I've always been a big fan of "Iron Chef," both the Japanese original and the American imitation it spawned.Some find its campy concept over the top, with the wacky über-rich Chairman in his Kitchen Stadium yelling "Allez Cuisine!" in bad French, but just about every foodie I know can see past the yuks to the serious competitive restaurant-chef cookery.
After an hour of an intense, timed cooking competition, in which the competitors make the best use of the week's secret ingredient, comes the best part of the show: when the chefs bring their finished dishes forward to a panel of judges, a group that on the original show invariably included a food critic plus such skilled experts as a movie starlet, perhaps a Japanese athlete, sometimes a member of the Japanese parliament.
How I wished I could have been up there at the table sampling all those amazing, creative dishes.
So when Chef Edward Lee of Louisville's 610 Magnolia turned up on "Iron Chef America" last month, taking on Iron Chef Jose Garces in an offal battle featuring "tongue and cheek," and Lee won, I realized I could get a similar effect right here at home by presenting myself for a dinner of Lee's inspired cooking.
We invited our pal Lucinda to come along, got the first reservation we could, and arrived hungry. It was about time for another visit, anyway. It had been three years since my last review, and things change fast in the local food biz. Would Chef Lee's cooking still reign supreme?
Well, yes. It was a spectacular dinner, with each of us choosing different items from the prix fixe menu so we could taste and share; service was right-on as always; and to apply the final touch, the extensive wine list remains one of the most well-chosen and interesting in town, avoiding the "usual suspects" in favor of some wines that appear to be exclusive to 610.
Better news still for the thrifty: While an evening at 610 is going to cost you, 610's prix fixe dinner menu has been rejiggered to offer the option of a shorter bill of fare for a smaller tab.
You can now enjoy a three-course prix fixe for $50 or a four-course for $60, taking your pick of several selections each under appetizer, soup or salad, main course and dessert.
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes.com:
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/dinin ... 0-magnolia
and in LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/dining-%E2% ... 0-magnolia
610 Magnolia
610 W. Magnolia St.
636-0783
www.610magnolia.com
Robin Garr's rating: 96 points