Le Gallo Russo -- quick review

They don't have their own URL (website) but I was able to find a posted menu on resturant.com: http://www.restaurant.com/microsite-menu-image.asp?pgn=gcp&rid=333495&mcn=&eb=False&nav=menuimage
just now added to http://www.MenusOfLouisville.com

They don't have their own URL (website) but I was able to find a posted menu on resturant.com: http://www.restaurant.com/microsite-menu-image.asp?pgn=gcp&rid=333495&mcn=&eb=False&nav=menuimage
just now added to http://www.MenusOfLouisville.com

I didn't know about this site. Cool. I just added a link to it from LouHI.

[Robin Garr]

In practice, it appears that this law is not stringently enforced in Louisville, where one assumes that ABC has more important things to do such as keeping booze out of the hands of 20-year-olds.

Someone turned Le Gallo Russo in for allowing patrons to bring in their own wine. Maybe we have ABC enforcement officers reading this blog! Le Gallo Russo had to pay a fine and have applied for a liquor license.

[Robin Garr]

Someone turned Le Gallo Russo in for allowing patrons to bring in their own wine. Maybe we have ABC enforcement officers reading this blog! Le Gallo Russo had to pay a fine and have applied for a liquor license.

That's outrageous. I would love to know exactly who complained. Knowing that a lot of silent lurkers read this forum, if anyone out there knows for certain who the malefactor is, I urge you to let me know by PM or private Email at rgarr@louisvillehotbytes.com . If we can establish the guilty party behind any reasonable doubt, I would like to spend a little creative time coming up with a way to make them sorry.

That is a shame. I love that place, and bringing in your own wine is definitely one of Le Gallo's charms. I had a feeling this would happen with people openly posting that fact on the board.

[Robin Garr]

That is a shame. I love that place, and bringing in your own wine is definitely one of Le Gallo's charms. I had a feeling this would happen with people openly posting that fact on the board.

It's a dilemma all right, and I wrestled with the same thing before mentioning it in the LEO review last year. (I can't recall, but I think Marty mentioned it in his Scene review, too.)

Bottom line, if a restaurant openly offers a service to the public and it's something the public likes, it's kind of unfair to keep it a secret from other people who would benefit from knowing.

And Le Gallo Rosso was able to continue doing it for a year or more before some schoolyard tattletale spoiled it for everyone. I would really like to know who did that.

Aren't there more important crimes being committed in the Ville, even at this very moment?

[Robin Garr]

Aren't there more important crimes being committed in the Ville, even at this very moment?

That's pretty much my line of thinking. I wonder how much time the ABC inspectors spend keeping the environment around inner-city liquor stores clear of drug dealers and such. Much easier to hassle a little restaurant with no gang-bangers around to object, doncha know.

I'm still a little unclear as to just what enforcement and fining authority ABC has against premises that do NOT have a liquor license, or why exactly I don't have a right to quietly open my OWN bottle of wine for my own consumption in the setting of a sit-down restaurant.

I'm still a little unclear as to just what enforcement and fining authority ABC has against premises that do NOT have a liquor license, or why exactly I don't have a right to quietly open my OWN bottle of wine for my own consumption in the setting of a sit-down restaurant.

Consumption of alcohol in a public place. Same as opening beer in a park or a car. The place is allowing drinking on unlicensed premises. The ABC people have police powers. Guns & arrests, etc.

Could make it very difficult to get a license.

Don't agree with it, but that is the way it is. They probably don't make it a priority, but when it hits public statements (CJ or Louisvillehotbytes) it kind of forces there hand if someone complains. Plenty of bluenoses around.

Also the reason most restaurants/bars will not allow liquor bought in besides the loss of profit on sales. They can have license suspensions or loss of license.

I wonder how much time the ABC inspectors spend keeping the environment around inner-city liquor stores clear of drug dealers and such.

None .. For example ask the owners of the place at 1st and Oak. Chefs Table (?) Leanders, Carly Raes. The corner has a liquor store. You can hang around if you want. Check 32nd and Young for example (assuming you have bullet proof windows) and in nice weather it's party time. Outside of the inner city liquor stores are required to be responsible for their parking lots and even public sidewalks. No loitering. ... Been there .. done that .. my liquor store was supposed to keep people from hanging around. Been a long time ago, but nothing is changed.

We were planning on eating out at Le Gallo Rosso last night. When we called about reservations, they informed us about being turned in and their resulting change in the BYOB policy. They said, "so I assume you would like to reconsider your reservation?" Unfortunately, they were right. It makes me wonder if a place like this will be able to survive now. I hope they do, but I have to admit it was the ability to bring a nice bottle of wine from the cellar that led us there more often than not. It really is ridiculous that we don't have that freedom.

It will be interesting to see what they do with their wine menu selection and pricing.

[Robin Garr]

... It makes me wonder if a place like this will be able to survive now. I hope they do, but I have to admit it was the ability to bring a nice bottle of wine from the cellar that led us there more often than not. It really is ridiculous that we don't have that freedom.

It will be interesting to see what they do with their wine menu selection and pricing.

Two thoughts:
1) It would be very smart of them to choose an interesting, fairly priced list, and do what the Bristol is doing: Charge a very low markup, so the list price approximates retail. Call it "wine list wine at BYO prices" and stick it in the face of the bureaucracy.

2) It would be a great kindness of folks on this forum to suck it up and dine at Le Gallo Rosso during this interim period *even if we have to wait and get a drink after dinner in licensed premises*. It would be a great way to show support, thank them for a glorious effort, and perhaps help them keep the doors open.

Maybe even an "offline"?

I really wanted to like this place when I went a couple weeks ago, but it just wasn't that good. There were some pluses. Very cozy and fun atmosphere with an excellent accordion player roaming the small dining room. BYOB, who could ask for anything more. A salad, included with the cost of the main course that is not just an afterthought. The minus was the rest of the food. The spaghetti with stuffed meatball was really not well done. The spaghetti was well past al dente and bordered on gummy. The sauce was bland. The meatball was a major disappointment. It was gristly, poorly seasoned, and cool in the center where a tiny piece of mozzeralla cheese sat. The meat was tough. Meatballs are supposed to be more than orb-shaped ground meat. They are supposed to contain filler material like bread crumbs to give them a softer texture.

I will probably give this place another try, but for inexpensive, family style, Italian-american, cuisine in Louisville, I think Mellilo's does it far far better.

If we can establish the guilty party behind any reasonable doubt, I would like to spend a little creative time coming up with a way to make them sorry.

I'm thinking maybe a public lynching or a firing squad!

[Robin Garr]

I'm thinking maybe a public lynching or a firing squad!

Realistically, no, but a public outing and perhaps shunning by foodies might work if it's a competitor.