Vincenzo's top Italian in Louisville mag's Best

[Robin Garr]

<i>Louisville</i> magazine's Best of Louisville Awards are now online. For the full list of all awards, <b>click here</b>.

I thought it would be worth posting the food and dining winners here for further conversation. With the important caveat that the magazine's annual awards are strictly a popularity contest and that winners are generally those institutions that most successfully energize their clientele to buy a magazine and vote, it's interesting to see what a segment of the city's dining community thinks. (I find the Italian results particularly ... interesting ... with Vincenzo's leading the pack, trailed by Porcini, with Volare in third place and neither Primo nor Melillo's making the final cut. This just seems wrong, somehow.

Comments?

<b>Louisville magazine Best of Louisville Awards, Dining/Food</b>

Bakery
1 Plehn's
2 Heitzman
3 Blue Dog
4 Homemade Ice Cream & Pie
5 Nord's

Barbecue
1 Mark's Feed Store
2 Bootleg
3 Famous Dave's
4 Jucy's Smokehouse
5 Vince Staten's

Brunch
1 Bristol
2 Lynn's Paradise Cafe
3 North End
4 Toast
5 Blue Dog

Coffee Shop
1 Heine Brothers'
2 Starbucks
3 Java Brewing Co.
4 HighlandCoffee
5 Day's Coffee

Riverfront Restaurant
1 Captain's Quarters
2 Tumbleweed
3 Rocky's Italian Grill
4 Buckhead
5 Kingfish

Family Restaurant
1 Lynn's Paradise Cafe
2 Austin's
3 Cheddar's
4 Golden Corral
5 KT's

Restaurant to Take Out-of-town Guests
1 Lynn's Paradise Cafe
2 Jack Fry's
3 Proof on Main
4 Vincenzo's
5 Lilly's

Italian Restaurant
1 Vincenzo's
2 Porcini
3 Volare
4 Ferd Grisanti
5 Rocky's Italian Grill

Pizza
1 Wick's
2 Tony Boombozz
3 Papa John's
4 Bearno's
5 Za's

New Restaurant (since 2006)
1 Proof on Main
2 Jeff Ruby's
3 Shiraz
4 Mimi's Cafe
5 Nios

Steak Restaurant
1 Pat's Steak House
2 Ruth's Chris
3 Morton's
4 Outback
5 Del Frisco's

Restaurant for Healthy Food
1 ZenGarden
2 Shiraz
3 Panera Bread
4 Whole Foods
5 Grape Leaf

Take-Out Salad Bar
1 Kroger
2 Whole Foods
3 Doll's Market
4 Wild Oats
5 Rainbow Blossom

Ballot stuffing, anyone?

I guess it hasn't been around long enough, but the Brunch at Mojito would most definitely be on my "short list" of brunch spots.

While I'm at it. I'd also put Palermo in the list of Steak Restaurants in place of either Outback or Ruth's Chris.

Also, I'm a bit confused on the criterion to be called a "family restaurant." I would venture to guess that most good restaurants in town would be accommodating to families, though I'm sure some are more so than others. With the exception of Lynn's, it seems to me that you have to serve big portions of cheap food with children screaming in the background in order to be called a "family restaurant."

I know this poll is very unscientific, but it is unfortunate that someone picking up this magazine with little or no prior knowledge of the dining options in this town will have an incomplete and (in my opinion) somewhat incorrect list.

There's my $.02

Comments? How about oh please...Oh, you were looking for something more constructive....I know I am in the minority, but I only tried Plehn's once: oil tasted about 7 days too old. Not fair that I never went back what with the fans here, but there you have it...

Captains Quarters--well, good call for the riverfront, because there is something aobut that stretch that I love..

I will go with Lynn's for family because it is boisterous and fun for the kids...different take than yours David, but there you go...and then the same Lynn's as place to take aftertown guests, nope.

The rest is just plain wrong. Wrong.

Oh, except I cannot comment on the new.

Whack list.

b

We can certainly tell from the restaurants listed that members of this forum didn't have much input! If they had the list would have looked much different.

With the possible exception of Lynn's I don't think I agree with any of the number 1's and overall feel that less than half of the restaurants listed even belong on the list.

It's just my opinion in this case but I think a lot of this forums participants would agree.

Keeping in mind that this survey is truly a popularity contest: the more people that have been to a place (true volume of customers ) and to an extent, how long they've been around, the more votes they will naturally get. Volume, of course, does not necessarily translate to '"taste", in either meaning of the word.

As long as I keep that in mind, I can find the list laughable in some aspects: Papa John's has the 3rd best pizza in town ? I hope not !And by what criteria is Panera "Healthy Eating"? Don't get me wrong: I really like Panera. But that's not Healthy Food- unless your comparison is Mickie D's. (I guess they must have sucked all the fat, sugar and calories out of those great cinnamon sugar bagels while I wasn't looking... )

Deb

I agree with all of you. And I would much rather grab a pie from Danny Mac's (don't start), Clifton's, or Steve O's before choosing Papa John's.

Poopa John's #3, give me a break! The salad bar at Doll's is excellent,
Kroger's ??? Which one?

PLEHN'S ROCKS!!!!!

LOL, Ron. I know we've been down Plehn's road before and that is why I said I should go back...people I respect actually LIKE the place, so next time I am in town, I will go back for a doughnut from Plehn's.

[Robin Garr]

LOL, Ton. I know we've been down Plehn's road before and that is why I said I should go back...people I respect actually LIKE the place, so next time I am in town, I will go back for a doughnut from Plehn's.

I've never been overwhelmed by Plehn's.

LOL, Ton. I know we've been down Plehn's road before and that is why I said I should go back...people I respect actually LIKE the place, so next time I am in town, I will go back for a doughnut from Plehn's.

I've never been overwhelmed by Plehn's.

that's ok Robin, even you can't be right all the time.

Well, I don't think anyone should trust a best-of that puts Mark's at the top of the BBQ.

I know there are plenty of places (terrific at that) to warrant a list. Wonder why Louisville Mag gives them no love?

Louisville magazine doesn't give you any love if you don't advertise with them. This is what I've been told when it comes to judging this best of Louisville thing.