Our critic can't hate on Mesh in spite of himself LEO's Eats with Robin GarrShrimp and Weisenberger Mill grits at Mesh
First, let's get one thing perfectly clear: No matter how much I think I might dislike a place, I bring an open mind to the dinner table.
Sometimes this isn't easy. Even if a restaurateur has responded to a review with veiled death threats or even mere front-yard TPing, it's the critic's job to swallow that bile and return someday, prepared to deal out judgment that's honest and fair.
It's a good thing, too, because I had a load of baggage in tow — much of it not particularly fair, but hey — when our friends Kathy and Rick joined Mary and me for a recent dinner at Mesh.
For instance, it may be a stretch to call an Indianapolis eatery's first out-of-town clone a "chain." Still, Mesh's parent organization, Indy's Cunningham Group, runs a half-dozen chain operations. When I see a corporate eatery, I imagine bean counters at headquarters overruling the creative people in the kitchen.
Then there's the historic preservation thing. I've been around long enough to remember the original Bauer's (since 1870!), then La Paloma and eventually Azalea. I loved that nostalgic old white house and its shaded, brick-walled patio, and hated to see it go.
But when the neglected old house decayed after Azalea closed in 2007, it was razed last year, and an odd, hulking block rose in its place. It looked … different. Then everything stalled. Rumors flew! Anoosh Shariat was coming back as chef! Oops, no he's not! They're wooing some other top guy! Or maybe not? Time dragged, a year passed.
Finally it opened in March, to acclaim that ranged from "Awesome" to "Me(s)h." The menu was pricey, with most wines $50 per bottle and up. Apps run up to $15. Main dishes start in the upper teens and top out at $35.
Yep, I was all set for disappointment. But duty called, so I carefully removed the chip from my shoulder. We navigated the over-full parking lot, walked in, and … whoa! What's this? It's sleek! It's glitzy! Stone and wood and glass! A brick patio with shade trees and a classy bar, just like Bauer's!
My eyes popped. Might this place be good? ...
Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/?p=5299See this column also in LEO Weekly:
http://www.leoweekly.com/2015/06/our-cr ... f-himself/Mesh 3608 Brownsboro Road
632-4421
http://meshrestaurants.com/louisvilleRobin Garr's rating: 88 points