Need Glitz and Sparkle

Its been a while. I'm currently living in downtown Cincinnati enjoying the restaurant revival in the Queen City. It seems my assertive (obnoxious?) personality is tolerated better here than in Louisville. Donna still lives in Louisville as we call ourselves Bi-River. She spends week-ends here in Cincinnati.

What I need is a fun, happening, lively place to eat and imbibe on a Saturday night in Louisville. We are unfamiliar with what's percolating in the Ville's current scene, and I am hosting my best friend from Cincinnati who has never experienced Louisville. I want to be certain she has a fabulous time, since she has been incredibly helpful to me when I was a newcomer to Cincinnati.

It is not an easy task since I don't necessarily have the same tastes. She loves the Casino in downtown Cincinnati and is drawn to glamour and sparkle. Being a seasoned single woman, Pamela enjoys places with an active repertoire. A quiet dinner for the three of us, simply won't make it. The Friday of her visit, we will be at "Downs After Dark," which I think is just perfect! Any assistance, will be greatly appreciated. Take care and regards to those of you who remember……..

Thanks
Phil Gissen[b][/b]

Well I'm not sure about the glitz and sparkle, but I have a few suggestions that might fit the bill if you like fun and lively:
If your in the mood for BBQ either Against the Grain, Hammerheads or Feast
Neat snacks and shareables with a funky vibe try Louvino, Holy Grale or Mojito's
More upscale with the same theme try Asiatique or Jack's Lounge
Looking for upscale burgers either Mussel Burger Bar, Game or Grind
Looking for cool ethnic try Palermo or Havana Rumba.
All of these places will allow you to let your hair down so to speak. With-in the boundaries of good taste of course. They all tend to be a little loud and exciting

Jeff Ruby's is pretty glitzy and loud.

Thanks much for the input. I was seriously considering Ruby's since she loves all the Ruby's here in Cincinnati.
As with some of the other suggestions, they're all good, but unfortunately I need to take "the bridges I burned" into consideration. (Gissen's March to the Sea)

While I'm not into the "single scene" here, just looking around at the customers and their clothing it seems that Sapporo on Friday and Satuirday nights (on Bardstown Rd) is filled with people getting sushi to eat prior to going out clubbing. Afterwards, hitting Garage, Silver Dollar, and some of those Dan mentioned should make for a full night.

While I agree with Leah, I wouldn't take someone to a Cincinnati-based place to show her "local Louisville"!!

Those are great ideas Andrew. I think it would be appropriate to try and provide a Louisville "night out on the town" that attempts to show the town and what makes it distinctive. While Louisville didn't meet my needs, I have met tons of folks all over the U.S. who just love Louisville including a great restauranteur in Cincinnati, David Falk, who is opening up a branch of Nada in Louisville. The town will love the unique Mexican food and party atmosphere David will bring to Louisville.

El Camino??? Or Silver Dollar? Both seem like "glitzy" sort of places!

Phil,

By Glitzy do you mean upscale and flashy? ( a la Casinos and New Jersey?). Great places have been suggested for loud, great vibe, and great food but they are heavily casual places without what I'd call "glitz and sparkle").

Two cents from me:
Rivue- top of the Galt House- part of the restaurant moves for views- decorated in what I would consider glitz and sparkle. (a caution-I haven't been for year to comment on food or vibe)

Marketplace @ Theatre Square- very impressive front dining room that makes a statement. They also have a Jazz trio- depending on where you sit, this adds to the noise level and vibe. The food and service are fabulous.

Deb

Deb, the Marketplace sounds good. Is there any place to eat that might have a band playing R&B?You know, sixties and seventies soul- The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Smokey, the Impressions, good ole Motown. Pamela enjoys that music and it does add a liveliness to the room. Jeff Ruby's here in downtown Cincinnati had a house band every night. Thanks so much for your help.

Ruby's here also has a band every night, but again it's a Cincy restaurant group!

Marketplace is one of my favorite restaurants, and the outside spaces are as great as the inside, but the vibe is more "cool jazz" than young, glitzy, loud, etc. It's wonderful, but don't think it's what you are looking for. The jazz singer tends to go thru the Sinatra Songbook!

Louisville tends to be more of a casual place than Cincinnati, with most of our best restaurants (see Robin's list of 66!) being very casual (while Cincy's aren't dressy, they are more so than here). Sapporo is loud/noisy/vibrant, Varanese has live jazz (but relatively quiet and somewhat older), Volare usually has live music (have to call to see what type, but on occasion it's oldies), but otherwise the type of music you are looking for is more at pizza places here.

Maybe I'm a curmudgeon, but it seems like it'd be better to introduce a visitor to the unique charms Louisville does have, rather than trying to find something that imitates somewhere else. Louisville isn't Vegas, nor do we have any places trying to imitate it so far as I know. We do have a lot of interesting, fun, happening places to visit, but glitz and sparkle aren't really this city's thing.

Jeff,
I appreciate your sentiments and I understand exactly what you are saying. What Louisville is, for better or worse, drove me away. Its reality did not meet or fit my needs. However, in this case, I would like suggestions to what is the closest to might seem like glamorous. Certainly at Derby time, the city appears to have a great deal of glitz. I know, once Derby fever dies down, the city takes on a completely different persona. But if you were looking for the closest to this ideal………….

That's why I'm asking for help.

Thanks.

Have dinner on the Decca patio and then go hang out all night at Wild Ritas. You can gallery hop on the walk over. If that's not enough drinking, then head on over to the Galt House and visit Al J's at the Conservatory.

Andrew is right- Marketplace is very classy and not loud , (also one of my very favorites in town) . It is however an incredible , impressive space- always feels to me more Manhattan or Vegas ( in an excellent way) than Louisville. Having lived in NY/NJ for a long time - and knowing Phil- I thought that might be part of what he was going for.
Deb

Steve's suggestion is a great one too!