Louisville Magazine's Top 50

I have religiously and piously stayed off of this Forum for months, if not years now. However, after reading Louisville Magazine's ersatz and ludicrous article on the drafting of Chefs and restaurants in a manner that depicts the National Football League and ESPN's annual marketing extravaganza, I am compelled to extrapolate and express my opinion. I tried not to do this, but fortified by copious amounts of Lemon Hart 151 Rum, I decided to dive into the murky waters of exposing my Louisville public persona. Not only was the article so shallow that Brittany Spears would appear to be an Oxford Don in comparison, but it was an utter insult to the Louisville chefs and restauranteurs who are attempting to expose Louisville to dining that is au courant and unique. I know I am objective because everyone in Louisville hates me. I do not have to pander or be gratuitous to anyone. I am universally despised in this community and the characterization of "despicable' follows me like a dark shadow in Amsterdam during December. The choices of restaurants were so off base, that either these stalwart bastions of the Louisville publishing community have been locked in a closet since adolescence, or like the sycophants surrounding Rupert Murdoch, they know quite well who signs their checks and who pushes the buttons of the local oligarchy. I have exhausted my testosterone, but soon I will provide my take on the restaurants in Louisville taking chances and providing a glimpse of a twenty-first century restaurant. Robin, I will attempt to be as genteel as my abrasive soul will allow. Thank you.

[Robin Garr]

Robin, I will attempt to be as genteel as my abrasive soul will allow. Thank you.

I can reasonably ask no more than this well-defined commitment.

OK Phil...having spent the majority of the month riding the bench whilst the intelligentsia-superiore discussed the politics of chicken sammiches and pizza...I'll bite.

First off, I'm not going to touch the "everyone in Louisville hates me" part...That's between you and your therapist. As a -huge- fan of your posts I hope that someday the two of you can get to the bottom of things. As for the article itself...As a dedicated fan of the gridiron I personally found it to be playful and timely and can imagine it was a real hoot to put together...You know...fun. I'm also betting the Chef's and restauranteurs found it to be an entertaining article as well..You know...didn't take offense.

Anyway, acknowledging our cyber-hosts rules that don't permit me to say anything to you on his little forum that I wouldn't say to you whilst bellied up to the bar...My suggestion would be a strong laxative to see if you can't somehow pass that ginormous stick that resides in your ass.

Well I didnt see the need for your opinion to be responded to by "stick up your ass"
But it was a playful albeit pointless article on the area's restaurants. It was pretty pointless, and I took it as tongue in cheek. I suggest you do as well, so you don't drive yourself nutso trying to read into it.
I will say I liked many of the chefs involved, and have to leave it at that. If you don't pay dearly for advertising with a lot of these folks you are rather at their mercy for descriptors.

Phil,
I also don't have to pander because I don't work in the restaurant business, nor know anyone on this forum. I'm sure some of my posts, like anyone else's, are better left unresponded. As long as it doesn't get too personal, or keeps beating a dead horse, its fairly well understood that people like to vent or even be a bit mischievous at times; and that is what you just did. Fair enough and no big deal.

That said, such a rating system as found in the article is about as reliable as a top 40 song countdown. Such endeavors are not only subjective, but often have hidden agendas, as well. Now in this particular case, I found it to be rather creative and fun. It also shows an incredible camaraderie between people in the food business who work very hard to offer us an exciting selection of food choices in the city. It kind of reminds me of Adam Richmond's "Man vs. Food" where he goes off to do something silly to attain divine inspiration before taking on his food challenge. Man vs. Food is fun and so was this fantasy restaurant draft. Don't take it too seriously.

I'm sorry, but the picture of Anthony running down the field with a melon was hysterical.
The article itself was a useless piece of fluff. But then again, tha's t fun sometimes. I'm sure it was a blast for the chef's involved to do something silly.

All of your replies reek with the Louisville, "Oh well. it's part of our community and gee whizz, it's all in good Southern, non committal fun. None of the restaurant community would take it seriously. We all know one another and gosh, gee, we are such down home, good Andy Griffith type folks that only a neurotic, paranoid New Yorker would see anything insidious in a fluff article in our local magazine. We know all those good folks at Louisville Magazine and none of them have any malice towards their neighbors. Yikes, the editor went to Collegiate with my nephew and the writer attended Trinity with my cousin, and wow, I think the photographer went to Kentucky Country Day with my sister. What is this guy talking about? I think it was a creative and fanciful article. I thought it was so excellent that I sent in my resume to my nephew's friend and my cousin's buddy and my sister's photographer friend."

