Corbett's: Give it FIVE stars!

Anyone on this forum that knows Dean should ask for a kitchen tour after things quiet down. It is fantastic!! Including down-draft AC on the hot line. If you have ever done saute or char-grill on a busy night you know what a gift this extra accessory is. The hot line has a normal updraft hood for cooking fumes,ect. but also has an 18" extended vent directly over the cooks that blows AC down on them. As Robin stated no detail has been left out. The wine glasses are a masterpiece. Dean showed me some of the copper cookware he is using for finishing sauces, ect. The 1qt sauce pots must weight 5# I have never seen such high quality.

Dean took everyone in our group on a tour of the kitchen, and you are correct, it is amazing.

Its it just beer and wine or a full bar? After dinner I like a good brandy and cafe. Can anyone describe the bar area and offerings?

[Robin Garr]

Its it just beer and wine or a full bar? After dinner I like a good brandy and cafe. Can anyone describe the bar area and offerings?

Good question, Carla. The bar looked relatively small, but attractive, and it's right in the center of things. I'm certain it will be full bar service - beer, wine and liquor - but thanks to the nice folks in Frankfort, they were kept dangling until the last possible instant before getting their liquor license - it literally came in about two hours before dinner on Thursday - so the drinks list and inventory needs to be filled up fast. I expect Troy has been working 24x7 the last couple of days to get it ready for tonight's real opening.

I can tell you that, as Ron said, Troy is up there with Louisville's top wine/drinks guys, and the wines they had Thursday night, even with the last-minute issues, were really interesting and unusual, not your everyday let-the-distributors-pick-it ho hum stuff. I'm certain your brandy options will please you ... and as for the cafe, we were told that their espresso machine does everything but polish your shoes, and cost about $10K! It did make an awesome after-dinner cup, although I thought it was a little odd that it only makes doubles.

Excellent! I don't get to enjoy truly fine dining all that often but when I do I like the whole experience. I'd like to see a complete line of premium spirits offered, not just bourbons. It irks me to see 20 varieties of bourbon and 15 flavored vodkas offered and only 2 or 3 gins, maybe 3 rums and a couple of the usual brandies.
I'll make plans now for Corbett's to be where I take my daughter when she comes home from Europe. I can't wait!

Carla,

I was lucky enough to attend Thursday night. This is definitely in my top two in town now for a truly extraordinary meal/evening. The place is gorgeous- very refined. We sat in the chef's room which was totally private, but a great deal of the regular seating also feels very private, tucked into the corners this beautiful old house. In the warmer weather they have a beautiful patio space and a front porch for dining.

The food was extraordinary. I don't know how often they will be changing the menu, but we had a very hard time picking. The seared scallop starter was a beautiful presentation and won great reviews from those ordered it. I had a wild mushroom gratin that was incredble: a mix of fall mushooms in a cream sauce that had both perfect flavor and texture ( it was cooked al dente if that term can be used to describe mushrooms ) My main course was a the Duck Breast with Pumpkin risotto in a bourbon- cider reduction. Perfectly cooked medium rare and the flavor balance on the components was right-on. Every bite was different and intensely yummy.

Don't miss the cheese selection! They are going to have a full cheese cart to select from at your table, but Thursday night Dean chose for us. I'm a major cheese lover and I only knew a couple of the superb choices. These selections were served on a beautiful specialty platter: everyone of the five was perfectly aged and beautifully complimented the others. My only very minor quibble was that the Stilton was placed in the middle of the platter (I assume for color). I think most folks would eat the selections in their order on the platter, and then the very strong blue should be tasted last for your palate. But this was a very minor point: if you go and order cheese - which I highly reccomend- let your server pick a variety for you. I'm sure Dean has personally -trained his staff on the cheeses and pairings, so you are guaranteed to end up with a stellar cheese "flight".

Dean and Chris- Thanks so much for an incredible evening!!!

I think most folks would eat the selections in their order on the platter,

This may say more about you than the presentation of the cheese.

I went out of order.

[Robin Garr]

I went out of order.

I played mine like doing arpeggios on the harmonica, nibbling from one end to the other and back again.

Yay! We have reservations on the 22nd. I can't wait!

