Portland? West End? CJ muddles Over The 9 review

[Robin Garr]

The CJ reviewer seems to conflate "Portland" with "West End." Good 3 1/2 star review of Over The 9, though.

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/en ... /72739468/

Portland is north of Market and west of 10th, so she's technically correct on that front.

[Robin Garr]

Portland is north of Market and west of 10th, so she's technically correct on that front.

More important, I screwed up. In spite of just having had an eye check this week, I missed one star and accused her of giving a 2 1/2 star rating to an excellent review. In fact it was 3 1/2 stars, which matches the text.

I'm going to disagree on the "Portland" thing though, Jeff. Here's her lede:

Ninth Street has been the red line restaurateurs and diners were loath to cross.

It’s a street that literally and figuratively divided Louisville. Never mind that it’s within crawling distance of Museum Row (Frazier History Museum, Louisville Slugger Museum, Kentucky Science Center, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft), restaurants and 21c Museum Hotel.

What matters is that it is the edge of Portland, a faraway land of … well, who knew? What was actually there or not there is beside the point. The impression was that whatever it was should be avoided.

This sure sounds to me as if she's saying that the rest of us have been afraid to cross Ninth because of Portland. In fact, West Enf fear certainly exists, but it's race-based, whereas Portland has been a traditionally blue-collar white neighborhood. The West End is a lot larger than just Portland. And, although there's certainly some truth in the "fear" meme, it's also a tone-deaf generalization.

I think this particular reviewer is best when she sticks to facts and doesn't try to get imaginative.

She certainly liked it a lot better than this week's LEO reviewer did. And she managed to avoid dragging her vagina into it. I had to double check the LEO cover to make sure I wasn't reading the U of L paper.

[Robin Garr]

She certainly liked it a lot better than this week's LEO reviewer did. And she managed to avoid dragging her vagina into it. I had to double check the LEO cover to make sure I wasn't reading the U of L paper.

Wait! I'm LEO's restaurant critic. Or was there another food story about Over The 9? I haven't picked up the print edition yet, but whatever you read was not the alt-weekly's restaurant review. That was my work, and it was about Fontleroy's. And no vaginas were involved, or male parts either.

Whether or not we are considered Portland has been contested, with differing opinions, on many different mediums (including this one).

We loved the review, wish we had gotten that extra 1/2 star though. That said, to clarify, I do not own Over the 9. Over the 9 is owned by Neace Ventures, who are lovely people that won't get bent out of shape about that minor inaccuracy. Neace Ventures food and beverage division currently consists of Over the 9, Falls City Brewery, and Old 502 Winery. I wish the review had mentioned some of the great craft beers Falls City is turning out, which we feature exclusively at Over the 9, but you can not expect a reviewer to try every single thing you offer. I think her review of us was very thorough and fair, and indicative of what one may experience in an isolated visit. Not to mention, the courier journal photographers are all amongst the nicest people I have ever met.

On to the Leo article.... I will say this. I'm not going to get bent out of shape about a woman who's only apparent way to relate to readers is to compare a restaurant to her disappointing sexual escapades, and who's "review" included absolutely no information about the food, as she didn't try any.

It IS, however, comical to me that a medium with which we advertise weekly (which isn't cheap, by the way) has an editor who would read this baseless and tasteless filth, and say "yeah, looks good. Let's go with that".

I'm all for fair journalism and honest opinions. If her opinion had been "tried the food, didn't like it", that would be one thing. However, if you go to a place that features 4 burgers, along with various small plates and original sandwiches, don't eat anything, and then your gripe is "they have burgers", So you proceed to litter your article with thinly veiled personal attacks, and assertions that you would like to fornicate with the food, I must say, your opinions are better reserved for choosing the props for a fetish flick.

We look forward to an actual Leo food critic (ahem) giving us a fair look, and we hope that that particular Leo food critic waits until after November 3rd, when we will be rolling out our first full menu, which will feature many more vegetarian options than we currently have, as well as quite a few unique entrees.

Wait! I'm LEO's restaurant critic.

Of course, didn't mean to shock. But there are others who write about restaurants from time to time and this week's issue had one of those. Sure makes me appreciate your reviews and the C-J's as well. Check it out:
http://www.leoweekly.com/2015/10/over-the-9-underwhelms/

[Robin Garr]

We look forward to an actual Leo food critic (ahem) giving us a fair look, and we hope that that particular Leo food critic waits until after November 3rd, when we will be rolling out our first full menu, which will feature many more vegetarian options than we currently have, as well as quite a few unique entrees.

Noted.

[Robin Garr]

Wait! I'm LEO's restaurant critic.

Of course, didn't mean to shock. But there are others who write about restaurants from time to time and this week's issue had one of those. Sure makes me appreciate your reviews and the C-J's as well. Check it out:
http://www.leoweekly.com/2015/10/over-the-9-underwhelms/

Thanks! Normally I check LEO online if I don't get up to Heine Bros and pick up a dead-tree edition, but in my defense, I've had my other hat on almost full-time this week.

[Robin Garr]

Wait! I'm LEO's restaurant critic.

Of course, didn't mean to shock. But there are others who write about restaurants from time to time and this week's issue had one of those. Sure makes me appreciate your reviews and the C-J's as well. Check it out:
http://www.leoweekly.com/2015/10/over-the-9-underwhelms/

Huh. Interesting. First, I can't speak for the editors, but in my experience, they're competent, caring people who continue LEO's vision of (1) local and (2) "Eccentric." I've never met Kelsey, but in fairness, she's a booze/drinks columnist. In this piece, it looks to me as if she's trying to channel the Bar Belle, but let's be honest, there is only one Bar Belle.

I think her style fits the "Eccentric" model, although in fairness, it's not my style. But at least LEO columnists have style. <snark>

It used to be 13th street. When did it become 9th?

[Robin Garr]

It used to be 13th street. When did it become 9th?

I get the impulse to make (the new) Portland contiguous with downtown at 9th, and I'm really not uncomfortable with that. My rant, as expressed above, goes to the CJ writer's ambiguity over the West End and her apparent lack of information about the region's longer-term cultural and social history.

[Robin Garr]

I get the impulse to make (the new) Portland contiguous with downtown at 9th, and I'm really not uncomfortable with that.

It's sort of like the impulse to call Whiskey Row "NuLu" even though it's west of I-65. Geographically dubious but makes sense in the light of current development.

She certainly liked it a lot better than this week's LEO reviewer did. And she managed to avoid dragging her vagina into it. I had to double check the LEO cover to make sure I wasn't reading the U of L paper.

Wait! I'm LEO's restaurant critic. Or was there another food story about Over The 9? I haven't picked up the print edition yet, but whatever you read was not the alt-weekly's restaurant review. That was my work, and it was about Fontleroy's. And no vaginas were involved, or male parts either.

Whew, we certainly don't want any vaginas drug through the mud

The CJ reviewer seems to conflate "Portland" with "West End." Good 3 1/2 star review of Over The 9, though.

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/en ... /72739468/

What am I missing here? I looked this over 3 times and never saw the words "West End." How can one conflate something that is never even mentioned?

As for 9th St divide, Portland, edge of downtown, etc., we've had these discusions. People basically agreed that it all depends on your point of view.

Robin, you're good at what you do, and I love this site. But you have an axe to grind regarding the C-J and Nancy Miller. You just have to throw in a dig, or chime in with a dig on every review.