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Terri Beam

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Marric's Restaurant Now Open in Fern Creek

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.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Marrick's Restaurant Now Open in Fern Creek

by Robin Garr » Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:06 pm

Terri, what a great review! Thanks so much for that significant effort. I might want to hire you if I ever need a pinch hitter! :D
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Susanne Smith

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Re: Marrick's Restaurant Now Open in Fern Creek

by Susanne Smith » Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:08 am

Yes, very nice review. I will be trying Marrick's very soon as a result. I love country cuisine, and like so many skills these days, (sounding like a get off my lawn guy) I thinks quite a few chefs pass right over these old school recipes and skip ahead to the latest trend. It's sorta like doing modern art with no classical skills. So, I'm always looking for the classics first, and I'm usually sorely disappointed. Thanks for the heads up on a new inviting place. Bill.
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Alanna H

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Re: Marrick's Restaurant Now Open in Fern Creek

by Alanna H » Sat Sep 27, 2014 9:52 pm

Unfortunately, our schedule did not allow for me to get over to try Sari Sari on their final night. The day was not a total loss, however, because we ended up at Marric's for dinner.

It was delicious! I got country fried steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans. My son got a steakhouse burger, which was dressed and also had bacon, cheddar, onion straws, and a fried egg on it, with a side of fries. Now, we had to wait a long time for our food but when it came out it was obvious why. It was real cube steak, just like I make at home, lightly floured (not batter dipped like you usually get) and skillet fried. It was absolutely the best country fried steak I have ever had, ANYWHERE IN MY LIFE!!!! The green beans were delicious, seasoned with ham and onions. The potatoes were real, as mentioned above, but they were whipped and I prefer mine thicker than that. I didn't think they had much flavor. Next time I will get a different side in its place.
Matthew said his burger was amazing, and I tried one of his fries and it was pretty good. A basket of a couple of fresh, warm rolls was served as well. Service was very pleasant. With food that fresh and good, I can deal with the wait for them to cook it!
I can't wait to go back there. They are open til 9:00pm every day except Mondays, when they are closed. I wish I'd thought to ask to see a breakfast menu while I was there. You can be sure I will next time.
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Robert Carnighan

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Re: Marrick's Restaurant Now Open in Fern Creek

by Robert Carnighan » Tue Sep 30, 2014 5:15 pm

I went to Marric's (their spelling) today for breakfast. It is behind the Rite Aid at the light at Hudson Lane off Bardstown Road but difficult to see from Bardstown Road. Turn just before the Rite Aid at Hudson Lane and you will find it. There is no on line menu. I picked up a paper copy of the lunch and dinner menu but they were out of the breakfast copies. If you would like a copy faxed or emailed, PM me. The breakfast menu was standard but the biscuits and gravy with bacon were well above average. The lunch and dinner menu is extensive with chicken fried to order, fried oysters, pork chops and roast beef. Bottled beer was listed on a chalk board and included the usual suspects and craft beers including an IPA. We will return this week for lunch.
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Richard S.

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Re: Marric's Restaurant Now Open in Fern Creek

by Richard S. » Wed Oct 01, 2014 9:52 am

I would throw out a friendly suggestion to the owners that having a copy of the menu online is an absolute necessity these days. I live just a few blocks from Marric's but am disinclined to go specifically because I don't have a clue what's on the menu, other than what's been discussed here.
Second to that in my pet peeve department is a menu that doesn't include prices. My wife and I are looking at a trip to a top-notch steakhouse to celebrate something she's accomplished recently. Looking around, I see neither Morton's nor Ruth's Chris have prices on their online menu. Binion's at Horseshoe Casino does, so that 's probably going to be our choice.
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Mike Hardin

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Re: Marric's Restaurant Now Open in Fern Creek

by Mike Hardin » Wed Oct 01, 2014 3:42 pm

For those of us who are not very familiar with Fern Creek, it looks like the actual address is 8402 Hudson Lane. A little more specific than behind Rite Aid where Fish Inn Again used to be :lol:
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Jeffrey D.

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Re: Marric's Restaurant Now Open in Fern Creek

by Jeffrey D. » Thu Oct 02, 2014 9:45 am

I had a good lunch there Tuesday. Have to agree about the country fried steak - really better than any restaurant version I've ever had. Good green beans, too. Maybe the biggest surprise was the fruit cup. It was actually fresh fruit, diced and served with no sugar-laced juice. Some of the fruit was a little on the not-perfectly-ripe-yet side, but the serving of real fruit, rather than dipped from a can mush, was a pleasant bonus. I'm looking forward to trying them for breakfast soon.
My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
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Robert Carnighan

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Re: Marric's Restaurant Now Open in Fern Creek

by Robert Carnighan » Thu Oct 02, 2014 8:23 pm

Lunch for us today. My country fried steak was excellent with a more pleasant consistency than elsewhere. Carol had the fish sandwich and raved about the fish and the home made cocktail sauce. My green beans were clearly canned but cooked with seasonings including ham; reminded me of the Baxter Station beans.
The french fries had a unique shape. They were curved and had the exact shape of a knee meniscus. Great taste. I had the IPA. They thought that IPA was the name of the brewery! It was actually West 6th. In my opinion if you are only going to have one IPA, West 6th is as good as any. We will work our way through the menu. It is not that far out. Think of it as just a little bit beyond Dakshin.

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