Do you have any idea how many people from out of town choose their restaurants by what they read in the local magazine? What these "journalists" have done is place certain restaurants above others in some scale that makes no sense what so ever. If most people in Louisville would give a "rip" about what happens "over the wall," they would be able to perceive the effect an article like this has on the Louisville restaurant economy. I will continue my "rant" at another time, but realize my objectivity comes from living and traveling to places "beyond the wall." I can emphatically and honestly say that is not the reality for 99% of the good people who live in Kentucky.

Phil - we don't hate you, far from it. Sometimes though, like my wacky uncle, you say things that are less than judicious. Do you really think you are the only one here that has traveled outside KY? That is a pretty big (and erroneous) assumption. I have lived in several states and have found many local versions of the "good ole" network. Mayhaps you have lived in the upper strata and not realized it, but Louisville does not have a corner on localism. Here they flaunt it which I find more refreshing that the "undercover" ones I have seen in other places. I love that everyone here has a connection with everyone else. After 32 years, I have made a few of my own, I feel more connected here than on any where else. I have not seen the article in question, but if the chefs and restaurants willingly particapated, why not accept it as a fun, fluff piece?

Phil. You sound miserable. That is all.

Yes, I am angry at many things these days as I see our country's egalitarian values diminish as a result of a stagnant economy and an emphasis on Capitalistic success. But this is a restaurant forum and not really a place to vent emotions. However, this Louisville Magazine piece made me feel bad for all the great chefs and restauranteurs that have given so much of themselves to bring a different perspective to the Louisville scene. I have never had a bad meal at Varanese and John always provides a bit of a surprise on every menu. His labor of love was not even mentioned in the top fifty. Edward Lee is literally world famous. At a bar in Hong Kong when the person next to me heard I lived in Louisville, he immediately asked me about Edward, but 610 makes the middle of the pack. Corbett's has done so much to add to the "fine dining" scene in Louisville and Jack's is an institution, but no mention. My heart goes out to all those folks trying to expand our culinary horizons: "Rye," "Decca." "The Blind Pig," etc, and this article in the magazine will have an effect on diners and where they choose to eat. I just get frustrated with all the lack of objectivity in this town. I know, it's my issue, but Louisville a glance in the mirror once in a while is not that bad. Perhaps if you allow yourself to see the flaws disguised within the myopia you can do something to fix them. I will now excuse myself with as much grace as I can muster.

Phil,
Why don't you use this opportunity to list your top 50 Restaurants in Louisville? You can then give as much detail as you like.

Seems like I remember that you are pretty good at writing restaurant reviews. maybe if you stuck to that, this provincial life might not feel so confining?

Yes, I am angry at many things these days as I see our country's egalitarian values diminish as a result of a stagnant economy and an emphasis on Capitalistic success.

Are you seriously railing against capitalistic success and gushing about 610 et al. in the same paragraph? I mean, really. I love those places, but when I go the two of us spend enough to buy food for a family of four for two weeks. Let's be intellectually honest with ourselves here.

Phil,
Why don't you use this opportunity to list your top 50 Restaurants in Louisville? You can then give as much detail as you like.

Seems like I remember that you are pretty good at writing restaurant reviews. maybe if you stuck to that, this provincial life might not feel so confining?

++++This++++......and welcome back.

All of your replies reek with the Louisville, "Oh well. it's part of our community and gee whizz, it's all in good Southern, non committal fun. None of the restaurant community would take it seriously. We all know one another and gosh, gee, we are such down home, good Andy Griffith type folks that only a neurotic, paranoid New Yorker would see anything insidious in a fluff article in our local magazine. We know all those good folks at Louisville Magazine and none of them have any malice towards their neighbors. Yikes, the editor went to Collegiate with my nephew and the writer attended Trinity with my cousin, and wow, I think the photographer went to Kentucky Country Day with my sister. What is this guy talking about? I think it was a creative and fanciful article. I thought it was so excellent that I sent in my resume to my nephew's friend and my cousin's buddy and my sister's photographer friend."

I am sure we would disagree greatly in a ranking of restaurants, though I suspect that it would just be a matter of preference in the order, not in the restaurants themselves. Having said that, I couldn't agree more with your overall synopsis and laughed my butt of reading it. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes in order to get favorable attention, I wouldn't know where to begin....and would probably just be seen as a bitter, angry ex-restauranteur, which I am really not!

I have searched their website and cannot find the article. Will someone be so kind as to provide a link to the article being discussed?