bass (a special). All were amazing but I think I liked the pork rib best. It was fall off the bone, melt in your mouth good. The bass was served with a delicious black walnut vinaigrette for dipping it in that was awesome and a perfect complement to this light fish. Large plates range in price from $11 to $26 but the specials may be in the $30s.

The wine, cocktail, and beer list at Social was also very extensive, much of which were organic or bio-dynamic. They had several available by the glass ($6-8.50) which is always nice. The server was very knowledgeable about the wine list because all servers also work shifts as bartender which I think is really smart.

A trip to Social will not disappoint. Though it may not be the cheapest meal around, I could easily be satisfied off a $25 (pre tax/tip) meal or a $50 meal. Either way it is well worth it and I look forward to returning and trying more - especially that ratatouille and beef short ribs - soon!

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!