Eddiie Merlot's Steakhouse-Another Louisville Ramada

close proximity of Cincinnati and Indianapolis made it a bit easier to find some of those more elusive items

Oh yea, I too have to travel to Cincy and Indy ALL the time to get all of the elusive items I need to survive

[Robin Garr]

Oh yea, I too have to travel to Cincy and Indy ALL the time to get all of the elusive items I need to survive

Hudepohl and Little Kings ... and then what?

Oh yea, I too have to travel to Cincy and Indy ALL the time to get all of the elusive items I need to survive

Hudepohl and Little Kings ... and then what?

Goetta from Cincy and CAM3 racing fuel in Indy.

Geez, I never knew I had such fancy friends! <joking!> Bev - I am a worn out Paramedic, now "training specialist", Hubby is a fish monger and son is a night stocker at Kroger and we live in the Shelby Park neighborhood - used to live in Portland- not Oregon or Maine! I have never had a person from this forum appear to judge me on my lack of going to a Louisville HS (raised in PA) or my current address. I have more comments from the folks I work with about where my house is - and all I say the house is PAID OFF, how many folks can say that?. Don't let some isolated comments keep you from meeting some fantastic people. There are so many great folks and great stories here, you really need to give us a chance - we don't bite....well...Steve P. may nibble a bit <again, joking!> (LUV YA STEVIE!!)

I know I probably am being a bit too sensitive it has been a rough stretch, in one week hubby's Aunt passed , his brother had major surgery, hubby was sick with pnuemonia and we came home from his brother's surgery last Wednesday to find our oldest cat had died. So please forgive me.

Geez, I never knew I had such fancy friends! <joking!> Bev - I am a worn out Paramedic, now "training specialist", Hubby is a fish monger and son is a night stocker at Kroger and we live in the Shelby Park neighborhood - used to live in Portland- not Oregon or Maine! I have never had a person from this forum appear to judge me on my lack of going to a Louisville HS (raised in PA) or my current address. I have more comments from the folks I work with about where my house is - and all I say the house is PAID OFF, how many folks can say that?. Don't let some isolated comments keep you from meeting some fantastic people. There are so many great folks and great stories here, you really need to give us a chance - we don't bite....well...Steve P. may nibble a bit <again, joking!> (LUV YA STEVIE!!)

I know I probably am being a bit too sensitive it has been a rough stretch, in one week hubby's Aunt passed , his brother had major surgery, hubby was sick with pnuemonia and we came home from his brother's surgery last Wednesday to find our oldest cat had died. So please forgive me.

That stinks, Bev. Sucky week, for sure. I love Robin's idea of doing an offline in your neighborhood! Just off the hip - I think Tuscany is great! Is that in your area?

[Robin Garr]

I know I probably am being a bit too sensitive it has been a rough stretch, in one week hubby's Aunt passed , his brother had major surgery, hubby was sick with pnuemonia and we came home from his brother's surgery last Wednesday to find our oldest cat had died. So please forgive me.

Bev, please let me join the chorus of condolences. Even though we're an online community of Internet friends and many of us don't know each other except through our typing on the computer screen, we really are a friendly bunch. And you really have participated here enough that we feel we know you. Please, in that spirit, accept my condolences and, I'm sure, those of a lot of us. I hope things look brighter for you soon.

Thanks for the kind words and yes Tuscany is only about 15 min from me and we also love it,never had anything there that wasn't great.

The Okolona basement comment a few comments back is just the kind of ,how do I put it ...perceived snobbery, on this forum that keeps me away from meeting you all. I grew up in okolona don't live far from it now and it seems like most folks on here act like you will get some kind of disease if you go west of Bardstown Rd or south of the Watterson on Preston. I have tried to get my husband to go to offlines and the more I read the more I think he is right ...we would not fit in...we don't have a fancy car or any high paying job...he is a Respiratory Therapist i am a retired nurse. We love to eat out and try new places but Louisville is very notorious for separating of groups of folks based on areas they live in.

