Dinner Out In Historic Portland

For the past three days I have been home to sleep, & most of the rest of the time I have been working to get Tech Fest Louisville up, running, tore down and over. It is. I am whupped.

When I got home Friday evening I ask Suzi what she wanted to do for supper. She responded she didn’t know. I went to my computer room and looked over notes about dining out and places and then had a brain swarm. Portland, we should have dinner out, in the Historic Portland neighborhood. So we slipped out of Shelby Park and up to Portland for dinner.

Just past seven O’clock we pulled up in front of Over The 9 restaurant at 120 S 10th St. There was a CROWD inside the door of about 12-14 people. We kind of stopped and looking around counted tables and wondered if we would have to wait. NO! It was a wedding rehearsal dinner. I tried to wrangle my way into that group going upstairs to the private dining area since someone else was paying but Suzi explained that would be impolite and probably illegal and in all likelihood get us thrown out.

We found a table near the back of the room away from the guitarist playing up front for tips. I like good music in a place while eating, but really, turn the volume down a notch or two. That is not a stadium you are playing to.

We had both perused the menu online and we knew we were going to get the Scotch Duck Egg appetizer. ($12) That may seem a bit expensive. NO. Not really. That is a fair price for the size of that appetizer. Truly, it was a huge duck egg, covered in Chorizo and Bison, sitting in a Charred Scallion Aioli and drizzled with Lingonberry Jelly. How in the world of cooking do you boil an egg and have a soft center, cover it that luscious meat, cook that meat done and then when served the yellow is still every so slightly soft yet not runny, but NOT hard at all. Was it good? Best Scotch Egg in town.

The other part was more difficult from how good all the other choices sounded. Eventually we chose wisely. Suzi got the Meatball Platter ($10) with four big meatballs of Angus Beef, Bison, Chorizo and Lamb served with Chimichurri, Anaheim Aioli, Sala Verde and Lamb Fat Aioli for dipping. Keeping the Theme going I got the Meatball sandwich made with Bison Meatballs, Spicy Marinara, Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese on Italian Bread. ($9)

Over The 9 is part of the Falls City Brewing and 502 Winery group so they have both beer flights and wine flights available. I did get a glass of wine with my sandwich, a nice red, Bach’s Wine. ($7) Served chilled it was a great match. They have Coca-Cola products, tea & Red Bull.

It was an excellent choice of a place to have dinner out on a Friday evening. They were never overrun but stayed busy while we were there. Didn’t see anyone we knew from Historic Portland. This would be an excellent place for an offline.

I can never figure out how to imbed photos in the write up. I am not even sure you can. But here are photos from our dinner.

What is Over The 9?
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207901149555629&set=pcb.821847771263018&type=1&theater

Scotch Duck Egg Appetizer.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207901152675707&set=pcb.821847771263018&type=1&theater

The plate AFTER finishing that appetizer.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207901181396425&set=p.10207901181396425&type=1&theater

Meatball Sandwich.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207901155995790&set=pcb.821847771263018&type=1&theater

Meatball Plate.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207901155875787&set=pcb.821847771263018&type=1&theater

The Bar.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207901155915788&set=pcb.821847771263018&type=1&theater

The Wine wall.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10207901156355799&set=pcb.821847771263018&type=1&theater

Great review Richard! We've been wondering and talking about that place for a while and you are the 1st person we know that has been there. Sounds like it's definitely a place to put on the list.

There is a recent thread on Over the 9 with viewer input. It is just a few lines down from this one:


viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23419&p=174249#p174249

I think this all sounds great and anything located west of 10th street should certainly get a little help in terms of adervertising. However, is 10th and market REALLY Portland? Geographically speaking, yes. However, I'd consider anything that close to museum row downtown. It's like calling Gardiner Lane Shopping Center the Highlands. Technically, yes but it doesn't really embody the spirit of the neighborhood.

Maybe I'm starting sh*# or even sound like an elitist. I worked in the west end (commuted by bicycle) and I can tell you that west of 10th street, it's tough to find a variety of independent restaurants. If you're going to advertise "Portland" I'd expect a cross street in the teens/twenties.

Maybe I'm starting sh*# or even sound like an elitist. I worked in the west end (commuted by bicycle) and I can tell you that west of 10th street, it's tough to find a variety of independent restaurants. If you're going to advertise "Portland" I'd expect a cross street in the teens/twenties.

