LEO's Eats with Robin Garr
Some guacamole walked into a bar, and the bartender said, "Hey! There's a restaurant named after you."
"What? There's a restaurant named Wilbur?"
Well, no. And my career as a stand-up comedian should probably end right there. After all, guacamole is nothing to joke about, or at least not much. And if you think guacamole is just some boring green stuff that you use as a dip at cheap Mexican restaurants, you might want to re-think that, too.
At Guaca Mole, one of the hottest new eateries in the East End suburbs, this avocado dish is about as good as it gets, in Louisville or even in Mexico. And that's only the half of it: The name Guaca Mole is split in two to celebrate both Guac and the equally iconic Mole, the luscious dark unsweetened chocolate sauce that was also bequeathed us by the ancient Aztecs.
Guaca Mole presents stunning examples of both dishes, and much more, too. The restaurant is a bright and boldly colored remake of a former Applebee's and Shoney's. Its new incarnation comes to us from Fernando and Cristina Martinez, who were partners in the original Havana Rumba and Mojito restaurants; and Fernando's cousin Yaniel Martinez, who was chef at the Middletown Havana Rumba.
The Martinezes, who boast Cuban heritage, created instant culinary landmarks with both those Cuban-style restaurants before they left town a few years ago, first to a resort in Venezuela, then to the Miami region. Now they're back home in Louisville, and applying their winning style to what might be called Nuevo Mexican cuisine with a Fernandez flair.
Let's avoid getting into a fruitless debate about authenticity. I will simply testify that the fare at Guaca Mole has been consistently delicious; and it reminds me, more than a little, of the famous Topolobampo in Chicago, the higher-end eatery of top chef Rick Bayless, an Anglo cook and food television personality who can turn one hell of a Mexican regional dish.
The setting is mighty fine, too. The color scheme is fun and bright, walls in bold Mexican food colors of tangerine, avocado, red chili salsa and mustard, with simple decor featuring authentic Mexican dolls and pottery. The restaurant seats 150 - a happy legacy from its corporate chain predecessors - with a large, comfortable rectangular bar at the center of the action.
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/great ... guaca-mole
And in LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/great-guac- ... guaca-mole
Guaca Mole Mexican Restaurant
9921 Ormsby Station Road
365-4822
http://on.fb.me/guaca-mole
92 points