Valley High School class of 1978

1997 Chevy Suburban with 300k on the odometer. The driver's side window doesn't roll down so I have to open the door whenever I go to a drive-thru. Monthly payment: $0

I generally agree with the OP that Louisville doesn't have a very strong design vibe when it comes to Restaurant/Club interiors (exceptions have been noted above). The pictures of the restaurant in question remind me somewhat of the Cheesecake Factory whose tables I have graced once in my life. Kind of innocuous, inoffensive semi-sophisticated and reminiscent of "something" without being really clear exactly what. Sort of contemporary bland with no real message. Obviously that's a business decision by the owners who reckon their clientele doesn't need a challenging design ethic as part of their dining experience.

/Jeff High
//Opel Compressed Natural Gas Minivan i.e. rolling bomb.

[Robin Garr]

Did you and Phil both miss the observation that this is not a locally owned or designed operation but a small Midwestern chain? The decor may very well be pedestrian, but, like the Ramada itself, it can't very well be laid on the laps of the locals. Louisville does have a lot to answer for, not least the recent decision to pay the developer who let the Whiskey Row buildings rot to tear them the rest of the way down. But in fairness, we did also bring in Michael Graves.

I generally agree with the OP that Louisville doesn't have a very strong design vibe when it comes to Restaurant/Club interiors (exceptions have been noted above). The pictures of the restaurant in question remind me somewhat of the Cheesecake Factory whose tables I have graced once in my life. Kind of innocuous, inoffensive semi-sophisticated and reminiscent of "something" without being really clear exactly what. Sort of contemporary bland with no real message. Obviously that's a business decision by the owners who reckon their clientele doesn't need a challenging design ethic as part of their dining experience.

/Jeff High
//Opel Compressed Natural Gas Minivan i.e. rolling bomb.

Bev, sorry to hear it's been such a rough week, hope it turns around for you. I'd encourage you (and anyone else thinking about it) to go to an offline at least once. There is such an array of people from so many different backgrounds you wouldn't have a hard time fitting in at all. Besides, you already know a little about most of the people that attend them and know you have at least one thing in common, everyone there loves food! There are a fair number of transplants in the hotbytes community so you already have the icebreaker of "where are you from?" Most of the group is very welcoming and friendly, I never got the impression of not belonging or being out of place.

Robin, you could always have an offline at the new Cheddars out that way! (runs for cover!)

As for Detroit, the city was in shambles well before the auto industry crash. The corruption is starting to get better, but it's gonna be awhile for the place to turn around. I'm in the nicer part of the 'burbs and things are doing better than they were when we left. There is some growth and new businesses popping up in a few places. We were glad to see some of our favorite little places still hanging on. While this place leaves a lot to be desired in aesthetics, it does have a lot to offer in selection...for a foodie anyways! I was recently pleased to see a shop that specializes in olive oil and vinegar...amazing 18 year old balsalmic and they can give you an exact age of the olive oil. There is a grocery store here that sells mostly Michigan made products and the prices are in line with similar brand name things from Kroger. Not to mention all the european bakeries and delis, to name a few! And the house prices, just wow! We never wanted to buy in Louisville because the same size house as what we had in MI (~2400 sq ft) was about $80k more in KY, now it's more like $100-$120k difference in the markets. That's a hard pirce to swallow!

The driver's side window doesn't roll down so I have to open the door whenever I go to a drive-thru. Monthly payment: $0

Valley H.S. Huh ? It figures....if you would have attended Trinity, you would have solved the problem by backing through the drive thu.

But in fairness, we did also bring in Michael Graves

To be even more fair, though, the building in question was completed when I was in middle school, and I'm not middle aged. Also, it's a hideous post-modern monstrosity reminiscent of a set from Triumph of the Will. Or maybe that's just me.

Louisville has some lovely buildings and districts, but nothing of much architectural interest from the latter part of the 20th century (I'm not even trying for the 21st). Again, though, I don't mind. The city has other things going for it, and I see plenty of interest in my travels...and, yes, that includes cities the size of Louisville or smaller. Architecture and design are not priorities here.

Correction, I AM middle aged. I guess my subconscious doesn't want to admit it.
My previous post sounds a little rude, but architecture is something I'm passionate about.

There are so many great folks and great stories here, you really need to give us a chance - we don't bite....well...Steve P. may nibble a bit <again, joking!> (LUV YA STEVIE!!)

I think to some extent we are all defined by our heros. Here's one of mine


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2voqlNdf ... re=related