Charles,

This may say more about you than the presentation of the cheese

.

Yes, it probably does - I admit to being anal... But the people that responded and myself all really know cheeses: most people don't. When we had the store, I had the question frequently on the order to taste your cheese. I think that some people who didn't know cheeses would taste them in order like a wine flight as the tray is lined up in a row. But that may be just my anal- ness showing.

To me eating a strong blue and then tasting a mild cow's milk cheese is the palate equivalent of tasting a pinot gris after you've had a Cabernet....

But sounds like that's just my personal preference. Corbett's was perfect!

Corbett’s is amongst the most flawless dining experiences I have ever had the pleasure to experience – anywhere! I was very fortunate to be amongst the Thursday evening dinner guests, and the entire restaurant is over-the-top excellent including the ambience, service, and cuisine. It is a seriously wonderful addition to Louisville’s dining roster; how lucky we are to have such a progressive and exquisite restaurant added to our dining options.

The master plan for the restaurant seems like it came out of a fairytale book because the attention to detail and quality in every way is almost unbelievable. The atmosphere of the restaurant itself is understated, sophisticated elegance with a large dose of warmth that exudes from the well-planned use of lighting, comfortable seating, wall materials (some brick which remains from the original mansion) and lovely tableware. The other interesting thing is how strongly Dean feels about the importance of high-quality and well-trained employees; the facilities created at the restaurant for employees and their families (upstairs area and outdoor patio for them to use plus ventilation system to keep kitchen comfortable) reflect that value, which will translate to continued good service and cuisine for guests.

Every bite was delectable. The food was Equus-quality reliable but kicked up a few notches. The seared scallop with English pea flan was beautifully browned and melted in the mouth. I had the Maple Leaf Farms duck breast with pumpkin risotto and bourbon spiced fruit and cider reduction; perfect! The lemon pignoli tart dessert had just the right tartness with a flavorful pine nut crust. The restaurant even spared no expense with the rich quality of their Consumers Choice cappuccino / coffee / espresso service. A spectacular cheese plate with a very interesting selection of cheeses was the final touch. Wines were paired beautifully. Portions are just right with being more than ample without feeling overly stuffed.

I cannot wait to go back and try some other menu items… and therefore already have plans to go back to kick off the New Year!


Mary Ann

[Robin Garr]

Corbett’s is amongst the most flawless dining experiences I have ever had the pleasure to experience – anywhere! I was very fortunate to be amongst the Thursday evening dinner guests, and the entire restaurant is over-the-top excellent including the ambience, service, and cuisine. It is a seriously wonderful addition to Louisville’s dining roster; how lucky we are to have such a progressive and exquisite restaurant added to our dining options.

It was nice meeting you too, Mary Ann! Thanks for the excellent review, and thanks to Deb for bringing you along.

I guess we'll <i>all</i> be going back to Corbett's soon ... I'm thinking that this one's going to be a tough reservation to get, once the word spreads.

Hubby and I have reservations for my birthday 12/28 (a BIG birthday and I cannot wait, especially after this thread!

Congratulations Chef Dean and the entire team responsible!

Just in from a three hour adventure at Corbett's. Robin hit it on the head with his phrase "attention to detail." From the wine-specific glasses to the printed hand towels in the restrooms, Dean has made this a truly unique venue.

Presentations are stunning - absolutely stunning. Portions are fair, yet manageable if you are settling in for several courses. The dishes (especially entrees) seem relatively simple at first (meant in the most positive manner), yet each contains an accompaniment of flavors that allows you to still distinguish each unique ingredient. Service was attentive, if a tick slow, but it was a very busy night and patience was not in short supply from my table, so the gaps were just fine.

I think there are still some opening quirks - for example, we had to share menus because they ran out at the 8PM hour. The host was a bit flustered when we first arrived for the appointed reservation, and had us stand for just a few minutes as he tried to decide where to seat us (and repeatedly said "Just a moment, please ... just a moment, please"). However, our servers were very fine and friendly (enough to leave a 25% tip on an already-healthy tab) and the overall experience was very positive.

In short, Corbett's should be one of those places where you go expecting an exceptional experience, and you'll very likely get it. I'll definitely be back soon.