You beat me to this Alexis...I don't even think of 10th street as, "geographically speaking", part of Portland.

Metro government does. The Portland Plan, approved in 2007, shows it starting at 10th St. Portland residents were on the planning committee.

https://louisvilleky.gov/sites/default/ ... d_plan.pdf

Maybe not originally, but since Downtown did not claim it, Portland got it.

To the original poster- thanks for coming in! Glad you enjoyed, and thank you for the kind words. In regards to the scotch egg, it takes a lot of work- and, based on your picture, that was actually one of our more over done eggs. It's usually creamier.

Re: 10th street being Portland.

Is it technically Portland? Yes. We are technically the welcome stop to Portland. We aren't in the heart of it, but I will say, the stigma surrounding that 9th street bridge is no joke. It's been a tough road to get guests in the door, but we are slowly accomplishing that feat. Busier every week.

So, thanks for helping put us on our way!

Hey Griffin - the picture of the Scotch Egg is actually from your FB page. The one we got looked so good, we gobbled it down before we remembered to take a picture and yes, it was creamier. We will be back, so many other things going by us looked appetizing, but we can't eat as much as once as we used to.

I think this all sounds great and anything located west of 10th street should certainly get a little help in terms of adervertising. However, is 10th and market REALLY Portland? Geographically speaking, yes. However, I'd consider anything that close to museum row downtown. It's like calling Gardiner Lane Shopping Center the Highlands. Technically, yes but it doesn't really embody the spirit of the neighborhood.

Maybe I'm starting sh*# or even sound like an elitist. I worked in the west end (commuted by bicycle) and I can tell you that west of 10th street, it's tough to find a variety of independent restaurants. If you're going to advertise "Portland" I'd expect a cross street in the teens/twenties.

I guess the glass half full, half empty metaphor applies here. Those who want to see it as Portland are right (half full), and those who see it as an extension of the downtown, museum district are right, as well (half empty).

[Robin Garr]

I guess the glass half full, half empty metaphor applies here. Those who want to see it as Portland are right (half full), and those who see it as an extension of the downtown, museum district are right, as well (half empty).

Same deal on the east side, really. Nulu isn't really Nulu until you go under 65, but Whiskey Row and Wild Rita's (the place where Primo and then Mozz used to be) don't really feel like "downtown" either, so people tend to call them "Nulu" anyway.

I like the idea of being the "welcome stop" to Portland and I think that's a great way to brand the place. As for the line that the 9th street overpass creates...I agree it's totally real. Since I broke that seal years ago, now I'm going to have to go and check the place out. Good luck to the folks making a go of a quality restaurant. Half full or half empty....I'll drink it either way.

As a person who lived in Portland when I was born (21st and St Xavier) 56 years ago it is nice to hear any positive comments about the neighborhood. We will have to try your place as soon as we can.

I moved from Louisiana to Portland (Tyler Ave-nee alley-represent!) and then bought a house last year in Chickasaw (would have been Portland, we loved it but nothing there unless you have $$ to renovate); 10th St is laughably "historic Portland" or Portland, regardless of where the city drew the line. I guess you can consider it West End in that people have some kind of weird prejudice about crossing the overpass. But that being said, you have to start somewhere. It seems like Over the 9 is a restaurant that can gently lure people across the divide...though with some of the outright disdain of natives with downtown in general..I don't know? I can't wait to get over there, it's *only* 40 blocks away from me in the other direction

Opening a restaurant in the heart of Portland would be very risky right now. However, if we can start erasing the negative image one block at a time, we will have a fighting chance to sustain economically, and bring the neighborhood up with us. As opposed to capitalizing on the cheap commercial property a bit further down, pouring a bunch of money in to it, and then kicking everybody out to bring east enders in.

Our goal is to do refined/elegant working class food, and blow the flood gate open. Rejuvenate the neighborhood, give it a second chance. I've had a ton of chances. Falls City got a second chance. Riverbend Winery got a second chance. Portland should, too. One block at a time.

Totally agree! And that space is gorgeous; I did some catering for a bridal show there a couple of years ago and was stunned that it wasn't being used. Definitely plan on getting there this weekend. *Definitely* interested in the pub trivia as well!