LEO's Eats with Robin Garr
What does it take to turn a new restaurant into a sensation? Well, a cool venue is good for starters, and Gary’s on Spring certainly qualifies in that regard, settling comfortably into a stylish remake of the former Spring Street Meeting House in Irish Hill.
A creative chef with the chops to turn the ordinary into something special is another key criterion, and Harold Baker of Gary’s fits that bill, turning out an international menu that ranges from France to New Orleans while staying deeply rooted here at home.
An amiable host adds another grace note; the restaurant’s Greg Fearing circulated among the tables, engaging guests in easy conversation while effortlessly sensing when to back away from those who’d rather be left alone.
And then there’s location, location, location. Did I mention it’s in Irish Hill? This is not exactly restaurant row, even if you count nearby watering holes like Spring Street Bar & Grill or Willinger’s Beer Depot. But to keep things in perspective, Gary’s lies within a half-mile radius — a brisk 10-minute walk — from the Bardstown-Baxter strip (Baxter Station) or Frankfort Avenue (North End Café), and only a slightly more brisk 3/4-mile hike from Butchertown (Blind Pig).
Within three months of its midwinter opening, I’d say Gary’s stands in comparison with those favorites. And the city’s dining hordes seem to agree, keeping the place so busy that it’s hard to get in without a reservation. (We beat the game by showing up at 6:30 p.m. on a Monday during a heavy rainstorm, yet the main-floor dining room still filled up while we were there.)
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/gary% ... or-success
And in LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/gary%E2%80% ... ts-success
Gary’s on Spring
204 S. Spring St.
584-5533
http://www.garysonspring.com
Rating: 89