by Terri Beam » Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:07 pm
"Home Cooking."
Every time I see those words, the skeptic in me is compelled to try out any establishment that posts those two seemingly innocuous words in its advertising. So it was with tentative hope and rampant cynicism (especially after the debacle that was the temporary visitation of the Our Best franchise in the Creek), I noticed several months ago that a "home cooking" restaurant was coming to Fern Creek, in the former location of Fish Inn Again on Hudson Lane (behind Rite Aid).
Marrick's opened the week before I hauled myself out of town for my annual Mackinac Island pilgrimage, however I ventured forth on the second day of their "soft opening" before I hopped a plane to Up North. I returned today for a confirmation that this place is the "real deal" in home cooking.
First, they had to do some pretty significant remodeling, as when the building housed Fish Inn Again, it was pretty much a dump. I'm pleased to report they've installed nice flooring and have made the decor as inviting as can be made in such a small space. They've also added a small patio area outside, but with a view of Rite Aid, Bardstown Road, and St. Gabriel's, it's not all that enticing. The dining area has a couple TVs for sports viewers, and the chalkboard specials wall has been retained from the previous tenant.
I'm notorious for judging "home cooking" restaurants by one thing and one thing alone: mashed potatoes. If an establishment has obviously resorted to using the increasingly (annoyingly) prevalent "potatoes in a bag" or even worse, frozen, it fails my test. Our Best ran afoul of me in this way. They started out with the real deal, but when the corner-cutting began, the potatoes were first to go. Marrick's gets an A for making homemade Yukon Gold mashed potatoes. I haven't tried Yukon Golds before, but I must admit they make for some tasty eats.
On my first visit, I ordered another dish I use to test the "home cooking" moniker: country fried steak. Many places just want to toss a frozen pre-breaded steak in a skillet and call it a day. It appears Marrick's uses their own breading blend for their country fried steak, fried chicken, fish, and chicken strips. The steak came with homemade pepper gray. Score 3 points for the home cooking team. The steak was tender with nary a gristle to be found and was plentifully peppered to suit my taste.
Today, I chose the chicken strips (again, hand-breaded), mashed potatoes, and properly cooked southern-style green beans (I know some people don't like 'em with ham and onions, but I'm old school). They weren't mush, but they were definitely not crunchy either. The strips came with a choice of the pepper gravy, bbq sauce, or honey mustard. Of course I went with the gravy.
During the two visits, I've spied other diners dining on the lentil soup (rave review was overheard), fish dinners, and burgers. I've seen a lot of clean plates and several to-go boxes which seems to indicate happy customers.
Their lunch'/dinner menu has a selection of appetizers, sandwiches and burgers, soups and salads, and meat/vegetable/bread combos. Their combos range from the aforementioned country fried steak, chicken fingers, and fish to meatloaf, pork chops, and fried to order fried chicken (20 minute wait advised). They also offer daily specials for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Today's specials, for example, were a mushroom and swiss burger and chicken piccata on angel hair pasta. The vegetable of the day today was a zucchini and squash combination. They also serve breakfast, but I haven't had the opportunity to try that yet.
Prices are more than reasonable. The dinner combos with meat, two vegetables, and yeast rolls are all under $15 ($9.99 is a common price point). They offer wine and beer (including options beyond the usual Bud/Miller, but I'm not a beer drinker so I can't speak to specifics). Today's desserts included cheesecake with strawberries, chocolate and peanut butter chip cake, and strawberry shortcake with cream cheese dip (as overheard from another table. I never have room for dessert when I dine out. *sigh*).
Marrick's has made a good first (and second) impression on this "home cooking" snob. Someone in that kitchen knows what he's doing. It's a welcome alternative to braving the masses at Cracker Barrel. I hope that its small size and difficult to spot location don't hinder its success because I see this place becoming part of my regular rotation.