Blog mention of L'ville in Gourmet

Not sure if this has been posted yet:

http://www.gourmet.com/travel/2008/01/louisville

Seems like there a million other things that he could have mentioned. PBR?

Not sure if this has been posted yet:

http://www.gourmet.com/travel/2008/01/louisville

Seems like there a million other things that he could have mentioned. PBR?

And I do believe he did.

New Orleans and Nashville and Charleston, three southern sorta-neighbors who get pimped endlessly by the food press, had best keep their eyes on the rearview mirror.

Dinner at the Oakroom in the Seelbach Hotel, where Todd Richards and Dwayne Nutter do their damnedest to explode what it means to be African-American chefs cooking in the American South. As in a fat scallop heaped with a "deli salad" of pineapples and carrots and Lord knows what all else, the tumble of goodness held together by a dill aioli.

Two fried eggs, scattered with shredded mozzarella, dribbled with harissa, served on top of brioche toast, from Toast On Market Set in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood full of hipster boutiques and junk stores, the restaurant also serves a riff on a Monte Cristo: brioche, filled with slices of ham and Swiss, served with a bullet of orange and rosemary syrup.

[Robin Garr]

And I do believe he did.

Well, sort of. He did say nice things about us, but using the Oakroom, Flabby's and Toast does fall a little short of painting a complete picture.

And I do believe he did.

Well, sort of. He did say nice things about us, but using the Oakroom, Flabby's and Toast does fall a little short of painting a complete picture.

He wrote quite a terse little piece that was 99.99% positive about the Ville. Seems good to me. And what's wrong with the old men of Schnitzelburg guzzling PBR in the streets while playing Dainty, a local version of stickball?

Basically, the writer gave us highlights and he stated that fact. A more in depth article would've been appreciated, but anything good is better than nothing at all. By the way, all the aforementioned places are local.

If I were to find a nit to pick, it would be that crappy overhead aerial photo he used of the Ville. That is just hideous. He would do much better with Google or maps.live.com or http://www.urban-photos.com/albums/69/L ... e_Kentucky

Definately with Doogy on this. This is a positive piece about us and we must keep in perspective what the outside world sees when they visit. I've been much more dissappointed with other articles I've read, reducing our culinary worth to hotbrowns, derby pie, and bourbon. And yes, I wish they'd employed Doogy for a better pic.

I think its a great mention and John T. was literally on a whirlwind trip to Louisville. He ate at places that were relatively close to his hotel and his meeting spots. Had he spent more time here I'm sure he would have hit more or our collective favorites as well.

[Robin Garr]

I think its a great mention and John T. was literally on a whirlwind trip to Louisville. He ate at places that were relatively close to his hotel and his meeting spots. Had he spent more time here I'm sure he would have hit more or our collective favorites as well.

Okay, I think we've got a glass half-empty, glass half-full thing here.

Yes, it's good for the city to get favorable mentions in national media. No question about that, and to that extent it's good.

But speaking as a journalist, John T did the same thing here that John Mariani frequently does: He stopped in for a short stay, talked casually to one or two people, did a non-random sample of, as you say, three spots near his hotel, <i>and then presented it as a typical slice of the Derby City</i>. He could have, and should have, taken just a little more time to do some research, and gotten it a whole lot more right.

I'm glad he did it. I wish he could have done it better. And having been in his shoes in my own career as both a food-and-drink journalist and a general journalist, I'd like to think that I would be embarrassed to do a quick-hit story like that myself, without at least putting out a call to someone like the KRA or Pableaux, Ron or Marty at the CJ or even moi. Just a little more work could have turned a so-so story into a great one.

I have a hell of a lot more respect for John T than I do for Mariani.

[Robin Garr]

I have a hell of a lot more respect for John T than I do for Mariani.

I don't know John T at all, but you're not responding to my point: He gave us good publicity, but it looks like a lazy reporting job. Do you disagree?

Ah, but I don't think it was a reporting job at all. It was a quick blog post about his experiences on a brief trip here. Had it been a 1500 word article on the Louisville dining scene then I'd absolutely agree with you that the 3 places he mentioned and the lack of detail about the city would be lacking.

I have a hell of a lot more respect for John T than I do for Mariani.

I don't know John T at all, but you're not responding to my point: He gave us good publicity, but it looks like a lazy reporting job. Do you disagree?

Robin, you are suffering from a major case of genre confusion. This is a 250 word blog entry mentioning highlights of a trip to Louisville. He lauds the Louisville scene and then picks three restaurants:
1) a top-flight restaurant. Does anyone disagree that the Oak Room is one of the top 5 restaurants in town?
2) a new hip place that gives Louisville a new feel: Toast. Great example.
3) a slice of old, traditional Louisville: Flabby's. It's as old, traditional Louisville as you can get.

It's a perfectly reasonable 250 word blog entry. It may not qualify as a well-researched piece of journalism. But as a 250 word blog entry it's pretty cool.

Ah, but I don't think it was a reporting job at all. It was a quick blog post about his experiences on a brief trip here. Had it been a 1500 word article on the Louisville dining scene then I'd absolutely agree with you that the 3 places he mentioned and the lack of detail about the city would be lacking.

Those are my sentiments as well. I would guess that under the circumstances it was probably "quick blog post" or nothing at all. I'll take the blog post and be happy, hoping that he liked what he saw enough to maybe do a feature on Louisville in the future.

[Robin Garr]

[Robin, you are suffering from a major case of genre confusion. This is a 250 word blog entry mentioning highlights of a trip to Louisville.

What this forum really needs is a separate forum to talk about journalism!

I hear what you guys are saying, but I still get the wobblies over the idea that just because you're "blogging" means that slipshod journalism is okay.

But I already said that the positive mention of Louisville is GOOD. And I agree also that the Oakrrom, Toast and Flabby's are all excellent spots that I'm glad to have represent Louisville in a national medium.

Still, EVEN IN A QUICK BLOG ENTRY, I still say that a few more minutes spent on the job and a phone call or two could have made it a lot better.

Should I start a Louisville Media forum?

Robin,

You're making even less sense. It's 250 words (did I already mention that?), he mentions three "excellent spots," but it is shoddy journalism? Maybe you should start a forum. I don't get it.

Just out of curiousity, which 3 would you have chosen, Robin?