Swanky sophistation sways CJ reviewer despite 8UP's flaws.

[Robin Garr]

8UP’s menu is “annoying and pretentious,” “lacking in thrills,” the food is often lukewarm, a salad couldn’t match church-supper slaw, and service is inconsistent. But it’s swanky! And sophisticated! And that’s good enough for 3 1/2 CJ stars. Your thoughts?

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/en ... /26569195/

The stars awarded appear to be a complete disconnect from the review. This has become a theme with this writer and the CJ. There is not enough ambiance or sophistication in the world to make up for lukewarm, lackluster food for me.

Yeah I have to jump in here on this one, I can't really fathom where the 3.5 stars are coming from. No dig on the restaurant, but if you read that review and had to guess the rating at the end, I can't see anyone coming up with that rating.

I do however think that any/all service issues will be rectified sooner than later with Julie at the helm now. I worked under her for a few years at Azalea and she makes it happen. She won a few service awards during her time at The Oakroom too.

[Robin Garr]

I do however think that any/all service issues will be rectified sooner than later with Julie at the helm now. I worked under her for a few years at Azalea and she makes it happen. She won a few service awards during her time at The Oakroom too.

That does sound promising, Ned. I reviewed 8UP after it had been open a month or six weeks, and happened to hit just as Len was leaving and Chef Kook announced that he was going to bail. No idea what was up with that, but to be honest, my impression overall wasn't that dissimilar from the CJ's, although I hope I expressed it better.

Here's my Feb. 4, 2015 review. For what it's worth, we thought the brussels sprout salad was better than church-basement slaw.
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/8up-stunning-food

Maybe Editorial adds the stars after the review is written and that adds a little (financially influenced) bias?

[Robin Garr]

Maybe Editorial adds the stars after the review is written and that adds a little (financially influenced) bias?

I have actually wondered about that, Ronnie. It would never have happened under the Binghams, but I wouldn't entirely put it past the bean counters at Gannett. It seems a little too pat, though.

Nancy is still new enough that it's hard to discern a pattern, but she does seem to be extremely interested in matters of decor and smile, she she does seem to love some "swank." It may be that she unconsciously kicks the rating up a notch for pleasing her esthetic sensibilities, even if she doesn't like the food much. Does this make sense? It wouldn't get past a sharp editor, but from what I hear, budget cuts have left the CJ with very little in the way of editing capabilities.

I'm not sure if you should believe what she writes or her stars. You obviously can't believe both because they never agree with each other. Yes, 8up is a swanky sophisticated restaurant and bar. The couple of times we've been, one under the opening management and one more recently pretty much reflected her views of the food and service. The menu is interestingly arranged in the presentation of menu items on it is quite simple. This is reflected in the food itself which doesn't try to go over the top to the degree that many restaurants do, yet the food is well-prepared and presented on the table. Temperature of food does seem to be a problem and finding one's waiter when needed can be extremely challenging.

I certainly wouldn't put this restaurant at the top of the list for someone coming to Louisville to try nor what I leave it off the list. In my opinion it should probably be rated around 3 stars and even that would depend on the day and the menu items you choose. Hopefully the new team will raise the levels of food and service to reflect the décor of the venue.

We haven't tried the food from the bar side of the restaurant but that menu looks quite interesting and well suited for the venue.

We adore the rooftop patio at 8UP, but we've been twice ( bar side) and the food and service have been lackluster at best. Right now we'd only go back for drinks- the cocktails were great and the ambiance is definitely swank and special. Hopefully Julie can make this into someplace we'd try again.
Deb

This is the 3rd or 4th time this issue has been brought up. It is fairly clear at this point that our favorite reviewer should reinvent The Jelly Bean Journal, as that is about what her reviews are worth. Total kookiness!

[Robin Garr]

The Jelly Bean Journal

Hey, don't go hatin' on the JBJ! It was pretty cool!

(It was also locally produced, back in a day when the local newspaper's local owners understood that they could pay for high quality and still make a boatload of money honestly.

The Jelly Bean Journal

Hey, don't go hatin' on the JBJ! It was pretty cool!

(It was also locally produced, back in a day when the local newspaper's local owners understood that they could pay for high quality and still make a boatload of money honestly.

On the contrary, I remember JBJ very fondly. I liked the dot-to-dots the best. I simply think the recent restaurant reviews fit the demographic of the JBJ, which was for 4-10 year olds, or something close to that. Her reviews are a joke!