Louisville Mag reviews Lentini's, Mayan Cafe

[Robin Garr]

Catching up on Louisville Magazine's Website, I found it updated with the August edition; and if I'm reading it right, the mag offers <i>two</i> full-length (over 700 words each) restaurant reviews in this issue, both highly positive.

Lentini's Ristorante
By Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman

<B>Lentini's</B>
1543 Bardstown Road
479-0607

Mayan - And More
By Stephen Hacker

<b>Mayan Cafe</b>
813 E. Market Street
566-0651

Hacker is more of a "critic" than Louisville Magazine had been. Used to, virtually of the "reviews" were positive puff pieces.

Melanie seems to be mostly puff, from what I have seen in the magazine.

[Robin Garr]

Hacker is more of a "critic" than Louisville Magazine had been. Used to, virtually of the "reviews" were positive puff pieces.

Melanie seems to be mostly puff, from what I have seen in the magazine.

I don't get the mag regularly, and they've been updating their website only sporadically (although that seems to be improving a bit), so I don't watch it closely. I did notice that Hacker will salt in an occasional negative comment (he wasn't impressed by Mayan Cafe's desserts, for instance). Still, the overall tone of the reviews strikes me as remaining a good fit with the magazine's long-term status as an excellent, well-produced and generally positive, pro-city publication.

Melanie wrote a story for Food & Dining once.

I assume you saw the pretty critical review of Rivue and the review of Bistro New Albany?

I guess they're right when they say there's no accounting for taste!

Melanie's review of Lentini's knocked the:
"filetto di manzo ai funghi con profumo di tartufo (beef tenderloin sautéed with fresh mushrooms and truffle oil, $24) was also mediocre. A heavy, oily sauce, overwhelmed with truffle oil, covered the tenderloin. I love truffles, but this dosage overpowered the beef as well as the large portions of portobello and button mushrooms."

My wife, I, and our nephew (a professional waiter from Birmingham). loved the dish, particularly the truffle sauce, which we feel makes the dish. Both my wife and I have reordered it on subsequent visits (the nephew's back in AL -- only visited once).

Oh, well. Guess that's why Churchill Downs is in business.

[Robin Garr]

I assume you saw the pretty critical review of Rivue and the review of Bistro New Albany?

No, I didn't ... as I said, I rarely see the mag in print, and the Website - at lesat until recently - has been updated only sporadically, so I'm out of the habit of checking it. Tell me more! I hope they didn't bash BNA.

[Robin Garr]

I guess they're right when they say there's no accounting for taste!

Melanie's review of Lentini's knocked the:
"filetto di manzo ai funghi con profumo di tartufo (beef tenderloin sautéed with fresh mushrooms and truffle oil, $24) was also mediocre. A heavy, oily sauce, overwhelmed with truffle oil, covered the tenderloin. I love truffles, but this dosage overpowered the beef as well as the large portions of portobello and button mushrooms."

My wife, I, and our nephew (a professional waiter from Birmingham). loved the dish, particularly the truffle sauce, which we feel makes the dish. Both my wife and I have reordered it on subsequent visits (the nephew's back in AL -- only visited once).

Oh, well. Guess that's why Churchill Downs is in business.

Good points all around, Vince. By the time I got to the second review and digested the intro, I guess I pretty much skimmed the rest of the Lentini review. I did notice that it had apparently been written far in advance of publication, as it alluded to the Middletown property as a future opening.

On Rivue: "I probably respect skill puffery more than most people. But one of the problems of building things up is the risk of providing even more of a letdown--which is how I ended up feeling after a couple of recent visits to Rivue . . ." Stephen Hacker basically says the setting is stunning, the food disappointing.

Melanie Wachsman reviewed Bistro New Albany. First visit there was a special event at BNA and the service and food was disappointing. The second visit was much better, and she attributes the first visit to "an off-night."

[Robin Garr]

On Rivue:

Thanks, Charles! I appreciate your taking the time to look up and post those examples. It does appear that Louisville mag's restaurant writers are expressing critical opinions a bit more freely than has been my impression in the past. I can't fault them for trying to accentuate the positive. I think we all do that, mainly because most readers would rather have a good place pointed out and good dishes recommended rather than merely enjoying a bashing.

I assume you saw the pretty critical review of Rivue and the review of Bistro New Albany?

No, I didn't ... as I said, I rarely see the mag in print, and the Website - at lesat until recently - has been updated only sporadically, so I'm out of the habit of checking it. Tell me more! I hope they didn't bash BNA.

I didn't even hear about it.....did we get panned?? Damn I hope not!

A few quotations:

"Are restaurants entitled to an off-night? I wondered this recently as I drove across the river to dine at Bistro New Albany. It would be my second time dining at this Southern Indiana venue and I hoped it would redeem my first impression." (first sentence)

"During my first visit one recent Friday night the restaurant bustled due to a special event. While we were seated within minutes, it was clearly a chaotic atmosphere and things did not go well. A second visit thereagter was substantially more enjoyable. The dining room was far less crowded, service was prompt and the food was prepared with much more care and precision." (third paragraph)

"I commend Bistro New Albany for acknowledging and accepting responsibility for a disastrous night on our first visit. The restaurant showed on second inspection that it can fulfill much of its menu's promise."
(last sentence)
p. 86 September 2007