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City's top high-end Italian?

Cena
6
30%
Porcini
3
15%
Vincenzo's
1
5%
Volare
10
50%
Other (discuss)
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 20
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CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Robin Garr » Fri Sep 04, 2015 10:24 am

Oops, I didn't notice this week's CJ review until this morning, which perhaps carries a message all its own.

Anyway, they give Cena undiluted praise, calling it "splendid" and giving it a full four stars.

What do you folks think? About Cena? About the review? How would you rank Cena among the city's top high-end Italian eateries such as Volare, Vincenzo's and Porcini? I've added a poll, just for fun, to see what the group mind thinks. (I did not include good "family Italian" places like DiFabio's or Come Back Inn because I think of them as a separate category.)

Here's the review:
http://www.courier-journal.com/story/en ... /32019443/
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Mike L » Fri Sep 04, 2015 10:41 am

Before I vote, I have a few questions...

I believe Le Gallo Roso is opened again, and on Fri/Sat? Haven't been out yet but I'm not sure if this place goes into the Comeback Inn or high end category.

Is Silvio's open yet?

How do places like Bravo and Martini factor in? If I'm not mistaken both are chains?
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Robin Garr » Fri Sep 04, 2015 11:04 am

Mike L wrote:Before I vote, I have a few questions...

I believe Le Gallo Roso is opened again, and on Fri/Sat? Haven't been out yet but I'm not sure if this place goes into the Comeback Inn or high end category.

Is Silvio's open yet?

How do places like Bravo and Martini factor in? If I'm not mistaken both are chains?

All excellent questions, Mike. I would put Gallo Rosso in the same category as DiFabio's. Good quality, moderately pricey, but more what I think of as Italian family fare than what we used to, inaccurately, call "Northern" Italian. In my mind, only the four listed fall into that category of high-end, white (or equivalent) tablecloth, regional Italian.

I wouldn't count Bravo, which is a chain and seems more like Carrabba's to me. (I actually like Carrabba's, by the way.) Martini was a small chain, but the local outfit broke off and became independent. Personally, it doesn't rise to top level for me, and I didn't include it, although I understand that others' mileage may vary. (That's why I put "other" on the poll. :mrgreen: )
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Mike L » Sat Sep 05, 2015 12:25 am

OK fair enough. One more question came to mind, what do we do with Amici? :)
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Robin Garr » Sat Sep 05, 2015 9:16 am

Mike L wrote:OK fair enough. One more question came to mind, what do we do with Amici? :)

Yeah, a lot of it is fuzzy. But I still see Amici as "casual" rather than "upscale."
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Andrew Mellman » Sat Sep 05, 2015 11:43 am

Going back to the original question, we think that Cena is by far the best in terms of "adult/relaxing/refined" dining, while Volare is more "party." The food is great at both, with Volare more traditional and Cena more experimental/"new Italian"? Today I checked one box, but ask me tomorrow when I'm in a different mood and I may check the other!
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Robin Garr » Sat Sep 05, 2015 11:57 am

Andrew Mellman wrote:Going back to the original question, we think that Cena is by far the best in terms of "adult/relaxing/refined" dining, while Volare is more "party." The food is great at both, with Volare more traditional and Cena more experimental/"new Italian"? Today I checked one box, but ask me tomorrow when I'm in a different mood and I may check the other!

Maybe I should have set it up to allow two votes! :D
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Steve Shade » Sat Sep 05, 2015 8:02 pm

Robin Garr wrote:
Maybe I should have set it up to allow two votes! :D


Had you done so I would have voted for Porcini and Volare as a tie. However, I have not been to Cena yet.
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by meghan.levins » Sun Sep 06, 2015 1:28 am

So, I originally hail from New England, where good old American Italian reigns king over any other type of ethnic cuisine. We're talking restaurants that still name their different dining rooms based on theme/color scheme and 5 page long menus that usually feature "choice of protein: sausage, meatball, veal, chicken" and "secret" or "Mom's" tira mi su recipe. AND it's cheap. I'm so far away from that now with all the other awesome places to eat, but I am totally nostalgic for it (the Mr is as well). What Italian place is close to what we're looking for in Louisville?
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Robin Garr » Sun Sep 06, 2015 6:34 am

meghan.levins wrote:What Italian place is close to what we're looking for in Louisville?

Meghan, I lived in NYC for several years during the '90s, and also spent summers there (working at a camp in the Catskills, but with friends in the city on weekends) when I was a teen-ager. Also, my Mom lived in West Palm Beach late in life, and of course that is the southernmost borough. :mrgreen: I know my NYC Italian pretty well!

To me, DiFabio's Casapela (across Frankfort from Volare) comes pretty close. Le Gallo Rosso did, too, in its earlier incarnations; I haven't been to the new place yet. Amici downtown in a way, although it has a personality all its own; Come Back Inn, too, although to me it's more Chicago Italian bar than NYC Italian family. Try those, though; or for NYC pizzeria style, maybe Old School NY out past Anchorage on Factory Lane, or Perfetto (if that's still its name) in Plainview.
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by TP Lowe » Sun Sep 06, 2015 8:33 am

I'm afraid I'm in the "none of the above" camp. I have never found a satisfying Italian restaurant in our community, and would rather spend the time in my kitchen creating something. Maybe I should open a place that I would like!
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by meghan.levins » Mon Sep 07, 2015 9:38 pm

To me, DiFabio's Casapela (across Frankfort from Volare) comes pretty close.]


This place caught our eye on outside appearance alone for suspected legitimacy; now I can't wait!

To the last comment's point about cooking from home, I can easily do that but WAY too lazy to pour my wine into a "half carafe" and lay out a checked table cloth :P
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by Ron Johnson » Tue Sep 08, 2015 8:30 am

im sure that the CJ is loving the attention it's reviews get on this forum. I know that if they weren't posted here I would never read them.

To the poll, I am torn between Volare and Porcini. Sadly, we lack a more modern Italian restaurant in Louisville along the lines of Babbo or Marea in NYC. But, Porcini turns out amazingly consistent food. The veal chop there is always great. Volare does its best when it stays closer to the classics and doesn't get too many ingredients on the plate.


Memo to all Italian restaurants: PLEASE FALL OUT OF LOVE WITH LOW GRADE BALSAMIC VINEGAR.
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Re: CJ gives 4 stars to "splendid" Cena + Top Italian Poll

by TP Lowe » Tue Sep 08, 2015 9:10 am

Ron Johnson wrote:Memo to all Italian restaurants: PLEASE FALL OUT OF LOVE WITH LOW GRADE BALSAMIC VINEGAR.
Amen, brother!

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