LEO's Eats with Robin Garr
Why not invite a vegetarian friend to join you for barbecue today?
No, I'm not suggesting you torment your carniphobic buddies with plates of deliciously smoked and sauced animal flesh. Feast BBQ, newly arrived in the growing foodie scene that is downtown New Albany, offers a better option, more diverse and inclusive by half: You can get your smoky, saucy protein in the form of pulled pork, brisket, pulled chicken or ... tofu!
What's more, in the capable hands of Chef Ryan Rogers and his team, the barbecued tofu is good enough that even a devoted meat-eater might be tempted to take a taste. Dense, gently smoky, crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, these planks of protein taste ... well ... like chicken. Delicious, barbecued chicken, but no animals were harmed in its production.
Of course, there's plenty for carnivores, too. Mary and I went over the other night and pretty much ate our way through the menu, leaving happy, stuffed, and laden with a huge grocery bag full of leftover animal and soy protein.
Feast joined the crowded New Albany scene when it opened last month on Main Street. It's an attractive new space built over the bones of an ancient watering hole, which opened in 1882 as Sunny Side Saloon and Restaurant. Around the turn of the previous century, proprietor Joseph A. Renn - perhaps anticipating the old Tangerine Restaurant's noteworthy slogan, "Worst Food in Kentucky," declared the property "The Finest Saloon in New Albany, and the Worst Whisky, Wines, Beer, Cigars, and Tobacco in the City," adding, "Come Judge for Yourself!"
Feast's folks appear to have a loftier standard, and in my judgment, they have achieved fine food and drink, although the cigars and tobacco, happily, are nowhere to be seen or smelled. They've worked hard to restore the original charm of the two-story brick building's ground floor, tearing out crumbling plaster to reveal exposed brick. The original floor joists were built into tables and a bar top, resulting in an old saloon feel.
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/meat- ... -feast-bbq
And in LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/meat-meet-n ... -feast-bbq
Feast BBQ
116 W. Main St.
New Albany, Ind.
812-920-0454
feastbbq.com
Rating: 91
