Restaurants and music

This is my first post, although I've done a lot of reading over the past month! I do appreciate all the restaurant reviews ... you've helped guide me to new places and I (and my stomach) thank you!

I'm doing some research on live background music in restaurants. Since I haven't been to ALL the restaurants in town, I thought I would tap into your travels and see if you could help me. These questions involve sit-down dining only ... no bars (totally different type of entertainment).

1. Which restaurants have a good combination of music and great food?
2. What are some recent places you've visited where you enjoyed strictly piano music (no combos)? Was the music good? Was the volume good?
3. Do you think the music is too loud in some restaurants ... to the point that it prohibits conversation? If you feel comfortable naming the restaurants, please do.
4. If you had to rank the top 3 places in the Louisville area with great dinner music based upon your restaurant experiences, what would they be?

Thank you so much for your input. I am going to be curious to see if other's opinions are in line with my own.

Rebecca

R,

On the patio at Artemisia would be our top choice for great food and music when they have their jazz combos (Fri/Sat nights only I think). Of course, there is Jazz Factory with fabulous music, but in my experience the food was not nearly as good.

Deb

I can't think of anyplace that has music that I really like, but I won't step foot in Sapporo just becuase of the music in there. It makes me want to kill someone.

Unless I am going to have dinner and get live music then I never want to even notice the music.

I tend to dislike live music in restaurants, because it tends to be WAY too loud. If I want to listen to music, I will go to a concert or a bar or wherever. When I go out to eat, I want to talk to my dining companions. Two places that have lost some of my business because of their music are Ramsi's and Third Ave Cafe. I *really* dislike the piano player at Ramsi's. He's very loud and in my opinion (and that of my boyfriend) sounds like he's playing to entertain himself more than anyone else. We complained (nicely) to a server once and she said that people complain all the time but for some reason nothing can be done (friend of the owner?). The last time there was music at Third Ave wasn't quite as bad - it was a guy singing and playing the guitar and he was fairly entertaining - but again, it was too loud, and we had to shout to hear each other or try to sneak in a few words of conversation between songs. The last time we talked about going there with a couple of friends we realized that there was going to be music that night and went somewhere else.

I agree with your assessment of the noise level at Ramsi's. I found the piano player to be extremely loud and distracting, and we weren't even in the same room! It's just very annoying when you have to shout over the music and other people talking to converse with the person sitting across the table from you, IMHO.

Don't know if they'll keep him at Park Place, but Steve Crews is on piano there several nights per week.

My favorite would have to be Jack Fry's. I can't remember the name of the band but they provide the cherry on top that sets the perfect mood.

On a recent visit to Jeff Ruby's my group and I were struck by the volume of the band. They began playing around 10pm with startling feedback and a very loud first song. By the third song they had toned it down but not before encouraging a quicker end to our evening.

On a recent visit to Jeff Ruby's my group and I were struck by the volume of the band. They began playing around 10pm with startling feedback and a very loud first song. By the third song they had toned it down but not before encouraging a quicker end to our evening.

I'll second that. A group of us were there on a Thursday evening, and much earlier than 10 PM the music cranked up so loudly that we almost immediately decamped. Not a pleasant end to our evening, and I would imagine not what the management is intending ...

1. Which restaurants have a good combination of music and great food?

My vote would be for Westport General Store. The last time I was in, there was a man playing banjo, fiddle and mandolin (not at the same time, of course). It was the perfect volume: Loud enough to where you could hear and appreciate it, but not too loud as to interfere with diners' conversation. It added the perfect touch to an elegantly low-key dining experience. It may not be hip or trendy, but both the music and the food were very good. I'm not sure if the music is a regular thing, or if it is only on certain occasions. Hopefully Will can provide more information.

P.S. Don't rule this place out just because it's all the way out in Westport. The scenic drive from Louisville is only about 30 minutes.

Thanks for the comments so far! Very much appreciated!

Anyone else?

Reading you loud and clear, we'll get the volume under control. Thanks for the feedback. Our bar can be a monster around 10pm. Swing by the bar earlier in the evening and check out Odeen Mays on the piano, if you have the chance.

Jayson Lewellyn / Chef
Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse

The problem with pianos is that they cannot be controlled, per se. If you drape the sound board, it mutes them. If you use the soft pedal (damper) it does the same. If you face the piano in a corner, then the musician has his back to the crowd I've played piano in hundreds of venues, and now I pretty much realize that the best way to make everyone happy is to use a quality keyboard with 100% volume control. Ditto for a band, the PA speakers need to be away from the direct aim at the crowd, and the stage volume needs to be as low as possible in a small room. I've solved my prblems with a new BOSE S1...it's a radiant sound system with all the tiny speakers in a small monolithic stick that can be placed anywhere in a room. No blasting speakers, monitors or cords. If venues are dedicated to providing live music, they should perhaps invest in this sound system to ensure that quality music is enjoyed by all. Loud does not equal good.

The piano background at Buck's was just right (and added well to the entire evening) the last time I was there.