Best Restaurants - on a Fifty Dollar Bill

mai thai is great also
varanese too

La Rosita in New Albany for sure...

Melillo's, Veranese, Maggie's, heck even W.W. Cousins....you have to get all of these Louisville Originals in..

[Robin Garr]

Melillo's, Veranese, Maggie's, heck even W.W. Cousins....you have to get all of these Louisville Originals in..

I love Varanese, but can you easily do a full dinner for two there without forswearing adult beverages?

You could go do a couple of different things at John's place....you could get the appetizer sampler, a couple salads, a couple cocktails, and be right at $50....you could get the Flat Iron, the prosciutto wrapped chicken, an app, a couple glasses of wine, and should be around $55...

[Robin Garr]

You could go do a couple of different things at John's place....you could get the appetizer sampler, a couple salads, a couple cocktails, and be right at $50....you could get the Flat Iron, the prosciutto wrapped chicken, an app, a couple glasses of wine, and should be around $55...

Okay, fair enough ... it almost suggests a separate thread, really: How to eat at the city's fancier places without busting your wallet ... Varanese, kind of like Azalea before it, plus L&N and a few others, is in kind of a special niche, too ... it looks very upscale, but you can put together a credible meal without breaking the bank.

We ate at Palermo Viejo last night. I had the Parrillada de Mar, while my girlfriend had the Pollo Asado. Both were tasty; even better, I got the leftover Pollo, so I'll be having that for lunch soon.

I really liked the aesthetic at Viejo. The treated wood, interior brick, and leather tablecloths create not only a striking visual but a mood that matches the strong flavors of the food and wine. The glass blocks on the one wall allow light in while softening the distraction from Bardstown and surrounding buildings. The service was adequate - nothing bad, but really didn't add to the dining experience either.

Thanks for the suggestion. The final tab would have been right around fifty with two entrees, two glasses of wine, and tip, but we decided to live high on the hog and get a bottle of Malbec. We lived a little higher, even, by following up dinner with coffee and a shared super-sized slice of bourbon carrot cake w/caramel at Sweet Surrender.

If the next dining choice is mine, we will be heading to Mayan Cafe, which we passed on yesterday as it was a First Friday.

Okay, fair enough ... it almost suggests a separate thread, really: How to eat at the city's fancier places without busting your wallet ... Varanese, kind of like Azalea before it, plus L&N and a few others, is in kind of a special niche, too ... it looks very upscale, but you can put together a credible meal without breaking the bank.

Having used this thread to check out the menus of the suggested restaurants, I think the suggestions fall three categories...

1. Establishments where you can choose from the whole menu (Viejo, Mayan, Saffron's)
2. Lunch or Lunch specials for top plates (Corbetts, Proof)
3. Or Robin's suggestion - eating at fancier places without busting your wallet (Varanese, L&N, etc.)

All of the categories are useful and appreciated. They just serve different times and purposes. I do like Robin's thread suggestion.

We ate at Palermo Viejo last night. I had the Parrillada de Mar, while my girlfriend had the Pollo Asado. Both were tasty; even better, I got the leftover Pollo, so I'll be having that for lunch soon.

That's another important point about places like La Rosita. Not only is it inexpensive and very good, but it's difficult even for someone of my gargantuan appetite to finish an entree, which means that a doggy bag lunch the next day usually is assured.

The problem from Matthew's perspective: Nothing remotely approximating craft beer at Rosita's, but not to worry. I'm working on Israel (the owner, not the nation).